10-breakout-players-fantasy-football

For the most part, few rookies make much of an impact in fantasy football even in normal seasons. This is no normal NFL season due to the NFL lockout. So, with one exception, ignore rookies when drafting your fantasy football team in 2011. Here are ten NFL who I believe will become fantasy football studs in 2011.

10. Emmanuel Sanders WR, Pittsburgh
Forget Sanders' meager stats from 2010, the Steelers' young receiver was playing more and more toward the end of the 2010 season. With Hines Ward seemingly in the NFL since the leather helmet days, look for Sanders to catch a lot of passes in 2011 with opposing defenses focusing on Mike Wallace.

9. Sam Bradford QB, St. Louis
What, a #1 NFL draft pick on a breakout list? Yeah, that's right. If you took Bradford in a fantasy draft in 2010, you are either a diehard Rams fan or a fantasy football novice. Rookie QBs seldom make any impact on fantasy leagues in their first year. Bradford is a rookie no more. With some injured WRs back this season and a couple of new targets, look for Bradford to take a big step up in fantasy football.

8. Matt Stafford QB, Detroit
The only question about Stafford is can he play 16 games without an injury? Stafford took big strides in 2010 when healthy and with a much improved team around him, Matthew Stafford is a legitimate starting QB in fantasy football leagues.

7. Jacoby Ford WR, Oakland
One of the fastest players in the NFL, Ford as a rookie last season showed he was not just a sprinter as he showed ability to make tough catches and fight for the football. With former 1st round pick Darius Heyward-Bey still seeming lost much of the time and the Raiders having few options for the long passes preferred by Al Davis, Ford could make a move in 2011.

6. Mark Ingram RB, New Orleans
The one exception to the no rookie rule in fantasy football 2011 is this guy. Playing in a pro like atmosphere at Alabama under Nick Saban and being the son of a former NFL player by the same name has prepared Ingram much moreso than your typical rookie. The Saints, in spite of their passing prowess, get more rushing touchdowns than most teams in the NFL with Pierre Thomas formerly benefitting the most. Now it's Ingram's turn.

5.Jimmy Graham TE, New Orleans
Jeremy Shockey is gone, Lance Moore has a bad groin, and Robert Meacham is inconsistent. Look for Graham to benefit the most in the Saints pass-happy scheme.

4. Jerome Simpson WR, Cincinnati
With divas T.O. and Ochocinco departed, this guy will benefit the most. Simpson had a big game or two late in the 2010 season. However, the Bengal QB situation keeps Simpson from being ranked higher with Carson Palmer retired, at least for now and possibly a rookie under center for the guys in the (appropriate) stripes.

3. Beanie Wells RB, Arizona
Beanie has been kind of a weenie thus far in his NFL career. However, the team evidently feels this will be a breakout season for Wells with the trade of Tim Hightower (more on him later). Wells has been impressive in the preseason and finally appears to be ready to put up good fantasy numbers on a consistent basis. Especially if QB Kevin Kolb performs as expected.

2. Felix Jones RB, Dallas
Ever since high school, Felix Jones has been second fiddle to another back. Sharing the backfield with Darren McFadden at Arkansas and Marion Barber in Dallas along with injuries at the pro level have limited Jones' production. Jones appears to be in the best shape of his career, has had an excellent preseason and the team is confident enough in Jones to release Barber. Don't look for Felix Jones to take a backseat to anyone in the Dallas backfield in 2011.

1.Tim Hightower RB, Washington
The Shanahan zone blocking, one cut and go system has made fantasy football stars out of guys like Mike Anderson, not to mention Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis and others. Mike Anderson is the one most comparable to Hightower. Anderson put up huge fantasy numbers in Denver as a late round draft pick who started out at fullback. Hightower has apparently won the starting RB job in DC.

10-best-mexican-boxers-last

The history of prominent Mexican boxing champions is rich and storied. In Mexico it's hardly enough to be a great professional boxer, you must fight with the right style, showing the correct measures of ferocity and aggression in order to be heralded as a great. Over the last 20 years the lighter weight classes, typically below welterweight or 147 pounds, have been filled with Mexican champions. Here's a look at the 10 best Mexican boxers of the last 20 years.
1. Julio Cesar Chavez - 107 (86) - 6 - 2 - Even though the majority of his biggest accomplishments occurred more than 20 years ago, J.C. must still top this list of the best Mexican boxers in recent memory. He won the WBC super featherweight title and defended it nine times, then won the WBC lightweight title and eventually the WBC and IBF junior welterweight titles. Along the way he toppled Meldrick Taylor, ruining his career in the process, along with holding wins over Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez, Roger Mayweather and a slew of other top fighters. In his first 98 professional fights, he officially lost only once, although an unfathomable draw with Pernell Whitaker and a retroactively corrected blemish from his early days occurred along the way.

2. Ricardo Lopez - 51 (38) - 0 - 1 - The rare fighter who was able to retire undefeated, Lopez is occasionally overlooked because of his tenure in the extremely light weight divisions, from 105 to 108 pounds. He made 22 successful defenses of his minimum weight title belt before capturing a second crown at junior flyweight.

3. Oscar De La Hoya - 39 (30) - 6 - Ostensibly a six division champion, the Golden Boy was dominant from the lightweight to welterweight classes as he progressed in his prime. His career best win however came at junior middleweight, knocking out mouthy challenger Fernando Vargas. His resume includes what should be a win over Felix Trinidad and wins over Ike Quartey, Genaro Hernandez and aged versions of Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez.

4. Erik Morales - 48 (34) - 6 - El Terible lost five of his last six professional fights, diminishing the gleam of his once stellar 47-1 record. However his accomplishments cannot be hidden, including nine successful defenses of his super bantamweight title, including wins over Marco Antonio Barrera, Junior Jones and Wayne McCullough; a 6-1 record in featherweight title fights besting Kevin Kelley and In-Jin Chi; a title in his third weight class at super featherweight and a last hurrah win against Manny Pacquiao. Along the way he epitomized the Mexican warrior mentality, engaging in epic battles including trilogies with Barrera and Pacquiao.

5. Marco Antonio Barrera - 65 (43) - 7 - Barrera had a 14-3 record in super bantamweight title fights, including wins over Kennedy McKinney and Agapito Sanchez. After losing twice to Junior Jones, he retuned his game and went on to capture titles in two more weight classes, beating Prince Naseem Hamed and winning his trilogy against Erik Morales. While he holds the 1-on-1 edge against Morales, Morales arguably accomplished more against other top competition while suffering fewer setbacks in his prime.

6. Juan Manuel Marquez - 50 (37) - 4 - 1 *Still active - Before his career is over he could easily skyrocket past the two names above him, his more famous contemporaries that never met him in his prime. Not gaining momentum until relatively late in his career, Marquez has wins over Derrick Gainer, Juan Diaz and the past-due remnants of Marcio Antonio Barrera and Joel Casamayor. Most fans believe he has at least one win against Manny Pacquiao.

7. Michael Carbajal - 49 (33) - 4 - Carbajal was a champion for the better part of a decade in the junior flyweight division. He won his first world title in 1990 and his last fight was a title winning effort against Jorge Arce in the same division in 1999. Along the way he piled up a 15-3 record in title fights.

8. Israel Vazquez - 43 (31) - 4 *Still active - El Magnifico is the fighter you can never count out of a fight. He won a trilogy with Oscar Larios and narrowly edged out Rafael Marquez in their trilogy, one of the best in boxing history, adding to the lore of all-Mexican trilogies such as Morales-Barrera. With an 8-2 record in title fights, he also came from behind to stop Jhonny Gonzalez.

9. Rafael Marquez - 38 (34) - 5 - Marquez lost the trilogy with Vazquez, but it wasn't by much and he was the naturally smaller man against the career super bantamweight. Marquez was a dominant bantamweight champion, beating Mark Johnson twice then winning his title from Tim Austin and defending it successfully seven times prior to the Vazquez bouts.

10. Jose Luis Castillo - 58 (50) - 9 - 1 *Still active - Toiling away for years as Chavez's chief sparring partner, Castillo eventually got his own shot in the lightweight division his mentor had once ruled. After besting Steve Johnston for a lightweight strap, then drawing with him, Castillo defended his title against Cesar Bazan. He lost to Floyd Mayweather twice, although most feel he won the first contest, then regained a lightweight title and beat Juan Lazcano, Joel Casamayor and Julio Diaz before engaging in his Fight of the Century with Diego Corrales. Since, he has struggled to grab a foothold in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions.

That does it for this list of the 10 best Mexican boxers of the last 20 years, there are certainly plenty more greats in the pipeline, ready to make their own mark. It was hard enough to make this list of the best Mexican boxers as is, when you consider that fighters like Fernando Vargas didn't make the cut.

7-tips-winning-singing-contest

Practice exactly the way you will do it for real each and every time.
1. Hold a microphone, (or hairbrush if you don't have a microphone), so it will be a natural transition for the real deal. Try to find out ahead of time if they will be using a wireless microphone, one with a cable, and if you have a choice to use a microphone stand or not. If given the choice, DO NOT use a microphone stand. Be sure to check for an on/off switch the moment you get the microphone and be sure it's on. Always familiarize yourself with the equipment you use. Don't assume they turned it on before handing it to you.

2. Pick three locations on the wall in front of where you will be practicing. Shift your focus to a different spot at different parts of the song while you sing. Try to memorize the order so it is natural. This will make it look like you are focusing on the entire crowd when in reality; you are oblivious to them being there at all. Pick a simple pattern such as left, right, center, and repeat.

3. Practice spoken parts such as introductions and answers to questions while holding a microphone. Example- "Hello Missouri! Thanks so much for all of your support today." Never admit you are nervous in words or action. If asked if you are nervous, reply "These are the most supportive people I've ever seen…I feel right at home." Keep answers short and direct to avoid rambling. Prepare something to say to fill the awkward gap of song introductions.

4. Expect distractions such as Sound or Lighting problems, a noisy audience, and worse. A strong vocalist always takes the lead. When using a live back-up band, the band follows you…not the other way around. Be assertive in every part you sing and they will be able to "lock on" to you a lot better. If using background tracks, be sure to edit (or have edited) your music so it is the correct length and by all means, have a spare ready in case something happens to your primary copy.

5. Dress accordingly. Remember, the audience and judges are probably going to be eye-level with your feet so match socks and shine shoes.

6. Stage-fright or nervousness is most often the result of poor preparation. Eliminate as much of the fear-of-the-unknown as possible by choosing music that fits you. For those that suffer from stage-fright on a regular basis, Psychology 101 suggests wearing a rubber-band around your wrist. When you feel nervous, snap the band slightly. This jars your mind back to focus. After a few times, just think about snapping the rubber band when you're nervous and eventually, wean off of wearing the band at all and just go through the process mentally.

7. Singing is only part of the performance. The performance is not over until after the final judging. Be outwardly supportive of other contestants. You should be "on" from the moment you leave your car in the parking lot to the moment you get back in after the contest. Remember, you can drive up the originality points by doing your own material when allowed.

Many of these things seem like common sense after you think about it. But next time you watch a contest, watch how many of these tips are missing from the majority of contestants. Don't be one of them. Every bit of your preparation will be rewarded in kind.