Meg

Editor-in-Chief & Matt In A Hat

Graphics Designer Hockey Jabber Contributor

Deb Janna “Tilly” Florie

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 Sports Jabber Contributor
(chiefsmom says…)
NFL Contributor Reaper39
SJ News Contributor Sports Jabber Contributor
Just Dawn
Recurring Columnist
Mark & Ben
NFL Contributor SJ Radio Partners

Mike Jon M Tessler

Combat Jabber Contributor (Reveryroadie)
Veteran Contributor
LarryBud
Fantasy Jabber Contributor

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 always-
active 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 sub-
scribers, "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 break-
ing sports news & daily events, enjoyment of competitive fantasy sports, & participation in fun & com-
petitive 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
WWW.SPORTSJABBER.NET
 Written by: Mark

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 power-
less 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" continued…)

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-law’s kidnap-
ping, 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 stabiliz-
ers 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

7
 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 player’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.

8
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 star-
studded 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
the Reem in
9 the Top 5. Let's all hope that Overeem fully commits
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 Strike-
force 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 de-
fense got worse every year under Rich Rodriguez while the offense improved. The defense be-
came 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 willing-
ness 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 in-
state 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 here11 for the remainder of his career. He gets the
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.

14
 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 Sid-
ney 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.

15
 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-TRAFFIC-
PRECIPITATING “PREFERRED MOCKS” SECTION, CLICK HERE.

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

16
Golden Stomind Brings You...
The 2011 NFL Mock Draft
By: Golden Stomind

1. 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) - Da’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
 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

18
 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 Kevin Love, 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
 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 1. 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

4. Marcus Camby, Portland Trailblazers

DRPG: 8.2 BPG: 1.9 SPG: 0.9
Coach Gregg Popovich, Coach of the Year
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
Dwight Howard,
3. Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks Defensive Player of the Year
Record: 22-16

4. Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz

Record: 26-13

5. Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets

Record:
21 23-16
 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 team’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 team’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 player’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.

23
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 double-
digits 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 26at 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 Ravens’ 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.
27
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.

28
 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 Falcons’ 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!

29
 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

30
 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 don’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 don’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 “sexy”. 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:

32
 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 lack-
luster, 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 1/11 Jensen2432

proud (again) parents of a little girl.
1/23 Jeff
Name: Zoe Evelyn Dacar
Weight: 6lbs. 2 oz. 1/25 Superbowlbuc
Length: 20 1/4" long!
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
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 What’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!

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 SportsJabber is on
Various Social Media Outlets!!
Check us out on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter,
and Youtube for the latest News and Articles
on Sportsjabber.net.

ATTENTION ADVERTISERS...

PROMOTE YOUR OFFERING

ON SJ "HOT SPOTS" (HOME PAGE)

For rates, contact Reg DeVone at

sportsjabber@gmail.com
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Bookmark the Home of SJ Magazine

Check us out at the

Home of SJ Magazine:
http://sportsjabber.net/sj-magazine/

You can also find archived editions and the SJ

Magazine Staff listed there.

Interested in writing for or contributing

to SJ Magazine?

Contact: bbyao06 at
sportsjabbermag@gmail.com.
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