Physical Play in the NBA

This is supposed to be a blog site geared toward fantasy sports, but when something irritates me about sports, in general, I have to let it off my chest.

If you saw the Cavs play the Wizards the other night, or saw the highlights afterwards, you would know there was a big deal made about the "physical play" going on during the game. You may have heard the Cavs crying about the Wizards playing too rough with their precious star, LeBron James. Give me a break!

Brendan Haywood was ejected from the game in the third quarter for what was no more than a nudge, or at most, a slight shove. The ejection proved that the referees are under too much pressure to protect the "untouchable players," like Lebron. Haywood did not make contact with Lebron's head or face, nor did he throw him to the ground. LeBron was in the air and off balance, so the foul looked worse than it was. Basketball is a physical sport, and if you don't want contact, go play golf. If you are a star player, as LeBron no doubt is, the opposing team should make sure you hit the floor once in a while. Just because you call yourself "King James," doesn't mean an opponent should lay out a red carpet for you. Get up, shut up, and make your damn free throws! Don't bitch because you don't like getting knocked down.

How many times was Michael Jordan knocked down against the Detroit Pistons in the late 1980's? Bill Lambier is probably sitting at home, in disgust, or laughing at the fact that Haywood was thrown out of a playoff game, for what used to be nothing more than a normal, clean, hard foul.

Jayfro

Drafting Pitchers

Some people believe in selecting the top tier pitchers early on in fantasy baseball drafts. Johan Santana was a first round selection in many leagues this year. While he should have a Cy Young quality season, is he really worth passing up a player like Chase Utley or Prince Fielder? I say no. In every fantasy league there will be quality free agent starting pitchers, as well as middle relief guys that can lower your ERA and WHIP. A position player plays almost every day, whereas a pitcher may only pitch one time in your weekly matchup, and if he has a bad start, he can significantly hurt your team. I think it would be hilarious if Jake Peavy only pitched one time in a fantasy playoff matchup and had an ERA around 6.00 or 7.00 while the other team had Brian Bannister mowing down opposing hitters. Not to mention the fact that the team with Bannister would also have a player like Ryan Braun or Brandon Phillips hitting HR's and stealing bases while you're praying Mike Lowell can heat up that week. My advice would be to draft the top hitters, because you don't want your line-up to be watered down. Pitching categories can be taken care of with a little luck and a lot of strategy.

Jayfro