The Open Duerr Podcast: Episode 2

The Open Duerr Podcast: Episode 1

Fantasy Football: Top 100

1.       Jammal Charles

2.       Eddie Lacy

3.       Marshawn Lynch

4.       Arian Foster

5.       Matt Forte

6.       Le’Veon Bell

7.       Antonio Brown

8.       Adrian Peterson

9.       DeMarco Murray

10.   Demaryius Thomas

11.   Rob Gronkowski

12.   Jordy Nelson

13.   Dez Bryant

14.   Calvin Johnson

15.   C.J. Anderson

16.   LeSean McCoy

17.   Aaron Rodgers

18.   T.Y. Hilton

19.   Julio Jones  

20.   Odell Beckham Jr.

21.   A.J. Green

22.   Randall Cobb

23.   Andrew Luck

24.   Jeremy Hill

25.   Alshon Jeffery

26.   Alfred Morris

27.   Emmanuel Sanders

28.   Jimmy Graham

29.   Brandon Cooks

30.   Mike Evans

31.   Mark Ingram

32.   Justin Forsett

33.   Kelvin Benjamin

34.   Lamar Miller

35.   Julian Edelman

36.   Peyton Manning

37.   DeAndre Hopkins

38.   Melvin Gordon

39.   Carlos Hyde

40.   Drew Brees

41.   Russell Wilson

42.   Frank Gore

43.   Jordan Matthews

44.   Joique Bell

45.   Sammy Watkins

46.   Keenan Allen

47.   Andre Ellington  

48.   Jonathan Stewart

49.   Giovani Bernard

50.   DeSean Jackson

51.   Rashad Jennings

52.   Golden Tate

53.   Amari Cooper

54.   Tevin Coleman

55.   Letavius Murray

56.   LeGarrette Blount

57.   Greg Olsen

58.   T.J. Yeldon

59.   Todd Gurley

60.   Brandon Marshall

61.   C.J. Spiller

62.   Mike Wallace

63.   Andre Johnson

64.   Vincent Jackson

65.   Kevin White

66.   Joseph Randle

67.   Travis Kelce

68.   Brandon LaFell

69.   Isaiah Crowell

70.   Darren McFadden

71.   Cam Newton

72.   Martavius Bryant

73.   Allen Robinson

74.   Eric Decker

75.   Jeremy Macklin

76.   Tre Mason

77.   Martellus Bennett

78.   Jarvis Landry

79.   Ben Roethlisberger

80.   Chris Ivory

81.   Nelson Agholor

82.   Shane Vereen

83.   Ryan Mathews

84.   Roddy White

85.   Julius Thomas

86.   Michael Floyd

87.   Torrey Smith

88.   Matt Ryan

89.   Breshad Perriman

90.   Dwayne Allen  

91.   Larry Fitzgerald

92.   Tony Romo

93.   Devonta Freeman

94.   Charles Sims

95.   Marques Colston

96.   Alfred Blue

97.   Bishop Sankey

98.   Marques Colston

99.   DeAngelo Williams
100.   Tom Brady   

Fantasy Football 61-100: Ski/Not Ski

Ski

Brandon LaFell
WR – New England Patriots
Current Position: 75
My Position: 68

He’s a receiver on the Patriots.  Brady or no Brady, they always put up respectable numbers.

Cam Newton
QB – Carolina Panthers
Current Position: 97
My Position: 71

After the top tier of QB’s go, it’s just a mess.  I’ll take Newton, finished in the Top 5 in QB scoring the first two seasons he was in the league before having a down season last year.  I’ll especially take him over the like of Matt Ryan, who for some reason is still being drafted ahead of him.

Martavius Bryant
WR – Pittsburgh Steelers
Current Position: 85
My Position: 72

The Steelers offense is quite good.  Bryant is a serious deep threat and the last time the Steelers had one of those was Mike Wallace, and if my memory serve me correct that turned out pretty well for both the Steelers and fantasy owners.

Tre Mason
RB – St. Louis Rams
Current Position: 82
My Position: 76

I’m not sure why people are so down on Mason going into the draft.  He seems to have the starting job right now, especially with Todd Gurley hurt, and was pretty solid down the stretch last year.  Might be a good later round flex pick if he stays in the starting role once Gurley comes back from injury. He certainly has the talent to do so.

Dwayne Allen
TE – Indianapolis Colts
Current Position: 115
My Position: 90

I hate tight ends.  But I do like Andrew Luck.  So ya.  Draft Allen for his QB because he’s a lot better play than most of the other TE’s after him (and maybe a few before him). 

Tony Romo
QB – Dallas Cowboys
Current Position: 112
My Position: 92

Romo was really solid last season.  No one really seemed to notice that because everyone is always so down on the guy.  Yes, he might throw a few interceptions from time to time but so does Matt Ryan and he’s being drafted in the Top 100 for some reason.  Also, he has Dez Bryant to throw to which always helps.

Marques Colston
WR – New Orleans Saints
Current Position: 104
My Position: 95

Who else is Drew Brees going to throw to?

Not Ski

Vincent Jackson
WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current Position: 56
My Position: 64

Gifted wide receiver has not really had a good QB during his tenure in Tampa Bay.  With Winston now with the Bucs, it will be interesting to see whether or not Jackson takes advantage of having a QB that can actually throw him the ball with regularity.  He's worth a pick, just not in the mid 50s. 

Joseph Randle
RB – Dallas Cowboys
Current Position: 51
My Positon: 66

It’s not that I don’t like Randle, I just have no clue what to expect from or the Cowboy’s run game.  He might end up being a great pick in the early 50s if the offensive line is as good as it was last season but I’d rather take someone who I know is a starter going into the season than someone who is going into a time split situation like Randle is going into in Dallas.

Chris Ivory
RB – New York Jets
Current Position: 67
My Position: 80

The Jets signed every veteran running back on the planet this offseason. Don’t know that that means for Ivory, but it’s defiantly not a good thing. There’s nothing I hate more in fantasy football than a team not having a dedicated runner – and that’s where the Jets are heading going into the season.   

Fantasy Football 41-60: Ski/NotSki

Ski

Andre Ellington
RB – Arizona Cardinals
Current Position: 53
My Position: 47

Ellington, an actually talented running back on an actually talented team, is for some reason ranked behind Tevin Coleman, T.J. Yeldon and Todd Gurley.  And this is because….. I have no idea.  I’m not really sure about how those three running backs will perform in the NFL (and nor does anyone else), as they’re all rookies, but I’m always going to pick a player who I know can actually produce – or at least has done so in the past.  In addition, I’ve always liked Ellington as a player.  He plays on a team with no clear cut number one wide receiver and a rapidly aging quarterback, so the passing game is always going to be mediocre at best, so he’s going to get plenty of work. This is both a positive and a negative.  His injury problems have been well documented in the past and are defiantly a concern, which is why he is not higher on this list to begin with.  If he can stay healthy though, and that’s a big if, he can be not only a great flex play but also pretty solid RB2, which is a steal at a pick around 50.

Giovani Bernard
RB – Cincinnati Bengals
Current Position: 54
My Position: 49

Last season, Bernard was one of the Top 10 running backs in the fantasy draft – before getting hurt and losing his job to rookie Jeremy Hill. There’s a reason he was in the top 10 in his position at the start of last year – the guy has talent.  Too much talent to just sit on the Bengals bench all season while Hill gets all the caries.  Many have speculated that Bernard is, in fact, the more talented runner.  Hill’s tape is not exactly great and, if the past few years has taught me anything when it comes to rookie running backs, is that one hit wonders can and do happen (I’m looking at you Zac Stacy and Doug Martin).  It is possible that Hill just had one of those seasons and is the next Doug Martin waiting to happen.  I don’t know, and neither do you – but what I do know that IF that does happen, Bernard will be right there waiting in the wings to retake his starting job.  Bernard, unlike Hill, is a proven running back and I trust him completely with a roster spot on my team, whether he’s the Bengals starting running back or not.  Look for him as one of the top flex picks during this year’s draft, with the possibility of being a borderline RB2 if he gets more playing time throughout the season. 

Golden Tate

WR – Detroit Lions
Current Position: 59
My Position: 52

When Calvin Johnson went down last year, for the brief time that it was, it was former Seattle Seahawk Golden Tate that stepped up as Matt Stafford’s top target for the Detroit Lions.  Tate, who never really shined in Seattle’s weak offensive system, proved to be up to the task, posting 1,300+ yards – 13.3 per game – in 2014.  Even though he only had 4 TD’s to show for those yards, any wide receiver that can post up that kind of yardage is worth another close like in next year’s draft – and that’s exactly what I intend on doing with Tate.  Even with Johnson back in full capacity for next year, the Lion’s depth at WR is not exactly fantastic in that after the two of them there’s basically a gaping black hole.  With that in mind, I still feel that he’s going to get plenty of targets next season, with the possibility of putting up another 1000+ yard season.  Also, those kickoff returns are always a bonus.

Amari Cooper
WR – Oakland Raiders
Current Position: 58
My Position: 53

Oakland is not a good team.  In fact, they’re really, really bad.  That being said, if you’ve paid any attention to college football the past few years you know that Amari Cooper is an absolute freak – in the good way.  The man has ridiculous athletic talent and, even though Oakland is not what one would consider a good offensive team, he has the skill set to produce where ever and with whoever is throwing him the ball.  I put him in the same position as Sammy Watkins was last year, except with a slightly better QB and a much higher skill set.  As a flex, even as a WR2, he’s worth the risk. 

LaGarrette Blount
RB – New England Patriots
Current Position: 63
My Position: 56

Owning a New England running back is always interesting.  Bill Belichick has a habit of waking up on any given game day and playing whatever running back’s name pops first into his head.  That being said, Blount seems to be Bill’s go to guy the past couple of seasons and should get the starting job at the start of the season…well, at least after his suspension is up (#LaGarretteBlounts).  It’s never a bad thing to be the running back on a Tom Brady run offensive.  If you can deal with the fact that Blount may not play some weeks then he actually ends up being a higher end flex play than many are giving him credit for. 

Greg Olsen

TE – Carolina Panthers
Current Position: 64
My Position: 57

The tight end position is a barren wasteland of fantasy nothingness.  After Gronk and Jimmy Graham, what else do you have exactly?  Olsen is a higher end play at the position as the Panthers still don’t have a ton of great receiving options.  He’s one of the few TEs beyond the top two that I actually wouldn’t mind throwing out there week after week.  It’s not a sexy pick, but hey, it’s better than what the alternatives would be (Jason Witten, Julius Thomas, etc.).

Not Ski

Jonathan Stewart
RB – Carolina Panthers
Current Position: 40
My Position: 48

On any other team, Stewart would be nothing more a back-up.  But, on the Panthers, a team with very little offensive depth, Stewart is the starting running back and is being drafted in the Top 40. Why?  Yes, having a guaranteed starter is always better than having a backup, so picking him over say Bernard or Spiller would make sense – but even then what exactly is this guy going to give you?  Seriously just think about picking him and seeing him in your RB2 spot. Picture that right now.  Ya, doesn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence in you, does it?  And that’s exactly why you shouldn’t pick him.  Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut – and my gut says Stewart is not a RB2 and nor is he a strong flex play.  Draft with extreme caution – or better yet – not at all.

Letavius Murray
RB – Oakland Raiders
Current Position: 47
My Position: 55

The only player worth drafting on the Raiders is Amari Cooper. End of story.

T.J. Yeldon and Todd Gurley
RBs – Jacksonville Jaguars / St. Louis Rams
Current Positions: 49 / 51
My Positions: 58 / 59

Because drafting Jaguars and Ram’s running backs the past few years have worked out so well, right? You could ignore the past and take a gamble on one of them but me? – I’m done with Jagaur/Ram running backs.  You can have them, and watch as they consistently disappoint you throughout the season.  

Fantasy Football 21-40: Ski/Not Ski

Ski

T.Y. Hilton

WR – Indianapolis Colts
Current Position: 23
My Position: 18

Ok look, I understand that Andrew Luck has a few more targets to throw to this year, and, finally, a half decent running back.  But when I look at the Colts offensive core, I still see Hilton and Luck as the two main cogs in this dynamic offense. Actually, the fact that they now have a few more options to go to may actually be beneficial to Hilton - as he there may be a few times where this season he won’t be in double coverage whereas in last season he would’ve been covered like a hawk.  Currently sitting right around the likes of Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Randall Cobb, Hilton is by far the better and safer option of all of them. Draft him as such.

Brandon Cooks

WR – New Orleans Saints
Current Position: 36
My Position: 29

When you’re officially the only receiving option on a team like the Saints, and your top running back is Mark Ingram, you’ve got a lot of things going for you.  Seriously, who else is Drew Brees going to throw to? Tits McGhee? Oh, ya, and Cooks is actually a really skilled (skied) receiver in his own right.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see Brandon “Too Many” Cooks in the Top 10, maybe even Top 5 (assuming he can stay healthy), WRs at the end of the season.  Draft him as a WR2, borderline WR1 with confidence.

Jimmy Graham

TE – Seattle Seahawks
Current Position: 33
My Position: 28

Jimmy Graham is very good at football.  More specifically, he’s very good at catching Touchdowns.  Which, coincidentally, is very good when it comes to fantasy football.  Listen, I know the guy didn’t have exactly a stealer season last year with the Saints.  No receiver on that team really did.  But still, there’s a reason why he was a Top 10 pick last year, he has that kind of potential.  And now, he’s on the Seahawks who, despite being known as a defense first team (and they are) now suddenly have a pretty scary offense.  Wilson has always done the best with what he was given, and now, finally, he’s given one of the best red zone targets in the NFL.  It’s going to be interesting to see what he can do with someone like Graham.  Sure, there’s plenty of risk with this pick, especially considering that the tight end position is a black hole where usually nothing can escape from unless you drafted Gronk, but I think all things considered that the positives of picking Graham far outweigh the negatives. 

Julian Edelman

WR – New England Patriots
Current Position: 42
My Position: 35

Wide receivers from New England always seem to do well.   I’m not sure why, maybe it has something to do with the guy throwing them the ball.  And the most consistent of all of that guy’s targets, that would be Mr. Julian Edelman.  I know Brady won’t be around for the first few games, but do you really think that’s going to matter at the end of the season? Probably not.  The Pats will still be one of the best teams in the league and Edelman will have his fair share of their TDs.  As a WR2, he’s hard to beat.  Draft him with confidence, even without Brady.

Not Ski

Alshon Jeffery 

WR – Chicago Bears
Current Position: 21
My Position: 25

Alshon Jeffery is pretty good.  Jay Cutlers is not.  Doesn’t matter how good you are at catching footballs, if they’re thrown to the opposing team or 50 miles out of bounds than you’re probably going to have a bad time.  

(Picture)

DeAndre Hopkins

WR – Houston Texans
Current Position: 32
My Position: 37

I honestly can’t even think of who is going to be the starting QB for Houston this year.  Which does not bode well for Mr. Hopkins as, despite his obvious talent, his fantasy potential will always be limited because of serious lack of QB skill the Texans have on their roster.  Pretty cut and dry with this one, Hopkins has obvious talent some upside but, when it comes down to it, there are plenty other safer WR2s for you to choose from, one’s that are not on teams with Brian Hoyer as their presumable starting QB.

Carlos Hyde

RB – San Francisco 49s
Current Position: 34
My Position: 39

Despite what some would believe, Frank Gore didn’t have a horrible season last year as the starting RB for the 49s.  Was he as good as he could’ve been or was in the past…no not even close.  And I don’t fault him for that.  It’s hard to perform when your offense is headed by the steaming pile of garbage that is Colin Kaepernick.  So I don’t fault Gore for underperforming.  And I won’t fault Hyde when he underperforms this coming season either.  I’m sure he’ll put up his share of points, just like Gore did last season, but it won’t be the kind of numbers you’d expect from a Top 40 pick.  As a flex, I actually like Hyde, but not as a RB2.  Just too much risk her for that kind of expectation out of him.  

Fantasy Football Top 20: Ski / Not Ski

It's the NBA and NHL playoffs. 

 Baseball is starting to get into full swing.  

So of course it's time for an NFL article, as it's never too early to start thinking about fantasy football.

Below is my take on a love/hate piece - ski/not ski (skilled, not skilled) - as I take a look at who I think will be studs and duds in the upcoming season.  This will give all you tinkerers out there plenty of time to tinker with your drafting strategy before that fateful day sometime in September.  

And off we go: 

Ski

Jamaal Charles

RB - Kansas City Chiefs

Current Position: 3

My Position: 1

In a year where there is no clear cut number one, Charles, in my opinion, is the one you want to take first overall if you manage to grab the first overall pick.  As of right now, the top three options are Eddie Lacy, Le'Veon Bell and Jamaal Charles, all of which have some positives and some negatives.  Lacy has been one of the more consistent backs over the last two seasons.  Last season, after starting slow the first couple weeks, he put up a very strong 1,349 yard / 9 TD season, which puts him without question as a RB1 entering into next season.  Bell, by far the best of the three last season, is going to be dealing with some sort of suspension coming into next season.  Despite the fact that he should be the number 1 overall pick, the fact that you know you won't have him until at the very least week 2 has to scare most people, myself included, away from taking him first overall.  That leaves Charles, who put up very similar numbers to Lacy last season with a 1,033 yard / 9 TD stat line.  Honestly, you're fine picking either player.  Both are so similar, not in the way they play but in the stats they put up, that I would feel confident in picking either player.  So why would I pick Charles? It's simple really.  Kansas City is not exactly a great passing team.  When they do pass though, there's a high chance it's either going to Charles or the TE Travis Kelce because the WR's in Kansas City couldn't catch a cold if they were running around outside naked during winter.  Green Bay on the other hand, the team in which Eddie Lacy suits up for, is a much more round out offense.  They can pass or they can run.  It's what makes them so dangerous on the field but it is also what turns me off from Lacy and turns me on to Charles.  I know that Charles is the one key to the Kansas City offense, where as Lacy is just a small cog in the ever churning powerhouse that is the Green Bay offensive machine.  In this regard, I feel Charles has a higher ceiling and, therefore, should be the first overall pick.  

Matt Forte

RB- Chicago Bears

Current Position: 9

My Position: 5

Jay Cutler is not a good QB.  This we all, or should all know by now.  With Branden Marshall now gone, the rather weak offensive prowess of this team actually got weaker over the off season.  Then again, there's really not much you can do with Cutler as your QB, so it doesn't really matter who your WRs are.  What does matter, is that now that Marshall is gone, you can expect to see Forte get an even larger share of the offensive point spread on the Bears this season, which is saying a lot because he usually is the one leading the team in that category anyway.  Forte is currently projected to go 9th in this years draft.  He should be going in the top 5. Draft him with confidence no matter where you pick him.  He is Mr. Reliable when it comes to fantasy football and I don't see that changing this season, especially while Cutler is around in Chicago.  

Jordy Nelson

WR - Green Bay Packers

Current Position: 16

My Position: 12

Ok, ok, I know what I said about the Packers offense but sometimes you just have to go with your gut.  My gut says that Jordy Nelson is the second best WR in all of football and should be drafted a such.  Currently sandwiched between Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones, Jordy by far in a way is the smartest pick of all of them.  Why is this?  Well, I've always said that a WR is only as good as his QB.  Their successes are directly tied to one another.  Jordy Nelson has the best QB in all of football right now while Beckham Jr. and Jones....do not.  They most certainly do not.  That's not to say they're not talented as both of them are and I'm sure they'll put up their share of points this coming season - but, once again, both will struggle at times when their QBs struggle.  Fantasy football is all about consistency, consistently finding players who will put up points week in and week out.  At the end of the season, Jones and Odell may have the higher point totals - but I guarantee that their points will be more clumped up around a few monster weeks, rather than Jordy who will consistently put up 10-20 points a week no matter what.  Jordy is the safe, and smart, pick of this clump of WRs - draft him accordingly.  

Calvin Johnson

WR - Detroit Lions

Current Position: 18

My Position: 14

Johnson had an off season last year.  By his standards, that only meant catching for 1,077 yards and 8 TDs.  Matt Stafford is, in my opinion, a pretty decent option at QB (regardless of what the folks at ESPN thing - #Undraftable?) so my whole theory about QBs and WRs success being tied together is in check here.  Johnson can get work done with pretty much any QB.  He's that strong, he's that talented.  There's is a reason he went as the top WR last year and it's why you should scoop him up again this year: Plainly put, Johnson is a beast.  Don't expect him to have two "off" seasons two years in a row.  Draft him and reap the benefits. 

Not Ski

Adrian Peterson

RB - Minnesota Vikings 

Current Position: 4

My Position: 8

Last season, I drafted Peterson #1 overall expecting him to be my rock for the whole season.  Turns out, Peterson had other plans in mind and those plans just happened to include beating his child and getting suspended for the whole season.  That alone puts him on this list because, last I checked, beating your child was until he bleeds is a very not ski thing to do.  Not ski indeed.  All that aside, Peterson has come out and said that he really does not want to play for the Vikings next year because of all the shit that went down last year because clearly the Vikings were the one's at fault last year, not Adrian.  If there's one thing I hate when selecting a fantasy player for my team, it's one in which the player and their corresponding team do not get along.  Who's to say where Peterson end's up at season's end?  Who's to say he plays at all?  As of right now, I don't know the answer to those two questions and therefore am not wasting another first round pick on this guy for a second straight year, no matter how talented he is.  

C.J. Anderson

RB - Denver Broncos

Current Position: 8

My Position: 15

I feel like every time someone takes a Denver RB in a fantasy draft, it should immediately be followed by the "Austin Powers" living dangerously meme.  The past two seasons, the Denver RB situation has been basically a carousel of random faces.  Monte Ball, Knowshon Moreno, Ronnie Hillman - all have seen time as Denver's starter.  And you know what, I'm sure Anderson continues this trend in the upcoming season.  I'm sorry but I don't want to waste a first round pick on someone who might not be the starter for his own team at years end.  Simply not enough upside here for me to risk that after what has happened in Denver the past two seasons.  

LeSean McCoy

RB - Buffalo Bills

Current Position: 12

My Position: 16

LeSean McCoy is a very good running back.  However, he is no longer in offensively friendly Philadelphia, being traded to the Buffalo Bills during the off season during Philly's firesale.  No matter how you spin it, that's going to show to some extent this year in the offensive black hole (or just black hole in general) that is Buffalo.  Considering the years both of their running back had last year (Spiller, Jackson), I'm going to stay well clear of any Buffalo RBs this upcoming season, even it is Shady McCoy.  

Odell Beckham Jr.

WR - New York Giants

Current Rank: 15

My Rank: 20

If there's one thing I want you to understand about my philosophy about fantasy football, it's one word: consistency.  OBJ (too lazy to spell his name every time) is, by far, the most exciting young player in the NFL today.  Having him on my team last year after, especially after fellow Giant Victor Cruz went down with an exploded knee in week 4, was just delightful.  That being said there's a ton of risk picking him this high up in the draft.  Why is that you ask? Well first off, look at his QB.  Eli Manning is not exactly what one would consider very accurate with his passes.  I don't really see Eli helping Odell's cause this coming year so that's a huge problem for me already.  Secondly, Odell has only played half a season.  Now that half a season was absolutely incredible but, still, it was just half a season.  His play did warrant him a top 25 ranking, no doubt, but top 15? I think that's a little much, especially with the obvious risk you have taking a second (more like first year) rookie as your presumable WR1.  There's tremendous upside with OBJ but, once again, I would go with a more stable, possibly consistent player that you know you can rely on without a doubt to be your WR1 throughout the season.  For me, OBJ just is not at that level of reliability - at least not yet anyway.  

That's it for this week.  Be on the lookout for the next 20, which will be coming within the next few days or so.  

The Disease of Weakness

As I sit here, looking at the current NHL standings, I wonder how exactly things got like this.  It didn’t happen all at once.  It was a slow, often painful sight to witness.  But here we are, 5 games left and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in serious danger of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Just let that sink in. 

A team with two of the best players in the world, in the prime of their careers, is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs.  Pardon my French, but how the f*** did this happen?  How?  As I watched the Penguins lose yet another 2 goal lead today in Columbus, I really pondered the answer to that question. 

And what I came up with wasn’t exactly a reassuring revelation. 

The fact of the matter is, something has been wrong with this team for a while.  Ever since bowing out to the Montreal Canadiens the year following their Stanley Cup victory in 7 games, the Penguins have never truly been able to recover.  Why exactly?  It’s quite simple, the answer is right in front of us, it has been the whole time. 

This team, all of it, through to its core – is weak. 

And I’m not talking just physically, but mentally as well.

Just look at the jumbled shit storm the Penguins currently find themselves in.  Hell, just look at their most recent game.  Playing a pretty terrible Columbus Blue Jackets team, one that has been out of playoff contention for the majority of the season, the once mighty Penguins looked like scared little children in the face of actual hockey players.  What’s more, 3/4ths of the team, maybe a little more even, looked just flat out disinterested, like they had far more interesting things to do than win a game that, in all reality, needed to be won.  But this was not the first time the Penguins have looked like this during the season.  In fact in recent memory, this is the only way I can remember the Penguins playing. This disinterested, pathetic, weak brand of hockey, one that has made me ashamed to call myself a Penguins fan during the past few months.

 And that’s a very hard thing to say.

 I love this sport and I love this team.  I follow them more closely than any other squad, professional or otherwise.  I can rattle off the starting roster from top to bottom for the past 7 years.  I’ve stuck with them through what now seems to be years of playoff heartbreak and to be honest that what real fans should do.  If the team in front of them plays their hearts out, that’s all real fans can ask for.  But when they play…when they play like this, it’s a completely different story.

 This is pathetic.  Flat out, pathetic play and every player on the Penguins roster should be ashamed of the current product they are putting on the ice night in and night out.  And it’s everyone’s fault.  From Mario Lemieux to Craig Adams.  They’ve all allowed this culture, this culture of “pussy hockey”, to thrive and consume every player in locker room.  Sure, every now and again the players break out of this culture and show a glimpse of what they really can be.  Most recently it was Sidney Crosby, Ben Lovejoy, Patrick Hornqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury, who all are usually the only players on the ice (with maybe the exception of newly re-acquired Lovejoy) who seem to really give a damn.  The rest just look like empty jerseys, carbon copies of mediocracy the Pens throw out on a nightly basis because they have no other options to fill out a roster.  Take for instance Beau Bennett, who can hardly be considered even an AHL caliber player with the kind of performance’s he has been putting out the entire season.  There’s no reason Bennett should be on any team’s NHL roster with the way he’s been playing, but here he is on the Pens third line, night in and night out. 

The problem is that the same could be said about virtually every player on the Penguins current roster, save a few rare instances.  Sure every player’s situation is different, whether it be Chris Kunitz’s rapidly detreating body, Derrick Pouliot’s overall lack of defense ability or Craig Adam’s just overall terribleness, every players has been equally terrible at different times this season.  Now, the chicken is coming home to roost, as it were, with every player’s hitch coming to bite them all at the same time and it’s producing smashing results, as everyone can see.

These aren’t excuses I’m making for these players either, in case you thought that’s what I was doing.  After using excuses all season as the reasoning behind their oft terrible play, that’s the last they need right now.

 No, no more excuses.  There’s no excuse for this, whatever this is.  It’s time for the management, coaches and the players to look at themselves in the mirror and ask more out of themselves.  Because if the Penguins flame out in the first round of the playoffs, or heaven forbid they don’t make playoffs at all, I honestly can’t even predict what will happen.  All I know is that if you thought last season was bad, I can only imagine this one being 10 times more palpable. 

But hey, baseball is right around the corner.  So at least there’s that.  

10 > 409

A lot has been said in the last couple days regarding the reinstatement of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno's stripped college football wins, a move that has once again made the man the winningest coach in college football history.  But what, in the grand scheme of things, does this really mean for Paterno and Penn State?

I said this when the man passed away a few years ago and I'll say it again, Joe Paterno was a fantastic football coach.  Is he the best ever? Probably, yes. It's hard to argue that, what with his win numbers and the quality of program he was able to build here.  But something I also said a few years ago is that what you do on the field is insignificant to what you do off the field.  

And in that regard, Paterno will forever be a complete failure.  

After Penn State's bowl ban was lifted, I wrote that everyone, from faculty to student, was responsible for the atrocities that occurred here during former defensive coordinator Jerry Sanduky's tenure.  That everyone was at fault for creating a culture so blind to everything but football that it formed the perfect habitat for this parasite to thrive. And I still very much believe that, now more than ever.  

But Paterno is another matter in itself.  

He SAW, first hand, the horrors being committed by Sandusky. 

He could have made an impact.....he could have done something, anything to stop what was happening.  

But he did nothing. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

Joe Paterno could have stopped kids from getting raped. 

I say that multiple times so those people who still worship the man can't ignore it, like they so often do. You can argue with me about what Joe knew or did not know, but the fact of the matter is that he did not do enough with whatever information he did have.  Not even close.  He, and everyone else involved, valued football wins over the innocence of children.  

Penn State fans can argue all they want.

They can argue that the NCAA was out to get Penn State.

They can argue that Paterno did all he could do.

That none of this was his fault. 

It's all white noise. 

White. F******.  Noise. 

Because in the end, Joe Paterno judged that 409 > 10. 

That 409 football wins were worth more than 10 children's lives.

And that is what he'll be remembered by, no matter how many statues you erect.  
409 is nothing more than a monument to all your sins Penn State.  So eat your hearts out.

10 > 409

Where's that bumper sticker, Penn State fans?