The Sports Guru

Projected Record 

5-11, 3rd Place NFC West

Projected Schedule W/L
San Francisco (W)
@Seattle(L)
St. Louis(W)
@Atlanta(L)
Kansas City(L)
Chicago(W)
@Oakland(L)
@Green Bay(L)
Dallas(L)
Detroit(W)
@Minnesota(W)
@St. Louis(L)
Seattle(L)
Denver(L)
@San Francisco(L)
@San Diego(L)

Hope springs eternal in the Valley of the Sun.  About 15 years overdo, the Cards will finally get a new stadium, enabling them to stop playing in a stadium mediocre by college standards.  Welcome to the NFL Arizona Fans!  On the field the Cardinals made waves by signed Edgerrin James to bolster a running attack that was near the bottom of the league in scoring last season.  Ironically, the Cardinals were the only team to be in the top 10 in both offense and defense last season yet still only won 5 games.  Matt Leinart fell to the Cards at #10, and they still have Kurt Warner to groom him.  They were everyones darling last year and things just didn’t go well.  This will be the year for the Cardinals, right?  Ummmm, not so fast.

Team Strengths – The list of skill players the Cardinals can run out there can rival anyone.  Kurt Warner, Anquon Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Edgerrin James create a pretty fearsome group on offense.  The Defense has it’s share as well with Antrell Rolle, Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafore.  Denny Green is a proven winner and the Cardinals should start to see some results in his 3rd season. 

Team Weaknesses – Sure the Cardinals have alot of talent within the skill position areas.  Where they lack talent and depth is up front.  With Edgerrin James in the backfield the pressure is going to be on the Cardinals from Day 1 to ease some of the pressure on Kurt Warner and keep time of possesion in their favor.   Injuries have decimated the line in the past and youth runs wild with the Sr. member of the line with only 8 years in the league.  The back seven on defense are also a bit suspect and will need to step it up for the Cardinals to be successful. Having alot of young talent can be exciting, but can leave you short in the leadership department, and with the exception of Kurt Warner the Cardinals have little veteran leadereship and that will be the major weakness in 2006.

Best Case Scenario – All that youth puts it together at the same time and Edgerrin James becomes a team leader on the field and off.  We find out that the Offensive Line isn’t as bad as we thought, and Kurt Warner re-kindles the magic he had in St. Louis.  The energy brought on by the opening of a state-of-the-art facility translates to solid play on the field.  The Cardinals take advantage of a weak division to win 9 games and sneak into the playoffs.

Worst Case Scenario – Warner and James get hurt, due to the beating they have to endure because of a suspect O-Line.  Matt Leinhart holds-out deep into training camp, thus becoming a non-factor.  The energy created by the new stadium is replaced with the apathy that has plagued the team since they arrived in Phoenix.  The Cards struggle to 3 wins, crumbling under the weight of a tough out-of-conference schedule that includes Denver, Kansas City and San Diego.

My Opinion – Last year the Cardinals were the darlings of the Pre-Season as every “expert” out there had the Cardinals getting to the playoffs, some picking them to win the NFC West.  None of it happened as the Cards stumbled to a 5-11 record.  There is alot to like about this team, but I refuse to fall in love will all the name recognition on the roster.  They are on the right track, but are missing “it”, that one thing that make a team “special”.  The Cardinals are going to be a tough out for anyone, and the thrill of the new pad will make home games in Arizona fun again.  The cushy environment will make visiting teams better, too, as the heat will not play a factor.  Another year of learing and another draft focused on the defense and O-Line will do the Cards well.  This won’t be the year and the Cards will finish 5-11 again.

Projected Record

5-11, 3rd Place AFC South

Projected Schedule W/L
Philadelphia (L)
@Indianapolis(L)
Washington (L)
Miami (L)
@Dallas (L)
Jacksonville (W)
@Tennessee (W)
@NY Giants (L)
@Jacksonville (L)
Buffalo (W)
@NY Jets (W)
@Oakland (L)
Tennessee (W)
@New England(L)
Indianapolis (L)
Cleveland (L)

Nobody has been sacked in a 4-year period more than Houston Texan David Carr. The former #1 overall selection has been battered and bruised in his time in the NFL but after 4 miserable seasons with Dom Capors the future may be looking up for Carr and Co. Longtime Bronco Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak was hired during the offseason to take over his hometown team. A former QB himself, Kubiak will bring with him Denver’s potent West Coast attack and will try to start a legacy of runners in Houston similar to that in Denver. His success, however, will be dependant on keeping Carr upright.

Team Strengths – I guess I have to say the running game, though I don’t really believe it. I am going to trust the Texan braintrust who thought enough of Domenick Davis to pass over Reggie Bush with the #1 pick in the draft. Even without Bush the Texans do have a decent running game with Davis and backup Jonathon Wells. Former Bronco Jeb Putzier also brings some athleticism to the TE position, though he lacks toughness and is not a great blocker. Though he made my list as one of the Bottom 5 Receivers, Andre Johnson has the size and skills to be a top notch wide-out in the League. Even Carr has put up decent numbers despite getting thrown around by opposing defenses.

Team Weaknesses – 2005 was the year the Texans were supposed to take steps to contend. Instead, the only steps they took were backwards, especially defensively. Dom Capors had success in Carolina as an expansion team by bringing in veterans on defense. This is a huge risk/reward propisition and is not a successful blue-print for longterm success. Capors was never able to equal the promising start he had in Carolina, and the Texans are thin on defense because of it. Maybe that is the reason the Texans passed on Bush and drafted DE Mario Williams out of N.C. State. A freak athletically, Willaims is still very raw and has along way to go to be a consistent contributer. Kubiak’s expertise is offense, but the achilles heel of the Texans may be the defense.

Best Case Scenario – Mario Willams comes in and surprises everyone, showing he was deserving of the #1 Pick. The Texans finally give Carr some time to make plays down the field to a rejuvenated Andre Johnson, who has a career year. Gary Kubiak is a fast learner in his first year as the head man and the Texans respond by pplaying inspired Football. Getting out of the AFC South, where they have to play the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars twice a year ech wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Worst Case Scenario – New Coach, smae results. Carr can’t stay upright, Johnson continues to be a letdown and Willimas’ play has everyone in Houston chanting “Reg-gie, Reg-gie” at every home game.

My Opinion – I can’t put my finger on it, but I like David Carr. I thought the Texans did the right thing by picking up his option, then bringing in an offensive Head Coach to mentor him. He a perfect fit in the West Coast offense, and quick 3-step drops and crossing patterns should lower the sack totals and get Johnson involved in games early. There is no doubt in my mind that they should have drafted Reggie Bush, but the defense is too young and void of any playmakers that they need to address that side of the ball. A trade for more picks would have been a better play, but the Texans made their bed. Looking at the schedule, they are always a lock to beat the Jag’s at least once and I think there are teams they’ll sneak up on. By the end of the season Kubiak will have the team headed in the right direction in what will a pleasant surprise in 2006.

Projected Record
4-12, 4th Place AFC South

Projected Schedule W/L
NY Jets (L)
@San Diego (L)
@Miami (L)
Dallas (L)
@Indianapolis(L)
@Washington (L)
Houston (L)
@Jacksonville (L)
Baltimore (W)
@Philadelphia(L)
NY GIants (W)
Indianapolis (L)
@Houston (L)
Jacksonville (W)
@Buffalo (W)
New England (L)

After a few years of try to compete while rebuilding, the Titans finally decided now is the time to look towards the future. Jevon Kearse, Eddie George, Derrick Mason, all gone the past few seasons. The Titans completed the overhaul by trading the face of their franchise, Steve McNair, to Baltimore in the off-season. They drafted Vince Young #3 overall to be their Quarterback of teh future. Questions still abound for this team and it is a pivotal season for the Titans and Head Coach Jeff Fisher. Could it be time for him to move on as well?

Team Strengths – Like most teams down this far on the list the TItans don’t have many discernable strengths. They do have one, in HC Jeff Fisher. Fisher is the longest tenured coach in the league, longer than even Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh. He has been with the team through the different cities and a name change. Stability is a key to success in the NFL, and Fisher has been a rock for the Titans. Titans are young, but they are fast and atheltic ad at some point that is a stregth as well. QB Billy Volek is a solid choice until rookie Vince Young is ready.

Team Weaknesses – Youth and inexperience. The Titans are young all over the field as cap problems and Free Agent defections have stripped some of their talent base. As great a coach as Fisher is this will be a big season for him in Tennessee. By trading the face of the franchise the Titans have moved into full rebuild mode and sometimes a new voice is needed. Can Fisher be that voice or has his time in “rocky-top” run it’s course. Another bad season and that answer could be yes.

Best Case Scenario – Billy Volek has played solid before and does have some talent around him. If the 3 headed monster at tailback(Travis Henry, Chris Brown and rookie LenDale White)can be effective and stay on the field and the defense can get off the field on 3rd down the Titans can be on of those teams no one wants to play come November.

Worst Case Scenario – Playing in a division with two playoff contenders isn’t much fun when you are a team trying to rebuild, just ask the Texans. If Billy Volek struggle sor is injured the Titans will be forced to go to Vince Young alot earlier than they want to. That could spell trouble. Young is not ready to be a starter in the NFL and being thrust into the #1 role early could mean alot of lumps. Record not withstanding, if the Titans don’t show progress in their play this very easily could be Fisher’s last season on the sidelines for the Titans. He has been there a long time and a new voice could be needed.

My Opinion – Young was a stretch at #3. We have seen with Michael Vick that a running QB has trouble winning consistently in this league. You have to be able to read defenses and Young had trouble with that in college. There is no denying his athletic ability and he will definately be fun to watch, but longterm I question his upside. The Titans are banking their future on Young and Fisher may not be the right coach to get him where he needs to go. I think the TItans will struggle this season, and Fisher will be somewhere else this time next year.

I watch alot of those cop/killer shows on Discovery or A&E and the like. You always see these guys who get accused of these awful crimes claim their innocence, but never convincingly. You know the type. I joke with the Gurette that you can usually tell if someone is guilty or innocent by the way they react to being accused. I know if I were accused of a crime that I did not commit I would raise holy-h*** trying to prove it wasn’t me. Looks like Floyd Landis is that type of guy.

Take Rafael Palmeiro for instance. He fails a drug test, goes on to claim it was from a “B12″ shot, then makes assertions that “his side of the story will be told”. A year later we are still waiting for that story. If I were innocent I would be screaming it everyday, granting interviews to everyone, etc. Not Palmeiro, who has faded into oblivion, hoping that in 4 years people will forget and still elect him into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame.

Not Landis, however, who knows he is at the cusp of losing everything he has worked for his whole life. Cycling, unlike every other sport in the world, convicts and punishes before you get a chance to defend yourself. Even Palmeiro went throuogh his entire appeal process with an arbitraitor before the suspension was handed down. Not cycling, where newspapers across the globe are portraying Landis as a cheater. The French must be loving this, seeing as they have been trying to nail Lance Armstrong for a decade. They had to have been pissed that another American won “their” race, and one with a degenerative hip no less.

To his credit, Landis isn’t taking any of this lying down. In a Press Conference today in Spain, Landis again claimed he is dope-free and vowed to fight to clear his name. “We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case but a natural occurrence, we will request the ‘B’ sample immediately, and I will have a representative there,” Landis said. He said the result would be made public as soon as it was known.

Bravo Landis. I was initially skeptical of all of this, knowing how incredibly dirty this so-called sport is. But the more Landis sticks his nose out and claims he is drug free, the more interviews he does, the more press conferences he holds, the more I am changing my opinion of him. Not becuase I know the medical reasons why Landis may or may not have high testosterone, just simply becuase Landis is ACTING innocent. He is acting like he was as shocked as everyone else. Palmeiro had over a month to prepare for the public outcry, to prepare his “defense”. The best he could do? Throw a teammate under the bus.

Not Floyd, he is going to go down scratching and clawing. “I would like to make absolutely clear that I am not in any doping process,” Landis said. “I ask not to be judged by anyone, much less sentenced by anyone.” The next fews weeks are going to be intriguing. I really do hope that Landis is telling the truth and he isn’t just an incredible liar. My guess is that he is not and all the hard work to show that it is “Innocent until proven guilty” will reap rewards.

An athlete who cheats does so because they don’t want to work. By working as hard to prove that he is not a cheater, Floyd Landis is showing that in fact he isn’t. Cheaters don’t work this hard.

According to THIS, the Teaxs Rangers have made the first move of the trading season by acquiring slugger Carlos Lee from Milwaukee.  On paper, if the players involved are correct, this trade seems to be a good one for the Brewers.  Everyone loves Kevin Mench, and despite his struggles Francisco Cordero is a sold arm out of the bullpen.

I imagine this officially checks the Brewers off as sellers at the deadline and the Rangers as buyers.  How realisitc a shot the Rnagers have, I don’t know.  But the message to the fans is a good one, that we are going for it.  Something that Indians management has failed to do.  Nothing is guarunteed, so you have got to go for it when you have the chance.  Kudos to the Rangers for giving a little back to their fans.