Prédiction Pool NFL #348

Les guides de Fantasy Football (ci-bas analysés avec rigueur par l’ami Fredster) nous offrent souvent leurs règles d’or des choses à ne pas faire lors du repêchage. L’une d’elle enseigne qu’il faut faire très attention aux puff pieces et autre hype des journalistes appelés à couvrir les camps d’entraînement. Peter King, Maître ès Puff, nous en offre un bel exemple dans sa chronique hebdomadaire du lundi :

I think the most impressive person in this camp has got to be running back Jamal Lewis. Not only is the guy in ridiculously good shape after a second ankle surgery in two years, he is mentally strong. He is also highly motivated to show the Ravens they made a mistake when they let him go in free agency following the season. "And," he told me after practice this afternoon, "I weigh 239, not 251 or 252, like I used to. This is the best I've felt in a long time."

(…)

But you can take this one to the bank: Jamal Lewis is going to run for 1,300 yards or my name is Lou Groza. This is a perfect place for him. A place that has just spent $40 million in guarantees on a drive-blocking left guard and left tackle, Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas, respectively, a place with a coach (Romeo Crennel) who is dying to run the ball 55 to 60 percent of the snaps. In my opinion, 1,300 yards is the low end for Lewis.

Comparées aux 1132 verges accumulées l’an passé, disons que cette « prédiction » n’engage pas beaucoup son auteur. On verra. Reste qu’on parle de Jamal et des Browns…