Gray Area Matters

AFC South & Mad Men (I need YOU)

2012-11-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

Cecil Shorts quietly turning heads

Wherever and however you are view this today thank you for making the Gray Area Matters part of your Sunday. Let’s hit the AFC South quickly and then we will get to the new Mad Men team on yahoo sports. From now on I will stream the AFC South’s top tier which basically includes Arian Foster, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and my man crush Andrew Luck. Ok the last part was a joke but man is he good. If I liken myself to Colin Cowherd than Luck is my Brady, those who watch or listen to The Herd know about Colin’s man crush.

Quick Outs Start/Sit:

Sit- Chris Johnson- if you can the Bears rank number 1 against the run. Only expect flex scoring of 7 points.
Start- Cecil Shorts- If he is on the wire, why don’t you have him? Mike Thomas is gone. Blackmon never showed up. And Robinson is coming back. All signs point to this guy getting the rock. Playing Detroit 7^th against the pass 16^th against the run but they haven’t looked as well as the ranks suggest.
Sit-Brown/Ballard- A timeshare and Miami plays good defense ranked 2^nd against the run (Take that Hard Knocks hatters), but 25^th against the pass ( L ). Upside is on Ballard if you have to play one of them.
Start-Rashad Jennings- Lions are 16^th against the run and Gabbert will dump the ball to Jennings on passing downs. Makes him a solid flex play this week.

Sees Endzone Ballard: (himself)" I'm going airborne"

On to team Mad Men, you can view my team from my boss page.

I’ll note this week’s additions:

Isaac Redman- Gets the start this week and I needed a #2 RB option.
Cecil Shorts- Snagged this gem for the flex play shoring up the spot.
Dwayne Allen- Vernon Davis is on the bye and Coby Fleener will be out a few weeks. Allen was second to Wayne in targets last week and I like the match up against the Dolphins.
Denver Defense- Playing the Bengals, I like the upside for the Broncos.
Justin Tucker Baltimore Kicker- At Cleveland and I am counting the Browns play hard making the Ravens kick field goals.

Can Redman snap the losing streak? (of Mad Men)

The team is 2-6, but the good news is four teams are 3-5 making a playoff spot possible. Also four other teams are 4-4 which means if Mad Men can get rolling we can climb quickly. I will leave you with this note on a possible trade I am proposing it will also be on the polls at PigSkin Boss.

Percy Harvin for Fred Jackson and Eric Decker or Miles Austin

Thank you for making this part of your Sunday! You can always hear more from me on twitter @IntoTheGray. Visit the PigSkin Boss Facebook page and like us. I hope all of you win this week, unless you are playing me.

No AFC South Quick Outs

2012-10-28T09:59:00.002-07:00

New backup Harper is the vulture for the Titans

Wherever and however you are reading this thank you making this part of your Sunday People interested in my quick outs it will be postponed this week due to a new league I joined. I apologize this was just happened hours ago when I normally write the quick outs for AFC South. It will return next week. I will post the new team to so you can see the progress. The team is 2-5 and in last place. I am going to try and turn this disaster of a team around. I will be using PigSkinBoss advice to help. Keep you posted. I didn't want to leave you hanging entirely. Here are some quick thoughts for this week for plug and play.

Titans: Jamie Harper- vulture's td's if you need a flex, he could give you easy points.

Colts: Colby Fleener- Titans 31st rank pass defense.

Texans: We know who to play here.

Jaguars: Rashad Jennings- MJD Down, keep Jennings because this injury will linger.

More advice follow me @IntoTheGray and get to our poll section on PigSkinBoss. Good luck this week and thank you for making us part of your day!

AFC South Quick Outs Week 7

2012-10-21T08:55:00.002-07:00

Peyton, who? JK

Wherever and however you are reading this on your football Sunday, thank you for making it part of your day. Great match ups this week for the AFC South Fantasy Locks going against teams with pitiful defenses. I am still high on Andrew Luck, and why not? Great match up, great mind and just a great guy think a man crush is coming out. Anyway we may see the reemergence of CJ2K in Buffalo according to @jwyattsports winds are high so the run game will be crucial. The California sun might be what MJD’s offense needs to find the end zone and remind us why he is considered a top ten fantasy running back.

For last minute line up questions visit PigSkinBoss.com or shot it to me on twitter @intothegray. Thank you for making this part of your day and good luck this week in fantasy!

3 Fantasy Locks:

Arian Foster- Always, Always a must start. Facing 28^th run defense Baltimore without Ray Lewis.

Reggie Wayne- Believe it folks this guy is a solid WR start him if you got him, facing Cleveland’s stellar 31^st Pass defense.

Chris Johnson- Holy Shnikes! I put him here. Great match up this weekend against Buffalo with its terrifying 32^nd ranked run defense.

No Locker, no probelm give KW the ball.

3 Quick Gets for Bye-Weeks

Kendall Wright- Underrated and catching passes, he is facing the 23^rd ranked pass defense.

Andrew Luck- 31^st pass defense this week and he makes good decision’s roll with him id he is on the wire.

Coby Fleener- Mentioned 3 times now the Browns 31^st best pass defense him or Dwayne Allen could snag a TD pass.

3 Fantasy Mentions

Kenny Britt- Does not look like himself, but managed a TD catch and is a red zone target. Risk/Reward play- if you need a flex or WR2 roll with him with caution. Facing the Bills 23^rd ranked Pass Defense

Andre Johnson- 2 touchdowns in 6 games. Ouch! Only one +100 game week one, you still have to play him…? If you have a more consistent option move him to flex. Facing 25^th ranked Pass Defense w/o Ray Lewis and top CB Lardarius Webb.

MJD= Not Done Yet (Somehow)

Maurice Jones-Drew- I love this guy, but he is a RB2 call it like it is. The Jaguars are a bad team with project QB. Playing on the Road in Oakland with the 11^th ranked run defense and 19^th Pass Defense. An OK match up on paper but a long trip…play him with RB2 expectations.

Quick Outs AFC South Week 6

2012-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Wherever and however you are reading this today thank you for making this part of your day. Football Sunday again and that means I have your AFC South quick outs. Reggie Wayne went off last week! I guess a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. I am pretty much over Kenny Britt as a WR1 or WR2 I suggest only using him as flex. New this week is the bye week spot starts where I try to find you a gem to fill in for the regular starters. Disclaimer only drop someone if you are willing to lose them to an opponent. If you drafted well it should be easy to drop one of your sleepers who didn't pan out i.e. Titus Young for me this year. Otherwise being willing to lose a player on the gamble.

Go to PigSkinBoss.com for all more fantasy advice and find me other there as well. Hit me on twitter for your last minute questions @IntoTheGray. Thank you for making the Gray Area Matters part of your football Sunday. Enjoy!

The Man of Fantasy Running Backs for 2012

3 Fantasy Muffs

Andre Johnson- Injury slowing him and a potent run game, might what to look else where.
Kenny Britt*- Had a TD but the guy has to start playing to his ability.
Ben Tate- Only one good game so far, but if you have Foster you need him on the bench.

3 Fantasy Locks

Luck is a rising star.

Andrew Luck- This guy is for real. With bye weeks in play he is a great fill in or even a match up play.
Arian Foster- unless he gets hurt he will never leave the Locks.
Reggie Wayne- Luck’s guy and had 211yards last week.

3 Fantasy Bye Week Spot Starts

Kevin Walters- Tied Andre Johnson last week for targets could be a flex option in deep formats.
Matt Hasselbeck*- The 37-year-old played good on Thursday night.
T.Y. Hilton- Proving to be a solid TE in FF

The Old Vet still has gas left in the tank.

* Played Thursday

AFC Quick Outs After Week 4

2012-10-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is the site and yes I had to google how to take a mac screen shot.

Good morning fantasy football faithful! Wherever and however you are reading this today thank you for making the Gray Area Matters part of your day. I can not stress enough for you to go to pigskinboss.com for more advice from me. Get on their make a poll question or even write a post about your fantasy concerns. I am always there for you to get the best info from me and my fellow Boss writers. You can always hit me on twitter @IntoTheGray for your last minute updates.

Without further delay here are the AFC South Quick Outs. I am focusing on this for the PigSkinBoss website if you have specific questions get them to me. If I don't know right then I will find out. Have a great fantasy week and I hope you all win. Unless you are playing me...

Thank you for taking the time to visit today.

Proving to still be Elite

3 Fantasy Muffs

Andre Johnson- Still a must start, but showing some wear on the tires.
Matt Hasselbeck- in a relief effort he made fans call for Rusty Smith
MJD- Price you pay for being the only weapon.

3 Fantasy Locks

Chuck Pagano- Thoughts and prayers to his family in his battle with Cancer
Arian Foster- unless he gets hurt he will never leave the Locks.
Reggie Wayne- Luck’s guy and he gets a lot of looks.

3 Fantasy Look-Outs

Chris Johnson- Over 100yrds rushing! Do it again CJ against the Vikings.
Nate Washington- proving to be the top target for Titans QB’s
Owen Daniels- Proving to be a solid TE in FF

Garbage Time CJ64 or Big Time CJ2K

3 Fade Aways

Kenny Britt- He is the Hakeem Nicks of the Titans. He gets hurt getting out of bed.
CJ64 -Chris Johnson on two spots but is still in the doghouse until we see consistency.
Jake Locker- According to news here in Nashville it’s a good possibility the Titans will shut him down for the season.

AFC South Fantasy Quick Outs

2012-09-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

Locker looks to carry over success.

3 Fantasy Muffs

Kenny Britt- Still a must start, was not able to get much against Jacksonville.
Justin Blackmon-What happened to the guy from Oklahoma State? He hasn’t been what most expected.
Titans RB’s- No run game and they play the Texans this week.

3 Fantasy Locks

Arian Foster- No Kidding even with the knee he played like the #1 FF Back that he is.
MJD- Is he back? He came out strong in week 3, look for the same against the Bengals.
Matt Schaub- So many weapons, all he needs to do is not turn the ball over

3 Fantasy Look-Out

Ben Tate- Expect to see more action against a weak Titans defense.

MJD is still a top RB and not a Chris Johnson.

Nate Washington- proving to be the top target for Locker.
Jake Locker- Offense ran through him and he proved he could handle the workload.

3 Fade Aways

Owen Daniels- Not putting up great numbers but not all is fault with a great run game.
CJ64 -Chris Johnson averaging a prolific 1.4ypc and a grand total of 45 yards.
Jared Cook- Gets nicked up a little too much but has shown some big play potential.

Thank you for checking out the weekly AFC South fantasy quick outs. You can also find more of your fantasy information from our site PigSkinBoss.com You can also reach me on Facebook or @IntoTheGray on twitter. Feel free to comment and ask questions! Thank you for making the Gray Area Matters part of your day!

AFC South Update Week 2

2012-09-23T09:33:00.004-07:00

Britt Looking to make an impact

3 Fantasy Muffs

Andre Johnson- Still a must start, was not able to get much against Jacksonville.
Jake Locker- What happened to the guy from last season that avoided the bad decisions?
WR in Jax- This team is still BAD

3 Fantasy Locks

Arian Foster- No Kidding even with the knee he played like the #1 FF Back that he is
Reggie Wayne- Proving to be an elite WR, number one target for Luck.
Matt Schaub- So many weapons, all he needs to do is not turn the ball over

3 Fantasy Look-Outs

Brown making a case for the fantasy world

Andrew Luck- Great week 2(even though it was the Vikings) might be a sign of things to come.
Kenny Britt- Expect to see the player we saw last year moving forward.
Donald Brown- Good start so far this season; Jax can stop the pass not so well on the run.

3 Fade Aways

MJD- Last year he seemed to lose a step. Would like to see him have a good game before taking him out of a fade away.
CJ64 -Chris Johnson questioning his team, not leading by example, this guy is going down fast.
Any AFC South TE outside of Owen Daniels

Thank you for making the Gray Area Matters part of your football Sunday. This will be a weekly addition to the blog. If you would like to see more from the fantasy football please visit PigSkin Boss. I write there as well under Christopher Gray. Make sure to follow me on twitter at a new handle @IntoTheGray. Good luck this weekend!

Fantasy Football Now!

2012-07-30T20:09:00.001-07:00

Wherever and however you are viewing this today thank you for making this part of your day. Fantasy Football is HERE! And we are talking drafting that needed quarterback number two. I wanted to analyze two guys with similar stats, but with different potential for your fantasy team. And how do you play fantasy football? Just ask coach Herm Edwards “Hello!? You play to win the game.” So let’s roll!

Flacco vs. Dalton

When it comes to quarterback’s in fantasy football there are a few strategies to when exactly you should draft one. In any draft when your pick comes up you have to ask three questions. One who is the best player available? Does he fit my draft strategy? Is he better than my targeted player? Be sure that whatever strategy you make stick to it on draft day, but be flexible. Here is the scenario you have decided to follow a draft strategy of taking three running backs in the first four rounds of the draft. Next you would select a wide receiver before a QB unless someone named Brees, Brady, or Rodgers dropped in your lap in round three. Just to be clear the plan is to select running backs in the first and second round. Let’s fast forward to the 11th round, note with this plan you would draft two quarterbacks and play the best match up, time for QB2. On the board you see Andy Dalton of the Bengals and Joe Flacco of the Ravens. To most the untrained this would seem easy. Flacco is in the playoffs, he has that great defense, he has a great running back in Ray Rice, and he has a deep threat in Tory Smith. To the trained eye Dalton vs. Flacco warrants a closer comparison. We need to analyze the situation for each player on their respective team. First cancel out the defenses because the Bengals have also been solid. Next take a look at the running back position, the Bengals have a committee approach which means the offense relies more on Dalton then with Flacco who shares the load with star Ray Rice. When you look to the wide outs ask who is better A.J. Green or Tory Smith. I give the advantage to Green mostly due to his size (6ft 4” Green/6ft 1” Smith) both players have speed, however Smith was prone to dropping the ball last season. Lastly, so no one thinks I forgot, making the playoffs year to year can be bad for fantasy owners. The Bengals historically have to fight their way in which means Dalton plays week 16 and 17. While Flacco may rest for the playoffs leaving the guy who drafted him high in dry during the fantasy playoffs.

Lastly look at the numbers of the two quarterbacks. Dalton 3,398 yards, 20TD/13INT, rushing 37ATT/152yrds 1TD, and a 58% completion percentage as a rookie. Flacco 3,610 yards 20TD/12INT, rushing 39ATT/88yrds 1TD, and a 57% completion percentage in his 5^th year. My point is this Dalton in year one is as good as Flacco in year five. While Flacco has been consistent over the years in Fantasy it’s about making the best choice to win the championship. In that case you roll with the upside which is more in favor of Andy Dalton.

Others may disagree taking a young QB over a veteran like Flacco, but not me. Dalton will only get better while I see Flacco staying the same year to year. While he won’t kill your team, Flacco isn’t going to win you the week either. I see Dalton as the superior quarterback out of the two and a guy with more potential going in to the 2012 NFL season. Thank you for making this part of your day. If you have questions or comments please feel free to email me at chrisgrayarea@gmail.com and if that isn’t enough you can follow on twitter @IntoTheGray.

-Gray Out!

Kings will Rise.

2012-05-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Mike Richards is far from Philly but closer to a Cup.

Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making this part of your day. The Los Angeles Kings move on in five games over the Phoenix Coyotes, I had them in four, no surprise here. My Nashville Predators really blew the series vs. the Coyotes. The predators would have at least taken the series to six making the Kings chances better to win the Cup.

I never personally like when a team has too many days off. Hockey, Baseball, and Basketball are sports where the team does better playing more often. The players get into a routine, which keeps them from getting distracted by added time off. While benefits from the time off, like healing injuries and rest, can be good. For teams in the playoffs I prefer momentum. The Kings have rolled with little resistance this post season only losing two games (12wins/14games). Over in the Eastern conference you have a series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers that looks to go to six games at a minimum. A long series can benefit either of these teams in the Stanley Cup finals. A team pulling off a win in game seven often comes into game one of the next series with a lot of swagger. My vote for the Finals match up would be a Kings vs. Rangers series. Either way this L.A. team is special. I have compared them to the NFL’s New York Giants. The Giants went on a tremendous playoff run, much like the Kings are now, to claim their second title in five years. Both the Giants and the Kings won on the road.

Kings of the Road- L.A. has won 8 of 8 road playoff games

This team can play in any area and come out with the W. No matter who the opponent is from the East I have made my pick. The Los Angles Kings will be the next Stanley Cup Champions.

For more updates from me you can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea. Or if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or complaints feel free to email me at chrisgrayarea@gmail.com

NFL Drafting vs College Recruiting

2012-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

Les Miles one of the nations best recruiters

Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Area Matters Part of your day. I want to talk today about the difference between college recruiting and drafting players for the NFL. What surprises me most about college recruitment is the credit (or lack thereof) given to the coaches. With the NFL draft, roughly 95% or more players come from the 120 FBS (division one) teams. Out of those, the NFL scouts and teams pick 7 players, and they end up with around 250 players total selected by the end. Most teams are concerned with players from round one to five actually becoming starters. But, in college, it’s a whole other story! You have 24 scholarships, and you are expected to make sure they all are legitimate players who will start at some point. A team can get away with a few players who stay on as back-ups, but for the most part, you sign a player to the school because a coach believes he will be a starter.

Belichick is known relies more on veteran
free agents than on drafted players.

My point is that college recruiting is much, much harder than selecting players for the draft. There are thousands of high schools across the country, and a potential college football player can come from just about anywhere. Not to mention, you are competing with those aforementioned other 119 teams just in the FBS! Add on top of that dealing with teenagers who struggle with decisions as we all did. Also, a staggering number of commits never reach full potential because of lack of effort or of talent. Face it, sometimes players are only good in high school, much like some players are only good in college.

The difference in my mind is that in college if you have a poor recruiting year you can set your team back an entire season. In the NFL, it is very difficult for any team to completely miss in the draft. The information the NFL receives is much more accurate and reliable than what the college world is working with. The margin for error in the NFL may appear to be smaller but a team only adds seven players to its 53 man roster. While in college you add 24 players for a 72 man roster. That means each year a college team adds and loses about a third of its roster year to year.

Tommy Tubberville one of the best at getting the best
out of his players.

The bottom line is that putting together a great recruiting class takes an all-around commitment from every one on a coaching staff. With many high school players trying to make it the next level, it takes tremendous effort to find the right ones for a team. I tip my hat to the coaches for that are able to do it year to year and build a solid program. While the NFL may be the top level of the coaching world to some people, the best coaches in football just might be at the college level. As always thank you for making this blog part of your day if you want to hear more from me you can always follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea and don’t forget to check out the Facebook page for the latest updates!

Bounty Shots

2012-03-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you making the Gray Area Matters part of your day. This “Bounty” ordeal is getting way, way out of hand. By now most of you have heard about the Saints former defensive coordinator (now with the Rams) Gregg Williams placing bounties on star players. This broke on Friday and was an official NFL report. This is a huge deal because the year the Saints one the Super Bowl they knocked Kurt Warner (Cardinals) and Brett Favre (Vikings) out of the game. It is my opinion that any person with experience playing team sports wants to win. No one wants to permanently injure another player. However, knock them out of a game? Yes. You play harder when you are going against the best. Every person elevates their game when the stakes are at their highest. As I often quote, Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game.”

If that means you hit the best player a little harder, so be it. You want to slow them down any way you can. Those who say this is poor sportsmanship are the ones who crumble when the game is on the line. As a hockey player, I know people are going to take shots at me because I am good player, so I prepare for it. You prepare mentally and physically all week for your next opponent. Brett Favre doesn’t have a problem with it because he knows that is how the game is played. You don’t think every top player expect to get everyone’s best shot? They do. Example: my man, Sidney Crosby, comes back from almost a year off the ice and David Krejci goes right at him and nails him. This tested Sidney, and in this case, he was injured unfortunately. Ok, maybe that was a bad example.

The point is that top players are going to be hit harder and tested more because they are the best. It is never going to stop. Let me be clear I am not for placing a “bounty” as in cash for knocking a player out. Incentives like sacks, touchdowns, goals, homeruns, etc. are acceptable. Basically, I am ok with top players being pressed harder because it comes with the territory. If you have got a problem with it, run to a lesser league, for example Russia, like some NHL players (Radulov) or retire (Kurt Warner).

My final thought for this whole “Bounty” shot idea is this. Trusts that 99% of all players do not want to hit someone and cause a long-term injury. Money being passed for knocking players out of games is bad; no one will deny that. The professional leagues will monitor and take precautions to ensure player safety is the best it can be. Trust that the leagues and players will do the right thing with these sorts of situations. As always, thank you for making this blog of your day. Please be sure to follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea and like the Chris Gray Area on Facebook.

Super Bowl XLVI The Return of Giants vs Patriots

2012-02-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

Wherever and however you are viewing this today, thank you for making this a part of your busy day. The Super Bowl is upon us! The New York Giants will take on the New England Patriots in Indianapolis. Unless you have been living under a rock you have seen the headlines. Most of the speculation surrounds star tight end Rob Gronkowski’s and how he will be able to play with a high ankle sprain. Another major headline: will Eli Manning now be considered better than brother Peyton if he wins a second ring? I want to cut all of this speculation out and just look at this game as we would normally.

Eli Manning- Setting his sites on getting
out of Peyton's shadow.

Let’s pretend this is not the Super Bowl, but a game with teams coming off bye weeks at the same time. Both teams had two weeks to prepare for this game. Also, factor in that they played earlier and the Giants won. Then include the way each team played their last game. Both teams played solid defensive games that ensured a win. What this says is that the game will be close and will be determined late in the game. I would guess it will come down to turnovers and who has the ball last.

Sure fire locks to this game: Both Eli and Brady are great on final drives with the game on the line. While New York’s pass rush has been great, they do not play well against two tight end sets, which New England will be playing a lot. New England does not have a great defense, but they play within their ability and are well-coached. The defenses are even. Special Teams are about even with a slight edge to New York because of kicker Tynes who has big game experience. It all comes down to two players...

Brady vs. Manning

The winner will be determined on the shoulders of both quarterbacks. This has been Eli’s best season, and Tom Brady has been his regular, terrific self. This game is on them. Whoever plays better will win the game. From that perspective, I pick Brady. (My mom just died a little from that pick) I want Eli to win. Personally, even being from Tennessee, I have always favored Eli to Peyton because he is the underdog. This win would bring him out of Peyton’s shadow for good, but I can’t pick him over Brady. Brady has overcome just as much as Eli.

Tom Brady- There is a reason every time
we list top QB's he is in the top 3.

I am basing my decision of what team will win on three BIG things. One, I will take Brady over Eli. Two, the Giants won earlier and how hard is it to win twice against a great coached team? (Ask LSU) And three I will take the better head coach Bill Billichick (NE) over Tom Coughlin (NY). Sorry Mom, please don’t hate me! I am taking the Patriots 23-20 over the Giants.

Thank you for making this part of your day! Please like The Gray Area on facebook! All emails can be sent to chrisgrayarea@gmail.com and follow me on twitter for all your sports updates @ChrisGrayArea.

One foot, Bad Thumb, No Problem for Ben!

2011-12-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your busy day. Ben Roethlisberger may just be the toughest NFL player in the game. In the second quarter, Ben was knocked out of the game when a defensive lineman landed on his ankle. The high ankle sprain injury keeps most professional athletes sidelined for three to four weeks, but not “Big Ben.” Already playing with a fractured thumb, Ben once again led the Steelers to victory.

This guy is old school. Ben is a throwback player to the early days of football when the only way you got out of the game is if a broken bone was through the skin. Looking at his injuries over his career would lead most to believe he was a motocross rider or a daredevil. With all the Tebow talk lately about his desire to win, people should be directing their attention to Roethlisberger. No one knows just how long he can keep this up, but I would imagine he won’t quit until he is forced to or physically cannot. Not many quarterbacks connect with their city more than Ben. Pittsburgh is known for being tough town and the Steelers embody the blue collar mentality of their city. Brad Kiesel said it best: “When Ben is hurt it just seems to work out well for us.” It’s because he is always fighting some injury late in the season when the playoff race is in a full sprint.

Coaches and analysts say “attitude reflects leadership.” No one can deny that tough attitude reverberates through Steelers entire team. One thing is for certain. Every time an opponent lines up against Ben, he will do whatever it takes to win. The Steelers’ next challenge is against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. With a few extra days to recover, you can bet #7 will be ready come game time.

Thank you for making this blog part of your day. If you want hear more from me you can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea. Don't forget to like our Facebook page The Chris Gray Area as well as check out chrisgrayarea.com.

In Tebow Denver Trusts.

2011-11-22T20:56:00.000-08:00

Wherever and however you are viewing this today, thank you for making this blog part of your day. Tebowing is a term that has been brought up in the media and twitter trends the last few weeks. What is Tebowing? By definition it is to get down on one knee and pray, even if everyone else around you is doing something else. Tebowmania has swept across the nation since starting quarterback Kyle Orton was replaced by Tim Tebow just a few weeks ago in San Diego. Tebow just might be the most polarizing quarterback in the NFL next to Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles. The main difference is that Vick is hated for dog fighting while Tebow is disliked for his strong faith in Christianity. Or is he hated for being an unconventional quarterback? Maybe he is just too good of a person? Whatever the reason, there is a clear division of those who support Tebow and those who want to see him fail.

Tebow strong in faith and character

In college, he was one the greatest players ever to play the game capturing two national championships, a Heisman trophy, and dominating the best conference in college football. Tim is now in the NFL trying to continue his success with more pressure than he ever faced at Florida. He has a coaching staff who did not draft him. No legitimate play makers to aid him in winning games. Yet, Tebow is now 4-1 as a starting quarterback this season. He has the support of his teammates, most notably star corner back Champ Bailey. Bailey has spoken out several times to the media expressing how special Tebow is to the team. The big question is can Tebow win a Super Bowl?

2008 National Championship

Yes, he can. With the commitment from the Broncos organization, Tebow can win. In order to win, they have to build a team that fits his style of play. A good example is the Eagles with Michael Vick, who is surrounded by extremely fast and versatile players. The Eagles use Vick’s ability to run and pass to the full advantage of the team. Philly will use their screen passing game to set up for the running attack. Vick can attack the line of scrimmage like he is going to run only to flip the ball to running back LeSean McCoy. Coach Andy Reid makes it simple: get the ball to your best players. Denver needs to draft fast receivers who can stretch the field vertically and a versatile back to run inside to wear the defense out. By drafting those types of players, it will give Tebow the best opportunity to be successful.

Fox must commit to Tebow's play style

With Tebow, the coaching staff knows they are going to get the hardest working player in the NFL. He wants to get better at passing the ball. He is willing to do whatever it takes to win games. Tebow is exactly what everyone wants in a quarterback as a leader and as a role model. He just needs time to develop into a better passer. He may never be a John Elway throwing the football, but Tebow could win like him. Most people want to see Tim succeed in the NFL and prove all the naysayers wrong. Only time will truly tell if he will be given the opportunity to bring a championship back to Denver. Whatever side you are on, it is most definitely Tebow Time!

Thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your day. Please like our page on Facebook at the Chris Gray Area! You can always email me at chrisgrayarea.com and follow me on twitter for the latest sports updates @chrisgrayarea. Have a wonderful rest of your day!

A Deeper Scandal in State College!

2011-11-10T00:59:00.000-08:00

Wherever and however you are viewing this thank you, for making the Gray Matters part of your life today. This Penn State scandal is absolutely horrendous. I have a connection to the University having family members who graduated from there. The first college I ever rooted for was the Penn State Nittany Lions. Now folks, I am not a reporter. I am a blogger who wants to work as a sports caster doing radio and television. I think I offer a different viewpoint on things while relating it to some who may not particularly care about a sport or understand. Being that I have limited sources, this story is for ESPN or some power that can look into this much more.

Paterno with Meyer after Outback Bowl

I have a source who tells me two things that stink to high heaven. The first part is that the big time donors of PSU were required to have the donations in by November 1^st. In previous years, the donors would send money in around tax time. The Grand Jury Report was released on November 5^th conveniently after the University received its big money donations.

The second part has to do with Joe Paterno’s firing being planned. According to an Alumni member, Urban Meyer has or is going to purchase I house outside State College, Pa. This was rumored a long time ago because Meyer’s daughter considered playing volleyball at PSU. The question to ask is, "Does this clear the way for Urban Meyer to become the new football coach." This appears to be a setup by University Alumni for the past few years to get JoePa out and Urban in.

This story is not to create a rumor mill. Instead it is so that news sources that have more power than the Gray Matters can sniff out what is true. I have no doubt that the truth will come out sooner than later. My heart goes out to every one of the victims and to the students of Penn State. I fully support Penn State University not the leadership responsible for cover up of Sandusky. Nor is there any support if the release of this information was just to use JoePa as a scapegoat while forcing him out of Penn State. Yes, Paterno should have done more. He is the face of Penn State, which means he should have carried this through to the punishment of Sandusky. I am deeply upset about this entire situation. We all want the truth behind why this was covered up.

Thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your day. You can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea or email me at chrisgrayarea@gmail.com. Your comments are always welcome on any story. Let us all pray to whomever we pray too for the well-being of the victims of this terrible tragedy. To those who feel the way I feel, I leave you with one last line. WE ARE PENN STATE!

Chris Gray has died.

2011-11-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

A memorial service will be held aboard the Millennium Falcon, from 9 to 12 a.m., on November 10^th for Christopher Gray, age 87. Gray died this week from light saber decapitation. A member of the Jedi Council for 20 years, Gray was in negotiations with the Empire for Galactic peace. He is survived by his wife Hope Solo-Gray and three children. He was originally from east Tennessee and recently moved back to the Nashville Area from Los Angles. Following the service his casket will be jettisoned into the Sun.

Another reason to love America. Hope Solo

Of course this is a joke! Welcome to the newest blog the Gray Matters. This will be for my class on digital media writing at Middle Tennessee State University. Please look around and read what has been posted. Thank you!

Predators News! New Deal for Rinne, what about Weber!?

2011-11-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

Pekka Rinne Nashville Predators

Wherever and however you are viewing this today, thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your busy day. There is big news in “Music City” on the hockey front. The Nashville Predators have signed star goaltender Pekka Rinne to a seven year, $49 million contract. This signing comes as no surprise given Rinne’s performance the past few seasons. The impact of this contract now raises the question of whether or not defenseman ,Shea Weber ,will be re-signed.

Shea Weber Nashville Predators

Mentioned on a past article “Predators Hang Fire”, the possibility of Weber being on the team past this year was pretty low. The Predators organization made it clear, through arbitration, that Shea was not going to be paid $7.5 million per year long term . Will Rinne's contract offend Weber? Is there really a difference between $7 and $7.5 million? This probably means Shea Weber will be traded or become a free agent at the end of the season.

Ryan Suter

Now organization should concentrate on signing defensive star Ryan Suter. His contract should be under $7million a year. Then trade Shea Weber as soon as possible to receive maximum value for the star defenseman. Weber should warrant an equally talented offensive forward.

In the long run the team will benefit more from trading a higher valued Weber while keeping undervalued Ryan Suter in a long-term deal. The best example of a similar trade was last year between Dallas and Pittsburgh. The trade sent forward JamesNeal to Pittsburgh for defenseman Alex Golligoski. Neal now has nine goals and two assists for a team in need of a star winger. Anytime you can trade a top defenseman for a top forward take it if you’re deep on defensive players like Nashville.

Who will be on Rinne's team next season?

Only time will tell what direction the team will go. The right trade could finally give opposing teams a reason to fear the Predators offensively.

As always, thanks for reading. You can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea. Don’t forget to like this page on Facebook, The Chris Gray Area, where you can also find the original blog site chrisgrayarea.com.

The S"Cam"del Newton Story

2011-05-02T22:55:00.001-07:00

Where ever and whatever way you are reading this today, thanks for making The Gray Area part of your busy day. I promised to write about Cam Newton and I wanted to wait. I waited to see what ESPN would have to say four days after the draft. I got to hear Cam attempt to defend himself on Mike and Mike in the morning. And well I got what I thought would happen, they retracted most of criticism. Please note this was much to my disappointment. Not everyone just one big name in particular, which was Todd McShay. I am all for being unbiased but once you have chosen a stance defend it honorably. McShay did for the most part, but he seemed to back off about Cam Newton being a big risk. Folks he is a huge risk for the Carolina Panthers, we are talking JaMarcus Russell sized.

Cam and his father Cecil Newton

Someone please tell what is the difference between him and Tim Tebow? I really don’t see one. I will bet that had Tim Tebow came out after his Heisman year he would have went number one overall. So why did Cam go higher than Tebow? The answer is hype. He was horrible with Jon Gruden when he was on QB camp. And frankly how do you honestly say Herm Edwards “don’t concern yourself with off the field issues”? He is the quarterback of a team. The leader, the one everyone is looking to for leadership. If you cannot count on him to stay out of trouble what does that say for the rest of the team? As Colin Cowherd once said of Vince Young “your quarterback is essentially the face of a billion dollar company”. I was extremely disappointed with Carolina Panthers for selecting him number one overall. At Florida he was caught with a stolen laptop which they knew about. The NFL and NCAA know his father tried to sell him to Mississippi State for $180,000. In three to five years his Heisman and Auburn's national title will be revoked by the NCAA with no consequences to Cam Newton.

NFL Commissioner Roger Godell with Cam Newton

Right now Newton is the worst QB in his division and I will go as far to say he will be 5 years from now. He will never be better than Drew Brees or Matt Ryan and Josh Freeman is a rising star. Congratulations to the Carolina Panthers organization you just set yourself back 5 years much like the Titans did when they selected Vince Young. Mark my words he will not make it in the NFL and if he does I will admit I was wrong. Most people forgave Michael Vick because he served his time and fought his way back into the light. Cam Newton was smiling on draft day not because it was his dream like Von Miller, who was actually crying. It was simply because he slipped through the cracks of punishment and will now be paid as the number one draft pick.

Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks

This article indirectly supports the NHL who punishes there players on and off the ice. When Patrick Kane got in trouble two years ago he was fined and heavily scrutinized for his offense. He kept his mouth shut and won a Stanley Cup taking his punishment like a man. The NBA and NFL baby their players for whatever reason, which frankly makes me sick. The NHL band a player for life because of repeated vicious hits on other players. He was a highly scouted player but the league got rid of him anyway. Why? Because there are always more stars. So why can’t the two most popular sports punish the ones who violate the rules. I want to see changes, but they will probably be minimal. Money talks, the NFL will do whatever it takes to keep making that money even if that means sacrificing some of the integrity of the game.

As always you can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea.com, you can email chrisgrayarea@gmail.com and you can like us on facebook by searching The Chris Gray Area. Thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your day.

-Gray Out.

Draft Hits

2011-05-01T14:26:00.001-07:00

Where ever and how ever you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Area part of your busy day. It is official the NFL Draft is over. It has came and went leaving us hoping for games in the Fall. This was by far the least interesting draft leading up to round one in recent memory. We knew going into this draft it was mostly defensive deep with little depth at the scoring positions in the top rounds. I am not going to bore you with my thoughts on all the picks, but I am going to key in on a few. The first pick being Cam Newton selected at number 1 which is the main part of another story.

The second one that came to my attention is the selection of Julio Jones WR from Alabama. This was without a doubt the worst pick and trade of the first round, in my opinion. The Falcons traded 4 potential starters in draft picks for one receiver who can’t catch a simple flat route 5 yards from the quarterback. I have no idea how the general manger sold this to Falcons owner Arthur Blank. The Falcons swapped 2011 first round picks with the Cleveland Browns who then also receive 2011 2^nd and 4^th round picks. That is 3 potential starters for one already and we aren’t done yet. They also get 2012 1st round and a 4th round picks as well, add another two starters to that list as well. Bottom line no player is worth that many players and for those still in the dark on how I came up with the number of starters I will explain. Any good franchise will get starters nine times out of ten in the first four rounds of the draft. After that your chances of making the team diminish due to free agents and roster space. I hope it works for Atlanta because I like this team, but I just don’t see how you can give up so much for such a high risk player.

The other pick I will touch on is Jake Locker at number 8 to the Tennessee Titans. I love this pick! The question that comes to mind, does anyone remember where he was projected last year? The answer is number 1 overall. That being said yes he regressed a little on a subpar team in Washington. However this is a perfect fit for Tennessee with the way there offense has struggled. He brings great mobility and throws accurately on the run, which he will be doing a lot of. He also brings things to the table that no other Quarterback has had since Steve McNair. Those qualities are toughness, leadership, and a strong work ethic. I will even argue he has the potential to be better then McNair due to the fact he came from a bigger conference and played against more NFL caliber talent. I only slightly dislike this pick because it was a reach. But when you draft you have to take the best player for your system and Locker was by far the better selection between him and Blaine Gabbert.

My last pick to point out is Nick Fairley to the Detroit Lions at number 13. I was greatly relieved when the Titans passed on him at number 8. I think Fairley is a little too much like Albert Haynesworth, which the team needs high character, high motor players which they got throughout the draft. Why is this good for the Lions? Two names Jim Schwartz and Nadmukong Suh. Schwartz does a great job getting the most out of all his players and he at one time couched the troubled Haynesworth at Tennessee. Suh will be playing side by side with Fairley, which I expect will spark some competition between the two both on and off the field. Suh is a strong character player with a great work ethic, the Lions are banking it will rub on Fairley. Anytime you can select a top 8 player at 13 you are usually happy to take a chance. Great pick for the Lions! Watch out for great things from this D-Line for the next several years.

I still stay with my position that this draft was pretty boring outside of the teams going QB crazy after Locker was selected. Christian Ponder went much earlier at 12^th overall then his mock draft experts had him going. This draft was hamstringed by the lockout that is going on. No trades for current players were allowed that could have landed teams with new veteran players or more draft picks. All in all, the League and the players let the fans down. No one not even a guy who wants to make this a living cares to hear why they are fighting. We all just want the powers that be to lock themselves in a room somewhere and not some out until a deal is done. More to come on my Cam Newton story shortly, and as always Thanks for making this part of your day!

2011-03-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome to The Gray Area! Where ever in the world you maybe thanks for making this part of your day.

As some of you may or may not know, I drafted my first fantasy baseball team yesterday afternoon. As promised, I will reveal those picks now to you. Then I will discuss my expectations and strategy going in to the draft. I will say this upfront: I am very happy with my team and with any luck will finish with a little trophy on myESPN fantasy login at year’s end. So with no further waiting, here we go! I was drafting 12^th out of twelve teams so I had a lot of waiting time.

1.) Joey Votto- 1B

2.) Tim Lincecum- Starting Pitcher

3.) Dan Uggla-2B

4.) Shin-Soo Choo-OF

5.) Michael Young-3B

6.) Mat Latos-SP

7.) Shane Victorino-OF

8.) Matt Cain-SP

9.) Brett Gardner-OF

10.) Shaun Marcum-SP

11.) John Danks-SP

12.) Brandon Morrow-SP

13.) Ian Desmond-SS

14.) Johnny Cueto-SP

15.) Miguel Montero-C

16.) Domonic Brown-OF

17.) Jamie Garcia-SP

18.) Danny Espinosa-2B/SS

19.) Ryan Raburn-OF

20.) Garret Jones-1B/3B

21.) Coco Crisp-Utility

22.) Daniel Bard-Relief Pitcher (Bench)

23.) Pat Burrell-Utility

24.) Brian Fuentes-RP(Bench)

As I mentioned before, I am so happy with this team. Near the end, I began using ESPN insider recommendations which lead me to fill some holes it analyzed. For instance, I was a little low on steals so it recommended Coco Crisp late in the draft for a Utility player, so I grabbed him. A Utility player is mainly a veteran who hits on the Designated Hitter spot. To me, it’s like you get to play an extra player if your other starting spots are full.

So, what was my strategy? The one thing I will always remember from my first ever fantasy draft I will share with you now. I was in the Navy on board the USS Kitty Hawk with a bunch of guys. I assumed I knew more about football than them. I struggled through the entire draft because I did zero research or any planning. I then panicked when it was my turn just sticking to the positional order I thought I should draft, such as RD1- QB , RD2-RB, etc. What happened was that I picked a lot of players to high and did not get the best value for my pick. Long story short, at the end of it I talked to a friend ,who I considered the only one who was smarter than me, Sebourn, and told him I how poorly I drafted. That’s when he told me the following: “You have to take the best player available.” Planning is the key. You obviously don’t want to draft two players of the same position back to back, but in my baseball draft, you will see what I mean. You make a plan and you follow it closely, it’s like a guideline in case you have a panic moment. You also must mock draft several times before the real thing because it gives you a sense of what most people are thinking. For example, in all the mock drafts I did, Shane Victorino was going much earlier than projected in my research was showing, so I made sure to move him up on draft day behind some pitchers I wanted that would still be there.

What I did was I used an “experts” mock draft from my position as a guide line. It gave me all of my starters in the order that I preset on ESPN’s draft board. This showed me position and who to draft for my team per round. Then I simply looked at who was best available and considered drafting my pre-selection or passing for someone more highly projected. Another thing I did was to write down on a piece of paper the positional pre-draft order, which I then updated for real time to know what I needed next. I will show you an example of what I mean, and keep in mind that since I am selecting 12^th, they are selected in pairs. I have the last pick in all odd rounds and the first pick in all even rounds (for example, in round 1, I had twelfth pick, and in round 2, I had first pick).

Pre-Draft Actual

In/Out fielder IF-Joey Votto

Pitcher SP-Lincecum

In Field IF-Uggla

**Note I am jumping down to show you where I adjusted**

IF/OF IF-Michael Young

IF/OF Pitcher- Mat Latos

SP (Cain) OF- Victorino

SP (Marcum) SP-Matt Cain

*Note again that I did get Marcum*

The end result was I think a very solid team. I was ecstatic when Joey Votto dropped to me at 12^th when all my mock drafts had me selecting David Wright of the Mets, which we all know, if you anchor your team with a New York Mets player, you are doomed from the start. Just kidding Mets fans! Also, I had decided that because of my draft position, I would draft a top pitcher with my first two picks. Big Time Timmy Jim (Tim Lincecum) was the result. Don’t worry people, I will not bore you with a round by round mention of my selection, but I am going to hit on some nice players I got at the right time. Most of these are late picks which some owners get a little lazy with. I drafted John Danks on my team (ESPN insider pick) who is a solid #3 starter according to research, and I am asking him to be #5.

I want to mention another three good ones. First was hopeful Rookie of the Year Danny Espinosa (2B/SS). On my “experts” mock, he was drafted about round 14. I got him later at 18. The next I was really happy to snag was Ryan Raburn late in the draft as my last outfielder. He has a lot of potential, and I have already received trade talks for him. I want to last mention Ian Desmond (SS). My pre-select had me drafting Danny Espinosa to that spot luckily for me he fell to a later round 13^th/14^th .Where I would have drafted Espinosa, but I took a higher player plus I got my guy.

Last thing before I go: I really tried to stay away from injury risk players, which I am happy to report I only drafted at the tail end. Injuries to your top players can kill your team so why draft injury prone players high? I never do it. Playing sports is hard enough on the body for those players who manage to avoid injury; therefore, I stick with them. I will mention a common mistake new fantasy players make. That leads me to my final point for everyone wanting to get into fantasy sports. Never ever draft emotionally. It will kill your team. The long time Cleveland Indians fan who drafts all Indians will finish at the bottom of the league I guarantee it. I really wanted to draft Johnny Damon. I love that guy however I went with ESPN by drafting Coco Crisp because he provided better value.

As always, if you want to hear more from me, you can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea or on youtube at chrisgrayarea. I always appreciate your comments on any media front. Be on the lookout for updates on my team as well as NHL playoff previews.

I want to make a plug in here for a friend’s blog, it’s fantastic. “What’s Stocky Eating” is a great blog mainly because I am a huge food guy. Please check it out! The food reminds me of when I was overseas and his descriptions are terrific. The website is whatstockyeating.blogspot.com that’s it for me.

- Gray out!

What about the Gray Matters?

2011-03-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome! Where ever you are in the world today, thanks for making this part of your busy day! The Gray Matters is a project for my, Chris Gray, media writing class at Middle Tennessee State University. My blog will be mostly about Tennessee area sports teams. However as a sports enthusiast and avid ESPN radio listener national stories will also be written. My writing style is very unique and honest about all sports teams. I was born a fan of all things Pittsburgh , but I have adopted the Tennessee teams as they have come into existence. The Pittsburgh ties make me a harsh critique at times, fans expect their teams to win a championships. I represent the fans who want to hear the honest chances of that happening. Please feel free to comment on my posts and I'll be sure to respond. You can also follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea. Once again thank you and Welcome to The Gray Matters!