My Top 5...Players I Would Not Want my Team Playing Against

I'll just go through each sport. Feel free to post your own lists.

MLB
5.Roy Halladay-Fearless pitcher.
4.Johan Satana
3.Mariano Rivera-Last season was one of his best.
2.Albert Pujols
1.Manny Ramirez-I hate how he plays the game, but I don't want to pitch to him in a big spot.

NFL
5.Ed Reed-All over the field
4.DeMarcus Ware
3.Adrian Peterson
2.Brian Westbrook-I pray he doesn't take a screen pass 70 yards.
1.Peyton Manning-I know he's gotten flack for some playoff losses. But he's still the best.

NBA
5.Paul Pierce-In the final two minutes, he takes over.
4.Chris Paul
3.Dewayne Wade
2.Kobe Bryant
1.Lebron James-He's done more then Kobe and with a lot less.

NHL
5.Mario Lemieux-Even if he came back, I still don't want to see him
4.Evgeni Malkin
3.Jarome Iginla
2.Sidney Crosby
1.Alex Ovechkin-How was he not an All-Star starter?

Soccer
5.Emmanuel Adebayor-He could probably play RB in the NFL.
4.Robinho-Has really taken his game to the next level.
3.Steven Gerrard
2.Fernando Torres
1.Cristiano Ronaldo-Yes, make that 5 Premier League players. But its the only league I watch. Who would not pick Ronaldo?

Looking in the Crystal Ball at 2009

Reflecting upon the year in sports that was 2008, there were certainly some watershed moments, huge upsets, and also some disappointments (depending on who and what you root for). The following teams and names are ones that will always be synonymous with 2008 (in no particular order): Michael Phelps, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Celtics, Rocco Mediate, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, Detroit Red Wings, Manchester United, Rafael Nadal. I could go on.

So here are the teams and athletes I predict will make waves in 2009. You might want to bookmark this post, so in a year from now you can either build me a monument for being such a genius, or point and laugh at my stupidity.

First, for my beloved teams (I have more than four, because soccer also exists in my sports world):

NEW YORK JETS - Man, this is tough. I still think Cowher is the frontrunner for the head coaching job, despite all of the conflicting reports about what he wants, but at this point, it's anyone's guess who the Jets will hire. So, I'll just say this: If the Jets hire an established coach with a winning pedigree, they will be competitive next year and will be contenders within 3 seasons. If they hire a rookie, it will be the same sad story with the same sad ending. Perhaps the only exception to this rule is if they hire Steve Spagnuolo.

2009 Record: 9-7, 3rd in AFC East

NEW YORK RANGERS - This is an easy one. The Rangers will make the playoffs, probably as a 4 or 5 seed, and will be eliminated either in the second round or the Eastern Conference Finals. It's a solid team with a world-class goaltender, but it lacks a consistent scoring winger and physical enough defensemen to be considered a true contender.

2009 Record: 44-29-9, 97 pts., 4th in Eastern Conference; Eliminated in 6 games from the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals

NEW YORK KNICKS - A team in rebuilding mode, the Knicks will challenge for the 8 seed because the NBA is bad like that. When 2009 hits, we'll only be 18 months or so from the summer of 2010, which is when Knicks fans can truly rejoice!

2009 Record: 35-47, 10th in Eastern Conference

NEW YORK YANKEES - One word: Dominant. Sorry baseball, they're due. And stop whining about the payroll.

2009 Record: 104-58, 1st in American League East; Winners of 2009 World Series over the Chicago Cubs

SOCCER - Fulham FC will finish in the top half of the English Premier Leauge which will be won by Chelsea; Inter Milan will win the UEFA Champions League; The United States Men's National Team will retain it's regional Gold Cup title and will also advance to the knockout phase of the FIFA Confederations Cup (out of a groups containing Brazil and Italy, no less), being held this summer in South Africa as a preview to the 2010 World Cup; The New York Red Bulls will be eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs in the Eastern Conference Final by the Columbus Crew, but MLS Cup 2009 will be won by David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy.

YOUR 2009 CHAMPIONS:

NCAA Football - Oklahoma Sooners - I don't really know College Football, so this is basically like picking out of a hat for me.

NFL - Indianapolis Colts - They're the hottest football team on the planet right now. Will the victory be in a Manning/Manning Super Bowl? It wouldn't shock me.

NCAA Men's Basketball - University of Connecticut - I think they will be one of the most tested teams coming out of the ridiculously stacked Big East.

NHL - Detroit Red Wings - If you appreciate teamwork and dominance in sport, watch the Detroit Red Wings play hockey. It is a thing of absolute beauty because you can't take the puck away from them (which, for those of you not familiar with the game, is ludicrous in a fast sport like hockey). They have enough power to repeat. I suppose the only question is goaltending: Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin? But they have enough scoring to mask that inadequacy.

NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers - Agreed with what The Sherm said in a previous post. They are quietly one of the best teams in the league because all people want to talk about are the Celtics and the Lakers. Feels like it could be Cleveland's and LeBron's year.

MLB - New York Yankees - No analysis or reasoning needed, just read the names and weep silently to yourself: Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Chamberlain, Hughes; Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Nady, Posada, Matsui, Cano; and let's not forget Mariano Rivera.

MLS - Los Angeles Galaxy - I HATE Bruce Arena with a passion. But if there's a guy who knows the ins and outs of American soccer both on and off the pitch, it's him. He will build his team around David Beckham, pull a fantastic trade for some good defenders, and the Galaxy will go from a joke to a champion. In MLS, the American sports league with the most parity because of the ridiculously low salary cap, this is possible. I'm actually somewhat rooting for it outside of supporting the Red Bulls, because the league needs Beckham and the Galaxy to WIN, in order to grow.

Sorry for the long-winded post. But those are my predictions for 2009. We'll see how I do 365 days from now.

The Sherm Says...

-It was another great ending to the NFL season. There was drama, chokes, and some big Week 17 performances. I think the biggest shocker was the Tampa Bay loss. No, they had been playing like garbage the past few weeks. But you would think they could win at home against the Raiders. Mark this one down: I think Jon Gruden coaches his last season for the Bucs in 2009.

-The Jets should fire their coordinators and tell Brett Favre not to come back. There's 20 other QBs I'd rather have then Favre. That was a dismal, dismal performances, and the whole ending to the season is eerily reminiscent to the Mets 2008 season.

-The Cowboys can join the "Fire the Coach" club and get rid of Wade Phillips. I thought he was awful from Day One. If he does get fired, he can put some of the blame on Tony Romo. "Big Game Tony" was a real leader yesterday.

-I think the Lions win eight games next season. I can see them doing what the Falcons/Dolphins did: Bring in a good coach, some veteran players, and improve the defense. The offense isn't that bad (Calvin Johnson is a beast and Kevin Smith had 1,250 total yards).

-I think that all four away teams will win next week. Just look at the matchups. But the home team with the best chance is Minnesota, because I just do not trust the Eagles.

-The Top 3 NBA scorers are Wade/James/Bryant. No surprise there. But what about 5, 6 and 7? That belongs to Danny Granger, Kevin Durant, and Devin Harris. Bet no one thought those three would be near the Top 10.

-Speaking of James, the Cavs are a very quiet 26-4 this season. Everyone is talking "Lakers, Celtics, Lakers, Celtics", but the Cavs have plenty going for them. Mo Williams is at 16 ppg and an astounding 96% from the free-throw line. I have a hunch that this could be Lebron's year.

-But what about the Celtics? Ray Allen is 33. Kevin Garnett is 32. Paul Piece is 31. I just have a weird feeling that they might break down at season's end.

-Have a Happy New Year!

The Unofficial Fantasy Football Awards

I took some of the tips from my colleagues, sprinkled in my own opinions, and give to you the unofficial fantasy football awards(Note: I don’t even look at Week 17, as 99% of leagues end after Week 16 anyway

Fantasy MVP - Matt Forte
-Consistency is what comes to mind. When you draft a player, you want him to produce week in and week out. Forte did just that. No matter what type of league you were in, Forte put up yards and TDs. There were no completely dominate players this season, but Forte was someone you plugged in and just knew what he was going to do

"Consistency is what wins in Fantasy and he has been consistently great all season long" –Pods

Honorable Mention: Drew Brees (Gave you stability and a ton of points at the QB position)

Fantasy Bust - Willis McGahee
-When I think of busts, injuries do not count(Sorry, Tom Brady was not considered). You have to play pretty much every Sunday, you have to be drafted in the first two rounds, and you have to stink. Well, McGahee did just that. Look, McGahee did have three good games. But in between, he threw up some clunkers. He had five games of 50 yards or less. He also had the dreaded DNP (He had two decent games in a row, was ruled active for Week 9, and didn’t even register a carry). McGahee was awful in every sense of the word.
Honorable Mention: Braylon Edwards (He played every game and had seven games under 40 yards receiving. I would have put Addai here, but he did sit out three games and DNP’d and was ruled a backup in a fourth, so you could have put in someone else then

Surprise of the Year - DeAngelo Williams
-This guy was probably on many "Do not Draft" lists. But a strong offensive line and the drafting of Jonathan Stewart lit a fire under Williams. I would have put him as the MVP, but he really didn’t pick things up until Week 8. Williams scored 16 of his 20 TDs from Weeks 8 through 16, so he was great when teams needed it the most.

"Couldn’t get on the field last year, DOMINATED this year." –Xavier Hutchinson

Honorable Mention: Antonio Bryant (I didn’t even think of Bryant until my colleague Flying Murino brought him up. But it makes sense, since he wasn’t even that great the first half of the season)

Stumbler of the Year(Player who started off great, but fell off) - Clinton Portis
-He was a beast at the beginning of the year, highlighted by five-straight games of 100+ rushing yards. But I don’t know if it was injuries or just plain being worn down, but Portis turned sour. From Weeks 11 through 16, Portis managed just one game of 100+ rushing yards and only one total TD. I did a double take when I saw those stats. Those who sold high are looking smart
Honorable Mention: Marion Barber(After his 11-catch game in Week 6, he had only 3 total TDs and two 100-yard games the rest of the way. He also had an 8-carry, 2-yard game in Week 15 and a 2-carry, 0-yard game in Week 16. Someone fell off the table rather quickly

Most frustrating player to own - Lee Evans
-He’s on this list every year. Every year he doesn’t disappoint. You will look at his stats and go "Pretty good season" but then you look at the game logs, and it’s ugly. Four games of 30 yards or less and four games of 100+ receiving yards is all that is needed to be said. You have to play him for the potential, but yet, you want to bench him for the duds. What a mess
Honorable Mention: Santana Moss (Here were some of his yardage totals..164, 145, 140…and…0, 14, 28, and 29. Nice work Santana)

Undrafted Player of the Year - Steve Slaton
-Slaton was a Matt Forte Jr. He had 45 receptions through the first 16 weeks and also totaled nine touchdowns. Once Ahman Green was declared out for the season, it was all Slaton, and he responded. Why is he the biggest surprise? Because how many people had him on their team at the beginning of the season? He stepped it up and saved some fantasy teams. Slaton will be a very nice back for years to come
Honorable Mention: Kurt Warner (Remember, Matt Leinart was considered the starter at one point), Antonio Bryant and Lance Moore

Player You Will Never Draft Again
"Lee Evans" - I can’t stand to own someone as inconsistent as he is" – Pods
"McGahee" – Xavier Hutchinson
"David Garrard" – Flying Murino
"Jeremy Shockey" – Turd
"Ryan Grant: He doesn’t catch any balls and I cannot stand seeing 13 carries for 35 yards." – The Sherm

Sleeper for Next Year to Watch
"Tyler Thigpen baby" – Flying Murino
"Deshan Jackson" – Turd Burglar
"Peyton Hillis" – Xavier Hutchinson
"Eddie Royal" – Pods
"I’ll give you three: Matt Schaub, Kevin Smith, and..gulp..Larry Johnson" – The Sherm

No. 1 Pick Next Year - Adrian Peterson
-No matter what league you play in. He is the man.

Obscure Athlete Watch: Clint Dempsey

In an attempt to start a series of new articles here on SportsFreakers, I Xavier Hutchinson, frequent blogger of the niche sports, will attempt to introduce you to a great athlete you, the loyal and growing SportsFreakers readership, may never have heard of before. He or she might be a mid-major college basketball player, up and coming hockey player, or a young golfer. But today I will start with an athlete from the most polarizing yet fastest-growing sport in America: soccer.

I'll admit, I had never heard of Texas-born Clint Dempsey until the summer of 2006, when the United States was competing in its fifth straight World Cup. Dempsey was memorable for his goal in the USA's win-or-go-home contest vs. Ghana (they went home after a 2-1 loss due to some horrendous officiating and even worse coaching by Bruce Arena).

In addition to the goal, Dempsey impressed with both hard work and creative play. He's perhaps the most dangerous American-born player in the world when given the ball in open space. He's also willing to track back and defend, even when he's playing forward (ask Cristiano Ronaldo about defending and he will laugh in your face).

These characteristics led to a transfer from the New England Revolution of MLS to Fulham of the English Premier League. The transfer fee of $4 million was, at the time, the largest for an MLS exile.

So let's fast-forward. After a very solid season and a half with Fulham in which he scored numerous big goals and became a fan-favorite, Dempsey had struggled at the start of this season. Fulham's newest coach, Roy Hodgson, was not the man who engineered Dempsey's transfer, so he had begun to restock Fulham with new players in order to improve the Cottagers' chances of finishing higher than 17th place in the 20-team league as they did in 2007-2008 (just one spot above the relegation zone). It seemed that Dempsey did not fit in Hodgson's plans, as he was used mostly as a late-game substitute.

But the last two months have seen a return to form for Dempsey amidst rumors that he would be sold during the January transfer window. He's started in Fulham's last six games and has netted two goals, the latest coming yesterday at home against Middlesbrough in a 3-0 win.

So just like in American-based sports (see, soccer isn't that different!), it's clear that one of two things is happening. Dempsey is either back in the fold and will be a part of Fulham's future plans, or more likely, Fulham are showcasing him in hopes that they will be able to pull in big money by selling him to another club.

Whatever the case, Clint Dempsey has reasserted himself as the best American player plying his trade in Europe (excluding goalkeepers, where several Americans have already excelled and will continue to). Young Jozy Altidore and potentially Landon Donovan may challenge him for that honor, but Dempsey deserves some recognition. And SportsFreakers has given it to him.

Here are some places to go to learn more about Clint Dempsey:

Wikipedia
This is American Soccer
Yanks Abroad

My Holiday Sports Wish List

The Holidays are upon us! Here's a sneak peak at my holiday gift list.

1) The Cowboys and Eagles get knocked out early in the playoffs: Is anyone else sick of both of these teams? I am sick of seeing Donovan McNabb do the same thing every single season. Wow, he goes on a midseason tear, only to lose in the playoffs. I am tired of seeing Tony Romo play great when the conditions are perfect, only to do something awful in the playoffs. Please, just get rid of these two fast.

2) Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds positive steroid test results: There are sealed documents somewhere revealing positive steroid tests. Unfortunately, these documents cannot be touched unless some judge allows it. Wouldn’t we all finally be at peace knowing these two truly cheated the game?

3) Manny Ramirez signs with nobody: He doesn’t play the game right. He’s in his upper 30s. He gave up on the Red Sox. Yes, he is a wonderful hitter, but I hate him.

4) Davidson wins the NCAA Tournament: Since my former school (Rutgers) has no chance of sniffing 10 wins this season, I am aboard the Davidson bandwagon. They made a deep run last year, and brought back the same team. Stephen Curry claims the award for “Best outside shot from the past decade.” The perfect scenario would be Davidson to upset UNC in the title game.

5) Tiger Woods comes back healthy: When Tiger plays, everyone watches. When he doesn’t, no one cares. It is unbelievable to watch him, and I pay attention when he is around. Let’s just hope that the most dominant athlete in our modern era comes back the same.

6) Darren McFadden gets 200 carries next year: Did we not forget the hype? He was suppose to be Marshall Faulk Jr. But two toe injuries killed his rookie season. I just hope Oakland doesn’t stick with Justin Fargas come next season. Either way, the Raiders will still stink.

7) That after Oklahoma beats Florida in the BCS title game, the committee creates a playoff system: So let me get this straight. Texas beats Oklahoma, they both have one loss each, and yet Oklahoma makes it? It’s a travesty. College football is so hung up on making money. Hello, a playoff system would double whatever revenue they are currently making. This stubbornness has to stop!

Best Bets: Week 16

Hey hey. 3-1 last week! And almost got the Lions score right. Here is three games this week.

Chicago Bears (-4 ½) vs. Green Bay Packers
-I do not understand why this line isn’t more than seven. Maybe it was because Green Bay won by 34 last time against Chicago? Maybe it is because it is a division game? Either way, the Green Bay defense has given up on the season and Chicago needs to win to position itself in the playoff race. If Matt Forte struggles with his health (he suffered a toe injury last week), then this game will be much more even. But, I think Chicago will be too much on their home field.
Prediction: Bears 30, Packers 17

Dallas Cowboys (-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens
-The Cowboys are rolling at the perfect time. Romo is back, Owens is happy again, and they are coming off a big win against the Giants. The Dallas defense has been the biggest surprise, as it hasn’t allowed more then 22 points in the last five weeks. Not all is well in Cowboy land though. Marion Barber has been awful (yes, I know, he’s banged up). And Roy E. Williams has looked lost as well. I think the Cowboys will be too much for the Ravens.
Prediction: Cowboys 37, Ravens 13

San Francisco 49ers (-5) at St. Louis Rams
-I will not watch this game. I am sure nobody will. But, if you like to gamble, then you’ll be interested. I just always go by the thought that if two bad teams are playing, always pick the team getting points. Yes, the Niners have looked a little better of late, but the Rams have been okay at home. They are also a different team when Steven Jackson is healthy, and he is making one of those late “Yes, I will be dominant next year” runs. I think this game will be a three-point game either way.
Prediction: Rams 20, 49ers 17.

*******Bonus Bet*******

Pittsburgh Steelers (-2) at Tennessee Titans

-This line is confusing. The Titans are at home, the top seed in the NFL, and are coming off a bad loss. Wouldn't all signs point to a Titans win? Looking further, I see otherwise. I've read reports that Tennessee is looking towards the playoffs, resting key players so that they are healthy. Plus, I have had this secret mancrush on the Steelers for the whole season. I love their defense, and I think at some point, the offense will start to click. Maybe it will start this weekend

Prediction: Steelers 24, Titans 13