Rangers Fan Fest 2009

Rangers met with Ben Sheets today. Could he be making an appearance tomorrow? I hope so.

Autograph Sessions

Time	Diamond Club A	Diamond Club B	Bullpen Grill	Majestic Gift Shop
10AM	Josh Hamilton	Tommy Hunter Kevin Millwood	MIchael Young	Ray Burris Mike Jeffcoat Bobby Jones Ellis Valentine
11AM	None	Ron Washington Rudy Jaramillo Johnny Narron	Mike Ballard Derek Holland Kasey Kiker	Scott Coolbaugh Larry Hardy Jeff Russell Curtis Wilkerson
Noon	Chris Davis	David Murphy	BLAKE BEAVAN Andrew Laughter Tim Murphy	Dave Barnett Jose Guzman Josh Lewin Eric Nadel Eleno Ornelas
1PM	Ian Kinsler	Scott Feldman Guillermo Moscoso	Neftali Feliz Michael Main Kevin Richardson	Bill Fahey Tom Grieve Pete O'Brien Dan Smith
2PM	Taylor Teagarden Jose Vallejo	Travis Metcalf Doug Mathis	None	Steve Buechele Dave Hostetler Mike Simms Bill Stein
3PM	Matt Harrison Warner Madrigal	Luis Mendoza	None	Rich Billings Jeff Kunkel Frank Lucchesi Jim Sundberg
4PM	John Bannister Jarrod Saltalamacchia	Brandon McCarthy Omar Poveda	None	None

Rangers are adding back the "Ranger Red" finally. It comes now as an alternate uniform. I hope it becomes a much used uniform.

Home Plate

Trade Watchin': Part VI

The Texas Rangers came out with their promotional schedule Wednesday and they only have one bobblehead listed thus far. They normally have three a season, so I am not sure who the other two will be, but here are the ones that grabbed my eye.

Rangers Promotions of Interest:

• May 2nd – Nolan Ryan Replica Statue
• May 16th – Josh Hamilton Bobblehead
• June 17th – Reusable Grocery Bag
• Sept 12th – Salsa Bowl

Right now, the schedule is full of concerts and Friday night fireworks. Both do not really interest me really at all. Most of the bands are groups I have never heard of and the ones that I have, well, they aren’t my flavor. Maybe when Dave Matthews plays a post game concert for the Rangers, I will become interested. I’d also settle for U2 or Coldplay… I’m not really at all picky.

I find it difficult to throw down any predictions for what the Rangers will do in 2009. I am still praying for them to land Sheets, which would move Millwood and Padilla from #1 and #2 respectfully to #2 and #3. Millwood isn’t an Ace pitcher. His time in the Rangers rotation has proven that he is not an Ace. But if he were to move to a #2 spot, I think he would do better.

Randy Johnson has signed with the Giants, so that ship has sailed.

The Yankees wouldn’t know what to do if the MLB created a salary cap. I mean, working without a budget for so long… you would have to think that the government is running the Yankees.

Eric Gagne is still on the table. So is Pedro. Oliver Perez and Andy Pettitte are also still looking for work.

Now here is a dreamy thought… what if the Rangers signed Sheets and Pedro or Perez? You could have Sheets in the #1 slot, with Millwood in the #2, Padilla in the #3, followed by Perez (whom you could really move up or down the rotation between the 2 and 4 slots) and finish it up with Matt Harrison.

#1: Sheets
#2: Padilla
#3: Millwood
#4: Perez
#5: Harrison

I wouldn’t have a problem using that rotation. And if we do in fact add Manny Ramirez (which I am really starting to think that would be a BIG mistake), we would be putting up some large numbers on the scoreboard and keeping the other side from scoring, at least one thru four and then Harrison on the fifth day is still pretty good. And he’ll just get better and better.

The reason I say that Ramirez would be a mistake is I just don’t think he would “gel” well with this team. I think he could be more of a distraction than anything good that he might add to this team. Let him sign somewhere else. If he does sign with the Rangers (and that could be a possibility, a long shot, but still), then I will welcome him with a sense of caution. It could work out for all I know.

I guess as of right now, I don’t really think the Rangers are going to do too hot… but I want to get a better feel for what this team will look like and the only way for that to happen is wait until spring training gets here and things will start to lock down as free agency really comes to a close. Remember, the Rangers haven’t signed anybody to a big league deal this off-season. And I am wondering if they will.

Trade Watchin': Part V

Here is an update on the Rangers off-season trades. On the Trading Block:

• One Ranger Catcher is Safe (includes Saltalamacchia, Teagarden, and Ramirez), but we really do not know which one it is that is safe.
• Vicente Padilla
• Kevin Millwood
• Hank Blalock
• Marlon Byrd
• Greg Olson (from John Mayberry Jr. trade)

Already Traded Away:

• Kameron Loe (to Japan for cash)
• John Mayberry Jr. (for Greg Olson)
• Wes Littleton (to Boston for Beau Vaughan)
• Gerald Laird (to Detroit for Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo)

Arbitration Eligible:

• Marlon Byrd

Free Agents Signed:

• Joe Torres (minor league deal)
• Elizardo Ramirez (minor league deal)
• Derrick Turnbow (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Doug Mathis (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Casey Daigle (minor league deal)
• Brian Gordon (minor league deal)

Notable:

• Brandon McCarthy (signed a one year deal; avoided arbitration)
• Frankie Francisco (signed a one year deal; avoided arbitration)
• C.J. Wilson (signed a one year deal; avoided arbitration)

Off-Season Tally

Off-Season 08-09	Players Left	Players Aquired	Cash
Trades	4	4	1
Free Agents	4	6	N/A

According to one local beat reporter in the last hour, the club is not only close to a contract with 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel but will apparently be able to bring him in on a non-roster deal, meaning he won't require a spot on the 40-man roster, which currently stands at 39 members, unless and until he makes the Opening Day roster. Elvis Andrus, incidentally, is also off the roster, so he'll need to be added to the 40-man when he first shows up with the big league club, whether that's to start the season or not.

The Rangers have not signed a Big-League free agent thus far this off-season.

I am happy that the whole Michael Young "trade" incident worked out. I seriously did not want to see him leave, and especially on those terms. My heart broke for like a minute, but I got some duct tape and took care of that. It's all good now.

Home Plate

Trade Watchin': Part IV

Here is an update on the Rangers off-season trades. On the Trading Block:

• One Ranger Catcher is Safe (includes Saltalamacchia, Teagarden, and Ramirez), but we really do not know which one it is that is safe.
• Vicente Padilla
• Kevin Millwood
• Hank Blalock
• Marlon Byrd
• Greg Olson (from John Mayberry Jr. trade)

Already Traded Away:

• Kameron Loe (to Japan for cash)
• John Mayberry Jr. (for Greg Olson)
• Wes Littleton (to Boston for Beau Vaughan)
• Gerald Laird (to Detroit for Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo)

Arbitration Eligible:

• Frankie Francisco
• C.J. Wilson
• Marlon Byrd

Free Agents Signed:

• Joe Torres (minor league deal)
• Elizardo Ramirez (minor league deal)
• Derrick Turnbow (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Doug Mathis (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Casey Daigle (minor league deal)
• Brian Gordon (minor league deal)

Notable:

• Brandon McCarthy (signed a one year deal; avoided arbitration)

Off-Season Tally

Off-Season 08-09	Players Left	Players Aquired	Cash
Trades	4	4	1
Free Agents	4	6	N/A

Rangers ranked #1 with the best farm system in baseball. This isn't the first time that Baseball America has ranked the Rangers farm system the tops in baseball. The Rangers also grabbed the honor in 1990. Look at the top ten prospects then and now:

Top Ten Prospects

Rank	1990	2009
First	Juan Gonzalez, OF	Neftali Feliz, RHP
Second	Robb Nenn, RHP	Derek Holland, LHP
Third	Donald Harris, OF	Justin Smoak, 1B
Fourth	Dean Palmer, 3B	Elvis Andrus, SS
Fifth	Brian Bohanon, LHP	Martin Perez, LHP
Sixth	Kevin Belcher, OF	Taylor Teagarden, C
Seventh	Dan Peltier, OF	Engel Beltre, OF
Eighth	Scott Coolbaugh, 3B	Michael Main, RHP
Ninth	Monty Fariss, SS	Julio Borbon, OF
Tenth	Eric McCray, LHP	Max Ramirez, C/1B

Juan Gonzalez won a couple of MVPs. Nenn did some pitching in the Majors. Harris played three partial seasons in the Majors, but was mostly forgettable. Palmer played OK third base, but was bothered by injuries. Brian Bohanon pitched for 12 seasons, and had a career 5.19 ERA. Kevin Belcher had 15 career at-bats at the Major League level. Dan Peltier did a little better, collecting 243 career at-bats spread over 3 seasons. Scott Coolbaugh split four seasons in the Majors with 432 career at-bats. He played for the Rangers, Padres and Cardinals. Monty Fariss played three seasons in the Majors, collecting 226 at-bats and a .217 batting average for the Rangers and Marlins. Eric McCray never cracked the Major League level.

In comparrison, the 2009 team has: Andrus making his Major League debut this upcoming season. Teagarden and Ramirez have at-bats already on the ML level, and Smoak is said to be as good, if not better than Mark Teixeira. And if you think a prospect like Smoak should be a #1, and here he sits at #3... well, that should tell you the quality of the top 2. Feliz and Harrison both threw no-hitters in the minors (at AA Frisco). Harrison finished the season in the Majors. Holland is just as good as Feliz and many groups interchange where Feliz and Holland sit in the top two.

Both of these two groups were the best of the minor leagues. Which group is better? Already knowing how the 1990 group turned out, it seems easy to see that the 2009 class is much, much better... but maybe that is putting the cart before the horse.

Home Plate

Texas Rangers Fan Fest 2009

My little family is going to be going. It should be a blast. If you can make it, I would suggest you do, there will be more than enough players to get autographs from this year and tons of fun for the entire family. My son is now closing in on four years of age and will have a complete blast.

Home Plate

NFL Playoffs 2009

Really, the Steelers wouldn't be a hard pick when looking at the brackets from the get-go. The Cardinals are a bit of a shocker, with a 9-7 record coming into the Playoffs. I think they have made believers out of some people. The Cardinals are going to be the underdogs in this matchup, which shouldn't come as to a surprise to anyone, especially since the Steelers have the #1 defense.

Quick Pick for the Super Bowl: Cardinals (why not, right?)

Home Field

NFL Playoffs 2009

Here's my Quick Picks on who will be heading to the Super Bowl:

• Ravens against Steelers: I like the Ravens.
• Eagles against Cardinals: I like the Cardinals.

Birds in the Bowl? Well, there will be at least one team that has a bird logo... 75% of the remaining teams have a bird in their logo. The home team has won 3 of 8 times... with only three more games to play, still, with the Super Bowl considered a neutral location and that they "assign" a home team, should it really count in those standings?

Home Field

AFC Championship Game

The Ravens are one of two #6 seeds in a Championship this weekend. Could it be a Super Bowl filled with two #6 seeds? And it just scratches my head to see a #4 seed hosting a conference championship. It's just weird, yet intriguing. The Steelers won both meetings this season, the first in overtime and the second by a 13-9 margin on Dec 14th.

Quarterback Comparison

Name	QB Rating	Comp-Att	Comp %	Yards	TD-Int	Fumbles
Joe Flacco	80.3	257-428	60.0%	2,971	14-12	11
Ben Roethlisberger	80.1	281-469	59.9%	3,301	17-15	4

Flacco is 20-45 in the postseason with one touchdown and no interceptions. He has 296 yards in two playoff games. Roethlisberger went 17-26 against the Chargers and has a 98.4 QB rating in the playoffs.

Rushing Comparison

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Catches	Yards	TDs
Le'Ron McClain	232	902	10	19	123	1
Willie Parker	210	791	5	3	13	0

Parker rushed for 146 yards in one game thus far into the playoffs. If the Ravens are going to win, they do need to stopthe run enough to force a passing game. They have the pass coverage that can grab the well needed turnover.

Receiving Comparison

Name	Catches	Yards	TDs	Fumbles
Derrick Mason	80	1,037	5	2
Mark Clayton	41	695	3	0
Todd Heap	35	403	3	1
Hines Ward	81	1,043	7	1
Santonio Holmes	55	821	5	2
Nate Washington	40	631	3	0

Hines Ward has 70 yards receiving and Heath Miller has a touchdown and three catches.

Defense Comparison

Name	Tackles	Sacks	Ints-TD	Deflections
Ray Lewis	117	3.5	3-0	9
Ed Reed	41	1.0	9-2	16
Terrell Suggs	69	8.0	2-2	9
James Farrior	133	3.5	0-0	5
James Harrison	101	16.0	1-0	3
Troy Polamalu	73	0.0	7-0	17

Ed Reed has two interceptions in the post-season with one returned for a touchdown. Suggs has two sacks. The Raven defense has a total of five interceptions this post-season. Larry Foote has an interception, the only one for the Steelers thus far in the post-season. LaMarr Woodley has two sacks.

Forecast: I don't want to pick the home team for the sake of picking the home team. The Ravens have a good thing going, and so it would be just as easy to pick them over the Steelers as it would be the Steelers over the Ravens. I like the Ravens pass defense. And even though the Ravens have lost twice to the Steelers already this season, the have the better pass defense... and they lost both of those games very closely. And so I pick the Ravens to upset the Steelers with a close game here, as well. Score: 16-13.

Home Field

Game 34: Mavs vs. Clippers

The Mavericks are now 20-13 and two games behind the division leading Spurs. The Clippers are 8-25 and 19 1/2 games behind the division leading Lakers. The Lakers now have the #1 record in the NBA, better than the Celtics and better than the Cavaliers. The Cavs have the best defense right now, yielding 89.4 points a game, while the Lakers have the best offense with 107.2 points a game. As it stands now, the Clippers have one of the worst offenses.

Maverick Stats 08-09

Name	Dirk Nowitzki	Jason Terry	Josh Howard	Jason Kidd
Points Per Game	26.0	21.0	18.0	8.6
Rebounds Per Game	8.7	2.6	5.2	6.4
Assists Per Game	2.6	3.6	1.7	8.5
Blocks Per Game	0.84	0.36	0.6	0.45

Some good numbers for the Mavericks leaders. The Clippers beat the Mavericks on November 9th with a score of 103-92. On December 2nd, the Mavericks topped the Clippers with a 100-98 score. They beat them again on December 28th, with a score of 98-76. This game is the final game the two will play during the regular season.

Clipper Stats 08-09

Name	Al Thornton	Cuttino Mobley	Marcus Camby	Eric Gordon
Points Per Game	16.4	13.7	12.0	11.3
Rebounds Per Game	4.9	2.6	13.5	2.3
Assists Per Game	1.4	1.1	2.3	1.7
Blocks Per Game	0.91	0.18	2.79	0.42

Baron Davis is out with a bruised tailbone. Zach Randolph is out with a bruised left knee. Chris Kaman is out with a strained arch on his left foot. Mike Taylor and Ricky Davis are also out. Baron Davis is the assist leader for the Clippers with 8.0 and Randolph leads the team with 23.1 points per game and adds another 9.9 rebounds a game, both huge loses for the Clippers.Forecast: This one is at the AAC. Dallas will win this one, and it won't be close. The Mavericks are coming off a loss, an embarrassing loss, to the Grizzlies. They won't make it two in a row to sub-quality teams. Score: 105-89.

Home Court

Game 33: Brahmas at Oilers

The Brahmas are first in their division. Nice. Tulsa is last in their division. Doubly nice. It should be an easy (or at least easier) game for the Brahmas.

Brahma Stats 08-09

Name	Jordan Cameron	Scott Sheppard	Grant Jacobsen	Pete Rouleau
Goals	13	14	11	9
Assists	18	16	19	14
Points	31	30	30	23
+/-	+10	+8	+8	-2

The Brahmas are 20-9-3 (or 20-12, adjusted) and have a two point lead over Laredo. Three of the top four players are positive and Rouleau is just two points under. Not bad at all. The Brahmas are 1-1 against the Oilers this season.

Oiler Stats 08-09

Name	Jeff Christian	Michel Beausoleil	Brendon Hodge	Jason Lawmaster
Goals	15	12	12	6
Assists	30	27	20	11
Points	45	39	32	17
+/-	-4	+3	-4	-7

What I can't believe is how the Oilers have a guy with 45 pionts and is negative by four. Tulsa is 9-17-4 (or 9-21, adjusted) and in the CHL, they are the second worst team, being only better than Amarillo by two points.

Goalie Comparrison

Name	Games	Record	GAA	SV%
Brett Jaeger	23	14-4-3	2.37	.924
Kevin St. Pierre	23	6-12-4	3.80	.900

Jaeger is better than St. Pierre. His GAA is by far better and the save percentage is much better, too. This is how you have a guy with 45 points and is still in the negative.
Forecast: Brahmas take out the Oilers with a 5-1 margin.

Home Ice

Trade Rumors: Manny Ramirez

SI.com's Jon Heyman checks in with a post on the Rangers; most of the info came up during his recent MLB Network appearance.

• Heyman says the Rangers "are considering a pursuit" of Manny Ramirez, noting that Jon Daniels isn't currently pursuing him but didn't rule it out. Heyman still considers the Dodgers and Giants the top suitors. El Lefty Malo doesn't seem him landing with San Francisco.
• The Rangers maintain interest in Ben Sheets and are also considering bringing Eric Gagne back. T.R. Sullivan also mentions Tim Redding, Chad Cordero, Jason Isringhausen, and Eddie Guardado.
• The Rangers have received inquiries on Vicente Padilla (Braves) and Michael Young. Young has been loosely linked to the Twins, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals. Sullivan names Hank Blalock and Kevin Millwood as other trade candidates.

Well, I wouldn't take calls regarding Michael Young. A trade involving Young is just not allowed. I would not be upset about loosing Hank Blalock if the package is right. And the same goes for Millwood, Padilla, and generally any other Ranger (again with exceptions going to Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton). And prime prospects do have to be protected, such as Smoak and Feliz.

In other news, According to ESPN Radio's Bruce Levine, the Cubs signed Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30MM contract "with some options in the deal." Bradley, 31 in April, had a monster .321/.436/.563 line this year for the Rangers, but he spent only 165 innings in the field. This is the first multiyear deal of his career. If he stays healthy, the switch-hitter will give the Cubs balance in the middle of their order.

I think it should be noted that the Rangers have not signed anyone to a Major League contract. Milton Bradley is a B type free agent, so the Rangers will receive a compensation pick.

I think MLB should get a salary cap. That will stop the Yankees from spending 1/2 a BILLION dollars on three players. That is just my thought on the matter. It's getting out of hand.

Home Plate

Trade Watchin': Part III

Here is an update on the Rangers off-season trades. On the Trading Block:

• One Ranger Catcher is Safe (includes Saltalamacchia, Teagarden, and Ramirez), but we really do not know which one it is that is safe.
• Vicente Padilla
• Kevin Millwood
• Hank Blalock
• Marlon Byrd
• Greg Olson (from John Mayberry Jr. trade)

Already Traded Away:

• Kameron Loe (to Japan for cash)
• John Mayberry Jr. (for Greg Olson)
• Wes Littleton (to Boston for Beau Vaughan)
• Gerald Laird (to Detroit for Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo)

Free Agents Signed:

• Joe Torres (minor league deal)
• Elizardo Ramirez (minor league deal)
• Derrick Turnbow (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Doug Mathis (minor league deal with training camp invitation)
• Casey Daigle (minor league deal)
• Brian Gordon (minor league deal)

Off-Season Tally

Off-Season 08-09	Players Left	Players Aquired	Cash
Trades	4	4	1
Free Agents	4	6	N/A

What is getting interesting is that now that Mark Teixeira is signed away as a Yankee (good riddens), Blalock will be grabbing down more interest. With the catchers, it has to be a deal that the Rangers just can not say no to for them to part with one of them. It has to be sweet. And they are feilding a lot of telephone calls still.

If you would like to take a survey about the Texas Rangers: TX Ranger Survey

Home Plate

Divisional Playoff Brackets

Divisional Games:

• Saturday: Baltimore at Tennessee (3:30 CST)
• Saturday: Arizona at Carolina (7:15 CST)
• Sunday: Philadelphia at NY Giants (Noon CST)
• Sunday: San Diego at Pittsburgh (3:45 CST)

Quickpicks? Baltimore, Carolina, Giants and Steelers.

Home Field

Game 37: Stars at Oilers

Want some good news? The Stars went 8-4-1 in December. The Stars lost to the Oilers in Edmonton on December 3rd... a month ago. It really looks like this team has changed since the start of the season. The Stars are now 16-15-5 (or 16-20, adjusted). The Oilers are 17-16-3 (or 17-19, adjusted). The Oilers are 4-5-1 in their last ten games, including 0-2 in their last two games.

Dallas Stars Player Stats 08-09

Name	Brad Richards	Mike Ribeiro	Loui Eriksson	Mike Modano
Goals	10	6	20	12
Assists	24	26	8	12
Points	34	32	28	24
+/-	-6	-4	+5	0

I like the Stars. Deep down I think they can win. And oddly enough, even though they have a slight edge in performance and a disadvantage in the (+/-), I think they are entering this game as the better team. They are on the way up...

Edmonton Oilers Player Stats 08-09

Name	Ales Hemsky	Shawn Harcoff	Sheldon Souray	Lubomir Visnovsky
Goals	10	10	11	6
Assists	25	16	15	17
Points	35	26	26	23
+/-	+1	+2	0	+7

The Stars top four are better than the Oilers top four... with the exception of the (+/-), but the Oilers are on the way down and the Stars on moving up. Both are technically tied for 11th in the West and both have 37 points each.

Goalie Comparrison

Name	Games (Starts)	Record	GAA	SV%
Marty Turco	33 (33)	15-13-5	3.19	.882
Dwayne Roloson	20 (19)	9-6-3	2.71	.918

Oilers have the better goalie. Turco has been playing a bit better... I still give the edge to the Oilers.
Forecast: I'm going to go against the grain a little and say that the Stars will take this one with a score of 3-1.

Home Ice

Wild Card Game: Ravens at Dolphins

The Dolphins finished with an 11-5 record and they are facing the Ravens who are also 11-5. The Dolphins have won their last five and Baltimore has won their last two. Miami is 5-3 at home, with one of those loses going to the Ravens. The Ravens went 5-3 on the road this season.

Quarterback Comparison

Name	QB Rating	Comp-Att	Comp %	Yards	TD-Int	Fumbles
Chad Pennington	97.4	321-476	67.4%	3,653	19-7	1
Joe Flacco	80.3	257-428	60.0%	2,971	14-12	5

Pennington is the better QB. It really does go without saying, though.

Rushing Comparison

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Catches	Yards	TDs
Ronnie Brown	214	916	10	33	254	0
Ricky Williams	160	659	4	29	219	1
Willis McGahee	170	671	7	24	173	0
Le'Ron McClain	232	902	10	19	123	1

It's not often I enclude two rushers from each team, but I felt it necessary. These two teams are very evenly matched with a good pair of rushers per team. The Dolphins use the passing game with their 'backs, more than the Ravens and that is the only edge I can give between the two teams.

Receiving Comparison

Name	Catches	Yards	TDs	Fumbles
Ted Ginn Jr.	56	790	2	3
Greg Camarillo	55	613	2	0
Davone Bess	54	554	1	0
Derrick Mason	80	1,037	5	2
Mark Clayton	41	695	3	0
Todd Heap	35	403	3	1

Ravens appear to have the upperhand in the receiving side of things.

Defense Comparison

Name	Tackles	Sacks	Ints-TD	Deflections
Yeremiah Bell	120	1.0	0-0	10
Joey Porter	47	17.5	0-0	1
Andre' Goodman	39	0.0	5-0	19
Ray Lewis	117	3.5	3-0	9
Terrell Suggs	68	8.0	2-2	9
Ed Reed	41	1.0	9-2	16

I just don't know if there is a better pass coverage than what the Ravens. Ed Reed has NINE picks with two touches. Their pass rush isn't as good, or as good as the Dolphins, but I think they make up for it in spades with the pass coverage.

Forecast: I am so impressed with the Ravens pass coverage, so impressed, that I really believe that can be the difference. The difference between a win and loss... Ravens take this one, 27-16.

Home Field

Game 32: Mavericks vs. 76ers

The Mavericks are fourth in their division with a 19-12 record. The Mavericks rank 7th in the Western Conference. Philly is third in their division, but ranks ten in the East. They are in the same division as Boston, thus they are getting whipped night after night.

Dallas Mavericks Player Stats 08-09

Name	Dirk Nowitzki	Jason Terry	Josh Howard	Jason Kidd
Points Per Game	25.7	21.1	18.8	8.9
Rebounds Per Game	9.0	2.8	5.3	6.5
Assists Per Game	2.5	3.7	1.7	8.6
Blocks Per Game	0.8	0.4	0.6	0.5

Eric Dampier leads the Mavericks with 1.3 blocks per game and has 8.1 rebounds per game.

76ers Player Stats 08-09

Name	Elton Brand*	Andre Iguodala	Andre Miller	Thaddeus Young
Points Per Game	15.9	15.7	15.2	13.1
Rebounds Per Game	9.8	6.5	3.8	4.8
Assists Per Game	1.5	5.0	6.4	1.1
Blocks Per Game	1.4	0.6	0.2	0.2

Brand is out with an injury. Louis Williams also averages over 10 pooints per game with 12.0 and Samuel Dalembert leads the 76ers with 1.5 blocks per game.Forecast: I like the Mavericks easy in this game. Look for a stomping of the 76ers and a score of 105-84.

Home Court

Wild Card Game: Falcons at Cardinals

Atlanta is 11-5 and is the visitor in Arizona, who is 9-7. Atlanta is 4-4 on the road and the Cardinals are 6-2 at home, so this should be an interesting matchup.

Quarterback Comparison

Name	QB Rating	Comp-Att	Comp %	Yards	TD-Int	Fumbles
Kurt Warner	96.9	401-598	67.1%	4,583	30-14	2
Matt Ryan	87.7	265-434	61.1%	3,440	16-11	4

Cardinals have the better QB. Warner has more TDs, fewer fumbles, a higher completion ratio and over a thousand more passing yards.

Rushing Comparison

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Catches	Yards	TDs
Edgerrin James (Cards)	133	514	3	12	85	0
Tim Hightower (Cards)	143	399	10	34	237	0
Michael Turner	376	1,699	17	6	41	0

Falcons have the better running game. That really goes without saying when you look at these numbers. The Cardinals have two runningbacks and nothing to show for it.

Receiving Comparison

Name	Catches	Yards	TDs	Fumbles
Larry Fitzgerald	96	1,431	12	1
Anquan Boldin	89	1,038	11	3
Steve Breaston	77	1,006	3	0
Roddy White	88	1,382	7	1
Michael Jenkins	50	777	3	0
Jerious Norwood	36	338	2	0

Cardinals have the better receivers. Three receivers with over 1,000 yards is impressive. Very impressive. And the Falcons can't compete with that.

Defense Comparison

Name	Tackles	Sacks	Ints-TD	Deflections
Karlos Dansby	119	4.0	2-0	5
D. Rodgers-Cromartie	42	0.0	4-1	19
Chike Okeafor	60	4.5	1-0	3
Keith Brooking	102	0.0	0-0	3
John Abraham	38	16.5	0-0	1
Chris Houston	61	0.0	2-1	16

It appears that the defenses are pretty much the same, however the Cardinals do not have the pass rush that the Falcons do. They have better pass coverage, though, which is what makes it a little more even.

Forecast: I like the Cardinals in this one. I am not really sure why I like them more than the Falcons, but it just makes sense to me. So, Cardinals win this one 24-20.

Home Field

Wild Card Game: Eagles at Vikings

The Vikings finished with a 10-6 record while the Eagles finished 9-6-1, and scraped into the playoffs with a huge upset over the Cowboys. And that is why I want the Vikings to win... but I will try to be unbiased.

Quarterback Comparison

Name	QB Rating	Comp-Att	Comp %	Yards	TD-Int	Fumbles
Donovan McNabb	86.4	345-571	60.4%	3,916	23-11	7
Gus Frerotte	73.7	178-301	59.1%	2,157	12-15	4

McNabb is the better QB.

Rushing Comparison

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Catches	Yards	TDs
Brian Westbrook	233	936	9	54	402	5
Adrian Peterson	363	1,760	10	21	125	0

Westbrook is more versatile, however Peterson is invaluable as a rusher. I would pick Peterson between the two.

Receiving Comparison

Name	Catches	Yards	TDs	Fumbles
DeSean Jackson	62	912	2	1
Hank Baskett	33	440	3	1
Kevin Curtis	33	390	2	0
Bernard Berrian	48	964	7	0
Bobby Wade	53	645	2	2
Visanthe Shiancoe	42	596	7	0

Vikings have the the better receivers, more impact players who score touchdowns and get the needed yardage.

Defense Comparison

Name	Tackles	Sacks	Ints-TD	Deflections
Asante Samuel	36	5.0	4-1	24
Darren Howard	26	10.0	1-0	3
Quintin Mikell	93	2.0	3-0	9
Jared Allen	54	14.5	0-0	3
Antoine Winfield	95	2.0	2-0	11
Kevin Williams	61	8.5	0-0	5

Jared Allen also has two safeties.

Forecast: Eagles or Vikings... Vikings or Eagles... This one is a tough decision. Will Peterson or McNabb dominate? What if they both do? What defense will step up? I like the Vikings pass rush over the Eagles. Let's go with the Vikings on this one, but a close game, with a score of 37-35.

Home Field

Wild Card Game: Colts at Chargers

This is a rematch of the game played on November 23rd. The Colts won that game by 3 points. The Chargers have won their last four games to make the playoffs, entering the postseason with an 8-8 record. Indianopolis finished with a 12-4 record. The Colts have won their last 9 games. And who is going to pick a team who is 12-4 with 9 wins in a row entering the playoffs as a STRONG wildcard? Well, it would just be foolish... to pick the Chargers.

Quarterback Comparison

Name	QB Rating	Comp-Att	Comp %	Yards	TD-Int	Fumbles
Peyton Manning	95.0	371-555	66.8%	4,002	27-12	1
Philip Rivers	105.5	312-478	65.3%	4,009	34-11	8

Wow, based on statistics, Rivers is the better QB. He has more TDs, fewer interceptions, just a little more yardage and a higher QB rating. He has eight fumbles, four lost, which is a lot more than Manning, who has one fumble that wasn't lost.

Rushing Comparison

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Catches	Yards	TDs
Joseph Addai (Colts)	155	544	5	25	206	2
Dominic Rhodes (Colts)	152	538	6	45	302	3
LaDainian Tomlinson	292	1,110	11	52	426	1

Tomlinson is better than the Colts rushers combined, except when you consider the catching part of the game, then the Colts rushers are better. Still, I would personally like to have Tomlinson over the Colts rushers. But that is just me.

Receiving Comparison

Name	Catches	Yards	TDs	Fumbles
Reggie Wayne	82	1,145	6	0
Dallas Clark	77	848	6	2
Anthony Gonzalez	57	664	4	0
Vincent Jackson	59	1,098	7	1
Antonio Gates	60	704	8	1
Chris Chambers	33	462	5	0

The Colts have the better receivers. Although Vincent Jackson is a serious threat for the Chargers. Whatever game Jackson has for the Charges is going to determine the way that San Diego will go... and the same goes for Wayne and Clark for the Colts.

Defense Comparison

Name	Tackles	Sacks	Ints-TD	Deflections
Kelvin Hayden	42	0.0	3-1	12
Robert Mathis	47	11.5	0-0	3
Dwight Freeney	28	10.5	0-0	0
Eric Weddle	127	1.0	1-0	5
Quentin Jammer	88	0.0	2-0	19
Shaun Phillips	76	7.5	0-0	4

I like the Chargers defense on this one, at least the pass rush. Pass defense? It's about the same. Forecast: The numbers tell me San Diego, of all things. But my gut tells me that the obvious thing is to go with the Colts. It just makes sense to go with the Colts. And that is what I will do. Colts take this one 27-13.

Home Field