Sports Hall of Fame: Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr hung up his cleats today. It's a sad day for anyone who collected baseball cards in the 1980's and 1990's as his Upper Deck rookie was legendary. I knew a guy with like twenty of the cards in a binder and it was like I was looking at a gold brick when I saw them.

Here is a small list of things I will remember him for...

1) Trademark backwards cap that garnered him the nickname "The Kid".
2) His ridiculous catches in center field where he robbed hitters of home runs.
3) He played on the same team as his dad and they hit back to back HR's. Pretty awesome.
4) I never heard anyone say they didn't like Ken Griffey Jr.
5) "The Simpsons" episode where he drank nerve tonic and developed a grotesquely swollen jaw.
6) One of the few star players of his era not suspected of steroids.
7) Dude hit 630 home runs. Fifth all-time. If not for injuries he would have easily passed Willie Mays for 4th.

Thanks for the memories Ken, you deserve a spot in my Hall of Fame.

AFC West Status

Denver: There is a thin line between genius and madness. Coach Josh McDaniels is straddling that line. When Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall had a difference of opinions with the coach, they were both sent packing. I understand asserting yourself as the boss but how about some crisis resolution skills? In the 2010 draft, Josh McDaniels has sealed his fate. He has hitched his wagon to QB Tim Tebow. In the marketing sense it was a great move. Tebow's jersey has been the #1 seller in the NFL for two months straight. There is no questioning his popularity but there are many questions regarding his skills. If Tebow pans out, then McDaniels will be remembered as a visionary in the cloth of Bill Belichick.
-Fantasy Implications: WR Demaryius Thomas will have every opportunity to contribute. He is worth drafting in every league.
-NFL Implications: Forget the NFL... the Tebow pick will shape the future of the Broncos franchise. It's that important.

Kansas City: This is a team that needs playmakers. DB Eric Berry was being compared to Ed Reed in the draft process. If he is even close to that good, then the Chiefs got a bargain with the 5th pick at a position of need. The Dexter McCluster pick is a headscratcher. I like the player but I'm not sure a team like KC has the luxury of taking a situational player like McCluster in the 2nd round. If a team like Dallas or Miami had taken him, then he would have been a perfect fit. Just fourteen picks later they took another situational player in DB Javier Arenas whose main contribution will be as a kick returner. OG Jon Asamoah is a good pick for an offensive line that could use the help.
-Fantasy: With the addition of Arenas at KR and Berry at DB, the Chiefs defense might be draftable. It's been a while since we could say that.
-NFL: The Chiefs seem to have a plan. They had a lot of building to do but they have improved. In a weak division like the AFC West they could steal a few games. This is a make or break season for QB Matt Cassel.

Oakland: Al Davis must have gotten a hot tub time machine because he had his best draft since the 80's... The 1880's! (Just kidding) With LB Rolando McClain they got a guy who will be a leader on the defense that can defend both the run and the pass. Then they got DT Lamarr Houston who shot up draft boards in the offseason. He is a good fit for Oakland's scheme. They picked up some O-Linemen with freakish size/speed ratios in Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell. And of course they picked their prerequisite speedy WR in Jacoby Ford. The good news is that they didn't reach for any of them.
-Fantasy: This could be the year that RB Michael Bush breaks out. You should be able to get him in the mid to late rounds and his high ceiling is worth the gamble.
-NFL: I would be remiss to not mention that the Raiders cut a lot of dead weight in QB JaMarcus Russell. Most insiders say that QB Jason Campbell is very underrated. Even if he isn't, he will represent a huge upgrade at QB. I like Oakland to possibly get over the hump and come close to a winning record this year.

San Diego: The Chargers have been the class of the AFC West for a few seasons now. They still have the most talent... but how will they rebound from yet another disappointing playoff loss? The selection of RB Ryan Mathews was a necessity. I don't know how good he will be but San Diego needed a guy who could be an every down back. DT Cam Thomas is a 4th round pick who will need to step up in defending the run. LB Donald Butler could also contribute at a position with little depth on the squad.
-Fantasy: RB Ryan Mathews will see the rock often. An every down RB in the NFL is worth a 3rd round pick in a fantasy draft. If Mathews looks any good in preseason, then you might want to snag him late in the 2nd.
-NFL: Once again, San Diego should win this division... partly due to their talent and partly due to lack of competition.

Overall: It would be a surprising if the West had more than one team in the playoffs this season. It would be downright shocking if that team wasn't San Diego. The rest of the division is frankly an unknown at this point. How much can KC improve? Probably not enough. What will Denver look like? No one knows. I like Oakland as a surprise team this year. The upgrade at QB alone should be worth a couple extra wins. If they pull off some upsets, then things could get interesting.