A Spanish Consolation Prize

Being a Bulls fan has been trying over the last five years. Not trying in the sense of what someone who likes Sacramento or some other shitty team that hasn't made the playoffs in years, but trying because I thought there would have been at least one championship by now. While Chicago has been a gritty, tough-minded team that has been easy to cheer for, ultimately they've failed to deliver what they were assembled to do. It seemed as though as little as a week ago the team was poised to add a proven veteran scorer that they sorely needed, someone who can create his own shot and generate offense without any help. But Carmelo Anthony decided to choose money over rings, which led to the team signing Pau Gasol away from Los Angeles. Much like in the summer of 2010 when the team signed Carlos Boozer after missing out on the free agent prizes of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, this feels like settling for a secondary option. Gasol brings a good number of positives to the Windy City however, and the Bulls can still win the East with him on board.

The State of College Hoops: Pre-conference Recap

I haven't posted anything about college basketball since the 24 hours of hoops marathon. I figured I didn't want to get into my weekly posts until conference play starts up. For my “Breakfast with Berndon” stuff will resume on a weekly basis starting this week. (Side note: hopefully with a new name). I've watched a good deal of games since November 12th, so here's my short recap on the goings on of the last 6 weeks.

ACC
Biggest Surprise: Boston College
Biggest Disappointment: Virginia Tech
Best Win: UNC over Kentucky 75-73
Worst Loss: Georgia Tech 80-63 to Kennesaw St. at Kennesaw St.
MVP: Nolan Smith
Conference Predictions: 1.Duke, 2. UNC, 3. Florida St. 4. Maryland, 5. N.C. State, 6. BC, 7. VT.
Sentimental Fav: Chapel Hill

BC under new coach Steve Donahue has surpassed expectations that had most picking them to finish in the bottom half of the league. They're the only team to beat Texas A&M and have also beaten the likes of Cal, Indiana, Providence, and won at Maryland. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech was in the top 25 early on, but lost all of the games they had in place to help strengthen their non-conference schedule. Nolan Smith has been good with Kyrie Irving in the lineup, and even better without him. I look for Duke to dominate the league with Carolina as a solid number 2, especially if their guards continue to play better. The rest of the seven I mentioned all have chances to make the tourney, with Florida St. having the highest upside with the way they can defend.

Big East
Biggest Surprise: Cincinnati
Biggest Disappointment: Seton Hall/West Virginia
Best Win: Georgetown at Missouri 111-102 in OT.
Worst Loss: Depaul 71-53 to Indiana St. at Indiana St.
MVP: Kemba Walker
Conference Predictions: 1. Pitt, 2. Syracuse, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Georgetown, 5. Villanova, 6. Marquette, 7. UCONN, 8. St. John's, 9. West Virginia, 10. Louisville, 11. Cincinnati, 12. Seton Hall
Sentimental Fav: Georgetown or Notre Dame

Everyone thought the Big East was going to be good, but lo and behold, they're even better than people realized. Credit the unexpected starts from teams like Syracuse, Notre Dame, UConn, Louisville, and Cincinnati adding to their prodigiousness. Cincinnati has gotten off to a 14-0 start, finally jumping into the rankings for the first time this week. They're big and athletic, but the lack of a proven 18-20 point scorer plus the inability to consistently knock down outside shots will end up hurting them. Seton Hall is a disappointment because I thought they'd be better, but it's probably not going to be your year when you're best player gets injured, then gets shot. West Virginia still might get on a run, but I thought they'd do more with what they have back. Austin Freeman struggled against Notre Dame and last night against St. John's, but for the most part has been on fire. I still think Pitt is the best of the bunch, as I put Syracuse right behind them until they shoot a little better from deep. St. John's senior-laden crew looked great last night against Georgetown, and if they can survive playing 8 games in a row against ranked teams with maybe a 3-5 record, they'll be in great shape to be in the tourney for the first time since Ron Artest played there. Marquette is another sleeper, with Darius Johnson-Odom starting to emerge, and I look for UConn to fall off, unless Alex Oriahki or Roscoe Smith becomes a legitimate number two scorer to go with Kemba Walker.

Big 10
Biggest Surprise: Purdue
Biggest Disappointment: Michigan St.
Best Win: Ohio St. over Florida 93-75.
Worst Loss: Illinois losing to UIC 57-54 in Chicago.
MVP: Jared Sullinger
Conference Predictions: 1. Ohio St. 2. Michigan St. 3. Illinois, 4. Purdue, 5. Wisconsin, 6. Minnesota.
Sentimental Fav: Illinois

Like the Big East and ACC, the Big 10 has been great. These conferences have clearly established that they are the best of the bunch. For Purdue to be ranked number 11 at this point shows the talent level of Jajuan Johnson and E'Twuan Moore. Michigan State has morphed into “a pretty boy, jump shooting team” according to their coach, but Draymond Green and Delvon Roe both had 10 plus boards in their recent win against Northwestern. If they get back to being their old blue collar selves, then they'll cement their place in the top 10. Ohio St. and Jared Sullinger are clearly the team to beat. I like the way the vets like David Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford have meshed with Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas. Not to mention the great addition of Aaron Craft at the point. Michigan St. is still Michigan St, and Illinois and Purdue are also really good. All six teams I ranked will be in the NCAA tournament, with maybe Northwestern or Penn St. finding their way in as well.

Big 12
Biggest Surprise: Texas
Biggest Disappointment: Kansas St.
Best Win: Texas at Michigan St. 67-55.
Worst Loss: Colorado 82-66 to Harvard at Harvard.
MVP: Jordan Hamilton
Conference Predictions: 1. Missouri, 2. Kansas St. 3. Kansas, 4. Baylor, 5. Texas, 6. Texas A&M. 7. Oklahoma St. 8. Colorado
Sentimental Fav: Kansas St.

This might be one of the few times I ever give Rick Barnes credit, but Texas has been really good so far this season. I've seen them play maybe 3 or 4 times and the one thing that stood out was there defense. Jordan Hamilton has gone from the player with probably the worst shot selection in the country to a league POY candidate. He's shooting the three over 40 % and giving them 7 rebounds a game. Combine this with how well Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson have played, and you get the best Texas team in 4 or 5 years. Kansas St. has dealt with suspensions and uninspired play from their leaders, making Frank Martin's halftime speeches legendary, I'm sure. Much like Michigan State, I still think they have time to turn things around. Especially with power forward Wally Judge's improved play the last two games, going over 20 points in each contest. I'm picking Missouri based upon Tony Mitchell being able to come back and gain his eligibility. Plus I hate Kansas. Baylor is a sleeper, with the tallest back 3 of a 2-3 zone in history. The Aggies have been really good so far, but I'm not buying in yet.



SEC
Biggest Surprise: Kentucky
Biggest Disappointment: Mississippi St.
Best Win: Tennessee over Pitt 83-76 in Pittsburgh.
Worst Loss: Auburn 69-55 to Jacksonville at Auburn.
MVP: Terrance Jones
Conference Predictions: SEC East: 1. Kentucky, 2. Vandy, 3. Florida, 4. Georgia, 5. Tennessee. SEC West: 1. Mississippi St.
Sentimental Fav: Florida

I also ripped Calipari in mine and Langston's preseason podcast, although I never said Calipari was a bad coach, but that he was a douchebag. Just wanted to clarify. I didn't think Kentucky would be nearly this good, but the kids they got, while not as athletic as their counterparts last season, seem to just get it more. They play smarter, and with college basketball's version of Kevin Love (Josh Harrellson) controlling the boards and doing all the little things with veterans Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins, I actually think this version of Kentucky basketball might go to the Final Four. Mississippi State is only the most disappointing because I couldn't pick the whole SEC West. Vanderbilt looks to be more steady than either Tennessee or Florida. I still think Florida can be really good. As for the Vols, I honestly have no idea what to think; One game they look like a Final Four contender (wins over Pitt, Villanova, and Memphis) and the next a first round loser in the NIT (losses to College of Charleston, Oakland and UNC-Charlotte).

Mountain West/Pac 10
Biggest Surprise: San Diego St.
Biggest Disappointment: UCLA
Best Win: USC over Texas 73-56
Worst Loss: Oregon 69-55 to Idaho at Oregon.
MVP: Jimmer Fredette
Conference Predictions: Mountain West: 1. San Diego St. 2. BYU, 3. UNLV, 4. New Mexico
Pac 10: 1. Washington, 2. Arizona, 3. Washington St. 4. Cal, 5. UCLA
Sentimental Fav: BYU

San Diego St. has risen to number 6 in the land, but outside of a win at Gonzaga (and maybe their wins against St. Mary's and Cal) they don't have anything else on their resume worth mentioning. UCLA is a little below where I thought they'd be, although they did had the Mormons their only loss. The Bruins of old do not lose to Montana at home however. In the Mountain West, SDSU and BYU will be at the top, with UNLV and New Mexico more than likely giving the league 4 tournament teams. Meanwhile in the Pac 10, Washington is back in the top 25, and could go 14-2 or 15-1 if they get going. They have 5 or 6 legit guys that can make threes and they can run people out of the gym if they're all clicking. Washington St. looked good in the Hawaii tourney, with Klay Thompson leading the way. Likewise, Arizona could be dangerous as they jump on sophomore stud Derrick Williams' back.

LCB Recap: December In The League

After a predictably unpredictable first month of the season, things started to become a little more normal in the NBA's second month. Miami figured out that they can be pretty good with 3 of the top 15 players in the league, traditional West powers continued to build upon strong starts, and Derrick Rose further proved that he's the greatest point guard ever in the history of mankind (Chicago-based hyperbole that I'm required to put into anything I write. Settle down Rajon Rondo).

Here are my current power rankings, "Man of the Match" front-runners, and a quick look at who has been deserving of All-Star nods so far this season. Enjoy.

Power Rankings

1. San Antonio (29-4): Gary Neal is the latest “who the hell is he?” guy contributing.
2. Boston (25-7): If they get healthy all at the same time, watch out. 
3. Miami (26-9): Starting to roll, but they still need a big. Preferably not named Zydrunas.
4. Dallas (25-8): I just turned 30, and Jason Kidd was a frosh at Cal when I was 12.
5. Lakers (23-11): Despite turmoil, they'll still right the ship.
6. Oklahoma City (23-12): Kind of wish the Bulls still had Thabo. He has Bruce Bowen-like impact.
7. Chicago (22-10): See Celtics, Boston.
8. Orlando (21-12): I really liked the trade. J Rich for Vince is a significant upgrade.
9. Denver (19-13): It's time for the BirdMan to fly
10. Utah (23-11): Give Gordon Hayward more minutes.
11. Atlanta (22-14): Survived the Joe Johnson injury, but no longer a Top 4 East team.
12. Knicks (19-14): When they make 3's, they can beat anybody.
13. New Orleans (20-14): Fallen back to earth a little bit.
14. Portland (18-16): Wes Matthews was a great signing.
15. Houston (16-17): 11-5 in December, slowly starting to get it together.
16. Memphis (15-19): I jinxed them when I said they were going to win 50.
17. Phoenix (14-18): Adding Gortat was good, adding Vince not so much.
18. Golden St. (13-20): Keep an eye on an emerging Ekpe Udoh off the bench.
19. Indiana (14-18): We've now entered the crappiness that is the bottom of the East. 
20. Milwaukee (13-18): They'll climb a little when they get healthier.
21. Clippers (10-24): I never thought Eric Gordon would be this good.
22. Charlotte (11-20): Stephen Jackson, how does Chicago sound?
23. Minnesota (9-25): Keep this core together and get Ricky Rubio to come play here, please. 
24. Detroit (11-22): TMac, surprisingly, had a couple of frisky games in December.
25. Philly (13-20): Had a decent month, could push for the eight-seed.
26. Sacramento (7-24): Tyreke Evans leads the league in half-court game-winners.
27. Washington (7-24): A chance to see Wall play live may or may not have played a factored into my return to Northern Virginia. 28. New Jersey (9-25): After he looked like he wanted to kiss D.Rose after they played the Bulls, I'll never look at Brook Lopez the same.
29. Toronto (11-22): DeMar DeRozan alert: 37 points on New Years Eve.
30. Cleveland (8-26): Lebron's visit to Cleveland, at this point, looks to be the death of Cleveland's season.

Man of the Match

1. Amar'e Stoudemire: 8 M.O.T.M. ( 30 pts,10 rbs, 3 blks)
2. Dwyane Wade: 7 (28 pts, 7 rbs, 4 assts, 2 stls, 1 blks)
2. Derrick Rose: 7 (22 pts, 5 rbs, 9 assts, 1 stl)
2. Lebron James: 7 (25 pts 8 rbs, 7 assts)
5. Chris Paul: 6 (17 pts 9 assts, 3 stls)
5. Al Horford: 6 (17 pts, 10 rbs, 3assts)
5. Carlos Boozer: 6 (21 pts, 10 rbs)
9 Kyle Lowry: 5 ( 13 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls)

Amar'e owned the month of December, with his string of 30 point games, and all-around dominant play lead the Knicks climb in the East. Wade and Lebron turned it up a couple of notches as they look to be learning after a shaky November how to play with one another. Rose is a legitimate MVP candidate with his improved jumper. Two names that stand out are Al Horford and Kyle Lowry. Horford was an All-Star last year, but seems to have brought it to another level becoming an effective passer out of the post. Lowry has taken advantage of the injury to Aaron Brooks, spearheading the Rockets turnaround. .

Looking Ahead to Los Angeles
I'm going to try my hand at talent evaluation here, as I feel it's still too early to come up with definitive All-Star rosters just yet. I made a list of 40 players, that I will cut down week by week until we find the ultimate and most deserving all-star roster.

Eastern Conference

East--Guards
(Rondo, Ray Allen, Felton, Fields, Jrue Holiday,
Derrick Rose, Darren Collison, Brandon Jennings,
Mo Williams, Wade, Carlos Arroyo, Jameer Nelson,
Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, Stephen Jackson,
John Wall)

Point guards make up the majority of the two guard spots in the East. Derrick Rose is having a dominant year on both sides of the court, Raymond Felton is helping turn the tide for New York, and Rondo leads the league in assists. Questionable calls include John Wall, Mo Williams, Landry Fields, and Carlos Arroyo. When he's been healthy, Wall has shown flashes of greatness. Mo Williams appears on my radar solely because I wanted to have each team represented. He's Cleveland's only real consistent offensive threat. Landry Fields has come out of nowhere to become one of the conference's best rookies, while Carlos Arroyo almost literally makes every shot he takes.

East--Forwards
( KG, Paul Pierce, Glenn Davis, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala,
Linus Kleiza, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, 
Danny Granger, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Josh Smith)
Lebron has been the best forward, so far, especially with his strong December. I also called Chris Bosh a disaster in the last column, but he's played considerably better as of late. Big Baby has been an excellent sixth man for Boston, and he'll be increasingly more important if Garnett is out for a long stretch. Suprises include Kleiza, Gallinari, and Elton Brand, with Kleiza having a strong year coming back from Europe, Gallinari shooting the ball well  and showing some athleticism, and Brand bouncing back from injury to have a solid season.

East--Centers
( Amare Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, Andrew Bogut, Ben Wallace,
Dwight Howard, Al Horford)
The East seems to have a much stronger group of Centers, although it was much harder to make the list for the West in general. I talked about the impact of Amare and Horford earlier, but Bargnani has been the best player on a team I thought would be much worse than they are. Ben Wallace is a reach, but he's playing for Detroit. A team that has fallen off the map faster than a cast of reality stars.

West--Guards
( Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry,
Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefoloshia, Chauncey Billups, Wes Matthews, Steve Nash, Monta Ellis, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans)
A good mix of young and old highlight this group. Elder statesmen like Nash, Kidd, and Jason Terry are having good years coinciding with the collective leaps from the likes of Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis, and Russell Westbrook. I think Thabo Sefolosha deserves consideration, simply for his defensive skills. He doesn't shoot, but still provides OKC with a lot of the dirty work that many seem to overlook.

West--Forwards
( Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, Dirk Nowitizki, David West, Luis Scola, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Paul Millsap,
                                                                 Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus
                                                                 Aldridge, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom,
                                                                 Grant Hill, Dorell Wright, Blake Griffin)
If this was a solitary man's decision, I don't know see how this list gets chopped down to 5 or 6. Much like the guards of the west, the mix of old guys still going strong coupled with fast risers like Griffin, Kevin Love, and Beasley, makes this an extremely stout group. That's not to mention the dirty work guys like Odom, Jeff Green, and Scola who don't get enough credit. Addendum: Dorell Wright should get some consideration as he might be the league's most improved player.

West--Centers
( Tyson Chandler, Emeka Okafor, Al Jefferson, Serge Ibaka, Nene, Marcus Camby, Pau Gasol)
Like the East shooting guards, this list is relatively weak position group. Yao Ming is the leading vote getter in the fans vote. Could someone please notify China that he's not playing anymore? Please? Tyson Chandler is having a great year for Dallas. Gasol has done the same for L.A., although he's not even really a center with Bynum back in the lineup. Lastly, Okafor has provided New Orleans with a rim protector helping their improved defense.

Buying in on the Bears

It's time for me to break my silence. I haven't been silent in a general sense. I've been talking about hoops, college football, and Michael Vick in the last couple of months. But when it comes to my favorite NFL team, I've been scared that I'll jinx the happenings on the field by writing anything. Having now won 5 games in a row and holding the #2 seed in the NFC, I am now comfortable that my writings will not jinx the Chicago Bears.

Part of the problem is that I haven't really known what to think, and  and still haven't completely gone all-in. I don't like Lovie Smith, the offensive line, or Jay Cutler all that much. I was the guy who was saying “The Bears are the worst (insert positive record) team in the history of the NFL multiple times. I thought we would lose the division to the Packers (maybe get a Wild Card road game which they would inevitably lose), going quietly into the January air as the Bulls and Black Hawks took back the Chicago sports pages.

However, things have changed. Football generally brings out the bipolar side of everyone, any fan can attest that they often hate their team and think they're awful in losing and that they're Super Bowl bound after every win. With the shorter season, you have to be really terrible to be eliminated by this point in the year. So, even with a crappy 5-7 team you cling to the hopes that they can get hot and go on a January run. I am no exception to this rule. As the Bears were piling up wins, I still wasn't convinced. That all changed after the Vikings game. Now, I'm seeing a defense that's just as good (if not better) than the Super Bowl team of 2006. I can't describe how comfortable I feel with this unit on the field. Even if Cutler throws a terrible pick, with the other team starting in the red zone, I find myself shocked when the opposition finds thereselves in the end zone. We have an elite DE, who I have loved since he was grabbing boards in Chapel Hill. And another DE playing like one in Israel Ijonije, who should be in the Pro Bowl. We have two of the top 5 LB's in the game, and a secondary with another under the radar star in Charles Tillman.

My comfort level with our defense is a given. But surprisingly enough, they've started to win me over on the offensive side of the ball. Devin Hester gives them quality field position the majority of the time. Leaving Cutler with a pretty maneuverable task. Namely, managing the game and not screwing it up. In the last couple of weeks, I feel as though Peyton Manning and Jay have switched bodies. I say this because over the past two weeks Cutler has completed 74 % of his passes,  thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions. The offensive line is still horrid, but the running game is coming along. I don't want to say I'm at ease watching this side of the ball. But I don't feel as though I'm about to watch a terrible flaming car crash, which is progress from how I felt watching the Giants ten-sack, 17-3 beat-down in Week 4.

So how do I see this playing out? I'm cautiously thinking that in this season of utter parity, the Bears now have a legitimate shot at making it out of the NFC. If the Packers had stayed healthy (Sorry Teach), then they would be markedly better than anybody else. But they aren't, we're better than them. Atlanta and Matt Ryan don't scare me either. New Orleans has a good record but isn't the same powerhouse as last year. We already showed we can beat Philly. We're going to the Super Bowl.

Side Note: You will understand my haste in writing about my beloved Bears, when they end up stumbling to the finish line with a record of 9-7, after losing the last four games. My power to jinx anything or everything good happening in my life should not be underestimated.

LCB Podcast: College Preview Wrap-Up

Langston and Berndon return with the fourth and final part of the college hoops preview podcast, where they give us their opinions on the rest of the country and give us an early look at March. Will Duke repeat? Is Jimmer the next JJ? Is Marcus Morris an elite college basketball player? You can learn all that and more by making the jump and pushing play.



Do you agree with the guys? Or do you think they've no idea what they're talking about? Let us know in the comments section.

LCB Podcast: Big East Preview

Langston and Berndon return with part three of the Lawn Chair Boys' first ever podcast, where they give us their opinions on the Big East. Will anyone be able to pull away from the competition? How will Steve Lavin fair in the Big Apple? Is there a better name in college hoops than Fab Melo? You can learn all that and more by making the jump and pushing play.



Do you agree with the guys? Or do you think they've no idea what they're talking about? Let us know in the comments section.

LCB Podcast: SEC Hoops Preview

Langston and Berndon return with part two of their audio debut with the Lawn Chair Boys' first ever podcast, where they give us their opinions on the SEC. Will UK repeat last years dominant run? Is Tobias Harris the best thing to hit UT since Peyton? Does the SEC West have any decent teams? You can learn all that and more by making the jump and pushing play.



Do you agree with the guys? Or do you think they've no idea what they're talking about? Let us know in the comments section.

LCB Podcast: ACC Hoops Preview

Langston and Berndon make their audio debut with the Lawn Chair Boys first ever podcast, where they give us their opinions on the ACC. Will Duke return to the Final Four? Is Harrison Barnes the best player in the conference? Does Miami still have a team? You can learn all that and more by making the jump and pushing play.



Do you agree with the guys? Or do you think they've no idea what they're talking about? Let us know in the comments section.

Stonebreaker Award: Week 9

I get a Saturday off to actually watch some games instead of just looking at box scores, so I'm posting this as there aren't any really good games at the noon hour today (although Michigan-Illinois has some potential). Before I get into the rankings, here's a couple of matchups worth noting for tonight's games.

Patrick Peterson-Julio Jones: Peterson isn't ranked that high because I would guess teams aren't really throwing the ball his way. But with Jones getting the ball a lot more for the Tide in recent weeks, the ball will come Peterson's way a lot more today as two future pros go at it.

Ed Wesley-Chaz Walker:  Utah's leading tackler goes up against one of the better unknown running backs in the land in Wesley. If Utah holds TCU's running game in check, they'll pull off the upset.

Andrew Luck-Robert Golden: Luck is one of the best QB's in the land, but Golden and his secondary mates break up a lot of passes and pick off a lot of passes. The Wildcats also bring a lot of pressure, giving Stanford a test they aren't used to in the Pac 10.

Arkansas WR's- South Carolina DB's: The Cocks secondary was called out by Spurrier on College Football Live this week, and the Razorbacks will put the ball in the air. South Carolina needs big games from Stephon Gilmore, Chris Culliver and Safety DeVonte Holloman to stay in the mix for the SEC East crown.

Top 25:

1. Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma 418 ( 34 Tackles, 6 Sacks, 3 FF's, 13.5 TFL's, 4 Bkups)
2. Nick Fairley, Auburn 390 ( 43 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, 1 Int, 18 TFL's)

3. Drake Nevis, LSU 355 ( 40 Tackles, 5 Sacks, 1 Int, 2 FF's, 11.5 TFL's)4. Dejon Gomes, Nebraska 354 (67 Tackles, 3 Ints, 2 FF's, 1 TFL, 3 Bkups)
5. Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma 348 ( 40 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Int's, 4.5 TFL's, 9 Bkups)
5. Wayne Daniels, TCU 348 ( 26 Tackles, 5.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 9 TFL's, 1 Bkup)
7. Brandon Bair, Oregon, 287 ( 35 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 13 TFL's, 5 Bkups)
8. Lavonte David, Nebraska 279 ( 86 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 7 TFL's, 5 Bkups)
9. J.J. Watt, Wisconsin 277 ( 39 Tackles, 5 Sacks, 1 FF, 13.5 TFL's, 5 Bkups)
10. Kelvin Sheppard, LSU 270 ( 73 Tackles, 3.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 7.5 TFL's, 2 Bkups)

11. Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio St. 269 ( 3 Ints, 5 Bkups)
12. Cliff Harris, Oregon 268 ( 5 Ints, 7 Bkups)
13. Robert Lester, Alabama 251 ( 5 Ints)
14. Mark Barron , Alabama 246 ( 52 Tackles, 6 Bkups)
15. Travis Lewis, Oklahoma 236 ( 74 Tackles)
16. Alfonso Dennard, Nebraska 225 ( 3 Int's, 6 Bkups)
17. Lamar Chapman, Utah 217 ( 5.5 Sacks, 2 FF's)
18. Jonathan Nelson, Oklahoma 216 ( 62 Tackles, 2 FF's)
19. P.J. Smith, Nebraska 214 ( 3 Int's)
20. Anthony Leon, Arkansas 213 ( 10.5 TFL's)
21. Sean Spence, Miami 209 ( 56 Tackles, 9.5 TFL's)
22. Chaz Walker, Utah 201 ( 61 Tackles)
23. Josh Bynes, Auburn 196 ( 55 Tackles, 3 Int's)
24. Devin Taylor, South Carolina 195 ( 6.5 Sacks, 10 TFL's)
25. Olivier Vernon, Miami 188 ( 4 Sacks)

Defensive Line Rankings:

1. Auburn: I've discussed and shown the merits of one Nick Fairley on a weekly basis. Antoine Carter has been a steady contributor as well, along with true freshman DE Corey Lemonier.

2. Oklahoma: Jeremy Beal has been the headline grabber, with Frank Alexander chipping in with 3.5 sacks in limited duty.

3. LSU: DT Drake Nevis has had an outstanding season, and the Tigers would probably be ranked higher if DE Sam Montgomery wasn't lost to a season-ending injury.

4. Oregon: It's been the Brandon Bair show for most of the year, as he's basically lived in opposing teams' backfields. The Ducks could move up to number one if DE Kenny Rowe keeps coming up with big plays. The Preseason all Pac-10 selection has 5 Sacks and 10 TFL's after a slow start.

5. Texas: Texas has fallen out of the top 25, but not because of the efforts of Sam Acho and Eddie Jones, top 25 staples who came up with an abundance of sacks and TFL's while the Longhorns were ranked.

Studs of the Week:
Shane Horton, USC ( 11 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks, 1 Bkup)
Shaun Prater, Iowa ( 10 Tackles, 1 Int, 0.5 TFL, 1 Bkup)
Colin McCarthy, Miami ( 18 Tackles, 1 Int, 2 TFL's)
Johnny Thomas, Oklahoma State ( 6 Tackles, 1 Int, 1 FF, 2 Bkups)
Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma (6 Tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 3 Bkups)
Antonio Allen, South Carolina ( 7 Tackles, 4 TFL's, 1.5 Sacks)

Stonebreaker Award: Week 8

Florida State has already lost to an unranked opponent to start off Week 9, as the upsets continue. I usually try to get this in before the Thursday night game starts, but with playoff baseball, the start of the NBA season, and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," all taking place tonight, I'm bringing this to the masses before bed. Here are the top 25 as of last week, followed by my top 5 team linebacker rankings.

Breakfast With Berndon: Picking Apart the Preseason Top 25

I'm going to come up with my own preseason top 25, along with some other college hoops preview-type stuff in the next couple of weeks in pure "Breakfast with Berndon" style. But, for now, here's my take on the top 25. In my opinion, some of the squads are ranked too high, some are ranked too low, and others are sitting right about where they should be, at least in my humble college basketball obsessed brain. Granted, I haven't watched a whole lot of the freshman, apart from the McDonald's game, but in terms of what people have coming back, I'm confident with my knowledge.

Ranked Too High

4. Pitt: Pittsburgh is going to be really good with pretty much their whole roster back in the fold, but I'd but them in the top 10. Just not the top 4.

7. Kansas: There are eligibility concerns about top newcomer Josh Selby, but even if he's cleared and plays every game, I don't see how a team that lost in the 2nd round to Northern Iowa, and lost their point guard and best low-post option should be in the top 10. To be fair, I often made fun of Cole Aldrich. But he is huge and the Jayhawks will miss his rebounding and interior defense.

8. Purdue: The Boilers have no business being ranked this high without Robbie Hummel. Illinois moves ahead of them in the Big 10, and Purdue should now be about 20-25.

9. UNC: No one can accuse me of being a homer. That is until I have a conniption when Harrison Barnes drops 40 in his first college game. I need to see improvement from Larry Drew, and whether or not the Heels have enough depth inside before they crack the top 10.

10. Kentucky: They have a stellar recruiting class once again, but it's not the same as the one they brought in last year. Plus they don't have anyone coming back who's as good as Patrick Patterson.

15. Missouri: Maybe if Frosh Tony Mitchell was eligible, but since he's not, Missouri doesn't belong in the top 15. I don't see any pros on this roster. They'll be good, but not this good.

24. Wisconsin: I feel like this ranking comes mainly out of respect for Bo Ryan. Jon Leuer is back, but they lose Trevon Hughes and didn't bring in anyone that significant. They'll be a fringe top 25 team all year, and won't go far in March.

25. Texas: They have four point guards, they still have to deal with Rick Barnes as their coach, lost three starters to the NBA, and have no business being in the top 25 after losing in the first round of the dance to Wake Forest.

Ranked Too Low
11. Florida: The Gators returned everybody from last year, and picked up Patric Young and Casey Prather. This is the year Billy Donovan brings the Gators back to the front of the SEC and back to national relevance.

13. Syracuse: Boeheim lost a lot, but they weren't supposed to do anything last year and look what happened. They bring in Fab Melo to team with Rich Jackson, have two really good players that played lesser roles in Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, and have other recruits that give them a lot of depth. I think the Cuse should be in the top 10.

14. Baylor: LaceDarius Dunn is back, and should be an All-American. If Perry Jones is anything close to being as good as advertised, Baylor also is a top 10 team.

17. Washington: Lorenzo Romar had the Huskies in the Sweet 16, and has most of the pieces from last year back. They won't get challenged in the Pac-10 outside of maybe getting a game or two from Arizona, and should parlay this into a high seed come dance time.

18. Butler: I would  have thought Butler would have gained more respect after their run last year. They did lose Gordon Hayward, but they still have a roster chock full of contributors from last year's team. If Matt Howard plays like he did as a soph, Butler will again be in final four contention.

23. Virginia Tech: Granted, they've been on the outs of making the tourney the last two seasons, but VT has an absolute-stud back in Malcolm Delaney. Throw in the fact that they return the majority of their roster and that the ACC is slightly down outside of Durham and Chapel Hill, and you get a top 20 team.

Ranked Where They Should Be

1. Duke: There's no way they can be ranked anything but number 1 right now. They simply have too much firepower returning. I'll find a way to figure out how they're not going to repeat at some point, but right now I have to say they're the favorites.

2. Michigan St: Like Duke, Michigan St simply advanced too far and return too much for them not to be ranked where they are. Kalin Lucas' returning from injury is a key variable in how good they really can be, but if Durrell Summers plays like he did in March and Delvon Roe really is healthy, Sparty will definitely be in title contention.

3. Kansas St: Some might say this is too high, but I'm not one of them. Jacob Pullen might not be an NBA player, but he's a great college guard. They return a lot of big bodies and with Frank Martin at the helm, they'll be tough as hell.

5. Ohio St: Losing Evan Turner obviously will hurt them, but with the combination of returners and newcomers the Buckeyes won't slip much. If they figure out their point guard situation, they'll challenge MSU for the Big 10 title.

6. Villanova: The Wildcats have depth for days, and despite losing Scottie Reynolds will advance much further than last year when the Australian National Team (St.Mary's) took them down early. I like Villanova here, and they could creep into the top 5.

16. Illinois: This is the year that Bruce Weber brings Illinois close to the standard set by the Deron Williams, Dee Brown teams. Jereme Richmond is going to challenge Jared Sullinger for Rookie of the Year honors in the Big 10, and with Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, and Mike Tisdale returning, the Illini will move into the top 3 of the league.

19. Memphis: From all accounts, the class they brought in is special. They also have just enough returning to make some noise in Conference USA.

20. Tennessee: Despite the drama brought about from all the Bruce Pearl recruiting mishaps, the Vols bring in Tobias Harris to go along with Scotty Hopson, Brian Williams, and others who played key minutes on an Elite 8 team. If Hopson takes it up a couple of notches, they'll challenge Florida and be better than Kentucky.

22. Temple: Lavoy Allen is one of the best bigs in the land, and with everyone back except Ryan Brooks, Temple is exactly where they should be.

Coming Soon: My actual preseason top 25, conference predictions, preseason All-Americans, and the first ever LCB podcast where Langston and I will break down the upcoming season. Get excited.

Stonebreaker Award: Week 7

After a multiple week hiatus, The Stonebreaker Award rankings are back. I've still been monitoring the defensive statistics still on a week to week basis, and with today's post, I'm going to reveal not only the top 25 defensive players in the land up to this point, but I'm also going to give you my top 5 team secondary rankings, with linebacker, defensive line, and total team rankings to follow in the next three weeks. Before I do this however, I'm going to peel back the curtain and define how I arrive at these rankings each week.

How it Works: I've been keeping track of six defensive categories; tackles, sacks, interceptions, tackles for a loss, passes broken up, and forced fumbles. To be in the rankings for the week, your team has to be in the consensus top 25( adding up the votes for both the AP, and ESPN polls). Your stats don't count if your team isn't ranked. For example, Texas players' stats count up until they fell out of the rankings, and now that they're ranked again, I pick up with their stats they had accumulated while ranked. I rank the top 25 in tackles, sacks, and ints each week, and the top 15 in forced fumbles, TFL's, and pass breakups. The total number of points players accumulate from when I rank these each week is their "score," and the players with the top 25 scores are in my top 25. So basically you could be having a great statistical year, but if your team craps the bed, you fall back. It's a flawed system, but college football knows all about flawed systems, so I'm comfortable with it. In theory, you should be playing in relevant games and be ranked in the top 25 if you and your team are that good.

Top 25:
1. Ahmad Black, S, Sr. Florida 334 points
2. Jeremy Beal, DE, Sr. Oklahoma (308)
3. Nick Fairley, DT, Jr. Auburn (301)
4. Wayne Daniels, DE, Sr. TCU (298)
5. Jamell Fleming, CB, Jr. Oklahoma (285)
6. Drake Nevis, DT, Sr. LSU (274)
7. Brandon Bair, DT, Sr. Oregon (251)
8. Dejon Gomes, S, Sr. Nebraska (239)
9. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Jr. Florida (223)
10. Lavonte David, LB, Jr. Nebraska (216)
11. Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Sr. Ohio St. (212)
12. Kelvin Sheppard, LB, Sr. LSU (209)
13. Jeremy Brown, CB, Soph. Florida (205)
14. Robert Lester, S, Soph. Alabama (201)
15. J.J. Watt, DE, Jr. Wisconsin (199)
16. Cliff Harris, CB, Soph. Oregon (192)
17. Travis Lewis, LB, Jr. Oklahoma (184)
18. Anthony Leon, S, Sr. Arkansas (183)
19. P.J. Smith, S, Soph. Nebraska (170)
20. Antoine Carter, DE, Sr. Auburn (167)
21. Jonathan Bostic, LB, Soph. Florida (164)
22. Mark Barron, S, Jr. Alabama (163)
22. Chaz Walker, LB, Jr. Utah (163)
24. Shea McClellin, DE, Jr. Boise St. (156)
25. Alfonso Dennard, CB, Jr. Nebraska (155)

Defensive Back Rankings

1. Florida: Despite the 4-3 record, most of the problems with the Gators come from the offensive side of the ball. In Black, Jenkins, and Jeremy Brown, Florida has 8 Ints, 11 breakups, and 60 tackles from Black.

2. Oklahoma: Jamell Fleming is number 5 overall, but the Sooners have two more DB's in the top 50 in Jonathan Nelson and Quinton Carter. Freshman Tony Jefferson has 37 tackles and 5 breakups as well.

3. Nebraska: Corner Prince Amukamara could be the next great NFL corner whom no one knows how to say his name, and he only has the 4th most points in his own defensive backfield. Gomes, Smith, and Dennard are all in the top 25 mainly because they've combined for 8 Ints and 6 breakups. Gomes also ranks high with 53 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.

4. Alabama: Robert Lester started hot with 4 Ints early, keeping him highly ranked, but preseason All-American Mark Barron has been creeping up the rankings each week. Barron leads the team in tackles with 47, and has contributed something in all 6 major categories. Dre Kirkpatrick also has played well, with 35 tackles and 3 ints.

5. Arkansas: I know they just gave up 900 points to Cam Newton and the boys on Saturday, but despite this performance, Arkansas' secondary has played well. Anthony Leon has 8 TFL's from the safety position, and Rudell Crim, Tramain Thomas, and Ramon Broadway all are in the top 75.

Lines of the Week:
Orie Lemon, Oklahoma St.: 17 Tackles
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma: 14 Tackles, 0.5 TFL's, 1 Bkup
Keith Tandy, West Virginia: 10 Tackles, 1 Int, 1 FF, 0.5 TFL's
Brad Madison, Missouri: 3 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 3 TFL's
Shaquelle Richardson, Arizona: 7 Tackles, 2 Int's, 3 Bkups

2010 MLB Playoffs: Who we're rooting for

The 2010 season was an ugly one for both Berndon's Cubbies and my Dodgers, the former was led by a manager who seemed content with cashing a pay check while the latter appeared to take their rightful place as the forgotten children of divorce. That leads us here with no horses in the race and no idea who to pull for to win the big one. So we got out our copy of Baseball Prospectus, a couple pads of paper, three pouches of Big League Chew and got to work, dutifully working on a formula to find the most deserving team of our fugacious praise. This formula consists of six categories; Team history, city, team finances, notable players, their fans, and lastly (but certainly not least), our biased hatred for the teams involved.

New York Yankees
Langston: They call the greatest city in the World home, their fans are myopic yet as loyal as they are plenty, and the squad is chock full of talent. However, the operating expenses and last years World Series eliminate them immediately from my fleeting praise.

Berndon: I used to really hate the Yankees, but this hatred is seemingly dying out each passing year as the Cubs spend more and more money. How can I hate on a team for buying championships when my boys unsuccessfully do the same thing each winter. This Yankee team really isn't that bad in terms of likeability. That being said, despite the fact that I like guys like Jeter, Cano, and Nick Swisher, I still can't stand ARod or Posada. I would like to see Kerry Wood, former Cubs wunderkind, get a ring. There fans are still obnoxious and they still get overhyped all the time, so I'm still rooting for the Twins to take them out in the first round.

San Fransisco Giants
Langston: They'll always be the Gints to me..

Berndon: I really enjoyed the Buster Posey experience, as he's potentially a keeper on my first-ever championship-winning fantasy baseball squad. San Fran seems like a cool city, and they did produce the Grateful Dead. I also really like their announcers, Jon Miller and Mike Krukrow. Ex-Cub Mike Fontenot factors into my decision of liking them to advance, and I'll pull for them if they knock off the Braves, but for reasons I will mention later, I'm rooting for them to lose to Atl. 

Philadelphia Phillies
Langston: The balance between their great city, good food, likable players, rotten fans and two straight triumphs over my Dodgers in the NLCS make this a tough decision. But being the most recent World Series Champion from the NL eliminate them from eligibility.

Berndon: Philly gets a bad rap as a city, but I enjoyed my experience there last summer when I caught a Phillies-Cubs game. It reminded me a lot of Chicago, albeit a slightly more obnoxious version where you substitute cheese steaks for pizza. As for their players, I don't dislike anyone, but don't really have any strong feelings other than the fact that Ryan Howard can hit a baseball further than Uncle Rico of "Napolean Dynomite" fame can throw it, which is enjoyable for everyone. I hope they take down the Reds and then lose after that.

Tampa Bay Rays
Langston: Everyone, including the Rays, has been crushing the Tampa fans for not showing up the day they clinched their playoff spot. However this is a pretty ridiculous and shortsighted attack on the fanbase considering they never show up (23,024 average and 52.6% tickets sold for the season, good for 22nd in MLB attendance) and they play in the worst stadium (outside of Oakland) in the majors. Plus, after 81 games, can't the loyal 53% take a night off to prep for the postseason? Despite the unneeded chiding, they went to the series two years ago, so I'm ready for some new blood. Sidenote: They do deserve our scorn for DJ Kitty (aka meme that needs to die).

Berndon: Tampa loses points because I feel like their fans don't deserve a winning team. They can't even show up unless the Yankees or Red Sox are playing, and even then the crowd is mixed. I like their core group of players, although it's depressing to think that the squad will be broken up after this season. All in all though, it would be nice to see them get a crack at the Yankees in the ALCS, but I can't say I would mind if Texas took them down early.

Texas Rangers
Langston: This team has a whole lot of interesting subplots; from the drug histories of Ron Washington and Josh Hamilton to the change in ownership to the great Nolan Ryan to the down-and-up year of Vladimir Guerrero. They have a low payroll considering their exciting squad and lose points for terribly average attendance and lack of pitching. I want to root for them, I really do, but I can't root for a team that I can't answer the following question: Would anyone care if they won?

Berndon: Josh Hamilton is an inspiraton on a personal level, as anyone who read my Michael Vick story will realize. Other than that, I think the Vlad Guerrero comeback is a nice little story, and each game they win will be moving further in the postseason than they ever have. Seeing them battle the Twins in the ALCS wouldn't be the sexiest of matchups, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'd like to see them beat Tampa and lose to the Twins.

Cincinnati Reds
Langston:  There are three things that come to mind when I think of Cincinnati or the Reds; Firstly, Marge Schott, and her racist comments. Secondly, Ken Griffey Jr signing a massive contract, only to see him rarely display the skills we came to adore him for while collapsing into a career of injuries. And lastly, Pete Rose, the best hitter of all-time and an absolutely loathsome human being. Now, I understand I'm not giving Joey Votto and his teammates enough credit, but with those images in mind how can you blame for not rooting for them. Sidenote: They do fit most of the criteria for our formula, but Marge Schott dude. Marge Schott.

Berndon: I'm conditioned to hate the Reds, since they reside in the NL Central, but I really don't have it in me. I hate the Cardinals for obvious reasons, and even the Brewers get more venomous hatred than Cincy, more than likely because they haven't been relevant for a while now. I can't truly root against Dusty Baker, but then again, there will be some bitterness because I will feel like he should have done it in Chicago. I hope Philly beats them in round 1. Joey Votto should have given Marlon Byrd daps at the All-Star game, instead of having his immature little attitude about how he couldn't shake his hand because he hates the Cubs. I hate you too Joey.

Minnesota Twins
Langston: The Twins are the ultimate team to root for; a great underrated city, haven't won the big one in the past couple of years, likable players/style of play, loyal fans(100.7 % tickets sold this season), and no rivalry connection to my Dodgers. I'll be pulling for them to win the AL,  I would be pulling for them to win the series if not for the last team on our list.

Berndon: The Twins get 5,000,000 cool points for demolishing the White Sox. That goes far in my book. Minnesota is an awesome city, despite my hatred for all things Vikings. Michael Cuddyer is from the same zip code that I now reside in, and I've just always liked the way they play. They bring web gems galore, get just enough key hits, and Ron Gardenhire has them going hard until the last out. I hope they knock off the Yankees and make it to the World Series, where 3 of there home games will inevitably get snowed out.

Atlanta Braves
Langston: My father's side of the family is from Knoxville. This is where I get my love for the Vols, the blues, BBQ, and seersucker. During summer break I would spend my time at my Papaw Jackson's house. My days consisted of going to the lake, playing hoops at the rec center, church, and the Braves. While church and the lake happened occasionally, the Braves were unending. When we weren't watching them, me and PaPaw Jack would question Bobby's decision making on the deck over a Mello Yello and a Moon Pie. When we went to watch the Smokies, we would point out guys that would fit in well with the Braves. On our weekly fishing trips, we'd breakdown Bobby's most recent ejection. While eating breakfast we would debate who was better; Greg or Tom. Looking back, the Braves were as big a part of the summers as my family, I was engulfed. So, for my Papaw, I will continue my tradition of rooting for the Braves when the Dodgers are out of the race. It's a sentimental pick, but it's not like our formula is a law.

Berndon: I kind of disliked the Braves as a child, because pre-Nats, TBS and 90's success spawned a lot of Fredericksburg Atlanta Braves fans. Two key factors make me want to root for Atlanta(although I did just bet a co-worker 20 dollars tonight that they would lose in the 1st round). One is the fact that Derrek Lee was one of the classiest and best Chicago Cubs over the middle part of the decade. D. Lee is definitely one of my favorite Cubs players ever, as he consistently went about his business as one of the best first basemen in team history. I'd love to see him get another ring after suffering through Cubs ineptitude for a while. Secondly, Bobby Cox getting a ring in his final season would be a great story in a postseason that seems a little lacking in terms of sentiment. He's only won one ring, but could very well had 4 or 5. Jason Heyward could prove to be the next Griffey, Omar Infante continues to prove to everyone he was actually a good All-Star pick, and the likable core of vets like Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, and Billy Wagner make the Braves my pick of who I'm rooting for.

In terms of actual predictions: I'm going with Philly vs. San Fran in the NL, with my preseason pick for the World Series being the Giants winning the pennant. Despite Philly's big 3, I feel like the Giants have both the starters and the bullpen to make it through. In the AL, I think it's going to be Tampa vs. the Yankees, with Tampa Bay running their way into the Fall Classic with Posada's arm practically falling off after Crawford, Upton etc. run wild. I think the Giants will knock off the Rays in 7, with their pitching again carrying the load. Atlanta-Minnesota would be nice to see as well. And if this works out like my NCAA tourney "Who to Root for," it'll be the Yankees and Reds battling it out.

LCB NFL Picks: Week 3

 

New York Jets v Miami Dolphins @ 8:20 on NBC
Langston: The big news this week was Braylon Edwards getting a DWI in New York City, one of the few cities in the World with as many cabs as hookers and the city with the best public transportation system in the country. But he wasn't crushed in the media for any of those reasons or even for the DWI per se, he was crushed for not using a 24/7 safe ride program that was just implemented by the Jets. In what World does this make sense? He's a millionaire; taxis, car services, and public transportation are all in his budget. In reality, he could have rented a helicopter and pilot for the night. Tell me, if you had the money that you wouldn't take advantage of renting a helicopter. I would probably go bankrupt using copter service. If I believed Karma existed, the Jets would lose this game. And I'm pulling for that to happen since Rex Ryan will be ten times more entertaining with a team that tanks it. As for this game, I like the Dolphins to take this, their defense is improved and Chad Henne is turning into a franchise QB now that he actually has a suitable target, imagine that, a QB plays better when surrounded by better players. Phins 24, Jets 18.

Berndon: After watching "Hard Knocks" all August, I feel as though I know everything there is to know about the New York Football Jets. This means that America knows they have a stout D, and an inconsistent to terrible offense. And with Braylon Edwards doing his best Brendan Brody impression on Tuesday morning, they now have about 2 and a half options to throw to. Miami also has a good D, and now another weapon in Brandon Marshall, who will put up gaudy numbers with Revis being out. Don't ask me why, but I'm still going with the Jets. 21-17.

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears @ 8:30 on ESPN
Langston: This game should be pretty awesome. The Bears look improved under Mike Martz, with Matt Forte starting to be a threat in the passing game, Jay Cutler relying heavily on the great Greg Olsen and not throwing up all over himself, Urlacher being healthy and leading a dominate run defense. The Packers have in Clay Matthews maybe the best pass rusher in the league (6 sacks in 2 games), a potent offense led by Aaron Rodgers, and a much improved defense; all that for a team that last year locked up the wild card. So who has the edge? The Bears have the better running game, offensively and defensively. The Packers have the better passing game, offensively and defensively. Special teams is a push. Coaching a push. Basically, it could go either way. I see this game coming down to the passing game, who makes the biggest mistake, something that is always waiting in the wings for Jay Cutler. Packers 31, Bears 28.

Berndon: The Bears will win. I could go scientific and technical and tell you why by talking about Cutler, Urlacher, Peppers etc. But I won't, I will simply say that watching our defense play, I'm gettting the exact same feeling I had when we made it to the Super Bowl. The feeling that offenses will never be able to run against us, they might throw a little bit, and that we will always get a turnover when we need it.  Defense wins championships, and while that's probably a little premature, the Bears will take an important step getting there, with 28-20 win at home.

Stonebreaker Awards: Week 3 Results

It must be September, because Notre Dame has already lost a game in overtime. This does not matter however, because I've gotten used to the Irish being a top 25 afterthought before the leaves even start hitting the ground over the last couple of years. I simply pick and choose different bandwagons to leap on and off of, parlaying these flings into a partially satisfying college football experience each season. I'm also pacified by the fact that the Bears are 2-0. I always like pro football better anyway. As for the bandwagons I mentioned, West Virginia, Arkansas, and TCU sound like good spots for me to unleash my 25 inch vertical and hop aboard.

Top 10:
1. Wayne Daniels, TCU ( 9 Tackles, 3.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 6 TFLS)
2. Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma ( 25 Tackles, 2 Ints, 2 TFLS, 4 Breakups)

3. Ahmad Black, Florida ( 24 Tackles, 1 Sack, 3 Ints, 2 TFLS)
4. Nick Fairley, Auburn (16 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 Int, 7 TFLS)
5. Chindi Chekwa, Ohio St. ( 11 Tackles, 2 Ints, 1 FF, 1 TFL, 3 Breakups)
6. Janoris Jenkins, Florida, ( 9 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Ints, 2 TFLS, 4 Breakups)
7. Sam Acho, Texas ( 10 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 FF, 5 TFLS)
8. Anthony Leon, Arkansas( 19 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks, 5.5 TFLS)
9. Eddie Jones, Texas ( 18 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 6 TFLS)
10. Antoine Carter, Auburn( 14 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 5 TFLS, 1 Breakup)
10. Dejon Gomes, Nebraska ( 21 Tackles, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 Breakup)

Best of the Rest

12. Drake Nevis, LSU
13. Robert Lester, Alabama
13. Olivier Vernon, Miami
15. T.J. McDonald, USC
16. Shea McClellin, Boise St.
17. Brandon Bair, Oregon
18. Tyler Moeller, Ohio St.
19. Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
20. Chaz Walker, Utah
21. Jeremy Brown, Florida
21. Lavonte David, Nebraska
21. Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
24. Kelvin Sheppard, LSU
25. P.J. Smith, Nebraska

We have basically the same top 10 as last week, but people that had good early starts have fallen back to the back a little bit. In terms of individual units, Florida has 3 DB's in the top 25, with two in the top 10. Texas and Auburn's Defensive Lines' put 4 combined in the top 10, while the highest rated linebacker I have is Chaz Walker from Utah at number 20. With the top teams playing less "cupcakes" in the upcoming weeks, look for a shakeup in the rankings, as first stringers won't be getting benched at halftime and will put up bigger stat lines. In closing, for this weeks slate of games involving top 25ers going up against each other, pencil me in for Alabama squeaking by Arkansas, West Virginia going into Baton Rouge and beating LSU, Auburn beating South Carolina, and Boise State simply destroying Oregon St. Oh yeah, and Notre Dame is going to beat Stanford.

NL West Update, And A Blog That Never Was

I thought I had a decent idea when I decided to cover the NL West a couple of months ago. After struggling with trying to find a way to write about baseball like I wrote about college and pro basketball, I thought my idea of covering the one division that I thought would be the best race, and also a race that people on the East Coast really don't pay attention to would be solid. My computer and the Los Angeles Dodgers had other ideas. Said computer caught a virus, going on the 15 day DL which left me unable to start with my idea. Also, the Dodgers went into the tank, and at the time, the Rockies hadn't yet gone on their trademark run yet, making what is now the best divisional race not that exciting. I should have known better, so what follows is a poor attempt to sum up what has happened since then, and who is going to take the division.

I've liked the Giants all season, as I picked them to square off with the Red Sox in the World Series way back in April. Their pitching has carried them, but offensively, they aren't as bad as one would think. If you told me that Pablo Sandoval would struggle as much as he has, and that both Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito would have their share of problems, I would have said that the Rockies and Padres would be in the driver seat. Players like Andres Torres, Matt Cain, and Rookie of the Year favorite Buster Posey have more than made up for the others, and with games against my putrid Cubbies and the DBacks sandwiched in between showdowns with Colorado and San Diego, their schedule breaks nicely for them.

The Padres, much like the Rays two seasons ago, were supposed to have died by now. Like a punch drunk boxer who keeps coming back simply because they don't know any better, San Diego has continued to hang around and have a serious shot at taking either the division or the Wild Card with Teach's Braves continuing to lose. Unsung nobodies like Chris Denorfia have been put into the lineup everyday and have continued to produce. Their bullpen is the best in the game, and Clayton Richard has had a nice year as a number 2/3 behind young stud Mat Latos. Getting Chris Young back will help. They have to play Cincinnati after they finish their series with the Dodgers, making their schedule a little more daunting than San Fran's, plus that last series of the year I mentioned is in the Bay. I still think the Wild Card is a strong possibility for a team that was supposed to be planning golf outings for October by now.

The Rockies, just like the Astros and the A's in the mid 2000's, have become known for their second half Usain Boltesque sprints to the line. This season has been no different, with Carlos Gonzalez and Tulo seemingly going 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI each day. They've gotten contributions from almost everyone on their roster, as even the ghost of Jason Giambi hit a walk-off homer last week. I don't like their pitching, but they do have decent arms with Jimenez and De La Rosa in the rotation, and Hutson Street and Rafael Betancourt in the pen. They've done it before, and I can see them sneaking in and getting the wild card in the last weekend while the Giants and Padres beat up on each other. They also get 3 games at home against the Giants this weekend, followed by closing it out with the Dodgers at home, and then in St. Louis, where the Cards will have probably packed it in as the Reds will have already clinched. I'm not betting against Colorado.

The Giants will win the division, with Colorado getting the Wild Card on the final day over the Braves. As for whom I'm rooting for in October, and who will win, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks. Guest bloggers Buster Posey, Troy Tulowitzki, and Adrian Gonzalez offer their apologies for not contributing. As a Cubs fan, I can offer you one final quote from them that I've gotten used to: "wait till next year."

College Football's Newest Award

With the start of the College Football season finally upon us, I've decided to create my own award. I'm not sure if this is on a level akin to giving oneself a nickname on the scale of lameness, but here's hoping it's not. With football, both college and pro, I've always been more intrigued with the defensive side of the equation. I want to know who made the tackle or who came up with the key interception; basically who's reeking havoc on that side of the ball. From this fascination, I will now unveil the First Annual Stonebreaker Award standings after the first week of games.

How The West Was Won: Opening Statements

Berndon brings us his newest column, "How the West was Won," that takes a deeper look at the race for the division crown in the NL West. For the first post of the series, he takes a unique viewpoint, looking at the division from the player's perspectives:

MLB Channel Surfing:

Channel surfing Tuesday night's baseball games with Berndon's MLB.TV premium package and like channel surfing it's pretty much stream of consciousness:

I watched 5 of the 15 games played yesterday, taking a brief break to watch the Cubs, who promptly acknowledged my loyalty by taking a 0-0 game and making it a 6-0 deficit in the 10 minutes I watched. I also decided to let MLB Tonight act as my remote control for about an hour because, for one, the mosaic option on mlb.tv gives you 4 games at once, and it also makes each game have the look of a 1970's Atari game. Three of the five games started at ten o'clock, and the Texas-Oakland game was in extras.

Detroit-Tampa Bay: After Tampa Bay's Matt Garza threw a no-hitter against a Tigers lineup missing three regulars, and including some dude named Will Rhymes playing 2B, they look to continue this dominant pitching against 12-5 Justin Verlander.

William & Mary grad, Will Rhymes, whose names sounds like the lovechild of Will.I.Am. and Busta Rhymes, hit a bloop single that causes BJ Upton (Langston's former middle school basketball teammate) to roll his ankle. When disaster strikes.

Carlos Pena brings up an interesting debate, at what point is a "power hitter" a liability, especially when said power hitter is hitting .204? Carlos didn't like the question, answering it with a 2 run HR to center, number 22 on the year. 2-0 TB.

Alex Avila of Detroit looks like a dead ringer for Jack Parkman in the Major League movies, but he does not hit nearly as well. TB catcher John Jaso doesn't get any of the hype, but he's probably a top 5 AL rookie. He's slowed down to .267, but Dioner Navarro was an all-star catcher for the Rays during the World Series season, and Jaso's play has sent him to the minors.

I was just about to give Jason Bartlett the Carlos Pena treatment, but before I could even get close to typing the phrase "disappointing season," he rips a single. Tampa Bay owns me.

Fantasy Update: Justin Verlander will no longer be enjoying the luxury of getting any run support for the remainder of the season. Verlander's line so far: 5 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 4 k's. Also, Ben Zobrist has 20 steals? I had to idea the "Zorilla" had wheels like that.

Johnny Damon leads off with a single, then Cabrera pops a double into the corner, what will "The Other Guys" be able to do. (The answer: lineout, infield single with a Bartlett throwing error, flyout, strikeout). It's a 2-2 ballgame.

Carl Crawford will not get shown up by talk of the footspeed of Ben Zobrist. Steals #35 and 36 for Crawford, who is renting a condo in Verlander's noggin right now. Speed kills. Matt Joyce hits a double to make it 3-2 TB.

I'd have to say the Rays bullpen is deeper and better than the Yankees right now. Grant Balfour and Joaquin Benoit have been great bridges to Soriano. They do the job tonight with a combined  4 strikeouts, on four batters faced, each throwing 95 plus.

Crawford now has 3 steals. It would be a shame to see him in Yankee pinstripes next season. Verlander still hits 97 on the gun in the 8th, ends up with 8 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 3 bb, 6 k's. The Tigers mount a slight charge with 2 hits and a walk, but Miguel Cabrera, who might lead the league in intentional walks by here's end unless they get some help for him, hits into a double play, as Rafael Soriano closes it out. Tampa is now 2 games behind the Yankees. Damon and Cabrera go 4-9 (.444), the others go 8-27 (.296).

Oakland-Texas: The A's are shockingly only 7.5 games back of the Rangers, who send Cliff Lee and his 7 walks in 130 innings against the squad known for walking and OBP.

Oakland's lineup is a little left of imposing, I'm predicting Mr. Lee to be dealing this evening. In the 1st, Daric Barton, who is second in the AL in walks, works the count to 3-2, but then grounds out to first. This will be an interesting battle throughout the night.

Leading MVP candidate runs out an infield single by diving head first into first base. I've yet to see anything he can't do.

The A's will be a factor as early as next season, their rotation is basically all young and hypothetically going to get better and better. I'd be alright with Dallas Braden, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, and Brett Anderson as my staff.

Lee simply works over Jack Cust, 22 more outs till a perfect game. No perfect game but, Lee has 33 strikes on 46 pitches through 3 scoreless. Other random early game observations: It's good to see Vlad Guerrero doesn't look like he's 126 years old anymore. Also, I had no idea that both Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz both came over from Atlanta in the Teixeira trade a couple of years ago. How sick wold the Braves be right now with those two?

Reason Texas is going to the playoffs aside from acquiring Lee: Nelson Cruz is hitting .329 with 13 HR and 54 RBI in maybe half a season worth of games, and he hits 6th.

Gio Gonzalez is taking a different approach to Lee, ie he, like most other mere mortals actually throws balls from time to time. He has a couple more walks, and has given up a couple more hits, but it's still only 1-0 Texas through 6 and a half. Lee has 9 k's and has only given up 4 hits through 7, while Gonzalez has thrown 111 pitches, giving up 5 hits, 1 run, and 3 walks through 6 with 6 k's.

The A's bullpen was just described as being a "strength of their team." I wish the Cubs realized this in April when they decided the triple A all-star team would suffice in the late innings.

Late Inninng Observations: Lee strikes out the side in the 8th, on his way to 9 innings, 0 ER, and 13 K's. Nelson Cruz hits an infield single, I'm willing to bet 10 million dollars that Bengie Molina will not follow suit. 1-1 going into the bottom of the 9th, if anything is just in baseball the Rangers will walk off and win it for Lee here. Baseball is not just; we're heading to extras. Josh the Magnificent leads off the 10th with a walk, followed by Cruz hitting an absolute golf shot into the left field seats. I believe Tejas is for real.

Boston-Los Angeles: Another instance of an old face squaring off against his old squad, with John Lackey going up against the fading Angels in LA. 0-0 through two innings as Lackey is pitching against Cy Young candidate Jered Weaver. Why have the Angels not traded for a 1B by now? They should have done it a month ago. Luckily for me, this means Derek Lee is still on the Cubs. It might be too late by now, but they could have prevented falling quite as far as they have.

Bobby Abreu doubles in Macier Izturis, 1-0 LA in the 3rd. Jed Lowrie comes back from the DL just in time to take Bill Hall's spot filling in for Pedroia, hitting a bloop double over Juan Rivera's head in left, giving Boston a 2-1 advantage. Mike Cameron does a Willie Mays impression with an over the shoulder grab, followed by Jeremy Hermida gunning out Alberto Callaspo going for a double. I believe the pitching and defense template Boston wanted to follow is paying off tonight at least.

After Kevin Youkilis decides to make my fantasy team's Avg. plummet a little further, Ortiz gets on, and scored from 1st on an Adrian Beltre double. The impressive thing about it was that Papi's fat ass was flying. He looked like he could run a little bit. Maybe the MLB feed was a little off. I will take back any previous and forthcoming fat jokes.

Abreu knocks Lackey out of the game with a solo shot, making it 3-2 for now until Boston's bullpen loses it. The speed of Papi returns, as he "legs out" an infield single that results in a throwing error and a 4-2 BoSox advantage. The Adrian Beltre "hit the ball on one knee" technique is kind of neat. I will try this next time I'm crusing the ball at the 60 mph speed at the batting cage.

Papelbon has been a little shaky this year, he should be able to get the bottom 3 hitters of LA's order 1-2-3 here. Lowrie makes a nice stop robbing Howie Kendrick, and Boston does get a 1-2-3 9th, picking up a game on the Yankees.

LCB Hoops Picks: Eastern Conference, Second Round

With the Hawks finally taking the series from the Bucks, myself and Berndon can subsequently make our picks for who will play in the Conference Finals.