What's the UFL all about?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

So do you know anything about the United Football League (UFL)?

If the answer is no, that's OK.

I know it's a new football league that's coming this fall, but there's no way it can compete with the National Football League, right?

The NFL is the top dog, always will be.

It seems like the UFL is going to be a minor league feeder system to the NFL with former NFL players hoping to revive their career, along with coaches trying to get another taste of the NFL coaching ranks.

It's pro football so it can't be that bad, right?

The UFL just landed the face of the league, as of right now, with the signing of former first-round pick J.P. Losman, better known as Loserman to Buffalo Bills fans who didn't see much from their former starting QB.

It's a good start for the new league, however, which will play games on Thursday and Fridays in the fall with the season starting in October. The championship game is slated for Thanksgiving weekend.

There are four teams in the UFL's first season -- Las Vegas (where Losman will play), New York, Orlando and San Francisco.

The head coaches are an impressive bunch, all former coaches in the NFL. The head coaches lined up are: Dennis Green, Jim Fassel, Jim Haslett and Ted Cottrell.

The UFL knows it's talent and skill will not compete with the elite NFL, but knows it's a way for players who feel they've been overlooked by the NFL brass to try to get their careers back on track (Losman no doubt) or get a shot at big time football.

The league will be talked about on every sports talk radio show or television station for days and weeks on end if they lure Michael Vick to play for them. He would no doubt be the face of the league, and the league would get the exposure they so desperately need and want --both good and bad -- but people would definitely be talking about the league and know what it's all about. 

The defunct XFL had that buzz surrounding it years ago, but it fizzled faster than Losman's starting job in Buffalo.

I'm going to check this league out, you never know if your favorite NFL team will give one of these guys a shot.

It's football anyway, and just imagine watching UFL games on Thursday and Fridays, college football on Saturdays and various games televised during the week on ESPN, and the NFL on Sundays and Mondays?

Maybe that will be enough to get my weekly fill of football?

Are you going to tune in and give the UFL a shot, or do you think it's going to be a waste of time?

It's still OU, Texas, then everyone else in the Big XII

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 Big XII. If you haven't already, don't forget to check out last week's preview of Notre Dame.)

Sorry, all you Jayhawks, Cowboys, Huskers and Raiders.

The Big XII is still Sooner and Longhorn country.

While the Big XII will remain one of the most competitive conferences in college football and could possibly be even more competitive than last year, there’s no reason to think anyone but Oklahoma or Texas is going to walk away with the conference title.

Once again in 2009, you can’t have a conversation about the national championship without these two, who are considered by many to be the two of the top three teams in the country. Exactly where they rank is debatable, but one thing is clear – these two teams are clearly in front in a conference full of offensive firepower.

That fact statement in and of itself seems odd to say. Isn’t the Big XII supposed to be a rough-and-tumble conference dominated by defense? Well, times have changed and while several teams still have top-notch defenses, explosive offense is the name of the game.

And how can you talk about explosive offense without first mentioning Sam Bradford? Bradford led the Sooner’s No. 1 ranked scoring offense (51.14 points per game) with the nation’s third-best passing attack. But coming off his 50 touchdown 2008 season, there are questions revolving the Sooners. First off is who is he going to throw to? Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson are gone and there’s not a lot of experience coming in to fill those spots. Also, while Trent Williams will be back, the Sooners are missing four starting offensive linemen from the 2008 squad. Not that OU has to really worry about a lack of talent at any position, but don’t expect them to match last year’s No. 3 ranking in sacks allowed. With the parts missing, Bradford will have to adjust and there’s no reason to think he won’t and Chris Brown - who would have been a sure-fire first-rounder if he opted for the draft – returns to give him support in the backfield. Oh, don’t forget OU returns nine starters on defense, too. OU remains a powerhouse, but the one question still remains: Can they win the big game?

The Texas Longhorns felt last year they deserved to be in the Big XII title game last year and they might have had a valid point, having beaten the Sooners during the regular season. Instead, the Sooners broke a three-way tie in the South with the fifth tiebreaker and eventually won the Big XII championship and punched their ticket to the BCS national championship. This year, Texas wants to make sure this year they don’t leave anything up to statistics. Colt McCoy returns to lead one of the Top-5 offenses in football and the defense remains one of the best in the nation. If there’s one knock on the offense, it’s the lack of a running attack, as McCoy led the team in rushing last year. Still, it didn’t seem to hinder things in 2008. Defensively, the Longhorns boast one of the nation’s best linebacking corps and a solid secondary unit, but the defensive line needs to be totally overhauled. Only if the line can create pressure can the defense maintain the kind of pass defense they had in the past.

Just because there are only two clear contenders for a national championship in the conference, does not mean the rest of the bunch is a collection of stiffs.

Oklahoma State is looking to make a big statement this year with possibly the best offense it has ever had in its history, but doesn’t stand much of a chance of winning the conference. Beating both Texas and Oklahoma for the South division title is an extremely tall task for any team, regardless of how good they may be

.

Kansas, another big offense team, is a quickly up-and-coming team and with Mizzou looking much weaker this year and Nebraska seemingly not quite there yet, the Jayhawks could take the Big XII North.

Nebraska is going to rely on the old way of doing things in the Big XII, relying on its defense to pull out games. They have improved quite a bit and won the Gator Bowl last year, but let’s remember that was against a Clemson team that really wasn’t that good.

Texas Tech is replacing both Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, but it still runs a system that could make a boatload of quarterbacks very successful, making them still a very dangerous offensive team.

Missouri won the Big XII North last year, but will have to move on without Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman and William Moore. While they’ll still be good enough to make some competitive games and maybe make things interesting in the division, there’s just too much turnover for them to be considered a true contender.

When it’s all said and done, it all comes down to the classic rivalry – Texas and Oklahoma. So who’s the best? It’s too close to say definitively, but more question marks seem to revolve around the Sooners than the ‘Horns. It could come down to Oklahoma’s last game of the season, on the road at Oklahoma State. OSU will be in the mix for some serious bowl consideration, making this maybe the most critical matchup of the season for OU, OSU AND Texas.

Prediction: Texas wins the South, Kansas wins the North. Texas wins the conference and carries its 12-1 record into the BSC national championship.

How much longer can the Smoltz experiment go on?

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Time to reach for the panic button? It's just one of those things that Red Sox fans are always going to do.

And after five starts and a 6.31 ERA, fans have to be wondering if John Smoltz has anything left in the tank. After all, this was the guy who was supposed to provide stability to the rotation, especially with the abysmal start to the season by Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's been the exact opposite of that. Everytime you think he's figured it out, he falters again.

His first start against Washington was predictably shaky as he allowed five runs in five innings, but he seemed to rebound against a pretty decent hitting Baltimore club. He only pitched four innings, thanks to a rain delay, but allowed just one run on three hits.

Then the hapless A's got to him for five runs on 10 hits in six innings. He followed that up with his first win in a Sox jersey, giving up just one run in five innings to the Royals and the see-saw continued.

Last night's loss was possibly the most disheartening. Smoltz had allowed just one run on four hits through the first five innings, then totally blew up in the sixth. Three homers and an RBI single did him in as all of a sudden, the veteran lost control of the strike zone and didn't make it out of the inning. What's worse, this was a game in which they needed a good start from Smoltz. With the loss, the Red Sox dropped into a tie with the New York Yankees for first in the AL East.

So what to do with Smoltz? This question may be easier to answer if Brad Penny was throwing well. But how long can the Red Sox go with two pitchers struggling at the back end of the rotation as a pennant race is heating up? Does Terry Francona keep throwing him out there every fifth day and hope Smoltz finds his way?

The answer for the time being is yes.

I know that fans are clammoring to see more of Clay Buchholz after his "strong" start against the Blue Jays. But the fact of the matter is this: Buchholz did not seem to be any better at commanding the strike zone than he was in 2008 when he imploded. That's the difference between AAA and the Majors. Sure, he was ok. But he threw over 100 pitches and still didn't get through the sixth inning.

There are two things that have to make you think that Smoltz will come around. First, he is making hitters miss. In 25.2 innings, Smoltz has struck out 22 batters, a ratio that is just about on par with his career numbers. And let's not forget those are pretty good. Second, he's not walking anybody. He's around the strike zone. In five starts, he's only issued four free passes and for the first five innings of last night's game, he commanded the strike zone. Then he lost it.

But let's not forget that before June 25, this guy hadn't thrown off a Major League mound since June 2, 2008. Were you expecting miracles right off the bat? Why not give him a chance to get his legs back?

It's hard to remain patient when the Yankees have closed the gap, but it is still July. There's still 2 1/2 months of baseball left to be played and the Red Sox are still in a pretty good position.

Some love for Brookline

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Brookline High football coach Laz Mitjans texted me this morning that his all-everything athlete Irvin Scott -- arguably one of the state's most underrated -- got an offer this weekend at Northeastern University's football camp. It's the first of what should be many.

Some of you Central Mass brethren may remember Mitjans from his days at Algonquin Regional, where he coached current UConn placekicker Dave Teggart. Now, the former Northeastern standout is in the midst of a tall task -- making Brookline football relevant again.

It hasn't been easy, but there is hope this year in the form of Irvin Scott, one of the nastiest all-around athletes east of I-495. The 6-foot-3 quarterback/wideout/running back/linebacker/safety/cornerback is sure to land at a Division 1 school -- FCS is a high possibility.

Don't believe me? Check this out.

Brookline hasn't been to a Super Bowl since 1994, when they got swiftly pounded by Chelmsford. But with a Bay State Herget division that should be as wide-open as it has been in several years, there is hope that the undermanned Warriors can make a run.

At the very least, they will be an entertaining group to watch.

Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports

What are you going to do?

That's the question you ask yourself when you have two of your own fantasy pitchers going up against one another in a game.

Take yesterday for instance. In one of my leagues, I've got Toronto's Roy Halladay and Boston's Jon Lester.

So how should you approach this matchup? Well, the smart fantasy thinking is that both pitchers have exceptional outings, maybe one throws a shutout and the other pitches 8 scoreless and then gets lifted in the ninth.

But how many times does that really happen? Maybe once in every blue moon. 

But you can realistically hope for two solid performances where one pitcher gets the win. You know you can't get two wins, so one is better than getting shut out and a reliever you don't have comes in and picks up a vulture win in the 8th inning.

Well, luckily for Halladay and Lester owners, they both came through and were solid. Halladay stole the show, however. He notched his fourth complete game of the season, allowing one run on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. He got his 11th win of the season.

Fantasy alert: Do not trade Halladay. Well, if you're in an AL only league and are worried he'll be traded to the NL, well, maybe it's worth a gamble. Expect a top-of-the-line hitter in return for Halladay's services, however.

I was so desperate for offense in one of my leagues, that I traded Halladay straight up for Josh Hamilton. It may sound crazy since Hamilton has been subpar due to injury, but remember that you're trading for current stats, not what they guys have and haven't done earlier this season. Plus, I was loaded with pitching, including Tim Lincecum, John Lackey and Jared Weaver, so I had some wiggle room to try to help my Bad News Bears offense.

Boy, Hamilton better turn it on. His homer Friday night made me feel good, though. 

Meanwhile, Lester wasn't unbelievable but he was good enough not to hurt any fantasy categories. He took the loss, but went seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

I guess I'll take that any day of the week.

And we all know it's better than both pitchers getting lit up like a Christmas tree -- maybe surrendering five or six earned runs in four or five innings. If that happened, it's a long five days in between starts to correct that overblown ERA and WHIP.

SAVING HIS STARTING JOB?

New York's Joba Chamberlain, who hasn't been doing the job as a starter lately, perhaps saved his gig for the time being with a brilliant win versus the Tigers last night. Joba, who remember was as automatic as they come as an 8th-inning setup man last year, held Detroit to only three hits and one earned run in 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight, while throwing 108 pitches (68 for strikes). Well, that's much better than his last two starts where he didn't go past 4 1/3 innings. Is he a starter or not? Stay tuned. 

NAILING DOWN THE NINTH

Show him some love. I'm talking about San Francisco closer Brian Wilson, who has 24 saves this season. I know he's not pretty at times, blowing saves from time to time and giving up a few runs here and there. But considering he'll never be mistaken for a Grade A cut of closer and he wasn't a must-get guy that was drafted high on draft day, he's done very well for the owner who plucked him as their guy midway through the draft. I guess his 41 saves wasn't a fluke last season?

The Doc is most definitely in

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You can't think about Roy Halladay and not be amazed. After all, this is the guy who went from the major leagues all the way back down to A-ball to try and re-discover how to pitch. Since then, he's only spent the last eight-plus seasons dominating major league pitchers.

There are few you'll find that pound the strike zone the way that he does. In that respect, he's the perfect pitcher to face a team like the Red Sox. Consider the number of "on-base percentage guys" Boston has. How many of their hitters rely on getting deep into counts , not swinging at bad pitches and forcing opposing pitchers to put one in their wheelhouse.

You can't do that with Halladay. Everything's around the plate and every pitch has a purpose. He doesn't waste pitches. He goes right after you. If you're hoping he's going to nibble around you a la Daisuke Matsuzaka, it's obvious you've never even looked at a stat sheet, nevermind actually watched him pitch.

Halladay just doesn't walk anybody. It just doesn't happen. The man has thrown nearly 2,000 major-league innings and has walked just 437 batters. Just let that sink in for a second.

Done?

Ok, now consider the fact that 163 of those came in his first three seasons (I'm not counting 1998 when he made two starts). So since 2002, he has allowed just 274 free passes, or 1.5 per nine innings.

Let's not forget he's tied for first with 11 wins, second in complete games with four, and fourth with a 2.73 ERA.

It's looking less and less likely that Halladay is going to be dealt, meaning that he'll spend another year on a losing club without a shot at a ring. It's disappointing to see one of the Top-3 pitchers in baseball toil in the mediocrity.

Buchholz Impressive in Season Debut

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Boston Red Sox opened up the 2nd half of the 09' season with one of the more interesting wins of the season. Why was this game so interesting? Well, it showcased the season debut of Clay Buchholz. The young righthander was just a third of an inning away from getting an official "Quality Start". He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits. He did walk 3 while striking out 3 batters. By no means was he dominant, but there's no doubt he did pitch well, and deserves additional starts in the bigs. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he's headed directly back to Pawtucket.

The question I keep asking myself is, why did the Red Sox pitch Clay Buchholz tonight? In my mind, there are only two questions:

1. The Sox are showcasing Buchholz, especially to the Toronto Blue Jays, in the hopes of increasing his trade value.

2. The Sox want to see how he pitches at the big league level after spending the first half of the season dominating AAA batters.

If the Red Sox are looking to use Buchholz as trade bait, then they better get a top notch player in return. I'm talking either Roy Halladay or Victor Martinez. Of course it would take more, possibly much more, than Clay to get either player. I've said it all along that Buchholz would be the guy I use as trade bait. Not Michael Bowden, Not Justin Masterson and certainly not the closer of the future Daniel Bard. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not naive enough to think a MLB organization is going to decide to trade, or not trade, for Buchholz based on one start.

If the Red Sox wanted to see him at the big league level to determine if they could trade Brad Penny, than I think the answer is yes. He pitched well, and certainly could slot into the rotation for the remainder of the season if need be. The problem with trading Brad Penny is that the rate of return is so much less than for Buchholz. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the Sox are going to do.

Clay Buchholz's start was not the only story of the game, or day. Mike Lowell returned to the lineup and went 2 for 4 in his first game since June 27th. That is a positive sign for a team that needs depth at the corner infield positions. With the return of Lowell, and now Jed Lowrie, it looks like that depth has been shored up. Lowrie will see action at both shortstop and third base as he eases back into form. The final news of the day, was Sox designating Julio Lugo for assignment. This one must have hurt Theo Epstein. He fell in love years ago with the perpetually underachieving Lugo and now stands to lose the $13 million remaining on his contract. If lucky, Theo will be able to trade Lugo for a fringe prospect while assuming most, if not all, of the contract. If there's one knock on Theo Epstein, it's his penchant for falling in love with players and then signing them as a free agent for more money than they're worth. I see you there JD Drew.