NFL Week 7 Update

Playoff seedings:

AFC:
1- New England (5-1)
AFC East champ

2- Pittsburgh (5-2)
AFC North champ

3- San Diego (4-2)
AFC West champ

4- Houston (4-3)
AFC South champ

5- Cincinnati (4-2)
head-to head (1-0) over Buffalo for #5 seed; Conference pct. (.800, 4-1) over Baltimore (.600, 3-2) for division seeding

6- Buffalo (4-2)
Conference pct. (.750, 3-1) over Baltimore (.600, 3-2) for #6 seed

Match-ups:
Wild Card: Buf @ SD; Cin @ Hou
Divisional: Buf/Cin/Hou @ NE; SD/Cin/Hou @ Pit

NFC
1- Green Bay (7-0)
NFC North champ

2- San Francisco (5-1)
NFC West champ

3- New Orleans (5-2)
NFC South champ

4- New York (4-2)
NFC East champ

5- Detroit (5-2)

6- Chicago (4-3)
head-to-head (1-0) over Tampa Bay for #6 seed; Tampa Bay head-to-head (1-0) over Atlanta for division seeding

Match-ups:
Wild Card: Chi @ NO; Det @ NYG
Divisional: Chi/Det/NYG @ GB; NO/Det/NYG @ SF

Draft:
NOTE: tiebreakers are broken by Strength of Schedule. For calcuations, I am basing it on the full-16 game schedule, as opposed to SOS through week 7 [total wins of 16 opponents on 2011 schedule/256 (ie 16 teams x 16 games]

1- Miami (0-6, .580 SOS)
2- St. Louis (0-6, .545)
3- Indianapolis (0-7, .543)
4- Minnesota (1-6, .143)
5- Arizona (1-5, .167)
6- Carolina (2-5, .514)
7- Jacksonville (2-5, .500)
8- Denver (2-4, .573)
9- Seattle (2-4, .516)
10- Philadelphia (2-4, .495)
11- Kansas City (3-3, .524)
12-  Dallas (3-3, .492)
13-  Cleveland (3-3, .461)
14- Tennessee (3-3, .458)
15- Washington (3-3, .424)
16- Oakland (4-3, .539)
17-Tampa Bay (4-3, .514)
18- Atlanta (4-3, .510)
19- New York Jets (4-3, .500)
20- Buffalo (4-2, .505)

NFL Draft Order after Week 6

Team (record, Strength of Schedule)
1- Miami (0-5, .567)
2- St. Louis (0-5, .557)
3- Indianapolis (0-6, .516)
4- Minnesota (1-5, .604)
5- Carolina (1-5, .516)
6- Jacksonville (1-5, .495)
7- Denver (1-4, .600)
8- Arizona (1-4, .466)
9- Philadelphia (2-4, .333)
10- Kansas City (2-3, .538)
11- Seattle (2-3, .518)
12- Dallas (2-3, .509)
13- Cleveland (2-3, .483)
14- Chicago (3-3, .554)
15- New York Jets (3-3, .511)
16- Atlanta (3-3, .500)
17- Houston (3-3, .418)
18- Washington (3-2, .422)
19- Oakland (4-2, .523)
20- Pittsburgh (4-2, .483)

Note: SOS calculations based on full 16-game schedule, as opposed to games played to this point.

Indy Tragedy Hit Fresno Before

The tragic death of Indy Car driver Dan Wheldon has cast a pall on the auto racing world. It is not the first fatal accident in the ultra-macho, ultra-dangerous sport. A tragic event has hit the Fresno community before.

Former Indy 500 racing champ Bill Vukovich of Fresno died at the 1955 Indianapolis 500.

Here are some links about the life and racing of Vukovich
Vukovich Accident
Info on the Vukovich memorial outside Selland Arena, downtown Fresno

Video of the fatal crash:

NFL Week 6- Current Playoff Seedings (AFC & NFC)

After all the Sunday day games, the playoff seedings are set (not dependent on the Sunday and Monday night games). If the season ended today, here is the playoff rankings, as determined by the NFL tiebreaking procedures. Any questions? E-mail me at 1davidtaub@gmail.com.

NFC
1- Green Bay (6-0)
North title

2- San Francisco (5-1)
West title

3- Tampa Bay (4-2)
Head-to-head (1-0) over New Orleans for South title; Strength of Victory (SOV) over New York [final numbers determined after Min/Chi game] for #3 seed

4- New York (4-2)
East title

5- Detroit (5-1)
Wild Card

6- New Orleans (4-2)
Wild Card

NOTES: a rarity, that only two tiebreakers are needed total, both for Tampa Bay. Tampa gets the nod over the Giants based on SOV, which will still be greater even if Minnesota (whom TB beat) loses, reducing its total SOV.

Matchups:
Wild Card: NO @ TB; Det @ NYG
Divisional: NO/Det/NYG @ GB; TB/Det/NYG @ SF

AFC
1- New England (5-1)
East title

2- Balitmore (4-1)
North title; SOV over San Diego for #2 seed [final figures to be determined after Mia/NYJ game]

3- San Diego (4-1)
West title


4- Tennessee (3-2)
South title

5- Cincinnati (4-2)
Division pct. (1.000, 1-0) over Pittsburgh (.000, 0-1) for top seed in North; Conference pct. (.800, 4-1) over Buffalo (.750, 3-1) and Oakland (.667, 4-2) for Wild Card

6- Buffalo (4-2)
Conference Pct. (.750, 3-1) over Oakland (.667, 4-2) and Pittsburgh (.600, 3-2) for Wild Card

NOTES: Both Baltimore's and San Diego's final SOV is dependent on the Mia/NYJ game, but either way, Baltimore will be higher. For Cincinnati, they first have to break the inter-division tie with Pittsburgh before being matched with the other 4-2 teams.

Matchups:
Wild Card: Buf @ SD; Cin @ Ten
Divisional: Buf/Cin/Ten @ NE; SD/Cin/Ten @ Bal

The draft order will be finalized after the Monday night game. Check back for more.

NFL Week 5...If the week eneded today (NFC & Draft Order)

If the season ended today, here is the NFC playoff seeding:
(note- SOV=strength of victory (win pct. of the team's they defeated thus far; SOS=strength of schedule (win pct. of the team's 16 opponents thus far)

1- Green Bay (5-0)
SOV (.520) over Detroit (.417) for North title

2- San Francisco (4-1)
West title; Conference pct. (.750, 3-1) over New Orleans (.667, 2-1) for #2 seed

3- New Orleans (4-1)
South title

4- Washington (3-1)
East title

5- Detroit (5-0)
Wild card

6- New York (3-2)
Conference pct. (.600, 3-2) over Tampa Bay (.500, 2-2)

Matchups:
Wild Card: NY @ NO; Det @ Was
Divisional: NY/Det/Was @ GB; NO/Det/Was @ SF

Draft order: (record, SOS, the first tiebreaker)
1- Indianapolis (0-5, .526 SOS)
2- St. Louis (0-4, .539)
3- Miami (0-4, .571)
4- Arizona (1-4, .459)
5/6- Philadelphia/Jacksonville (both 1-4, .500) -coin flip-
7- Carolina (1-4, .532)
8- Denver (1-4, .595)
9- Minnesota (1-4, .608)
10- Seattle (2-3, .486)
11/12- Atlanta/New York Jets (both 2-3, .520) -coin flip-
13- Kansas City (2-3, .532)
14- Chicago (2-3, .563)
15- Cleveland (2-2, .461)
16- Dallas (2-2, .505)
17- Tennessee (3-2, .436)
18- Pittsburgh (3-2, .480)
19- Tampa Bay (3-2, .506)
20- Oakland (3-2, .538)

NFL Week 5...If the week eneded today (AFC)

If the season ended today, here is the AFC playoff seeding:

 1- Buffalo (4-1)
Head-to-head over New England (1-0) for East title; SOV (.500) over San Diego (.211) for #1 seed

2- San Diego (4-1)
West title

3- Baltimore (3-1)
North title

4- Houston (3-2)
Division (1.000, 1-0) over Tennessee (.000, 0-1) for South title

5- New England (4-1)
Wild Card

6- Cincinnati (3-2)
Division (1.000, 1-0) over Pittsburgh (.000, 0-1) for higher seed among North teams; Conference (.750, 3-1) over Oakland/Tennessee (both .600, 3-2) for Wild Card

Matchups:
Wild Card: Cin @ Bal; NE @ Hou
Divisional: Cin/NE/Hou @ Buf; Bal/NE/Hou @ SD

NFC matchups and draft order after Monday Night Football.

NFL Week 4- If the season ended today... (NFC seedings & draft order)

After Week 4..

NFC Playoff seedings:
1- Green Bay (4-0)
SOV (. 438) over Detroit (.375) for North title

2- Washington (3-1)
Head-to-head (1-0) over New York for East title; conference pct. (.750, 3-1) over San Francisco/ Tampa Bay (both .667, 2-1) for #2 seed

3- San Francisco (3-1)
SOV (.333) over Tampa Bay (.167) for #3 seed

4- Tampa Bay (3-1)
Division pct. (1.000, 1-0) over New Orleans (.000, 0-0) for South title

5- Detroit (4-0)

6-  New York (3-1)
Conference pct. (.750, 3-1) over New Orleans (.500, 1-1)

Matchups:
Wild Card: NYG @ SF; Det @ TB
Divisional: NYG/Det/TB @ GB; SF/Det/TB @ Was

Draft order (record, SOS):
1- St. Louis (0-4, .531)
2- Indianapolis (0-4, .563)
3- Miami (0-4, .578)
4- Minnesota (0-4, .625)
5- Arizona (1-3, .422)
6/7- Seattle/Kansas City (both 1-3, .500) coin flip
8- Philadelphia (1-3, .516)
9- Denver (1-3, .547) -worse conference pct. (.333) than Jacksonville (.500)
10- Jacksonvilel (1-3, .547)
11- Carolina (1-3, .578)
12- Cleveland (2-2, .438)
13- Pittsburgh (2-2, .469) -worse division pct. (.000, 0-1) than Cincinnati (1.000, 1-0)
14- Cincinnati (2-2, .469)
15- New York (2-2, .500) -lost head-to-head (0-1) to Oakland
16- Oakland (2-2, .500)
17- Dallas (2-2, .526)
18- Chicago (2-2, .532)
19- Atlanta (2-2, .550)
20- New Orleans (3-1, .500)

Giants roster- option years left

Continuing from my prior post, the amount of option years remaining for Giants on the 40-man roster.

A quick word on options. It is the transaction used to send a player from the 25-man roster to the minors. The player must be on the 40-man roster at the time. In most cases, the player has three option years. The club can send the player up and down as many times in a given year, while only using up one option. There are exceptions to the three-option year rule, as in the case of Conor Gillaspie. Since he will be entering his fifth year of pro ball in 2012, he has a fourth option year.

Although a team may not utilize all its options on a player during their first three years on the 40-man, once a player achieves three years of MLB service time, they have the right to refuse the option and become free agents.

Here is the list of option-eligible players on the Giants 40-man and options left, starting in 2012 (and years options used).

Buster Posey, C (2 remaining; used in 2009)
Madison Bumgarner, P (2; 2010)
Dan Runzler, P (2; 2011)
Brandon Belt, 1B-OF (3; 2011-1st pro season in 2010, thus has four option years)
Ehire Adrianza, SS (2; 2011)
Brandon Crawford, SS (3; 2011- 1st full pro season in 2009, thus has four option years)
Steve Edlefsen, P (2; 2011)
Darren Ford, OF (1; 2010, 2011)
Conor Gillaspie, 3B (1; 2009, 2010, 2011- has four option years)
Francisco Peguero, OF (1; 2010, 2011)
Brett Pill, 1B (2; 2010)
Hector Sanchez, C (3; 2011- has four option years [only two seasons, 2010-11, at long-season pro clubs)
Chris Stewart, C (1; 2007 w/Tex; 2008 w/NYY)
Eric Surkamp, P (3; no options used [optioned in 2011, but spent less than 20 days on optional assignment, thus it does not count as option])
Waldis Joaquin, P (1; 2009, 2010)
Justin Christian, OF (2; 2008 with NYY)

NFL Week 4...If the week eneded today (AFC)

Week 4 playoff seedings for AFC (NFC will be known after Monday Night Football):

1- Houston (3-1)
Division pct. (1.000, 1-0) over Tennessee (.000, 0-1) for South title; Conference pct. (1.000, 3-0) over Buffalo (.750, 3-1) and Baltimore/San Diego (.667, 2-1 each) for #1 seed

2- Buffalo (3-1)
Head-to-head over New England (1-0) for East title; Conference pct. (1.000, 3-0) over Baltimore/San Diego (.667, 2-1 each) for #2 seed

3-Baltimore (3-1)
SOV (.333) over San Diego (.083) for #3 seed

4- San Diego (3-1)

5- Tennessee (3-1)
SOV (.500) over New England (.417)

6- New England (3-1)

matchups:
Wild Card: NE @ Bal; Ten @ SD
Divisional: NE/Ten/SD @ Hou; Bal/Ten/SD @ Buf