Indiana Pacers Danny Granger Breaks Out

• Author: Lane Droubbs
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Dec 12,2009

The Indiana Pacers season did not live up their standards in 08′-09′ winning only 36 games. This is not how most remember the Pacers, but the Miller days are over.

The Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger had a breakout season, and put himself on the map as one of the best players in the NBA. Few people realize this, as the Indiana Pacers are a below average team that gets little coverage.

The 26 year old Granger made serious waves during his 4th season in the NBA. Always known to be a player with tremendous upside, Granger flirted with this potential during his first few seasons in the league. The 2008-2009 season, however, was a different story altogether.

The Pacers have a young team with a good upside. The defense was their death blow last season giving up more points then they could score. More emphasis needs to be put on defense; we know the team can score.

Guard T.J. Ford had one of his best seasons to date with scoring 15 points per game and 5 assists. If the Pacers ever expect to compete in the same division as the Cleveland Cavaliers, their defense must improve and improve fast.

The Pacers did draft former college player of the year Tyler Hansbrough – what impact he will have in his rookie year in unknown. What Hansbrough lacks in skill he makes up for it in hustle.

The last time the Pacers finished with a record above .500 was in the 04′-05′ season – Pacers fans would hope to avoid another sub .500 season for the fifth straight year.

Their draft this year looks like it could potentially solve this problem, but not right off the bat. Tyler Hansbrough has proven that he can play defense, but that’s at the NCAA level. It will take time to develop into a star in the NBA, but he’s got the potential.

For more on the Pacers, check out the Indiana Pacers forums at RootZoo Sports. Be sure to play their free nba trivia with over 60,000 questions.

The San Diego Chargers Fall Short to the Ravens

• Author: Jeffrey Fishman
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Nov 21,2009

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the San Diego Chargers entering this new year of football. I’ve heard about Super Bowls in addition to the fact that they’re obvious NFC West favorites. After all, the Chiefs and Raiders have been consistently weak in recent years, not to mention the fact that the Broncos are a shell of what they were last year.

The Chargers have perhaps the easiest division to win, the AFC West – with the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos there are no serious threats at all to challenge for the division title. Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance will be a disappointment for the franchise.

Philip Rivers – a contender for the MVP award this season in the minds of many – Darren Sproles a stud in the making, and more should propel a highly effective offensive team to a great place this season. Although LT is on the wrong side of 30 now, if he can stay healthy, he’s still got potential for a dangerous year.

The defense hasn’t lived up to their potential just yet though. Things could turn around and in order for the Chargers to have a big year, it must happen soon.

Whatever the reasons are that the Chargers haven’t won the Super Bowl, they could be the classic underachievers. But 09′ should prove to be a make or break year for head coach Norv Turner.

Turner’s career record is under .500 and if he can’t lead the Chargers to a strong playoff run with the talent the Chargers have, he might be looking at the wanted ads at the end of the season.

Still, the obvious flaw in this Chargers team seems to be its defense. Can the team clean up its defensive unit from here? It may need to.

I do believe their offense is powerful, but not enough to make up for the weak defense. For this team to compete and live up to their expectations, the defense needs to improve immediately.

Come join the fun at RootZoo Sports and discuss the latest Chargers news on their Chargers forums. Make sure to check out the latest sports polls as well.

Coach Singletary’s Early Impact for the San Francisco 49ers

• Author: Dan Saganik
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Nov 12,2009

The San Francisco 49ers are a young team with lots of upside. Head coach Mike Singletary and his “I want winners” mentality seems to be working.

The 49ers gave the Minnesota Vikings all they could take – it took a Favre miracle pass for the Vikings to win. RB Frank Gore has the potential for another 1,600 yard season and QB Shaun Hill is getting better by the game.

The defense is led by Patrick Willis; the 49ers defense has held its competition to just 26 total points in each of the team’s first two games. He has enough help around him to make it very difficult for teams to get in the end zone.

The 49ers have a good chance to win the NFC West because they are so well coached and overall – the NFC West is rather weak. Whether it’s a weak division or not, the 49ers should compete for the division crown which will get them in the playoffs.

QB Shaun Hill won’t dazzle you with eye popping statistics but he won’t make many mistakes either. Hill is completing over 60% of his throws and has a good QB rating.

RB Frank Gore is one of the best running backs in the NFL. Gores’ best season was in 06′ when Gore started every game, ran for over 1.600 yards and scored 8 touchdowns.

Coach Singletary was a great defensive player in his day for the Chicago Bears or “Monsters of the Midway”. If he can instill the knowledge to his defense and create and terrifying defense that resembles the great Chicago Bears defenses of the’80s – the 49ers will be a contender for years.

The 49ers may not have to worry about the teams in their own division, they will have to worry about the likes of the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and other potential NFC contenders.

Check out the most active sports forum online at RootZoo Sports. Be sure to discuss the latest 49ers news on their San Francisco 49ers forum.

Who’s the Best Fantasy Basketball Player?

• Author: Tracy Miller
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Nov 9,2009

Are you excited for a new year of basketball? I know I am, and I’d like to talk about the fantasy element of it. Leagues are in full effect right now, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. This discussion will focus on who to draft at number one, as many people seem to be of differing mindsets this year. No one should complain, as every possibility is phenomenal.

There are great players to choose from, there’s no doubt about that. However, I see how it can be a difficult decision, and I’d like to help you out a bit. Let’s take a look at the potential contenders at number one this year.

First and foremost, many owners are taking Chris Paul with their first picks. Paul is an elite fantasy stud, and the best point guard in the sport. He’s also been the number one ranked fantasy player for two straight seasons.

People love Paul’s exceptional stats, especially when it comes to his assists and his defense. There’s truly no one better in either area, and these stats will surely anchor a team in the assists and steals departments.

You might appreciate the versatility of LeBron James though. Having a forward who gets you 7+ assists per game is a rare thing, and it gives you a lot of flexibility at the guard position.

LeBron can also score points as well as anyone in the league, and even shoots a number of threes. This is generally hard to get from someone at the forward position, especially considering the fact that he blocks shots too.

Others may argue that LeBron’s free throw percentage is a bit low and his turnovers too high, both of which could hurt fantasy teams. Therefore, they prefer the similar stats of Kobe Bryant. While his rebounds and assists are a bit lower, everything else is nearly the same.

Some may even choose to go with a sleeper pick like Kevin Durant or Danny Granger, both fine options as well. Ultimately, the decision is yours and it all depends on the stat categories you’re going after and who appeals to you. As they say, go with your gut.

About the author: This author blogs about many more topics, including Kate Spade boots and the Kate Spade laptop bag.

No Surprise McNabb’s Out Hurt for the Philadelphia Eagles

• Author: James Margolis
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Nov 7,2009

Donovan McNabb is the face of the Philadelphia Eagles. The storied veteran is now in his 30s, but he’s nearly as effective as he’s ever been. With Brett Favre still playing, it shows that even on the wrong side of 30, QBs can still be effective.

The team’s week one trouncing of the Carolina Panthers showcased this, as McNabb lit up the field and beat the Panthers by a score of 38-10.

The Eagles have been one of the most successful NFL franchises in the last decade and consistently make the playoffs. With McNabb’s injury Kevin Kolb has been excellent in both of his starts throwing over 300 yards in each game.

Unfortunately, McNabb suffered an injury during the course of the game. Such has been the case on many occasions in recent years, as McNabb is often criticized for being prone to injury. While most injuries usually involve his knees, this time McNabb’s ribs took their toll, as he cracked a rib during the game against the Panthers.

The Eagles have a good running game with Brain Westbrook and LeSean McCoy with average receivers. The Eagles never had a really number one receiver since Terrell Owens, that didn’t end well as we all know.

New Orleans won easily by a score of 48-22. The Eagles are now 1-1 in a very competitive division, where every win will matter.

The Eagles are contenders to win the NFC East and possibly the NFC conference. Many believe Michael Vick will not be a major factor in the success in the Eagles – who will be is McNabb and how healthy he can stay during the course of the season.

Kevin Kolb has performed very well in McNabb absence – throwing for 300 yards in two of his starts, for a back up QB that is almost unheard of. Kolb would be taken by many teams as a starting QB if the Eagles were willing to part with him – that isn’t likely to happen.

For more Eagles talk, head on over to the Philadelphia Eagles forums and chat on the best NFL forum online, all at RootZoo Sports.