2014 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 4-5

4-31 = Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
            Wainwright might be the poster child for the modern success of Tommy John surgery.

4-32 = Jose Fernandez, SP, Miami Marlins

            Of the elite fantasy pitchers, Fernandez is the first one who’s advanced stats from 2013 says “regression”. That shouldn’t lower his stock in keeper leagues, but keep that in mind if you’re in a re-draft league.

4-33 = Justin Upton, OF, Atlanta Braves

            After a torrid first forty games of the 2013 season, Upton crashed back to Earth the rest of the way. The ceiling is still that of a player who could finish as the top overall fantasy hitter, but the odds of that happening are shrinking with each passing year.

4-34 = Jose Reyes, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

            Like the top two shortstops, Reyes also is a major injury risk, but he doesn’t have the benefit of 30+ home run potential.

4-35 = Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

            He’s old and kind of boring, but there aren’t many pitchers as reliable as him in the WHIP department.

4-36 = Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners

            Hernandez is significantly more valuable in leagues that count quality starts instead of wins.

4-37 = Jean Segura, SS, Milwaukee Brewers

            Odds are 2013 will be the best season of Segura’s career, but if he can net 40 stolen bases, you’ll be happy.

4-38 = Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants

            Bumgarner has steadily improved every year in the big leagues, and he’s still only 24 years old.

4-39 = David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

            His numbers were down overall after his 2012 Cy Young winning campaign, but after returning from a DL stint last year, Price put up 2.53 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP.

4-40 = Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Texas Rangers

            Choo’s new contract is ridiculous, but that shouldn’t stop you from adding him to your fantasy team. He’s one of the few reliable sources of runs MLB has to offer.

5-41 = Chris Sale, SP, Chicago White Sox

            Sale is a beacon of light on a pretty awful White Sox team.

5-42 = Alex Rios, OF, Texas Rangers

            Upon his arrival after last years trade from Chicago, Rios racked up 16 steals for Texas during the final 47 games.

5-43 = Zach Greinke, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

            As long as Greinke doesn’t plunk Carlos Quentin this year, he should be a fantasy stud.

5-44 = Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

            Hamels caught the “no-win bug” that plagued Cliff Lee in 2012. Baseball fans that grew up in the 1960s probably think he’s terrible.

5-45 = Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds

            One of the first power guys off the board that is going to kill your batting average, you’d be doing cartwheels if he can keep his average over .270.

5-46 = Starling Marte, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

            His hitting approach leaves him prone to bouts of severe slumps, but he’s one of the few players capable of 40 steals and 15 homers.

5-47 = Allen Craig, 1B-OF, St. Louis Cardinals

            Craig will likely spend the majority of this season in the outfield, putting an injury prone player in a position of greater risk. With that said, if he could somehow play 150 games, he could deliver top-20 overall value.

5-48 = Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers

            There’s a whiff of Roy Halladay’s decline when you look at Verlander, as he has had the largest workload of any starting pitcher since 2009.

5-49 = Buster Posey, C-1B, San Francisco Giants

            You’ll get him a few rounds later than you did last year, and that’s a good thing. Posey could easily bounce back to his 2012 production.

5-50 = Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

            A bit of a boom bust candidate, batting average will ultimately determine if Myers is a factor in deciding fantasy leagues this season. If he keeps it above .260, he’ll be relevant.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (2/21-2/23)

10. San Francisco Giants Hire Barry Bonds as a Spring Training Instructor
            No word yet on whether or not his official title will be “Chemical Engineer”.

9. Regan Smith Wins Nationwide Race at Daytona

            For at least one week (and odds are, only one week), Nationwide drivers have more wins than Sprint Cup ones on the junior circuit.

8. Ronda Rousey Doesn’t Need an Armbar to Win

            A swift knee to the liver worked just fine.

7. USA Men’s Hockey Team Forgets How to Score Goals
            That’s a problem when you’re facing Canada for the right to play in the gold medal game, and then getting blown out by Finland with a chance to earn a bronze.

6. Kevin Love Drops First Career Triple Double

            It’s hard to believe that the man that throws the prettiest outlet passes since Bill Walton hadn’t recorded a triple-double yet.

5. Jim Boeheim Loses His Mind

            In the short term, Boeheim’s ejection Saturday night sealed a second straight loss for Syracuse, but going forward perhaps his outburst will help wake his team up for the stretch run.

4. Jason Collins Makes Season Debut For Nets

            Collins historic appearance (he’s the first openly gay athlete to appear in a game in any of the four major sports leagues) resulted in 2 boards, 1 steal, and several hard screens that freed up his teammates.
         
3. Clippers Win a Shootout in Oklahoma City
            Jamal Crawford went bonkers in this one with 36 points, which trumped a 42-10 effort from Kevin Durant. He delivered Los Angeles’ their best road win of the season.
         
2. Canada Dominates Sweden, Wins Olympic Men’s Hockey Gold Medal
            Even on the larger international ice, Canada’s elite defensive corps was able to swallow up the talented Swedes.

1. Dale Earnhardt Dominates Under the Lights, Wins Second Daytona 500

            Withstanding a six-hour rain delay, Junior cranked it up in primetime. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more grateful winner than Dale Earnhardt Jr. yesterday.

2014 NASCAR Preview

            Normally we write about 10,000 words in our NASCAR preview, but you can thank a ridiculous week of winter weather for shrinking this piece down to 1,100. We rank the drivers in order of the best odds we give each of winning the Sprint Cup.

30. Trevor Bayne, #21 Motorcraft Ford, Wood Brothers

            It’s hard to believe that Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 three years ago, and still hasn’t managed to secure a full-time Cup ride.

29. Parker Kligerman, #30 Lending Tree Toyota, Swan Racing

            Kligerman is the rare combination of talented rookie and upstart team. Swan Racing has investors dumping money into it left and right, so it would be fun to see the 23-year old have some success this season.

28. David Ragan, #34 MHP Ford, Front Row Motorsports

            If this year’s “WIN OR GO HOME BITCH” playoff format were in place in 2013, Ragan would’ve been racing for the title when The Chase started. That’s a reason why this format won’t work.

27. Danica Patrick, #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing

            After a listless first full season in Sprint Cup, it’s hard to forecast Patrick having success anywhere other than Daytona or Talladega.

26. A.J. Allmendinger, #47 Kroger Toyota, JTG Daugherty Racing

            It hasn’t taken nearly as long as most experts expected for Allmendinger to secure a full-time Sprint Cup ride. The 47 doesn’t usually have a lot of speed, but he’ll be pesky at Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

25. Paul Menard, #27 Menard’s Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

            Menard shockingly has competition for the title of “most notable trust fund child in Sprint Cup” from new teammate Austin Dillon.

24. Martin Truex Jr., #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing

            When everyone watches Truex struggle in the #78, we’ll get a true appreciation for how awesome Kurt Busch’s 2013 campaign really was.

23. Aric Almirola, #43 Smithfield Foods Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports

            I can’t name one notable thing Almirola has ever done since getting the keys to the #43.

22. Austin Dillon, #3 Dow Chemicals/Cheerios Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

            Dillon has talent, but just like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. last year, he will have growing pains. Remember that he didn’t even win a race last year in Nationwide despite winning the championship.

21. Jamie McMurray, #1 Bass Pro Shops/McDonalds Chevrolet, Ganassi Racing

            There isn’t anything my wife enjoys more during a NASCAR event than the sight of Jamie McMurray bawling in victory lane.

20. Brian Vickers, #55 Aaron’s Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

            Sort of like when an effective NBA reserve gets bumped up to starters minutes, we think Vickers will suffer a drop in “per-race” production.

19. Marcos Ambrose, #9 Stanley Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports

            The new playoff format gives Marcos Ambrose, who’s the most dominant road course racer of the last decade, a 50% chance of making The Chase.

18. Kyle Larson, #42 Target Chevrolet, Ganassi Racing

            Not since Kyle Busch has Sprint Cup had a rookie with as much raw talent as Kyle Larson. We wouldn’t be surprised at all if he stole a win at one of the short tracks.

17. Ryan Newman, #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

            We’re happy Newman landed a full-time ride after getting the boot from Stewart-Haas Racing, but the #31 group has been struggling for years now.

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #17 Best Buy/Zest Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

            Mr. Patrick’s second half of 2013 gives plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his sophomore campaign.

15. Joey Logano, #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, Penske Racing

            His early season feud with Denny Hamlin last year (which ended up with Logano pulling a Bane and breaking Hamlin’s back in California) was one of the top five events of the 2013 season. It would do Logano some good to cut the drama, but we don’t think he’s at that point in his career yet.

14. Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

            The end of relevance for The Biff is coming.

13. Tony Stewart, #14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
            If anyone is going to come back from a busted leg and compete for wins it’s Tony Stewart, but we’re expecting some bumps in the road as he shakes the rust off.

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 National Guard Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

            Evidently, if the new points format were in place last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would’ve won the 2013 title. Which is ironic, because he didn’t win a race.

11. Denny Hamlin, #11 Fed-Ex Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

            I can honestly say I have no idea where to rank Hamlin. I had him at 15 before he won the race formerly known as the Bud Shootout and his qualifying race.

10. Kasey Kahne, #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

            Kahne jumps to the top of my list for a guy that benefits from a championship format mostly based on wins, as he’s never had the race to race consistency for point racing.

9. Kurt Busch, #41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing

            It took two years in NASCAR purgatory, but Kurt Busch is finally back with an elite team.

8. Kevin Harvick, #4 Budweiser Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing

            The number and team are different, but we don’t expect a dramatic change in production from Harvick in his first year with Stewart-Haas.

7. Jeff Gordon, #24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

            We think Gordon has one more serious championship run in him. A win based championship structure works in his favor.

6. Clint Bowyer, #15 5-Hour Energy Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

            The face of MWR’s manipulation of the regular season finale last year at Richmond, we actually expect Bowyer to contend for more wins now that his team has consolidated to two cars.

5. Brad Keselowski, #2 Miller Lite Ford, Penske Racing

            Sprint Cup’s 2012 champ had a miserable, snake bit regular season during his title defense, but a strong showing during the final ten races gives many reasons to believe he can return to a championship caliber level.

4. Matt Kenseth, #20 Home Depot Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

            There’s typically a “runner-up hangover” for the driver that finishes second in the points the previous season, but the #20 car looks like it won’t skip a beat after winning a Duel race Thursday night.

3. Kyle Busch, #18 M&Ms Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

            After Kasey Kahne, here’s our second driver the new format favors the most. He’s plenty capable of qualifying for each round of the playoffs with a win.

2. Carl Edwards, #99 Fastenal Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

            No driver is better at Homestead than Carl Edwards, which gives him a decided advantage if he is in title contention going into the season finale.

1. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

            It would be a severe case of tomfoolery to rank any other driver first as Johnson begins his quest for a record tying seventh championship.

No Credentials Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft, Round 3

3-21 = Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland Indians
2014 Projection = .272 AVG, 18 HRs, 83 RBIs, 88 Rs, 27 SBs
            Barring an Ian Kinsler throwback season, no second basement will offer a better combination of steals and dingers than Kipnis.

Team 1 Roster = Kipnis, Miguel Cabrera, Yu Darvish

                  
3-22 = Yaisel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 Projection = .288 AVG, 26 HRs, 76 RBIs, 88 Rs, 17 SBs
            We’re probably too excited about Puig-mania from last summer, but regardless of where he hits within the top third of the Dodger lineup, he’s going to produce. There’s a pretty high ceiling here.

Team 2 Roster = Puig, Mike Trout, Edwin Encarnacion

                    
3-23 = Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Miami Marlins
2014 Projection = .270 AVG, 39 HRs, 91 RBIs, 81 Rs, 4 SBs
            Following an injury riddled campaign we think Stanton is in line for a return to his 2012 form. Like Puig, he’s another high ceiling player who realistically could hit 50 home runs.

Team 3 Roster = Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, David Wright

        
3-24 = Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
2014 Projection = .274 AVG, 36 HRs, 106 RBIs, 94 Rs, 3 SBs
            If Wil Myers takes a step forward in his sophomore campaign, Longoria will have the best lineup around him since Carl Crawford was in town.

Team 4 Roster = Longoria, Robinson Cano, Joey Votto

                     
3-25 = Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals
2014 Projection = 15 Ws, 223 Ks, 3.25 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
            Forgetting win totals (because people who use wins as a measure of the quality of a starting pitcher are dumb), Strasburg’s 2013 wasn’t as disappointing as some people have made it out to be. He’s the only starter with a realistic chance of competing with Yu Darvish for the strikeout lead.

Team 5 Roster = Strasburg, Chris Davis, Jacoby Ellsbury

                      
3-26 = Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves
2014 Projection = .302 AVG, 24 HRs, 105 RBIs, 97 Rs, 3 SBs
            Asking Freeman to be the next Chipper Jones, the Braves really could use a power surge from Freeman to push them over the hump in the National League. He stands to benefit the most of the Upton brothers and Jason Heyward bounce back from disappointing 2013 seasons.

Team 6 Roster = Freeman, Bryce Harper, Adrian Beltre

        
3-27 = Max Scherzer, SP, Detroit Tigers
2014 Projection = 16 Ws, 231 Ks, 3.34 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
            Advanced stats say Scherzer will take a step back from his Cy Young winning 2013, but he’s still a strong bet to deliver top-10 value among starting pitchers.

Team 7 Roster = Scherzer, Carlos Gonzalez, Adam Jones

        
3-28 = Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
2014 Projection = .260 AVG, 23 HRs, 68 RBIs, 87 Rs, 36 SBs
            Gomez felt like a fluke to me last year, which means if you believe in him, you’re getting a one to two round discount.

Team 8 Roster = Gomez, Andrew McCutchen, Troy Tulowitzki

                    
3-29 = Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
2014 Projection = .266 AVG, 33 HRs, 87 RBIs, 91 Rs, 6 SBs
            It’s hard to see Bautista returning to his peak power numbers, but even the slight chance of a return to that level of production makes him worth a third round pick.

Team 9 Roster = Bautista, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder

 

 



         
3-30 = Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
2014 Projection = .295 AVG, 16 HRs, 76 RBIs, 98 Rs, 18 SBs
            We’re guessing that Pedroia’s numbers won’t drop off at all without Jacoby Ellsbury hitting in front of him. If anything, he might run a little bit more.

Team 10 Roster = Pedroia, Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (2/14-2/16)

10. U.S. Secretary of Education Can Ball
            Arne Duncan might not have solved juvenile delinquency yet, but he’s a dominant force in the world of celebrity basketball.

9. Marco Belinelli Needs Extra Round to Win 3-Point Contest

            We’re pretty sure he’s the first champion of this event that ever put up two air balls during the first round.

8. Andre Drummond Dominates NBA Rising Stars Game

            Of all the preliminary events leading up to the All-Star Game, the Friday game of the leagues best rookies and sophomores is slowly working its way to the top of the list. Dion Waiters (who some team should be trying to acquire for a low-ball offer from the Cavaliers) and Tim Hardaway Jr. put on an impressive 3-point display in the second half, and Drummond put up a 30-25 line.

7. Austin Dillon Puts the #3 On the Pole for Daytona 500
            Here’s what I wrote last year after Danica Patrick won the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500…

NASCAR has a long list of “storybook” outcomes, so here’s where Danica’s pole winning run ranks.

1. Richard Petty claiming his 200^th and final career win with Ronald Reagan in attendance at the 1984 Firecracker 400 (Petty was, and still is, a diehard Republican, so this victory turned into a glorified campaign stop for Reagan while he was running for his second term in office).

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the Pepsi 400 just five months after his father died in a last-lap crash in the 500 (as someone who watched the whole race live, I don’t care about the conspiracy theory. That was the most memorable NASCAR victory by anyone of the entire decade).
3. Danica Patrick winning the pole for this year’s Daytona 500.

        You might think I’d come down negatively on this, but you’d be mistaken. Qualifying at Daytona is in the discussion of most boring things you could ever watch on television. Furthermore, qualifying means very little at a restrictor plate track where cars zoom from the back to the front in less than a handful of laps. If NASCAR did anything to “encourage” a pole-winning run by Patrick, I’d call that some damn good marketing.

            I stand by those comments, and we’ll rank Dillon’s pole winning effort somewhere in the top 10.

6. #2 Arizona Falls in Double Overtime

            Arizona doesn’t have that championship look to it anymore without forward Brandon Ashley.

5. John Wall Wins (I Guess?) 2014 Slam Dunk Contest

            It’s a shame that the confusion over the format marred what was one of the most explosive dunks in years by Wall.

4. Denny Hamlin Wins Event Formerly Known as The Bud Shootout

            Hamlin’s impressive comeback run after an injury-marred and pain filled 2013 continues.
        
3. Canada Survives Against Finland
            Finland successfully slowed the game down against the superior Canadian squad, but Drew Doughty notched his second goal of the game in overtime to give Canada a win in Group B.
      
2. Kyrie Irving Leads Eastern Conference Comeback in NBA All-Star Game
            I don’t know what was more entertaining, the 200 combined dunks and 3-point attempts, or Marv Albert and Steve Kerr complaining about the lack of defensive effort.

1. T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Quick Deliver Dramatic Shootout Win Over Russia

            Who knew that T.J. Oshie was the grandmaster of the shootout? Taking advantage of a weird international rule that lets a team use the same shooter after the first three attempts, Oshie ended up going 4-6 to defeat the more talented Russian forwards. There’s a good chance Oshie could strike again as the Olympic Tournament enters elimination play.

2014 Olympic Men's Hockey Tournament Preview

             I’ll be honest…I could give a shit about the Winter Olympics. Other than Bob Costas having weird eye issues, nothing has caught No Credentials attention yet. That all changes tomorrow, as one of the most underrated sporting events on planet Earth begins. We’ll break down what makes the Olympic Men’s Hockey Tournament so awesome.

-         Unlike the basketball tournament in the Summer Olympics, more than three teams actually have a realistic chance of winning. You could make a case for eight of the twelve teams having at least a 1% chance of earning Gold Medals.

-         Every game feels like a Stanley Cup Playoffs game. Hockey players are wired differently than any other professional athlete, so even though they aren’t earning a normal paycheck to play in the Olympics, they compete twice as hard as they do in a regular season game.

-         While there is parity to an extent, the top-tier teams are ridiculously stacked. Canada is always able to roll out four lines full of All-Star caliber players, but Sweden isn’t far behind. Even the United States has finally added some depth with a new wave of young players, led by Chicago’s Patrick Kane.

-         When teammates from NHL teams are split onto different countries, it feels extra intense. Crosby vs. Malkin. Kane vs. Toews. Chara vs. Bergeron. Or when a sniper has the pleasure of trying to score on his NHL goalie. All of those match-ups add to the intrigue.

-         Some of the non-NHL guys are actually pretty damn good, and they are more familiar with the international style rink and rules. This keeps most games close, unlike when the USA basketball team gets to stomp all over Ecuador or something.

With all that said, in reverse order is our rankings of each team in the tournament.   

NORWAY

Goalies = F
Defensemen = F
Forwards = F
            Somehow, Norway has two goalies with “Lars” as their first name. That’s never a good sign.

SLOVENIA

Goalies = D
Defensemen = D
Forwards = D+
            They have Anze Kopitar, and literally nothing else. Furthermore, I have no idea where Slovenia is.

LATVIA

Goalies = D
Defensemen = D+
Forwards = D
            For anyone that ever played the international tournament in the EA Sports hockey games over the past decade, Latvia immediately jumps to the top of teams to root for. The crowd chanted “LATVIA! LATVIA! LATVIA! LAVTIA!” so passionately that it almost made you want to move there (emphasis on “almost”). When I asked friends of the blog Ethan Hedrick and Mike Stevens (the two individuals that I have completed world tournaments with), all they had to say was “LATVIA! LATVIA! LATVIA! LATVIA!” No Credentials is on the Latvia bandwagon.

AUSTRIA

Goalies = D
Defensemen = D
Forwards = C
            I feel like based on their geographic location on planet Earth, Austria should be better at hockey.

SWITZERLAND

Goalies = B+
Defensemen =C
Forwards = C+
            Of teams that have the majority of their roster made up of non-NHL players, Switzerland is regarded as the club with the best chance to make noise.

SLOVAKIA

Goalies = B
Defensemen = B+
Forwards = B-
            It will take a hot streak from Jaroslav Halak and dominant play on the blue-line from Zdeno Chara for Slovakia to snag a top-2 spot in group play over either Russia or the United States.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Goalies = B
Defensemen = B
Forwards = B
            The Czech’s famously robbed Canada of a gold medal in 1998 thanks to the heroics of Dominek Hasek, but the talent of their team has fallen off dramatically over the past decade.

FINLAND

Goalies = A
Defensemen = B-
Forwards = C+
            Tuuka Rask provides the Fins their best goaltending since Mikka Kiprusoff in 2006. They’ll have to keep all of their games low scoring, but if they do, Rask can help them steal a medal.

RUSSIA

Goalies = A-
Defensemen = C+
Forwards = A-
            Russia has the home-ice advantage (which historically is a big deal in this event), but a weak defensive corps could be their undoing.
 

UNITED STATES

Goalies = A
Defensemen = B+
Forwards = A-
            Bringing back the majority of the silver medal-winning group from 2010, Team USA is positioned as one of the favorites for the first time in years. Led by Patrick Kane and Phil Kessel offensively, they’ll need Ryan Miller to repeat his last Olympic performance for them to have a chance.

SWEDEN

Goalies = A
Defensemen = A
Forwards = A-
            Even down one Sedin twin (Henrik is injured and will be unable to play), Sweden still has to be regarded as the co-favorite along with Canada.

 



CANADA

Goalies = A
Defensemen = A
Forwards = A+
            Canada is always the most talented team top to bottom in this tournament (to put it in perspective, Patrice Bergeron is probably going to be their fourth line center), but they have a history of choking in the Olympics (they only won last year for the first time in years because it was on home-soil in Vancouver). They’ll need either Carey Price or Roberto Luongo (the latter of the two famously flopped during the 2010 Olympics) to grab the starting gig by the horns before elimination play and provide stability to their star studded lineup. If that happens, Sidney Crosby and company will take care of the rest.

PREDICTIONS

Bronze = Russia

Silver = Canada
Gold = Sweden

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (2/7-2/9)

10. Boxing Match Between DMX and George Zimmerman Cancelled
            Score one for political correctness.

9. Sage Kotsenberg Wins First Gold Medal of Winter Olympics

            USA! USA! USA! USA!

8. Marcus Smart Shoves a Fan, Earns a Three Game Suspension

            This could morph him into the wildcard of the NBA Draft if teams overreact and he free falls out of the top 10.

7. Peyton Manning Plays Golf
            There’s nothing really noteworthy about this, other than Manning spending a bunch of quality time with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

6. Iowa State Senior Melvin Ejim Nets Big 12 Record 48 Points

            Incredibly, it only took Ejim 24 field goal attempts for him to have his record setting night.

5. Carl Almost Got Eaten on “The Walking Dead”

            If he did, it would’ve been number 2 on this list.

4. Magic Net Upset of Oklahoma City    

3. Miami Struggles in Utah
            Score two for tankers. At least the Thunder got back on track Sunday thanks to 41 points from Kevin Durant.
        
2. George Hill Carries Pacers Over Portland
            Indiana-Portland would probably be the NBA’s worst-case scenario for a NBA Finals (in terms of TV ratings), but based on Friday night’s overtime thriller, it would be entertaining to die-hard hoop fans.

1. NFL Draft Prospect Michael Sam Comes Out

            Hopefully twenty years from now this won’t have to be a story (because it won’t be a big deal), but Sam will become the first openly gay NFL player. He was an All-American who led the SEC in sacks in 2013, so he’s got a chance to produce at the pro level. He should be an inspiration to everyone to be proud of who you are.

2014 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft, Round 2

2-11 = Hanley Ramirez, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 Projection = .300 AVG, 25 HRs, 84 RBIs, 83 Rs, 19 SBs
            On a per-game basis, no player in fantasy was as valuable as Hanley Ramirez last year. Unfortunately, Hanley has missed way too much time over the past three years. You’re getting a first round talent at a second round (maybe even third depending on how conservative your league mates are) price, but have a back-up plan in place to cover short if he goes down.
       
2-12 = Prince Fielder, 1B, Texas Rangers
2014 Projection = .300 AVG, 35 HRs, 113 RBIs, 89 Rs, 1 SB
            Fielder was a disappointment to both his real team and fantasy teams last season, but a fresh start in Texas is just what the doctor ordered. A return to the 40 home run club isn’t out of the question.
        
2-13 = Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies
2014 Projection = .305 AVG, 31 HRs, 97 RBIs, 86 Rs, 5 SBs
            Everything I said about Hanley Ramirez applies here. Tulowitzki is lower on my board because he doesn’t provide steals.

2-14 = Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles

2014 Projection = .287 AVG, 32 HRs, 98 RBIs, 95 Rs, 14 SBs
            Jones’ development over the past five years has been fantastic to watch. His ceiling isn’t at an MVP level, but he’s among the most reliable outfielders in fantasy.
         
2-15 = Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers
2014 Projection = .314 AVG, 35 HRs, 102 RBIs, 92 Rs, 1 SB
            We wrote last year that Beltre was the most reliable second round pick on the board, and that distinction still applies this year.
         

2-16 = Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, New York Yankees
2014 Projection = .288 AVG, 18 HRs, 63 RBIs, 96 Rs, 45 SBs
            Besides the two shortstops we’ve already discussed, Ellsbury is the other player in this round that has the same chance of either carrying or sinking your fantasy team. Logically, it stands to reason that Ellsbury could produce similar numbers to his 2011 campaign if healthy. You can make a case that he should go in the back half of the first round.

2-17 = Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

2014 Projection = .327 AVG, 24 HRs, 77 RBIs, 99 Rs, 7 SBs
            Votto would be a surefire first rounder if he can ever rediscover his power stroke.

2-18 = David Wright, 3B, New York Mets

2014 Projection = .303 AVG, 22 HRs, 85 RBIs, 88 Rs, 18 SBs
            Is David Wright the Kevin Love of MLB, or is Kevin Love the David Wright of the NBA? It would be great to see Wright shipped to a contending team.
        
2-19 = Edwin Encarnacion, 1B-3B, Toronto Blue Jays
2014 Projection = .297 AVG, 37 HRs, 110 RBIs, 97 Rs, 10 SBs
            Last year, you got a “he’s only done it once discount” that let you draft Encarnacion in the third round. This year, is it a “fool me twice” discount? I’d be doing handstands (if I could) if I were able to pair him with either Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera.

2-20 = Yu Darvish, SP, Texas Rangers

2014 Projection = 19 Ws, 266 Ks, 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
            Regardless of what his ERA and WHIP look like, he’s the favorite to lead the league in strikeouts again. Throw in a stronger Rangers team, and Darvish is the clear number two starting pitcher in fantasy.


If you missed Round 1, click here.

2014 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft, Round 1

            Here are the first ten players No Credentials picked in our fourth annual mock draft. If you missed the preview of this mock, click here.

 



1-1 = Miguel Cabrera, 1B-3B, Detroit Tigers

2014 Projection = .328 AVG, 44 HRs, 127 RBIs, 103 Rs, 3 SBs
            He’s taken over Albert Pujols’ place as best hitter in the game, and with the addition of Ian Kinsler, could have even more RBI opportunities this year. Keeper league owners do need to keep in mind that Cabrera will be playing at first this year, so he’s not a long term option at third anymore.

1-2 = Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2014 Projection = .303 AVG, 27 HRs, 87 RBIs, 118 Rs, 39 SBs
            Unquestionably the most valuable player in keeper league drafts or auctions, we dropped Trout below Miggy because of the lower RBI potential. I could be talked into moving Trout up to first if I knew he was going to hit third in the Angels lineup and still get the green light to run. Regardless, he’s the best option on the board if you’re looking for good to elite production in the standard hitting categories.

1-3 = Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

2014 Projection = .299 AVG, 34 HRs, 117 RBIs, 102 Rs, 16 SBs
            Goldschmidt’s 2013 stat line reminds me of an old school Jeff Bagwell year from the mid-90s. I’d be willing to wager on him eclipsing 40 dingers this year, and if you took him first in your fantasy draft, you wouldn’t be totally crazy.

1-4 = Robinson Cano, 2B, Seattle Mariners

2014 Projection = .315 AVG, 23 HRs, 104 RBIs, 97 Rs, 7 SBs
            I’ve gone back and forth on this several times since Cano signed with Seattle (and still might change my opinion multiple times before the season starts), but ultimately I don’t think Cano will experience a dramatic drop off in production. One needs to remember that it was a not a typically stacked Yankees offense last year that Cano was hitting in the middle of. With increased production from some of Seattle’s younger players (I’m looking at you Justin Smoak), Cano could actually find himself in a better situation to produce.

1-5 = Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles

2014 Projection = .282 AVG, 47 HRs, 127 RBIs, 98 Rs, 3 SBs
            While it would be foolish to guaruantee that Davis will exceed last year’s home run total, his advanced metrics say he shouldn’t experience any significant regression. A few of his dingers from last year might morph into doubles, but I’ll still sign off on him delivering elite power numbers hitting in the middle of a solid Orioles lineup.

1-6 = Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals

2014 Projection = .288 AVG, 28 HRs, 80 RBIs, 88 Rs, 16 SBs
            This feels like a slight reach (mostly because it is), but sooner rather than later Harper is going to deliver a hammer of the god’s fantasy season. The percentages say all three of the next outfielders will have better seasons, but none of them have the ceiling Harper has.

1-7 = Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies

2014 Projection = .300 AVG, 33 HRs, 88 RBIs, 88 Rs, 24 SBs
            I’ve written a paragraph in Cargo’s player write-up the previous three years about how I don’t like to draft players like him because of their high strikeout totals and low walk rates. Well, all Gonzalez has done is produce elite fantasy numbers year in and year out. It’s time to award him for consistency.

1-8 = Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

2014 Projection = .315 AVG, 30 HRs, 93 RBIs, 102 Rs, 24 SBs
            The centerpiece of an up and coming Pirates team, ultimately the lack of firepower in the Pirates lineup is what has us ranking McCutchen so low (both ESPN and Yahoo have him ranked in the top-5). If you have the chance to draft him with the eighth pick, you should be ecstatic.

1-9 = Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2014 Projection = .273 AVG, 30 HRs, 98 RBIs, 89 Rs, 18 SBs
            Ryan Braun is an asshole, which normally isn’t a favorable character trait, but in this case it is. Most players dealing with fan backlash from being caught doping crumble (Rafael Palmeiro, a TECMO Super Baseball favorite, is a prime example), but Braun already dealt with this in 2012. All he did that year was win the NL MVP. It won’t be shocking if he drops into the second round in numerous fantasy leagues, but there’s still a fair chance he delivers top-5 value at the end of the season.

1-10 = Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 Projection = 20 Ws, 235 Ks, 2.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
            Kershaw has separated himself as the most dominant starting pitcher in the game, and pitching on a loaded Dodgers roster, there is no reason that any other pitcher should come off the board before him. Somewhere around the end of the first or early second round is where I’d be comfortable taking him.

2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guidelines

            It’s that time of year again…No Credentials Nerd Fest! Incredibly, this will be the fourth year we’ve done a one man mock draft (where I make the picks for every team in a fictitious ten-team league). Hopefully, I won’t have a second straight mock draft ruined by Influenza, so we’ll be able to cover 250 players before fantasy draft/auction season.
            Before we begin diving into the picks, I decided to list my general draft theory for all of the positions. Besides giving anyone who is in the same fantasy league as me this year pre-draft knowledge of how I value players, it will save me from having to explain why Clayton Kershaw or Yu Darvish is ranked so low in my mock draft (spoiler alert!). In turn, this will save time so we can discuss each individual players outlook more as opposed to repeating over and over why I wait on outfielders (another spoiler alert!). You can choose to agree or disagree with how I look to build fantasy teams, but if it gets you thinking, that’s all I’m asking for.   

Catcher – Far and away the weakest position in fantasy this year, but there really isn’t an elite option that would be wise to reach on. Buster Posey will go in the fourth or fifth round of your fantasy draft (or fetch a high price in an auction), but is that draft spot really worth it for .294-15-72 (his batting average, dingers, and RBIs from a season ago)? My preference here would be to wait on the position, and gamble on getting career years from guys like Salvador Perez or Matt Wieters. Brian McCann also is a fascinating player that more than likely will go sometime after the tenth round.

When I Want to Draft One - Late.

First Base – There was a time during the steroids era that it would be very difficult to end up with a fantasy first basemen that didn’t hit 30+ homers, but alas times have changed, and first base arguably has the least amount of depth it has ever had. Of guys eligible for first base in standard Yahoo leagues this year, only Chris Davis, Paul Goldschmidt, Edwin Encarnacion, David Ortiz, and Mark Trumbo topped that number last season. Goldschmidt is the clear number three player on my board after Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout are off the board. Davis deserves to end up in the top-10 as well. After that, you’re left with a group of players you can’t totally trust. It would be reasonable to expect Prince Fielder to once again deliver elite power numbers in Texas, but even that feels iffy at this stage in his career.

When I Want to Draft One – Either one of the top-5 options, or wait until every other team has filled the spot.

Second Base – Similar to catcher, second base isn’t very deep, but there are a few elite options at the top of the rankings. Robinson Cano is a little difficult to forecast, but I feel better about his possible production knowing that he put up a .314-27-107 line hitting in the middle of a putrid, injury-ridden Yankees lineup. Jason Kipnis is the best bet to deliver the best all-around stat line, as something along the lines of .280-20-90-90-30 is possible. Dustin Pedroia might be asked to run more for an Ellsbury-less Red Sox lineup, which will boost his numbers. Ian Kinsler is an interesting buy-low candidate, as he’s dropped from a player typically ranked in the top-30 over the past few years to 71 in Yahoo’s preseason ranks. Of any player that could go in the sixth or seventh round, he presents the most obvious potential to swing fantasy leagues.

When I want to Draft One – As soon as the value of the pick (or auction price) equals the value of the player on the board. Anywhere from the first to fifteenth round is where I’ll be drafting second basemen this year.

Third Base – The hot corner has the most variety of any position, as it hosts the most valuable infielder in fantasy (Miguel Cabrera), another group of four players behind him that you’d love to start on your team, and then a mix of injury prone guys and young stars waiting to break out. I favor filling my infield spots first on my fantasy teams, so I’ll probably reach for one of the top-5 ranked guys in every draft I do, but it would be logical to wait until the eighth round and draft Pedro Alvarez or Josh Donaldson.

When I Want to Draft One – Go ahead and re-read the previous sentence if that didn’t sink in enough for you.

Short Stop – Shortstop is kind of a train wreck, as there is more injury risk here than any other spot on the diamond. If you could guaruantee that Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, or Jose Reyes would give you 150 games played this year, they would all be first round picks. I think one of these three stays healthy, and will likely be the most owned player on fantasy championship teams this season. Ian Desmond and Jean Segura are closely ranked this pre-season, but I’m taking Segura over Desmond all day. I’d be fine ending up with Elvis Andrus (quietly netted 42 stolen bases last year) or Starlin Castro (too talented to play as poorly as he did in 2013 for a second straight year) somewhere around the ninth or tenth rounds if I were gun shy about taking one of the three lottery tickets.

When I Want to Draft One – I’ll be willing to bite on Tulo or Hanley earlier than most, so if I’m caught with the dreaded late-first/early-second combo, one of those two are ending up on my team. Otherwise, I’ll draft Elvis Andrus like I’ve done on at least one fantasy team for the last four years.

Outfielders – Our only offensive position with significant depth, how early you take them will ultimately depend on how much you value position scarcity. For example, Hunter Pence put up 27 dingers and 22 steals last year, and he’s currently a sixth round pick. This is ultimately why I’ll rank Miguel Cabrera first instead of Mike Trout (in redraft leagues anyway). It’s not a knock on Trout. It’s just that the difference in production between the tenth best first baseman and Cabrera is much greater than the difference between Trout and the tenth best outfielder. Until my infield is filled, I’m not taking an outfielder unless his production is significantly greater than anyone else on the board.

When I Want to Draft Them – I’ll take them as the draft or auction dictates, but if there’s a debate between taking an infielder or outfielder, the infielder will win every time.

Starting Pitchers – If you’ve gotten this far into this column (no small feat!), I’ll assume that you know Clayton Kershaw is pretty good at pitching. This doesn’t change the fact that if you draft him fifth in your fantasy draft (which is where Yahoo has him ranked), you’re an idiot. For grins and giggles, here are some 2013 stat lines for assorted pitchers, with their Yahoo preseason position rank listed after it.

Anibal Sanchez, Tigers – 14 Wins, 202 Ks, 2.57 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, #15 ranked SP

Mike Minor, Braves – 13 Wins, 181 Ks, 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, #25 ranked SP
Justin Masterson, Indians – 14 Wins, 195 Ks, 3.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, #50 ranked SP

            Sure those weren’t Kershaw’s numbers, but still pretty solid. The real issue here is the value of not taking a first round quality hitter and replacing him with a lesser option. If you’re taking Kershaw in the middle of the first, you’re passing on guys like Bryce Harper, Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Davis, and Robinson Cano. I’d even put Yu Darvish (who’s ranked 15) into this discussion as a guy you can’t take because of the offensive talent you’re missing out on. I’d much rather start building my pitching staff in the fourth round and then go from there.

When I Want to Draft Them – In a perfect world, I’ll have two of them through the first ten rounds, and then load up on starters the rest of the way.

Closers – We’ll keep the closer conversation short…saves always pop up during the season. Do not freak out if you come out of the draft with only two or three closers. Do your homework, stay on top of bullpen situations, and by the middle of the summer you could have a full slate of five bullpen guys racking up saves for you.

 
            So there you have it. Keep this post in mind as you read through the following mock draft rounds in this space over the next month or so.

NBA Mid-Season Rankings = The Title Contenders

9. Washington Wizards
24-23, 5^th in Eastern Conference
Good News = John Wall has established himself as a top-5 point guard.
Bad News = After a promising start to the season, Bradley Beal has been hampered by injuries and a minutes cap on a nightly basis.
What They Should Do = At first glance, it seems laughable to include the Wizards in a post titled “Title Contenders”, but hear me out. Most assume that a Pacers-Heat Eastern Conference Finals is inevitable (mostly because it is, but again, hear me out), but of any of the other East teams, Washington is the only one that has the parts to pull off an upset. John Wall is talented enough to carry a team, Bradley Beal should improve as he returns to full strength, and the Nene-Gortat combo could wreck havoc with the Miami Heat. By default, Washington is the only team besides the top two to have any smidge of hope of reaching the Finals. Furthermore, the Wizards already pushed their chips into the middle of the table before the season when they sent their first round pick next year to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat. Washington doesn’t have a great deal of assets left to move, as Trevor Ariza has actually been a fairly integral part of the rotation. He does have an expiring contract, so if they were able to get an upgrade at the 3, his would be the logical starting point of a trade package. Eric Gordon, Evan Turner, or Gordon Hayward would all be dream pickups for Washington.

8. Houston Rockets

32-17, 5^th in Western Conference
Good News = James Harden has rediscovered his shooting stroke.
Bad News = They are short a point guard.
What They Should Do = Dwight Howard has fit in nicely with the Rockets, but an upgrade at the point is sorely needed. Patrick Beverly hasn’t reached his potential, and Jeremy Lin is better suited as an offensive spark plug off the bench. Unfortunately, the list of quality point guards that will be likely be on the trading block is slim. Here’s the list of possible trade targets as identified by No Credentials’ Research Department.

Rajon Rondo, Celtics – I don’t think a trade package built around Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik would be enough to get Rondo in Houston, unless the Rockets throw in a shit load of draft picks.

Kyle Lowry, Rockets – The former Rocket has been one of the league’s top-15 players since Rudy Gay was shipped to Sacramento. Toronto’s management team has an interesting decision to make, as Lowry is a free agent after the season, but they also have a chance for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. If the Raptors opt to move Lowry, Houston is the most likely landing spot.

Isaiah Thomas, Kings – Reportedly Sacramento is working on an extension for Thomas (who quietly has put up a 21.4 PER this season), but if they get a feeling that he won’t re-up for next year, they could look to move him for draft picks. 

7. Golden State Warriors

29-19, 7^th in Western Conference
Good News = For the first time in his career, Stephen Curry is on track to stay mostly injury free for two straight years.
Bad News = They have the lowest scoring bench in professional basketball, and likely will have to visit either San Antonio or Portland in the first round of the playoffs.
What They Should Do = When the jumpers are falling, there’s no more enjoyable team to watch in the NBA than the Golden State Warriors. Fortunately for them, there’s a little more substance to them this year, as they’ve actually been a quality defensive team. Andrew Bogut has been healthy, and has been great at masking the defensive deficiencies of David Lee. Andre Iguodala has fit in perfectly as an elite wing defender who takes pressure off of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Golden State sold off most of their draft picks to Utah in a salary dump deal to open up space to sign Iguodala, so it’s unlikely that they will be able to trade for bench help. They’ll need to hope for improved production from Harrison Barnes (one of the most disappointing sophomores of the year) and Draymond Green to help solidify their reserve units.

6. Los Angeles Clippers

34-16, 4^th in Western Conference
Good News = Blake Griffin is quietly having a career year, and has carried the team during the absence of Chris Paul.
Bad News = Paul’s injury makes it unlikely the Clippers can move up into one of the top two seeds.
What They Should Do = They have incredible depth on the perimeter, but beyond Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, you’re not getting any other quality big-man minutes on this team. Los Angeles doesn’t need to acquire a superstar, just someone that can give them a competent 15-20 minutes a night (for Celtics fans, think of the 2008 version of P.J. Brown).

5. Portland Trail Blazers

34-14, 3^rd in Western Conference
Good News = Portland boasts the highest scoring offense in the league.
Bad News = While better than last year, the bench still leaves something to be desired.
What They Should Do = Portland is a scary place to go as a road team, so if they can land in either of the top-2 spots in the West, you can book them for the Conference Finals. Acquiring solid wing defenders would be their best bet.

4. San Antonio Spurs

35-13, 2^nd in Western Conference
Good News = Much like Jason Voorhees, the Spurs just won’t go away.
Bad News = They haven’t looked good against their fellow elite teams.
What They Should Do = San Antonio is ridiculously deep at shooting guard and small forward, but like Los Angeles, it’s a reserve big man that could really help. Boris Diaw is a finesse player, and Matt Bonner is essentially a three-point specialist. Someone that could sub in if Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter is in foul trouble would be a wise addition for the playoffs.

3. Miami Heat

34-13, 2^nd in Eastern Conference
Good News = Lebron James is still Lebron James, and Chris Bosh has stepped up in a big way over the past month.
Bad News = Dwyane Wade has been forced to manage the health of his knees since opening night.
What They Should Do = If I’m in charge of Miami, I’m shutting down Wade for the rest of the regular season. They have an 8.5 game lead on the third seed in the East, so they can cruise the rest of the year and still end up second to Indiana. Unless Greg Oden goes down, there isn’t a need for a roster move here, but Wade’s health is vital to Miami’s chances of capturing a third straight championship.

2. Indiana Pacers

37-10, 1^st in Eastern Conference
Good News = Paul George has officially ascended into the top-5 players in the league discussion, and they just added Andrew Bynum for peanuts.
Bad News = For now, none.
What They Should Do = I had a well written paragraph about how the Pacers should sign Andrew Bynum, but they beat me to the punch and did that this past weekend. Danny Granger’s expiring contract is a massive trade chip, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them use that to land two or three more bench players. How they utilize Granger’s contract will ultimately determine how much of a favorite they will be in the Eastern Conference Finals.

 



1. Oklahoma City Thunder

39-11, 1^st in Western Conference
Good News = Two words…Kevin fucking Durant. Also, Russell Westbrook will return within two weeks.
Bad News = Kendrick Perkins still trots out onto the court for them.
What They Should Do = For the love of God, amnesty Perk already. In terms of per-minute production, Perkins is one of the least valuable players in the league. The Thunder flow much better when they have Nick Collison on the floor, and play small ball with Serge Ibaka at center and Durant at the four. Their small ball lineup is the most frightening in the league, with the capability to roll Durant-Westbrook-Ibaka along with Reggie Jackson and Thabo Sefolosha. Oklahoma City owns the rights to Dallas’ first round pick, so they could use that to add a cheap big.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (1/31-2/2)

10. Fans Collapse From Heat Exhaustion Waiting For Trains to Super Bowl
            With the power of foresight, these fans could’ve just stayed home instead.

9. Pacers Sign Andrew Bynum

            If nothing else, he gives Indiana six more fouls from a competent big man. If he returns anything close to his peak form from his Lakers days, he’ll provide a massive lift to their bench unit.

8. Dale Jarrett Inducted Into NASCAR Hall of Fame

            The three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and 1999 Winston Cup Champion joins his father Ned, making the Jarrett’s the first father-son driving tandem in the NASCAR Hall. Jarrett was one of the supporting stars during NASCAR’s meteoric rise in the 1990s. We’ll rank the 1993 Daytona 500 (with his dad in the booth for CBS calling the finish) as our favorite DJ moment.

 

7. Both Barcelona, Manchester United Lose
            It’s not often that both of these clubs are defeated in the same weekend.

6. Kevin Durant’s 30-Point Streak Ends

            Fortunately for the current leader in the MVP race, his streak didn’t end because of poor play, but because the Thunder were destroying the Brooklyn Nets.

5. Walter Jones

4. Derrick Brooks           
3. Michael Strahan Voted in to Pro Football Hall of Fame
            The NFL inducted three more guys who were frequent members of No Credentials’ stacked Madden squads in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Other notable inductees were former Cardinals corner Aeneas Williams, Bills receiver Andre Reed, and Ray Guy, the first punter to ever make it to the Hall of Fame. For whatever reason, the NFL Hall of Fame induction announcement makes me feel like a fossil every year.
       
2. Syracuse Tops Duke in Overtime Thriller
            Duke’s first trip to the Carrier Dome ended up being what Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim described as the best game ever played in the arena. 

1. Seahawks Obliterate Denver

            I’ll say this for Denver…at least they didn’t get shut out.