Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Turner

Cowboys Stadium: Pricing Average Fans Out of the Game

Jason Turner — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:46:34 -0400

Yesterday marked the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. An estimated 60,000 people attended the building's inaugural event; a concert featuring country music legend George Strait. "Jerry World" is officially up and running.

This three-million square-foot marvel of modern technology and engineering is, without question, the premiere sporting venue in the world. On many levels the Cowboys' new home is an answer to years of prayers made by Dallas fans that were in desperate need of some stadium upgrades.

Texas Stadium, despite its tradition and charm, was an outdated relic. It definitely wasn't the best place in the world to watch a football game. That signature hole in the roof allowed God to watch his favorite team play, but it also let the blistering Texas sun roast certain unfortunate fans, depending on the time of day.

Almost 40 years of public restrooms, spilled beer, stale food, and God knows what else had given Texas Stadium a signature odor. The concessions were terrible, and there were not enough bathrooms. The concourse was a sea of people crammed elbow to elbow fighting just to make it to their destination alive.

Long suffering Cowboy fans were overdue for a change of scenery when the franchise broke ground on the new location, and the idea was greeted with much excitement and approval. Perhaps if for no other reason than the air conditioning. But, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

For many of these loyal fans who weathered countless days in the searing heat, the new stadium has made attending games a thing of the past. With a fancy new state-of-the-art building comes a hefty price tag. For many middle class Cowboy fans, that price is simply just too high.

The sources of these soaring costs are Personal Seat Licenses. These PSL's are a fee paid by season ticket holders which ensures the right to purchase the same seat for 30 years. In other words, these tickets cost much more than the face value.

The amount of this license varies depending on seat quality and location, and will help to pay a portion of the $1.5 billion dollars it took to build the stadium. Although the individual ticket prices are very competitive, these PSL's drive those prices skyward, and out of the range of your average fan.

For instance, most folks would prefer to sit on either sideline within the first few levels. That's not asking too much. It's not asking for seats right on the 50 yard line, just anywhere along the sideline and below the highest reaches of the building will do.

At Cowboys Stadium, these are called Club Level seats. Any sideline seat that resides on the first three levels between the goal lines falls under this Club Level heading. Club Level is stadium talk for expensive.

The PSL's for these coveted seats range from $16,000 to $50,000.00. In addition to this lofty fee, tickets in these locations have gone from a maximum of $139 in 2008 to $340 across the board.

What? You don't have the $16,000 to $50,000 needed to purchase the right to purchase the tickets?

Don't worry, the Cowboys will finance that amount over the next 30 years just like your mortgage. You can simply pay $13,960 down and $3,490 a year for the next 30 years in lieu of the entire 50 grand at once.

But remember, that's just the payment for the rights to buy your tickets. The actual tickets will cost you an additional $3,400.00 per year. Of course, those ticket prices are only locked for the first five seasons, and from that point they can rise from time to time.

So if you want to sit in one of the top 15,000 seats available, be ready to pay anywhere between $4,490 and 6,890 per ticket each year for the next 30 years. Or you can just pay the entire PSL up front and pay $3,400.00 a year. Either way, this is a dramatic increase from previous seasons.

Keep in mind that if you finance that PSL you really end up paying from $32,700 (on a $16k loan) to $118,660 (on a $50k loan) with eight percent interest over 30 years. Over that 30-year period you will spend a total of somewhere between $135,000 and $207,000 for eight football games a year. That's if ticket prices never go over the next 30 seasons.

That kind of money can fetch you a pretty nice house in the Dallas area.

These PSL's aren't only charged on the most expensive seats either. The End Zone and corner seats in the lowest three sections of the Cowboys Stadium have PSL's that range from $4,000 to $5,000. The ticket prices in these sections are between $89 and $125 per game.

Although these seats are more economical, the buyer either has to pay $4,000 to $5,000 down, or end up on the hook for a 30-year ticket package. The simple fact that people are wondering whether or not to finance their football tickets is mind blowing to me.

For those fans who can't or won't pay PSL's, Cowboys Stadium offers season tickets in the upper bowl for only $590.00. But that's actually only in the corners of the upper bowl. These seats are between the end zones and sidelines way up at the top of the stadium.

Sideline tickets in the "nose bleed" section also have PSL's ranging between $2,000 and $12,000. The $12,000 PSL's apply to the 1,200 seats that make up the first six rows of the 400's section that are along the sideline. These tickets are also $125 per game, but at least they come with cushy "Club Style Seating."

At these heights, the 53 yard long and 20 yard high HD video boards will really come in handy. Fans will be able to watch the game on this big screen instead of straining to watch what seems to be one of those 1970's electric football games below.

But at this point, I'd have to be asking myself why I'm not at home watching the game on television for free.

The only way to get around PSL's is to go through a ticket broker of some sort. Be it Stub Hub or EBay, there are chances to get single game or season ticket packages without purchasing the licenses. But you will pay much more than face value for this privilege.

The basic rule of thumb would be to take the regular season ticket price and double it, but in some cases it will be triple. These ticket brokers are passing down the PSL cost on the secondary market, and prices are soaring.

Season tickets in the Club Seats are anywhere from $6,500 to $20,000 per seat for 2009 on sites like StubHub. This is a dramatic increase from last season, and is a direct effect of Personal Seat Licenses.

I've gone to numerous Cowboys' games over the last three years. Single game tickets in the lower bowl ranged between $100 and $400 per seat on the secondary market depending on location. Those same seats are listed for $275 to $4,000 each in the new stadium.

Loyal Cowboy fans are being tossed aside for corporations, ticket companies, and the four percent of NFL fans who earn more than $200,000.00 per year, and can afford to pay for these PSL's. There will be plenty of fans who will either see the game from a much higher vantage point, or will simply decide to start watching from home.

I'm afraid that the rowdy, semi-intoxicated, Dallas die-hards who used to be able to get a decent ticket to the game are being phased out.These fans are the most vocal and play a vital role in making the stadium very loud. These are the type of fans that provide the home-field advantage on which teams depend.

In their place will be the doctors, lawyers, corporate execs, and wealthy few who can afford to shell out thousands upon thousands of dollars to attend football games. These folks aren't exactly the most vocal bunch at a game by any means.

Gone are the shirtless fanatics with face paint and noisemakers. The loudest most dedicated fans will now be segregated to the upper sections, or just might figure out that the view is better from the couch.

Make way for the golf clapping yuppies who pay more attention to their blackberries than the game. And those empty seats you see in the lower bowl during the 4th quarter? Those folks have just gone to the Silver Club or Cowboy Club to refill their martini's and watch the conclusion from the plushness of the lounge.

Jerry Jones, kiss your home-field advantage goodbye.

I'm glad that the Cowboys got a new stadium, but I'm heartbroken that I can no longer get a good ticket at a reasonable price. Maybe someday I'll climb far enough up the corporate ladder to get the company tickets in the same sections that I have been a season ticket holder in the past.

But sure enough, I'd just get kicked out for standing up or yelling too loud in front of the nobility.

For now, I will do what many other Cowboy fans are doing. I will adjust to watching the games at home. Where the beer is cheap, the parking is free, and if you set close enough, my HDTV seems to be 53 yards wide.

Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in a Fistfight for the NFC East

Jason Turner — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:08 -0400

The NFC East is arguably the toughest, most highly contested division in all of the NFL. During the last ten years there has been a team from this division in the NFC Championship game seven times. In that span there has been a representative of this team in the Super Bowl three times.

The dominance of the NFC East is not a fad. In the 16 year span between 1980 and 1995, teams from this division went to 15 NFC Championships games and came away with nine wins in those matchups. During that era, the NFC East is credited for eight Super Bowl wins, or one every other season.

This division has regained its dominance over the last few seasons. The Giants won Super Bowl XLII over the Patriots in 2007, and the Eagles have represented the division in the NFC Championship five times in the last eight seasons including last year. Not to mention the fact that the Dallas Cowboys have one of the league’s most talented rosters.

In 2009, this group of teams will be a strong as ever. The Philadelphia Eagles seem to be the consensus pick to represent the conference in the Super Bowl after an offseason that saw them make some key additions.

The Cowboys hope to rebound from the disappointment of last season, and the Washington Redskins have made some roster moves that should make them even tougher in ’09.

To remain competitive, each NFC East team has altered its roster through the draft and free agency. Every franchise in the division is looking at some major changes, and must make the proper adjustments in order to have a shot at postseason play. This isn’t the AFC or NFC West; you have to be on top of your game to take home this division crown.

The Dallas Cowboys came into 2008 with lofty goals. After going 13-3 the previous season, Dallas felt like they could be on their way to a Super Bowl last year. Somewhere along the way, among a cloud of distraction and turmoil, the Cowboys fell apart.

They finished 9-7 and were eliminated from the playoffs following a week 17 massacre at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.

After an offseason moves that will hopefully rid Valley Ranch of unneeded controversy, Jerry Jones is hoping that the franchise will be able to rebound from last year’s failure. But every other team in the division has been hard at work keeping up, if not passing, the Jones’.

The Eagles

The Eagles fell short of Super Bowl aspirations last season when they fell to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. After finishing the regular season 9-6-1, Philadelphia seemed to put everything together just in time for a playoff run.

The Eagles have a very talented team on both sides of the ball, and have to be the odds on favorite to win a division and conference championship in 2009.

On offense, the Eagles were ninth in the league overall last season. Despite not being known for their wide receivers, Philly ended 2008 with the sixth rank passing game in the league. This team had the highest powered offense in the NFC East last year.

The Eagles come into this season with some new names and faces. The Eagles spent their first pick of draft to shore up its wide receiver corps.

Jeremy Maclin will be asked to make an immediate impact, and was taken to give the Eagles another target to go along with Desean Jackson. Jackson proved to be a valuable playmaker as a rookie with 62 catches for 912 yards and a touchdown both in the air and on a punt return.

Rookie LeSean McCoy, who was taken with the clubs second draft pick, will be asked to replace Correll Buckhalter and compliment running back Brian Westbrook.

McCoy is a versatile runner who, like Westbrook, has the ability to make plays in the passing game. The Eagles were only 22nd in the NFL in rushing last year, and they were 21st with only 3.5 yards per carry.

To bolster the running game and revamp the offensive line, Philadelphia replaced Tra Thomas and John Runyan with Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters.

At tight end the Eagles hope to replace L.J. Smith with a combination of Brent Celek and draftee Cornelius Ingram from Florida. Also, Leonard Weaver was added as a fullback who can block, and make plays as a receiver.

I think the Eagles have made some great improvements to their offensive unit. The Acquisitions of Maclin, McCoy, Andrews, and Peters helped to both fill gaps and build for the future. It is not without good reason that Eagles fans are excited with the cast that now surrounds their franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb.

On defense, Philly has lost their heart and soul. The departure of free safety Brian Dawkins left a tremendous void both in the Eagles locker room, and on the football field. Dawkins was an eight time Pro Bowl selection who was named First Team All-Pro on four occasions.

Quintin Demps will replace Dawkins at free safety, and the Eagles could be looking at replacing disgruntled corner Sheldon Brown who is unhappy with his contract.

Other than those two spots, most of last year’s defense will be staying intact. This Eagles’ defense ranked among the best in the NFL in yards allowed (third), pass defense (third), and rush defense (fourth). Philadelphia was also third in sacks with 48, and fourth in points allowed with 289.

If the Eagles’ offensive rookies can contribute this season, and the defense can survive the loss of a Philadelphia icon, this team has a great chance of winning the Super Bowl this season. The Eagles should be an NFC powerhouse in 2009, and are the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Dallas Cowboys and a possible division crown.

The Giants

Last year was a tale of two seasons for the New York Giants. Although they enter last year as the defending Super Bowl champions, and finished as the NFC East division champions, the Giants were not the same team after the loss of Plaxico Burress. Despite finishing 12-4, the team lost four of its last five games after Burress shot himself in the leg on November 30.

While missing his primary target, Eli Manning passed for only 818 yards or 163.6 yards per game. New York’s passing game fell off by almost 50 yards a game in that span, and the Giants’ quarterback threw only two touchdowns to four interceptions.

In addition to releasing Burress, the Giants also have parted ways with unrestricted free agent Armani Toomer leaving two gaping holes to fill in the passing game.

To address their wide receiver shortage, the Giants took Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden in the draft. Nicks was one of the top pass catchers in the draft, and the 6’6” Barden was taken to replace Plaxico as a possible red zone target.

These rookies will join Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, and David Tyree in an intense training camp battle for playing time.

The one thing that kept the Giants alive in 2008 was their ability to run the ball. Last season New York led the league in rushing with 157.4 yards on the ground per game. Their three headed backfield of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to averaged five yards per carry and racked up 19 touchdowns on the ground.

However, the Giants lost a lot of punch when Derrick Ward left the team for the Buccaneers. Ward was the Giants best all around back, and their only runner who was effective catching the ball out of the backfield. This is a big loss to a team that will need to be able to run the ball effectively to remain competitive in the division.

To replace Derrick, the Giants drafted Andre Brown out of North Carolina State. At 6’0” and 224 pounds, the Giants drafted Brown due to the fact that he has the versatility to fill Ward’s shoes. The Giants will need a big impact out of this fourth round pick in order to maintain their success in the running game.

One thing that should help this offense is the fact that the defense should be better this year. Not that the Giants have a lot of room for improvement in this department. In ’08 the Giants had a top five defense, and finished fifth in the league in points allowed with 294.

New York was among the top 10 in the NFL in total yards allowed, passing defense, and rushing defense.

Known for their pass rush, New York finished sixth in the NFL with 42 last year. This pass rush should be bolstered this season with the return of Osi Umenyiora from injury, and the signing of free agent Chris Canty. Umenyiora missed all of last season due to injury, and will be a key addition to the defense in 2009.

Mathias Kiwanuka, who filled in for Umenyiora, will provide fresh legs and depth from the bench, and is more than able of getting to the quarterback himself.

Michael Boley and Rocky Bernard were also brought in via free agency and should both play big roles in 2009. Boley will join Antonio Pierce and Gerris Wilkinson at linebacker, and Bernard will provide even more depth to the defensive front.

In the secondary, Kenny Phillips will move into a starting role at strong safety to replace James Butler. Butler was signed by the Patriots as a free agent. The rest of the secondary including Michael Johnson, Aaron Ross, and Corey Webster is returning from last year.

The Giants have a lot of work to do on offense to replace some key components of their Super Bowl team from two years ago. I believe New York’s offense is going to take a step back this season, which could cost them dearly in the NFC East.

The defense will have to step up its game, and make plenty of plays early in the season to help the offense buy time to come together.

The Giants still have a lot of talent and will be a good team. But to win the NFC East you have to be a great team. New York has an uphill battle they hope to repeat as NFC East champions, and to do so they will have fill a lot of holes on offense.

The Redskins

Like last year, I expect the Redskins to wind up in the cellar of the NFC’s toughest division. Washington finished 8-8 last year, after starting the season 6-2. This team lost six of its last eight games in 2008, including three defeats at the hands of its NFC East rivals.

Daniel Snyder made a lot of moves in free agency as he always does, I’m just afraid he made those adjustments on the wrong side of the ball.

The problem with the ‘Skins team is the offense. Washington was at the bottom of the league in total yards, passing yards, and scoring. Other than signing Roydell Williams and Derrick Dockery, the front office made no moves to improve upon this team’s deficiencies. The Redskins can run the ball effectively, but their passing game is atrocious.

Jason Campbell is still at the helm in D.C. Despite rumors that the Redskins were involved in trade talks regarding various quarterbacks, the trigger was never pulled on a deal. Campbell is mediocre at best, and gives Washington no shot of winning a division crown.

The team’s wide receivers are serviceable, and Roydell Williams has shown flashes in Tennessee, but at 6’1 192 pounds, he really doesn’t bring anything to the table that separates him from the likes of Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El.

Chris Cooley is still this team's go to pass catcher, and is coming off of an 83 catch 849 yard Pro Bowl campaign.

On the defensive side of the coin the rich got richer in Washington this offseason. Brian Orakpo was taken with the 13th pick of the draft to replace Jason Taylor who went back to Miami. Orakpo was one of the top defensive ends in the draft, and is projected to be an NFL star in the future. This rookie will be a day one starter coming into training camp.

The Redskins made another splash in free agency by signing Albert Haynesworth to a lucrative 100 million dollar deal which makes him the highest paid defender in the league. Haynesworth was a monster for the Titans top ranked defense last season and provides an instant upgrade to the Redskins defense.

To go along with these two key additions, the Washington is returning impact players such as London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh, Deangelo Hall, and LaRon Landry. These players helped the ‘Skins to finish as the fourth best overall defense in the NFL last season. They were seventh against the pass, eighth against the run, and wound up sixth in points allowed.

In another head scratching offseason, Daniel Snyder went and got more tools for an already stout defense, and failed to address the team’s weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball.

I just don’t see how the Redskins will be able to be a serious contender for the NFC East crown. This is the only team in the division that I see as a sure thing to miss the playoffs.

In conclusion, the Cowboys have their hands full in the NFC East this season. They have made some moves to get better in 2009, but then again, so have the Giants and the Eagles.

But ultimately I see this division as a two horse race between Philadelphia and Dallas. New York can definitely be competitive, but they are no longer the team that won the Super Bowl just two years ago.

I’d have to say that the early favorite to take the NFC East crown would have to be Philadelphia or Dallas. Philly was able to destroy The Cowboys at the end of last season in a heads up battle for a playoff berth, but I believe Dallas is capable of much more than they accomplished in 2008.

The NFC East will be the toughest division in the NFL again in 2009. Whoever takes it home will have gone through some of the greatest teams in the league to do so. The franchise that turns out to be the beast of the east will definitely have to be the favorite to represent the NFC in this season’s Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys Scrap the Playbook, Hit the Drawing Board

Jason Turner — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:19:59 -0400

Every year there are some adjustments and adaptations that coaching staffs have to make in order to stay competitive. Coming into this season, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking to revise their playbook on both sides of the ball to account for changes in personnel.

As the old saying goes, if you are not getting better, you are getting worse.

The Offensive Playbook

After a disappointing finish to 2008, a lot of blame was directed towards Jason Garrett and the Cowboys’ offense. While the defense improved last season, the offense’s performance did not live up to expectations.

In 2007, which was Garrett’s first season, the Dallas offense ranked third overall in the NFL. They were number four in passing yards, and were the second best scoring team with 455 points. In 2008 the Cowboys offense fell to 13th overall with less passing and rushing yards. They also fell to 18th in the league with 362 points scored.

Offensively, the Cowboys must to adjust to the release of Terrell Owens. Hopefully letting go of Owens will not only improve team chemistry, but also make the Cowboys offense less predictable and harder to defend. Jason Garrett should look to spread the ball around more in 2008, after two seasons of making sure that T.O. was kept pacified by a certain number of targets each game.

Matters weren’t helped by the way Jason Garrett used the team’s top wideout either. No matter how much he tries to convince the world he is a speed demon, T.O. did not have the wheels to run past defensive backs and get separation. This resulted in too many passes forced to a big play receiver who was no longer making the big play.

I could never understand why the Garrett didn’t seem to pick up on the fact that Owens had lost a step, and kept using him on go routes and screens. T.O. should have been used as a possession receiver.

He should have been running slants and drags over the middle of the defense, where he could use his strength and run after catch skills to help the offense more.

This is part of the reason that I believe the Cowboys will be just fine moving forward without Terrell Owens at wide receiver.

Many think that this is a crippling loss, but I believe those people are thinking that the Cowboys just released the 2003 version of T.O. instead of the slow, pass dropping target that he has become. He still has a lot of talent, he’s just not what he used to be.

Look for Roy Williams to be used as more of a possession receiver than a deep threat. Roy is a big bodied, possession receiver with the skills to occasionally break the big play. If Garrett can use him correctly, Williams will be able to contribute and keep this passing game from falling off.

There are some changes that need to be made to the Cowboys playbook in order to take full advantage of their current roster. Other than Williams, there are no new additions to the starting lineup. But after seeing some of the young talent perform last season, there is an opportunity to take advantage of a plethora of contributors.

First and foremost, Dallas needs to commit to the run more. Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys have ranked 17th and 21st in the NFL respectively in rushing.

Although they haven’t racked up a ton of yards in recent years, the Cowboys have a solid line and are effective on the ground. In both seasons under Jason Garrett, the Cowboys have been in the top 10 in the league in yards per carry.

Last season showed us that Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice all have what it takes to contribute on the ground. With three running backs that have the ability to make plays, Dallas could use more of a committee approach this season. This will be priceless if it means a healthier, fresher Marion Barber come playoff time.

The offensive playbook should also be tweaked a bit in regards to the passing game. With Martellus Bennett proving he could make plays as a rookie, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys run more two tight formations.

Jason Witten and Bennett are both able to make big plays in the air which gives Dallas more flexibility in its choices of packages and formations.

Felix Jones must get the ball more frequently in the passing game. It wouldn’t surprise me if Garrett occasionally lined him up in the slot and tried to get him the ball in the open field. Felix showed the ability to make big plays before he was injured last season, and should be even more effective in his second year.

Speaking of Felix Jones, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys run a little “Wildcat” formation every now and then. If Isaiah Stanback is able to bounce back from season ending shoulder surgery, he just might find his niche. He’s a former college quarterback whose speed makes him the prototypical dual threat needed to run this formation.

Jason Garrett will have to adjust his passing plays to gear towards a new primary target. His playbook will have to take advantage of the weapons he has a tight end, running back, and wide receiver to provide a more balanced approach. There were fans, critics, and even opponents who claimed that the play calling in Dallas had become predictable in 2008.

Spreading the ball around to open targets instead of forcing the ball to a select few and more emphasis on the run will keep defenses guessing in 2009. An offense becomes far less predictable when you aren’t forcing the ball to a certain wide receiver that has a fondness for popcorn.

The Defensive Playbook

On the defensive side of the ball, Wade Phillips will be calling the plays as he did during the last half of 2008. With that in mind, I foresee the defense creating more sacks and turnovers than it did last year.

The Cowboys defense has improved each season since Wade Phillips was hired. In 2007 Dallas was ninth overall in total defense, and they finished eighth overall last year.

Although the Owens move gets all of the publicity, most of the roster turnover occurred on the defensive side of the ball. There will be five new starters on the defensive unit going into training camp.

Up front, Chris Canty has been replaced by Igor Olshansky after signing with the Giants. Greg Ellis is on the trading block which means Anthony Spencer will move into the starting outside linebacker position opposite DeMarcus Ware. Also, veteran linebacker Keith Brooking was brought in from Atlanta to replace the departed Zach Thomas.

With the acquisitions of Olshansky and Brooking, the Cowboys have stayed just as strong as they were last season at these positions. Both of these players are suitable replacements for the hole they were brought in to fill.

Olshansky had a statistically identical season to Canty in '08, and Brooking is probably an upgrade from an aging Thomas.

The major questions on the defensive side of the ball concern the secondary. There will be a new starting safety, corner, and nickel back in Dave Campo’s defensive backfield.

Gerald Sensabaugh was brought in from Jacksonville to replace Anthony Henry. Henry was traded to the Lions in the deal that brought Jon Kitna to Dallas. Mike Jenkins will replace Pacman Jones at corner, and Orlando Scandrick will become the nickel back to replace Jenkins.

Along with Terrance Newman and Ken Hamlin, these new defensive backs will form a secondary that will be tested early and often. There will probably be some growing pains as this unit comes together, but Cowboy fans and coaches were filled with promise by the rookie campaigns of Scandrick and Jenkins.

To give these guys a chance to succeed, Wade Phillips will bring as much pressure as possible. Blitzing the quarterback throws off the offenses timing, and prevents the opponent’s passer from sitting in the pocket and picking the secondary apart. That pressure also leads to bad throws and more frequent interceptions as it did last year.

When Wade took over the play calling duties from Brian Stewart last year, the defense started getting to the quarterback with a lot more frequency. Under Phillips, the defense averaged more than four sacks per game compared to only two and a half while Stewart had control. By the end of the year the Cowboys led the NFL with 56 sacks.

The personnel are still in place to supply the Cowboys’ defense with plenty of pass rushing talent. Although Ellis is no longer in the team’s plans, the Cowboys are still deep enough to get the job done. IF Anthony Spencer can live up to his first round expectations, the Cowboys shouldn’t miss a beat.

Like the offense, there were times that players such as Terrence Newman have spoken out about how predictability of the defensive calls. Opponents were calling out what the Cowboys defense was doing before the play started at times.

This seems to be the common thread between both Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips. In order for the Cowboys to live up to their potential, the coaching staff is going to have to put these players in a position to win.

If Phillips and Garrett can take advantage of the talent on this team, and have less transparency in their play calling, there is no reason to believe that the Cowboys can’t at least return to the playoffs.

20 Questions With Tony Romo

Jason Turner — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:33:56 -0400

Tony Romo is living the life. At 29 years old, he's beginning his fourth as the starting quarterback for one of the most popular franchises in all of sports. Tony has won big football games, broken team records, played in Pro Bowls, dated starletts, and he even has a killer golf game. What kid doesn't grow up dreaming of being exactly what Tony Romo became seemingly overnight? Perhaps the thing that makes the Cowboys' quarterback so likeable is the fact that he seems to realize himself. Like his childhood hero Brett Favre, it's easy to see that Tony is having fun playing football for a living. On the other hand, being the signal caller for "America's Team" can come with a lot of haters, drama, and pressure. Heavy is the head that wears the crown- especially in Big D. Between the anti-Cowboy faction, and the hometown fantatics that expect perfection, Tony Romo's life isn't exactly stress free. Add to all this the fact that Romo's personal story reads like a cheesy Disney script, and you have the makings for a very interesting interview. So if I were given the chance to play 20 questions with Tony Romo, here are the issues and curiosities that I would address.

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Addition by Subtraction: Expectations for the 2009 Dallas Cowboys

Jason Turner — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:15:58 -0400

The NFL draft is in our rear-view mirror. The bulk of free agent signings have been completed, and OTA’s and mini-camps are well under way. Let the speculation and hype for the 2009 season officially begin.

Expectations are always lofty in Dallas when it comes to the Cowboys. In fact, these expectations can be so high that they are often misconstrued by outsiders as entitlement. But Dallas is a football town. Winning five Super Bowls can spoil a fan base, resulting in a demand for certain levels of excellence.

It's somewhat difficult for me to gauge realistic expectations for the Cowboys’ upcoming season. On one hand, this is a very talented squad that still has 11 of its 13 Pro Bowl players from 2007’s 13-3 campaign.

On the other hand, this is the same team that completely imploded at the end of 2008.

The bar seems to have been lowered for the Dallas Cowboys coming into this year. There are many who believe that the team has lost some punch, or may have been overrated to begin with.

Doubters will point out that the Cowboys lost one of the best receivers in the NFL in Terrell Owens without signing or drafting any kind of viable replacement. Many have questioned whether Roy Williams, who the Cowboys traded for last year, can fill Owens’ shoes as the team’s primary target.

First and foremost, I believe that the loss of T.O. is less damaging than most seem to think. I am willing to buy in to the addition by subtraction theory.

When Tiki Barber left New York after 2006, many thought that this would harm the Giants. This despite the fact that Barber had made himself a distraction with derogatory comments about quarterback Eli Manning, and his threat to leave the team to pursue a television career. Besides, Barber rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns in his final game as a Giant.

As we all know, a Tiki-less New York team went on to upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl the following season in part because Eli was able to flourish in a less controversial environment. I think we could be looking at the same scenario in Dallas this year.

There is no question that Terrell Owens was the most talented receiver in Dallas, but he was also a distraction and a divisive force in the locker room. Statistically Owens was responsible for 69 catches, 1,052 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in 2008 leaving the Cowboys with an obvious void.

Can Roy Williams fill T.O.’s shoes as the go-to wideout? Only two seasons ago Roy snagged 82 balls for 1,310 yards and eight TDs with the Detroit Lions. So, to say that there is no way Roy can step out of the shadows to replace Owens is without merit.

Let’s face it. Terrell Owens will turn 37 during the upcoming season. This is not the same receiver that made fodder of NFL defensive backs in years past. The bang to hype ratio is no longer tilted in Terrell’s direction these days, and it was time for the Cowboys to move on.

Last season proved that Owens had lost a step in the speed department, and was unable to separate from corners and safeties like he could in the past. Add in the fact that Owens has never been renowned for his hands, and you now have a player that is to slow to go deep and not dependable enough to be a pure possession receiver.

If you ask me, Jerry Jones made a great decision in this case.

Coming into last 2008, the Cowboys were a favorite to go to the Super Bowl with a receiving corps that consisted of Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, and Jason Witten. So it is hard to convince me that the Cowboys are absolutely doomed with Roy Williams replacing Owens.

I’m willing to admit that the talent level drops a bit with Roy, but I will not miss having a ticking time bomb on the sideline every week. Williams never griped or groaned when the Lions drafted three straight first round receivers after he was taken in 2004. Can you imagine the fallout if a team with Terrell Owens had done the same?

I’m not a T.O. hater, but I am a T.O. realist. I supported him as a Cowboy, ate my popcorn, enjoyed the ride, and wish him the best. It’s too bad that he insists on constant drama, because it will tarnish the legacy of a great player.

It was time for the team and the player to part ways, and although it is a bit of a risk, it had to be done. But the loss of Owens is not the only reason that there is a cloud of doubt over Valley Ranch.

There are also still those that would label Tony Romo as a choke artist that doesn’t have the ability to make plays in the clutch. Romo has yet to guide the Cowboys to a playoff victory after three failed attempts leaving some to speculate that he can’t handle pressure situations.

This reputation wasn’t exactly helped by the fact that Romo failed to get his PGA tour card after a collapse on the back nine last week. In reality, there are few quarterback in the NFL that I’d be willing to trade head up for Tony Romo.

I believe in Tony. Cowboy fans believe in Tony. And it is his emergence that fuels rising expectations in the eyes of Cowboy fans. Years of Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, Drew Henson, and even Ryan Leaf left Cowboy fans starving for a franchise quarterback. Romo was the answer to many a Cowboy fans prayers.

The Cowboy haters will also point to a draft that looks to provide no immediate impact outside of the special teams. The Cowboys didn’t go out and sign any marquee free agents, and they let go of a couple of Pro Bowlers in Owens and Chris Canty.

Without question, there have been some key losses from last year’s roster. The Cowboys also parted ways with Adam Jones, linebackers Kevin Burnett and Zach Thomas, and safeties Roy Williams and Anthony Henry.

All of these losses play a role in decreasing the hype surrounding America’s Team, but perhaps that is a good thing. Without the glare of the preseason spotlight, the Hard Knocks cameras, or the inevitable drama that surrounded the likes of our dearly departed T.O., maybe the Cowboys will be able to focus and improve.

But, keep in mind that Dallas also had some under the radar signings during the free agent period this offseason. Many of the players signed will be able to contribute immediately and fill voids left by free agency and roster moves.

Igor Olshansky, the Ukrainian defensive end from the Chargers was brought in to replace Chris Canty. After speculation that Pro Bowl nose guard Jay Ratliff could move over to defensive end, I think the Cowboys made a smart move by signing Igor instead.

Olshansky is a load at 6’6” and 309 pounds. His stats in San Diego were very consistent with the season that Canty had last year. Igor had one less tackle and one less sack than Canty, who cashed in on free agency by signing with the Giants, making this pretty much a lateral move that saved the Cowboys some cap room.

Dallas also addressed the backup quarterback issue that haunted them in 2008. In a trade for Jon Kitna, the Cowboys were able to acquire a proven backup who still has some tread left on the tires. Kitna would be much more effective than the train wreck that was Brad Johnson should Romo miss time again this season.

The Kitna trade temporarily took some depth away from the Cowboys defensive backfield. After all Anthony Henry, who was shipped to Detroit, provided depth at both the safety and corner position. Not to mention that safety Roy Williams was finally released after years of getting toasted in Big D.

To offset their losses the Cowboys signed safety Gerald Sensabaugh from the Jaguars. They also drafted Michael Hamlin, Deangelo Smith and Mike Mickens, and are working Alan Ball at both corner and safety.

Along with Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, who both proved that they can contribute at corner, these acquisitions will provide the Cowboys’ secondary with a solid cast to accompany Terrance Newman and Ken Hamlin.

Defensively, the Cowboys also addressed the inside linebacker position by way of free agency and the draft. Keith Brooking was brought in from Atlanta to replace an aging Zach Thomas, who ended up spending only one year in Dallas.

Although Brooking doesn’t have as many skins on the wall, he is younger and has not missed a start since 2000. Jason Williams, Victor Butler, and Stephen Hodge were all chosen in the middle of the draft in hopes of providing depth and potential for the future at linebacker.

I think the Cowboys made enough moves to say that they have improved this team overall. Of course, most will judge this offseason based on the loss of Owens because that was the headline-grabbing transaction, but I think Dallas will be a better team overall in 2009.

Maybe Tony Romo will be allowed to simply run the offense and find the open man instead of forcing the ball to a certain player enough times to keep the locker room from turning into a war zone. This should help the Cowboys offense to be less predictable this season.

The offense will also be bolstered by a very strong backfield consisting of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice. Jones proved to be a big play type back who can complement the bruising Barber before he was lost for the season to injury. The silver lining was that Tashard Choice was given a chance to prove that he can contribute as well.

With a proven offensive line that remains intact from last season, all of the tools are in place for this offense to continue to be one of the best in the NFL.

Defensively, the team addressed its needs and got younger. There is still plenty of depth in the defensive backfield, our linebackers are just as strong, and the defensive front should be just as imposing. This wasn’t the best defense in the league last season, but it did show improvement when head coach Wade Phillips took over the play calling duties.

Although I believe the Cowboys improved overall as from a personnel standpoint, there are still many roadblocks that could stop this team in dead its tracks again in '09.

Most importantly, there needs to be an attitude adjustment in the locker room. There are players on this team such as Romo, Ware, and Witten who must take on more vocal leadership roles. All of these guys have stated that they need to step up as team leaders, but it has yet to be proven if they will actually follow through.

And don’t forget that the Cowboys also play in the toughest division in football. The Eagles and Giants have been very strong over the past few seasons. The Eagles made what looks to be a ton of great roster moves to improve their team, and that’s after they made it to the NFC Championship last year.

The Giants will have to prove that they can adjust to the loss of Plaxico Burress, but are still a threat to make a lot of noise in 2009. And it’s not like the Cowboys are getting anything easy from the Washington Redskins. The rest of the NFC is no cakewalk either with the likes of New Orleans, Carolina, Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, and the Cardinals all looking very strong as well.

So as I try to figure out just what to expect from this team, I find myself torn. I really do think that the Cowboys can contend for a Super Bowl, but then again, this team hasn’t even proven it can win a playoff game as of yet. The talent seems to be there, but there are plenty of obstacles in the way.

But I am willing to go out on a limb and say that this is the year. Yes, the Eagles got better, but the Cowboys got better as well. I’m going to project that less distractions, a deeper and healthier team, and a new workman’s attitude will allow the Cowboys to pay back their fans for the disappointments of the last three years.

I’m not guaranteeing anything, but the parts are in place. If this team can progress, grow, and come together, there is no reason to believe that the Cowboys can’t go all the way in 2009.

Move Over Mel, McShay, and Mayock—My Mock Is Money

Jason Turner — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:03:23 -0400

The 2009 NFL Draft is finally upon us. All of the speculation ends today as a new crop of college stars will have a long time dream finally come true, and hear their name called at Radio City Music Hall, in New York City. I myself am hoping that the Dallas Cowboys have finally taken a look at my high school highlight film from 1996 and, fingers crossed, are willing to take a chance on a long shot. Nontheless, I've invited some family and select friends over, my cell phone is fully charged, and I'm just waiting on the call from Jerry Jones. Looking at the draft, I can't help but think that this one is going to be rather forgettable. Other than the impressive defensive ends and offensive tackles in this year's class, I don't see a lot of potential stars. But then again, until the combine developes a desire drill, we'll never really have a true idea of what is going to come of any prospect. I think one of the better stroy lines of the day is who exactly is going to trade with Seattle to aquire the services of Mark Sanchez. I'm not sure if I would trade up for a quarterback with one year of experience, but fellow USC alumn Matt Cassel proved that experience can sometimes be overrated. I look for San Fransisco, Denver, and the Jets to be in the mix as far as a potential deal to move up and retain Sanchez, but I'm just not sold on any of these QB's. I don't think anyone is overly impressed with this year's class of signal callers. Also be ready for the Giants and Eagles to be active today. Now that the Cardinals have lowered the asking price on Anquan Boldin to a second round pick and other considerations, I believe that one of these two teams will go after Anquan agressively. Either franchise could end up shipping picks to Arizona for the Pro Bowl receiver. Nobody, including the networks experts, has any idea what is really going to go down today. I do know that if Mel Kiper, Mike Mayock, or Todd McShay came to my house the weeks leading up to my fantasy football draft wanting to know who I was selecting, I'd lead them on the wildest of wild goose chases just for kicks. But I would never ever tip my hand. Something tells me NFL general managers used the same tactics. So since no one has a clue, but everyone has a mock draft, I thought I'd throw one up against the wall just to see if it will stick. Who knows, with enough luck, and of course hair spray, I could be the next Mel Kiper. So without further delay, I give to you the one millionth mock draft that you have seen in the last 48 hours.

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A Fantasy Football Review: The 1993 All-Fantasy Team

Jason Turner — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:49:11 -0400

This is the latest installment in my attempt to document the greatest fantasy football players from each of the past 20 seasons. I hope to put together a collection of articles that can serve as a history book of fantasy football from 1989 through this year.

Using a modern day point-per-reception scoring system, I have converted each year's statistical leaders into fantasy points and identified the top performers for each season.

So far, we've found out that Thurman Thomas and Jerry Rice were fantasy football gods year in and year out. Both players have been on the All-Fantasy Team each of the first four years, and have consistently ranked in the top two of their respective positions.

There have also been players long forgotten like Mark Carrier, Barry Foster, and Don Majikowski who had their one fantasy season in the sun. These guys were flashes in the pan that burned owners who chose them much too high in the following year's draft.

The All-Fantasy Teams consist of a quarterback, two running backs, and three WR/TE's. A rover, who is the highest scoring remaining RB, WR, or TE, will also be included as the best flex option.

And just for the sake of saying I did a thorough job, I've included kickers as well.

In 1993 we find that the same select group of players who have been the cream of the fantasy crop for years past is dominating fantasy football. The early ‘90's had some surprises here and there, but the really great fantasy studs seemed to be the same guys every season.

Then again, these were some really great players.

The NFL's all time leading receiver, rusher, and passer were all in the prime of their careers in 1993. All three of these players would end up being the NFL's career touchdown leader at their respective positions as well.

This was a great time to be playing fantasy football, and for those who were, this era has to bring back some great memories. Here are the best of the best, from the golden age of fantasy football.

Here is the 1993 All-Fantasy Team.

Quarterback:

Steve Young - SF - 404.0 points

In a move that put the San Francisco 49ers on the very top of my most hated list, Steve Young took the reigns from Joe Montana in 1993. The move definitely worked for fantasy owners who chose Young, but it backfired on a San Francisco team that eventually lost to Dallas in the NFC Championship.

Despite falling short of the Super Bowl, Steve Young had a spectacular statistical season in 1993. Young passed for 4,023 yards and ran for 415 more. The Niners' new quarterback also combined for 33 touchdowns in the air and on the ground.

Honorable Mention:

John Elway (DEN) - 326.5 points; Warren Moon (HOU) - 285.9 points

Running Backs:

Emmitt Smith - DAL - 307.0 points

Emmitt hit the ground running and never looked back as a fantasy football and NFL star. In only his fourth season, this is Emmitt's third year as an All-Fantasy performer. He was the most dominant fantasy player in 1992, and followed up with another great performance in '93.

In the season leading up to the Cowboys' second straight Super Bowl, Emmitt Smith had 1,486 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on the ground. Smith also snagged 57 passes for 414 yards receiving and another TD.

The most impressive aspect of Emmitt Smith being the NFL's top fantasy back in '93 was the fact that this was the year of Emmitt's hold out. Without any training camp, and despite missing the first two games of the year, Emmitt finished more than 50 fantasy points ahead of the second best back in the NFL.

Thurman Thomas - BUF - 254.2 points

The 1993 season marks the fifth straight that Thurman Thomas has made the NFL All-Fantasy team. That is five consecutive years of being one of the top two or three fantasy running backs in the game.

Although Thurman doesn't get the historical credit of a Barry Sanders, Thurman was much more valuable to fantasy owners.

In 1993 Thurman had yet another stellar fantasy season. He ended the year with 1,315 yards and nine touchdowns running, and caught 48 passes for 387 yards as well.

Honorable Mention:

Ricky Watters (SF) - 250.5 points; Jerome Bettis (STL) - 235.3 points

Wide Receivers:

Jerry Rice - SF - 351.2 points

Drafting the top wide receiver in fantasy drafts was very easy for a long time from the ‘80's to late ‘90's. During that period, if Jerry Rice wasn't the best fantasy receiver in the league, it was because he was merely the second best fantasy receiver in the league.

In 1993 Jerry Rice just kept chugging along with another 98 catches for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns. Rice also added 69 yards and another score on the ground to give him 16 total TD's.

Sterling Sharpe - GB - 306.2 points

It's too bad that Sterling Sharpe's career had to end so prematurely. It would have been interesting to see how many yards and touchdowns he could have racked up with Brett Favre as his quarterback for a longer period of time.

Sterling made his third All-Fantasy Team in 1993 by grabbing a league leading 112 catches for 1,274 yards and 11 scores. Sharpe was the best receiver not named Rice for most of the early years of fantasy football.

Andre Rison - ATL - 300.2 points

Looking back, most people only associate the run-and-shoot offense with the Houston Oilers. But other teams such as the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons also used this fantasy friendly scheme.

Andre Rison's fantasy numbers may have benefited more from the run-and-shoot than any other player in the NFL. The '93 season marked the third time that Rison was an All-Fantasy receiver in four years.

In 1993, Andre Rison caught 86 passes for 1,242 yards and a career high 15 touchdowns.

Honorable Mention:

Cris Carter - MIN - 247.1 points

Rover:

Michael Irvin - DAL - 263.6 points

This is the first season that the rover on the All-Fantasy team has been a wideout and not a running back. The fantasy numbers at the running back position were uncharacteristically low throughout the league, and that helped Michael Irvin to be selected to his second All-Fantasy Team in three years.

Michael Irvin had one of his strongest fantasy seasons in 1993 as he helped the Cowboys to back-to-back titles. The playmaker finished the regular season with 88 receptions for 1,330 yards and seven touchdowns.

Honorable Mention:

Marcus Allen RB - (KC) - 224.2 points

Kicker:

Jeff Jaeger - LAR - 146 points

The Los Angeles Raiders had the best fantasy kicker in the NFL in 1993. Jeff Jaeger hit four field goals from beyond 50 yards, and had six more from 40 to 49 yards. Jaeger also added 25 more three pointers from less than 40 yards, and he knocked in 27 extra points.

1993 FANTASY FOOTBALL MVP:

Steve Young - As much as it kills me to say it, Steve Young had a great season in an impossible situation. He was replacing a legend who was renown as one of the greatest of all time, and who arguably had something left to contribute when he was traded.

Young's 400-plus point fantasy season in a down statistical year makes him hands down the 1993 NFL Fantasy MVP.

Pat Tillman Deserves To Be in Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jason Turner — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:13:01 -0400

Watching the Arizona Cardinals play in last year's Super Bowl took some getting used to. But, then again, watching the Cardinals just hasn't been the same for quite some time.

Of all of the players and stories that surrounded Arizona's rise to the big game, I couldn't help but think of someone who wasn't on the field. On Super Bowl Sunday, I found myself thinking about Pat Tillman.

Five years ago today, Pat Tillman laid down his life for his country and his fellow man. He stood up to the terrorists who killed so many innocent civilians in the attacks of Sep. 11, 2001, and he gave up fame and fortune to do so.

Although he was never an NFL star, Tillman was one of my favorite players. I first saw him play in his rookie season. He was running down the field on special teams like a mad man looking to knock the lights out of anything that moved.

The hair, the hits, and the fact that he seemed to get the most out of what God gave him made Tillman an instant favorite. I would follow him for years to come.

In a time when athletes seemed to be driven by money and referred to football as a business, Tillman turned down millions from St. Louis to remain loyal to the team that drafted him.

In a time when our sports stars were caught lying and cheating, and when players seemed just as likely to show up in jail as they did a box score, Tillman gave up everything to go to war on our behalf.

Tillman is a true hero and role model. He was a walking personification of everything a man should aspire to be and would want his daughter to marry.

Tillman was also the perfect example of what the NFL is looking for in its players. With that being said, I think that it is time for the NFL to give Tillman the ultimate honor. It is time for the NFL to put Pat Tillman in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Career accolades aside, Tillman should be in the Hall of Fame based on the man that he was, the sacrifice he made for his country, and the impact his decision and death had on all of us.

He is a perfect representative of not only NFL players, but he also represents all of the men and women who sacrifice day after day to keep this country and its people safe and free.

So, as you go through your day, take some time to remember Pat Tillman and all those who have been lost in the service of the United States military. Help keep Tillman alive by keeping his story alive. When your kids ask you who your sports heroes were, tell them Tillman's heroic story.

As long as we remember Pat Tillman, he will always be with us. So let us take a moment of remembrance and hope that someday the Hall of Fame does the same thing.

Fantasy Football: Time For Us All To Get on the Same Page

Jason Turner — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:35:38 -0400

It seems that fantasy football has officially hit the mainstream of American culture. For a long time, fantasy veterans like myself this takes a bit of getting used to.

I started playing fantasy football in 1989 at the tender age of 12. Back then, there were a hand full of fantasy magazines and that was about it. Leagues consisted of co-workers and neighborhood friends and scoring was done by way of box scores and pencils.

Maybe the grass roots beginning of fantasy football plays a role in the uniqueness of leagues all over the nation. There are auction leagues, keeper leagues, head to head leagues, rotisserie leagues, on-line leagues, heck I even play in a league in which every owner has a 53 man roster complete with punters and linemen.

And as non conforming as the leagues can be, the scoring systems can be tweaked in seemingly millions of ways making everything even more confusing. It always gives me a chuckle when fantasy "experts" like Matthew Berry give out trading or start/sit advice regarding some random league that he knows nothing about.

I mean, whether or not I'm trading Andre Johnson for Adrian Peterson has more variables than most people would want to wrap their head around. But here are just a few.

Is the league a point-per-reception league?

If so, Adrian Peterson does not have the same value as a running back in a PPR league as he does under old school scoring systems. After all, he only caught two passes for 15 yards last year, whereas Andre Johnson skyrockets in value based on his league leading 115 grabs.

Does the league reward kick and punt return yardage?

This seems to be the new trend. Rewarding for kick ad punt return yardage may make Devin Hester or Johnnie Lee Higgins more valuable, but it makes it less important to have a premiere wideout on your squad. Under that scenario, one wouldn't want to get rid of a highly valued running back to gain a watered down receiver.

So it's easy to see that it is probably best to go off of your own judgement before trusting your fantasy football season to these so called experts.

I have a proposal to help fantasy gurus do their job better, and that will unite the fantasy football world as one. What we need to do is come up with a fair, consistent, universal scoring system that allows the fellas at the Monday morning water cooler to know exactly how big your 42 fantasy points from Westbrook were the day before.

This scoring system would save thousands of fantasy expert man hours spent qualifying advice based on the ten thousand different scoring systems out there. Not to mention the number of trees we could save by having magazines without 30 different cheat sheets for all types of scoring.

Like I said before, I've been playing fantasy football for way too long now. I've seen the game go from touchdown only, to yardage based, to the fantasy world finally coming around on the point-per-reception scoring.

So without further delay, the worlds first Official Fantasy Football Scoring System. Alert your congressman.

Every player gets one point per 10 yards rushing, a point for every 25 yards passing, and a point for every ten yards receiving. All touchdowns are six points, and this includes QB's. Some leagues award four points for passing TD's which jumbles all the quarterbacks up statistically and devalues the leagues great passers.

Every player gets a point per catch. This makes wide receivers more valuable, makes versatile running backs fantasy relevant, and makes drafts a lot more interesting. Before PPR, wide receivers were a fantasy afterthought, and there were always 20 running backs taken in the first 25 picks of the average fantasy draft.

Sticking to this system makes all of the positions relatively close in value for fantasy purposes. To test this theory simply take a good game at each position and do the math.

Under this system a quarterback with a 300-yard game and two touchdowns, a wide receiver with eight grabs for 100 yards and a TD, and a running back with 100 yards with a couple of scores and catches all score about the same. In all of these instances, the player will get somewhere around 24 points.

As for defense, stick to team D's and stay away from individual defensive players. Allowing a few individual defenders opens up a fantasy Pandora's Box.

With only a few defenders taken by each team, all of these players are stars who will end up scoring around the same amount of points. This makes IDP's irrelevant in fantasy drafts, and the only way to prevent this is by going to a full defensive roster. So believe me, just stick to team defense and special team combinations.

Award points for sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries, and blocked kicks and punts. Give six points for touchdowns on punt or kick returns, as well as turnovers returned by the defense. Don't forget to reward defenses based on allowing low amounts of points and yardage, for this is a great representation of a defense's performance.

Every Internet provider has slightly different allowances as far as scoring for defenses are concerned, but try to figure out what a good game is for a team defense and make that equal out to 24 points or so.

This is the easiest and most balanced scoring system that I have found in 20 years of fantasy football. And if the entire fantasy world decided to get on the same page, fighting our way through all of the endless statistical information and projections could be made much easier.

Let's do away with hokie distance bonuses for touchdowns, and bonuses for hitting yardage plateaus. This only leads to more confusion, meltdowns, and increases the cheese factor in a fantasy league.

I believe that we can come together and get this movement going. This is some change we truly can all believe in. We need a bipartisan effort to bring a sense of organization and unity to the world of fantasy football.

We can finally brag about our teams with people outside of our league, and have a mutual understanding of what exactly we're bragging about. Fantasy shows can show leaders based on fantasy points and not tons of different stats.

But most importantly, fantasy experts can finally pass out sound advice when we ask whether or not we should give up Andre Johnson for Adrian Peterson.

Cowboys Find Themselves Without a First Round Pick...Again

Jason Turner — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:18:07 -0400

This is the Dallas Cowboys' first draft since the trade for Roy Williams. The deal in which Dallas gave up first, third, and sixth round draft picks in 2009 for the Lions' wideout will again come to the forefront this Saturday.

Let me say that I love Roy Williams. I followed him all four years at Texas, and prayed that the the Cowboys would somehow get their hands on him. His statistics weren't great in Detroit, but it was the Lions for crying out loud. I think that once Roy has had sufficient time to work with Tony Romo, he will pay dividends and show the NFL that he is a top notch talent.

So, it's not Roy Williams I have a problem with. My problem is with when, how, and the circumstances under which the Cowboys decided to trade for Williams. This deal was lopsided, premature, and very short-sighted on the part of Jerry Jones.

What chaps me the most about this deal is that the Cowboys could have shown patience and waited until the end of the season for the soon-to-be free agent receiver to make his own way to Dallas. Roy made no bones about saying he was unhappy in Detroit, wanted to come back to Texas, and that he wanted to be a Cowboy.

The guy grew up in Odessa, Texas. He played his high school ball at state powerhouse Odessa Permian, and went on to play at the University of Texas. Every kid in west Texas wants to do three things: play football for Odessa Permian, play football for the Texas Longhorns, and play football for the Dallas Cowboys.

Williams not only spends his offseasons in Odessa, he has also expressed that he wants to be the school's head football coach after he retires from the NFL. The writing was on the wall, all Dallas had to do was be hold on a few more months.

But instead of simply waiting on Roy to come to us, Jerry Jones decided to give up two first-round picks and pay through the nose for the receiver's services. This deal worked out like most mid-season trades do in football. There was no cohesiveness, and thus no immediate impact.

Jerry Jones had on his favorite pair of Superbowl Goggles, and an otherwise ugly deal suddenly looked much more appealing. Or maybe it was the same stuff he was drinking when he decided to fire Jimmy. Who knows?

What ever it was, it didn't help that Tony Romo was injured, and Williams spent his first month catching passes from Brad Johnson. The timing of the deal was terrible, the price was much too costly, and the first payment is due on Saturday.

I'd hoped that Jerry had learned from the mistakes of his past when it comes to letting go of multiple first rounders for wide receivers.

In 2000, The Cowboys did the exact same thing by giving up back-to-back first-round picks to Seattle for Joey Galloway. That move set the franchise back years, and I'm afraid history is doomed to repeat itself.

Fast forward to April, and the Cowboys are not only lacking a first-round pick, but they also have let go of Terrell Owens. This move not only means Patrick Crayton is a starter again (ugh!), but it also means we basically gave up Terrell Owens and a No. 1 for a receiver we could have signed anyway.

Does anyone else feel that, at best, we are running in place while donating No. 1 picks to other franchises.

The Cowboys are a very talented team, but they are not lacking in holes that need to be filled in the draft. I'm going to have to classify Crayton as one of those holes, not to mention the one left by the trade of Anthony Henry, who could fill in at safety and corner.

Dallas also needs to address the aging offensive tackle position, and they could always use another corner. Although the experts seem to agree that this draft is not particularly deep, the Cowboys will need to find value in the later rounds this year.

However, I think Dallas picks too late to hope to fill any of these voids immediately. I don't see the team getting any first-year starters, unless they work a deal and trade up into the first round.

With 11 overall picks, maybe Dallas can hit on a few sleepers that will pay off down the road. The Cowboys have a second rounder, a third rounder, two fourths, three fifths, and two picks in the sixth and seventh rounds each.

The Roy Williams trade should be a point of interest for a long time. And years from now, we will all look at who the Lions were able to get with these picks and wonder.

But more importantly, I hope Jerry looks back. I hope he learns some patience and timing for future transactions.

I hope Jerry pulls his head out of his stadium and realizes that he is running a football team and not a fantasy team, and that prematurely pulling the trigger often leads to shooting oneself in the foot.

A Look into the 2009 Dallas Cowboys' Schedule

Jason Turner — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:04:34 -0400

NFL fans were eagerly awaiting the release of the 2009 NFL schedule this evening. Whether logging on to NFL.com or watching coverage on the NFL Network or ESPN, tons of football faithful finally found out what match-ups to target for tickets, or when and where to make reservations for road games.

When I first looked over the Cowboys' 2009 schedule, I noticed all of the prime time games. The Cowboys will play in front of a national audience on six separate occasions in the upcoming season.

The Cowboys will officially open "Jerry World" in the Sunday night game during the second week of the season against the New York Giants. The house will be rocking as the Football Taj Mahal opens against this division rival, which won the last playoff game at Texas Stadium.

The other games to be played under the lights includes a week three match-up against Carolina, at home, which is Dallas' lone Monday Night game in 2009.

The Cowboys also have a week nine Sunday night battle in Philadelphia, and a trip to New Orleans to square off against the Saints in a late season Saturday night contest. The Cowboys also head to Washington for a Sunday night game against the Redskins in week 15.

Of course, the Cowboys will hold their traditional Thanksgiving Day match-up as always. This year's opponent will be the Oakland Raiders, another one of the NFL's storied franchises in what should be a win for Dallas.

The Cowboys will play nine of their 2009 games on NFC affiliate FOX. They also play three times on NBC's Sunday night football, once on the NFL network, and once on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Dallas also has two games televised on CBS, which will give the 'Boys two shots of having Gus Johnson do the play by play...my fingers are already crossed.

Following their "bye" during the sixth week of the season, the Cowboys have their hands full down the stretch. They will come out of their off-,week with the upstart Falcons, the newly retooled Seahawks, and a game on the road against the Eagles.

The Cowboys, who have notoriously faded down the stretch over the last few years, will not be able to do that this season unless they want to be sitting at home come playoff time. December's games include contests against the Giants, Chargers, Saints, Redskins, and the season finale at home against the Eagles.

There are no easy games in today's NFL, but the Cowboys do have a few "should wins" on the schedule. The Buccaneers (week one), the Broncos (week four), the Chiefs (week five), and the Raiders (week 12) all struggled last season, or find themselves rebuilding in 2009.

Being as objective as I can, I have the Cowboys starting off 5-0. After some projected losses on the road later in the season, I believe Dallas is looking at a possible 12-4, or 11-5 record.

Road games against the Saints, Eagles, Giants, and Green Bay will all be very tough games, and the Cowboys have to take on the talented Chargers at home during week 14 in showdowns I have marked as possible losses.

All in all, the Cowboys are still in the NFC East, which is usually one of the tougher divisions in football and, as always, will have their hands full. On the other hand, it's not a bad year to be playing against the AFC West, which was terrible in 2008.

As we all know, it is impossible to determine where the Cowboys will end up just by looking at this schedule. Injuries can always play a major factor; just ask the Patriots, who lost Tom Brady eight minutes into the 2008 season. These projections are also riding on the fact that the team will be more focused and show more heart in '09.

But nonetheless, an NFL fan has to get excited on a day like today. Hopefully, this will tide over fanatics like myself until the draft in a couple of weeks. With the excitement of the talent that is on this team, the new stadium, and the fact that I am seriously going through football withdrawals, I can't wait for the 2009 season to start.

A Fantasy Football Review: The 1992 All-Fantasy Team

Jason Turner — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:00:29 -0400

It was 1992, and my favorite NFL team had gone from a league laughing stock to a Super Bowl champion in a span of four seasons. Everything in my football life was almost perfect.

Almost.

On the fantasy front, the season did not hold the same kind of success. My team was lousy, but I did have a somewhat valid excuse.

To explain why 1992 was such a fantasy failure, I will share with you a story: The story of my 1992 fantasy football team, and the story of Vaughn Dunbar.

I was 14-years-old when I was asked to join a fantasy league that a good friend of mine ran. The league included some good friends I had known for years. A lot of us lived in the same neighborhood and hung out all the time.

Leading up to our fantasy football draft, the guys kept talking about how great they thought New Orleans' rookie running back Vaughn Dunbar was going to be that season.

By the end of that summer, I had been convinced that Vaughn Dunbar was the next coming of Barry Sanders. The continuous barrage of exaggerated tales from my "buddies" had me sold.

Draft day came, and much to my disappointment I had one of the final picks of the first round. Emmitt, Thurman, and Barry Sanders were all gone before I was ever on the clock.

So with that first round pick I chose...Vaughn Dunbar

The room immediately erupted in laughter. It seems that the entire league had got together and decided to haze me by talking up some random back and seeing how high I would pick him. I had been duped.

Vaughn Dunbar racked up all of 565 yards rushing and three touchdowns that year, and I finished dead last.

Before the countless fantasy mags, specialty shows, and Internet sites, fantasy owners had to pick up information wherever they could. Early in my career, I learned the valuable lesson of not always trusting what you hear.

So that is my 1992 fantasy football experience in a nutshell. Here are the All-Fantasy players from that season, none of which were on my lousy team.

Quarterback

Steve Young (SF) - 366.3 points

Young actually emerged as a top fantasy option in 1991. He only played 10 games that season, but he averaged 25.5 fantasy points per game.

In 1992, Steve Young played a full schedule and was the top QB in fantasy football. Young passed for 3,465 yards and 25 touchdowns. Always a threat to scramble and make a play, he also had 537 yards and four touchdowns rushing.

Honorable Mention

Dan Marino (MIA)—315.2 points; Randall Cunningham (PHI)—309.9 points

Running Backs

Emmitt Smith (DAL) - 377.8 points

The '92 season marked the first year that Emmitt Smith was fantasy football's number one back, and this was his second consecutive stint as an all-fantasy runner.

Emmitt became the first running back to ever lead the league in rushing and win a Superbowl in the same season in 1992. He had 1,713 yards on the ground, 59 catches for 335 yards receiving, and 19 total touchdowns.

Thurman Thomas (BUF) - 341.3 points

In each season since 1989, Thurman Thomas has been one of the top two running backs in fantasy football. He was the 1991 Fantasy MVP, and had another strong performance in the following season.

Thomas combined for over 2,100 yards rushing and receiving in 1992. He ran for 1,487 yards and nine TD's. The eventual Hall-of-Fame inductee also collected 58 receptions for 626 yards and three more scores.

Honorable Mention

Barry Foster (PIT)—305.4 points; Lorenzo White (HOU)—291.7 points

Wide Receivers

Sterling Sharpe (GB) - 332.9 points

The 1992 season was the first time that Sterling Sharpe caught passes from Brett Favre. Sterling had an All-Fantasy performance in 1989 with Don Majikowski at the helm, but had not shown up on the team again until this season.

With Brett slinging him passes, Sharpe took home the wide receiver version of the triple crown. He led the NFL in catches (108), yards receiving (1,461), and touchdown catches (13). Favre to Sharpe quickly became a potent combination for the Packers and fantasy owners everywhere.

Jerry Rice (SF) - 275.9 points

As with Thurman Thomas, this was Jerry Rice's fourth straight All-Fantasy Team award. From 1989 to 1992, Rice remained one of the top two receivers in the fantasy world.

Rice racked up 84 catches for 1,201 yards and ten touchdown snags in 1992. Rice also added 58 rushing yards and a touchdown run in yet another impeccable fantasy campaign.

Andre Rison (ATL) - 270.9 points

Andre Rison may be one of those fantasy stars who have been forgotten over the years. Perhaps not completely forgotten, of course, but maybe not as highly regarded as the fantasy contributor that he was in the early 90's.

1992 marked the second time in three years that Rison was an all-fantasy wideout. In the Falcons pass happy attack, Rison caught 93 balls for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving.

Honorable Mention

Michael Irvin (DAL)—259.6 points; Haywood Jeffries (HOU)—235.3 points

Rover

Terry Allen - RB (MIN) - 306.9 points

Terry Allen wasn't a highly touted fantasy running back, but in an 11 year career he did produce a few great statistical seasons. The first of those seasons came in 1992 when Allen was with the Minnesota Vikings.

This running back-for-hire, who played with five different NFL teams, gained 1,309 yards rushing and scored ten touchdowns on the ground. Allen also caught 49 passes for 478 more yards and another two touchdowns to give him an all-fantasy performance.

Kicker

As much as it irks me to even pay attention to fantasy kickers, this year featured a tie. So now we have an all-fantasy team with two kickers. Wonderful.

Pete Stoyanovich (MIA) - 134.0 points

Stoyanovich had 23 field goals inside of 40 yards, four between 40 and 49 yards, and three more field goals from beyond 50 yards. He also added 34 extra points on the season.

Morten Andersen (NO) - 134.0 points

Andersen was around a long time. To let you know how long, he retired in 2007 and was already an 11 year veteran in 1992 when he made the all-fantasy Team.

Andersen had 18 field goals that were less than 40 yards. He also added eight from 40 to 49 yards, and three more from 50 yards or more. Morten also added 33 extra points.

1992 Fantasy Football MVP

Emmitt Smith

It's a pretty easy decision picking a fantasy MVP when a running back outscores every quarterback in the league. 1992 proved to be one of Emmitt's best seasons. Emmitt not only won the rushing crown and a Super Bowl, but he also won countless fantasy championships in leagues across the country.

As for Vaughn Dunbar? He rushed for 935 yards in a three year career spent with three different teams. He reportedly now works for a hose company in Stone Mountain, GA.

The Cowboys Who Are Missing from the Ring of Honor

Jason Turner — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:19:20 -0400

With the NFL season just months away, the Dallas Cowboys will soon be playing home games in what I'm going to go ahead and have to kinckname the 9th Wonder of the World. Even though the stadium is new, and is in a different city that yet again is not Dallas, Texas- some old traditions with be upheld. The memory of Texas Stadium plays a large role in the look and feel of the new diggs. There's still going to be a hole in the roof, albeit a retractable one. So God will still be able to watch His favorite team play. Just as long as he provides the metroplex with sunshine, a reasonable lack of searing Texas heat, and no chance of precipitation. Along with the similar shape of the architecture, the new Cowboys' stadium will have, of course, The Ring of Honor. The Ring currently has 17 members including 15 players, former head coach Tom Landry, and long time general manager Tex Schramm. As great as it is, the Ring of Honor has a tainted past. For example, it is a bit embarassing when the Hall of Fame inducts former Cowboys before we can find the time to honor them as a franchise. Tom Landry, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, and Tex Schramm, all made it to Canton before Jerry Jones found it fit give them their due. On the other hand, Jerry has honored other Cowboys from the franchise's storied past who weren't already in the Ring from the days of prior ownership. Bob Hayes, Rayfield Wright, and Cliff Harris are all players from the 60's and 70's that Jerry Jones has decided to add to the club. In the cases of Bob Hayes and Rayfield Wright, who were inducted into the ring in 2001 and 2004 respectively, it put them back into the spotlight enough to lead to their eventual trips to the Hall of Fame a few years later. How could Cowboy fans justify players for the Hall of Fame if the franchise doesn't even have them in their own version of it. With that being the case, there are some ex Cowboy players that are overdue for this honor. The last time there was a Ring of Honor ceremony in Texas Stadium was 2005. Maybe it was appropriate that the "triplets" were the last ones to go in at the old house. But we all know that dynasty was built on much more than Emmitt, Aikman, and Irvin. There are other Hall of Fame players that were a part of that dynasty as well teams of the past that must be added to our Ring of Honor before we can start demanding their enshrinement in Canton.

Begin Slideshow

A Fantasy Football Review: The 1991 All-Fantasy Team

Jason Turner — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:04:05 -0400

When I initially came up with the idea of writing an article on each of the NFL All-Fantasy teams from 1989-2008, I didn't take into account that it was going to mean so much research. The task has been a bit more daunting than I thought it would be, but I must grind it out for all six of my readers.

As much work as it has been, going over statistical leaders from so many years ago has also been a lot of fun. Players long ago forgotten have made their way back into my memory bank.

Names such as Curtis Duncan, Gaston Greene, John L. Williams, Stephonne Paige, and Anthony Carter remind me of fantasy seasons and players long forgotten.

Looking back, I also can see how much not only the players and names have changed, but also how much this game of fantasy football has evolved as well.

Back in 1991, we didn't live in a world of instant informational gratification. Only the die-hard fantasy geeks had the focus and stamina to keep a fantasy league going.

Back in those days, we fantasy owners watched the few games available in our given area. We stayed glued to halftime shows and live game break-ins for glimpses of our players. We changed the channel straight from the last three o'clock game to ESPN's NFL Primetime to find out how our squad performed that day.

Even then, we were not sure of a win or loss in most cases.

We picked up a paper on Monday morning, and did the league's scores instead of paying attention in Algebra class. Our records were kept in notebooks that were the one thing we would grab if the house caught on fire. Trades and transactions were done by phone.

But even without the technology of up-to-the-second fantasy scoring, Internet sites, and the Sunday Ticket, fantasy football was entering what I consider to be its golden age back in 1991. Looking at the players and leaders from that era is to scan season stats of a who's who of NFL stars and Hall of Fame inductees.

Thurman, Barry, and Emmitt were all in their prime. The quarterbacks of that period included names like Elway, Marino, Young, Moon, Kelly, and Aikman. And Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, Art Monk, Tim Brown, Sterling Sharpe, and Cris Carter were just a few of the game's top wide receivers.

But I'm proud to say that I am one of those early 90's fantasy football geeks. I'm proud to say that, at one time or another, all of these players spent time on my fantasy rosters. I'm proud to say that I played fantasy football back in the "good old days," when the greatest of the greats were applying their craft.

So without further ado, here is the 1991 NFL All-Fantasy Team.

Quarterback

Jim Kelly (BUF), 362.3 points

The Bills' no-huddle offensive juggernaut was led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Jim Kelly.

Kelly had his best season, with career highs of 3,844 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes in 1991. He also added a touchdown and 45 yards rushing. He was named to his third Pro Bowl and was a first team All-Pro selection.

Honorable Mentions

Warren Moon (HOU), 344.4 points; Dan Marino (MIA), 318.0 points

Running Backs

Thurman Thomas (BUF), 337.8 points

Thurman is becoming a mainstay on these All-Fantasy teams, but this is his the first time he has been the top running back in a season. Thomas' abilities as a dual threat runner and pass catcher are what make him so valuable.

In 1991 Thurman turned in 1,407 yards rushing and 631 receiving off of 62 catches. Thurman recorded 12 total touchdowns; seven on the ground and five in the air.

Barry Sanders (DET) - 328.5 points

In 1991 Barry Sanders was in his third of ten great seasons as an NFL and fantasy running back. He rushed for more than 1,100 yards every year and was without question the most entertaining runner to watch in the game.

In this campaign, Barry had a career high 16 rushing touchdowns and ran for 1,548 yards. Sanders also added 41 pass receptions for 307 yards and another TD.

Honorable Mentions

Robert Delpino (RAMS), 245.5 points; Rodney Hampton (NYG), 237.2 points

Wide Receivers

Michael Irvin (DAL), 293.3 points

Due to various injuries, Michael Irvin only started 23 of 48 games in his first three NFL seasons. In his first healthy season though, "The Playmaker" exploded onto the NFL scene, making Irvin one of the greatest fantasy sleepers ever.

In 1991 Michael Irvin had 93 catches for 1,523 yards and eight touchdowns. This would be the second highest yardage total in a career that would see the Dallas wideout eventually find himself in Canton.

Jerry Rice (SF), 284.8 points

I'm beginning to run out of things to say about Jerry Rice. He's been on the All-Fantasy team every year so far, and I've already extolled this man's greatness to the limits of my vocabulary.

In '91, Rice had another stellar year, with 80 grabs for 1,206 yards and 12 touchdowns. He did it better, longer, and more consistently than any fantasy receiver ever, period.

Andre Reed (BUF), 265.9 points

This season marked the fourth of what would end up being seven consecutive Pro Bowl seasons for Buffalo receiver Andre Reed. Although he never had that unbelievably amazing statistical season, he had some really good ones non-the-less.

In 1991 Andre Reed made the All-Fantasy team by collecting 81 passes for 1,113 yards. Reed had a career high ten touchdowns receiving to go with 12 carries for 136 yards on the ground.

Honorable Mentions

Gary Clark (WAS), 264.0 points; Haywood Jeffries (HOU), 260.1 points

Rover

Emmitt Smith, RB (DAL), 309.1 points

In only his second season in the NFL, the running back who was too short, too small, and too slow at the NFL combine led the league in rushing.

This season would mark the beginning of an era in fantasy football where owners everywhere would do anything they could to get their hot little hands on Emmitt Smith.

In 1991 Emmitt Smith catapulted to the top of fantasy wish lists with 1,563 rushing yards, 49 snags for 258 yards receiving, and 13 total touchdowns. A perennial fantasy star was born.

Kicker

Chip Lohmiller was fantasy football's elite kicker of 1991. He hit 19 field goals inside the 40 yard line, 10 between 40 and 49 yards, and added a couple beyond 50 yards away. The fact that he played for the high-scoring Redskins helped him to 56 extra points, and made Chip far and away the best fantasy kicker of the year.

1991 NFL Fantasy MVP—Thurman Thomas

I went back and forth comparing the fantasy seasons of Thomas and Buffalo teammate Jim Kelly, but I had to side with Thurman. I ended up looking at it as a tie, so I sided with Thurman based on his lifetime achievement. Besides, he was becoming the Susan Lucci of this MVP race.

Other Notables

Any Redskin was a good Redskin for fantasy owners in 1991. Mark Rypien, Earnest Byner, Gerald Riggs, Gary Clark, Art Monk, Ricky Sanders, and Chip Lohmiller were all among the leaders at their position.

Stay tuned for the 1992-2008 NFL All-Fantasy teams and check my profile to catch up with every season from 1989.

A Fantasy Football Review: The 1990 All-Fantasy Team

Jason Turner — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:54:33 -0400

For this second installment of the last 20 All-Fantasy Football teams we will look back to the year 1990. When I think about the 1990 NFL season three images come to mind.

I remember a sack that Derrick Thomas missed against Dave Krieg of the Seahawks. This was no ordinary missed sack because the Seattle quarterback threw a game winning touchdown on the play, and it would have been sack No. 8 on the day for the Chiefs' linebacker.

Thomas had to settle for seven sacks that game which is still an NFL record, and Chief fans will always remember the one that got away.

I still recall the hustle of Leonard Marshall falling to his hands and knees, getting up, and delivering a massive hit to Joe Montana from behind. This shot resulted in a broken hand, a bruised sternum, cracked ribs, and basically the end of Joe Montana's 49er career.

Of course, most people in Buffalo remember the 1990 season for the way it came to a heartbreaking end. Scott Norwood's wide-right field-goal miss handed the championship over to the Giants, and would be the first of four consecutive Superbowl losses for the Bills franchise.

In 1990, fantasy football was starting to gain popularity. It was getting easier to find fantasy football magazines such as Fantasy Football Indexat your local newsstands, and even local newspapers were beginning to feature fantasy football draft guides.

1990 gave us some memorable fantasy football performances as well. The following is a list of the cream of the crop. Here is the 1990 NFL All-Fantasy roster.

Quarterback

Randall Cunningham (PHI) - 442.8 points.

Randall Cunningham had one of the all time greatest fantasy seasons at quarterback in 1990.

The Eagles' quarterback had 3,466 passing yards and 30 touchdowns through the air. As if that wasn't enough, Cunningham had 942 rushing yards and five more touchdowns on the ground.

1990 gave us a 30-plus touchdown quarterback with nearly 1,000 rushing yards. Take a moment to wrap your mind around those numbers.

Honorable Mention

Warren Moon (HOU) - 419.1 points, Joe Montana (SF) - 336.0 points

Running Backs

Barry Sanders (DET) - 310.4 points

In only his second season, Barry Sanders became the most valuable running back in the NFL to fantasy football owners. He ran for 1,304 yards and 13 touchdowns. Sanders added a career high 480 receiving yards off of 36 catches, and also had three touchdowns through the air.

Thurman Thomas (BUF) - 309.9 points

Only half a point separated the top two fantasy running backs in 1990.

For the second consecutive season, Thurman Thomas was again the second best back in fantasy football. The Bills' ball carrier had 1,297 rushing yards, 49 catches for 532 yards, and 13 total touchdowns.

Honorable Mention

Earnest Byner (WAS) - 232.3 points, Albert Bentley (IND) - 229.0 points

Wide Receivers

Jerry Rice - (SF) - 328.8 points

Just another year for the G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice was once again the top fantasy wide receiver in 1990. This season, Jerry won the equivalent of the triple crown at his position as he led the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns receiving.

Rice grabbed 100 balls for 1,502 yards and 13 scores.

Andre Rison - (ATL) - 262.8 points

Andre Rison began a four year stretch of Pro Bowl caliber play with the Falcons in 1990. He would be one of the most effective and consistent fantasy options in the game snagging at least 10 TD's in each of those seasons.

In this, his second season, Rison had 82 catches for 1208 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Gary Clark - (WAS) - 234.3 points

Due to the fact that Gary Clark, Art Monk, and Ricky Sanders had to all share looks in the Redskins passing game, none of these receivers had a chance to reach their full fantasy potential in the early '90's.

In 1990, though, Monk and Sanders played less of a role and Gary Clark had an All-Fantasy performance. Clark caught 75 balls for 1,112 yards and finished with eight TD's.

Honorable Mention

Henry Ellard (Rams) - 231.5 points, Ernest Givens (HOU) - 230.4 points.

ROVER

Neal Anderson -RB- (CHI) - 276.2 points

For the second straight season Neal Anderson finds himself as the best available fantasy option beyond the top two running backs and top three receivers. The Bears' back again had impressive rushing and receiving numbers.

In 1990, he had 1,078 yards rushing, 42 catches for 484 receiving yards, and 13 total touchdowns.

KICKER

Nick Lowery (KC) - 145.0 points

In 1990 Nick Lowery hit a career high 91.9% of his attempted field goals. He was 28 of 29 inside of 40 yards, and six of eight from 40 or more. Lowery also knocked in 37 of his 38 extra point tries.

Honorable Mention

Chip Lohmiller (WAS) - 140.0 points.

1990 Fantasy Football MVP - Jerry Rice - (SF) - Wide Receiver

Jerry Rice was head and shoulders above all other receivers in the NFL in 1990. There was a 66-point differential between Rice and the second best fantasy receiver in the league that season. That's more than four points a game better than the closest contender.

This is Rice's second All-Fantasy team honor and first Fantasy MVP.

Other Notables

The Oilers "run-and-shoot" offense produced five solid fantasy players in Warren Moon, Lorenzo White, Haywood Jeffries, Drew Hill, and Ernest Givens. All were among the leaders at their positions.

Albert Bentley had one of the greatest fantasy seasons a fullback could dream of with 229 total points. He had 556 rushing yards, 71 catches for 664 receiving, and six total touchdowns.

A Fantasy Football Review: The 1989 All-Fantasy Team

Jason Turner — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:09:02 -0400

2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the fantasy football league that is most near and dear to my heart. Reflecting over the years brings about a sense of nostalgia, but it also reminds me how much I have forgotten.

Be it time, age, or the endless steam of information that comes and goes, the memory can become clouded. Seemingly unforgettable names, accomplishments, and statistics have made way for more important information such as where did I leave my car keys.

In these fantasy dog days between the Super Bowl and the upcoming NFL draft, I thought I'd take some time to review the last 20 seasons with a series that highlights the top fantasy performers of that span.

Using a modern day PPR system, I will compile stats and figures in an attempt to identify the All Fantasy Team for each season from 1989 to present.

The scoring system rewards one point per reception, one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving, and a point for every 25 yards passing. All touchdowns are six points. For kickers, all field goals are three points, and an extra point is just that.

The roster will consist of a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a kicker, and a rover. A rover can be either a WR or a RB, and will be determined by finding the top scorer remaining after two RB's and three WR's have made the team.

Now that we have the parameters set, I give you...

The 1989 NFL All Fantasy Team

Quarterback

Don Majkowski (GB) - 400.5 points

In his first full season as the Packers' starting quarterback, the "Majik Man" did not disappoint. In what was by far his greatest season, Don Majkowski had 4,318 yards passing to go with 27 touchdowns in the air.

What helped Majkowski to surpass the likes of Jim Everett and Randall Cunningham for the top fantasy spot was the fact that he had another five touchdowns and 358 yards on the ground.

Honorable Mention:

Jim Everett (LA) - 354.9 points, Randall Cunningham (PHI) - 348.1 points.

Running Backs

1. Dalton Hilliard (NO) - 325.6 points

I wouldn't have guessed this one in a million years. Dalton Hilliard was a homegrown Louisiana talent who spent his college years at LSU. Hilliard had an eight year career that was plagued by injuries, but in 1989, he put everything together for a great fantasy run and his only Pro Bowl.

In '89 Hilliard rushed for 1,262 yards to go with 11 touchdowns on the ground. A dual-threat, he had career highs in catches (52), receiving yards (514), and touchdown catches (five).

2. Thurman Thomas (BUF) - 323.3 points

For as much as he and his teammates have been ridiculed throughout the years for not winning the Super Bowl, I'd be willing to bet that Thurman Thomas has won more than his fair share of fantasy championships. I myself can attest to a couple.

For at least eight of his 13 years as an NFL player, Thurman Thomas was a fantasy STUD. Thurman's stretch of fantasy greatness from 1989 to 1994 is simply amazing.

That run began with this season when Thomas had 1,244 yards rushing and 60 catches for 669 yards. He also had a total of 12 touchdowns.

Honorable Mention:

Greg Bell (LA Rams) - 307.7 points, Barry Sanders (DET) - 283.2 points *rookie*

Wide Receivers

1. Jerry Rice (SF) - 335.6 points

Saying Jerry Rice is the greatest of all time has almost become a cliche, but the truth is the truth. This was just another season in what was the greatest career for any wide receiver period.

In 1989, Joe Montana found Rice 82 times for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jerry also added 33 rushing yards that year.

2. Sterling Sharpe (GB) - 306.8 points

Although he truly hit his stride when Favre took the helm in 1992, Sterling Sharpe had established himself as an elite receiver well before that. In a career that was tragically cut short by injury, Sharpe shined bright and burned out fast.

1989 was Sterling's best non-Favre season with 90 catches, 1,423 yards, and 12 touchdowns. It was his first of five Pro Bowl seasons in his seven years in Green Bay.

3. Mark Carrier (TB) - 282.2 points

Mark Carrier was a first round pick of the Yuckaneers in 1987. He played in the NFL for 12 seasons with Tampa, Cleveland, and Carolina. His one and only Pro Bowl came in 1989 when he uncharacteristically caught 86 passes for 1,422 yards and nine touchdowns. A fantasy anomaly, but an All Fantasy performance nonetheless.

Honorable Mention:

Andre Reed (BUF) - 276.3, Anthony Miller (SD) - 262.3

Rover

Neal Anderson RB (CHI) - 310.9 points

Perhaps one of the NFL's most seamless transitions from fullback to halfback occurred when Neal Anderson switched positions to take the place of the great Walter Payton. The pressure of replacing a legend turned Anderson into a diamond.

In his first four seasons carrying the load, Neal Anderson went to four straight Pro Bowls. In 1989 he had his best fantasy performance by gaining 1,275 yards rushing, and scoring 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Anderson also caught 50 balls for another 434 yards receiving.

Kicker

Mike Cofer (SF) - 138 points

There's not much I can say about a kicker. They just kick footballs. Mike Cofer was 29/36 on field goal attempts, and made 51 extra points in the 49ers high scoring offense of 1989.

He enjoyed eight seasons as an NFL kicker. Six of them were spent in San Fransisco. Not a bad gig.

Other notables

RB- John L. Williams played fullback for Seattle, and averaged 14.6 fantasy points per week. He only rushed for 499 yards, but he caught 76 passes for 657 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad for a fullback.

WR- The Washington Redskins had a vicious three headed monster in Art Monk (86 catches), Ricky Sanders (80 catches), and Gary Clark (79 catches) at the receiver position.

To give out an MVP for the most valuable fantasy player of the 1989 season is tough. There was a lot of competition at each position, and no real stand alone performance.

Based on the fact that he had a larger margin between himself and the rest of his position, I'd have to give it to Don Majkowski.

Besides, he was probably drafted late in most leagues, and a good late round steal is what usually puts a fantasy team over the top.

So here you go, Don "Majik Man" Majkowski, wherever you are. Congratulations on a belated fantasy football award. I'm sure your career is now complete.

Don Majkowski: 1989 FANTASY FOOTBALL MVP

That's Why I Say...Hey Man Nice Shot: Plaxico Released By Giants

Jason Turner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:10:49 -0400

I know it's not good to relish in the losses of others, but the NFC East is no place for thin skin. When something bad happens to the Giants, Eagles, or Redskins, that means something good just happened for the Dallas Cowboys.

After four seasons and a Superbowl XLII championship, Plaxico Burress has been released by the New York Giants.

Burress is facing an uphill legal battle involving criminal charges that have stemmed from an incident last November in which the maligned wideout shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan night club.

In his tenure with the Giants, Plax became the team's 12th all time leading receiver with 344 snags. Burress compiled 3,681 receiving yards and caught 33 touchdowns in that span.

The Giants had expressed interest in keeping Burress on the roster pending a ruling in his case. If Burress is found guilty he faces mandatory prison time under New York state law.

This release may fuel speculation that Plaxico will indeed be serving a substantial amount of time in prison very soon.

Burress is due in court on June 8th.

Fom a Cowboy fan's perspective, this is great news. Because, on occassion, Plaxico Burress has killed the the Dallas secondary.

The first game that comes to mind has to be opeing week of the 2007 season. Plax had his way with the Cowboys' defensive backs to the tune of 8 catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns.

At one point, maybe when the Giant's wideout running down the field on his way to a 60-yard touchdown, I began to see the Cowboys season flash before my eyes.

Thankfully the Cowboys rebounded and pulled out the battle 45-35 . Of course Plaxico and the Giants won the ""war" with a win at Texas Stadium in the 2007 NFC Divisional round.

But that week-one barn burner would go down Plaxico's best statistical game against the Cowboys as a Giant. Over his eight games against the 'Boys, Burress recorded 33 grabs for 446 yards and five touchdowns.

The NFC East has now lost two great wide recievers. Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens have moved on. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys and Giants, more notably Romo and Manning, can adjust to the loss of two stellar playmakers.

The number one priority for New York has to involve finding another option for Eli Manning. This move will have a profound impact on the NFC East if the Giants are unable to find a suitable replacement for Plaxico.

Last year the New York finished the season with a record of 12-4. However, the teams record was much better with Burress in the lineup than it was without his services.

With Plaxico in the lineup, the Giants were a nearly unbeatable 8-1. In games without Eli's favorite target, the team was a mediocre 4-3.

I wonder if Torry Holt has checked his cell phone for messages lately?

The Cowboys 1999 Draft: The Beginning Of An Era

Jason Turner — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:14:40 -0400

Time and free agency had taken its toll on the team of the decade, and the Cowboys were desperately clinging to hopes that they could put together one more Superbowl run before closing the book on a Dynasty.

Offensively, the "triplets" were all in their thirties, but were still effective. The line still consisted of pro bowlers Larry Allen and Erik Williams, center Mark Stepnoski, and Flozell Adams who was entering his second season.

The Defense still had some big names of its own. The Cowboys defensive backfield of Deion Sanders, Kevin Smith, Darren Woodson, and George Teague was as good as any in football. Dallas also had solid linebackers in Randall Godfrey and Dexter Coakley.

Although they were aging, The Dallas Cowboys were still just a few pieces away from making a push at one last Superbowl before its core group of players' time had come and gone.

Due to free agent losses such as Alvin Harper and Jay Novachek the team's passing game was in dire need of another receiving threat to go along with Michael Irvin.

Unfortunately, the 1999 draft class wasn't exactly boasting the greatest receiving prospects of all time. The Cowboys held the 18th pick of the first round. Beyond Torry Holt, who ended up going sixth overall to the Rams, there wasn't another wideout that was projected to be able to provide the impact that the Cowboys were looking for.

So to address Troy Aikman's need for another legitimate target, Jerry Jones signed free agent "Rocket" Ismail just prior to the 1999 draft.

Rocket was coming off of a 1,000-plus yard, eight touchdown season with the Carolina Panthers. Still one of the fastest players in the entire league, Ismail would be able to stretch the field and provide a much needed deep threat for the Cowboys' offense.

So far so good.

I'd like to say that this is where the Cowboys went on to draft a ton of young talent that not only contributed to another Superbowl run, but also helped to solidify a foundation for the future. I'd love to go on and on about the diamonds in the rough Jones and Lacewell found.

I'd love to say that sound decisions were made that ensured the Cowboys would not return to a dreaded state of mediocrity. But the simple fact of the matter is that nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

With the 18th pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select...Ebenezer Ekuban?

Another defensive end from UNC, the "Headless Horseman" started only 34 of his possible 80 games that resulted in 12.5 career sacks as a Cowboy. If Dallas had to go defensive end with this pick, Patrick Kerney, Mike Rucker, and Aaron Smith were three future pro bowlers who were still on the board.

With that first round selection in '99 draft the Dallas Cowboys began a run of the most embarrassing, ill advised, and destructive personnel moves that would hurt the team for years to come. In a three year span Jerry Jones, and Director of Scouting Larry Lacewell, pulled off three of the worst drafts in the history of the franchise.

The rest of the '99 Dallas Cowboy draft went like this...

Round 2: Solomon Page

Solomon was and offensive guard from West Virginia who started for parts of three seasons will the Cowboys. He was out of the league in less than four years.

Round 3: Dat Nguyen

The diminutive inside linebacker from Texas A&M was one of the few bright spots during this period. Nguyen eventually became a starter, but was plagued by injuries most of his career. He did manage to start for three entire seasons, and broke 100 tackles each time.

But now it REALLY gets bad...

Round 4: Wane McGarity

A wide receiver out of Texas, McGarity played in 22 of 35 possible games as a Cowboy with a whopping 39 catches and two touchdowns.

Round 6: Martay Jenkins

The Nebraska-Omaha wideout was cut from training camp. He played from 1999 to 2002 with the Arizona Cardinals. We didn't miss out on anything.

Round 7: Mike Lucky

This tight end out of Arizona was a Cowboy for all of three seasons. He had 19 catches and one touchdown in 46 games. And no, he was not a blocking tight end.

Fast forward a year to the 2000 Draft. This draft was doomed before it started. Following the loss of Michael Irvin to a career ending injury, the Cowboys thought it would be wise to give up two first round picks to sign Joey Galloway. A first rounder in 2000 and another in 2001.

Two first rounders were given up for a wide receiver that was basically a carbon copy of Rocket Ismail. Instead of replacing a possession receiver with a possession receiver, Jerry went and got another small burner.

The 2000 draft featured the following Cowboy greats: Dwayne Goodrich, Kareem Larrimore, Michael Wiley, Mario Edwards, and Orantes Grant.

*crickets*

The highlight of the 2001 NFL Draft came when Jerry Jones shocked the football world and picked Quincy Carter out of Georgia rounds before he was projected to be chosen. Yes, I said rounds, not picks.

With eight total picks in the 2001 draft Jones and Lacewell walked away with Willie Blade, Markus Steele, Matt Lehr, Daleroy Stewart, Colston Weatherington, John Nix, and Cha-Ron Dorsey, and the biggest shock of a quarterback that anyone could have imagined.

Three straight years of terrible drafting and personnel decisions had done their damage. The aging stars moved on without any young talent to replace the loss.

It has now been a decade since the draft of 1999. A draft that unfortunately laid the foundation for years of heartache for Cowboy fans. But only recently has the franchise been able to show signs of life again, teaching us all just how important this draft at the end of the month can be.

And this is one of the reasons that draft day is such a big deal in the NFL.

Jay Cutler to the Dallas Cowboys?

Jason Turner — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:05:47 -0400

If it weren't for a botched hold, the question never arises. If it weren't for a playoff loss to the Giants, or a disappointing end to a 2008 season of great expectations, we aren't having this discussion.

Maybe if Tony Romo wasn't dating Jessica Simpson, hadn't taken the trip to Cabo, or didn't seem to shake off a season ending embarrassment at the hands of the Eagles so easily—it's not even an an issue.

But with the controversy in Denver that has ended in the Broncos putting their franchise quarterback on the trading block, many Cowboy fans have found themselves weighing the pros and cons of trading Tony Romo for Jay Cutler.

Although he has been a savior to a Dallas franchise that struggled for nearly a decade to find a permanent replacement for Troy Aikman, Tony Romo is starting to test the patience of many Cowboy faithful.

I've heard from many die hard Cowboy fans that have said that it only makes sense to deal for a younger, less distracted, Jay Cutler. There is a feeling in Cowboy Nation that Tony Romo has gone "Hollywood" and become less focused since signing his six-year, $67.4 million extension just prior to the 2007 season.

I'm not sure if these claims are authentic, or if Romo has merely become one of many scapegoats that have resulted from two straight disappointing seasons. But as a Cowboy fan myself, I had to give this hypothetical deal some thought.

I don't think that there is much doubt that both of these quarterbacks are well qualified and represent the upper echelon of their position.

Romo was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Cowboys in 2004. By the 11th game of his third season he replaced Drew Bledsoe as the franchise's starting signal caller.

Romo has 39 games under his belt with an overall record of 27-12. He's averaged 271 passing yards and just over 2 touchdown passes in that span. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2007 and helped his team to the playoffs both of those seasons.

Tony Romo has a Brett Favre-ish ability to scramble and create plays when there seemingly are none to be made. He doesn't have prototypical size or a cannon arm, but he possesses the intangibles that make him an exciting playmaker.

Jay Cutler took a much different road to becoming an NFL quarterback. Selected 11th overall in the 2006 draft, Cutler was the Broncos starter by Week 12 of his rookie campaign. At 6'3" and 225 pounds, he has the size and arm strength that all General Managers look for in a franchise quarterback.

Cutler started 37 games for the Broncos in two-plus seasons with a win-loss record of 17-20. He had issues keeping up his weight and energy level early in his career due to undiagnosed Type One diabetes. After getting the disease under control, Cutler bounced back with over 4,500 passing yards to go with 25 touchdowns.

Cutler made his first trip to Honolulu in February.

In my opinion, both of these guys are great quarterbacks with impressive careers in front of them. I was skeptical of Romo in the beginning because this undrafted rookie to Pro Bowl scenario seemed to good to be true.

But after some clutch performances and some rewriting of the Cowboys' record book, I am convinced.

I don't think Romo is a choke artist as some have claimed, but I do have issues with his leadership abilities. Jay Cutler had the gumption to call out his star receiver, Brandon Marshall in regards to the wideouts off the field issues.

It seems Romo never showed the same leadership when Terrell Owens started to become a divisive force in the Cowboy locker room.

This is a tough call. The fact that Cutler is three years younger than Romo makes me think twice. And it doesn't hurt that Cutler seems to have enough of a chip on his shoulder that you have to conclude that the guy hates to lose.

When it's all said and done, I have to say that the Cowboys should not consider trading for Jay Cutler. Jerry Jones seems to be of the same opinion, so the odds are astronomical that this trade ever takes place. Jerry has already stated that the Cowboys are not interested in acquiring Cutler.

The Cowboys have the talent to go all the way. This is not the time for making major moves like starting over at the quarterback position. But this hypothetical is worth an argument or two.

Besides, if it weren't for speculation and what if's, what would we do between the Super Bowl and the draft?

Longer NFL Season Means More Running Back-by-Committee Headaches

Jason Turner — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:22:18 -0400

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed that he would like to see the league eliminate two of its preseseason games, and extend the regular season to 17 or 18 games. Although these are only preliminary discussions, there is a possibility that we could see two more regular season games in the not so distant future.

It seems that the NFL owners are on board with this idea because two more regular season games would mean more dollars in their pockets in a time when the sports economy is, as Joe Namath would say, "Strug-gel- ing."

With two more regular season games we get a longer fantasy season, and we get to bid farewell to some meaningless preseason football. Any true football fan has to be excited about the possibility.

More real football in the same amount of time. Instead of two weeks of watching practice squadders go at it while coaches hold their collective breath in hopes that some catastrophic injury doesn't occur, we will have two more weeks of regular season play.

There are a lot of positive things that could come from an extended regular season for fantasy football leagues.

In fact, I believe that I could talk until I was blue in the face, but I would never convince most fantasy owners that this is a bad idea in any way. If you are reading this article, you probably fall under the category of "if this means more fantasy football then it can't be bad."

You're the type that is excited by the fact that the yearly fantasy draft will have to be pushed up a couple of weeks, prematurely ending the dog days of summer. Talking fantasy football over the grill at your Fourth of July party won't be overly fantasy geeky anymore.

And you've already calculated, that at his 2007 pace, Tom Brady would have had 56.25 passing TDs!

Other than merely bringing us more of our beloved football, extending the regular season by a couple weeks will mean some good things for our fantasy leagues that we might have not thought about.

For instance, two more regular season games will help separate the contenders from the pretenders in the standings. Maybe it won't make a substantial difference, but any time a season is lengthened the really good teams will come out in the wash.

Look at it as a chance to catch that team that has used smoke and mirrors to pass you in the standings.

I know that it doesn't completely numb the pain, but a longer regular season makes the words "out 3-4 weeks" sound just a little bit less terrible. More games would give owners a better chance to bounce back from the injury bug.

After all, nothing is more frustrating than drafting the perfect team and missing the playoffs by a game because of an injury to a key component. If you've ever owned Brian Westbrook you know exactly what I am talking about.

Without question, there are some great things that could come from an 18 week NFL regular season for fantasy footballers. But if we break it down a little further, one can find some drawbacks as well.

So what negative could come of this?

Three simple words. Running back-by-committee.

I'm not sure if one is supposed to hyphenate those words, but it is rather symbolic to do so. Three words locked together to do the job that one word should probably be doing. I mean, we need to get some kind of ruling on this.

Do we abbreviate the term? This would also be symbolic. RBC...It has a ring to it. It sounds just like what it happens to be. A terrible disease that has spread throughout fantasy football.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of NFL coaches deploying RBC's it that it makes so much football sense to do so. Keep your stud running back fresh and healthy for a grinding season. I get it. It makes perfect sense for any NFL franchise with enough talent or specialists to get away with it.

As much sense as it makes, RBC is spreading. And it is slowly killing fantasy football as we know it.

There used to be a time when you drafted a runningback and had a very good idea of exactly what you were getting into. Each NFL team seemed to have one fantasy relavent workhorse running back. You might have an explosive third down back or goal line specialist here and there, but the running back landscape was pretty much transparent.

These days, it seems like more of a crap shoot. Will Darren McFadden take the full load away from Justin Fargas? What would Adrian Peterson be like carrying an Emmitt Smith-like load? 12 different NFL teams used some kind of committee approach in the NFL last season.

And if the season gets any longer, I can assure you that more teams will adopt this practice. Besides, this is the copycat league. After all, who didn't run the "Wildcat" formation at some point last year.

I came down with a couple of cases of RBC last year myself. I took McFadden and Fargas and ended up trading both of them. That paid off.

On the other hand, I rode the Deangelo Williams roller coaster for a few weeks before becoming ill, trading him away, and becoming even more ill when he tore up the NFL over the last half of the season. Then and there I vowed to never get exposed to RBC again.

So how is fantasy football forever changed with a longer NFL schedule? For the last 20 years I witnessed running back laced first rounds in every fantasy draft in which I've been involved. That was until last year.

Last year I witnessed seasoned fantasy owners changing their drafting guidelines and going with a wide receivers or quarterbacks in the first couple of rounds.

It seems as if now there are a handful of stud fantasy running backs that get drafted in the top of the first round, and then there are a bunch of time sharing run of the mill backs. RBC had infected our otherwise predictable draft.

This isn't your dad's fantasy league anymore. RBC has pretty much equalized all of the big three positions in fantasy football drafts. With more leagues going to point-per-reception formats, wide receivers are becoming more prevalent in the first round.

Quarterbacks are gaining value simply due to the fact that runningbacks are losing value in timeshare situations.

I myself am torn on the issue. I would love more meaningful games in a season's time, but on the other hand, I completely despise RBC's as they relate to my fantasy team and drafting strategy.

Either way, as fantasy owners it is out of our hands. We will have to wait and see what the league does and adjust accordingly. Many of us have prayed that RBC's will simply go away.

We hope that it is a fad that comes and goes like the run-and-shoot offense. But if the league decides to have more regular season games RBC will become a way of life. And much like the dinosaur, the dodo bird, and hair bands, the stud fantasy running back will be extinct.