Jimmy Howard: NHL All Star

By Matt McLear January 31, 2012 3:46 pm ET


Jimmy Howard the starting goalie for the Detroit Red Wings made his first all star appearance over the weekend and showed the world how good he really is. Jimmy Howard is from my hometown.

For those who don't know Jimmy here is a little bit about him. Jimmy Howard is 27 years old from a little place called Ogdensburg, NY. Ogdensburg, NY is where my family and a lot of my friends grew up. It's where I currently live 7 miles away from. I personally don't know Jimmy but several people I know including my family and friends do. If you go to any bar in Ogdensburg you will be able to know someone who has a Jimmy Howard story. You might be reading this and be like so what I know a lot of famous people who came from my home town. Well Ogdensburg, NY and it's surrounding area's don't have many people that do big things. We have Jimmy Howard, Rick Carlisle, and actor Mark Valley. To have three people that are nationally and maybe even gloablly known is impressive with a population of roughly 11,000 people.

Jimmy started his junior career playing in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League for the Westport Rideaus. He then joined the US National Team development program. He played on the US National under 17 and under 18 team. He then helped lead the US U18 team to an IIHF World U18 Gold Medla Championship in Slovakia in 2002. He was named USA goaltender of the year.

Jimmy then attended the University of Maine bringing his team to the Frozen Four championship game in which they lost to University of Denver 1-0. He was drafted in the 2003 entry draft in the second round by the Detroit Red Wings. Before becoming the starter he played for the Grand Rapids Griffings in the AHL where he set several personal and franchise records including the first Griffin named to the AHL's All Rookie team and helped set the franchise win streak record of 12.

He was part of the 2007-2008 Detroit Red Wings team that won the Stanley Cup. Although he did not qualify to have his name on the cup he still was able to have his day with the cup. Of all the places to bring the cup when he had it for the day he chose his hometown of Ogdensburg. To have the Stanley Cup in town meant so much to everyone in this "city". It was something that many people will never get to experience again in their life. He brought it to almost every place possible in this small city. It shows you what kind of character he has and also how much his hometown really means to him.

In 2009-2010 Howard officially became a member of the Detroit Red Wing's when he was chosen over Ty Conklin to be Chris Osgoods back up. He recorded his first win of that season October 27th vs Vancouver when he came in relief of Osgood. One of Jimmy's first claim to fame nationally was when in a 2010 game vs the Pittsburgh Penguins Jimmy grabbed Sidney Crosby from behind and put his glove in Crosby's face after Crosby gave Henrik Zetterberg a couple of cross checks.

As you know now he is the starter for this season and was awarded the chance to make his first all star appearance. He was part of the Skill Challenge and was the goalie for the first period. During the time Jimmy was in the all star game he made the save on the second ever penalty shot in an all star game. Howard stopped 11 of 14 shots and after 20 minutes of play the score was 3-3.

Here is what Jimmy had to say of his first all star experience. “It was a lot of fun,” Howard said Monday, a big grin on his face as the Red Wings were preparing to board their plane for Tuesday's game in Calgary. “I got to spend a lot of time with my family, so it was good. The whole process was pretty cool to be around.”

His favorite part of the skills competition might have been watching the hardest shot event, where Chara broke his own All-Star Game record with a blast of 108.8 mph.
Howard enjoyed that “just because it shows how crazy I am,” he said, laughing again. “Some of these guys, it looks like they're barely even firing and it's over 100 (mph). I'm shaking my head saying, 'Why do I even stand in front of these guys?'”

This just shows you how Ogdensburg Jimmy Howard hasn't forgot where he came from. He is always talking about his family and where he comes from. It's good to know that the man know to the world has Jimmy Howard Detroit Red Wing's goalie is still just Jimmy Howard when he comes home. It also show's that if you work hard enough just because you are from a small town doesn't mean you can do big things. If you have the work ethic and desire to get out of here and accomplish your goals in life you can.

So Jimmy from one local man to another, (even though you play for a team I despise, sorry a Penguins fan) congrats on everything you have accomplished and good luck to you in the future. You already know this i'm sure but many people around Ogdensburg are proud to say "Jimmy Howard is from my hometown".

Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Pick Ups of the Week Part 3

It's that time again for another edition of Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Pick Ups of the week. If you are a first timer here how it works is I rank some of the hottest free agent pick ups to help you win your head to head match up. The players I pick are playing well in the last 7 days.

Let's get right to it...

Rodrigue Beaubois (Dallas pg,sg) he has 55 points, 14 rebounds, 26 assists, and 11 blocks in 116 minutes.

Trevor Booker- (Washington PF) 36 points, 18 rebounds, 6 blocks in 77 minutes.

Austin Daye (Detroit SF,PF) 62 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, in 121 minutes.

Matt Bonner (SA PF,C) 53 points on 15 3 pointers , 9 rebounds, in 94 minutes.

Mike Dunleavy (Milwaukee SG,SF) 57 points, 11 rebounds in 95 minutes.

Tyrus Thomas (Charlotte PF,C) 39 points, 30 rebounds in 131 minutes.

Devin Harris (Utah, PG) 56 points, 7 rebounds, 20 assists in 107 minutes.

Rodney Stuckey (Detroit PG,SG) 59 points, 10 rebounds, 19 assists in 130 minutes.

Garan Dragic ( Houston PG,SG) 36 points, 13 rebounds and 25 assists in 101 minutes.

Ronnie Brewer ( Chicago SG,SF) 44 points, 26 rebounds, 11 assists in 165 minutes.

Nikola Pekovic ( Minnesota C) 48 points, 33 rebounds in 92 minutes.

If you are in a jam with a player who hasn't been playing well, or hit by the injury bug like a couple of my teams then these guys can help you get the much needed head to head match up win. Plus you never know what player will get hot and stay hot.

Thanks for checking out the Yahoo Fantasy Basketball pick ups of the week. If you have anyone that's not on my list feel free to let me know.

The Super Bowl Thru the Eyes of A Bill's Fan

By Matt Tynon January 31st 10:53 am ET

So this is it. The end of a cinematic battle for supremacy. By midnight Sunday, the credits will have rolled and this years NFL season will come to a dramatic close. Cut. Print. FUCK! Its the Giants and Patriots. What ghoulish hell have the football gods bestowed upon us? It wasn't bad enough to watch the final game of the season I truthfully cared about end dreadfully. Now I have to sit back and listen to everybody tell me "Hey remember Scott Norwood," or "Boy Tom Brady really is a special kind of quarterback."

To hell with this. You know what this is. This is The Empire vs well The Empire. They both generate loathing and almost unadulterated hatred. They're two relative in comparison to the rest of the globe microscopic shit streaks on the rim of a majestic toilet.

2007 was bad enough. All be it mini-Empire defeated Empire on steroids, and believe me nothing gave this Bills fan more joy then that lowly 1 at the end of The Cheat-triots record. Also a nice little chuckle that followed in which David Tyree seemed to just vanish. Did Coughlin force throw him into the Atlantic from the shore of New Jersey?

Thats right, another thing Giants fans. You may dawn the NY on your helmets but to kind of quote the Governor of this state "Being the only NFL franchise IN NEW YORK the Bills are," stop there enough said Andy.

Patriots fans you know what you did and why I hate you. Not to mention you plucked a great momentary mistreated Buffalo icon and emblazoned him in the colors of our enemy. Which ruined our magical little dream of a majestic little Doug Flutie. You turned him into a tiny little nightmare that day he free kicked a field goal and the huge Emperor Bellecheck. If that would have been Jim Kelly or Steve Tasker Im sure there would have been some sort of Buffalo tea party. Littered with massacred life size cut outs of Tom Brady, and burning ephagees of Bill Bellecheck would be piled so high in Lafeyette Square that the smoke could be seen from the Maid of the Mist.

To end this useless rant I hope neither team wins. I hope the sky parts and the ghost of Al Davis rides his silver and black golf cart down a beam of light yells "YOU SHALL NOT PLAY!" Smashes cane and the field crumbles leaving the fans, media, etc. safe but dropping the two teams into some sort of alternate dimension. One where Bernard Pollard ended Bradys career and Archie was the only Manning we ever had to hear about. No Offense Peyton. Then after casting the two evil empires into whatever fiery hell there awful souls belong in he says "Alright Ralph, give the keys to Jim your coming with me." A guy can dream can't he?

Anyways final prediction minus acts of god Giants 32 Patriots 28.

Also in the betting world we have an over/under of 12 for how many times Barney says "3 Key pieces."

Along with an over/under of 10 minutes for how long Brock lasts if the Patriots start losing big.


Enjoy next to St Pattys Day and Thanksgiving souly for the food and football, the best day of the year Superbowl Sunday.

Go Bills!

Syracuse Wins Again. Or did they?

If anyone watched the WVU vs Syracuse basketball game then you know what I am talking about. Rather then explaining it, check it out here. Goal tending? Appears so.

So the question is why are we seeing more and more controversial calls? Not just in college basketball but we have seen major controversial calls in every sport as of late. Is it because the referee's are getting worst and worst? Is it the referees are betting on the games more and more? Or is it simply that the game is getting to fast for people to make every call correctly.

I am not saying a referee should make every single call right every single time. It's hard to do. I reffed high school basketball for a couple years did I miss calls? Of course. It's hard to get every call right with a two man crew. In college though they use a three man system and should not miss many calls especially a potential game tying basket like in the Syracuse game.

We have the technology to be able to see every call why not use it? I am not saying we should use replay on every single call because it would make the game last longer and get a little ridiculous. I am saying that if there is a questionable call that can change the out come of a game, use replay. You hear a lot of people say that using replay takes away the integrity of the game. Would you rather have the right call or save the integrity of the game? Personally I would like to see the right call be called whether it uses the human eye or the human eye looking at a monitor. As fans who help fund these sport events don't you think we have the right to have the right calls made? Many controversial calls in the history of sports have changed either the outcome of a game or have even changed history. (Sorry Tiger's fans, at least you got Prince Fielder) I think we need to focus less on the past and how the game was, and adapt with technology like we do in almost every other aspect of our lives.

Would love to hear some feedback on this topic and expand the post as feedback comes in. So either leave a comment or email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com

Super Bowl XLVI Free Betting Tips

Super Bowl XLVI features the New York Giants vs the New England Patriots in Lucas Oil Stadium Indianpolis, Indiana. Lucas Oil Stadium is a dome so weather will not be a factor. New England is a 3 point favorite and the over under is at 55.

Super Bowl XLVI is a rematch of Super Bowl XLII where Eli brought his team down the field late in the fourth to score a TD and beat the unbeaten and heavily favored New England Patriots 17-14. Of course everyone remembers the miracle David Tyree catch. If you don't click here for a trip down memory lane. (WARNING: DO NOT CLICK IF A NE FAN)

Even though the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots earlier in the year 24-20 they are still coming in as the under dog. The Giants scored late in the fourth quarter again earlier in the year to beat the Patriots. For New England I think third time is a charm. Corny I know but I really feel it's time for Brady to win his 4th Super Bowl. Plus if Brady publicly promised owner Robert Kraft that he would play better, I have a feeling he will be lights out. I think that they will use all of the negative things that have happened to them in the past to over come a gritty Giants team.

The New York Giants used some costly turnovers by the 49ers and an uncharacteristic bad game by the Green Bay Packers to advance to the Super Bowl. The Patriots advanced on some sub par Tom Brady play and a very well timed missed kick by Billy Cundiff to advance. If you look at how each team advanced I would expect Tom Brady and the Patriots to not faultier, and Tom Brady to have a great game. I don't think Eli has another miracle drive in him, and I don't believe the Patriots will make mistakes to let the Giants have a chance to win. Everyone is expecting a high scoring, all offense game. I disagree. I think New England played it's best defensive game of the year last week verse the Ravens and it will carry over into the Super Bowl. The Giants defense has been playing well and should continue you to play well.

Here are my Super Bowl XLVI predictions:

New York Giants- 20
New England Patriots- 30

I am taking the New England -3 and the Under 55.

Good luck to all the bet and if you use my advice and win then let me know I can send you my pay pal link so you can tip me. Just playin.

Fab Melo Out Again For Syracuse

I have been trying to pay a little attention to the Syracuse Orange and their big man Fab Melo. I am very curious to why he is still out. Living so close to Syracuse and having several people that work in the same organization I do live in Syracuse the rumor mill is flying. The only thing I do know to be true is he hasn't played the last two games and is not going to play in Syracuse this Saturday.

According to several sources the only thing officially being reported is that he is going to miss his third game due to an "academic issue". Melo has averaged 7.2 points, 5.7 rebounds in 22 minutes a game. Granted those stats aren't that impressive but his court presence is a huge part of their 2-3 zone. I am not going to write about how I think he affects the team when he doesn't play, because clearly they are a different team with him. That is true when any starter for a team is out. The Orange are a deep team and they have great coaches and athletes. They will adapt to life without him. For Syracuse fans him sitting out could either be good or bad. The good would be he busts hard like he has in the off season and continues to improve and work on his game. The bad news, which I could see happen is he doesn't get it resolved and declares for the NBA even if he is not ready.

The big question is what exactly did he due and is it going to cost not only him but the whole team? Like I mentioned above the rumors have been flying around Central NY. I have heard everything from he is done for the year, the team will forfeit games, he will be back in a week, he failed a class, he cheated on a test, he is expelled from school, he got caught playing with professionals, he accepted money. Could some of these rumors be true? Yes they most certainly can be, but I highly doubt it.

It's a shame how much effort he put into losing weight and becoming a better basketball player just to out of nowhere have to sit. A couple of people have written about the story and have stated the he did participate in practice Wednesday. It was noted he seemed loose and in good spirits during practice. Of course the media was trying to talk to him but him and any school official are unable to comment on it. The only thing being said is he could be out for a while until it is resolved. Question is what is so bad that he did to keep him out? Due to individual privacy protections for students it appears we will not be hearing any new information for a bit.

So if anyone has any information and want to report it here let me know. Either leave a comment or email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com. Even if it's just a rumor i'm sure someone out there has to have some kind of information as to why he is out. Someone on the Syracuse campus or near there must of some kind of information. Regardless if I hear anything I will post here.

ESPN's NFL Any Era: Beernutsworld Edition

ESPN is doing their Any Era team. Their list is pretty good don't get me wrong. But honestly it's not quite right. If you do not know what the Any Era team is here is the explanation from ESPN.

"ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine sought a list of the 20 current players who a 20-member Pro Football Hall of Fame panel and ESPN's John Clayton believe could excel in any era of the NFL.

Or, to put a finer point on it -- when Mike Ditka looks at today's player, whom does he want lining up next to him ... or across from him?

Which of today's players did our group of Hall of Famers deem really old school?

The playing days for our 20-member Hall of Fame panel spanned the '60s (Jim Brown) to the turn of the century (John Randle)...."

Here is the 20 members that they have.


20) Peyton Manning
19) Tim Tebow
18) Ndamukong Suh
17) Dwight Freeney
16) Jared Allen
15) Darrelle Revis
14) Ray Rice
13) Ed Reed
12) Demarcus Ware
11) Tom Brady
10) James Harrison
9) Aaron Rodgers
8) Hines Ward
7) Patrick Willis
6) Adrian Peterson
5) Brian Urlacher
4) Charles Woodson
3) Ben Roethilisberger
2)Troy Polomalu
1)Ray Lewis

Any list would be pretty hard to compile with so many great NFL players currently playing in the NFL but I feel like this list is out of order, and including guys that I feel should not make the list.

First thing that blows my mind is how ESPN has Tebow on the list, let alone OVER Peyton Manning. ESPN are you serious? I could sit here and bash Tebow all day but frankly I am not wasting the risk of carpal tunnel on it. He's off the list, sorry Jesus.

Maybe I am even too young to debate this because I won't lie I didn't see a lot of old school football. I have seen A LOT of current day football and know that I can select roughly 40 guys that deserve to be on that list more than Tebow. Instead of wasting all your time I am going to get right to my list.

20)Hines Ward
19)Ndamukong Suh
18)Dwight Freeney
17)Jared Allen
16)Ray Rice
15)Demarcus Ware
14)Ed Reed
13)Drew Brees
12)Peyton Manning
11)Adrian Peterson
10)Hakitu Ngata
9)Charles Woodson
8)Darelle Revis
7)Aaron Rodgers
6)Patrick Willis
5)Brian Urlacher
4)James Harrison
3)Tom Brady
2)Ray Lewis
1)Troy Polamalu

Here is my top 20 for now. I will do a follow up post tomorrow once I have time to put some more thought into it and add explanations why.

Feel free to send over comments on my list or players that should make it or should not be on here. If you feel ambitious then send over a list of your own and I will post.

Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Pick Ups of the Week Part 2

Here is another weekly edition of who to pick up for the week to try to give your team an edge in a head to head match up. There is a couple familiar names on this weeks list but I guarantee just about everyone is a Free Agent. I am basing this list off a 16 team league that way its a little deeper. Most leagues I am in are 12 and 14 team's so if I base it off this 16 team league then anyone that's a free agent in that should be a free agent in your less deep leagues.

Rodrigue Beaubois- Dallas PG, SG is ranked #34 in the last 7 days. He has 39 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists in that 4 game span. He also has 7 blocks all in 73 minutes.

Linas Kleiza- Toronto SG,SF is ranked #50 in the last 7 days. He has 48 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 assists. He has nailed 7 3 pointers and played 87 minutes.

Darko Milicic- Minnesota Center. He is ranked #62 in the last 7 days. He has 44 points, 21 rebounds, 10 blocks in 94 minutes.

Randy Foye- Clippers Pg, SG- He is ranked # 82 in the last 7 days. He has 32 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists in 82 minutes.

Shaun Livingston- Milwaukee PG, SG. He is ranked # 89 in the last 7 days. He has 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in 108 minutes. Livingston has been promoted to starting shooting guard.

Wayne Ellington- Minnesota SG. He is ranked #103 and on the list for the second straight week. He has 43 points, 14 rebounds in 128 minutes of work.

Josh Crawford-Washington PG,SG. He is ranked #121 in the last 7 days. He has 56 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in 95 minutes of work.

Derek Fisher- Lakers PG. He is ranked 132 in the last 7 days but with Steve Blake out with an injury Fisher will have to pick up some slack. He has 29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists in 120 minutes.

There you have the beernutsworld Yahoo Fantasy Basketball pick ups of the week. If you have anyone else you think is worthy of the list feel free to let me know. Hope this helps you beat your weekly opponent. Unless you are playing me this week, then I hope you lose or don't read this.

Prince Fielder To Tigers

Does the addition of Prince Fielder to the Detroit Tigers make them grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat?

Last year the Detroit Tigers made the playoffs and lost to the Texas Rangers. How can adding Fielder hurt? Vegas jumped the Tigers up to an 8/1 odd to win the World Series showing that the addition of him does make them a contender.

On paper this team is going to be tough to beat. Take a look at their projected opening day line up.

1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Brennan Boesch, RF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Delmon Young, DH
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Alex Avila, C
8. Ryan Raburn, LF
9. Don Kelly, 2B

P: Justin Verlander

A team that has Fielder and Cabrera alone can be scary, insert Justin Verlander on the mound and Avila and Peralta in the line up. That's five all-stars from last year. A line up that I guarantee no pitcher will want to face.

A couple of big questions come about though for the Tigers in their accusation of Fielder. Will he be able to stay healthy and fit? Will Cabrera move to 3b or will him and fielder share 1b and the dh?

Fielder has only missed one game in the last three seasons playing in the national league. He has shown he can be durable but will he be able to stay durable. There is a lot of concerns through out baseball that he will gain weight and lose power and durability causing his numbers to decline. I can see Fielder packing on the pounds as he gets older and the extra weight and the aging itself will cause him to become a struggling player. Do I see it happening in the next couple years? No. I think with his move to the AL he will be able to stay healthy and put up good numbers being able to take some nights off from the field and just hit. As long as management doesn't allow him to slack off and become lazy he should be fine until he gets out of his prime.

The other question out there is Cabrera at 3rd. This would be a great boost for the offense if he can play 3rd allowing another big bat in the lineup as a DH. I think putting him at 3rd makes the Tigers defense vulnerable though. You don't see a lot of small ball in the game anymore but the shots up the line and having him cover the gaps would cause some easy hits that could lead to frustration on the pitching staff. With Peralta at SS and Raburn in left I think for now they would be able to help fill the gaps and have Cabrera's back, but an injury to either could cause for some nightmares on defense.

I think the move to get Prince Fielder was a good move for the Tigers. Not only do you have the addition of a great bat and a pretty decent glove at first with some already good sticks and a dominant pitching staff. You have a player who many old timers in the organization are familiar with because of his dad Cecil playing for the Tiger from 1990-1996, and a young Prince always being around the club house. This is a team that made playoffs and lost to a good Texas Rangers team, except now in my opinion has the edge.

I think they have the right tools on paper to be able to compete for the a trip to the World Series. Having a good team on paper is useless unless that team gels. With Prince Fielder being a great clubhouse guy and from what I've read a great asset to any team I think there will be no issues with this team coming together. So just like Tony the Tiger this team should be Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat.

Tim Thomas Skips White House Celebration

Tim Thomas got the invite to celebrate winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship on Pennsylvania Ave at the White House. A chance to meet our President Barack Obama. A chance to be with his team that helped him win the Cup, but he chose to not go. Was it the right decision?

Tim Thomas apparently is into politics. But according to him skipping the White House visit wasn't about politics. This is what he had to say on his absence:

"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.

This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.

Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL."

I am not into politics but I am pretty sure him not going to the White House was all about politics. This is a tough topic because as a citizen he has the freedom to go like any of us or any of his other teammates. So clearly I am all for being able to use our rights. What I do have a problem with is lack of professionalism. The way he let his team and organization down.

Thomas makes millions of dollars playing for the Bruins. He has millions of fans that enjoy watching him play for the Bruins. He has kids that look up to him. He needed to do the right thing. Put politics aside, be a professional and go up there with everybody else in that organization. How many members of his team took a punch or a puck for Thomas. How many members broke a bone, lost a tooth playing for him and the Bruins? He represented our country on team USA and couldn't take the time to show up for the celebration?

I feel he should be penalized by the team for not going. Yes I know he has the right to go or not, but when you are an athlete on a team, let alone a professional team, you do what the organization expects you to do. If you don't show up to a team meeting because you have the freedom not to go should you not be penalized? Same thing should apply here. If I am the Bruins I am using this as a reason to part ways with him as his contract expires.

Sometimes in life you don't want to do what you are supposed to do. You think all of us enjoy going to work or enjoy ever task we are supposed to do at work? Tim Thomas you are a professional athlete making millions of dollars. You were the Stanley Cup MVP. You represented us on team USA. Your teammates gave their sweat and blood for you during the season. Regardless of your political view or your freedoms do the right thing and show up. Put on your suit and your smile and be there with your team. If not for yourself for your team and organization. For the owners and investors that write you your check. They will always be there for you like they are now in supporting the poor decision you made.

If you are lucky enough to win another Stanley Cup I hope the White House does the right thing and not invite you because frankly you don't deserve it.


Have an opinion on this matter? Would love to hear it. Leave a comment or email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com

Jorge Posada: Hall of Famer?

Jorge Posada is ending his 17 year playing career officially today. So naturally once someone that had a pretty good career retires the debate almost instantly begins. Is Jorge Posada a Hall of Famer?

Before I go into telling you if I think he is or not a Hall of Famer here is a list of his numbers compared to some of the best catchers to ever play the game and are in the Hall of Fame.

Jorge Posada was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1971, he played all 17 years of his career with the New York Yankees. He was a switch hitter that was a five time All-Star, five time Silver Slugger and won four World Series championships. Posada is the only MLB catcher in the history of the game to record a .330 batting average or better, 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 rbi's in a single season. Throughout the 2000's he had lead the leagues catchers in several categories.

Here are his career numbers:

Average= .273
HR=275
RBI=1065
OBP=.374
SLG=.474
Hits=1664
Runs=900
Fld%=.992


Here are the numbers of arguably the top 10 catchers in the HOF:

Ernie Lombardi- Ernie was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1938 with the Cincinnati Reds. He led the league in batting with a .342 average.

He led the league in batting again in 1942 while with the Boston Braves, batting .330.

In 10 of his 17 seasons Lombardi batted over .300, finishing with the second best career average on this list at .306.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1986.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .306
HR = 190
RBI = 990
OBP = .358
SLG = .460
HITS = 1792
RUNS = 601
FLD % = .979

Gary Carter- Gary had the best fielding percentage of the players on this list at .991.

He hit over 20 HR nine times and led the league in RBI in 1984 with 106.

He was runner-up in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player in 1980, when he batted .264 with 29 HR and 101 RBI.

His 324 career HR puts him fourth on our list in that category.

Gary was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .262
HR = 324
RBI = 1225
OBP = .335
SLG = .439
HITS = 2092
RUNS = 1025
FLD % = .991


Roy Campanella- Roy was a three-time MVP winner in the National League with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Campanella’s best season was 1953, when he batted .312 while hitting 41 HR, knocking in 142, and scoring 103.

He hit over 20 HR seven times in his abbreviated 10-year career. He batted over .300 three times and knocked in 100 or more runs three times.

His career was cut short in 1958 when he was paralyzed in an automobile accident.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .276
HR = 242
RBI = 856
OBP = .360
SLG = .500
HITS = 1161
RUNS = 627
FLD % = .988

Buck Ewing- Buck batted over .300 in 11 of his 17 seasons, nine consecutively.

He led the league in home runs in 1883 with 10. His 200 hits per 162-game season ranks first on this list.

Revered by many to be the best player of the 19th century, his OPS+ was above 150 three times. Ironically, touted to have an excellent throwing arm, he is at the bottom of the list in fielding percentage.

Ewing was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1939.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .303
HR = 71
RBI = 883
OBP = .351
SLG = .456
HITS = 1625
RUNS = 1129
FLD % = .931

Carlton Fisk- Carlton was the Rookie of the Year in the American League in 1969, batting .293 with 22 HR and 61 RBI.

Oddly enough, in his 24-year career, Fish never led the league in any category at all.

He was on 11 All-Star teams, won one Gold Glove Award, and garnered three Silver Slugger Awards.

Fisk hit over 20 HR eight times and knocked in over 100 twice.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.


Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .269
HR = 376
RBI = 1330
OBP = .341
SLG = .457
HITS = 2356
RUNS = 1276
FLD % = .988

Gabby Hartnett- In 1935 Hartnett was the National League’s Most Valuable Player, hitting .344 with 13 HR and 91 RBI. His best year was in 1930 when he put up uncharacteristic numbers—he batted .339, hit 37 HR, and drove in 122.

He batted .300 or better six times and was named to six All-Star teams.

Hartnett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .297
HR = 236
RBI = 1179
OBP = .370
SLG = .489
HITS = 1912
RUNS = 867
FLD % = .984

Mickey Cochrane- Cochrane won two Most Valuable Player Awards in the American League. In 1928 he won it by hitting .293 with 10 HR and 57 RBI while with the Philadelphia Athletics.

He won it again in 1934 with the Detroit Tigers, batting .320 with two HR and 76 RBI.

Mickey’s .320 career average is good enough to lead the list of Hall of Fame catchers.

In 1933 he led the league in OBP with .459.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .320
HR = 119
RBI = 832
OBP = .419
SLG = .478
HITS = 1652
RUNS = 1041
FLD % = .985

Johnny Bench- He won the Most Valuable Player Award in the National League twice. In 1970 he won it, batting .293 with 45 HR and 148 RBI. He won it again in 1972, hitting .270 with 40 HR and 125 RBI.

Johnny hit over 20 HR 11 times and knocked in over 100 runs six times.

He was a 14 time All-Star and won 10 Gold Glove awards.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .267
HR = 389
RBI = 1376
OBP = .342
SLG = .476
HITS = 2048
RUNS = 1091
FLD % = .990

Bill Dickey- Despite batting over .300 11 times in his 17-year career and averaging 109 RBI, Bill never won a Most Valuable Player award.

His best year was 1937, when he batted .322 with 29 HR and 133 RBI.

His 162-game averages from the years 1936-39 were .326, 32 HR, 145 RBI, 195 hits, and 116 runs scored.

He was named to 11 All-Star teams and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .313
HR = 202
RBI = 1209
OBP = .382
SLG = .486
HITS = 1969
RUNS = 930
FLD % = .988

Yogi Berra- Berra started his illustrious career with the New York Yankees in 1946.

He was the Most Valuable Player in the American League three times. The first came in 1951 when he batted .294 with 27 HR and 88 RBI.

His next MVP Award came in the 1954 season. That year he hit .307 with 22 HR and 125 RBI.

He won it again the very next year by batting .272 with 27 HR and 108 RBI.

He was runner-up in voting twice and finished third one other time.

In a four-year stretch from 1953-56, Yogi’s 162-game averages were .293 with 30 HR and 126 RBI.

Berra was named to 18 All-Star teams and played in 14 World Series. He is the only man in history to win 10 World Series rings.

Yogi was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Here are his career statistics:

AVG. = .285
HR = 358
RBI = 1430
OBP = .382
SLG = .486
HITS = 2150
RUNS = 1175
FLD % = .989


You can compare Posada's stats with some of the best catchers to ever play the game and see that they are impressive but in my opinion not good enough to be a Hall of Famer. Currently there are 16 catchers in the hall of fame. If I had to rank Posada I would say he would be around a top 25 catcher of all time.

The way I see it is with Jorge retiring and Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter probably not too far behind, he will then have to compete with them on the Hall of Fame ballet. How can anyone vote to let in Posada over those two greats, not to mention anyone else that will be on the ballot. He will still be on the ballot years after those guys get in but I still believe he is just not quite a Hall of Famer.

With me saying he is not a Hall of Famer takes nothing away from him being a great player. He is a good player that had great success in the game of baseball. He was a good player on some outstanding teams. In the era that he played he was one of the best catchers in every statistical category. Which is a good fete especially with several players being accused of using PED's. Something he has never been accused of.

Regardless of if he makes the Hall of Fame or not congratulations on a great career Jorge.


If you feel differently on my perspective feel free to leave a comment or email your comment to 30mclear44@gmail.com. I will insert your comment into the post and comment on it as well.

The Life of a Kicker: Billy Cundiff Edition

If you turn on the TV today you are going to see how two team's made it to the Super Bowl by other team's making special team errors. Kyle Williams for the 49er's messed up twice on returns, and the shank heard around the world Bill Cundiff wide left. Just in case you are secluded and do not have a t.v., Twitter, or Facebook, check out this link to see the kick.

I keep asking myself is the life of a kicker worth it? I mean think about it. You saw Lawrence Tynes for the Giants make a game winning field goal and he was cool for about what, 2 minutes? Do you ever see a kicker get player of the game or MVP? Even when a kicker makes a game winning field goal or a tough 50+ yard field goal they get a oh nice kick or that a boy. Maybe they jump up and down around him for 30 seconds. Their importance and skill set is undervalued in a tough and rugged game I believe. You rarely even hear them mentioned in the press conference after winning a game. But when you miss a kick you "should" make, boy does the world turn on you.

When I say life of a kicker I do not mean a punter. It is important to have a good punter don't get me wrong, but even when a punter makes a mistake (Google Matt Dodge) it's not even comparable. They make Sportscenter a couple of times and some people get angry but it's easily forgotten. When a kicker makes a mistake, especially a playoff mistake it will live on forever. The bigger the game clearly bigger the miss and bigger the hate. So should we feel bad for these guys when they miss a big kick? Is the life of being a kicker even worth it?

The average salary of a Punter/Kicker in the NFL is around $868,000. Billy Cundiff makes around $3 million dollars a year. (Contract is 5 years/14.7 million) He played 15 games this year (missed one with a calf injury) and made 28 of 37 field goals. Longest was 51. He was 38-38 for extra points. So if you base his salary off of how many times he kicked the ball for points he makes roughly $40,000 a kick. Should we honestly feel bad for a guy that makes $40,000 every time he tires a field goal or extra point because he missed one? Should we hate on a man for missing the kick at all regardless of what he makes?

Clearly I have never been in his shoes or any other kicker's shoes and will never be in their shoes. I would like to think though if I was making almost $3 million dollars a year kicking a football I would be able to turn off the t.v., the cell phone, change my mailing address and get away for a bit, and get over the fact I cost my team a chance at a Super Bowl. Especially knowing that if Lee Evans catches the ball (Click HERE to see drop) they take the lead and Cundiff doesn't have to miss a kick. Not saying Cundiff won't get over it i'm sure he will, but is it worth going through it?

I mean how often do you see kickers in movies, or TV shows, or even commercials? How many kids at home buy kicker Fat Heads? How many people rock a kicker's jersey on game day? I bet the only time someone buys a kickers jersey (if they even make them) is to give to someone as a gag gift.

I live in Northern NY. Just about everyone up here is either a New York Giants or Buffalo Bills fan. So every Buffalo Bills fan clearly remember missing kicks. DO NOT WATCH FOLLOWING LINK IF YOU ARE A BILLS FAN. You have been warned. I mean they are blaming their good season turned ugly because they had Scott Norwood day at the Ralph. It's still his fault.

Well just as Lee Evan's dropped the potential game winning pass it immediately turned into a oh sorry about that Baltimore fan's Lee Evans brought brought that curse to you from Buffalo. As Cundiff was kicking the ball a certain Bills loving friend of mine yelled Scott Norwood which apparently caused Cundiff to miss. This just shows you how the life of a kicker and the legacy of a missed kick can live on forever. Imagine being Norwood every time a kick is missed your clip is blasted all over the world again.

The life of a kicker, is it something you would want? Is making that kind of money worth the risk of being a Scott Norwood or Billy Cundiff?

Baseball: America's Pastime?

How many times have you heard the phrase Baseball America's pastime? I know growing up it's always what I heard it called. Question is, is it actually still America's pastime? I have a feeling as I keep growing older and my non born yet kids come along, that it won't be called America's pastime anymore. Why you say? Well the amount of US born players get's lower and lower each year. Will it soon be refereed to as Baseball: The World's pastime?

Growing up and watching baseball in the 90's it was still mainly America's pastime. The Pirates were still good and had my favorite love him or hate him player Barry Bonds. Issues that were going on in baseball were about mainly about baseball. Like the 1994 player strike. Owners and players could not come up with a mutual deal mainly in regards to a salary cap. Fan's got fed up with all of this and attendance dropped 20%. What the game needed was some players to make the game fun and exciting. Give the fan's a reason to go to the games knowing that at any moment they could see history, history of America's pastime.

Then came Cal and the Chase in 1995. Fans started paying attention to America's pastime when Cal Ripken Jr who played for the Baltimore Orioles as their SS and third baseman got closer and closer to Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record. This was a record that many people including myself thought was untouchable. There was NO WAY anyone could play that many games again. On September 6th 1995 Cal officially set the record. He kept playing until 1997 when he finally missed a game. The record he set and obviously still stands is 2,632 games. A record that I say again will never be broken. Will it? Maybe.

While Cal's impressive record helped start to bring America's pastime back in the spotlight and started to get fan's back in the seats it wasn't quite enough. But in the summer of 1998 a chase for another record helped save the America's pastime. Two Goliath's Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire took the spotlight and had any sports fan in the nation glued to a TV or searching for tickets to catch a game live night in and night out while they chased to break the home run record. This race has only been seen once before in baseball. In 1961 Rodger Maris and Mickey Mantle battled it out for the Major League record chasing Babe Ruth.

The chase for the home run record didn't start off as a contest. As May rolled upon us McGwire had 24 home run's already and Sosa only had 9. But June was a different story. One of if not the greatest home run hitting month of all time got Sosa right back into the race as he hit 20 homer's that June. The battled night in and night out filling the stands with people, making headlines in every paper and news channel. It was an exciting time for baseball. On September 8th McGwire playing the Cubs at home in Busch Stadium hit number 62. It was a pretty amazing night, a night that any sports fan watching it live or on TV will never forget. McGwire went on to hit 70 that year to hold the record and Sosa ended up with 66 and the NL MVP. Without this chase myself and many people feel that baseball would not be the game it is today. Was this the start though of the shift of America's pastime to what we have now? With McGwire the California kid slugging it out with Sosa the Dominican Republic kid?

Opening day 2011 almost 30% of the players in all of Major League baseball were born outside the United States. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with players from other countries playing in the MLB obviously, it's not about that. It is great for the game to have the diversity of cultures following the game and playing the game. My point is that this game is getting so diverse that I feel it is no longer just America's Pastime. It is becoming the World's pastime.

Take for instance some of the top ranked players coming into the 2012 season.


Albert Pujols- DR
Miguel Cabrera- Venezuela
Jose Bautista- DR
Robinson Cano- DR
Joey Votto- Canada
Hanley Ramirez- DR
Jose Reyes- DR
David Ortiz-DR
Carlos Gonzalez-Venezuela
Elvis Andrus- Venezuela

A lot of big name players are helping the game of baseball strive. So let's see what becomes of the game but I feel down the road a clever marketing person will come up with a new slogan.

Baseball: ?????? Pastime


Any feedback or comments are greatly appreciated. Email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com or leave a comment below and I will add them into the post.

What Makes An Elite QB

I got this IM from a co-worker that really got me thinking: "would you classify Roethlisberger with Rodgers, Brees, Brady, and Peyton as an elite QB?"

My response was "depends on how you define elite". What exactly makes a QB elite? Is it the number of Super Bowl rings you win? Is it the number of yards you throw for? Is it how you handle yourself on and off the field? Is it the ability to win games? Is it all of the above?

Clearly if you know anything about me I am a die hard Pittsburgh fan. I am not going to sit here though and tell you how awesome Big Ben is and he should be a hall of famer and he's elite just because he is on the team I like. I am not like that. I tell it how I see it and how I feel. Is he an elite QB? It still depends on what is an elite QB. Here are some of Big Ben's numbers along with other "elite" quarterbacks.

Since coming into the league in 2004 he is 80-33 in the regular season. 10-3 in the playoffs with 4 AFC championship appearances, Three Super Bowl appearances, Three AFC Championships, 2 Super Bowl championships, 2 time pro bowl. Career he has 165 Td's and 100 int's. 63% completion, 26,579 passing yards, 92.1 passer rating, 20 4th quarter comebacks and 26 game winning drives.

Now let's compare him to the other "elite" quarterbacks.

Drew Brees: has been in the league since 2001 and is 92-61 in the regular season and 4-3 in the playoffs. 1 Super Bowl ring. He has 281 td's and 146 int's. 65.9 completion %, 40,742 passing yards, a 94 passer rating, 19 4th quarter comebacks and 29 game winning drives.

Peyton Manning: Has been in the league since 1998 with a regular season record of 141-67, and 9-10 in the playoffs. 1 Super Bowl ring. He's thrown 399 td's and 198 int's. 64.9 completion %, 54,828 passing yards, 94.9 passer rating, 35 4th quarter comebacks, and 46 game winning drives.

Tom Brady: Has been in the league since 2000 and had his first start in 2001. He has a 124-35 regular season record and a 14-5 playoff record. He has won 3 Super Bowls. He has thrown for 39,979 yards 300 touchdowns and 115 interceptions. He has a 63.8 completion percentage, a 96.4 passer rating, 24 4th quarter comebacks and 34 game winning drives.

Aaron Rodgers: Has been in the league since 2005 and starting quarterback since 2008. He is 41-21 in the regular season and 4-2 in playoffs winning 1 Super Bowl. He's thrown for 17,366 yards 132 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He has a 65.4 completion %, a 104.1 rating, 3 4th quarter comebacks and 6 game winning drives.

So if all of these guys are elite quarterbacks strictly based on numbers an elite quarter back needs to have at least 1 super bowl ring, win around 65% of your regular season games, at least 6 playoff appearances, around 20,000 passing yards, around a 150 passing td's, completion percentage of 63% or higher, a career passer rating around 95 and some fourth quarter comebacks and game winning drives.

So does that mean these 3 guys should be considered elite quarterbacks because all they are lacking is the Super Bowl ring? Are they not elite because they do not have a ring? Does the ring make a quarterback elite? If Eli win's another ring but his numbers aren't like the other "elite" quarterbacks is he now elite because of the second ring?

Anyways, take a guess on who the following three are. I will label them A, B, C. Scroll down for answers. Don't cheat.

A):Been in the league since 2004 and started in 2006 has gone 47-30 and 1-3 in the playoffs. Has a completion rating of 64.5, thrown for 20,834 yards, 149 td's and 72 int's. Has a passer rating of 96.9 with 13 4th quarter comebacks and 14 game winning drives.
B):63-33 regular season record since being in the league since 2004 and starting in 2006. 3-4 in the playoffs. 63.5 completion record, 24,285 yards, 163 touchdowns and 78 interceptions, 95.5 passer rating, 13 4th quarter comebacks and 16 game winning drives.
C): Has been in the league and starting since 2008 with a 43-19 regular season record and a 0-2 playoff record. He has a 60.9 completion percentage, thrown for 14,238 yards, 95 touchdowns and 46 interceptions. A Rating of 88.4 and has 11 4th quarter comebacks and 16 game winning drives.

Yes some of these guys may not be elite because of lack of rings and only being in the league for a couple of years but so has Rodgers. Rodgers has had a great couple of years but what if his numbers go the other way? Can you then say hes not an elite quarter back? If any of A, B, or C get a ring in the next year or two are they then elite?

To me out of all the guys listed I would consider Tom Brady and Peyton Manning elite quarterbacks. Why you say? Well because they have had success in the league for several years. They have been on a variety of teams and still consistently are able to find success and put up numbers. They have post season success and they are guys that nobody ever wants to play week in and week out. With their elite skills they can lead a team to victory. Take for example Peyton not playing this season. The Colts win two games. Is it only because Peyton isn't there? No. But when have you seen Peyton be able to only win 2 games in a season? These guys have something special, something bigger than rings and numbers, they have something elite.

I'd be very interested to hear your arguements and points on what you think makes an elite quarterback. So comment back or send me an email and I will add your comments here. 30mclear44@gmail.com is my email.


Thanks for checking in, don't forget to scroll down to see the answers to who are the A, B, and C.















A= Tony Romo, B= Philip Rivers, C= Matt Ryan.

Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Pick ups of the Week

Yesterday I made a quick post on my top 5 guys to pick up for the week. (http://beernutsworld.blogspot.com/2012/01/yahoo-fantasy-nba-5-hot-pick-ups-week.html) Most of those guys in just about every league should be available. What I wanted to do today for you is break down the top 5 hottest players for this week for each position. Hopefully this can give you an edge to make a trade or make a pick up to help you win your head to head match up this week and weeks to come.

That stats I am including are points, rebounds, assists for the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions. For the power forwards and centers it will be points, rebounds and blocks. I am just picking three of their categories to show you how they are playing hot.

PG
Kyle Lowery- (87, 25, 29)
Ricky Rubio- (48, 25, 37)
Mike Conley- (63, 11, 32)
Russell Westbrook- (83, 20, 19)
Monta Ellis- (110, 14, 32)

SG
Joe Johnson-(99, 24, 22)
MarShon Brooks- (72, 24, 13)
Jarret Jack- ( 79, 15, 25)
Ben Gordon- (74, 14, 18)
Kevin Martin- (77, 14, 16)

SF
Danilo Gallinari- (49, 19, 9)
Antwan Jamison- (71, 19, 10)
Tayshaun Prince- (92, 16,10)
Josh Smith- (83, 47, 11)
Dorell Wright- ( 50, 19, 6)

PF
Kevin Love- (117, 56, 4)
Lamarcus Aldridge- (93, 37,5)
Ryan Anderson- (71, 26)
David Lee- (115, 53, 3)
Carlos Boozer- (73, 34, 1)

C
Greg Monroe- (93, 56, 4)
Samuel Dalembert- (61, 47, 8)
Marcin Gortat-( 83, 62, 9)
Marc Gasol- (71, 45, 9)
Byron Mullens( 76, 34, 1)

So there you have it, my top 5 hot players of the week in each position. Hopefully this is enough to get you the win this week. In deep leagues most of these guys will not be FA but you might be able to pull off a nice trade with someone who is struggling on your team but is a big name. Not saying they will keep this up all year but might pay off. The beauty of fantasy sports is there is always a nobody who can become a somebody.

-Matt McLear

Yahoo Fantasy NBA 5 Hot Pick Ups (Week)

I just wanted to send out a quick post to gauge interest level on Fantasy Basketball advice. I have been doing some research on some players who are hot this week and I think will stay hot. Will they be a stud you want on your team the whole year? Maybe. Maybe not. If you are in a head to head league like I am any of these guys could be worth a pick up to help win your match up this week.

Mike Miller: Ranked #4 in last 7 days averages. First game back he played 15 minutes and went 6-6 from 3 for 18 points. Hard to pass that up if he stays hot.

CJ Watson: Ranked #23 in last 7 days. With Rose out he is providing a nice spark. Giving the Bulls and potentially your team some minutes and a 15-20 point effort.

Wayne Ellington: Ranked 48 last 7 days. 24 minutes and 11 points hes averaging for the week. Good little boost to help you win your H2H matchup.

Sundiata Gaines: Ranked 71 last 7 days. He stepped in and scored 11 points in 11 minutes. He keeps that up could be a nice utility grab. He is PG or SG eligible.

Corey Brewer: Ranked 86 in last 7 days. Brewer came off the bench and scored 22 Tuesday night and is now averaging 13 points in last 4 games. He's also averaged 20 minutes in the last 7 days. 20 minutes and 20 points could be tough to pass up.


So there you have it. If you are looking for a quick boost for your fantasy team this week take a look at these 5 guys. Stay tuned for more Yahoo Fantasy NBA advice tomorrow.

NFL Conference Championship Betting Thoughts

Like I mentioned in my previous post I wanted to share my predictions on what I think will happen this Sunday. If you take my advice and lose don't get angry it's just my opinion and nothing is guaranteed in the world of sports.

Sunday 3pm Baltimore @ New England

Bovada.lv lines
Spread New England -9
Over/Under 50.5
Vegas Insider Lines
New England -7.5
Over/under 50.5


New England comes into this game on a 9 game winning streak and a 7-1 home record.To me it's pretty simple in what New England is going to do. Score. They have put up 30+ points in 13 of their last 17 games. I see them doing it again this week. The question is what will Baltimore do? I personally think Baltimore will be able to put up points on an awful New England D.

Projections:

New England: 38
Baltimore: 23

So as you can see I like New England -7.5 and the Over 50.5


Sunday 6:30 NFC Championship Game New York Giants @ San Francisco 49er's

Bovada.lv lines

SF -3
over/Under 42

Vegas Insider Lines
SF -2.5
over/under 42

Both teams are coming into this game on 4 game winning streaks. 49ers are playing tough and getting things done with their defense. They are 7-1 at home with their only loss coming week 2 vs the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants and 49er's squared off week 9 in SF and with the 49ers coming away with a a 27-20 win. 49er's were playing just as good football then but the Giants were not playing nearly as well. I expect the score to be around the same but with different results. If the Eli of the last 4 weeks shows up I think Giants walk away with a win here.

Projections:

New York Giants 27
SF 49er's 17

So as you can see I like the Giants to cover the spread and to cover the over.

Good luck to you if you place a bet and if these are one of your teams fighting for a Super Bowl. Unless your the 49er's, I do not want you to have a chance at tying the Steeler's Super Bowl record.

Thanks for stopping by,

Matt McLear

Fantasy Sports Profile

I consider myself slightly above average in fantasy sports. I will play any fantasy sport. (mattmclear@yahoo.com if you want to challenge me) Favorite is football and baseball can't lie. I also prefer to play for some money to make things more competitive and fun. Doesn't have to be a lot of money but I've noticed if there is something to play for people don't give up on their team's.

Here is a breakdown of my last couple years of playing. I have to admit this year's football was one of my worst. I was in too many leagues and started coaching JV Basketball and just didn't have the time to focus like I needed. Next year will be different.

So here is a breakdown of my just my Yahoo sports leagues and finishes. Nothing to impressive but a gauge at how I do and the time and variety of sports I play. Keep in mind this is just a name I switched to in 2008 and just Yahoo. I had a different name up until then.

Golf 2012 922 of 1199 * (started late, oooops)
Golf 2012 22% *

Baseball 2011 4 of 6
Baseball 2011 1 of 8
Baseball 2011 10 of 12

Basketball 2011 8 of 12 *
Basketball 2011 2 of 16 *

College Bowl Pick'em 2011 53%
College Bowl Pick'em 2011 63 of 69
College Football Pick'em 2011 3 of 4

Football 2011 12 of 16
Football 2011 5 of 12
Football 2011 10 of 12
Football 2011 12 of 14
Football 2011 1 of 12
Football 2011 11 of 14
Football 2011 4 of 10
Football 2011 8 of 12

Hockey 2011 4 of 14 *
Hockey 2011 3 of 10 *

Salary Cap Football 2011 2 of 3
Salary Cap Football 2011 36%

Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2011 39%

Survival Football 2011 dead *

Tournament Pick'em 2011 6 of 8
Tournament Pick'em 2011 95%
Tournament Pick'em 2011 33%

Auto Racing 2010 10 of 48
Auto Racing 2010 67%
Auto Racing 2010 2 of 6

Baseball 2010 3 of 10
Baseball 2010 5 of 8
Baseball 2010 1 of 14
Baseball 2010 3 of 14

Basketball 2010 6 of 10
Basketball 2010 9 of 12
Basketball 2010 4 of 8

College Bowl Pick'em 2010 87%
College Bowl Pick'em 2010 2 of 4

College Football Pick'em 2010 1 of 1

Football 2010 12 of 14
Football 2010 5 of 10
Football 2010 3 of 12
Football 2010 8 of 16
Football 2010 3 of 10
Football 2010 2 of 14

Golf 2010 1 of 6
Golf 2010 88%

Hockey 2010 4 of 10
Hockey 2010 5 of 6
Hockey 2010 1 of 12
Hockey 2010 12 of 16

Pro Football Pick'em 2010 95%

Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 95%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 70%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 11 of 254
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 9 of 13
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 54%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 8 of 13
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 70%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 46 of 438
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 43%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2010 10 of 13

Survival Football 2010 1 of 10

Tournament Pick'em 2010 91%
Tournament Pick'em 2010 73%
Tournament Pick'em 2010 94%
Tournament Pick'em 2010 3 of 16
Tournament Pick'em 2010 90%

World Soccer 2010 2010 39 of 145
World Soccer 2010 2010 81%

Auto Racing 2009 58%
Auto Racing 2009 1647 of 5482
Auto Racing 2009 3 of 8

Baseball 2009 3 of 6
Baseball 2009 5 of 9
Baseball 2009 7 of 10
Baseball 2009 1 of 12
Baseball 2009 12 of 14
Baseball 2009 10 of 20
Baseball 2009 2 of 18
Baseball PLUS 2009 2 of 16

Basketball 2009 6 of 12
Basketball 2009 5 of 10
Basketball 2009 7 of 12

College Bowl Pick'em 2009 6 of 6
College Bowl Pick'em 2009 20%

College Football Pick'em 2009 59%

Football 2009 12 of 12
Football 2009 4 of 14
Football 2009 8 of 10
Football 2009 11 of 14

Golf 2009 92%
Golf 2009 1 of 6

Hockey 2009 6 of 12
Hockey 2009 3 of 8
Hockey 2009 10 of 12

Pro Football Pick'em 2009 56%

Salary Cap Football 2009 34%

Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 67%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 83%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 85%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 89%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 1 of 3
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 91%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 87%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 89%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 87%
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2009 60 of 500

Survival Football 2009 dead
Survival Football 2009 dead
Survival Football 2009 dead

Tournament Pick'em 2009 2 of 12
Tournament Pick'em 2009 95%
Tournament Pick'em 2009 86%
Tournament Pick'em 2009 77%

Auto Racing 2008 2832 of 6841
Auto Racing 2008 13 of 34
Auto Racing 2008 43%

Baseball 2008 4 of 10
Baseball 2008 5 of 12
Baseball 2008 10 of 12
Baseball 2008 7 of 16
Baseball PLUS 2008 4 of 18

Basketball 2008 11 of 12
Basketball 2008 9 of 12
Basketball 2008 6 of 10

College Football Pick'em 2008 79%

Football 2008 6 of 6
Football 2008 4 of 12
Football 2008 2 of 14
Football 2008 4 of 14

Golf 2008 3 of 6
Golf 2008 59%

Hockey 2008 10 of 12
Hockey 2008 4 of 12
Hockey 2008 5 of 10

Pro Football Pick'em 2008 92%

Salary Cap Football 2008 61%

Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2008 6 of 6
Second Chance Tournament Pick'em 2008 20%

Survival Football 2008 dead
Survival Football 2008 dead
Survival Football 2008 dead
Survival Football 2008 dead

Tournament Pick'em 2008 3 of 6
Tournament Pick'em 2008 38%


Also I will be writing some posts on some betting trends or who to take in my opinion starting with the AFC and NFC Championship games. If you take my advice and lose money it's not my fault so don't get angry with me. It's just my opinion nothing is guaranteed in the world of sports.

So stay tuned for some fantasy NBA advice and some betting thoughts for this weekends conference championships.

New Year, New Start

So if anyone out there cares I am alive. I hit a rough patch in my life and kind of forgot about the whole blogging experience and spent several months getting drunk and hiding from the real world and apparently the internet world. I figured I was going through rough times why share it and bring other people down.

Big shout out to all my peeps that helped me get through it. You know who you are and I sincerely thank every one of you.

Well I am out of my funk and going to try something a little different. I am going to try my hand at the world of fantasy sports blogging. I have never done it so might be awful to start so I apologize if it is. Hopefully it gets better and anyone that views it can enjoy it and maybe even accept some of my advice to help win them a championship.