LestersLegends.com

Ready for some bragging rights?  It’s time for the second Annual Lester’s Legends Pick the Score contest.  It’s as simple a contest as you’ll ever find.  All you have to do is post what you think the score of the Super Bowl will be.

Whoever comes the closest gets bragging rights for a whole year.  What are you waiting for?  Put in your score now and let the trash talking begin.

As a bonus, you can win a button that you can showcase on your website or send out to all of your friends to prove how much of a football expert you are.

I’ll get us started.

Indianapolis:  38
New Orleans:  24

Congratulations Todd Farino of http://www.fantasyfootballsearch.com/ and http://www.fantasybaseballsearch.com/ for the closest prediction 31-27.

Here’s the winning  button.

Button courtesy of jasepatrizio art direction & design

Last Year’s Winner:  The King

Design by jasepatrizio art direction & design

One Step Productions Launches Social Media Division, Bringing Social Media Based Storytelling to its New Comedy Web Series, Rules of the League

Created by writer/director Adam Kerpelman, Rules of the League integrates original comedy with the modern electro-centric world of communication.

Hollywood, CA, January 27th, 2010 —  One Step Productions announces the completion of Season 1 of its new comedy web series, Rules of the League. Rules of the League follows the ups and downs in the life of Joel Ballard – a recently unemployed 30-something – and his struggles to run a profitable sports blog of the same name.  At stake – his fantasy football league, family, friends, and sanity.

Joining the debauchery is a colorful cast of sports and not-so-sports obsessed characters.  Among them are best friend and non-confidant, Wallace Greene; Teri Bradshaw. the blog’s gossip diva; car dealer “Trip and his wife Mirian, Silicon Valley titan, Vincent Murdoch; and Joel’s wife Kate and son JJ.

Created by writer/director Adam Kerpelman, Rules of the League integrates original comedy with the modern electro-centric world of communication, and is the flagship project of One Step Productions new Social Media Division. Kerpelman said, “At the core of social media services like Twitter and Facebook are the same facets of life that constitute a good story.  Beyond their ability to connect people for useful purposes, Twitter and Facebook feeds are tools for observation.  One Step aims to utilize this tool to integrate the social media world with narrative content, in order to produce a viewing experience in which storytelling is delivered simultaneously through a multitude of social mediums.”

About One Step Productions

One Step Productions, LLC is a Hollywood-based production company started in 2007 by Adam Kerpelman. Since its inception, the goal of One Step Productions has been to create engaging and dynamic content across a variety of media, consistently utilizing the most current technology to ensure mind-blowing, unique content at all stages: from development and capture through delivery.  For more information on One Step Productions please visit http://onestepproductions.net.  For more information on Rules of the League please visit http://therules.tv.

I’m pleased to announce that LestersLegends.com was named #28 in pediro.com’s Top 50 Sports Blogs list.

Click here to see the rest of the list.

The Pro Bowl rosters are pretty much what they should be. There are always some guys who get snubbed. Let’s take a look at them.

Quarterback
While some are calling for Big Ben to make the roster over Tom Brady, I actually think Brady deserves it over Big Ben. However, I do feel that Matt Schaub should be ahead of both of them. All he’s done is lead the league in passing yards. He doesn’t have a #2 WR, plus he lost his Tight End and #2 target halfway through the year. He trumps Brady and Big Ben in completion percentage, completions, and passer rating. He has one fewer TD than Brady, but four more than Ben. Plus, he has half the Sacks against him as Ben.

In the NFC Tony Romo, Eli Manning, and Donovan McNabb deserve to be mentioned, but none have had the year Brett Favre had.

Running Back
Cedric Benson gets mentioned as a snub, but I think they got the AFC right. Chris Johnson and Maurice-Jones Drew had amazing seasons. Ray Rice didn’t have the TDs, but his total yards and the way he carried the Ravens make him a wise selection. I’d actually put Thomas Jones in over Benson.

In the NFC I like the picks of Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson. DeAngelo Williams, on the other hand, should not have been picked. Frank Gore and Ryan Grant are both more deserving. I’ll give the nod to Gore since he doesn’t have quite the surrounding cast Grant does.

Wide Receiver
I can’t argue with Andre Johnson, Wes Welker, or Reggie Wayne. Brandon Marshall is questionable. Randy Moss, Vincent Jackson, and Chad Ochocinco are in the conversation. Given the QB situation Marshall has, I’ll stick with him despite Moss having more yards and TDs.

In the NFC, it’s between Sidney Rice, Roddy White, and New York’s Steve Smith for the final WR spot. In the end, I think they made the right call. Rice has made some unbelievable catches this year.

Tight End
I’m in total agreement in the AFC. Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates are easily the most deserving.

In the NFC, I think they missed the boat by picking Jason Witten. He had a ton of yards, but just one TD. Meanwhile, Brent Celek had a similar yardage total, but had 7 more TDs. I would have even taken Tony Gonzalez over him.

Other Snubs
London Fletcher got jobbed. Jonathan Vilma had a nice year, but can’t London catch a break. He had 24 more tackles than Vilma. I kind of hope the Saints make the Super Bowl so Fletcher can make it as a replacement.

Leon Hall is a shutdown cornerback that picked off six passes. With all respect to Nnamdi Asomugha, I think Hall should have gotten the call.

DeSean Jackson made the team as a WR. Why not award Percy Harvin for his impressive Rookie season? He was also an electric return man.

I would absolutely go David Diehl at Left Tackle over Bryant McKinnie.

Planning a Super Bowl party this year? You might want to use this week’s Monday Night Football matchup as a good opportunity for a trial run, as we could be watching a Super Bowl preview.

The Saints (10-0) are in the midst of the best season in franchise history and the Pats, short of a fourth quarter choke at Indianapolis two weeks ago, seem poised to challenge for another title in February.

The offensive explosiveness possessed by each team has forced sportsbook
to post a total of 56.5 and still the sports betting public is wagering on the “Over”, as many sportsbooks are reporting heavy action on the high side.

New Orleans averages 420 yards per game and 36.9 points. It’s down from their record breaking average of 39-plus points per game the team rode until Week 7 but still more than five points greater than the second place Minnesota Vikings.

New England ranks second in average yardage per game at 416 and with the best one-two wide receiver combinations in the league, the Pats can stretch the field against the greatest of defenses. Wes Welker had a super game against the Jets last week catching 15 balls for 192 yards. Welker makes blitzing Brady a real challenge for teams. His short underneath game sets up the long ball for Randy Moss. Moss is pretty much impossible to cover one-on-one and when he gets the double team, it usually creates a mismatch for Welker.

The Saints receiving corps is almost as impressive with Marques Coltson, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey and Robert Meachem. Speaking of matchup problems, these four receivers will present some for the Patriots secondary. The Saints are hoping Reggie Bush can go coming off a knee injury. The early reports have him playing and if he is ready he can be a difference-maker, but usually plays a secondary role in the offense most games (ain’t that right fantasy players).

This is a great coaching matchup with maybe the two brightest coaches in the game matching wits for the first time. Sean Payton is as creative an offensive coach as Belichick is a defensive strategist. Don’t expect Belichick to go for a 4th and short deep in his own end in this game but expect some interesting wrinkles from both coaches.

And of course the field generals need no introduction, with Tom Brady and Drew Brees probably guaranteeing this game gets the highest ratings of the regular season. Brady has more experience in winning the big game but the Saints have been charging hard all year and not one team has been able to top Brees’ offense to date.

Both teams have consistent, not spectacular, run games and while each squad has shown vulnerabilities on defense this year we have to expect them to bring their A-game to the dome on Monday Night.

Should be a great game. Good luck with your bets.

Check out this online sportsbook for a 110% sign-up bonus.

By Justin Lester, 3rd Grader and a Sports Nut

On Thursday Novemeber 26, 2009, the following will be playing this Thanksgiving Day with a lot of fans rooting for their team.  Here are my thoughts about who will come out ahead.

1.  The Packers faceoff with the Detroit Lions.  My choice is “THE PACKERS” as winners because Aaron Rogers has the most rushing yards for a quartersback.

2.  The Raiders faceoff the the Cowboys.  The Cowboys should take the win hands down with a shutout!  In my opinion, the Raiders  just don;t have the juice to win!!!!

3.  The Giants faceoff with the Broncos.  I really think the winner will be the Giants because quarterback Kyle Orton is injured and he is their best QB.

In general the injuries surprises are Michael Turner with the Falcons, Kyle Orton with the Broncos, Steven Jackson with the St. Louis Rams, and Tom Brady with the Patriots.  This may really change My Mom’s Team!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My starters are:  Philip Rivers, Adrian Peterson, Maurice-Jones Drew, Randy Moss, Sidney Rice, possibly Andre Johnson or Terrell Owen, Visanthe Shiancoe, Steven Gostkowski, and finally Minnesota’s defense!

My love of football developed when I picked my first fantasy football team!
My father, mother, and Uncle Ryan all helped me pick the league that gave me my first win and now I’m “hooked” (8-3).

I would like to thank all of those who are serving, all of those who have served, and the families that have supported our veterans. As we honor those who served, let us not forget the sacrifices that these great people made to provide the freedom that we all too often take for granted.

Here’s a list of some of the great athletes that served our country:

Joe DiMaggio
Ted Williams
Bob Feller
Pat Tillman
Jackie Robinson
Hank Greenberg
Warren Spahn
Yogi Berra
Tom Landry

More baseball players in the military.

My pal Eric Greenberg, who runs the popular retro podcast Just My Show, asked me for a bried sound bite on the Magic-Bird rivalry in lieu of their release of their book When the Game was Ours. I appear in the beginning of the podcast during New News About Old Stuff.

Click here to listen! Please forgive the cold and slow delivery.

Also included on the podcast is legendary broadcaster Bud Collins’ take on Andre Agassi’s new book and an interview with Susan Olsen a.k.a. Cindy Brady. Go to Just My Show to check it out!

With the season tipping off tomorrow, let’s talk preseason NBA Awards..

MVP - LeBron James
Back-to-back MVPs for Bron Bron.

Rookie of the Year – Blake Griffin
His work ethic along with that talent will ensure he’s no Michael Beasley.

Most Improved - Anthony Randolph
If he can stay healthy, he could make a huge leap this year.

Comeback Player of the Year - Gilbert Arenas
I’m not convinced he’ll last the whole year, but if he does he should win this award in a landslide.

Sixth Man of the Year – Lamar Odom
Mr. Kardashian can do it all for the Lakers.

Defensive Player of the Year – Dwight Howard
Howard is such a beast on defense.

Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan
If his team can stay healthy, Sloan can win the long overdue award.

NBA First Team
Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard

NBA Second Team
Dwayne Wade
Brandon Roy
Danny Granger
Dirk Nowitzki
Pau Gasol

NBA Third Team
Deron Williams
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Tim Duncan
Amar’e Stoudemire

All-Rookie Team
Jonny Flynn
Tyreke Evans
James Harden
Blake Griffin
Tyler Hansbrough

Those are my picks. What changes would you make?

John Lennon would have turned 69 today.  In honor of arguably the most talented singer/songwriter in history, I wanted to share some of my favorite Lennon videos.