Sports With The StatMan: Show Notes #315 - December 17, 2012

On a special edition of Sports With The StatMan, we welcomed @lilybraden to the show, our Boston sports contributor and now Stanley Cup of Chowder SB Nation blog contributor, Heather Yunger, to talk hockey. An entire show devoted to the NHL lockout, the players, the owners, and most importantly, the fans.

If you missed the show, or want to hear it again, download the audio from the link below.  If you have comments or questions on the episodes, feel free to leave a comment below or on our Facebook show page, Twitter, or our BlogTalkRadio site.  Links are at the bottom of the blog post.

Show #315 - December 17, 2012 - Special Edition: NHL Lockout (AUDIO)

• Open: 42% of the season has been canceled and pessimistic on whether we will have a season at all
• 2:00: Heather joins the program
• 4:00: The sides do not seem that far apart. Is it worth losing a season over that difference?
• 5:20: Both sides are to blame and taking their time
• 6:50: What separates the NHL are the quality of their fans and the live feel of going to games
• 8:50: The sport of hockey is evolving and the product on the ice is more exciting
• 9:45: Difference of TV coverage of game in U.S. and Canada - capturing the live event
• 13:35: Does a shortened season cheapen the road to the Stanley Cup and how would it change the season?
• 17:10: Would a shorter regular season make more sense in the NHL?
• 17:55: Stanley Cup Playoffs and NBC/ESPN
• 21:10: Did the NHL come all the way back from the last lockout and will it be a national sport when they come back?
• 23:15: Season ticket holder view of NHL Lockout and the possible drain on attendance
• 27:45: Fans feel they have gotten short end of the stick. What can we do about it?
• 31:05: On criticism of Boston fans for having the most active owner pushing the lockout, Jeremy Jacobs
• 32:20: NHL/NHLPA and employer/employee comparisons
• 33:50: Union decertification and "disclaimer of interest", is the union using their decertification bargaining chip too late?
• 36:35: The 2012-13 end game and comparing NHL to other major sports
• 38:00: Where I stand on the NHL Lockout
• 40:15: Don Fehr gives Heather the heebie-jeebies, but owners use threat of lockout as a cudgel
• 41:00: Closing statement: This is Heather's last lockout
• 43:10: Upcoming episodes/How to Find the Show/Close

Show #316 - December 19, 2012 - Pro Talk - NFL Week 15/16, Hot Stove Baseball (SHOW PREVIEW)

Show #317 – December 21, 2012 - This Week in Fantasy Sports - NFL Week 16 (SHOW PREVIEW)

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NEXT SHOWS

Here is what is going on next week on Sports With The StatMan:

Upcoming episodes:

• Sports With The StatMan #316: Wednesday night, December 19th, 2012 at 11pm ET
• NFL Week 15 Recap, Playoff Picture, Week 16 Preview
• Giants in danger, clash of the titans in Foxboro, Jets season officially over, Vick and McCoy to return for the Eagles?
• MLB Hot Stove: Dickey trade, who's left?
• Sports With The StatMan #317: Friday afternoon, December 21st, 2012 at 1pm ET
• Special date and time
• Week 15 Weekly Best/Local Leaders, Injuries
• Week 16 Hot Pick-Ups, Game Picks

All of that and more on Sports With The StatMan next week.  For the latest show schedules, log on to the show page at www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan.  Also, your corner sports bar is always open to talk sports.  Just go to our Facebook page and start the conversation.  Like us on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter (twitter.com/gstatman).

Week 15 NFL Picks

KNOCKOUT POOL/ESPN.com ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE

Well, the dream is over.  After 13 weeks of perfect picks, Week 14 was my exit from the ranks of perfection.  The Buccaneers had the game in hand, they even had an 11-point lead on a team that was supposed to mail it in.  But, the Eagles did the opposite.  In the final moments, rookie Nick Foles threw a touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin to surprise Tampa Bay and essentially end their playoff hopes with a 23-21 win.

This week’s pick: Miami defeating Jacksonville

There are not a lot of good teams left to pick.  I was not going to go against the Eagles again.  So, the Bengals were not on my list of possible picks.  I could go against Tampa Bay and choose New Orleans.  But, after the Saints looked pedestrian against the Giants last week, no thank you.  I will go with the Dolphins this week, hoping that their offense can do something more than nothing against Jacksonville.

PAST PICKS

Week 1: Houston (W vs. MIA)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants (W vs. TBY)

Week 3: Chicago (W vs. STL)

Week 4: Baltimore (W vs. CLE)

Week 5: San Francisco (W vs. BUF)

Week 6: N.Y. Jets (W vs. IND)

Week 7: Minnesota (W vs. ARZ)

Week 8: Green Bay (W vs. JAX)

Week 9: Seattle (W vs. MIN)

Week 10: Pittsburgh (W vs. KCY)

Week 11: Dallas (W vs. CLE)

Week 12: Indianapolis (W vs. BUF)

Week 13: Denver (W vs TBY)

Week 14: Tampa Bay (L vs PHL)

GAME PICKS/ESPN.com PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM

Here are the game picks for this week.  We also have a “Sports With the StatMan” entry in the ESPN.com Pigskin Pick ‘Em for games against the spread.  We talk about the local games and the three of the other most important games, our “Big Games”, on our weekly This Week in Fantasy Sports segment on Saturdays, but we pick every game, every week here on the blog.  Here they are:

LOCAL GAMES

Last Week: 2-2 straight up, 3-1 against the spread

Season: 33-16 straight up, 26-22-1 against the spread

Week 15 Picks:

Cincinnati at Philadelphia (Thursday night) – Straight Up: CIN, Against the Spread: PHL (+3.5)

N.Y. Giants at Atlanta (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: NYG, Against the Spread: NYG (+1.5)

San Francisco at New England (Sunday night) – Straight Up: NE, Against the Spread: NE (-5.5)

N.Y. Jets at Tennessee (Monday night) – Straight Up: TEN, Against the Spread: TEN (-1.5)

BIG GAMES

Last Week: 0-3 straight up, 0-3 against the spread

Season: 31-12 straight up, 24-19 against the spread

Week 15 Picks:

Green Bay at Chicago (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: GBY, Against the Spread: GBY (-2.5)

Denver at Baltimore (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: DEN, Against the Spread: DEN (-2.5)

Indianapolis at Houston (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: HOU, Against the Spread: IND (+7.5)

OTHER GAMES

Last Week: 6-3 straight up, 4-5 against the spread

Season: 73-43 straight up, 60-56 against the spread

Week 15 Picks:

Washington at Cleveland (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: CLE, Against the Spread: CLE (-1.5)

Minnesota at St. Louis (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: STL, Against the Spread: STL (-2.5)

Jacksonville at Miami (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: MIA, Against the Spread: JAX (+7.5)

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: NO, Against the Spread: NO (-3.5)

Seattle at Buffalo (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: SEA, Against the Spread: SEA (-5.5)

Detroit at Arizona (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: DET, Against the Spread: DET (-5.5)

Carolina at San Diego (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: SDG, Against the Spread: SDG (-2.5)

Pittsburgh at Dallas (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: PIT, Against the Spread: PIT (-1.5)

Kansas City at Oakland (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: OAK, Against the Spread: OAK (-2.5)

START ‘EM/ANTI-START ‘EM/ESPN.com GRIDIRON CHALLENGE

We are participating in the ESPN Gridiron Challenge on ESPN.com.  The object is to pick the best team possible with a $50 million salary cap.  However, we are adding another wrinkle.  The object of the ESPN.com is to buy low and sell high and the more you accomplish that, the more money you get in your salary cap.  My goal is to put together a nine-man unit (2 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) that is better than another nine-man unit at a similar price.

So far this season, my nine-man squad is 7-5-1 against a comparable squad with a 6-0-1 record in the last seven weeks:

Week 1: Head-to-Head – L, 107-124; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 2: Head-to-Head – L, 73-98; By Position – 3-6

Week 3: Head-to-Head – L, 103-139; By Position – 3-6

Week 4: Head-to-Head – L, 105-118; By Position – 4-5

Week 5: Head-to-Head – W, 110-56; By Position – 7-2

Week 6: Head-to-Head – L, 98-127; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 7: Head-to-Head – W, 119-80; By Position – 6-3

Week 8: Head-to-Head – T, 75-75; By Position – 3-5-1

Week 9: Head-to-Head – W, 138-105; By Position – 4-4-1

Week 10: Head-to-Head – W, 145-43; By Position – 9-0

Week 11: Head-to-Head – W, 100-65; By Position – 5-4

Week 12: Head-to-Head – W, 98-95; By Position – 5-4

Week 13: Head-to-Head – W, 92-81; By Position – 5-4

Week 14: Head-to-Head – L, 54-110; By Position – 1-6-2

TOTALS: W-L: 7-6-1, PF: 1417, PA: 1306, By Position: 59-61-6

Here is the Week 15 entry in the Gridrion Challenge, our “Start ‘Em” team, along with our comparable “Anti-Start ‘Em” team, which is our opponent for the week:

(all dollar figures in millions)

Start ‘Em Team	POS	Anti-Start ‘Em Team
Philip Rivers SDG ($6.1)	QB	Matthew Stafford DET ($7.4)
Brandon Weeden CLE ($5.3)	QB	Jake Locker TEN ($6.0)
Jamaal Charles KCY ($7.7)	RB	Stevan Ridley NE ($8.1)
Jonathan Dwyer PIT ($5.7)	RB	Montell Owens JAX ($5.0)
Mike Wallace PIT ($6.6)	WR	Denarius Moore OAK ($6.3)
Michael Crabtree SFO ($6.2)	WR	Kendall Wright TEN ($5.2)
Marcedes Lewis JAX ($4.8)	TE	Antonio Gates SDG ($4.9)
Shayne Graham HOU ($4.2)	K	Blair Walsh MIN ($4.0)
Detroit Lions DET ($3.4)	DEF	New Orleans Saints NO ($3.1)
$50.0 million	TOTAL	$50.0 million

Catch me on "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment, Saturday morning at 11am ET.

Week 14 NFL Picks

KNOCKOUT POOL/ESPN.com ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE

Week 13 eliminated over 2,000 of the remaining players on ESPN.com’s Eliminator Challenge and we have about 3,400 players left.  We take our 13-0 record into Week 14 after Peyton Manning and the Broncos helped me out by coming back in the second half to defeat a pesky Tampa Bay team..

This week’s pick: Tampa Bay defeating Philadelphia

In a first this year, I am going to pick a team I picked against last week as my lock this week.  Tampa Bay was pesky and convinced me that they are better than I was giving them credit for.  It also helps when they host a team in the Eagles who are playing out the string.  You have heard whispers about the team quitting and not showing up because their starting quarterback, starting running back, and top receiver are all basically done for the year.  Tampa Bay is believing in themselves, and Josh Freeman continues to mature.  I will pick Freeman and rookie runner Doug Martin will pass and run over the Eagles defense.

PAST PICKS

Week 1: Houston (W vs. MIA)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants (W vs. TBY)

Week 3: Chicago (W vs. STL)

Week 4: Baltimore (W vs. CLE)

Week 5: San Francisco (W vs. BUF)

Week 6: N.Y. Jets (W vs. IND)

Week 7: Minnesota (W vs. ARZ)

Week 8: Green Bay (W vs. JAX)

Week 9: Seattle (W vs. MIN)

Week 10: Pittsburgh (W vs. KCY)

Week 11: Dallas (W vs. CLE)

Week 12: Indianapolis (W vs. BUF)

Week 13: Denver (W vs TBY)

GAME PICKS/ESPN.com PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM

Here are the game picks for this week.  We also have a “Sports With the StatMan” entry in the ESPN.com Pigskin Pick ‘Em for games against the spread.  We talk about the local games and the three of the other most important games, our “Big Games”, on our weekly This Week in Fantasy Sports segment on Saturdays, but we pick every game, every week here on the blog.  Here they are:

LOCAL GAMES

Last Week: 3-1 straight up, 1-3 against the spread

Season: 31-14 straight up, 23-21-1 against the spread

Week 14 Picks:

N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: NYJ, Against the Spread: NYJ (-2.5)

Philadelphia at Tampa Bay (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: TBY, Against the Spread: PHL (+7.5)

New Orleans at N.Y. Giants (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: NO, Against the Spread: NO (+5.5)

Houston at New England (Monday night) – Straight Up: NE, Against the Spread: NE (-4.5)

BIG GAMES

Last Week: 1-2 straight up, 2-1 against the spread

Season: 31-9 straight up, 24-16 against the spread

Week 14 Picks:

Baltimore at Washington (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: BAL, Against the Spread: BAL (+0.5)

Dallas at Cincinnati (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: CIN, Against the Spread: CIN (-3.5)

Chicago at Minnesota (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: CHI, Against the Spread: CHI (-2.5)

OTHER GAMES

Last Week: 6-4 straight up, 7-3 against the spread

Season: 68-40 straight up, 57-51 against the spread

Week 14 Picks:

St. Louis at Buffalo (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: BUF, Against the Spread: BUF (-3.5)

Atlanta at Carolina (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: ATL, Against the Spread: ATL (-3.5)

Kansas City at Cleveland (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: CLE, Against the Spread: KCY (+5.5)

San Diego at Pittsburgh (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: PIT, Against the Spread: PIT (-6.5)

Tennessee at Indianapolis (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: IND, Against the Spread: IND (-5.5)

Miami at San Francisco (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: SFO, Against the Spread: SFO (-10.5)

Arizona at Seattle (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: SEA, Against the Spread: SEA (-10.5)

Detroit at Green Bay (Sunday night) – Straight Up: GBY, Against the Spread: GBY (-6.5)

START ‘EM/ANTI-START ‘EM/ESPN.com GRIDIRON CHALLENGE

We are participating in the ESPN Gridiron Challenge on ESPN.com.  The object is to pick the best team possible with a $50 million salary cap.  However, we are adding another wrinkle.  The object of the ESPN.com is to buy low and sell high and the more you accomplish that, the more money you get in your salary cap.  My goal is to put together a nine-man unit (2 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) that is better than another nine-man unit at a similar price.

So far this season, my nine-man squad is 7-5-1 against a comparable squad with a 6-0-1 record in the last seven weeks:

Week 1: Head-to-Head – L, 107-124; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 2: Head-to-Head – L, 73-98; By Position – 3-6

Week 3: Head-to-Head – L, 103-139; By Position – 3-6

Week 4: Head-to-Head – L, 105-118; By Position – 4-5

Week 5: Head-to-Head – W, 110-56; By Position – 7-2

Week 6: Head-to-Head – L, 98-127; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 7: Head-to-Head – W, 119-80; By Position – 6-3

Week 8: Head-to-Head – T, 75-75; By Position – 3-5-1

Week 9: Head-to-Head – W, 138-105; By Position – 4-4-1

Week 10: Head-to-Head – W, 145-43; By Position – 9-0

Week 11: Head-to-Head – W, 100-65; By Position – 5-4

Week 12: Head-to-Head – W, 98-95; By Position – 5-4

Week 13: Head-to-Head – W, 92-81; By Position – 5-4

TOTALS: W-L: 7-5-1, PF: 1363, PA: 1196, By Position: 58-55-4

Here is the Week 14 entry in the Gridrion Challenge, our “Start ‘Em” team, along with our comparable “Anti-Start ‘Em” team, which is our opponent for the week:

(all dollar figures in millions)

Start ‘Em Team	POS	Anti-Start ‘Em Team
Andrew Luck IND ($7.4)	QB	Tom Brady NE ($7.8)
Brandon Weeden CLE ($5.4)	QB	Philip Rivers SDG ($5.8)
BenJarvis Green-Ellis CIN ($7.4)	RB	Michael Turner ATL ($7.5)
Alex Green GBY ($4.8)	RB	Pierre Thomas NO ($5.3)
Torrey Smith BAL ($6.4)	WR	Mike Williams TBY ($6.3)
Chris Givens STL ($5.1)	WR	Danario Alexander SDG ($5.1)
Jermichael Finley GBY ($4.7)	TE	Tony Moeaki KCY ($4.6)
Alex Henery PHL ($4.4)	K	Nick Novak SDG ($3.7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers TBY ($4.3)	DEF	Dallas Cowboys DAL ($3.9)
$49.9 million	TOTAL	$50.0 million

Catch me on "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment, Saturday morning at 11am ET.

POLL: Jets QB Controversy

It was a question that was asked as soon as third-string QB Greg McElroy was warming up on the sidelines on Sunday in the Jets game against Arizona.  McElroy got the call, as Sanchez was benched after going 10-for-21 with 97 yards and 3 interceptions.  McElroy engineered the only touchdown drive of the game in the 7-6 Jets' win and ran out the clock on a long drive that stopped short of a score on purpose.  McElroy was 5-for-7 for only 29 yards, but had the all-important 1-yard touchdown toss to TE Jeff Cumberland.

Would Tim Tebow have gotten the call if he was healthy enough to play?  Who knows and no one probably will ever know.  McElroy made the most of his chance and he is definitely in the running to start next week at Jacksonville.  Why?  Because Rex Ryan refused to name a starter for next week, so as long as the door is open, it is an open competition.

So, the question to ask is: who gets the call next week?  Vote here on our Sports With The StatMan Facebook page and add your comment.

Should the Jets start third-string Greg McElroy at QB next week against Jacksonville?

Yes, McElroy is the future...or at least better than the alternative.
No, Sanchez is in a slump and Jacksonville is the cure for what ails him.
No, when is it going to be Tebow Time? If Tebow is healthy, he should start.

Week 13 NFL Picks

KNOCKOUT POOL/ESPN.com ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE

About 5,500 players have remained spotless on ESPN.com and we are one of them.  Indianapolis provided a win with more breathing room than we are used to, as the Colts beat the Bills by a touchdown, 20-13.  It was the second time we picked the Bills to lose in this competition and they did so Week 5 against San Francisco and in this one against Indianapolis.

This week’s pick: Denver defeating Tampa Bay

I almost went with Denver last week, but Denver is good at home, the team is hot, and arguably the best quarterback in NFL history is at the helm.  I am playing my Peyton Manning chip this week at home against an upstart Tampa Bay team that will provide a challenge, but at Week 13, there are not a lot of “easy” picks anymore.  I think Denver will win this one by a touchdown, but I would not be surprised in the least if the Broncos “only” survive at the final gun.

PAST PICKS

Week 1: Houston (W vs. MIA)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants (W vs. TBY)

Week 3: Chicago (W vs. STL)

Week 4: Baltimore (W vs. CLE)

Week 5: San Francisco (W vs. BUF)

Week 6: N.Y. Jets (W vs. IND)

Week 7: Minnesota (W vs. ARZ)

Week 8: Green Bay (W vs. JAX)

Week 9: Seattle (W vs. MIN)

Week 10: Pittsburgh (W vs. KCY)

Week 11: Dallas (W vs. CLE)

Week 12: Indianapolis (W vs. BUF)

GAME PICKS/ESPN.com PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM

Here are the game picks for this week.  We also have a “Sports With the StatMan” entry in the ESPN.com Pigskin Pick ‘Em for games against the spread.  We talk about the local games and the three of the other most important games, our “Big Games”, on our weekly This Week in Fantasy Sports segment on Saturdays, but we pick every game, every week here on the blog.  Here they are:

LOCAL GAMES

Last Week: 3-0 straight up, 2-1 against the spread

Season: 28-13 straight up, 22-18-1 against the spread

Week 13 Picks:

New England at Miami (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: NE, Against the Spread: MIA (+7.5)

Arizona at N.Y. Jets (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: NYJ, Against the Spread: NYJ (-4.5)

Philadelphia at Dallas (Sunday night) – Straight Up: DAL, Against the Spread: DAL (-9.5)

N.Y. Giants at Washington (Monday night) – Straight Up: NYG, Against the Spread: NYG (-2.5)

BIG GAMES

Last Week: 3-0 straight up, 3-0 against the spread

Season: 30-7 straight up, 22-15 against the spread

Week 13 Picks:

Seattle at Chicago (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: CHI, Against the Spread: SEA (+4.5)

Minnesota at Green Bay (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: GBY, Against the Spread: MIN (+9.5)

Pittsburgh at Baltimore (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: BAL, Against the Spread: BAL (-6.5)

OTHER GAMES

Last Week: 5-6 straight up, 4-7 against the spread

Season: 62-36 straight up, 50-48 against the spread

Week 13 Picks:

New Orleans at Atlanta (Thursday night) – Straight Up: NO, Against the Spread: NO (+3.5)

Jacksonville at Buffalo (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: BUF, Against the Spread: JAX (+6.5)

Indianapolis at Detroit (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: DET, Against the Spread: IND (+4.5)

Houston at Tennessee (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: HOU, Against the Spread: HOU (-5.5)

Carolina at Kansas City (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: KCY, Against the Spread: KCY (+3.5)

San Francisco at St. Louis (Sunday 1pm) – Straight Up: SFO, Against the Spread: STL (+7.5)

Tampa Bay at Denver (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: DEN, Against the Spread: DEN (-6.5)

Cleveland at Oakland (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: OAK, Against the Spread: OAK (-0.5)

Cincinnati at San Diego (Sunday 4pm) – Straight Up: CIN, Against the Spread: CIN (-1.5)

START ‘EM/ANTI-START ‘EM/ESPN.com GRIDIRON CHALLENGE

We are participating in the ESPN Gridiron Challenge on ESPN.com.  The object is to pick the best team possible with a $50 million salary cap.  However, we are adding another wrinkle.  The object of the ESPN.com is to buy low and sell high and the more you accomplish that, the more money you get in your salary cap.  My goal is to put together a nine-man unit (2 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) that is better than another nine-man unit at a similar price.

So far this season, my nine-man squad is 6-5-1 against a comparable squad with a 5-0-1 record in the last six weeks:

Week 1: Head-to-Head – L, 107-124; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 2: Head-to-Head – L, 73-98; By Position – 3-6

Week 3: Head-to-Head – L, 103-139; By Position – 3-6

Week 4: Head-to-Head – L, 105-118; By Position – 4-5

Week 5: Head-to-Head – W, 110-56; By Position – 7-2

Week 6: Head-to-Head – L, 98-127; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 7: Head-to-Head – W, 119-80; By Position – 6-3

Week 8: Head-to-Head – T, 75-75; By Position – 3-5-1

Week 9: Head-to-Head – W, 138-105; By Position – 4-4-1

Week 10: Head-to-Head – W, 145-43; By Position – 9-0

Week 11: Head-to-Head – W, 100-65; By Position – 5-4

Week 12: Head-to-Head – W, 98-95; By Position – 5-4

TOTALS: W-L: 6-5-1, PF: 1271, PA: 1115, By Position: 53-51-4

Here is the Week 13 entry in the Gridrion Challenge, our “Start ‘Em” team, along with our comparable “Anti-Start ‘Em” team, which is our opponent for the week:

(all dollar figures in millions)

Start ‘Em Team	POS	Anti-Start ‘Em Team
Peyton Manning DEN ($7.5)	QB	Carson Palmer OAK ($6.4)
Colin Kaepernick SFO ($5.2)	QB	Russell Wilson SEA ($6.0)
Chris Johnson TEN ($7.6)	RB	Marshawn Lynch SEA ($8.1)
Jacquizz Rodgers ATL ($5.4)	RB	Shane Vereen NE ($5.7)
Brandon LaFell CAR ($6.1)	WR	Torrey Smith BAL ($6.5)
T.Y. Hilton IND ($5.0)	WR	Antonio Brown PIT ($5.5)
Dallas Clark TBY ($4.8)	TE	Jermichael Finley GBY ($4.7)
Matt Prater DEN ($4.4)	K	Sebastian Janikowski OAK ($4.1)
New York Jets NYJ ($4.0)	DEF	Philadelphia Eagles PHL ($3.0)
$50.0 million	TOTAL	$50.0 million

Catch me on "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment, Saturday morning at 11am ET.

Week 12 NFL Picks

KNOCKOUT POOL/ESPN.com ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE

The success in the Knockout Pool continued last week, but the success was by the hair of our chinny-chin-chin.  Picking Dallas in November is normally a good bet, but Cleveland tested that theory, and our patience, as the Cowboys finally disposed of the Browns in overtime to help us to our 11^th straight victory to start the season.

This week’s pick: Indianapolis defeating Buffalo

Now, we are starting to get to the nitty-gritty.  I was thinking of Denver over Kansas City, but I do not like going with a road team in a Knockout Pool.  How about Cincinnati, at home against Oakland?  Carson Palmer could have a revenge win against his old team that gave up on him.  Instead, I will go with the Colts.  Indianapolis is gunning for the playoffs and they hit a speed bump in Foxboro last week against the Patriots.  But, they are back home and heading into a game where they are favored.  I like the Colts to pick up where they left off a couple of weeks ago and come up winners in this one.

PAST PICKS

Week 1: Houston (W vs. MIA)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants (W vs. TBY)

Week 3: Chicago (W vs. STL)

Week 4: Baltimore (W vs. CLE)

Week 5: San Francisco (W vs. BUF)

Week 6: N.Y. Jets (W vs. IND)

Week 7: Minnesota (W vs. ARZ)

Week 8: Green Bay (W vs. JAX)

Week 9: Seattle (W vs. MIN)

Week 10: Pittsburgh (W vs. KCY)

Week 11: Dallas (W vs. CLE)

GAME PICKS/ESPN.com PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM

Here are the game picks for this week.  We also have a “Sports With the StatMan” entry in the ESPN.com Pigskin Pick ‘Em for games against the spread.  We talk about the local games and the three of the other most important games, our “Big Games”, on our weekly This Week in Fantasy Sports segment on Saturdays, but we pick every game, every week here on the blog.  Here they are:

LOCAL GAMES

Last Week: 2-1 straight up, 2-1 against the spread

Season: 25-13 straight up, 20-17-1 against the spread

Week 12 Picks:

New England at N.Y. Jets – Straight Up: NE, Against the Spread: NYJ (+6.5)

Green Bay at N.Y. Giants – Straight Up: NYG, Against the Spread: NYG (-2.5)

Carolina at Philadelphia – Straight Up: CAR, Against the Spread: CAR (+2.5)

BIG GAMES

Last Week: 2-1 straight up, 2-1 against the spread

Season: 27-7 straight up, 19-15 against the spread

Week 12 Picks:

Minnesota at Chicago – Straight Up: CHI, Against the Spread: CHI (-5.5)

Atlanta at Tampa Bay – Straight Up: ATL, Against the Spread: ATL (-0.5)

San Francisco at New Orleans – Straight Up: SFO, Against the Spread: SFO (-1.5)

OTHER GAMES

Last Week: 8-0 straight up, 5-3 against the spread

Season: 57-31 straight up, 46-42 against the spread

Week 12 Picks:

Houston at Detroit – Straight Up: DET, Against the Spread: DET (+3.5)

Washington at Dallas – Straight Up: DAL, Against the Spread: DAL (-3.5)

Oakland at Cincinnati – Straight Up: CIN, Against the Spread: OAK (+7.5)

Pittsburgh at Cleveland – Straight Up: CLE, Against the Spread: CLE (+3.5)

Buffalo at Indianapolis – Straight Up: IND, Against the Spread: IND (-3.5)

Denver at Kansas City – Straight Up: DEN, Against the Spread: DEN (-10.5)

Seattle at Miami – Straight Up: SEA, Against the Spread: SEA (-2.5)

Tennessee at Jacksonville – Straight Up: TEN, Against the Spread: TEN (-2.5)

Baltimore at San Diego – Straight Up: BAL, Against the Spread: BAL (-0.5)

St. Louis at Arizona – Straight Up: ARZ, Against the Spread: ARZ (-2.5)

START ‘EM/ANTI-START ‘EM/ESPN.com GRIDIRON CHALLENGE

We are participating in the ESPN Gridiron Challenge on ESPN.com.  The object is to pick the best team possible with a $50 million salary cap.  However, we are adding another wrinkle.  The object of the ESPN.com is to buy low and sell high and the more you accomplish that, the more money you get in your salary cap.  My goal is to put together a nine-man unit (2 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) that is better than another nine-man unit at a similar price.

So far this season, my nine-man squad is 5-5-1 against a comparable squad:

Week 1: Head-to-Head – L, 107-124; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 2: Head-to-Head – L, 73-98; By Position – 3-6

Week 3: Head-to-Head – L, 103-139; By Position – 3-6

Week 4: Head-to-Head – L, 105-118; By Position – 4-5

Week 5: Head-to-Head – W, 110-56; By Position – 7-2

Week 6: Head-to-Head – L, 98-127; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 7: Head-to-Head – W, 119-80; By Position – 6-3

Week 8: Head-to-Head – T, 75-75; By Position – 3-5-1

Week 9: Head-to-Head – W, 138-105; By Position – 4-4-1

Week 10: Head-to-Head – W, 145-43; By Position – 9-0

Week 11: Head-to-Head – W, 100-65; By Position – 5-4

TOTALS: W-L: 5-5-1, PF: 1173, PA: 1020, By Position: 48-47-4

Here is the Week 12 entry in the Gridrion Challenge, our “Start ‘Em” team, along with our comparable “Anti-Start ‘Em” team, which is our opponent for the week:

(all dollar figures in millions)

Start ‘Em Team	POS	Anti-Start ‘Em Team
Carson Palmer OAK ($6.8)	QB	Cam Newton CAR ($7.1)
Jake Locker TEN ($5.5)	QB	Ryan Fitzpatrick BUF ($6.1)
C.J. Spiller BUF ($7.4)	RB	Marshawn Lynch SEA ($8.2)
Jacquizz Rodgers ATL ($5.1)	RB	Reggie Bush MIA ($6.5)
Larry Fitzgerald ARZ ($6.4)	WR	DeSean Jackson PHL ($6.1)
Hakeem Nicks NYG ($5.4)	WR	Andre Roberts ARZ ($5.1)
Dwayne Allen IND ($4.8)	TE	Jacob Tamme DEN ($4.5)
Robbie Gould CHI ($4.4)	K	Alex Henery PHL ($3.8)
Cleveland Browns CLE ($4.2)	DEF	Oakland Raiders OAK ($2.6)
$50.0 million	TOTAL	$50.0 million

Catch me on "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment, Saturday morning at 11am ET.

Week 11 NFL Picks

KNOCKOUT POOL/ESPN.com ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE

Our 10^th pick in our Knockout Pool was Pittsburgh last Monday night against Kansas City.  It should have been easy, but it was most definitely not.  Kansas City dragged Pittsburgh into overtime, but the Steelers survived and so did we.

This week’s pick: Dallas defeating Cleveland

Dallas has been playing well lately and the Cowboys look to be the main challenger to the Giants for the NFC East division title.  Cleveland has been as weak as Kansas City this season and it will be the wrong time to face Dallas.  Tony Romo has been very successful in November and I think it will continue at home against a weaker club.

PAST PICKS

Week 1: Houston (W vs. MIA)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants (W vs. TBY)

Week 3: Chicago (W vs. STL)

Week 4: Baltimore (W vs. CLE)

Week 5: San Francisco (W vs. BUF)

Week 6: N.Y. Jets (W vs. IND)

Week 7: Minnesota (W vs. ARZ)

Week 8: Green Bay (W vs. JAX)

Week 9: Seattle (W vs. MIN)

Week 10: Pittsburgh (W vs. KCY)

GAME PICKS/ESPN.com PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM

Here are the game picks for this week.  We also have a “Sports With the StatMan” entry in the ESPN.com Pigskin Pick ‘Em for games against the spread.  We talk about the local games and the three of the other most important games, our “Big Games”, on our weekly This Week in Fantasy Sports segment on Saturdays, but we pick every game, every week here on the blog.  Here they are:

LOCAL GAMES

Last Week: 3-1 straight up, 1-3 against the spread

Season: 23-12 straight up, 18-16-1 against the spread

Week 11 Picks:

Indianapolis at New England – Straight Up: NE, Against the Spread: NE (-9.5)

N.Y. Jets at St. Louis – Straight Up: STL, Against the Spread: STL (-3.5)

Philadelphia at Washington – Straight Up: WSH, Against the Spread: WSH (-3.5)

Bye week: N.Y. Giants

BIG GAMES

Last Week: 1-2 straight up, 1-2 against the spread

Season: 25-6 straight up, 17-14 against the spread

Week 11 Picks:

Green Bay at Detroit – Straight Up: GBY, Against the Spread: GBY (-3.5)

Baltimore at Pittsburgh – Straight Up: BAL, Against the Spread: BAL (+3.5)

Chicago at San Francisco – Straight Up: CHI, Against the Spread: CHI (+4.5)

OTHER GAMES

Last Week: 5-2 straight up, 5-2 against the spread

Season: 49-31 straight up, 41-39 against the spread

Week 11 Picks:

Miami at Buffalo – Straight Up: BUF, Against the Spread: BUF (-1.5)

Arizona at Atlanta – Straight Up: ATL, Against the Spread: ATL (-9.5)

Cleveland at Dallas – Straight Up: DAL, Against the Spread: DAL (-7.5)

Cincinnati at Kansas City – Straight Up: CIN, Against the Spread: CIN (-3.5)

Tampa Bay at Carolina – Straight Up: TBY, Against the Spread: TBY (-1.5)

Jacksonville at Houston – Straight Up: HOU, Against the Spread: HOU (-15.5)

New Orleans at Oakland – Straight Up: NO, Against the Spread: NO (-4.5)

San Diego at Denver – Straight Up: DEN, Against the Spread: SDG (+7.5)

START ‘EM/ANTI-START ‘EM/ESPN.com GRIDIRON CHALLENGE

We are participating in the ESPN Gridiron Challenge on ESPN.com.  The object is to pick the best team possible with a $50 million salary cap.  However, we are adding another wrinkle.  The object of the ESPN.com is to buy low and sell high and the more you accomplish that, the more money you get in your salary cap.  My goal is to put together a nine-man unit (2 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) that is better than another nine-man unit at a similar price.

So far this season, my nine-man squad is 4-5-1 against a comparable squad:

Week 1: Head-to-Head – L, 107-124; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 2: Head-to-Head – L, 73-98; By Position – 3-6

Week 3: Head-to-Head – L, 103-139; By Position – 3-6

Week 4: Head-to-Head – L, 105-118; By Position – 4-5

Week 5: Head-to-Head – W, 110-56; By Position – 7-2

Week 6: Head-to-Head – L, 98-127; By Position – 2-6-1

Week 7: Head-to-Head – W, 119-80; By Position – 6-3

Week 8: Head-to-Head – T, 75-75; By Position – 3-5-1

Week 9: Head-to-Head – W, 138-105; By Position – 4-4-1

Week 10: Head-to-Head – W, 145-43; By Position – 9-0

TOTALS: W-L: 4-5-1, PF: 1073, PA: 955, By Position: 43-43-4

Here is the Week 11 entry in the Gridrion Challenge, our “Start ‘Em” team, along with our comparable “Anti-Start ‘Em” team, which is our opponent for the week:

(all dollar figures in millions)

Start ‘Em Team	POS	Anti-Start ‘Em Team
Andrew Luck IND ($6.9)	QB	Joe Flacco BAL ($6.1)
Sam Bradford STL ($5.8)	QB	Philip Rivers SDG ($6.1)
Steven Jackson STL ($6.5)	RB	Matt Forte CHI ($7.2)
Mark Ingram NO ($4.4)	RB	Isaac Redman PIT ($6.3)
Randall Cobb GBY ($6.4)	WR	Demaryius Thomas DEN ($7.2)
Dez Bryant DAL ($6.1)	WR	Danario Alexander SDG ($4.2)
Dustin Keller NYJ ($4.9)	TE	Dwayne Allen IND ($4.6)
Greg Zuerlein STL ($3.8)	K	Garrett Hartley NO ($3.9)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers TBY ($4.8)	DEF	Indianapolis Colts IND ($4.0)
$49.6 million	TOTAL	$49.6 million

Catch me on "Sports With The StatMan" on Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment, Saturday morning at 11am ET.