SJ Magazine - Jan 2011 by Sports Jabber

Meg Editor-in-Chief & Graphics Designer

Hockey Jabber Contributor

Deb

Janna “Tilly” Florie

Matt In A Hat

Advisor & Contributor

NBA Jabber Contributor

Reg

Greg (Stealersrule)

Advisor & Contributor

NFL Jabber Contributor

Tim Lumber

Lance Schoonover

Contributing Author

Sports Jabber Contributor

chiefsmom

Golden Stomind

Recurring Columnist (chiefsmom says…) NFL Contributor SJ News Contributor

Just Dawn

Sports Jabber Contributor

Reaper39 Sports Jabber Contributor

Mark & Ben

Recurring Columnist NFL Contributor

SJ Radio Partners

Mike

Jon M Tessler (Reveryroadie)

Combat Jabber Contributor

Veteran Contributor

LarryBud Fantasy Jabber Contributor 2 Magazine Layout by bbyao06 Designs

TABLE OF CONTENTS What is SportsJabber? _________________________________________________________________ 4 Spotlight On SportsJabber Radio _____________________________________________________ 5 “From Darkness Back to the Light: Beating Depression” __________________________6 Wussification of A Nation ___________________________________________________________8 Top Pound-4-Pound MMA Fighters _________________________________________________9 Hoke the Man at Michigan ________________________________________________________ 11 chiefsmom Says... ___________________________________________________________________ 12 NHL All-Star Game _________________________________________________________________ 13 Welcome to the World of SJ Franchise Stories ___________________________________ 14 Can the NHL ever be as popular as the NFL? _____________________________________ 15 SJ’s Mock Draft Database __________________________________________________________ 16 Golden Stomind Brings You… The 2011 NFL Mock Draft ________________________ 17 SJ’s Official Week 11 NBA Power Rankings _______________________________________ 18 College Football 2010: The Year of Cam Newton ________________________________ 19 NBA Mid-Season Awards __________________________________________________________ 20 Interview with “The Arena Football God” E.J. Nemeth ___________________________ 22 Bodacious Birds Invade the Steel City ____________________________________________ 25 Third Time is the Charm! __________________________________________________________ 28 Matty-Ice & Air Rodgers in Hot-lanta _____________________________________________ 29 Seahawks-Bears: Do You Believe in (TWO) Miracles? ___________________________ 30 Greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also Detriment _________________________________ 31 Just Dawn’s 2010 In Review _______________________________________________________ 33 SJ Special Announcements _________________________________________________________ 34 What’s New at SJ ___________________________________________________________________ 35 3

SJ’s Social Networks & Home of SJ Magazine _____________________________________ 36 Recognition ________________________________________________________________________ 38

SportsJabber.net provides complete coverage of the sporting world. While best-known for its alwaysactive forums, it is much, much more. SJ is a multi-verse of inter-connected sports fan sites. It's an assembly of contributing blogger-authors providing expert analysis of their chosen sports, leaving no event uncovered or lacking importance. SJ provides a platform and an extensive marketing channel to promote the authors' original works. SJ operates multiple interactive sites among the major social networks (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter) & our home platform, providing fun and informative sports exchange among our many thousands of subscribers, "friends" and followers. The weekly fun, informative, & interactive Sports Jabber Radio Show, "Cheap Seats Community" (think Myspace for sports fans) with its included blogs (yours & others) and "Graphics Showcase"), along with SJ's aforementioned social network sites are directly accessible via the "Sports Community" link on the home page. SJ operates one of the largest and most comprehensive NFL mock draft databases on the net. With our own mock draft, created & maintained by our cross-fan team of experts at its foundation, our database, unlike most, operates and is updated year-round. Of course, Jabberheads also unite in our highly interactive member forums, 24-7, for discussion of breaking sports news & daily events, enjoyment of competitive fantasy sports, & participation in fun & competitive prize-awarded contests. If you kick, throw, hit, or drive it...or enjoy watching it done, it's a jabber world made for you. Are you a Jabberhead? Do you want to be a Jabberhead? Step inside and join the fun.

Interested in Writing/Reading Articles? Interested in Intelligent Sports Discussion? Interested in Exploring the Wide World of Sports? Check out: 4

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Sports Jabber Radio (or SJ Radio as we call it) was born at the same time as Sportsjabber.net. Hosted by TV and radio veteran Mark Janda and Sportsjabber.net advisor Ben English, it is the voice for a vibrant cross-section of sports aficionados and addicts. From the field, ice, court, pitch or track, you can count on them to talk the sports you love. Every Wednesday night at 10:00pm Eastern (9:00 Central), Mark and Ben cover the major sports stories and the happenings in the SJ community. Often they will have guests who share knowledge, insight and opinion. (Past guests have included best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, gaming expert Joe Samaurez Smith and US Olympic Gold-Medal winner Billy DeMong.) They also welcome you to join them on-air or in the SJ Radio chat room while the show is live. This football season, they have been joined every week by fantasy guru and SportsJabber.net partner KZ from FansFantasyFootball.com. He makes the picks to help your fantasy football team keep on winning. And then there are the prizes. Over the two years it's been in existence, SJ Radio has awarded T-shirts, autographed books, DVDs and a host of other swag to our listeners. It's a great time to be a Jabberhead! Expand your Jabberworld with us as we go seriously multimedia! Remember, SJ Radio is on every Wednesday at 10:00pm Eastern, 9:00 Central.

Check out SportsJabber Radio at its home:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ Sports-Jabber 5

"From Darkness Back to the Light: Beating Depression" By Jon M. Tessler (ReveryRoadie) Since I didn't really plan out what I wanted to write for this issue, I have decided to make this a very personnel article. A few years ago, I would never have been in this place to actually put this down on paper so to speak, but I have "improved" enough over the past few months to do so. This is MY OWN STORY. As some of the members here know, I joined the US Navy in 1984 and served till 1993. I spent most of my time on Sea Duty, and did 5 overseas deployments in the first 6 years I was in. The late 1980's/early 1990's were a time of rapid change for the Navy and conflicts occurred with regularity. In 1986, I was part of the action with Libya. In 1987, I was in the Persian Gulf as part of the force protecting Re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers. In 1988, I was off the coast of Iran during the Hostage Crisis in Lebanon. In 1991, I served in Desert Storm. I saw a lot of different countries and was in combat numerous times. However, one event stands out and has affected me more than any other in my post military career. On February 17, 1988, while serving in Lebanon, my step-sister’s husband, Lt Col William Rich Higgins was kidnapped and subsequently murdered by Hezbollah terrorists. On Rich's advice, I joined the military, his wife Robin (a Major at the time) was my re-enlisting officer. The military is a strong thread running through my family’s life. It is hard to understand what it is like to have your family’s everyday life played out on National TV and be totally powerless to do anything about it except to sit and hope the chaos doesn't overwhelm you. You go to work and try to do your job, all the while your thoughts are miles away. Since getting out of the military, I haven't always felt quite right but never knew how to get help, nor did I think anything was "wrong". When I would go home for family events, I would sit with my back against a wall, with my arms crossed, and not talk to anyone. For me this was "normal". I also would have mood swings that would always go into negative emotions, and the mood swings would always be quick, and uncontrollable. 6

("From Darkness Back to the Light: Beating Depression" continuedâ&#x20AC;Ś) Finally after much discussion with my mom, step-dad, and some close friends, I knew it was time to get help. After talking to my Primary Care Doctor, and explaining everything that has happened in my military career and what my "triggers" are, I was diagnosed with PTSD/Massive Depression. Because I do not have "flashbacks," I do not meet the current criteria for PTSD. But since it all falls back to my step-brother-in-lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kidnapping, I am sure I have at the very least, a mild case of PTSD. Even though I have only had a couple of counseling sessions, my mom, girlfriend, and myself can see a difference in how I react to things. I am much more talkative than I have ever been in the past 15 years. Things that used to be stress triggers, now do not affect me as much as they would have 6 months ago. Yes, I am on medication, and the mood stabilizers have made a world of difference in just 2 short months. I do not know what the future will hold and I know that I must take things one day at a time. Since my depression was so severe, this will be a very long journey. I just have to keep taking the "proper" steps on my walk through life. I can tell you that depression is real and it hurts the ones who love you the most as well as yourself, and admitting that you (I in this case) need help is the first and most important step, that anyone can take.

Jon Tessler Veteran and Depression Survivor

Written by: Reaper39 December 26, 2010. The northeast region of the country was hit with a snow storm that left over twenty inches of snow in many areas, the storm was so bad that it crippled New York City for days and the NFL decided to postpone the Vikings game against the Eagles in Philadelphia two full days. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell claimed that postponing the game was just another example of America undergoing "Wussification" and referred to China saying "If this was China, do you think the Chinese would have called off the game?" Not sure but this isn't China and the NFL did the correct thing in protecting the safety of not only their players but their fans. The field could have been frozen, we've seen what happens when a playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head hits a frozen field, just ask Brett Favre if he remembered what happened the week before playing outdoors in Minnesota. How would the governor feel if Michael Vick or DeSean Jackson was seriously hurt while playing in dangerous conditions just weeks from the playoffs? How would he feel if fans driving home were involved in vehicle accidents because road conditions worsened as the storm moved in or stranded because trains and buses came to a standstill during this storm? Sometimes the classic male John Wayne attitude needs to be controlled for the better of man and the NFL did just that in quickly postponing this game. He did make a good statement when he said "I can't wait for 2014, would they delay the Super Bowl at the New Meadowlands if there was a storm in February?" and that had me thinking, would they? Is it possible that the biggest Sunday of the year be postponed until Monday or Tuesday if New Jersey was hit with a storm on the holiest Sunday of football season come 2014? No one knows for sure but I'm sure the league thought about this possibility before awarding the 2014 Super Bowl to the Tri-State area. We should applaud the National Football League for their decision, not mock them, but at the same time, question what would be in effect for 2014 when a cold climate city will host the Super Bowl for the first time since January 26, 1992 when Super Bowl XXVI was played in Minnesota within the Metrodome, a controlled climate stadium. By the way, Super Bowl XXVI was won by the Washington Redskins 37-24 over the Buffalo Bills.

Top Pound-4-Pound Fighters in all of MMA Rankings by: Mike

1. George St. Pierre (21-2) While I didn't agree that Josh Koscheck was the most game opponent for GSP. There is no denying the dominance that St. Pierre showcased in that fight.

2. Nick Diaz (23-7) In my opinion, Diaz is the biggest, and well quite frankly, the only threat to take St. Pierre's welterweight title away. Unfortunately, we'll never know as Nick has recently signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. However, that hasn't stopped him from calling out UFC fighters. 3. Anderson Silva (27-4) Often accused of showboating and embarrassing his opponents. There is no denying that Anderson "The Spider" Silva, may very well be the most technical striker that MMA has ever seen. Never has a fighter made it look so easy.

4. Gilbert Melendez (18-2) Yet another fighter who does not get his due credit in part because he does not fight under the UFC banner. A member of the starstudded Cesar Gracie camp, Dana White, himself, has gone on record as saying he's one of the best fighters on the planet.

5. Alistair Overeem (34-11) This one's tough but well-deserved in my opinion. I'm sure we would all like to see Overeem commit himself more to MMA. However winning the Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight titles, along with winning the K-1 Grand Prix is enough for me to place 9 the Top 5. Let's all hope that Overeem fully commits the Reem in to MMA in 2011.

Pound 4 Pound Rankings (continued) 6. Jose Aldo (18-1) Had it not been for the injury that pulled Aldo out of UFC 125, the world would have realized just how electrifying this guy is. With the recent WEC/UFC merge, the competition should get tougher for Aldo, and with that, hopefully he finally begins to get the credit he deserves from the casual MMA fans out there. 7. Frankie Edgar (13-1) Don't get me wrong, I love Frankie Edgar. However the one man to defeat him, Gray Maynard, just battled him to a draw in 125. Either Maynard is a whole lot better than we thought or Edgar has simply figured out BJ Penn. If Edgar can't bounce back with a dominating title defense in his next fight. It won't be hard for me.

8. Jake Shields (26-4-1) Perhaps the greatest grappler the sport has ever seen, and yet another member of that star-studded Cesar Gracie team. After spending years in Strikeforce and EliteXC, Shields flew under the radar a bit. However don't be fooled. Shields is up next to fight GSP, and outside of Nick Diaz, he may pose the biggest threat to the welterweight champ.

9. Norifumi Yamamoto (18-3) Tremendous success in K-1, DREAM Dynamite!!, Shooto, and now Yamamoto will join the UFC. Perfect timing given the recent WEC merge. With wins over former UFC vet Caol Uno, Genki Sudo, a devastating knee to Miyata, and a should be win over Josh Thomson (ruled a NC). Yamamota is one of the most electrifying fighters in the sport today. 10. Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) Despite the loss to Fabricio Werdum, "The Last Emperor" still remains one of the greatest, if not the greatest fighter that this sport has ever seen. Fedor is slated to return in Febuary to fight Antonio Silva, and with a dominant showing, Emelianenko could work his way back up to being a Top 5 Heavyweight. No, let's all keep our fingers crossed that Fedor's management, M-1, allows for the Fedor vs. Overeem fight to happen. Honorable Mention:  Tatsuya Kawajiri  Mauricio "Shogun" Rua  10 Jon Fitch  Shinya Aoki  Dominick Cruz

Hoke the Man at Michigan Written by: Lance Schoonover Brady Hoke was recently named the new Head Coach of Michigan. While some are unfamiliar with him as he might not have been the big name hire they were looking for, he is a very good candidate and has turned 2 programs around in the past. When he took over Ball State, the program was a mess and he led them to a 12-1 season his last year there. Then at San Diego State, he took over a struggling program and led them to a 9-4 seasons with a bowl victory. This was their first bowl appearance in 12 seasons as well. Hoke won’t have to completely turn around this Michigan program because it’s not where it usually is. Michigan is coming out of one of its worst eras ever but the team started to show a little promise this season. One of the biggest problems was Michigan’s defense. Michigan’s defense got worse every year under Rich Rodriguez while the offense improved. The defense became so bad that Michigan was below average again in the Big 10 with no marquee wins. Hoke is a defensive-minded coach and will surely not settle for such a bad defense. It doesn’t hurt that Hoke has had some very good offenses under his leadership. A big asset in Hoke is his willingness to adjust schemes to what he has. He is willing to run a pro -style offense or spread and again on defense, he isn't afraid to change up the schemes to fit his talent. Brady will have a challenge trying to salvage the 2011 recruiting class. The class isn’t very big now and a few commitments are now wavering on their decision. Hoke needs to do a good job keeping them in place and hopefully add a few more players to it. This class likely won’t be that great but Michigan has a lot of talent in-state next season and if Hoke can take care of the instate talent, he will be in a good place for a very good recruiting class. Brady was a former defensive lineman coach under Lloyd Carr and at that time, he recruited very well on the west coast especially in talent-rich California. The former Michigan assistant will not only need to hit the recruiting trail as time is thin but he also need to put a staff in place. Even if Hoke wasn’t the top choice for fans that doesn’t mean he can’t be successful. Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel, and Gene Chizik all were not “sexy” hires yet all have won championships and have or are running successful programs. As a fan, I’m thrilled to have Brady Hoke as the coach. I liked the hire but after watching the press conference, I LOVED the hire. He accepted the job without even knowing what he would be paid, he loves Michigan and wants to coach here for the remainder of his career. He gets the 11 tradition here and said all the right stuff in the press conference.

Jamaal Charles: Lightning in Red The Chiefs season is over, and I'm going to end it the way I began it: By writing about Jamaal Charles. Jamaal Charles has made his name known throughout the NFL as a superb running back. He is, in fact, on most lists of the kind, listed in the Top 5 Running Backs in the NFL. He shared carries with Thomas Jones this year, and in spite of my doubts throughout the year, perhaps this was a good idea, as Jamaal Charles, in his third NFL season, developed into quite an explosive tailback. He leads the league with a 6.4 Yards per Carry Average, and is Second in the NFL with 1,467 Yards Rushing. No other back with over 200 carries in a season has managed to put up numbers like his. He is compared to Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson and Adrian Peterson, but the fact remains, on a "per carry" basis....Jamaal Charles continues to come out ahead of them all. He moves faster than most and is able to find a hole that many of us would overlook, using that extra burst of speed to get him that extra yardage...he certainly looks great out there on the field, and I'm sure glad that he's on MY team! If he continues to improve, (he DOES need to learn how to hang onto the ball a bit better), one can only imagine to what heights (or lengths), he might go. Good luck Jamaal!!

chiefsmom 12

NHL All-Star Game Written by: Matt In A Hat

On January 28th, the NHL will make history by having the first real life “fantasy draft”. No, it won’t be like in video games where teams are completely rearranged and Sidney Crosby can play for the San Jose Sharks for years against his main rival, Alexander Ovechkin of the Ducks, but for one weekend, all the great “What If” possibilities have a chance to become reality. All-Star Weekend breaks down like this: On Friday the 28th, the Captains will be announced and the teams chosen, Saturday the 29th, the Skills Competition will occur between players from both teams going head to head, and then on the 30th, the Big Game. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin could possibly team up against Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Malkin, or Daniel Sedin could score a snap shot right over the body of his brother Henrik as he dives for a block. The possibilities unlocked by the fantasy draft are endless. Of course, new All-Star game concepts aren’t unusual for the National Hockey League. On January 28th, 1998, the NHL had an All-Star Game which featured “North America vs. The World”. The North American team featured teams from the US and Canada, and the World team featured, well, everybody else. This format was used from the ’98 All-Star game until the ’03 game, where the format was reverted to a traditional East vs. West format. Of the 5 games played under this format, North America won the series 3 games to 2. The reason for this new fantasy draft format being adopted this year is much for the same reason that North America vs World was used a decade ago, to make the game interesting. The problem facing the NHL All-Star Game is the same that faces the NFL’s Pro Bowl, the sports are so physical to a point that no player wants to put real effort into an All-Star Game. This is evident in scores like 14-12 that have come from the All-Star Game. In a normal regular season game, you would hardly ever see a score half as much as that. In 1998, the NHL adopted an international format so that there would be serious “National” pride involved in a game and not the phony “Conference” pride. It didn’t even come close to working as physical plays remained low and scores remained high. The new tactic being taken by the NHL is an interesting one, instead of trying to improve the game, they improve the originality. There is a recognition that the game will never become a “Traditional” kind of game, so the events leading up to the game are adjusted to create an interest factor, which isn’t generated to the average person by a normal hockey game. The NHL is changing the All-Star Event into what it should be for all sports, a fan-centric, meaningless game. Over the course of the All-Star Weekend, there a number of events for fans to be excited about. From the Draft, to the Skills Competition, to the unveiling of Stan Lee’s Guardians, there are many exciting things going on. More importantly, the outcome has no meaning on the season. The main problem with the MLB All-Star Game is that it has meaning. If this format was used in baseball, the MLB wouldn’t be able to base home-field advantage off of a meaningless game, where the eventual champion has two players represented. The idea of a fantasy draft allows for moments that would never happen otherwise to occur. It almost makes the game feel like the Olympics again, where players from the same NHL team can stare each other down from opposite sides of the ice. 13

Great for the fans, great for the league, great for the players. All-Star Nirvana.

Welcome to the World of SJ Franchise Stories Written by: Reaper39 Here at Sports Jabber ,we have a forum dedicated to the stories of the franchise mode available in any sporting game. Many people always ask what a franchise story consist of or what is it that drives someone to take the time to post a franchise story on a site such as Sports Jabber and I hope to answer these two questions and clear up any misconception that one may have. The Franchise Mode is the area of a game where you take full control over a franchise and run it as if you were the real owner of the team. You have the full ability to make coaching and players decisions, you can fire or cut them, sign them to new contracts or trade players and draft picks to better your team but that's not all you manage. You have the ability to relocate the team to the city of your choice then you get to design the logo and colors of your uniforms (if you choose to do that) but yet there is even more. Want to build a new stadium for your team, franchise mode allows this to be done. Would you like to maintain your old stadium for tradition purposes, fine, no problem because franchise mode allows you to add upgrades such as seat warmers, cup holders, internet cafe or even new medical facilities. The world within a franchise mode is only limited by your imagination. Speaking of imagination, it is what drives writers such as myself to create a franchise story. Developing a story and reading the responses to your storyline drives the writers to dive deeper in this fantasy world and keep the readers guessing on what might happen next. It is a way to share with others on how you might operate an organization if you had that chance. My current journey is taking the Buffalo Bills through a relocation phase where they will land in Des Moines, Iowa. Why Iowa you may ask? Read the story and find out but the only thing stopping anyone from creating a world of their own within the franchise mode is your own imagination so let go and share with us, you'll be amazed with the responses from the SJ Members. To check out the franchise stories at SJ, check out the SJ Franchise Stories forum.

Can the NHL ever be as popular as the NFL? Written by: Reaper39 HBO's 24/7 Penguins and Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic gave viewers an insight into the lives of NHL players and the true desire these men have to win. By doing so, they also increased interest within the game. This series has had a similar effect for the National Hockey League that the Reality Series, Hard Knocks did for the National Football League. It is breathing fresh air into what many Americans feel is a sport that is, at least for them, fading away. I would like to see them cover the Stanley Cup Finals in this manner and maybe increase interest even more. Hockey can be exciting to watch but the league must draw in fans as the NFL has done. They need to promote their younger players and hype the game up. Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are just two young stars showcased in this series but throughout the league, there are decent stars that need their shining light and need to be known. Imagine the bright lights of HBO covering some of the original six such as the New York Rangers or Boston Bruins. That should be the next NHL Winter Classic held in Yankee Stadium. The NHL needs to learn how to market their game better. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman needs to meet with his fellow Commissioners David Stern and Roger Goodell and develop a plan to advertise and draw interest to his game before it does fade here in America.

SPORTSJABBER PRESENTS: the

SportsJabber Mock Draft Database The Sports Jabber Mock Draft Database is one of the largest and most comprehensive mock draft databases on the net. We are already focusing on the 2011 NFL Draft. Sports Jabber will directly link you to hundreds of NFL mock drafts and player profiles by the time it’s over. This database is updated daily to provide you with the most current projections possible. So, BOOKMARK this page now and check back often! SUBSCRIBERS TO (LISTINGS ON) THIS DATABASE ENJOY TREMENDOUS WORLDWIDE EXPOSURE & TRAFFIC TO THEIR SITES…FOR FREE! FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR MOCK DRAFT, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN THE HIGHER-TRAFFICPRECIPITATING “PREFERRED MOCKS” SECTION, CLICK HERE.

http://sportsjabber.net/mock-draft-database/

Golden Stomind Brings You... The 2011 NFL Mock Draft By: Golden Stomind 1. Carolina (2-14) - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn 2. Denver (4-12) - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU 3. Buffalo (4-12) - AJ Green, WR, Georgia 4. Cincinnati (4-12) - Daâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson 5. Arizona (5-11) - Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina 6. Cleveland (5-11) - Marcell Dareus, DE/DT, Alabama 7. San Francisco (6-10) - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska 8. Tennessee (6-10) - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri 9. Dallas (6-10) - Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB, Purdue 10. Washington (6-10) - Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas 11. Houston (6-10) - Cameron Jordan, DE, California 12. Minnesota (6-10) - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn 13. Detroit (6-10) - Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M 14. St. Louis (7-9) - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama 15. Miami (7-9) - Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama 16. Jacksonville (8-8) - Adrian Claybourn, DE, Iowa 17. New England - from Oakland (8-8) - J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin 18. San Diego (9-7) - Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA 19. New York Giants (10-6) - Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina 20. Tampa Bay (10-6) - Aldon Smith DE/OLB, Missouri 21. Kansas City (10-6) - Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State 22. Indianapolis (10-6) - Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi 23. Philadelphia (10-6) - Anthony Castanzo, OT, Boston College 24. New Orleans (11-5) - Drake Nevis, DT, LSU 25. Seattle Seahawks* (7-9) - Jake Locker, QB, Washington 26. Green Bay* (10-6) - Nate Solder, OT, Colorado 27. New York Jets* (11-5) - Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State 28. Baltimore* (11-5) - Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida 29. Chicago* (11-5) - DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas 30. Pittsburgh* (12-4) - Marcus Cannon, OG, TCU 31. Atlanta* (13-3) - Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame 32. New England* (14-2) 17 - Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland *Means the pick is dependent on the playoffs 1.

Once again, brought to you by Janna “Tilly” Florie, Reg, and mrtxstar. The way it works: Each member that participates submits their own ranking to Janna “Tilly” Florie which are then aggregated and combined into one Official SJ NFL Power Ranking. However, if for any reason, there are any ties, they are broken by the point system (how they are ranked on everyone’s polls).

Do you agree or disagree with this week’s rankings? Want to make some predictions of your own? SJ’s NBA Week 11 Rankings

Want to see past weeks’ rankings? SJ’s 2011 NBA Rankings Archive Edition

College Football 2010: The Year of Cam Newton Written by: Golden Stomind If you could pick two words to sum up the 2010 college football season, the first couple that come to mind are simple: Cam Newton. The 2010 Heisman Winner capped off his junior campaign with a National Championship in his final game as an amateur athlete. In Newton's final game of his college career, the Tiger went 20-34 while throwing for 265 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while adding 46 yards on the ground. A fitting way to end his triumphant year. Overall, Newton finished the year with 2,854 passing yards with a 30-7 touchdown-interception ratio. But even more impressive was Newton's 1,284 rush yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging almost five yards per carry. Despite these astonishing stats and leading Auburn to an undefeated season and National Title, Cam Newton's Heisman might be overshadowed by his off-the-field issues. I'm sure we've all heard the allegations by now, but in case you've left Earth for a few months, Newton's father was caught by the NCAA for telling Mississippi State that his son would play for the SEC rival for no less than $180K. Newton was ruled eligible to play after the NCAA said he had no knowledge of the scandal during the process, so you can take that how you want. There's no doubt Newton was the story line of the 2010 season, but it was in two completely different ways. Aside from the Cam Newton talk, many unexpected teams found success in 2010. Only four teams who were ranked in the Preseason Top Ten finished there. In fact, Auburn began the year ranked 23rd while Oregon started at #11. Texas began the season as the #4 team, but failed to win six games and didn't even attend a bowl game. 12 teams who started the year in the Top 25 failed to finish there. Stanford did not even start the year in the Top 25 but finished the year as the 4th Best Team in the Nation. What does that tell you about preseason hype? 2010 also had many breakout-year players. Very few people had Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or LaMichael James on their preseason Heisman watch, but those were your Top Three Heisman finishers respectively. Each player led their team to a Top Five finish despite none of them starting in the Top Ten. So now the question will be how will you remember the 2010 college football season? Will it be Cam Newton's success? Cam Newton's off-field issues? The unexpected success? Or, perhaps, something else? 19

2010 will be remembered for lots of things, but I will simply remember it as the year of Cam Newton. Period.

NBA Mid-Season Awards Written by: Golden Stomind

MVP Race Preseason Prediction: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder 1. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls PPG: 24.1 RPG: 4.4 APG: 8.1 SPG: 1.1 2. Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks PPG: 26.1 RPG: 8.9 APG: 2.7 BPG: 2.3 3. LeBron James, Miami Heat PPG: 25.4 RPG: 7.0 APG: 7.2 SPG: 1.5 4. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks PPG: 24.1 RPG: 7.4 APG: 2.4 BPG: 0.8 5. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz PPG: 21.9 RPG: 3.8 APG: 9.4 SPG: 1.2 Rookie of the Year Preseason Prediction: John Wall, Washington Wizards 1. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers PPG: 21.8 RPG: 12.7 APG: 3.4 BPG: 0.7 Derrick Rose, MVP

2. John Wall, Washington Wizards PPG: 15.7 RPG: 3.6 APG: 8.8 SPG: 1.8 3. Landry Fields, New York Knicks PPG: 10.1 RPG: 7.3 APG: 1.9 SPG: 1.1 4. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings PPG: 12.7 RPG: 7.7 APG: 1.7 SPG: 0.8 5. Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers PPG: 7.2 RPG: 4.3 APG: 1.8 SPG: 0.7 Most Improved Player Preseason Prediction: Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons 1. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves PPG: 21.1 RPG: 15.8 APG: 2.4 SPG: 0.6 2. Raymond Felton, New York Knicks PPG: 18.3 RPG: 3.9 APG: 8.9 SPG: 1.9

Blake Griffin, Rookie of the Year

3. Luis Scola, Houston Rockets PPG: 19.4 RPG: 8.3 APG: 2.3 BPG: 0.8 4. Michael Beasley, 20 Minnesota Timberwolves PPG: 20.9 RPG: 5.8 APG: 1.9 BPG: 0.8

Kevin Love, Most Improved Player

NBA Mid-Season Awards (continued) 5. Dorell Wright, Golden State Warriors PPG: 16.8 RPG: 5.9 APG: 2.9 SPG: 1.4 Sixth Man of the Year Preseason Prediction: J.J. Reddick, Orlando Magic 1. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers PPG: 15.6 RPG: 9.7 APG: 3.0 BPG: 0.9 2. Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks PPG: 16.6 RPG: 1.9 APG: 3.6 SPG: 0.9 3. Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks PPG: 15.6 RPG: 1.9 APG: 4.5 SPG: 1.4 4. Glen Davis, Boston Celtics PPG: 12.5 RPG: 5.4 APG: 1.3 SPG: 1.0 5. Al Harrington, Denver Nuggets PPG: 12.1 RPG: 5.1 APG: 1.7 SPG: 0.6 Defensive Player of the Year Preseason Prediction: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic Lamar Odom, Sixth Man of the Year

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic DRPG: 9.7 BPG: 2.3 SPG: 1.2 2. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks DRPG: 8.1 BPG: 2.9 SPG: 0.7

3. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets DRPG: 3.9 BPG: 0.1 SPG: 2.7

Coach Gregg Popovich, Coach of the Year

4. Marcus Camby, Portland Trailblazers DRPG: 8.2 BPG: 1.9 SPG: 0.9 5. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks DRPG: 6.9 BPG: 1.9 SPG: 1.4 Coach of the Year Preseason Prediction: Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz 1. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs Record: 33-6 2. Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls Record: 25-13 3. Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks Record: 22-16 4. Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz Record: 26-13 5. Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets Record: 23-16 21

Dwight Howard, Defensive Player of the Year

Interview with "The Arena Football God" E.J. Nemeth Written by: Tim Lumber The "Arena Football God" has come to Trenton, N.J. to play arena football for his hometown team (Trenton Steel) of the SIFL. His name is E.J. Nemeth, and I had the privilege to meet this QB several times while covering his 2009 and 2010 team, the Baltimore Mariners in Baltimore. In 2010, he became the AIFA Offensive Player of the Year, the only QB in arena football history to take his team to a undefeated season, ending his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s miracle run with a Championship Trophy. And now, the Arena Football God has come to Sports Jabber Magazine! In 2009, I had just completed a cycle of blogging for the top newspaper in Baltimore, when I was invited to come to a game of a local arena team I never even knew existed in the Mariners. After watching the 1st game, E.J. Nemeth got my attention immediately. He took the hardest hit I ever seen any Pro QB take. As he scrambled, he dove into the end zone for a TD, but was blasted by the opposing teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DT. The thump was so loud, I heard it from about 30 rows up. E.J. got right up, something you wouldn't see pretty boy QB Tom Brady do! E.J. Nemeth is almost a dead ringer, for a Ben Roethlisberger look-alike. His style is literally similar. Watching the Steelers QB a few weeks ago, I had the thought, Roethlisberger reminds me of E.J. Nemeth. After covering the team for 2 weeks in Baltimore, I gave E.J. the nickname "Arena Football God" because he dominates the league like no other player is even capable of. One of the funny points in my blogging on E.J. and that nickname, was I once had a famous soccer team from Europe, who read tales I had written on E.J. The team, hearing he was a football god, thought E.J. played soccer, not realizing our football is just a little rougher from theirs. Recently E.J. Nemeth signed with his hometown team, the Trenton Steel. I recently had the honor to ask this legendary arena QB some questions, and here is what he had to say...

Tim Lumber: Last season in Baltimore, you proved several sports writers right, when you became the most dominant QB in arena football. You won the 2010 AIFA Offensive Player of the Year award, led your team to the 1st unbeaten season in league history, as well as a Championship. What was it like winning the Championship as well as being named Offensive Player of the Year? E.J. Nemeth: Winning the championship and being able to complete the season with a perfect record was amazing. You prepare to win every game and take the field with the mindset that you will win but it's pretty much unheard of in professional football to go through a season undefeated. The fact that I was awarded Offensive Player of the Year speaks to how great my teammates were-- I had the best players in the league around me on offense with Gus, JT, and Stouty at OL; Stokes, Scorpio, and Aaron at WR; as well as the touchdown leader Zeek at RB. 22

Interview with "The Arena Football God" E.J. Nemeth (cont.) Tim Lumber: I asked your former WR Yarbaugh this in the last issue of Sports Jabber Magazine, now I wanna ask you. I believe, as well as several other sports writers, that the now defunct 2010 Mariners Championship team, was the Greatest Arena Football Team To Ever Play. In your perspective, was your 2010 Mariners team the greatest arena football team to ever play? E.J. Nemeth: I'm biased but I would put the 2010 Baltimore Mariners as one of the Top Arena Football Teams of All-Time. Tim Lumber: One thing I learned covering arena football is, it seems like there are some legit NFL prospects in its leagues. I clearly went on record in Baltimore, as calling you the Greatest Arena Football QB currently playing. You have dominated arena football. Is it frustrating to you, that you were never even given a NFL Training Camp invitation by any team following your record season? E.J. Nemeth: Throughout my career, I've had to prove myself by proving people wrong. I'm confident in my abilities and the things that I can do on a football field. I was given the chance to be the quarterback for the Mariners and I will forever be grateful for that opportunity. As far as the NFL, of course, that would be great, that's every football playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream, if it happens great and if it doesn't, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I'm happy with where I am now and look forward to winning another ring this season. Tim Lumber: You clearly could have went to any arena football team you wanted. You choose to play for your hometown in Trenton, New Jersey. Can you give us a little insight, on your reason to go home? E.J. Nemeth: With Baltimore no longer an option, I knew I wanted to keep playing football so I weighed my options and thought that Trenton was the best option for me. I think it's every athlete's dream to come home and play in their hometown. Baltimore became a second home for me but Trenton is where I am now and it's closer for friends and family to be able to see me more often. The people of the Trenton area love their sports and I look forward to them embracing the Steel. Tim Lumber: When I first arrived and was asked to come cover the Mariners in 2009, the fan base in Baltimore was literally non-existent. You really came into your own there, and in 2010, the arena was packed. Several people were calling you "The Arena Football God." You clearly were a big factor in helping ticket sales. How is the fan base in Trenton, and is there a lot of hype for this upcoming season down there? E.J. Nemeth: Everyone in the organization worked extremely hard to make the Mariners a household name in Baltimore and we were able to do it. Hopefully we'll be remembered as the only pro football team in Baltimore history to have an undefeated season. I expect the fan base to be huge. I know that everyone I talk to about the Steel is excited for the season. Our arena is going to be a tough place to play.

Interview with "The Arena Football God" E.J. Nemeth (cont.) Tim Lumber: I know you have to be excited about this upcoming season. What are your goals for the 2011 season as the QB of the Trenton Steel? E.J. Nemeth: My goal as a quarterback every year is to lead my team to a championship and frankly anything less than that is disappointment. Tim Lumber: Is there anything you would like to add or say? It can be on any topic or subject. E.J. Nemeth: I would just like to thank everyone who was involved with the Mariners, starting with our owner Dwayne Wells, because without him there would not have been a Mariners; Coach Simpson, who was the perfect coach for our team and a great person as well; Coach Moyseenko and Coach Meehan who put up with me and helped me become a better quarterback; all my teammates, our training staff, game-day crew, Mariner Maniacs, Mariner fans, sponsors, and last but not least, my family who has allowed me to follow my dream of playing football. It was a great ride that I'll never forget, we'll always be family. CHITTY, CHITTY. BANG, BANG.

Sports Jabber Magazine would just like to thank Mr. Nemeth for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do this interview for us. We wish you and the Trenton Steel the best of luck in your upcoming season. 24

To follow E.J. and the Steel throughout the season: http://www.trentonsteel.com/

Bodacious Birds Invade The Steel City

Written by: Greg (Stealersrule) Overview

This is the third time this year these two teams have met, with the series split between them. Each team has a 12-4 record, but the Steelers won the AFC North Division in the last week of the regular season, because of a better division record. The winner of this game advances to the AFC Championship, one game short of the Super Bowl. Things These Two Teams Have In Common Both of these teams have a solid run defense. Statistically, the Steelers are better at run defense, but in real terms, neither team can expect to be successful running against the other. Both teams take pride in being physical, hitting hard, blocking for their teammates, and trying to create turnovers. They both have good quarterbacks, with Ben Roethlisberger being the more seasoned veteran. Quality players can be found on both teams’ rosters. Game Makers The Steelers’ key players on offense, counted on to execute their gameplan are Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall, Heath Miller and Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey is the center and it is unusual to find a center listed as a key player. He is a rookie and has earned the honor of being elected to the Pro Bowl. Watch him play and you will notice he tends to travel downfield on running plays, looking for defenders to knock down. On the defensive side of the ball, key Steelers’ players are Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Clark, and Ike Taylor. The Ravens’ key players on offense are Joe Flacco, Michael Oher, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice, Todd Heap, and Donte' Stallworth. On the defensive side, the Ravens pride themselves in Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg and Jameel McClain. Ngata plays as both a DT and a Nose Tackle, depending on what the Ravens are asking of him. 25

Bodacious Birds Invade The Steel City

(continued) Ravens

The Ravens’ defense moves their DTs and DEs around to confuse the quarterback, often using Ngata in different positions. Key things to watch for from this defense is being very good at stopping running plays and applying strong pressure on the quarterback. Ed Reed has a very good record in intercepting the quarterback.. Ray Lewis swarms to the ball and hits hard. The defense, as a whole, strives to create turnovers and give their offense more opportunities to score. Joe Flacco leads the offense and has an eye towards moving the ball down the field. He has excellent support in the running game from Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le'ron McClain. When an aerial attack is needed, Joe can count on his tight end, Todd Heap, receivers Boldin and Stallworth, and extra help from his running back Ray Rice. His other two main receivers of Mason and Houshmandzadeh have similar possession receiver skills as Boldin, and are used effectively. The offensive line is considered average, with exception to the left guard Michael Oher, who does a solid job of protecting Flacco's blind side. Steelers The Steelers’ defense operates primarily out of the 3-4 alignment (two defensive ends, a nose tackle, and 4 linebackers). The interior defensive line leads the league in stopping the run. Troy Polamalu is the strong safety, but is allowed to freelance and go to the ball as he sees fit. He is used to blitz the quarterback and to defend the pass, with the quarterback never sure where he will end up. Pressure on the quarterback comes from OLBs Woodley and Harrison who both are in doubledigits for quarterback sacks. Each of these OLBs can be used in pass defense. To augment these linebackers is Lawrence Timmons, who works out of an Inside LB position. Timmons’ main focus is run stoppage but due to his athletic ability, is allowed to free lance, is used in pass defense, and competes with Harrison and Woodley for the QB sack. The Steelers’ secondary started the season out rated 29th in the league and was scorched by Tom Brady when the Steelers played the Patriots. Since that game, the philosophy on the Steelers secondary has changed, and their rating has been improved to 12th in the league. If you just look 26 at the last half of the season, their rating is much higher.

Bodacious Birds Invade The Steel City

(continued)

Need for Revenge? Several things have been written about the Ravens wanting revenge on the Steelers and vice versa. This game will not be about revenge but about two teams who play each other at least twice a year, and are very similar skill sets. It won't be about who can get back with who, but who can win the game and advance closer to the Super Bowl. What to Expect When the Ravens have the ball, watch for the Steelers to shut down the Ravensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; run game, and try to make the Ravens one-dimensional. From there, they will pressure the quarterback and try to force him into making game-changing errors. The Ravens will try to use the run game to setup longer pass plays and try to get quick strikes. Should this not work out, the Ravens will switch to a more conservative game plan, use some runs and augment them with shorter pass plays. In duress situations, Ray Rice and Todd Heap will function as relief valves for Joe to pass to. When the Steelers have the ball, they will try to balance out their offensive plays evenly with run and pass plays. Early on, Ben will try to get a deep pass to Mike Wallace for a quick strike. As the game progresses, watch for Ben to extend plays with his scramble and throw techniques. If his primary receivers are covered, he will look for his 3rd or 4th receiver, or hand the ball off to Mewelde Moore for some short yardage gains. Ben's relief valve is Moore or his TE Heath Miller. The Ravens will focus on stopping the run and intercepting the pass. They will try and contain Ben so he cannot scramble, then pressure or sack him. When the Steelers have the ball, watch for the Ravens to try to strip the ball, and then complete the tackle of the ball carrier. The Steelers have several ball carriers who have not been in the playoffs (Wallace, Mendenhall, Sanders, Brown, and Redman). The Ravens will work these guys over trying to get a turnover. My Forecast The Steelers have better depth than the Ravens. They will try to wear the Ravens defense down and then extend their lead. The last ten minutes of the game will be a game of keep away for the Steelers to protect their lead. Final Game Score: Steelers 27, Ravens 13.

Third Time is the Charm! Written by: Reaper39 Sunday, January 16, 2011, the New York Jets will travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots for the third time this year with both teams winning on their home field during the regular season. The Jets and Patriots have developed a deep-hated rivalry that consists of players and even coaches switching sides over the years so this Divisional Playoff Game between the two teams promises to be a decent battle. The New England Patriots haven't been defeated at home in nearly thirty consecutive games and easily defeated the Jets 45-3 just weeks ago but that hasn't stopped the brashness of Rex Ryan who claimed this game will be between himself and Bill Belichick and not the twenty-two men who will be on the field at all times. Tom Brady set an NFL record for the lowest interception rate over a full season, and has thrown a record 355 passes since his last pick. Revis and Cromartie can cause havoc on any opposing quarterback but Brady is as smart as any player in the league and will utilize Wes Welker and his running game to throw their game off. Mark Sanchez is coming off a shaky performance (62.4 rating) against the Colts, and the Patriots young defense has been playing well but the game will be won upfront down in the trenches with the Patriots defensive line going against the Jets offensive line. If the Patriots can pressure Sanchez and force him to hurry his throws and decisions, it could be another long day for Rex and his Jets. The Jets will need to control the line of scrimmage and be able to move the ball on the ground to have a chance in this game. They will need to use a similar game plan against the Patriots as they did against the Colts. But Brady and his offense have scored over five hundred points this season and his ability to read the defense and utilize his weapons will be the difference in this game as my final prediction is: Patriots win by a score of 31-17 and host the AFC Championship Game the following week.

Matty Ice & Air Rodgers in Hot-lanta Written by: Just Dawn The Atlanta Falcons will host the Green Bay Packers this weekend for the right to play in the NFC Championship Game and earn a shot at a Super Bowl and a place in history. Lets look at how the teams match up. The last time these two met up was in Week 12 with an entertaining last-minute game winning field goal by Matt Bryant to give the Falcons the victory. Interestingly enough, Matt Ryan has only lost in the Georgia Dome twice in his 3 year career with the Falcons. The Packers have had a short week of preparation vs. the Falcons having a bye week so the Falcons have an edge here as well. Aaron Rodgers has been seen as one of the best new QBs in the league,. By mid-season however, things began to unravel and the Packers were struggling due to injuries to their key players and a lack-luster offense. The Green Bay Defense has been the rock the last 3 games and are looking to continue their success after a win against Michael Vick and a very talented Eagles team. Matthews and Woodson will be looking to put pressure on the Falcons and Ryan from all angles. The Atlanta Falcons posted the best record in the NFC and are pretty much unstoppable at home. The Packers will have to quiet the Falconsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fans early and often in order to establish a defensive rhythm and for Aaron Rodgers and his offensive unit to be able to hear plays being called. I don't see the Falcons running it up on the Pack, but if Matt Ryan can put up decent points in the first quarter and jump out to an early lead, the Packers will have trouble catching up. The Packers are 24th in the league in rushing yards and 5th in the league in passing. The Packers will have to exploit Atlanta's weaknesses by rushing the ball early and often. The Falcons are 12th in the league in rushing yards and 10th in giving up rushing yards. I see Ryan throwing the ball quite a bit and putting up big pass plays. They will have to step up their run defense to balance out their game. This will be a great game folks! Falcons 28 Packers 14! Not exactly my wild card weekend prediction, but a lot more realistic!

Seahawks-Bears: Do You Believe in (TWO) Miracles? Written by: chiefsmom Bears vs Seahawks I know the numbers say that the Bears should take this game, and easily... but, did you SEE the Seahawks play last week? This could be a much more interesting game than anyone thinks, and based on pure, simple, momentum, I'm betting on the Seahawks to win. Mind you, the Seahawks are not going to walk through this game. The Bears run defense is tops in the NFC, while the Seahawks have a weak Defense, which will allow Bears QB Jay Cutler plenty of time to find his target and pass the ball. The Seahawks have already beat the Bears once this season, and they are coming off of the power of an amazing win over the Defending Super Bowl Champs, (one that everyone said there was NO WAY they could win). This is going to be a close game, with both teams exploiting the others' weaknesses. Will probably be decided by 7 points or less Seahawks 24 - Bears 17

Greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also Detriment Written by: LarryBud The Counselor is IN: Ten years ago, Fantasy Football was only for sports geeks like me. Over the last decade, Fantasy Football has taken the nation by storm. It is no longer just for stat nerds. I now know a higher percentage of people who participate in Fantasy Football than donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. There are leagues for all levels of fans including Girls Only Leagues where it is accepted to pick players by the color of their jerseys and tightness of their behind sides. Fantasy Baseball has not enjoyed the mainstream focus that Fantasy Football has. Fantasy Baseball is the father of all fantasy sports. It was the original. Yet it is primarily only for stat geeks. Most of the die-hard baseball fans I know do not play fantasy baseball. They only care about the stats of their team and do not desire to be distracted with Fantasy Baseball. In my opinion, the greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also its detriment when it comes to attracting the mainstream public. This applies to both the traditional Rotisserie and the Head-to-Head Fantasy Baseball games. I will list four points why I think Fantasy Baseball is a superior game and why it limits the marketability of it. 1) Seven days a week compared one game a week. There are baseball games every day of the week. Most MLB position players will play 5-6 games a week. This compared to one game a week with the NFL unless it is their bye week. Advantage: One bad game will not kill you when you have several games a week. If your Star Power Hitting Outfielder strikes out 5 times in one game, he has the chance to come back and hit .400 and 4 homers for the rest of the week. In NFL, if your Star Wide Receiver is shut out from catching the ball, then you get no points for him. Disadvantage: Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t desire to keep up with their players every day of the week. In a Head to Head league, you often change your line up daily. In a traditional Rotisserie league, you still have to examine injuries, DL stints, and pick up for under performing players. 2) Fantasy Baseball season is longer than Fantasy Football. Fantasy Baseball season is usually over 20 weeks and then the playoffs. The Fantasy Football season is usually 13-14 weeks and then the playoffs. Advantage: The longer the baseball season is helps the cream float to the top. Some teams will start off31fast but they have to maintain the pace. It is a marathon instead of the sprint of Fantasy Football.

Greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also Detriment (cont.) Disadvantage: We are a fast food generation. We want things quick and fast and get bored with things that take time. Many Fantasy Baseball owners will get bored and stop paying attention after the first month. These owners rarely return next year. 3) Defense is half of your stats in baseball. Pitching is half of your stats. Fantasy Football rarely uses defensive stats. A small minority use Individual Defensive Players. Even with IDP, the offense stats usually over weigh the IDP stats. Advantage: Pitching is a key to baseball and is half of the stats of Fantasy Baseball leagues. It allows the owners to find a balance between their offensive and defensive teams. It is a closer representative of owning your own team. Defensive is a huge part of any NFL game but is rarely relevant in Fantasy Football. Disadvantage: Offense is â&#x20AC;&#x153;sexyâ&#x20AC;?. Chicks dig the long ball. Many fans do not care about defense and do not wan to mess with tracking stats for it. 4) Baseball is more entrenched with stats than football. Statistics are a for most baseball fans. Football fans are not usually that focused on the stats. Advantage: Fantasy sports are based on statistics and comparing to other teams stats. Fantasy Baseball is tied closely to specific statistics. Many fans can rattle off what the stats of their favorite players. It is a perfect marriage. Disadvantage: It is difficult to change and tweak the stats used in Fantasy Baseball because of the tradition. It is much easier to change the values of a touchdown, field goal, or 10 yard rush. The Counselor is OUT:

Just Dawn’s 2010 In Review I don’t know about you folks but I was glad to see 2010 go bye-bye! The mass natural disasters, disease, economic/financial melt downs, wars, ecological disasters, double digit unemployment, and somehow Americans spent more on the holidays then years past. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I wonder how many people dressed as Lady Gaga for Halloween last year? I hear the “meat suit” cost a little more than nine thousand dollars. The Justin Bieber craze seemed to get on my nerves, as well as Miley Cyrus and her pursuit of slutitude. I was pretty much over Tiger Woods when Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre decided to come on the scene, and by then I was ready to hurl a brick at my obsolete TV. When the 33 miners were rescued, I was not surprised that one miner was stashing his coal in two places! The world has it’s ear to the ground at all times! I am going to have to say that one of the most original and poignant movies/shows of 2010 was the show Glee and the movie Social Network... and at the opposite end of the spectrum was the lackluster, crisp around the edges movie “Burlesque” which featured some big name celebrities that I really didn’t want to see in fishnets! Where was Katy Perry when that movie was being cast? Rounding out the worst show for me is Jersey Shore, the entire cast of Big Brother and just about every reality show on the planet!

JD’s Best and Crappiest: Most Overused Phrase of 2010: “I’ll text you later” Most Underused Phrase: “Thanks for the raise” Most Overrated Sports Talent: “TO and Ochocinco” Most Hated American: “Bernie Madoff” and/or Dick Cheney Most Underrated Product: “KY heated jelly” what took so long? Most Overrated Product: “anything with an “i” in front of it.” i-over paid. Number One Phrase: “you Namby Pamby Jack Wagon” Number One Song:. Anything not by Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga Number One Cable Show: Nurse Jackie Number One Delivery Food: Jimmy Johns Crappiest Pizza: Still Domino’s Crappiest Movie: Anything Jackass or 3D, or Jackass 3D (but I still love them) Best Place to go at 2 AM, Drunk: White Castle! 33

January Birthdays: 1/7 Soxgirl On 12-8-2010, Gavin and his wife became the proud (again) parents of a little girl.

1/11 Jensen2432 1/23 Jeff

Name: Zoe Evelyn Dacar Weight: 6lbs. 2 oz. Length: 20 1/4" long!

1/25 Superbowlbuc 1/27 mrtxstar

Congratulations to the newest addition to the SJ family!

1/28 MKrone Happy Birthday Everyone!!!!!!

Please contact chiefsmom with any interesting info that is going on in your lives..... Feel free to contact her via the SportsJabber Forums or send an email to sportsjabbermag@gmail.com 34

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New at SJ? There's always something new at SJ, because...well...that's what we do. On a new, but sad note, two of the core members of our Leadership Team have elected to step down . TrojanHorse and Phenomenal TJ are relinquishing their Admin roles. SJ would not be the great site that it is without the building blocks and leadership those two provided. We thank them from the bottoms of our hearts and wish them nothing but extreme success in their chosen endeavors. Like a successful sports team, when you lose star players, you'd better have strong replacements ready to step into the action. And that we do. We're proud to introduce to some and present to others...bbyao06 (Meg), BLUE, and Matt In A HAT. Meg is promoted to Admin. She will also retain her previous responsibilities as Director of Marketing and the related roles of Editor-In-Chief of SJ Magazine, and GFX Team Leader. She will obviously be a very busy lady, but we, in ownership, know that she can handle it, and do so at a high level of excellence. BLUE is also promoted to Admin. He was previously a Super Mod and the SJ Bookie (the latter he will continue with...for now). He also has loads of diverse forums experience. Given his knowledge of SJ Forums, his work ethic, and his leadership abilities, BLUE will play a key role in working with our Super Mods in their new responsibilities for day-to-day site operations. We know that our forums members will be very pleased with what BLUE brings to this table. Matt In A Hat returns to his previous role as Super Mod. He had been on a hiatus in order to focus on school...something that we fully support beyond anything at SJ. The timing of his return could not be more perfect. He now steps right back in and will further strengthen SJ's already very strong Super Mod Team. Last, but certainly not least, we welcome back Jimmie as Admin....though technically he never left. He was an Advisor and one of the original Admins and Founding Fathers of the site. He was an original "Pilgrim". We slid him to Advisor when he couldn't be here, and now he can. We really do like to keep that window up to good people who have worked hard here. So, welcome back Jimbo. So...'The Starship SJ" moves on...at warp speed and with great power. There will be more changes at SJ...the forums, the staff, our increased focus on our social network sites, etc. All of it will be for the good as SJ prepares to "HYPER-JUMP" towards our destiny! 35

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