2008 NFL Power Rankings: Season Preview

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Sat Jul 05 2008 at 6:03 PM EST
More on: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Colts, Patriots (all tags)

With the recent mumblings of Favre considering coming out of retirement, things are getting shaken up in Green Bay, and quite honestly, all around football. If you're a fantasy drafter holding an early draft, now you're not sure whether to steal Rodgers or some of his teammates, and you're also speculating on whether or not to nab Favre, as well. Each year we have to look at each player and each team under a microscope. Which player is past his prime, just entering it, and who is going to carry his team to the next level. If Brett Favre does in fact come back, then it will change the current look of the NFl completely. Well, at least it will change the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers. Regardless, whatever he decides to do will no doubt have a domino affect in the NFC North, kicking the Vikings or Bears out of playoff contention, or if he stays retired, maybe ensuring them a wild card. One thing is for sure, Favre and his rumor mill antics will keep us all (unless you're a Lions fan) on the edge of our seats, awaiting his final verdict. And you thought we had it all figured out back in March... The pre-season Power Rankings:

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Favre's Comeback Good For Green Bay In Long Run? I Don't Believe So.

By PHiCTiON, Section NFL
Posted on Thu Jul 03 2008 at 11:09 AM EST
More on: Brett Favre, Retirement, Green Bay Packers, NFL (all tags)

    
     "He has the itch...," mentioned Al Harris, a guest host on ESPN's NFL Live this Wednesday, when asked about Brett Favre's potential comeback. He went on to say about Aaron Rodgers, "We embrace Aaron. We support Aaron. Aaron is our quarterback. Brett is retired, but if he wants to come back, there will be some guys that wouldn't mind it." Chris Mortensen of ESPN also reported that Favre had made Head Coach McCarthy aware of his "itch" to play. "Mort" also reported that a source in Green Bay made him aware that Favre's family is pushing him to return. Personally, I don't think he's going to return, but I'd be lying if I told you it wouldn't make me happy to see him back. I just don't believe it benefits Green Bay in the long run.

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Bold Predictions

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Jun 25 2008 at 10:50 PM EST
More on: NFL, Playoffs, Chad Johnson, Cleveland Browns, Brett Favre, Mike Hass (all tags)

Seasons come and go in today's sports world, as do predictions and opinions. I, for one have made my fair share of, well, incorrect predictions.

I said the Celtics' big trades for Ray Allen and KG would not amount to a title, and only cripple their franchise down the road. And quite frankly, those things both could still very well happen.

I also predicted the Packers would meet the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl, with Green Bay prevailing, sending Favre off into the sunset with one last championship.

Obviously, the New York Giants ended that thought.

But what would sports be without competition on top of competition? That's why we write about, argue about, and watch these games. That's why fantasy sports is so compelling.

We get to compete without actually ever working for it. Some might say, however, that there is a lot of work that goes into it. And if it's not work, it's at least knowledge combined with intelligent guesses.

I know what you're thinking. That's what Vegas is for.

But I'm willing to let the dice roll, to be damned if I'm right or be damned if I'm wrong.

So, without further hesitance, here are my 25 bold predictions for the 2008 NFL season.

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Why The NFL is the Most Popular Sport in America

By mfitz, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Jun 25 2008 at 10:45 PM EST
More on: NFL, Football, MLB (all tags)

Revenue sharing, salary caps and the vision of a few men many years ago has turned the NFL into the most popular sport in America.  

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The playoffs are buzzing...

By teekay, Section NFL
Posted on Mon May 12 2008 at 10:38 PM EST
More on: new orleans hornets, NBA, playoffs, chris paul (all tags)

The NBA Playoffs have, in some ways, been very similar to years past. The Spurs stole away the Suns hopes of glory with methodical, albeit boring, execution. Tracy McGrady and the Rockets were once again ousted in the first round (will someone please tell this guy to stop walking under ladders while spilling salt and kicking black cats). The Pistons steady D led them through a surprisingly tough series. But this year, the playoffs also have something they have lacked in recent years; the buzz of an exciting, young, and effective team. It's the buzz of a team that plays the game unselfishly, and goes all out on every play. It's the buzz of a team that is high-flying and entertaining, but also has the capacity to actually make a championship run. It's the buzz of the Hornets.

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Steelers 2008 NFL Draft Analysis

By MCS513, Section NFL
Posted on Sun May 11 2008 at 4:54 PM EST
More on: Steelers, 2008 NFL Draft (all tags)

I will discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 draft choices, and how the new players will impact the team in the upcoming 2008 season.

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The Guru's 2008 Mock NFL Draft

By TheGuru8700, Section NFL
Posted on Fri Apr 25 2008 at 2:28 PM EST
More on: 2008 NFL Draft, NFL, Draft Preview (all tags)

It's that time once again, time for teams to either rebuild or destroy their franchise's future.  Though the true meddle and talent of a draft class needs about five years to truly be measured, I think I can pick out about ten players that I believe won't measure up to what they're expected to be.  But who knows...

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But what about Brett Fav-ruh?

By teekay, Section NFL
Posted on Mon Mar 10 2008 at 12:35 AM EST
More on: brett favre, green bay packers, retirement (all tags)

The day has finally come. It is time to say goodbye to everyone's favorite fun-lovin', gun-slingin', Wrangler wearin', 5'o clock shadow-havin', burger eatin', just another regular guy like you or me (except for the money, rugged good looks, and talent) quarterback. The announcement came early Monday morning around 7:30am Eastern Time: Brett Favre is officially retiring... probably.

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American History NFL

By Flemish American, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Feb 27 2008 at 10:44 PM EST
More on: NFL Europe, Superbowl (all tags)

As they filed out of my living room, I reminded myself of why I had given this party.  There were enough events to choose from, but I had resisted the urge to go out and "mingle" and chose instead to have a group of friends at my house for something I considered important to my life.  Some of these friends actually understood what they had just seen.  Most of the others figured out it was important, but they really didn't know why.

Americans watch the Superbowl and the announcers on the telecast always brag about a billion people watching the game around the world.  Even assuming every American watches the game, I always wondered how they came to such a high number.  Now that I've lived overseas for a number of years this question intrigues me even more.

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Making Sense of the Mock Drafts

By Flemish American, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Feb 27 2008 at 7:43 AM EST
More on: NFL Draft, Mock Draft (all tags)

With so many people making their own mock drafts this year, I felt it might be more worthwhile to make a comparison of different versions including some bloggers and paid journalists.

I started by making a Google search and the first hits were actually bloggers followed by some acknowledged NFL journalists from different media sources. Although the results might be affected by the timing of the actual updates, I have tried to keep this in mind in my analysis and have included the last update in the table.

The problem with making a mock draft is that many times the picks are traded away and the teams that take over the slot might have different needs. This can completely change the whole draft order. Almost all those making their selections seemed concerned with this and it means any guessing has to be taken with a grain of salt.

With all this in mind, the following is my analysis of the coming draft based on the input of 6 different mocks prepared during the month of February. It will be possible for a player to be a consensus pick more than once.

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