Joe Money, Joe Problems

Say what you want about the record or the division, bottom line is the Dodgers will still be playing in October and the Yankees won't be.

Sure, the Yankees (87-71) are four games ahead of Torre's Dodgers (83-75), and will probably finish with a better record than them, but when all is said and done, Torre will have lead his team into the playoffs (thanks to an Arizona loss today) while the Steinbrenners, Cashman, Girardi and the rest of the Yankees will be heading home.

What makes the fact that L.A. is in the playoffs and the Yankees aren't even sweeter, is the fact that MANNY RAMIREZ ignited the flame under the Dodgers late-season push. ManRam has been on absolute fire since he first flashed his half-assed smile and donned that blue L.A. fitted during his press conference following the trade.

Not only is Manny destroying opposition pitching since coming to the West Coast (.398 .AVG, 17 HR, 53 RBI), but he is also rubbing off on some of the youngsters in the lineup, like Andre Either.

Since Manny made his debut on Aug. 1st, Either has raised his average up 100 points during that span hitting .374.

 Is the current MLB post-season structure fair?

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  Yes


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  No

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No Respect...

It is absolutely disgusting how Brendan Shanahan is being treated by the Rangers right now. I don't care how old he is, or what type of a role he will have on the team, he is still MORE PRODUCTIVE than anything the Rangers have to offer. Take a look at what he did last year when he was deemed too old or past his prime;

Points- 2nd
Goals- 4th
Power Play Goals- 2nd
Shots on Goal- 1st

Now not only were those good numbers for the team, but he easily could have led the team in each category considering he played in nine less games. The games he missed due to injury weren't because of a man getting old and his body weakening. No, these injuries were due to him playing his heart out and doing the intangibles on the ice. Even at 39, he was blocking shots, finishing checks, fighting, and grinding it out in the corners and in the crease.

Shanahan virtually worked for peanuts compared to league standards last year. He has made it very clear that he wants to play for the New York Rangers. According to Shanahan, other teams are offering him legitimate jobs with contracts, yet he still only wants to talk to the Rangers. Why? I don't know.

This all comes down to Sather wanting Mats Sundin. This wouldn't have been a problem if he didn't foolishly dish out millions of dollars to undeserving players in the off-season. Michal Rozsival granted a 4-year, $5 million contract is absolutely absurd. Especially when Wade Redden was handed a 4-year, $6.5 million contract by Sather on the same day. Not only would Shanahan be able to fit under the cap if the Rozy contracted wasn't so stupidly handed out, but Sean Avery might still be on Broadway, but that's a whole different problem for another time.

Shanny, we love you, and as much as we would love to see you in Broadway Blue again, please tell Glenn Sather to shove it and sign on with somebody else you actually respects you, and win yourself another cup!

Royal Pain in the Draft!

So, you're sitting there last night, in front of your TV, possibly enjoying some wings, drinking a beer or two watching the Oakland Raiders get annihilated by the Broncos. As you continue watching, you notice some guy named Eddie Royal catching everything in sight. You brush it off and say "ahh, it's just the Raiders". As the game progresses you realize, "wow, this guy is for real" and quickly make a mad dash to the closest computer to quickly pluck him off the Free Agents list.

You check the recent transactions and his name is nowhere in sight. Yes! He is yours! You type in his name and up comes the results...to that cold, familiar, confusing feeling...

Not only was he not available on the Free Agents list, but he was drafted. Yes, Royal was drafted in the late rounds by who? By that guy.

There are four types of fantasy sports players out there, they are:

1) The fantasy manager, who knows the established players. This person selects only names he or she knows, and usually finishes in the 4th to 5th place region after the season is over. This person generally can't name one defensive player on any team, and if they do...they definitely can't name his position. Every now and then they might get a sleeper on their team, but it is generally by luck of draw.

2) Up second is the person who not only knows the established players but thinks they know all the sleepers. This person drafts horribly. In the first three or four rounds of the draft, they will draft okay because it's kind of hard to mess up the first four picks. After that names like Hank Baskett, and Ronald Curry start coming having everyone going "huh?"

3) The third fantasy sports player is the manager who drafts very well. Has a good balance of youth and veterans on their team. This person has the sleepers, has the stars and has the upsiders. Unfortunately, this is also the person who has more players on the IR than her or she has IR spots. This person no matter who or when they draft gets bombarded with injuries all year. Whether it be a nagging groin, strained hammy or a torn ligament this persons team is doomed from the get go.

And then...

4) That guy. That guy is the person who year, after year, always has the other leagues participants scratching their head saying "huh?" after every pick. The only difference is this connoisseurof fantasy, has every player you so cleverly want to add in Week 6. This person knows way more than any human being should know about fantasy sports. That guy has players scouted since they were in High School just waiting for them to come into the NFL in six years so he could draft him in the 11th round. That guy doesn't always win the league, but nine times out of ten he eliminates you from the playoffs. Or at least has the guy stashed on his keeper roster that would have put you over the hump.


We hate that guy, but deep down, we all wish we were that guy.

Daunte's Peak?

On a day where Michael Turner rushed for 220 yards and scored two touchdowns, Donovan McNabb racked up 361 yards and three touchdowns and the Panthers shocked the Chargers with no time left; Tom Brady still managed to steal all the headlines in the NFL world.



Hey Brady, maybe you should have stayed on the Injury Report, at least you would have saved the league some time by not having to redo your paperwork.



Now that it has been confirmed that Brady is done for the season, the million dollar question is who is going to take the helm at QB for the Pats.



Chris Simms has already been summoned by the Patriots brass for a workout, and there have been whispers about Tim Rattay as well. Another option is to just stick with Matt Cassel and see how he runs with it. After all, that is how Brady became the superstar he is today after taking over for Drew Bledsoe when he went down in week one of the 2001 season.



One major difference; Brady was a stud at the University of Michigan before coming to the NFL where as Cassel has ONE start on his college resume. AT TIGHT END!

With the Bills new and improved defense, Parcells genius behind the Dolphins and of course the New York Bretts, the Pats need to make a phone call to the retirement home and beg Daunte Culpepper to come out of his three day retirement.



Culpepper told ESPNthat "I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury." Well, Daunte, I'm sure I speak for a lot of us when I say, FORGET you ever said that and get on the phone with Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick right now.



Now I'm not saying that Daunte is a better QB than Cassel, Simms or Rattay(even though he is without a doubt), but it just makes more sense for the Patriots as far as chemistry is concerned. And by Patriots, I mean Randy Moss.



Yes Cassel knows the Pats system, but who knows Randy Moss better than Culpepper?

Besides finding a replacement for Brady, keeping Moss and his 23 TD catches from 2008 happy should be the number one priority for the Pats. It goes without saying that if Culpepper were brought in, Moss would be smiling from diamond studded ear, to diamond studded ear.

Moss himself even pitched the idea of reuniting with his former slinger as a package deal for teams interested in the off season before he was graced with his three year; $27 million dollar contract.