Racing against the odds

Thursday October 30, 2008 2:13 PM By Pete Catapano

Hand cyclist Nadine McNeil will race in the marathon on Sunday. Her son, Tyler, will make his debut. (Tiffany L. Clark)

By Amanda Magnus

Special to amNewYork

When Nadine McNeil runs the New York City Marathon on Sunday, her biggest challenge won’t be her paralyzed right side, or the fact that she uses a hand cycle to complete the 26.2-mile course. Her biggest worry is her son.

“I’m more nervous for him than I am for myself,” said McNeil, a resident of the Bronx.

This will be McNeil’s fourth marathon in the past two years, but her 18-year-old son Tyler, who has autism will be running in his first marathon, with a guide.

“I’m hoping that I’m not too distracted when I get out there,” McNeil said. “Tyler will be out there and I won’t know where he is.”

Paralyzed on the right side from a childhood stroke, McNeil uses a hand cycle to compete in marathons, but she has upper body limitations. Because she has limited use of her right arm, she powers herself mostly with her left. She said she tapes her right arm to the handle to keep herself balanced.McNeil is a member of the Achilles Track Club, an international nonprofit organization for disabled runners of all levels.

McNeil started as a spectator mom while her son was a part of Achilles Kids. In 2006, Tyler was selected to compete in a 5k race in Los Angeles. McNeil went with him and also competed in the event, on foot. She couldn’t do any distances further than five miles, though, because of her weak right leg.

After the race, McNeil met with Dick Traum, the Achilles Track Club founder, and Karen Lewis, director of the children’s program, to thank them for giving her son the chance to compete in Los Angeles. Traum recommended that she try a marathon while using a hand cycle.

“Never in a million years, ever, would I have thought that I could compete in a 26.2-mile course,” McNeil said.

But in late August 2006, she climbed into a hand cycle for the first time. Three months later, McNeil was at the starting line of her first marathon.

“Sometimes other people have to believe in you before you believe in yourself,” McNeil said.

Emotional return to New York for Olympian Kara Goucher

Thursday October 30, 2008 2:07 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Kara Goucher competes in her first marathon Sunday. (Photo by Getty)

By Ryan Chatelain

Kara Goucher fought back tears at a news conference this week when she talked about her connection with her native New York City.

“It’s just as a little girl, you want your family to be together,” said Goucher, 30. “And this is where my family was together.

Days before her 4th birthday, Goucher’s family was torn apart when her father, Mirko Grgas of Queens, was killed in a car accident by a drunken driver. Shortly after, Goucher’s family moved to Duluth, Minn., where she grew up.

Twenty-six years later, Goucher — a top-10 finisher in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in Beijing this summer — will make an emotional return to the Big Apple for her 26.2-mile debut in Sunday’s New York City Marathon.“I’m going to think of my dad when I’m running here. I don’t want it to be a distraction,“ Goucher said. “But I think that those moments during the race where I have those moments of weakness and doubt that I feel my dad is going to be there, and he’s going to help me fight through those moments.”

Goucher is attempting to become the first New Yorker, man or woman, since the marathon expanded to all five boroughs in 1976 to win the race. No American woman has won since Miki Gorman in 1977.

Coincidentally, the last American man to win in New York, Alberto Salazar in 1982, a three-time champ, is Goucher‘s coach. Because of her muscular frame and mental toughness, Salazar says he believes Goucher’s future is in marathons.

“I’m not lying when I say that the last five weeks has been the most I’ve ever enjoyed running,” said Goucher, who took a week off from training after the Olympics, but was soon running 110 miles per week.

“No matter what happens on Sunday, this will not be my last marathon.”

10 to watch at New York City Marathon

Thursday October 30, 2008 1:56 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Five women to watch at the New York City Marathon:

Paula Radcliffe, 34, Great Britain

The world marathon record holder, Radcliffe (pictured) is a two-time NYC Marathon champion (2004 and 2007). She has won seven of nine career marathons.

Dire Tune, 23, Ethiopia

Tune was an Olympian in Beijing this summer as well as the 2008 London Marathon champ.

Gete Wami, 33, Ethiopia

Wami won the Berlin Marathon last year, and then a month later, finished second to Radcliffe in New York.

Catherine Ndereba, 36, Kenya

A four-time winner in Boston and two-time champ in Chicago, Ndereba has finished on the podium in 16 of 17 career marathons.

Kara Goucher, 30, United States

A Queens native, Goucher is making her marathon debut. She finished in the top 10 in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters in the Beijing games.Five men to watch at the New York City Marathon:

Paul Tergat, 39, Kenya

A two-time Olympic silver medalist, Tergat was the 2005 New York City Marathon champion and is a former marathon world record holder.

Abderrahim Goumri, 32, Morocco

Goumri finished second in the 2007 London Marathon, his marathon debut. He has followed up that performance with a second-place showing last year in New York and a third-place finish in London this year.

Henrick Ramaala, 36, South Africa

A four-time Olympian, Ramaala won the 2004 New York Marathon and finished second in 2005 after being edged out by Tergat.

Abdi Abdirahman, 36, United States

A three-time Olympian, Abdirahman is the only American ever to have run in three consecutive Olympic 10,000-meter finals (2000, 2004, and 2008).

Marilson Gomes dos Santos, 31, Brazil

The 2006 New York City Marathon champ, Gomes dos Santos holds the best time of any athlete from the Western Hemisphere in the half-marathon.

Photo of Paula Radcliffe by Getty

Book review: FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac

Tuesday October 28, 2008 12:15 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Alexander Nazaryan

Special to amNewYork

When outspoken Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace called professional basketball “fake” last season, he was only saying what we already knew: Players are overpaid, rivalries are staged and skills take a backseat to showboating.

And yet there are those who love the NBA, not the least among them the FreeDarko collective, rascally authors of the “Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac.” This lushly illustrated compendium — to be released Nov. 11by Bloomsbury (224 pages, $23) — infuses joy into a game that is now far more concerned with corporate branding than picking and rolling.

Writing under pseudonyms such as Dr. Lawyer IndianChief and Big Baby Belafonte, the authors open with a manifesto that has guided the principles of their irreverent blog: “In rejecting the old NBA, we seek not to spite our forbears but to silence those who proclaim the league’s decrepitude.” True to the authors’ word, the “Almanac” is a technicolor yearbook of the best the NBA has to offer.

Player profiles are divided into such categories as Master Builders (Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett), Uncanny Peacocks (Gilbert Arenas, who also penned a foreword to the book, and Leandro Barbosa) and Destiny’s Kids (LeBron James, Chris Paul). The smart commentary is accompanied by hilarious illustrations that are as telling as the textual analysis: Arenas as a carnival performer, Tim Duncan as an ancient statue, Lamar Odom wandering the basketball world like Job.

Each profile also features the player’s favorite moves meticulously diagrammed and sidebars that detail, for example, corresponding “spirit animals” (Amare Stoudemire: piranha; Ron Artest: dingo), which only furthers the book’s pleasantly whimsical quality.

Colorful statistical charts masterfully avoid the drudgery of reducing sports performances to numbers on a page. The stats, such as a point-by-point analysis of Bryant’s 81-point performance, suggest that, behind the humor, FreeDarko knows its stuff. And there are many surprising findings, too: Despite his off-court troubles, Carmelo Anthony is among the most generous sports philanthropists, having donated more than $4 million in 2006, while Rasheed Wallace’s output improves in nearly every category after a technical foul.

Most wonderful are the humorous asides that have little to do with by-the-numbers performance analysis but go a long way in promulgating FreeDarko’s celebration of individual players. A Rorschach blot for Bryant alludes to his troubled public image; erstwhile UNC philosophy major Wallace is compared to major Western thinkers, in what is surely the first attempt to link Arthur Schopenhauer with a motion offense.

“More personality, more trash-talking, more fights, less coaching” is what IndianChief, in a recent interview with amNewYork, said he’d like to see from his beloved league. The officious David Stern and his coterie of arbitration lawyers may disagree, but opening this paean to professional basketball offers hopeful intimations that the clock hasn’t quite run out on the NBA.

On FreeDarko.com:

“The NBA right now just isn’t a game ‘for the people,’ ” says Dr. Lawyer IndianChief, one of the founders of the FreeDarko.com basketball blog. The site’s name refers to Darko Milicic, the overhyped and overpaid Serbian journeyman whose disappointing career is an apt symbol of the league’s misguided priorities. For this quirky and intelligent blog, taking back the league involves features such as a review of every single game of the 2008-09 season, with irreverent projections, such as this one, for Portland at Oklahoma City (Feb. 6): “Desperate for a rivalry, OKC fans load up on coffee and wear flannel.” This site is not for the humorless fan who wants his assist-to-turnover ratios and little else.

(Alexander Nazaryan)

For Knicks fans, the dream of enjoyment

Thursday October 23, 2008 3:59 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Max J. Dickstein

For Knicks fans, the best parts of the past few years have been the NBA off-seasons, when the bitter taste of the previous season ceased to linger and some sort of hope could be conjured for the next one.

Once the Knicks tipped off, as they will again on Wednesday, the on-court unraveling would begin.

Since coach Jeff Van Gundy’s final, 48-win season in 2000-01, the Knicks have averaged a 31-51 finish, meaning that the team’s bloated payroll kept it above the lowliest cellar-dwellers while ensuring that the franchise kept up its run of mediocrity.

This off-season, then, was particularly hope-inducing. Architect of disaster Isiah Thomas finally got his comeuppance, replaced by cagey team president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D’Antoni, an impresario of up-tempo offense.

And yet beyond signing point guard Chris Duhon to run the team in place of disfavored point guard Stephon Marbury, the new brain trust has not made a single significant roster move. Even in the NBA, which has 16 playoff spots for 30 teams, these Knicks, basically the same players who reeled off 57 losses last season, do not comprise a postseason squad.

The great Knicks teams of the 1970s and 1990s had bruising, hard-nosed players. That is not the identity of the 2008-09 Knicks. Still, fans may yet find something to cherish in what is being conjured at the Garden this season.

2008-09 NBA Eastern Conference Preview: Celtics again?

Wednesday October 22, 2008 4:39 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics have a title to defend, and a team that can do it. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Erick Blasco

Special to amNewYork

With the championship ring-bearing Boston Celtics, the ever-steady Detroit Pistons, the always dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers and the up-and-coming Philadelphia 76ers, the Eastern Conference is no longer the NBA’s minor league. While the conference as a whole can’t boast the Western Conference’s superior depth, there is finally an array of talented teams atop the East that can battle on equal terms with the best the West has to offer.

Title Contenders

In Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, the Boston Celtics have the necessary ingredients needed to win championships — superstars who excel both on offense and defense. Rajon Rondo is blooming into an All-Star caliber point guard and the rest of the role players are both mentally and physically tough. Because Pierce is 31, Garnett is 32, and Allen is 33, age — with the decline in talent and the increased risk of injury that accompanies it — is a prime concern. Still, barring serious injury, the Celtics are the clear class of the East.

Do the Detroit Pistons have a last hurrah in them? Their defense is still top notch, and their offense is still efficient, but something is missing. Can new head coach Michael Curry convince Wallace to bully opponents in the post like he did during Detroit’s 2004 title run, or is Wallace content to be an oversized three-point shooter on offense? The answer will determine Detroit’s success this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers hope that Maurice Williams, a valuable scorer in Milwaukee last year, can take over some of LeBron James’ playmaking duties so that Cleveland’s offense isn’t totally one-dimensional. Besides King James and Mo Williams, though, the team is devoid of athleticism. Sasha Pavlovic may be the slowest guard in the league, Wally Szczerbiak may be the slowest wing in the league and Zydrunas Ilgauskas may be the slowest player in the league. [I laughed out loud here. Nice] The team responds to coach Mike Brown, who preaches defense, but as constituted going into James’ sixth season, the Cavs lack the athleticism needed to overtake the Celtics and the Pistons.

Dark horses

The off-season acquisition of Elton Brand gives the Philadelphia 76ers a legitimate post player who will be especially useful in cases when the Sixers’ exciting transition offense stalls. Andre Miller is a talented, if underappreciated, point guard, while Andre Iguodala (19.9 ppg and 2.1 spg last season) is one of the best two-way wings in the league. Philadelphia’s supporting cast is probably too inexperienced to make a serious run at an Eastern Conference championship, but the team is knocking on the door.

While Orlando Magic franchise player Dwight Howard (14.2 rpg) is the best rebounder in the game, and is ferocious when carving space down low and dunking, his post moves are crude and his defensive awareness is poor. If Howard can improve his recognition, the fifth-year center will be the defensive anchor and post threat Orlando needs to be truly magical. If he can‘t — and with either Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis playing power forward — the Magic won’t have a powerful defensive force in the middle to keep good teams from scoring effectively in the paint.

Playoff Hopefuls

With the talented big-man tandem of Chris Bosh and the newly acquired Jermaine O’Neal on board, the Toronto Raptors should be a lock to make the postseason. However, the Raptors will be hard-pressed to do damage because of a team-wide aversion to physicality. Jermaine O’Neal is supposed to bring the muscle, but the 29-year-old, entering his 13th NBA season, is too brittle to battle down low. Everyone else is essentially a jump shooter who relies on point guard Jose Calderon (11.2 ppg, 8.3 apg) to set up their looks. When tough defensive teams are able to push and shove in the playoffs, will the Raptors have what it takes to push back?

Dwayne Wade is finally recovered from a shoulder injury suffered two seasons ago, so the Miami Heat will almost certainly improve upon their dismal 15-67 record last year. With stud rookie Michael Beasley joining Wade and the ultraathletic Shawn Marion, the Heat will have three players able to drop 25 points on a given night. Still, beyond the trio and the workmanlike Udnois Haslem, there isn’t a lot of NBA talent.

Was last season’s playoff berth a mirage or are the Atlanta Hawks ready to soar? Their transition offense is lethal, led by the high-flying Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, but Atlanta still lacks the toughness and maturity to excel in the halfcourt. Plus, the team lacks a defensive presence in the middle to prevent opponents from attacking the paint. They’ll scrap for a playoff berth again, but the Hawks still need size to contend.

New coach Scott Skiles will either get his way and transform the Milwaukee Bucks into a hustling, scrapping, defending, up-tempo team, or the Bucks will mutiny and overthrow him. Longtime Nets star Richard Jefferson will continue to score, pass and defend for his new team, but the Bucks are loaded with scorers and low on role players and defenders. If Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva become more versatile, there is hope of a trip to the playoffs.

Everyone on the Washington Wizards can score, but, besides Caron Butler, nobody will defend. What’s worse, the team has different personas with or without Gilbert Arenas. With him, they have a spectacular scorer who breaks off the offense to look for his own shot. Without Arenas, whom the Wizards will again be missing until at least December, the offense is more precise and generates better looks but lacks superstar to take over games against good teams. With Brendan Haywood out for the year, there’s no interior defense, and little interior scoring. Expect the Wizards to drop off.

The Chicago Bulls have too many guards and not enough centers and power forwards. Is Ben Gordon going to give his full effort, or tank the season like he did last year after a contract dispute? Will Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden be consistent? Will Luol Deng get the touches he needs to develop his blossoming mid-range game? Can Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and Aaron Gray supply any post game? Can new coach Vinny Del Negro make a winner out of this perennially flawed roster? Too many questions, not enough answers.

A Year Away

With Jermaine O’Neal gone, and Jamaal Tinsley banished, the Indiana Pacers can finally start the rebuilding process. Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford and Danny Granger are a nice core, while Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush will be developed for the future. In a year, they’ll be fighting for a playoff spot.

Worst Of The Worst

Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo offense will certainly be entertaining. But, the Knicks are a collection of players who are inefficient offensively and fundamentally unwilling to defend. They now play for a coach, D’Antoni, who preaches quick shot attempts and practically ignores the defensive side of the game. Does that sound like a recipe for success?

For the Nets, it’s all about shedding contracts, developing youngsters and making a play for LeBron James to come to Brooklyn in 2011. Head Coach Lawrence Frank and his high-energy veterans will teach the kids to play hard and smart every night, but that doesn’t translate directly into victories.

After coach Larry Brown’s last go-around with a young, mistake-filled team led by a questionable point guard ended in disaster, it’s hard to expect he’ll stay the course with the sad-sack Charlotte Bobcats.

2008-09 NBA Western Conference Preview: Lakers on top

Wednesday October 22, 2008 4:31 PM By Max J. Dickstein

It's just another year of title contention for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Wendi Kaminski/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Ravi Shankar

Special to amNewYork

For the first time ever, all eight playoff teams had 50 or more wins in the Western Conference last year.

That conference’s strength arguably wore teams down as they did battle in the playoffs, with eventual conference champion Los Angeles losing to Boston in the NBA Finals.

The following scouting report on the present competition in the Western Conference indicates that we can expect more of the same in the 2008-09.

Title contenders

The Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorite to win the West. The trade for power forward Pau Gasol (18.8 points per game) in February provided the inside scoring presence needed to free up superstar shooting guard Kobe Bryant (28.3 ppg). Small forward Lamar Odom (14.2 ppg) and a healthy center Andrew Bynum (10.2 rebounds per game) will reinforce their inside strength.

However, the Lakers will have to compete with many other capable teams to reclaim the conference title. Among them is the Utah Jazz, led by point guard Deron Williams and his ability to distribute the ball (10.5 assists per game) to big men Carlos Boozer (21.1 ppg) and Mehmet Okur (14.5 ppg). Utah had the second-highest scoring differential (+6.9) in the West last season.

The New Orleans Hornets are well-positioned to repeat as champions of the NBA’s toughest division, the Southwest. All-NBA point guard Chris Paul led the league with 11.6 apg while also leading the team in scoring (21.1 ppg); power forward David West (20.6 ppg) anchors an athletic frontcourt that includes the league’s leading offensive rebounder, center Tyson Chandler (4.1 offensive rpg).

What the San Antonio Spurs lack in athleticism, they make up for in experience. The seasoned core comprised of power forward Tim Duncan (19.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg), point guard Tony Parker (18.8 ppg, 6.0 apg) and shooting guard Manu Ginobili (19.5 ppg) keep the Spurs in championship contention.

On paper, the Phoenix Suns could be one of the league’s best teams, with power forward Amare Stoudemire (25.2 ppg), point guard Steve Nash (16.9 ppg, 11.1 apg), and a deep supporting cast. However, the team has a lot to prove after getting steamrolled 4-1 by San Antonio in the first round last season.

Dark horses

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to regain their standing as a top contender in the West. Power forward Dirk Nowitzki remains the team’s go-to scorer (23.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg) with a reliable wingman in (Josh Howard 19.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg), while a mid-season trade brought back a familiar face in point guard Jason Kidd (9.5 apg).

Dallas’ division rival, the Houston Rockets, are hoping that newly acquired small forward Ron Artest (20.5 ppg, 2.3 steals per game in Sacramento) will bring both defense and offense to this half court-based team. Center Yao Ming (22.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and shooting guard Tracy McGrady (21.6 ppg) already provide a strong one-two scoring tandem.

The youthful Portland Trailblazers may be the only newcomer to next spring’s playoffs, and they have the talent to pull off a first-round upset. All-Star shooting guard Brandon Roy (19.1 ppg, 5.8 apg) anchors the backcourt, while power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (17.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) will be joined in the frontcourt by rookie center Greg Oden, making a much-anticipated debut after missing a year due to injury.

Playoff hopefuls

The Denver Nuggets may find themselves the odd team out in this year’s playoff race. Though guard Allen Iverson (26.4 ppg, 7.2 apg) and small forward Carmelo Anthony (25.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg) combine for one of the NBA’s top scoring duos, the departure of center Marcus Camby and his West-leading 13.1 rpg to the Clippers will be difficult to replace.

A year away

The Golden State Warriors just missed the playoffs last season despite amassing 48 wins. Now they’ll aim to retool with leading scorer and passer Baron Davis (21.8 ppg, 7.6 apg) now down south with the Clippers and shooting guard Monta Ellis (20.2 ppg) out for at least two months with an ankle injury.

The Sacramento Kings are also in the midst of a rebuilding phase. Since February, the team has traded point guard Mike Bibby and Artest. Shooting guard Kevin Martin (23.7 ppg) leads a team that will look for new scorers to step up.

The Los Angeles Clippers made some moves in the off-season to improve upon their 23 wins from last year. Though the departure of power forward Elton Brand (injured for most of 2007-08) will hurt, center Marcus Camby’s rebounding presence and Davis’ scoring and passing provide two much-needed upgrades.

Worst of the worst

The three teams likely to be in the basement of the Western Conference this year are all building young, exciting cores, but they all simply need more time to develop. The Minnesota Timberwolves are building around power forward Al Jefferson (21.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) with point guard Randy Foye (13.1 ppg, 4.2 apg) and rookie center Kevin Love. The Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Supersonics) are led by last year’s rookie of the year, shooting guard Kevin Durant (20.3 ppg). The team will need improvement from second-year small forward Jeff Green (10.5 ppg) and contributions from rookie point guard Russell Westbrook. The Memphis Grizzlies committed to rebuilding after sending Gasol to the Lakers. Small forward Rudy Gay (20.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) will be flanked by second-year point guard Mike Conley and rookie shooting guard OJ Mayo.

Red Bulls goalkeeper Cepero knocks in a goal

Wednesday October 22, 2008 1:27 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Max J. Dickstein

In his MLS debut on Saturday, goalkeeper Danny Cepero became the first goalkeeper in MLS history to score a goal with an 81-yard direct kick that bounced over the embarrassed opposing goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Cepero's goal was named Week 30's Sierra Mist Goal of the Week and the Red Bulls, who beat the Columbus Crew 3-1 on Saturday, can seal a playoff berth with a victory Thursday in Chicago against the Fire (9 p.m., ESPN2).

Shop them while it's hot

Tuesday October 21, 2008 3:45 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Braylon Edwards has struggled this season and has a tough schedule ahead. (Getty Images)

By Ryan Chatelain

It can be difficult to let go, especially when one of your fantasy players is performing well or has an All-Pro reputation.

But as I wrote last week, predicting any sudden rises or falls in a player’s value can be an important ingredient on your way to building a championship team.

The following players will have a difficult road throughout the remainder of the fantasy regular season. It’s time to at least consider cashing in on their recent success or big-name status by trading for a player with a rosier future.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland

Edwards, who has treated footballs like hot potatoes this season, has failed to reach 60 yards receiving in five of his six games. Although he has nice matchups in two of his next three games (against Jacksonville on Sunday and against Denver in Week 10), he also faces four top-10 pass defenses before the end of the fantasy regular season (Week 14 in most leagues).

Edwards’ 154-yard performance on “Monday Night Football” in Week 6 might have been just the ticket to raise his trade value. But act fast before he turns in another stinker.Ryan Grant, RB, Packers

There’s no better time to trade Grant than before his next game. (The Packers have a bye this week, so you have a nice-sized window to move him.)

Sure, Grant has rushed for at least 80 yards in his last three games and finally had a 100-yard effort this past Sunday against Indianapolis. But considering his last three opponents were the Falcons, Seahawks and Colts – all have poor run defenses – and that Grant is averaging just 3 yards per carry in his last two games, it’s evident the Giants castoff is still struggling.

Once Grant returns from his bye, he will be in for quite a challenge as he squares off against three straight top-10 run defenses (Tennessee, Minnesota and Chicago).

Matt Schaub, QB, Houston

Schaub is averaging 318 yards and two touchdowns over his past three games. But those games have come against Jacksonville, Miami and Detroit, who all ranked in the league’s bottom 10 in defending the pass.

In fact, in his only two games against quality defenses — the Steelers and Titans — Schaub struggled mightily, throwing one touchdown and five interceptions.

Now five of Schaub’s next seven games come against top-10 pass defenses – and don’t overlook the fact that there was a quarterback controversy brewing in Houston when Schaub wasn’t playing well earlier this season.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati

There's plenty of reason to believe Houshmandzadeh's season will get worse.

First of all, quarterback Carson Palmer is reportedly considering season-ending Tommy John surgery, meaning Harvard alum Ryan Fitzpatrick would remain the starter in Cincy.

But more important, when looking at pass defenses, no team faces a tougher schedule through Week 14 than the Bengals. In fact, after Cincinnati returns from its Week 10 bye, it will go up against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Indianapolis – all top-10 pass defenses.

All of the above can be applied to Chad Ocho Cinco as well.

BYE WEEK FILL-INS

Some options to replace your prized players who may have Week 8 off:

Matt Cassel, QB, New England (vs. St. Louis). Tom Brady’s replacement is coming off a three-TD outing and is facing the Rams, ranked 25th against the pass.

Maurice Morris, RB, Seattle (vs. San Francisco). Morris was on his way to a big game Sunday in Tampa (56 yards on six carries) before the trailing Seahawks scrapped the run.

Kevin Curtis, WR, Philadelphia (vs. Atlanta). Returning from a sports hernia, Curtis, an 1,100-yard receiver in 2007, is expected to be reinserted into the Eagles’ starting lineup Sunday.

Billy Miller, TE, New Orleans (vs. San Diego). Jeremy Shockey is hinting that he won’t play in London, and Miller is averaging 57 yards over his last three games.

Matt Bryant, K, Tampa Bay (vs. Dallas). He’s averaging multiple field goals in his last five games.

San Francisco defense (vs. Seattle). Surprisingly, the 49ers are a top-10 fantasy unit and are playing a Seahawks offense that is ranked 28th in the NFL.

Friendship, friendship, friendship

Monday October 20, 2008 2:24 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg, right, hugs manager Joe Maddon after winning American League baseball championship series over Boston Red Sox in St. Petersburg, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. The pair then flew to Massachusetts to make it official. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Sports: a brief escape from financial worry

Thursday October 16, 2008 4:39 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Few of those who follow sports, or cover them, will argue that our chosen pastimes are essential in the grand scheme of things.

But when the grand scheme of things is being steadily consumed by the pervasive shock of a global financial collapse, what then?

In such a case, the escape sports offer is a prized necessity. We seek to banish our fears of lifelong penury in the excitement of a good game on TV. Even a 4 a.m. rerun of “No Strings” on the Tennis Channel will suffice.

The ultimate catharsis, though, comes with a seat at an arena or stadium, where the action is live.

Of course, that will cost you the price of a ticket.

So, at least in terms of the top tickets in town, escaping the shackling effects of financial fear probably means parting with enough money to renew that fear.

As American sports leagues move this month to protect their profits in response to the country’s painful economic decline, the principal methods seem to be cutting staff and striving to retain corporate sponsors.

The NBA trimmed about 80 jobs this month; General Motors Corp. scuttled plans to advertise during next year’s Super Bowl; Major League Baseball announced flat sales of tickets and apparel; and when some of its event sponsors’ contracts begin to expire in 2010, the PGA will have to reckon with the lack of financial firms to take their places.

The fan who has no season tickets, no access to a luxury box and no money to set afire is not being tended to. That fan, more than likely, will be on the couch this weekend, the lights of a TV screen highlighting the fan’s diverted expression, while the world markets rest up for another bleak week.

— Max J. Dickstein

Tightening screws on racism in Spain

Wednesday October 15, 2008 2:17 PM By Max J. Dickstein

With their lustrous display at Euro 2008, Spain showed that they are far ahead of the field in soccer. But as recent events have shown, Spain’s efforts to eliminate racism from the game are still light years behind.

On Tuesday, the city of Madrid once again became a flashpoint in Europe’s seemingly perpetual battle against racism in the stands when UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, imposed a two-match home ban on Spanish club Atletico Madrid. The penalty came after myriad incidents at their stadium — monkey chants and racist slurs directed at black players and journalists, among other general violence — marred their Champions League match against Marseille on Oct. 1.

The punishment is the harshest yet for a race-related incident from either UEFA or FIFA, two organizations notorious for their inability to back talk with action regarding racial abuse. It’s clear now that the practice of fining a federation or club, which they mind-bogglingly never diverged from until this week, does not work.

In September, for example, after fans aimed monkey chants at English player Emile Heskey at a match at Zagreb, FIFA fined the Croatian Football Federation a paltry $25,000. Heskey and his teammates afterward ridiculed the weakness of the gesture.

On Monday, the English Football Association announced its reluctance to play a February 2009 friendly against Spain in Madrid because of their experience in the city in 2004, when the team’s black players were subjected to racist taunts from the crowd. That incident earned Spain a measly $90,000 fine.

The stadium ban, then, represents an important first step toward a more proactive stance against racism. And if this tactic does not work, then point deductions for teams with abusive fans must seriously be considered.

Amid all this, certain Spanish players still cannot grasp the big picture, bemoaning the penalties this week instead of condemning the behaviors that brought them about.

Fernando Torres, for example, was distressed that he would not be able to return to the stadium of his old club if Liverpool and Atletico’s Champions League clash next week is moved to a neutral site. “It is the worst and most unexpected news that I could have heard,” Torres told the sports paper Marca on Tuesday.

Perhaps he had not heard the news of why the game was being moved in the first place.

— Andrew Keh

Fantasy Football: Buying low

Tuesday October 14, 2008 12:47 PM By Ryan Chatelain

By Ryan Chatelain

ryan.chatelain@am-ny.com

Unless you’re one of the fortunate few to have a bench loaded with talent, trading in fantasy football is often counterproductive. You might improve your team’s running back situation, but does it make much sense if you’re sacrificing a star quarterback?

That’s why, in an attempt to gain more value than their giving up, fantasy football diehards throw around stock market terms such as “buy low” and “sell high.” They’re trying to predict which players will soon experience a hot streak or a slump.

As the trading season heats up, here are five players who are buy-lows. (Next week: sell-highs.)

Torry Holt, WR, Rams

Usually a sure bet for 90 catches and 1,100 yards, Holt is on pace for just 64 catches and 672 yards this season. But new coach Jim Haslett, who led St. Louis to an upset win over the Redskins on Sunday, might have breathed new life into the Rams. And more important for Holt (pictured), seven of St. Louis’ next eight games are against teams with pass defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league.

Thomas Jones, RB, Jets

When looking at opposing run defenses, no team has an easier schedule through Week 14 – the end of the fantasy regular season in most leagues -- than the Jets. Jones, who scored three touchdowns last week against the Bengals, should shine against foes such as Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver and San Francisco.

Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina

Carolina faces just one top-10 pass defense through Week 14. Forget about his dismal performance Sunday against Carolina; Delhomme should have big games against aerial lightweights New Orleans, Oakland, Detroit and Atlanta.

Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans

Over the first few weeks of the season, the Saints remained cautious with McAllister, coming off two offseason knee surgeries. But New Orleans is utilizing him more now as the Saints face a string of mediocre run defenses.

Zach Miller, TE, Oakland

Miller is the Raiders’ leading receiver. OK, that might not be much to brag about, but his remaining schedule includes games against the Jets, Falcons, Dolphins, Broncos and Chargers, who have all struggled mightily against the pass.

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BYE WEEK FILL-INS

Some options to replace your prized players who may have Week 7 off:

Brad Johnson, QB, Dallas (vs. St. Louis). It’s not often you can grab a starting QB on a very good offensive team that is playing an abysmal defense.

Sammy Morris, RB, New England (vs. Denver). He’s the Patriots’ leading rusher, is a goal-line threat and is facing a defense that has allowed more fantasy points to running backs than any team in the NFL.

Kevin Walter, WR, Houston (vs. Detroit). Walter has been a top-13 fantasy receiver over the past three weeks, and the Lions are ranked 30th against the pass.

Robert Royal, TE, Buffalo (vs. Chargers). San Diego has given up five TDs to tight ends, two more than any other team in the league.

Matt Bryant, K, Tampa Bay (vs. Seattle). Bryant has kicked at least two field goals in five of six games.

Jets defense (vs. Oakland). The Jets have a mediocre real-life defense, but thanks to 10 turnovers and a pair of touchdowns, they have a top-10 fantasy defense.

Photo by Getty Images

Fantasy Football: Don't neglect your loved ones

Tuesday October 7, 2008 11:34 AM By Ryan Chatelain

Allison Lodish is a fantasy sports widow.

In August, Lodish, 35, of Kentfield, Calif., and two others launched Women Against Fantasy Sports (womenagainstfantasysports.com) as a humorous jab at fantasy addicts who neglect their significant others.

The site, which includes a forum for fantasy victims to vent, has quickly found a following and is even selling apparel, including panties that read “CLOSED For the Fantasy Season.”

I asked Lodish about the site and for tips on how we can avoid taking our love for fantasy sports too far.

amNY: Why are you against fantasy sports?

Lodish: I started the site because my husband took it from being a hobby to being almost a full-time job. He really started spending so much time that it was driving me crazy. So I started the site as sort of a playful retaliation and just a place for people to poke some fun and share some stories.

amNY: The site seems like it has caught on pretty quickly. Are you surprised by the response?

Lodish: I had an idea that we would have some sort of effect. I had no idea it would be so much so quickly, and it’s great. I think it just shows that we struck a nerve.

amNY: What are the worst stories you’ve heard about a fantasy sports addict neglecting a significant other?

Lodish: My favorite is the one about the husband. He and his wife had just got married. They were on their honeymoon night — they literally had just got married. They were up in the honeymoon suite. He said he was going to check on the flight for the next day, and he actually went down into the lobby to make a trade.

And then there’s a woman who had her baby in the beginning of August, and her husband had his fantasy draft that night and left her.

amNY: Give me some pointers on how we can find some middle ground and still play fantasy sports but not neglect our significant others.

Lodish: I would just try to say keep it to less than double digits during the week as far as hours spent. Try to just keep one computer on at a time. It’s really just creating a balance. And you know, bribery could work with some people. Not me, but with others for sure.

amNY: And what about talking to our friends on the phone about our teams?

Lodish: Do you need to? Just be sneaky. What we don’t know won’t hurt us. That’s my motto.

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BYE WEEK FILL-INS

Some options to replace any of your prized players who have Week 6 off:

Gus Frerotte, QB, Vikings (vs. Lions). The 15-year veteran faces the 29th-ranked pass defense.

Justin Fargas, RB, Raiders (vs. New Orleans). A lot of owners gave up on Fargas, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, after he injured his groin. (He’s only owned in 29% of Yahoo leagues.) He’s expected to return this week.

Matt Jones, WR, Jaguars (vs. Denver). He’s caught at least five passes in four of five games.

Dustin Keller, TE, Jets (vs. Cincinnati). He has TD receptions in each of the last two games, a sign that Brett Favre trusts the rookie near the goal line.

Jason Elam, K, Falcons (vs. Chicago). He’s made multiple field goals in four of five games this season and gets the Bears indoors.

Panthers defense (vs. Tampa Bay). It’s hard to believe that the Carolina D, a top-eight fantasy defense, is still available in 68 percent of ESPN.com leagues.