Week 9 in Fantasy Football: Favorable and Unfavorable Matchups

Jason and Justin Sablich are here to help you with your fantasy football team. The Sablich brothers will provide fantasy football advice throughout the season on this blog and on Twitter (@5thDownFantasy).

If you submit one of the 50 most accurate responses this week, you can win a prize fromFantasyPros.com.

While the Carson Palmer (Oakland, vs. DEN
) era in Oakland officially began in Week 7, and boy was it ugly, this game will be his first start for the Silver and Black. In fantasy terms, the matchup doesn’t get any better, with the Broncos allowing the most fantasy points to the position through the first eight weeks. Still, starting Palmer does mean you are pretty desperate, even more desperate than the guy rolling with Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson. But with the bye weeks still hovering over many of you, you can do worse than rolling the dice with Palmer, who claims to be comfortable now with Oakland’s playbook and his new receivers. He’s among our favorable quarterback matchups for Week 9.

Favorable/Unfavorable Quarterback Matchups

Favorable

Eli Manning (NYG) vs. NE – 
Ben Roethlisberger was the latest quarterback to pick on the league’s worst pass defense, becoming the sixth quarterback in the last seven games to reach the 300-yard mark against the Patriots.

Tarvaris Jackson (SEA) vs. DAL – 
Bye weeks call for desperate measures, and starting Jackson certainly fits that description. But he did throw for a career-high 323 yards in just two and a half quarters last week against a tough Bengals secondary, and Seattle’s 31st ranked rushing attack will most likely struggle against the Cowboys’ formidable defensive front. That means Jackson will have to air it out early and often.

Matt Cassel (KC) vs. MIA – 
With two interceptions and a passer rating just below 70 percent, Cassel was far from great last Monday night. But the reception monster known as Baldwin-Bowe-Breaston is starting to take shape, and the matchup is almost as good as Palmer’s, with the Dolphins allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks (24 FPPG). Twenty-plus standard points from Cassel doesn’t seem like such a stretch this week.

Unfavorable

Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF) vs. NYJ
 – The Jets have allowed just four passing touchdowns and are considered the worst matchup a quarterback can have (8 FPPG).



Matt Hasselbeck (TEN) vs. CIN – 
Hasselbeck had a bit of a bounce-back last week after two bad outings, although we were hoping for a bit more against the Colts’ shoddy defense. We’re not expecting a lot from Hasselbeck this week because the Bengals haven’t allowed a quarterback to eclipse the 20-point mark all season.

Joe Flacco (BAL) vs. PIT
 – Despite an inconsistent year from Flacco, he was one of the few quarterbacks to actually have a productive day against this unit, throwing for three touchdowns and 224 yards in Week 1. The Steelers are also dealing with major injuries, as its three starting linebackers, LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison and James Farrior, will not play in this game. It would still require a lot of guts to start Flacco this week, considering how up-and-down he’s been.



Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) vs. BAL – 
In this marquee matchup, Roethlisberger has a chance to become the first Steelers quarterback to post three-consecutive 300-yard games. He fell just 20 yards short of that mark back in Week 1 against Baltimore, but that was little consolation to owners who ended up with an 8-point fantasy downer (1 TD, 3 INT). The Ravens have surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season (9 FPPG), and are allowing just 174 passing yards a game.

Favorable/Unfavorable Running Back Matchups

Favorable

Michael Turner (ATL) vs. IND
 – Turner owners have to like the prospects of his fresh, bye-week rested legs going up against the league’s second-worst run defense. A running back has been able to post at least 10 fantasy points on the Colts in each of their eight games.

Steven Jackson (STL) vs. ARZ 
– Jackson’s 159 yards and 2 TDs were a big reason the Rams were able to upset the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Perhaps the new World Series champions should pay a visit before every Rams game the rest of the season. Jackson’s Week 9 opponent is yielding 19 fantasy points a game to RBs and is coming off a 27-point fantasy beat-down, courtesy of Ray Rice.

LeGarrette Blount (TB) vs. NO
 -- The big man is expected to make his return this week for a pivotal matchup with the Saints. With the team’s primary third-down back (Graham) done for the year, Blount will likely see more passing down duties, although Kregg Lumpkin is better suited for the role. The Saints have surrendered 18 fantasy points to RBs on average over the last four weeks.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. NYG – 
It doesn’t get much uglier than a season-low 9 yards on five carries, but the Steelers’ offensive barrage is mostly to blame for keeping the Patriots from establishing a ground game. The Giants have surrendered a rushing TD in each of their seven games and continue to struggle stopping the run despite Justin Tuck’s return (Reggie Bush, 103 yards in Week 7)

.

Unfavorable

DeMarco Murray (DAL) vs. SEA – 
Felix Jones could return this week, which would turn the Dallas backfield into a committee as Coach Jason Garrett has already suggested, and Seattle’s 3.2 yards per game against the run now tops all units this season. Murray is more of a mid-tier RB2 option this weekend.

Jackie Battle (KC) vs. MIA
 – The Jets, the Broncos and the Giants have all failed to produce a 10-point fantasy performance on the ground against this unit over the last three weeks, with the Dolphins allowing zero touchdowns to running backs over that three-game span.

Chris Johnson (TEN) vs. CIN -- 
It’s probably safe to label this guy a bust after he posted a 2.4 YPC against the feeble Colts run defense. His matchup with the Bengals’ second-ranked run defense is not a good one, and he now has Javon Ringer stealing more carries. CJ2K is no better than a low-end flex this week, as hard as that is to believe.

Rashard Mendenhall (PIT) vs. BAL
 – The Ravens held Mendenhall to 45 yards on 12 carries in Week 1 and are allowing just 3.3 YPC. With all of the bye week and injury issues at the RB position, sitting him probably is not an option, though.

Favorable/Unfavorable Wide Receiver Matchups

Favorable

Brandon Lloyd vs. ARIZ 
– With 25 targets in his first two games as a Ram, it’s no secret who the go-to guy is in this passing game. He has a 9-point fantasy average despite having yet to catch a pass from Sam Bradford. Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin was the third wideout in the last four weeks to reach double-digit fantasy points against the Cardinals, who are considered the fifth-best WR matchup this season (25 FPPG).



Dwayne Bowe (KC) vs. MIA – 
Bowe failed to find the end zone for the first time in three weeks despite a team-high 11 targets, but you have to like his chances here against a Miami secondary that is tied for second in receiving touchdowns and has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position through seven games.

Miles Austin (DAL) vs. SEA – The Seahawks present a solid opportunity for Miles and the Dallas passing game to bust out of their funk. A.J. Green became the second No. 1 wideout over the last three weeks to post at least 12 points on this depleted unit last Sunday.



Sidney Rice (SEA) vs. DAL
 – Rice recorded his second 100-yard performance of the season in Week 8 against the Bengals. His quarterback, Jackson, continues to force him the ball with 14 targets last week, and the duo has been productive when Jackson has been healthy (96 yard avg., 1 TD). The Cowboys will be missing their best cornerback, Mike Jenkins, for the next three to four weeks.

Unfavorable

Nate Washington (TEN) vs. CIN – 
Last week’s breakout game was much appreciated by many owners during these difficult bye weeks, but it could be back to mediocrity this week. Week 8 saw Seattle’s Rice become the first WR1 to reach 10 points against this unit all season.

Brandon Marshall (MIA) vs. KC
 – The Marshall/Matt Moore connection has yet to hit its stride, and it might have to wait another week. This week it’s up against the Chiefs’ elite corner, Brandon Flowers, who has held Reggie Wayne, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Vincent Jackson to a 6-point fantasy average over the last three weeks.



Darrius Heyward-Bey (OAK) vs. DEN – 
Champ Bailey may not be the shutdown cornerback he once was, but he still demands respect and will most likely be assigned to shadow the Raiders’ emerging receiver. Heyward-Bey was limited to four receptions for 44 yards on seven targets in his Week 1 meeting with Denver, and his quarterback is still trying to learn a new offense.

A.J. Green (CIN) vs. TEN -- 
WR1’s are averaging 53 yards a game this season with just one touchdown against this secondary, so Green will have to earn it this week.

Favorable/Unfavorable Tight End Matchups

Favorable

Brent Celek (PHI) vs. CHI 
– An afterthought for nearly a season and a half, Celek has been on the receiving end of two touchdowns in two weeks and saw a team-high nine targets in Week 8. With the pounding Michael Vick has taken during the first half of the season, it would appear the Eagles are utilizing a shorter field to get the ball out quicker to avoid the blitz. A similar strategy would be wise against the Bears, who have allowed six TDs to the position in their seven games (best TE matchup).

Unfavorable

Heath Miller (PIT) vs. BAL
 – Miller wins the worst matchup award for his position this week. Opposing tight ends are averaging a measly 2 points a game against this unit, and Miller’s 4-point fantasy day back in Week 1 stands as the best outing the position has had against the Ravens. If that excites you, then by all means continue to start him.

Favorable/Unfavorable Defense/Special Teams Matchups

Favorable

Oakland vs. DEN, Houston vs. CLE, San Francisco vs. WAS, Philadelphia vs. CHI, Kansas City vs. MIA

Unfavorable

Chicago vs. PHI, Giants vs. NE, San Diego vs. GB, Tampa Bay vs. NO, Seattle vs. DAL

Do you have a “start or sit” question? We are taking questions on Twitter. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy.

Tailgating Recipe: The Diesel Bloody Mary

Tailgating life is easier when your game starts in the midafternoon or later. But an early game shouldn’t be an impediment. That said, while it’s true that it’s always noon somewhere, beer might not be right for some palates in the morning. Justin Haynie, a Falcons fan and owner of the Diesel Filling Station in Atlanta, helps get the day started with the Diesel Bloody Mary.

London 2012 Olympics: Shooters Hill go-ahead has a sting in the tail

London 2012’s legacy gurus were no doubt relieved when the new riding school at Shooters Hill, just up the road from Greenwich Park, got through Council planning despite shrill local opposition last month.

There was a major planning policy principle why the “legacy” riding school should not have been approved – it is on Metropolitan Open Land.  Opponents’ pleas for a call-in by the Secretary of State are already being considered.

Planning policy aside, though, anyone should be pleased by initiatives to further opportunities for riding in London. Or any city.  It was Winston Churchill who rightly said “the best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse.” Apart from health and recreational benefits for all ages, communing with a horse – who has a quite different affect on one’s soul to that of a dog or a cat –  is now a proven and widely practiced therapy for the disabled and for children and adults with behavioural problems resulting from a disadvantaged upbringing, rural or urban.

There is ample evidence that inner-city children always embrace the apparently alien concept of riding, given half a chance. This appetite is already there, irrespective of how many thousands of London children actually do get tickets to see elite riders in action at Greenwich Park next year.

Family-run riding schools right across the UK have closed in droves in the past 15 years, not through lack of custom but because of the escalating cost of animal feeds, insurance and punishing business rates. State subsidised agricultural colleges with integrated riding enterprises have also stolen some traditional riding school business on the career training side.

There are 70 commercial riding schools in Greater London. A major problem is optimising hours of operation. Inevitably, weekends are by far the busiest. Riding has now entered some school curricula, but for many enterprises, dark evenings make winter weekdays a write-off.  The capacity of any riding school will always be capped by the fact the horse is a sentient being, not a piece of gymnasium equipment that can work 24-7. So the official HOOF legacy project has been quietly trying to extend weekday riding with the provision of covered and/or floodlit outdoor arenas at existing riding schools.

The Duchess of Cornwall has just opened new HOOF-subsidised permanent facilities at Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club, a legend in its own lifetime which was founded in 1996 to provide life skills and motivation to children on the Moorlands estate by a far-sighted resident, Ros Spearing. Also this week, Olympic dressage rider Emile Faurie added 20 families in Vauxhall to the 10,000 urban dwellers across Britain whose riding has been enabled by his own charitable foundation since 2006. But a substantial increase in participation in London can only be achieved by the provision of more horses – ergo, more stables. Sure, Shooters Hill is not a direct piece of legacy from London 2012. But  if guilt about the  tens of millions being thrown at the temporary Greenwich  operation is behind plans to build something  worthwhile in south London and find a way –with its College-related  subsidy – to make it operationally viable, then so what?

For London 2012 itself, though, the Shooters Hill planning decision and possible call-in has a sting in the tail. Whichever way it drops, LOCOG cannot now be sure when construction will begin or end and if there is any chance it will be a building site next summer, it’s out of commission during the Games.

Greenwich Park has well recorded constraints on space and access, so the mega lorries that transport elite equine athletes around the globe cannot easily drop them off at the main stable area. During the July test event, the undeveloped Shooters Hill site was used as a staging post, with horses transferring to a smaller vehicle for the final leg.  Riders were happy with both the principle and the efficiency of its execution.  As recently as two months ago, the company co-ordinating worldwide Olympic horse transport clearly thought this was still the deal for London 2012, and advised an International Equestrian Federation seminar as such. Greenwich Council planners obviously thought so too, as it was flagged up in their recommendation to committee. But it has now emerged that LOCOG has decided not to use Shooters Hill for horse transfer or anything else and, to date, no alternative has been confirmed.

It seems ironic that when so many logistical challenges have been presented by Greenwich Park, the not insignificant process of getting 200-odd horses on site is suddenly back on the “to do” list. Let us hope there are not too many more instances of two steps forward, but one back.

NBA players, owners might meet Saturday

NBA players and owners could resume their labor negotiations Saturday.

The NBA has a Board of Governors meeting Saturday morning in New York and the players union is discussing Thursday whether they want to give the negotiations another shot at ending the lockout, now in its 126th day.

Negotiations have stalled each of the last two weeks, with owners and players stuck on the much-publicized split of basketball-related income. Owners have insisted on a 50-50 BRI split while players have agreed to come down to 52% after making 57% last season.

All games have been canceled until at least Dec. 1, with more cancellations likely if there’s no agreement by the end of next week.

RELATED:

NBA players tweet their discontent over lockout

Owners and players remain quiet on NBA lockout

Michael Jordan backs out of Presidents Cup due to NBA lockout

-- Mike Bresnahan

Bubba Smith memorabilia up for auction

Bubba Smith fans will have a chance to own some memorabilia connected with the late football star. Have you ever wanted to own a Bronko Nagurski Legends Award? How about an NFL Pro Bowl Golden Helmet? Those two items, and much more, will be part of the Bubba Smith estate online auction now through Tuesday.

Sam Heller, a publicist for Nate D. Sanders Auctions, said Wednesday that the Nagurski award has an estimated value of $3,000 to $5,000.

"The auction house met twice with Bubba before he died," Heller said. "He was looking to auction off his memorabilia."

The auction ends at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Smith was the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts in the 1967 draft, but is probably best known for his beer commercials and "Police Academy" movies.

He died Aug. 3. An autopsy found phentermine, a weight-loss drug, in his system.

ALSO:

Full coverage of Dodgers sale

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Bubba Smith, right, with Tim Kazurinsky in "Police Academy 3". Credit: Warner Bros.

 

 

Who is the best choice to replace Tony La Russa in St Louis?

Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss who would be the best successor to former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who retired three days after the team won the World Series championship. Feel free to join the discussion with a comment of your own.

Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times

The Cardinals need someone with more than just people and managerial skills. They also need someone with the gravitas to take over a club that just won the World Series.

At the top of that short list would be former Cardinals catcher Joe Girardi. But he already has his dream job with the New York Yankees. Next would be former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona, who was run out of Boston when the team blew the wild-card playoff spot in the final inning of the final game.

But the frat-house environment Francona presided over in Boston won’t fly in St. Louis, where La Russa long ran the tightest clubhouse in baseball. If Francona has the desire to manage again, however, and can convince management, the players and fans he can be a disciplinarian, this could be a good fit for both sides.

Chris Foster previews the UCLA-Arizona State game [video]

 

 

Times UCLA reporter Chris Foster previews the UCLA-Arizona State game, including:

--How Coach Rick Neuheisel is downplaying this game.

--How UCLA can still play in a bowl game.

--Whether UCLA will use the same defense they did against Cal.

--What happens if punter Jeff Locke can't play.

You can hear all Foster's thoughts in the above video.

ALSO:

Peter O'Malley wants to run Dodgers

Dodgers sale: Taking a look at potential buyers

T.J. Simers: Fans should demand a legitimate new Dodgers owner

--Houston Mitchell

 

 

 

Landon Donovan joins U.S. team that has games during MLS playoffs

The Galaxy's push for the Major League Soccer Cup might have hit a small bump in the road Thursday when U.S. national team Coach Jurgen Klinsmann named Landon Donovan to his 22-man team for a pair of friendlies in Europe beginning next week.

For Donovan, who is coming off a leg injury, that will make for a challenging schedule beginning with Thursday night's playoff match with the New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center. If the Galaxy win the two-leg playoff series with New York -- and since they lead 1-0 after Sunday's win, to advance the Galaxy must simply avoid losing by two or more goals -- Donovan will play Sunday in the conference final.

[Updated 1:45 p.m.:]

The U.S. team is scheduled to gather in Paris on Monday, ahead of matches with France on Nov. 11 and Slovenia Nov. 15. The MLS Cup final will be played at the Home Depot Center on Nov. 20.
 
Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena was hoping that Klinsmann would avoid calling up players involved in the MLS playoffs -- and he largely did, selecting only Donovan and Real Salt Lake defender Kyle Beckerman on MLS teams that are still playing. And Klinsman said that whichever player's team makes the MLS Cup final will be allowed to leave the national team after the France friendly to return to his MLS team a week before the final.
 
"We have a very positive line of communication with MLS," Klinsman said. "We agreed that whoever will be involved in the final will be released after the game against France, which gives them more than a week to prepare.”

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Edson Buddle (Ingolstadt), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

RELATED:

Landon Donovan and Galaxy not angry at Red Bulls

MLS-best Galaxy succeed in relative obscurity despite Beckham

-- Kevin Baxter

Photo: Landon Donovan. Credit: Joe Nicholson / US Presswire

Why Jerry West wanted to share his struggle with depression [Video]

Jerry West is one of the most beloved figures in Lakers history.

A prolific scorer who embodied the ethos of hard work, his silhouette became the NBA's logo.

A general manager who built two of the league's most celebrated dynasties, a replica of his body became immortalized in bronze outside of Staples Center.

He has experienced immense success --- but has struggled deeply with enjoying its fruits.

"The high opinion others may have of Jerry West, whoever they may think he is, has never been shared by me," West wrote in his autobiography, "West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life."

At a book-signing at ESPN Zone in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday evening, West discussed his lifelong struggles with depression and why he decided to reveal them to the public.

"I've led a very complex life and I just thought after all of these years of trying to mask some of my problems, that it would be important to people out there -- and I've gotten a lot of cards, a lot of letters, a lot of telephone calls from some pretty prominent people thanking me for writing this book," West said.

"I had hoped it would be kind of cleansing for me to go back in time and think about some of the things that I've seen in my life that were less than desirable -- but probably propelled me to have some kind of a life I didn't dream possible."

In the book, West described his household in West Virginia as cold and lacking in affection. His father was abusive and his older brother, David, whom he loved dearly, died in the Korean War at age 22.

"David's death, I see now, truly resulted in the basketball court's becoming my sanctuary and my refuge, the place where I felt most alive, where I was most in control," West wrote.

Throughout West's illustrious career, he grappled with residual resentment from his childhood and a sometimes detrimental drive for perfection.

Even though he led the Lakers to a championship in 1972 he has never been able to get over the team's losses to the Boston Celtics and, to this day, has a hard time visiting the city.

West is a kind man who never thought he was above anyone -- for example, as an executive he forged friendships with the people who did menial labor in his office. But his overflowing humility worked against him at times.

When he won the Finals MVP award in 1969, he was upset. He didn't think he deserved it.

In the book, Magic Johnson said he was glad that West was writing an autobiography because he hoped that it would prove to be a form of therapy for him.

When asked if the writing process was indeed cathartic, West said, "Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

"I think reliving some of the things I saw in my life, talking about some of them, have not been therapeutic, but some other times I'm glad I did it."

MORE:

A review of "West by West"

Greatest sports figures in L.A. history: Jerry West

Jerry West on autobiography: "It was painful to write"

-- Melissa Rohlin

Greatest sports figures in L.A. history No. 4: John Wooden

Continuing our countdown of the 20 greatest figures in L.A. sports history, as chosen in voting by our online readers, with No. 4, John Wooden.

No. 4 John Wooden (251 first-place votes, 5,922 points)

A lot of people will be surprised that Wooden didn't win this voting, but he was entirely left off quite a few ballots, leaving him in fourth place.

In 27 years as Bruin coach, his teams registered 620 wins and only 147 losses while earning far more national honors than any other university.

Under Wooden, UCLA won an unprecedented 10 NCAA men's basketball titles, including seven consecutive championships (1966-73). Included in the string is one of the most amazing winning streaks in all of sports: 88 games over four seasons, including consecutive 30-0 seasons in 1971-72 and 1972-73. UCLA also won 149 of 151 games in Pauley Pavilion during his Wooden's tenure.

Wooden was the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0 and his Bruin teams won 19 conference championships. He is the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

In 2003, President George W. Bush presented Wooden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian.

Wooden and his wife, Nell, who died in Los Angeles on March 21, 1985, were married for 53 years. The legendary UCLA coach died on June 4, 2010.

RELATED:

No. 6: Jerry West

No. 7: Chick Hearn

No. 8: Kobe Bryant

No. 9: Fernando Valenzuela

No. 10: Jackie Robinson

No. 11: Tommy Lasorda

No. 12: Wayne Gretzky

No. 13: Walter O'Malley

No. 14: Don Drysdale

No. 15: Merlin Olsen

No. 16: Jerry Buss

No. 17: Elgin Baylor

No. 18: Marcus Allen

No. 19: Jim Murray

No. 20: Wilt Chamberlain

Your votes are in: The 20 greatest sports figures in L.A. history

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: John Wooden in 1996. Credit: Chuck Robinson / Associated Press

London kept its side of athletics legacy bargain, now IAAF must award capital the World Championships

Not again: Lord Coe will be praying for no repeat of the jubilation when Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup (Photo: AFP)

I am trying to picture the headlines next week if Doha is chosen ahead of London to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships. It doesn’t make pretty reading.

If anything, the humiliation would be even greater than England’s last-place finish in the 2018 World Cup vote because London is so obviously a more suitable candidate than its rival, with its furnace-like temperatures and crowds so sparse that they have to bus in migrant workers for Diamond League meetings and then lock the

stadium doors to stop them leaving early.

One can only imagine the backlash. It would be seen as a snub of epic proportions, and it would certainly re-open the debate over whether a permanent running track in the Olympic Stadium can really be justified.

If the International Association of Athletics Federations couldn't care less about cementing Britain’s athletics legacy, then why should we spend tax-payers’ money keeping the Olympic Stadium in public ownership just to guarantee the future of the running track?

The clamour to tear up the track would be deafening, while the personal criticism of Lord Coe for his insistence on a permanent athletics legacy would also grow louder. And all this at a time when Britain was supposed to be getting ready for a gigantic celebration of Olympic sport, with athletics at its centre.

Such a scenario is why the IAAF council members must do the right thing next week and vote for London. It is surely payback time for the efforts of Coe, and indeed the Government, in sticking so firmly to London’s promise to retain an athletics legacy for the Olympic Stadium.

That promise was made to the International Olympic Committee in Singapore in 2005 and was a key factor in London’s success in securing the 2012 Games. It is widely believed that Lamine Diack, the IAAF president, switched his vote from Paris to London because of that undertaking.

Diack certainly did not forget London’s promise earlier this year when the Olympic Park Legacy Company were weighing whether to allow Tottenham to tear up the track and rebuild the stadium as a football-only venue.

In fact, his outrage at such a prospect could not have been plainer as he talked of “betrayal” and “a big lie” if the track was removed.

It is worth recalling the statement he released in support of a permanent running track. He wrote:

The crux of the stadium debate for the IAAF focuses on the commitment given by the London bid committee in Singapore in 2005 to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has many members from the sport of athletics, to retain a sustainable athletics legacy after the London Games.

This promise was not a footnote of London’s bid: it was a core  policy of their presentation to convince the Olympic family of their exciting, viable legacy plans. It offered a vision of year-round health and fitness opportunities for the local community and a venue to stage national and major international athletics competitions ranging from meetings like the Samsung Diamond League to Area and World Championships.

So there it is. In reminding us of London’s promise, Diack also acknowledged the city’s vision of a vibrant athletics legacy with major international meetings, including the World Championships, being staged in the stadium.

That is the vision that Coe has held on to ever since London was awarded the Olympics, despite the pressures to water down the promise made in Singapore.

London has kept its side of the bargain. Now it is up to the IAAF to deliver.

Is Matt Forte the best offensive player in the NFL? [Poll]

Matt Forte has been named the NFL's midseason offensive player of the year by Sports Illustrated's Peter King. The Chicago Bears running back is having a monster season, but is he really the best offensive player in the league?

Apparently even King doesn't think so. He named Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his overall MVP and said he was "fudging a bit here" in naming Forte his top offensive player because Rodgers "is so clearly ahead of the rest."

Kind of an odd move, but it's true that Rodgers and Forte both are having seasons worth acknowledging. Rodgers has completed 71.5% of his passes to the tune of 2,372 yards and 20 touchdowns with only three interceptions. And Forte has been a workhorse for the Bears (4-3). He has 672 yards (5.4 per carry) and two touchdowns rushing and 419 yards and one touchdown receiving.

Of course, there are plenty of other candidates out there as well. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a two-time MVP, is having a typical season, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has passed for more yards than anyone (2,746) and Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton is generating a lot of excitement.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson already has 11 touchdown catches, but Carolina's Steve Smith, New England's Wes Welker and Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace are also having big years. And its hard to leave Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson out of the discussion.

Who do you think the best offensive player has been so far this season? Vote in the poll (yes, you are allowed to vote for Rodgers in this poll), and leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.

ALSO:

Packers, Chargers at opposite ends of emotional spectrum

Several NFL players have made surprising impacts on offense

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Matt Forte. Credit: Gary Hershorn / Reuters

London 2012 Olympics diary: Tanni Grey-Thompson backs BOA drug cheat bylaw

Life means life: Tanni Grey-Thompson believes Dwain Chambers should not be able to compete at the Olympics (Photo: Paul Grover)

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has revealed that she nearly included a recommendation to drug test coaches during her widespread doping review of UK Athletics.

Grey-Thompson's review back in 2009 brought about a toughening of sanctions against drug users, but she said a key measure she wishes she had now included was to have coaches and support staff around athletes also undergo drug tests.

She believes some coaches may be drug takers themselves and sending wrong messages to athletes.

"It wouldn't hurt for them to understand what we have to go through for a drug test either," she said.

The multi-medal winning Paralympian also backed the British Olympic Association's bylaw that prohibits the selection of anyone with a doping conviction.

Despite noises from cycling and track and field at the time of LaShawn Merritt's court victory, which gave the athlete the right to compete at the London Olympics, no one has yet challenged the BOA's tough position.

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British diver Tom Daley is to be immortalised in wax at the Madame Tussauds museum.

Daley tweeted that he would be setting new ground for the museum as he would be wearing nothing other than Speedos.

The work will capture Daley diving mid-air towards the water.

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Freshfields lawyers have been busy dealing with hundreds of small transgressions of the Olympic act which prohibits non-Olympic companies from promoting any association with the London 2012 Olympics.

But the tactic to stamp out small problems to send a deterrent message to the big end of town hasn't hit home. This week a main multinational communications rival to sponsor Samsung was publicising a new phone product " to shine at London Olympics 2012". Legal letters have started to fly.

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Olympic Park Legacy Company chiefs, chair Baroness Margaret Ford and chief executive Andrew Altman will face a grilling next week in the London Assembly over the continuing delays to tender the Olympic Stadium.

Committee chair Dee Doocey said five years after London won the bid "we seem to be back to square one… we want to know what went wrong and what the consequences will be for the taxpayer."

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Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe will delay revealing his 100m freestyle prowess and concentrate on the butterfly and individual medley events as he swims competitively for the first time in five years at the Fina World Cup meets in Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo this month.

But many don't realise that Thorpe, as a 14 year old, was seriously considering concentrating on the 200m butterfly event, such was his dominance of the stroke.

His current Swiss-based coach Gennadi Touretski believes he won't be disgraced in the event.

Kelly Slater pays tribute to Andy Irons

Surfing legend Kelly Slater, who won his record 11th world title Wednesday, took time to remember fellow surfer Andy Irons, who died one year ago Wednesday.

"He's always been one of my favorite surfers," Slater told BNQT.com. "He was the most intense competitor I've ever known and one of the most sensitive people. He had so much life left in him and it hurts to think" about his death.

A year later, Slater says he still thinks about Irons often.

"It's sort of weird. I was just thinking that a lot of things have come together. With this happening on the anniversary of Andy passing, it makes it more special. It's a way to celebrate my memories of him."

Slater credits Irons with motivating him.

"I feel blessed that we worked through the differences we had and I was able to learn what I'm made of because of Andy," Slater said.

You can read more of Slater's thoughts on Irons at BNQT.com.

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Peter O'Malley wants to run Dodgers

Dodgers sale: Taking a look at potential buyers

T.J. Simers: Fans should demand a legitimate new Dodgers owner

-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Kelly Slater takes part in Wednesday's competition at San Francisco's Ocean Beach en route to another world title. Credit: Kirstin Scholtz / Associated Press

 

Week 9 N.F.L. Game Probabilities, Including Patriots vs. Giants

This Sunday’s game between the Giants and the Patriots will be the first meaningful game between the two franchises since Super Bowl XLII. This time around, the Giants have just as high-flying a passing attack as the Patriots. The big difference between them is the ground attack; the advantage clearly belongs to New England.

Although both teams enter Week 9 with virtually identical net passing yards per attempt, the Patriots are averaging 4.5 yards per carry (9th in the league) compared with the Giants’ average of 3.2 YPC (31st in the league). More important, the Patriots’ run Success Rate (SR) is 49 percent (2nd in the league) compared with 37 percent (29th in the league). I like to rely on Run SR; it happens to be far more predictive of team success than YPC.

The Patriots have a very slight edge in stopping the run too, but the big statistical difference between the defenses is in net passing efficiency. The Giants are solidly above average, ranked 11th, while the Patriots are ranked 31st.

Some analysts have suggested that the Patriots’ defensive stats are misleading. In several games their offense was able to generate such a large lead that the defense  needed to focus only on the deepest routes and keep opposing receivers in bounds to keep the clock moving. I looked at this issue recently, and it turns out that the Patriots’ defense performs almost equally well in high-leverage and low-leverage parts of games. In other words, they perform as poorly in garbage time as they do when the game is still on the line.

Put all the numbers through the wash, and the two teams come out surprisingly equal. The real difference in this game is home field advantage, which belongs to New England. Ultimately, although the Patriots are clear favorites, the efficiency stats give the Giants a much better chance than the conventional wisdom gives them.

Here are the game probabilities for Week 9.
(For more on the prediction model and its accuracy, see this post.)

Brian Burke, a former Navy pilot who has taken up the less dangerous hobby of N.F.L. statistical analysis, operates Advanced NFL Stats, a blog about football, math and human behavior.

Tour of California 2012 will finish at L.A. Live

The 2012 Amgen Tour of California cycling race route was released Thursday and for the second time in three years it will have a stage finish at L.A. Live, this time the final stage.

After hosting the time trial in 2010, L.A. Live will be the end of the 750-mile race on May 20. The first stage on May 13 will begin in Santa Rosa, home of three-time Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer.  Other highlights of this year's route include a stage start in Sonora and the time trial in Bakersfield.

Stage 6 next year will begin in Palmdale and end at Big Bear Lake, and Stage 7 will have a start in Ontario, a first-time host city for the event, and will include a climb to the top of Mt. Baldy.

Chris Horner, who lives in San Diego, is the defending champion.

The race has been marked for the past two years by news involving seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. In 2010  during the Tour of California the Wall Street Journal first published accusations made by Floyd Landis, where Landis said he witnessed Armstrong using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, and last May another former Armstrong teammate, Tyler Hamilton, was televised on the CBS news program "60 Minutes" making similar accusations against Armstrong, who has been under investigation by a Los Angeles grand jury.

Armstrong, who long has denied such accusations, retired from cycling at the end of the 2010 season.

The 13 host cities for the 2012 Amgen Tour of California include:
•    Stage 1: Sunday, May 13 –- Santa Rosa
•    Stage 2: Monday, May 14 -- San Francisco to Santa Cruz County
•    Stage 3: Tuesday, May 15 -- San Jose to Livermore
•    Stage 4: Wednesday, May 16 -- Sonora to Clovis
•    Stage 5: Thursday, May 17 –- Bakersfield (individual time trial)
•    Stage 6: Friday, May 18 –- Palmdale to Big Bear Lake
•    Stage 7: Saturday, May 19 –- Ontario to Mt. Baldy
•    Stage 8: Sunday, May 20 –- Los Angeles/L.A. Live

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Sale of Dodgers creates uncertainty

Peter O'Malley joins list of potential bidders for Dodgers

Q & A: What's next for the Dodgers?

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: John W. Adkisson / Los Angeles Times

London 2012 Olympics: forcing female boxers to wear skirts is a flawed and sleazy idea

Would you like to tell Chantelle Cameron and Nicola Adams to wear a skirt? (Photo: PA)

What is it about a flouncey short skirt that male sports administrators find so appealing? Here we are in the 21st century, where women have forged their equal rights in most areas of life, including, to the dismay of some men, the boxing ring.

For the first time at London 2012 women’s boxing will be on the Olympic Games program. Initially there were some commentators objecting to women being involved in a brutal and bloodied sport. Their shoddy assumptions usually centred on the supposed frailty of women.

Now we have dinosaur officials, again men, in charge of the international boxing authority the AIBA, who have recommended that the women compete in the Olympics in skirts.

I wouldn't be surprised if tucked away in those ridiculous and anachronistic recommendations are also a maximum skirt length, similar to the skimpy skirt requirement for beach volleyball players.

Thankfully female boxers have brains to match their brawn.

Ireland's Katie Taylor said: "It's a disgrace that they're forcing some of the women to wear those mini-skirts. We should be able to wear shorts, just like the men. I won't be wearing a mini-skirt. I don't even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing mini-skirts in the ring."

The AIBA says outrageously, that having women wear skirts would distinguish them from men. Hmm, here are some clues, guys: hips and breasts.

Not only is the idea flawed that skirts can somehow make female boxing appear more feminine, it is somewhat sleazy to have ringside boxing officials – nearly always male – looking upwards, ostensibly to watch the action. That's what I call perving.