2009 MLB PREVIEW...WELL PRETTY MUCH A NEW YORK YANKEES PREVIEW

By: Jeremy Smith

The New York Yankees have made the biggest impact this offseason in the signings of Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett. With these signings, the Yankees look to be the favorite not only in the AL East, but to win the World Series.

Teixeira recently signed a 8-year $180 million contract. While Sabathia signed a 7-year $161 million contract, and Burnett a 5-year $82 million deal. Huge contracts for huge impact players. The Rays will be very good again but they will fall a little from where they were last year. The Red Sox are still good but they are getting old, and recently signed Smoltz who is in his 40's also. The Yankees now look to be the premiere team in baseball. The only question will be team chemistry. Can all these guys make millions and millions of dollars work together and make winning a championship priority number one? The long journey of whether that is true or not begins for the Yankees on April 6th at Baltimore.

The New Yankee Stadium also opens up this season. So will a new stadium mean another title for the Bronx Bombers? Let's be honest, the Yankees year in and year out usually have more talent than most teams. An infield now with the likes of A-Rod, Jeter, and now Teixeira make this team the most feared offensive team in the MLB. How can anyone pitch around Jeter and pitch to A-Rod? With Teixeira on deck you can't pitch around A-Rod can you? This is what I mean when I say the most dangerous team in the MLB.

The projected rotation is as follows:

• C.C. Sabathia
• A. J. Burnett
• Chien Ming Wang
• Andy Pettite
• Phil Hughes

The only real weakness is Phil Hughes and with the possibility of him changing out with Chamberlain make this team even more scary. I'll be honest and tell you that no I'm not a Yankees fan by any means, but I've got to respect this team and for people who don't yet, then wait until the season gets going and then you will.

This team has the potential of getting off to a record start because of their great rotation, Rivera closing out games, and games where pitching struggles the star studded offense can carry you. The only question will be if they can indeed coincide together and work as one to accomplish their ultimate goal...a World Series championship.

KEN WHO???

By: Jeremy Smith

If you don't know who Ken Whisenhunt is yet then you will soon. Starting out as a special teams coach at Vanderbilt in 1995, Ken Whisenhunt's coaching journey has taken him to the pinnacle of sports...the Super Bowl.

From Vanderbilt Whisenhunt's journey jumped to the NFL and spent time with three teams before finally joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2001. He took over as offensive coordinator in 2004 and helped lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl XL championship.

In 2007 Whisenhunt accomplished his goal and became the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. In two seasons he has compiled a record of only 17-15, but in the postseason this year he is 3-0 with one more game to go...the Super Bowl against his former team the Steelers.

Storylines will be a plenty come February 1st in Tampa, Florida. For only the fourth time ever will two quarterbacks (Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger) face each other having already won a Super Bowl in their career. Ken Whisenhunt going up against his former team where he won a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator. Larry Fitzgerald, who may be the best wide receiver in football, tries to extend the record for most receiving yards in one postseason. So as you can tell, Super Bowl XLIII will be very intriguing. The Arizona Cardinals are a team that was expected to be one and done in the postseason against Atlanta and what happened...they won. A team that was a ten point underdog at Carolina, but what happened...they laid a whipping on the Panthers 33-13. The Cardinals host the NFC Championship game for the first time ever and against the Eagles the media said surely they can't do this for three straight weeks! And McNabb is due a championship but what happened...Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals jumped on top 24-6 and didn't look back as they won 32-25. Now it's down to one game, one night, one chance to prove the doubters and critics wrong once and for all. This team is playing with a chip on their shoulder and they're out to prove they belong. Coach Whisenhunt should be commended by what he has done in only two seasons in Arizona. He has taken them to their first ever Super Bowl and now there is only one thing left to do...WIN!

MY FIRST 2009 NFL MOCK DRAFT

By: Jeremy Smith

With about three months remaining until the 2009 NFL Draft, here is my early peak at who I think will go to certain teams and I'll explain my reasoning for it as well. Remember that the final few spots are in limbo right now due to the playoffs still going on and won't be totally set until the night of February 1st after the Super Bowl goes off. So without further delay, here is my 2009 Mock Draft.


1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford-QB (Georgia)-New Lions head coach Jim Schwartz has his hands full as he takes over a team that went winless in 2008. Stafford will be the building block that they need to get this team going. They have a true number one wide receiver in Calvin Johnson and if they can somehow protect Stafford in the pocket he can make plays with his cannon arm, but sitting on the bench his rookie year may do him the most good. He needs to learn the offense and learn the league and not just jump in the fire.

2. St. Louis Rams: Andre Smith-OT (Alabama)-By far the best offensive lineman in the draft and will help out by playing immediately and trying to rebuild a Rams team that isn't too far from being a decent team.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Mark Sanchez-QB (USC)-I want to believe in what Tyler Thigpen has shown them but I do not believe he is a franchise type player. Sanchez is the pick I think the Chiefs need to go with. With Scott Pioli now the GM, he will do what he thinks is best and he knows how to find talent as he did at New England and winning three Super Bowl titles.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree-WR (Texas Tech)-This is the player they need no question. They have some of the worst receivers in the league. Deion Branch is always hurt, Engram is getting old, and Nate Burleson is bad and is coming off an ACL injury. I don't think there should be any doubt who the Seahawks need here.

5. Cleveland Browns: Michael Oher-OT (Ole Miss)-Both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn were under pressure all season long. The Browns have talent at all the skill positions, but they need pass protection.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Eugene Monroe-OT (Virginia)-If the Bengals want to actually have Carson Palmer play an entire season they need to address the pass protection. Like Cleveland, the Bengals desperately need offensive line help and if Oher is taken ahead of Cincinnati then go with Monroe.

7. Oakland Raiders: Jason Smith-OT (Baylor)-Seeing a trend? Like the Bengals and Browns, if JaMarcus Russell is expected to do anything he needs time to throw the ball.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aaron Curry-ILB (Wake Forest)-A preseason Super Bowl contender really started off bad and got worse. Not a horrible defense but it definitely needs improvement and Aaron Curry is the best linebacker in the draft and he will help contribute immediately.

9. Green Bay Packers: Malcolm Jenkins-CB (Ohio State)-The Packers are ancient at the cornerback position. Al Harris and Charles Woodson have been in the league for many years so they really need to improve and get younger in the defensive backfield.

10. San Francisco 49ers: Everette Brown-DE/LB (Florida State)-The 49ers need a consistent pass rusher. Manny Lawson has been a bust so far with only six career sacks in 32 games. Brown may give them what they need as he finished his senior campaign with 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

11. Buffalo Bills: Brian Orakpo-DE (Texas)-A big reason in why the Bills collapsed after a 5-1 start is the lack of a pass rush. Despite struggling in the Fiesta Bowl, Orakpo had a great season with 15.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 11 games.

12. Denver Broncos: Rey Maualuga-ILB (USC)-New Head Coach Josh McDaniels comes in and with Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator he will look to implement the 3-4 defense and Maualuga is the top pure 3-4 linebacker and hopefully he can help the Broncos improve that horrible defense that finished in the bottom five in all categories.

13. Washington Redskins: Eben Britton-OT (Arizona)-The Redskins have problems at right tackle. Jon Jansen doesn't have much time left and Britton would fit great on the right side of this offensive line to help Campbell.

14. New Orleans Saints: James Laurinaitis-ILB (Ohio State)-With Brandon Spikes and Taylor Mays returning to school, Laurinaitis is a smart selection especially if the team can't resign Jonathan Vilma.

15. Houston Texans: William Moore-S (Missouri)-Defensive end is an option but this team need a ball hogging defensive player that they have been lacking for years.

16. San Diego Chargers: Knowshon Moreno-RB (Georgia)-With talks of LT being traded and now Sproles is a free agent. Expect Sproles to be re-signed but LT has a great chance of being traded away to get some salary cap room. Moreno had an outstanding two years at Georgia and would fit in well with this outstanding offensive team.

17. New York Jets: Vontae Davis-CB (Illinois)-The Jets gave up the 29th most pass yards per game in 2008. That should say enough that the Jets need help in pass defense.

18. Chicago Bears: Michael Johnson-DE (Georgia Tech)-The Bears need help at receiver but they will more than likely try to improve the defensive line that underachieved in 2008. At times Johnson doesn't play up to his physical abilities but in '08 he did have 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and seven passes broken up.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Chris Wells-RB (Ohio State)-Cadillac Wiliams can't stay healthy, Warrick Dunn is getting old, and Earnest Graham is coming off of an injury as well. Wells is a steal here. Both he and Moreno would be top ten picks if not for the lack of need for running back.

20. Detroit Lions-William Beatty-OT (Connecticut)-The Lions surrendered 52 sacks in 2008. They desperately need a dominant left tackle to help protect Stafford's blindside assuming Detroit picks him with the number one pick.

21. Arizona Cardinals-LeSean McCoy-RB (Pittsburgh)-Yes the Cardinals have found a way to run all of sudden in the playoffs but Edgerrin James' days in Arizona and in the NFL are numbered and Tim Hightower isn't a number one guy. McCoy may not be the number one guy they need, but he will definitely help out in their backfield that underachieved all year until now.

22. Minnesota Vikings-D.J. Moore-CB (Vanderbilt)-The dual threat of D.J. Moore being a shut down corner plus an explosive kick returner make this the smartest pick for the Vikings. Don't forget he played receiver at Vanderbilt too.

23. New England Patriots-Aaron Maybin-DE/OLB (Penn State)-The Patriots found a way to get younger on defense by drafting inside linebacker Jerod Mayo last year. Maybin will help the exterior of the defense, and although Mike Vrabel can still play, he will be 34 in August.

24. Atlanta Falcons-B.J. Raji-DT (Boston College)-In one year this team has gone from thin to deep in all positions except defensive tackle. And that is a big reason why the Cardinals rushing attack exposed them in the playoffs.

25. Miami Dolphins-Duke Robinson-G (Oklahoma)-With Robinson and Jake Long on the left side of the offensive line, the Dolphins would have a great running game and also give Pennington time.

26. Baltimore Ravens-Jeremy Maclin-WR (Missouri)-With Derrick Mason about to turn 35 and although Clayton has been playing well lately, the Ravens need to develop the next number one receiver for Joe Flacco.

27. Indianapolis Colts-Peria Jerry-DT (Ole Miss)-I could see the Colts taking the best offensive player available here but the run defense has to be addressed. And a run stuffing nose tackle is exactly what they need.

28. Philadelphia Eagles-Brandon Pettigrew-TE (Oklahoma State)-L.J. Smith is inconsistent to put it mildly. The Eagles need a top tier tight end and Pettigrew gives them that and they may cut ties with Smith if they do indeed draft Pettigrew.

29. New York Giants-Paul Kruger-DE (Utah)-The Giants need a receiver but the draft is so deep at receiver that they can get Nicks, Britt or LaFell in the second round. The Giants can continue to improve their dominant defense with Kruger and would give them the best front four in the NFL.

30. Tennessee Titans-Percy Harvin-WR (Florida)-Yea I know the Titans don't ever draft receivers but this year they can get a guy who is as athletic if not more athletic than Chris Johnson. The Titans always look for speed at the skill positions and Harvin definitely gives you that and will give Collins (assuming he comes back) a great player to throw to.

31. Philadelphia Eagles-Darrius Heyward-Bey-WR (Maryland)-The Eagles not only need tight end help with my pick of Pettigrew at number 28, but also at wide receiver. They got DeSean Jackson last year but it's a question whether he can be a true number one guy. Heyward-Bey gives the Eagles size and incredible speed at the wide receiver position.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers-Alex Mack-C (California)-One of the top center prospects will help Pittsburgh protect Big Ben. Roethlisberger has been under pressure all season long and yet they are still alive in the playoffs. Give him some better protection and who knows what he can do.

Well there it is folks...my 2009 NFL mock draft. Hope everyone enjoys. Read and comment and let me know what you think...thanks.

A FOUR-PEAT POSSIBLE?

By: Jeremy Smith

What else can people say about Jimmie Johnson? What he has accomplished in only seven seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is staggering. In seven seasons Johnson has totaled 40 Wins, 156 Top Tens, 23 Poles...and most importantly the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships. He is only the 2nd driver ever to three-peat the other being Cale Yarbrough, and now being the clear favorite entering the 2009 season, the only question is can Johnson do something no driver has? Can he win four straight championships? We will all soon find out with the season set to open up in one month on February 15th with the Daytona 500. And with the Daytona 500 comes many changes as well. Tony Stewart is now with his own team and Ryan Newman is his teammate, and Joey Logano is replacing Stewart in the Home Depot car. This season promises to be both historic and exciting.

For the past decade, Jeff Gordon has been thought of as the greatest driver in the series, and while he has the most active championships (4) and the most wins of an active driver (81), Gordon has only eight wins the past three seasons, and went winless in '08 for the first time in his career, while Johnson has 22. Being teammates and car owner of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon has seemed to have lost some of the edge he used to have on the competition. The 2009 season will have some interesting storylines. Will Johnson win his 4th straight title, will Gordon knock Johnson off his throne, or will the kid Kyle Busch who dominated the series in 2008 until faltering late come through with a title? Questions that fans will all soon find out.

NFL BOUND

By: Jeremy Smith

Georgia players Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno have indeed decided to leave school early and enter the NFL Draft. Although their readiness is a question, what they accomplished on the field isn't a question. These two players are both projected as 1st round picks with Stafford projected as #1. If you have to find one thing that these great players didn't accomplish while in school, it would be not leading their team to an SEC or national championship. In 2008, the team was preseason #1 and after a numerous amount of injuries and a bit of underachievement the team finished 10-3 and #13 in the nation.

On the field, these 2 players were some of the finest the SEC and even the nation have ever seen. In three years Stafford finished with a career total of over 7600 yards and 51 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. The only knock on Stafford is inconsistency. Now maybe the finest player to play at Georgia since Herschel Walker, Knowshon Moreno in only two years put up over 2700 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns, and not to mention averaging a staggering 5.6 yards per carry during his career.

Georgia will no doubt miss these guys, but this just may be the right move for these guys to go to the NFL. Both being projected high in mock drafts, and as hard as it is for me to say as a Georgia fan...I can't say I blame them for leaving for the league because their stock is so high right now. Injuries are always a concern for players who try to figure out a decision, and that may be the deciding factor in Stafford and Moreno's decision. Fans need to just cherish the memories of these guys and remember that despite the fact that they didn't lead the team to an SEC or NCAA title, these will no doubt be two of the greatest players to ever go to the NFL from the University of Georgia.

With Joe Cox waiting in the wings and projected to be the starter in 2009, he no doubt learned a lot being a backup to Stafford for three years. So Georgia fans let's not get too worried. Look for Stafford and Moreno to be impact players in the NFL for years to come. Not only because of their superior talent, but also the passion and heart they have for the game. And sometimes that's more important than talent alone. Matt and Knowshon you will both be missed, but good luck to you in your NFL careers and know that Bulldogs fans all over will be cheering you on.

Kerry "No Excuses" Collins

By: Jeremy Smith

The first ever draft pick for the Carolina Panthers, Kerry Collins was selected 5th overall out of Penn State in the 1995 NFL Draft. While with the Panthers, Collins battled with alcoholism and before the 1997 season he used racial slurs to describe teammates Muhsin Muhammad and Noberto Garrido while in a drunken state at a bar in Spartanburg, SC. Collins later admitted that this was a mistake and sought rehab for his alcohol problem. Super Bowl 35 against the Ravens, Collins and the Giants went on to lay an egg and lose 34-7, and after the game said, "I sucked today. I was prepared. I was ready. I just played terrible."

These are some examples of what I mean when I say Kerry Collins makes "no excuses" because he doesn't. The man stands up in front of God and the whole world and admits what he did wrong and then fixes the problem. Now a starter for the Tennessee Titans, Collins' career has been rejuvenated. Despite the AFC Divisional playoff loss to Baltimore, the Titans went 13-3 and won the AFC South for the first time since 2002. I know that Chris Johnson is a big reason for the Titans success and I feel the same way, Johnson was very valuable to the offense, but without Kerry Collins the offense would not have had the balance that it did and with Collins, opposing defenses had to respect his arm, he doesn't have over 37,000 pass yards for nothing.

Collins is now a free agent. I know there are other big name Titans that have yet to be locked up such as Bo Scaife, Rob Bironas, and oh yea...Albert Haynesworth. But the Titans really need to find a way to keep Collins in Nashville. After a full season as a starter, Collins will not be satisfied as a backup to Vince Young, which is why the Titans should bring him back as the starting quarterback. He is a big reason why the Titans had the success that they did, and with him back in 2009, the Titans can pick back up with that same chemistry and consistency that Kerry Collins gives you. No he's not flashy. He won't put up 300 yards a week but he manages the game well and if counted on to win the game he often comes through. Even after the playoff loss to Baltimore on Saturday, Collins didn't place blame on any one player but just said that they as a team didn't make enough plays to win the game. He is a class guy and an outstanding leader. As a fellow Titans fan, I feel that with Collins back the Titans can be expected to compete for the division title and Super Bowl once again next year. It depends how bad the Titans want to win. Leave your team in the hands of an unproven quarterback who just isn't mentally there and may never be in Vince Young or let a good solid veteran quarterback with all the intangibles to win in this league lead the team, and like I said before, someone who won't make excuses....Kerry Collins.