The Sports Truth

After the McNabb/Brown/Buckhalter scoring change issued by the NFL and the ensuing fantasy football chaos that ensued, I wanted to start this week’s column with a look back at the first round of a typical fantasy football draft and how it would be different if we drafted right now.

Injuries and unexpected performances have turned the fantasy football world into a giant crap shoot. It seems as if, more than any other fantasy sport, fantasy football is quite a bit of luck. For simplicity’s sake, let’s take a look at the draft in the league I’m currently in 7th place, at 4-6 (I had the 9th pick). Here’s our first round:

1. Drew Bledsoe’s Crazy Mobility (DBCM): Larry Johnson
2. Not Gonna Win (NGW): LaDainian Tomlinson (below)
3. Kyle Killers (KK): Shaun Alexander (right)
4. Clara Barton’s Red Cross (CBRC): Peyton Manning
5. Ned…… Ryerson (NR): Rudi Johnson
6. Shaq’s Deputies (SQ): Tiki Barber
7. The K-Federation (K-Fed): Ronnie Brown
8. Bateman’s Chainsaw (BC): Edgerrin James
9. The Gymkata Revival (GR): Clinton Portis
10. Woodcockenator All-Stars (WAS): Lamont Jordan

First off, CBRC threw everyone off by not taking Portis because he’s a huge Redskins fan. In retrospect, that looks like a very smart decision. I’ve also got to hand it to DBCM, who changed his mind on draft day and took LJ instead of Alexander because of the Madden Curse.

Our first round looks more like what the second round should look like, with Barber, Brown, and Johnson, and Portis all taken ahead of Willie Parker, Steven Jackson, Kevin Jones, and Brian Westbrook, who are all out performing our first round running backs. That doesn’t even take into account the debacles James and Jordan have been, the injuries to Alexander and Portis, or that McNabb should be in the first round.

A first round drafted now, in Week 11, would probably go like this:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Larry Johnson
3. Donovan McNabb
4. Peyton Manning
5. Brian Westbrook
6. Steven Jackson
7. Willie Parker
8. Kevin Jones
9. Tiki Barber
10. Frank Gore

One could argue McNabb should move up to the #1 or #2 spot considering how many games he has won for fantasy teams this year, but LT (26 points per game) leads all fantasy scorers, LJ is 2nd among RBs with 20, followed by Parker (17). The drop off is almost as dramatic after McNabb and Manning, and considering the unreliable Michael Vick is 4th, that shows how unstable quarterbacks are.

Not to mention, in this Week 11 draft, you could get McNabb and/or Manning and still get Brown, Johnson, Chester Taylor, Warrick Dunn, or Deuce McAllister in the second round. Bizarre to think about, considering some of the RBs taken in the second round before the season started include Willis McGahee, Cadillac Williams, and Reggie Bush. Yikes!

Now, on to this week’s picks…

[Home team in CAPS. Spreads accurate as of Friday, 5:30 EST]

LAST WEEK: 10-6 SEASON: 66-73-6 LUKE’S LOCKS™: 1-3

Oakland (+9.5) over KANSAS CITY
Simply a brutal underdog to pick, but we’ve got to stay the course after a rough start to the season. A bad team, Oakland at Arrowhead, one of the worst places on earth to play. Very hard not to take Kansas City here, but underdogs will lead the way.

LUKE’S LOCK™ ALERT!!
Indianapolis (-1) over DALLAS
One week after I rip Tony Romo, we start hearing stuff about how he’s got the second-best passer rating behind Peyton Manning. Well, unfortunately for Romo and the Cowboys, they’re facing Manning this week, and even if their passer ratings are close, the dramatic difference between the two of them will be evident and the farce that is QB rating will be revealed.

Cincinnati (+3.5) over TEAM KATRINA
Initially, I took Team Katrina in the Katrina Dome, but I’m sick of getting burned and in writing my brief analysis, I’ve talked myself out of it. What seems like more accurate, Carson Palmer throwing for 400 yards and 3 TDs, or the Bengals defense (heck, any defense) giving up 49 points? I’m going with the former and believe Palmer has turned the corner with his recovery from knee surgery.

CLEVELAND (+3.5) over Pittsburgh
The home underdogs were 0-3 last week, but the Titans should have won their game and the Raiders almost knocked off the Broncos. Only the Cardinals were absolutely worthless. We’ve got an undervalued team (Cleveland) at home, getting points, against a wildly overrated (somehow) team (Pittsburgh).

(more…)

The Sports Truth is proud to bring you The Weigh-In, in which we break down prospective matchups within the world of sports (and sometimes pop culture) that you may never have considered. Because they are pointless, and above all, not real.

Our newest edition is a showdown of pro football stars who claim the nickname LT. Who will come out on top in 10-round bout between NFL legend Lawrence Taylor and possible future NFL legend LaDainian Tomlinson? Let’s take a look:

1. RAW TALENT

Lawrence Taylor: Widely considered one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history due to his dominance and the impact of his presence offenses
LaDainian Tomlinson: Widely considered one of the best running backs in the NFL with combination of power, speed and versatility
Edge: Even

2. COLLEGE CAREER

Lawrence Taylor: Broke numerous defensive records at North Carolina, which would later retire his jersey
LaDainian Tomlinson: Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior at TCU; ran for 5,263 career yards, ranking sixth in Division I history; Holds NCAA records for most rushing yards in a game (406).
Edge: LaDainian

3. FIRST FIVE SEASONS

Lawrence Taylor: Three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, one NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, one NFL MVP award
LaDainian Tomlinson: 7,361 rushing yards, 9,753 total yards, NFL record 80 touchdowns
Edge: Even

4. FANTASY FOOTBALL VALUE

Lawrence Taylor: No matter how great, defensive players just aren’t worth that much
LaDainian Tomlinson: Irreplaceable
Edge: LaDainian

5. TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS

Lawrence Taylor: Giants went 9-4 in the playoffs with Taylor suiting up, winning two Super Bowls
LaDainian Tomlinson: Chargers have made one playoff appearance in LT’s career, losing to the Jets
Edge: Lawrence

6. UNORTHODOX TACTICS

Lawrence Taylor: Sending hookers to opposing players’ hotels the night before the game
LaDainian Tomlinson: Throwing halfback pass, diving over the pile from several yards away to score TDs
Edge: Lawrence

7. GOLF GAME

Lawrence Taylor: Plays every damn day, but gambles excessively
LaDainian Tomlinson: Hosts annual LaDainian Tomlinson Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament to raise money for local charities
Edge: Even

8. STREET CRED

Lawrence Taylor: Once claimed he did not know anyone who wasn’t a prostitute, drug dealer or thug
LaDainian Tomlinson: Tough dude, but squeaky clean
Edge: Lawrence

9. PERSONAL QUOTE

Lawrence Taylor: “Let’s go out there like a bunch of crazed dogs, baby! Woo!”
LaDainian Tomlinson: “Some people say I’m the best back in the NFL, that’s what drives you me… you want everyone saying there’s no doubt who’s the best.”
Edge: Lawrence

10. BIGGEST CRITICISM

Lawrence Taylor: Engaged in almost unthinkable excess
LaDainian Tomlinson: Shoplifts nicknames
Edge: LaDainian

THE VERDICT: The younger LT battled gamely, but there can be only one… and nothing beats the original, who escapes with a 5.5-4.5 victory. He probably bet on it, too — the opening line was Lawrence (-1).