The Suspicious Superbowl

Well here we are, at the end of one of the most highly contested playoffs in the Superbowl era, we have the New England Patriots squaring off against the Seattle Seahawks! Now let's shed some light on what everyone's been asking, do either of these teams actually belong in the championship game?!? I mean after all the conspiracy surrounding the playoffs including the referees with their blown calls, the excessive fining of certain players, and the whole "DeflateGate" ordeal, it's a fair question to ask, and an even harder one to answer. Let's start off with the Patriots, shall we?

The Patriots started the season off pretty poorly, especially for them at 2-2, causing many experts to question Tom Brady and the team's overall strengths/abilities. Their running game seemed out-of-whack and with no clear-cut lead back to distinguish himself from the rest of the pack, they seemed lost and unable to finish games off. This quickly had people dismissing the Patriots as Superbowl contenders, and made many wonder if they would even make the playoffs, and then something happened. Exactly what it was, no one can be sure, but whatever it was, the New England Patriots were not the same team after their week 4 loss, as they went on to win 7 games in a row and pretty much secured a playoff birth. Many attribute the slow and rocky start to Gronkowski not being fully healthy, one of Brady's favourite targets. It is no secret that Rob Gronkowski has become a ferocious Redzone machine, and is without a doubt Tom Brady's favourite go-to guy whenever they need yards or points! Another popular reason is that Brady didn't have an experienced enough receiving corps, thus was not able to use their pass-heavy offensive game plan and were forced to rely on their shaky run-game instead. Whatever the reason is irrelevant, as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots once again seemed to easily trot their way into the playoffs, and this is where all the fun really began!!!

The Pats/Ravens game didn't have much controversy, although the Patriots were losing for most of the match and mounted a heroic comeback, there was no chatter of a rigged game. However the Pats/Colts game held a much different story! Now don't get me wrong, the Patriots would have won regardless of "DeflateGate" as the Colts sucked massively that day, but it still caused/causing quite the stir in the football world, and many people wonder if the Patriots should even still be in the Superbowl. By now you should know the whole

"DeflateGate" story, but if you don't, the super quick version is that 11/12 of the Patriot's footballs used during the game against the Colts were found to be deflated by about 2 pounds, making it easier to throw, catch and run with. Who did it and who paid him/her off is still unknown, but that really doesn't matter, as someone cheated in order to further advance the Patriots, and the question is should they be forfeited because of it. If this was any other team, no one would be calling for them to miss the Superbowl, but this isn't any other team, this is the Patriots. The team that has been accused and found guilty of cheating several other times, most recently and notably they were caught filming other teams private practises before they would play them. Now of course they aren't going to miss the Superbowl, that would be a PR nightmare for the NFL, especially since the league only ever admits it's made mistakes, but never actually does anything to fix them. We might see some light fines or some loss of draft picks, but the Patriots were never in any trouble of missing out on this years Superbowl, proving that even when he gets caught, Bill Belichick can still get away with cheating!!! Hahaha! Now the Patriots vs. the Seahawks game will be a perfect, made for TV matchup, as it pits the defending champs trying to make it two in a row, against the team that has won back-to-back Superbowls most recently. Just adding more flame to the conspiracy fire? Maybe, but facts are facts, when Gronkowski is healthy, Brady and the Patriots really do seem to be a completely different football team, and even with their shaky run-game and the "DeflateGate" dilemma, I believe they deserve to be in the Superbowl.

Now on to the defending Superbowl champs, the Skittles fuelled Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to a mediocre start to the season at 3-3, and the whole team seemed like a ghost of its past season champion-selves. The defense was lacking the decisive quick and brutal punch that caused so many teams such terrible headaches last season, and their infamous run game was non-existent, both from the running-back Marshawn Lynch and their extremely mobile quarterback, Russell Wilson. Then they got a couple guys back from injury and presto, the Superbowl Champs returned, falling into a groove and coasting into the playoffs with a first round bye. There isn't really any foul play to speak of surrounding Seattle, but what the team does have issues with is players going against the NFL's rules and getting fined, and one in particular had a knack for causing a plethora of issues...

Marshawn Lynch's many media kerfuffles are all well documented, with each new infraction garnering him more and more fines. He has been fined for what he's said and hasn't said during interviews, what he's wore on the field and during interviews as well as being fined for certain gestures and actions he has taken on the field during games. It all adds up to one huge media frenzy, which sees "Marshawn Lynch" trending nearly every Sunday and Monday, making him the most talked about NFL player this season. The same can be said about Richard Sherman and his loud mouth which seems to always land him in hot water. The Seahawks are a team the NFL hates to love as they constantly are breaking the rules and causing trouble, but at the same time it's these very actions that are attracting so many interested fans and viewers. All the NFL sees is $$$, so the more viewers/fans, the more money, meaning as much as the NFL might make you think its completely against a player like Lynch and Sherman, secretly they are really egging them on, hoping to create an even larger media explosion, and making sure that they make the Superbowl!!! For all the conspiracy theorists out there, here you go. Well into the season the Seahawks looked lost and highly unlikely to repeat as champs, and it can be said that since the NFL saw a huge possibility for greater media exposure, measures were taken to ensure that the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs and had a chance of repeating as Superbowl Champs.

Here's what it boils down to, any moderately intelligent person knows that all professional organized sports are rigged, but we never want this fact thrown so blatantly in our faces. Just because we know the dirty truth, doesn't mean we can't still enjoy watching our favourite games, but it makes it really difficult to want to watch when the cheating is so

thinly veiled. Is the Superbowl fixed? Most likely(yes)! Will it stop millions of people from watching it? No! Who will win? Whoever makes the bookies the most money probably, but it will still be an entertaining game to watch, and as long as they don't remind us that the sport is rigged and we have an almost naked Katy Perry entertain us at halftime, we should all be A-OK! 

SUPERBOWL PREDICTIONS

SEATTLE WINS!!!

SCORE SEA:38 NE:27

Russell Wilson- 1 TD, 1 INT, 225 yards

Tom Brady- 2 TD, 2 INT, 335 yards

Marshawn Lynch- 2 TD, 145 yards

Rob Gronkowski- 2 TD, 115 yards

Seattle DEF- 2 INT(1 TD), 2 FUM(1TD)

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POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 15: TIGHT ENDS

TIGHT ENDS WEEK 15:

As per usual, Gronk spike, Gronk get top spot on pole, Gronk happy, Gronk rinse and Gronk repeat. Haha, but seriously, Gronkowski has been an absolute beast this season, and as long as he stays healthy, should continue to retain the top spot on our rankings list. Expect a guaranteed 15+ fantasy points from the caveman like receiver who runs through people rather than around them. Next up we have the equally huge Martellus Bennett, who had a humongous game last week scoring 18-21 fantasy points depending on your settings. Now with Brandon Marshall out for the rest of the season...

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 15: WIDE RECEIVERS

WEEK 15 WIDE RECIEVERS:

This week's power-pole rankings come with some big boom or bust candidates in the top-10, biggest of which are Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones, Emmanuel Sanders and Randall Cobb. Let's start with the two Broncos on the list, Thomas and Sanders, and honestly we all know what it comes down to, Peyton Freakin Manning! The Broncos have been winning recently, but Manning seems to be used less and less each game, with the Broncos slowly but surely shifting to a more run heavy offense with C.J. Anderson playing so...

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 15: RUNNING BACKS

WEEK 15 RUNNING BACKS:

As has been the case for the last several weeks, DeMarco Murray claims the top spot on our totem pole. Murray has been an absolute beast this season, and it hasn't hurt that the Cowboys are giving a league leading amount of touches. Nothing too exciting or surprising going on here, so lets move on to the @SportzGuruz number two down the pole...

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 15: QUARTERBACKS

WEEK 15 QUARTERBACKS:

This week the @SportzGuruz Quarterback ranking's features the usual suspects up near the top of the totem pole, but as always, we know what you really want to hear. So let's talk the rest of the bunch, the ones that you might not know will be fantasy studs this week, first up, coming in at 6th on the pole, "Big" Ben Roethlisberger. "Big" Ben has had his ups and downs this season, but has had many more great games then shitty, and is riding a two week 25+ fantasy point streak, and is primed to stay red hot this Sunday against the Falcons. Atlanta has been a mess on defense this season, and puts up no threat to Ben's point production. Look for him to be a fantasy stud this weekend, netting you 21+ guaranteed fantasy points right in time for the playoffs, start with incredible confidence!!! Next up we have a name that may shock and make you scough at the mere thought of him starting on your fantasy team...

WAIVER WIRE WEEK 15

Welcome to this week's installment of #waiverwirewednesday

This is Week 15, and it's either the 2nd round of the playoffs for you (real fantasy football leagues), OR It's the first round of the fantasy playoffs for you (gross 4-team playoff leagues).

In either case, checkout what the @SportzGuruz have put together for your wire considerations

Goodluck to you all, and may the Fantasy Football Gods Forever Be In Your favour

GARBAGE DUMP

PLAYERS TO DROP

TERRENCE WILLIAMS-WR-71% (DALLAS):

The time has finally come, you can now feel safe to drop the once top fantasy draft pick. Williams has proven to be a humongous bust this season, and isn't even

KEEP AN EYE ON

PLAYERS TO WATCH

DONTE MONCRIEF-WR-4% (COLTS):

Donte has been a  bit of a frustration for potential fantasy owners this season, as he's posted a few monster games, but always follows them up with minuscule performances. It looks as though the winds of change may have finally began to blow Moncrief's way, as he's now solidly out-snapped Hakeem Nicks...

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 14: TIGHT ENDS

TOP-12 TIGHT ENDS:

Alright Ladies and Gents, the time has come to rank the ever elusive Tight Ends, and this weeks are sure to be tricky. With so many injuries and stars potentially riding the bench this Sunday, the Tight End position is ultra tough to map out, however one name that easily pops right to the top is HE MAN himself, ROB GRONKOWSKI!!! The man is a monster, choosing to run through defenders rather then around them, the beast seems unstoppable with a grooving Brady at the helm. He should easily grab you 15+ fantasy points this week, and every week, as the it does not matter who the Patriots are playing, Gronk must spike! Now on to the not so easy stuff, first up...

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 14: WIDE RECEIVERS

TOP 30 WIDE RECEIVERS

Josh Gordon has made his imminent return to the top 5 this week in our rankings list, just barely beating out Jordy Nelson to snag to the spot. This should come as no surprise to anyone out there as Gordon has always belonged among the top receivers, with his crazy long limbs and catching abilities, it was just a question of when, not if. Now that he's made it, watch him pour on the fantasy points this week as he is Brian Hoyer's new go-to man and will be targeted non-stop this Sunday against the Colts. Next exploding up the ranks is

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 14: RUNNING BACKS

TOP 20 RUNNING BACKS:

Another week, another top spot ranking for Dallas Cowboys star DeMarco Murray. This guy keeps producing and we expect another 100 yards and a touchdown against a Chicago Bears team that seems to be falling apart. Our match-up of the week is

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 14: QUARTERBACKS

TOP 15 QUARTERBACKS:

This week I want to skip down and talk about the really interesting, more risky/higher reward Quarterbacks, as there are plenty of them to talk about. First on the docket we have the ever perplexing Colin Kaepernick, who has never really looked the same since his rookie season. This week he is up against the woeful Raiders, who last week 

WAIVER WIRE WEEK 14

WAIVER WIRE WEDNESDAY
FANTASY PLAYOFFS EDITION

JORDAN REED-TE-49% (WASHINGTON):

Colt McCoy has earned the starting gig down in Washington, and so far he seems to love throwing to a healthy Jordan Reed. Reed has proven that when he's not injured, he is a very dominant force on the field. Being the tall strong presence he is, Reed was able to nab 9 of 11 targets for

WAIVER WIRE WEEK 13

THE WIRE-WEEK 13

Welcome to The Waiver Wire, Week 13 edition, or is it? This week's picks look eerily similar to last weeks waiver wire selections, so where were you all last week?!?!? Well pay attention this week, because having some of these guys on your team may very well win you your league!!!

PLAYERS TO PICK-UP

KENNY STILLS-WR (SAINTS):

Last week we were very high on Kenny with the season ending injury to Cooks, Stills looked poised to finally breakout with the Saints offense, and breakout he did. Stills had a career day catching 8 of 9 passes for 98 yards, playing on 67% of plays. His role should only increase as the season goes on, so look to add him in 65% of standard leagues. What more can we say that we didn't already say last week?!?

JARVIS LANDRY-WR (MAIMI):

Landry found himself on our "Wide Receiver Watch" list last week, and is now graduating to full on pick up

PLAYER WATCH-IMPACT PLAYERS

Josh Gordon’s long awaited return has finally come and all I have to say about him is that he led the league in receiving yards while being suspended for two games and catching passes from 3 mediocre at best quarterbacks. The Browns existing receivers are meh, so look for Gordon to real in target after target. GET THIS MAN IN YOUR LINEUP!!!

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 12: WIDE RECEIVER

This week's wide receiver rankings are highlighted by the return of Josh Gordon who ranks 6th among our top 30 receivers this week. A strong performance this Sunday would propel him into the top 3 conversation and I expect nothing less from wide receiver turned car salesman turned wide receiver. The biggest riser of the week is Jordan Matthews, who is cracking our top 30 list in 20th. Since Mark Sanchez has taken over he has looked like a high upside WR2 in that high powered Chip Kelly offence, look for another strong performance from him against the Tennessee Titans. Lastly keep an eye on Percy Harvin as he is a solid WR3 with a good floor. He is by far the most talented playmaker in the Jets' offense, and that fact alone guarantees him a good amount of touches. Since his trade to the Jets he has touched the ball at least 7 times per game, and that kind involvement is usually a recipe for fantasy football success. Now for the rest of the best, here they are:

TOP 30 WIDE RECEIVERS:

1. Jordy Nelson

2. Calvin Johnson

3. Dez Bryant

4. Demaryius Thomas

5. Jeremy Maclin

6. Josh Gordon

7. Emmanuel Sanders (if he plays)

8. Randall Cobb

9. T.Y. Hilton

10. Brandon Marshall

11. Alshon Jeffery

12. AJ Green

13. Mike Evans

14. Julio Jones

15. Odel Beckham Jr.

16. Golden Tate

17. DeSean Jackson

18. Sammy Watkins

19. Anquan Boldin

20. Jordan Matthews

21. Reggie Wayne

22. Brandon LaFell

23. Roddy White

24. Julian Edelman

25. Percy Harvin

26. Mike Wallace

27. DeAndre Hopkins

28. Vincent Jackson

29. Doug Baldwin

30. Steve Smith

31. Andre Johnson (Only makes the top 30 if Sanders doesn't play)

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 12: RUNNING BACKS

This Sunday fresh off his bye week, DeMarco Murray retakes his throne atop the running back rankings. He has been a dominating force this year and I don't see the New York Giants doing anything to stop him. He's pretty much a shoe in for at least 100 yards and 15+ fantasy points. I also really like Reshad Jennings this week, as he was looking great before an injury derailed a promising season. He is now fully healthy and I think ready to pick up where he left off. I expect at least 100 all purpose yards and a touchdown against a Cowboys defense that has given up the 15th most points to running backs this season. The deep sleeper of the week is Latavius Murray, as he has been practising with the first team this week and the Raiders have nothing to lose in getting this physical specimen some touches. He's 6'3 weighs 230 pounds and runs a sub 4.4 40 yard dash, he has all the tools to make an impact and now seems like the time when he'll get an opportunity. He may not pay immediate dividends but if you have a spot on your roster he may be worth a stash.

TOP 20 RUNNING BACKS:

1. DeMarco Murray

2. Matt Forte

3. Jamaal Charles

4. Marshawn Lynch

5. Arian Foster (If he plays)

6. Eddie Lacy

7. LeSean McCoy

8. Andre Ellington

9. Mark Ingram

10. Reshad Jennings

11. Denard Robinson

12. Justin Forsett

13. CJ Anderson

14. Giovanni Bernard

15. Fred Jackson

16. Ryan Matthews

17. Alfred Morris

18. Shane Vereen

19. Lamar Miller

20. Jeremy Hill

(If Foster doesn’t play, Alfred Blue slides into 17th, bumping everyone above that up one spot)

EXTRA ADVICE: CEILING CANDIDATES

LOW FLOOR/HIGH CEILING PICKS: (If you like to live dangerously)

JONAS GRAY-(Low 5/High 14) The Patriots backfield just got even messier with the addition of Blount, making starting Gray an even harder choice. It was already a tough choice with Vereen breathing down his neck, now Gray will see even less touches going forward.

ISAIAH CROWELL-(Low 6/High 18) With the cutting of Ben Tate this week, the Browns backfield has become slightly less crowded, paving the way for Crowell to get a consistent amount of touches this week and going forward. The issue is we never really know which remaining back will be used, whether it be West or Crowell, making Crowell a good bet to score a solid 6-8 points, with a slight chance of him exploding out for more.

HIGH FLOOR/LOW CEILING PICKS: (If you need some guaranteed points)

The following running backs all have a higher then average minimum amount of points they are probable to score this week, while they also have a very limited chance of breaking out for a large amount of fantasy points. This is either because they have very good backups being used heavily behind them, or they are stuck on crappy teams.

FRANK GORE-(Low 8/High 11)

TRE MASON-(Low 7/High 12)
CHRIS IVORY-(Low 9/High 12)
JERICK MCKINNON-(Low 6/High 10)
JOIQUE BELL-(Low 7/High 10)

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 12: KICKERS

Its time for our all important Kicker rankings, woohoo!!! This week we have Adam Vinatieri topping our list. The Colts are playing the very weak Jaguars, and are playing at home which means indoors. Vinatieri should have no problem netting you 13+ fantasy points. Next up we have Stephen Gostkowski playing for the high powered Patriots offense. Last week was a mere bump, 6 points on 6 PAT's, he should get at least a few chances to kick a field goal this Sunday. Honestly kickers are important, but as long as you own one on our list you should be good.

KICKERS:

1. Adam Vinatieri 

2. Stephen Gostkowski
3. Dan Bailey
4. Cody Parker
5. Justin Tucker
6. Caleb Strugis
7. Phil Dawson
8. Steven Hauschka
9. Mason Crosby
10. Dan Carpenter

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 12: TIGHT ENDS

Once again its Gronkowski and Graham leading the pack by a long shot this week, as both are their Quarterback's go to reciever, theres not much to discuss here. The really interesting guys this week are Julius Thomas and Coby Fleener, both made tricky due to injuries. First off lets talk about Orange J, my personal fantasy tight end, he has still not practised because of his ankle, but he isn't wearing a boot and has no visible limp. If he suits up and is healthy, he will be a top five tight end and third on our list. Next up is the curious case of Coby Fleener, who's looking like a good bet to start with Dwayne Allen likely sitting out Sunday. Fleener has always had talent, but fell behind the likes of TY Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Allen and Bradshaw, but now with two of those obstacles possibly gone this Sunday, look for Fleener's targets to increase dramatically. However, if Dwayne Allen plays, Fleener falls off our top ten list. Here's how the rest of our top ten rankings play out this week:

TOP 10 TIGHT ENDS:
1. Rob Gronkowski 

2. Jimmy Graham
3. Julius Thomas (If he plays)
4. Antonio Gates
5. Coby Fleener (As long as Allen doesn’t play)
6. Martellus Bennett
7. Jason Witten
8. Larry Donnell
9. Travis Kelce
10. Charles Clay

POWER-POLE RANKINGS WEEK 12: DEFENSE

TOP 10 DEFENSES
1. Miami Dolphins 

2. Kansas City Cheifs
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Buffalo Bills
7. Philadelphia Eagles
8. San Diego Chargers
9. Cleveland Browns
10. Cincinnati Bengals

The Miami Dolphins defense has been more then solid for most of the season, and this week should be no different as they take on a drained and banged up Broncos. Manning is always great, but without Julius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman and possibly Wes Welker, his options are incredibly limited, paving the way for the Dolphins D. Miami should get at least one interception, one fumble recovery, and 2-3 sacks if the Rams vs. the Broncos was any kind of taste for what awaits us this Sunday. Next on the list are the Chiefs, who have been limiting opposing teams to hardly any passing touchdowns, and they get to play the Raiders, who just plain suck. We both agree on this one, and expect the Chiefs to absolutely crush the Raiders, using both defense and offense. Rounding out our top three we've got the Packers, who have been crazy on offense, and therefore the defense has been bolstered. The more time Aaron Rodgers spends on the field, the less chance the other team has to do anything with the ball, thus the Packers defense has been feasting the last two weeks when they have gone up by so much before half, expect this week to be no different.