GM NFL Mock Draft is underway @ CP

March 30, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off The Counselor is IN:

The GM NFL Mock Draft is underway at Cowboys Pride. It is an interesting approach to a mock draft. They let members volunteer to be the GM of a team and draft for them.

They have completed the first five picks of this draft. They are listed below.

1.Miami Dolphins - Gage - Chris Long, DE/OLB, Virginia
2.St Louis Rams - Larry Bud - Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
3.Kansas City Chiefs (f/ATL)*- Larry Bud - Jake Long, OT, Michigan
4.Oakland Raiders - Mike - Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
5.Atlanta Falcons (f/KC)*- smashmouth - Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

I am known as Larry Bud on CP and I did draft for both the Chiefs and the Rams. I was able to swing a trade for Jake Long with the Chiefs. I did a post pick trade of Matt Ryan and the Chiefs first 4th round pick and their 5th round pick for Jake Long.

Anyway, check out the GM Draft at Cowboys Pride. You never know how those crazy fans will draft for your favorite team.

The Counselor is OUT:

NASCAR Bets Suck!

March 30, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off

Over the past month and a half, I have suffered through the horror of wearing an avatar for a NASCAR Sprint cup driver that I cannot stand. WHY? Why would I put myself through this atrocity? It all comes down to a bet. In finding myself at the mercy of my 13 year old brother, I have learned a few things about betting over NASCAR races.

Get a haircut and get an NFL job

March 28, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off The Counselor is IN:

The NFL owners will come together this weekend end for their annual owners meeting. They will discuss numerous things including some possible rule changes. The force out rule is being reviewed. Wide receivers may have to get both feet in bounce even if they are pushed out. But this is not the most interesting rule change proposal.

The possible rule change that caught my eye was the proposed ban on long hair on the outside of the jersey. Players would be allowed to keep their long hair but they would have to tuck it into their helmet and jersey. This could cause issues for players like Polamalu, Harris, and McKensie, who are known for their long flowing hair, and force them to change their Sunday signature looks. Some of the owners believe that the long flowing hair is a possible injury risk.

Below are a couple of excerpts from the SI article.

“The rule banning long hair on the field was proposed by Kansas City. It does not require players to get haircuts, but does ‘require them to tuck it up inside their helmets,’ said Atlanta president Rich McKay, chairman of the league's competition committee.” (SI)

“Because the rule was proposed by a team, the competition committee did not take a position on it. It will be discussed Monday with a package of other rules.” (SI)

I think the NFL is making too many nitpicking rules. I have heard the NFL referred to as the "No Fun League". This is true with all their crazy rules about celebrating. Some of this nitpicking started with the "Emmitt Smith Rule" of not taking off your helmet after scoring a touchdown.

I do understand the concern for injury in this case. If the hair is on the outside of the jersey, then the players are allowed to grab the hair in an attempt to bring down that player. This could lead to neck and head injuries. But we are talking about grown men. If a man wants to leave his hair flowing out of the uniform so another man can entangle the hair and to force that man down to the ground, then let him learn the hard way. If that happens a few times, then maybe they will learn to keep their hair tucked in.

PS: Roy Williams- don't go for the horse collar, but go for the flowing locks extending from the helmet.

The Counselor is OUT:

Top 13 Fantasy Baseball Tips

March 28, 2008 | Filed Under Fantasy Baseball | Comments Off The Counselor is IN:

The majority of Fantasy Baseball Drafts occur during the next two weekends. Since I has won 6 out 11 of his fantasy baseball league seasons, let me give you my top 13 draft rules and hints.

1) Know the rules of your league. It is important to know if you are in a 4x4 standard auction league or if you are in a 5x5 draft style head to head league. It makes a difference on how you draft. There will be other owners that will not pay attention to this and you can have a better team to start off with.

2) Be over prepared. Do not just buy a magazine and head to the draft. Prepare your own list. You need to know what players are injured, the ones that have been traded, and the ones that have been demoted. There are great tools out there like Rotoworld that can help you research players.

You should come with a long list of players in each position. You should have a bunch of Outfielders and Pitchers left on the list at the end of the draft. It is much better to over prepare than under prepared. Do not let yourself be the owner that is looking over the opening day roster to find his last two pitchers.

You need to know what players are starting and what ones are coming off the bench. You need to know who the 5th starter for Kansas City will be but hope that you never need it. You need to know who won the closing job for each team. Many of your fellow owners will not know who is closing for Tampa Bay.

This will also assist you later in the year when you need to pick up for injuries.

3) Do not put too much stock in Spring Training. The players do not take Spring Training seriously and neither should you. The only time I put any stock in spring training is if you are checking on a player that was injured last year (especially a pitcher). Otherwise, ignore these stats.

4) Do not punt any categories. This strategy has never worked for me. It is more difficult to find a trade partner to recover these categories than promised. The punt strategy may have worked when it was first introduced but most fantasy owners know about it and do not want to help you out with a trade if you are going with this strategy.

5) Know your fellow owners. If you are in a reoccurring league, then get to know the other owners typical strategies. Most of them will not change their strategy from year to year. You will know who is willing to over pay for the superstar and who will wait to the end to pick up the sleepers.

6) Know what other teams need. If it is a keeper league, take a list of who other teams kept and track who they pick up. If not, then track the positions that other owners need. You need to know what teams need what players continually through your draft.

7) Don't be a jerk. Giving other owners misinformation may help you win this year but it will not help you in the future. No one wants to trade with the jerks out there. They will want to see you lose. They may even trade players to other teams to see you lose. I have seen this bite people in the butt.

8) Do not give away too much information. If someone asks you if A-Rod is injured, you should let him know if he is or not. Being seen as an expert can be used to your advantage. But if you give him too much information, then this can harm your strategy. You do not have to tell him that A-Rod may be out for 2-4 months (This is just an example- he is not actually hurt). Do not share your strategy or who you are targeting with other owners. They will use it against you.

9) Bluffing is acceptable. It is alright to moderately talk up a player that you do not want to own. It is also okay to moderately talk down a player you really want. Do not get carried away with it . If you bluff too much or too intensely, then you will be seen as a jerk. (see #7).

10) Look at position scarcity. There are positions where talent is always thin such as Second Base. You should be willing to pay an extra few dollars to get a top quality player. There are other positions that have an abundance of talent such as Outfield and First Base. This will vary if it is a keeper league. You might find that in your league all of the good Third Basemen were kept but two.

11) Outfielders can be a dime a dozen. I am not telling you not to draft a top Outfielder or two. But this position does have the most talent of any out there. I have found it easy to find good quality Outfielders for a cheap price at the end of the draft. You can live with a dollar Outfielder much more than a dollar Starting Pitcher or Short Stop.

12) Know the prospects. It is important to know who the prospects that are available. You can find steals at the end of the draft with high upsides. Be cautious of pitching prospects because they tend to take longer to develop in the Bigs. This is extremely important in keeper leagues.

13) Have fun. Fantasy baseball is meant to be enjoyable. You draft should be also. Enjoy the comradeship at your draft. The draft is my favorite part of any fantasy season (other than winning).

The Counselor is OUT:

A Winning Mindset

March 27, 2008 | Filed Under boxing, mma, sport psychology | Comments Off

A Winning Mindset

By Dr. Randy Borum

(Article first appears in Black Belt Magazine, April, 2008)

No competitor likes to lose, but the best competitors in virtually every sport seize a loss as an opportunity to improve. Even if you do not compete in martial arts, you can apply the same lesson to any challenge or undertaking: You are not shaped by a particular loss or failure, but by what you do with it.

Research conducted by Stanford psychology professor, Carol Dweck has shown that most people have one of two types of “mindset”: Fixed mindset or Growth mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe that their positive traits and potential for success are essentially fixed. You have them – in whatever amount - or you do not. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset are more grounded in “possibilities.” They believe that positive traits and skills can be developed and that they can overcome failures to ultimately achieve success.

In rebounding from a loss, your mindset will affect how you understand and explain what happened. Developing some explanation – for yourself and for others - for the loss is usually the first step in determining whether and how you will move forward. Losing can be devastating for a fixed mindset competitor because they will assume they lost because they were “just not good enough.”

Georges St Pierre demonstrated the advantages of a growth mindset after losing his UFC title to Matt Serra. St Pierre consulted a sport psychologist who helped him realize that “it isn’t always the best team that wins the game, it’s the team that plays better." GSP modified his personal explanation for the loss, saying: "I truly believe I’m the best fighter in the UFC but, that night, Matt Serra fought a better fight than me."

When questioned about why he did not fight to his potential in that bout, Georges said: “I forgot what was my number one priority. My number one priority is to stay champion and being the best in the world. I forgot that. I paid for it, I made a mistake. But I'm the type of guy that never makes the same mistake twice." Remarkably, his conclusion: "I truly believe that this loss is probably the best thing that ever happened to me."

Being an effective competitor in martial arts (or doing any challenging task for that matter) requires that you develop faith in yourself and in your ability. Having faith means that you can believe in yourself when you are consistently landing your strikes and when you miss them. Faith “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Although you missed the last takedown attempt, you are confident that you will get the next one. The key to bouncing back from a loss is never to lose faith in yourself.

Different people recover from setbacks in different ways, but here is a quick formula that you can adapt to your own needs.

First, you will have to develop an explanation to “frame” and understand the loss. Try to explain it from a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset. It is natural and acceptable to feel disappointment, but keep it in perspective and try not to let yourself wallow in it. Disappointment, not devastation. If you let yourself spiral down into a self-critical cycle, it will undermine your faith and confidence. Maintain your core belief in your ability, grieve the loss, and move on. Some athletes say that if you have never lost, you are not competing against the best people.

Second, develop a plan for what and how you can improve. If you identified any “holes” in your game, work with your coach or training partner on strategies to fix them. Reflect on your loss – not the emotional or self-critical element – but like an objective observer. If you were coaching yourself, what would make you better.

Third, envision that plan working. Once you have a clear explanation of what went wrong and an account of what needs to change, then spend some time visualizing what your game will look like after you successfully enact your plan. In your mind, take time to see and to feel the success of your plan. Image what you will be like when you have taken your game to the next level, then step inside that image. Experience the unwavering confidence and faith in your ability.

Finally, move forward with confidence. The loss was an event. You disappointment was just a mental event. It does not define you and it does not determine your future. Part of the “envisioning” is to set yourself mentally on a forward-moving path. That vision contains everything you need to retain from the past event. It is over and reliving the negative emotions will not enhance your performance.

Your task is to implement your plan with faith and a positive focus. Scientists suggest that the human brain is naturally “wired” to be negative. If you do not take control of your thoughts, images and emotions, you might have to spar a couple of more rounds with the “what ifs.” But you can thoughtfully direct what you say to yourself and the emotions that you generate. Reduce the negatives and create positive messages, images and emotions. With resilience, you can grow as a martial artist and create a mindset that will accelerate your path to success.

Why does the American Pastime start it’s season in Japan?

March 26, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off The Counselor is IN:

Major League Baseball has often been referred to as the National Pastime (or America's Pastime). It is viewed up there with apple pie and Fourth of July. We associate it strongly with our country. Even now days when the NFL is a more popular sport, there is still something special about baseball.

I always look forward to opening day. I associate it with the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This year, I feel disjointed because the MLB season has already begun in Japan. To me it is very strange that we let our National Pastime open its season in another country. I don't even like when the first game of the season opens in Canada.

I understand that there is a large baseball fan base in Japan. Many of their stars have joined Major League Baseball. I am sure that the game drew a lot of supporters. I am glad that are able to connect with other countries like Japan and Korea. But I do not appreciate that we forfeit our opening day to another country.

I do not know how to solve the issue but it really bothers me.

I am writing this post while watching Fox Sports' broadcast of today's Cardinals/Orioles Spring Training game. It is an oddity to watch a Spring Training game after two teams have played two regular season games. At least baseball is back.

Play ball!

The Counselor is OUT:

10 Reasons Why I Hate Jimmie Johnson

March 23, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off

This week with the formation of TSZ’’s Pit Stop I finally sat down to figure out why it was that I really hate Jimmie Johnson. Up until this point I wasn’t really sure. I only knew I didn’t like the guy. Well, as I was thinking on it, it turned out that it was something worth turning into an article ( it was KK’s idea LOL) and so here it is. Funny how things start out small and then get bigger

Tony Romo article

March 22, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off Happy Easter Friends! Just wanted you to check out my new blog at Lonestarstruck.com  titled Our Leader Tony Romo.  It is included in a new series that Kelly has started called Galaxy of Sta...

History of your home/land

March 19, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off Hi friends! Sorry I haven’t posted a blog in awhile but, my oldest daughter, her husband and 4 of my grandkids moved in with us a few weeks ago.  I am busy spoiling the grandkids! lol ...

Ray’s Rants: Stop Living in the Past Bill!

March 17, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off

Get Your Own Team

By Ray
Blogger/ President of the Jerry Jones is a Moron Club
Normally you won’t catch me ranting about a former coach. It borders on disrespect. Especially when that coach brought my team out of the dark ages, and back to the national stage.

However now that coach is tearing my team apart and I feel some things must be said.

Former Dallas Cowboys Coach Bill Parcells left