FFS is your home for Fantasy Football

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Are you a fantasy football diehard? Have you already bought 3-4 fantasy football magazines, and are still looking for more info? Well, we have all the answers. Starting this week, we will be ramping up for the 2009 Fantasy Football season.

Stay tuned this week and all season for the best in fantasy football coverage!

Bats...and Buchholz...go boom in Baltimore

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It was both an encouraging and disturbing day for the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards yesterday. Where to begin? Well, let's start with the positive.

The Red Sox scored 18 runs. Yep. The offense that was simply dreadful coming out of the All-Star break appears to have awakened. 23 hits, seven walks and only three strikeouts. What's more, they did it with the starting corner outfielders sitting on the bench. Jason Bay had the day off and J.D. Drew appeared to aggravate his groin injury legging out a triple in the first inning. The Red Sox are now 7-3 since snapping their five-game losing streak, averaging seven runs per game over that span.

Victor Martinez looks like he's settled right in with the Red Sox lineup. The Sox' big trade deadline splash went 5-for-6 yesterday with a double four RBI. Since coming to Boston two days ago, he's had as many RBI as Jason Bay had the entire month of July. In the first two games, Terry Francona has batted him third, where he primarily hit in Cleveland with a .304/.380/.490 line.

Josh Reddick continues to fill in admirably. Since coming up from AAA Pawtuckett, where he had a .277/.352/.520 line, Reddick has been asked to start twice, once in the place of J.D. Drew and once in the place of Jason Bay. In those two days, the 22-year-old has accomplished a plethora of firsts. Saturday, he recorded his first major-league hit and first major league double. The double was one of two he had, making it also his first multi-hit game. Sunday, he belted his first major-league homer, netted his first major-league RBI and scored his first major-league run. It's a very small sample size, but in three games (two starts, one pinch-hit), Reddick has a .364/.417/818 line with two doubles, a homer, two RBI and two runs scored. This probably won't keep, as scouts on every level have said he needs to polish his approach at the plate, but it's nice to see.

And now the negative. There's only really one big one.

Clay Buchholz showed his appreciation to the Red Sox brass for holding onto him by allowing seven runs in four innings to the AL East's worst team. And it was even worse than it sounds. Buchholz gave up nine hits and four walks. It seems odd, given that he threw 46 of his 76 pitches (61 percent) for strikes, but that just means he had no command. When he missed, he missed bad and when he hit the zone, he put it right in the O's hitters' wheelhouse. The Orioles' problems have never revolved around the offense, which is fourth in the majors in batting average, but that more illustrates the point than acts as an excuse. When you're against a team that can hit, you need to be more conscious of where you're putting the ball. Buchholz didn't do that and as a result, saw his ERA rise from 3.52 to 6.05. He hasn't made it out of the sixth inning in any of his five starts, giving up 28 hits - including 9 in each of his last two starts - in 19.1 innings and has a putrid 14/11 K/BB ratio.

Would you want Vick on the Patriots?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Michael Vick to the Patriots?

The reports have been swirling for some time now that the New England Patriots are in the running to sign Vick. 

But, as a Patriots fan, do you want him?

I know there's always been that wow factor with Vick because he's such an outstanding athlete. He can run like the wind and elude defenders just like Barry Sanders did. But Vick is a quarterback, not a running back. He has always had issues throwing the football with accuracy and that's a must-have element for any quarterback in any league.

But with the new Wildcat formation sweeping the NFL, Vick does serve an instance service to any NFL team that wants to gamble on the troubled Vick. There's no doubt Vick would be the best Wildcat QB in the league, using his legs to run the option or even faking the run and throwing. Yes, he would be scary to defend in that formation.

But do the Patriots really need that?

I like Vick the athlete, not the QB, plus he's been out of the league for two years and behind bars in prison. How long will it take to shake off the rust, anyway?

Not to mention the Patriots have the best QB in the NFL in Tom Brady. I don't care if he's coming off major knee surgery and there are questions surrounding his overall health this season, Brady is the man to both men and women out there. Yes, I'm not afraid to say he's a major stud (take that statement any way you want).

Plus, you don't want to tick Brady off by bringing in another high-profile QB, even if he knows that he's still the No. 1 QB. Brady is the franchise and you keep him happy, bottom line.

Apparently, even though head coach Bill Belichick and the Pats love Vick's athleticism, Vick might not be a fit, not to mention is could be a public relations nightmare with him on that team. Does owner Robert Kraft really want to have to deal with that? I know the Pats have done a great job rehabilitating problem players in the past (Corey Dillon, Randy Moss), but at the time the Pats needed upgrades at that position and were banking on the fact the veterans in the locker room would keep them in check. 

The same could happen with Vick, but I just don't see the Pats taking a gamble on him. One would think Vick wants to start anyway, and he knows he'll hold a clipboard with Brady running the show. Vick would no doubt land a starting gig in the AFL and be the face of the new league, but in the NFL I don't see a starting job for him at the moment.

The Pats appear to be heading in a different direction anyway. If the reports are correct, New England worked out journeyman QB Cleo Lemon and they are currently in negotiations with his agent.

Is Vick better than Lemon? No doubt, but Lemon doesn't have any baggage (although his upside isn't that great, either) and you won't even know he's there. 

The question remains: Do you want Vick on the New England Patriots? Why or why not?

All 104 Names need to be released

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It's unfair for the 7 "alleged" busted MLB players that the rest of the list has not been released. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% against the use of steroids and performing enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. While the world is not fair, the government, baseball union and MLB have the ability to release the entire list and make it fair.

If the sport really wants to move forward, then they need to release the total list. We've already seen what it's done when one or two names are leaked here and there. That is what's going to happen until the list is all public. Enough already. Pull the band aid off and get it done.

What do you think?

I smell the pigskin

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Yes, football is finally here. We're talking professional football and the New England Patriots.

Training Camp officially opened yesterday and I still can't get enough of reading all the Patriots news from yesterday's sessions.

But the No. 1 concern I have it about, of course, Tom Brady. We all the know the season hinges on him. He's the best QB in the National Football League and that offense if virtually unstoppable with him slinging passes to Randy Moss (how many corners can really cover him and want to cover him?), Wes Welker and new addition Joey Galloway (welcome aboard!).

All indications are Brady is good to go, but he still needs to take a hit to that knee or leg, or even just get his bell rung, to know he is really OK. There's no substitute for live game action and he hasn't experienced that since Week 1 last year when he was knocked out of commission by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Got to hope Brady is close to 100 percent. That offensive line better keep him upright or the season will go downhill fast.

And how about one of the anchors on defense, nose tackle Vince Wilfork? Remember, Wilfork is involved in a contract dispute -- yes, he wants a big payday but he's earned it in my book -- but he showed great character by putting the team first and showing up for camp instead of holding out. Will that equal a nice payday? 

If Wilfork does indeed hold out before the season, at least rookie second-round pick, Ron Brace of Boston College and Burncoat High of Worcester -- can jump in right away. Brace is a force in the middle and has never had an issue with taking on multiple blockers, just like Wilfork does. Either way, Brace should made an impact, even if he's involved in a defensive line rotation this season.

There are plenty of Patriots stories to break down -- position battles, who's hot and who's not, etc. --  and we'll continue to take a look at these throughout training camp. So stay tuned.

Here's the Patriots practice schedule, according to the Patriots official Web site: patriots.com

Practice Schedule
July 31: 9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm
August 1: 9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm
August 2: 9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm
August 3: 9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm
August 4:  9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm

August 5:  9:30am - 11:15am; 3:45pm - 5:30pm.

Big Papi a Big Fraud

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Well, well, well. It looks like Mr. Mango Salsa Man, David Ortiz, isn't such a Beantown Hero is he?

The Boston designated hitter was called out yesterday as being one of the 104 Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, along with sidekick Manny Ramirez.

Is anyone really in total shock about Papi that he used performance-enhancing drugs? Well, apparently he is, considering he doesn't even know what he took. Ya, sure and I'm the best sports writer in the country.

Isn't this the same guy that has been extremely vocal during spring training about never using and how MLB should throw the book at everyone who is caught using? 

Papi's a fraud, bottom line.

Are those Red Sox World Series titles tainted now since both Ortiz and Manny -- the two feared hitters in that Boston lineup -- were dirty players during that run? That's for you to judge.

The bottom line is he disrespected the game by cheating, even Red Sox fans can't argue that statement.

Will Ortiz be treated just like the other stars who have been caught using and still are playing -- Manny, Alex Rodriguez -- with a steady dose of boos at every ballpark? 

Do Red Sox fans still love Ortiz (based on the standing ovation he got during yesterday's game, they still love him)? Is he forgiven in your book?

How do you view Ortiz now?

It's sad, but Big Papi is a Big Fraud now.

PAC-10 preview: No horses for Trojans to fear this year

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(As the college football season approaches, I will be breaking down each of the following conferences: The Big XII, the PAC-10, the Big East and the WAC. This week I tackle the PAC-10. If you haven't already, don't forget to check out past previews of Notre Dame and the Big XII.)

In 2008, Arizona State was supposed to be the team to knock USC off its pedestal. This year, there can be no such conversation made about any team in the PAC-10.

The freight train that is the USC football program will keep rolling. For those of you keeping score, no team has won more PAC-10 titles, shared or outright than USC. The Trojans have reigned as champions or co-champions for each of the last seven seasons, winning the league outright in three of those years. And there's no reason to think that it's nothing more than a matter of time until they capture their eighth-consecutive title.

For all the talk of how the loss of Mark Sanchez is going to hurt the offense, let's not forget that we're talking about a one-year starter on a program that makes a living off producing top-notch college quarterbacks. And the fact remains that while Sanchez is gone, the majority of the offense that was 11th in the nation in total offense is coming back. The quarterback situation will be one to watch as camp opens, but whoever takes the helm should be someone Trojan fans feel comfortable having under center.

The thing USC fans should be more concerned with is the defense. The second-ranked defense in the land last season returns just two members in 2009 - both in the secondary. USC will have to rebuild its entire front seven, so the unit that was the reason the Trojans were so dominant last year instantly becomes a question mark. Still, the offense still can be one of the best in football, so the defense doesn't have to be unstoppable for USC to find success.

Behind USC, there's a huge drop off with a few teams that should be pretty darn decent, but still have plenty of questions to answer and doubters to win over.

Cal could very well be the second-best team in the conference, thanks largely to early Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best. Best is coming off an outstanding 1580-yard season in which he averaged a whopping 8.1 yards per carry. But beyond him, the offense has a ton of uncertainties. The most compelling of those is whether or not Kevin Riley can shore up a quarterback position that was mired by inconsistency in 2008. The only way he and Best can be truly effective is if the offensive line is up to snuff and that unit is missing key pieces from last year's team. The Bears' strength lies in its defense, which returns eight starters, including a very strong and experienced secondary. Cal faces Oregon and USC back-to-back in its fourth and fifth games this season, so we'll know fairly early exactly where the Bears stand.

Oregon, who some believe is actually a better team than Cal and most certainly boasts a better offense, is also in the mix. Their offense is exciting and explosive with double-threat Jeremiah Masoli under center. LeGarrette Blount, who was one of two Duck rushers to top 1,000 yards last season, also returns. Oregon's problem, however, lies in the fact that the program returns the fewest number of starters of any team in the PAC-10 with five on each side of the ball. The defense is also a liability with a very weak secondary that ranked 111th in the nation in passing defense and doesn't figure to be much better this year.

Possibly the most interesting team to watch in the conference this year will be Arizona. They will have to do without Willie Tuitama's 3,000+ yards, 23 touchdowns and 65 percent completion rate and whoever wins the job has some huge shoes to fill. There are some decent weapons on the offense to help out whoever is decided on at QB, but the defense will have to win games. Arizona had a solid unit last year and has a dominating front four that could push the defense over the top and become a premier unit.

The team that will continue to toil is Arizona State. Last year's 5-7 disaster has to be considered the biggest disappointment in the program's history and one of the biggest in the history of the conference. With stars like Rudy Carpenter, Keegan Herring and Michael Jones, the offense still ranked 100th in the league. How well will they do now without those three? Odds are not very well.

Prediction: USC runs away with the conference with an 11-1 regular-season record. You could maybe consider the Trojans for a possible undefeated season, but with a tough week 2 test at Ohio State, followed later by road games against two other PAC-10 programs that want to prove their legitimacy (Cal on Oct. 3, Oregon on Halloween), there's a big chance for a hiccup.

PAC-10 Projected Final Standings
1. USC
2. California
3. Oregon
4. Arizona
5. Oregon State
6. UCLA
7. Arizona State
8. Stanford
9. Washington
10. Washington State