by Andy | Feb 1, 2013 | Hall of Fame
With Selection Saturday just a couple days off we’re again putting out the opportunity for the Zoneblitz faithful to officially guess who will earn induction to the Hall of Fame.
Put your picks in the comments section and we’ll add them to the table. We’re not sure at the moment if your prize will just be bragging rights or if there actually will be some Zoneblitz swag available for the person who gets the most correct. We’ll try to figure something out.
We made picks several months ago right after last year’s class was announced. Andy’s already lost at least one of his picks (John Lynch), so he’s going in at a disadvantage – meaning maybe Tony will finally be able to beat him in one of our prediction segments for the season.
If you want to get some background, feel free to check out our posts that came out when the senior candidates were named and when the committee announced its semifinalists and finalists. You also can see who we picked for 2013 going back to last year’s announcement.
Good luck everyone. And tune in Saturday, as we’ll have a post up shortly after the announcement is made. Thanks for reading. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 14, 2013 | 2013 season, Fantasy Football, NFL Random Thoughts
There are playoff fantasy leagues taking place across the country, but the bulk of players have shut ‘er down for the season. Thus we’ve started turning our attention toward next year as well.
What sleepers are going to take off in 2013? What stars from 2012 look like they might be on the downside?
Ryan Boser is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and he contributes to both LeagueSafePost.com and FantasyVictory.com. He’s also joined Zoneblitz.com on occasion to share his thoughts on fantasy football. We thank him again for sharing some time.
Zoneblitz: Who surprised you in a good way in 2012?
Boser: Alfred Morris’ top-three finish in carries, yards and touchdowns was probably the shocker of the year, especially considering that he did it for notorious running back shuffler Mike Shanahan.
I (and many others) really thought Frank Gore’s best days were behind him, and that San Francisco would be moving into a running back by committee situation this season. His borderline top-10 year was a pleasant surprise for anyone who snagged him in the middle rounds.
Recently buried on Denver’s depth chart, Knowshon Moreno’s late-season surge won many a title, and who knew Danario Alexander’s knees would miraculously hold up and that he’d become the best fantasy option in San Diego?
James Jones ranked 37th in yardage, which is probably about what we expected, but he led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns.
At tight end, Heath Miller’s career year could not have been predicted. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 13, 2013 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts
The Divisional playoff round is one of my favorite weekends of sport all year round and this year exemplified why. The Denver/Baltimore game and the Atlanta/Seattle contest provided extreme drama. The San Francisco/Green Bay game, which is the one I was not able to watch, introduced Colin Kaepernick as perhaps the league’s next great quarterback. And the Patriots/Texans game … well, nothing is perfect.
I was pretty surprised only by the results of the Ravens’ double overtime win over the Broncos. I had started to feel, like many, that Denver was the best team in the NFL. But the result, I think, does lend some credence to the possibility that the one downside to Peyton Manning’s selection of Denver as his later-career home is the potential for cold playoff games. No matter what anyone says, that could play havoc with his neck issues.
Nonetheless, the Ray Lewis retirement party carries on for one more week and I think the AFC Championship game rematch between his Ravens and the Patriots should be a fascinating game.
The NFC game also presents plenty of intrigue, with a rough, physical defense from San Francisco going up against the 2010s’ version of the 49ers of yesteryear, the Falcons. I’m already looking forward to it.
Can we hold off on Tebow talk?: I was tuning in Saturday morning to NFL Network for pregame information and before I got any information at all about the games coming up in mere hours, I was subjected to two segments on Tim Tebow’s future as an NFL quarterback. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 11, 2013 | Hall of Fame
Four first-year nominees, including defensive linemen Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan and offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen, are among 15 modern-era finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2013.
Three wide receivers, Cris Carter, Andre Reed and Tim Brown also are on the list.
Other offensive players in the running for induction are running back Jerome Bettis and offensive lineman Will Shields. Defensive players among the finalists include linebacker Kevin Greene, defensive end Charles Haley and cornerback Aeneas Williams.
The last three finalists are coach Bill Parcells and two owners, Edward DeBartolo and Art Modell.
The finalists were announced Friday morning on NFL Network.
The list of 15 modern-era finalists was culled from a list of 27 semifinalists that was announced in November. The 12 semifinalists who did not make the cut to 15 were: running backs Roger Craig and Terrell Davis; offensive lineman Joe Jacoby; linebacker Karl Mecklenburg; defensive backs Steve Atwater, Albert Lewis and John Lynch (another notable first-time candidate); kicker Morten Andersen; special teamer Steve Tasker; coach Don Coryell; former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and former Giants General Manager George Young.
Notable among the finalists are the three wide receivers. Brown, Reed and Carter all are seen as legitimate candidates for the Hall, but to this point they seem to be siphoning votes from one another, with none of the three able to garner enough support to earn enshrinement. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 8, 2013 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts
Heading into the weekend of week 17, I had a Twitter exchange with Da Bears Blog wherein he indicated he did not believe Smith’s job was in jeopardy, regardless of whether Chicago won or lost in week 17 against Detroit.
The Bears went on to win the game, but Smith was fired regardless of the 10-6 record posted by the Bears. I thought there was a decent chance Smith’s job was on the line but guessed that he would not be canned if the team finished 10-6, even if it missed the playoffs.
We both were wrong, but looking at some of the candidates teams are looking at right now, I’m starting to think Da Bears Blog should have been right.
The Chicago Tribune reported today that the Bears have a list of 12 potential candidates they might interview. AND they aren’t letting their assistant coaches interview anywhere else because they might want to retain guys like Rod Marinelli and Jeremy Bates, respectively the defensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
(more…)
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I'm sold on 4 of them Brian not quite sold on Benton just yet
A special election could continue to gather momentum but it would probably only be 3-5 players at the most. Its…
Agreed like you said the direct elect option is the only way that the super seniors get in
thanks..and honestly I was not the first to suggest it and it's an idea that many have supported and advocated…
Appreciate the feedback paul I agree with everything you said i like the direct elect idea myself