8A
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008
COMMENTARY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre passes the ball during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the New York Giants Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Fantasy football preview
The good, the bad and the potential to be injured
Let's talk about an issue I know everyone is dying to tackle: Brett Favre. You haven't heard enough about his career over the summer, right? Sarcasm aside, I want to look at Favre's melodrama from another angle. How effective will he be considering the lingering effects of the Madden Curse?
Everyone will now be watching Favre's season very closely, not just because of the three-ring circus he created over the summer, but also to see if the Madden Curse will live on.
Electronic Arts must be kicking itself for choosing Favre as its cover boy. It probably thought it could get past the stigma of the Madden Curse by putting a retired athlete on the cover. Then Favre decides he isn't done playing football after all.
Maybe Favre thought he could avoid the curse by being traded. From a fantasy stand point I am really wary of Favre. He could have a pretty good season, at least better than either one of the Jets' previous quarterback options, but the Madden Curse has proven time and time again that it is bent on wrecking havoc on some of the best players in the NFL. Favre may end up being a more legitimate bench quarterback for your fantasy team this year. Take him in one of the middle rounds of your draft and exercise caution in playing him.
I know you're tired of hearing about Favre, so let's take a look at some other players that switched uniforms and how effective they could be for your fantasy team.
ALGE CRUPLER,
TIGHT END,
TENNESSEE TITANS
Alge Crumpler was one of the top tight ends in the NFL while he played with Michael Vick for Atlanta. Theabsence ofVickcreated harsh times forCrumpler and his
numbers suffered. The addition of deep-threat wide receiver Roddy White also contributed to diminishing Crumpler's role in Atlanta's passing game. Now Crumpler is in Tennessee where the wide receivers are a bit more lackluster when compared to the Falcons, and he is working with another mobile quarterback similar to Vick — Vince Young. Crumpler should see his numbers come up dramatically after a disappointing year last season for Atlanta. You can put off taking a tight end until about the eighth round if you wait for Crumpler and bide your time drafting some of the top running backs and wide receivers.
Projected Stats:
763 receiving yards, 68
receptions, 7 touchdowns
Javon Walker has been injury prone throughout his career in the NFL, that's no secret, but when he is healthy he is one of the best wide receivers in the league. Three years ago, the Packers couldn't risk any more of his injury problems and the Broncos traded for Walker at a fairly low price. Walker has only played two complete seasons, but they have both been stellar with more than 1,000 receiving yards and at least eight touchdowns in each season. If the Raiders get the same success that the Broncos got from Walker in his first season with the team, Walker could be a steal between the seventh and ninth rounds
JAVON WALKER,
WIDE RECEIVER,
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Projected Stats:
1,134 receiving yards, 82 receptions, 9 touchdowns
THOMAS JONES
RUNNING BACK
NEW YORK JETS
Thomas Jones didn't get traded or sign with a new team, but the talent the jets have surrounded him with are high enough to get excited about the possibility of Jones as a viable fantasy threat. The Jets added one of the best fullbacks in the game in Tony Richardson as he's combined with all Pro left guard Alan Faneca and right tackle
Damien Woody. The revamped line and Richardson should help clear a lot of running room for Thomas Jones. And then there's Favre. Don't be afraid to take Jones in the third round because he may be gone by the time you draft in the fourth round.
ISAAC BRUCE,
WIDE RECEIVER,
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Projected Stats: 1,327 rushing yards, 312 carries, 10 touchdowns
Isaac Bruce is getting old and I would normally advise you to avoid old wide receivers like the plague, but Bruce may be in for one last hoorah. He teams up with his old head coach, Mike Martz, who is now the offensive coordinator in San Francisco. Bruce has been overshadowed in the past by Torry Holt in St. Louis, but none of San Francisco's receivers are a major threat to decrease Bruce's playing team.
In fact, his gracefulness and superb route running will be a welcome addition to the San Francisco passing game. It is only a question of how effective the quarterbacks can be in San Francisco that could make or break Bruce's season. Bruce is projected as a tenth round pick. It is doubtful he will go that high, so look to draft him if he is still available in the thirteenth round.
988 receiving yards, 78
receptions, 8 touchdowns
Projected stats:
Jared Allen won't make an individual difference on your fantasy roster, but he could make all the difference on the Minnesota Vikings' defense. The Vikings were the best-run defense in the league last year. Allen will bring pressure to opposing offenses in the Vikings' pass defense. The secondary is serviceable, but the heat Allen can bring to opposing backfields will give wide receivers less time to get away from Minnesota's secondary. If you can wait to take a defense in the eleventh or twelfth rounds, Minnesota should still be there.
MINNESOTA'S DEFENSE
Edited by Andy Greenhaw
FOOTBALL
Bradford will carry Sooners
BY TAYLOR BERN
thern@kansan.com
In this Dec. 1, 2007, file photo, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford looks to pass against Missouri in the first quarter of the Big 12 Conference championship football game in San Antonio. Bradford led the Sooners to yet another Big 12 title and threw an NCAA freshman record 36 touchdown passes. He also led the county in pass efficiency with a rating of 176.5.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
With a freshman quarterback and a plethora of new players on defense, Oklahoma was supposed to take a dip last season. Not under coach Bob Stoops' watch.
The Sooners suffered a couple of tough losses but still carved out an 11-win season and reached a BCS bowl game for the sixth time in eight years.
Now the national championship talk is everywhere in Norman, Okla., and Stoops' crew is more than capable of bringing home the hardware.
The Sooners will return eight starters from a unit that scored 42.3 points per game, the fifth most in the nation.
OFFENSE
As a freshman, Sam Bradford put up video game-type numbers while directing the Oklahoma offense. He completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,121 yards.
The video game part? Bradford threw 36 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Before he's done, Bradford will likely re-write all of Jason White's school passing records.
Also returning in the backfield is sophomore running back DeMarco Murray. Last year, Murray was Allen Patrick's backup but averaged more yards per attempt (6.0 to 5.8) and scored more touchdowns (13 to 8).
"DeMarco is an explosive, exciting player," Stoops said. "He's one of those special athletes that everyone sees the great speed and the moves he has, but he's a physical guy, too."
His numbers could have beer even better, but Murray missed the last three games of the year because of a knee injury. Stoops said Murray is at full strength, but if the knee causes a problem there is another back ready to step in.
Junior Chris Brown amassed 611 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in third string duty and filling in for Murray at the end of the season.
No matter who's carrying the ball, you'll do so behind a beastly offensive line. Oklahoma brings back five senior starters who average about 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds. It will be a disappointment if OU doesn't average more than 200 rushing yards per game.
A pair of seniors who helped their young quarterback mature return at wide receiver. Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson have
as much to do with Bradford's success as he does, the trio should all help each other out this year.
DEFENSE
At least one of Oklahoma's players in each defensive unit could be considered the best player in the Big 12 at his position.
Defensive end Austin English, middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds and strong safety Nic Harris are all elite playmakers and lead the Sooner defensive attack.
Oklahoma's defensive line is its best unit, and English is the best one among them. A speedy pass rusher, English led the league with 9.5 sacks last season.
The linebackers are young (freshman Travis Lewis is a projected starter) and Reynolds has fought injuries throughout his career. However, he's looked strong and sharp in practice, and he said he knew his leadership was needed following Curtis Lofton's graduation.
In the secondary, Harris' violent hitting should help ease the loss of corner back Reggie Smith.
Harris is versatile and could play any position in the secondary, as can free safety Lendy Holmes. Stoops will have to rely on these two experienced players to guide his otherwise youthful secondary.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Stoops was probably searching
for the reset button a few times last season.
Despite all of the talent they put on the field, the Sooners often looked uninterested in what they were doing. The consequence of which was a tough loss at Texas Tech and embarrassing defeats at Colorado and against West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.
In any other season, Oklahoma's 27-24 loss in Boulder would have been the upset of the year. Fortunately for Stoops, 2007 was the year of upsets, and his team was able to slip under the radar and back into the national picture.
Oklahoma will be favored in every game it plays and should Missouri advance out of the North, Bradford and crew will have plenty of confidence after winning both contests last year.
Injuries to a few key players or another case of not taking every game seriously could be a problem, but all of the pieces are in place. The only Big 12 team that could get in their way is themselves.
This year the expectations in Norman are Big 12 and national championships or bust.
PREDICTION
BASEBALL
13-0,
BCS NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Edited by Lauren Keith
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nelson Cruz had three hits including a three-run homer in his season debut, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Monday night.
Cruz, promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma earlier in the day, homered in the third with Josh Hamilton and Marlon Byrd aboard. Cruz hit .342 with 37 home runs at Oklahoma and led the minors with a .693 slugging percentage.
Last July 28, Cruz was recalled from the minors and had two
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rangers beat Royals with 4-run eighth
Milton Bradley, Michael Young and Joaquin Arias also had three hits and the Rangers had 19—one shy of its season high. Every Rangers starter had at least one hit and six had at least two to help Texas win for the second time in eight games.
homers and five RBIs at Kansas City in his first game of the season for Texas.
Bradley drove in three runs, giving him a career-high 68 RBIs. Chris Davis led off the eighth with his 13th run.
The Royals have lost eight of nine and 15 of 18.
Royals right-hander Gil Meche (10-10) gave up a career-high 14 hits, allowing five runs in 6 1-3 innings to lose for the first time since July 2. He had been 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. Meche is 0-4 against the Rangers since last beating them on April 28, 2005, while with Seattle.
The Royals were within two after seven innings, but the Rangers sent eight men to the plate in a four-run eighth, which included a run-producing single by Josh Hamilton, bringing his RBI total to a major league-leading 116.
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