Cats lose SEC home opener to Elston Turner..I mean Texas A&M

Not the way Coach Cal and his Wildcats wanted to spend a Saturday.  Ending the week with a 10-5 record and a loss to Elston Turner, I mean Texas A&M.  Turner's 40 points propelled the Aggies to an 83-71 over the Cats at Rupp Arena.  The loss gave Coach Cal his first SEC loss at home since his taking over. The win left UK with 10-5 record overall and a 1-1 record in the SEC while the Aggies are now 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC.  Down with about 10 minutes to go in the second half and the Cats down, Coach Cal was issued a technical, putting the Aggies on the line for two shots.  UK retained possession after the free-throws and were able to capitalize, and start closing the gap.  With the scored tied at 63, guard Fabyon Harris hit a jumper which put the Aggies ahead by 2, and the start of an 11 unanswered point run.  the Cats could not come back from the deficit.  Archie Goodwin led the Cats in scoring and Nerlens Noel led every other category.  Don't worry fans, last time UK had a slow start like this one, the following year they won the championship...just make it through this year first.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all,

From the Benchwarmers

It’s Not Us, It’s You.

THEY be going to the playoffs!

Over the last 10 years, being a Cincinnati Bengals fan hasn’t exactly been easy.  Since 2002, the Bengals have finished above .500 only three times.  All three of those records were good enough to send the Bengals to the playoffs, where they lost all three times in the AFC Wildcard game.  If you really want to paint a picture of the Bengals ineptitude, you’d have to go all the way back to 1990 to find the Cincinnati’s last playoff win.
In fact, since that playoff win, Bengals fans have suffered through 14 losing seasons, compared to only 3 winning seasons.  To go even deeper; since that playoff win in 1990, the Bengals have recorded 124 wins, 218 losses, and 1 tie.  OUCH!  Did we mention that being a Bengals fan has been painful? (As a Chiefs fan, I can sympathize.)
All of this losing was enough for one fan to throw in the towel.  Well, maybe just trade it in for a Terrible Towel instead. Last year,  EBay user emilybrett222 had had enough, and was going to do something about it.  That something was to sell his fan loyalty on Ebay.  Ridiculous, right?  Or maybe not.  It turns out that there was a market for fan loyalty (take note, Cubs fans) and fans of other teams were interested!  Eventually, the winning bid came in at $510.00.  The winning team, and emilybrett222’s new team, was the Pittsburgh Steelers. 
Which brings us to today.  The day after a game that saw the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers.  But not just any victory; a Bengals that win that propelled them into the playoffs AND eliminated the Steelers from playoff contention.  Oh the irony. 
Hey, emilybrett222, maybe it’s you, not the Bengals.  After all, you are a pretty crappy fan. 
Below are screen grabs of the Ebay auction:

Free shipping, you say?  Classy move, emilybrett222.  The big story here though, is 8, I repeat 8! people made bids!

If you can overlook the grammatical errors, you can see that emilybrett222 put quite a lot of time and effort into this add.  Also included, a promise not to spend the bid money on anything other than team gear.

A package deal?!?! Now it all comes together.  Of course someone would bid on a package deal.  And what a great sales pitch, explaining exactly how he watches games.  So cool, dude.

Bills, Lions and Bengals not apply? Well played.  You know who should have bid?  Bills, Lions, and Bengals fans.  Exclusively.  Just so to keep the worst NFL fan in the world cheering for a losing team.

How Did We Do?

Let’s check out how the Benchwarmers’ Studs, Duds and Sleepers faired in week 16.  (Point totals based on standard league scoring format)
Studs
Tom Brady – 14 Points (267 Pass Yards, 2 Pass TDS, 2 INTS)
Peyton Manning – 23 Points (339 Pass Yards, 3 Pass TDs, 1 INT)
Cam Newton – 20 Points (170 Pass Yards, 1 Pass TD, 1 INT, 60 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD)
Adrian Peterson – 8 Points (86 Rush Yards)
Doug Martin – 11 Points (62 Rush Yards, 57 Receiving Yards)
Arian Foster – 0 Points (15 Rush Yards, 14 Receiving Yards, 1 Fumble Lost)
Demaryius Thomas – 16 Points (102 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Andre Johnson – 9 Points (97 Receiving Yards)
Dez Bryant – 34 Points (224 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs)
Jason Witten – 6 Points (Receiving Yards)
Jimmy Graham – 8 Points (88 Receiving Yards)
Duds
Eli Manning –10 Points (150 Pass Yards, 1 Pass TD)
Andy Dalton – 7 Points (278 Pass Yards, 2 INTs)
Ray Rice – 21 Points (107 Rush Yards, 51 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Frank Gore – 2 Points (28 Rush Yards)
Anquan Boldin – 9 Points (93 Receiving Yards)
Wes Welker – 14 Points (88 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Dennis Pitta – 5 Points (56 Receiving Yards)
Jermaine Gresham – 3 Points (38 Receiving Yards)
Sleepers
Nick Foles – 16 Points (345 Pass Yards, 1 Pass TD, 1 INT, 10 Rush Yards)
Sam Bradford – 13 Points (196 Pass Yards, 2 Pass TDs, 1 INT)
Reggie Bush – 26 Points (65 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD, 42 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs)
Matt Forte – 14 Points (88 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD)
Stevan Ridley – 8 Points (84 Rush Yards)
Jeremy Maclin – 17 Points (116 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Justin Blackmon – 13 Points (79 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Reggie Wayne – 14 Points (81 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD)
Jermichael Finley –7 Points (70 Receiving Yards)
Heath Miller – 4 Points (45 Receiving Yards)
Of the 11 Studs, four had exceptional games (15+points), five put up average games (8-14 points), and two disappointed (7 points or less).
Of the 8 Duds, one had an exceptional game, three had average games, and four had disappointing games.
Of the 10 Sleepers, three had exceptional games, five had average games, and three had disappointing performances. 
All in all, the Benchwarmers hit 11 predictions on the head, were in the ballpark with 13 projections, and completely whiffed on six.
And what is the big takeaway from week 16?  The Seahawks are scary good right now, the Titans are embarassing, the Texans and Patriots are extremely vulnerable, and Peyton Manning deserves to be retroactively named last season’s MVP.  Seriously, he’s good.

12 Plays of Christmas: #4

The Benchwarmers are going a tad beyond 2012 to bring you our number 4 play. Almost a year ago to the day, Jerome Simpson scored one of the most acrobatic touchdowns you WILL EVER see. We celebrate week 16 in the NFL by looking back to last years week 16. Sit back and reminisce in the beauty that was this TD.

MKG is a Man-Child

Former UK star, now Charlotte Bobcat, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the youngest player in the NBA. Taken second overall in the draft by the Bobcats, MKG turned just 19 on September 26th. Young, he is; intimidated he is not. Watch this clip of MKG going all grown man on Denver's Kosta Koufos.

Studs, Duds and Sleepers

Week 16 is here, and the end of the NFL regular season is barreling down the tracks.  Hopefully for most of you, your Fantasy Football season is still alive.  Which is why the Benchwarmers are here to provide our amateur advice to make sure your championship hopes don’t let slip through the cracks.  Here are your can’t miss studs, unexpected duds, and the players being overlook for week 15.
QUARTERBACKS
Studs
Tom Brady, Nothing to see here.  All world QB Tom Brady will torch a Jacksonville defense that has absolutely no help from it’s offense.
Peyton Manning, The Cleveland Browns are much improved from last year, but Peyton Manning is as surgical as a QB could be.  Manning will identify mismatches, throw a strike, and then celebrate his success with a few Papa John’s Pizzas. 
Cam Newton, Newton made the list last week, and he delivered.  The Carolina QB will not disappoint this week either; in part because Cam Newton is a gifted athlete playing some good football, the other reason being he faces the Oakland Raiders.
Duds
Eli Manning, Eli has really struggled of late, as have the Ravens’ defense he will face.  If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the Ravens.  They were picked apart by last week, by Eli’s older brother no less, and they have something to prove. 
Andy Dalton, Dalton has quietly put together a good year, ranking him in the top 10 for QB’s this year.  Make not however;  Andy Dalton has been owned by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  I don’t expect that to change this week IN Pittsburgh. 
Sleepers
Nick Foles, The rookie has been up and down since moving into the starting role.  This week he will face a Redskins’ defense that held him to 204 yards and forced two interceptions.  Since then, Foles has vastly improved; the Redskins, not so much.
Sam Bradford, Cautiously, I advise you to start Sam Bradford.  The caution comes in the fact that prior to last week, Bradford had not thrown for 300 yards since week 6 against Miami.  We advise you to start Bradford, however, because last week he found a groove and torched the Minnesota Vikings.  This week, he has a chance to do the same against the Buccaneers and the worst pass defense in the league.
RUNNING BACKS
Studs
Adrian Peterson, All Day has been running like his hair is on fire, and he is within striking distance of Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record.  The Texans will undoubtedly load the box and try to make life miserable for Peterson; but at this point, I’m convinced that AP is a creature from another dimension that simply can not be stopped.
Doug Martin, The Muscle Hampster let us down last week, but we are going to stay strong and keep faith in the rookie.  Last week was a complete meltdown by the Bucs; I don’t anticipate that being the case this week.  The St. Louis Rams tend to struggle against the run, and Tampa Bay is surely seeing red after last week’s embarrassing loss.  Doug Martin, do your thing.
Arian Foster, The Texans are looking to lock up home field advantage for the playoffs, this week, and they will do so by riding their horse.  Arian Foster is averaging 23 carries per game, and he is turning those carries into production; just shy of 17 points per game.  Arian Foster WILL get touches.  Arian Foster WILL produce.
Duds
Ray Rice, The Ravens made news after firing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, in part because he wasn’t utilizing Ray Rice.  Rice’s touches should increase, but don’t’ expect his fantasy numbers to skyrocket.  The Giants are a top 10 run defense, and they will be willing to load up on the run and challenge Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco.
Frank Gore, Frank Gore has had a solid season running the football.  In week 7, he ran for 131 yards against the Seahawks.  This week, San Francisco and Seattle rematch, IN Seattle.  The Seahawks have improved against the run, and they love playing at home.  And Gore won’t score a fluke fumble recovery TD like last week.
Sleepers
Reggie Bush, Bush has disappointed many owners this year.  Aside from his week 2 explosion, he has only scored double digit fantasy points 5 times.  This week Bush faces a Bills’ defense that held him to 3 points in week 11.  This week they play in Miami, and Bush has gradually seen his workload increase.
Matt Forte, Many expected Forte to be a top 5 RB this year.  Injuries and a soft offensive line have hampered that effort.  This week will be a good one for the Bears’ RB.  Chicago has their backs against the wall, and they are facing a Cardinals’ defense that defends the pass pretty well, but struggles against the run.  The Bears’ should lean on Forte early and often.
Stevan Ridley, Last week the Benchwarmers (correctly) told you to bench the New England RB.  This week, make sure he is in the line-up.  The Patriots face the Jaguars; in other words, this could get ugly.  the Patriots will get a lead, and Ridley will get touches as the game winds down. 
WIDE RECEIVERS
Studs
Demaryius Thomas, Peyton Manning spreads the wealth pretty well, but Demaryius is his go to guy.  The favorable matchup against the Browns will give Thomas a chance to bounce back from his 1 point performance last week.
Andre Johnson, Johnson has been a roller coaster for owners as he has had his share of fantasy peaks and valleys.  This week will be a peak.  The Vikings are an average team against the pass.  The Texans want this one badly so they can begin resting their studs for a playoff push.
Dez Bryant, What can we say?  We make mistakes too.  Last week we advised you to bench Bryant, and we blew it.  Not this week!  The Cowboys are rolling, and the Romo-Bryant connection is part of the reason.  Make sure you get Dez into your starting lineup this week when he faces the Saints.
Duds
Anquan Boldin, ESPN projects Boldin for 15 points; don’t buy it.  The Giants still can rush the passer, and last I checked, Joe Flacco is the one throwing passes to Boldin.  The Ravens will lean on Ray Rice and look to stretch the field with Torrey Smith.  Don’t expect Boldin to score more than a handful of points.
Wes Welker, Welker is questionable this week, but still expected to play.  Welker has slowly slid down Brady’s list of favorite targets, however, so don’t expect much either way.  WIth Brandon Lloyd and Aaron Hernandez, Welker is a move the chains guy, not a score a TD guy.
Sleepers
Jeremy Maclin, Nick Foles is improving, and the Eagles are playing one of the worst pass defenses in the Washington Redskins.  Maclin didn’t record a catch in the first meeting with the Redskins, so expect him to play with a chip on his shoulder.
Justin Blackmon, The rookie hasn’t done a lot this season, but since week 11, he’s been getting more looks.  Henne likes Blackmon and his big play ability.  The Jaguars play the Patriots, who surprisingly, have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.  Combined with the likelihood of trailing in the game, there is opportunity for Blackmon.  Start him.
Reggie Wayne, Wayne’s solid season has slowed down of late with the emergence of T.Y. Hilton.  The Colts play the woeful Chiefs this week, though, and he will get back on track with a solid performance.
TIGHT ENDS
Studs
Jason Witten, The Cowboys air attack has been renewed during their current hot streak.  Jason Witten won’t complain, as he is getting plenty of targets.  Look for Witten to get a flurry of passes his way as he finds plenty of holes in the Saints’ secondary.
Jimmy Graham, Yup, Graham is good.  He’s a freak.  And Drew Brees is his QB.  Not really anything else to say here.  Just be sure you have him in your lineup.
Duds
Dennis Pitta, The Giants have been effective defending opposing tight ends this year, and with Joe Flacco doing the QBing for the Ravens, that will continue.  Pitta will get some looks, but there are better options available at TE.
Jermaine Gresham, The Steelers’ defense has been dominant against the Bengals.  It can’t be stressed enough how much Andy Dalton struggles against Pittsburgh.  Gresham will undoubtedly be impacted by this.  Make sure he is warming your bench.
Sleepers
Jermichael Finley, Aaron Rodgers has plenty of weapons out wide, but look for Finley to own the middle today against the Titans.  Tennessee is not very good.  There, I said it.  Aaron Rodgers is really good.  I said that too.  Put those together and it equals opportunity for Finley.  Seize it, Jermichael!
Heath Miller, The Bengals’ D is actually rather formidable, but for whatever reason, TE’s always find room.  Heath Miller and Ben Roethlisberger have a way of being on the same page and they will connect this week.  Miller should put up a nice stat sheet this afternoon.