ROBERT LITTAL PRESENTS THE INFAMOUS BLACKSPORTSONLINE

....And the Golden State Warriors season just got worse!

The Golden State "Savior" Monta Ellis will miss 3 months of action due to a severely sprained ankle. Dont worry though. Chris Mullin has informed the associated press that he will use some of that extension money he received a month go, along with the hopes of the franchise, to keep his leg elevated.

With him being sidelined for a month, that doesnt bode well for the Warriors. We learned this past season that every game counts in the Wild Wild West. Its sad to say, but Nellie's Warriors could be out of playoff contention by Thanksgiving.

It looks like Dennis Northcutt of the Jaguars has taken a page out of the Rae Carruth book of "How to deal with A baby mama and a baby that I dont want in the first place".....Allegedly.

According to the Associated Press, A pregnant woman has filed suit against the 4th option Receiver on Madden 2009 for allegedly organizing an assault on her due to the fact that she wouldnt abort the baby. The documents state that Northcutt had his cousin do a real good number on her, causing injuries to her. No charges have been filed.

...But I wonder if the plan worked, seeing that she is now 7 months pregnant.....

1. The Ohio State University

Sorry everyone, the Buckeyes are going to be good again. National title game good. There's still a very, very, doubtful fan base that figures Ohio State will get blasted by USC and couldn't give Georgia a good scrimmage. I, for one, don't feel that way. Look for the Buckeyes to again return to the BCS title game again this year.

Ten starters are back on offense and the one new face, OT Bryant Browning, will be a welcome addition. The offensive line is the best in the nation led by Alex Boone. The quarterback position is manned by senior Todd Boeckman. In his first season as the starter, Boeckman threw for 2,379 yards and 25 touchdowns. He did seem to fade at the end of the season, but another year under his belt should solve those problems. Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline lead one of the deepest groups of receivers in the Big Ten.
The star of the offense is Heisman trophy candidate Beanie Wells. He finished the season with 1,609 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. The backfield has nice depth with Mo Wells and Brandon Saine. Maurice Wells provide a different look with his smaller size, but his athleticism and speed provide a nice option for a third down back. Saine has tremendous speed and is useful in the passing game as he showcased in the loss against the Tigers.

The Ohio State defense is loaded. The front seven is the best in all of college football from top to bottom. Lawrence Wilson returns from injury and many had him pegged as better than Vernon Gholston before last season. Doug Worthington, Cameron Heyward, and Todd Denlinger round out the group. Little Animal (James Laurinaitis) is the heart of the Buckeye defense, and his style of play puts him in on almost every defensive play. If little Animal is the heart, then Marcus Freeman is the soul. In some circles he is considered the better pro prospect of the two. Malcolm Jenkins may be the top cornerback in the nation and is a leading candidate to win the Thorpe Award. He intercepted four passes last season and teams often choose to throw away from him. The one trouble area for the Buckeyes is the safety positions. Inconsistent play troubled them all season long, and it my look to continue unless someone steps up.

2. Georgia
Georgia's 2007 season was supposed to be a prelude to a breakout 2008 season. Unfortunately, no one told the Bulldogs. In 2007 the Bulldogs were in the national title hunt up until the last week of the season. After not being selected to play in the BCS title game, The Bulldogs went out and flat out embarrassed Hawaii. Look for the Bulldogs to again be in the hunt for a title again this year, and not be voted out.

Considering Georgia's history of great running backs, it's saying a whole lot that Knowshon Moreno may be the best Bulldog runner since Herschel Walker. The defense that finished in the top 20 in the nation gets nine starters back, Matthew Stafford is thought by many to be the best NFL quarterback prospect in college football, and the offensive line could grow to be among the best in school history.

With a majority of the impact players returning, the Bulldog 'D' might be even better this year. The front line must replace end Marcus Howard, but the other three starters return. If there was a weak spot in the defense last year it was at corner where sophomores Asher Allen and Prince Miller were fighting to stay afloat in the SEC. Now that they have adjusted, this could turn into strength real quick.

3. USC
Here is a big surprise; USC is going to be really good again. Granted the team hasn't won the national championship is a couple of years, USC is still USC and they will be in the thick of things all year.

It's really hard to find a weakness on the offensive side of the ball, but the O-line may be the weak link. Jeff Byers is set at left guard and Kristofer O'Dowd is a bet at center, but after that, it's up for grabs who will play the remaining spots on the line. The Trojans took a big hit when Matt Sanchez hurt his knee in spring ball, he looks ready to go but the training staff will look to get him back before the game against the Buckeyes. The amount of talent at running back is bananas. Last year's leading rusher, Chauncey Washington bolted, but Stafon and Joe McKnight return. McKnight has the look of the next great USC back. The receivers are just as talented, but have more to prove. Patrick Turner is supposed to be the next big time receiver, but he has yet to produce on that level.

The defense last year was amazing and this year they look even better. Linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga are back. Josh Pinkard, Kevin Thomas and Shareece Wright will man down the corners. Taylor Mays is a beast at safety plain and simple. He is built like a linebacker and runs like a corner. He will be looked at to lead the defensive backfield.
If the Trojans can get by the early season match-up against the Buckeyes, look for the Trojans to be playing for the National title in January.

4. Florida
I really don't think it is too much of a shot in the dark for the Gators to win it all and for Tim Tebow bagging his second Heisman. As far as his weapons go, Percy Harvin is a jack of all trades player for the Gators. Hopefully his heel injury will not keep him out too long. Since Tebow and Harvin were the top two rushers on the team last year, the running back position is often looked at as a weakness. Kestahn Moore returns as the starter, but Emmanuel Moody, a transfer from USC, has the fans' vote.

Like last year the main trouble spot for the Gators is their defense. The pass defense had as many holes as swiss cheeses last season. Having three underclassmen starting in the secondary was part of the problem, but this year they are all back and more experienced. Brandon Spikes is the star of a defensive unit that is capable of great things. The front line is set to start two freshman who will be looked upon to free up space for Spikes to roam in. If Omar Hunter and Matt Patchan fail to keep offensive linemen away from Spikes and his running mates, things may blow up in smoke real fast.

5. Oklahoma
Offense features an offense that will give opposing teams headaches before even lining up on the field. Sophomore quarterback Sam looks to improve on his 3,121 passing yards, 36 touchdowns debut season. The entire offensive line is back and running back DeMarco Murray is healthy. The receivers are led by Juauin Iglesias and tight end Jermaine Gresham and they look to wreck total chaos on their opposition.
There are just enough concerns on the defensive side of the ball to keep the Sooners from playing for BCS championship, but as long as they do what they set out to do and win conference, everything else might fall into place. The talent is there and the schedule isn't a killer.

6. LSU

Wow did this team reload in a hurry. Even without All-Universe DT Glenn Dorsey, the D line could be even better with Ricky Jean-Francois, who missed most of last year with academic issues, he will team with Al Woods, Marlon Favorite and Tyson Jackson on a stacked front line.

The offense will depend on the tested offensive line led by Ciron Black and Herman Johnson and the group of steady running backs. Keiland Williams is the team's top returning rusher, but Richard Murphy will look to push him hard for carries. As usual at LSU, the quarterback does not have to be a superstar; he just has to manage the game. The same can be expected from this year's starter, Jarrett Lee or Andrew Hatch. Overall there is enough talent here to win another National Championship, but a group of inexperienced players better be better by the time the conference games come around because this team may not get the same breaks it got last year.

7. Missouri

The Missouri Tigers bust through on the national scene last year by winning the Big XII North and staying around in the national championship chase until December when they lost to the conference championship game to Oklahoma. The Tigers boast 14 starters returning, a potent offense and one of the leagues best defenses.

Quarterback Chase Daniel threw for 4,306 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior and will return again to lead Missouri. Daniel's favorite target, Jeremy Maclin, is back after having a remarkable freshman debut and other capable big play receivers will join him as well.

The Tiger's main strength is their defense. Stryker Sulak and Ziggy Hood do a good job getting disrupting opposing backfields and all three starting linebackers return, headed by Sean Weatherspoon. The secondary needs to replace a couple of starters, but William Moore returns and he looks to lead this unit on the field and off.

8. Clemson

Clemson is the early favorite to win the ACC title. While there are a few issues, the defense should be a beast of a unit, the skill players that the Tigers possess are the best in the ACC, and the time will never be better to finally turn the corner and become a premier powerhouse again. The question mark that will follow this team around is, "Can they handle the pressure?"

The Tigers offensive line is young and very raw, but that might not matter because of the talent at running back. RB James Davis and CJ Spiller form an almost unstoppable one-two punch out of the backfield (think of then as McFadden and Jones lite). QB Cullen Harperand WR Aaron Kelly, are near the top of their positions on a national level as well.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers return eight starters to a team that put the fear into every ACC team they faced last season. The pass defense was wonderful last year and the starting defensive backfield led by Michael Hamlin is all back to wreck havoc again

9. Texas

Coming off back-to-back 10 win seasons, the Texas Longhorns have very few areas to improve on to be get where many expect them to be. One big issue is the Longhorns lack of an elite secondary. The Big 12 may boast the best aerial show in all of college football, and the Longhorns need to find a way to slow someone down. On the plus side, the offense will have its own weapons that will give teams fits. Quarterback Colt McCoy will look to put up numbers like his freshman year again. Speedbacks Vondrell McGee and Foswhitt Whitaker will combine with Chris Ogbonnaya form a very capable trio of backs. The offensive line returns a year older and the Longhorn faithful are counting on them to provide protection and open up hole better that they did last season. The strength of this team lies with the offense, however the Texas defense has all the potential in the world to step up in a big way.

Indianapolis Colts

The Questions:

1) Can the Indianapolis Colts overcome injury (Peyton Manning) and adversity (Marvin Harrison) and stake their claim to another division title?
2) How will the return of Dwight Freeney impact the Colts' defense? Will he be the same as before or have we seen the last of Freeney's dominance in the league?
3) Does Tony Dungy have the desire to win another championship?

The Answers:
1) Earlier this off-season, it was announced that Manning would need to have surgery to clear up an inflamed bursa sac issue in his knee. For those who have followed #18, this is the same bursa sac issue that gave him troubles as a senior at Tennessee. While Manning hasn't taken a snap in the preseason, most prognosticators think that Manning (who also owns a 172 game starts streak) will be just fine in the regular season. I'm one of the few who believes he needs a few snaps in a live game just to get back in rhythm with his receivers, especially Harrison who hasn't really been in the mix in a while.

Speaking of Mad Marvin, it's strange how quiet the gun case has been in the mainstream media. Not a peep from ESPN. There's been barely a blip on the radio. But Mad Marvin keeps his mouth shut and gets a free pass. Beyond the gun, Harrison is returning from a knee injury himself; one that cost him most of the 2007 season and greatly limited him in the Colts lone playoff game. While Reggie Wayne is now the clear #1, Harrison can still be a force when he's right.

Let's just cut to the chase the only reason that Michael Strahan is not in a Giants uniform today has nothing to do with his passion or commitment to the game of football. It has everything to do with an appeals judge saying that he doesn't have to cough up another 7 million and $18,000 a month in child support.

Don't be fooled. In the immortal words of Deion Sanders "Must Be The Money" was all the motivation that Strahan needed to stay in Greece with his "new woman".

If you are Giants fan look at it this way you got Strahan back for one year because of the ridiculous divorce ruling and in that year you won the Super Bowl. Now that the ruling has been corrected you honestly didn't think you would be as fortunate to have him come back again.

As for Strahan's wife she should feel lucky to get what she got out to of the settlement and move on. All women should pay close attention to this quote from the judge in siding with Strahan.

The judges today said it was unfair Strahan was required to pay 91 percent of the child support since his ex-wife, Jean Strahan, was well-educated and employable.

"Both parents have a shared obligation to support their children," wrote Judge Lorraine Parker.

Jean Strahan's "employment opportunities were, in all likelihood, enhanced by her celebrity marriage. There is no question that as a healthy, educated, 41-year-old, (she) is capable of earning her own income," wrote Parker, who was joined by Judges Rudy Coleman and Thomas Lyons.

Preach!!!

This is Grant Hill rapping about big butts at his wife's(singer Tamia) concert in DC at the Lincoln Theatre. Not only can he not rap but he can't dance that great either. I know he'll retire in about a couple of years and is thinking about his post basketball career but I can tell him right now he can scratch "Rapper" off his list. Even Shaq's rap about Kobe earlier this summer had a better flow. Maybe Shaq and Grant can have a "rap battle" in the Suns lockerroom this fall...

Every once awhile I am wrong it doesn't happen often but when it does I have no problem manning up and telling you. I was 100% sure that Matt Leinart would end up being a better quarterback that both Vince Young and Jay Cutler who were all drafted in the same draft class.

I was a little off on that one while Young has not been great he has lead he team to the playoffs. Cutler has at least shown flashes of being a good QB. Leinart has been a flat out bust. The nail in the coffin was losing his starting job to 400 year old Kurt Warner after being handed the starting job in mini-camp.

It appears that Leinart is heading the way of David Carr and Alex Smith. At least he has those ballroom dancing classes to fall back on.

Reggie Bush you are on the clock!!!

1- THOU SHALL ALWAYS STUDY YOUR DRAFT SETTINGS, RULES, ROSTERS & SCORING SYSTEM.

I cannot emphasize this enough, if you don't know the rules of your league you are going to fail. None of the other commandments matter if you have no idea how your league is run. If your league starts 2 QBs then QBs become a premium. If your league gives 1 point for reception, then RBs who catch the ball out of the backfield have to bump up in your rankings. If your Commish only allows 50 roster moves a year, you have to be very careful who you pick up on the waiver wire or how many trades you make. These are just some of the scenarios you have to take into account. Every league is set up a little different, so knowing your league inside and out will help you come draft time and during the season.

2- THOU SHALL ALWAYS DRAFT AS LEAST 2 RUNNING BACKS WITHIN THE FIRST 3 ROUNDS OF THE DRAFT. (WELL NOT ALWAYS ANYMORE).

In Fantasy Football RBs are Gods. It is as simple as that. It is not necessarily that they are the top point producers (QBs and WRs routinely make it into the Top 10 Scorers); it is that there are very few good ones and even the good ones get injured. Most leagues start 2 RBs and sometimes a flex and to be honest in a 12 team league it is very difficult to find 24 quality RBs and damn near impossible to find 36. While it maybe tempting to use your first 2 picks on Tom Brady and Terrell Owens, it won't look that great when you're starting RBs are Selvin Young and Matt Forte.

*Amendment*

This has been my #2 rule for every year I have come out with the Fantasy Football Commandments, but it is time to make a small change to it. You still absolutely must pick at least one running back in the 1st two rounds of the draft, but if you are in the second round don't pass up an elite WR or QB to take a RB you are not 100% sure is going to be the primary ball carrier for their team. The way teams are using a time share system with their RBs it makes more sense to take that elite WR or QB in round two and take a risk on a time share RB in round 3.

3-THOU SHALL NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER DRAFT A QB IN THE 1ST ROUND UNLESS HIS NAME IS TOM BRADY OR PEYTON MANNING.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the exceptions to the rule all other QBs should be ignored (to be honest I still wouldn't be comfortable drafting a QB in Round 1 but that is just me) and let me tell you why. First while QBs are normally top point producers, in most leagues you can only start one, which diminishes their value. Secondly seasons like the one Brady just put up are anomalies. Thirdly you can get quality QBs from a fantasy perspective in the 4th, 5th or 6th round.

4- THOU SHALL NOT WORRY ABOUT WIDE RECEIVERS.

If Running Back is the hardest position to fill, Wide Receiver is the easiest. If you don't have a starting WR by round 4 don't worry because at that point their will still be quality WRs on the board. There will still be starting Wide Receivers as deep as the 10th round in most drafts, so don't panic if there is a run on receivers.

5- THOU SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED A REAL FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE IF IT STARTS INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS.

Fantasy Football is much more fun with IDP because one it includes both sides of the ball and two it involves more strategy from the owners. When drafting IDP the most important thing to remember is know your league's scoring system. If it rewards a lot of points for tackles go Linebacker heavy, if it rewards sacks more go Defensive Line heavy. You get the idea. Remember defense wins championships.

Now we get to the teams that have a legitimate shot of making a BCS bowl if things roll their way during the season. These teams start of the season in a great spot, because if anything was proven last season it was the fact that it doesn't matter where you start its where you finish.

14. Auburn

Kodi Burns and transfer Chris Todd look to lead the Tigers attack this season. The Tigers look to showcase a a high tempo offense this year similar to the one Troy runs. Usually the expectations would not be so high with a new offense being put in, but there's no reason the Tigers can't be in the middle of the SEC title chase in a year when almost everyone in the West is rebuilding in some way.

The defense has the potential to be every bit as strong as last season's group that led the league in points allowed and was second overall. The defensive line has a is not star studded, but should still be solid. Replacing Quentin Groves, Pat Sims and Josh Thompson will not be easy, but Antonio Coleman and Sen'Derrick look up to the challenge. With all three starting linebackers returning, the Auburn run defense should be fine as long as Raven Gray, Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks hold things down.

13. West Virginia
Even after putting up 1,335 yards on the ground, throwing for 1,724 yards, and totaling 28 touchdowns, the Mountaineers might need more from QB Patrick White this season. Without playmakers Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, and Darius Reynaud, West Virginia is searching for weapons for its dynamic quarterback. The most likely to step up is RB Noel Devine, who erupted for 627 yards and six touchdowns on only 73 carries as a rookie.

The defense was a big factor for the Mountaineers success last season, allowing just 300 yards and 18 points a game. The problem this year may just be living up to expectations. It will be hard for West Virginia to catch anyone by surprise this season as they go into the season as an early favorite to win the Big East.

12. Tennessee

Tennessee will look different without quarterback Erik Ainge and coordinator David Cutcliffe. The Vols will troy out a strong team with plenty of athletes and enough talent to beat anyone in the SEC. Four starters return to an offensive line that only gave up four sacks. That's four sacks on the entire season. Guard Anthony Parker is the best of the bunch and should be looking at All-SEC honors when its tiem to hand out post season hardware. The same can be siad for running back Arian Foster. If you don't know who he is, by the time the season is half way through, you will. Foster is on the border of superstar status. After pounding out 1,193 yards on the ground and 14 total touchdowns as a junior, Foster will be the main part of the offense.
T
he strength of the defense will be led by a ball hawking and hard hitting secondary. The unit will be led by all frosh playmaker Eric Berry. The front seven will be under the microscope after not really producing the way it has in the past. This task will not be easy considering they lost Jared Mayo to the NFL draft. Look for the defensive line to finally live up to their lofty expectations this year.

11. Texas Tech

If experience means the world from one year to the next in college football, then this veteran team should go crazy. With ten starters returning to the nation's second most prolific offense, Texas Tech hopes to be able to outscore anybody they play. Graham Harrell is a three-year starter and the leader of the nation's best passing attack. He had two games last year with under 400 passing yards. The only loss on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Danny Amendola. However, with sophomore Michael Crabtree, who caught 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns as a freshman, Eric Morris and Edward Britton returning, finding downfield targets will not be a problem for Harrell.

The Red Raider defense will need to be well conditioned because the offense will be scoring early and often. On paper the Red Raiders don't appear to be anything special, and that might be the way they like it. While it doesn't have the talent to be among the best in the Big 12, the defensive line is stacked and the backers and secondary have the speed to run an aggressive style that should do just enough. A BCS game is not out of reach for this team.

10. Wisconsin
The Badgers head into the season looking to stake a claim to the Big Ten title and possibly much more. Th strength of the Badgers attack is the ground game. Junior P.J. Hill rushed for over 1200 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns. Hill is a big load coming out of the backfield at 225 pounds and the Badgers have some backs to keep fresh legs to keep pounding away at opposing defenses. Zach Brown and Lance Smith are both capable of stepping in, but Hill will be the lead back. The offensive line is loaded with experience which gives the unit the opportunity to keep the ball moving on the ground. This is very important considering the quarterback situation is shaky at best. There really isn't much separating Allan Evridge and Dustin Sherer. Their basic job will be to manage the game and hand the ball off and get out of the way.

Injuries took a lot of the sting out of the Badger defense last season. The defense returns six starters and looks to rebound from a modest showing. The loss of Jack Ikegwuonu is a big hit to the defense as a unit and not just the secondary. The defense will look to a youth movement to get them by before old injuries heal up and the upper classmen return.
The Badgers toughest games come early in the season when they go to Michigan to start their Big Ten schedule and then host Ohio State the following week. The Badgers catch a break this year as they play Ohio State, Penn State, and Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium where they have always been strong.

Contrary to what some of his detractors, many of whom have no idea what they're talking about, have said, Upshaw was a damn good union chief. Michael Wilbon said it best in his most recent column that Upshaw knew exactly how leverage the players had (and did not have) with the owners and used that knowledge to get everything for his people that was feasible. Let me run down the list and enlighten those who may have forgotten:

Free Agency: NFL Players had no real free agency until 1993. That's right, 1993, after every other major sports league except maybe the NHL (I don't know when they got theirs). There was no free agency of any kind until 1989 when Plan B free agency was instituted, and even that allowed every team to protect 37 of its 50 to 60 players from being able to leave, even if they weren't under contract. Those of us out in the workforce have no idea what it's like to be unable to leave your job for a better one because our current employer owns our rights. Imagine having your eye on a better job, at a company that wants to hire you, and being unable to go because your current employer doesn't want you to leave. Even though you don't have any biding contract. That's what NFL players faced until 1993, and it was under Upshaw's leadership that they were finally able to break that.

Hmmm looks like Shaq isn't out of the woods yet...

Just as we thought things were finally getting back to normal in The O'Neal household with Shaq & Shaunie giving their marriage another try, a restraining order was granted Thursday against Shaquille by Alexis Miller, a budding Independent Atlanta rapper, alleging that he stalked her.

Now according to Miller, 23, aka Mary Jane (her stage name) , she felt the need to file the order after Shaq not only threatened to halt her music career, but cause her great bodily harm. She also alleges that he intimidated her by making calls & then breathing heavily into the phone. Among the paperwork sent to the court is an email, in which O'Neal allegedly stated, "I dnt no who the $#@@ u think u dealin wit u will neva be heard from one phone call is I gotta make now try me. Sho me." . She further alleges that he's even willing to go as far as paying performers $50,000 each not to work with her. Apparently he didn't agree with her decision to end their year and a half relationship last month.

Per the restraining order that Judge Richard Hicks issued, O'Neal is prohibited from having any contact or even coming within 200 yards of Miller or her 19-month-old son (the child is unrelated to Shaq). The scheduled hearing is set for Sept. 4 with O'Neal , who resides in Florida, to appear before Judge Karen Woodson.

As I was reading about this around the net, I thought that the name Alexis Miller sounded familiar... So I did my research and wouldn't you know I have her saved as a friend on MySpace after running into her at the clubs in ATL? I made an attempt to see if Ms. Miller would care to share her side in an exclusive for BSO so I'll keep you updated on that. From what I know, MaryJane certainly likes the celebrities, especially football players *whistles* It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out and what this means for the O'Neals' reconciliation *eyebrow raised* It's a small world indeed.

So the USA women's gymnastics team lost to a bunch of 14 year old Chinese gymnasts. Get over it. You lost, woman up and move on. It isn't like the US hasn't bent a rule or a 100 with our athletes over the years. I am tired of all this whining and complaining after you lose. So the Chinese chicks were 14 or 15 as oppose to 16 so what? Stop falling off the balance beams and you would have won no questions asked.

It is blatantly obvious the Chinese kids were underage, but if was a big deal all the other countries should have pushed harder for an investigation before the games started instead of crying after they got their asses beat.

There was no way the IOC was going to overturn those results. Have you checked out the Chinese Army lately? That was never going to happen so be happy with your silver medal and Lebron's "Pimp Focus" on your asses (those over 18 of course).