By JIMMY D / Vick loses, Jimmy wins, Sori situation for Cubs | Jimmy's archive

In the dog days of August, Jimmy will finally weigh in on the dog days awaiting Atlanta Falcon QB Michael Vick. Or should we say 'former' QB Michael Vick?

Rumours circulated on the weekend that the league will suspend the mercurial Vick, who never evolved into the complete package because of his penchant for reverting back to the run (he went in the 14th round of a mock draft Monday).

For the uninitiated, Vick has been indicted for being significantly involved in dog fighting. But Jimmy has been a bit perturbed – albeit not confused given the state of our media-frenzied society – by how much ink the story has gotten.

Sure, dog fighting is a nasty game and it’s not everyday a superstar QB gets charged with it.

But what wife-fighting? There is hardly a peep in the mainstream press if an athlete gets charged with smacking his wife or girlfriend around. Maybe a first-day headline, then the obligatory team reaction that they won’t comment while the matter is before the courts.

But certainly nothing like the incessant media banter deservedly dogging Vick.
If players thought they’d have their names and faces plastered over every website and newspaper in the world for months on end and getting brought up on serious federal charges, maybe they’d think twice about domestic violence.

Then again, maybe not. Someone clever enough to cuff a woman wouldn’t be bright enough to consider the police cuffs.

Ice-wrap

Well, Jimmy suggested they would be sold and moved. He was half right.
But unfortunately, it looks like these two weak hockey markets will continue to hang onto NHL franchises.

Tampa Bay sold to investors (including P.E.I.’s Doug MacLean, late of the Blue Jackets) intent on keeping them in south Florida and Nashville looks to be headed the same way.

Note to Jim Balsillie, the Blackberry exec who wants a team to move to Hamilton or some other Ontario locale – don’t blab your intentions until AFTER you complete the sale. Sheesh, loose lips sink ships baby.

Jimmy neglected to congratulate Moosey Jakub Voracek on his three-year deal with Columbus. He will likely need another year (or two) of Q-League seasoning and toughening but he will make the NHL (for anyone debating his merits in a keeper pool). His knack for running the point on the power play is always a plus when it comes to future point production.

And in Chicago, the light bulbs are going on after decades of dimwitted and frugal darkness. Jimmy predicted a turnaround for the Chihawks last season, but injuries to Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu and Nik Khabibulin derailed that.

This year, they continue to make surprisingly sensible moves, securing No. 1 pick Pat Kane and traded Radim Vrbata (a softy peripheral player with a good shot but not much else) to Phoenix for grinder Kevyn Adams.

For your NHL fantasy purposes, Vrbata should see statistical improvement in the desert while Adams will work his way onto the second line and chip in with some shorthanded goals.

There will be some good value to be had in middle and late rounds by grabbing selective Blackhawks. Jimmy will advise you as pucks season draws nearer.

Sori situation for Cubs

The Cubs are in the thick of things, but just lost Alfonso Soriano for a month. Who are the beneficiaries from a fantasy perspective?

Ryan Theriot had been doing a good job setting the table from the lead-off spot but he is a risky proposition even as a stopgap measure. As August marches along, the impact on sluggers Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez should be noticeable: fewer RBI opportunities with Soriano on the bench instead of on the basepaths.

Jimmy’s Jackals update

Legging out a bit of lead in mid-August, Jimmy stayed true to his starting-pitcher policy by benching one-start lefty Chuck James and re-acquiring hard-luck Dodger Chad Billingsley off the waiver wire (he starts against the Astros and Rockies this week).

Jimmy also benched Brewer Corey Hart for the week, worried about the mini-slump at the top of Milwaukee’s order. Johnny Damon has played himself back onto the Jackal active list. Everyone hates cheering for the Yankees, but pull for Damon, will ya?

Curt Schilling – zero strikeouts. Jimmy snatched Schilling off the waiver wire last week and got two mediocre starts out of him. But alarm bells go off when a strikeout pitcher goes six innings with fanning a hitter, which he did Sunday against Baltimore.

In fantasy leagues that reward wins and Ks, six otherwise clean innings don’t do much for the stats. But Jimmy will stick with him for another week.

And some knucklehead in Jimmy’s league dropped Jeremy Bonderman after a string of poor starts. Jimmy needs some strikeouts and wins for the stretch drive and Bonderman should give him both, so he was scooped up.

Stay busy, stay lucky.

Email Jimmy at jpoole@herald.ca .