BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Big Ben's Top 5 Players To Watch

1.) Roy Williams, Safety, Oklahoma: He's in the mold of a Ronnie Lott. He can stuff the run and get the big interception for you.

2.) DeShaun Foster, RB, UCLA: If he can stay healthy, Foster is the best running back in this draft. He has moves that remind you of Barry Sanders. He would be perfect for the Cleveland Browns or Houston Texans.

3.) Donte Stallworth, WR, Tennessee: He averaged 21.3 yards per catch last season. Stallworth has all the makings of a Pro Bowl receiver at the NFL level. He's got all the tools. Call him Randy Moss without the attitude.

4.) Jeremy Shockey, TE, Miami (Fla.): He's the next Tony Gonzalez. Cornerbacks are too small to cover him and he can run past most linebackers. He's got star written all over him.

5.) Ed Reed, DB, Miami (Fla.): This guy has great football instincts. He's always in the right place at the right time. Reed finished his college career with 21 interceptions, both a Big East and a Miami record. permalink

Big Ben's NFL Draft Preview 2002

The key thing for me when watching the NFL draft is to think about what each team needs. Lets begin the big draft preview by looking at each team and what they should draft. Keep in mind that many NFL teams are run by complete idiots so they often just draft the old cliche best player available.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Defense Defense Defense. The Cardinals would have had trouble stopping a junior high school team. The Cards front seven really needs extra work.

St. Louis Rams: They can always use another wide reciever. Terrance Wilkins came over from the Colts but he's not the complete answer to replacing Az Hakim. The Rams also need a solid middle linebacker. At this point its all about building depth.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners offensive line needs some work. Despite back to back solid season the o-line is showing some age so a tackle would be nice. Also a Defensive Lineman could help a young defense.

Seattle Seahawks: The hawks tried to get a tight end in free agency but both Shannon Sharpe and Ken Dilger went else where. Look for Mike Holmgren to draft a catching tightend and a backup RB for stud Shaun Alexander.

NFC South

Carolina Panthers: They went 1-15 so their are many needs. I think a good running game is a must so a RB would help alot. The Panthers new coach John Fox is a defensive coordinator from the Giants so look for him to go heavy in the early rounds on DL and CB help.

New Orleans Saints: La'Roi Glover is in Dallas and Joe Johnson went to Green Bay so defensive line help is a must. The Saints also need another big play wr to go along with Joe Horn.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons defense showed signs of life last season but the offense did not. Atlanta needs to put big play guys around Michael Vick. They need help at WR and RB. Jamal Anderson is always hurt and Warrick Dunn has done nothing so far in his career.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jon Gruden will be watching the early rounds of the draft just like me or you. The Bucs don't pick till the 3rd round. Tampa needs a RB even though they signed Michael Pittman in my opinion a stiff.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles: All offseason the Birds tried to replace Duce Staley. They had little luck in the free agent market bringing a back to the cheese steak city. The Eagles need a big play running back to compliment Donovan McNabb and still don't have a true big play WR.

Dallas Cowboys: They would like a running back to eventually replace Emmitt Smith who is getting close to the end of the line. Jerry Jones would love to get another wide reciever. The Cowboys have had a busy offseason improving an already good defense. The biggest problem in Dallas is Quincy Carter who can't play a lick.

Washington Redskins: If you want to play the Fun 'N Gun offense in the NFL you need WR's and a QB. The skins don't have a QB and only have a couple WR's. The Skins also need some defensive line help.

New York Giants: Joe Jurevicius and Jessie Armstead left via free agency so the Giants need a TE and LB. Also a fullback would help and another big play WR.

NFC North

Detroit Lions: Matt Millen is one of my favorite people in the NFL but if he thinks Mike McMahon is a starting QB on a good team then he's an idiot. The Lions need a QB badly. Yes the secondary also needs help but you have to be able to score points and the Lions can't do that without a signal caller.

Chicago Bears: The Bears lost Tony Parrish and Walt Harris through free agency so they have to rebuild that secondary early in the draft. Chicago could also use another WR and a young QB to develope.

Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre needs someone to throw the ball too. Terry Glenn was picked up from New England but he in not answer by himself. The Pack also need a middle linebacker.

Minnesota Vikings: There have been two constints with the Vikings over the years. No super bowl wins and no defense. Minnesota should start by building up the front seven. They also need a WR to throw to other than Randy Moss.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: This is a veteren football team that basically needs to draft for depth. The Broncos need some offensive line help and also could use another WR for Brian Griese to throw too.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs need defensive line help and also WR's to play in Dick Vermiel's wide open offense. Kansas City must also consider a young QB to develope as Trent Green has only one year left on his deal.

Oakland Raiders: Your going to be hearing alot from the Silver & Black on draft day. The Raiders have a pair of first round picks and second rounders. With Darrell Russell looking at a long prison wrap the defensive line is a must. Lots of speculation has the Raiders trying to trade up.

San Diego Chargers: Offensive line help is a must. They have a stud RB and QB of the future already. The O-Line needs some work first followed by the secondary and a WR.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: Who's left? Ray Lewis and a bunch of nobody's. The Ravens need cornerbacks and defensive line help. A running back and wide receiver could also help a poor offense.

Cincinnati Bengals: They have no real QB unless they go back to bust Akili Smith. They also tried to sign Ken Dilger so a TE appears to be a need. Cornerback has been a problem the last few years as well.

Cleveland Browns: They still need a running back to help Tim Couch out. The offensive line also has some holes in it. Other than that the Browns are starting to look like a playoff team.

Pittsburgh Steelers: SPECIAL TEAMS. They also need a free safety to help out on the defense. A young QB wouldn't be bad to play when Kordell Stinks up the burgh again this season.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: Everyone knows the Colts defense blows. Tony Dungy should draft only defensive players. The biggest holes are at cornerback and defensive line.

Houston Texans: David Carr is the franchise QB. They need offensive lineman and a running back to put around him. Depending on this draft the Texans could win as many as 7 games.

Jacksonville Jaguars: They desperatly need offensive line help to protect Mark Brunell. Starting DT's Seth Payne and Gary Walker left so the defensive line is also hurting.

Tennessee Titans: The defense was a mess last season and alot of the problems started with the defensive line. The Titans also still need a big playmaker on offense to go along with Steve McNair and Eddie George. They where able to fill the need for a fullback in free agency.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: The Bills need an offensive tackle. They also need a quarterback, Drew Bledsoe would look nice with a Bison on his helmet. Alex Van Pelt has not show enough to be given the starting job.

New England Patriots: The Pats need some LB help as Bryan Cox went to the Saints and Roman Phifer decided to go to the Raiders. New England also needs some more speed at the WR position to go with stud Troy Brown.

Miami Dolphins: They have already had a good draft because Ricky Williams will be wearing teal this season. The Dolphins don't draft until the 3rd round. They need offensive line help and a good tight end.

New York Jets: The biggest need is defensive tackle. The Jets also need to draft for depth. I think Brad Pennington is a stiff and Vinny Testaverde is over the hill so a QB wouldn't hurt. permalink

Thursday, April 18, 2002

The most surprising teams in sports

Ben Maller

5.) Colorado Buffaloes: After a loss to Fresno State in the season opener, the Buffs rolled back to shock the college football world and win the Big 12. Colorado was able to beat out Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas to win the award. The Buffs did lose the Fiesta Bowl to Oregon, but who will ever forget their back-to-back wins 62-36 against the Cornhuskers and 39-37 against the Longhorns in the Big 12 title game?

4.) Arizona Diamondbacks: They would be higher if they didn't have Randy Johnson & Curt Schilling. Still, to get to the World Series and beat Mariano Rivera and the mighty New York Yankees is something special.

3.) Detroit Pistons: Coaching changes for bad teams normally don't help much, but Rick Carlisle has done wonders for the Motor City hoopsters. Rick Carlisle has led the Pistons to their first Central Division title since 1989-90, and has the best winning percentage for a first-year coach in team history. The Pistons won just 32 games in the 2000-2001 season and didn't make many roster moves in the offseason. Yet, Detroit has the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference, and Jerry Stackhouse has turned into a team leader and true super star while Ben Wallace has become the NBA's premiere rebounder & defender.

2.) Seattle Mariners: Goodbye Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. & Randy Johnson and hello 116 wins. The 2001 Seattle Mariners showed all of baseball that superstars, while they might sell tickets, don't win games. Ichiro, the Japanese leadoff hitter, was the sparkplug while Brett Boone looked like Mike Piazza driving in runs. The pitching was solid led by Freddie Garica. What a magical surprise year for a team many thought would finish around the 500 mark.

1.) New England Patriots: Tom "Bleeping" Brady. Are you kidding me? This is truly an amazing story. A 6-10 football team in 2000, the Pats lost Drew Bledsoe to injury in Week 2 after an 0-2 start that included a loss to the doormats of the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals. Tom Brady stepped in and played like Joe Montana. The most suprising of all seasons wrapped up with a Super Bowl win against Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the mighty St. Louis Rams.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002

The most disappointing teams in sports

By Ben Maller

A friend of mine asked me the other day if the Milwaukee Bucks are the most disappointing team in sports from the past year. After spending a few minutes thinking about it, I decided "hell no." Here, now, is the official list from BenMaller.com of the 5 most disappointing teams in sports over the past year:

5.) Houston Astros: They had the best record in the National League last year, at 93-and-69. When the playoffs started it was the same old sorry-ass Astros who, despite a lineup that had Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, and Moises Alou, were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

4.) New Orleans Saints: Everyone was talking up the Saints in 2000 after they had a 10-6 record, won the NFC West and beat the Rams in the Playoffs. Aaron Brooks was supposed to be the next star QB in the NFL. Oops. New Orleans finished up 7-9 and lost their last four games by a combined score of 160-52. To make things worse there were rumors of wife swapping and all kinds of dirty things going on off the field.

3.) New York Knicks: Call them the Dodgers of the NBA. They have the League's highest payroll, and for some reason gave Allen Houston one of those $100 million dollar deals, and they flat out stink! New York, with almost the same team as a year ago, has done the amazing. Coach Jeff Van Gundy quit. The Knicks missed the Playoffs for the first time in 16 years.

2.) Indianapolis Colts: As coach Jim Mora said, "We Stink." In 2000, the Colts went 13-3 during the regular season and had many people believing they were heading to the Super Bowl. Instead, Indy couldn't stop a blind girls' grade school football team from scoring. The Colts allowed 30.4ppg on their way to a 6-10 record that got Mora fired and Tony Dungy hired.

1.) Oregon State: Sports Illiustrated picked them to win the National Title. Ken Simonton was supposed to be a Heisman finalist. The Beavers finished under .500 in the Pac-10 and overall and thus couldn't even get a ticket to the toilet bowl. It also hurts that I picked them to roll through the Pac-10 on my radio show.

Tomorrow the five teams that have overachieved the most in sports. permalink

The Only Way To Play Golf

By Ben Maller

As you know I'm not a huge golf fan. I follow the sport to see what Tiger Woods does, and because I have to talk about it from time to time on the show, but after playing this golf game on the web I might have to change my tune. A friend sent me this link and I have been hooked ever since. I'm the Craig Sadler of Internet Golf! The best thing about it is it's easy to play.

Free Put Put Golf Game permalink

Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Bonds or the Tigers?

By Ben Maller

Who's going to have more: Barry Bonds homers or Detroit Tigers wins. Jason Smith, the man that made the Chicken Suit hip again posed this question to me on the air over the weekend. I thought about it for a few minutes and took the motor city kitties.

Here is my thinking on taking the Tigers. Yes they are 0-and-11 at this point but they still have 150 games to play and figure to get on a roll at some point. The worst teams in baseball last year the Pirates and Devil Rays both won 62 games and in 2000 the Cubs and Phillies tied for the worst record at 65-and-97. The 2002 Tigers should win anywhere between 62 and 65 games and maybe even a little more because many teams pack it in, in the 2nd half.

Sparky Anderson, the hall-of-fame manager in Detroit and Cincinnati, used to say that every team in baseball is going to win 50 games and lose 50 games its what you do with the other 62 that will decide your season. So that gives the tigers at least 50 victories. Lets say that they go 12 and 40 in those other 62 games that would still put them at 62 wins which would put me in great shape.

Yes, Barry Bonds did hit 73 homeruns last season, but prior to that his career high was only 49 homeruns. Also don't forget that he'll turn 38 later this summer. Lets cut the difference in half between Bonds previous best season of 49 Hr's in 2000 and his 73 of 2002 that would put him at 61 homeruns and give the Tigers a great chance to win me a dinner on Jason Smith's credit card.

What do you think? Let Ben Maller know. E Mail Big Ben permalink

Sunday, April 14, 2002

Cardinals are Dirty Birds?

By Ben Maller

It was the end of the 2001 baseball regular season, and the Houston Astros had just beaten the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 to finish the season with identical 93-69 records, but because the Astros had a better head-to-head record, they celebrated like champs, piling onto one another, breaking open champagne, and wearing "2001 Central Division Champions" T-shirts and caps.

When the playoffs began, Houston, as division champs, played the Atlanta Braves in the divisional series while the Cards played the Arizona Diamondbacks as the NL's wild card team.

St. Louis has decided to change baseball history. Apparently they didn't think that the Red Birds were a wild card team. The 2002 Cardinals' media guide declares, "2001 Central Division co-Champions."

The St. Louis Cardinals' official website also lists the "2001 Cardinals as division Co-Champions"

It gets even better than that. At Busch Stadium, a banner on the right-center-field wall also reads: "2001 Central Division co-Champions."

The Houston Astros also have a banner hanging at Astros Field as Central Division champs. The difference is they actually won the division, while the Cards have given themselves the title. The pathetic thing is, years from now everyone is going to forget about this, and people who go to games at Busch will just assume the Red Birds really did win the division title.

I was thinking about some other events in sports the St. Louis Cardinals PR staff can change since they have the ability to change history.

How about in 1995 the Angels get to hang a banner because they tied the Seattle Mariners for the division title. Of course the 1986 Red Sox should have won the world series so lets give them a banner. The 2002 Rams were better than the Patriots lets get them a banner also. Duke was the most talented team in College Hoops this past season lets hook them up with a banner.

***UPDATE***

St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa ripped the Houston Astros over this story permalink

Big Ben's Sunday Baseball Pick

Mike Mussina vs. Tim Wakefield.

Ben's Pick: Mike Mussina, The Yanks will not lose three in a row against the Bo Sox at Fenway. permalink