I am a huge Albert Pujols fan.  I’m also glad that he is wrecking the ball because I own him in my fantasy baseball keeper league (seven years running!).  Obviously, that last part doesn’t really affect you unless you’re in said keeper league.  In any case, the question sometimes arises in fantasy baseball, especially nowadays, whether or not you care if one of your players is taking some kind of performance enhancing drug (PED).  The obvious answer is two-fold: 1) not as long as he’s putting up crazy numbers and 2) only if he gets caught.

Which brings us back to Pujols.

He is one of those players under scrutiny as every ballplayer that does well is.  It’s just natural in today’s game because of the steroids mess that started with Jose Canseco bringing it to the spotlight to Alex Rodriguez’s use.  So, is there any way not to think that Pujols is juicing?  I’d like to think so.  Sure, I can pull up the consistency of his stats, his command of the strikezone, and the fact that he was never named on any list as being under suspicion.  In fact, Pujols was erroneously mentioned as being a user at one point.  But because I say what I believe doesn’t mean that you’ll believe it too. 

In fact, I’d like to take back my, “I’d like to think so” statement above and say, “I believe so.”

Maybe I’m turning a blind eye or choosing to be ignorant, but with Pujols’ current chase of the NL Triple Crown (lead the league in Batting Average, Home Runs, and Runs Batted In), as well as the almost accepted opinion that all players juice, I’d like to think… no… I believe that Pujols is doing something special.  Why?  Because I love baseball and have since I was five-years-old and with the presence of steroids in the game, I need something to believe in.

And Albert Pujols is as good a bet to believe in as anything else.

Roger Federer has to be considered the greatest tennis player ever after winning his sixth Wimbledon final and fifteenth overall grand slam, a male tennis all-time record.  Margaret Smith Court owns the female all-time record with 24.  However, it wasn’t easy to break his tie with Pete Sampras (14 grand slam finals) as Federer’s opponent, Andy Roddick, gave it his all in losing the Wimbledon final, his third such defeat to Federer as Roddick also lost in 2004 and 2005.  The 2009 Wimbeldon final was the longest tennis match ever at four hours and 16 minutes with the fifth set itself almost lasting an hour and a half.  Federer won the match: 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.  Wimbeldon doesn’t use tiebreakers in the fifth set.

In any case, at only 27-years-old, Federer is well on his way to being the Tiger Woods of his sport - a player so consistently dominant that it seems almost unreal at how the level of excellence lasted so long and at a, relatively, early age.  There are sure to be many more major titles for Federer, however, number 15 should well establish him as tennis’ best ever.

Steve McNair, former QB of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens was found dead in a Nashville, TN condominium, along with a female, also found dead.  Early reports identified the woman as McNair’s wife, Mechelle, but have since been denied as such.  McNair was known for his hard-nosed approach to the game of football, playing many times through pain and still excelling, usually leading his team to victory.  McNair won the MVP with Peyton Manning during the 2003 season and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 2000, only to lose to the St. Louis Rams 23-16, coming within a yard to send the game into overtime.  McNair was beloved by all his teammates, as well as his competition and will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and fans.

Read More | ESPN

The much maligned New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez is “fatigued,” so he will be taking tonight and tomorrow off when the Yankees go down to play the Florida Marlins.  Rodriguez, who played high school ball in South Florida and almost attended the University of Miami before the Seattle Mariners signed the then 18-year-old, is quite a celebrity in the Miami area and his playing against the Marlins is considered somewhat of a homecoming… only, unless he pinch-hits, won’t happen until Sunday.

However, let’s call this rest period what it really is, a benching.  For the month of June, A-Rod is only batting .145 in 55 at-bats and is mired in an 0-for-15 slump, mostly coming at the hands of the powerful pitching arms of the Washington Nationals… and, yes, that was sarcasm if you missed it.  It could be argued in this day and age and considering Rodriguez’s admission of not knowing he used steroids for however long, that without the PEDs, Rodriguez won’t perform up to par.  Well, it certainly seems so, doesn’t it? 

However, in 38 games thus far, he does have nine dingers and 26 RBIs, which in a full season would put him at about 37 HRs and 105 RBIs, which aren’t too shabby numbers.  Personally, I don’t like A-Rod and I’m a Yankees fan.  Yes, I’m one of those that doesn’t feel like he’s earned his stripes yet and unfairly or not, I’m going to juxtapose him to the greatness of Derek Jeter, whom I’ve followed since day one when he played with the big club.  Do I think that A-Rod is still juicing?  No.  Do I think he’s going to be as great as he was?  No.  But, I also don’t think he’s this bad.  Remember, there was a period where we can assume he wasn’t on steroids or used PEDs and was still a pretty good hitter.  I think right now, he’s in a slump as every hitter goes through and he is just coming back from hip surgery.

But enough with the double-talk.  Haven’t we learned from Alex Rodriguez’s preseason press conference that the double-talk doesn’t work when it comes to A-Rod?  He’s being bench because he stinks right now.  If anyone is fatigued is those of us that know about semantics and reading between the lines.

Cleveland Browns WR Donte Stallworth was suspended indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pending a meeting between the commissioner and Stallworth’s representatives.  Stallworth pleaded guilty to a DUI manslaughter charge for killing Mario Reyes on March 14 after a night of drinking in Miami Beach, FL.  Stallworth has started serving a 30-day sentence in jail, which will be followed by two years of house arrest, provisions for which Stallworth will be allowed to play football, and then eight years of probation.

Considering the indefinite suspension leveled on former NFL superstar QB Michael Vick for dogfighting and killing dogs, Goodell had to come down harshly on Stallworth who actually took a human life, however, by accident.  Stallworth acted stupidly and he knew it and knows it now.  There has been nothing but remorse on Stallworth’s part, even agreeing quickly with the deceased’s family on financial compensation, although, all the money in the world cannot replace Mr. Reyes.  From the beginning, Stallworth has been cooperative with law enforcement.  On the other hand, Vick tried to keep his illegal doings on the down low and has shown remorse only insomuch as to be able to get back on the football field.

Yes, what Stallworth did was incredibly stupid, incredibly dumb, and incredibly irresponsible.  However, there was no maliciousness in his action (and I pray for Mr. Reyes’ family), however, you cannot say the same for Vick.  I’m hoping Goodell allows Stallworth to take the field a lot sooner than he does Vick because despite being a Vick fan before all of this dogfighting mess and still believing he has useful talent in the tank left, I wouldn’t miss having an NFL without Michael Vick.  It’s been just fine without him.  What the NFL needs are more Stallworths that take responsibility for their actions no matter how stupid they were.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic four games to one in the NBA Finals, earning the team’s 15th NBA title.  Put in a historical perspective, they are now 15-15 in NBA Finals match-ups and are second only to the Boston Celtics and their 17 NBA titles for most championships by a franchise.  Phil Jackson also moved ahead of Red Auerbach for the most titles by a head coach, winning his 10th NBA title, the fourth with the Lakers.  His other six came with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Perhaps, most importantly, Kobe Bryant won a title with Shaquille O’Neal… okay, it’s only important to all those that hated on Kobe and said he couldn’t win a title without Shaq (this group includes Shaq himself), well, in your face!

Bryant was a symbol of will and determination and getting the job done.  In fact, such ferocity and competitiveness hadn’t been seen since Jordan took the court.  And now, the monkey is off his back and if the Lakers can somehow sign both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, the Lakers could win a few more championships.  Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are locked in and provide great interior presences, Derek Fisher looks as if he can still play for a few years and it looks like Jordan Farmar will be ready to take up the PG mantle.  Contractually, Jackson only has one more season left, but if the core group of players can stay intact, don’t be surprised if he signs another extension.  This season, Jackson seemed less stressed because of team chemsitry and the lack of two alpha males (Kobe and Shaq) going at it.

Congratulations to the Lakers and their fans.  And to all the Kobe haters, bite it!

Thanks in part to a lousy showing from starting pitcher C.C Sabathia, the Milwaukee Brewers lost their second consecutive game in the NLDS round of the 2008 MLB playoffs. Now down two games to none, the Brewers must win three games in a row to advance to the NLCS.

“I don’t think starting on three days’ rest had anything to do with it,” Sabathia said on the outing. “I just didn’t make pitches when I needed to.”

The Boston Red Sox clinched a playoff spot on Tuesday, defeating the Cleveland Indians by a score of 5-4. Kevin Youkilis homered and Dustin Pedroia hit a 2 RBI double to help out the winning cause.

“We still have a chance to win the division and win it all,” center fielder Coco Crisp said. “I think we have a better shot this year than we did last year.”

It is Week 3 and it is time for me to turn this NFL ship around.  Today I am playing a 3-Team 8-point Tease and 3 indiviudal games.  Good luck today!

Season: 15-15-1
Last Week: 6-8-1

A rough week last week, but valuable lessons were learned.  I hope you were paying attention and came out a little wiser.  There are some very intriguing games this weekend, and a few teams in must-win situations.  My favorite picks for this weekend are the Browns, Jaguars, Panthers, and Bills.

In what will go down as one of the greatest second half comebacks of the 2008 season, future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning rallied the Colts to a last minute, 18-15 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Indy trailed by as much as 15-0 late in the third quarter, before Manning and Co, kicked the offense into overdrive, chalking up two touchdowns and one field goal in a little under 18 minutes.

Kicker Ryan Longwell accounted for all the Vikes points, posting field goals of 45 and 27 yards in the first quarter, a 53 yarder to close out the half, and boots of 46 and 28 yards in the third stanza. All eyes were on soph running sensation Adrian Peterson who rushed for 160 yards on 29 carries. The Vikes front four shut down the Colts running game, ceding a meager 25 yards for the entire game. QB Tarvaris Jackson logged solid stats of 130 yards on 14 of 24 passing.

Better get the wagons in a circle. Looks like its gonna be a long year in Lion Land.

Aaron Rodgers riddled the Detroit secondary for 328 yards on 24 of 38 passing and three TDs as the Packers walloped the Lions 48-25.  In a game that resembled a scrimmage more than a gridiron contest, Green Bay jumped out to an early 21-0 lead before the Lions knew what hit them. James Jones took a 9 yard lob from Rodgers capping a 15 play 86 yard drive and a 7-0 lead. Donald Driver then padded the lead to 14-0 when he took a 2 yard Rodgers chippie, polishing off a 5 play 82.

Jordy Nelson did the finishing honors when he scorched the Lions secondary with a 29 yard bullet capping a 4 play 63 yard march. Lions booter Jason Hanson put the home team on the board with a 38 yarder to close out first half scoring 21-3 Packers.  Third stanza scoring was nothing special. Hanson added impressive three pointers of 49 and 53 yards, cutting the Packer lead to 21-9. Pack kicker Mason Crosby answered with a 25 yard chip shot boosting the margin to 24-9. 

I personally believe that NFC East battles are the best in the NFL and anyone out there will be hard pressed to convince me otherwise.  The Cowboy cheerleaders are still hot and these two teams tonight still hate each other.  I made the preseason prediction that the Eagles were going to win the NFC East and they did nothing last week to make me want to turn back from that prediction.

Time to get your action in for Week 2 if you haven’t already.  I hope that you have been paying attention all week, and not just this morning as you nurse a hangover.  Today I am not playing nothing but Straight bets.  Every game I picked on Friday will be played as a 1-star, while the following games are being played at a higher star-level.

You know more this week than you did last week.  It may not seem that way, but you do.  The key is to keep learning and to use the new information to refine the existing information. Ah, but what do you know and what do you think you know?!  Don’t think so much, it will all come together.  Just keep paying attention!

I picked 9 of 16 winners in NFL Week 1.  Not a great weekend, but also not a bad start.  My Early Week Games proved reliable with the exception of the Jaguars and the Texans.  The Carolina Panthers were my highlight of the weekend, and again this week they make the Early Week Board.

I expected the Panthers to be a 7-point favorite at home against the Chicago Bears.  The Opening Line is Panthers -3.  I put a lot more value in the Panthers win over the Chargers than I do the Bears win over the Colts . . . I say that with all due respect to the Bears.  To further raise my curiosity, the fine users of ESPN.com have the Bears as 1-point favorites?!?!  Huh?  I will be taking the Panthers -3, a great value.  The Washington Redskins went from -1 to +1 at home against the New Orleans Saints.  This game intrigues me, and I think I like the Redskins at first blush.  This line is worth keeping an eye on.  The Houston Texans are 4.5-point favorites at home against the Baltimore Ravens, and there is a chance the line may come down.  I like the Texans at -4.5, if any more points come off that line there is value with the Texans.

Those are just some thoughts from early in the week.  All of Dean Browski’s NFL Week 2 Picks will be posted on Friday.

It has been a great first weekend of NFL action and it continues tonight when the Minnesota Vikings visit Green Bay to play the Packers without Brett Favre.  Let me get right into it, the Green Bay Packers are going to be fine.  This was a good team last year WITH Brett Favre, but not BECAUSE of Brett Favre.  They are still a good team, and whatever trait of Favre’s that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have, Rodgers more than makes up for with all of his other skills.

I know, I know, you aren’t sure what Aaron Rodger’s skills are.  We only saw him play once last year, and he came in and nearly won the game for the Packers in Dallas going 18/26, 201 yards and 1 touchdown; he then had 17 yards passing the rest of the year.  What we do know about Aaron Rodgers is that he was excellent in college at Cal and his skills have not diminished.  He is healthy, and he has had 3 full seasons to learn about his team and to train under Brett Favre.  Don’t worry about the Packers this year, they will be fine.  Green Bay won both games last year, winning 23-16 in Minneapolis, and 34-0 at home.  These teams haven’t changed that much, and remember it was the Vikings that were dying for a Quarterback in the off-season.  Did they ever get one?  I am taking the Packers -2 for 3-stars and the Over 37 for 1-star.

All week long I just believed I would take the Broncos tonight.  Betting against the Raiders has been such a staple in the lives of so many people that it really does feel unnatural to instinctively take the Raiders.  But then I sat down and did a little homework.  Last year these two teams split their regular season games, each winning at home.  Denver need an Overtime Field Goal to win 23-20; while the Raiders almost gave away a big lead before finally winning 34-20.  In both games, the running of the Raiders was the most consistent.  Add to that Darren McFadden, JeMarcus Russel, and Dominic Rhodes and there is no reason to think the Raiders running game won’t still control the game.  Yes Denver did make some upgrades to their defense but I am more comfortable with the more proven, in this case its the Raiders and their ground game.  I am taking the Raiders +3 for 2-stars and the Under 40.5 for 1-star.

Who the hell is Dean Browski?!

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady succumbed to an injury yesterday during the Pats’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter of the game when Chiefs S Bernard Pollard fell on Brady’s knee after a pass attempt.  Reports have Brady tearing his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and could possibly be out for the season.  What to do?

The NFL is back!  The 2008 season is ready to get into full-swing and if you need to know what time it is and what to expect, check out this preview primer for all you need to know about every team in the NFL!

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

AFC EAST: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets / Division Predictions

AFC NORTH: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers / Division Predictions

AFC SOUTH: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans / Division Predictions

AFC WEST: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers / Division Predictions

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

NFC EAST: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins / Division Predictions

NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings / Division Predictions

NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Division Predictions

NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams / Division Predictions

AFC EAST

Predicted Order Of Finish:
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Miami Dolphins

Top Offensive Player: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Top Defensive Player: Mike Vrabel, LB, New England Patriots
Top Rookie: Vernon Gholston, LB, New York Jets

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
2007 RECORD: 16-0

Overview: As you can see above, the New England Patriots went undefeated during the regular season and they just missed out on another Super Bowl win thanks to Eli Manning playing like his brother Peyton, and David Tyree making one of the most amazing catches you’ll ever see.  So, what should we expect from the Patriots after they came thisclose to a perfect complete season?  Nothing less than more of the same in recent years - winning.

NEW YORK JETS
2007 RECORD: 4-12

Overview: Brett Favre is a Hall of Fame quarterback thanks to his topping the charts in the most important quarterback statistics. Unfortunately for the New York Jets, those numbers and a Super Bowl ring came when Favre was wearing a different green for the Green Bay Packers.  Can the soon-to-be 39-year-old overcome his age as he has the past few seasons and elevate, not only his own play, but that of his teammates this season in New York?  Obviously, he won’t be able to do it on his own, but all of New York is anticipating some big things from Brett the Jet.

BUFFALO BILLS
2007 RECORD: 7-9

Overview: Last season, the Buffalo Bills were the exact opposite of a healthy team, having 17 players ending the season on the injured reserve list.  However, despite the rash of hurt players, head coach Dick Jauron was able to coach his team to a 7-9 record and for a moment actually had some playoff hopes.  Well, this coming season, the Bills hope to have their durability, or lack of, fortunes turn for the better.  With a revamped defense thanks to the regular offseason transactions - a trade, free agency, and the draft - look for the Bills to defend more effectively, which will suit the offensive philosophy where the focus is on running the ball.

MIAMI DOLPHINS
2007 RECORD: 1-15

Overview: The Dolphins were the epitome of bad last season as they only had a one-win campaign… the Baltimore Ravens should be embarrassed.  But, in any case, VP of football operations Bill Parcells hopes to turn things around for the Fins, but let’s be honest - it’s not that hard to improve a team that went 1-15, right?  Along with a new person in charge (Parcells), the Dolphins also have a new head coach in Tony Sparano and new general manager in Jeff Ireland.  And gone is the face of the defense, the tackling and sacking (don’t forget dancing) machine, Jason Taylor, who left via trade to the Washington Redskins.

NFC SOUTH

Predicted Order Of Finish:

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons

Top Offensive Player: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Top Defensive Player: Randall Gay, CB, New Orleans Saints
Top Rookie: Curtis Lofton, LB, Atlanta Falcons

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
2007 RECORD: 9-7

Overview: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only team to finish above .500 in the NFC South. After a tough loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the Bucs go into the ‘08 season with the hopes of repeating as division champs (a feat that has not been done is six seasons).  The ‘07 campaign saw the group of savvy veterans overachieve. They went 9-7, with a beat up backfield and one playmaker in the aerial attack.

CAROLINA PANTHERS
2007 RECORD: 7-9

Overview: The Carolina Panthers had a very disappointing season in ‘07. After being picked by many to compete for the crown of best in the NFC, they finished with a dismal 7-9 record.  The level of frustration has been building for quite some time and finally exploded this summer.  All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith broke Ken Lucas’ nose during an altercation at practice. Smith’s inspired play has always been appreciated; unfortunately, at times it appears that he is the only one with that motivation.  The Panthers’ season seems to ride with the play of quarterback Jake Delhomme as while he was injured last season, the team collapsed.  After he was deemed unable to perform, the getting sacked king, David Carr, took over. This only exacerbated their awful offensive play.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
2007 RECORD: 7-9

Overview: Two years removed from the “fumble fest” of the 2006-07 NFC championship game, the New Orleans Saints had a disappointing ‘07 season. Starting that campaign 0-4, the entire team seemed to be out of sync, but went on to a respectable 7-5 the rest of the way.

ATLANTA FALCONS
2007 RECORD: 4-12

Overview: The Atlanta Falcons are ten seasons removed from there affectionate nick name the “Dirty Birds”.  Since that improbable run to Super Bowl XXXIII, saying the Falcons have had their ups and downs is an understatement.  The franchise’s world came to a halt before the 07-08 season began when their most valuable player and starting quarterback Michael Vick was jailed for dogfighting, leaving the team at a complete loss at that position.  On the other side of the ball, they had a lot of room for improvement. That unit allowed 414 points, highest in the division. And when it seemed that it could not get any worse their “leader,” head coach Bobby Petrino, left the team after their 13th game.  It turns out Bobby Petrino was only joking when he signed that five-year contract with Atlanta.  With all of that going off and on the field, the Falcons finished their ‘07 campaign with a 4-12 record.

NFC WEST

Predicted Order Of Finish:
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. St. Louis Rams

Top Offensive Player: Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Top Defensive Player: Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Top Rookie: Chris Long, DE, St. Louis Rams