Daily Erin Andrews:So Pretty... But Not Very Good

Ana Ivonovic was the worlds number one ranked women's tennis player and on Thursday she was bounced from the U.S Open in the second round. That makes back to back majors that she has made an early exit in. So with that being the case, I have to ask the question, is she really that good? Or is she just another pretty face who cannot seem to get it done on the court? It would not be the first time that has happened on a tennis court.

College football is here!!!

The NCAA Season is here this is without a doubt one of the greatest days of the year. Here at Walker-Sports it is really more like Christmas.

Walker-Sports will be live in Charlottesville Virginia this weekend at the U.V.A vs. U.S.C. game. Join us at WalkerSports on Twitter for live updates from the game.

Also place your wager (don't worry it's not real money) but it will be for bragging rights. Anti-up on the UVA and anyother game you want at Sportsviews

Adam Jones is Back

Cowboys newly acquired corner back Adam Jones has been reinstated by Commissioner Goodell. In a letter to the player and the Boys addressed for today. The reinstatement means Adam will be eligible to play in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns on September 7th.

Top 10 Truths About the Upcoming College Season

With the College football season right around the corner, everyone is excited and getting their coolers ready to go tailgating. This is the time of the year when everyone has a chance to make it to the Big Show. Well, Walker-Sports is here to tell you 10 truths that you need to know before you head out to the tailgate, fire up the grill in the back yard, or just sit you ass on your couch.

10) Notre Dame will not return to form. They will be much improved, but that’s not hard to do when you only win 3 games last season. Lou Holtz says the Domers will win 11, and he proved why he is a crazy old man. Notre Dame will win 6 maybe 7 games, but don’t expect more.

9) Michigan will be better than advertised. The Wolverines have gotten flack since Rich Rodriguez showed up on campus. However, he is a good coach with a good scheme. Also he is coaching at Michigan not Hampton Sydney. That means there are athletes there even if they are not perfect in his scheme, they know how to play the game and will excel on the field.

8) Whatever the amount of alcohol you bring to the tailgate or the party, it is not enough. Remember More is more, so grab that extra 12 pack.

7) The Kansas Jayhawks will not repeat last years amazing run. Why? Oklahoma, South Florida, Missouri, and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks are still a very good team, but their schedule has gotten a lot tougher, and they just won’t be able to keep up.

6) Tommy Bowden will not win the ACC Championship with the Clemson Tigers this year. The Tigers practically anointed the ACC Championship as soon as last season ended. However, they have to actually play the games, and that could prove to be tougher than they realized. Bowden has a ton of pressure on him to get this Tigers team to perform. They need to realize the ACC is riddled with pitfalls, a conference with multiple teams that are all hungry.

5) Don’t bet your money on Appalachian State pulling another big upset. App. State caught Michigan off guard last season. LSU knows they are coming and trust me they will have both barrels locked and loaded. This one could get ugly.

4) Never leave when there is still beer in your cup or bottle. I don’t care if the game is about to start and you are about to miss the dotting of the “I” Should have thought of that before you popped a top. Now its time for you to chug-a-lug.

3) OSU will win the Big 10 and play for another national title. They will also lose again. However, this time it will not be a SEC team that beats them.

2) Tim Teabow will not win the Heisman. Not because he did not have a great season, but because the voters will not give the award to a guy twice in a row. Yes, I know he was the youngest player to earn the award last season, but that does not mean he will be able to be the first yet again.

1) Oklahoma breaks their Bowl game skid. Not only do they break their losing streak, but they do it in a big way winning a national title against OSU.

Announcing a New Partnership

As you all know here at Walker-Sports we are constantly striving to bring you the highest quality content possible as well as the most entertainment. That is why we are proud to announce our new partnership with Sportsviews.com.

Sportsviews is a sports community dedicated to social betting, blogging and sharing pictures and videos. You can make friends or meet up with existing friends and challenge them to bet on anything sports related in the world. You can also blog and share videos and pictures and have other members rate them to accumulate Sportsviews dollars. All bets are created by our members.

Walker-Sports will be using Sportsviews for contest, and polls. So check them out, sign up and lets see you put your Sportsviews, and let's see if you have what it takes to match up against Walker-Sports.

Worst PR Move Ever!!

Okay so everyone knows the LPGA is dominated in ratings when compared to Tiger and the PGA and maybe even the Champions Tour. However, this new rule the LPGA has passed down is idiotic and flat out raciest. The LPGA will enforce a rule next season that insist that all players on the tour must be able to speak English.

HORRIBLE

Of the rationale behind this is marketing and advertising dollars. LPGA spokesmen say that due to the nature of the LPGA's fan base (mostly American) and the make up of the tours sponsors (again mostly American), they cannot risk losing any potential dollars because their top players cannot speak the language of the fans.

This is an especially difficult ruling considering that the majority of the tours top players come from South Korea. Way to alienate the majority of the tours talent.

The LPGA makes no sense at all. They throw a fit when their players are posing in provocative magazines because it hurts the reputation of tour. Yet flat out kicking people off the tour because they are not the same is okay? This has to be one of the worst rulings to come out of any league any where since the MLB integrated.

The Last Weekend of Summer Doesn't Mean The Last Weekend of Walker's Rants

The 2008 games have come to a close, and I have to say things went off without a hitch for the most part and that is good. Too bad that even as smooth as the games were, they can’t possibly run as smoothly as Walker’s Rants. So with that being said let’s kick off another edition of our favorite weekly article.

No matter how hard they try, the Hurricanes are still stuck with knucklehead players…

The Olympics went well in China, but anyone who thought they will bring about some sort of political change is a fool…

Tom Brady’s foot is fine, but it is something that should be watched by the training staff…

The Colts will not win their division this year. Peyton can’t adjust and upgrade the offense quick enough to overcome what will be a slow start…

The Michael Vick pit bulls have their own show on T.V. now? That’s just crazy…

I’m so excited for college football season it’s not even funny…

It’s just sad that the U.S. Eagles cannot even be competitive against a side like Munster. I don’t care how great Munster is…

Matt Leinart lost his starting job due to his inability to play… shocking. I could have told you that about the noodle armed kid when he was a senior at USC…

How is Sergio Garcia everyone’s bitch on the PGA tour?

Who will remember Michael Phelps come winter time?

The Redeem Team does not hold a candlestick to the Dream Team…

The Redeem Team should not be heralded as heroes. They only did what they were supposed to do…

Jason Taylor is hurt. MMmm looks like another wasted signing by the Washington Redskins…

Do yourself a favor watch both of the upcoming conventions. November is going to be a very important month

for this country I don’t care what party or ideal you believe in…

Could this be the year that Ricky Williams finally gets back on track?

Your Fantasy Football- Reality Check #7: Reflections on a Draft

Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining me here at Gridiron Goddess for another installment of Your Fantasy Football- Reality Check.

A friend of mine contacted me last Thursday offering a spot in his alternate league because someone wasn't available to participate this year. The draft was held last Saturday and I thought I’d discuss some of the trends and surprises that cropped up during this event.

Be prepared everybody- quarterbacks have returned to the top of the draft! I had the #4 pick in a 12- team league, my first selection was Joseph Addai. Before I even had the opportunity to make my second selection, 6 quarterbacks had come off the board. My original intention was to take a QB with my 2nd or 3rd pick, but the draft dictated otherwise. The team that took Brady #9 overall followed that pick by grabbing Randy Moss in the second round, and then drafted David Garrard in the THIRD ROUND- still no running back! That was the clear indicator that times have changed indeed.

Since half of the league put their emphasis on the top quarterbacks, I had to slightly adjust my strategy. Knowing that I had to grab two of the top ten receivers, I spent my 2nd and 3rd round choices on Terrell Owens and Larry Fitzgerald. By the time it came back around for my 4th pick, two tight ends had been selected, but not exactly in the order I expected. Witten and then Winslow were taken ahead of my eventual choice- Antonio Gates, which surprised me somewhat but I’ll certainly take it.

Here’s a real life example of what I’ve claimed in the past was true- that running backs in the 3rd to 5th rounds are alarmingly similar to RB's you’ll find in the 5th to 7th rounds.

The league I’m in requires that we start two RB's, two receivers, a tight end, and a flex player- that can be either a RB or WR. As my 5th round choice approached I had one running back, both receivers, my tight end, and that was it. So I took Rudi Johnson in the 5th banking on a bounce back effort this season, and landed LenDale White in the 7th, to round out my #2 RB and likely flex player. I got even more excited by the White selection when I was able to get his backfield mate, Chris Johnson in the 11th.

The two players stock that I was intrigued to see play out were a couple of WR's that will be missing at least a couple of games a piece because of suspensions- Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall. It turned out that one owner wasn’t afraid to spend a third round choice on Smith when equal value receivers were still available- Marques Colston, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Plaxico Burress were still on the board.

Meanwhile, it seems owners may be weary of drafting Brandon Marshall considering he fell to my team in the 8th, and I’m perfectly happy to have a bye week/backup receiver/flex of his caliber.

You’re probably wondering what direction I went with my QB since all I’ve harped on since the inception of this column is that you need to acquire a top-flight quarterback in order to have fantasy success. As it happened, I was fortunate enough to get Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers to be my field generals. I know what I'm getting from McNabb- a great start to some sort of midseason injury. That’s why I’m glad I was able to get Favre, because my feeling is that by the time McNabb goes down, Favre should have a good handle on the Jets offense. Finally, if all else fails at least I have the potential of Rodgers to fill in on any unforeseen disasters.

Overall, I have to admit that after seeing the top six QB's exit the draft board in the first round and a half, I’m surprised that I still left the draft with two of my top ten fantasy QB's and my third is ranked in
my top twenty.

The remaining available slots open on my squad were soon occupied by: Vikings D/ST, Heath Miller, and lastly Stephen Gostkowski.

The REALITY CHECK I’d like to impart to all of you participating in a draft this week is this: It’s going to happen, someone’s going to take a player you’ve coveted entering the draft. The way you respond to the ebb and flow of the draft will largely determine how your team is structured. Don’t panic or develop some emotional involvement to the outcome of a particular pick. Keep your cool, become a stoic, and respond by living in the moment. When a player is no longer available- cross him off your list and move on to the next best, it is really that easy.

There’s one more observation I’d like to touch on and it’s regarding rookies. The philosophy I have when filling out my roster is to draft the highest production level you feel you’ll be getting from a certain player. If a rookie is the player that fills the bill at the time in the draft you select him- no worries, nothing wrong with a little potential. However, I warn all of you to be conservative when considering drafting potential over guaranteed production. I’d much rather have a roster filled with 29-30 year-old producers over 21 year-old never taken a snap in the NFL names. There’s a team in my league that spread the rookie love up and down his roster from running back to wide receiver and even a tight end sprinkled in there as well. Not the course of action I’d recommend by any means outside of a fairly deep salary keeper league.

• Beware of the pitfalls you can create for yourself!

• Stay calm and focused on the task at hand and act like you’ve done it before (Because most of you have!!).

• Do have fun BUT not at the cost of missing out on a player because you’ve been clowning around. Trust me on this one and you might not end up with rookies for half of your squad- save the beers for your after draft victory party (Let’s be real- we all think we’ve got the most potentially dominant team right after the draft).

Good luck to everybody and draft wisely!!

Happy Football!

~ Stephen Lamare

2008 Summer Olympics-Jamaica Dominate

The Jamaican team track team has taken sprinting to a new level, and that continued last night. Despite the women's mishandling the baton in the 4X100, the men made up for it. The Men's 4X100 team shattered another world record (not hard when you have the world's fastest man). The win gave the Jamaicans the sweep in the men's sprint competition in the this years Olympics.

In other news on the track, American Bryan Clay won the gold in the Decathlon, becoming the first American to take gold in the event since 1996. Clay entered the final event with a commanding lead and he was able to cruise to to the gold in the 1500m.

Currently the Redeem team is struggling to establish their legacy and complete their mission by defeating Argentina and advancing to the Olympic Gold Medal round. In the early going the Americans took a commanding lead, but fouls and poor ball handling is allowing Argentina to claw it's way back into the game.

Daily Erin Andrews:Girls of The Olympics Pt 4

As the Olympics near their closing we pay what will most likely be out last tribute to the ladies who are competing in this summers games. Here at Walker-Sports we don't always get some of the events, but we can appreciate the beauty.

Oh and don't worry we made sure to include a couple pics with Franco Leryn!

Union Head Gene Upshaw Dead at 63

According to sources coming from Clear Channel, that Union Head Gene Upshaw was found dead in his home earlier today. Early reports are telling that Upshaw died because of Pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed with the disease just last week.

Upshaw was the head of the players union for the last 20 years. Recently he has gotten criticism because of his stance on the retired players pension fund, as well as the upcoming bargaining agreement with the owners.

2008 Summer Olympics-Now that's an Upset

The United States reasserted itself as a dominate fixture in track & field on Thursday night in Bejing. They did this by sweeping the Men's 400m race. LaShawn Merrritt took home the gold by beating out former gold medalist Jeremy Wariner who would settle for Silver in this race and American David Neville took home the Bronze. In a year of miscues (check out the dropped batons with the men's and women's relay teams) this sweep in the 400m brought home some pride to the United States once proud program.

Elsewhere one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history took place on the diamond. The United States Softball team fell to the Japanese side 3-1 in the Gold Medal game. This was the first time the United States team had be defeated since September of 2000 More importantly this upset is like watching dream team 1 go down in flames to team. The Americans will have to settle for silver in what was most likely the last Olympic Softball game.

In other news, the U.S. Women's Beach volleyball team took home the gold in another amazing performance against China. The U.S.A. Women's Basketball team also extended their winning streak and reached the Gold Medal game where they will play the winner of Australia vs. China, currently that looks like it will be Australia.

2008 Summer Olympics Day 12-Team USA Keeps Rolling

The Redeem Team came to Bejing with one goal in mind; win the Gold. Matter of fact anything less than a Gold medal and a dominating performance would be considered a waste. Wednesday in China the Redeem Team took another step in their quest for perfection. Despite a slow start, the Redeem Team was able to trounce an Australian squad that had given the U.S.A their toughest match to date. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 25 in his best Olympic performance on the day. The win moves the U.S. into the semifinals and guarantees them at least a shot at a medal. But we all know there is only one acceptable medal this team can bring home.

Elsewhere, Usian Bolt has struck again. This time in the 200m where he broke the 12 year World Record set by Michael Johnson in the 1996 Olympics. Once thought to be unbreakable. Johnson ran the 200m in 19.32 Wednesday Bolt sprinted through the finished and recorded the unofficial time of 19.30

Daily Erin Andrews:Girls of The Olympics Pt 3

The Olympics are in full swing, the girls are out of the pool and out on the track. And here at Walker-Sports we love track. There are only a couple days left so make sure you get your fill and enjoy.

The Cincinnati Bengals Just Don't Care

News coming out of Cincinnati is, the Bengals have resigned troubled receiver Chris Henry. Henry who is best known for his off the field run ins with the law. Henry was suspended for 10 games by the league commissioner, and he will make his return to the field after he completes another 4 game suspension.

This really proves just how desperate the Bengals are to get a deep threat player. Chad Johnson has a bum shoulder and with his flaky personality who knows how long he could be out. T.J. Houshmazilla has not touched a field all season. So in theory Chris Henry is an ideal pick up. He still has his athleticism and he can stretch a defense. Granted there is no way he can replace the production of Chad Johnson or T.J. but he could alleviate the pain.

I mean let's be serious, it's the Bengals they only need to reach 8 wins and the fans will be happy.

2008 Summer Olympics Day:Shawn Johnson Breaks Gets Gold

Shawn Johnson had been so close but yet still so far away for most of the Bejing Olympics. Racking up the silver and the bronze medals. But Tuesday night, it was her time to shine, earning gold on the balance beam competition.

Track and field is saving the American legacy. Despite setbacks in the 100m, the U.S. has stepped up big time and taken the intermediate races.

In other news, the rumors that Bolt may have thrown his race in the 100m just so he could go back and break his world record yet again are crazy. There is no way his mental clock was that quick that he knew he at a world record clip that he could pull up with 20 metres to go. Sorry conspiracy hounds, you're going to have to jump on another topic.

We May Be Sick, but Walker's Rants Plays Through The Pain

With another week passing we are less than 2 weeks away from college football season. And while Walker may be a little sick, Walker’s Rants are always ready to bring their A-Game to the table, so saddle up and get ready for another good ride.

Congratulations to Michael Phelps, what he did was truly impressive, but he is not the greatest athlete ever. Just the greatest swimmer…

Mark Spitz gets your head out your ass and stop crying…

The Redeem team actually looks good, but the must take care of business…

Actually come to think of it, even a gold medal cannot redeem the U.S. Men’s basketball program… The magic

is gone…

I wonder how bad Steven Jackson’s holdout is messing with fantasy drafts.

Watching Bolt in the 100m was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen… simply amazing…

I refuse to break down film of Brett’s first game as a Jet…

The Oakland Raiders will surprise more than a few teams this season…

So if China gets more gold medals than the U.S. does that mean they win the first round of the second cold war?

The downfall of Roger Federer may prove to be more entertaining than anything he did during his career…

I can’t watch anymore beach volleyball… never thought I’d say that ever…

Playing a New Zealand professional side and watching the Haka was one of the greatest thrills in my life…

The Vikings should look into re-signing Dante Culpeper. Tavaris Jackson’s just isn’t going to cut it…

Troy Smith is not the answer the answer for the Ravens. Flacco better get up to par very quickly…

Joe Gibbs racing is docked points for cheating, good thing Stewart is getting the hell out of there…

Phelps was great, but watching Bolt shatter world record was so much more entertaining…

Your Fantasy Football Reality Check #6 - Draft Advice

The doors of the locker room are once again open and we are welcoming in Stephen Lamare courtesy of Gridiron Goddess.net. He's given you the rankings, and now he is giving you the game plan. What is your draft day strategy? Don't know? Better check this out then.

Ok fantasy leaguers, now that we’re through the meat of your fantasy line-ups, I’ve decided to change things up this week. Instead of wasting my time reviewing the place kickers, I’m going to offer my insights and advice on where your attention should be on draft day.

First let’s cover the obvious; if you have a pick in the top ten, RB, RB, or RB should be your ONLY choice as far as positions are concerned. Next and equally as important, your quarterback can be your most reliable producer- IF you can solidify one of the top 5-7 fantasy QB’s. This one is a personal preference that I don’t mind sharing with our loyal readers (but I don’t particularly care for the boys in my own league knowing!), do your best to acquire two of the top ten wide receivers in the draft.

If you are in a league that requires that you start 3 wideouts, take three of the top 15-20. Lastly, don’t let your starting tight end be more than a place or two removed from the top six named in last week’s review. Pay close attention here- don’t start slacking off or relaxing just because you’ve filled out your starting lineup. This is where you bear down, identify and draft the best talent remaining, and gain a huge advantage over your fellow owners. I know no one wants to hear this, but it’s this week’s REALITY CHECK- you use your bench in fantasy football WAY more than you project or anticipate utilizing.

With bye weeks beginning in week 4 and lasting until week 10, you may only start your ideal lineup 7 of the 13 or 14 regular season fantasy games you participate in- only half the time! That’s not even mentioning the proverbial injury bug that strikes a couple of teams worse than others every season, but gets us all to some degree nonetheless. It’s hard to predict who will be the best available in the 12th round, so my advice is to take as much time on your later round picks as you do with your top 5. While everyone else is just trying to finish the draft, you’ll be impacting your lineup in a positive way. Your bye week bench players can be the key to your fantasy success.

The next piece of advice I’d like to impart is this- if your league doesn’t require you to draft a kicker, then I wouldn’t draft one. The only strategy I have with kickers is draft one that’s on a high-scoring or winning team then call it a day until their bye week. That’s all you really need to know about that.

The last thing I want to touch on is to be flexible when the draft officially commences. Follow the strategy that your most comfortable with, just don’t get locked in on a certain player(s), it’s the surest way to knock you off your game plan. Don’t be distracted or dismayed by who was picked before you had an opportunity to call their name out. You can’t afford to have reactionary picks that you’ll later label as a bad choice- you only get so many draft picks. Have alternatives for your ideal players, create your wish list with enough depth so you won’t be surprised when the QB you’ve been targeting comes off the board.

That’s all I’ve got to say this week everyone. I’m confident that if you use the advice and recommendations I’ve shared with you over the last six weeks, you’ll be well on your way to competing for a title this upcoming campaign!

Thanks to all our readers at Gridiron Goddess- your requests have made this column a reality. A welcome and special thanks to Walker Sports and its readers, I’m honored to join your ranks.

The season is imminent!!

The Dude Abides,

~Stephen Lamare

2008 Summer Olympics Day 7-Phelps Again

Another day, and another gold for Mr. Phelps. That brings his total to six and he will go for the recording tying seven. At this pace Phelps will hold 8 golds and 8 records, not a bad haul on a fortnights work.

Elsewhere the United States v. China Rivalry escalated yet another step in the gymnastics competition. The United States took home Gold and Silver in the all around competition with Nastia Liukin wining gold and her teammate Shawn Johnson coming out of nowhere and winning silver.

On the hard court, James Blake was ousted last night leaving Nadal the lone star left to dominate the field and take his momentum into the U.S. Open.