The Broncos showed the nation that after two years of major trades and drastic measures – they still can’t run the ball, score touchdowns, or rush the passer. That is the frustration of it all – they are the same team with the same issues when they fired Shanahan. Sunday was particularly painful when a decent running game puts Denver in the lead and at least gives them a chance to compete.

And are we getting to a point to call Knowshon Moreno a bust? I was excited with the pick two years ago but he has yet to show that flash or power that he had at Georgia. The good news? Orton looks solid which may mean Tebow plays running back later this year.

The number 1 college football team in the nation – your Alabama Crimson Tide! The Tide looked lost the first half against Arkansas. Defensively, this team isn’t near the team that last year’s team was. With 10 new starters on defense, one had to expect some let down. Ryan Mallet exposed their weakness in the first half with relative ease.

But that’s why they play two halves of football and the second half was classic Alabama football. Play pressure defense and when the opposing team makes a mistake – make them pay for it dearly. Oh, and hand the ball to #22 early and often. Any questions as to who the Number 1 back was in Alabama or in the country that matter were answered on Saturday. Mark Ingram is a beast. Any offensive game plan that doesn’t include him getting the ball 30 times a game is a mistake.

I have a lot of friends in Arkansas and the good-natured teasing went back and forth during the game. (Actually it mainly was coming AT me since Alabama was behind the whole game…) But the truth of the matter is that I pull for the Hogs 51 weeks a year except against Alabama. I’ve seen this script before at Arkansas – incredible offense, exciting team for 3 quarters then the wheels fall off in the 4th. And while it makes for great television, I’m convinced that Hog fans have a 7 year shorter life span because of this.

After the game, the analysts were putting most of the loss on Ryan Mallet and his 3 INTs. I’m not sure that is completely fair. Ryan Mallet was the reason the Hogs had a chance to win in the first place. A great QB (which Mallet is) can put your team in a position to win but running the ball and stopping the run is the difference between good teams and championship teams. Arkansas couldn’t put the nail in the coffin and Alabama had enough moxy and horses to pull a win out of disaster on Saturday.

Florida is next up for the Tide in Tuscaloosa.

The Broncos are 4-0.

The Rockies start the playoffs today at 1.30 against the Phillies.

The Avs are 2-0 and playing out of sight. (Don’t tell anybody I keep track of the Avs.)

Alabama is undefeated and looks like the best team in the nation.

AND my fantasy football team is first in my division, 3-1.

AND Amy didn’t totally hate her gift of a couple of cook books, an iron, and a 9×13 pan.

Just kidding on the last one. She did hate it.

I had the 11th pick in a 12 team draft. I normally don’t like this position because it means you either have to take a player that fell that you don’t necessarily need/want OR you pick a player you need a bit too early. My game plan going in was – take a QB and WR early because I figured the great RBs would be gone by the time 11 came around. Pick up RBs in round 3 and 4. That was the plan anyway.

Reality always is so much different, isn’t it? Here were the first 10 picks in front of me…

Adrian Peterson
Michael Turner
Maurice Jones-Drew
Matt Forte
Drew Brees
Tom Brady
Calvin Johnson
Chris Johnson
DeAngelo Williams
Randy Moss

Not what I expected and both QBs that I was hoping to draft a bit early ahead of everyone else were now gone. But the flip side was it left some great options for me at 11. 3 of my top 10 players that I thought I had no chance at were still on the board. Cooper had the 12 and 13 pick. Knowing Coop’s favorite player, I did what any loving dad would do in my position….I drafted him.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR – my first pick. In a league that gives a point per reception…pretty good pickup. Coop had the next two picks and when he saw Fitz come off the board…let’s just say I won’t be nominated for any Dad of the Year awards by him. I felt bad for putting Coop in the position of being so close to getting the player he wanted only to have it ripped from his heart at the last possible second. But this is fantasy football and the sooner he learns that happens all the time, the better. I consider it my job to prepare him. Prepare him I did. I got over it by pick 14.

Cooper – with no help from me – realizes that WRs are about to go like crazy and probably RBs and after these two picks, he doesn’t have one for another 24 picks. So he drafts Frank Gore, RB and Andre Johnson, WR. Not bad picks, really. Pretty solid and safe.

That left me with one of those “You have to draft him because no one is going to believe he is sitting there” picks but you’re not sure how much mileage you’re really going to get – LaDainian Tomlinson. I’d have a couple more of those picks in front of me. Here’s the team in order of where they were drafted:

11 Larry Fitzgerald, Ari
14 LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
35 Thomas Jones, NYJ
38 Brandon Marshall, Den – one of those “I don’t really want him, but I’ll drink the poison anyway” picks.
59 Knowshon Moreno, Den
62 Jay Cutler, Chi – see above.
83 Steelers D/ST, Pit
86 Carson Palmer, Cin
107 Patrick Willis, SF
110 Tim Hightower, Ari
131 Patrick Crayton, Dal
134 Kevin Boss, NYG
155 David Akers, Phi
158 Willis McGahee, Bal
179 Shawne Merriman, SD
182 Laurence Maroney, NE
203 Limas Sweed, Pit

Games start tonight…let the waiver wire fun begin!!!

It’s a salary cap/auction draft. Players are put on the blocks and you can bid to have them or not. You only have $120 cap for the draft ($200 total cap room) and 14 roster spots. Choose wisely.

What I Wish I Understood Before The Draft:

1. You have $120 BUT it’s prorated.
You have to be able to put at least $1 for every roster spot you have and you have to draft every spot. There’s no – “I’ll spend my $120 on the best 6 players I can get, then pass on the draft and hit free agency when I get more cap room.” I KNEW this…but didn’t understand how that practically plays out.

It practically plays out this way – you have a maximum bid you can make every pick according to how many roster spots you have left minus the money you have left. So you may have $45 dollars left but you can only use $9 of it one round because you HAVE to pick all 14 of your spots.

2. Be Careful Who You Put On The Block…Because You Just May Get Him.
The thinking went like this – I’m going to wait until the later round to pick my sleeper picks because right now, I don’t have the money to outbid certain owners for them. So I’ll put up a decent player, get the bid going then bail out. Stick another team with a player I didn’t want at a price I’d never pay.

It almost worked. First round backs were going for on average $23 to $27. I had my backs, didn’t really need another one but I didn’t want to get in a bidding war over a WR just yet. So, I through on the board Marion Barber. He’s a top 10 pick in most mock drafts. Bidding is cruising along, there is a Cowbay fan in the room…I bid $20 just knowing that the Cowboy fan – who has a boatload of money – would bid $21 and I’d quit. He didn’t bid $21. I got Barber. My third running back, no WR’s and I’ve spent the money I wanted to spend on a WR on a RB.

Dumb Rookie Mistake #1.

3. Be Careful About Taking Bargains…Because You May Just Get Him.
Selvin Young is sitting there at $11. That’s cheap for a starting running back…but I need a WR…yeah, but $11 for a back that could go nuts and be a keeper??? But I need a WR….he’s been freakin’ awesome in camp….But I need a WR.

I got Selvin Young for $11.

Dumb Rookie Mistake, #2

Next round I still need a WR. Actually, I need 2. Keep this in mind. Here is Marvin Harrison at $9. Cheap. Right? Yes, a great bargain…if you already have a starting WR’s and you only need 1 more. I need 2. Instead of waiting for my sleepers and getting two or three at better prices…I jump on the bargain.

Dumb Rookie Mistake #3.

4. If you can’t bid with the big dogs, let your sleepers stay on the porch.
I’ve always been good at taking some risks with some sleeper picks in the middle rounds. Rookies that nobody is quite sure what to do with and the like. I got Derek Anderson and Marshawn Lynch like this last year.

But…if you’ve drafted 3 straight running backs and only have 1 WR…everybody in the room knows what you need. They also know you can’t pay for them because of rule number one and your maximum bid is like $2. So no matter what name you put on the block – just know you’re never going to get them. Of course I knew this, so you start putting names up there that you normally wouldn’t pick (see rule #2).

This is how Jeremy Shockey got on my team for $2.

Dumb Rookie Mistake, #4 and #5

5. In a Keeper League, make at least one pick that is ridiculous risky.
I actually did this. I picked up Eddie Royal, rookie WR here in Denver in a late round for $1. That night, he started as the number 2 WR across from Brandon Marshall. He had 3 catches, look sharp and in the press conference after the game, Marshall said he’s going to be a great #2 WR for the team.

Who know? Royal was seen as a project and kick returner. Potentially a 4th WR. If he pans out like he did against the Cowboys…I got the steal of the draft. If he doesn’t – I only blew a $1.

I’m not too proud of it but here’s what my team looks like:

Peyton Manning, QB

Marshawn Lynch, RB
Marion Barber, RB
Selvin Young, RB
Pierre Thomas, RB

Michael Clayton, WR
D J Hackett, WR
Marvin Harrison, WR
Derek Mason, WR
Kevin Walter, WR
Eddie Royal, WR

Jeremy Shockey, TE

Matt Stover, K

Tennesse Titans, DST

I’m in two leagues so far.

My long-time league with my crew in Kansas. Last year I went 12-1 then cratered in the playoffs. Thank you, Peyton Manning and the Colts for sitting the last two weeks of the season.

And a new league at my church that involves auctioning and salary caps. That draft starts in 30 minutes. I’ll keep you updated. I’m expecting to get completely pasted in the draft since I’ve never done the whole salary cap/auction thing.