Written By: Matt Vereb

The New York State of Sports website is conducting a fantasy baseball draft for the 2010 season. Serpentine-style draft with Roto scoring (AVG, Runs, HRs, RBIs, Steals, Wins, Saves, Ks, WHIP, ERA) in a weekly head-to-head format. I will post results for every three rounds with reactions. Feel free to comment or do whatever with the posts. Have fun.

Through three rounds, there really aren’t any big surprises in the draft. Everyone has a solid base for their team.

Reach Picks:

Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Upton, and Carlos Beltran

Troy Tulowitzki hit 32 HRs and drove in 92 runs last season. Tulowitzki had a horrible quad injury in 2008 that stunted his growth as a player. However, he had a great 2009 campaign. Can he duplicate it? That’s the big question. Given the other known players drafted in the middle of 2nd, I question Mike’s selection. He does play at Coors Field and SS is a premium position. We’ll see how it works out.

Justin Upon has a world of potential. When he was draft, scouts compared him to Alex Rodgriugez and Ken Griffey Jr. Upton posted his first career 20/20 season last year and will look to build on that in 2010. Upton has 40/40 potential. I knew I wasn’t going to get a shot at that if I let him slide past Pick 19. Fantasy titles aren’t won by playing it safe.

Carlos Beltran is going to miss the first month of the season due to knee surgery. Selecting Beltran at #22 makes me think Brian assume he’ll be back to his normal 30/30 numbers. I doubt Beltran can get to 30/30, given his injury history and the confines of Citi Field. Beltran could have easily been rounds later, but Brian opted to grab him early. But if he comes back, the pick will pay off for Brian.

Best Value:

David Wright

Kenny got a steal by selecting Wright at #17. Even with his low HR total last season, Wright is a 5-category fantasy player. I fully expect him to bounce back this season. Bay is solid protection and Beltran should be back to form by June. He’s a steal at #17. I had a difficult time deciding between him and Miguel Cabrera, even with A-Rod on my team.

What do you think of the first three rounds of the draft?

Photo Credit: moondogsports.com

Written By: Mike Ulatoski

Today is the beginning of another journey, that will hopefully lead all the way into November.  Yankees baseball is back, and they picked up right where they left off with a walk-off win. Walk-offs were a recurring trend for the Yankees in 2009, and by the looks of today there will be a lot more in 2010.

Alex Rodriguez went 1 for 2, No. 98 Colin Curtis hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Wednesday with “The Big Stein” George Steinbrenner in attendance for their spring opener.

Batting Order
SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
DH Marcus Thames
RF Jamie Hoffmann
LF Brett Gardner
C Francisco Cervelli
2B Ramiro Pena

Of the top-four in the order, A-Rod was the only one to produce a hit, and together they went a combined 1-for-8. Through the first 4 innings the Yankees order could do nothing against the Pirates’ pitchers, who did a good job keeping the ball down in the zone which resulted in a lot of ground balls. A-Rod’s hit in the fifth was the Yankees’ first of the game. Former Yankee pitcher Steven Jackson gave up three runs in the sixth, including a solo shot from Ramiro Pena and an RBI double from Nick Johnson. The Pirates tied the game up with Jon Albaladejo on the mound in the seventh. Albaladejo’s line looks like this: 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, ERA – -, 0.0 IP. Ouch. The Yankees got two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, and Colin Curtis’ longball gave the Yanks a 6-3, walk-off win.

Chad Gaudin – fighting for the fifth starter spot with Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Sergio Mitre, and Alfredo Aceves – got the start today. He gave up a leadoff single in the first and threw away the pickoff attempt. After that, though, Gaudin settled down, retiring the next six batters he would face. His fastball topped out at around 91-92 MPH, and threw a good amount of first-pitch strikes. He finished with 34 pitches, 23 for strikes. Mitre relieved Gaudin in the third, and he pitched a perfect two innings of work. He did a good job of keeping balls down in the zone. Aceves pitched the next two innings, throwing another two perfect frames and pitching in midseason form.

The Yankees resume their Spring Training schedule against Philadelphia on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. C.C. Sabathia will make the start for the Yankees, in a game that will mark the Phillies debut of newly acquired right-hander Roy Halladay. New York will also pitch Kei Igawa and Boone Logan, among others, while Philadelphia plans to have Kyle Kendrick and Jose Contreras see time on the mound.

Worth Noting:

The Yankees wore the pinstripes today, as is custom for the first Spring Training game. Plenty of Yankee greats were in attendance today, and they were brought out onto the field before the start of the game. Yogi, Bernie Williams, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, and Tino Martinez were a few of the several legends in attendance. Jamie Hoffmann made a nice running catch to rob Ryan Church of an extra-base hit, crashing into the right-field wall. One batter later, Brett Gardner made a tumbling catch on the left-field warning track on a Lastings Milledge drive. All fans in attendance received a CC Sabathia mini-bobblehead doll.

How excited are Yankee fans for the season?

Written By: Matt Vereb

Saturday afternoon’s home matchup against the Syracuse Orange figures to be an emotional one for the Lousville Cardinals. Saturday marks the final game at one of college basketball’s storied arenas, Freedom Hall. Freedom Hall has been the home of 6 National Championships and 684 Lousville wins. L’Ville definitely has history on its side when it takes on the Orange.

The Louisville Cardinals(19-11 Overall, 10-7 Big East) need a big win over Syracuse to improve their NCAA tournament hopes. They defeated the Orange(28-2 Overall, 15-2 Big East) earlier this season, 76-70 at the Carrier Dome. The Cardinals were able to contain Syracuse star, Wes Johnson. Johnson was 5 for 20 from the field in that game. Lousville has been playing irratically lately. winning at UCONN, 78-76 on Sunday, but losing by 21 at Marquette on Tuesday.

Syracuse on the other hand, has been playing great basketball since losing to Louisville last month. They have won four straight games including an impressive road win at Georgetown and an 18-point beat of Villanova last Saturday.

With the Big East regular season title in hand, the Orangemen really don’t have anything to play for. Vegas is favoring Lousville, but beating any team twice in one season is a tall order. Especailly if that team is currently the #1 team in America, looking to avenge a tough loss.

The Cardinals have history and emotion on their side. The Orangemen are playing great basketball and will want to keep their momentum up heading into the Big East tournament.

This is definitely the game of the day.

Prediction: #1 Syracuse 82 Louisville 78

What do you think ‘Cuse fans?

Bookmark Us Ctrl+D and Check Back Tomorrow!

Written By: Matt Vereb

#1 Syracuse University won the 2010 Big East Regular Season Championship this evening by defeating St. Johns, 85-66. Syracuse(28-2) shot 53% from the field, including 35% from behind the arc. More notably, Seniors Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku left Senior Night at the Carrier Dome with a trophy in hand. Onuaku led the scoring for the Orange(21 points). Rautins added 14 points.

With a redemption game at Louisville looming on Saturday, the Orange must be prepared. The Cardinals handed Syracuse one of their two losses this season. ‘Cuse will want to keep up their momentum heading into the Big East Tournament. Look for Forward, Wes Johnson(15.7 PPG) to take over the tournament. Johnson is a dynamic scorer who is in the running to win Big East, ‘Player of the Year’.

Big picture, Syracuse, Kansas, and Kentucky are the three best in college basketball. One of these three teams will win it all. Kansas has excellent leadership and guard play while Kentucky boasts an inexperienced, yet extremely talented team. Of the three, Syracuse, in my mind, is the most prepared for March. Syracuse plays in the toughest conference in America. Does that mean they are my pick to win it all? I don’t know yet. I want to see how they perform in the Big East Tourney. Check back here for future updates…Bookmark Us

Photo Credit: images.yahoo.com

**Yankees Pitcher Alfredo Aceves, Having fun on a motorcycle**

Written By: Matt Vereb

The Yankees open their Spring Training schedule today against the Pirates. However, the Yankees spent today at a local Tampa arcade playing video games. This annual tradition is extremely relaxing for the players and coaching staff. Andy Pettitte and Curtis Granderson spent a few minutes chatting about life before playing games. The arcade is a nice escape for the players before they embark on their World Series journey.

Chad Jennings at Lo Hud, covered this special outing. The pictures are hilarious. Take a few minutes out of your busy schedules to laugh at these pictures. I don’t think they needed any tokens.

Round 1 Pictures

Round 2 Pictures

What is Your Favorite Picture? Mine is pictured above.

What do you think Islander fans?

Written By: Matt Vereb

Jets Running Back, Thomas Jones, will be released from the team this week. Jones has refused to re-work his contract with the Jets this offseason. Jones is due to earn a $3 million dollar roster bonus on March 9th. Jones has a $2.6 million dollar base salary for the 2010 season.

Jones, 31, had a career year for the Jets in 2009. He rushed for 1,402 yards and 14 TDs during the regular season. During the post season, however, Jones only ran for 117 yards on 45 carries(2.6 yrds/carry). Rookie RB, Shonn Greene, dazzled during the playoffs rushing for 304 yards on 54 carries(5.6 yrds/carry).

With April’s NFL draft has approaching, look for the Jets to spend a later round pick on a running back to assume Jones’ role in the offense. An article will completed later in the week, so be sure to check back.

Possible destinations for Jones?: Houston, San Diego

This has been a crazy week for the NFL. LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Terrell Owens, and Thomas Jones will all be playing for new teams next season. Talk about a grouping of Fantasy Football’s past elite.

What do you think Jets fans? Did you Want Jones Back?

Photo Credit: Footballsfuture.com

Written by: Adam Poedubicky

This NFL Draft, as many of you already know, is very deep, but especially deep at two positions: defensive tackle and safety. Let’s see how players fared at those positions and others in our combine wrap-up, pre NFL Draft. This is our 3rd installment of NFL Draft Previews.

NFL Combine: Best DE Performance:

Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida. This was expected, as Pierre-Paul has the numbers to be a top defensive end in the NFL (6’4, 270, 4.69 40, and 19 reps on the bench). If he can play like he measures up, expect him to be one of the top 10 selections this April at worst in the NFL Draft.

Honorable Mention: Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech), Everson Griffin (Southern California)

Worst DE Performance: Greg Hardy, Ole Miss. Hardy is listed on some sites as high as the #5 defensive end prospect. Being the fifth best prospect at a position and running a 4.94 40 and ten pounds overweight doesn’t cut it, unless you’re a guard or a punter. Look for him to go later in the NFL Draft.

NFL Combine: Best DT Performance:

Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska and Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma. I know, I know, it was a cop-out to choose arguably the best two players as the two best performers, but these two, with literally nothing left to prove, came out and performed. Both ran in the 5.0s, both performed on the bench, and both measured out well. Most players in their circumstances simply would have had a “strained hamstring” this week, but they brought it. Be prepared for a two-month long debate over which of the two is better, and expect both to be gone by the time the 5^th selection rolls around in the NFL Draft.

Honorable Mention: LaMarr Houston (Texas), Brian Price (UCLA), Linval Joseph (Eastern Carolina), Jeff Owens (Georgia). Yes, the defensive tackles this year are very, very good.

NFL Combine: Best OLB/Tweener Performance:

Brandon Graham, Michigan. Graham ran a respectable 4.7 at 6’1, 270 pounds before tweaking a hamstring. His performance at the Senior Bowl and on a terrible Michigan defense shows that the tape matches up with the numbers. If he can perform well as a linebacker at Michigan’s Pro Day, he will be a top 20 pick in the NFL Draft.

Honorable Mention: Sergio Kindle (Texas), Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)

NFL Combine: Best ILB Performance:

Jamar Cheney, Mississippi State. Another player put on the map by his performance in the Senior Bowl, Cheney turned in a 4.54 40, the fastest of any linebacker. He led his team in tackles in 2009 despite it being his first year as a starter. Considering linebacker is by far the weakest position in the draft, expect Cheney to move up NFL draft boards.

Honorable Mention: Pat Angerer (Iowa)

Worst ILB Performance: Brandon Spikes, Florida and Rolando McClain, Alabama. Considering these two are the most recognizable players at the weak position, it would have been nice to see either of them run this weekend. However, that was not the case. The only excuse for not running a 40 while participating in other drills is that it is a concern, so teams looking for linebacker help (looking at you, New York Giants), be careful whom you draft in the NFL Draft.

NFL Combine: Best DB Performance:

Eric Berry, Tennessee. This was close, considering Taylor Mays’ alleged 4.24 40 kept him as a first round pick. However, Berry’s overall performance locked him up as the “can’t miss” defensive back, running a 4.45, getting 19 reps on the bench, and measuring in at a solid 5’11, 215, so look forward to him taking on NFL running backs the way he took on Tim Tebow. He is a definite top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.

Honorable Mention: Taylor Mays (Southern Cal), Earl Thomas (Texas), Chris Cook (Virginia)

Worst DB Performance: Joe Haden, Florida. A 4.58 40 isn’t the time you think of when you think of top 10 defensive back, and best overall corner. When I watched Haden play for the Gators this year, I didn’t believe he was any slower than 4.45, but apparently I, and many other analysts, were wrong. His game-tape simply doesn’t matchup with a 4.58 40, so I still wouldn’t expect him to fall out of the top 10 in the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft will be extremely interesting this year.

Watch Taylor May’s 40 Yard Dash

What did you think of the NFL combine? Who stuck out? Who surprised?

Written By: Mike Ulatoski

Rangers at Senators Preview

The Rangers resume their regular season schedule tonight when they face-off against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place (7:30 p.m.) in Ottawa, in their first game back from the Olympic break. The Blueshirts currently rank fourth in the Atlantic Division standings, and 10th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 28-27-7 (63 pts.). The Rangers enter tonight’s contest having defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2, on Feb. 14 at Madison Square Garden, to enter the Olympic Break riding a two-game winning streak. The Senators enter the contest with a 36-23-4 (76 pts.) record to rank third in the Eastern Conference. Following tonight’s contest, the Rangers will return to action on Thursday, March 4, when they faceoff against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Atlantic Division matchup.

Rangers Olympic Review
Each of the five Rangers at the Olympics played well, especially Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan for Team USA. Drury found his scoring touch getting rebounds in front of the net and was spectacular killing penalties. Callahan was selected to represent America to kill penalties, and he excelled as well. Finnish center Olli Jokinen scored two goals in Finland’s victory in the bronze medal game and played solid hockey throughout the Olympics. Winger Marian Gaborik played through his nagging thigh injury, and although he didn’t contribute as expected offensively, he seemed to skate very well. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist posted consecutive shutouts for the Swedes through their first 2 games.  Sweden lost in the quarterfinals, which gave Lundqvist a disappointing Olympic exit, but also gave him a much-needed and deserved week off. Coming back into the NHL season, I expect him to be strong in net.

Trade Deadline
The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday, March 3, at 3:00 p.m. The race for a playoff spot begins right now.  The biggest needs on the Rangers as they stand right now is a physical, crease-clearing defenseman, and of course, some offense. Both have been huge needs all season. Defenseman Corey Potter was once again recalled from the Rangers’ AHL-affiliate, Hartford, and forwards Aaron Voros and Enver Lisin have been waived. With this, $1.79 million is coming off the books (Voros $1 million, and Lisin $790K). That clears up a lot of cap room to make a deal as the trade deadline approaches. A force like defenseman Sheldon Souray could fill both glaring needs. Souray could be the crease-clearing defenseman that the Rangers don’t have, as Lundqvist has been bumped into all season long with nobody on defense doing anything about it. Not only that, Souray has a huge slapshot from the point. With Michael Del Zotto’s passing ability and Souray’s shooting, the Rangers powerplay would be remarkably improved. There’s a big chance that Potter was called up to be part of a trade. Factor that in with Voros and Lisin being waived, and it doesn’t seem like the Rangers made these moves for nothing.

Prediction
Ottawa was playing excellent hockey before the Olympic break, winning 14 of 16, propelling into first place in the Northeast Division – one point ahead of Buffalo. The Rangers won three of four before the break, but were a dismal 2-8 before that. The Rangers look to win three in a row tonight for the first time since a four-game streak from Dec. 17-23.  I see the Rangers coming out strong tonight, even against an Ottawa Senators team that is 23-8-3 at home this season – which ranks them as the second best home team in the NHL. Lundqvist gives a great performance in net tonight. Rangers win 2-1. Playoff push starts now.

Shot Calling – goal for Ryan Callahan

Photo Credit: SBNation.com

**Pictured Above: ‘Man In Black’, Sam Bradford**

Written By: Brian Place

This is our site’s first NFL mock draft, completed by our associate contributor, Brian Place. This is an extensive, quality NFL mock draft. Feel free to comment on it below. View it, debate it, be cool NFL fans.

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NFL Draft Round 1

1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma – St. Louis Rams
2. Ndamukong Suh, DL, Nebraska – Detroit Lions
3. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame – San Francisco 49ers (via trade with TB)
4. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State – Washington Redskins
5. Gerald McCoy, DL, Oklahoma – Kansas City Chiefs
6. Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee – Cleveland Browns (via trade with SEA)
7. Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech – Seattle Seahawks (via trade with CLE)
8. Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland – Oakland Raiders
9. Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa – Buffalo Bills
10. Joe Haden, CB, Florida – Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama – New York Giants (via trade with DEN)
12. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State – Miami Dolphins
13. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via trade with SF)
14. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson – Seattle Seahawks
15. Earl Thomas, S, Texas – Denver Broncos (via trade with NYG)
16. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee – Tennessee Titans
17. Brian Price, DT, UCLA – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via trade with SF)
18. Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State – New England Patriots (via trade with PIT)
19. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma – Atlanta Falcons
20. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho – Houston Texans
21. Arrelius Benn, WR, Illinois – Cincinnati Bengals
22. Jared Odrick, DL, Penn State – Pittsburgh Steelers (via trade with NE)
23. Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers – Green Bay Packers
24. Taylor Mays, ROV, USC – Philadelphia Eagles
25. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame – Baltimore Ravens
26. Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan – Arizona Cardinals
27. Terrence Cody, NT, Alabama – Dallas Cowboys
28. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida – Washington Redskins (via trade with SD)
29. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida – New York Jets
30. Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia – St. Louis Rams (via trade with MIN)
31. Everson Griffen, DE, USC – Indianapolis Colts
32. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri – New Orleans Saints

NFL Draft Trade Notes

1. SF sends #13 and #17 to use TB’s third overall selection for their franchise QB. TB uses the two NFL Draft selections to help rebuild the league’s worst run defense. It’s even according to the selection chart. The pick chart helps NFL teams determine selection value.

2. SEA selects Eric Berry 6th then ships him to CLE for Derrick Morgan (7th pick) and a selection in the middle rounds. SEA would be justified in drafting Walter Jones’ replacement at #6 if and only if Okung is still available. If he isn’t, they should either take a tackle with pick 14 (if and only if Spiller is not available), or wait until round 2, when Pete Carroll’s USC tackle Charles Brown may still be there. This is common practice in the NFL Draft.

3. DEN selects Rolando McClain at #11 and NYG selects Earl Thomas at #15. They swap players and DEN gains two late round selections. Giants Fans would love to grab McClain in the NFL Draft.

4. NE moves up into PIT’s 18th spot to grab Ryan Mathews before the Texans can get to him. PIT receives 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, a 2011 NFL Draft late round selection.

5. With Tate and Cody leaving the board at 25 and 27, SD moves down from 28 to 36 and WAS selects Tim Tebow after missing out on Bradford and Clausen. SD also gets WAS’s 3rd round selection in the NFL Draft. (And hopefully takes Nate Allen, Darryl Washington, Jacoby Ford, and Dexter McCluster with their four 2nd-3rd round picks.)

6. With Suh, McCoy, Dan Williams, Price, Odrick, Cody, and Dunlap gone, STL moves up 3 selections from 33 to 30 to get Geno Atkins, the last high-quality 285+ pounder left, before IND can get to him. IND responds by selecting Everson Griffen, a true 4-3 DE. In total, I have 11 D-linemen going in round 1, and 6 offensive linemen. 17/32 means that, probably for the first time ever, more linemen than skill players will be drafted in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.

What do you think about this NFL mock draft? Should Bradford go #1?

What should change in the NFL Draft? Which NFL Rookies will have an immediate impact?

Photo Credit: news.yahoo.com