Get the inside scoop on fantasy football.

Do you want to win your league this year? Get this hot football ebook from FootballJerks.com.

Get early NBA information from NBAbeat.com.

• Season previews
• FIBA updates
• Basketball news

With a lot of young players on the rise in the NFL, there are a lot of fantasy players near the top of the draft that aren’t recognizable to casual football fans. If you are going to play fantasy football this season, be sure to study before the draft. Without knowing the younger generation of players, you could miss a fantasy football stud in the first round.

Here are my top five fantasy football picks for 2007:

Read More …

The 2007 NFL season opened on Thursday night with the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts facing off against the New Orleans Saints.

In a game that was hyped with multiple commercials featuring Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Saints running back Reggie Bush, the much anticipated contest was really no contest.

By the end of the night, the Colts proved themselves to still be dominant, crushing the Saints 41-10.

Read more …

Just when things were looking good for the Chicago Cubs, they suffered a serious setback in last night’s game against the Mets. Not only did they lose the game, but they have now lost their biggest offensive weapon with an injury to Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano was trying to stretch a single into a triple during yesterday’s game. He came up short as he went around second and then tried to hop to third base. He was tagged out easily and then helped off the field.

Medical reports released today say the slugger strained his right quadriceps and may be out anywhere from two to four weeks. This is a huge blow to the team who was making a sudden and serious run for a playoff spot.

“How devastating. I mean, leadoff hitter, valuable guy, leads my team in home runs, he’s got a lot of energy,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said today.

“It’s going to be a tough loss.”

Soriano will be replaced in left field by Cliff Floyd. Mark DeRosa will move from second base to right field and Mike Fontenot will take over at second base.

Date: August 6, 2007
Article: Soriano pulls up lame, leaves game with quad injury
Reference: ESPN
Reference: Chicago Cubs

The family of recently deceased St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock has decided to drop a lawsuit they had filed against the restaurant where he had eaten just before the accident. Hancock was declared legally drunk when his vehicle struck the back of a tow truck. The family had also filed lawsuits against the driver of the stalled car and the tow truck driver.

Yesterday Hancock’s father released a statement to ESPN stating he was ordering his attorneys to drop the lawsuit. This, in effect, ends the legal battles for the Hancock family, but the lawsuit could be refiled at almost any time.

The lawsuit had stated that others, besides Hancock, shared in the responsibility for his death. The lawsuit had included Mike Shannon’s restaurant, the restaurant’s manager, the tow truck driver, the tow truck company and the driver of the stalled car that the tow truck was attempting to assist.

“That’s the end of it,” said Don Wolff, a lawyer for the Shannon family. “This case never had any merit. It was totally and completely without merit.”

Date: July 31, 2007
Article: Shannon’s restaurant dropped from wrongful-death lawsuit
Reference: ESPN
Reference: St. Louis Cardinals

Carlos Zambrano is on the streak of his career, at least according to his own assessment, and the Chicago Cubs are suddenly a very real threat to the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition to pitching well, Zambrano continues to be one of the best-hitting pitchers in the National League.

After yesterday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Zambrano became the game’s first 14-game winner this season. He also had three hits and it all added up to a 6 – 0 win for the Cubs.

“I think this is the best stretch I’ve ever had,” he said. “I feel confident and comfortable. I’ve been hitting my spots and throwing more strikes. My arm slot feels good.”

Zambrano has won four straight and seven of his last eight starts.

To add to the offense, Derek Lee homered for the third time in four days. Alfonso Soriano also had two hits and scored a run. The Cubs are 4 – 2 off of their recent road trip and with their win and a Brewers lost yesterday are now a half game away from first place in the Central Division of the National League.

“He’s a special pitcher,” said
Cincinnati’s manager Pete Mackanin. “Everything was working for him today. You can see why he’s got the record he’s got. He’s a solid pitcher, and what he’d have? Three hits? He wanted to steal a base, but we held him down there.”

Date: July 30, 2007

Article: Zambrano has three hits, beats Reds for 14^th win
Reference: ESPN
Reference: Major League Baseball
Reference: Chicago Cubs

A federal magistrate has denied a request by the Associated Press to release the names of players allegedly implicated by former major-league pitcher Jason Grimsley.

“Disclosure at this time may compromise the ongoing investigation in several ways,” said U.S. Magistrate Edward C. Voss.

The AP had asked several times for the court to reveal names crossed out in a sworn statement by IRS agent Jeff Novitzky. That document had been used to support a warrant issued against Grimsley in order to search his Arizona home last year.

The AP had contended that the public had a right to know and access the entire, un-edited document. Voss ruled that revelation of the names could harm further investigations and outweighed any First Ammendment rights.

“Cooperation could be affected,” Voss wrote. “investigation of named individuals could be compromised, leads developed from undisclosed information could be cut off and evidence could be destroyed.”

Rumors have been circulating for some time what other names were mentioned, but crossed out, in the document. David Sequi came forward saying one of the names was his. However, it has been rumored that Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons were also listed in the document.

Date: July 27, 2007
Article: Judge denies request to reveal players implicated in drug use
Reference: ESPN
Reference: Major League Baseball

The man who created the drug known as “the clear,” Patrick Arnold, told HBO Sports’ Bon Costas that he believes both Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs. The interview has been reported on the New York Times website.

The drug that
Arnold created got its name because it had been totally undetectable at one time. It was distributed by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. Arnold himself plead guilty to distributing steroids back in 2006 and was sentenced to three months in prison.

Arnold also claims he never met Bonds during his time with the Co-Op. However, Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO and creator of the system known as “the program” often bragged about how well Bonds was doing while on it. Costas asked
Arnold if “the program” included the use of steroids.

“I have a very strong feeling about is since he was on the program. And like everyone else, the program consisted of the clear,”
Arnold replied.

Of course, Bonds has repeatedly denied he used steroids knowingly. Bonds is also in pursuit, this season, of Hank Aaron’s all-time career home run record.

Conte has denied that his program for Bonds included any steroids, but only nutritional supplements.

Sheffield has also denied every taking steroids. He famously claimed that he would never take them because “they are something you shoot in the butt.”

Date: July 25, 2007
Article: Chemist thinks Bonds,Sheffield took steroids
Reference: ESPN
Reference: Major League Baseball

Aaron Harang had the right stuff against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers and helped the team win the game. Harang allowed only 1 run in 10 innings in a game that ultimately went 12 innings.

Harang had just returned to the team after attending his grandfather’s funeral. The Reds ended up beating the Brewers 2 - 1 off of a single by catcher Javier Valentin.

“He wanted to win that game so bad,” said Valentin.

Harang came back because he said he thought his pitching would be a fitting tribute to his grandfather. At the beginning of the season he stayed behind in San Diego to spend time with his ailing grandfather.

“I know he’s out there with me,” said Harang. “He was a baseball fan. He wouldn’t have wanted me to miss a start. When we were out there and I stayed an extra day, he was mad because he thought I might miss a start.”

Valentin hit a bases-loaded single off of Grant Balfour to win the closely fought game. Balfour had walked Jeff Conine and Pedro Lopez. Then he threw to third base too late to try after David Ross bunted.

“He just needs to find a way to throw more strikes,” said Brewers’ manager Ned Yost. “I told him, ‘You’ve worked hard for two years. This is your game to win or lose right here. Bang some strikes and get your first win in two years.’”

Date: July 24, 2007
Article: Harang allows 1 run in 10 innings; Reds top Brewers in 12
Reference: ESPN
Reference: Cincinnati Reds