August - Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

2 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
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August 2009
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 3
Featuring:
KC Baseball
Report
page 42
Sports Entertainment
Report
page 4
Health & Fitness
Report
page 40
Great Outdoors
Report
page 4
Special
sections:
FANTASY FOOTBALL GUIDE
STATS - RANKINGS - RATINGS - DEPTH CHARTS
& CHIEFS SPECIAL REPORT
BOWE - JOHNSON - PIOLI - CASSEL- & MORE
starts on page 11
COUPONS:
AmeriKick/ World Champ Karate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Army FREE T-Shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Blackberry Trails Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Brookridge 9 West Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Cargo Largo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover
Eagles Landing Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Lake Valley Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Rockwood Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Teetering Rocks Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
PLUS:
ABA Basketball page 36 | Bill Grigsby page 9 | Golf page 6 | Mavericks Hockey page 38
Sports Commission & Calendar of Events page 10 | Sports Extra - HORSE Tournament page 37
information:
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Editor
Alan Eskew
Sales
913-764-2050
Steve Fisch
sfisch@kcsportspaper.com
Ed Coan
ecoan@kcsportspaper.com
Contributing Writers
Bill Althaus, Chris Balda,
Audrey Harman, Tom Cannon,
John Doolittle, Greg Echlin,
Alan Eskew, David Garfield,
Bill Grigsby, Alan Hoskins,
Dr. Andrew Jacobs, John Landsberg,
Jim Potoski, David Smale,
Marc Bowman
Contributing Photographers
Scott Thomas, Ed Graunke,
Alan Hoskins, Tom Cannon,
Scott Weaver, Jim Gill, Warren
Ingram
On The Cover
Photo by Warren Ingram
Published Monthly
Entire Contents © Kansas City
Sports & Fitness 2009. The views
and opinions of the contributing writers
contained in this publication do not
necessarily reflect the views and opinions
of the editor and/or publisher.

4 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
ne must follow their nose, not their
eyes, to The Range Steakhouse for
O one of the most unforgettable dining
experiences in Kansas City.
The Range is tucked away in a
quiet corner at Harrah’s North
Kansas City. It is on the way to the
casino, but removed from the hustle
and bustle, making for a pleasant
ambiance.
Because it is a few steps off the
beaten path, many a dining party
might be oblivious to its existence,
which would be a shame. Just follow
the signs in the Harrah’s hall
way or better yet the scent to one
of the best dining experiences you
could ever desire.
The Range is the only casino
steakhouse that includes a salad bar.
This is not your usual run-of-the-mill
salad bar. I feasted on not only the wide
variety of lettuce, but heart of palm, artichoke
hearts and red peppers. The salad
bar, also, included several choices of
fresh fruit.
Another writer ordered the Caesar
salad, which included a generous sprinkling
of Parmesan cheese, crisp croutons
and perfectly seasoned dressing.
Anchovies are also available on request.
There are eight appetizers on the
menu. We opted for the stuffed zucchini
and baked escargot. The zucchini was
stuffed with delightfully seasoned pork
sausage and melted Parmesan. It was a
delicate balance of light and rich at the
same time.
The escargot was piquant that was
topped with a wonderful pastry topping.
While the Range has steakhouse in its
name, that is a misnomer. The Range has
recently expanded its menu to add several
seafood entrees, including citrus
grilled lobster tail, sea scallops and
seafood penne pasta.
All entrees come with either salad bar
or Caesar salad and two side items.
There are eight side items from which to
choose.
Being a meat lover, I selected the
Grand Prize, an award winning 16-ounce
Kansas City strip, certified Angus beef,
which was aged for 21 days and bourbon
marinated. It was seasoned and topped
with herbed truffle butter. If you are a
steak lover and reading this description
does not have you salivating, something
could be seriously wrong with you. My
succulent steak was cooked to perfection
as ordered.
presents THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT REPORT
The Range Steakhouse at Harrah’s
offers unforgettable dining experience
There is good reason, well make that
several reasons, why it was voted the
“Best Steak in Kansas City” at the 2008
Reservations: 816-889-7159
Cuisine: Steak and Seafood
Special: Sunday - Thursday: 10 oz.
Prime Strip Dinner, $19.95
Great American BBQ
Festival. It should
garner the 2009 top
prize, too.
For side dishes,
I ordered the gruyere
potatoes au gratin and
deep fried onion rings.
Both were an excellent
compliment to the
thick steak.
The other entrée ordered was the sea
scallops, which were luscious. They
were pan seared and served in the shell
with saffron butter.
A baked potato, about
the size of Vermont,
and broccoli, crisply
cooked, were the
superb side dishes.
There was just one
problem, however.
With the munificent
proportions, no one
left room for dessert.
ENTERTAINMENT AT HARRAH’S
AT VOODOO LOUNGE
AUGUST 7 8:00 PM PETE YORN
AUGUST 8 10:00 PM DJ TINA
AUGUST 15 10:00 PM DJ MARK STYLZ
AUGUST 17 8:00 PM KFKF SUMMER OF FREEDOM
WITH DARRYL WORLEY
AUGUST 20 8:00 PM SALIVA
AUGUST 21 8:00 PM CLUB WARS SEMI FINALS
AUGUST 22 10:00 PM DJ KEVIN SCOTT
AUGUST 29 10:00 PM DJ STONEROKK
SEPTEMBER 11 7PM & 10PM GET UP KIDS
SEPTEMBER 18 8:00 PM CHIPPENDALES
OCTOBER 2 8:00 PM MARGARET CHO
Hours: 5PM - 10PM; Monday-Thursday
5PM - 11PM; Friday & Saturday
5PM - 10PM; Sunday
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
I had my eyes set on the chocolate
volcano, which was billed as an eruption
of chocolate ice cream covered with
Heath bar crunch and then
dipped in chocolate served on a
pool of flaming strawberry
lava sauce.
But then that is really not a
problem. I plan on returning to
the Range Steakhouse. Next
time I’ll order the halibut
Mediterranee or maybe the
walnut blackened Salmon -
choices, choices - and save
room for dessert.
I would be remiss if I did not
mention our outstanding waitress
Jaclyn, who was very attentive,
making sure the coffee cups never
were empty and checking to make
sure everything was all right with all the
food orders.
When you go to the Range
Steakhouse, there is a good chance you
would meet George Dannic, the manager.
He is very friendly, will answer any
questions about the menu and often goes
to the booths and tables to make sure
everything is perfecto. It certainly was
that evening.
AT TOBY KEITH’S
AUGUST 7 10:00 PM DJ B BROKER WITH DJ TONY C
AUGUST 8 10:00 PM JOHN JOINER BAND
AUGUST 14 10:00 PM DJ SKU
AUGUST 15 10:00 PM OUTLAW JUNKIES
AUGUST 21 10:00 PM DJ SKU
AUGUST 22 10:00 PM EMILY ROSE
AUGUST 28 10:00 PM DJ B BROKER
AUGUST 29 10:00 PM JESSICA HORN
For more information on these events
and other events at Harrah’s,or
for more on the hottest gaming action
around and fast-paced table games,
visit harrahsnkc.com or call
(816) 472-7777

THE GOLF REPORT
6 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Christmas in October Classic: Prelude to PGA Tour return
The PGA Tour is coming
back to Kansas City.
W
ithout a tour event since the last
Champions event in 2006, the
Nationwide Tour’s Christmas in
October Classic presented by the Kansas
City Crusaders will bring the future stars
of the PGA to the Nicklaus Golf Club at
LionsGate Monday through Sunday,
August 17-23.
With only nine of 29 events left to earn
one of 25 PGA Tour cards and a purse of
$650,000, the Classic is expected to draw
almost all of the Nationwide Tour’s budding
young stars along with many former
Tour players bidding to get back on the
regular tour.
“Sixty-five percent of the players on the
PGA Tour are graduates of the Nationwide
Tour and with only eight tournaments left
after the one here and one of the larger
purses on the Nationwide Tour, we really
expect a strong field,” said tournament
director Gene Barlow. “We’re getting calls
from all over from guys who want to enter
the Monday qualifying.”
The list of Nationwide graduates reads
likes a “Who’s Who” – 2007 Masters
champion Zach Johnson, former U.S. Open
champions Ernie Els and Jim Furyk along
with Tom Lehman, Stewart Cink, Ricky
Barnes, Jim Maggert, David Toms, Steve
Stricker and on and on. “When Steve
Stricker held off Zach Johnson to win the
John Deere Classic, it was the 250th PGA
Tour event won by a former Nationwide
player,” Barlows said.
One of the players in the field will be
Trevor Dodds, who in 1990 won the Deer
Creek Open, Kansas City’s first pro tour
event in several decades and the predecessor
to the Nationwide Tour. Dodd, who
won with a spectacular eagle on the final
hole, will have the son of tournament
starter Larry Corrigan as his caddy. Also,
Dodds is about to turn 50
and is looking forward to
playing on the
Champions Tour.
A benefit to Kansas
City’s Christmas in
October project, a field
of 156 players from 20
countries will compete in
the tournament including
the top finishers in a
qualifying tournament at
Fred Arbanas Golf
Alan
Hoskins
Contributing
Writer
Course at Longview Lake on Aug. 17.
The field will also include the LionsGate
club champion and the winner of the
Kansas City Crusaders Junior Invitational
Tournament.
Founded last February by Barlow, former
Chiefs quarterback Tony Adams and
Joe Bisogno of Mr. Goodcents, the Kansas
City Crusaders were formed with a goal of
supporting community charities through
the promotion of professional golf with an
ultimate goal of attracting and supporting a
PGA Tour event in the Kansas City area.
“We’re laying the foundation and if
we show the support both from the
continued on next page

THE GOLF REPORT
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 7
PGA - continued from previous page
sponsorship aspect from the business community
and from a spectator standpoint, we
feel we have a good chance for success,”
Barlow said.
The Kansas City Crusaders are the presenting
sponsor, while other major sponsors
include Panera Bread, Sprint, Price
Chopper, Southwest Airlines, Brancato’s
Catering, All Seasons Party & Tent Rental,
Holmes Murphy, Prairie Fired, Freedom
Bank, 810 Sports Radio, Weber Slicer and
Kingston Printing.
Classic single day tickets are $8 and
there’s a $25 ticket which includes admittance
for any or all of the four days of the
Classic. In addition, those in the military
and any youngsters with a student ID will
be admitted without charge.
The Classic comes on the 25th anniversary
of the founding by John McMeel and
Dick Miller of the Kansas City Christmas
in October project in 1984. The largest
such rehabilitation program in the country,
it has an estimated economic impact of
$2.5 million despite the fact many of the
350 participating cities such as New York,
Los Angeles and Chicago have much larger
populations. “Kansas City is by far the
largest and best and we need to keep it that
way,” McMeel said.
In 2008 alone with just two paid staff
workers, repairs and improvements were
made on 1,645 homes at no charge to the
recipients. As a result, 63 homes without
heat have furnaces. Also, 94 houses
received desperately need electrical repairs
and 104 received plumbing repairs, while
157 houses had roofs repaired, 174 had
guttering replaced, 128 had doors replaced,
235 had windows replaced and 81 had
screens replaced.
In addition, 256 houses were winterized,
20 fully insulated, 181 painted and 21 had
wheelchair ramps installed. Community
projects included the Lighthouse, Niles
Home, Ozanam Boys Home, Gillis School,
Crittenton Home, Community of the Good
Shepherd and Cristo Rey High School.
The tournament week will kick off Aug.
17, with a Crusaders Pro Am at the Jack
Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate along
with the 18-hole tour qualifier for pros and
amateurs at Fred Arbanas Golf Course.
There will also be morning and afternoon
pro ams at LionsGate on Wednesday with
the 72-hole Classic to begin on Thursday.
After the winner’s ceremony on Aug. 23,
eight spectators will have a shot at a holein-one
from the 18th fairway. An ace will
win a new $400,000 home built by Johnny
Adams Homes. If there’s no hole-in-one,
closes to the pin will win round trip airfare
to any destination in the continental U.S.
from Southwest Airlines.
Ticket information can be found at
www.Christmasinoctober.org or by calling
816 531-6443.
Secrets To
Long Golf Drives
What are the secrets to long golf drives? The ones
the BIG boys in those long drive competitions put to
use to hit balls over 400 yards. I know you may never
aspire to hit it that long, but how about another 30
yards farther than you are now? I’m sure you’d oblige
wouldn’t you?
You may be thinking those guys are monsters. 6’8”
280 of shredded muscle, but you might be surprised
to find out this past years Remax Long Drive
Champion is ONLY 165 pounds and just under 6’ tall.
AND…he is ONLY 20 years of age! Truly amazing!
So what’s the secret to hitting LONG drives in
golf?
Well…I can tell you first off, if you are tight or weak
good luck
But there’s still hope if you are. You can maximize
your driving distance with a few simple tips (secrets):
Tee the ball forward in your stance. I mean almost
outside your comfort zone. Draw a line straight out
from your lead foot big toe and that’s where your ball
should be. This enable you to do two very important
things to hit it LONG.
First it allows you to get behind the ball and STAY
behind it at impact, imparting “all you’ve got” into that
poor golf ball Secondly, this promotes an ascending
blow on the golf ball. That means you are catching it
up on the UPSWING which promotes a higher launch
angle and more distance.
Tilt your spine away from the ball. Most amateurs
stand with a vertical spine with no tilt. This makes it
nearly impossible to hit an ascending blow, and you
have a greater chance of a reverse pivot on your
backswing. Tilting your spine away from the target,
puts you in the ideal position to arrive at impact powerfully.
Grip pressure should be on the light side. Here
again is where we get in trouble. We put a death grip
on the club which SLOWS down clubhead speed.
Why? Because muscular tension kills speed. Try to
do anything fast when you tighten your muscles. It
ain’t gonna happen! Next time you want to hit it
LONG, just before you start your backswing, lighten
your grip and see what happens.
Create and maintain lag. This is a BIG ONE! In
order to have maximum clubhead speed at impact
and beyond, you MUST hold your wrist cock as long
as you can, coming down. This is one of the biggest
power leaks in all of golf. Releasing that angle in the
wrist creates a tremendous loss of clubhead speed
and ultimately distance. Strengthen your wrists to be
able to hold this angle WAY into the downswing.
So there you have it!
Tip provided by Mike Pedersen of
PerformBetterGolf.com. Mike is a Golf Swing
Biomechanic specializing in helping golfers produce
more power and distance in their golf swings. Visit his
website at www.performbettergolf.com for more tips,
and power golf training products.

8 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
THE GOLF REPORT
Chip shots and short putts from the world of KC golf
Painted Hills tourney boost to
Petty’s
T
Victory Junction Camp
hanks in part to a tournament at
Painted Hills, Kyle and Pattie Petty’s
Victory Junction Camp scheduled for
construction in Kansas City, Kansas is off
to a flying start.
The tournament helped raise $16,000
for the camp, which is scheduled to open
in 2011. It is a year-round, medical camp
for children with chronic medical conditions
and serious illnesses. Ground breaking
was held in May on a 71-acre campus
on land donated by the Unified
Government of KCK at 82nd and
Riverview. The camp will operate solely
on donations from corporations, organizations
and individuals, which will allow
campers to attend at no cost.
“I had approached Mike Papore, the
executive director for the Kyle Foundation,
in May but it wasn’t until the first week of
June that we got it finalized,” said Steve
Price, Painted Hills general manager. “We
had just three weeks to put it together and
had a full field of 132 golfers, thanks in no
small part to Matt Hughes, the fund-raiser
for the Petty Foundation who really put it
all together and did a great job.
“It really turned out to be a great tournament
and is going to be an annual event.
Kyle will be playing and we hope to get
some other NASCAR drivers here. The
camp is going to be located not far from us
and it’s going to be the biggest and best
event Painted Hills will be hosting. That’s
going to be my focus.”
Shelton got wake-up call
Tyler Shelton got a wake-up call on his
way to winning the 2009 Kansas City
Amateur golf championship.
Shelton had built a comfortable sevenshot
lead with rounds of 69 and 66 at
Ironhorse, but forgot that the “lift, clean
and place” rule that was needed because of
muddy conditions on the second round was
not in effect
for the final
round. “I hit
two good shots
on the par 5
second hole
but then
picked up my
ball about a
foot and realized
what I
had done,”
said Shelton, who immediately informed
his playing partners what had happened
and took a stroke penalty.
“It kind of got me focused,” said
Shelton, 37, who finished with a 2-over
73 that was five shots better than defending
champion Kyle Yonke and Peter Krsnich.
Curtis Yonke, Kyle’s younger brother, finished
fourth at 217.
It was the second such championship for
Shelton, who was a senior at KU when he
won the Kansas City match play title in
1994. A 6A state champion at SM East in
1990 and former Missouri Amateur winner,
Shelton spent 5½ years playing professionally,
mostly on the Canadian Tour until
2001. “I loved every bit of it, but got a little
tired of golf and came back to Kansas
City,” Shelton said. He regained his amateur
status in 2004.
Tom Bachelor of Olathe repeated as senior
champion. It was the third senior title
for the 56-year-old Bachelor, who also won
in 2004. With birdies on the first two holes,
he finished with a final round 68 to nip
Thomas Leonard of Leawood by a single
shot for the title. “This, to me, is like the
pinnacle,” said Bachelor. “This is the
Kansas City Amateur. These are the top
senior players in Kansas City.”
James Isleib of Leawood won the
Players Division with a 76-71-147, while
Guy Cannon of Excelsior Springs (69-73-
142) had low net. Robert Nelson (785-75-
150) of Lenexa took the Legends championship
by two shots over Ron Brewer of
Leawood, although Brewer nipped Nelson
by two shots for low net.
OP scraps three tournaments
On a much sadder note, because of a
lack of entries, Overland Park has had to
cancel its three annual tournaments – the
By ALAN HOSKINS, Contributing Writer
St. Andrews club and the Overland Park
club and city championships. At one time
all three were highly contested events.
The oldest of the city’s three “major”
events, the St. Andrews club championship
was first held in 1970 and was won by Ken
McFerren. The OP club championship was
started a year later and was won by Dr,
Tony Amend. Both events were held annually
until last year. It was not until 1990
that the OP city championship was started
and won by Rob Sites. It was won by Dave
Harris last year.
Benn Sledge reigns as the all-time
champion with nine titles – five St.
Andrews, three OP club and one city. R.J.
Patel is next with seven including one St.
Andrews, two OP club and four city titles.
Greg Emas is third on the list with five
championships while Bob Bezak, Mike
Moore, Rob Sites and Bob Chatterton each
had four and Don Cox and Mike Moore
three each.
Make Putting Your Number One Priority
JoAnn Ball made
a difference
Over the past
28 years, the
Ball’s Charity
Golf Classic has
raised well in
excess of $3 million
for KVC
Behavioral
HealthCare Inc.,
a private not-forprofit
organizacontinued
on next page
GOLF SPECIAL at TEETERING ROCKS
BUY ONE- GET ONE
ANY DAY!
FREE
18 holes - cart rental required
Expires 8/31/09. Not valid from Pro Shop or Leagues,
Tournaments or with any other special offer.
GOLF SPECIAL at TEETERING ROCKS
FREE GOLF
FRIDAYS!
With coupon. Up to 4 golfers. Cart rental required.
Expires 8/31/09. Not valid from Pro Shop or Leagues,
Tournaments or with any other special offer.
Putting only requires three skills. First you need to be able to consistently hit the ball smoothly and solidly.
Second you need to be able to determine how hard you need to hit the ball and be able to consistently swing
the putter at this speed. And, third you need to be able to read greens to be able to visualize how the ball will
roll on its way to the hole.
While these skills are not easy, they are much easier than the skills needed to hit your driver or long irons.
They are also skills that anyone can master.
You do not need to be super coordinated to be a good putter. You just need practice. But, this practice will be
well worth the effort. Why? Because I guarantee that you will become a better putter.
So why don’t we practice putting more. Well, as the old saying goes, “You drive for show, and put for dough.”
We all become obsessed with being able to hit that beautiful long, straight drive. After all, it looks good.
However, that is just show. If you three putt or rarely one put, then I guarantee that you will lower your golf
score more by practicing you putting.
Tip provided by Mike Pedersen of PerformBetterGolf.com. Mike is a Golf Swing Biomechanic specializing in
helping golfers produce more power and distance in their golf swings. Visit his website at www.performbettergolf.com
for more tips, and power golf training products.

THE GOLF REPORT
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 9
tion providing an integrated system of
services for emotionally and behaviorally
impaired, abused, neglected, runaway and
homeless children from infancy through
age 18.
On any one day, KVC (formerly Kaw
Valley Center) helps more than 10,000
youngsters and their families in five states.
And yet none of it would have happened
had it not been for the First Lady of Ball’s
Charity Golf Classic, JoAnn Ball. “It is
because of you that all of are here today for
this wonderful purpose,” said David Ball,
President of Ball’s Food Stores at the
Classic’s 2009 kickoff luncheon. “Because
of your vision, on behalf of myself and
everyone here today, thank you.”
As a member of the Junior League of
Kansas City Kansas, JoAnn Ball was a catalyst
in founding Wyandotte House. A
group home for boys, it started with just
eight boys in a single group home. Today it
is the leading provider of services for emotionally
and behaviorally impaired in the
U.S., serving children in 54 counties in
Kansas through three facilities in KCK and
Olathe and 17 satellite centers in the state.
In addition, KVC administers the largest
program in West Virginia, serves 2,500
children in Kentucky and recently took
over management of a similar program in
Nebraska. “It’s unbelievable,” Ball said.
“I just can’t believe so much has been
done and we’ve come this far in such a
short time.”
KVC reached an historic milestone last
April – the adoption of 1,000 children into
homes since July 2000. “That’s 1,000 children
in 1,000 days,” said Wayne Sims,
KVC President and CEO. “To put that into
perspective, twice as many Kansas children
are adopted today compared to 12
years ago before the revamping of the
social welfare system.”
Nationally, KVC is the highest ranked
behavioral health care provider in the
nation. “Each four years, all such organizations
are audited in nine different areas,”
said Sims. “Kansas ranks No. 1 in three of
the areas and no worse than fifth in any of
the other six.”
SPORTS COMMENTARY
One of the television networks came out
to my place in the Parkville woods.
Seems they wanted to get the story
of my 60 years in the sports broadcasting
business.
It doesn’t seem possible that 60 big ones
have come and gone, but it’s all a part of
the record.
My first football broadcast was in 1948
featuring the University of Missouri and
the University of Colorado. As I recall,
Don Faurot was coaching the Tigers and
playing for Don was one of the current
voices of Mizzou, John Kadlec.
I think the total cost of the room and
meals and an after-the-game martini was
15 bucks.
That was the beginning of the football
best that would later take Merle Harmon
Sixty years behind the microphone
and yours truly across the continent to
every major sports venue.
I alternated my Missouri games with
play-by-play of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
This was about the time Arkansas brought
the foot into football and won more than
one game with a last minute boot by
Pat Summerall.
I couldn’t make it financially with the
college crowd, so I would steal a Friday
night game with a junior college or high
school game in Joplin. I also bought a
striped shirt and entered the business of
officiating. That was another 15 bucks for
groceries. You see, in the late 1940’s a few
bucks bought a lot of milk and potatoes.
In 1950 I got a call in to broadcast the
Joplin Miners - the Yankee farm club.
Their lineup included Mickey Mantle, the
Commerce (Okla.) phenom, and Whitey
Herzog, who would later manage the
Royals to their first three division
championships.
Merle Harmon was airing the Topeka
Owls at this time and it was during those
days we developed a close brother-like
relationship that would last until his death
a few months ago. We would later team up
for the Mutual Game of the Week that
included many Big 10 games and a stop
at Notre Dame.
We also aired the first ever game
between Air Force and the U.S. Military
Academy (Army) in Yankee Stadium.
Merle went on to broadcast on the KU
Sports Network, which I would follow him
to in 1955. I got to travel with the wizard
of the basketball court, Phog Allen.
Those were the great
days for a young
announcer, and they led
to Municipal Auditorium
and the first Final Four
that was done on a
national basis. An ad
agency out of New York
called me to do th e twoday
feed and threw in
$350 a night for the
package. Believe me,
$700 dollars back then
was network pay and
I loved it.
Bill
Grigsby
Contributing
Writer
I got back in the referring business and
got a good schedule of basketball and football
games. All of this announcing work,
which also included the NAIA basketball
tournament and ring announcing and helping
promote Thursday night professional
wrestling, was enough to feed a wife and
five hungry kiddies, whose only eyeball
contact with me sometimes was on the TV
screen where I was doing bowling shows.
During this time, I set some sort of
record when I broadcast eight NAIA games
in one day. It burdened my voice and my
mind, but the college round ball games
were fun to do and I made friends from
coast to coast. I would later be inducted
into the intercollegiate basketball Hall
of Fame.
In 1957 Ed Edwards, who was Harmon’s
mic teammate for the Kansas City
Athletics was let go in mid-season and
because I had minor league baseball experience
and had worked with Harmon
before, I got the job to replace him.
This was a beautiful moment in my life
since one of my early dreams was to get a
big league job. This was the beginning of a
new and exciting chapter in Ol’ Grigs life -
and, low and behold, my first broadcast
was a game between the KC Athletics
and the New York Yankees. Ye Gods,
I had arrived.
Next month I will give you the Paul
Harvey “rest of the story” ending...

EVENT CALENDAR & MORE
10 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
KC Sports Commission PROPS up local sports scene
You gotta give props to the Kansas City
Sports Commission.
On a beautiful mid-July evening, it trotted
out its best Sport KC PROPS (Party
Recognizing Outstanding People of
Sports) and threw a bountiful bash proving
beyond a shadow of Trey Hillman’s doubt
that the local sports scene remains viable
and vibrant.
The gorgeous Midland Theatre, which is
within the Power & Light District, was a
stunning host.
After receiving
a $28 million
makeover
that would
make Ty
Pennington
drool, it’s
easy to see
why this
downtown
destination is
considered
Josh Freeman
KC’s premier indoor theatre for live concerts
and events. The stars of the show were
sports figures of all ages, shapes, sizes, races
and riches from both sides of the state line.
If this gala were considered A
Midsummer Night’s Dream of
Shakespearean proportions, it would unfold
as a three-act play. How doth Kansas City
love it sports and athletic achievements, let
me count the ways:
First Act – arriving guests were greeted
in the Midland’s main lobby with tables full
of silent-auction items. Rabid fans ate up the
memorabilia and penciled in bids. During
this social networking I had a chance for a
meet-and-greet with Kansas State coach Bill
Snyder. He asked for “lots of prayers” as the
season
approaches.
Will do,
coach.
Inside the
darkened theater
were several
buffet
lines of
scrumptious
eats. It was a
first-class
presentation,
Joakim Soria
right down to the free beer offered by
Central States Beverage Company. Kicking
off the ceremony was actor/comedian
Jimmie Walker. Was he the Merchant of
Venom during his “Dy-no-mite” opening
monologue? Not exactly. With children in
the crowd, he shelved his raunchy Vegas act.
He took shots at local drivers, bad roads,
Bill Clinton and the economy before handing
the baton to emcee Dave Stewart.
Second Act – the awards ceremony was a
brisk exercise in “the show must move along
and be over by 9:00 p.m.” A sample of those
receiving stylish acrylic plaques included
competitive water skier Ricky McCormick,
who appeared on the Tonight Show with
Johnny Carson and taught King Hussein
UPCOMING EVENTS
8/11 Martini Mile 2009, Kansas City Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
8/15 ABA Men’s Pro Basketball Tryout, 68’s Inside Sports, Overland Park, KS
8/15 3rd Annual Run with Ian 5K Run/ Family Stroll, Corporate Woods, OP, KS
8/15 Mayor’s OP5K Farmstead Stampede
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS
8/16 7th Annual Sunflowers to Roses Bike Tour, BikeSource, Overland Park, KS
8/17-23 Christmas in October Classic
Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate, Overland Park, KS,
8/18 Contact Sports Injury Prevention Seminar,
Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, MO
8/22 Liver Life Walk Kansas City, Theis Park, Kansas City, MO
8/29 Walk to Cure Psoriasis, Theis Park, Kansas City, MO
8/29 31st Annual Tiblow Trot, Kelly Murphy Park, Bonner Springs, KS
8/29 Chiefs Charity Game, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
8/29 The Speedy P.D. 5K/10K for Parkinson’s Disease
Meadowlark Hills, Manhattan, KS
9/5 SantaCaliGon 10K & 5K, Independence, MO
9/7 Bike for the Brain, Mission, KS
9/11 Patriots Run Ultra, Marathon, Relay and “just come and run,” Olathe, KS
If you have a sports event you’d like included in our calendar, send it to
sfisch@kcsportspaper.com at least 45 days before the event.
how to ski; the 17th overall pick Kansas
State quarterback Josh Freeman of the 2009
NFL draft and third-round pick Missouri
tight end Chase Coffman of the Cincinnati
Bengals; 2004 Olympics Silver medalist
gymnast Courtney McCool; and 6-foot-4
Morgan Johnson who is taking her hoops
heroics to the University of Iowa.
The loudest applause went to Kansas
State School for the Blind shot put record
holder Chad Rohr for his “Special Athletic”
Achievement
Award.
“Smarty
Pants” recognition
went to
Olathe East’s
(and future
Texas
Christian
University
footballer)
Rick Settle
for scoring a
Len Dawson
perfect 36 on his ACT’s. The final hardware
piece went to quarterback/broadcaster/all
around good guy Len Dawson as the Lamar
Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Final Act – after a sendoff salvo from
Walker, VIPs walked across the street to
Kansas City’s coolest rooftop hotspot known
as “The Jones.” This would be the “ultrapool”
on the sixth floor
atop Cosentino’s Market
Downtown. What a
delightful nightcap on a
surprisingly cool evening.
The pool and bar setup
was spectacular. The
views were amazing.
I felt like I was helicoptered
into a Sunset
Strip nightclub. All that
was missing was Michael
Phelps. Many of us got a
Jim
Potoski
Contributing
Writer
chuckle out of the upper floors of the H&R
Block building that seemed within a
Coppertone squirt of the pool deck.
Question: How do Block-ers stay focused
during the summer when bar maids and
bikinis are on parade during sun-drenched
afternoons?
Encore –at poolside I caught up with
Kevin Wicker, the Sports Commission’s
Director of Local Events & Development.
“We’re gonna sell out the Midland next
year,” he said. “That would be 1,400 tops
for PROPS. We can do it based on all the
positive feedback. The PROPS acronym
came out of a steering-committee brainstorming
session. Every company has a
banquet. We wanted to create a spectacle
that sports fans and sponsors could get
excited about.”

12 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 13
Losing Tony Gonzalez in a trade isn’t a positive,
but it cannot be taken away from what Pioli
has done this off-season.
Pioli hired Todd Haley, who was considered
one of the league’s best offensive coordinators
with the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.
Pioli and Haley acquired players who came
from winning teams -
QB Matt Cassel, LB
Mike Vrabel, LB Zach
Thomas, OG Mike
Brown, WR Bobby
Engram and S Mike
Brown. Those players
combined have six
Super Bowl appearances,
nine Pro Bowl
appearances and 10
All-Pro selections.
Kansas City is making
a transaction to
the 3-4 defense. The
Chiefs focused on
making their new
defense stronger by
drafting the best Brian Waters
defensive end that fits their system, Tyson
Jackson from LSU. They also brought back
Monty Beisel, who played under the 3-4 defensive
system with New England and Arizona. The
new veterans will augment past Chiefs Pro
Bowlers Larry Johnson and Brian Waters.
Chiefs are back on track
The past two years the Kansas City Chiefs have won six games.
They have lost 23 of their past 25 games.
Last winter Chiefs owner Clark Hunt took action and brought in
Scott Pioli from the New England Patriots organization to
replace Carl Peterson as the general manager. Pioli made
changes, several changes. Kansas City has come off of one of the
most active off-seasons in recent memory.
Chiefs Offense
Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey will be
returning and will be calling the plays. Cassel
won’t have Gonzalez to throw to, but he will have
Dwayne Bowe and Engram as targets. All eyes
will be glued on Johnson, who hasn’t rushed for
1,000 yards for two straight years after coming off
of back to back 1,700 yard
seasons. Since 2004,
Johnson has put together 31
100-yard rushing games. The
Chiefs are 23-8 in those 31
games. With a more mature
attitude and a better offensive
line, Johnson may be able to
turn the clock back to 2005-
06 and help the Chiefs win
more games this year.
Left tackle Branden Albert
only allowed four sacks in the
15 games he played in as a
rookie. Waters and Mike Goff
are the projected starting
guards as they’ve had experience
blocking for successful
running backs.
Photo by Ed Graunke
Chiefs Defense
Clancy Pendergast, the former defensive coordinator
of the Cardinals, will be the new defensive
coordinator in Kansas City. After 10 team sacks,
fewest in NFL history, the Chiefs will make the
switch to the 3-4 defense with players being
Photo by Scott Thomas
moved around to new positions. Glenn Dorsey
has moved to defensive end while Tamba Hali
and Turk McBride move to the linebacker spot.
Derrick Johnson will be playing with two veteran
linebackers Vrabel and Thomas, who were
picked up in the off season and both have played
in the 3-4 defense. Jackson is slotted in to start at
defensive end after starring at LSU. Safety Mike
Derrick Johnson
Brown has not played 16 games since 2003.
Since 2004, Brown has only played 36 games in
the NFL with multiple injuries keeping him off the
field. In 2001, the Bears
were involved in two backto-back
overtime games and
Brown returned an interception
for the game winning
touchdown in both. Brown
hasn’t been able to put up
big numbers due to his
injuries, but has been a
key player while healthy.
Brown will be challenging
safeties Jarrad Page
and Bernard Pollard for a starting spot.
Farzin
Vousoughian
Contributing
Writer
Cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon
Carr are coming off successful rookie
seasons.
Chiefs Special Teams
After cutting kicker Connor Barth and long
snapper Thomas Gafford before training
camp, it may be safe to assume rookie kicker
Ryan Succop and long snapper Tanner
Purdum will be key players on special teams,
along with punter Dustin Colquitt, who missed
two games with a groin injury.
The Chiefs are in a mediocre division,
allowing them hope. With the new off-season
additions and only one strong opponent in the
AFC West, the Chiefs will improve and could
possibly challenge the San Diego Chargers for
the division title.
In 2007, the Falcons and Dolphins both had
poor seasons. After making changes with their
front office and bringing in a new head coach,
both teams won 11 games in 2008 and
reached the playoffs. The Chiefs’ off-season
has been similar to the Falcons and Dolphins
of a year ago. Now let’s see if the results are
similar.
Farzin Vousoughian does a podcast called
“The Chiefs Zone,” which is featured on
TheSportsStuff.com and on iTunes.
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14 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
T
Was Cassel signing a good deal for the Chiefs?
here is a great debate going on all over
Kansas City. Did the Chiefs make the right
move in giving Matt Cassel a long term
extension? The debate basically boils down to
two opinions.
One side says the Chiefs have finally paid a
legitimate starting QB, and we don’t have to
worry about the position for six years. The other
side asks why the Chiefs would throw all of this
money at Cassel when they didn’t have to until
the end of the 2009 season.
Let’s start with the contract, a reported six
year $63-million deal. The guaranteed money is
said to be $28-million, but Mike Lombardi from
the NationalFootballPost.com has it at $35.5-
million when you add in a bonus that is likely to
be earned in the fir st couple years. Reports also
say that $40.5-million will be paid out in the first
three years… meaning that if Cassel is “the man”
he would be a cheap quarterback, by NFL standards,
the final three years of the deal…giving
the Chiefs a high quality QB and salary cap
flexibility.
Generally when there is a debate like this,
both sides have an amount of truth on their side,
and that is the case here.
Before I get to the two sides let’s play a game.
I’m going to give you the stats for two different
quarterbacks.
QB No. 1: (10-5) 327-516 63%
3,693 yds 21 TDs 11 INTs
QB No. 2: (10-4) 318-533 60%
3,569 yds 20 TD 9 INT
Those numbers look pretty similar. No. 1 completed
a slightly higher percentage of his passes
and had one more TD, but two more interception.
The records (10-5) and (10-4) are very comparable
as well. I think it is safe to say that these two
could be the same guy…but they aren’t.
Stay tuned on the two quarterbacks.
Let’s get back to the two sides of the argument.
The naysayers continue to throw out the
names Scott Mitchell and Rob Johnson. While
there are similarities in all, the three had a small
sample of success with one team and then was
made “the man” by another. However there is a
much bigger sample to work with on Cassel.
Rob Johnson was 25-for-35 in his three years
with the Jags when the Bills made him the man.
That’s right, only 35 passes total. Cassel has
thrown 555 passes. There was a bigger sample
on Scott Mitchell. Mitchell was 135-for-241.
While it is clear the Chiefs have a much larger
sample to work with on Cassel, they could have
used the 2009 season to build an even bigger
evaluation on him. They had the option to wait
before giving him the
big deal.
So what did they gain by
signing him
now? They
get more cap
room this
year, but with
the huge
amounts of
cap room they
have that
wasn’t the
Soren
Petro
reason. If Cassel is “the man” they
will actually get him at a bargain.
$10-million per season would be a
bargain for a legit starting QB in
the NFL by the time this deal is
done. By front loading the contract,
the Chiefs will have more cap room
to spend at a time they figure to be
a contender. The last three years
of the deal, Cassel’s cap number
could be as low as $7.5-million. In
2012, 2013 and 2014 that cap
number will be a tremendous bargain and give
the Chiefs great cap flexibility.
continued on next page

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 15
Cassel - from previous page
The down side is the other side of the
argument. While it is true Cassel would
get more money if he even came close to
duplicating last year’s number, what if he
doesn’t come close? If the Chiefs didn’t
give him this deal, they could sign him for
a lot less and for fewer years, while continuing
to evaluate the position. If Cassel
tanked, the Chiefs could cut their losses
and look elsewhere for a QB.
The bottom line is the Chiefs evaluated
Cassel and thought he was worth a
second round pick (they also got Mike
Vrabel in the deal). They trust their evaluation
enough to commit a large contract
to him. They need to be right. Along with
drafting Tyson Jackson in the first round,
this deal is one of the first decisions the
new regime has made that will hang over
the organization’s head for years to
come…either positively or negatively.
Now back to our two quarterbacks. Do
you know who they are? The first set of
numbers is pretty easy to figure out.
Those are the numbers Cassel put up
while starting in New England. The second
set of numbers…Drum roll
please…Try Damon Huard. Those are
the cumulative numbers he put up
during the first six years of his career.
They are three years in Miami, two in
New England, and his first year with
the Chiefs.
It should be pointed out that those
numbers came while playing for strong
teams. As the Chiefs deteriorated around
Huard, his numbers took a hit. Over the
last two seasons Huard threw 13 TDs
with 17 INT. However he improved to 62
percent completion on his passes. That
tells me Huard was getting better, but the
team around him was falling apart.
The question for Cassel is how will he
do with this team? The Chiefs simply
aren’t as strong the Patriots. Cassel’s
numbers are going to take a hit in all likelihood.
It will come down to how fast general
manager Scott Pioli can rebuild the
team and does Cassel continue to grow
as a quarterback.
Soren Petro
is the host of
“The Program,” heard
weekdays from 10 am to 2
pm on Sports Radio 810
WHB. Visit his show’s website
at theprogramkc.com.
CHIEFS 2009 SEASON SCHEDULE
PRESEASON
Date Opponent Time Network Result
08/15/09 Houston Texans 7:00 PM KCTV5
08/21/09 at Minnesota Vikings 7:00 PM KCTV5
08/29/09 Seattle Seahawks 7:00 PM KCTV5
09/03/09 at St. Louis Rams 7:00 PM KCTV5
REGULAR SEASON
09/13/09 at Baltimore Ravens 12:00 PM CBS
09/20/09 Oakland Raiders 12:00 PM CBS
09/27/09 at Philadelphia Eagles 12:00 PM CBS
10/04/09 New York Giants 12:00 PM FOX
10/11/09 Dallas Cowboys 12:00 PM FOX*
10/18/09 at Washington Redskins 12:00 PM CBS
10/25/09 San Diego Chargers 12:00 PM CBS*
11/01/09 Bye
11/08/09 at Jacksonville Jaguars 12:00 PM CBS
11/15/09 at Oakland Raiders 3:05 PM CBS*
11/22/09 Pittsburgh Steelers 12:00 PM CBS#
11/29/09 at San Diego Chargers 3:05 PM CBS#
12/06/09 Denver Broncos 12:00 PM CBS#
12/13/09 Buffalo Bills 12:00 PM CBS#
12/20/09 Cleveland Browns 12:00 PM CBS#
12/27/09 at Cincinnati Bengals 12:00 PM CBS#
01/03/10 at Denver Broncos 3:15 PM CBS#
(*) AFL Legacy Games - Chiefs To Wear Classic 1962 Uniforms; (#) Subject to Flexible Scheduling

16 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
CHIEFS TEAM ROSTER
# NAME POS HT WT BORN EXP COLLEGE
76 Albert, Branden T 6-5 316 11/04/84 2 Virginia
22 Bates, Jackie CB 5-10 180 10/12/86 R Hampton
26 Battle, Jackie RB 6-2 238 10/01/83 2 Houston
52 Beisel, Monty LB 6-3 244 08/20/78 9 Kansas State
59 Belcher, Jovan LB 6-2 228 07/24/87 R Maine
70 Boone, Alfonso DE 6-3 305 01/11/76 9 Mt. San Antonio
82 Bowe, Dwayne WR 6-2 221 09/21/84 3 LSU
83 Bradley, Mark WR 6-1 201 01/29/82 5 Oklahoma
61 Brown, Colin T 6-7 335 08/29/85 R Missouri
48 Brown, Mike S 5-10 207 02/13/78 10 Nebraska
39 Carr, Brandon CB 6-0 207 05/19/86 2 Grand Valley St.
7 Cassel, Matt QB 6-4 230 05/17/82 5 Southern CA
25 Charles, Jamaal RB 5-11 199 12/27/86 2 Texas
30 Colclough, Ricardo CB 5-11 194 09/26/83 6 Tusculum
46 Collins, Jed FB 6-1 249 03/03/86 1 Washington St.
2 Colquitt, Dustin P 6-3 210 05/06/82 5 Tennessee
10 Copper, Terrance WR 6-0 207 03/12/82 6 East Carolina
87 Cottam, Brad TE 6-7 269 11/28/84 2 Tennessee
42 Cox, Mike FB 6-0 252 07/11/85 2 Georgia Tech
41 Crabtree, Tom TE 6-5 244 11/04/85 R Miami (OH)
12 Croyle, Brodie QB 6-2 206 02/06/83 4 Alabama
85 Curtis, Tony TE 6-5 251 02/11/83 4 Portland State
57 Dacus, Weston LB 6-1 232 09/19/85 2 Arkansas
23 Daniels, Travis CB 6-1 195 09/08/82 5 LSU
81 Darling, Devard WR 6-1 213 04/16/82 6 Washington St.
60 De La Puente, Brian G 6-2 308 05/13/85 2 California
72 Dorsey, Glenn DE 6-1 297 08/01/85 2 LSU
# NAME POS HT WT BORN EXP COLLEGE
95 Edwards, Ron DT 6-3 315 07/12/79 9 Texas A&M
84 Engram, Bobby WR 5-10 192 01/07/73 14 Penn State
24 Flowers, Brandon CB 5-9 187 02/18/86 2 Virginia Tech
34 Fryar, Londen CB 5-11 192 05/19/86 R Western MII
62 Gales, Dion DE 6-5 259 08/17/85 R Troy State
73 Ghiaciuc, Eric C 6-4 303 05/28/81 5 Central MI
92 Gilberry, Wallace DE 6-2 268 12/05/84 2 Alabama
79 Goff, Mike G 6-5 311 01/06/76 12 Iowa
69 Goldberg, Cameron T 6-6 265 11/17/85 R Duke
65 Greenwood, Bobby DE 6-5 278 03/02/87 R Alabama
91 Hali, Tamba LB 6-3 275 11/03/83 4 Penn State
66 Harris, Darryl G 6-4 300 01/14/85 R Mississippi
62 Harrison, Edwin G 6-3 314 11/18/84 1 Colorado
94 Jackson, Tyson DE 6-4 296 06/06/86 R LSU
56 Johnson, Derrick LB 6-3 242 11/22/82 5 Texas
27 Johnson, Larry RB 6-1 230 11/19/79 7 Penn State
9 Johnson, Taurus WR 6-1 205 04/13/86 R South Florida
14 Lawrence, Quinten WR 6-0 184 09/21/84 R McNeese State
31 Leggett, Maurice CB 5-11 188 10/02/86 2 Valdosta State
69 Lokey, Derek DT 6-1 287 11/25/85 1 Texas
71 Magee, Alex DE 6-3 298 04/28/87 R Purdue
15 Martin, Ingle QB 6-2 220 08/15/82 3 Furman
51 Mays, Corey LB 6-1 245 11/27/83 4 Notre Dame
90 McBride, Turk LB 6-2 278 05/30/85 3 Tennessee
47 McGraw, Jon S 6-3 208 04/02/79 8 Kansas State
77 McIntosh, Damion T 6-4 328 03/25/77 10 Kansas State
38 Morgan, DaJuan S 6-0 203 10/21/85 2 NC State
# NAME POS HT WT BORN EXP COLLEGE
64 Niswanger, Rudy C 6-5 301 11/09/82 4 LSU
45 O’Connell, Jake TE 6-3 250 11/06/85 R Miami (OH)
44 Page, Jarrad S 6-0 225 10/19/84 4 UCLA
49 Pollard, Bernard S 6-1 224 12/23/84 4 Purdue
35 Price, Ricky S 6-1 195 09/16/87 R Oklahoma State
43 Purdum, Tanner LS 6-3 270 08/15/84 R Baker
67 Richardson, Barry T 6-6 319 05/15/86 2 Clemson
89 Ryan, Sean TE 6-5 260 03/27/80 6 Boston College
29 Savage, Dantrell RB 5-8 182 02/15/85 2 Oklahoma State
66 Smith, Corey LB 6-1 225 01/17/87 R Cincinnati
21 Smith, Kolby RB 5-11 219 12/15/84 3 Louisville
74 Smith, Wade C 6-4 296 04/26/81 7 Memphis
96 Studebaker, Andy LB 6-3 248 09/16/85 2 Wheaton
6 Succop, Ryan K 6-2 218 09/19/86 R South Carolina
75 Taylor, Herb T 6-3 295 09/22/84 3 TCU
4 Thigpen, Tyler QB 6-1 225 04/14/84 3 Coastal Carolina
55 Thomas, Zach LB 5-11 242 09/01/73 14 Texas Tech
93 Tyler, Tank DT 6-2 306 02/14/85 3 NCarolina State
50 Vrabel, Mike LB 6-4 261 08/14/75 13 Ohio State
67 Walters, Pierre LB 6-5 269 03/25/86 R Eastern Illinois
20 Washington, Donald CB 6-1 197 07/28/86 R Ohio State
65 Washington, Tavares G 6-4 315 04/20/83 1 Florida
54 Waters, Brian G 6-3 320 02/18/77 10 North Texas
80 Webb, Jeff WR 6-2 211 01/31/82 4 SDiego State
53 Williams, Demorrio LB 6-1 232 07/06/80 6 Nebraska
40 Williams, Javarris RB 5-10 223 04/08/86 R Tennessee St.
11 Wright, Rodney WR 5-9 181 11/28/79 1 Fresno State

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 17
T
he year was 1973 and I was a young pup
and I can remember going to William
Jewell to watch the Kansas City Chiefs.
My brother and I had the privilege to hang out
with the likes of Len Dawson, Otis Taylor, Jan
Stenerud, Jack Rudnay, Ed Podolak, and many
others. They all looked like giants as they paraded
from the locker room onto the practice field.
This was a great joy for me then and stirs up
great emotions now as we enter another year
with hopes of just making it to the playoffs, let
alone the Super Bowl.
What I realize now is that we were nearing the
end of the great dynasty that brought many AFL
championships through the 1960s as well as two
Super Bowl appearances, something many a
generation hasn’t experienced here in Kansas
City. Oh how I wish camcorders and digital
recorders could have been invented back then.
All I have are a few snapshots in my memory of
the glory team of old. I don’t recall seeing Hank
Stram, but we can all thank NFL films for the
great memories of Super Bowl IV.
Believe it or not, the one player I remember
the most was Jerrel Wilson, number 44. As a kid,
you emulate the running backs, wide receivers
and quarterbacks, but for some strange reason,
watching Wilson kick those booming punts
across the field still is etched in my youthful
memory bank. He came up to me and showed
me how to properly hold the ball and step forward
in order to boot the pigskin 40 yards or
more; I am sure I made it four yards. I am in my
40s now, and punters like he and Ray Guy are
nearly extinct, not only because of the distance
When the game was a game
they kicked, but the coffin-corner placement they
had. They both would precisely pin opponents
inside the 10 week after week. No punter does
that consistently now.
I was able to catch up with Bobby Bell and Ed
Budde lately and conversed with them about the
great dynasty we had. Both players commented
on how they played like a team, not like a group
of superstars. Every player was talented in their
own right, but it was like taking a box of puzzle
pieces and turning it into a Picasso. All of this
was orchestrated by Stram. Bell mentioned on
how each player knew and respected each other
and their talents. From Willie Lanier to Buck
Buchanan to Emmitt Thomas, I truly cannot think
of a greater ensemble of defensive players
7 Questions with Ed Budde
The following is from the “Behind the Stats”
radio show with Matt Fulks and Dave Stewart,
who were joined by Chiefs Hall of Fame player
Ed Budde.
1. My idol growing up
was...?
Ed Budde: My daddy.
He taught us that if
you work hard, everything
will turn out
alright.
2. My greatest day in
football was...?
EB: 1968 when everyone
on our offense
was injured and we
beat Oakland, and I was voted the offensive
player of the week. And, of course, winning the
Super Bowl.
3. My favorite type of music or musician is...?
EB: The blues, but my favorite musicians are
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
Behind the Stats host Matt Fulks (left), Ed
Budde (center) and Dave Stewart.
4. My favorite vacation spot is...?
EB: Hawaii
5. My favorite movie of all-time is...?
EB: “From Here to Eternity”
6. The best gift I’ve
ever received…?
EB: Family. That’s
the most important
thing to me.
7. The one person in
history I’d like to
meet is...?
EB: Benjamin
Franklin. He invented
so many things
and did so many interesting things that I think
it’d be fascinating to talk with him.
For more information or to find out the next
broadcast time for “Behind the Stats,” please
go to www.BehindTheStatsRadio.com.
packed onto one team for so long. They weren’t
the “no name” defense; everyone knew their
names.
Budde talked about how solid the offense was
and how mistake free it played.
Led by No. 16 cool Len Dawson,
the Chiefs didn’t always put up big
numbers, just big plays when
needed. Otis Taylor could have a
human highlight film of his own
and will always be one of the most
underrated wide receivers in NFL
history.
A strong offensive line prevented
constant pressure on Dawson
and opened holes for many running
backs that graced Municipal
stadium. Mike Livingston will also
go down as a forgotten hero for
leading the Chiefs during the 1969
Super Bowl year, as Dawson was
out several games with an injury.
Oh how I wish I could go back
to 1973 and watch all those greats wind down
their careers. After the loss to Miami on
Christmas day in 1971 (the longest game in NFL
James
Peuster
Contributing
Writer
history), Kansas City’s run
was coming to an end. By
1977, almost all of the
greats would be gone and a
long playoff drought ensued.
Wilson, Buchanan, Jim
Tyrer, Stram, Hunt and
many others have passed
away but the ring of champions
at Arrowhead still revive
many of our memories as
we still hold on to Super
Bowl IV, our only championship
victory. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary
of our greatest season ever, I ask many of
you to share the memories with your children
and talk about the days of old.
I am not quite sure we or any other place will
have a team that stayed and played together like
the Kansas City Chiefs did under Stram. I just
wish I could have been born earlier so I could
have experienced many more memories.
Instead, I just keep thinking about the 1973 day
I had in Liberty and how fortunate I was to see
those giants up close and personal.

18 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
2008 TEAM STANDINGS
AFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Dolphins 11 5 0 .688 345 317 5-3-0 6-2-0 8-4-0 3-1-0 4-2-0 WON 5
Patriots 11 5 0 .688 410 309 5-3-0 6-2-0 7-5-0 4-0-0 4-2-0 WON 4
Jets 9 7 0 .563 405 356 5-3-0 4-4-0 7-5-0 2-2-0 4-2-0 LOST 2
Bills 7 9 0 .438 336 342 3-5-0 4-4-0 5-7-0 2-2-0 0-6-0 LOST 1
AFC North
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Steelers 12 4 0 .750 347 223 6-2-0 6-2-0 10-2-0 2-2-0 6-0-0 WON 1
x-Ravens 11 5 0 .688 385 244 6-2-0 5-3-0 8-4-0 3-1-0 4-2-0 WON 2
Bengals 4 11 1 .281 204 364 3-4-1 1-7-0 3-9-0 1-2-1 1-5-0 WON 3
Browns 4 12 0 .250 232 350 1-7-0 3-5-0 3-9-0 1-3-0 1-5-0 LOST 6
AFC South
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
z-Titans 13 3 0 .813 375 234 7-1-0 6-2-0 9-3-0 4-0-0 4-2-0 LOST 1
x-Colts 12 4 0 .750 377 298 6-2-0 6-2-0 10-2-0 2-2-0 4-2-0 WON 9
Texans 8 8 0 .500 366 394 6-2-0 2-6-0 5-7-0 3-1-0 2-4-0 WON 1
Jaguars 5 11 0 .313 302 367 2-6-0 3-5-0 3-9-0 2-2-0 2-4-0 LOST 2
AFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Chargers 8 8 0 .500 439 347 5-3-0 3-5-0 7-5-0 1-3-0 5-1-0 WON 4
Broncos 8 8 0 .500 370 448 4-4-0 4-4-0 5-7-0 3-1-0 3-3-0 LOST 3
Raiders 5 11 0 .313 263 388 2-6-0 3-5-0 4-8-0 1-3-0 2-4-0 WON 2
Chiefs 2 14 0 .125 291 440 1-7-0 1-7-0 2-10-0 0-4-0 2-4-0 LOST 4
NFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
z-Giants 12 4 0 .750 427 294 7-1-0 5-3-0 3-1-0 9-3-0 4-2-0 LOST 1
x-Eagles 9 6 1 .594 416 289 6-2-0 3-4-1 2-1-1 7-5-0 2-4-0 WON 1
Cowboys 9 7 0 .563 362 365 6-2-0 3-5-0 2-2-0 7-5-0 3-3-0 LOST 2
Redskins 8 8 0 .500 265 296 4-4-0 4-4-0 1-3-0 7-5-0 3-3-0 LOST 1
NFC North
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Vikings 10 6 0 .625 379 333 6-2-0 4-4-0 2-2-0 8-4-0 4-2-0 WON 1
Bears 9 7 0 .563 375 350 6-2-0 3-5-0 2-2-0 7-5-0 4-2-0 LOST 1
Packers 6 10 0 .375 419 380 4-4-0 2-6-0 1-3-0 5-7-0 4-2-0 WON 1
Lions 0 16 0 .000 268 517 0-8-0 0-8-0 0-4-0 0-12-0 0-6-0 LOST 16
NFC South
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Panthers 12 4 0 .750 414 329 8-0-0 4-4-0 4-0-0 8-4-0 4-2-0 WON 1
x-Falcons 11 5 0 .688 391 325 7-1-0 4-4-0 3-1-0 8-4-0 3-3-0 WON 3
Buccaneers 9 7 0 .563 361 323 6-2-0 3-5-0 1-3-0 8-4-0 3-3-0 LOST 4
Saints 8 8 0 .500 463 393 6-2-0 2-6-0 3-1-0 5-7-0 2-4-0 LOST 1
NFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
y-Cardinals 9 7 0 .563 427 426 6-2-0 3-5-0 2-2-0 7-5-0 6-0-0 WON 1
49ers 7 9 0 .438 339 381 4-4-0 3-5-0 2-2-0 5-7-0 3-3-0 WON 2
Seahawks 4 12 0 .250 294 392 2-6-0 2-6-0 1-3-0 3-9-0 3-3-0 LOST 1
Rams 2 14 0 .125 232 465 1-7-0 1-7-0 0-4-0 2-10-0 0-6-0 LOST 10
x - Clinched playoff berth y - Clinched division title z - Clinched division title and home-field advantage throughout playoffs

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 19
WEEK-BY-WEEK 2009-10 NFL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, SEPT. 10
Tennessee at Pittsburgh . . . . .7:30 PM
SUNDAY, SEPT. 13
Miami at Atlanta . . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Baltimore . . . .12:00 PM
Philadelphia at Carolina . . . . .12:00 PM
Denver at Cincinnati . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Minnesota at Cleveland . . . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Jets at Houston . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Jacksonville at Indianapolis . .12:00 PM
Detroit at New Orleans . . . . .12:00 PM
Dallas at Tampa Bay . . . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Arizona . . . . .3:15 PM
Washington at N.Y. Giants . . . .3:15 PM
St. Louis at Seattle . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Chicago at Green Bay . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, SEPT. 14
Buffalo at New England . . . . . .6:00 PM
San Diego at Oakland . . . . . . .9:15 PM
WEEK 2
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
Carolina at Atlanta . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Minnesota at Detroit . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cincinnati at Green Bay . . . . .12:00 PM
Arizona at Jacksonville . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at Kansas City . . . . .12:00 PM
New England at N.Y. Jets . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at Philadelphia .12:00 PM
Houston at Tennessee . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Washington . . . . .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Buffalo . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Seattle at San Francisco . . . . .3:05 PM
Pittsburgh at Chicago . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Cleveland at Denver . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Baltimore at San Diego . . . . . .3:15 PM
N.Y. Giants at Dallas . . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
Indianapolis at Miami . . . . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 3
SUNDAY, SEPT. 27
Cleveland at Baltimore . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tennessee at N.Y. Jets . . . . .12:00 PM
Washington at Detroit . . . . . .12:00 PM
Jacksonville at Houston . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Minnesota .12:00 PM
Atlanta at New England . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Philadelphia . .12:00 PM
Green Bay at St. Louis . . . . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at Buffalo . . . . . .3:05 PM
Chicago at Seattle . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati . . . . . .3:15 PM
Denver at Oakland . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Miami at San Diego . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Indianapolis at Arizona . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, SEPT. 28
Carolina at Dallas . . . . . . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 4
SUNDAY, OCT. 4
Detroit at Chicago . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cincinnati at Cleveland . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at Houston . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Seattle at Indianapolis . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tennessee at Jacksonville . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Giants at Kansas City . . .12:00 PM
Baltimore at New England . . .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Washington . . .12:00 PM
Buffalo at Miami . . . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
N.Y. Jets at New Orleans . . . . .3:05 PM
Dallas at Denver . . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
St. Louis at San Francisco . . . .3:15 PM
San Diego at Pittsburgh . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, OCT. 5
Green Bay at Minnesota . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina,
Philadelphia
WEEK 5
SUNDAY, OCT. 11
Cincinnati at Baltimore . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Buffalo . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Washington at Carolina . . . . .12:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Detroit . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Dallas at Kansas City . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at N.Y. Giants . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia . .12:00 PM
Minnesota at St. Louis . . . . . .12:00 PM
Atlanta at San Francisco . . . . .3:05 PM
Houston at Arizona . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
New England at Denver . . . . . .3:15 PM
Jacksonville at Seattle . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Indianapolis at Tennessee . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, OCT. 12
N.Y. Jets at Miami . . . . . . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Chicago, Green Bay, New Orleans,
San Diego
WEEK 6
SUNDAY, OCT. 18
Houston at Cincinnati . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Detroit at Green Bay . . . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Jacksonville . . . .12:00 PM
Baltimore at Minnesota . . . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Giants at New Orleans . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Pittsburgh . . . . .12:00 PM
Carolina at Tampa Bay . . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Washington . .12:00 PM
Philadelphia at Oakland . . . . . .3:05 PM
Arizona at Seattle . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Tennessee at New England . . .3:15 PM
Buffalo at N.Y. Jets . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Chicago at Atlanta . . . . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, OCT. 19
Denver at San Diego . . . . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, San
Francisco
WEEK 7
SUNDAY, OCT. 25
Chicago at Cincinnati . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Green Bay at Cleveland . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Houston . . .12:00 PM
San Diego at Kansas City . . .12:00 PM
Minnesota at Pittsburgh . . . .12:00 PM
Indianapolis at St. Louis . . . . .12:00 PM
New England at Tampa Bay
(in London) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Buffalo at Carolina . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
N.Y. Jets at Oakland . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Atlanta at Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
New Orleans at Miami . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Arizona at N.Y. Giants . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, OCT 26
Philadelphia at Washington . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Baltimore, Denver, Detroit,
Jacksonville, Seattle, Tennessee
WEEK 8
SUNDAY, NOV. 1
Denver at Baltimore . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Houston at Buffalo . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Chicago . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Seattle at Dallas . . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Detroit . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Minnesota at Green Bay . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Indianapolis 12:00 PM
Miami at N.Y. Jets . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at San Diego . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Jacksonville at Tennessee . . .3:05 PM
Carolina at Arizona . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia . . .3:15 PM
MONDAY, NOV. 2
Atlanta at New Orleans . . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Cincinnati, Kansas City,
New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay,
Washington
WEEK 9
SUNDAY, NOV. 8
Washington at Atlanta . . . . . .12:00 PM
Arizona at Chicago . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Baltimore at Cincinnati . . . . . .12:00 PM
Houston at Indianapolis . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Jacksonville . .12:00 PM
Miami at New England . . . . . .12:00 PM
Green Bay at Tampa Bay . . . .12:00 PM
Carolina at New Orleans . . . . .3:05 PM
Detroit at Seattle . . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
San Diego at N.Y. Giants . . . .3:15 PM
Tennessee at San Francisco . .3:15 PM
Dallas at Philadelphia . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, NOV. 9
Pittsburgh at Denver . . . . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Buffalo, Cleveland, Minnesota,
N.Y. Jets, Oakland, St. Louis
WEEK 10
THURSDAY, NOV. 12
Chicago at San Francisco . . . .7:20 PM
SUNDAY, NOV. 15 PM
Atlanta at Carolina . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Miami . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Detroit at Minnesota . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets . . . .12:00 PM
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh . . . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at St. Louis . . . .12:00 PM
Buffalo at Tennessee . . . . . .12:00 PM
Denver at Washington . . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Oakland . . . . . .3:05 PM
Seattle at Arizona . . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Dallas at Green Bay . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Philadelphia at San Diego . . . .3:15 PM
New England at Indianapolis . .7:20 PM
MON, NOV 16
Baltimore at Cleveland . . . . . . .7:30 PM
Bye: Houston, N.Y. Giants
WEEK 11
THURSDAY, NOV. 19
Miami at Carolina . . . . . . . . . . .7:20 PM
SUNDAY, NOV. 22
Indianapolis at Baltimore . . . .12:00 PM
Washington at Dallas . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Detroit . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Green Bay .12:00 PM
Buffalo at Jacksonville . . . . . .12:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Kansas City . . .12:00 PM
Seattle at Minnesota . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Atlanta at N.Y. Giants . . . . . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at Tampa Bay . .12:00 PM
Arizona at St. Louis . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
San Diego at Denver . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
N.Y. Jets at New England . . . .3:15 PM
Cincinnati at Oakland . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Philadelphia at Chicago * . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, NOV. 23
Tennessee at Houston . . . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 12
THURSDAY, NOV. 26
Green Bay at Detroit . . . . . . .12:30 PM
Oakland at Dallas . . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
N.Y. Giants at Denver . . . . . . .7:20 PM
SUNDAY, NOV. 29
Tampa Bay at Atlanta . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Miami at Buffalo . . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Cincinnati . . . . .12:00 PM
Indianapolis at Houston . . . . .12:00 PM
Chicago at Minnesota . . . . . .12:00 PM
Carolina at N.Y. Jets . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Washington at Philadelphia . .12:00 PM
Seattle at St. Louis . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Arizona at Tennessee . . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at San Diego . . . .3:05 PM
Jacksonville at San Francisco .3:05 PM
Pittsburgh at Baltimore * . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, NOV. 30
New England at New Orleans .7:30 PM
WEEK 13
THURSDAY, DEC. 3
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (in Toronto) 7:20 PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 6
Philadelphia at Atlanta . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Carolina . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Chicago . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Detroit at Cincinnati . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Tennessee at Indianapolis . . .12:00 PM
Houston at Jacksonville . . . . .12:00 PM
Denver at Kansas City . . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at Pittsburgh . . . . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at Washington .12:00 PM
San Diego at Cleveland . . . . . .3:05 PM
Minnesota at Arizona . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Dallas at N.Y. Giants . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
San Francisco at Seattle . . . . .3:15 PM
New England at Miami * . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, DEC. 7
Baltimore at Green Bay . . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 14
THURSDAY, DEC. 10
Pittsburgh at Cleveland . . . . . .7:20 PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 13
New Orleans at Atlanta . . . . .12:00 PM
Detroit at Baltimore . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Green Bay at Chicago . . . . . .12:00 PM
Seattle at Houston . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Denver at Indianapolis . . . . . .12:00 PM
Miami at Jacksonville . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Buffalo at Kansas City . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cincinnati at Minnesota . . . . .12:00 PM
Carolina at New England . . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Jets at Tampa Bay . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Tennessee . . . . .12:00 PM
Washington at Oakland . . . . . .3:05 PM
San Diego at Dallas . . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants * . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, DEC. 14
Arizona at San Francisco . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 15
THURSDAY, DEC. 17
Indianapolis at Jacksonville . . .7:20 PM
SATURDAY, DEC. 19
Dallas at New Orleans . . . . . . .7:20 PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 20
Chicago at Baltimore . . . . . . .12:00 PM
New England at Buffalo . . . . .12:00 PM
Arizona at Detroit . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Cleveland at Kansas City . . . .12:00 PM
Atlanta at N.Y. Jets . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at Philadelphia 12:00 PM
Green Bay at Pittsburgh . . . .12:00 PM
Houston at St. Louis . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Miami at Tennessee . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at Denver . . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Cincinnati at San Diego . . . . . .3:05 PM
Tampa Bay at Seattle . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Minnesota at Carolina * . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, DEC. 21
N.Y. Giants at Washington . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 16
FRIDAY, DEC. 25
San Diego at Tennessee . . . . .7:30 PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 27
Buffalo at Atlanta . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Kansas City at Cincinnati . . . .12:00 PM
Oakland at Cleveland . . . . . .12:00 PM
Seattle at Green Bay . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Houston at Miami . . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Carolina at N.Y. Giants . . . . . .12:00 PM
Jacksonville at New England .12:00 PM
Tampa Bay at New Orleans . .12:00 PM
Denver at Philadelphia . . . . . .12:00 PM
Baltimore at Pittsburgh . . . . .12:00 PM
St. Louis at Arizona . . . . . . . . .3:05 PM
Detroit at San Francisco . . . . .3:05 PM
N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis . . . . . .3:15 PM
Dallas at Washington * . . . . . . .7:20 PM
MONDAY, DEC. 28
Minnesota at Chicago . . . . . . .7:30 PM
WEEK 17
SUNDAY, JAN. 3
Indianapolis at Buffalo . . . . . .12:00 PM
New Orleans at Carolina . . . .12:00 PM
Jacksonville at Cleveland . . .12:00 PM
Philadelphia at Dallas . . . . . .12:00 PM
Chicago at Detroit . . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
New England at Houston . . . .12:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Miami . . . . . . . .12:00 PM
N.Y. Giants at Minnesota . . . .12:00 PM
Cincinnati at N.Y. Jets . . . . . .12:00 PM
San Francisco at St. Louis . . .12:00 PM
Atlanta at Tampa Bay . . . . . . .12:00 PM
Green Bay at Arizona . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Kansas City at Denver . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Baltimore at Oakland . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
Washington at San Diego . . . .3:15 PM
Tennessee at Seattle . . . . . . . .3:15 PM
POSTSEASON
WILD CARD WEEKEND - JAN 9-10
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS - JAN 16-17
CONF. CHAMPIONSHIPS - JAN 24
AFC-NFC PRO BOWL - JAN 31
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida (NBC)
SUPER BOWL XLIV - FEB 7
Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Florida
Sunday, February 7 (NBC)
*Sunday night games subject to
change in weeks 11-17
Our advertisers reach over 65,000 sports and fitness fans each month...and you can, too.
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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 21
F
No “A’s” handed out before first Chiefs’ game
or the first time in many, many years, I am
excited about the upcoming edition of the
Kansas City Chiefs.
Not Super Bowl excited. Just excited that the
team might play football the way it should be
played. A .500 season would be acceptable.
From Day One I was not a Herm
Edwards fan. The Chiefs hired him as he
was getting booted from the New York
Jets. That’s not the best way to hire
a coach.
When Edwards joined the Chiefs, the
New York media were reporting the
same things about him that we soon
learned in KC: He didn’t give interviews,
he preached (soon known as
“Hermanettes”), he was a horrible endof-game
coach, and his teams did not
win often enough.
The media in Kansas City initially
lapped up to Edwards because he was
so accessible and gave them plenty of
quotes. However, as the losses piled
up they finally realized he had been simply
blowing smoke.
A typical interview: “Coach, you called the
same play unsuccessfully on the goal line four
straight times. Why would you do that?”
“Let me say the object of the game is to get
the football over the goal line,” Edwards would
say. “All I can say is we didn’t get it over the goal
line. Sometimes it goes over and sometimes it
doesn’t. That’s football.”
To me, though, the main reason I was turned
off by Herm Edwards is he proudly wore the label
of being a “Players’ Coach.”
The term “Players’ Coach” to me in an oxymoron
up there with “Jumbo Shrimp,” “Rush
Hour” and “Dry Ice.” You are either a player or a
coach. Trying to be both simply doesn’t work.
As an example, I (try) to teach college students.
I know if I enter a classroom and attempt
to show them that I am really just one of them
I will be unsuccessful. They expect a teacher, not
another “student” guiding them.
Early on I heard the story of the college professor
who announced in her first class that she
didn’t want students worrying about their grade.
She proudly announced that everyone would get
an “A.” She felt she was doing them a favor. She
was wrong.
“When she said everyone was getting an ‘A’
the good students who had worked hard for their
grades and took school seriously felt there was
no need to put any effort into the class,” said one
student. “The
lousy students,
who did as little
as possible in
other classes,
did even less
work since they
knew they
were still getting
an ‘A.’”
That’s why
I like the
changes at
Arrowhead
Stadium these
days. Things
had become
too lax under the regime of President-CEO-GM-
Manager-King-Duke Carl Peterson. When he
brought in his buddy Edwards as coach, the
players were all guaranteed “A’s” just for showing
up. They took full advantage of it.
To me, the biggest example of the country
club atmosphere was when Peterson and
Edwards allowed HBO to film the Chiefs’ training
camp. Heck, even Larry Johnson pretended like
he wanted to sign his contract and play hard
while the cameras were
rolling. It was a prelude
to an absolute disastrous
season.
Well, there is a new sheriff
in town named Scott Pioli
and he has brought in coach
Todd Haley. It is very clear
that not everyone in their
class gets an automatic “A”
just for showing up. See any
HBO cameras at this training
camp?
John
Landsberg
Contributing
Writer
Pioli has set a tone throughout the organization
that the tradition of being the worst team in
pro football the past few years is no longer tolerated.
I’ve been told that he has shaken up the
entire organization, including setting up times
when regular staffers can use the exercise room.
Does anyone think that Haley would have listened
to Tony Gonzalez whine about not being
thrown to enough and really care? Do you think
that Dwayne Bowe will be dropping passes this
season and act like it is no big deal?
Yes, things at Arrowhead Stadium are
a-changing. To my way thinking these changes
are long overdue and a breath of fresh air. There
are no more A’s just for showing up.
Send your thoughts, comments,
complaints, etc., to John at jlandsberg@bottomlinecom.com.

22 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
S
teven St. John and Nate Bukaty,
co-hosts of the Border Patrol,
heard weekday mornings on
Sports Radio 810, agree to disagree
on how Kansas City Chiefs wide
receiver Dwayne Bowe will fare this
season.
Bowe has had his moments, both
good and bad, the past two seasons
after the Chiefs drafted him in the first
round in the 2007 draft out of
Louisiana State University.
Steven: Let’s start with something
that we agree on:
If the Chiefs are
going to have a
decent season
this year offensively,
Dwayne
Bowe is going to
have to take a big step forward as
their primary playmaker. The question
becomes, will he? My answer to this
question is a qualified “no.” The main
reason I say this is simply that I don’t
Point/Counterpoint:“Bowe Show” or No Show?
see the game-breaking skills the true
great receivers possess.
He doesn’t have breakaway speed,
but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the
go-to guy. However, if you’re not a
“burner” you need to have hands like
Chris Carter. To this point in his
career, Bowe has not proven to be a
dependable guy. He’s got the size and
the strength that should give a quarterback
the confidence to throw him
the ball even when he’s covered. I say
“should” because Bowe has ruined
that confidence by ranking second in
the NFL in drops last year.
If Bowe can somehow develop a
more dependable set of hands, he
might be able to turn into that true No.
1 receiver. This is possible, but I’m
skeptical. Mostly, I’m skeptical
because Bowe seems to be in denial
about the magnitude of his drops. Just
go back and look at his quotes after
the crucial drop in game one at New
England and the on-sides kick against
San Diego. If Bowe really equates
catching the ball to “luck,” then I don’t
see a man who is destined to break
out this year.
Nate: I agree
the Chiefs desperately
need
Dwayne Bowe to
become a stud
receiver, if they
intend on seeing
the post-season anytime soon. Todd
Haley has been around several terrific
receivers in his coaching career.
Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens,
Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
So, he knows a good receiver when
he sees one and I suspect he knows
what it takes for a good receiver to
become great. I think Bowe is a good
receiver.
In just two seasons, Bowe has
amassed 156 catches, 2,017 yards
and 12 touchdowns. Yes, he can come
down with a case of the drops from
time to time, but we’re talking about a
player that hasn’t turned 25-years-old,
yet, and has only played two seasons
in the NFL. He’s got the size and
strength to be a No. 1 in this league
and with Tony Gonzalez in Atlanta,
he’ll have every opportunity to d o so.
If we are to hope that Bowe has a similar
career to one of the receivers I
mentioned above, the guy we should
look at is Johnson. In Johnson’s first
two seasons with the Jets, he had 133
catches, 1,807 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Pretty similar numbers to
Bowe.
In his third season with the Jets,
Keyshawn went for 83/1131/10. In
season four, he was good for
89/1170/8. I think we can agree if
Bowe continues to follow the career
path of Johnson (including winning a
Super Bowl ring), we will all be very
happy. Johnson, who was also criticized
early in his career as a big, slow
receiver that couldn’t get separation,
ended his 11-year-career with 814
catches, 10,571 yards and 66 total
touchdowns. Keyshawn did have better
hands, but, like Bowe, he had
some rough times early on with the
Jets. That’s where Haley’s coaching
and a much better quarterback situation
comes into play with Bowe. He’s
an ascending player with a new
receiver-friendly coach and stability
with a quarterback he can grow with. I
think we are going to be very happy
with Dwayne Bowe for several seasons
to come.
Steven: Keyshawn Johnson is a
good comparison to the type of career
the Chiefs should hope for out of
Dwayne Bowe.
Johnson was
not a burner by
any means,
and I have to
admit that I was
surprised when
I looked back at
some of the
numbers that
he put up. And,
even more to
your point, it
appears as
though Bowe
was more successful
than
Johnson in his
first couple of
years in the
league. All of
that bodes well
for your argument.
But there are
a couple of reasons
that I
remain skeptical. For one, I don’t
remember Johnson having a reputation
for crucial drops early in his
career, the way that Bowe has. And
number two, even if Bowe emulates
Johnson’s career, you have to wonder
how much good that will do the Chiefs,
unless they assemble a defense like
the Bucs had when Keyshawn won his
ring. Johnson never finished higher
than seventh in the League in receiving
yards, and he only landed in the
top 10 twice.
To take it a step further, he only
reached the century mark in receptions
in once season. He surpassed
1,000 yards four times out of his 11
years. Contrast those 1,000 yard seasons
against the other guys you mentioned
that Haley has coached: Owens
(nine times), Bolden (four times in six
years) and Fitzgerald (three in five
years), and all three of those years he
has been over 1,400 something
Johnson never did.)
If Bowe could somehow get to
those types of numbers, then we’d
really be talking. But for right now,
Photo by Warren Ingram
I think I’d settle on a Keyshawn
Johnson-type career.
Nate: I actually think Bowe can be
more productive than Johnson. I don’t
think he is as talented as Fitzgerald or
Owens, but I do think he could come
close to matching Boldin’s production,
if his head is screwed on right. During
his six seasons in the NFL, Boldin has
averaged 83 catches, 1,082 yards and
seven touchdowns per season. Once
again, these numbers are very similar
to what Bowe has put up in his first
two campaigns. Furthermore, Boldin
has averaged 12.9 yards per catch.
Guess how many yards Bowe has
averaged per catch, so far in his
career? That’s right, 12.9. As we can
all see, Bowe is well on his way to a
career similar to those of Keyshawn
Johnson and Anquan Boldin and the
best is yet to come.
Bowe now has the best quarterback
he’s had in his young career and
a more offensive-minded coach that
will get the most of his talents. I think
it’s time to let down your guard and
get ready for the Bowe Show!
Steven St. John &
Nate Bukaty host
“The Border Patrol,”
heard weekdays from
6 to 10 am on
Sports Radio 810 WHB.

2009 NFL SEASON PREDICTIONS
Soren Nate Doug Craig Curtis Dan Kurtis
Petro Bukaty Stewart Brenner Kitchen Ferguson Seaboldt
Super Bowl Champ Eagles Eagles Patriots Patriots Chargers Cowboys Steelers
NFL MVP Phillip Tom Peyton Donovan Adrian Tony Ben
Rivers Brady Manning McNabb Peterson Romo Roethlisberger
Rookie of the Year Jason Mark Knowshon Jeremy Aaron Michael Mark
Smith Sanchez Moreno Maclin Curry Crabtree Sanchez
Offensive Player Adrian Tom Peyton Adrian Adrian Tony Adrian
of the Year Peterson Brady Manning Peterson Peterson Romo Peterson
Defensive Player Mario Jared Jared Antonio James DeMarcus James
of the Year Williams Allen Allen Cromartie Harrison Ware Harrison
Leading Rusher Adrian Adrian Adrian Adrian Adrian Adrian Adrian
Peterson Peterson Peterson Peterson Peterson Peterson Peterson
Sack Leader Jared Jared Jared Jared DeMarcus DeMarcus James
Allen Allen Allen Allen Ware Ware Harrison
Team w/worst record Lions Lions Lions Lions Lions Lions Raiders
Biggest Fantasy Jerious Rashard Pierre Ray Chris Jonathan Larry
Player Sleeper Norwood Mendenhall Thomas Rice Henry Stewart Johnson
Biggest Fantasy Michael Terrell Terrell Michael LaDanian DeAngelo Terrell
Player Bust Turner Owens Owens Turner Tomlinson Williams Owens
KC Chiefs Record 6-10 6-10 6-10 5-11 5-11 6-10 5-11
NFC Champion Eagles Eagles Eagles Panthers Bears Steelers Eagles
AFC Champion Chargers Patriots Patriots Patriots Chargers Cowboys Steelers
AFC West Champs Chargers Chargers Chargers Chargers Chargers Chargers Chargers
AFC South Champs Texans Colts Colts Colts Titans Colts Colts
AFC East Champs Patriots Patriots Patriots Patriots Patriots Patriots Patriots
AFC North Champs Steelers Ravens Steelers Steelers Steelers Steelers Steelers
AFC Wild Card Titans Steelers Texans Texans Colts Ravens Titans
AFC Wild Card Colts Texans Bills Ravens Jets Titans Texans
NFC West Champs Seahawks Cardinals Cardinals Seahawks 49ers Cardinals Cardinals
NFC South Champs Panthers Saints Saints Panthers Panthers Saints Panthers
NFC East Champs Eagles Eagles Eagles Eagles Giants Cowboys Eagles
NFC North Champs Bears Viikings Vikings Vikings Bears Bears Vikings
NFC Wild Card Vikings Bears Giants Saints Vikings Vikings Packers
NFC Wild Card Giants Packers Cowboys Cardinals Cardinals Giants Giants
24 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Larry Johnson
might be a keeper
nless you’ve been hiding under a rock,
you know the Kansas City Chiefs have
U undergone massive changes this off-season,
starting with the hiring of general manager
Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley.
Interest is especially high in what Kansas City
is going to look like offensively. Haley coordinated
the high-flying Arizona Cardinals attack, and,
accordingly, the Chiefs traded for and signed
quarterback Matt Cassel to a long-term deal,
along with also bringing
in veteran receiver
Bobby Engram to complement
Dwayne Bowe
and Mark Bradley.
It all sounds well and
good, but the question
fantasy owners pose at
this point, however, is
what will Haley’s
approach mean for
Larry Johnson?
I’m one of those
owners. Prior to last
season, I joined a new
keeper league and
inherited a former owner’s team. Then, I decided
to make Johnson one of two allowed keepers
because I thought there was no way the running
back would duplicate the disaster of a fantasy
season he put up in 2007 – 158 attempts, 559
yards, three touchdowns in eight games before
getting shelved with a foot injury.
Surely, I thought, the Chiefs would find a way
to get a healthy, rested Johnson involved to the
point that he would approach the 3,539 yards
and 37 touchdowns he tallied in 2005-06. Never
mind the Chiefs didn’t have a good quarterback,
offensive line and were going to play the majority
of games from behind. Johnson was good
enough to overcome all that.
The lesson learned, of course, is that it’s
really hard to run and score when a defensive
lineman, linebacker or opportunistic safety has
your leg as soon as you take the handoff.
Still (and credit to o-coordinator Chan
Gailey’s creativity a year ago), Johnson
improved…but barely. Again, he was barely
lackluster – scoring five TDs in 12 games with
only 874 yards in 12 games.
The factors for those numbers ranged all over
the map and aren’t really important now. What is
important to me as a fantasy owner is this:
Johnson has appeared in 16 games just
twice as he enters his seventh year; not once
since his NFL record-setting 416 carries in 2006.
In 2008, under Haley, Arizona was dead
last rushing the football, getting just 73.6 yards
per game.
In 2007, the Cardinals
were only slightly better,
ranked 29th of 32 teams
at 90 yards per game.
Several things stand
out here. Were those
numbers an indication of
Haley’s preferred ways to
Curtis
move the football, or was
Kitchen
it simply a coach taking
advantage of
the weapons
he had at his
disposal? And, say Johnson was
healthy. Say he was an Arizona
Cardinal instead of an aging, slowing
Edgerrin James. Would that
have mattered to Haley?
Nothing against Anquan Boldin,
Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston
and others, but I say yes; had
Arizona had someone like Johnson,
the rushing numbers would have
been much better.
That said, Kansas City has
Johnson, but can he be counted on
for a full season? History and logic dictate no –
not after the pounding he took during his breakout
years. However, off-season reports say
Johnson has been impressive in nearly every
team activity – appearing to be refocused and
reenergized.
The team, along with fantasy owners like me,
is hoping Johnson can return to top form
because it doesn’t have the Cardinals receiving
corps. It has a solid (from most accounts) quarterback
and decent receivers. The defense is a
work in progress, which means the Chiefs most w
likely will utilize the running game for its defensive
properties as much as its scoring potential.
Either way, it makes me feel a lot better about
holding on to a guy who is projected by most
fantasy prognosticators to score well more than
120 points, which would be oh so welcome.
Bottomline: Keep him if you’ve got him, and if w
you can trade on the cheap for Johnson, as a
number two guy, do it. It might be a little bit of a
reach considering the injury potential we discussed,
but if Johnson returns to form this sea-
w
son, the Chiefs play weak-sisters Buffalo,
Cleveland and Cincinnati in weeks 14-16 –
playoff weeks in most leagues.
The return on that investment could be well
worth getting Johnson. Of course, I’m hedging
my bet on him with my other keeper – Chicago
running back Matt Forte.
You know…just in case.
Photo by Scott Thomas

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 25
TOP QUARTERBACKS
1) Drew Brees, NO – Last year’s overall scoring
leader returns as the top QB on the strength of the
NFL’s second-best-ever passing yardage. With several
potent targets and a passing-oriented offense,
there’s no reason Brees should slide much,
although he’s unlikely to get 5,000 passing yards
again. (Bye Week - 5)
2) Peyton Manning, IND – A perennial favorite as
one of the first couple of QBs chosen in all drafts,
Manning the Elder has slipped a bit recently.
Although he’s lost a little mobility and his O-line isn’t
as strong as in his dominant years, he’s still a master
passer who will rank among the top few in both
TDs and passing yardage. (6)
1) Adrian Peterson, MIN – An explosive, game-breaking
runner, Peterson just exudes points every time he
touches the ball. Peterson will be the top pick in many
fantasy leagues, and will carry his fantasy team to
more weekly victories than any other player.
(Bye Week - 9)
2) Michael Turner, ATL – Perhaps Peterson’s best
challenger for fantasy scoring dominance, Turner put
up some huge games as a first-time starter in 2008,
including 11 touchdowns in his final eight games, and
book-ending the year with 200-yard games. Turner will
go in the top three picks in most drafts. (4)
3) Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX – A double threat as a
runner and receiver out of the backfield, Jones-Drew
will no longer have to split duties with Fred Jackson.
With Jackson gone and a new five-year contract,
Jones-Drew will get more than the 12.4 carries-pergame
to which he was limited in 2008, and will easily
set a new career best in yardage. (7)
4) Matt Forte, CHI – The surprise was not Forte was a
strong runner, nor the Bears would give him the ball
when it counted on the goal line, but that he could also
become a solid passing target. Unless Lovie Smith
unexpectedly switches to a passing offense, Forte will
again get 300 carries and will especially get the ball
when it’s near the goal line. (5)
3) Tom Brady, NE – After suffering a seasonending
knee injury against the Chiefs in the season
opener last year, Brady has dropped a notch
in the rankings, but consider just one number
when rating Brady: 50 – the number of TD passes
he threw as the NFL’s MVP in 2007. (8)
4) Phillip Rivers, SD – A surprising success last
year, Rivers benefited from the Chargers switch to
from a LaDainian-dominated offense to passing far
more often. With LT still a question mark, Rivers is a
good bet to be productive again. (5)
5) Aaron Rodgers, GB – Favre’s replacement no
more, Rodgers is a full-fledged top-five QB in his
own right. The Pack returns a strong O-line and
several good receiving targets. If Rodgers can keep
TOP RUNNING BACKS
5) DeAngelo Williams, CAR – After the Week 9
bye in 2008, Williams busted out with seven straight
solid performances, averaging 124 yards per game
with 15 scores. The Panthers discovered Williams
could be the feature back they needed, and he
should step right back into that role again to start
2009, even with the threat of Jonathan Stewart taking
some of the carries. (4)
6) Steven Jackson, STL – Another big-game back,
Jackson had a second straight disappointing year due
to injury. When healthy, Jackson can pile up the points
like any of the top five listed above. He can run for big
points, but is also a good receiver. If he stays healthy,
he’ll be worthy of the first-round pick he’ll garner in
many fantasy leagues. (9)
7) Chris Johnson, TEN – Because LenDale White
tends to attract a lot of attention in the Titans backfield,
Johnson seems to escape the attention of many fantasy
owners. Johnson will get a lot more opportunities in
2009 as Tennessee hopes to put him in the slot on
passing downs. He’ll slide to the second round in many
fantasy drafts, but could earn first-round points. (7)
8) Frank Gore, SF – Gore just hasn’t quite had the
breakout season expected the last couple of seasons.
Lacking a credible passing attack, the 49ers often saw
defenses put eight in the box to stop Gore, and it has
worked. Because he can grind out the yardage, and
from making too many pressured mistakes, he can
put up some very good numbers. (5)
6) Tony Romo, DAL – Romo’s an above-average
signal caller, but he will be limited by a lack of quality
targets. Outside of Roy Williams and Jason
Witten, the Cowboys’ offense is mediocre, and they
have a difficult schedule; the Boys and Romo will
miss T.O.’s production, even if they don’t miss his
dramatics. (6)
because he’ll match up with some lesser defenses in
2009, Gore still rates a top 10 RB pick, and he should
go early in the second round of most drafts. (6)
9) Steve Slaton, HOU – Now that the job is his to
begin the season, Slaton will get a chance to prove his
rookie season was no fluke. Slaton’s success will
depend a lot on how well the Texans pass. He’s not the
kind of back who can run between the tackles 20 times
per game. (10)
10) Brandon Jacobs, NYG – Jacobs is an unusual
combination of power-running and an ability to make
tacklers miss. He has sometimes had trouble hanging
onto the football, although that was less of an issue in
2008. He’s the number one back in the Meadowlands
now as Derrick Ward has moved on to Tampa, leaving
Jacobs with all the carries. (10)
1 2 3 4 5
DREW
BREES
PEYTON
MANNING
TOM
BRADY
PHILLIP
RIVERS
AARON
RODGERS
7) Kurt Warner, AZ – Reminiscent of Jim Plunkett,
if not George Blanda, Warner has shown he’s still a
viable QB after regaining his starting job. Warner is
a dangerous choice for fantasy as he could drop off
the charts in a hurry simply due to his age and injury
history. (4)
8) Matt Ryan, ATL – Ryan is not nearly as good as
this ranking, strictly as a QB, but gets in the top 10
continued on page 27
1 2 3 4 5
ADRIAN
PETERSON
MICHAEL
TURNER
M. JONES-
DREW
MATT
FORTE
DEANGELO
WILLIAMS
11) LaDainian Tomlinson, SD – Someone will get a
great steal with Tomlinson, who will fall into the second
round of most drafts for the first time in seven years.
Still, the warning signs are there for anyone who doesn’t
like risk. His age and heavy usage seemed to have
a negative effect last year, and the decline was especially
noticeable in the second half. If you chase L.T.,
be sure to take some insurance and get his likely backup,
Darren Sproles, with a mid-round pick. (5)
12) Clinton Portis, WAS – Although Portis is a consistent
points producer, he has been a disappointment to
fantasy owners who have to rely on him as their number
one back. He’s starting to show the effects of
heavy use. He has already peaked, so let him slide to
the third round as a number two back, only. (8)
continued on page 26
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RBs - continued from page 25
13) Marion Barber, DAL – Prized for his shortyardage
ability prior to 2008, Barber took a serious
step backwards last20year and saw his touches suffer
as a result. He’ll be pushed for carries by Felix Jones,
which might actually work out for the best, as Barber
has done his best work as a third-down and goal-line
back, not as a primary feature back. (6)
14) Brian Westbrook, PHI – An ankle injury required
June surgery will slow Westbrook to start the season,
and could create an open for an opportunistic fantasy
owner as he’ll be ignored by non-risk taking owners.
Still, the oft-injured Westbrook is likely to miss some
time even if his ankle proves healthy, making him a
number two back at best. (4)
15) Kevin Smith, DET – Smith is a much better ballcarrier
than his raw numbers would indicate. He’s hampered
by playing for one of the league’s worst offensive
units, a team that was often behind from the outset,
thus requiring them to pass too often and squash
rushing opportunities for Smith. Still, Smith is talented
and if he gets some help he can be one of the better
number two fantasy backs. (7)
16) Pierre Thomas, NO – No, he’s not Reggie
Bush…he’s better. Thomas can run for hard yardage in
addition to getting the quick scores and he’ll catch a
few balls, too. The Bush hype will help keep his profile
low. He can be had as late as the fifth round, but he’ll
produce third-round points. (5)
17) Ryan Grant, GB – Outside of South Bend, Grant
will draw less attention than most backs, and he can
be a productive number two, especially after a disappointing
sophomore campaign. Don’t go overboard
chasing Grant; there are a lot of similar backs who will
be available in the middle rounds. (5)
18) Ronnie Brown, MIA – If the return of Ricky
Williams has come to an end in Miami, Brown will
again return to his full-time starter status and again get
a large number of carries. After two down years due to
injury and platooning, Brown will be undervalued and
can be a fine supplemental back. (6)
19) Marshawn Lynch, BUF – A player with obvious
talents on the field, Lynch has had some unfortunate
off-field problems which have escalated to the point
where he will be suspended by the league at the start
of the season. Once he returns, he’s capable of putting
up good enough numbers to be a number two fantasy
back. (9)
20) Darren McFadden, OAK – The former Razorback
is a much better player than he showed as a rookie as
he suffered through a bad case of turf toe and lost
playing time to lesser backs. He’ll bounce back well
this year to become almost as useful as his over-drafting
owners thought he would be last year. (9)
21) Thomas Jones, NYJ – A threatened contract holdout
puts a big question mark on Jones’ 2009 value.
He’s shown some talent as a runner, and also had
some trouble holding onto the football. If he comes to
camp Jones will move up in these rankings. If not, let
him be someone else’s headache. (9)
22) Jonathan Stewart, CAR – One of the most valuable
part-time backs in the league, Stewart will occasionally
take away carries from DeAngelo Williams, but
it is Williams’ job to lose and until he does Stewart is
nothing more than injury insurance. (4)
23) Joseph Addai, IND – Will Addai bounce back in
2009? The early line says no, at least not enough to
make him worth picking as a number two back. He has
to overcome his own injury history, an old and fading
26 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
offensive line, and possibly sharing rushing duties with
Donald Brown; it’s too much risk for smart fantasy
owners. (6)
24) Reggie Bush, NO – Bush is one of the bigger
names who will be over-drafted in 2009, just as he has
been in recent seasons. Pierre Thomas is the better
back and will get the majority of carries. Bush will still
have some good games and score a few points here
and there, and possibly crack the 100-yard barrier
(something he hasn’t done in almost two years), but he
won’t do enough to warrant much fantasy attention. (5)
25) Knowshon Moreno, DEN – Beware. Moreno’s
talent is surpassed by the over-hyped rookie syndrome,
but more significantly by the likelihood than
he’ll share carries with more than one other back,
severely limiting his opportunities. Don’t worry about
drafting him. He’ll be available in the free agent pool
later in the year. (7)
26) Derrick Ward, TB – Is it better to be a small fish in
a big pond (as a backup to Brandon Jacobs in New
York) or a big fish in a small pond (as a part-time
starter in Tampa)? Ward’s number of carries will
improve, but he’ll be hard-pressed to realize the same
per-carry success he had while spelling Jacobs. Some
owners will take Earnest Graham before taking Ward,
and some of them will be right to do so. (8)
27) Larry Johnson, KC – LJ could bounce back in a
big way, but the smart money says he’s no longer even
a number two back for fantasy use. Johnson has been
at serious odds with Chiefs management over off-thefield
issues, putting him at risk of losing his job outright,
although he has reportedly been a model citizen
this off-season. When he is on the field, the young
Chiefs O-line won’t open many holes and the rebuilt
offense is likely to be passing more than they have run
in the past anyway. (8)
28) Willie Parker, PIT – Parker has developed a reputation
as a malingerer and underachiever who has
rarely lived up to his abilities. Opportunities have been
made available to Parker on several occasions, but he
hasn’t yet thrived. This is likely his last year and
chance to be a star back, but with Rashard
Mendenhall waiting in the wings, it’s not a good bet. (8)
29) Chris Wells, AZ – Big and fast, the former
Buckeye will win the Cardinals starting job, for what
that’s worth in the most NFL air-oriented offense.
Beanie’s not an especially talented receiver out of the
backfield, which will limit his chances, but he could
thrive as a short-yardage back – a job which currently
belongs to Tim Hightower. If you want him, wait until
the second half to pick him up when he’s had a chance
to establish himself. (4)
30) LenDale White, TEN – The flashier, but less successful
of the Titans’ backs, White has also done some
of the dirty work on short-yardage downs, with an
unusually high rate of success in getting the TD or first
down. If Tennessee slots Chris Johnson as has been
reported, White will still get a lot of carries. (7)
31) Cedric Benson, CIN – Just because Benson is
the number one back in Cincinnati doesn’t mean he
should be a number one, number two or even number
three back for a fantasy team. He has squandered
several opportunities to shine as a feature back, and
will likely lose his starting job. (8)
32) Donald Brown, IND – Brown will likely split carries
with Addai, although he’ll get the lesser number of
opportunities. He’s best used in fantasy as insurance
against an Addai injury, but should not appear in your
starting lineup unless Addai is out. (6)
33) Jamal Lewis, CLE – Zero…that’s the number of
100-yard games Lewis had in 2008, and the number
of TDs he scored after Week 10. It should be the
number of starting fantasy lineups in which he appears
in 2009. (9)
34) Ray Rice, BAL – It’s hard to score many fantasy
points if you don’t get in the end zone, which Rice didn’t
in his rookie campaign in 2008, despite being the
primary ball carrier most games in a run-oriented
offense. Since the Ravens still have no passing game
they will still rely on Rice a lot, but that doesn’t mean a
fantasy owner has to. (7)
35) Felix Jones, DAL – Felix the Cat can certainly
bust out for some big plays. Of course, the question is
how often he’ll get a chance to do that with Marion
Barber scheduled to get three-quarters of the carries,
including the short-yardage work. If Jones gets a
chance as a slot back on third down, the Cowboys
may be able to create some open-field opportunities
for this quick cat. (6)
36) LeSean McCoy, PHI – Because Brian Westbrook
is injury prone and has an ankle injury which will slow
him for the outset of the season, the Eagles will be
looking to someone to fill in the gaps. McCoy has a
chance to win that job and, as such, has some small
value as injury insurance for Westbrook’s owners. (4)
37) Darren Sproles, SD – Olathe North star Sproles
shone as LT’s backup in 2008 and will have the
chance to do that again in 2009. He’s a sure pick for
anyone who owns Tomlinson, simply as injury insurance,
but he’s good enough on his own to be worth
using in fantasy play if he gets a chance to play. (5)
38) Willis McGahee, BAL – Ray Rice’s counterpart in
the Ravens backfield, the self-described “best back in
the NFL” isn’t even the best back on his own team.
Even if he manages to take the job away from Rice
again there’s no guarantee he’ll hold it (Le’Ron
McClain might get the job instead), nor will he get the
scoring opportunities he’ll need to be of any value in
fantasy play. (7)
39) Julius Jones, SEA – Jones will be the feature
back almost by default in Seattle, but that doesn’t
mean he’ll have much value to fantasy owners. In the
last two years, he hasn’t had a score in any game
when he hasn’t carried for at least 100 yards, and he
doesn’t do that very often, nor will he in Seattle’s
offense in 2009. (7)
40) Earnest Graham, TB – Graham will suffer with the
addition of Derrick Ward to the Buccaneers backfield
simply because they are the same kind of runner. Still,
he has had some success even in a reserve role, and
can again be a useful backup. (8)
41) Rashard Mendenhall, PIT – Mendenhall’s sophomore
season can’t be any worse than his rookie campaign,
especially since he has over-hyped Willie
Parker ahead of him on the depth chart. Mendenhall is
a good choice for late rounds or as a free agent pickup,
especially if he starts to get the ball more often in
place of Parker. (8)
42) Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG – Bradshaw steps in
where Derrick Ward left off, as Brandon Jacobs’ caddie,
but he has not yet established himself as a viable
backup, so he’s not worthy of fantasy use until he gets
more opportunities, or until Jacobs goes down with
injury. (10)
43) Fred Jackson, BUF – Jackson likely will start
the season opener, at least, with Marshawn Lynch’s
NFL suspension, so Lynch’s owners will need to pick
him up in the late rounds. If he performs well in the
opener, he may get a larger role later in the year,
but without a longer absence by Lynch, Jackson is not
going to get enough touches to help fantasy owners in
the long run. (9)
44) Leon Washington, NYJ – Thomas Jones’ fantasy
owners probably disliked Washington more than Jets
opponents in 2008 as Washington periodically would
steal Jones’ fantasy points, particularly while picking
up some scores as a receiver. Washington will again
get third-down touches and targets, although he may
not have as much good fortune with them in 2009. (9)
45) Chester Taylor, MIN – If you take Adrian Peterson
with the first pick, you’ve got to have Taylor simply as
injury insurance. Taylor isn’t nearly as good as his percarry
or per-reception numbers show; they are a creation
of opportunity and third-and-long situations. (9)
46) Jerious Norwood, ATL – Perhaps if Norwood
would get a starting opportunity – someplace outside
of Atlanta – he could pull a surprise much like teammate
Michael Turner did in 2008. All the pieces are in
place for Norwood to break out if Turner gets hurt,
which is the only situation in 2009 where Norwood
might have fantasy value. (4)
47) Le’Ron McClain, BAL – If he gets the ball himself
instead of having to open holes for Rice or McGahee,
Le’Ron could have some fantasy value in shortyardage
situations. Alas, it isn’t likely to happen often
enough to give him much value. (7)
48) Ricky Williams, MIA – It’s hard to take a couple of
years off from this job and still perform at a high level.
Ricky still the talent, but he doesn’t have the legs to
handle the full-time job all year. Ronnie Brown is the
better back at this point, and will push Ricky out of a
job by mid-season. (6)
49) Fred Taylor, NE – Merely a bye-week roster filler
at this point in his career, Taylor will have to battle
Laurence Maroney and others for touches. (8)
50) Tim Hightower, AZ – A better receiver than ballcarrier,
Hightower will lose rushing opportunities to
rookie Beanie Wells. That may be a blessing as the
Cardinals will throw the ball and Hightower will get
chances in third-down situations and in situations
where they have a chance to score, the latter of which
can help fantasy owners. (4)
Bye week in red.

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 27
QBs - continued from page 25
on the strength of his surroundings. Defenses have
to defend game-breaking runner Michael Turner,
giving Ryan more time to throw and better targeting
options. Adding Tony Gonzalez will only improve his
targets. (4)
9) Donovan McNabb, PHI – Another injury-plagued
QB, McNabb could also drop well down this list
should he not be able to make 16 starts as he did a
year ago. Plusses for McNabb include relatively few
mistakes (INTs and fumbles) and a knack for getting
the ball in the end zone, even if he doesn’t run for
many scores anymore. (4)
10) Matt Schaub, HOU – The long ball to Andre
Johnson makes Schaub dangerous even if he is
otherwise mediocre. Schaub has the ability to put up
big games, and also the tendency to disappear with
sub-par games in favorable match-ups. His fantasy
owners will be alternately pleasantly surprised and
disappointed in 2009. (10)
11) Jay Cutler, CHI – Now that the Bears finally
have a real quarterback, they won’t have to rely on t
heir defense and special teams to win.
Unfortunately, Cutler’s move to Chi-town will hurt his
fantasy value as he will have lesser targets (sayonara
Brandon Marshall) and a Bears offensive
scheme that prefers to grinds out yardage on the
back of ball-carrier Matt Forte. (5)
12) Matt Cassel, KC – An obvious upgrade over
recent Chiefs QBs, Cassel brings winning experience
where it’s needed most. The biggest question
mark about Cassel’s performance will be answered
by how well the line protects him. Fortunately,
Cassel runs as well as any NFL QB and will get his
fantasy owners some points on TD carries, too. (8)
13) Ben Roethlisberger, PIT – Consistent when
healthy, Big Ben often doesn’t do enough to warrant
starting in most fantasy formats. His best use is as a
bye-week supplement or as a second QB for teams
which have Warner or McNabb as a number one. (8)
14) Carson Palmer, CIN – Strictly a speculative
pick at this point due to injury and the nearly complete
meltdown of the Bengals passing attack,
Palmer is a big question mark coming off of a serious
elbow injury. He will go undrafted in many
leagues, but could be a nice surprise as a midseason
pickup. (8)
15) Eli Manning, NYG – The Manning with the
more recent Super Bowl ring has his older brother’s
flair for the dramatic if not his flair for success. Eli is
a match up play only. He should just be used when
facing the worst defenses. (10)
16) Matt Hasselbeck, SEA – The addition of T.J.
Houshmandzedah helps the Seattle passing attack,
although it’s still uncertain how much it will help
Hasselbeck since it’s unclear how often he’ll be
behind center. Last season was bad all the way
around, including back injuries and mistake-prone
outings. He’s still the starter for the Seahawks, but
shouldn’t be for fantasy squads. (7)
17) Kyle Orton, DEN – The change of scenery
which hurts Cutler will help Orton, who will now get
to throw it more than 20 times per game and will
have much better targets. Orton will go undrafted in
most leagues, so he’s a good sleeper candidate to
break into fantasy viability in 2009. (7)
18) Trent Edwards, BUF – The biggest question for
Bills fans – which Edwards may well be asking, too
– is will they open up the offense to take advantage
of top receiving talents in Lee Evans and Terrell
Owens. Edwards is another sleeper candidate will
go undrafted in many fantasy leagues. (9)
19) Joe Flacco, BAL – Unless your leagues gives
points for handing the ball off the running back,
Flacco is not going to win many fantasy match-ups.
Only the deeper leagues will include Flacco on their
rosters, and then only as a backup QB. (7)
20) Jason Campbell, WAS – Campbell is in a do-ordie
situation; the Redskins need him to be a more
confident, aggressive passer in 2009 or they’ll be
looking elsewhere in 2010, and maybe sooner. (8)
21) Shaun Hill, SF – A prototypical overachiever
and backup QB, Hill may get the nod to open the
season behind center for the 49ers. Although San
Francisco is better than the past two years, is still
has a below-average offense, and are still run oriented.
There’s little to love here for fantasy owners. (6)
22) Chad Pennington, MIA – Because Pennington
isn’t much of a downfield passer, he’s not going
to be very helpful to fantasy owners, even as a
backup QB. (6)
23) Jake Delhomme, CAR – Always a favorite to
pickup off the waiver wire for a bye-week replacement,
Delhomme has the ability to occasionally
throw a big game on the board. The Panthers
offense, however, is more run-oriented making
those big Delhomme games more sparse. (4)
24) David Garrard, JAX – One of the most gutsy
QBs in the game, Garrard is also one of the better
on-field generals. He has succeeded in a small
way in spite of the lack of support given by his
receivers and O-line. However, from a fantasy
standpoint, he remains a second-tier QB because
the Jaguars still lack credible receiving threats or
good pocket protection. (7)
25) Sage Rosenfels, MIN – Although Rosenfels will
benefit from defenses having to key on Peterson, he
is still a below-average points producer. (9)
Bye week in red.
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TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
1) Larry Fitzgerald, AZ – What’s not to love about
the top receiver in the league playing for the
league’s most pass-happy team? Kurt Warner’s
favorite target has speed and great hands, and is
in his prime. A repeat as the top receiver is likely
and Fitzgerald is the only receiver who will definitely
be taken in the first round of most drafts.
(Bye Week - 4)
2) Andre Johnson, HOU – Another top receiver in
another pass-happy offense, Johnson will also go
in the first round of many drafts. The NFL’s reception
and yardage leader in 2008 is a great match
up with Matt Schaub as a deep threat. (10)
3) Calvin Johnson, DET – Fast, big and talented,
Johnson would be the league’s most productive
receiver if he had a similarly talented QB slinging
it to him. Because he frequently has to do most
of the work himself, Johnson is a cinch for several
large gains every year. He’ll get picked behind
other, better publicized receivers, but he’ll
outscore almost all of them as a fine early
second-round pick. (7)
4) Randy Moss, NE – Few receivers are as
deadly on the deep pass. The Patriots high-performance
offense will be back in gear in 2009 and
Moss will benefit more than any other receiver.
Moss should go early in the second round in
most drafts. (8)
5) Reggie Wayne, IND – Now appearing in the
role of Marvin Harrison: Reggie Wayne. Actually,
Wayne has been a better receiver for a couple of
years running, but he had to wait until now to get
his due as a No. 1 receiver and top five fantasy
wide out. With Peyton Manning back at full
strength, Wayne will be able to shine. (6)
6) Greg Jennings, GB – Perhaps a bit under
appreciated in Green Bay and elsewhere,
Jennings runs excellent routes and is a favorite
target of the new sheriff in town, Aaron Rodgers,
particularly on the deep ball. The occasionally
sputtering Packer offense has led to some disappointing
games from Jennings, but he’s getting
better and is ready to become a bigger star in the
second post-Favre season. (5)
TOP KICKERS
1) Stephen Gostkowski, NE – It’s all about the
points and the Patriots score like it’s an Arena
Football League game, giving Gostkowski plenty
of chances. (Bye Week - 8)
2) Mason Crosby, GB – The Packers can score
well enough, and Crosby has usually been fairly
accurate, including accuracy from distance. He’ll
have a rebound year after struggling a bit at the
end of 2008. (5)
3) David Akers, PHI – The Eagles’ game plan
seems to include an inordinate number of clutch
field goal tries, and he has historically been one of
the league’s most accurate from 30-45 yards,
where the vast majority of FG tries are taken. (4)
4) Jason Elam, ATL – Accuracy and consistency
have been the hallmarks of Elam’s nearly-twodecade
career. It doesn’t hurt the Falcons give him
28 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
7) Steve Smith, CAR – Once he hit his stride in
2008, Smith was good as he’s always been,
even though he had a lot more trouble getting
into the end zone. Perhaps it was because the
Panthers seemed to have better rushing
options, but Smith wasn’t targeted as often as
in the past. That trend will continue in 2009 as
DeAngelo Williams gets even more attention, but
Smith is still deadly on the long passes. (4)
8) Roddy White, ATL – White is a good example
of what can happen when a talented receiver is
suddenly given a good, long look by a new, young
QB. Once Matt Ryan began to target White
consistently, Roddy turned in game after game
of solid play, and he’s only going to get better in
2009. (4)
9) Anquan Boldin, AZ – It’s nice to have a talent
like Boldin as a No. 2 receiver, if only he stays put
in Arizona. Disputes with the coaching staff have
led to Boldin asking for a trade. If he goes anywhere
else his value drops considerably, even if
he becomes a No. 1 elsewhere because no team
throws the ball like the Cardinals. (4)
10) Marques Colston, NO – When healthy and
ready to be a part of the offense, Colston will
light up the scoreboard, even when he’s not the
primary target of the league’s most-productive QB,
Drew Brees. This big-play receiver is a good
third-round fantasy choice. (5)
11) Dwayne Bowe, KC – Bowe supplants LJ and
Tony G as the Chiefs’ best scoring option. He’ll be
glad to have Matt Cassel throwing to him, but his
upside potential is limited by the Chiefs O-line’s
inability to protect the quarterback. If Bowe can
be targeted frequently in more of a short passing
game, he may get fewer scores but be more
effective overall. (8)
12) Brandon Marshall, DEN – Marshall is going
to miss Jay Cutler’s deep throws, and his fantasy
value will also suffer from new head coach Josh
McDaniels’ penchant for shorter passes, even
though he will probably get more targets overall.
A hip injury and off-field issues may knock him out
of the lineup for some early games in 2009. (7)
plenty of opportunities and kicking in the weathercontrolled
conditions of the Georgia Dome helps,
too. (4)
5) Ryan Longwell, MIN – Another extremely
accurate kicker working in a dome, Longwell has a
lot more leg. If the Vikings’ pinball-game offense
wouldn’t get into the end zone so often he’d get
more FG tries. As it is, he’ll have to settle for scoring
in the top five yet again in 2009. (9)
6) Rob Bironas, TEN – Perhaps the antithesis to
the high-scoring offense philosophy of picking
kickers, choosing Bironas means buying into the
idea that close enough (for field goal range), often
enough is one way to score kicking points. Bironas
gets an unusually high percentage of scoring from
distance, which requires a bit of faith on the part of
his fantasy owners. (7)
7) Nate Kaeding, SD – The Chargers can light up
a scoreboard with the best of them, and Kaeding’s
happy to go along for the ride. (5)
8) Neil Rackers, AZ – Rackers might have the
biggest leg of the group, capable of knocking
down 50-plus yard FGs with the best of them, and
it doesn’t hurt that the Cardinals can score in
bunches. (4)
9) Robbie Gould, CHI – Good as Gould, indeed.
Robbie’s longest miss over the past two seasons
is from 39 yards, meaning the Bears know if they
can get inside the 20, they’ll get points every time,
and their conservative offensive style reflects that
philosophy. (5)
10) Nick Folk, DAL – Nick the Kick missed just
once from inside the 40 last year and is a nearperfect
17-of-18 in tries from 40-49 yards. The
biggest question mark is about the Cowboy s
offense; will it be as potent without T.O.? (6)
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13) Terrell Owens, BUF – The dramatic road
show that is T.O. goes off-Broadway, to Buffalo,
where he’ll team with Lee Evans as one of the
more dangerous wide receiver duos in the league.
If T.O. gets the double-team defense to which
he’s accustomed, it could mean a breakout year
for Evans. (9)
14) Wes Welker, NE – The short to Randy Moss’
long, Welker will simply catch a lot of passes. OK,
maybe he’s boring, but he catches the ball and
that’s half the battle. The problem with Welker
from a fantasy standpoint is he doesn’t get into the
end zone very often; even when Tom Brady threw
for 50 scores in 2007, Welker got just eight of
those TD balls. Still, he’s good enough as a number
two in fantasy play. (8)
15) Roy Williams, DAL – With T.O. gone,
Williams becomes the number one target for Tony
Romo. There’s a question about whether he can
step up and be the No. 1 receiver the Cowboys ne
ed, especially if he’s constantly facing double coverage
should Dallas lack a credible second wide
out option. (6)
16) T.J. Houshmandzedah, SEA – TJH has never
enjoyed the luxury of being a primary receiver,
except as “filling in” for an injured teammate, so
entering 2009 as the Seahawks number one may
be an unusual role for him. He’s up to the task and
could surprise, especially if Seattle adopts a passing-first
offense as is anticipated. (7)
17) Vincent Jackson, SD – Jackson has emerged
as a surprising home run threat, especially after
being used as a No. 2 receiver for so long. Now
he’s a No. 1, so the defenses will begin to target
him more often and Phillip Rivers may not be able
to find him for the deep ball as often. (5)
18) Antonio Bryant, TB – Who is going to throw
to this notably mercurial receiver? The Buccaneers
will feature a ball-control offense, and,
besides, Bryant hasn’t exactly been the model of
consistency when they do throw to him. He has
more talent than he has shown on the field and in
the unlikely event he gets more targets, he can
succeed, but the signs are not good. (8)
19) Braylon Edwards, CLE – Few receivers have
regularly disappointed a s much as Edwards did in
2008. He had, basically, one really good game
and a couple of useful games, but otherwise was
almost useless, and certainly wasn’t worth his
average draft position that made him a top number
two receiver. It’s not likely to get any better in
2009; be very careful. (9)
20) Santonio Holmes, PIT – Santonio gets the
deep looks after the defense bites on the inside
routes to Hines. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done
very much with those opportunities, and he has
never seemed to be in sync with Roethlisberger.
Holmes may eventually have to go elsewhere to
fully realize his potential. He’s a marginal number
two fantasy receiver. (8)
21) Chad Ochocinco, CIN – Mr. Eight Five is still
a talented receiver, despite a horrible 2008 season
that was at least partly attributable to losing QB
Carson Palmer to injury. That said, he’s not nearly
as good as he thinks he is, nor is he as good as
he once was. Look for a bounce-back year from
Chad in 2009, good enough to again be useful in
fantasy ball. (8)
22) Eddie Royal, DEN– Royal has the ability to
become the strong, reliable underneath receiver
needed to offset Brandon Marshall’s deep ball talents.
Royal can also catch the deep ball, but new
Broncos QB Kyle Orton is less able to throw that
pass than departed QB Jay Cutler. It likely means
more targets for Royal, although fewer scoring
continued on next page
11) Garrett Hartley, NO – Yet another high-scoring
offense performing in a climate-control dome
will produce a lot of chances for the kicker to
score. (5)
12) Kris Brown, HOU – Another dome kicker with
a high-scoring team, Brown has a big leg, but isn’t
quite as accurate as some of his competitors. (10)
13) John Kasay, CAR – Kasay no longer has the
range for the long kicks, but the tradeoff has been
accuracy as he has been among the top 10 in
field-goal success percentage in four of the last
five seasons. (4)
14) Rian Lindell, BUF – This will be a better Bills
offense in 2009 and Lindell could be the beneficiary
with more opportunities. (9)
15) Joe Nedney, SF – Likewise, the 49ers will
score more often than in the past two seasons,
and Nedney has been very consistent. (6)
Bye week in red.

TOP TIGHT ENDS
1) Jason Witten, DAL – He wasn’t quite as good
in 2008 as he had been the previous years, but he
was still one of the top two TEs in every useful
category, and also got his share of scores.
Fantasy owners will be satisfied with Witten’s
steady performance, even if he doesn’t have the
flash of Antonio Gates’ occasional multi-TD performances.
(Bye Week - 6)
2) Antonio Gates, SD – If Witten isn’t the top dog,
Gates is, despite the down season in 2008. He
had nagging injuries all year but still managed to
get in the end zone every other game. A reemergence
of L.T. could really help Gates, as he wouldn’t
have to take on as many really short passes in
which he gets little yardage in exchange for much
punishment. Gates will be one of the first three
TEs taken in every fantasy draft. (5)
3) Dallas Clark, IND – Coming off a much more
reliable season in 2008, Clark now also gets Peyton
Manning back. Manning has often targeted Clark as
part of a short passing game, which could boost
Clark into levels not previously reached. Consider
he’s not considered a top tight end and fantasy
owners can get him very late in the draft. (6)
4) Tony Gonzalez, ATL – Gonzo gets a shot at a
ring, which he wouldn’t have had in KC. Despite
his relatively advanced age, Gonzalez still runs
well and has stood up remarkably well to the rigors
of catching balls over the middle and taking
the solid hits delivered by linebackers and defensive
backs. He’ll fare a little worse in 2009 in the
run-first offense in Atlanta, although not much, as
he has thrived under similar circumstances in KC,
too. (4)
5) Greg Olsen, CHI – Jay Cutler likes throwing to
the TE, especially in the red zone, and Olsen will
make a big gain this year as a direct result.
Chicago had already been focusing more on
Olsen, giving him consistent targets nearly every
week. The additional boost from Cutler will push
Olsen into the top half of fantasy TEs and he’ll also
be a bargain as he’ll be ignored by fantasy owners
who look for more of a “big play” tight end. (5)
6) Chris Cooley, WAS – In previous years,
Cooley could sneak into the end zone and find single
coverage, but last year defenses were wise to
the tactic and he rarely had open looks. Things
won’t get much better as the Redskins still have
an inconsistent passing attack, but he’ll have to
get a little bit luckier than in 2008 when he only got
WRs - continued from page 28
opportunities. Fantasy owners should target Royal
as a decent number two receiver option and as a
player with good upside. (7)
23) Lee Evans, BUF – Outside of Anquan Boldin,
and possibly Eddie Royal, Evans is the most dangerous
No. 2 receiver in the game. Despite his
big-play ability, Evans was surprisingly held to just
three scores in 2008. That will change for the better
in 2009. Evans makes for a decent number two
as a fantasy receiver. (9)
24) Bernard Berrian, MIN – Berrian is one of fantasy
football’s biggest teases. He frequently alternates
big-point games with stinkers, enough that
fantasy owners don’t know when to play him.
into the end zone once. (8)
7) Kellen Winslow, TB – Winslow’s acquisition
by the Buccaneers will put their short passing
game to the test. He’s got a high profile for
someone with mostly disappointing numbers
(except for the 1,100 yards receiving in 2007)
and because of Tampa Bay’s offensive style,
Winslow is going to expect a lot of looks. If he
doesn’t get enough targets, will he be patient
enough to let the offense come to him before he
blasts the organization in the press? (8)
8) John Carlson, SEA – Poised to expand on his
strong rookie campaign, Carlson will fly under the
fantasy radar in most leagues. He’s got an opportunity
to become a real steal, though, as much of
the Seahawks receiving crew is fragile and they
will look to throw to the tight ends when (not if)
they don’t have a full complement of useful wide
outs. (7)
9) Owen Daniels, HOU – While Daniels is good at
making the most of his catches between the 20-
yard lines, he has been almost a ghost in the red
zone. Perhaps it is a reflection of the big-play
passing offense employed by Matt Schaub and
Andre Johnson, but you’d think he’d get a few
more touches close to the goal line. Maybe his
luck will change in 2009. (10)
10) Dustin Keller, NYJ – A part of a successful
rookie tight end class, Keller has good hands and
showed consistent progress for the first part of his
2008 debut season. He has less obvious talent
than some of the ends rated lower, but he’ll be a
more regular point producer, even if he doesn’t get
into the end zone very often. (9)
11) Zach Miller, OAK – Like Gonzalez and Gates,
Miller does his best work in deeper routes which
has resulted in large yardage marks, even playing
for an awful offense. The Raiders’ attack can’t be
as bad in 2009 (can it?) and Miller should benefit
from the improvement, perhaps by getting into the
end zone a little more often. (9)
12) Visanthe Shiancoe, MIN – Shiancoe put up
some very good numbers in 2008, but much of his
fantasy scoring came in one game, Week 16
against Atl anta, when Adrian Peterson was largely
held in check. That seems less like a standard
by which to choose a tight end than a fallback
position. Shiancoe makes the top 12 only by virtue
of better health and circumstances than those listed
lower, not based on talent. (9)
Berrian is only for the strongest of stomachs; if you
want to draft him, know what you are getting up
front and be prepared to ride the rollercoaster. (9)
25) DeSean Jackson, PHI – Jackson is officially
listed as the club’s No. 1 receiver, but he’s relatively
week for a No. 1 as he has very limited big-play
ability and has trouble finding the end zone. The
difference between Jackson as the Eagles No. 1
and Maclin as the third or fourth-best receiver is
very small. (4)
26) Anthony Gonzalez, IND – With Reggie
Wayne becoming Marvin Harrison, Gonzalez will
now become Wayne, which isn’t a bad thing to be
under the circumstances. That said, Gonzalez isn’t
nearly as talented as Wayne, so fantasy owners
should temper their expectations despite Gonzalez
likely getting far more targets from the accurate
arm of Peyton Manning. (6)
27) Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ – Without
Laveranues Coles to draw the defense away,
Cotchery may find it harder to get open in 2009,
leading to more games where he simply disappears,
as happened all too often in 2008. Cotchery
is a sketchy number two receiver for fantasy purposes.
(9)
28) Hines Ward, PIT – The beating Ward takes by
running routes over the middle is taking its toll on
the fine receiver. He is a top target for
Roethlisberger, but doesn’t get the long ball option
very often; most of his big-yardage plays the last
two years have been created after the catch.
Ward’s peaked. (8)
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13) Kevin Boss, NYG – Boss did fine with his
opportunities, getting in for six scores despite limited
targets, but this is still a below-average passing
offense that has lost nearly all of its receiver
corps, thus exposing the short passing game to
better defenses. It’s hard to see Boss making
much improvement, although he’s still an upgrade
over his prede cessor in the Meadowlands. (10)
14) Jeremy Shockey, NO – This just in, Jeremy
Shockey has been a disappointment. Well, no kidding.
Still, simply because he gets to run out on
the field with the top-rated quarterback and several
top-notch offensive weapons he’s going to get
some fantasy points. He’ll have to get in the end
zone at least once in 2009 to keep getting to trot
out there with Brees and Co., though. (5)
15) Brent Celek, PHI – Celek may benefit from
the need for the Eagles to play it close to the vest
when they have the ball; McNabb and Westbrook
won’t play as much of the wide-open offense as in
the past which could result in more short passes
and tight end targets. (4)
16) Tony Scheffler, DEN – Ouch. Scheffler will
definitely miss Cutler. You had to wonder when the
trade went down if Scheffler called the Broncos
GM and asked if he could go along, too. To make
matters worse, the new offensive scheme will likely
push Scheffler even more to the edge of usefulness.
(7)
17) Heath Miller, PIT– Miller’s value to the
Steelers is more than to his fantasy owners
because he’s a considered a good blocker. Having
Roethlisberger regress as a QB has n’t helped
with Miller’s fantasy value; Miller has similarly
regressed to the point where he’s merely a byeweek
substitute at this point. (8)
18) Bo Scaife, TEN – The Titans run, run and
then run some more, which tends to marginalize
Scaife and other tight ends, who are often on the
field merely to block. There are better options
even for bye weeks. (7)
19) Vernon Davis, SF – San Francisco has a better
offense than in the past, but coach Mike
Singletary is focused on fundamentals, including
solid defense, taking care of the ball, and solid
blocking, and that means you, Vernon. (6)
20) Anthony Fasano, MIA – Fasano was a big
sur prise over the final four 2008 games, reaching
the end zone four times, but he was doing it at the
expense of three of the four worst defenses in the
NFL. Prior to that outburst he had virtually disappeared.
If it looks like a fluke and sounds like a
fluke…it’s probably a fluke. (6)
21) Donald Lee, GB – Another tight end with good
tools who simply hasn’t lived up to his potential,
the best opportunities have passed Lee by. He
was more of a favorite of Favre than Rodgers,
which doesn’t bode well as the Pack look to throw
the ball downfield even more. (5)
22) Brandon Pettigrew, DET – It’s hard to recommend
a rookie tight end playing for a team coming
off an 0-16 season, but Pettigrew is talented and
the Lions appear to be focused on spreading the
ball around. He’s a better choice as a fantasy
backup that most of the other retreads. (7)
23) Todd Heap, BAL – Does he have anything left
in the tank? Heap’s demise as a reliable fantasy
tight end is mysterious as he doesn’t seem to
have lost his ball-catching ability and he can’t
have gotten that old, that fast. He still has something
left, perhaps enough for a bounce back season.
(7)
24) Martellus Bennett, DAL – For sheer talent
and opportunity, Bennett is a good choice, especially
for owners who have invested a middleround
pick on Jason Witten. (6)
25) Marcedes Lewis, JAX – Lewis would be a
more valuable commodity in an offense that prized
the short game more. (7)
Bye week in red.
TOP
DEFENSES
1. Pittsburgh (8)
2. Baltimore (7)
3. NY Giants (10)
4. Minnesota (9)
5. NY Jets (9)
6. Tennessee (7)
7. Philadelphia (4)
8. New England (8)
9. Chicago (5)
10. San Diego (5)
11. Green Bay (5)
12. Dallas (6)
13. Washington (8)
TONY
GONZALEZ
GREG
OLSEN
14. Carolina (4)
15. Miami (6)
16. Arizona (4)
17. Tampa Bay (8)
18. Buffalo (9)
19. Indianapolis (6)
20. Atlanta (4)
21. San Francisco (6)
22. Jacksonville (7)
23. Seattle (7)
24. Oakland (9)
25. Houston (10)
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 29

30 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
2008 NFL STATS
NFL TEAM OFFENSE
Scrm 3rd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 4th Pens
Team Pts/G TotPts Plys Yds/G Yds/P 1st/G Md Att Pct Md Att Pct Pen Yds ToP/G FUM Lost TO
New Orleans 28.9 463 1,047 410.7 6.3 22.1 97 200 48 10 18 56 86 797 30:28:00 18 8 -4
San Diego 27.4 439 924 349 6 18.8 89 194 46 8 11 73 95 748 28:53:00 18 9 4
Arizona 26.7 427 998 365.8 5.9 20.5 83 198 42 8 16 50 107 781 30:11:00 27 15 0
NYGiants 26.7 427 1,021 355.9 5.6 21.1 88 204 43 5 11 46 102 821 33:19:00 18 3 9
Green Bay 26.2 419 1,012 351.1 5.6 18.7 99 224 44 8 18 44 110 984 31:37:00 25 8 7
Philadelphia 26 416 1,056 350.5 5.3 19.9 93 225 41 4 9 44 74 635 31:24:00 16 10 3
Carolina 25.9 414 938 349.7 6 17.9 78 197 40 3 8 38 94 637 29:28:00 12 7 6
New England 25.6 410 1,095 365.4 5.3 22.2 96 222 43 17 22 77 57 501 32:25:00 17 10 1
NYJets 25.3 405 981 331.7 5.4 19.2 81 197 41 9 16 56 77 569 31:06:00 22 8 -1
Atlanta 24.4 391 1,011 361.2 5.7 19.6 95 219 43 6 13 46 71 591 31:10:00 18 10 -3
Baltimore 24.1 385 1,058 324 4.9 18.8 95 232 41 7 11 64 103 785 33:22:00 28 9 13
Minnesota 23.7 379 1,014 330.9 5.2 18.2 86 218 39 9 18 50 90 692 31:19:00 31 14 -6
Indianapolis 23.6 377 969 335.5 5.5 20.1 101 201 50 11 16 69 86 619 28:39:00 13 5 9
Chicago 23.4 375 991 295.9 4.8 16.5 78 219 36 6 14 43 78 610 28:36:00 19 13 5
Tennessee 23.4 375 973 313.6 5.2 16.8 78 216 36 5 11 46 108 855 29:19:00 18 8 14
Denver 23.1 370 1,019 395.8 6.2 22.1 95 200 48 4 10 40 77 739 28:44:00 18 12 -17
Houston 22.9 366 1,019 382.1 6 21.2 83 197 42 14 23 61 80 664 32:05:00 28 12 -10
Dallas 22.6 362 979 344.5 5.6 18.2 91 212 43 7 12 58 119 952 30:02:00 29 13 -11
Tampa Bay 22.6 361 1,045 341 5.2 18.6 88 229 38 10 18 56 95 834 32:14:00 21 13 4
Pittsburgh 21.7 347 1,015 311.9 4.9 18.1 92 224 41 3 12 25 95 812 31:41:00 28 10 4
Miami 21.6 345 965 345.6 5.7 19.2 71 192 37 10 15 67 81 669 31:03:00 18 6 17
San Francisco 21.2 339 961 311.1 5.2 17.9 75 198 38 5 11 46 98 732 29:31:00 36 16 -17
Buffalo 21 336 956 305.1 5.1 17.9 81 203 40 7 16 44 71 538 30:04:00 33 15 -8
Jacksonville 18.9 302 1,005 319.1 5.1 19.5 87 213 41 14 24 58 104 813 31:29:00 23 11 -7
Seattle 18.4 294 927 274.1 4.7 16.6 62 198 31 10 12 83 79 601 26:38:00 20 12 -7
Kansas City 18.2 291 957 308.7 5.2 17.1 82 214 38 7 18 39 78 645 28:04:00 20 8 5
Detroit 16.8 268 913 268.2 4.7 14.6 59 205 29 10 20 50 88 729 26:59:00 31 10 -9
Washington 16.6 265 1,026 320 5 18.4 76 216 35 10 16 62 83 644 31:31:00 20 12 0
Oakland 16.4 263 919 272.2 4.7 14.1 61 214 28 9 21 43 109 823 28:31:00 28 12 1
Cleveland 14.5 232 921 249.1 4.3 14.6 72 212 34 6 14 43 100 669 27:33:00 17 6 5
St. Louis 14.5 232 982 287.2 4.7 15.6 69 216 32 11 23 48 97 718 29:32:00 18 12 -5
Cincinnati 12.8 204 984 245.4 4 15.3 82 236 35 7 14 50 75 591 29:18:00 27 11 -2
NFL TEAM DEFENSE
Scrm 3rd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 4th Pen
Team Pts/G TotPts Plys Yds/G Yds/P 1st/G Md Att Pct Md Att Pct Pen Yds ToP/G FUM Lost
Pittsburgh 13.9 223 974 237.2 3.9 15 71 226 31 10 21 48 91 801 28:42:00 22 9
Tennessee 14.6 234 1,022 293.6 4.6 17.2 79 226 35 8 18 44 93 750 31:02:00 28 11
Baltimore 15.2 244 928 261.1 4.5 14.2 71 212 34 3 16 19 114 792 27:00:00 21 8
Philadelphia 18.1 289 994 274.3 4.4 15.5 73 227 32 5 14 36 80 593 29:32:00 26 14
NYGiants 18.4 294 931 292 5 16.8 83 204 41 5 16 31 111 866 27:24:00 22 5
Washington 18.5 296 933 288.8 5 16.2 74 208 36 8 12 67 80 639 28:29:00 16 5
Indianapolis 18.6 298 983 310.9 5.1 19.1 100 211 47 3 7 43 68 543 31:21:00 24 11
New England 19.3 309 920 309 5.4 16.8 91 205 44 2 10 20 81 636 28:04:00 17 8
Miami 19.8 317 979 329 5.4 18.5 79 209 38 11 19 58 86 615 28:57:00 27 12
Tampa Bay 20.2 323 945 306.1 5.2 16.2 81 214 38 5 13 38 88 660 29:24:00 16 8
Atlanta 20.3 325 998 348.2 5.6 19.3 79 208 38 10 20 50 109 854 29:31:00 18 8
Carolina 20.6 329 1,026 331.2 5.2 18.5 87 219 40 9 20 45 88 736 30:51:00 25 13
Minnesota 20.8 333 946 292.4 4.9 15.9 68 203 34 5 13 38 109 1,002 28:41:00 34 13
Buffalo 21.4 342 971 326.1 5.4 18.3 73 202 36 8 16 50 72 540 29:56:00 21 12
San Diego 21.7 347 1,041 349.9 5.4 21.2 84 207 41 13 24 54 78 708 31:07:00 18 9
Chicago 21.9 350 1,087 334.7 4.9 19.6 81 232 35 10 21 48 100 827 32:27:00 17 10
Cleveland 21.9 350 1,004 356.5 5.7 19.7 95 207 46 11 17 65 95 770 32:27:00 19 8
NYJets 22.2 356 1,020 329.4 5.2 19.7 81 210 39 13 18 72 93 663 30:10:00 37 16
Cincinnati 22.8 364 1,013 325.5 5.1 18.5 93 218 43 5 11 46 102 772 32:02:00 20 12
Dallas 22.8 365 969 294.3 4.9 17.2 77 216 36 8 14 57 87 601 30:02:00 28 14
Jacksonville 22.9 367 922 330.9 5.7 18.1 82 200 41 5 11 46 80 691 28:44:00 15 4
Green Bay 23.8 380 1,003 334.3 5.3 18.4 80 210 38 17 23 74 89 721 28:56:00 20 6
San Francisco 23.8 381 1,027 326 5.1 18.3 83 219 38 12 19 63 111 869 30:47:00 16 6
Oakland 24.2 388 1,045 360.9 5.5 20.3 103 232 44 9 13 69 74 633 32:16:00 21 8
Seattle 24.5 392 1,058 378 5.7 20.2 94 222 42 8 13 62 81 671 33:40:00 26 11
New Orleans 24.6 393 999 339.5 5.4 18.7 82 206 40 8 14 57 84 637 29:42:00 16 7
Houston 24.6 394 935 336.6 5.8 18.8 74 188 39 10 13 77 81 659 28:09:00 19 10
Arizona 26.6 426 993 331.5 5.3 19.5 92 207 44 13 17 76 98 816 29:53:00 26 17
Kansas City 27.5 440 1,041 393.2 6 21.5 100 211 47 6 14 43 81 588 32:13:00 30 16
Denver 28 448 990 374.6 6.1 20.4 89 202 44 10 18 56 83 738 31:16:00 15 7
St. Louis 29.1 465 975 371.9 6.1 20 74 187 40 4 6 67 89 654 30:28:00 24 14
Detroit 32.3 517 1,009 404.4 6.4 21.9 90 197 46 6 10 60 91 753 33:01:00 31 16
TOP QUARTERBACKS
Name Team G QBRat Comp Att Pct Yds Y/G Y/A TD Int Rush Avg Sack YdsL
Philip Rivers SDG 16 105.5 312 478 65.3 4009 250.6 8.4 34 11 31 2.7 25 151
Chad Pennington MIA 16 97.4 321 476 67.4 3653 228.3 7.7 19 7 30 2.1 24 121
Kurt Warner ARI 16 96.9 401 598 67.1 4583 286.4 7.7 30 14 18 -0.1 26 182
Drew Brees NOR 16 96.2 413 635 65.0 5069 316.8 8.0 34 17 22 -0.0 13 92
Peyton Manning IND 16 95.0 371 555 66.8 4002 250.1 7.2 27 12 20 1.1 14 86
Aaron Rodgers GNB 16 93.8 341 536 63.6 4038 252.4 7.5 28 13 56 3.7 34 231
Matt Schaub HOU 11 92.7 251 380 66.1 3043 276.6 8.0 15 10 31 2.2 23 149
Tony Romo DAL 13 91.4 276 450 61.3 3448 265.2 7.7 26 14 28 1.5 20 123
Jeff Garcia TAM 12 90.2 244 376 64.9 2712 226.0 7.2 12 6 35 4.2 23 100
Matt Cassel NWE 16 89.4 327 516 63.4 3693 230.8 7.2 21 11 73 3.7 47 219
Matt Ryan ATL 16 87.7 265 434 61.1 3440 215.0 7.9 16 11 55 1.9 17 104
Shaun Hill SFO 9 87.5 181 288 62.8 2046 227.3 7.1 13 8 24 4.8 23 148
Seneca Wallace SEA 10 87.0 141 242 58.3 1532 153.2 6.3 11 3 16 4.9 14 76
Eli Manning NYG 16 86.4 289 479 60.3 3238 202.4 6.8 21 10 20 0.5 27 174
Donovan McNabb PHI 16 86.4 345 571 60.4 3916 244.8 6.9 23 11 39 3.8 23 149
Jay Cutler DEN 16 86.0 384 616 62.3 4526 282.9 7.3 25 18 57 3.5 11 69
Trent Edwards BUF 14 85.4 245 374 65.5 2699 192.8 7.2 11 10 36 3.3 23 143
Jake Delhomme CAR 16 84.7 246 414 59.4 3288 205.5 7.9 15 12 20 1.1 20 130
Jason Campbell WAS 16 84.3 315 506 62.3 3245 202.8 6.4 13 6 47 5.5 38 266
David Garrard JAC 16 81.7 335 535 62.6 3620 226.3 6.8 15 13 73 4.4 42 288
Brett Favre NYJ 16 81.0 343 522 65.7 3472 217.0 6.7 22 22 21 2.0 30 213
Joe Flacco BAL 16 80.3 257 428 60.0 2971 185.7 6.9 14 12 52 3.5 32 276
Kerry Collins TEN 16 80.2 242 415 58.3 2676 167.3 6.4 12 7 25 2.0 8 60
Ben Roethlisberger PIT 16 80.1 281 469 59.9 3301 206.3 7.0 17 15 34 3.0 46 284
Kyle Orton CHI 15 79.6 272 465 58.5 2972 198.1 6.4 18 12 24 2.0 27 160
JaMarcus Russell OAK 15 77.1 198 368 53.8 2423 161.5 6.6 13 8 17 7.5 31 210
Tyler Thigpen KAN 14 76.0 230 420 54.8 2608 186.3 6.2 18 12 62 6.2 26 162
Gus Frerotte MIN 11 73.7 178 301 59.1 2157 196.1 7.2 12 15 19 0.4 29 164
Dan Orlovsky DET 10 72.6 143 255 56.1 1616 161.6 6.3 8 8 7 4.1 14 95
Marc Bulger STL 15 71.4 251 440 57.0 2720 181.3 6.2 11 13 14 2.9 38 263
Ryan Fitzpatrick CIN 13 70.0 221 372 59.4 1905 146.5 5.1 8 9 60 5.1 38 193
Derek Anderson CLE 10 66.5 142 283 50.2 1615 161.5 5.7 9 8 25 2.2 14 87
TOP RUNNING BACKS
Name Team G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Fum FumL
Adrian Peterson MIN 16 363 1760 110.0 4.8 10 9 4
Michael Turner ATL 16 376 1699 106.2 4.5 17 3 2
DeAngelo Williams CAR 16 273 1515 94.7 5.5 18 0 0
Clinton Portis WAS 16 342 1487 92.9 4.3 9 3 3
Thomas Jones NYJ 16 290 1312 82.0 4.5 13 2 1
Steve Slaton HOU 16 268 1282 80.1 4.8 9 3 2
Matt Forte CHI 16 316 1238 77.4 3.9 8 1 1
Chris Johnson TEN 15 251 1228 81.9 4.9 9 1 1
Ryan Grant GNB 16 312 1203 75.2 3.9 4 4 3
LaDainian Tomlinson SDG 16 292 1110 69.4 3.8 11 1 0
Brandon Jacobs NYG 13 219 1089 83.8 5.0 15 3 1
Steven Jackson STL 12 253 1042 86.8 4.1 7 5 3
Marshawn Lynch BUF 15 250 1036 69.1 4.1 8 2 1
Frank Gore SFO 14 240 1036 74.0 4.3 6 6 3
Derrick Ward NYG 16 182 1025 64.1 5.6 2 2 0
Jamal Lewis CLE 16 279 1002 62.6 3.6 4 2 1
Kevin Smith DET 16 238 976 61.0 4.1 8 2 1
Brian Westbrook PHI 14 233 936 66.9 4.0 9 2 1
Ronnie Brown MIA 16 214 916 57.3 4.3 10 1 1
Le’Ron McClain BAL 16 232 902 56.4 3.9 10 4 1
Marion Barber DAL 15 238 885 59.0 3.7 7 7 3
Larry Johnson KAN 12 193 874 72.8 4.5 5 5 1
Justin Fargas OAK 14 218 853 60.9 3.9 1 3 1
Jonathan Stewart CAR 16 184 836 52.3 4.5 10 2 1
Maurice Jones-Drew JAC 16 197 824 51.5 4.2 12 6 2
Willie Parker PIT 11 210 791 71.9 3.8 5 0 0
Warrick Dunn TAM 15 186 786 52.4 4.2 2 0 0
LenDale White TEN 16 200 773 48.3 3.9 15 1 1
Cedric Benson CIN 12 214 747 62.3 3.5 2 2 1
Sammy Morris NWE 13 156 727 55.9 4.7 7 1 1
Julius Jones SEA 15 158 698 46.5 4.4 2 4 2
Willis McGahee BAL 13 170 671 51.6 3.9 7 3 3

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 31
TOP KICKERS
Name Team G 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FGM FGA Pct Lng XPM XPA Pct Pts
Stephen Gostkowski NWE 16 0-0 10-12 16-16 9-11 1-1 36 40 90.0 50 40 40 100.0 148
John Carney NYG 15 0-0 15-15 14-15 5-7 1-1 35 38 92.1 51 38 38 100.0 143
David Akers PHI 16 2-2 11-11 10-12 8-10 2-5 33 40 82.5 51 45 45 100.0 144
Matt Bryant TAM 16 0-0 12-12 15-15 5-8 0-3 32 38 84.2 49 35 36 97.2 131
Josh Brown STL 16 0-0 8-8 7-7 10-13 6-8 31 36 86.1 54 19 19 100.0 112
Phil Dawson CLE 16 0-0 10-10 12-14 5-6 3-6 30 36 83.3 56 18 18 100.0 108
Rian Lindell BUF 16 1-1 7-8 11-11 10-15 1-3 30 38 78.9 53 34 34 100.0 124
Kris Brown HOU 16 0-0 9-10 10-10 8-10 2-3 29 33 87.9 53 37 37 100.0 124
Rob Bironas TEN 16 0-0 6-6 7-7 15-19 1-1 29 33 87.9 51 40 40 100.0 127
Jason Elam ATL 16 0-0 11-11 7-8 10-10 1-2 29 31 93.5 50 42 42 100.0 129
Joe Nedney SFO 16 0-0 9-9 10-10 8-11 2-3 29 33 87.9 53 34 34 100.0 121
Ryan Longwell MIN 16 0-0 10-10 7-9 6-9 6-6 29 34 85.3 54 40 40 100.0 127
John Kasay CAR 16 0-0 7-7 9-9 11-12 1-3 28 31 90.3 50 46 46 100.0 130
Nate Kaeding SDG 16 0-0 13-13 10-10 3-8 1-1 27 32 84.4 57 46 46 100.0 127
Mason Crosby GNB 16 1-1 8-8 10-13 5-6 3-6 27 34 79.4 53 46 46 100.0 127
Jeff Reed PIT 16 1-1 9-9 8-9 8-10 1-2 27 31 87.1 53 36 37 97.3 117
Matt Stover BAL 16 0-0 11-11 11-12 5-9 0-1 27 33 81.8 47 41 41 100.0 122
Robbie Gould CHI 16 0-0 6-6 12-12 8-11 0-0 26 29 89.7 48 41 41 100.0 119
Shaun Suisham WAS 16 0-0 7-7 7-9 11-16 1-4 26 36 72.2 50 25 25 100.0 103
Matt Prater DEN 16 0-0 7-8 8-9 5-11 5-6 25 34 73.5 56 39 40 97.5 114
TOP TIGHT ENDS
Player Team Rec Yds Avg Yds/G Lng TD 20+ 40+ 1st 1st% FUM
Tony Gonzalez KC 96 “1,058” 11 66.1 35 10 10 0 67 69.8 0
Chris Cooley WAS 83 849 10.2 53.1 28 1 7 0 43 51.8 3
Jason Witten DAL 81 952 11.8 59.5 42 4 14 1 50 61.7 0
Dallas Clark IND 77 848 11 56.5 33 6 13 0 41 53.2 2
Owen Daniels HOU 70 862 12.3 53.9 35 2 10 0 46 65.7 2
Antonio Gates SD 60 704 11.7 44 34 8 8 0 39 65 1
Bo Scaife TEN 58 561 9.7 35.1 44 2 4 1 29 50 1
Zach Miller OAK 56 778 13.9 48.6 63T 1 16 1 32 57.1 0
John Carlson SEA 55 627 11.4 39.2 33 5 10 0 36 65.5 0
Greg Olsen CHI 54 574 10.6 35.9 52 5 6 1 31 57.4 2
Jeremy Shockey NO 50 483 9.7 40.2 26 0 4 0 30 60 2
Dustin Keller NYJ 48 535 11.1 33.4 54 3 7 1 32 66.7 0
Heath Miller PIT 48 514 10.7 36.7 22 3 4 0 29 60.4 1
Billy Miller NO 45 579 12.9 38.6 41 1 11 1 30 66.7 0
Kellen Winslow CLE 43 428 10 42.8 30 3 3 0 25 58.1 1
Visanthe Shiancoe MIN 42 596 14.2 37.2 40 7 12 1 30 71.4 0
Desmond Clark CHI 41 367 9 22.9 35 1 5 0 18 43.9 1
Marcedes Lewis JAC 41 489 11.9 30.6 30T 2 8 0 21 51.2 0
Tony Scheffler DEN 40 645 16.1 49.6 72 3 13 1 28 70 1
Donald Lee GB 39 303 7.8 18.9 26 5 3 0 12 30.8 0
L.J. Smith PHI 37 298 8.1 22.9 25 3 3 0 16 43.2 0
Jerramy Stevens TB 36 397 11 28.4 31 2 6 0 16 44.4 0
Todd Heap BAL 35 403 11.5 25.2 30 3 7 0 23 65.7 1
TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
Player Team Rec Yds Avg Yds/G Lng TD 20+ 40+ 1st 1st% FUM
Andre Johnson HOU 115 1,575 13.7 98.4 65 8 20 4 79 68.7 1
Wes Welker NE 111 1,165 10.5 72.8 64 3 13 1 57 51.4 1
Brandon Marshall DEN 104 1,265 12.2 84.3 47 6 16 1 65 62.5 3
Larry Fitzgerald ARI 96 1,431 14.9 89.4 78T 12 20 5 66 68.8 1
T.J. Houshmandzadeh CIN 92 904 9.8 60.3 46 4 10 1 51 55.4 0
Eddie Royal DEN 91 980 10.8 65.3 93T 5 8 2 43 47.3 1
Anquan Boldin ARI 89 1,038 11.7 86.5 79T 11 10 3 56 62.9 3
Roddy White ATL 88 1,382 15.7 86.4 70T 7 18 4 61 69.3 1
Dwayne Bowe KC 86 1,022 11.9 63.9 36 7 12 0 49 57 0
Antonio Bryant TB 83 1,248 15 78 71T 7 16 4 60 72.3 1
Reggie Wayne IND 82 1,145 14 71.6 65T 6 13 3 63 76.8 0
Hines Ward PIT 81 1,043 12.9 65.2 49 7 15 2 55 67.9 1
Greg Jennings GB 80 1,292 16.2 80.8 63 9 21 8 55 68.8 1
Derrick Mason BAL 80 1,037 13 64.8 54 5 12 1 60 75 2
Lance Moore NO 79 928 11.7 58 70T 10 8 2 40 50.6 0
Santana Moss WAS 79 1,044 13.2 65.2 67T 6 15 3 50 63.3 1
Calvin Johnson DET 78 1,331 17.1 83.2 96T 12 21 7 52 66.7 2
Steve Smith CAR 78 1,421 18.2 101.5 65T 6 23 6 59 75.6 1
Steve Breaston ARI 77 1,006 13.1 62.9 58 3 13 3 44 57.1 0
Donald Driver GB 74 1,012 13.7 63.2 71T 5 13 6 44 59.5 0
Jerricho Cotchery NYJ 71 858 12.1 53.6 56T 5 11 3 43 60.6 2
Laveranues Coles NYJ 70 850 12.1 53.1 54 7 12 2 44 62.9 1
Randy Moss NE 69 1,008 14.6 63 76T 11 14 3 46 66.7 3
Terrell Owens DAL 69 1,052 15.2 65.8 75T 10 15 6 38 55.1 1
Matt Jones JAC 65 761 11.7 63.4 35 2 9 0 47 72.3 1
Muhsin Muhammad CAR 65 923 14.2 57.7 60 5 12 3 46 70.8 2
KICK RETURN LEADERS
2008 NFL STATS
Kick Returns--------------------------------------------------------
Punt Returns--------------------------------------------------------------
Name Team KR Yds Avg Long TD PR Yds Avg Long TD FC
Josh Wilson SEA 69 1753 25.4 61 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Leodis McKelvin BUF 52 1468 28.2 98 1 2 26 13.0 14 0 0
Darren Sproles SDG 53 1376 26.0 103 1 22 249 11.3 43 0 12
Quintin Demps PHI 52 1314 25.3 100 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Jerious Norwood ATL 51 1311 25.7 92 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Rock Cartwright WAS 51 1307 25.6 87 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Ellis Hobbs NWE 45 1281 28.5 95 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Allen Rossum SFO 47 1259 26.8 104 1 15 223 14.9 45 0 7
Brian Witherspoon JAC 52 1250 24.0 51 0 17 192 11.3 38 0 9
Leon Washington NYJ 48 1231 25.6 94 1 29 303 10.4 37 0 9
Will Blackmon GNB 55 1157 21.0 45 0 36 398 11.1 76 2 11
Glenn Holt CIN 46 1110 24.1 60 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 7
Joshua Cribbs CLE 44 1110 25.2 92 1 28 228 8.1 32 0 0
Danieal Manning CHI 36 1070 29.7 83 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Andre’ Davis HOU 43 993 23.1 50 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Clifton Smith TAM 36 992 27.6 97 1 23 324 14.1 70 1 4
Chris Carr TEN 35 984 28.1 52 0 32 323 10.1 44 0 20
Mark Jones CAR 40 958 24.0 59 0 39 443 11.4 55 0 20
J.J. Arrington ARI 36 923 25.6 93 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Ahmad Bradshaw NYG 39 867 22.2 58 0 1 6 6.0 6 0 0
Brandon Middleton DET 39 864 22.2 42 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Johnnie Lee Higgins OAK 36 842 23.4 69 0 44 570 13.0 93 3 12
Justin Miller OAK 33 816 24.7 92 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Pierre Thomas NOR 31 793 25.6 88 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Dante Hall STL 37 763 20.6 41 0 9 93 10.3 34 0 1
Aveion Cason DET 32 746 23.3 46 0 3 27 9.0 13 0 0
Maurice Hicks MIN 29 690 23.8 38 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Devin Hester CHI 31 679 21.9 51 0 32 198 6.2 25 0 14
Steve Breaston ARI 33 667 20.2 38 0 33 237 7.2 25 0 10
Ted Ginn Jr. MIA 32 657 20.5 41 0 7 54 7.7 15 0 1
Dantrell Savage KC 26 633 24.3 59 0 8 17 2.1 11 0 2
TACKLES, SACKS, INTERCEPTIONS, FUMBLES
Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Player Team Total Solo Ast Sck SFTY PDef Int TDs Yds Lng FF Rec TD
D’Qwell Jackson CLE 154 95 59 2 -- 9 3 0 29 16 0 -- --
Patrick Willis SF 141 109 32 1 0 11 1 1 86 86T 1 1 0
Jon Beason CAR 138 110 28 0 -- 11 3 0 52 44 0 1 0
Barrett Ruud TB 137 102 35 3 -- 8 2 0 10 10 0 1 0
Kirk Morrison OAK 135 99 36 1 -- 2 1 0 0 0 2 -- --
James Farrior PIT 133 87 46 3.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 0
London Fletcher WAS 133 96 37 0.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 0
Jonathan Vilma NO 132 98 34 1 -- 7 1 0 8 8 2 3 0
Gibril Wilson OAK 129 96 33 1.5 1 6 2 0 5 5 1 3 0
Jerod Mayo NE 128 100 28 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 0
Eric Weddle SD 127 105 22 1 0 6 1 0 3 3 0 1 1
Paris Lenon DET 121 81 40 1.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 2 0
Yeremiah Bell MIA 120 100 20 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 3 1 0
Eric Barton NYJ 119 93 26 1.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 0
Karlos Dansby ARI 119 95 24 4 -- 7 2 0 47 34 2 3 0
Ray Lewis BAL 117 85 32 3.5 -- 12 3 0 43 29 2 2 0
Bradie James DAL 116 80 36 8 -- -- -- -- -- -- 3 2 0
Dhani Jones CIN 116 75 41 0 -- 9 1 0 13 13 1 1 0
Chad Greenway MIN 115 86 29 5.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 3 -- --
Channing Crowder MIA 113 92 21 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1 0
Thomas Davis CAR 113 92 21 3.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 1 0
Ernie Sims DET 113 71 42 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 -- --
DeMeco Ryans HOU 112 86 26 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 3 0
Lance Briggs CHI 110 90 20 0.5 0 13 3 0 12 9 1 2 1
Paul Posluszny BUF 110 87 23 0 -- 7 1 0 9 9 1 1 0
Stewart Bradley PHI 108 86 22 1 -- 7 1 0 17 17 1 1 0
Freddy Keiaho IND 105 79 26 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 2 0
Pisa Tinoisamoa STL 104 88 16 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- --
Keith Brooking ATL 102 71 31 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 -- --
Antoine Bethea IND 101 74 27 0 -- 6 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
James Harrison PIT 101 67 34 16 1 4 1 0 33 33 7 -- --

32 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Pos Starter Backup
ARIZONA CARDINALS
QB Kurt Warner Matt Leinart
RB Chris Wells Tim Hightower
FB Dan Kreider Tim Castille
WR1 Larry Fitzgerald Jerheme Urban
WR2 Anquan Boldin Steve Breaston
TE Leonard Pope Anthony Becht
PK Neil Rackers
ATLANTA FALCONS
QB Matt Ryan Chris Redman
RB Michael Turner Jerious Norwood
FB Ovie Mughelli
WR1 Roddy White Harry Douglas
WR2 Michael Jenkins Brian Finneran
TE Tony Gonzalez Justin Peelle
PK Jason Elam Michael Koenen
BALTIMORE RAVENS
QB Joe Flacco Troy Smith
RB Ray Rice Willis McGahee
FB LeRon McClain
WR1 Mark Clayton Kelley Washington
WR2 Demetrius Williams Justin Harper
TE Todd Heap L.J. Smith
PK Steven Hauschka Graham Gano
BUFFALO BILLS
QB Trent Edwards Ryan Fitzpatrick
RB Fred Jackson Dominic Rhodes
FB Corey McIntyre
WR1 Terrell Owens Josh Reed
WR2 Lee Evans Roscoe Parrish
TE Derek Schouman Derek Fine
PK Rian Lindell
CAROLINA PANTHERS
QB Jake Delhomme Josh McCown
RB Deangelo Williams Jonathan Stewart
FB Brad Hoover Tony Fiammetta
WR1 Steve Smith Ryne Robinson
WR2 Muhsin Muhammad Dwayne Jarrett
TE Jeff King Dante Rosario
PK John Kasay Rhys Lloyd
CHICAGO BEARS
QB Jay Cutler Caleb Hanie
RB Matt Forte Kevin Jones
FB Jason McKie Jason Davis
WR1 Devin Hester Juaquin Iglesias
WR2 Earl Bennett Rashied Davis
TE Desmond Clark Greg Olsen
PK Robbie Gould
CINCINNATI BENGALS
QB Carson Palmer J.T. OSullivan
RB Cedric Benson Kenny Watson
FB Fui Vakapuna J.D. Runnels
WR1 Chad Ochocinco Chris Henry
WR2 Laveranues Coles Andre Caldwell
TE Reggie Kelly Ben Utecht
PK Shayne Graham
CLEVELAND BROWNS
QB Brady Quinn Derek Anderson
RB Jamal Lewis Jerome Harrison
FB Lawrence Vickers Charles Ali
WR1 Braylon Edwards Mohamed Massaquoi
WR2 Brian Robiskie David Patten
TE Robert Royal Steve Heiden
PK Phil Dawson
TEAM-BY-TEAM DEPTH CHART
Pos Starter Backup
DALLAS COWBOYS
QB Tony Romo Jon Kitna
RB Marion Barber Felix Jones
FB Deon Anderson Julius Crosslin
WR1 Roy Williams Sam Hurd
WR2 Patrick Crayton Miles Austin
TE Jason Witten Martellus Bennett
PK Nick Folk David Buehler
DENVER BRONCOS
QB Kyle Orton Chris Simms
RB Knowshon Moreno Correll Buckhalter
FB Peyton Hillis Spencer Larsen
WR1 Brandon Marshall Jabar Gaffney
WR2 Eddie Royal Brandon Stokley
TE Daniel Graham Tony Scheffler
PK Matt Prater
DETROIT LIONS
QB Daunte Culpepper Matthew Stafford
RB Kevin Smith Maurice Morris
FB Jerome Felton Terrelle Smith
WR1 Calvin Johnson Dennis Northcutt
WR2 Bryant Johnson Derrick Williams
TE Brandon Pettigrew Casey Fitzsimmons
PK Jason Hanson
GREEN BAY PACKERS
QB Aaron Rodgers Matt Flynn
RB Ryan Grant Brandon Jackson
FB Korey Hall John Kuhn
WR1 Greg Jennings Jordy Nelson
WR2 Donald Driver James Jones
TE Donald Lee Jermichael Finley
PK Mason Crosby
HOUSTON TEXANS
QB Matt Schaub Dan Orlovsky
RB Steve Slaton Ryan Moats
FB Vonta Leach
WR1 Andre Johnson David Anderson
WR2 Kevin Walter Andre Davis
TE Owen Daniels Joel Dreessen
PK Kris Brown
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
QB Peyton Manning Jim Sorgi
RB Joseph Addai Donald Brown
WR1 Reggie Wayne Pierre Garcon
WR2 Anthony Gonzalez Austin Collie
TE Dallas Clark Gijon Robinson
TE Jacob Tamme Justin Snow
PK Adam Vinatieri Patrick McAfee
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
QB David Garrard Todd Bouman
RB Maurice Jones-Drew Chauncey Washington
FB Greg Jones Montell Owens
WR1 Torry Holt Jarrett Dillard
WR2 Mike Walker Mike Thomas
TE Marcedes Lewis Greg Estandia
PK Josh Scobee
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
QB Matt Cassel Tyler Thigpen
RB Larry Johnson Jamaal Charles
FB Mike Cox
WR1 Dwayne Bowe
WR2 Mark Bradley
TE Brad Cottam Sean Ryan
PK Ryan Succop
Bobby Engram
Devard Darling
Pos Starter Backup
MIAMI DOLPHINS
QB Chad Pennington Chad Henne
RB Ronnie Brown Ricky Williams
FB Louaska Polite
WR1 Greg Camarillo Davone Bess
WR2 Ted Ginn Jr. Patrick Turner
TE Anthony Fasano David Martin
PK Dan Carpenter
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
QB Sage Rosenfels Tarvarias Jackson
RB Adrian Peterson Chester Taylor
FB Naufahu Tahi Nehemiah Broughton
WR1 Bernard Berrian Bobby Wade
WR2 Sidney Rice Percy Harvin
TE Visanthe Shiancoe Jim Kleinsasser
PK Ryan Longwell
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
QB Tom Brady Kevin OConnell
RB Sammy Morris Fred Taylor
WR1 Randy Moss Matthew Slater
WR2 Wes Welker Sam Aiken
WR1 Joey Galloway Greg Lewis
TE Benjamin Watson Chris Baker
PK Stephen Gostkowski
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
QB Drew Brees Mark Brunell
RB Pierre Thomas Reggie Bush
FB Heath Evans Olaniyi Sobomehin
WR1 Marques Colston Devery Henderson
WR2 Lance Moore Adrian Arrington
TE Jeremy Shockey Billy Miller
PK Garrett Hartley
NEW YORK GIANTS
QB Eli Manning David Carr
RB Brandon Jacobs Ahmad Bradshaw
FB Madison Hedgecock
WR1 Domenik Hixon Hakeem Nicks
WR2 Steve Smith Mario Manningham
TE Kevin Boss Travis Beckum
PK Lawrence Tynes
NEW YORK JETS
QB Kellen Clemens Mark Sanchez
RB Thomas Jones Leon Washington
FB Tony Richardson Jehuu Caulcrick
WR1 Jerricho Cotchery David Clowney
WR2 Chansi Stuckey Brad Smith
TE Dustin Keller Richard Owens
PK Jay Feely
OAKLAND RAIDERS
QB JeMarcus Russell Jeff Garcia
RB Justin Fargas Darren McFadden
FB Lorenzo Neal Luke Lawton
WR1 Darius Heyward-Bey Johnnie Lee Higgins
WR2 Chaz Schilens Javon Walker
TE Zach Miller Tony Stewart
PK Sebastian Janikowski
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
QB Donovan McNabb Kevin Kolb
RB Brian Westbrook LeSean McCoy
FB Leonard Weaver Kyle Eckel
WR1 DeSean Jackson Reggie Brown
WR2 Kevin Curtis Jason Avant
TE Brent Celek Matt Schobel
PK David Akers
Pos Starter Backup
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
QB Ben Roethlisberger Charlie Batch
RB Willie Parker Rashard Mendenhall
FB Carey Davis Frank Summers
WR1 Hines Ward Limas Sweed
WR2 Santonio Holmes
TE Heath Miller Matt Spaeth
PK Jeff Reed
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
QB Philip Rivers Billy Volek
Shaun McDonald
RB LaDainian Tomlinson Darren Sproles
FB Mike Tolbert Billy Latsko
WR1 Vincent Jackson Legedu Naanee
WR2 Chris Chambers Malcolm Floyd
TE Antonio Gates Brandon Manumaleuna
PK Nate Kaeding
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
QB Shaun Hill Damon Huard
RB Frank Gore Glenn Coffee
FB Morran Norris Zak Keasey
WR1 Isaac Bruce Brandon Jones
WR2 Josh Morgan Michael Crabtree
TE Vernon Davis Delanie Walker
PK Joe Nedney
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
QB Matt Hasselbeck Seneca Wallace
RB Julius Jones T.J. Duckett
FB Owen Schmitt Justin Griffith
WR1 T.J. Houshmandzadeh Deion Branch
WR2 Nate Burleson Deon Butler
TE John Carlson John Owens
PK Olindo Mare Brandon Coutu
ST. LOUIS RAMS
QB Marc Bulger Kyle Boller
RB Steven Jackson Kenneth Darby
FB Mike Karney
WR1 Donnie Avery Derek Stanley
WR2 Keenan Burton Ronald Curry
TE Randy McMichael Daniel Fells
PK Josh Brown
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
QB Luke McCown Byron Leftwich
RB Earnest Graham Derrick Ward
FB B.J. Askew Jameel Cook
WR1 Antonio Bryant Brian Clark
WR2 Michael Clayton Sammie Stroughter
TE Kellen Winslow Jerramy Stevens
PK Mike Nugent Matt Bryant
TENNESSEE TITANS
QB Kerry Collins Vince Young
RB Chris Johnson LenDale White
FB Ahmard Hall Casey Cramer
WR1 Nate Washington Lavelle Hawkins
WR2 Justin Gage Chris Davis
TE Bo Scaife Alge Crumpler
PK Rob Bironas
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
QB Jason Campbell Todd Collins
RB Clinton Portis Ladell Betts
FB Mike Sellers
WR1 Santana Moss Malcolm Kelly
WR2 Antwaan Randle El Devin Thomas
TE Chris Cooley Fred Davis
PK Shaun Suisham

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 33
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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 35
presents THE GREAT OUTDOORS REPORT
Having spent some time at glorious Beaver Lake in the
Arkansas Ozark mountain range, I found myself wondering
why I had never fished for Stripers there.
I grew up seeing big Striped Bass that had come from
the crystal clear waters of Beaver, but for some unknown
reason I had yet to feel
the tug of one on my
line. This spring
I made arrangements
with Ed Chapko of
E & C Guide service
to try and remedy my
“lack of stripes.”
My maiden trip was
to take place in July, at
the peak of summer heat. Typical day time temperatures
hover near the century mark and humidity is so high you
can literally see it. Thus when Ed advised me we would be
going out in the evening I wasn’t the slightest bit upset.
“Summer is really a great time to fish (for Stripers),”
Chapko said. “I can get on a solid pattern, and consistently
catch fish every night.”
The stable weather and the fact the Stripers really thrive
in the depths, where the dissolved oxygen forms (common
in summer) means summer is prime time to catch good
numbers of these silver striped beauties.
Joining us would be Paul, a regular fishing buddy of
Chapko’s. After handshakes and introductions the three of
us set out to try our luck. We weren’t on plane for more
than a minute or two when Chapko brought the boat to an
idle and began to prep his gear.
“This is a good place to start,” he said. Immediately he
prepped his two rod s, which were wide spool baitcast rigs
complete with line counters. The reels sat on seven-foot
medium heavy Ugly Stick rods and were spooled with
fifty pound test mono to which our guide tied an umbrella
rig to the end.
Basically the “umbrella rig” is two pieces of heavy
gauge wire that form an “X”. In the middle is a big chunk
of lead weight and the eye the main line attaches to. Each
wire has a jig tied to the end via a leader of monofilament
line. Various combinations from four to nine leader rigs
are available. Chapko uses a rig employing nine leaders.
From each leader a jig hangs, all at varying lengths so to
reduce the chance of tangles. When held by the wire harness
the entire “umbrella rig” looks very much like a puppet
harness. Of course, when the rig is placed in the water
and trolled properly it resembles a school of shad or baitfish,
which is the primary forage of Stripers. The likeness
of the rig to the real thing in the water is20incredible and
it’s plain to see how the fish are fooled.
Once Chapko deployed an umbrella rigged rod on each
side of the boat and laid out about 160 feet of line, he
eased the motor in gear and began to troll. The lead
weighted rigs quickly got down to the desired depth while
he kept the boat cruising through fish infested waters.
Within minutes, my host yelled “fish on” and motioned
me to grab the left rod. Instantly I felt the strength of the
fish and seconds later Paul sounded out that he had one
hooked up on the other rod as well. Suddenly we had a
free-for-all going as a pair of Stripers battled us, all the
while we tried to keep the fish apart and gain some line.
Stripers are hardy fish. Right away I wa s impressed
with their spirit and how much fight they had against the
heavy tackle we were using. After a courageous battle my
fish was eased alongside the boat and was carefully landed
and released by Chapko.
Moments later Paul repeated the process, and his fish
Stripes Under the Stars
eagerly swam back to the depths. Of course Paul had the
larger fish, a 15- pound specimen while my “runt” would
go only about five pounds. Still I was hooked after boating
one Striper. All I wanted to do was get back into the fight
and catch another one.
Chapko is efficient. In the time it took Paul and I to dip
our hands in the lake and offer each other a congratulatory
handshake, our guide had the rigs deployed again and was
slipping the outboard back into gear for another run. My
kind of guy.
We didn’t have to wait long for another chance.
It seemed like we had just made one or two passes through
the same area when the left rod tip bugged out and the rod
doubled over. Chapko pointed to the rod, but before he
could speak, I was on the rod like sticky on glue. Again
I had a blast fighting a carbon copy of my first fish.
By TOM CANNON, Contributing Writer
Anytime you have that much line out initially it gives the
fish a sporting chance and allows the angler to really enjoy
the moment.
Once again our guide boated the stout fighter, posed
for a quick picture with it and then released the fish to
fight another day. Chapko explained in Beaver Lake the
Stripers grow an average of three to five pounds per year.
but the amount of fish per acre isn’t as high as some other
Striper lakes.
Consequently, the fish in Beaver are consistently larger
than other lakes, but there are not as many Stripers in the
lake. If an angler wants a shot at a real “trophy fish” then
Beaver Lake is the place to go since the waters here are
home to fish pushing the fifty pound mark. Just a week or
so prior one of Ed’s clients was able to hoist a 36-pound
Striper out of the lake. continued on page 43

THE ABA BASKETBALL REPORT
36 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Round 2 of KC ABA team tryouts set for August 15
As David Francis, Kansas City ABA
CEO, paced the gym floor at 68’s
Inside Sports he shouted out “The
initial tryout camp was successful but I am
not satisfied, I want the best players
around!”
More than 20 players from the Kansas
City area and the Midwest came to fulfill
their dreams by showing their skills at the
first tryout camp sponsored by Kansas
City’s new ABA basketball team. The
camp was held on Saturday July 11, 2009
at Will Shield’s 68 Inside Sports in
Overland Park.
Players were evaluated
through a battery of
general basketball drills
and game situations
which allowed them to
showcase their knowledge
of the game and
offensive and defensive
skills. “I was
pleased to the hustle
and heart the guys
showed today, a lot of
coaching is still
required,” stated
Assistant Coach
Dennis Still.
The team’s
General Manager
Reggie Harris pointed
out that the first
tryout camp yielded
a few blue chip
players. Harris elaborated,
“We owe
Kansas City the
best and we will
put the best talent
on the floor.”
The team, which
starts play this
November, will
hold round two of tryouts on Saturday
August 15, 2009 from 10 am – 1 pm at
Inside Sports, located at 11301 W. 88th St.
in Overland Park.
Qualified participants may register anytime
online at www.kcabateam.com or on
the day of the event. A $75 non-refundable
registration fee is required for all participants.
Photo identification is required.
Francis is
currently
working on
the team’s 30-
game season
schedule.
They will
soon
announce the
local venue
where they
will play their
home games.
At that time
tickets will go
on sale.
The ABA
franchise will
also name their first head coach and
announce the official name for this expansion
team in the upcoming weeks.
The team has also received endorsements
from Kansas City leaders including
Mayor Mark Funkhouser (pictured) and
Sugar Creek Mayor Stan Salva.
For more information on tryouts and the
team visit www.kcabateam.com.

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 37
THE KC SPORTS HORSE EXTRA!
Shooting stars were abundant when the
College Basketball Experience (CBE)
hosted the “Horse N Around Hoops”
event in July.
The event featured several local sports
celebrities, including Rockhurst and Mizzou
football star Tony Temple, former UMKC
basketball player Tim Blackwell and former
Kansas player Lester Earl, along with
national celebrities, such as comedian J.J.
Walker, actor Cylk Cozart (cylkcozart.com)
- famous for talking trash to Woody
Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in the film
“White Men Can’t Jump” - and David Kalb,
who gained celebrity by twice beating NBA
star LeBron James in a H.O.R.S.E. contest.
While the contest was more than just a
better-regulated version of the traditional
driveway game, it still retained the flavor of
showmanship and creativity which makes
the commonplace game so much fun for so
many amateurs.
“That’s the great thing about this game,”
said Keith Zimmerman of Double Dog
Sports & Entertainment, the event sponsor.
“Anybody can play H.O.R.S.E. We want to
get the public to come out and play and
enjoy this game. There were about 300 people
here today, which is pretty close to
capacity for this venue and that shows how
much interest there is in H.O.R.S.E. It has
this instant fan appeal, a lot like American
Just HORSE ‘N Around at the CBE
Idol, because the fans get to come out and
play with the celebrities. It can be like the
reality shows.”
The reality for Kalb in this event was a
loss to Blue Valley High School star Ryan
Magdziarz.
Kalb, whose video of his
defeat of James last summer
has gotten millions of internet
hits, was appreciative of
Magdziarz’s skill.
“He’s a good athlete,”
Kalb said. “He’s got
those young legs and
he can jump. Most of
the shots he made
were pretty tough and
I was happy to hit some
of them. He’s a good
athlete and a great shot.”
Magdziarz enjoyed the
competition, although his
basketball scholarship to
Johnson County
Community College
prevented him from taking
advantage of chance afforded
the winner to make three timed shots – a
lay-up, a free throw, and a half-court shot –
to win a $25,000 prize. Magdziarz hopes to
eventually move on to big-time college basketball
at Wichita State or another Missouri
Valley Conference school.
“Probably the one off the backboard and
through the legs,” Magdziarz said when
describing the most difficult shot he used
against Kalb, while admitting he had trouble
with a couple of Kalb’s more creative
efforts. “Especially the shot off of each of
the (supplemental) backboards.”
After splitting the first two games of the
best-of-three series, Magdziarz finally put
Kalb away with a double-tap-off-the-rim
followed by a reverse lay-up.
MU football star Temple made a surprisingly
good showing against some strong
players.
“It was some pretty good competition,”
Temple said. “There were some old cats and
some young cats. I think I held my own.
They didn’t think I had a jumper in me.
They didn’t know I played (basketball) my
freshman year. I guess I kind of snuck up on
them a little. But some of those guys, they
can shoot lights out.”
“Those shots off the other backboards,
that was pretty serious,” Walker commented
after entertain ing the crowd as an on-court
M.C.
The tricks shots might sound a bit like an
old Michael Jordan commercial, as the competitors
worked as hard to create new shots
as they did to actually sink them.
But these amazing shots were made without
the benefit of television magic.
“Well, maybe white men can’t jump,”
Cozart said, “but they sure can shoot. This
was a great event and everybody had a lot of
fun. The beauty is in the creativity. Whether
it’s in sports or real estate or business, if you
By MARC BOWMAN, Contributing Writer
have the creativity you can be successful.”
“I look for anything to bounce it off of,”
said Kalb of what he looks for when entering
an arena for a H.O.R.S.E. competition.
“Anything to bounce it off or throw it over.
It comes from being in the gym a lot and
getting bored with regular shots. I end up
just playing around and making up shots.”
Zimmerman and entrepreneurial partner
Cozart have big plans for expanding their
H.O.R.S.E. competition elsewhere around
the country.
“We want to take this world wide and
bring the community out,” Cozart said. “If
you watch the people who came out for this
event you see that it gets their attention. If
you can get their attention you can reach the
children and then you can teach them something.
We want to have celebrities, sports
figures, athletes and members of the public.
We have some things in the works for Los
Angeles, Chicago and Portland. This was a
chance to iron out some of the kinks.
Having the eight-minute time limit was a
good thing. We need to incorporate David
(Kalb) more. This event gave us a good
foundation.”
Zimmerman is looking to expand the
event to other venues.
“There is a major sporting goods dealer
on the west coast which is getting behind
our events out there in San Francisco, Los
Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and Las
Vegas,” Zimmerman said. “And there is
another chain like that in the Mid-Atlantic
States. We’ve had discussions with Wal-
Mart and Best Buy so we’re trying to get the
sponsors. The U.S. Army has been a sponsor
and will probably do that again. We’re
negotiating with the Basketball Hall of
Fame in Indianapolis to set up an event
there.”
The College Basketball Experience,
located adjacent to the Sprint Center, could
host future H.O.R.S.E. events.
“We think it was pretty good for a first
effort,” said CBE CEO Kevin Henderson.
“Double Dog put this together and we were
able to have a partnership to bring it to the
CBE. We’ll definitely take a hard look at
hosting it again. We want to be a part of basketball
in the loc al area. As long as it’s
legitimate and promotes the game, we are
glad to be a part of it.”

THE HOCKEY REPORT
The new Missouri Mavericks hockey
team have been on a roll. With the
home season starting in mid-November
at the new Independence Event Center, the
team the fans will see on the ice has begun
to take shape. Eight of the 19 roster spots
have been filled with experienced talent
including:
Goaltender Mike Gorman, 29, a nineyear
veteran who has played 362 games
and has a goals-against average of 2.97
Goaltender Doug Groenestege, 26, a
four year professional who has played in
118 pro games with a goals-against average
of 2.34.
Forward Carlyle Lewis, a 10 year veteran
who is 6’3” with 255 career points in
590 pro games and has 2,059 career penalty
minutes.
Defenseman Doug MacIver who has
played 302 games over seven seasons.
MacIver is 6’5”, 235 lbs. and has 80 points
and 1,392 penalty minutes.
Defenseman Travis Martell who played
for Mavericks head coach Scott Hillman
last season. The 6’5”, 225 lb. defenseman
played in 58 games last season and finished
with 20 points for the season and 89
penalty minutes.
The team also recently added defenseman
Tyler Fleck and Shawn Arvai and
Travis Kauffeldt.
The first player to be signed by the team
for their inaugural season is Jeff Christian,
a 19-year professional hockey veteran
with NHL experience.
The Kansas City Sports &
Fitness Radio Show, heard
Saturdays from 8-9 AM on
Hot Talk 1510 and Friday
nights from 6-7 PM on 1140
and 1160 AM caught up with
Christian right after he was named
to the team.
Here is a part of that broadcast,
hosted by Steve Fisch, Kansas City
Sports & Fitness publisher and contributing
writer Jim Potoski.
SF: Welcome to Kansas City, Jeff.
Fill us in on how you became the very first
member of our new expansion Central
Hockey League team?
JC: Well, the last two seasons I played
for the Tulsa Oilers in the Central Hockey
League and I became a free agent when my
contract came up. I had my sights set on
coming here. I’d been part of an expansion
team before in Youngstown, Ohio. I loved
the excitement.
I had some buddies who played for the
Blades in the International Hockey League
days and they told me Kansas City was a
great area. My family and I are really
excited to be here.
We had a lot of hockey fans come out to
the meet-and -greet when I was announced
as the first player. There was a lot of
38 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Mavericks’ interview: Jeff Christian
excitement at that event. Once they get into
the new (Independence Event Center)
arena and see the promotions, the game
and the whole atmosphere, it’s going to
be a lot of fun.
JP: So what position
do you play, Jeff?
JC: I’m a
forward.
Right wing
mostly.
I shoot left
and play
right. I’m
6’2”, 230 so
I get involved.
Most players who
shoot left, play
left wing.
I switched over
a few years
back and in
that position it
opens up different
angles
and a different
perspective.
It
takes a
little
while
to get
used to,
but when I
made the change
it really opened up
my offensive game.
They teach that style of
play to a lot of players in
Europe. You’re always opening up
to the net with your stick towards
the middle of the ice rather than it
towards the boards like it would
be if you shoot left and play left.
JP: What are you doing now to stay in
shape for the season ahead?
JC: I don’t really like to play a lot in the
summer because you can develop a lot of
bad habits. It really doesn’t affect me that
much to not play in the summer. We have a
decent training camp in October and I stay
in pretty good shape by working out.
SF: Besides playing for the team, you’re
also going to help out in other ways too?
JC: My duties this summer will be helping
to recruit players, promotion and assisting
the sales team.
JP: So how will you find the players for
the team - do guys send in resumes?
JC: They do. They’ll send them to Scott
(Hillman, Mavericks’ head coach). I’ve
had a lot of phone calls, Facebook messages
and emails from guys I’ve played
with and against.
A lot of them say I’m in
a certain situation on a
certain team which I’d
like to get out of
(laughs). Can you bring
me in there?
We’ve only got a
limited amount of
spots, so we want
to make sure
we’ve got the
right fit with
each player
we bring to
the team.
What I
really like
about the
Mavericks
and one of
the reasons
I came here
is because the
team is really
going to be professionally
run... They’re
going to
take care of
their players,
Guys
know that
that is what
I looked for
so when
they hear
that I’ve
come here
they call me.
What I do
primarily is
call agents,
coaches, buddies
on other teams or may
be going to play overseas and ask “Hey,
who do you know...”
SF: So did you know Scott Hillman
before this opportunity came up?
JC: I played against him a couple times
and maybe spoke to him once before at an
All Star Game.
I came in and we went golfing to see if
we’d click and see how we’d get along.
I am his assistant so all season we’re
going to be working together, breaking
down film. Talking about players. Talking
about different teams and so we had to
have a chemistry.
Scott is a great guy. He’s really focused
and determined to make this work right
from the start. I’m excited that he gave me
the opportunity to help him.
SF: I was looking at your stats...1,377
pro games; 570 goals; 753 assists ; 3,543
penalty minutes. Plus 110 playoff
games...that’s a lot of hockey.
JC: It’s a great way to make a living.
All my buddies who are coaching or the
GM of a team or work at other positions
for a team keep telling me the same thing..
“Play as long as you can.” Because playing
is fun and it’s relatively easy compared to
the jobs they’re doing now. Because as a
player, you practice in the morning, rest in
the afternoon and play at night.
As a coach you’re working all the time.
I’ve been in this role as a player/assistant
coach for the past five seasons. There’s a
fine line with this job because I’m in the
locker room with the players and I hear
their side of things and then I work with
the coach. So I’m kind of the go between if
a player has an issue and doesn’t feel comfortable
going to the coach with it. I’m
there to help bridge the gap.
We also help teach the players how to be
professionals...to show up to work and
perform every day. That’s something the
young guys don’t always understand.
Hockey has been my life and it’ll
be my life after I’m done playing.
I’m going to stay in the
game in some capacity.
I just love
working with
the young
continued on
next page

HOCKEY AND HORSE
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 39
Hockey - continued from previous page
players and with kids in the community.
I’ve done a lot of individual private training
and worked with teams in the past and
will do this again as we build the
Mavericks up in the community.
SF: You had a Jeff Christian charitable
foundation...what services did it offer?
JC: My wife and I started that together
when I played in Youngstown, Ohio. We
brought underprivileged kids to games. We
had some fundraisers and donated the proceeds
to youth organizations.
Here in Kansas City my involvement
will continue in some sort of capacity
The Mavericks have plans for it’s own a
charitable foundation which I’ll be directly
involved in.
The charity work of the Mavericks will a
big part of the community.
For tickets and information, visit missourimavericks.com
or call 816-252-
PUCK (7825).
Above:
On August 1st, KU’s Russell
Robinson (left), Mario Chalmers, and
Aaron Miles (right) took part in a
HORSE N AROUND HOOPS exhibition
sponsored by Miles Schnaer of
Crown Toyota in Lawrence.
Right:
Russell Robinson tries a trick shot.
Photos courtesy studioallen.com
THANK YOU
I want to take this time to thank the people of
Kansas City and Lawrence for making these past five
months a successful and fun filled launch for HORSE
N AROUND HOOPS. Back in November when our
partner, CYLK COZART (cylkcozart.com), the famed
actor from WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP, BLUE CHIPS,
CONSPIRACY THEORY and more came to KC, Cylk
agreed to let Kansas City be the launch market for
our new H.O.R.S.E. basketball program. Cylk, along
with our other Los Angeles based partners, instantly
recognized the great hoops history and excitement in
the KC/Lawrence area. In July and early August, we
completed two great events that have the rest of the
country waiting for their turn to host HORSE N
AROUND HOOPS.
On Friday, July 17th the CBE (College Basketball
Experience) was the site for our KC Regional
H.O.R.S.E. championships. This fantastic venue is
reflective of the great History of College Hoops. To
our surprise, our associate, David Kalb ,who late last
year defeated LeBron James in H.O.R.S.E., was
defeated by local Hoops standout , Ryan Magdziarz.
Ryan just moments earlier won the KC playoffs that
included personalities such as Lester Earl, Tony
Temple, Tim Blackwell and soap opera star and KC
native, J Eddy Peck. The event was hosted by comedian,
Jimmie “JJ” Walker from the hit sitcom GOOD
TIMES. The audience included national representatives
from corporations and television entities who
will be part of the future of our HORSE N AROUND
HOOPS programs.
On Saturday, August 1st, we took H.O.R.S.E. outdoors
where Miles Schnaer and CROWN TOYOTA
hosted an exhibition featuring MARIO CHALMERS’
return to Lawrence. Mario along with Russell
Robinson and Aaron Miles, played a very competitive
game of H.O.R.S.E. which was won by Mario
Chalmers. Mario then very narrowly defeated Ryan
Magdziarz in the championship game, which by the
way, included Mario reenacting THE SHOT.
The hundreds of people in attendance at CROWN
TOYOTA loved every moment of the exhibition.
When I asked Mario what we could do to thank him
for his appearance, his request is for Cylk to hook up
a H.O.R.S.E. exhibition between Mario and Jamie
Foxx. Cylk has already received the commitment
from Jamie Foxx for the future meeting.
I want to say special thanks to Steve Fisch and
KANSAS CITY SPORTS and FITNESS MAGAZINE
who have been a great partner for the past five
months. In addition to providing great coverage of
our events, Steve and his publication have displayed
a great spirit and belief in a START UP EVENT during
an economic time that to say the very least has
been very challenging to everyone.
As we now take our program nationwide, we have
a network of celebrity athletes and entertainers wanting
to play H.O.R.S.E. that include: Adam Sandler,
Jamie Foxx, Deon Sanders, Oscar Robertson,
Charles Barkley, Eddie Murphy and more!
We have built a special relationship with the CBE.
Stay tuned for a series of CELEBRITY H.O.R.S.E.
promotions which will be taking place at their great
facility in the coming months.
In conclusion, thanks to our supporting sponsors
including the US ARMY, CROWN TOYOTA, CARGO
LARGO, 810 WHB, The KANSAS CITY SPORTS
COMMISSION, BIG BOB’S FLOORING OUTLET,
KPRS/HOT 103 JAMZ, STANFORD and SONS
COMEDY CLUB and DICK’S SPORTING GOODS.
Most of all, thanks to you the people of Kansas City
whose appetite for sports and fun is why we will continue
to call Kansas City our home base.
KEITH ZIMMERMAN- PRESIDENT
DOUBLE DOG SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

As most of us know, protein is great
for building and maintaining lean muscle
mass. Did you know not getting enough
protein could be dangerous? As reported
by the Harvard School of Public Health, lack
of protein can cause growth failure, loss of
muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening
of the heart and respiratory system and
even death.
On the other side of the coin, too much
protein is just as detrimental. Researchers
learned high-protein diets might be associated
with decreased kidney function. Your body
cannot store extra protein, so when you take
in more than you need, it has to work hard to
convert amino acids (protein building blocks)
into organic acids that acidify the bloodstream.
Then the kidneys have to neutralize the
acidity by pushing large amounts of calcium
into the urine. This increased calcium excretion
is not only harmful to the kidneys, but
also increases the risk of osteoporosis. The
later I can personally attest to from personal
experience after being a bodybuilder for
many years. Additional negative impacts on
health include an increased risk of certain
cancers, as well as a reduced intake of vitamins,
minerals, fiber and phytochemicals.
Research trials have shown high-protein,
low-carbohydrate diets do tend to work faster
than low-fat diets. High-protein foods do slow
the movement of food from the stomach to
the intestine. This slower stomach emptying
means you feel satisfied longer, getting hungrier
later.
Additionally, protein’s steady effect on
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Centerpoint Medical Center
Sports Medicine and Wellness is
offering a free contact
sports injury prevention
seminar on Tuesday,
August 18, 2009 at 6:30
p.m. A seminar presented
by Dr. David Dyck,
FAOSM, and Dr. Lori
Boyajian-O’Neill,
FAOSM will be followed
by a question and
answer period.
ThIs program will take place in
the Auditorium at Centerpoint
Medical Center, 19600 E. 39th
Street, Independence, MO. Call
816-751-3000 to register. More
information can be found at
www.centerpointmedical.com.
40 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
presents THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
Protein…how much do you really need?
blood sugar avoids the quick, steep rise in
blood sugar and just as quick hunger-bellringing
fall that occurs after eating a rapidly
digested carbohydrate, such as white bread,
pasta, or baked potato. The body uses more
energy to digest protein than it does to digest
fat or carbohydrates. Unfortunately, much of
the weight lost from these diets occurs due to
muscle glycogen depletion.
Doesn’t More Protein Build More Muscle?
Athletes know the importance of protein.
Strength trainers do need to consume more
than the non-exercisers; however, most
strength athletes get far more protein than
necessary to promote muscle synthesis. The
current protein recommendation for optimal
muscle building in a strength athlete is 1.6 -
1.7 gm protein per kg of body weight. For a
200 pound athlete this equals 145 - 154 grams
of protein per day.
There simply is no scientific evidence that
more than 2.0 grams of protein per kg of body
weight has any additional benefit in muscle
strength or size. All high intensity, powerful
muscle contractions, such as weight lifting,
are fueled by carbohydrates. Protein and fat
cannot be oxidized fast enough to support
high-intensity exercise. It is important to have
adequate carbohydrates consumed on a daily
basis to restore glycogen levels. Protein does
not restore glycogen levels.
Glycogen is the stored energy in the muscle
and liver helping our muscles to retain water.
Glycogen depletion is one of the reasons athletes
‘hit the wall’ during endurance competition.
This combination is critical for high
intensity athletic performance, and depleting
these energy stores will decrease athletic performance.
Inadequate amounts of carbohydrates
can result in decreased endurance,
decreased maximal effort, decreased serum
glucose levels and increased risk of hypoglycemia
Protein sources
Eating proper amounts of high protein
foods from poultry, fish, and red meats can
eliminate the need to supplement with protein
shakes and/or bars. Convenience is nice, however,
read the labels. Some products typically
have high amounts of hydrogenated oils, artificial
sweeteners and preservatives.
When using protein supplements, many ask
whether whey or soy proteins are best. Men
believe whey protein is best, while women
prefer soy. There are benefits to both. Whey
protein is a naturally complete protein, containing
all of the essential amino acids
required in the daily diet. It has the ideal combination
of amino acids to help improve body
composition and enhance athletic performance.
It is also absorbed much more quickly
than soy, getting into the muscle tissues faster
being great for post workouts.
Research suggests regularly eating soybased
foods lowers cholesterol, prevents
breast and prostate cancer, aids in weight loss
and wards off osteoporosis. Additional benefits
to soy protein are evident in the studies
proving soy to reduce and even prevent heart
disease, as well as reducing menopause symptoms
due to the phytoestrogens present in soy.
Fifty grams of soy is necessary to obtain most
of these benefits. Soy is a larger protein molecule
taking longer to digest being especially
helpful in regulating blood glucose levels.
So What Should
an Athlete Eat?
An athlete’s nutrition
program should be individualized
to meet the specific
needs of training and competition.
There are not any
definitive answers on ratios
of protein, carbs and fats. It
is important to educate
yourself by using trustworthy
sources such as The
Mayo Clinic and the
American Dietetic
Audrey
Harman
Contributing
Writer
Association. Any diet restricting entire food
groups like fruits and veggies should raise a
red flag. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are
not bad, but too much of any or all of these
can lead to weight gain. Choose complex
carbs (9-13 servings daily fruits and veggies)
over simple carbs (soda/candy). Stick with
diets that safely reduce your calories to a reasonable
level that do not leave you starving.
continued on next page

KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 41
When I talk to people about fitness routines,
the emphasis usually is on some
exercise or workout system.
Sometimes the conversation will go into diet.
No matter the person’s interest, I try to
remind them that fitness is a lifestyle and
incorporates far more than just a single exercise
or routine. Being fit and healthy is a way
of life and that incorporates everything from
how you eat to how actively you live.
Besides regular exercise and eating right,
supplements have a place in your regime.
How much depends on the individual and
their goals. But for this article I’ll address the
healthy work-out fanatic. By definition supplements
are in “addition to” your healthy
lifestyle. And certainly some manufacturers
overstate their place in your routine. Without
sound exercise and nutrition, supplements are
useless. But let’s look at some basics:
Multivitamins- I do recommend a basic
multivitamin for everyone, regardless of their
goal or activity. A basic centrum-type vitamin
is not a bad place to start, as those contain
100 percent of your recommended daily
allowances (RDA). From there you can somewhat
tailor fit your multivitamin to your
needs.
Women for instance need more calcium
and iron. While men need more zinc. Heavy
exercisers can benefit from high B-vitamin
presents THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
Supplement your fitness routine
formulations-with anti-oxidants for recovery.
People with joint issues can add glucosamine
and chondroitin. I would put a limit after a
certain point. Many multivitamins promise to
cure every ailment without a shred of
research-backed data. Sticking with the basics
is the best.
Protein powders and bars- These can
come in handy for many individuals from the
weight-loss crowd to the muscle builders.
Protein powders offer a easy to use, easy to
assimilate source of low-fat protein. It’s easier
to carry around a protein jug than a bunch of
chicken breasts. They also offer a quick solution
to increasing your protein intake, as
opposed to constantly cooking eggs.
I love adding a scoop of chocolate whey to
my morning coffee for a “mocha” taste. I
would look for a “whey” based protein, and
make sure that’s the primary ingredient on the
label. Choosing bars can be a little more complex.
Protein bars have been very popular
lately, and like all fads, many ghastly products
are out there.
Read the labels. Be aware many are high in
calories and sugar. Look on the labels for the
first ingredients, as those are the primary
ingredients. The sugars should be around 10
grams max. Sometimes manufacturers will
play with the labels to make the bar look
attractive. If it says “net carbs” what they have
done is add some fiber, and then subtracted
the fiber grams from total carbohydrate.
Energy enhancers and athletic
enhancers - This is a category that is especially
prone to fraud. For every ten ad claims
there are perhaps one or two that “work.” The
problem is the FDA does not regulate supplement
claims, so if an ad looks too good to be
true then buyer beware.
There are many energy supplements out
there that can help you get a good workout, or
“boost.” Most contain a variety of B-vitamins,
which help your body release energy,
and stimulant-based herbs, such as caffeine,
ginseng, and guarana. So they’re relatively
safe, but since they’re stimulants be aware of
interactions with other drugs or caffeine.
On the weightlifting side, there’s nitrous
oxide (NO2) and various creatines. Creatine
has been out awhile, and still is one of your
best supplements for getting bigger and
stronger. Recently many companies have
developed better delivery systems, such as
“estyl-ether” that eliminate the old “loading”
phase.
Now nitrous increases blood flow to your
muscles, which results in both a more pronounced
“pump” and a harder workout. I’ve
used it myself and would recommend it. The
only caution I offer is that no long term studies
have been done on the effects-but it does
not work hormonally,
which is good.
Supplements can and
should be a part of a fit
individuals’ regimen.
Provided you are exercising
and eating smart, you
can truly enhance your
health.
Chris Balda is a USA
Weightlifting coach,
National Strength and
Conditioning Associa-tion
Chris
Balda
Contributing
Writer
Trainer and owner of FixXprt, a fitness and
training consulting business. Contact him at
(913) 244-0287 or at fitxprt@hotmail.com.
Protein - continued from page 40
In summary, choosing high-protein foods
that are low in saturated fat will help build
muscle, protect the heart, and even help the
waistline. However, remember carbohydrates
are the primary fuel for intense muscular
efforts and should be the cornerstone of an
athlete’s diet, regardless of the sport you play.
Audrey Harman is a nutrition consultant
and can be reached at 913 707-4717 or at
www.NutritionbyAudrey.com.

42 AUGUST 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT
Iwas hanging by the phone and plugged
into my computer as the trading deadline
ticked off the final minutes on July 31.
I figured it would be futile time spent.
It was.
The deadline came and went without the
Kansas City Royals making a trade. I didn’t
think they would and if they did I did
not believe it would be anything major.
In truth, the last-place Royals had few
players other teams wanted, especially
contending clubs. Zack Greinke and closer
Joakim Soria, both signed to long-term
contracts, were put on the untouchable list.
Gil Meche has a no-trade clause and was
on the disabled list most of July, virtually
making him untouchable.
There was reportedly mild interest in
right-handed starting pitcher Brian
Bannister and utility player Mark Teahen.
General manager Dayton Moore, however,
was asking for far more in return than
any team wanted to give up for either.
A scout for an opposing team said his
club had five starters with better stuff than
Bannister and he was uninterested.
Bannister is a thinking-man pitcher and
could play several years in the majors, but
most other clubs consider him no better
than a No. 4 or 5 starter on a solid staff.
Teahen is a nice complimentary player,
who can play several positions without
Anderson, Betancourt are Royals’ additions
hurting you. He has started at first, second,
third and in the outfield, but championship
and contending clubs consider him no
more than a
deluxe utility
player.
The Royals
would have
dealt relievers
Juan Cruz,
Ron Mahay
and John Bale,
but found they
had limited to
no market
value. They
were like
penny stocks.
Who would
want Cruz
anyway?
While the
trading deadline
without a
player having to clear waivers passed, the
Royals did make three acquisitions in July.
They acquired outfielder-infielder Ryan
Freel from the Chicago Cubs for a minor
league player to be named; shortstop
Yuniesky Betancourt from the Seattle
Mariners for minor league pitchers Daniel
Cortes and Derrick Saito; and outfielder
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Josh Anderson from the Detroit Tigers for
cash considerations.
Freel, who turns 34 next March, is not
part of the
Royals’ future.
Kansas City
was his third
big league stop
this year and
his fourth team
in 18 months.
His better days
on the field are
behind, not
ahead. With
the aquisition
of Anderson,
Freel was designated
for
assignment in
early August.
The
Betancourt
trade was certainly
controversial. Cortes was considered
the Royals’ top pitching prospect close to
the majors . He could throw hard, up to 97
mph fastball, and was only 22.
Betancourt turns 28 on Jan. 31 if you can
believe his Cuban birth certificate. His
defense that was once superior took a perceptible
slide last year with many fielding
metrics labeling him one of the worst
shortstops.
Moore felt he needed to do something to
fill the “black hole” at shortstop. Tony
Pena, Jr., the Royals’ Opening Day shortstop
in 2007-08, hit like a pitcher, so the
Royals are moving him to the mound. He
is in Surprise, Ariz., learning the nuances
of pitching.
Mike Aviles was the Opening Day shortstop
this year after hitting .325 as a rookie.
Aviles hit .183 in 35games this year before
going on the disabled list with what the
Royals called a right forearm strain on
May 23. That strain turned out to be a
severe tear that needed “Tommy John” surgery
and he likely won’t be completely
healed when the 2010 season opens.
Willie Bloomquist and Luis Hernandez,
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
who is back with Class AAA Omaha, also
have started game at shortstop, so it has
been a revolving door this year. The Royals
lack any shortstop prospects close to being
ready for the majors; hence, out of need
Moore made the move to acquire
Betancourt, even if it meant giving up a
blue-chip pitching prospect like Cortes.
If Moore and his scouts are correct on
their assessment of Betancourt, he will be
the Royals starting shortstop for the next
few years, but the early returns have not
been good at the plate. He rarely walks,
only three percent in his 2008 plateappearances,
which ranked as the worst
percentage in major league baseball. He is,
also, not a good bunter, which someone
who hits low in the order should be able to
do to advance runners.
Most clubs consider Anderson, who
turns 27 in August, a fourth outfielder on a
championship-caliber club. The Royals are
going to give him a chance to win the starting
centerfield job the final two months of
the season.
Anderson, who bats left-handed and
throws right, does have some assets. He
has speed, 24 stolen bases in 28 attempts,
in 135 games in the majors. He has a
career .283 batting average with a .327 onbase
percentage. He hit .242 in 75 games
with eight extra-base hits in 165 at-bats
this season with the Tigers, who designated
him for assignment.
With Coco Crisp out for the season after
having surgeries on both shoulders and former
first-round pick Mitch Maier flunking
in his trial to replace him and to prove he is
an everyday big league outfielder, the
Royals are taking a flyer on Anderson.
Whether he pans out remains to be seen,
but they had to give up no prospects and
only money to take a look at him.
The shame is the Royals could have used
some topflight prospects in return if they
had any players contending clubs desired.
The minor league system is thin of bona
fide prospects outside of first baseman Eric
Hosmer and third baseman Mike
Moustakas, who played this year with
High-A Wilmington (Del.).
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presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT
Manager Trey Hillman received the
dreaded vote of confidence from
Kansas City Royals general manager
Dayton Moore.
Why one was even needed a year and a
half into Hillman’s reign? After all he guided
the Royals to 75 victories as a rookie
manager in 2008 and
that was the most
Kansas City victories
since the 2003 team
went 83-79 under
rookie manager Tony
Pena. That, by the way,
is the Royals’ lone
winning year since the
strike-shortened
1994 season.
With the Royals’
struggling mightily –
losing 18 of 26 games
in July and 52 of 74
games from May 7,
when they were seven
games above .500,
through Aug. 1, when
they were 23 games
below .500, that causes
managers to be questioned
and fired.
The expectations
were high this year
and the payroll was
the highest in franchise
history.
The first five weeks of the season teased
us, in first place in the American League
Central with a three-game lead, before the
Royals went into a tailspin – including a
10-game losing streak in July – that would
not cease.
However, Moore said Hillman would not
only finish this year, but be back next year.
We know this scenario. Been there, done
that. Bob Boone was fired during the 1997
All-Star break. His successor Tony Muser
was20fired 23 games deep into the 2002
season and he learned about it from the
media, not general manager Allard Baird.
Pena quit 33 games deep into the 2005
Hillman will be on clock next year
season. Buddy Bell announced on Aug. 1,
2007 he was stepping down at the end of
the season after the Royals refused to give
him a contract extension. It is Hillman’s
turn to be on the clock now.
We know what will happen next
year, probably no later than then All-Star
Trey Hillman photo by Scott Weaver
break, if the Royals are floundering in the
standings and 15 games below the .500
water level.
If that occurs, Hillman would be fired.
Attendance will lag. Apathy will set in.
Moore will be questioned why he hired
Hillman, who had never played or coached
in the majors, in the first place. Managing
teams in Japan to playoff appearances and
a championship may be great, but it is
still Japan.
So much was expected this season,
but everything that could go wrong has
gone wrong.
The Royals resemble a MASH unit more
than a baseball team. Coco Crisp and Mike
Aviles are finished for the season after surgeries.
Jose Guillen might not play again
this season because of a knee injury. Alex
Gordon, who was supposedly poised for a
breakout year, instead missed 79 games
with a hip injury requiring surgery.
Closer Joakim Soria and Opening Day
starter Gil Meche have spent time on the
disabled list. So have relievers Kyle
Farnsworth and Doug Waechter, both
signed in the off-season to help a bullpen
that looks helpless outside of Soria.
“This isn’t the team we put together in
the off-season or left spring training with,”
Moore said.
True, so that gives Hillman a semi-pass
for this debacle season.
But what we see on the field is an errorladen
team, fundamental miscues, an
offensively-challenged club and poor base
running. Some of that falls on the shoulders
of the manager.
Mike Jacobs, who was supposed to be a
middle-of-the-order run producer after hitting
32 home runs last year with the
Florida Marlins, has turned into a part-time
player who strikes out frequently and hitting
in .220s with few RBIs. And when
Outdoors - continued from page 35
As the sun began to set, we made a few
more passes with the umbrella rigs and
without warning the left rod again buckled,
signaling me that another fish was on. I
was having a ball, and enjoying the fact the
left rod was rigged with Culprit “swimbaits”
I had brought with me.
Immediately I noticed this fish had “bigger
shoulders” than the previous two. He
had an attitude and apparently he was
reluctant to have his picture taken. After
flexing his muscles for a bit he eventually
tired enough so our Captain was able to
haul him from the water. Sure enough he
was nearly twice the size of his predecessors.
I thanked him and he was swimming
away seconds later.
Since the sky was slowly progressing
from amber to red to gray, Chapko advised
us it was time to change locations and
tactics.
“Once the sun goes down, I quit fishing
the umbrella rig and start trolling a big
Bomber,” he said Of course it wasn’t quite
so simple as to toss out a big minnow-type
plug and begin motoring away. No Chapko
had to hook the main line from each rod to
a “downrigger,” which would drag the
main line and lure down to whatever depth
he choose.
Sure enough, the experience of our guide
was evident as it took just a couple minutes
for Chapko to stow the umbrella rods and
bring the “Bomber” rods into action. Once
more he clicked the outboard into gear and
we motored off into the setting sun. Like
magic, one of the rods danced and bowed.
I reeled up allowing the downrigger to pop
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
Billy Butler won the first base job over
Jacobs that speaks volume about his fielding,
or lack of it.
Juan Cruz was signed to a two-year deal
on Feb. 28 with the Royals forfeiting their
second-round draft pick to the Arizona
Diamondbacks. Cruz and Farnsworth were
supposed to be the eighth inning setup for
Soria, but both have been busts. Cruz was
hit so hard in July his confidence was shot
and Hillman was using him earlier in
games that were not close.
Moore filled out the rotation with
mediocre over-the-hill veterans Sidney
Ponson, who was mercifully designated for
assignment in August, and Bruce Chen.
They were a combined 1-13 entering
August. Thanks for showing up.
The worst and most revealing Royal statistic
is in the first 21 games Zack Greinke
started the Royals were 1 0-11. Greinke
was winless, 0-3, in five July starts. The
Royals scored six runs in those five starts.
When a team has a losing record with their
All-Star pitcher that has the best earned run
average in the majors that is inexplicable.
loose and began to make some progress on
my latest “Striper.”
As the fish got closer to the boat, we
could see that it didn’t have the distinctly
stout boxer type body of a Bass but instead
had a more elongated body much like a
Walleye. Yep, somehow we had faked out a
beautiful Walleye, one of the rarest fish in
Beaver according to Ed.
Still rare or not, this Walleye was easily
legal at 23-inches long and since they are a
real culinary treat I asked Chapko if I
could keep this fish. “No problem,” he said
and after we admired the golden color and
the obvious namesake eyes, this one made
its way into the live well.
Catching Stripers takes a lot of work.
Chapko hits the lake daily in an effort to
scout for new area s that hold big schools
of Stripers. When he isn’t scouting or taking
out clients, he is rigging up tackle or
maintaining his boat.
Once an angler sees what is involved in
catching these fish day in and day out, its
easy to see why people hire a guide like Ed
Chapko. This man has lived and breathed
Striper fishing for a long, long time and
has been guiding for two decades.
It’s a foregone conclusion if you want
results like what I encountered you need to
venture about three hours south of Kansas
City and hook up with Ed Chapko of E &
C Guide Service. He can be reached at 479
631-3858 or via his website by going to
www.Striperguides.net and look for E&C
there. Believe me you will get your share
of Stripes under the stars.
Once more, Chapko rigged the rod up
and off we went.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2009 43