http://www.yardbarker.com/users/chipper5711 Recent Yardbarker Articles: chipper5711 en-us Oh lordy, here we go again. The NFL is getting even more unwanted attention from it's players this week as lead leading rusher Travis Henry of the Denver Broncos is facing a possible one year suspension for allegedly failing a drug test for taking marijuana. As if the Broncos need any more bad news this year. The team is struggling offensively this year as Jay Cutler and his gang have had difficulty finding the end zone this year. Now with the allegations that Travis Henry could face suspension, plus the fact that Denver's star WR Javon Walker is injured and their kicker Jason Elam has been experiencing leg numbness over the last week or so, this does not bode well for the Broncos. Last thing we need around here is another Michael Vick-like media circus. (more at the blog) Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:51:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29855 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29855 GO ROCKIES!!! Here's to all the gallant men in purple, black and silver who kept a "never give up" attitude and overcame a 2-run 13th inning deficit and came back to beat the Padres 9 to 8. Kudos to Mr. "MVP" Matt Holliday for sacrificing his body and charging home for the winning run. Despite falling behind twice in the game and even giving up a grand slam earlier in the game, you can never count out the Rockies until you get that final last out. Welcome to Rocktober! Pick up a beer and celebrate our Rocktoberfest victory! Woot! Matsui, Tulowitzki, Holliday, Helton, Atkins, Hawpe, Spilborghs, Torrealba, Fogg and a cast of supporting characters - you did us Rockies fans proud last night and all season long. It may have taken 163 games to get there - but you got there! Good luck this week against the Phillies. Keep it up and don't ever give up! Now I just gotta hope I don't have a heart attack during the playoffs. These last several Rockies games were so exciting and tense, I couldn't hardly control my emotions. Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:46:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29380 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29380 How about those Colorado Rockies? Many sports web sites chose the men in purple to finish dead last in the NL West again this year and the Rocks are doing their best to prove them all wrong. Not only are they in contention for the NL Wild Card but they are also in the hunt for winning their division. I admit, early on in the season I was writing off the Rockies. They were blowing games and their pitching was once again miserable. Then came the injury to their all-star closer Fuentes. But ever since the All Star break, the Rockies have turned themselves around. Now, they are in the midst of a franchise record 11 game winning streak. Unbelievably, the Rockies have swept the Dodgers at home, then the Padres in San Diego, and now swept the Dodgers again in LA. Then this weekend, the Rockies close out the regular season at home in Coors Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team they are chasing for the NL West crown. If the miracle continues and the Rockies end up winning out the last 3 games of the season, they can finish no worse than clinching a tie for the Wild Card. But the last threer games are going to be tough. The Padres, Phillies, Diamondbacks and Mets are all within a game or two of each other and anything can happen. There could be a 4 way tie! It's certainly an exciting time to be a Colorado Rockies fan. For the first time since 1995, the Rockies are still in contention at the end of the baseball season. Can they do it? God, I hope so. They've come too far now not to end up getting into the playoffs. Thank goodness that Fox Sports Rocky Mountain is covering every single game on TV these days. The national media (ESPN especially) has neglected to pick up any Rockies games and are still focusing on the East coast teams (as usual). They fail to realize that the Rockies are the hottest team in the nation right now. They have the best NL team ERA since the All Star game (go figure). Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:25:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28833 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28833 Here's another look at the players you just have to start this week along with some sleeper picks. Then cap it off with a review on the latest line and predicted scores for week 4 of the NFL. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:44:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28768 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28768 Ever wonder how accurate those Vegas Lines and Over/Unders are? Here's the lowdown on just how well the guys on the strip were for Week One of the 2007 NFL season. Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:43:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/27303 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/27303 With the NFL Week 1 upon us, there are some fans out there wondering if 2 of the top 3 Running Backs are really ready for the opening kick. Can the lack of full contact pre-season games actually hurt more than help? This week's notes feature: LT, LJ, and Daunte Culpepper. Also, predictions for week 1 based on the point spread and over-under. Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:19:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/26042 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/26042 It's drafting time for fantasy football players. The NFL football season kicks off in less than a week and millions of fantasy football fans are now actively participating in their league drafts. Once the draft is over, it's time to step back and take a look at the team you drafted and begin to look at your strengths and weaknesses. One of the biggest mistakes fantasy football fans make is sitting back and doing nothing with their team once the draft is over. You've now got to analyze which weeks your team may be weak due to bye weeks and figure out a waiver strategy that might help you fill in some holes later on. Plus, you now have to be on watch for potential injuries for not only your players but other players that may impact your team and your future waiver picks. Your work is not done now that your draft is completed, rather, it's just beginning. (more at the blog) Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:43:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25512 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25512 The team over at Fantasy Sports Live (FSL), who last June launched an innovative new way to play fantasy baseball, is at it again and is gearing up to launch a whole new version of it's site just in time for the pro football season. FSL combines the fun of fantasy sports along with the excitement of a game show where you can put your skill at picking the best fantasy sports players and turn that into cash prizes. (more at the blog) Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:18:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25148 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25148 Fantasy sports fans do their homework. They study the match-ups. They examine the various teams Active Rosters and Expanded Rosters. They look at the game day weather conditions for any possibility of a rain-out. Once they have all the information they need, they select which players they will activate on their fantasy team that day. Despite all this planning, we fantasy sports nuts are still at the mercy of pro sports managers and coaches who decide at the last second whether or not to give a player the day off. Activating a player who isn't playing that day can ruin your chances for victory in daily fantasy sports contests. (more at the blog) Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:37:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/24611 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/24611 Bronco fans had little to like after Saturday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Not only did their team lose handily to the Dallas starters 31-20, they also lost much more in the form of injuries. (more at the blog) Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:54:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/24210 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/24210 No matter where the Chicago Cubs play, their fans seem to follow. Last night at Coors Field in Colorado, the ballpark transformed itself into Wrigley Field and for at least one night - Wrigley Field came to Denver. Ted Lily, Derrek Lee and the Cubs transformed the Denver crowd into true believers. Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:12:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23045 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23045 I've played in many fantasy football leagues over the course of the last 15 years and in almost every year I end up asking myself - "Why in the world do we bother drafting a Tight End position differently than a Wide Receiver position?". Tight Ends by nature are built for run blocking and they occasionally catch a few balls and score a couple touchdowns. But compared to Wide Receivers and Running Backs, the Tight Ends normally fall on the lower end of the statistical scale and score relatively few fantasy points. (more) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:58:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22614 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22614 The Broncos found themselves out of the playoffs last year. Now the team welcomes the likes of Travis Henry, Daniel Graham and Dre Bly. Can the Broncos with the lead of Jay Cutler lead them back to the play offs this year? Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:56:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22334 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22334 Coach Joe Gibbs so far has a disappointing 21-27 record in the 3 years back with the Skins. Gibbs will need to deal with the pressure to get his team back into contention. Last year's 5-11 record did not bode well for him with the Washington fans. Washington opens the season on September 9th at home against the Miami Dolphins. Unless the Redskins can improve and stay healthy, they will probably fare no better then 3rd in the NFC East this year. Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:46:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22119 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22119 Just when you think the Rockies are on a roll, they take another step back. Case in point, last night's game vs the Florida Marlins. The Rockies ended up grabbing an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Byung-Hyun Kim throws over 35 pitches in the first inning and hands the Rockies 2 runs. That alone should have been enough for the Rocks to get a bit of momentum. But no, Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg turns right around and hands the Fish those 2 runs right back. How often have the Rockies done that this year? Then the added insult was that the Rockies struck out 16 times that night - 16 times! Ouch. The Rockies had a great chance to tie it up in the 9th but blew it. Sigh. Come on Rockies. If you really want a shot at the playoffs this year, stop handing your games away. It's hard for your fans to watch this sort of thing. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:51:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/21975 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/21975