Week 3 Edition (last updated 9/17)

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Through two weeks of the season I have picked 21 out of 31 possible winners, although some of my heavy hitters in the confidence pool fell last week, but I still finished with 95 out of 130 possible points. The Giants proved to be a good pick in Survivor, but my out on the limb pick of the Chiefs tanked. My best success early on has come with the bookie. Despite losing my $50 play last week, the 49ers +7.5 won outright and my $20 three-team parlay came through, giving me Here's the picks for Week 3:

We check out the top headlines from around the league that you need to know about:

GetSportsRadio.com: PRO FOOTBALL FACE-OFF - Get the latest news, takes, and Week 3 picks from around pro football. 

L.T.'s Toe Getting Better (San Diego Union-Tribune)
LaDainian Tomlinson is convinced his toe injury didn't get worse Sunday, and doesn't plan to have it looked at by a doctor. "I'm happy ... it didn't get any worse after the game. I don't feel any worse than I did last week ... which shows it is improving and healing," Tomlinson said. That sounds nice, but the injury did knock him out for most of Week 1. "Last week, I had it looked at," he said. "Now, I don't want to know." If this is truly turf toe, it has a tendency to linger for a long time...MORE

Raiders Will Not Fire Kiffin, Yet (ProFootballTalk.com)
NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports Raiders coach Lane Kiffin will not be fired this week. That doesn't mean it won't happen this season, but for now Kiffin appears safe of Al Davis' wrath after his team won on the road at Arrowhead...MORE

Shoulder Will Not Keep Big Ben Out (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Ben Roethlisberger's shoulder is not separated despite previous speculation. "I have no idea where that report came from," coach Mike Tomlin said. "It didn't come from me or my medical staff. If anybody in here has got any information about where that report came from, send them to me." Tomlin said Roethlisberger sprained his AC joint, an injury to the ligaments that attach the collarbone to the shoulder blade...MORE

Sanders Out 4-6 Weeks (Indianapolis Star)
A high ankle sprain could keep safety Bob Sanders out of the Indianapolis Colts lineup for as long as the next six weeks. That was the outlook provided by team president Bill Polian on Tuesday night in an interview with WISH-8 as part of his weekend TV show. Sanders, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, injured his right ankle during the second half of Sunday's 18-15 victory at Minnesota...MORE

Lions Look At Benson, Alexander (Detroit Free Press)
According to published reports, former Pro Bowler Shaun Alexander was one of several running backs to meet with the Lions on Tuesday. Alexander, a former Seattle Seahawks star, worked out for the coaching staff at the team's practice facility. Former Chicago Bears runner Cedric Benson, a first-round draft pick in 2005, and free-agent Vernand Morency, who previously played for the Packers, were also in town to meet with coaches and front office personnel. Reports say that the signing of any player is not on the immediate agenda, but some reports are speculating that Benson will be signed as the Lions are not sold on Rudi Johnson as the backup...MORE

Reds' starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo picked up his 15th win of the season on Tuesday by going seven innings, giving up two runs (both homers) and five hits, walking none and striking out four as the Reds beat the Cardinals, 7-2.

The 15 wins are a career high for the right-hander and something you would not have though possible earlier this season. Arroyo was miserable early on and hit rock bottom on his June 24th start at Toronto. He gave up 10 runs in 1+ innings of work that night and was left with a 4-7 record and 6.53 ERA.

Over his last 15 starts, he is 11-3 with a 2.88 ERA, and he's 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA over his last six starts.

"I've said for a while that 15 wins, 20 quality starts and 200 innings are always goals coming in," Arroyo told MLB.com. "I've gotten 200 innings a few times and 20 quality starts a couple of times. It was definitely big to get that 15th win and get over that plateau, finally."

The turnaround has been great. I have said throughout Arroyo is what he is. You are going to get a few games above .500, 200 innings, and 20 quality starts. That is what he does.

He heads into his last two starts with 187 IP and 18 quality starts - WOW! That's nearly right on the number. 

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Tom Verducci, SI.com on the last week of baseball at Yankee Stadium: 

Next year the Yankees will play in a ballpark with less history than Nationals Ballpark, that generic mistake in Washington. The new Yankee Stadium will be a stupendous colossus of a revenue generator, which has replaced charm or architectural achievement (why can't we build a Bird's Nest?) as the official measurement of the modern ballpark, with no corners cut. There even will be a female umpires dressing room. But you will not be able to say the Babe, the Mick, Joe D. or even Frank Tepedino played there. Starting Sunday, when the lights go out at Yankee Stadium, the cord will be cut, the lineage interrupted. The ballpark history doesn't cross the street with the Yankees.

It will all be gone soon. The Yankees made sure it would go quietly, without the postseason sendoff it deserved, with a plan for 2008 that could not have turned out much worse. They banked on young pitching and a 900-run offense. But the young pitchers were dreadful, hurt or both. The Yankees got 68 starts from pitchers in their 20s, and the combined record of those pitchers in those games was 17-23.

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