The Sporting News proclaims him as the greatest 2nd baseman the Atlanta Braves ever had. And there are plenty of statistics to back that up; he currently holds all Braves 2nd base records, played in a total of 1180 games over 10 years, was selected as an All-Star in "83, and led the league in double-plays three times and assists twice.

Though his first game for the Braves was in 1978, strangely, he"s still with the team.

As resident “infield coaching expert” and full-time 1st base coach, Glenn Hubbard retains the same no.17 jersey number as he did for 10 seasons with the Braves.

He was a lite-hitting defensive dynamo and at 5' 7'', 180 pounds soaking wet, he was the Braves original scrappy player. So much so, that Hubbard was even profiled in the Braves year book in an article with a cartoony illustration of Hubbard in a Davey Crocket outfit entitled, “True Grit.” Aggressive, fearless, and never to be denied, Hubbard set the standard for gravel-in-your-gut baseball.

His full beard and scrappy appearance belied a utilitarian efficiency at 2nd base, anchoring a Braves infield that went 13-0 in 198209090909 Add to that 98989 5-4-3 double plays and you begin to see his contribution to this team.

However, Hubbard's influence continues to this day. After working his way through the Braves minor-league system, you will see him every game-day pitching batting practice, working out the team, and standing at first base during his team's offensive efforts.

Yet, perhaps Hubbard's fingerprints on the team's “Youth Movement” are the true sign of his ongoing longevity. Kelley Johnson was a better-than-average leftfielder, drafted in 2000, making his first full season in 2005, and sat out 2006 in the minors.

But the team saw something in the kid. And, with a Zen-like intensity reminiscent of the first Karate Kid movie, Hubbard schooled the youngster into one of the games rising young infield stars. Not to mention a similar tutelage of Marcus Giles.

However, it was in the last of his final two years of play at Oakland that would land him a starting role in the 1988 World Series. Ever the unsung, Hubbard was released midway through 1989, the year the A's would again make the Series, this time victorious.

And so, after toiling for twelve years, greeting sliding spikes with his shins at 2nd, being the first on the team to get dirty, Hubbard quietly ended his career the dignified street-fighter we all knew he was.

Atlanta Falcons: New Head Coach, New Quarter Back and only 1 Defensive back starting who had an interception last year. Michael Turner is also new at running the ball for Falcons though he averaged 5.5 rushing yards per carry with chargers in four years.

Series is 23-9 with the Lions having the advantage.
Advantages/Disadvantages: The Advantages for the Lions is the passing offense against the falcon's young and inexperienced secondary. As well the Falcons have a running advantage with Michael Turner against the Lions Run Defense, the lions traded Shawn Rodgers so their run supports maybe a little weak this year.

The Lions have to take notice of the mismatch and exploit it early. Though new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto plans to bring a lot of running and play action to the Lions this year, I expect to see them in a lot of formations that make it known well what they're going to do. The falcons have no choice but to rely on their advantage in Mike Turner and try to keep control of the clock; however with the Lions most likely scoring quick and early the falcons will have no choice but to turn away from this in the second half. The rest is up to Matt Ryan in which I think for his first game he will fail as most of the greats do their first game. Matt Ryan will be fine in the future but this is the NFL. Expect the Lions to give him several different looks in blitz's and coverage's.

Overall this is a game where you have experience verse un-experience in which means nothing anything can happen come Sunday, however in recent experience, the more snaps you have under your belt means something. I expect this to be a route in favor of the Lions. The falcons may put up scores but I think for the second year straight will fail to put up a touchdown score in their opener. Last year they faced the Vikings only scored 3. The Falcons only chance is to get their kicker in position Jason Elam has scored a minimal of 100 points in 15 straight seasons. However it will take an unknown start to emerge to slow down the Lions Wide outs.

The XXIII Olympics Games were held in Los Angeles.

Photo credit:  Wikipedia

Los Angeles was selected to hold the 1984 Olympics simply because it was the only city to put in a bid to do so. There was no vote and no decision to be made. The selection was made in may 1978 and it thought that the reason why no other city wanted to host the games was because the 1976 games in Montreal had run massively over budget. The Americans had led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow because of Soviet interference in Afghanistan. This triggered retaliation and the Russians boycotted Los Angeles. The games are supposed to be completely free of politics but this clearly had not been the case.

1988

The XXIV Olympic Games : Seoul, South Korea.

Photo credit:  Wikipedia

Seoul was selected over the Japanese city of Nagoya, to host the XXIV Olympiad. It was only the second time that an City had hosted the games. (Tokyo was the host in 1964). 160 nations took part and there was a total of 8391 athletes. Fortunately, the Seoul Games did not suffer from political boycotts as the two preceding Games had.

1992

The XXV Olympiad: Barcelona, Spain.

Photo credit:  Wikipedia

The 1992 XXV Olympiad was held in Barcelona, Spain. This was the year that South Africa was allowed to participate in the games again. It had previously been excluded because of its apartheid policy and this was the first time in 28 years that South African athlete had joined in the games. The music associated with these games was 'Barcelona' written by Freddie Mercury and 'Amigos Pare Siempre' written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black and sung by Sarah Brightman.

1996

The XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

197 nations took part in the Olympiad and 80,000 people celebrated 16 days of Olympic Games in the stadium in Atlanta and the finale was a display of music and lights a giant conga line of athletes snaking its way around the arena. As soon as the games ended this fabulous stadium had its track removed and was downsized to seat just 50,000 in preparation for its recycled role as the home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team.

2000

The XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, Australia.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

A record 199 nations were represented at the Sydney Olympics of 2000. The only missing International Olympic Committee member was Afghanistan which was suspended because of the Taliban prohibition of any kind of sport. North and South Korea entered as one nation under a specially designed flag.

2004

The XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The lighting of the flame for the 28^th Olympiad in Athens was arranged like a pagan ceremony with dancers. It was certainly different from anything we have seen before at opening ceremonies. 10,625 athletes from 201 countries competed in these games. This was the first time since 1896 that all member countries of the International Olympic Committee were represented. It was also the first time the games had been hosted in the country where they originated since 1896.

2008

The XXVIV Olympiad in Beijing, China.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

This amazing display of organization and spectacle was an a wonderful achievement for China. The opening ceremony with the athlete 'flying' up to light the Olympic flame was one of the most memorable yet. The televised firework display at the opening ceremony was breathtaking but later revealed to have been computer generated. 205 countries competed in the games and the only one missing from the IOC was Brunei. China had the largest team with 639 athletes, with USA coming close behind with 596. Several countries sent only one athlete each.

The Braves made their moves as well, bringing back Tom Glavine from the Mets and allowing Andruw Jones to walk away to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first time a new face will be in center field for the Braves since 1996. But the question is, in the pressure cooker of this hot division, did the Braves move forward or step back?

Offense: B-

As a replacement for Jones, the Braves bring in Oakland's Mark Kotsay. This may be red flag number one: Kotsay played in only 56 games last season, hitting just .214. If Kotsay rounds back into form, he'll be solid, but he'll put up nowhere near the power numbers or defensive presence that Jones did. There are hot young bats all around, like first baseman Mark Teixeira (17 homers and 56 RBI in only 54 games with the Braves after a trade from the Texas Rangers), catcher Brian McCann (a solid .270, 18 homers and 92 RBI) and right fielder Jeff Francoeur (105 RBI's). It's a minor step back from the league's second ranked offense of a year ago, and if health holds, it could be another banner year for the bat in Hotlanta.

Projected lineup: 1 Kotsay CF 2 McCann C 3 C.Jones 3B 4 Teixeira 1B 5 Francoeur RF

6 Diaz RF 7 Escobar SS 8 Johnson 2B 9 Pitcher's spot

Starting Pitching: C-

 

Not many baseball fans would pick the Braves, historically a great pitching team, to have the rotation as their weak link, but it may well be the case now. John Smoltz is back and still solid, but he'll be 41 on May 15, and his numbers did recede some last year (14 wins, down from 16, 3.49 ERA up from 3.06 in 2006). Glavine is at the end of the line, and struggled mightily last year. And the Braves have Mike Hampton, he of the two missing seasons due to left elbow surgeries and the torn hamstring in his first inning of Mexican Winter League ball this past year, penciled in at the five spot, and only unproven, little-used rookies as backup. Tim Hudson may be their most reliable starter, and given his injury history, that may be a little scary to fans of the Braves as well.

Projected Rotation: Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, James, Hampton

Bullpen: C

 

Of only slightly less concern is the bullpen. Rafael Soriano will come into camp as the closer, and he did fairly well in that role last year (9 converted in 12 opportunities last year), and veteran Mike Gonzalez, if healthy, could push him for the ball in the ninth if he falters. And they would be just about the only names in the bullpen that fans may recognize. To say that this unit is a little shaky going into 2008 may end up being an understatement.

Conclusion

 

The offense took a slight step back, the rotation may be dealt another huge blow if injuries and age hit hard, and the bullpen is young, unproven, and perhaps unreliable. They'll eke out a over-.500 season on talent and offense alone, but Atlanta is still another year away from returning to what seemed to be a birthright just three seasons ago, the NL East title.

Prediction: 82-80, 3rd in National League East

On October 6, the Rockies rounded out a three-game sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies to capture their first National League Division Series title in franchise history.

What is even more interesting, is that Colorado is now on pace for their first ever National League Championship. The Rockies play again at Coors Field tonight, holding onto a two-game lead, facing the National League's top-ranked Arizona Diamondbacks, who are trying to slither their way back into another World Series matchup against either the Boston Red Sox or Cleveland Indians.

However, winning is not the only thing that intrigues people about Colorado baseball. Here are some quick facts surrounding this organization that one may or may not have known:

Devotion

The Colorado Rockies hold the largest total home game attendance in one single season. In 1993, over 4.4 millions fans walked through the gates of their old home, Mile High Stadium, at an average of 55,350 people per game. The Toronto Blue Jays attracted over 4 million baseball enthusiasts to the SkyDome for two consecutive seasons in 1991 and 1992, but it wasn't enough to climb past Colorado's milestone.

What's in a name?

From 1976-1982, the present New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), played under the name “Colorado Rockies”. This is the only team name to ever be used by both an NHL and a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. Following the 1982 hockey season, Denver did not host another professional hockey team until the Colorado Avalanche, who moved in from Quebec, won the Stanley Cup title in their first season during 1996. The Avalanche still call Denver home as we speak.

Rocky Mountain High

When walking into Coors Field, there is an abundance of green seats, except for one single row nearing the peak of the stadium. This is the 20th row in the upper deck of Coor's Field. All of the seats in this entire row are purple as it signifies the mile high, mark in Denver.

The “Coors Field Effect”

It has been scientifically proven that baseballs travel further in thin air, thus, making Coor's Field a hitter's park. During 1999, Coor's Field had the most home runs hit in a single season, at one stadium, in MLB history, with 303. According to the statistics on Colorado's team website, a ball hit 408 feet in Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, could travel up to 440 feet in Coor's Field.

Where the dinosaurs roam…

Prehistoric evidence of dinosaur bones was found near home plate during the 1994 excavation of Coors Field. The story of “Dinger”, Colorado's mascot, who is also a dinosaur, derives from this significant discovery.

So there you have it...a collection of facts that one may or may have not known about Colorado Rockies baseball. Right now, the big focus is on the team's recent success, but it never hurts to learn something new along the way.

For more information on Rockies baseball, please visit the team's website, or simply visit the city of Denver. This is a beautiful place, and it has a lot to offer.

Since running backs are a high resource for fantasy stats, the below is what you should look for with one of your first two picks in your fantasy draft.

Here Are The Top Five Running Backs For Fantasy Football This Year:

1. Ladainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers:

He was the leading rusher, scorer and overall the best player in the NFL last year. His stats include:

• 1,815 Yards Rushing.
• 508 Yards Receiving.
• 31 Total Touchdowns.

The Break Down:

Tomlinson is explosive and with Phillip Rivers a year matured and a new offensive minded coach in town, look for Tomlinson to have another standout year. The Chargers offense is too good for defenses to concentrate their entire efforts on him and he is just so explosive that it is inevitable; he will score and he will have big games.

2. Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs:

He was second in the league in rushing and led the league in attempts. His stats include:

• 1,789 Rushing Yards.
• 410 Receiving Yards.
• 21 Total Touchdowns.

The Break Down:

Johnson has proved that he is durable by running the ball 400+ times last year. If the Chiefs would have had a passing threat last year and a better line, he could have easily run for over two thousand yards. His two fumbles from last year shows that he knows how to keep hold of the ball and his 17 Rushing Touchdowns makes him a constant threat in the Red Zone. The Chiefs have better back-up running backs this year and more receiving threats so look for Johnson to have an even better season this year.

3. Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks

Due to injury he only played in ten games and was hampered for a few more that he played in. His stats include:

• 896 Rushing Yards.
• 48 Yards Receiving.
• 7 Total Touchdowns.

The Breakdown:

Don't let the Statistics scare you, Alexander only played in ten games and was still hampered. Alexander is one of the brightest runners in the league and knows how to get in the end zone. With a good offensive line to run behind, Alexander will once again be the focus of the Seahawks offense.

4. Stephen Jackson, St. Louis Rams

Jackson had an extremely productive season last year, leading all running backs in receiving yards. His stats include:

• 1,528 Rushing Yards.
• 806 Receiving Yards.
• 16 Total Touchdowns.

The Break Down:

Jackson really busted out last year by gaining over 2,300 total yards last year. He's big, durable and explosive, making him the perfect fit for the St. Louis running attack. Look for another big season this year, as he should duplicate last year's numbers.

5. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers

He was 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards and proved to be an explosive weapon for the young 49ers. His stats include:

• 1,695 Rushing Yards.
• 485 Receiving Yards.
• 9 Total Touchdowns.

The Break Down:

Gore came out of left field last year and ran the daylights out of the football for the struggling 49ers in only his second pro season. Gore should have an even better season this year because the overall offense will be better. Alex Smith should be a year improved and TE Vernon Davis will be healthy... not to mention the big acquisition of WR Darrell Jackson from the Seahawks. His only downside is struggling with being able to pound his way into the end zone on shorter runs.

Here Are The Five Backs To Stay Away From This Year:

1. Jamaal Lewis, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland is lacking on the offensive side of the house and Jamaal Lewis will be the feature for this young team. In recent years he has had durability issues as well as off the field problems. He also doesn't posses the burst he once had, so look for him to be a disappointment, even though he may still hit 1,000 yards if he stays healthy.

2. Kevin Jones, Detroit Lions

Not only will the Lions concentrate heavily on an outstanding passing attack, but Jones will be spelled by standout running back Tatum Bell, who came over from the Broncos. Jones last year failed to produce regularly, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry where as Bell averaged 4.4.

3. Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

He has been hurt in each of his first two seasons and has failed to show a knack for breaking tough tackles. He's not a huge threat in the end zone either, and oh did I mention that he has been hurt in each of his first two years?

4. Ahman Green, Houston Texans

Green has had durability issues for several years now and has definitely lost a step or two. Now he goes to a Houston team that notoriously has no offensive line. Green will be hard pressed to find the end zone and will struggle to get any yards.

5. Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons

With Michael Vick now gone for the season, it looks as if the most dynamic backfield duo in Professional Football is over. Dunn isn't a red zone back anyway and without Vick keeping defenses on their toes, Dunn will have a tougher time finding yards, as well as finding the end zone.

Sleeper picks are always the best way to get your team on top of your league. If you play the field smart, you may wind up finding a gem of a running back in the latter rounds that could pay off big time.

Here Are Five Sleeper Backs That Could Do Serious Damage This Year:

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

He is the main specimen in the draft, his potential is unlimited and he will start the season on the bench. I am willing to bet though, that by the end of the year this work horse back will be putting up pleasant numbers, especially since he will stay fresh by sharing time with Chester Taylor.

2. Deuce McAllister, New Orleans Saints

Last year Big Deuce ran the ball very well, gaining over 1,000 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns. With superstar Reggie Bush demanding so much attention, Deuce will continue to get rushing attempts, especially on third down and in the red zone.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jones-Drew had a breakout season last year in not only running but receiving and returning kickoffs. This year he will be featured in the offense right away and should get plenty of snaps, even though he will play behind Fred Taylor. Fred Taylor has had durability issues for the last few seasons and is running on his last legs so look for Jones-Drew to capitalize on an excellent Rookie year with an even better sophomore campaign.

4. Corey Dillon, New England Patriots

With Randy Moss joining the crew in New England, this will take that much more pressure off of the running game and Dillon should get enough snaps to be valuable in fantasy leagues. He scored 13 touchdowns last season and gained over 800 yards, proving he still has what it takes in the pros.

5. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants

Replacing a great like Tiki Barber cannot be an easy task, but this big back is up to the challenge. He looked good in spelling Tiki last year and proved to be vital in 3rd down situations. He scored 9 touchdowns (4 more than Barber) and averaged an incredible 13.5 yards per catch, which is very good for a running back. He shows great potential and with a big body he shouldn't have any durability issues. Defenses will be looking more at stopping the Giants passing attack so the sky is the limit for this young bruiser.

Best Of The Rest:

1. Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints

Bush is a natural athlete who commands attention at all times. With the best passing attack in the NFL behind him and a year of experience to boot, look for Bush to make tons of plays and payoff big as a fantasy player.

2. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles

Westbrook may be one of the most explosive players in the game. He is small, elusive and fast, and with 5.1 yards per carry on his side, he should definitely command attention in your draft. In 15 games last year, Westbrook ran for 1,217 yards and caught 699 more in receiving. He also scored a grand total of 11 touchdowns.

3. Willie Parker, Pittsburg Steelers

Parker is one of the most electrifying players in the league and also one of the hardest to tackle. His 7 fumbles last year makes him a slight liability but with gaining over 1,400 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns on the ground, I think he is well worth the risk.

4. Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati Bengal's

Though Johnson is virtually no threat in receiving and he failed to gain more than 3.8 yards per carry, he still is a great buy in fantasy football. He's not explosive, not fancy, but he does play on one of the most potent offenses in the NFL and will continue get yards and touchdowns.

5. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins

Like Shaun Alexander, Portis had injury problems last year that prevented him from ever getting his rhythm back. In 8 games though, he still managed to score 7 touchdowns and gain over 500 yards. Now he looks to be back in good health and his offense should be greatly improved from last years disappointing season. If Portis is healthy, he will easily cover 1,000 yards and should score plenty.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins

He's a bruiser who if is healthy could put up huge numbers.

2. Marion Barber and Julius Jones, Dallas Cowboys

This duo worked really well for the Cowboys last season, as Barber finished with just over 600 yards on the ground and was 3rd in the league in rushing touchdowns. Jones finished the year with over 1,000 yards and 4 touchdowns.

3. Thomas Jones, New York Jets

It would be hard to imagine Jones not getting to start for the Jets. If Pennington can put up good number in the air, Jones should get plenty of room to duplicate his 1,200 yard performance last year.

4. Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens

McGahee should be an upgrade from Jamaal Lewis, although McGahee is still one of the most overrated players in the league. He may have a breakout year though, because Baltimore's offense is loaded with big play potential. McGahee could wind up having a huge year for the Ravens.

5. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts

Addai looked special one week and then the next week he looked insignificant. This is common with a rookie year, but Addai will have to improve if he wants to keep a starting slot in the high octane Colt's offense.

On April 25th, 2007, one of Vick's homes was raided by authorities based on tips from informants not to be named. Some of them have stated that Vick is big into the dog fighting underground and that he has dropped big money by gambling on the fights.

For an icon like Vick, this is definitely not good. His current status on the case is still technically clean, however his image has taken a dramatic hit. In fact, he has had other negative instances in the last year, one including him flipping off a fan on Nov 26th, 2006, following a loss to the New Orleans Saints.

So now it seems Michael Vick has added to the NFL's misery by joining in on a rough year stacked high with negative press. Several Cincinnati Bengal players have been arrested, and then there is the big story on Adam “Pac Man” Jones of the Tennessee Titans who seems to stay in trouble. Then there is Darrent Williams, former corner back of the Denver Broncos and a former stand out at Oklahoma State University, was killed January 1st 2007 in a drive by shooting in downtown Denver.

So what happens now? Vick is apparently under investigation and this is something that will not go away over night. Dog fighting is illegal throughout the country and is a felony in 48 States. Vick reportedly put the house up for sale shortly after the initial raid but there have been no reports of whether or not it had been sold yet.

The Atlanta Falcons enter this season hoping to turn their fate around, as they have missed the playoff for two consecutive seasons. Vick is their starting quarterback and main focus on offense so it will be interesting to see if his off field troubles effect the upcoming season.