411 Sports Zone Fact or Fiction 08.04.08: Manny Ramirez, Antonio Margarito, Peyton Manning and More

Posted by Ken Schmidt on 08.04.2008

This week features 7 total questions, one being the anticipated tiebreaker between JT and Dan Schmidt as well as the quarterfinal showdown the Movies Zone is clamoring over. Lealos vs. Martin. Thomlison vs. Schmidt. The Quarterfinals are in full swing!

And another LONG week gives us the second quarterfinal match-up as well as the overtime question of last weeks showdown. First we will get to question 7 between JT and Dan Schmidt and than we get to two new participants.

In the red corner we have a movies zone rookie as well as a man who truly loves to dabble in sports, even professionally, or so I hear. It is Shawn Lealos.

In the blue corner is a movies zone veteran and well known man around the world of 411. He is a resident smart guy when it comes to movies and his 1-0 record in Sports Fact or Fiction proves he is no slouch when it comes to athletics either. It's Ron Martin

Ladies and Gentleman: LET'S GET READY TO RESEARCH.


Tiebreaker

Peyton Manning is the number 2 fantasy quarterback for the 08-09 season

JT: For the record Mr. Owen, I am quite aware of how to play this game. I answered FACT to the Sabathia question, and even ended my answer with "which is why I chose fact on this one."; so I have no idea why my answer was changed to FICTION… judges? …to the question at hand though.

FACT. At least that's a much easier answer to give than Fiction. Look, as long as he has a healthy and productive receiving corps that includes Randy Moss (and a solid line), Tom Brady is probably the be-all-end-all of fantasy football. Hell, last year he even topped LaDanian Tomlinson, who was the previous years overall points leader and someone known for hovering around the top 5 overall the last few years. I bring this up only to show that to me, there is no case to be made against Tom Brady for now. You are the champion until someone knocks you off, so as it stands right now, Tom Brady is #1. Now let's address my #2 QB, Peyton Manning.

First, let's put his surgery to bed; it's the same surgery he had in/coming out of college, and we all saw how that worked out. Because of that, I'm going to assume similar results here and I am putting him on the board as 100% healthy going into the season. He doesn't need work in camp, he doesn't need reps, and he doesn't need snaps in the pre-season (for that matter, when is the last time he even took snaps in the pre-season). He could run the team blindfolded so the surgery – to me – is not a factor in my answer.

I'm not going to give you his stats; you don't need those. We all know he's going to give you 3500/4000 yards and 25/30 TDs, so let's rather take a look at his fantasy football production. Since 2000, Peyton Manning has been a top 3 fantasy quarterback all eight years, coming in 2nd twice, and winning it once in 2006. Granted he came in 3rd five times, but that was earlier in his career, and coming in behind guys like Jeff Garcia, Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon, and Daunte Culpepper. Those guys aren't exactly lighting it up nowadays, and three out of the last five years, he's been a top two guy. Also of note in that time period, Peyton has only sat and/or seen limited action twice in Week 16 (17), meaning Dungy isn't scared to play him even if they are in a good spot playoff wise. That can be crucial depending on how close he is to the guy right in front of or right behind him depending on how he plays that final week.

Next we can look at the weapons around him and see that not much has changed. Harrison and Wayne are one of if not the most consistent and productive two-tandem in the league, and you know Peyton will only benefit from finally having them both back at 100% (let's be honest, Marvin gave his best last year but the injury showed in his play). Anthony Gonzalez emerged as a solid slot guy, and should only do better having a year under his belt, Dallas Clark is still available to catch bullets down the middle, and Peyton isn't scared to dump it off to Addai either (41 catches for almost 400 yards and 3 TDs of fantasy football goodness). Weapons is definitely not a problem, and do we even need to mention he has one of the better offensive lines in the league?

I know Tony Romo had a great year, I know Carson Palmer had an off year, I know Derek Anderson is supposed to be "a future star", I know all that. Whose in a position to say that won't happen all over again and continue to progress? Probably not me, but at the end of the day Peyton Manning has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks of the last decade; I'm not ready to let a solid year and a half from Cowboys QB – or the "potential" of a Bengal or a Brown – force me to not give Peyton the benefit of the doubt. That is why he is without question my #2 fantasy football QB.

Dan Schmidt FACT He'd arguably be #1 if Marvin Harrison wasn't coming off major surgery, and if Manning hadn't had medical issues himself. Tom Brady isn't going to throw 50 TDs again this season, but having Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Ben Watson as options will still put Brady around the 35+ TD mark. The Pats also don't have the effective run game that the Colts do, so I expect Brady to have more pass attempts as well (and ESPN agrees, projecting Brady with 549 attempts, and Manning at 516). Now that we've established #1, lets establish Manning as #2. Despite the quick ascents of young QBs like Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer (yes, he's only 28), and Philip Rivers, Manning and Brady are still a level above the rest. Last season, Manning spent most of the season without his favorite option Marvin Harrison, who made only 20 catches for 247 yards and 1 TD. Yet, Manning was still able to fire for over 4,000 yards and racked up 31 TDs, versus only 14 INTs. Manning's weapons are deadly efficient, including TE Dallas Clark (616 yards, 11 TDs), WR Reggie Wayne (NFL-high 1510 receiving yards, 10 TDs), and RB Joseph Addai (364 rec. yards, 3 rec. TDs). Factor in the maturation of 2nd year man Anthony Gonzalez, who had an impressive rookie campaign with 576 yards, 3 TDs, and a 15.6 YPC average, and Manning should have more than enough targets to produce ridiculous fantasy numbers. If the Colts get anything decent from Marvin Harrison (say, 500-600 yards and 4-5 TDs), Manning should have no problem maintaining the #2 fantasy position, and could challenge Brady for the top spot. The only passers who come close would be Romo, Roethlisberger, Palmer, and maybe Drew Brees, but Romo has to face tough NYG and Philadelphia defenses twice a year, plus games vs. defensely-strong Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. Plus, it doesn't seem like Romo has the focus of Peyton Manning, especially in big games (remember how the Eagles and Giants shut him down rather easily late last season?). Roethlisberger, while his playbook has been opened up recently, still plays in a primarily running-focused offense, with a solid 1-2 punch in Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall. Not to mention the Steelers usually stoic rush defense sprung a leak down the stretch, allowing over 300 rushing yards in two games vs. Jacksonville, plus another 170+ vs. Baltimore's Musa Smith and Cory Ross (that's a lot of time with Roethlisberger on the bench). Carson Palmer is having issues with his #1 target Chad Johnson, and Drew Brees isn't taking anyone by surprise anymore (he also won't throw an NFL record 655 times this season). This is how I'd rank the fantasy QBs: 1.) Brady, 2.) Manning, 3.) Romo, 4..) Palmer, 5.) Roethlisberger, 6.) Brees. Sleeper pick of the year? Go with Donovan McNabb, if he stays healthy, he'll top 3,000 yards and 25 TDs

Scoring

Ken Schmidt This one is tough to score because it really is close. However, three things swayed my decision. First of all we are talking about the right pick for the number two quarterback and one participant here pointed out the consistency of Peyton Manning. Than there is the fact that everyone touched on the same points, the weapons, the O-Line, and the ability to stay healthy, it's all there. Of course I think you both overrated two QBs huge (Derek Anderson and Ben Roethlisberger mentioned as your top QBs, for shame), but I digress. Finally, you both mentioned Harrison who belongs in jail right now but at least this incident proved how hard Philadelphia is cutting down on gun crimes (blah). Either way this boils down to one argument (and a better one than ‘he plays at the end of the season!) and that is consistency. Point goes to JT because like he said, Peyton is there EVERY YEAR.

Dan Owen Urgh, I still feel unsure about the decision I making, but I'm giving the question (and perhaps the match?) to JT. I struggled with this one, and it bolied down to what I thought was the better argument, consistency or schedule comparison. While I've always thought that schedule comparison can be the most useful tool for making the right fantasy draft choices. However, when trying to rank the top fantasy quarterbacks, you really have to look at who has gotten it done year in and year out. But what put JT over in my mind was bringing up that Manning plays at the end of the season. That last game is huge in the playoffs, and having your QB sit can destroy a team. Some may not think Romo will be in a position to sit this year, but history is not on his side with Wade Phillips.

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1. With the addition of Elton Brand, the 76ers will go deep in the playoffs.

Ron Martin FICTION I know what your thinking -- but this is the East! One move can win you the conference. While that may be true, this isn't your big brother's East where there are only one or two teams to contend with. Elton Brand certainly gives Philly a better shot at going deep into the playoffs (by deep I assume second round). Let's look at the facts here, Brand will be 30 by the time the playoffs come around and on top of that, he's coming off a season in which he only played 8 games. Nobody knows how any athlete will come back from an injury like that. Even should he play at his usual all-star level, Philadelphia just doesn't have the team to compete with the likes of Boston, Orlando, Detroit and Cleveland. I would put them on par with Washington, which probably means an early exit at the hands of LeBron. Philly will make the playoffs and gain valuable experience, but they are too young to make a serious run at this point. Give them one more year and maybe one more solid option. Don't be fooled by the fact that the 76ers stole a couple of games from Detroit this year in the playoffs. That has more to do with Detroit's indifference than Philly's talent. Andre Miller and Elton Brand aren't going to be able to carry the team past the curse of all Philadelphia franchises.

Shawn Lealos FICTION I'd like to see if Brand is really 100 percent after missing all but eight games last season. He is a nine-year veteran, who is ready to play for a winning team. He will deliver a nice big man presence to a Philadelphia team that desperately needs it, bringing his average of 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds with him. Compare that to the best players from last year's 76ers team which made the playoffs with a 40-42 record before losing to Detroit 4-2 in the first round. Andre Iguodala (19.9 ppg) and Samuel Dalembert (10.4 rpg) were the respective leaders in those categories, but no one on that team was as well rounded as Brand. Therein lays the problem. Who is he going to be surrounded by? While Brand will be great on this team, he needs someone who can really support him at guard. Andre Miller suffered the worst year of his career last season and while Iggy is really coming along as a solid, well-rounded player, I don't think there is much more. Thaddeus Young is - well, young - and Samuel Dalembert is probably the best he will ever be. I agree with Ron when he says they need at least one more impact player. Boston went from 24-58 with a stud in Paul Pierce to 66-16 and World Champions when they added Kevin Garnett to the mix. Philadelphia now has their version of Kevin Garnett in Brand and it's now time to find their Paul Pierce. They aren't deep enough to compete with Detroit, Boston or Cleveland. They'll make the playoffs, and have a better record, but will still probably lose in the first round.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Man you guys are really selling Andre Miller short as well as the Sixers, but once again that is just the Sports Kids personal feelings. Keeping my personal disdain for both of you aside I will give the point to Lealos for saying that they are truly missing the guard (atleast a guard who can score), or the Paul Pierce of the equation.

Dan Owen I give the point here to Lealos. As nice as the Brand acquisition is, let's see him back in action before we start calling him a the answer to Philadelphia's prayers.


2. Manny Ramirez will not be playing in Boston next season. Answered on Tuesday before the Deadline

Ron Martin FACT It's time for Manny to be Manny somewhere else. Manny is on record saying that he doesn't care where he plays, even if it means going to Iraq. I get the feeling that Terry Francona feels the same way. It seems like this is the time every year when Manny wants out of Boston and the rumors start flying. He isn't going anywhere this year because the BoSox desperately need him in the race to the finish for the AL East. However, next year is a different story. It's a $20 million dollar story. I mean Manny has even gone so far as to criticize the owner -- the man who made him a multi-millionaire. When the owner is fed up with you,that usually means you're own your way through the exit door.

The Red Sox will not take the $20 million option and let Manny give another general manager headaches. It may be a different story if the Red Sox had not won a couple of World Series this decade. But they did, so they have nothing left to prove and should be above hanging on to one really good player in the hopes to build a championship team around him. They are still a team in contention without Manny. They'll still have one of the best bullpens in baseball; they'll still have an owner not afraid to spend money to stay in contention and they'll still have enough of the intangibles it takes to win a World Series. By not signing Manny, it's a win-win. Boston gets rid of an aging player that has long outworn his welcome and Manny hits the free agent market and maybe doubles his salary.

Shawn Lealos FACT I like Manny, but damn if this situation isn't starting to get as old as those Green Bay Packer woes. Every year Brett Favre says he wants to retire and then never does. Every year Manny says he wants out of Boston and the next year he remains. It is like a giant freaking soap opera. Like sands through the hourglass, these are the days of Manny's life. I am somewhat surprised no one seems interested in picking up Manny since Boston seems ready to unload him. Here is why I think Manny should be gone next year. To complete my analogy, Green Bay listened to Favre every freaking year as he made them wait until the last minute to make up his mind. They knew that sooner or later he would be gone. They made the decision to move on now they feel they are ready, instead of him waiting till they had no other option thus screwing them. That is what Boston needs to do. It is time to let Manny go and move on. They need to prepare to do it now. Make the plans to let Manny go at the end of the season, leaving them time to replace him. I don't think they will trade him this week because they are in the playoff hunt, only two games back from the Rays with the hated Yankees creeping into their rear view mirror. I don't believe it is the $20 million option that will keep Boston from holding onto Manny, because he is worth every penny on that field. The final decision about whether to keep Manny or not comes down to the distractions he brings every year at this time. They can withstand it this year because he always delivers in the clutch, and I don't think a team will take the gamble on him right now with those rumors of tendonitis in his knee surfacing. But it is time to end this painful relationship and allow both sides to move on.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Well it looks like this is the year that professional teams grow a backbone. Goodbye Farve and goodbye Manny. Point goes to Martin here because he notices that Boston still has the things it takes to contend for a title (even though they are cold right now) but Manny's salary will get bigger next season and so will his ego.

Dan Owen I'll give the point to Lealos for the comparison to the Favre situation, but really, you guys said just about the same thing. And in the end, you both turned out to be wrong about Manny not being traded.


3. The Yankees will win the AL East.

Ron Martin FACT As much as I hate to admit it, this will happen. Come on, these are the New York Yankees, the most storied franchise in all of sports. As of this writing, they are three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East with 57 games to go. Who doesn't think that the New York Yankees can be three games better than the Tampa Bay Rays in 57 games? The Yankees are 8-2 since the all-star break and are hitting on all cylinders. That's 2 games better than the Rays and 4 games better than the BoSox in that span. When a team like the Yankees gets on a roll, they don't stop. And the Yankees have a secret weapon that neither Boston nor Tampa Bay have -- a winning road record. The Rays end the season with 16 of 23 games on the road including the last eight. How are they going to handle that with both the Sox and the Yankees breathing down their necks? The Yankees are much healthier than they were at the beginning of the season and have made a living out of August passing of Boston in the standings. The Yankees are already 7-4 against Tampa Bay with two series left and 6-6 against the BoSox with two series left. Now that they're healthier and playing better, I don't see why they shouldn't roll over both teams in the last season for Yankee stadium as we know it today. In a three game series with the AL East on the line, are you betting your paycheck on the Yankees or the Rays?

Shawn Lealos FICTION I had my doubts before Jorge Posada went down with a season ending injury. The Yankees have had a number of injuries this season and it just doesn't seem to be their year. Now, I know the Yankees will do everything they can to buy their way into a championship. Let's see what they have been doing:

* They got a great deal with Richie Sexson coming over for "a packet of crisps." He's hitting a less than respectable .219 for the season and, take it from someone who has owned him in fantasy baseball, the guy is an inconsistent headache. His only upside is he's a home run threat. He has 2 home runs since May 25. At least he was cheap.
* They picked up Xavier Nady, who started the season on fire, but has cooled recently (4 homers and 9 RBIs in the month of July), although he has kept his average well north of the 300 mark.
* They have their eyes on Jarrod Washburn, and that might strengthen the Yankees suspect pitching. His losses can be attributed to the horrible Seattle offense, but the 4.50 ERA is a little scary. And that 1.43 WHIP is not that great either. The Yankees don't want to pick up his contract ($14 million), so that trade might not happen. They need him, though, because their two aces are 36 year old Andy Pettite and 39-year old Mike Mussina. They are without Chien-Ming Wang until September and they need solid pitching to compete.

The Yankees are four games back of the surprising Rays and two games back of Boston. I am not sure about Tampa Bay's chances of holding onto the steam they rolled through the first part of the season with, but Boston can never be counted out. Ron mentions a winning road record for the Yankees as being a plus, and I point out that "winning record" is 25-24. If they suffer one more loss it won't be a winning record anymore. The Yankees are now on a four-game losing streak, so that roll Ron predicted seemed to stall at the same time they learned they were losing Posada. They just lost three games in a row to Baltimore and now carry that losing streak into a home stand against the red hot Angels. Following that, they have a ten game road trip to test how good they really are away from home. They also get Boston later in August. September is where the division will be decided as they have six games against Tampa Bay (3 home and 3 away) and finish the season with three games at Boston. If you think the Yankees have a good road record, look at Boston's home record: 37-15.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Well there are a few factors into scoring this question. A: Ron Martin was late sending his responses in so the reason his question is outdated is hit own fault and B: Lealos gave him the backhand by points out the "winning record" is actually not that good, 25-24 isn't playoff bound numbers, let alone the division. Point to Lealos.

Dan Owen Lealos takes a clean sweep of the first set of questions for me. The Yankees are probably going to keep things interesting here, but the loss of Jorge Posada is huge. Yes, they ended up bringing in Pudge Rodriguez, but Posada was a true clubhouse leader for the Yanks, and it will be tough for Pudge to replace that. Plus, I think the Red Sox are just too good to not win it this season.

JT Came Back Last Week, Can Ron Martin; 5-1 Lealos


4. Antonio Margarito will fight Oscar De La Hoya in the near future.

Shawn Lealos FICTION I say false, because you said "near future." The De La Hoya camp is saying their fighter will retire after his next match. If he has one last match, it would be nice if it were against the hottest boxer going right now. But why would De La Hoya fight his last match against someone who will probably beat him? He needs to go out with a big match, but I think his ego wants him to go out on top, as a winner. It is also reported De La Hoya has indicated that he won't fight a fellow Mexican for his farewell ring performance. That eliminates Margarito. Margarito's manager, Sergio Diaz Jr, told the Los Angeles Times he didn't think De La Hoya would end his career against his fighter because De La Hoya wouldn't want to retire hurt. That might light a fire, but I think it is too late. De La Hoya has one final opponent to choose (until he comes out of retirement like every other damn boxer) and that man will be Manny Pacquiao. That fight is said to be in the works and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said the fight would be finalized in less than 10 days. De La Hoya won't fight a match before that one (rumored to be in December), so he won't fight Margarito anytime soon.

Ron Martin FICTION I can not tell a lie, but the "near future" segment of the question is also what pulled me towards the fiction side. I do believe Margarito and De La Hoya's paths will cross, but I don't think it will happen within the next six months, so I can't say 'near future.' De La Hoya is just blowing smoke up the media's underwear when he talks about retirement. The Manny Pacquiao fight is just an easy matchup for Oscar to get on a streak before what he hopes will be a huge payday against Margarito. It's simple really. Talk about retirement, get the people on your side. Let Margarito gain some more steam and the media ponder about a dream matchup. Hype the hell out of it and then count the cash as you walk to the ring. Then retire. Oscar is not the stereotypical dumb brute boxer. He knows how to make money. He'll cash in one last time for the big check before he retires. He'll need it to buy more lingerie.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt This one was easy to score for me, and I agree with Margarito's manager, even if he said it as smack talk, De La Hoya doesn't want to retire hurt. Margarito would kill him. Point to Lealos for this one even though I appreciate that every 411 writer will never let the De Hoya lingerie thing blow over. Gotta love 411.

Dan Owen I like Ron's take on how these events will play out, I think it is very, very possible that that is exactly what will happen, so he takes the question. De La Hoya is the kind of guy who will jump at the opportunity to bring in the big money, and I'd expect he'd do everything he can to raise that big payday


5. The NFL needs to limit the amount of money rookies can get straight out of college.

Shawn Lealos FICTION I am so tired of hearing how we need to babysit the owners to make sure they don't overspend for rookies. There is a salary cap that limits how much you can pay the players on your team. If an idiot owner wants to sign a rookie to a big contract that is their business. Another problem with limiting the money paid to rookies is if they were to cap it, there would be so many more instances of players holding out in their third year because they are not being paid fair market value for their services. Steven Jackson is an example this year of a player who was signed in his rookie year for a fair amount and now that he considers himself an elite running back, he is staying at home until they pay him what he is worth. Is Steven Jackson worth Top 5 running back salaries? No. He can't stay healthy. But there is no reason why they can't be paid what the teams believe they are worth. I don't know how much Adrian Peterson is getting paid, but it isn't enough. To limit the salaries makes sense because the players need to prove they can make it at the NFL level (cough-David Klinger-cough) but a salary cap on rookies isn't fair in the long run. I have enough problems with a league wide salary cap, much less a rookie one.

Ron Martin FACT Of course Lealos is against this. He's still a rookie at 411. He wants to get paid for perceived column hits, not what he's actually produced. Wait, Lealos -- you get paid? The mistake made by Shawn is that he thinks this is the owner's doing. There's a little organization that you never mentioned that might have a little something more to do with it than you think. It's called the player's union. The player's union rejects the notion of a rookie salary even though the player can breeze through college playing against sub-NFL quality opponents in a simple system and get paid more than a ten-year veteran before he ever puts on a team jersey. I'm okay with a player holding out in year three because he's outplayed his contract. Is anyone against Devin Hester wanting more than $400,000.00 for what he's contributed to the Bears? No. Another problem is that the current rookies demand more than the previous rookies. For example, in 1999 #1 pick Tim Couch got a contract on par with 1998's #1 pick, Peyton Manning. Couch actually got a bigger signing bonus. Do you think Cleveland thought Couch was going to be better than Manning? Probably not, but they had to pay them more because that's what the current system dictates. As much as it hurts my insides to admit it, the NBA got it right with salaries tiered to experience and loyalty to the current team. Just as a side note, you're saying Stephen Jackson who has had solid all-star seasons all three years he has been a starter is injury prone and not as valuable as a guy who had one good rookie season in the era of one shot running backs and has missed an eighth of his career to injury thus far? Okay.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Just like Lealos owned the last question this question was dominated by Ron Martin who gave the bitch slap right back to the 411 rook. The amount of money rookies is being paid is forcing the veterans to demand more money, and it is ruining the NFL. It feels like every player is holding out these days and I can't stand it.

Dan Owen Ron takes the point again. As much as I hate having to limit pay to players, the veterans of the league deserve to have this money, not unproven rookies who are no sure thing.


6. Terry Glenn will not play in the NFL again.

Shawn Lealos FICTION Terry Glenn will play again in the NFL, and I would not be surprised to see him back in a Dallas Cowboy uniform this season. The only reason he is not on the field right now is because he did not want to sign the waiver that would cost him millions in case of another knee injury. Neither Sam Hurd nor Miles Austin are proven starters and while I love Patrick Crayton, he has not proven to be any more reliable as a health risk or consistent when on the field. Last season Crayton set career highs with 50 catches for 697 yards and 7 touchdowns. The year before, in the same position, Glenn had 70 catches for 1047 yards and 6 touchdowns. Before his injury, Glenn had posted back-to-back thousand yard seasons for the Cowboys. Glenn just turned 34 last week, and I don't want to hear talk about him being too old because Terrell Owens is a year older and still considered in his prime. He is nowhere near the level of Owens, but Joey Galloway turns 37 this year and when Dallas got rid of him, people questioned whether he had anything left in the tank. He is now a very solid option at Tampa Bay and Glenn can be the same kind of player. I can name a number of teams that could benefit from Terry Glenn. Baltimore would be a great spot for him, opposite Derek Mason. I can see Bill Parcells bringing him into Miami to help bring along Ted Ginn, Jr. Someone will take a chance on him and pick him up this season.

Ron Martin FICTION Terry Glenn is one of those players that is not an every year Pro Bowler, but is solid every year and can step it up and actually win you a game or two in a season. That is, of course, assuming he's healthy. However, he could be that piece that puts a team over the edge to make the jump to the next level. He could be the guy that Javon Walker wasn't last season in Denver. Parcells will probably make a run at him as he is one of Parcell's boys. The Bears could use more receiver help as could any number of teams. Wide receiver is one of the hardest positions to adapt to. They say it usually takes about three good years. You got a rookie or second year reciever who needs to grow a bit? Glenn would be an excellent stop gap measure until the player is ready to take the next step. If he does get injured, he'll make a fine mentor. I very seriously doubt he'll end up with the Cowboys. They don't need him. Crayton will be fine replacing him and Romo loves Witten. They have enough receiving options. Glenn still has some stuff left in the tank and in a league that craves NFL experience, I'd eat a bug if someone didn't pick him up.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt I am torn once again because I know who I think should win the point but I hate rewarding someone who said they love Patrick Crayton. Either way the fact of the matter is Glenn will most likely be a Cowboy after they get over this waiver stuff. Glenn is an elite receiver right now who has NOT passed his prime like Lealos said. I see him coming back as a play maker, not a mentor.

Dan Owen And just as Lealos did in the first set, Ron sweeps the second set here by taking down this question. Some team is going to take a chance on him, and even if he does get hurt he can bring value to a team in the form of mentoring the young guys.


Final Score And in another tight match-up Shawn Lealos wins a 7-5 in another great quarterfinal matchup. It's been great so far and that one was a true war.

First Round	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	FINALS
May 18 James Thomlison vs. Porfirio Diaz	July 20 James Thomlison vs. Dan Schmidt	August 17 James Thomlison vs. Shawn Lealos	August 31 ??? vs. ???
May 25 Dan Schmidt vs. B.L. Anderson
June 1 Geoff Keller vs. Shawn Lealos	July 27 Shawn Lealos vs. Ron Martin
June 8 Ron Martin vs. Jared Marcus
June 15 Sean Garmer vs. Bayani Domingo	August 3 Sean Garmer vs. Sat	August 24 ??? vs. ???
June 22 Jerrome Cusson vs. Sat
June 29 Randy Isbelle vs. Jake Chambers	August 10 Randy Isbelle vs. Larry Csonka
July 6 Blake Lovell vs. Larry Csonka

Join us again next week when we move into the third quarterfinal match-up with two well known figures in the 411 sports world.