Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.
David and Goliath Game of the Week – Jags visit Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks get a little bit of a break this week – a “mini-bye” when they host the worst team in the NFL – the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. The Hawks could use it after an impressive beat-down of perhaps the best team in the NFL – the 49ers in Week 2.
AFC West Battle of the Haves and the Have-Nots – Oakland Visits Denver
The Super-Bowl favorite Denver Broncos have been as advertised so far this season- undefeated and looking virtually unstoppable on defense. Unfortunately the Oakland Raiders are also as advertised – a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars while nice, hardly acted to squash the notion that the Raiders are among the league worst teams.
Colts and 49ers Look to Rebound Off Week 2 Losses win Week 3
The Indianapolis Colts head west to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday and they bring with them a new toy – Trent Richardson was acquired Wednesday from the Browns for a first round pick. Both teams were losers in Week 2 – the 49ers fell to the Seahawks in Seattle while the Colts lost to the upstart Miami Dolphins on home turf.
Smashmouth Game of the Week – Steelers Host Bears Sunday Night
A pair of teams going in totally opposite directions meet on Football Night in America Sunday when the undefeated Chicago Bears pay visit to the winless Pittsburgh Steelers.
The final event of the 2013 PGA TOUR season is here, as the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings head to East Lake for the TOUR Championship.
The UFC returns to Canada Saturday for UFC 165 – a card that features one of the most dominant champions in the organization. Jon Jones will defend his Light Heavyweight title for the sixth time against Alexander Gustafsson.
The odds are certainly stacked against the Swedish challenger but it wasn’t that long ago that another of the UFCs untouchables fell at the hands of an upstart challenger (cough, cough – Anderson Silva). It’s a pretty explosive card with excitement promised as always.
Let’s break it down.
UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson
Date: September 21, 2013
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
UFC Odds From Bovada
MAIN CARD
Jon Jones (18-1): -900
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1): +550
Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson each have one loss in their careers but in Jones’ case it was a DQ loss in a fight he was totally dominating. In other word, he hasn’t “lost” so far in his career. The reason? Athleticism, size, length and an imagination unlike any other in the UFC.
Jones is perhaps the most athletic fighter in the UFC. He is long, he is lanky, he is quick, he is unorthodox and he is simply top notch anywhere a fight happens to go. Taking a look at whom he’s defeated is a who’s who of MMA legendry – Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson and Vitor Belfort to name a few.
Alexander Gustafsson is one of the few in the world that will actually have a size advantage over Jones – he may surprisingly have the striking advantages as well! At 6’5”, Gustafsson has been able to use his insane boxing skills to inflict damage and to stay out of the way of potential danger zones. He is an ideal “stick and move” fighter with devastating kicks and surprisingly good defense. Beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot that stands out.
Gustafsson has been working on his wrestling ahead of this fight and it is a good thing – his only real chance however is if this fight remains upright. The Swede has a good gas tank, a good striking pedigree and seemingly a good knowledge of what his opponents wants to do in the Octagon.
The problem is that Jones himself enters with a multitude of ways he can beat you.
This fight is only happening because there is nobody left! Jones is on his way to history – Gustafsson is just another speed bump.
Pick: Jon Jones -900
Renan Barao (30-1): -650
Eddie Wineland (20-8-1): +425
The interim bantamweight title is on the line Saturday when Renan Barao takes on Eddie Wineland. Wineland has been knocking on the door recently but every time he steps up he is knocked down again. Recent losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez seem to prove that he is not quite ready for prime time just yet.
Renan Barao has won 31 fights in a row for a reason – he is a beast that could be the best all-around fighter in the game right now. His strikes are superb and his submission game is second to none in the bantamweight division.
Wineland is a tough guy and a decent all-around fighter but Barao is on a different level along with Dominick Cruz in the bantamweight division. The Brazilian has the advantage anywhere this fight happens to end up. It should be exciting but it will be predictable.
Pick: Renan Barao -650
Matt Mitrione (6-2): -120
Brendan Schaub (9-3): -110
Two former UFC prospects and TUF alums in the midst of mini-slumps look to right their ships in Toronto Saturday. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub will look to change their fortunes around after losing two of their last three fights. A loss Saturday for either fighter may be their last with the organization.
Mitrione brings terrific athleticism to the Octagon. He is a former NFLer with terrific power – five of his six wins have come by KO while Schaub has a similar stat-line – 7 of nine wins by KO.
In a matchup of evenly-skilled fighters with similar experience, I will take the more athletic of the two.
Pick: Matt Mitrione -120
Francis Carmont (21-7): +155
Costa Philippou (12-2): -190
A battle of the five fight win streaks takes place when striking machine Costa Philippou takes on French MMA star Francis Carmont in Middleweight action. Both fighters, on paper have been tremendous lately and both have six KOs on their résumés. Philippou will definitely have the stand-up and power edge while Carmont will look to stifle his opponent in typical style.
Carmont has a knack of dumbing down a fight like nobody in the Middleweight Division. He will look to smother Philippou and will have success doing so. I see a justified frustrated Philippou being dragged the full three rounds and be outpointed in typical boring, grinding Carmont style. [ad-3573245]
Pick: Francis Carmont +155
Pat Healy (29-16): +200
Khabib Nurmagomedov (20-0): -260
Pat Healy will look to build on an impressive win over Jim Miller (before his positive drug test!!!) when he takes on undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov – one of the most impressive emerging grapplers in the Lightweight division. With a possible title shot on the line, this fight has potential to be best of the night.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has had his way with the lower tiers of the Lightweight division but gets his biggest test Saturday. Healy is a tough guy – well rounded with a terrific chin and a ton of experience. Healy also has a stellar wrestling background that should be able to somewhat minimize what Nurmagomedov hopes to do – Healy is a takedown machine that may have met his grappling match!
That said Nurmagomedov looks to be that guy being groomed for bigger things in the UFC.
Healy is a stepping stone (a tough one at that) along the way to bigger things for Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Pick: Khabib Nurmagomedov -260
Myles Jury (12-0): -400 vs. Mike Ricci (8-3): +300
Pick: Myles Jury -400
Ivan Menjivar (25-10): -190 vs. Wilson Reis (16-4): +155
Pick: Ivan Menjivar -190
Chris Clements (11-4): +220 vs. Stephen Thompson (7-1): -300
Pick: Chris Clements +220
Mitch Gagnon (9-2): +175 vs. Dustin Kimura (10-0): -220
Pick: Mitch Gagnon +175
Renee Forte (8-2): +165 vs. John Makdessi (11-2): -210
Pick: -210
Michel Prazeres (16-1): +140 vs. Jesse Ronson (13-2): -170
Pick: Michel Prazeres +140
‘Bruce Leeroy’ Alex Caceres (8-5): -155 vs. Roland Delorme (9-1): +125
Pick: Roland Delorme +125
Nandor Guelmino (11-4-1): +220 vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (15-3-1): -300
Pick: Daniel Omielanczuk -300
NFL Power Rankings – Where Every Team Sits After Week 2
Week 2 of the NFL season is in the books and as per usual, the weekend brought about some surprises that resulted in a reshaping of the Power Rankings landscape.
Steelers Visit Bengals on Monday Night
Well, the AFC North is tight again! There is a four way tie for top spot after week 1. Not surprising until you realize that NO TEAM won their Week 1 matchup.
Conway Farms Golf Club in Illinois hosts the BMW Championship this week as the FedEx Cup creeps closer to its conclusion. The host course may not seem familiar and there is a reason for that. The PGA Pros haven’t visited unless they were involved in qualifiers or high end amateur tournaments.
49ers Visit Seahawks For Early control of NFL West
Two of the most hyped teams in the NFL meet on Sunday Night Football when the San Francisco 49ers head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks – a team that has not lost at home since December 2011.
NFL Power Rankings – Where Every Team Sits After Week 1
Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and what a weekend it was! Upsets, injuries and some teams that did exactly what they were supposed to do have shaken the Power Rankings just a bit. But not much has changed at the top – strong QB play has kept the top 3 intact.
Jets Try for Improbable 20-0 Start – At Patriots on Thursday Night
The New York Jets and New England Patriots meet on Thursday both coming off opening weeks wins but with different tastes in their mouths. For the Jets a win against Tampa Bay was met with utter jubilation while a win in Week 1 for New England over Buffalo came with a sense of dissatisfaction.
Battle of the Bad – Raiders Host Jags in Week 2
Unless you have Maurice Jones-Drew or Darren McFadden on your Fantasy team, the interest level in the game between the Jags and Raiders in Week 2 doesn’t exactly jump off the page. Both teams were expected to lose in Week 1 but only 1 team was even competitive.
Seahawks Start Season on the Road – At Carolina in Week 1
The Seattle Seahawks begin a season full of lofty expectations on Sunday on the road against the Carolina Panthers. Some see this game as an easy “W” for the Hawks until you take a look at Seattle’s dreadful road record the last few seasons and their traditional struggles with 10 AM Pacific Time starts.
Chargers Host Texans Monday Night
The Mike McCoy era begins in San Diego Monday night when the Chargers host defending two-time AFC South champion Houston Texans. San Diego has had more than its share of problems over the past couple of seasons and unfortunately for Bolts fans they didn’t exactly remedy what had ailed them during their down times.
Giants and Cowboys Kick Off Their Seasons Sunday Night
Another year brings another expectation in the states of New York and Texas that the Giants and the Cowboys will emerge at the end of the season with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
