Day 12: Crabtree, Bradford, Artest and more

HEADLINES

1) The San Francisco 49ers have filed tampering claims with the NFL against the New York Jets, stating that the Jets tampered with the 49ers' first-round draft pick Michael Crabtree, who remains unsigned. What do you make of this situation?

Ben: I think Crabtree has totally destroyed his chances in the NFL. If he signs with the 49ers, he will always have mixed feelings about them, while if he waits out until next year, he won't be signed until the 2-4th round. He's already going to cost himself money no matter what happens. The Jets/49ers situation is a tough spot, but its really just a way to blame someone for the bad situation the 9ers are in.

Boz: Obviously I have no idea whether or not the Jets actually did or did not tamper with Michael Crabtree. I'll leave that for the NFL to find out. What I do know is that the Jets need a game-changing wide receiver and that not many teams would take Crabtree in the 2010 draft should he re-enter. So maybe the Jets thought that by secretly telling him that they would draft him, they could get a steal on Crabtree next season.

If the tampering claims are true, then these have been pretty serious mistakes by the Jets. It really costs the 49ers because Crabtree has someone else telling him that he is worth more than what the 49ers are offering him, thus making it much harder for the 49ers to sign Crabtree and get him in uniform. However, we'll see what the NFL decides, but in the meantime I would like to send a message to Crabtree. Sign with the 49ers and end this charade and get in uniform.

2) Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford resumed throwing the football for the Sooners in practice, partaking in team drills but being limited to short throws that didn't require a full follow through. With a bye week this week, are you planning on Bradford under center against the Hurricanes in two weeks?

Ben: Oh, he's back for sure. The Sooners need him, and Bradford probably wants to be back as soon as possible. He's going to throw all short passes and hope for good YAC from his recievers anyway.  I think the Sooners could get the 'Canes, but they'll need a relatively healthy Bradford, and a mistake-free effort from both sides of the ball. The 'Canes are good, and the Sooners will need some good play.

Boz: Yes. I don't think he's going to be ready but I think he'll play. The Hurricanes have proved to be a much tougher team than anyone thought and the Sooners are going to need Sam Bradford to get a win and keep any hope at a BCS Championship alive. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones played well by throwing six touchdowns against Tulsa, but he'll be facing a different Hurricane defense when he faces the one in orange jerseys. I think Bradford will push to get back into that game but won't be able to put a lot behind his throws and the Sooner offense will struggle.

3) The newest Los Angeles Laker, Ron Artest, has said that is the Lakers do not repeat as NBA Champions in 2010, Laker fans can point the finger straight at Artest. Do you believe the same?

Ben: Not really, but he could probably take some of the blame. Essentially Ron Artest is the only thing that has changed from the best team in the NBA last season. Artest is a good player,  but has never really fit into a scheme real well and the Lakers will require him to conform, not Artest's strong suit. If he messes with the chemistry, there could be bad things coming for the Lakers.

Boz: No. I do think that the Lakers are better than they were last year. They kept together all of the pieces to that team except for Trevor Ariza, where they upgraded by getting Artest. The Lakers are definitely the favorite to win the title, but its not an easy task to win repeat championships in pro sports today. The Western Conference is packed with tough teams and it'll take a lot out of a team to make it out of the west. Not to mention that the Celtics, Cavs and maybe even the Magic are better than last season. The Lakers are the favorite, but the compeition is stiff.

4) Reports say that former No. 1 ranked player in the world Justine Henin has began training and is set to announce her return to competitive tennis. If Clijsters would have lost in the first round of the U.S. Open, would we still be talking today about a return for Henin?

Ben: No. Comebacks are only good when there is an example of its success. If Clijsters would have flopped, we would have assumed Henin would suffer the same fate. I think it could be a successful return, but I'm not real confident Clijsters will be able to sustain this success, so I obviously have the same feeling about Henin.

Boz: I don't think we would be. I'm sure seeing her fellow Belgian win the U.S. Open after being out of tennis for nearly two and a half years helped Henin want to get back into tennis again. She's only 27 years old and retired a year ago as the No. 1 ranked player. She can still compete with the best in the women's game and they became evident while watching Clijsters shine again. It'll be nice having both of these players at the top again in the women's tennis game, which desperately needs it.

TOSS-UP

1) The Houston Astros fired manager Cecil Cooper yesterday. Which MLB manager will get the boot next? Cleveland Indians' Eric Wedge or Chicago White Sox' Ozzie Guillen?

Ben: WEDGE. Ozzie has staying power, and for some reason, is able to get quite a bit out of the White Sox ever year. I don't think Wedge will be able to hang on, after ANOTHER bad year.

Boz: ERIC WEDGE. I want to say Ozzie Guillen because he is a mental headcase and can't go three weeks without spitting his mouth off to the media. But for some reason Ken Williams really likes him so I can't see Guillen getting fired. Wedge has had a lot of talent in Cleveland the last couple of seasons and always have gotten off to awful starts, the likes that are so bad they can never recover. The Indians have had such potential and expectations for the past three years that they end up being one of the biggest disappointments each year. Now I think it's the end of the line for Wedge.

2) Which was the more impressive feat by a quarterback in week 2? Peyton Manning scoring 27 points with only having the ball for a quarter of the game or Kurt Warner breaking the single game record for pass completion?

Ben: MANNING. People have completed high percentages quite a bit, like against the Lions all year last season, but being able to put together a winning effort, while barely touching the ball -- that's great. Manning is the best QB to play the game, this is an example.

Boz: PEYTON MANNING. I'm not trying to belittle what Kurt Warner did because it was pretty impressive. However, he set the record against the Jaguars and he did it while not even playing all the way through the third quarter. If he had played the entire game, then I would have went with Warner. The Colts had the ball for just 15 minutes, a fourth of the game, yet Manning still led the team to 27 points and the win. That's the lowest amount of time that a team has possesed the ball and still won the game in NFL history. Very impressive.

3) Who do you have for the best team in baseball? The Cardinals or the Yankees?

Ben: YANKEES. Teixeria. Jeter. CC. Burnett. A-Rod. Matsui. Riveria. Need I say more?

Boz: YANKEES. The Cardinals have been red hot since acquiring Matt Holliday but I'm still going to take the Bronx Bombers (mainly because I am a Cubs fan). The Cardinals have the edge in pitching, barely, but I'll take the Yankees because of their experience and depth in the line-up.

HAPPY HOUR

Ben: On this date in 1911, Cy Young won his final game, his 511th of his career. He is the best pitcher in the history of the game, and deserves recognition on the best blog on the web.

Boz: Happy 82nd Birthday to Tommy Lasorda. He was 0-4 with a 6.48 ERA as a player but as a manager he won 1,599 career games, two world series titles (1981, 1988) and was named NL Manager of the Year twice. His last memorable moment was coaching third base in the 2001 All-Star Game when Vladimir Guerrero broke hit bat and the barrel of the bat his Lasorda in the chest, sending him barrelling backwards.