SixTalkingHeads

2008 Season Preview: National League East

2008-03-05T19:26:00.004-05:00

Can one player make a team? Better question. Can one player who only plays twice a week – on a good week – make a team? My answer, we’ll have to wait and see, but the Mets surely hope that’s the case. With the acquisition of Johan Santana, the Mets have pegged him to be the Savior of the Big Apple. The Mets suffered arguably the biggest collapse in Major League history last year by losing 7 game lead with 17 games to play. They played poor defense and lost important division games to the Phillies and Nationals. They must rectify this situation or they could see themselves mired in third place and on the outside looking in again in the NL East.

That being said, who is the team to beat in the National League? Better question. Who is the best team in the National League East? I believe this is as wide open as the league has been in years. I would have to say that the Phillies are the team to beat again, but who knows what will happen with pitching and injuries. Who’s to say that the tandem of Smoltz, Glavine, Hudson, and Hampton won’t bring the Braves back to the top.

Now…here is my preview of each team in the NL East and how I believe that they will finish this year, along with team MVPs and LVPs. Read on and enjoy!

1ST PLACE: Philadelphia Phillies (95-67)
The Phillies have the best chance to repeat as division champs of any of the three winners from last year. They also have the biggest challenge to repeat of any of the three winners from last year. The Mets and Braves are just as good and they want to win just as badly. The question, as always in Philadelphia, is how well the team gets out of the gate and how well the pitching holds up.

1B – Ryan Howard: poised for another MVP season, the newest $10 million man will have better protection in the lineup than in years past. He’ll probably also break his own record for single season strikeouts.
2B – Chase Utley: MVP 3-peat? Why not. The best second baseman in baseball, bar none. Hardest working player on the team and one of the leaders in the clubhouse.
SS – Jimmy Rollins: Last year’s MVP continues to make bold predictions for this Phillies team and will back it up once again as part of the best double-play combination in baseball.
3B – Pedro Feliz: The best third baseman to come through Philly since Scott Rolen will hit behind Howard and probably hit 30 HRs in the friendly confines.
LF – Pat “The Bat” Burrell: In his contract year, Burrell can only get better than he’s been in years past. His move to sixth in the order takes some pressure off of him.
CF – Shane Victorino: “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” finally gets to play the position that he is most suited for. He won’t put up the power numbers of the dearly departed Aaron Rowand, but the defensive upgrade will be remarkable.
RF – Geoff Jenkins: Proof that the Phils have to have a player named Geoff every year, Jenkins will provide some power from the 7 hole, even if he only plays in half of the games.
C – Carlos Ruiz: In his second full season as the starter, he handles the game well and has begun to hit more. Very little pressure on him as the 8 hole hitter in such a potent lineup.

Bench: Chris Coste, Eric Bruntlett, So Taguchi, Greg Dobbs, Jayson Werth: A deep bench with the best pinch hitter from last year in Taguchi. Dobbs and Werth will get a bunch of playing time at 3rd and in RF, respectively. Coste has proven to be a very steady backup for Ruiz at C. Bruntlett is a capable backup middle infielder with absolutely no pop in his bat.

Rotation: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Who Knows?: When healthy, this rotation could be very successful. Unfortunately, all four definite members are question marks. Can Myers move back into the rotation seamlessly? Can Hamels stay healthy? Can Moyer make it another full season before breaking down? Can Kendrick duplicate his success as a rookie? And who is the fifth starter?

Bullpen: Brad Lidge, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, JC Romero, Chad Durbin: Again, when healthy, the deepest bullpen in the division by far. Lidge’s knee is a problem (of course). Gordon’s arm and age are problems (of course). But again, they are deep. The question is whether or not Durbin wins a rotation spot or if Adam Eaton or Kris Benson join this group.

Management/Coaching: Charlie Manuel’s extension should calm the troops and allow for more relaxation. Davy Lopes cancer could be a distraction, but I don’t believe too much. The question is whether Pat Gillick, in his final year as the GM, will be able to do enough in July to get this team what they need to succeed.

Phillies Team MVP: Chase Utley. He should win the league MVP this year as well. As I said before, he is the leader of this team on and off the field and deserves to be rewarded for it.

Phillies Team LVP: Either Eaton or Wes Helms. Probably both because somehow they will both end up making the team and causing a better player to be sent to the minors or released. If the team finds a way to get rid of one or both of these player, partial salaries will have to be covered just to get another team to take them and that will come back to be an excuse in July when the Phillies need that one player to put them over the top.

2nd PLACE: New York Mets (94-68)
Yep, you read it right. It’s going to come down to the last day of the season again, my friends. There’s no way that the Mets collapse the way that they did last year again. Their problem is that the Phillies are in their heads and that hurts them in head to head meetings. Billy Wagner will blow a save late in September and that will cost the Mets the division. And possibly the wild card.

1B – Carlos Delgado: If his arthritic hip holds up, he’s one of the premier slugging first basemen in the league. If not, there’s no one to take his place in this clubhouse.
2B – Luis Castillo: Having Luis for a whole season will be a definite upgrade defensively and it adds to the already phenomenal speed at the top of the lineup.
SS – Jose Reyes: One of the top three shortstops in the game (all in the NL), Reyes is the sparkplug of this lineup. When he goes, the Mets go.
3B – David Wright: Last year’s MVP if the team didn’t implode, Wright is the best 3B in the NL with no close competitors. He is also a gem defensively and will scoop up anything that comes remotely close to him on the field.
LF – Moises Alou: He’s just another year older and not what you fear coming up in the lineup. Alou is just keeping the position warm for when Fernando Martinez is ready to make the leap to the big leagues permanently.
CF – Carlos Beltran: The best centerfielder in the division with the departure of Andruw Jones. He doesn’t talk much, but he continually produces on the field. He’ll be key to the Mets success this year.
RF – Ryan Church: If he doesn’t have lingering effects from the concussions that he suffered in his collision with Marlon Anderson, he should be an adequate defender, but a definite downgrade from Shawn Green last year.
C – Brian Schneider: A downgrade as a leader from Paul LoDuca, but an upgrade defensively. The pitching staff will love his play calling and his handling of the game. Not too much power, but he’s a good clubhouse guy.

Bench: Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay, Marlon Anderson, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley: If you don’t recognize the names on this list that weren’t former Phillies, you’re not alone. This is a weak bench offensively. If any of the regulars get hurt, it could be a tough road for this crew.

Rotation: Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez: This is a daunting rotation to face on a daily basis. Santana is the best pitcher in the game and will be a definite upgrade of the departed Tom Glavine. Pedro is still a question mark, but as long as he is adequate, he’ll still win 12-15 games with this lineup. Maine is an up and coming star and Perez still has some untapped potential. El Duque is just too old to be any help anymore.

Bullpen: Billy Wagner, Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman, Jorge Sosa, Pedro Feliciano: A decent pen, but there’s no replacement for Billy Wags when he implodes again. Rumors are that Sosa and/or Schoeneweis could be moved to keep Mike Pelfrey from going back to the minors. Stay tuned…

Management/Coaching: Willie Randolph, although a bit cocky, is still one of the classiest guys in the game and you know that he won’t let his team forget what happened last year. The Wilpon family and Omar Minaya will do whatever it takes to get this team to the World Series, so expect to see some changes if the team is lagging in July.

Mets Team MVP: David Wright. I can’t say enough about his defense and leadership. He’ll be an MVP someday, just not this year.

Mets Team LVP: Billy Wags. Since Craig Biggio hit the home run that knocked the Phillies out of the playoffs in 2005, Billy hasn’t been the same clutch guy that he was in Houston. Expect more of the same this year.

3rd PLACE: Atlanta Braves (88-74)
The Braves will give this division a run for most of the season until Mike Hampton slips on a banana peel and gets hurt again. Or Smoltz and Glavine start to act their age. The do have question marks at shortstop and in the outfield and the bullpen is lacking, but this is still a team with the best management in the division and 14 straight division titles still fresh in their memories.

1B – Mark Teixeira: Another slugging first baseman, he will be the key to the middle of Atlanta’s lineup for a full season. Expectations are high for this young star to replace Andruw Jones as the pop in the order.
2B – Kelly Johnson: Johnson has an average first season as the everyday second baseman, but he’ll have to produce at the top of the lineup to keep his job.
SS – Yunel Escobar: Escobar is a highly touted prospect charged with the challenge of replacing one of the best in Edgar Renteria. He has some pop, but he’ll need to consistent to stay in the big show.
3B – Chipper Jones: The old mainstay is hurt again this spring, but you can be sure that he’ll be ready when the season starts. He’ll need to have another MVP-type season for the Braves to contend.
LF – Matt Diaz: An adequate outfielder with some pop, he’ll get the everyday job vacated by Jones’ departure for Dodgertown.
CF – Mark Kotsay: The injury-plagued replacement for Jones is a huge downgrade when he’s in the lineup. Kotsay will have to stay healthy for the Braves to succeed.
RF – Jeff Francoeur: The best rightfielder in the division. He has a booming arm to go with his booming bat. He’ll be counted on heavily to make up some offensive ground left by Jones.
C – Brian McCann: The best catcher in the division. He’s a perennial All-Star and should continue to be. You don’t see too many great left-handed hitting catchers.

Bench: Scott Thorman, Omar Infante, Martin Prado, Clint Sammons, Josh Anderson, Brandon Jones: Again, a bench of nobody’s. Three are rookies who possibly could test for starting jobs in left and center field. The others are marginal middle infielders trying to save their careers.

Rotation: John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Tim Hudson, Mike Hampton, Chuck James/Jair Jurrjens: When healthy, this could be a fearsome rotation…the best in the division if not the entire NL. Smoltz and Glavine could get back to the good old days and Hudson could duplicate his success in Oakland. Hampton is a strong lefty when he stays out of trouble. James and Jurrjens will battle for the fifth spot.

Bullpen: Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Will Ohman: Soriano will most likely be the closer until Gonzalez is healthy and can regain his Pittsburgh form. There isn’t too much depth here and that could cause a big issue if any of the big four spend extensive time on the DL.

Management/Coaching: Even with John Schuerholz out of the picture, Bobby Cox is still running the show in Atlanta. Until that changes, the Braves will always be in the picture with the most respected manager in the NL, if not in all of baseball.

Braves Team MVP: John Smoltz. He’s done everything possible for this team since coming over from Detroit in the late 80’s. He’s one of two pitchers in the history of baseball with 200 wins and 200 saves (joining Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley). There’s no reason that he won’t succeed again this year.

Braves Team LVP: Hampton or Kotsay. Both are injury prone and will inevitably spend more time in the training room than on the field, which will cause the Braves to have to use young, unproven players in their stead.

4th PLACE: Washington Nationals (78-84)
The Nationals continue to make strides in a very difficult division. They have a potential All-Star third baseman, an intriguing position battle at first base and a budding star in center field. As always on a rebuilding team, pitching is an issue and this team has a bunch of young starters that still need to develop. Barring a collapse by one of the big three in this division, the Nats are looking up from 4th place.

1B – Dmitri Young/Nick Johnson: The best position battle in the league will have a sure winner and a loser that probably will end up traded by opening day. Johnson’s broken leg has set him back and Young is the reigning NL Comeback Player of the Year.
2B – Ronnie Belliard: A good acquisition from the World Champion Cardinals a year ago, another full year as the second baseman in a new ballpark will be beneficial to the team’s success.
SS – Cristian Guzman: Guzman is way too old to be in the league anymore and he is injury prone. There’s a good chance that Felipe Lopez will win this job when Guzman gets hurt.
3B – Ryan Zimmerman: The best player on this young team, hands down. He’s slick defensively and has power from the right side of the plate. If his injury at the end the of last year haunts him, it could spell doom for the Nats.
LF – Wily Mo Pena: Wily Mo has gone from the Reds to the Red Sox and now will get a chance to start for the Nats. He has power, but his strikeouts are still very high.
CF – Lastings Milledge: The Mets castoff could succeed in this change of scenery. He’ll need to improve his clubhouse skills and showboating or he could be considered a cancer once again.
RF – Austin Kearns: the “Ear of Kearns”, as I like to call him is a very consistent outfielder with an above average arm. He’ll be hitting in the middle of this lineup, so production is crucial.
C – Paul LoDuca: On the tails of the Mitchell Report, LoDuca was spurned by the Mets and had a hard time finding a job. He landed with the Nats and will be pushed by Johnny Estrada and Jesus Flores for his job.

Bench: Estrada/Flores, Felipe Lopez, Ryan Langerhans, Willie Harris, Elijah Dukes, Aaron Boone, Rob Mackowiak: This bench has potential as all of these players have started for former teams. It’s good injury protection, but still not great for success.

Rotation: Shawn Hill, John Patterson, Jason Bergmann, John Lannan, Matt Chico: The most inexperienced rotation in the division will cause many setbacks for this team. There’s good potential in this rotation, though and it will be interesting to watch their progression.

Bullpen: Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala, Ryan Wagner, Jesus Colome, Saul Rivera: Good bullpen with an established closer. The potential of Cordero lasting the season with the team is unlikely, but while there, he’s a durable closer that will help this team for at least the first half of the season.

Management/Coaching: With the new ballpark opening, Manny Acta will have his work cut out for him with the increase in attendance and fans’ expectation. Look for him to have a relaxed team that will progress nicely for the future.

Nationals Team MVP: Dmitri Young. He kept the clubhouse lively and fun like last year. Assuming he wins the first base job, he’ll continue the trend this year.

Nationals Team LVP: Paul LoDuca. LoDuca worked with talented veterans in past years and it will be tough for him to keep his frustration down with youngsters that have not yet reached their potential.

5th PLACE: Florida Marlins (62-100)
The Marlins rebuilding process was dealt a huge blow with the losses of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Since the 2003 World Series victory, the entire Marlins roster has been turned over. The team does have potential young studs in Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, but they have a ridiculously long way to go to get back to that glory. That being said, two World Series championships in eight years is nothing to shake a Louisville Slugger at.

1B – Mike Jacobs: Jacobs is the power in the middle of this Marlin lineup. He must anchor this team in order for them to avoid a 100 loss season after making promising strides.
2B – Dan Uggla: A perennial All-Star backup to Chase Utley at second base, Uggla almost moved to third this year before the Marlins went in a different direction. Good choice.
SS – Hanley Ramirez: One of the top three shortstops in baseball with Rollins and Reyes. Brings up a reminder of the Jeter, Tejada, Garciaparra debates of the late 90’s. Must be a force at the top of this young lineup.
3B – Dallas McPherson/Jorge Cantu/Jose Castillo: This is the battle between two former second baseman and the fallen prospect from Anaheim. McPherson should win this battle, although Cantu has more power. Perhaps a change of scenery will be good for Dallas.
LF – Josh Willingham: A decent fielder with some pop, he, like Jacobs, will be expected to provide offense from the middle of the lineup. Veteran Luis Gonzalez could, or should, push him for the starting job.
CF – Cameron Maybin: The jewel of the Cabrera/Willis deal, Maybin will get a chance to play every day and become a star the way that Hanley did when he came from the Red Sox. If he performs as expected, he could be a mainstay at the All-Star Game.
RF – Jeremy Hermida: The starter in right field who should also be pushed by Gonzalez must perform consistently up to expectations for the Marlins to challenge the Nats for 4th place.
C – Mike Rabelo: The other major league ready prospect from the Tigers is, by default, the starting catcher after the team was spurned by the likes of Paul LoDuca. Rabelo, like Maybin, gets a chance to show that Detroit made a mistake in letting him go.

Bench: Luis Gonzalez, Matt Treanor, Alfredo Amezaga, Alejandro de Aza, Cantu/McPherson/Castillo: An experienced vet like Gonzalez can definitely keep the clubhouse together. They just need more talent and depth to be a player in the division again.

Rotation: Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Miller, Mark Hendrickson, Ricky Nolasco: A more inexperienced group you will not find. Olsen is a bomb waiting to explode. Hendrickson is coming off of an injury. Mitre and Nolasco wouldn’t make most rotations in the league. Miller is the wild card here. He was a big prospect in Detroit and has a chance to become the ace of this staff.

Bullpen: Kevin Gregg, Justin Miller, Matt Lindstrom, Taylor Tankersley: Gregg enters his second season as the Marlins closer and remains a question mark. This could turn out to be one of the worst pitching staffs that we’ve seen in a long time.

Management/Coaching: The Marlins have one of the cheapest owners in the sport. They’ve won two championships in team history and imploded the teams in the following years. Freddy Rodriguez has a lot of work to do with this bunch, so we’ll see what the future holds. It doesn’t look too bright.

I believe that the Wild Card will indeed come out of the East, but the Phillies and Mets will not play each other in the playoffs.

Who will make it and who won’t? Stay tuned.

2007-10-15T15:31:00.001-05:00

Textual Frustration?

For someone who always had a boyfriend (I’m the girl that goes from one boyfriend to the next)….I can’t believe that I’ve been single for 1 year now. Its crazy…I haven’t been single since I was 17 years old. That’s 11 years ago!!! Being single has been a very liberating experience. It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulders; I can finally become my own person and not have to worry about this “other” person.

So, in my quest (3 year plan – don’t ask) to find a new boyfriend and potentially a husband, I started to think about how I met each one of my former boyfriends:
First one, I met in high school (lasted 2 years);
The second two, I met in college (lasted 4 to 5 years between the two);
And the last one, I met at a cousin’s wedding (3 to 4 years).

We were all at some common place that pulled us together and eventually turned into a lasting relationship. But ever since my last boyfriend and I broke up a year ago, I struggle to meet quality guys that may actually lead to something more. I find that at the age of 28, I’m still getting “played” by guys.

Not to say I don’t meet guys, but those guys are the random ones I meet at happy hour or during a night out. They seem to think I’m just chatting them up, and then throw one night stand proposals my way (remember I’m in the UK). I just don’t know how or where to meet a quality guy at this age. It seems if you don’t meet your one true love at university, you’re pretty much stuck. You may be lucky to meet “the one” at a bar or at work. But you have to admit, outside of the college world, it’s hard (maybe not impossible) to meet someone.

In the age where technology is all around us, the dating world has definitely changed. It started with video dating, and then it was chatting on Internet chat sites, and now it’s online dating (look at Match.com and Yahoo personals). The ways in which we connect and build relationships with each other have changed drastically from the time when writing love letters was a way to show affection.

But have you ever heard of meeting a guy and then having a relationship over text messages? Well if you think it’s weird, I have to admit it happened to me. Here’s my story.

A few months ago I met a younger guy during a night out with some co-workers. Long story short…I got drunk (figures) and ended up kissing him. I didn’t think too much of it, just felt it was a fun night out. “Happy Times” as I like to say. Apparently, I must have given him my phone number because later that week I received a text message from him telling me he had fun that night. I thought the message was sweet and noticed he ended the message with an “X.” I wasn’t sure what the X meant, but apparently in the UK, just like in the states, it means kisses (they don’t use the Os). And I found out later, if you get more than one X after a text message that means the person is really into you.

So a few weeks go by and I realize that we are texting each other daily. It started off with reminiscing about our night out together to talking about how we wanted to see each other again. We weren’t just texting one liners; we were actually having full conversations with each other. I would spend a few hours a day texting him! By week 2, I started to get double Xs and triple Xs after each line. I also started receiving texts late at night and early in the morning asking how I was doing. I actually started having feelings for this guy and I didn’t even talk to him once on the phone! Was I really having a relationship via text messaging?

I told some of my friends about what was happening and they started asking me questions like “are you textually frustrated?”, “are you getting texted (fed) up?”, “Av, just take it one text at a time!”

After the fourth week (and especially after getting made fun of by my friends), I started to think this was kind of weird. The most I ever used text messaging for in the past was to let someone know I was going to be late. I’m not that knowledgeable about ‘predictive text technology,’ that would enable me to have an efficient, full text conversation with someone. Not to mention, my cell phone bill sky rocketed because I didn’t take into account that I would be texting more than 250 times in a month! I knew this needed to end…not only for the sake of my feelings but also for the sake of my pocket book.

However, before I could end this text messaging fling, I started to notice something. By week 3, he started ending his messages with a XX and then in week 4 ending them with just an X. By the end of week 4, I started to get no X after each text message. After seeing the X’s drop from week to week, I soon realized I was getting broken up with via a text message! Soon I received no text messages at all from him. WTF? Not only did I have a 5 week relationship with a guy over text messages, but I got broken up with by that channel of communication as well! Is this the new ‘post it note’ breakup? All I could ask myself was “is this for real?” Did I actually have feelings for this guy and am I actually really upset that I got broken up with. OMG – I was actually upset.

I’m 28 years old and consider myself to have a good head on my shoulders and sound enough judgment not to get caught up with something that isn’t real. I ’m still having trouble believing that I actually got sucked into this text messaging phenomenon. Is this the new thing? Could you have a real relationship with someone via text messaging? Or are people just getting too lazy to have a normal conversation on the phone or in person? Well whatever it is I know that I am not jumping on this band wagon anymore and if it means calling me old fashion in this day and age…then so be it.

For now, I’m going to stick with conventional mechanisms of communication with a potential guy: via a face to face conversation and/or a simple phone call. Hopefully, I don’t become outdated and will still be able to find a guy to have a real relationship with. No texting allowed!

Trotter Cut - The Axeman Gets Axed

2007-08-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

As news broke this morning of Jeremiah Trotter's accelerated exodus from the annals of Philadelphia professional football, reactions ranged from sentimental musings about the linebacker that was to outright attacks on "that bum would couldn't tackle." While word of Trotter's release was a welcome respite from "all dog killing news, all the time," I couldn't get my mind off the first player I thought of after hearing the Trotter news. I'll give you a hint...first name "T"...last name "O".

Aside from being the player who Philly currently most loves to hate (no offense Pat Burrell), T.O.'s name is of relevance because Trotter's firing (and let's face it, generous parting words from Andy Reid aside, that is what it was) brings to light an ugly truth for NFL players of the modern era - there's no such thing as guaranteed money.

Come with me in the way back machine to a not so distant August of 2005. The "Iggles" are coming off a Superbowl loss and the city is abuzz about how the team and its star QB and WR will bounce back. "Was McNabb really hacking up chunky soup in the huddle?" "Will this be the year Andy fields an entire squad of fat linemen?" The questions were endless and the possibilities mind-numbing.Into this foray of 2005 NFL off-season nonsense stepped everyone's favorite anti-hero Terrell (alternatively "Tare-ull" and "Tare-el" depending on the year) Owens. After a spectacularly entertaining display of front yard ab exercises, Mr. Owens "throws McNabb under a bus" (thus lending national credence to an already annoying phrase), gets himself kicked out of practice and clubs baby seals at the Philadelphia Zoo. And you thought Ron Mexico was a jerk. To add insult to incredibly hysterical "injury," Owens then has the stones to suggest that perhaps he needs a new contract.

It was the last of those missteps that served as the proverbial straw that broke the fighting pit-bull's back. "A new contract? But this is Philadelphia! This is a "blue collar town" where everyone works in a union, lives in Sout' Philly and eats cheese steaks for breakfast. What kinda millionaire jerk can stand up and say he's not making enough money when he's only one year into his old contract? What kinda bum does dis T.O. guy tink he is? You wouldn't see Rocky pulling that shit!"

And so went the 2005 Eagles season...straight down the drain. T.O. became public enemy number 1 in Philadelphia, as even the casual fan would learn to hate him for trying to "get out of his contract." Sure, D-Chunky and T.O. awkwardly co-existed for a few games, but then D-Chunky's prosthetic leg fell off, T.O. got into a fistacuffs with the Eagles dance team and Andy Reid got so stark-raving mad about the whole thing that he started raising his voice when his kids waived guns at him.

Back to the present - what have we learned with two years of wisdom? Simply this...T.O. was right. Lost amid the circus of the lawn exercises and ridiculous press conferences of T.O. the lunatic was the fact that T.O. the player was standing up for the only person that the team didn't have to answer to, or care about, in the long run...himself.

NFL contracts are complicated, incentive laden and often times quite lucrative. They are not guaranteed. Ask Jeremiah Trotter. For that matter, ask Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, or any of the other of a host of players that the Birds have unceremoniously axed in the past. Sure, a player can make alot of money for playing a game that you would "play for free," but you can't play - they can.

Basic economics dictates that teams can only offer ridiculously high salaries because they charge ridiculously high ticket prices and enter into ridiculously lucrative television deals. Dan Snyder fields a losing team almost every year - but he's not losing money. Put yourself in the player's position, or them in yours, would you take a "hometown discount" for the benefit of your accounting firm? Would you turn down a job offering triple your H.R. Management salary because you "already signed a contract"? Now imagine if you only had the ability to work 8-10 years - wouldn't you want to make as much money as possible in that time period?

This is not to say that NFL players have tremendous financial responsibilities. Though it is understandably hard to maintain and upkeep 10 cars and provide housing and salary for your entire extended family while still "making it rain" each week at the local gentlemen's club, NFL players simply do not live normal lives. That does not mean they should stand by and let their teams take advantage of them. The Eagles' actions are merely indicative of the attitude demonstrated by teams across the league - players are interchangeable and they will be interchanged. While we can't weep for the financial suffering of the players, we should be able to understand their desire to stick up for themselves...and to make as much as they can while they can still get paid. You would do the same.

Until next time - it's time for Tuesday night dogfights at STH Headquarters. Don't worry, we only cut the losers...

Beckham in America...Does Anyone Care?

2007-07-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

The man who has been asked to make soccer mainstream in the United States has finally come to town. Beckham arrived in the U.S. this week with his former-Spice-Girl wife Victoria, and is scheduled to play his first game this Saturday night against Scottish Champion Celtic. And while an ankle injury (50/50 change of playing) may keep him out of the game, nothing can keep him from being the talk of the town.

Beckham is a worldwide celebrity. His picture is plastered throughout magazines as if he were a Hollywood big shot. From sports to modeling, this guy just seems to dabble in everything. You can find his picture in all of the magazines because he makes them sell. His picture sells, his words sell, and his name sells. But for a soccer star to come to America to attract the less-than-pseudo fans (ignorant fans if you ask me, but then again I love the sport already) of America, now that takes real selling power.

If Beckham is able to sell soccer to the sports fan of the United States, that would certainly be something special. This is a country of high scoring sports. Basketball teams score between 90 and 100 points per game; football teams put up points in large numbers too, although maybe if soccer gave out 7 points each time a goal was scored and 3 points for every possession that couldn't score then people would like it better.

Baseball teams are building new stadiums that are more like little league fields to enable their teams to hit more homeruns, and therefore score more. All the steroids the players take certainly puts up numbers too. The NHL took scoring to a whole new level. They actually changed the rules of the sport to increase the scoring in games in an attempt to draw fans to the arenas (personally, I liked the game better before the rules changed).

Soccer is a great sport, played by more people worldwide than any other. It combines speed, skill, toughness, and overall talent more than any other sport. A soccer player may not be as strong as an NFL lineman, but every soccer player has to have a combination of all of these abilities to play…not just excel in one area. But the people of this country don’t seem to care. Their attitude is of a hungry baby. I want what I want, and I want it now! They want the power (homeruns), the speed (wide receivers), and the talent (see the buzz over Kevin Durant)…so one would think they would appreciate a sport where the players have all of those qualities instead of just one.

David Beckham is here to change those attitudes, but will anyone notice?

Come On Down!!!

2007-07-08T22:31:00.001-05:00

As the summer hits full swing, a plethora of complicated and important issues have come to the forefront of our daily discussions. Will the "War on Terror" ever be won? Are any of the numerous candidates on either side capable of being the next President? What can be done to help in Darfur? As we debate these profound and important issues, it is essential that we don't let slide another decision that will shape the lives of every man, woman and child in our country (and many others). You're already thinking it...I'll come right out and ask - who will replace Bob Barker?While the candidates are numerous and there is certainly alot of thought and money being spent on the search, it is imperative that each of us ask ourselves who it is that we want to be directing the adventures of the next contestant on The Price is Right. Bob Barker was a unique presence on television and not just anybody can step in and fill his shoes. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the possibilities:

10. Rosie O'Donnell: The first name to be raised in many media formats, Rosie fits the bill in many ways as she (1) is currently unemployed, (2) has a built-in daytime audience, and (3) seems to be interested in the gig. Unfortunately she is also constantly overbearing and consistently unlikeable. Thumbs DOWN.

9. Regis Philbin: If anyone can claim to rival Bob Barker's record run on daytime television, it is Mr. Kathy-Lee himself. Regis might be getting a little old for double duty, but you know he would go wild for those random kisses from the audience. He's loud, he's obnoxious and he probably wouldn't take the job. That, coupled with his love for Notre Dame gets Regis a Thumbs DOWN.

8. John Madden: Now we're talking. If there was anyone who is ready for a change of pace, it's Madden. For anyone who tuned into Sunday Night Football last season, it was impossible not to notice Madden's incoherent, incessant rambling growing increasingly more incoherent...and incessant...as the games dragged on. One can only spout so many "boom"s and "bam"s before the well runs dry. Given the tired nature of his act, what could be better for Madden's career then a complete change of scenery? Can you imagine the witty insight that Madden might provide on the price of Tylenol? Thumbs WAY UP (and that's without even discussing the awesome new line of video games).

7. Oprah: She seems to have dominated every other aspect of television, so why not give the Queen of Talk a shot at the game show genre? While the ramifications of the built-in audience would be impossible to deny, it's doubtful Oprah would be able to break away from talking about herself and her numerous charitable ventures long enough to acknowledge the next contestant. Thumbs DOWN.

6. Alex Trebek: A placement that would have to rate on the higher side of the unintentional comedy scale, Trebek would be hard pressed to mask his disdain for the contestants and the game itself during challenging mental exercises such as Plinko and the Giant Dice Throwing Game (does it need a name?). Sorry Alex, but you get a Thumbs DOWN.

5. Barbaro: Sure, you'd have to work around the fact that he's dead and all, but once you got around that is there any stopping the charisma of this horse? Everybody loves him, and that skinny microphone looks like it would fit just perfectly alongside his knowing horse smile. If the contestants could learn to sidestep the inevitable horse droppings, we might have a winner. Hoofs UP!

4. Jennifer Love Hewitt: In what is an interesting societal split, the women of America seemed to have accepted Hewitt (or Love-Hewitt, or J-Lo Hewitt or whatever she calls herself) as an acceptable face on the national networks. She has what is an apparently successful series at the present and women seem to see her as an acceptable "girl next door" type. Men see her more for her other...uh...assets, but suffice it to say that the acceptance is mutual. Can she walk and talk at the same time? Who cares? Thumbs UP!3. The Jack Link's Beef Jerky Sasquatch: Two animals in three choices? Hear me out. Aside from pumping out what I feel are the greatest commercials to come down the pipe in many years, the Sasquatch could provide a whole new entertainment aspect to the show. What could be more exciting than to see the fool who utters a nonsensical bid being immediately mauled into submission as we cut to commercial? Furthermore, who could you possibly be more inclined to listen to when you are told to have your pet spayed or neutered? Thumbs UP!

2. Al Sharpton: Nonsensical entertainment at its best, the combination of Al Sharpton and The Price is Right could be the greatest marriage of guilty pleasures since the internet and porn. Will he make any sense whatsoever? Of course not! But you'll be glued to your seat for every minute. Do I even have to tell you? Thumbs UP! Of course.

1. Bob Barker: Perhaps the greatest "replacement" for Bob is the man himself. Judging from the set, the products and the aging models, Bob could have died ten years ago and been living on in rerun infamy all this time. Perhaps that is how the show should continue. They certainly have enough episodes by now, couldn't they just piece together some bits for new shows a la Brandon Lee in The Crow? While a dead horse and Al Sharpton are funny, Bob Barker on The Price is Right is just money [bad rhyme and bad pun alert]. Perhaps that is the way it should be. I think we have our...WINNER!

Off The Top of My Head - Jason - June 7, 2007

2007-06-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

A sampling that is perhaps the most "blog-like" of any of our articles, "Off The Top of My Head" is a series of opinion pieces wherein the writers at STH take an opportunity to discuss their take on sports, work, politics, religion, or simply just life as we know it. Use these columns as an opportunity to get to know us. Use them as an opportunity to bash us. One thing you can't use them for is toilet paper...unless you print them out...and that's just sad.

Barry and the Bonds-Haters:

This is a topic that I've visited before, but it's one that's worth re-hashing. I had an opportunity to take in a Giants/Phillies game last weekend with a fellow TalkingHead. Bonds was penciled in as a starter. If I'm finger counting correctly, this is the fourth time I've seen Bonds play - all since the HR outburst started in the early 2000's. It was interesting to note that despite the hatred that 90% of Americans continually spew towards Barry, he undoubtedly has that "it" factor that few other athletes (and even people) possess. In the face of the fans' undying "hatred" for Bonds, camera flashes were popping and the entire ballpark was standing every time he came to the plate. Sure - people booed - but they didn't leave. They can say they were voicing their displeasure - that they were relishing the opportunity to razz him. Seems like alot of effort for a guy you have no interest in watching play.

Oh yeah - the game was sold out.

Iran and the Nukes:

With the news that the 8 G's are meeting in Europe again came more tough talk from the Bush Administration on Iran. The debate about Iran's nuclear energy/weapons capabilities has raged for years, and with each claim out of Tehran that Iran's nuclear science is not quite where they want it to be, there are looks of concern and fear painted firmly on the faces of various world leaders. My question, and my obvious ignorance, on this topic is as follows:

Why aren't they allowed to have nukes?

Seriously. From what I can tell they haven't signed a treaty. Last time I checked, we still have a ton of nukes. I understand that Iranian nuclear weapons can invoke thoughts of danger and fright, but does that fear really engender us with the right to tell a sovereign nation what it can and cannot do? Any wisdom on the topic would be appreciated.

Billy and the Magic:

Absolutely had to touch on this one. The sporting world has been on fire the last few days regarding Billy Donovan's decision to leave Florida for the NBA's Magic (the team, not the former player). Shockingly, the news of Donovan's departure from Florida was followed by news of an even more unexpected event - his return.
In the days that have followed Donovan's decis...er...indecision, members of the national sports media have been lambasting him for "going back on his word," "backing out on a contract," and generally being a wussy girly man. Call me what you will (like a wussy girly man), but I'm not really offended by Donovan's wavering. Despite the manly maxims about sticktuitiveness, keeping your word, etc., I think it is refreshing for a prominent name in sports to confess when he made a mistake, and work to correct that wrong before it is too late. Honestly - how many of us have been in Donovan's situation and simply went through with the option we didn't really want because we thought it was too late to turn back. Isn't it better to make the decision that is right for your? Don't you want to have that opportunity? I say we should cut the guy a break.

Hate-Rod and the Unwritten Rules of Baseball:

Speaking of universally hated girly men - is this guy on a mission to become unlikeable? Somewhere along the progression of his slap fight with Varitek, his slapping the ball out of Arroyo's glove, his ridiculous contract, and his constant obsession with making stupid comments to reporters, Alex Rodriguez went from being the next Ken Griffey Jr. to being one of the most hated players in the game. Not surprisingly, the public wasn't itching to jump to his support during this most recent "I've got it" gaffe. While I try not to jump to conclusions, I must admit it is disheartening that it is Rodriguez, not the aforementioned Griffey, who will have a legitimate shot at breaking what will soon be Big Barry's career HR record. Speaking of steroids - A-Rod is certainly looking alot bigger these days than he was when he played in Seattle...

Sheffield's Foot and His Mouth:

In an interview that was surprisingly under-reported, Gary Sheffield recently pontificated on race theory according to Gary - the results were interesting...to say the least. It's hard to decide which is more surprising - that Sheffield still has stupid things left to say or that he's always surprised when his comments are "misinterpreted." Perhaps CNN could slide him in as one of the 42 candidates in the Republican or Democratic debates they have been televising - talk about your automatic sound bites...

That's it for today folks - feel free to add. Let us know what's on your mind...

A Hole In What?

2007-06-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

Did you watch him? Did he close on the back nine and wrap up the game with a masterful putt? Did the crowd roar while he celebrated with some sort of awkward fist pump and/or caddie hug? Did the ugly-ass green jacket fit perfectly yet look perfectly terrible in the way that only an ugly-ass green jacket could? Do you know who “he” is?

If you do, you’re one step ahead of me. In what will be THE single most unpopular article in the history of STH, I am now ready to publicly admit a secret I have long harbored in the deepest depths of my subconscious. This is a secret so terrifying, so embarrassing, that it would have me banished from every country club in the land and shunned by every self respecting middle to upper class citizen of America…

I hate golf.

That flushing sound you just heard was the complete decimation of my future earnings potential. Everyone knows you have to love golf to be successful…right? Or if you don’t love it, you have to at least pretend...don’t you? Isn’t the golf course “where business deals are made”? Isn’t the putting green where clients are won? Aren’t I required to have an “I’d Rather Be Golfing” t-shirt by the time I’m 42?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, I’m in for a very long and unhappy trip to middle-aged man-hood. I’m not sure when exactly it happens, but sometime during the throes of childhood every pure-blooded American male (and a surprising number of pure-blooded American females) are genetically encoded with a love for all things golf. It starts younger for some, later for others, but sometime between the keg-stands in college and that first real job, an inborn love for golf takes hold. Soon stories about wild bars and girls with “decent” faces are replaced with “great weather” and stories about handicaps, drivers, and mind blowing putts [feel free to replace my generic/imaginary boring golf drivel with your real-life boring golf drivel].

While this is obviously not an editorial calling for a new version of Golden Tee, I’ve never been one to lay down insult without reason. While you might not care and you’ll certainly disagree, allow me to present you with just a few of the reasons I look to when people ask me why I don’t golf…

1. For the Love of Nature...

I enjoy great weather as much as anyone, but when the sun peak through the clouds on a beautiful day, I think about going for a run, relaxing at the pool, or (especially in the fall) playing a game of football. For some reason the thought never enters my mind to dress up like an old man and go to a place full of actual old men who are dressed worse than I am. While I appreciate mother nature as much as the next guy, I don’t gaze upon a beautiful natural landscape and secretly hope that someone would crop the grass to half an inch, dump mountains of sand in assorted piles, and randomly place flags and small holes throughout. Golf courses might be green, but they are oddly designed and rarely do they come close to even imitating the natural beauty of the world.

2. Golfers Are Not “Athletes”!

On no…he didn’t! Sorry - it must be said. Though golf might be entertaining, challenging, and wildly competitive, golfers are “athletes” only in the way that poker players, bowlers, and NASCAR drivers are “athletes” (oops…there goes another audience). While Tiger Woods is an athletic ambassador for the game, Michelle Wie was better than you are when she was 11 and John Daly is…well...John Daly. Look around the links the next time you’re skipping work. Would you want 55 year old Eugene from accounting on your pickup basketball team? Could your great Aunt Millie run the anchor leg of a 4 x 100? Golf may be frustrating and it may make you look stupid, but it doesn’t make you an athlete.

3. All The “Cool Kids” Are Doing It…

Actually, ALL the kids are doing it. How many people do you know that DON’T golf? How many of them can walk? When the popularity of a game swells to epic proportions, the quality of that game, at all levels, is diminished. Baseball, football, basketball, and hockey avoid this pitfall because they really can’t be played consistently once one passes a certain age. This time restraint on participation adds to the ambiance and the reminiscing often associated with those sports.

In golf, there seems to be no recognizable age limit for participants, particularly amongst non-professionals. With such an absurd population of golfers, isn’t the game destined to be a bit over-hyped? Were you really aching to be the 5 millionth person to get a belt holster for your cell phone a few years back? Would you have died if your family didn’t get a mini-van in the 90’s? Have you read every Harry Potter book? Perhaps it’s my inner rebel dying to get out, but sometimes I think it’s a breath of fresh air NOT to do something that everyone else is doing.

The list could go on, but I digress. As you can see, I'm one of the few who has not been sold on the bills of goods that is golf. The next time I have a free Saturday afternoon, you might find me at the park, or perhaps with a group of friends playing a rousing game of bocce. One place you won't find me is at the country club, lacing up my sweater vest. Golf might be the way of the future, it might be a tradition of the past - but it's not a game for me.

To those who I’ve offended…you’ll get over it. In the meantime, feel free to drop a line and convince me of why I’m wrong. I might not be easily pursuaded, but I’d love to hear what you have to say.

NBA Picks - East Finals

2007-06-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

As we get closer to the NBA Finals, I am hoping to finally have some more plays. I have been undefeated so far in the playoffs, and tonight I look to continue my streak. Aren’t you glad I’m nice enough to share my winning ways?

Tonight’s game between Cleveland and Detroit should be a very tough, hard-fought game. The Cavaliers are looking to close out the Pistons and advance to the Finals. The Pistons meanwhile are looking to just stay alive and get the chance to play Game 7 back home in Detroit.

If this sounds familiar to some of you, that’s because this same scenario played out last year…Cavs up 3-2, coming home for Game 6. If you remember, it was the savvy Pistons who won Game 6 on the road, and then returned home to finish the job. This year though, things look a little different. Why? LeBron James, that’s why.

Bottom line here is that Cleveland is going to close this series out today. Detroit has had their time, and now it’s time for LeBron and co. to step up. I say they do it today. My money is going on the Cavs (-1.5) today. I would suggest doing the same with yours.

When I Grow Up...

2007-05-28T20:59:00.000-05:00

Roger Craig. Aside from having two first names, this former all-pro NFL running back sports a dubious distinction that only a proud few can cram onto their resumes - for several months in the late 80's he was my number one hero...bar none. Nevermind that I was small, slow, untalented, six or seven years old...and white - I was going to be the next Roger Craig...and there was nobody who could tell me otherwise. While the Niners weren't necessarily my team, they were the team at the time and it seemed that everywhere you turned you caught a glimpse of the high stepping running back who made a home 5 yards behind Joe Montana. While Montana was the star, it was to Craig that I deferred when I stumbled upon that inevitable question that every seven year old faces after someone finds out the important stuff like how old they are and what grade they are in...what the hell was I going to be when I grew up?

Unfortunately, in between the Pro Bowls and Super Bowl rings, Roger's glamour eventually faded in my eyes. It could have been at the time when I was contemplating a career change, as the next Ultimate Warrior, or perhaps it was just jarred from my subconscious during an aggressive turn on the seesaws. Regardless - somewhere amongst the endless days of milk cartons and single file lines, Roger became an afterthought and I moved on to bigger and better. But didn't we all? Aren't we supposed to?

While the characters can change from year to year and child to child, every kid at some point has (or at least deserves to have) someone or something that they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps you were the young astronaut in training, the fashion designer, or the police officer. Perhaps, like me, your dreams of joining the professional wrestling circuit were delayed along with your continually promised growth spurt. In any event, the aspirations of a child provide the opportunity for creativity, development of tangible goals, and conversation starters for unimaginative adults. While somewhere in our subconscious we likely all knew that we wouldn't be the first President of Mars or the next He-Man, the audacity of those goals allowed room for significant achievement should we fall short.

Roger Craig high stepped back into my head last week - somewhere between my brown bagged lunch and a daily check of the calender for the day that would follow. Leaning back slowly in my pleather chair and staring at the unwavering excitement of "Thursday", the feelings of self doubt began to creep in. What is Roger doing today? Have I really gotten that far off track? How long will it be until seven year old me saunters through that door, whispers softly to beckon me closer, then violently knees me in the groin? I was going to be an NFL star for crying out loud - what the hell happened?

What happened indeed. Rare are the few who live out each day fulfilling what has been their lifelong dream of being a certified public accountant...or a human resource manager. For the rest of us, the life we lead is a far cry from the life we once dreamed. It's not lesser, or even lower...it's just...different. So for those of us who have reached that realization, where do we go next? When we stop idolizing Roger Craig and start idolizing Greg from accounting, what are we to expect of ourselves? Sure, perspectives change and lifetime goals are adjusted - a house on the beach might become a two year old with a good car seat and that's certainly as it should be. But does that mean we should stop dreaming about what could be? I'll never be Roger Craig, but isn't it important that I continue to test myself by setting goals that I might never achieve? Are you really ready to say you're all grown up?

As Roger Craig galloped from my mind's eye once again, I returned my thoughts to "Thursday". While the realities of life would not be forgotten, the vague plan of a future career began to formulate - cruise ship captain. I would sail to only the finest destinations with the pleasantest of passengers - and I'd have a kick ass hat to boot. There's a chance this career change may never materialize, but the idea is still there and I won't act quickly to banish it. Besides, nobody ever asks me how old I am anymore...

The Avett Brothers - Good Guys Finish First

2007-05-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

“So you want to be in love like the movies/ But in the movies they’re not in love at all/ And with a twinkle in their eyes (ohh ahh ohh)/ They’re just saying their lines/ And so we can’t be in love like the movies.” This song was my first introduction to the Avett Brothers. A friend was visiting me in New Zealand and while road tripping around the South Island she played me this comical and catchy number. We were driving through Marlborough’s vineyards - drinking Sauvignon Blanc, eating olives and conspicuously dancing both in, out and on top the car. Needless to say, I became an instant fan after only hearing one song (admittedly, this new found love might have been attributed to the alcohol). But just as soon as I was introduced to the music, my friend and her iPod returned to the states and it was back to Neil Finn and Flying Nun bands for me.

Fortunately, upon returning home I was reunited with the band on coincidently, another road trip. I had two full weeks of cross-country driving to become versed in the Avett Brothers music and as each day passed my fondness for the band grew. From their early albums (Live at the Double Door and A Carolina Jubilee) to the more recent (Four Thieves Gone: the Robbinsville Sessions), the songs had staying (and driving) power. I was quite impressed that three men could make such intoxicating music with simply a standup bass, acoustic guitar, harmonica and banjo. Expressed in the Avett Brothers music are the sentiments and emotions we all feel but have difficulty articulating. It is the saccharine combination of words and instrumentation that makes the music so convincing. As many fans will attest, this North Carolina band is not to be categorized. Their mix of bluegrass, old-time, honky-tonk, Americana, folk and rock make for one hell of a musical cocktail!

I’ve heard nothing but praise about their live shows and recently had a chance to witness not one, but two performances in one week. The first took place in Philadelphia at the Trocadero and the second at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster. Since I only made it for half of the Philly show I can’t elaborate too much. But I distinctly recall a single Air Jordan sneaker being passed among the crowd. Now that’s punk rock! I entered the venue on what I think was the song “Pretty Girl from Chile.” I had to do a double take as I thought maybe I walked in on a hardcore show. The guys were electrically plugged in flailing erratically on the guitars and drums. I was unaware that the Avett Brothers even owned electric guitars and for a second it felt like I was witnessing Bob Dylan at Newport…minus all the disdain. The crowd loved the new amplified sound and the energy was contagious. It was a great, if brief, introduction for me.

After the foretaste, I was pleasantly surprised (and a little shocked) to learn they would be playing Lancaster. It takes an adventurous band to play an out-of-session college town on a Sunday night. Thanks to a friend (cheers - Caroline and Dane), my buddy, Janelle, and I were added to the guest list. Upon arrival I was skeptical that a significant number of people would even show. I think the last band I saw there was Boy Sets Fire back in 2002 and even though Lancaster has an affinity for hard-core music I recall the turnout to be most disappointing. But the opener, Jersey-born Nicole Atkins and her band, the Sea, helped draw a semi-local audience. While schmoozing, I learned that the tri-state crowd was well represented with hippies, punks, farmers and professionals of all ages. I knew I’d enjoy Nicole the second she sauntered on stage. Her onyx black baby doll dress was PJ Harvey meets Joanie Mitchell, accented with hot pink tights and knee high boots. Her music oscillates from catchy pop ditties to depressing pensive ballads – a definite treat for all the manics in the crowd.

Then the Avett Brothers took the stage. They were dressed in their characteristic suits, ties and sweaters. The first thing I noticed was Seth had shaved his chest length Civil War beard, making him appear a few years younger. They opened with the song “The Weight of Lies” from their newly released album Emotionalism. As a transient individual the lyrics of this song really strike a chord with me: “The weight of lies will bring you down/ And follow you to every town/ ‘Cause nothing happens here that doesn’t happen there/ So when you run make sure you run/ To something and not away from/ ‘Cause lies don’t need an airplane to chase you down.” The song has a gentle folksy feel complete with fluent guitar and tender humming. The night continued with classics intermittent with new songs. Janelle was excited to hear her old favorites: "Distraction #74, Traveling Song, and When I Drink" and I was eager to experience their latest material. Janelle informs me the addition of Joe Kwon on cello is fairly new direction for the band. Since the cello is one of my favorite instruments (next to the mandolin – which Scott, I think would nicely add to your repertoire), I was immediately excited to see Joe take the stage. It really complimented "If It’s the Beaches," making it an even more moving number. The combination of the cello and Nicole Atkin’s voice on "Swept Away" also proved a success.

As the title would suggest, the new songs are full of vulnerability, passion, and conviction. The crowd was treated to "Go To Sleep, Will You Return?" and "Paranoia in Bb;" as well as Scott tearing up the drums on "Die Die Die." I was a little disappointed in the absence of the allegorical "The Ballad of Love and Hate," but they had enough quality material that I quickly forgot. However, don’t let their boyish charm and gracious demeanor fool you. These boys can rock with the best of them! You know it’s an Avett Brothers show when throughout the set Scott breaks half dozen banjo strings and Seth ends up on his knees and back while shredding it up on the guitar. Add a little head sweat wiping and Elvis-esque gyrating and you’ve got a show to remember. With the exception of the rare NAPs (Non-Active Participants), the crowd was fully immersed in the music. I especially enjoyed watching a few couples contra dance in the middle of the floor.

If it’s not obvious enough, I’ve developed a real penchant for the Avett Brothers. They are the kind of charming country boys the girls want to date and the guys want to be. The music simply speaks for itself. The brothers produce rich harmonies and Bob strums the bass like it’s nobody’s business. They are the quintessential “good guys finish first” story. They’ve put out an album every year for the past six years with each one expanding on the talents of its predecessor. With an exhausting touring schedule, they continue to produce high energy shows without getting piss-ass drunk and always stick around to acknowledge their fans. Heck, their t-shirts are even American Apparel! Therefore, I strongly urge you to immediately start listening to their music and attend a show. They will be on tour all summer (www.theavettbrothers.com) and chances are they will be returning to a stage near you. But be sure to bring your dancing feet because once this machine gets rolling it is full speed ahead until the very end.

How Sweet It Is...

2007-05-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

As a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, I was less than thrilled with their inability to move up in the NBA Draft Lottery this past season. I had held out hope, though our team refused to tank the way some others did (Boston, Milwaukee, etc.), that maybe Lady Luck would come our way and reward my beloved 76ers for staying true to the purity of the game. Alas, it was not to be.

As I awoke the following morning though, I was strangely happy. My team hadn’t moved up at all, but I felt this sense of satisfaction I simply couldn’t explain…until I looked over the lottery again. Every basketball fan knows this is a deep draft, but every fan also knows that if you don’t get one of the top two picks, you are missing out on something special. Greg Oden and Kevin Durant are both “can’t miss” NBA prospects.

So has anyone figured out why I was still happy even though my team had missed out? I'll end the suspense - it’s because the Celtics didn’t get a top 2 pick! I am also glad to see the Bucks didn’t get one either, because the way they tanked at the end of the year really just proves why the draft lottery needs to be changed. I have always been a purist, no matter which sport I am following, and tanking like that just makes me sick (though I did make some easy cash betting against those teams that were obviously tanking).

Anyhow, back to the Celtics horrible loss. As bad as it was knowing that my team was giving up the chance to get one of the top prospects by winning games at the end of the season, it was rewarding to know that the Celtics had tanked and still won’t get one of those players either (and I don’t want to hear Celtic fans out there whining that this should have made up for losing Tim Duncan ten years ago...get over it!).

All 76ers fans know to hate the Celtics. All those big games from the 1980s (you know, back when both teams were actually good at the same time) live on inside the hearts of both teams' fans. Losing out on the chance to move up in the lottery to take Oden or Durant was bad enough, but if the Celtics had won the lottery, that would have been 10 times worse. To see one of these top talents going to a hated rival with the chance to turn around the Celtics, while we stayed true to the game and will probably continue to suck for at least another year, would have been just too much.

So rejoice fans of Portland and Seattle. Your team has earned the chance to turn itself into an instant playoff contender with a top 2 selection in next month’s draft. Portland should be very happy to get Greg Oden (likely the top pick) to team with Brandon Roy (last season’s Rookie of the Year, shown above after the Blazers won the lottery) and LaMarcus Aldridge (the # 2 overall pick last year) for the next 8-10 years. Seattle fans know that the pick of Kevin Durant could likely save their beloved Sonics from a move to Oklahoma City or Las Vegas. The pick of Durant also might be enough to keep free-agent-to-be Lewis from leaving town. Combine those two players with Ray Allen and a decent point guard, and you could be looking at a team who will rival Phoenix for most points scored.

Philadelphia fans should rejoice as well. Sure, we lost the lottery...but so did the Celtics. It certainly sucks that we will not be getting one of those top players, but at least they will be playing out West where they can’t hurt us too much. Perhaps even more assuring is the fact that the Celtics still suck more than we do! Ah, the joy of small comforts.

It's Alllllright.......

2007-05-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

1989. The Berlin wall was crumbling, President Bush was older and wiser, and the WWF was still called the WWF. Amidst this landscape of order and hope (forgetting that whole Tiananmen thing), the world was about to be subjected to an entertainment revolution the likes of which had never been seen before. When Zack, Screech, Kelly, A.C., Lisa and Jessie started high school in the fall of 1989, nobody expected that they were beginning an educational journey that would last for nearly 20 years. But it has...and they're not the only ones who have been learning.

Saved By The Bell has achieved a status in pop culture that is at the same time epic and sadly understated. Though everyone has seen the episodes, few will venture to quote them in daily dialogue. While it's perfectly acceptable to start a bar stool conversation with "do you remember that Seinfeld episode where..." - brave are the few who would have the guts to rehash the horrors of the death of A.C. Slater's pet lizard (Artie) on a first date.

Somehow...some way...Saved By The Bell has come to occupy on unspoken vacuum in our society and for this we should all be ashamed. While many of Generation Next (or X, or Now or Nintendo, or whatever the hell we're called) could recount virtually every trial the gang from Bayside faced, few would confess to owning the DVDs, carrying the lunch box, or secretly believing that Lisa was actually the hottest cast member. While other 80's teen hits such as The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles are now labeled "classics", Screech is reduced to shooting porn and selling his house on the internet.

I ask you readers - is this right? Aren't you ashamed? Do you realize how much you've taken from this show? Don't you feel inclined...no...don't you feel obligated to give back? As a teen in the mid-90's how would you have judged the opposite sex without the images of Zack and Kelly that were dancing in your head? Would you ever have supported the local cheap burger joint run by a magician if you hadn't had the shining example of our six favorite Bayside Tigers? Could you honestly have put down the caffeine pills if you hadn't tuned in for that "very special" episode?

The poignant moments on Saved By The Bell came fast and furiously. Rarely did the credits roll without leaving the viewing audience with a profound lesson on life. The examples are endless - but here are ten that illustrate well:

Homeless Girls Are Hot - Zack at one time had a relationship with the finest looking homeless girl in California. I believe it was a holiday episode. She didn't even talk to herself.

A Good Costume Can Save Your Life - You could always count on a Baysider to blend into the crowd once they donned a fake mustache. It's doubtful any of the male cast members ever went a 5 episode stretch without cross dressing - and it was cool!

Polish Women Have a Timeless Beauty - Her post Saved By The Bell career aside, Kelly Kapowski still has the power to set hearts aflutter amongst pre-teen boys (and their fathers). She's a close tie with Jennifer Aniston in the "re-run chicks that will still be hot in 50 years" race.

Driving is Easy - Or so you would think...particularly when you are taught to drive in a weird looking golf cart that is driven around inside the school. What the hell was that?

Principals ARE Your Pals - The only cast member to span all the incarnations of the series, Mr. B was the kind of guy who could discipline with a smile - even if you just one upped him by having your fast food waiter impersonate your father.

Smaller is Better - At least when it comes to education. Don't have enough textbooks to go around? Why not take the Bayside approach by having every class in the same room with a maximum of 8 students per class.

The Grass is NEVER Greener - Despite any well meaning intentions, one must NEVER replace their star hot high school actress with a tomboy in a leather jacket. Not even for one episode - and certainly not for half a season. [fingers in ears trying to block out the memories]

Adults Are Gullible...With a Capital D - It doesn't matter who it is (reporters investigating aliens, Harvard recruiters, school nurses, and of course principals), any adult can eventually be fooled if your scheme is outlandish enough. You will of course never succeed, but that will only be because your good natured honesty will ultimately become your undoing.

Teachers Are Strange Individuals - Well...that one is mostly true. Was there a reason that Miss Bliss had a British accent?

Neon Colors are Fine...As Long As You Accessorize With a Nice Sport Jacket - That's just damn good fashion advice.

The list could continue (please - feel free to add), but the point is clear. Isaac Newton once wrote "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." The kids of Bayside have blazed a pop culture path that permeates every aspect of our lives. We owe them the respect they have earned through the years of positive influence they have contributed. Remember that the next time you wake up in the morning and your alarm gives out a warning. You probably don't think you'll ever make it on time. But it's alright. It really is.

To Believe?

2007-05-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

We all have dreams that fairy tales can come true if you just believe. Believe in what? People tell me all the time… “Av, put yourself out there. The reason why you are single is because you don’t make an effort to find anyone.” I want to ask Why? Why should I put myself out there? To be rejected? I spent the first 23 years of my life putting myself out there. Yes, I had more confidence then…I was cute then and had a lot going for me. Now, well I guess the confidence has gone and I wouldn’t dare take a chance on telling a guy I was interested. And why should I? I’m looking for someone that frankly has the balls to tell me that he’s interested in me. Am I just around too many shy guys or is the message out there that “he’s just not that into you.” Well whatever it is…I’m sick of looking…I’m sick of hoping…and I’m sick of believing that there is one person for everyone. Should I become comfortable with fact that I’ll be alone forever?

Well the truth is I don’t want to be alone. I want to believe in fairy tales. I want to believe that there is a perfect man for this imperfect woman. Why not? If we don’t have hope, what’s the whole point of life? We need hope to move us forward…we need faith to help us get through the tough times. We need to believe that if you do wish upon a star, all your dreams can come true…even if your dream is to find the perfect man.

Notes from the author: As I’m on a two year adventure in the UK, I would like to share my thoughts, experiences, and my reflections of my life in this ongoing column that I would like to call the “The Wandering I.” Please come back and read my stories about relationships, culture, and self discovery.

"You Can't Outsmart the Fox"

2007-05-14T11:26:00.000-05:00

My Mother’s Day was celebrated with a family cookout and fishing along the creek. As Mom and I stood casting for trout she cheekily reminded me of an embarrassing situation that occurred when I was 16 years old. “Tell me again about the time you were arrested at Pinchot. That story amuses me.” My brother immediately interjected in his all-too-familiar mocking tone, “Ha ha. I remember that. Didn’t that warden want to send you to jail? I would have sent you to jail. PA’s lakes and rivers are no joking matter!” To which I annoyingly replied, “No, I did not go to jail… nor was I arrested…but I did have to pay a fine… and worst of all our High Life was confiscated.” Of all the stupid illegal things I did as a teenager, my friends and family will always remember me as the kid who got busted for fishing without a license.

This is how my crime went down: Every year, a group of kids from my high school rent cabins at the local state park. It is one of those quintessential high school weekends with copious amounts of alcohol, drugs and stupidity. A few of us arrived early Friday to claim our positions in the cabin. We still had plenty of sunlight so decided to head to the lake for some fishing. Ali, Mike and I were of the age requiring a fishing license. Mike had a legitimate license and three poles. Ali had never been fishing and was eager to learn so Mike grabbed the rods and I snatched up the tackle box and we all raced for the shoreline. Kendra fetched the stereo, dope and a beer and sauntered behind. She was more interested in dancing to David Bowie than in capturing innocent fish.

Ali took to the casting like monkeys take to trees and within five minutes she had actually caught herself a nice 10-inch sunfish. To many that would be grounds for laughing, but what was most impressive was how she caught it. There was no lure on that line, only an empty hook. Unfortunately, Ali ‘Who needs bait?’ K.’s celebration was short-lived due to the arrival of a dwarf-sized, overweight and bald PA Fish and Game warden. Boss Hogg accusingly interrogated us, “Just what do you kids think you’re doing?” Mike insolently replied, “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious. We’re fishing and she’s dancing,” pointing towards Kendra. She gave a sarcastic wave and belted out the chorus to China Girl, throwing in a few pirouettes for effect.

The game warden demanded to know our ages. Mike curtly told him 16. In unison, Ali and I coyly answered 15 while batting our eyelashes (knowing full well we were at risk of being fined). He then asked to see Mike’s fishing license. “Jesus didn’t need a fishing license!” he shouted in his best Mr. T. voice, before cooperating. The fish police saw Ali’s car and inquired as to who owned it. Mike claimed the vehicle. He ordered us to stay put and returned to his truck. A few minutes later a state trooper with flashing lights arrived on the scene. “Oh my god. Did this guy really just call for backup?” Ali laughed. The warden waved in the car and turned to face us. In the most menacing voice a short fat man can conjure, he growled,“You little weasels better not lie to me because I’m the fox. And guess what? You can’t outsmart the fox!” He then demanded that Mike follow him towards a tree 20 yards away, thus preventing any collaboration of stories between the culprits.

This entire time I am thinking why is Boss being such a royal dick and I wish I was high because this scenario would be even more hilarious! I mean this guy called for backup on three fishing teenagers. The other trooper informed us he called in the plate numbers and discovered the vehicle belonged to Ali. She was told to identify herself. By this time, Kendra’s DB dance party had rudely been interrupted and she grudgingly joined the rest of the girls for the investigation. This scene of demanding honesty, respect and IDs continued for another few minutes until the officer spotted our visible case of Miller in the vehicle. Damn! I knew we shouldn’t have driven the hatchback.

Meanwhile, a quick thunderstorm passed thru and Mike was left to endure it under a tree with the fox. The poor guy was soaked…and totally innocent. In the end, our beer was seized, our car searched for marijuana and Ali and I each were slapped with a $50 fine for fishing without a license. I tried to convince the trooper that I thought it was a Fish for Free Day but since it wasn’t, he didn’t bite. The fox kept reminding us that we were getting off easy since he could have fined us more for lying to an officer.

In retrospect (and by that, I mean a half-hour later) we knew we were stupid. Of all the places to fish without a license, we chose a highly patrolled state park. It was also foolish not to hide our beer. Although, we were lucky the corrupt trooper was thirsty because he just took the alcohol and gave us the obligatory “you shouldn’t drink underage” lecture. That day I did learn a valuable lesson. When it comes to fishing and having blatantly visible alcohol in your car, “you can’t outsmart the fox.” But when it comes to illegal drugs, the weasel wins (our dope was hardly hidden, resting in the middle of the car consul with only a Johnny Cash cd covering it).

After recapping the story to my mother, she simply sighed and smirked. “Oh the joys of adolescence.” Indeed Mom, indeed.

Oh Ricky...

2007-05-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

Oh Ricky...here we go again. Ricky Williams has failed another drug test. Williams, who sat out last season because of a suspension (guess what for), was going to be eligible to apply for reinstatement to the NFL this summer. Reports now are that because he failed a drug test in April, he will not be eligible until at least September.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not here to preach about the nature of drugs. I am not here to warn children about drugs, to tell the NFL to kick Mr. Williams out for good, or even to ask Ricky where he scores the primo stuff. My protest is simple…what a waste of talent.

Ricky Williams was possibly the greatest college running back I have ever seen. Who knows...maybe he was even the best of all time. Football wasn’t even the only sport Williams excelled in either - he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies right out of high school and played four years at the Class A level. Football was his best sport though, and while at the University of Texas he proved that.

In college, Williams was a star. Easily the “big man on campus,” he certainly must have been living “the good life.” A four-year starter on a Texas team that was always competitive, Ricky racked up the rushing yards. When he left college for the NFL, Williams was the NCAA’s all time leading rusher with 6,279 yards. In his college career, Williams won two Doak Walker Awards, the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, and of course...the Heisman Trophy. To this day, Williams still holds at least a share of 20 NCAA records.

In 1999, Williams was drafted #5 overall by the New Orleans Saints. As if the pressure of being such a high draft pick wasn’t enough, the Saints traded all their picks that year plus two more the following year, just to draft Ricky. Now THAT is pressure - he was their entire draft class. Since that draft, Williams has been on a bumpy road.

**(Quick side note to the Eagles fans who booed Donovan McNabb because they wanted Ricky Williams…real smart!!!)**

Williams never really got settled in New Orleans and was traded to Miami in 2002. That season, Ricky rushed for over 1,800 yards and was the NFL’s leading rusher. He also won the Pro Bowl MVP that season. Two years later, Williams tested positive for marijuana. Rather than be fined and face a 4 game suspension, he chose retirement.

Ricky spent his retirement traveling the world, visiting far off places, and smoking pot. It should be noted that Williams has been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder. He was so shy, he would often wear his helmet (which had a visor) during post game interviews to avoid eye contact.

After his suspension, Ricky returned to the Dolphins to avoid repaying the signing bonus he was paid when he signed his contract. His early retirement allowed the Dolphins to regain some money. Then, of course, he tested positive for marijuana again. He was suspended for the entire 2006 season and played in the CFL. Now here we go again…

It's not hyperbole to say that Williams easily could have been one of the top NFL players of our time. When he left college, Ricky was the greatest running back in NCAA history - his records prove that. He was fast, he was big, and he could change games all by himself. If only he had the mental health required to deal with all the media and pressure that come with being a top NFL player. What might have been…

Correction Needed?

2007-05-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Investors were shocked after today's 140 point retreat of the Dow Jones industrial average. Following today's pullback, many investors are starting to wonder if the real pullback has finally begun.

Over the past month stocks have been in full rally mode. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has surged to an all-time high and a strong earnings season has propelled most stocks and mutual funds out of this orbit. But was all of the good news we received as of late all it was cracked up to be? Or where investors really caught in a hoax that slightly mirrored the late 1990 tech bubble?

Consumer spending is down and the retail markets are in shambles. Our deficit is the highest its ever been. We are in the middle of a three year war with no exit strategy. The housing bubble is on the brink of disaster. There is a question mark surrounding politics with our ally to the East. A deficit could be looming. All of these thoughts bring up one question you might want to start considering...should you be investing?

Now I'm not saying the end of the US Financial markets is near or that you need to pull everything out of the market right now! My financial background can assure you that I am a true proponent of long term investing and the buy and hold strategy. Therefore, if you are currently investing in a 401k or an Individual Retirement Account and are years away from retirement, you might as well skip the rest of this piece and check out some of the other great articles we have to offer. However, if you are playing around in the stock market or are a short-term trader who is thinking about using your assets in a year or less, you might want to listen up.

Historically the summer stock market months are ones you want to stay away from. Why is this you ask? After raping you all year round on high commissions and every type of sales load you can imagine, your friendly neighborhood broker (no, not spiderman) is off vacationing with his family and counting your hard earned money. Therefore, you will usually see the stock market begin to trail off starting in May and restarting its engine towards the end of the calendar year. This year, there are plenty of analysts who seem to think otherwise. My thinking however is you might want to be overly cautious. Sure, nobody wants to miss out on the next Google or the next Microsoft, but if you need your hard earned cash in the next year or so you may want to reconsider. What are your thoughts if you lose 10% of your down payment on your families dream house, or lose 15% of little Johnny's college education? With short-term interest rates at 5% you can easily stash your hard earned cash away for some quick and easy money. Sure its not as exciting as hitting a four bagger, but its not nearly as risky either. If you are investing for the short term you may want to check out Vanguard's Prime Money Market Portfolio which is currently yielding 5.11%. That's not too shabby for doing absolutely nothing and knowing your money will be there when you need it next.

Remember in the stock market you don't want to be a chaser. The stock market is clearly built on emotions, and when everyone starts making easy money, you may want to reevaluate. People who play in the stock market usually end up getting burned. The funny thing is, the guy in the cubicle next to you will only tell you about the time he hit one out of the park.

Best of Luck,

Pikes

Off the Top of My Head - Pischl

2007-05-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

Following close on the heels of yesterday's rants by my good friend Jason, I feel it's only fair that I let out a few of my own rants.

Bonds Away
It is only a matter of time before everyone's favorite villian steps to the dish with 754 career homeruns. His name is Bonds - Barry Bonds. He's the greatest player to play the game during my 26 year lifetime. Yet, I can't help but feel undeniable spite for Barry during his chase of such a hallowed record.

I'll admit it. My dislike for the man who wears a hat 7 times the size of my waste goes way back. He was part of the Pittsburgh Pirates' teams that pounded on my Phillies relentlessly back in the late 80s and early 90s. In 1993, Bonds somehow managed to wriggle yet another MVP award from my favorite players grasp. That's right, I haven't forgotten about Lenny Dykstra getting shafted just so Bonds could get more fuel for his seemlessly insatiable ego (ironically, Dykstra is also an alleged steriod user).

After this, Barry moved out west and I honestly forgot about him for some time. That was until he got jealous of all the attention being given to McGwire and Sosa. No longer would Bonds be the skinny, scrawny all-around threat he built his early career upon, he would become the real life version of the Incredible Hulk...minus all the green. If that's what it took Barry to be happy, so be it. On the other hand, I'm not too happy about it.

Bonds is walking a very fine line here. Baseball is supposed to be America's game. It is meant to be a reflection of everything we believe to be true about America. There are unwritten rules, morals and dreams that enrapture the game and it's history in the same way that we get caught up in our own ways, means and beliefs. We don't like when these things get shattered, altered or cheated.

If Barry really is completely sure that he did not cheat his way to the one of the most storied records in baseball, then I am all for him hitting number 756. But if Bonds has knowingly cheated in any way, then it is time for him to walk away now. Leave the game and leave our minds with memories of Barry having the dignity and grace to show respect for not only the game and those who played it fairly, but also for all the reflections of the game and this country. This is not about media portrayal, demeanor, race, religion or what he had for breakfast. This is about unwritten rules, morals and dreams which underlie everything the people in this country believe in.

I want to remember Barry as the most talented baseball player I've ever seen play the game. But right now, I find it hard to remember his speed, his defense and his passion for the game. Barry was the greatest and we should remember him as such without losing hope in everything we believe in.

It's simple for Barry. Stare dead into the camera and make us all believe once again in the purity and majestic nature of America's game. The other option is to take one last intentional walk and leave the game behind.

Z is for Zabransky
The most shocking moment in last month's NFL draft was not the free fall of Brady Quinn or the Eagles selection of Kevin Kolb. The most shocking moment was the 32 NFL teams passing on Jared Zabransky.

Perhaps I'm a little jaded by the fact that "Z" ranks among my favorite college players of all-time. But how can you not love this guy? How does he not get the respect of being drafted after a tremendous college career? Why doesn't any NFL team have blue turf?

In all seriousness, Zabransky is the kind of football player teams love. He's tough and cocky. He doesn't fold under pressure or wilt after a mistake (Did all the scouts miss the Fiesta Bowl?). Zabransky led his team to an undefeated season. He completed 66% of his passes as a senior with 23 TDs and 8 INTs (half his INT total from his junior campaign). He's smart and mobile. He was the third fastest player on the entire Bronco squad. I just don't get how all of that gets over looked.

Kudos to EA Sports for making him the cover boy for their best sports franchise. Gamers who pick up College Football 2008 will have to stare at Zabransky every time they pick up the game. Furthermore, we have chocolate covered Kudos to give the Houston Texans for signing him as an undrafted free agent. I have no doubt he'll be on the squad for years to come. I will also order his jersey as soon as possible because my Boise State one is looking a little ragged after 2 years of use. I hope Matt Schaub bites the big one and Zabransky takes over and turns the woe-be-gone Texans into one of the best franchises in the NFL. It may sound crazy, but I fully believe it will happen.

He'll be the greatest story since Tom Brady; which would only make me about the giddiest M-Fer in all the land. It's no secret that Tom Brady's story is old and needs to be replaced. It's also no secrect that I don't think we should care about Brady anymore. No one will care about a sixth round pick from one of college football's most storied programs when they hear about the undrafted free agent from a school in Idaho who just wouldn't stop shocking the world.

It's only a matter of time before Journey's song about a small-town boy becomes the theme song for a quarterback who's a whole lot more than just a one-hit wonder.

Off The Top of My Head - Jason - May 8, 2007

2007-05-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

A sampling that is perhaps the most "blog-like" of any of our articles, "Off The Top of My Head" is a series of opinion pieces wherein the writers at STH take an opportunity to discuss their take on sports, work, politics, religion, or simply just life as we know it. Use these columns as an opportunity to get to know us. Use them as an opportunity to bash us. One thing you can't use them for is toilet paper...unless you print them out...and that's just sad.

Barry Lamar Bonds:

Given the seething nationwide hatred for Mr. Balco, it's probably about time we start referring to him by three names, an honor usually reserved for assassins and stuffy British guys. The past week has seen a non-stop avalanche of Bonds related talk. "Will you be happy if Barry breaks the record?" "Is Barry a hall of famer?" "Did you know that Barry is black?" Regardless of the question - the answer is simple...we hate Barry! He's a cheater, a jerk, an arrogant bastard, and he has a large head...literally.

Unfortunately, somewhere amongst my months of media driven Bonds-hating training I seem to have lost my way. I don't really care if he breaks the record - and I don't really hate him. The daily slams against Bonds actually seem to be getting a bit one-sided in my mind. Where was this outrage when Shawn Merriman got busted? Why doesn't anyone accuse Roger Clemens of playing a little too well a little too late in life? Why is it so easy for us to abhor the steroid abuse of athletes when we are a society of addicts who can't go to sleep or have sex without first downing a mouthful of pills?

The saddest part of the Bonds scenario is the amazing athlete that we have all forgotten. "Little Bonds", as I fondly remember him, was a multi-time MVP in his own right, a threat in every aspect of the game who rarely missed a start and was a terror both at the plate and on the base paths. A certain first ballot hall of famer before he hit 73 homeruns, Barry will now have to spend his life wondering how breaking records made him a lesser athlete in the eyes of many. At least he's easy to hate.

Roger Clemens & Bret Favre:

Speaking of old men who need to retire, is anybody else getting sick of this song and dance? "I'm not coming back...no wait...I am." "I'll be back at mid-season." "I can't believe this team doesn't want to hinge their future on an aging veteran in the twilight of his prime!" While the talent and accomplishments of both Favre and Clemens are unquestioned, their sense of reality at the tail end of their careers seems to have become warped.

Can you imagine behaving in this manner at your job? Is there even a modern workplace equivalent? Imagine an employee who drafts a lengthy letter of resignation, attends his/her own going away party, then shows up at 11am on Thursday of the next week and resumes his/her job as usual...only to do the same thing again two weeks later. Would anyone talk to that employee after the second or third fake departure? Would you?

Though most of us would probably grow tired of this behavior if Bret from accounting were the perpetrator instead of Bret from the Packers, but sports fans seem reluctant to call out their heroes when said heroes refuse to attend training camp and show up halfway through the season (physically or mentally) with the stated mission of "winning the title". Perhaps I'm being naive, but wouldn't the concept of "team" be vastly improved if all the players showed up at the beginning of the season?

Transformers:

Is anyone else totally geeked about the release of the Transformers movie? Despite the excitement, I can't help but maintain an underlying concern that the final product will not meet what I admit are my ridiculously high expectations. Capturing the true beauty of the vehicle tranformation process that takes place just prior to Optimus Prime's tagline of "Autobots - Roll Out!" has to rank as one of the hardest tasks in cinematic history. While the previews have left a little to be desired in the way of overall appearance, I'll probably just be happy to hear the trademark series of whistles and chirps that signify the tell tale activity of a Transformer. Transformers hits Theatres in July.

In the meantime...did anybody see Spiderman?

That's it for today folks - feel free to add. Let us know what's on your mind.

2007 Draft Reviews - AFC & NFC West

2007-05-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

AFC West:

1. Oakland Raiders: The top spot in the AFC West goes to those lowly Raiders. Russell was a great pick for them, especially after passing on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler last year. Quentin Moses, Mario Henderson, and Zach Miller all have the potential to be very good starters in the NFL. The biggest pick of the draft though, has to be Michael Bush in the 4th round. If he can get healthy and play like he did before he was hurt, this could be the best pick of the entire draft.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: Finally, after years of sub par wide receivers, the Chiefs drafted a top player at the position. If it wasn’t for Calvin Johnson, a total freak of nature, Bowe could have gone in the top 5 picks. The Chiefs also attempted to address their weak defensive line, but I think they could have found better value than the DTs they drafted. If it wasn’t for the Bowe pick, the Chiefs would have been 3rd behind…

3. Denver Broncos: Denver didn’t hide what it needed. Everyone knew the Broncos needed pass rushers, and that is exactly what they got. Jarvis Moss has great speed off the edge, but needs to bulk up to be able to stop the run. The pick of Tim Crowder will help them more in the short term, because he has the size to play every down. As much as I like the Crowder pick though, I dislike the Marcus Thomas pick. With all the trouble he has been in, I think to waste a 4th round choice on him was idiotic. If Thomas can somehow clean up his act though, it could be a great pick. This draft is either boom or bust for Denver.

4. San Diego Chargers: With receivers like Jarrett and Smith still available, to reach for Craig Davis was too much. Davis is quick, but was too inconsistent. Jarrett didn’t have the greatest speed, but he is a proven player who should have gone in the 1st round. The Chargers will regret passing him up. They finally got a top safety, but they paid for it. They gave up a lot to get Eric Weddle, and you have to wonder if that will come back to haunt them if Weddle isn’t a top player early in his career. Brandon Siler could be an excellent replacement for the departed Donnie Edwards if he can clean up his character issues.

NFC West:

1. San Francisco 49ers: If all they did in this entire draft was select Patrick Willis at #11, I would have ranked them first in this division. He will be a major force in the NFL before you know it. They were also able to trade back into the 1st round to take tackle Joe Staley. If he is given the time to develop and learn the position, he can be a top left tackle for many years. DE Ray McDonald is a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense coach Nolan like to run. Add to this draft the pick-up of WR Darrell Jackson from division rival Seattle, and this was a heck of a weekend for the 49ers.

2. Arizona Cardinals: While some see the selection of Levi Brown at #5 as a reach, I think it had to be done. They needed a left tackle to develop, and Brown is just the type of lineman those new coaches from Pittsburgh love. To get a talent like Alan Branch in the 2nd round was a great value pick, as he could be a tremendous player if he can dedicate himself to working hard. Buster Davis and Steve Breaston could both pay long term rewards as well. TE Ben Patrick was an excellent selection in the 7th round. If he were drafted in the 3rd round, no one would have thought anything of it.

3. St. Louis Rams: While I love the selection of both Adam Carriker and Brian Leonard, the Rams needed to get significantly better in the secondary. They passed on the top two corners in the draft to take Carriker. If he doesn’t play very well early on and the corners are still getting used and abused, there could be some major grumbling by the fans. Leonard will be a great NFL player and St. Louis is a great fit. Clifton Ryan and Justin Fry, both 5th round choices, have the potential to be good players down the line.

4. Seattle Seahawks: With no first round pick, they actually did a decent job of getting some type of talent. Josh Wilson has the talent to be a top contributor in the secondary right away. The problem is, he may be the only starter (now and later) that Seattle got in this draft. A tight end like Ben Patrick in any round after the 2nd would have been a great choice. The ‘Hawks have a good team, but they could have done a lot more to improve.

Book Review: Miracle in the Andes

2007-04-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado

Many of you might recall that god-awful movie, Alive, in which a young Ethan Hawke stars as a rugby playing cannibal who eats his team after his plane crashes in the mountains of Chile. Okay, so I don’t entirely remember the specifics, but I do recollect the standard Hollywood sensationalization and crappy ending so many of these “based on a true story” movies are known for. I also recall one redeeming quality in the form of a small cameo by John Malkovich…surely the film’s shining moment.

Anyway, the character that Hawke portrayed is named Nando Parrado and is no more fictional than present-day rugby star, Dan Carter. Parrado had the misfortune of boarding the plane destined for disaster on October 12, 1972. This book, Miracle in the Andes, is a first hand account of the 72 day ordeal this young Uruguayan rugby player experienced while being trapped deep in the Andes Mountains. As is the case with most books, this one is much better than the movie (even though the movie was actually based on the 1973 novel with the same title).

In the beginning, the reader learns that there are 45 passengers on board the Fairchild F-227. This includes family, friends and players of the Montevideo-based Old Christians Rugby Club. The team is on their way to Santiago to play an exhibition match. Although the weather looks ominous, the plane pushes on. Midway through flight, severe turbulence occurs and within seconds the plane crashes down in the mountains, dismembering both wings and tail.

Following the accident, Parrado lay unconscious for three days. When he awakes he learns his best friend and mother are dead and his sister is nearly lifeless. Over a dozen others were killed, including the pilots. With little food and even less medical supplies the remaining survivors band together. Injuries are treated and alcohol is rationed. While the players wait for a search team, moral is high that they will be found. However, as time passes, no rescue is successful and through the eventual repair of a radio the team learns their search has been called of completely. They are trapped at 12,000 feet with no plausible escape route.

As would be expected, the longer the players are stranded, the more lives are lost. But it is through Parrado’s unexpected leadership that so many men do survive. This extraordinary man leads the reader through a first hand account of surviving hypothermia, avalanches and making the ghastly decision of eating human flesh. His miraculous 10-day trek out of the Andes still leaves me baffled. Two months of less-than-minimal nutrition and makeshift alpine gear (his snowshoes were made of airplane seat cushions) are his only defense in the harsh tundra. How he down climbed some of those peaks in his condition with no ropes still confounds professional climbers!

One might think the trite motives such as hope, determination and religion were what kept Parrado alive for so long. While they may have played a small part (barring religion – see chapter ten), Parrado emphasizes love as his impetus for survival. Love for his dead mother and sister. Love for his hardworking father. Love for his unknown future wife. “Death has an opposite, but the opposite is not mere living. It is not courage or faith or human will. The opposite of death is love…only love can turn mere life into a miracle, and draw precious meaning from suffering and fear.”

Miracle in the Andes is a book that every reader can find relevance in. A few of its themes include: death, despair, isolation, religion, maturity, friendship, cooperation, confidence and love. For me, this book simply makes me want to be a better person. It inspires me to work hard at all my relationships, treasure what already exists and strive for what I have yet to achieve. I think that you, too, should give it a chance. Even if you are not the kind of person to allow a book to influence you, at the very least it does have educational value.

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 1

2007-04-17T20:21:00.000-05:00

In our quest to quench your thirst for everything NFL Draft, STH proudly present our first ever, seven round, Ultimate Mock Draft! We reserve the right to be wrong...often. We know the picks we made for your team are probably "terrible" and...yes...we have no lives. Read it anyways - you just might enjoy yourself...

1. Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell (QB-LSU) – After months of "debate", the Raiders finally take the plunge and draft the strong armed QB that everyone thought they would take from the get go. Will he be ready to start as a rookie? Will Al Davis live long enough to see it? Only time will tell.

2. Detroit Lions – Joe Thomas (T-Wisconsin) – Attempts will certainly be made to trade down, but with the risk that comes with giving up picks to move into the top 5 (can you say Eli Manning) the Lions won't be able to find anyone to meet their asking price. The Lions take what should be one of the safer picks in Round 1 and fans begin holding out hope that Thomas will be around to anchor the line long after Millen is gone.

3. Cleveland Browns – Adrian Peterson (RB-Oklahoma) – This could be a pick that lets us watch the guys at the desk talk for the whole 15 minutes. The Browns are certainly interested in the two top quarterbacks, but word is they're much more enamored with Russell than Quinn. Though it's certainly an understandable debate, Peterson is a special player that could certainly take some pressure off of Charlie Frye.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Calvin Johnson (WR-Georgia Tech) – The only suspense for this pick is whether Bucs management will trip over themselves in a rush to get the selection in. The hands down best player in the draft falls to the fourth slot - it will be interesting to see how long it takes Johnson to make the first three teams look stupid.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Gaines Adams (DE-Clemson) – "So Dennis, what did you think about the prospects at the top of this year's draft?"...."THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!"..."Do you see any potential studs falling to your former team the Cards at the fifth slot?"..."YOU WANNA CROWN THEM? THEN CROWN THEIR ASSES!"

The Whisenhunt era begins in the desert with a strong defensive presence who can wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks during the inevitable high scoring shootouts to come.

6. Washington Redskins – Amobi Okoye (DT-Louisville) – After spending a good 10 minutes convincing a bewildered and confused Joe Gibbs that this 19 year old phenom is a completely different person than "The Nigerian Nightmare" Christian Okoye from the early 90's Chiefs, Greg Williams finally gets the dominant defensive presence he has so desperately needed.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Laron Landry (S-LSU) – The only thing less imposing and masculine than Brad Childress was the defensive backfield that his squad fielded last season. Landry might be a bit overrated at this slot, but he easily fills a need for the boys in purple.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Levi Brown (T-Penn State) – After all that cleverness in leapfrogging the Dolphins, the Falcons still don't get Landry (the player many assumed they were moving up to get). With a new offense to install and Alex Gibbs gone, Brown will give Bobby Petrino a cornerstone to rebuild his offensive line around.

9. Miami Dolphins – Brady Quinn (QB-Notre Dame) – If "Trent Green" is the answer, Dolphins fans don't want to hear the question. Quinn might be a bit of a pretty boy, but his strength was aptly displayed at the combine and he appears to have a physical and mental toughness that will suit him well at the next level.

"Brady...allow me to introduce you to Dan Marino's shadow."

10. Houston Texans – Alan Branch (DT-Michigan) – Finding positions of need for the Texans is easier than finding a mullet at a NASCAR race. Drafting defensive line two years in a row might seem risky, but there are no adequate offensive prospects left worth taking this high and a Branch/Mario Williams/DeMeco Ryans combo will simply be too tantalizing to pass up.

11. San Francisco 49ers – Patrick Willis (LB-Mississippi) – A definite team on the rise - San Francisco has a host of young quality players and could be a chic playoff pick in 2007. Willis has been steadily moving up boards and he could provide a defensive presence the Niners haven't had since Julian Peterson was at his best.

12. Buffalo Bills – Marshawn Lynch (RB-Cal) – Another team with several holes to fill, the Bills arrive at the draft with a tremendous vacancy in the offensive backfield. Though he's not quite the game changer that Peterson is, Lynch is an outstanding back - hopefully he can withstand the Buffalo weather.

13. St Louis Rams – Jamaal Anderson (DE-Arkansas) – With Leonard Little's best days behind him, the Rams could use a new impact player on the defensive line. Anderson fits the need. His slide stops here.

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen (TE-Miami) – Next in a long line of assholes...er...highly touted tight ends from Miami...is Greg Olsen. While his college career wasn't as flashy as Shockey's or Winslow's, Olsen put on a show at the combine and could end up being the player that everyone thought Vernon Davis would be last year.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Reggie Nelson (S-Florida) – Despite his flowing locks and unrelenting popularity amongst fans, Troy Polamalu occasionally screws up in coverage. He's also had somewhere in the neighborhood of 105 concussions throughout his college and NFL career. Nelson is an obvious candidate to compensate for Polamalu's shortcomings.

16. Green Bay Packers – Dwayne Jarrett (WR-USC) – After another flirt with "retirement", Favre is back for another go round with the Pack. Though they have been getting younger in recent years, the continued presence of Favre demonstrates the Pack's desire to win now. Despite his pedestrian speed, Jarrett provides the type of end zone target that the gun slinging Favre will love. This was certainly the year to draft a running back, but none warrant a selection this high.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Paul Posluszny (LB-Penn State) – Though he spent his senior season moving up and down draft boards, Posluszny has the type of run-through-walls attitude that Jack Del Rio will love. His presence could take an already impressive Jacksonville defense to the next level.

18. Cincinnati Bengals – Leon Hall (CB-Michigan) – Re: all the hot air about "character issues" and "team distraction". I've got two words for you - "Lawrence Taylor". Hall might be the best character guy in the world, but Lewis takes him at this spot because he's the best cornerback available.

19. Tennessee Titans – Darrelle Revis (CB-Pittsburgh) – Speaking of character guys, now that the PacMan game has been unplugged for a year, Jeff Fischer is probably going to need a new cornerback in Tennessee. Revis certainly fits the bill as a first round replacement, and he's reportedly never even stomped on anyone's face.

20. New York Giants – Joe Staley (T-Central Michigan) – Does Tom Coughlin make the same pained faces in the draft war room that he does on the sideline? Is he the most unfriendly individual in the NFL? Does it matter after this season? Staley has been flying up draft boards - if legend is true, he ran a 4.2 40 while performing 67 one-armed reps on the bench and reciting Macbeth. Regardless, he'll easily be in the Big Apple much longer than Coughlin.

21. Denver Broncos – Adam Carriker (DE-Nebraska) – Denver has been somewhat quietly assembling a quality offseason in the Rockies. Despite the tragic loss of Darrant Williams, many capable players have been brought in and the Broncos have positioned themselves for a great run in 07. Carriker is a versatile defensive lineman who could provide a great deal for a team with an absence of glaring needs.

22. Dallas Cowboys – Ted Ginn (WR-Ohio State) – Word out of Columbus is that Ginn ran in the high 4.3's in his individual workout last week. Imagine what he could do once he gets off the crutches. Dallas is another team that doesn't have alot of huge holes, but some speed and youth at wide receiver and in the return game never hurts.

Fun Side Note*** New shirts on sale outside of Citizen's Bank Ballpark after the Phillies' season opener? "Dallas Sucks - Romo's a Homo"...I guess it is always sunny in Philadelphia.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe (WR-LSU) – Quick - name three wide receivers from the 2006 Kansas City Chiefs...Stumped? Now you've got one for next year.

24. New England Patriots – Lawrence Timmons (LB-Florida State) – While it's entirely possible that this slot has already been reserved for Brady Quinn's backup, the addition of Timmons AND Adalius Thomas would give the Pats a whole new defensive look for 2007.

25. New York Jets – Chris Houston (CB-Arkansas) – See above regarding unusual draft decisions, but cornerback seems an obvious position of need for the J.E.T.S's. Now if we could just get Mangini and Belichick to have a meaningful embrace after every game, all would be right with the world.

26. Philadelphia Eagles – Aaron Ross (CB-Texas) – Night before the draft. On the card that should read "Robert Meachem - WR - Tennessee", Andy Reid hastily scribbles down Ross's name and glances fondly at the autographed picture of Kevin Curtis that he has framed on his nightstand. Ross could find a spot in Jim Johnson's defense - and he hasn't been arrested nearly as many times as Reid's thug sons.

27. New Orleans Saints – Jarvis Moss (DE-Florida) – Though they're pretty well stocked on the offensive side, the Saints defense does leave something to be desired. Moss has been plummeting lately on draft boards, but Sean Payton could do worse than an athletic defensive end at the bottom of the first round.

28. New England Patriots – Michael Griffen (S-Texas) – Was there a third stringer behind Brady Quinn? Can Belichick use this pick to grab a babysitter for Tom Brady? If not, Griffen would fit nicely as the heir apparent to Rodney Harrison.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Robert Meachem (WR-Tennessee) – A steal at the bottom of the first round, Meachem could finally provide Billick the impact receiver that he's never really had. As long as Ray Lewis doesn't kill him first.

30. San Diego Chargers – Sidney Rice (WR-South Carolina) – The last, and worst, of the potential first round receivers, Rice might not have the speed or pedigree of those who were drafted before him, but he fills a definite position of need for the Chargers - and there's no way he'd last until the end of round two.

31. Chicago Bears – Justin Blalock (T-Texas) – Rex Grossman needs all the time he can get before he lofts a ball 40 yards down field into the awaiting hands of a defender. Blalock can give Rex more time to sort out his stupid decisions and also help pave the way for the new #1 runner, Cedric Benson.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Jon Beason (LB-Miami) – Speaking of Rex, his Super Bowl opponent Tony Dungy has some serious defensive rebuilding to do if he expects to make it back to the big game next season. Beason provides the type of athletic presence that fits the Tampa...er...Indy Two perfectly.

Don't stop now! Continue reading with - Round 2 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 2

2007-04-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

33. Oakland - Ben Grubbs (OG-Auburn) - The Raiders' shiny new offensive toys won't have much room to operate without some improvement along the O-line. A stud like Grubbs could be one of the keys to the team's potential turnaround.

34. Detroit - Charles Johnson (DE-Georgia) - Kalimba Edwards led the lions with 7 sacks last year. That's not very good. The Lions hope that adding Johnson and the return of Shaun Rodgers will free up another very large man to sit on Matt Millen until his contract runs out.

35. Tampa Bay - Justin Harrell (DT-Tennessee) - Tampa's defense has hemorraghed talent over the last few years, and Harrell is a big enough guy to create opportunities for the few that remain.

36. Cleveland - Ryan Kalil (C-USC) - Last summer's key free agent signing, center LeCharles Bentley, will probably not be back this year, but if Ryan Kalil is till on the board at this spot, who cares? He has been called a "can't-miss" center prospect and could protect Vinnie Testaverde well into the next decade.

37. Chicago - Zach Miller (TE-Arizona State) - Rex Grossman sucks.

38. Arizona - Tony Ugoh (T-Arkansas) - Levi Brown would have been a bit of a stretch at their spot in the first round and Ugoh's pass protection skills make him a better fit for a Cardinals team that would do well to get the ball in the air by any means necessary.

39. Atlanta - Anthony Spencer (DE-Purdue) - Assuming the Dirty Birds don't reach for a safety here (similar caliber players in that position will be available in the next round), look for them to follow the trend of shoring up both trenches. Or they could add another receiver that can't catch, because that has worked well so far.

40. Miami - Arron Sears (G-Tennessee) - Sears played four different line positions during one game while at UT, which is good because Miami has lost five lineman from an already poor unit. Sears may be called on to cover multiple positions during the same play. Brady Quinn is going to get hurt.

41. Minnesota - Jason Hill (WR-Washington State) - The Vikings say that Tavaris Jackson is their QB of the future, but suspect QB + comatose WR corps = losing to the Lions...maybe.

42. San Francisco - Daymeion Hughes (CB-Cal) - STH really likes the idea of prospects playing pro ball close to where they went to college. This is huge for Hughes, who will be saved the hassle of moving out of his studio apartment.

43. Buffalo - David Harris (ILB, Michigan) - London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes' replacement fails to have a kick-ass name, but a team that lost three of its most productive defenders can't afford the time it would take to convert safety Sabby Piscitelli into an NFL linebacker.

44. Atlanta - Michael Bush (RB-Louisville) - We also like the idea of coaches and players being reunited on a new team. We live in our hearts, what can I say?

45. Carolina - Steve Smith (WR-USC) - This pick needs to happen just to have two Steve Smiths at the same position on the same team, but when you take a look at the Panther's depth chart at WR, it needs to happen for a lot of other reasons, too.

46. Pittsburgh - Samson Satele (C-Hawaii) The versatile Satele could compete to replace Jeff Hartings at center, but he is versatile enough to be plugged in at guard as well? The Steelers organization loves guys they can move around while keeping the unit intact. A remarkable athlete, Satele was injury-free throughout college and named an all-state performer in basketball three times in high school. The Steelers' scouting department also never overlooks another potential All-NFL Hair Team member.

47. Green Bay - Brandon Jackson (RB-Nebraska) - The Packers could team Jackson with Vernand Morency to form a RB tandem the likes of which has never been seen. They could also make the running game just viable enough to keep games close during Brett Favre's last(?) run at a championship.

48. Jacksonville - Drew Stanton (QB-Michigan State) - Jacksonville did well with a Drew last year and looks to start a trend. Stanton is far more mobile than Lord Byron, but the Jags will exercise restraint and not attempt to convert him to a WR.

49. Cincinnati - Quentin Moses (DE-Georgia) - He replaced David Pollack at UGA and everyone likes a familiar situation...except maybe the Bengals during the last year.

50. Tennessee - Anthony Gonzalez (WR-Ohio State) - The six WRs on the Titans' depth chart accounted for a total of 49 receptions last year. Oh boy.

51. New York Giants - Tank Tyler (DT-NC State) - If NC State is such a D-line breeding ground, why is their team never very good? They must spend all their time prepping for the combines. Regardless, the Giants needs healthy bodies in their front seven and Tank never missed a game due to injury while playing for the Wolfpack.

52. St. Louis - Tanard Jackson (CB-Syracuse) - Syracuse has someone worth being drafted? You betcha. Jackson's lack of big-play capability won't be an issue on a team that hasn't won with defense in years.

53. Dallas - Marcus McCauley (CB, Fresno State) - A precursor to the Fresno State fourth round bonanza, McCauley lands in a spot that will allow him to develop without being put on the spot immediately. No word on his FG holding abilities.

54. Kansas City - Trent Edwards (QB-Stanford) - There absolutely must be a Trent at QB for the Chiefs. Absolutely. Must. Plus, Edwards is a steal this late for a team that desperately needs someone to groom.

55. Seattle - LaMarr Woodley (DE-Michigan) - Grant Wistrom's retirement means the team once again has a hole at DE. Woodley has a chance to be a star on a strong Seahawks defense that won't let opponents key on him as a pass rusher.

56. Denver - Eric Weddle (S-Utah) - In 2005, Weddle locked down Calvin Johnson and limited him to two catches for 19 yards. This accomplished defender will be able to immediately contribute to the scariest secondary in the NFL.

57. Philadelphia - Tony Hunt (RB-Penn State) -
Eagles Fan 1: You know what the Iggles need?
Eagles Fan 2: What?
Eagles Fan 1: A big back.
[Repeat ad nauseum]
Andy Reid finally caves.

58. New Orleans - Rufus Alexander (OLB-Oklahoma) - Rufus brings his time-travelling phone booth to New Orleans to provide some much needed playmaking ability. If the Saints can address some concerns on defense, they will prove to be much more than a one year wonder.

59. New York Jets - Tim Crowder (DE-Texas) - The Jets hope to have found the edge rusher they lacked last year. Based solely on name, I'm predicting now that Crowder goes on to be a sports commentator or 60 Minutes contributor.

60. Miami (from New England) - Jonathan Wade (CB-Tennessee) - Losses on the D-Line mean that a deluge of passes flood the secondary requiring Wade-ing. Groan. Plus other Wades have been successful in Miami.

61. Baltimore - Josh Beekman (G-Boston College) - This pick beefs us the Ravens' line. Look for McGahee to rip off runs over 4 yards, something unheard of last year with Jamal Lewis.

62. San Diego - Brandon Meriweather (S-Miami) - Aside from the ego thing, who wouldn't want to be drafted by an already great defense? You are instantly on a winner with very little pressure to lead. Too bad the head coach was an afterthought. Just for a season, it would have been great to see a truly elite team play coachless. I bet the Chargers would go at least 11-5.

63. New York Jets (from Chicago) - Craig Davis (WR-LSU) - See pick 37. Teams assume an erratic QB becomes more dependable with more targets. If only they were as smart as I. Let's say they draft Troy Smith here and he goes ape on every team that passed him up. The Bears would be a lock to return to the Super Bowl and be stomped by the coachless Chargers.

64. Tampa Bay (from Indianapolis) - Victor Abiamiri (DE-Notre Dame) - A leader at every level, Abiamiri will be a cornerstone for the next generation of Bucs defense, or a very large financial consultant. It could go either way.

Onward and upward! - Round 3 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 3

2007-04-17T20:19:00.000-05:00

65. Oakland – Brandon Mebane (DT-Cal) – The Silver and Black need to add some talent to the middle of their defensive line and Mebane is a great value at this spot. He’ll make it easy for Raider fans to see Sapp on the sideline.

66. Detroit – Brandon Siler (ILB-Florida) – Detroit could use a youthful presence in the middle of their defense and Siler is just their man. He’s a big boy who knows how to lay the wood on running backs.

67. Cleveland – Ray McDonald (DE-Florida) – McDonald follows his former Florida teammate off the board because his size makes him a good dual threat for Romeo Crennel. McDonald will see time at both DE and DT for the Browns.

68. Tampa Bay – Antonio Pittman (RB-Ohio St) – Antonio becomes the second Pittman to play for tailback for John Gruden. He’s a versatile back who will provide much needed insurance for oft-injured Cadillac Williams.

69. Arizona – Ben Patrick (TE-Delaware) – The Cardinals gave Leonard Pope a shot at tight end last year, but Patrick would be an upgrade. He’s a sure handed receiving threat who could make Boldin and Fitzgerald even more dangerous on the outside.

70. Denver (from Washington) - Doug Free (OT-Northern Illinois) - This road-grader paved the way for Garrett Wolfe's tremendous collegiate career. He's athletic enough to fit in Shanahan's system and will help keeping Denver's ground game among the league's elite.

71. Miami - Brian Leonard (RB-Rutgers) - The Dolphins will be exuberant that Leonard is available at this selection. His versatility in the backfield will help spell Ronnie Brown and provide a receiving threat for first round pick Brady Quinn.

72. Minnesota - Marshall Yanda (OG-Iowa) - Minnesota has a tremendous offensive line, but they lack depth. Yanda provides much needed insurance in case one of their lineman suffers an injury.

73. Houston - Kenny Irons (RB-Auburn) - Irons steps in here to be Houston's back of the future. He'll be a good compliment to Ahman Green and should push him for the starting job as early as October.

74. Buffalo - Stewart Bradley (OLB-Nebraska) - Buffalo lost a couple of starting linebackers this off-season and Bradley has the skill to play outside and the size to transition inside. Bradley should be one of the surprise standout rookies this season.

75. Atlanta - Sabby Piscitelli (S-Oregon State) - The Falcons make up for missing out on LaRon Landry in round 1 by selecting Piscitelli here. Piscitelli is an intimidating presence in the secondary and his speed will help him earn an early starting nod.

76. San Francisco - Josh Wilson (CB-Maryland) - Wilson is a blur on the field. He'll be a great fit as a nickel corner for the Niners. He has the talent and could be a solid starter in the future with a little tutoring from Coach Nolan and new addition Nate Clements.

77. Pittsburgh - Jon Abbate (ILB-Wake Forest) - Abbate is the type of player who will quickly become a fan favorite in Steeltown. He's hard-nosed and should take over for some of Pittsburgh's aging vets at the linebacker position rather soon.

78. Green Bay - James Marten (OT-Boston College) - Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are starting to show their age. Marten will allow the Packers to start grooming a replacement. He's a tough kid who should have no problem taking the torch.

79. Jacksonville - Aundrae Allison (WR-East Carolina) - Allison is the type of athletic receiver Jacksonville is lacking right now. He could turn out to be the next Anquan Boldin and should find plenty of room playing alongside the Jags other larger targets.

80. Tennessee - Lorenzo Booker (RB-Florida State) - Booker will give Vince Young a receiving threat out of the backfield. He also could become the lightning to the thunder of LenDale White. Norm Chow will find ways to get him involved.

81. New York Giants - Manuel Ramirez (OG-Texas Tech) - Ramirez is a behemoth who should step in and help keep Eli Manning upright. The Giants line has been terrible recently and Ramirez could start as early as Week 1.

82. St. Louis - Aaron Rouse (S-Virginia Tech) - Rouse is another big safety who will press for starting time this season if only in a partial status. Rouse is a former linebacker who should help improve the Rams run defense at the second level.

83. Carolina - Ryan McBean (DT-Oklahoma St) - McBean is a little undersized for a DT, but playing on Carolina's line he should be able to reak havoc. Peppers and Co. will occupy opponents' blockers enough to give this kid a chance to make an impact in their DT rotation.

84. Kansas City - Ryan Harris (OT-Notre Dame) - Harris is a physical blocker who will be a good addition to an aging Kansas City line. He'll learn plenty as a rookie and should be ready to step into the starting rotation within a year or two.

85. Seattle - Josh Gattis (S-Wake Forest) - Seattle recently lost Ken Hamlin and they've had trouble finding stability in the secondary over recent seasons. Gattis is a talented kid who would have a great shot of beating out the veterans and earning a starting spot this season.

86. Denver - Turk McBride (DT-Tennessee) - Denver finally looks outside of Cleveland for defensive lineman. McBride comes from Tennessee which has provided alot of solid DTs to the NFL in recent seasons. McBride will keep the tradition going.

87. Dallas - Mason Crosby (K-Colorado) - Dallas is the most likely team to take a look at Crosby this early in the draft. After trying about 472 kickers over the past five years, the 'Boys will look to Crosby to be their long term answer to their most perplexing demon.

88. New Orleans - Troy Smith (QB-Ohio St) - Sean Peyton apparently doesn't mind short QBs (see: Brees, Drew) and Smith could be a great fit for the Saints. He'll have a few years to lay low behind Brees and could team with Colston and Bush to keep the Saints marching into the future.

89. New York Jets - Scott Chandler (TE-Iowa) - The Jets don't have much at the tight end position and Pennington would love to have this big 6'7" target as his safety valve. Chandler is also no slouch as a blocker and will see plenty of action as a rookie.

90. Philadelphia - Buster Davis (ILB-FSU) - Remember when the Eagles selected Broderick Bunkley last season? They learned nothing. This season they'll address the linebacker need by selecting the one guy they shouldn't: Buster Davis.

91. New England - A. J. Davis (CB-N.C. State) - Asante Samuel may not be back next season and Davis is just the type of player Belichek loves. He flashed his skills in college and the Patiots will help him reach his full potential.

92. Buffalo (from Baltimore) - Eric Wright (UNLV) - This talented kid falls into the Bills lap because of some character issues. He's super talented and if he keeps himself out of trouble he can become the perfect replacement for Nate Clements.

93. San Diego - H. B. Blades (ILB-Pittsburgh) - The current Charger inside linebackers are on the verge of collecting social security. Blades will become the heir apparent to a tradition of steady, talented Charger linebackers.

94. Chicago - Earl Everett (OLB-Florida) - Everett is the kind of player who could flourish with the Bears. With so much attention being paid to Urlacher, Everett could develop into one of the league's best complimentary linebackers with the potential for more if Briggs doesn't leave.

95. Indianapolis - Chris Henry (RB-Arizona) - After letting Dominic Rhodes move on after this season, Henry could become a great compliment to Joseph Addai. Henry flashed his wheels at the combine in Indy and would love to speed around the RCA Dome a little more often.

96. San Diego (compensatory) - Tarell Brown (CB-Texas) - San Diego always seems to have some question marks at corner. Brown is a very good player who could help ease remove this position from the Chargers list of needs year after year.

97. San Francisco (compensatory) - Tim Shaw (OLB-PSU) - Shaw's versatility will be appealing to Mike Nolan here. Shaw spent time at DE,OLB, and ILB while with the Nittany Lions and should find time to help out the Niners in multiple ways this season.

98. Indianapolis (compensatory) - Quinn Pitcock (DT-Ohio St) - Indy's run defense could use a motor guy like Pitcock in the middle. Pitcock anchored the defensive line the past two years and was one of the reasons why Hawk, Carpenter, and Laurinitis thrived for the Buckeyes.

99. Oakland (compensatory) - David Clowney (WR-Virginia Tech) - Moss and Porter aren't getting any younger in Oakland and Clowney is a superb athlete who should become a reliable target in a few short years with the potential to become JaMarcus Russell's number 1 option.

Keeping going and check out - Round 4 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 4

2007-04-17T20:18:00.001-05:00

Welcome to day two! The fourth round could see a ton of movement given the number of teams with multiple picks. San Francisco currently hold four this round and New Orleans is slotted to take three players between picks 123 and 126. Should everyone stand pat, there look to be some very interesting situations unfolding. Detroit puts their future in the hands of another Houston QB, something that has never worked out very well in the NFL. A large number of picks fall into one of two categories, a small school standout or a player overshadowed by a big name for most of their career. Akron, UTEP, Lane, Kent State, Hampton, and Fresno State (twice) all have their name called this round, each team hoping a former star will boost their profile with recruits. On the other hand are the schools we all know well, but names we don't. Doug Datish replaced Nick Mangold, a first round pick of the Jets one year ago, Rhema McKnight had to share the spotlight with a player who may not even be drafted this year in Jeff Samardzija, and Tim Duckworth saw Ben Grubbs, the guard he played opposite at Auburn, taken off the board early in the second round. No matter where they hail from, all these players have a legitimate shot to not only make their respective teams, but to make an impact early and often in their careers.

100. Oakland - Ikaika Alama Francis (DE-Hawaii)
101. Detroit - Kevin Kolb (QB-Houston)
102. Tampa Bay - C.J. Gaddis (CB-Clemson)
103. Cleveland - Andy Alleman (G-Akron)
104. San Francisco (from Washington) - Courtney Taylor (WR-Auburn)
105. Arizona - Paul Soliai (DT-Utah)
106. Minnesota - Marcus Thomas (DT-Florida)
107. Houston - Johnnie Lee Higgins Jr. (WR-UTEP)
108. Miami - Daniel Bazuin (DE-Central Michigan)
109. Atlanta - Jacoby Jones (WR-Lane)
110. San Francisco - Jay Moore (DE-Nebraska)
111. Buffalo - John Beck (QB-BYU)
112. Green Bay - Usama Young (CB-Kent State)
113. Jacksonville - Brandon Frye (T-Virginia Tech)
114. Cincinnati - Matt Spaeth (TE-Minnesota)
115. Tennessee - Baraka Atkins (DE-Miami)
116. New York Giants - Chansi Stuckey (WR-Clemson)
117. St. Louis - Justin Durant (OLB-Hampton)
118. Carolina - Nate Harris (ILB-Louisville)
119. Pittsburgh - Brian Robison (DE-Texas)
120. Seattle - Darius Walker (RB-Notre Dame)
121. Atlanta (from Denver) - David Irons (CB-Auburn)
122. Dallas - Doug Datish (C-Ohio State)
123. New Orleans (from Kansas City) - Kenny Scott (CB-Georgia Tech)
124. San Francisco (from NY Jets) - Yamon Figurs (RS-Kansas State)
125. New Orleans (from Philadelphia) - Rhema McKnight (WR-Notre Dame)
126. New Orleans - Clark Harris (TE-Rutgers)
127. New England - Dwayne Wright (RB-Fresno State)
128. Tennessee (from Baltimore) - Enoka Lucas (C-Oregon)
129. San Diego - Fred Bennett (CB-South Carolina)
130. Chicago - Paul Williams (WR-Fresno State)
131. Indianapolis - Michael Johnson (S-Arizona)
132. Pittsburgh (compensatory) - Juwan Simpson (OLB-Alabama)
133. Atlanta (compensatory) - Kareem Brown (DT-Miami)
134. Baltimore (compensatory) - DeAndre Jackson (CB-Iowa State)
135. San Francisco (compensatory) - Mansfield Wrotto (OG-Georgia Tech)
136. Indianapolis (compensatory) - Corey Hilliard (OT-Oklahoma State)
137. Baltimore (compensatory) - Tim Duckworth (OG-Auburn)

Day Two continues... - Round 5 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 5

2007-04-17T20:17:00.001-05:00

The second stanza of the second day doesn't suffer from a lack of notable picks...

Despite falling to Day 2, C.J. Ah You of Oklahoma could become a contributer with Tampa Bay. Although he sounds more like a sound-bite from Happy Days, Ah You is exactly the kind of versatile defender that the Bucs have been needing in their post Super Bowl decline.

A player with incredible upside in this round is Jordan Palmer of UTEP. Palmer is often seen more as Carson's younger brother than a potential NFL capable athlete, but he has great size and a good arm - perhaps Brad Childress and the Vikings can help him figure out the rest.

Another recognizable name that will likely still be available in Round 5 is Selvin Young of Texas. Though he was overshadowed by the likes of Cedric Benson and Vince Young throughout most of his college career, Young might have a chance in the league as a third down back or situational substitute for another unheralded college back, Willie Parker of the Steelers.

Saving the best for last, national championship cover boy Chris Leak of Florida has seen a recent spike in his popularity that was nowhere to be found before and during his senior season. A big game in the national spotlight and suddenly Leak might not be the second day long shot everyone had him pegged as. STH isn't buying it. Leak might someday be a capable backup, but that is probably his ceiling. Where better to learn than with the world champion Colts.

Here's a look at how all of Round 5 panned out in the STH Draft Dungeon:

138. Oakland - Adam Koets (OT - Oregon State)
139. Detroit - Travarous Bain (CB-Hampton)
140. Cleveland - Prescott Burgess (OLB-Michigan)
141. Tampa Bay - C.J. Ah You (DE-Oklahoma)
142. Arizona - John Wendling (S-Wyoming)
143. Washington - Noland Burchette (DE-Virginia Tech)
144. Houston - Herbert Taylor (T-TCU)
145. Detroit (from Miami) - Martrez Milner (TE-Georgia)
146. Minnesota - Jordan Palmer (QB-UTEP)
147. San Francisco - Keith Jackson (DT-Arkansas)
148. St. Louis (from Buffalo) - Jay Alford (DT-Penn State)
149. Atlanta - Michael Okwo (OLB-Stanford)
150. Jacksonville - Eric Frampton (S-Washington State)
151. Cincinnati - Derek Landri (DT-Notre Dame)
152. Tennessee - Kevin Payne (S-Louisiana-Monroe)
153. New York Giants - Quincy Black (OLB-New Mexico)
154. Detroit (from St. Louis) - Mike Otto (T-Purdue)
155. Carolina - Dashon Goldson (S-Washington)
156. Pittsburgh - Selvin Young (RB-Texas)
157. Green Bay - Michael Allan (TE-Whitworth)
158. Detroit (from Denver) - Mike Walker (WR-Central Florida)
159. Dallas - Anthony Arline (DB-Baylor)
160. Kansas City - Chase Pittman (DE-LSU)
161. Seattle - Joe Newton (TE-Oregon State)
162. Philadelphia - Gerald Alexander (S-Boise State)
163. New Orleans - Allen Barbre (T-Missouri Southern)
164. New York Jets - Uche Nwneri (G-Purdue)
165. Oakland (from New england) - Marvin White (S-TCU)
166. Baltimore - Courtney Brown (CB-Cal-Poly)
167. San Diego - Cameron Stephenson (G-Rutgers)
168. Chicago - Kenneth Darby (RB-Alabama)
169. Indianapolis - Anthonly Waters (ILB-Clemson)
170. Pittsburgh (compensatory) - C.J. Wilson (CB-Baylor)
171. New England (compensatory) - Zach DeOssie (OLB-Brown)
172. San Diego (compensatory) - Antonio Johnson (DT-Miss. State)
173. Indianaplis (compensatory) - Chris Leak (QB-Indianapolis)
174. Baltimore (compensatory) - Rory Johnson (OLB-Mississippi)

Keep going with... - Round 6 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 6

2007-04-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

As we venture down toward the bottom of the board, the recognizable names pop up less frequently and the team needs are sometimes sacrificed for the all important "developmental player" [read: we're not responsible if he never makes the team]

With perhaps the most interesting pick of the second day, STH projects Ramonce Taylor of Texas College going to running back paradise in Denver. For those of you who don't remember, Taylor ran for 12 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2005 with another school in Texas (the one where Vince Young played). Subsequent to the title victory, Taylor got busted, kicked off the team, and shipped out of town. He played in the lower leagues at Texas College last year, but who's to say what Mike Shanahan could do with a player of his talent.

Another Round 6 notable is Isaiah Stanback of Washington going to Pittsburgh. Stanback didn't necessarily dominate the Pac-10 in college, but it seems the Steelers have taken a quarterback with multi-dimensional skills in each of the last 10 drafts. Did this trend leave town with Cowher, or will the legend of "Slash" live on?

A final player to watch in Round 6 (and Pischl's favorite player of the draft) is Jared Zabransky of Boise State. Following his performance in the stirring Fiesta Bowl, Zabransky will try to make the transition from big fish in the small pond to bottom feeder in the ocean. Pischl thinks he's got a chance...and Baltimore needs a quarterback of the future. Could it be?

Here's how Round 6 broke down, pick by outrageous pick:

175. Oakland - Jonny Harline (TE-BYU)
176. Denver (from Detroit) - Ramonce Taylor (RB-Texas College)
177. New York Jets (from Tampa Bay) - Quintin Echols (DT-Kansas State)
178. Cleveland - Xzavie Jackson (DE-Missouri)
179. Washington - Ryan Smith (CB-Florida)
180. New England (from Arizona) - Jacob Bender (T-Nicholls State)
181. Miami - Julius Wilson (T-UAB)
182. Minnesota - Leroy Harris (C-NC State)
183. Houston - Dustin Fry (C-Clemson)
184. Buffalo - Corey Graham (CB-New Hampshire)
185. Atlanta - Dan Mozes (C-West Virginia)
186. San Francisco - Tyler Palko (QB-Pittsburgh)
187. Cincinnati - Jeff Rowe (QB-Nevada)
188. Tennessee - Chase Johnson (T-Wyoming)
189. New York Giants - Tony Taylor (OLB-Georgia)
190. St. Louis - Nate Ilaoa (RB-Hawaii)
191. Carolina - Chris Denman (T-Fresno State)
192. Pittsburgh - Isaiah Stanback (QB-Washington)
193. Green Bay - J.D. Nelson (S-Florida)
194. Jacksonville - Jay Richardson (DE-Ohio State)
195. Kansas City (from Dallas) - Joe Cohen (DE-Florida)
196. Kansas City - Joel Filani (WR-Texas Tech)
197. Seattle - Kyle Young (C-Fresno State)
198. Denver - Steve Breaston (WR-Michigan)
199. New Orleans - Zach Diles (ILB-Kansas State)
200. Dallas (from New York) - Mario Henderson (T-Florida State)
201. Philadelphia - Stephon Heyer (T-Maryland)
202. New England - Zac Taylor (QB-Nebraska)
203. Baltimore - Jared Zabransky (QB-Boise State)
204. Tennessee (from San Diego) - Dan Santucci (G-Notre Dame)
205. Washington (from Chicago) - Laurent Robinson (WR-Illinois State)
206. Tennessee (from Indianapolis) - Ahmad Bradshaw (RB-Marshall)
207. Baltimore (compensatory) - Matt Toeaina (DT-Oregon)
208. New England (compensatory) - Reggie Lewis (CB-Florida)
209. New England (compensatory) - Justin Warren (ILB-Texas A&M)
210. Seattle (compensatory) - Mike Jones (G-Iowa)

And then there was one... - Round 7 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Ultimate Mock Draft - Round 7

2007-04-17T20:16:00.001-05:00

The 7th Round of the draft is filled with lots of shenanigans.

Three members of the National Champion Florida Gatos find homes at picks 215, 219, and 248. The Dallas Cowboys take a flyer on a quarterback with pick 234 (Toby Korrodi - Central Missouri) and hope that he'll at least be a better holder on field goals than Tony Romo. Tampa Bay pulls off the biggest draft day shock by taking Jeff Samardzija at pick 245 and Gruden secretly hopes that the opportunity to play with Jeff "Latino Heat" Garcia is enough to lure Jeff from baseball (which has been very, very good to him). Finally, this year's Mr. Irrelevant proves to finally be Mr. Irrelevant as Mel Kiper Jr Jr (yes, we know we doubled up on Jr) gets drafted by Detroit to play the position he knows best: ass.

Folks, the following is all guesswork at best...but we expect to be right on at least 63.97146% of the 7th rounders.

211. Oakland - Dane Uperesa (T - Hawaii)
212. Dallas (from Detroit through NY Jets) - Nedu Ndukwe (S - Notre Dame)
213. Cleveland - Kevin Boss (TE -Western Oregon)
214. Tampa Bay - Nathan Bennett (G - Clemson)
215. Arizona - DeShawn Wynn (RB -Florida)
216. Washington - Dan Parrish (T - Florida A&M)
217. Minnesota - Stephen Nicholas (OLB - South Florida)
218. Houston - KaMichael Hall (OLB - Georgia Tech)
219. Miami - Dallas Baker (WR - Florida)
220. New Orleans (from Atlanta) - Daren Stone (S-Maine)
221. Chicago (from SF through Cleveland) - Antwan Barnes (OLB - Florida Intl)
222. Buffalo - Chris Davis (WR - FSU)
223. Tennessee - Syvelle Newton (WR - South Carolina)
224. New York Giants - Anthony Pudewell (TE - Nevada)
225. St. Louis - Kelvin Smith (ILB - Syracuse)
226. Carolina - Dallas Startz (OLB - USC)
227. Pittsburgh - Matt Trannon (WR - Michigan St)
228. Green Bay - David Patterson (DT - Ohio St)
229. Jacksonville - Zach Latimer (ILB - Oklahoma)
230. Cincinnati - Kasey Studdard (G - Texas)
231. Kansas City - Tyron Brackenridge (CB - Washington St)
232. Seattle - Sam Olajubutu (OLB - Arkansas)
233. Denver - Rueben Riley (G - Michigan)
234. Dallas - Toby Korrodi (QB - Central Missouri)
235. Green Bay (from NY Jets) - James Jones (WR - San Jose St)
236. Philadelphia - Mkristo Bruce (DE - Washington St)
237. Dallas (from New Orleans) - Marvin Mitchell (ILB - Tennessee)
238. Miami (from New England) - Gary Russell (RB - Minnesota)
239. Buffalo (from Baltimore) - Palauni Ma Sun (G - Oregon)
240. San Diego - Jon Cornish (RB - Kansas)
241. Chicago - Rondell Biggs (DE - Michigan)
242. Indianapolis - D'Juan Woods (WR - Oklahoma St)
243. Green Bay (compensatory) - David Holloway (OLB - Maryland)
244. Atlanta (compensatory) - Kurt Quarterman (G - Louisville)
245. Tampa Bay (compensatory) - Jeff Samardzija (WR - Notre Dame)
246. Tampa Bay (compensatory) - Gabe Hall (T - Texas Tech)
247. New England (compensatory) - Brandon Myles (WR - West Virginia)
248. St. Louis (compensatory) - Jemalle Cornelius (WR - Florida)
249. St. Louis (compensatory) - Thomas Clayton (RB - Kansas St)
250. New York Giants (compensatory) - Mel Musialek (WR - PSU)
251. Jacksonville (compensatory) - Mark Fenton (C - Colorado)
252. Jacksonville (compensatory) - Tyler Ecker (TE - Michigan)
253. Cincinnati (compensatory) - Brandon Harrison (S - Stanford)
254. Oakland (compensatory) - Will Herring (OLB - Auburn)
255. Detroit (compensatory) - Mel Kiper Jr Jr (ASS - Bristol)

And that's all we wrote.

If you need a refresher, go back to - Round 1 -

Or check out the - Team By Team Breakdown -

Be Forewarned - This One is Serious

2007-04-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

How do you start a piece that involves the death of a friend? Maybe with a brief memory: “I still laugh recalling the time we each had to do four extra suicides for sassing our basketball coach. In our defense, he was wrong. We never should have run the full-court press.” Or how about a personal description: “She was a beautiful 25-year-old who loved people, sports, and animals and just had a real zest for life.” Or maybe with the newspaper’s headline: “Young Couple Dies in Tragic Accident.” As my shaking fingers enter these words, my heart palpitates and I endure my third day of stress headaches, I know I have a message I must send. I’m just not sure of the most effective way to deliver it…

A couple of days ago, my lifelong friend, Lindsay, and her boyfriend, Christian, were killed in an auto accident. The fatal accident is disaster enough, but upon learning the specifics, I become more upset. Lindsay and Christian were traveling to South Carolina to vacation for the week. While on I-270, around Frederick, MD, they encountered an aggressive driver. Witnesses reported obscene gestures being exchanged by the occupants of both Lindsay’s car and the larger pickup truck next to them. Suddenly, the driver of the truck sped in front of them and slammed his brakes. Christian swerved to avoid the collision and their vehicle ended up airborne, then the side of the road before hitting several trees and rolling the car. Lindsay and Christian were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck never even stopped.

While I can sympathize with anyone who has lost a loved one in a car accident or one involving a DUI, road rage has never personally affected me…until now. We all know it exists; many of us have actively participated. It can be as simple as an excessive horn or flashing the bird, to tailgating or even following a car until it stops. But in this case, common ego-driven acts of road rage escalated into road violence and the death of two wonderful people. Therefore, I am using this week’s spot to remind everyone that our driving actions have consequences.

We are living in a world that appears to grow more impatient everyday. It's as if everyone has a destination they must get to NOW. Some people take egocentricity to the extreme and their disregard for those around them is disturbing. Tolerance is diminishing and anger management is becoming a lost skill. It seems that aggressive behavior is simply an accepted part of everyday living. All of these characteristics translate into inappropriate, and even belligerent, conduct on our roadways - especially the major highways.

I beg, plead, and implore you to think twice about your actions behind the wheel. Please do not reciprocate childish behavior, and certainly don’t provoke it. I don’t have the answer as to what calming method you should use, but if you begin to feel yourself losing patience, please take a deep breath, count to ten, put on some music, find your happy place. Do whatever it takes to compose yourself and be the more mature person. Not only might you be saving your own life, but also those of the people around you.

It frustrates me to no end to know this tragedy was the result of a senseless act that could have been avoided but was not. I am now without a friend. Lindsay's parents are without a daughter. Her sisters are without a sibling. All for what? To retaliate to a stranger’s highway aggressiveness, territoriality, and self-centeredness with more of the same? In two minutes that stranger has passed by and is out of your life anyway. Better to be the adult and act responsibly rather than possibly be the catalyst for road rage. Especially as one never knows when road rage will result in road violence and even death.

Cleaning Up The NFL...

2007-04-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Look out NFL players - here comes Roger Goodell. The NFL’s new commissioner is setting out to clean up a league that has had too many criminals for too long. It has been a long time coming, and this should be just what the doctor ordered. Goodell will be handing out suspensions like Santa’s elves hand out candy canes (if he just moved his office to Cincinnati then he could probably cover half of the league’s problems right there).

It is still unclear how the suspensions will work for minor infractions, or even some of the larger ones (Joey Porter beware). What we do know is that Goodell is very serious about cleaning up the NFL. Between murder trials, shootings outside strip clubs, and drugs, the NFL is widely viewed as a league of criminals. Some would even go so far as to say that because the league makes so much money off of the players, there is a conspiracy to keep them out of prison.

Every NFL offseason, there are stories about NFL players getting into a scuffle, getting caught with drugs, or even worse, getting killed. As a strong starting point to his term as commissioner, Roger Goodell is putting his foot down to say, “No more.” I must say it is refreshing in this day of the almighty dollar to see the league’s highest ranking official stand up for what is right and make football better. Fortunately, the players seem to be all for it too.

Goodell created a player committee to advise him on player related issues. Reportedly, many NFL players had been growing increasingly concerned over the level of misconduct throughout the league. DeAngelo Hall of the Atlanta Falcons, one of the concerned players, recently referred to Goodell as the “new sheriff in town.” The term couldn’t fit better.

A sheriff’s job is to keep the town safe and police those in it. Goodell has taken it upon himself to clean up the NFL and make it respectable again. Like any other good sheriff though, the first thing he has to do is get the bad seeds out. Unfortunately for them, two of those seeds recently found out just how serious Goodell is. Former West Virginia players Adam “Pacman” Jones (of the Titans) and Chris Henry (a Bengal) were suspended for significant time. Jones received a full year suspension, while Henry will be out for the first eight weeks.

As two of the league’s most notorious miscreants, Goodell apparently has decided to use Jones and Henry as poster boys for his brand of justice. Goodell has put bite into the league’s personal conduct policy and now there is no question that players who cannot abide by the law will be suspended. Goodell said it best himself by saying, “We must protect the integrity of the NFL.”

Quite simply...the sheriff is doing his job. Look out NFL - this guy means business.

NFL Draft 2007: The Top 15 Linebackers

2007-04-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

Our defensive projections take their final form with a look at the top linebacker prospects in the upcoming draft. The hope is that this list hits you hard. Then you will know how it feels to be smashed by one of the members of our list.

1. Patrick Willis, Ole Miss (6’1” 242lbs) – Willis is a stud. He opened eyes with his 40 times both at the combine and his pro day and he plays even faster. Willis is a tackle machine who was perhaps the most under-acknowledged defensive player over the last few seasons in college football. Willis will be a star in the NFL. He should be a top 5 prospect, but he doesn’t play a “sexy” position. Willis should be taken in the top 15 picks.

2. Paul Posluszny, PSU (6’1” 238lbs) – Posluszny had a lot of scouts projecting him as being in the same class as A. J. Hawk (a top 5 selection last year) at the end of last season. This past season he racked up 120 more tackles and now scouts think he’s a late first round selection. I say, “Horseshit.” This kid can flat out play. He’s played both inside and outside and excelled at both. Posluszny is a class act who flies around the field making plays. He should be a top 10 pick, but he’ll be selected in the mid to late first round.

3. Lawrence Timmons, FSU (6’0” 235lbs) – Note to NFL scouts: This kid is from Florida State. This means he won’t make much of an impact in the NFL. Sure, he’s fast and was good in the ACC (now there’s a stacked conference), but that doesn’t always mean NFL success. Ask Mike Mamula. I think Timmons will be a serviceable NFL player, but he won’t be a star. Someone will select him in the first round and later wish they had waited until the third round.

4. Jon Beason, Miami (6’0” 237lbs) – Beason is an intriguing prospect. He’s very talented, but played on some of Miami’s worst teams. He also struggled with some injuries. Beason is similar to Timmons – except he’s good. Beason comes from a program that has repeatedly churned out talented linebackers (Ray Lewis, Jonathan Vilma, D.J Williams). Beason should continue this list. He’ll be selected anywhere from the mid to late first round.

5. David Harris, Michigan (6’2” 243 lbs) – I like Harris a lot because I saw him play a lot this year thanks to my Michigan-crazed friend. He’s extremely quick and has great recognition skills. Harris is a smart player who just knows where to be and when to be there. He’s got a great build and should be a great fit for the NFL’s current trend of 3-4 defenses. Harris is a sure fire second round selection.

6. Tim Shaw, PSU (6’1” 236lbs) – Shaw played all over the place at Penn State. He came to Happy Valley as one of the most prolific prep school running backs to hail from Michigan. He also competed as a sprinter. Shaw then made the move to linebacker at PSU and even played some rush end. He’s a fantastic athlete who should draw a lot of attention as the draft nears because of his strong combine and pro day. Shaw has taken himself from second day pick to a third round prospect.

7. Justin Durant, Hampton (6’0” 230lbs) – Durant is the classic example of teams searching for a hidden gem. I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about this kid, I just know what I’ve read. From what I’ve seen about him, he’s a fast, athletic kid who could use some coaching. People are also a little unsure of him because of the level of competition he played against. He could blossom into a star or he could find himself overwhelmed. Either way, one team will gamble on him in the third round.

8. Brandon Siler, Florida (6’1” 241lbs) – Siler was the man in the middle of Florida’s championship defense last season. He’s a tough kid, who plays with a chip on his shoulder. Siler doesn’t look fast or play fast, but he finds a way to get to the ballcarrier and makes plays. He may struggle a little early in his career, but should be a serviceable starter in two to three years time. Siler should be a third round selection.

9. Jon Abbate, Wake Forrest (5’9” 230lbs) – Abbate is undersized at 5’9”, but he’s got a huge heart. Abbate plays hard and is a proven leader. I’m really pulling for this kid to have a solid pro career. He has the determination and instincts to possibly turn into a Zach Thomas-type player. Expect Abbate to find an NFL home in the late-third to mid fourth-round.

10. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma (6’0” 228lbs) – Alexander should be a solid pro player if he can add some bulk to his frame. He has good instincts and plays a tough, physical game. He could also use some work in coverage, but that’s not a huge problem. Linebackers are built to tackle instead of cover and Alexander lays the wood with the best of them. Alexander is a solid third round pick.

11. H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh (5’11” 236lbs) – Blades comes from a football pedigree (two of his uncles played in the NFL) and will also find his way to the pros. Blades is a good athlete who plays intelligently. He finds ways to put himself in positions to make plays. He may be undersized to play the middle spot in the pros, but should have no trouble adjusting to outside linebacker. Blades should be a fourth round pick.

12. Stewart Bradley, Nebraska (6’3” 254lbs) – Bradley has phenomenal size at the linebacker position. He’s a true grinder who never stops chopping. He is a solid athlete, but doesn’t have great speed or quickness. He is another guy who could find a home playing any of the linebacker positions. There are some questions about his durability, but he should be a fourth round selection regardless.

13. Prescott Burgess, Michigan (6’3” 240lbs) – There is no question that Burgess is a gifted athlete. Scouts rave about his size and physique, but he never put it all together at the college level. Burgess could be one of those players that the light bulb goes on for once he reaches the pro level. Maybe some coach will find a way to help him realize his potential. Burgess is a fifth round prospect at this point.

14. Anthony Waters, Clemson (6’2” 245lbs) – Waters has a great build to be a star middle linebacker. He’s also a tough, instinctive, and crafty player. He had a spectacular junior season at Clemson, but spent his senior season on the sidelines after tearing his ACL in the opener. If a team is willing to give him a shot, he should return some strong dividends once he’s healthy again. Waters is probably a fifth round pick at best.

15. Buster Davis, FSU (5’9” 239lbs) – A few things are working against Davis. First, look at the first 4 letters of his first name. Second, look at where he played his college ball. Lastly, look at his height. Davis is a quick player who finds ways to get around the ball, but he will most likely be a backup and special teams player in the NFL. He’ll be a late round selection in April.

Next Week: The Top 15 Running Backs (we save the best for last)

What is Racism Anyway?

2007-04-11T21:26:00.000-05:00

Call him an idiot or a buffoon…either one should work. One thing we can all take away from the latest race scandal in the U.S. is Don Imus can’t dance. Now before you think I’m trying to put down the smooth 66 year-old's dance moves, my opinion is based solely on Don Imus dancing around the topic of his racist remarks. Mr. Imus claims he isn’t a racist, but should we honestly believe him?

Did we believe Michael Richards a few short months ago when he apologized on Reverand Al Sharpton’s radio program? Why is it that every white male in America who makes a racist remark feels that they have to go on Sharpton’s show to apologize to the black community? Isn’t Al Sharpton one of the biggest racists of them all?

Now before our lovely readers think this TalkingHead is picking a side in what seems like the never-ending race war, I will be the first to admit that the comments Mr. Imus made were completely inappropriate and idiotic. However, Monday’s nonsense on the Al Sharpton show was a total disgrace to everyone in the U.S - not just the white and black communities.

Does anyone remember back in 1987 when Al Sharpton criticized and practically destroyed the career of a white New York prosecutor named Steven Pagones? Back then, Rev. Sharpton called Pagones a “racist and a rapist,” among several other accusations. Sharpton became an overnight media sensation when a young black female named Tawana Brawley accused several white men of holding her hostage and repeatedly raping her. The final result was that the Tawana Brawley case was deemed a complete hoax - it became a blackeye on Sharpton’s permanent record. Did Mr. Sharpton ever apologize for using the race card on Steven Pagones and almost destroying his entire career? Not once.

On Monday, Al Sharpton called Don Imus a racist and told him that he should resign from his position permanently. Don Imus was brilliant (not really) enough to open his mouth and say, “I can’t win with you people,” which infuriated the good Reverend even more. Imus even went as far as to say, "I bet I've slept in a house with more black children then you ever have," referring to his ranch for children with cancer. Once again, Mr. Imus shows us his intelligence (or lack thereof) and probably should resign after his inappropriate comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. His past history of racist remarks should have had him canned several years ago anyway.

Don Imus should have apologized in a forum that doesn’t make a mockery of a problem in America that will never go away. Also, believe me when I say that Al Sharpton is no angel in the sky. It’s extremely easy to criticize someone when it comes to race. In this case though, maybe an apology is needed from both sides of the spectrum.

In The News - April 10, 2007...

2007-04-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

While we've never been accused of taking ourselves too seriously here at STH, it is sometimes appropriate to take a step back, gain some perspective, and give an honest assessment of life's important events. This is not one of those times. Here's a quick take on recent happenings around the globe - the intent is one of humor, but as always, take from it what you will.

- IN THE NEWS -

Watch Out NASCAR...

In perhaps one of the most important news stories of the year, a group estimated to be in the hundreds took to world renowned Lombard Street in San Francisco on Sunday for a race of epic proportions. The participants were all consenting adults - their vehicles of choice were Big Wheels. Yes...those Big Wheels.

***Author's Note*** Was there ever a greater toy for a child? Big Wheels were the beer muscles of our youth - once you hit the cockpit of your G.I. Joe Cruiser, nobody could stand in your way and you knew that you could do anything you put your mind to (except for peddling up a steep hill, as the plastic tires would just spin incessantly). An afternoon of Big Wheeling led to a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that no Camry or Accord could rival today. Who knew it would be all downhill from age 4?

Follow That Cab!

From the files of "great ideas that got old very quickly", a Queens, New York couple has negotiated a flat fare with a cabbie to drive them to not so nearby Sedona...Arizona. The couple, who apparently can't drive themselves and have somehow trudged through life oblivious to the concept of "air travel", will pay the "lucky" taxi driver $3000 to make the round trip journey. No word on how many mixed cd's the couple has burned for the trip - the over/under for the first "oh shit - this was a bad idea!" moment is 5 and 1/2 hours.

It was THIS BIG...

In an unfortunate instance of irony, fisherman in Alaska reeled in a 90 year old rockfish that may have been one of the oldest creatures in the region - at least until they killed it. The whopping sea creature - which will immediately be made into 5000 fish sticks - was 44 inches long and tipped the scales at nearly 60 pounds. Officials are working to confirm - but they're pretty sure the creature was originally won at a carnival.

Not Your Grandfather's Video Game?

Apparently satisfied that no child over the age of 5 will ever go outside again, video game maker Nintendo is now targeting an equally vulnerable population - the elderly. As CNN.com reports, Nintendo's Wii gaming system has been catching on with retirement communities throughout the country. Wii's interactive technology allows the elderly participants an opportunity to "exercise" without risking the injuries generally associated with more dangerous activities such as "actually moving" and "seeing the sunlight". [Insert your own mental image of the elderly playing Wii - or just keep it to yourself and enjoy it for the day]

In related news, the former Nintendo employee who designed both "The Power Glove" and "The Power Pad" is desperately searching for a tall building to leap from.

"And My Skin Didn't Even Wrinkle..."

Even as we Americans get fatter and lazier, 52 year-old Slovenian Martin Strel has once again broken his own world record for distance swimming - this time by swimming nearly the entire length of the Amazon River (you probably already knew - but that is 3,272 miles). Strel completed his incredible journey despite bouts with Piranhas and an apparent onset of the runs. Strel explained as he emerged from the water that he swam the river not because "it was there", but because "chicks dig Piranha bites." For our elderly readers, we'll try to keep you posted on the release date for "Nintendo Wii - Swim the Amazon".

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Hummus

2007-04-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

Spring is just around the corner…or at least that’s what they keep telling me. And just as the flowers, robins and bunnies begin to emerge, so does barbecue season. While steak doesn’t particularly excite me, I do love making the side dishes that compliment a stomach-stuffing buffet. So here is my quick and easy recipe for hummus. This dip is great served with raw vegetables, pitas or even spread on a burger (truthfully, I have a close carnivorous friend who enjoys lathering up his burger with all things chickpeas). As with all recipes, the fresher the ingredients, the tastier the final product. Feel free to modify as you wish. I enjoy the combo of garlic and rosemary, but substituting parsley, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. works just as well.

Ingredients:
2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari
3 large cloves of chopped or pressed garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary
Dash of cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:
First, roast the garlic and rosemary in a drop of olive oil in the oven (8 mins at 350 or until slightly brown). Stir every couple minutes.

After chickpeas have soaked overnight (use canned if so desired) drain and set in food processor. If you're feeling especially patient and meticulous, pop off the skins. It makes the hummus extra creamy.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, tamari and mix. After about a minute, add the garlic, rosemary, cumin, and peppers. Mix again and proceed until smooth. Upon tasting, continue to add cumin or pepper at your discretion. Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a small branch of rosemary.

NFL Draft 2007: The Top 20 Defensive Lineman

2007-04-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

It can be argued that the defensive line is the most important part of any defense. The line is responsible for stuffing the run, or at least keeping blockers off the linebackers so they can stuff the run. They also hold the key to the pass defense because they are in charge of generating pressure on the quarterback. With all this in mind, we bring you the top defensive line prospects of 2007.

1. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson (6’4” 260lbs) – Adams is an exceptional athlete at the defensive end position. He would have been a first round selection last year and turned himself into a top 10 pick by returning to school this year. Strong and quick, he can play both the run and the pass. He will be selected in the top 10 picks and could go as high as the 2nd pick to Detroit.

2. Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville (6’2” 290lbs) – Okoye is an intriguing prospect. He has plenty of size and an exceptional motor. Okoye is only 19 years old and should be a building block in the middle of some fortunate team’s defensive line for the next decade. He’s a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders. He will not be overwhelmed playing in a man’s league. Okoye will be taken in the top 15 picks in the draft.

3. Alan Branch, DT, Michigan (6’5” 330lbs) – Branch has recently fallen under “bust watch”, but that talk will cease once he lands on the field. A massive man, Branch has is strong and quick for his size. He was a disruptive force in the middle for Michigan’s top ranked run defense this past season. Branch should be a top 10 selection, but may slide into the 15 to 20 range.

4. Adam Carriker, DL, Nebraska (6’5” 295lbs) – Carriker is the versatile star of this year’s defensive lineman. He has great size and moves extremely well for being as big as he is. He can play either end or tackle and will be a fit for either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. A solid player, he is one of the prospects with the fewest question marks. Many teams will take a look at him and he should be selected within the first 20 picks.

5. Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas (6’5” 275lbs) – Anderson left school after his junior season and could find himself being taken in the top 10. Anderson has exceptional strength, but is a little on the slow side. He had an exceptional junior season and his upside will be attractive to teams. He could slide out of the top 10 depending on potential trades, but should still be taken in the top 20.

6. Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue (6’2” 265lbs) - Spencer, to many people, has come out of no where. His numbers at Purdue were solid, though not eye popping. Opposing coaches and players raved about his talent, and he has been impressive in the off-season workouts. He can also be a speed rusher in a 3-4 defense and will be a first round selection for sure.

7. Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida (6’5” 255lbs) – Moss is another versatile player who can play in both a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. Teams may look at him to be the next Shawn Merriman or DeMarcus Ware. Moss lacks the strength of these two standouts, but he makes up for it with his speed. He does have some character and injury questions. Moss could go as early as the mid first round, but may fall into the first half of the second round.

8. Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia (6’2” 270lbs) – Johnson is a solid player who is better against the run, but can still rush the passer. He outperformed his more acclaimed teammate Quinton Moses this past season. He’s consistent, but lacks an overwhelming presence. He’ll be a solid selection in the first part of the second round.

9. Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee (6’4” 303lbs) – Harrell was considered an elite prospect before a season ending bicep injury. He comes from a line of quality defensive tackles that have played for the Vols. He’s strong and has the quickness to beat interior lineman. Harrell would easily have been a first round pick, but will instead slide to the second round because of his injury.

10. Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia (6’4” 250lbs) – Moses was considered to be in the same league as Gaines Adams coming in to the 2006 college season. Unlike Adams though, he did not put up the production. He lacks bulk, but has good speed and could become a 3-4 rush linebacker in the NFL. Expect Moses to go in the mid-second round.

11. LaMarr Woodley, DE, Michigan (6’1” 260lbs) – Woodley is a versatile player who played both defensive end and linebacker while at Michigan. He is good against the run and has the speed to be effective rushing the quarterback. A lack of height seems to be the biggest concern with Woodley. He should be a solid selection in the mid second round for whichever team selects him.

12. Tim Crowder, DE, Texas (6’3” 270lbs) – Rumors have had Crowder moving into the first round, but that is not likely to happen. Crowder is a smart, strong player with a motor that never stops running. He’s a classic example of a player who is good at many things, but not great at any. He’ll be a second round selection for sure.

13. Tank Tyler, DT, NC State (6’2” 325lbs) – Tyler is one of the bigger players on this list. He’s a decent player, but has some glaring character questions. Tyler has a quick first step and is strong, but does not have much overall speed. He’ll be a good run stuffer for a team looking to give him a chance. Expect to see Tyler go in the mid second round.

14. Baraka Atkins, DL, Miami (6’4” 280lbs) – Atkins is another versatile guy who played both end and tackle for the Hurricanes. Atkins never seemed to reach his full potential with Miami and could reach it at the next level. He has a good combination of size, strength, and quickness. Atkins should find his team in the mid to late second round.

15. Ray McDonald, DL, Florida (6’3” 285lbs) – McDonald is a similar player to Atkins. He has experience at multiple positions on the line. He put up solid numbers while at Florida and was part of their exceptional defense this past season. McDonald will be a solid pro and will be taken in the mid to late second round.

16. Victor Abiamiri, DE, Notre Dame (6’4” 270lbs) – Abiamiri has the physical tools to perform at the next level, but his questions lie in his technique. He improved each season he was in South Bend. If he can continue learning at the next level, he could become a key player for his team. He could be selected anywhere from the mid second round to the mid third round.

17. Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan (6’2” 265lbs) – Bazuin reminds a lot of people of former CMU standout Jason Babin. Bazuin plays with more of a mean-streak than Babin. He’s a blend of speed and strength who knows how to attack the quarterback. Bazuin will probably be a third round selection and don’t be surprised if he’s this year’s Elvis Dumerville.

18. Quinn Pitcock, DT, OSU (6’2” 300lbs) – Pitcock was the rock in the middle of the Buckeyes outstanding defense the past 2 seasons. He is a solid run stuffer who doesn’t give up on any play. Though he lacks any real distinguishing characteristic, he’s a guy you can count on to show up every game. Pitcock will be a solid third round selection.

19. Jay Alford, DT, PSU (6’2” 285lbs) – Alford has great quickness for a defensive tackle. He had a solid junior season playing next to Tamba Hali and put up nearly identical numbers as the cornerstone of a young Nittany Lion front last season. He may be considered undersized by some teams, but added weight may cause him to lose his quickness. Alford could come off the board as early as the mid third round.

20. Kareem Brown, DT, Miami (6’4” 300lbs) – Brown flashed glimpses of greatness with the Hurricanes, but never played with the type of consistency expected of him. Brown has great size and a good first step to go with it. If he can put his potential together with his skills, he could be a fantastic player at the next level. Expect Brown to be one of the first defensive linemen taken in the fourth round.

Next Week: The Top 10 Tight Ends

2007 NFL Draft - 5 Things I Know

2007-04-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

I have almost finished my last mock draft of the year. I felt that my first one was pretty solid, but trades and signings since then have forced me to make a few minor changes. Unfortunately, things never seem to go as planned in the draft. Teams at the top of the draft are either looking to move down (which they will never fully advertise) or bringing in top choices for workouts and interviews (even though they only have interest in about half of the people they bring in). Teams at the bottom of the draft are either looking to trade up (which they can mention, but without saying how high they want to move) or trying to calculate who will be available when they pick (which I don’t know how you do when you have no idea who anyone else is going to pick thanks to all the smoke screens).

Did you follow all that? If you did, can you explain it to me? The bottom line is that teams rarely do what is expected of them beyond the first 3-6 picks. After that, we always see “reaches” and trades.

That is how it always happens. A team picking 7th might realize, based on the players picked 1-6, that the player they really want will still be available at the 10 spot. They will then trade down three spots and still take the guy all those “experts” were saying would be drafted 7th. Of course, then those same experts will tell you they had it right because they got the player and team matched, just at the wrong number. What they won't tell you is that most of the time they are just guessing in the dark.

There are few sure things when it comes to the NFL draft. The easiest pick in every mock draft last year was Reggie Bush first to the Texans, right? We all know how that turned out. You can always bet that Al Davis has no idea what he is doing. You can also bet that, somehow or someway, Andy Reid will find a way to draft a few more fat linemen (that was for you, Jason). Beyond these sure things, it’s usually a wash.

That said, I’m going to take a shot at it anyhow. I’m a brave soul and I believe there are a few things I “know” about this year’s draft...

1. "Consensus" picks rarely pan out: The two seemingly consensus picks in this year’s draft are Greg Olsen to Carolina and Marshawn Lynch to Green Bay. At least one (and probably both) of these picks will not happen. Keep in mind that as I say this, I have both of these players going to these respective teams in my mock draft. Lynch could very easily go 12th to Buffalo, since they traded away McGahee. Then the Panthers would be able to take Patrick Willis (whom I have going to the Bills) from Ole Miss. This would then be an easy pick for the Panthers because they lost Chris Draft in free agency and Dan Morgan can't stay on the field. Picks outside the top 1-3 choices that everyone agrees on usually just don’t happen. If you don’t believe me, go check how many people had the Bills taking a DT with the 8th pick last year and how many had Buffalo taking a safety.

2. Sometimes "reach" picks aren't that much of a reach: Speaking of the Bills safety, Donte Whitner was a supposed “bust” last year after being taking with that 8th overall pick. Now, no one is saying a word after he had one heck of a rookie year (105 tackles). Every year there is one top 10 pick that makes the experts sound like Scooby Doo. They scratch their heads, call the pick a reach, and then you never hear them talk about it again because they are usually wrong. Fact is that if these experts really knew this much about the NFL draft, they would be employed by an NFL team!

3. Joe Staley's stock will continue to rise: Joe Staley, a tackle from Central Michigan, will be taken much higher in the draft than anyone thinks. Staley has steadily risen up many draft boards, and for good reason. Still, most have him at the end of the first round. As fellow TalkingHead Pischl states in his mock draft, Staley certainly is becoming a “chic selection” - there are several teams early on in the draft that could easily take him. Don’t be surprised (assuming Levi Brown is off the board to Miami at #9) if teams like the Texans (10th), Panthers (14th), Packers (16th), Titans (19th), and Giants (20th) all give Staley a long, hard look.

4. Daniel Snyder will make a move: The Redskins will trade away more draft picks. I know, this will be tough considering they only have one pick in the first four rounds, but I have faith that Daniel Snyder will find a way. I don’t know how he does it; I guess he is just that good. With their one pick though, I fully expect them to look for some kind of pass rush from the defensive line. Whether that is a top DE (Adams or Anderson) to provide speed off the edge or a massive DT (Branch or Okoye) to demand double teams, the Redskins have to improve that d-line.

5. The Eagles will draft for the secondary: There is nothing wrong with the Eagles offense - the issues for the Birds are on the defensive side of the ball. They have problems along the d-line. There are questions about the linebackers. The secondary though, is certainly a position of great strength. That said, the Eagles will draft a player for the secondary in the first round. Don’t ask me why, your guess is as good as mine. But Andy Reid always drafts for two years down the road, and perhaps this is the year they find Brian Dawkins eventual replacement (Griffin?). Of course, this is all assuming some fat lineman doesn’t fall into his lap.

So there you have it. These five things will surely happen during this year’s NFL draft. Mark them down, circle them in red, and then e-mail me in a month when none of them actually happen.

The Kissing King?

2007-04-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

I love a good guy story. Back in my single days, I used to do some wild and crazy things. I will be the first to admit that with women, I could be a total ass. I assure you this was not because I thought I was god’s gift to women, but because most of my time if I was hooking up with a girl...I was totally hammered. In my 5 years of college (too short), I did a lot of damage...especially considering that the majority of my time was spent locked down with a steady girlfriend. Some of my close friends still don’t believe my stories, but in my new monthly addition to SixTalkingHeads, I plan to open up the storybook of my sexual adventures. We will start with my first kissing experience with the opposite sex and work our way up to the final glory days...being single in college. I promise to tell the whole truth and nothing less. If you stick with me, you will realize that my stories are so pathetic that I couldn’t dream of making them up. Some of these stories can get a little "detailed," so if you are easily offended….PLEASE DON'T READ THEM! Don’t complain - I won’t edit them. Now let’s begin my trip down memory lane, starting with the year of sixth grade.

The Kissing King?

Back in the 6th grade, the cool thing to do was called the French Kiss. I grew up in a middle class area where the cool kids seemed to grow up a little faster than the rest of us. That’s not to say that the cool kids were knockin’ boots by age 11, but I’m sure some of the girls who ended up pregnant in high school fooled around a little more than the rest of us early on.

The French Kiss became wildly popular because the cool kids decided to have a party where spin the bottle was the game of choice. Unfortunately I wasn’t one of these so called “cool kids,” so I didn’t make the initial cut. I remember the Monday after the first kissing party like it was yesterday. The rumors were flying around the hallways. Did you hear that Matt kissed Jen three times…with tongue! Whoa, this was big! There was even a rumor circulating that one lucky couple had to make out in the closet because the bottle landed on them five times! The word was that a breast may have been touched. I still don’t know to this day, because French Kissing alone was beyond anything I had ever experienced.

A few weeks after the big bash, my neighbor (one of three triplet girls!) decided to throw a Halloween party. Since I was fortunate enough to be their neighbor, I ended up making the coveted guest list. Considering my neighbors' parents were a little more relaxed than mine, I thought there was a chance I could get some action. As I indicated earlier, “action” in the sixth grade was defined as French Kissing. Parties back then consisted of a few people sitting around, drinking soda, and eating junk food while watching Bryan Adams on MTV. My parents were anti-cable at the time, so this definition of a party was good enough for me.

About halfway through the night, one of my classmates from middle school (we will call her Jen) showed up at the party. Jen had been fortunate enough to be invited to the cool kids party the month before, and she already had a reputation for being a kissing slut. For the inexperienced young male that I was, Jen was a goddess. Unfortunately, that definition didn't exactly make Jen a supermodel. Back in the sixth grade, Jen weighed around 110 and had a chest a stripper would die for. That’s probably because 110 back then equated to a cool 200 in high school. I honestly could care less because at the time, I wasn’t even concerned about tackling 2nd base. One base at a time was good enough.

As the night progressed, I realized Jen was into me. I remember her sitting on my lap that night (god she was heavy - keep in mind at the time I probably weighed about 80 pounds sopping wet). Knowing Jen’s reputation from the previous party, I figured I was in. Then, it was time for me to make my move to cool kid paradise. If I could just land this babe for the night, I would be set for the rest of my middle/high school years. My older 8th grade neighbor told me you had to establish yourself early in middle school or good luck trying to make a name for yourself. Considering I wasn’t a jock and I wasn't extremely gifted, I really didn’t have much of a fighting chance. Fortunately, God was nice enough to put this pig right in my lap - I knew needed to take advantage of it.

As Jen and I continued to talk and get closer, I figured I would ask her “out.” Back then “going out” meant you were boyfriend and girlfriend. Believe it or not, Jen actually said yes and I knew I hit the jackpot! We continued to watch MTV and as the party began to fade I knew I had to make my move to seal my name in the middle school hall of fame. A few minutes later, Jen leaned over and told me she had to go. Since nobody was around I went in for my first kiss. Considering I had never kissed a girl before, the French kiss may have been a little too much for me to master. I remember going in for the kiss, locking lips, and letting my tongue fly. The kiss felt like it lasted for 10 years, but in reality it was probably 2.3 seconds. This was just enough time for me to seal the deal and lose my first base virginity. After our kiss ended, Jen said goodbye and left the party. On my way home to my house I remember explaining the story to my best friend - he thought I was a God. I had done it! I was the first person in my group of friends to kiss a girl, and the best thing about it was that I got some tongue action!

That night was probably the best night of my young life. I went to bed dreaming of my first real girlfriend. What would be next, 2nd base? 3rd? The possibilities were endless. Since the party was on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday were possibly the longest days of my life. All I could think of was getting back to school so I could finally claim my newfound fame. Since the party was the big bash of the weekend, I knew I would clearly make the top story. As I arrived to school Monday morning, the halls were a little more silent than I imagined. I don’t know if I expected a banner or a plaque with my name on the wall, but when I arrived Monday morning nothing had changed. "Don't panic," I told myself. The story hadn’t made it around school yet - I just needed to give it a little time.

By lunch-time my ears were still wide open, but nothing had circulated. I guess since I didn’t have a chance to see my newfound love until the end of the day, I assumed nobody knew we were an item yet. Then, it happened. I remember it like it was yesterday. Out of nowhere one of my triplet neighbors came up to me and said, "Jen is breaking up with you." Less than 72 hours after the day of my life, my world came crashing down. I had reached the upper limits of popularity one night and was sitting back in loserville the next.

The rumor around school at the time was that my kissing wasn’t quite up to par. I heard that Matt, the dude she made out with the month before, was a little better at tonsil hockey than I was. Odds are my lack of kissing knowledge sent her running back to the guy who pleasured her the month before. The rise and fall of my popularity was extremely short lived; in 72 short hours I went from thinking I was going to be the next “it” kid, to once again being a normal kid in the middle of the pack. Luckily the details about my lack of kissing skills didn’t make it all the way around school that week. I’m sure another cool party happened the weekend after and there was something else that put my story to shame. At least I had my weekend of fame - too bad nobody really knew about it.

"Oneness"

2007-04-03T07:42:00.000-05:00

This past weekend myself and 11 of my closest friends squeezed into a cozy apartment on the east side of Manhattan for fun, good times, and singing...hours and hours of singing. The soiree was one of our many rehearsals in preparation for our guest appearance at our old college a cappella group's ten year celebration.

For the last song of the evening, we sang Angel by Sarah McLachlan. Angel is a very deep and passionate song, overflowing with emotion and pensive reflection. This song required all of us to utilize staggered breathing, taking deep breaths, and projecting with not just our bodies, but our minds as well. In our college days, it was not uncommon to turn off the lights and stand in a circle with our arms around each other during rehearsals and even at concerts. This particular time was no different. Here's one recording of our rendition.

The song begins simply with held notes in a nice 6/8 feel. The soloist starts out gently with sol, mi, re, do, do, re: a powerful melodic introduction that solidifies the key center through the major pentatonic scale (minus la), and leaves the listener suspended on the re. The background vocals are always moving, giving the listener that sense of being on a small boat in the middle of the ocean...just rolling along in the water, towards some unknown destination. The group stays low-key during the verses with simple doo's for syllables. It is not until all the vocal parts sing the lyrics of the chorus with the soloist that the feeling of oneness surrounds the listener. The tenor line provides a nice harmony to the soloist by providing the underneath support, a third lower. The basses provide the rock solid foundation with the root of each chord, while the sopranos top off the sound giving each chord flavor and character. The altos hold down the fort by rounding out each triad. The second verse comes back stronger, with more vigor; the listener knows where he is being taken; he's been down that path before. Instead of rolling along listlessly in the water, the boat is driven this time, determined, storming ahead into the deep waters before returning the listener to the familiar shores of the chorus. And as the second and final chorus swells with intensity, a great feeling of unity, togetherness, and oneness envelopes everyone.

It was at this point in the song that I realized moments like these are what I missed most about performing in a college a cappella group. Sure, the wild after-parties were great and the drunken hookups weren't bad either, but what always stood out in my mind and what I have always longed for since graduation, was that feeling that we weren't just separate individuals destined to pursue our own selfish motives. We lifted our voices in unison (although not in "harmonic unison") and laid it all out. Singing the song was about being a part of something bigger than yourself...bigger than your fears, worries, failures and selfish goals. It was about letting it all go for the sake of everyone else, and losing yourself in old, familiar friends.

It was amazing how everyone else has moved on, leading exciting lives spread all over the country from LA to DC to Philly to NY. Perhaps what was more amazing, was that we all shared that common bond, a shared history of being a part of something special during our time at college (even if some of us never sang with the other). Our concert is in two weeks and I can't wait to be back on that stage...singing, dancing, beatboxing away and feeling that rush of being one with old friends.

2007 NFL Draft: April Mock Draft

2007-04-02T23:43:00.000-05:00

A month of activity has passed by in the NFL since my last mock draft,and it occurred to me that the time has come to address the subject again. The biggest mover in the latest mock has Amobi Okoye moving up to Arizona at the 5th pick (previously 18 to Cincinnati). Jamaal Anderson was the biggest loser falling from 6th (Washington) to 17th (Jacksonville). Here’s all the latest:

1. Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU – Although it was hard to switch from Calvin Johnson back to Russell, JaMarcus is the best fit for the Raiders. Quarterbacks also hold more value than receivers - even one as talented as Johnson. That’s why Russell is the right choice for Oakland.

2. Detroit Lions – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin – It’s very likely that Detroit will try and trade down from this spot, but if they stay, Thomas is the best selection. There will be temptation to take Johnson, Brady Quinn, or Adrian Peterson, but common sense will win out. Thomas will be the pick for Detroit.

3. Cleveland Browns – Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma – Romeo Crennel will have to tune out Charlie Weiss’ advice to take Brady Quinn because Peterson is a better fit for the Browns. Jamal Lewis has a one year deal and recently struggled to stay healthy. Peterson is going to be a stud and would immediately improve Cleveland’s ground game.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech – Unless someone does work out a deal with Detroit to snag Johnson, John Gruden will get his wish. Johnson is a freak who will star from day 1. He’ll make Tampa Bay’s quarterback a very happy passer, no matter who is at the helm.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville – This may be a little early for Okoye, but Arizona will take a gamble. This 19-year old could be a corner stone for a long, long time. Arizona has a pressing need for lineman on both sides of the ball and could take a look at Gaines Adams or Levi Brown as well, but I think they’ll find more reasons to take Okoye.

6. Washington Redskins – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson – This may be the most over-predicted pick in the draft, but it makes the most sense. The ‘Skins are desperate for a pass rusher and Adams is the best rusher available. If Adams happens to go to Arizona or Detroit, Washington will look to Jamal Anderson or look to trade down.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame – A few weeks back, I thought JaMarcus Russell may fall here, but that no longer seems to be a possibility. Brad Childress did a decent job in his first year and will be thrilled to have Quinn fall to him here. He could start from day one for the Vikings and help fans forget Daunte Culpepper.

8. Atlanta Falcons – LaRon Landry, S, LSU – Atlanta made a slick move to jump in front of the Dolphins to select Landry at this position. Landry will shore up one of the biggest weaknesses on the Falcons’ squad. Landry may be the best defensive player available. If they chose to look elsewhere, Jamaal Anderson (a familiar name to Falcons fans) or Alan Branch could be other options for Atlanta.

9. Miami Dolphins – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan – Talented defensive tackles are tough to come by and Miami could use this big body to take some pressure off their LBs and DEs. Branch is a massive man who can stuff the run and also rush the passer. Miami may be one of the teams looking to move up to select a player such as Johnson, Quinn, or Landry.

10. Houston Texans – Levi Brown, T, PSU – Houston saved some money by swapping spots with Atlanta. They should still be able to land their man with this pick. Brown would provide stability to a position that has been a liability for Houston ever since they came in to the league. Matt Schaub should end up with more time to throw than David Carr ever got.

11. San Francisco 49ers – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC – It still seems that Jarrett makes a great fit for San Francisco. He’s a big, physical receiver who will make a huge impact for an improving 49ers’ offense. Jarrett will be the red zone threat Alex Smith sorely lacks.

12. Buffalo Bills – Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss – Buffalo has many needs and could look at Marshawn Lynch or Leon Hall, but after losing two LBs this off-season, they need to select the best LB available. Willis made tons of tackles over his college career and had a phenomenal workout. He could become a more controlled version of Ray Lewis.

13. St Louis Rams – Adam Carriker, DL, Nebraska – The Rams have some aging veterans on the defensive line in Leonard Little and La’Roi Glover. Carriker has the size to play anywhere on the defensive line and can provide some much needed rest for the vets. He will only get better playing behind these guys and will be a great fit for St Louis.

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami – A coach’s dream, Olsen may not have the “wow” factor of other former tight ends from “The U”, but he’s a fantastic football player. He’s an all-around tight end who would be a great weapon for Jake Delhomme. He’ll also provide space for Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson to work.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh – Though Leon Hall may be the number 1 CB on most boards, the Steelers have had plenty of opportunity to watch Revis in action and it will sway them his way. They’ll prefer his upside and speed over Hall. Hall and Jamaal Anderson are alternative options for the Steelers with this pick.

16. Green Bay Packers – Marshawn Lynch, RB, California – Lynch will be a dynamic weapon for the Packers to team with Favre. If he falls this far, he’s a no-brainer selection for the Pack. The Packers have lacked an elite RB for years. If Buffalo or Houston takes Lynch, Green Bay will select Leon Hall to bolster a horrific secondary.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas – Jacksonville will be ecstatic if Anderson falls to them at this pick. Anderson is a very talented player, but the teams ahead of the Jags have other needs to fill. Anderson is able to play both the run and pass equally well. If Anderson is not available, Reggie Nelson is the likely backup option.

18. Cincinnati Bengals – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan – Hall is the best player available at this point and the Bengals could use a character guy like him with this pick. Hall will push second year man Jonathan Joseph and aging veteran Deltha O’Neal. He’ll be a great fit for Marvin Lewis’ defense. If Hall is gone, Jon Beason would be an option at LB.

19. Tennessee Titans – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee – The Titans will think long and hard about Ted Ginn Jr with this pick, but will eventually turn to Meachem. Meachem is just a better all around receiver than Ginn, while also having the ability to flash the same big play capability. Vince Young will love throwing passes to this guy.

20. New York Giants – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida – Somebody is going to make the mistake of taking Nelson too high and the Giants are a prime candidate. Nelson is a decent player, but not quite first round material. Gambles he got away with in college will haunt him in the pros. The Giants need secondary help and will turn to Nelson to provide it.

21. Denver Broncos – Ted Ginn Jr, WR, OSU – The Broncos will be elated to give Ginn a year to learn from Rod Smith while working from the slot as a third option for Jay Cutler. Eventually, he’ll form a potent pair with Javon Walker. Mike Shanahan has shown a willingness to take risks in the draft and Ginn’s big play capability will make him giddy.

22. Dallas Cowboys – Ryan Kalil, C, USC – Though much talk has been made of the Cowboys using this selection on a WR or CB, they still need to improve their offensive line. Kalil is the best OL prospect available here and it could allow them to move Andre Gurode back to G. The Cowboys could also look at a tackle like Joe Staley, though he may be a stretch this early.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU – The Chiefs need help at WR more so than any other team at this point in the draft. They’ll be elated if they can get Bowe with this pick. He’ll provide a threat at WR for KC for the first time in many years. The Chiefs will also consider Sidney Rice and Jason Hill with this selection.

24. New England Patriots – Paul Posluszny, LB, PSU – As much as it pains me to say, it makes perfect sense for Posluszny to end up in New England. He is experienced at ILB and OLB and will remind Patriot fans of a youthful Teddy Bruschi. The Patriots may also take a look at Chris Houston with this selection.

25. New York Jets – Anthony Spencer, DE/LB, Purdue – The Jets need to give their defense a boost with this pick. Mangini needs a pass rusher who can play either on the line or speed rush in his scheme. Spencer has been climbing up boards and may still make his way even higher, but if he is here at this pick, the Jets will snatch him up.

26. Philadelphia Eagles – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas – The Eagles will take the best player available at this point. Houston will provide depth at a position where the Birds always seem to experience injuries. He’s a fantastic athlete who should play the nickel immediately. The Eagles could also look at Sidney Rice, Michael Griffin, or Aaron Ross.

27. New Orleans Saints – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas – The Saints secondary was pretty pathetic last season. Ross will provide speed and play-making ability to the defensive backfield for New Orleans. The Saints may also take a gander at Lawrence Timmons or Jarvis Moss, though they should still lean towards Ross because he has fewer question marks.

28. New England Patriots – Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno St – The Patriots are the masters of replacing players and they’ll probably have to replace Asante Samuel after this season. McCauley is a big, physical corner who should be able to step in and play as a nickel right away, and eventually replace Samuel if he does leave New England.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Joe Staley, T, Central Michigan – With the addition of Willis McGahee, the Ravens will be looking for a spry, young left tackle to pave the road for him. Staley should get a year to learn from one of the best ever, Jonathan Ogden, and then should start to make an impact next season. He’s become a chic selection as of late.

30. San Diego Chargers – Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina – Rice has fallen a bit because he lacks elite speed, but he’s still a very good receiver. One of the few weaknesses the Bolts had last season was their receiving corp. Rice will provide reliability and a red zone presence to take some pressure off of Antonio Gates.

31. Chicago Bears – Jon Beason, LB, Miami – The Bears need to start grooming a replacement for Lance Briggs who is already half way to his next NFL destination. Beason is the best LB available at this point at the draft and he’ll be a good fit for the Bears. If the Bears don’t go defense, they may look at Zach Miller.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Lawrence Timmons, LB, FSU – If anyone can teach an FSU player how to play football, Tony Dungy can do it. Timmons has the physical tools, but lacks the awareness to start right away. The Colts could use additional help at the linebacker spot and Timmons could become an impact LB if the coaching staff helps him put it all together.

Ultimate Mock Draft - Team Breakdown

2007-04-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

In an effort to make it easier for you to make fun of our draft results, we have broken down the 7 Round mock into teams, reflecting the new blood that your favorite team would be hauling in if STH ruled the football world. Take a minute...take an hour...see what you think

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Marshawn Lynch – RB – Cal
David Harris – ILB – Michigan
Stuart Bradley – OLB – Nebraska
John Beck – QB – BYU
Corey Graham – CB – New Hampshire
Chris Davis – WR – Florida State
Paluni Ma Sun – OG - Oregon

Miami Dolphins

Brady Quinn – QB – ND
Arron Sears – OG – Tenn
Jonathan Wade – CB – Tenn
Brian Leonard – FB – Rutgers
Daniel Bazuin – DE – Central Michigan
Julius Wilson – OT – Miami
Dallas Baker – WR – Florida
Gary Russell – RB - Minnesota

New England Patriots

Lawrence Timmons – OLB - Florida State
Michael Griffin – S – Texas
A.J. Davis – CB – N.C. State
Dwayne Wright – RB – Fresno State
Zak DeOssie – ILB – Brown
Jacob Bender – OT – Nicholls State
Zac Taylor – QB – Nebraska
Reggie Lewis – CB – Florida
Justin Warren – ILB – Texas A&M
Brandon Myles – WR – West Virginia

New York Jets

Chris Houston – CB – Arkansas
Tim Crowder – DE – Texas
Craig Davis - WR - LSU
Scott Chandler – TE – Iowa
Uche Nwaneri – OG – Purdue
Quintin Echols – DT – Kansas State

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Robert Meachem - WR – Tennessee
Josh Beekman – OG - Boston College
DeAndre Jackson – CB – Iowa State
Tim Duckworth – OG – Auburn
Courtney Brown – CB – Cal Poly
Rory Johnson – OLB – Mississippi
Jared Zabransky – QB – Boise State
Matt Toeaina – DT - Oregon

Cincinnati Bengals

Leon Hall – CB – Michigan
Quentin Moses – DE – Georgia
Matt Spaeth – TE – Minnesota
Derek Landri – DT – Notre Dame
Jeff Rowe – QB – Nevada
Kasey Studdard – OG – Texas
Brandon Harrison – S - Stanford

Cleveland Browns

Adrian Peterson - RB - Oklahoma
Ryan Kalil – C - USC
Ray McDonald – DE – Florida
Andy Alleman – OG – Akron
Prescott Burgess – OLB – Michigan
Xzavier Jackson – DE – Missouri
Kevin Boss – TE – Western Oregon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reggie Nelson – S – Florida
Samson Satele – C – Hawaii
Jon Abbate - ILB – Wake Forrest
Brian Robison – DE – Texas
Juwan Simpson – OLB – Alabama
Selvin Young – RB – Texas
C.J. Wilson – CB – Baylor
Isaiah Stanback – QB – Washington
Matt Trannon – WR – Michigan State

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Alan Branch – DT – Michigan
Kenny Irons - RB – Auburn
Johnnie Lee Higgins Jr. – WR – UTEP
Herbert Taylor – OT – TCU
Dustin Fry – C – Clemson
KaMichael Hall – OLB – Georgia Tech

Indianapolis Colts

Jon Beason – OLB - Miami
Chris Henry – RB – Arizona
Quinn Pitcock – DT – Ohio State
Michael Johnson – S – Arizona
Corey Hilliard - OT – Oklahoma State
Anthony Waters – ILB – Clemson
Chris Leak – QB – Florida
D’Juan Woods – WR – Oklahoma State

Jacksonville Jaguars

Paul Posluszny – OLB - PSU
Drew Stanton - QB - Michigan State
Aundrae Allison – WR - East Carolina
Brandon Frye – OT – Virginia Tech
Eric Frampton – S – Washington
Jay Richardson – DE – Ohio State
Zach Latimer – ILB – Oklahoma
Mark Fenton – C – Colorado
Tyler Ecker – TE - Michigan

Tennessee Titans

Darrelle Revis – CB - Pittsburgh
Anthony Gonzalez – WR - Ohio State
Lorenzo Booker - RB - Florida State
Baraka Atkins – DE – Miami
Enoka Lewis – C – Oregon
Kevin Payne – S – Louisiana-Monroe
Chase Johnson – OT – Wyoming
Dan Santucci - OG – Notre Dame
Ahmad Bradshaw – RB – Marshall
Syvelle Newton – WR – South Carolina

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Adam Carriker – DE - Nebraska
Eric Weddle - S - Utah
Doug Free – OT - Northern Illinois
Turk McBride - DT - Tennessee
Ramonce Taylor – RB – Texas
Steve Breaston – WR – Michigan
Rueben Riley – OG - Michigan

Kansas City Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe – WR - LSU
Trent Edwards – QB - Stanford
Ryan Harris - OT - Notre Dame
Chase Pitman – DE – LSU
Joe Cohen – DT – Florida
Joel Filani – WR – Texas Tech
Tyron Brackenridge – CB – Washington State

Oakland Raiders

JaMarcus Russell – QB - LSU
Ben Grubbs - OG - Auburn
Brandon Mebane – DT - Cal
David Clownley – WR – VT
Ikaika Alama-Francis – DE – Hawaii
Adam Koets – OT – Oregon State
Marvin White – S – TCU
Jonny Harline – TE – BYU
Dane Uperesa – OT – Hawaii
Will Herring – OLB - Auburn

San Diego Chargers

Sidney Rice – WR - South Carolina
Brandon Meriweather – S - Miami
H.B. Blades – ILB – Pittsburgh
Terrell Brown – CB – Texas
Fred Bennett – CB – South Carolina
Cameron Stephenson – OG – Rutgers
Antonio Johnson – DT – Mississippi
Jon Cornish – Kansas - RB

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Ted Ginn – WR - Ohio State
Marcus McCauley – CB - Fresno State
Mason Crosby - K - Colorado
Doug Datish – C – OSU
Anthony Arline – CB – Baylor
Mario Henderson – OT – Florida State
Chinedum Ndukwe – S – Notre Dame
Toby Korrodi – QB – Central Missouri
Marvin Mitchell – ILB - Tennessee

New York Giants

Joe Staley – OT - Central Michigan
Tank Tyler - DT - NC State
Manuel Ramirez – OG - Texas Tech
Chansi Stuckey – WR – Clemson
Quincy Black – OLB – New Mexico
Tony Taylor – OLB – Georgia
Anthony Pudewell – TE – Nevada
Mel Musialek – WR – Penn State

Philadelphia Eagles

Aaron Ross – CB - Texas
Tony Hunt - RB - Penn State
Buster Davis – ILB – Florida State
Gerald Alexander – S – Boise State
Stephon Heyer – OT – Maryland
Mkristo Bruce – DE - Washington

Washington Redskins

Amobi Okoye – DT - Louisville
Noland Burchette – DE – Virginia Tech
Ryan Smith – CB – Florida
Laurent Robinson – WR – Illinois State
Dan Parrish – OT – Florida A&M

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Justin Blalock – OT - Texas
Zach Miller - TE - Arizona State
Earl Everett – OLB – Florida
Paul Williams – WR – Fresno State
Kenneth Darby – RB – Alabama
Antwan Barnes – OLB – Florida International
Rondell Biggs – Michigan - DE

Detroit Lions

Joe Thomas – OT - Wisconsin
Charles Johnson – DE - Georgia
Brandon Siler - ILB - Florida
Kevin Kolb – QB – Houston
Travarous Bain – CB – Hampton
Martrez Milner – TE – Georgia
Mike Otto – OT – Purdue
Mike Walker – WR – Central Florida

Green Bay Packers

Dwayne Jarrett – WR - USC
Brandon Jackson – RB - Nebraska
James Marten - OT - Boston College
Usama Young – CB - Kent State
Michael Allen – TE – Whitworth
J.D. Nelson – S – Oregon
David Patterson – DT – Ohio State
James Jones – WR - San Jose State
David Holloway - ILB - Maryland

Minnesota Vikings

LaRon Landry – S - LSU
Jason Hill - WR - Washington State University
Marshal Yanda – OG – Iowa
Marcus Thomas – DT - Florida
Jordan Palmer – QB – UTEP
Leroy Harris – C – N.C. State
Stephen Nicholas – OLB – South Florida

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Levi Brown – OT - PSU
Anthony Spencer – DE - Purdue
Michael Bush - RB - Louisville
Sabby Piscitelli – S - Oregon State
Jacoby Jones – WR – Lane
David Irons – CB – Auburn
Kareem Brown – DT – Miami
Michael Okwo – OLB – Stanford
Dan Mozes – C – West Virginia
Kurt Quarterman – OG - Louisville

Carolina Panthers

Greg Olsen – TE - Miami
Steve Smith - WR - USC
Ryan McBean – DT - Oklahoma State
Nate Harris – ILB – Louisville
Dashon Goldson – S – Washington
Chris Denman – OT – Fresno State
Dallas Sartz – OLB - USC

New Orleans Saints

Jarvis Moss – DE - Florida
Rufus Alexander – OLB - Oklahoma
Troy Smith – QB - Ohio State
Kenny Scott – CB – Georgia Tech
Rhema McKnight – WR – Notre Dame
Clark Harris – TE – Rutgers
Allen Barbre – OT – Missouri Southern
Zach Diles – ILB – Kansas State
Daren Stone – S – Maine

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Calvin Johnson – WR - Georgia Tech
Justin Harrell - DT - Tennessee
Victor Abiamiri – DE - Notre Dame
Antonio Pittman - RB - Ohio State
C.J. Gaddis – CB – Clemson
C.J. Ah You – DE – Oklahoma
Nathan Bennett – G – Clemson
Jeff Samardja – WR – Notre Dame
Gabe Hall – OT – Texas Tech

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Gaines Adams – DE - Clemson
Tony Ugoh - OT - Arkansas
Ben Patrick – TE - Delaware
Paul Soliai – DT – Utah
John Wendling – S – Wyoming
DeShawn Wynn – RB - Florida

San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis – ILB - Mississippi
Daymeion Hughes – CB - Cal
Josh Wilson - CB - Maryland
Tim Shaw – OLB - The Pennsylvania State University
Courtney Taylor – WR – Auburn
Jay Moore – DE – Nebraska
Yamon Figurs – RS – Kansas State
Mansfield Wrotto – OG – Georgia Tech
Keith Jackson – DT – Arkansas
Tyler Palko – QB - Pittsburgh

Seattle Seahawks

LaMarr Woodley – DE - Michigan
Josh Gattis – S - Wake Forest
Darius Walker – RB – Notre Dame
Joe Newton – TE – Oregon State
Kyle Young – C – Fresno State
Mike Jones – G – Iowa
Sam Olajubutu – OLB - Arkansas

St. Louis Rams

Jamaal Anderson – DE - Arkansas
Tanard Jackson - CB - Syracuse
Aaron Rouse – S - Virginia Tech
Justin Durant – OLB – Hampton
Jay Alford – DT – Penn State
Nate Ilaoa – RB – Hawaii
Kelvin Smith – ILB – Syracuse
Jamelle Cornelius – WR – Florida
Thomas Clayton – RB – Kansas State

Back to the draft...

Lucinda Williams shows how to "Get Right with God"

2007-04-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

If you simply saw photos and listened to her albums, you’d get the sense that Lucinda Williams is a tough, edgy, “kick ass now - take names later” sort of chick. After all, she usually emits the rogue cowgirl look - donning t-shirts, black jeans, boots, dyed hair, heavy eyeshadow and tattoos. But watch and listen to her in person, and you’ll gain a different perspective: a cute, sensitive, shy songwriter who just wants to deliver a good time to her audience. Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to witness the later at the Forum in Harrisburg.

My experience with this venue has been limited to a few performances by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and one hilarious visit by NPR's Michael Feldman, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from a rock concert. With over 1700 seats, this rotunda is wider than most theaters and offers comfortable and surprisingly spacious seating. The building is most noted for its intricately painted ceiling. It is no Sistine Chapel, but the depictions of the night sky, complete with constellations and incandescent stars, make for a beautiful room. This sold out venue offered an intimate and supportive environment for our beloved Lucinda Williams.

My friend and I started the evening at a downtown Spanish tapas and wine bar (If you are ever in Harrisburg I strongly suggest visiting Suba and Manga Qui on North Street. The gourmet Mediterranean cuisine is delectable and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming). We fully intended to catch Alejandro Escovedo as the opening act, but instead ordered a generously-poured pitcher of homemade Sangria and began talking. Since we hadn’t seen each other in a while, neither of us wears a watch, and daylight savings came early this year, all concept of time was lost! By the time we walked to the theater, people were congregating outside, smoking cigarettes and energetically discussing Escovedo’s virtuoso guitar playing. We missed him by 45 minutes. Next time, only order Sangria by the glass. Lesson learned.

Lucinda Williams is a veteran in the music industry. She’s been performing for over thirty years and released her first album, Ramblin’, of blues covers in 1978. Her music is an impressive combination of blues, country, folk and rock instrumentation accompanied by well constructed song writing. Time Magazine even named her “America’s Best Songwriter” in 2002, four years after her best selling Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was released. Her resume includes collaborations with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Roseanne Cash, Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello.

With our fourth row center seats, I had a great view of Lucinda and her three-deep backing band. The show started off on a rocky note when a coughing fit paralyzed her mid-way thru one of my favorites, “Drunken Angel.” After chugging some cough syrup (or more likely whiskey) she was back on track…only to be derailed at the start of the next song. She abruptly pulled the brakes on “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” to request adjustments be made on her microphone. Both of these stops, in addition to the unbalanced levels on the snare drum resulting in a distracting echo, did not bode well for the evening. Then, unleashing her southern charm, coy smile, and sweet Louisiana twang, she laughed it off with a self-deprecating remark, “I can see the reviews now.” The crowd chuckled and immediately all was forgiven.

I must admit I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Lucinda Williams’ voice. It is recognizable by its deep alto, husky rasp, and Southern drawl. In most cases, it compliments her emotionally complex songs. I swear I can actually hear her heart breaking when she sings “Those Three Days.” But sometimes it grates on me. She’s sort of the female equivalent to Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. You love the words, but on occasion, just can’t get past the growling delivery. However, tonight everything about her appeared equalized. When seeing her live you begin to appreciate her hardened exterior and inner vulnerability. At this show she sported a straw cowboy hat and hid her tattoos. She accessorized with a songbook the size of a medical dictionary. This I found a bit odd. I’ve never seen a performer of her caliber carry a songbook this massive! I think it displays her painfully shy side and acts as a buffer she can “hide behind” while on stage. My friend frankly suggested otherwise, “She’s lived a hard life. Her memory just isn’t what it used to be.” Whatever the reason, she referenced it a lot.

Even though Lucinda is touring to support her recently released album, West, she played a diverse collection from all of her records. She has a reputation of making her own rules, and while many artists with a new album would only play songs off that, she played what she wanted to. She also encouraged the crowd to holler out requests, which they eagerly did. I was very pleased with her play list. On one of my personal favorites “Righteously” (World Without Tears) she sultrily sings “You don’t have to prove your manhood to me constantly. I know you’re the man can’t you see. I love you righteously.” From Essence (Essence) she compares her relationship to that of heroin addiction. “Baby, sweet baby, you’re my drug. Come on and let me taste your stuff.” And from “Come On” off her latest is a humorous anthem many of the women could appreciate. “All you do is talk the talk. You can’t even back it up with your walk. You can’t light my fire so Fuck Off! You didn’t even make me COME ON!” she passionately bellows.

The Song of the Night Award though, goes to “Get Right with God” (Essence). What an explosive experience! Escovedo came out to assist on this tale of a woman’s quest to find God. “I would risk the serpents bite. I would dance around with seven. I would kiss the diamondback. If I knew it would get me to heaven. Cause I want to get right with God. Yes, you know you got to get right with God.” It was a regular hootenanny filled with feverish clapping and hectic chanting. I really felt like I was smack dab in the middle of an Appalachian Pentecostal revival meeting. I think I might have even been saved, or at least Baptized, by that fanatical song. The dueling roadhouse guitars that Escovedo and Doug Pettibone executed sounded awesome. I only wish it hadn’t taken all night to gather this energy from the crowd. It’s times like these that remind me why I hate the confines of seats a theater show provides. Her momentum continued with “Joy” (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road), but came 2 hours too late. I’m not sure if it was the theater setting or simply the people in it (Harrisburg can be a pretty uptight place), but I would’ve liked to see a little more spirit and intensity from both the singer and the audience. She mentioned she had recently performed at SXSW and I’ve known musicians who need at least a week to recover from all that excitement. Therefore, I imagine a better place to see a Lucinda Williams show is outside, on the festival circuit. Being surrounded by the sun, open spaces, and other like-minded roots artists and fans, I’m sure would make for a great show. Meanwhile, Harrisburg will just have to settle for a good one.

Opening Day is Upon Us

2007-03-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

Can you smell that? The beer, the peanuts…the pine tar? That’s right, it’s time for baseball season. Opening day for most teams is Monday, but the first game in the league is tomorrow night with the Cards taking on the Mets. I guess the real question though is...did you even know?

With the Madness still in full swing and the NBA playoffs right around the corner, baseball seems to take a back seat in the early months. Baseball season for most people these days starts in June or July. These people, who say they are “fans,” miss the first 2-3 months of the season (well not miss, they still have their fantasy teams I’m sure) and then follow the second half. By the time they start watching, teams have already fallen out of the playoff race. How can your season start with teams already eliminated?

The real baseball fan knows that spring training started a month ago. Pitchers and catchers reporting is a great day. It is a great day because soon to follow is the day when the rest of the players report to camp. Do you know why that day is a great day? It’s because not too long after that, the preseason games begin. I know some people frown on preseason baseball because it doesn’t matter who wins, but it’s not about that.

Both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues are about finding the starting rotation, figuring out whom that platoon at third base is going to be, and deciding if trading that future star is really worth it for an aging veteran who just might put you over the top this year. That is why real baseball people care about preseason baseball - it sets the stage for the season and gives those psuedo-fans the time to realize the season is about to begin.

Opening Day is upon us and I for one couldn’t be happier. What other event finds more people taking off work or cutting out early than opening day in baseball? Some will tell you that’s only because they want to miss work. Maybe that’s true, but I choose to believe that at least some of those souls just really couldn’t wait for the season. They have waited since October for this and now they just can’t wait any longer. They need that first homerun, that first spectacular double play, that first save for the home team. They need the beer, the peanuts, and the pine tar. They need it all.

Opening Day is just around the weekend. Monday afternoon I will be missing work to show my support for the home team. I will be missing work to get my yearly fix of that first trip to the ballpark. And I will be missing work for the beer, the peanuts, and yes, even the pine tar. So come on, who’s with me?

NFL Draft 2007: The Top 15 DBs

2007-03-29T23:31:00.000-05:00

Last time, we took a look at the top wide receivers in the upcoming NFL draft. Now it is time to scan through the top 15 defensive backs that will have to play against those guys. This year’s defensive back crop has some very good talent. There could be as many as seven defensive backs taken in the first round. Although the second-tier guys here drop off a little from the upper echelon, expect most of these guys to be gone by the end of day one.

1. Laron Landry, S, LSU (6’2” 202lbs) – Laron Landry is far and away the best defensive back. Landry is fast and physical. His best attribute is that he is a playmaker. Teams will need to account for him at all times. He’ll develop into the next Ed Reed or Brian Dawkins, plus he’ll do it before Sean Taylor. Landry may be the "sure thing" prospect on the entire defensive side of the ball in this draft. He's probably even a better prospect than his former teammate JaMarcus Russell. Landry will be a top 10 pick for certain.

2. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan (5’11” 193lbs) – The only shutdown corner in this year’s draft, Hall has been the top corner since the beginning of the year. He had a fantastic pro day and settled some of the questions about his speed. Though he is not a burner, Hall is smart, physical, and athletic. He played at an elite level for most of his career at Michigan and is easily a notch above the other corners in this year's draft. Hall will go in the top 15 picks, if not the top 10.

3. Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh (6’0” 190lbs) – Revis is the top underclassmen amongst the defensive backs. Revis has outstanding speed and leaping ability. There are not many holes in his game. He didn’t match up against many elite receivers while at Pittsburgh, but he’s shown he has the potential to try it in the NFL. He is a fluid athlete, who will be relied upon to be a shutdown corner in the future. He’ll be a mid first round selection for sure.

4. Reggie Nelson, S, Florida (6’0” 198lbs) – Nelson burst on to the scene this past college season. Nelson lives up to the term “ball-hawking safety.” He came through and answered questions about his speed at Florida’s pro day. The biggest knock on Nelson is his lack of size and his ability to help in the run game. Nelson should be selected in the area of 15-25 in the upcoming draft.

5. Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas (5’11” 185lbs) – Houston lacks bulk, but he had a tremendous workout at the combine. Houston showed he had the speed and the strength to play at the next level. He also has a good upside after declaring following his junior season. Teams like the Broncos and the Giants will take long looks at Houston in the first round.

6. Michael Griffin, S, Texas (5’11” 195lbs) – Griffin may be considered slightly undersized, but his numbers speak loudly about his game. Griffin recorded over 100 tackles in each of his last two seasons at Texas. He possesses average speed and has shown the ability to make big plays on defense and special teams (8 blocked kicks in college). Griffin could go at the end of the first round and most certainly by the early second round.

7. Aaron Ross, CB, Texas (6’0” 192lbs) – Ross comes from a great system at Texas and will be an excellent corner at the next level. He’s quick and agile, with good speed. Ross will also turn teams on because he has experience returning punts. He looks a little thin and could use some added bulk to make him better in the NFL. Ross will start getting attention from the 23rd pick and on in the first round.

8. Eric Weddle, S, Utah (5’11” 205lbs) – Weddle is a superb athlete who did a little bit of everything in college. He played safety, corner, running back, returned punts and even tossed a few passes. He has good speed (though not elite) and great awareness. Weddle is a proven leader with exceptional instincts. There’s not much to knock about his game. It may shock some people if he is a first round pick, but he has the talent, though he’ll most likely be taken very early in round two.

9. Daymeion Hughes, CB, California (5’10” 190lbs) – Hughes has bounced around the draft already. Early last season, he was considered to be in the same class as Leon Hall, but he’s barely hanging on to the first round right now. Hughes was a first team All-American who has solid fundamentals, but lacks speed. He could still find a home in round one, but he’ll probably come off the board in round two.

10. Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami (5’10” 192lbs) – Meriweather certainly has athletic ability. The questions about him stem from his injury history and his character. Meriweather is quick and physical. He also provides versatility having played all over the defensive backfield while at Miami. Meriweather will be taken in the second round unless his off the field transgressions cause him to fall into the third.

11. Tanard Jackson, CB, Syracuse (6’0” 192lbs) – Jackson is another versatile guy who can play multiple positions in the secondary. He has adequate speed and is a fluid athlete. Jackson is another player who didn’t face much elite competition in college and may take some time to adjust to the NFL. He’ll be a solid second to third round selection for any team.

12. Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno St (6’1” 200lbs) – McCauley has very good speed and more size than most of the other prospects on this list. Though he’s not overly physical, he can hold his own. He is a good athlete that spent a lot of time in coverage in the pass-happy WAC. McCauley could be a real steal for a team anywhere from the mid-second round to the third round.

13. Josh Wilson, CB, Maryland (5’9” 188lbs) – Wilson can be a blur on the field at times. He’s has tremendous speed and is a very smooth athlete. Although he lacks height and bulk, he has held his own playing against some sizeable targets in the SEC. He could develop into a Lito Sheppard type player with some coaching. Wilson should be a third round selection to a team that can let him develop, and then replace an aging veteran.

14. C.J. Gaddis, CB, Clemson (6’0” 208lbs) – Gaddis is an intriguing prospect who surprised many people by leaving school early. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s a physical corner who also runs well. Gaddis is a solid athlete who could possibly find a home as a safety in the NFL. A potential selection in the third round, he’s more likely to go in the fourth round and could develop into an excellent starter if given some time to learn.

15. Aaron Rouse, S, Virginia Tech (6’3” 218lbs) – Rouse is an imposing presence who actually began his VT career as a linebacker. Rouse is not very good in coverage, but he’s a huge player in the run game. If he wants to play safety in the NFL, he’ll have to improve his coverage skills or he’ll have to bulk up and move back to linebacker. He plays aggressive and will make receivers fear the middle. He also has solid speed for his size. Expect Rouse to be a late third to early fourth round selection.

That wraps up this week’s position breakdown.

Next Week: The Top 20 Defensive Lineman

Daily Commute: Actual Commute Photos

2007-03-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

The city of Philadelphia has emerged from its brutal month-long winter (remember the 70+ degree days in January?), and spring is fully up and running. Extra long lunch breaks outside, beautiful women shedding oversized outerwear, unpredictable winds that make sitting in the sun a requirement, this is such an easy time to live in Philly. I'm a big fan in all seasons, but spring seems to be when everything is at its best here. Accordingly, there should be plenty of photos coming throughout the season. I've established a working relationship with my new camera (now with 1/3 less megapixels!) and hope to have taken my last subway ride for a while. The pictures from the past week's commute:

Save

Catacombs under City Hall

First blossoms, seriously I'm a geek about spring in Philly.

Ahem

I also love when business spills on to the street.

Darfur: What the Hell is Going on There?

2007-03-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
- Albert Einstein

Start with the punch line and draw them in?…nah.

Lead with a flourish, then build to a crescendo?…not quite.

Keep it simple stupid?

Somewhere amongst the endless supply of writers’ handbooks, there lies the perfect antidote for nearly every literary conundrum. Writer’s block?...just start typing. Can’t decide where to start?...work backwards from the end. Spilled water on your keyboard?...unplug your computer – then freak out. Absent from these life-saving guides is the solution to a problem that most of us encounter more often than we’d like to admit – how do we explain that which we don’t completely understand? More aptly – why should we even try?

The ongoing crisis in Darfur is a situation that is at once simply tragic and tragically complicated. Can it be explained away in one article? No. Am I the one to be doing the explaining? Probably not. Fortunately, as Einstein surmised, sometimes simplicity is a powerful common denominator. It is in that vein that I will attempt to explain to you what I have learned about Darfur – as simply as possible. Along the way I’m likely to make mistakes – please don’t hesitate to correct me. It’s not likely that you, or I, will ever fully understand the nature of this crisis – it is important that we try.

Understanding Darfur has to go deeper than a George Clooney commercial or a summer benefit concert. To truly understand, we have to address the questions that many of us quietly ask ourselves when we hear that thousands of people are dying in a far-off place. The questions might sound a little something like this: “What The Hell is Going on There?”....“Ok – So Why Should I Care?”...and…hopefully…“What Can Be Done To Help?”

Glad you asked…

What The Hell is Going on There?

Darfur is a region in the western portion of Sudan, a place that you might have heard your kids refer to as “the largest country in Africa.” Though the Nile River meanders through eastern and to a lesser extent central Sudan, Darfur and other regions in western Sudan are sans-waterfront property. As you may have surmised, living in central Africa with no local body of water is a shitty way to go through life. Vegetation is sparse, the soil is dry and arid, and your only genuine hope for a comfortable existence comes from up above – in the form of rain clouds. Unfortunately for Darfur locals, the rain clouds disbanded in the mid-1980’s and they’ve yet to return for a reunion tour. Quality of life in the region has nosedived - those with the ability to do so have migrated east. Darfur has become the wasteland of western Sudan (picture the worst place you can think of in America and multiply exponentially).

In a testament to their fortitude and perseverance, some Sudanese have continued to call Darfur home – by the millions. To segregate for the purposes of explanation, the remaining Sudanese in Darfur consist of two separate (and entirely unfriendly) groups: farmers and herders. Unfortunately, these groups find differences not only in their means of obtaining food, but also in their ethnic origins – the herders are descended from Arab ancestors while the farmers generally pay homage to black-African heritage. When famine hit due to lack of rain in the mid 1980’s, the farmers began to consume more land, cutting off traditional migration routes from the herders and leaving them uniformly pissed off.

Further adding flame to this long-standing fire is the instability of the Sudanese government itself. Mired in what appears to be an ongoing civil war with continued uprisings in the south, the government essentially turned a blind eye to Darfur in the 1990’s and into the new millennium. During the uprisings, an Arab-influenced government took power, a development that no doubt added to the lack of concern for the predominantly non-Arab Darfur.

By the early 2000’s, the uprisings against the government in southern Sudan were beginning to spread North, into areas like Darfur. Non-Arabs in Darfur, fed up with the underdevelopment and political marginalization of their homeland, began to organize into rebel groups. In February 2003, one of these rebel groups (the Darfur Liberation Front – DLF) began organized attacks against Sudanese government outposts, embarrassing the Sudanese government by exposing what appeared to be military weakness. In response to the rebel attacks in Darfur, the Sudanese government began increased efforts to arm a group of local militia-men called the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed are Arab descendants of herders and they had a bit of an axe to grind with the non-Arabs in Darfur.

What happens next depends on who is telling the story. The Sudanese government claims that a local conflict or “civil war” has erupted between different sects in the Darfur region. The government downplays the body counts and refers to the conflict as “controlled.” In contrast, the United States has gone on record to state that since 2003 there has been an ongoing genocide in Darfur. The U.S. version of the story (that many outside Sudan agree with) is that the Janjaweed have become an uncontrolled group of mercenaries who, instead of targeting members of specific rebel groups, have instead lashed out against every day citizens in Darfur – so long as they are non-Arab. The result is that an estimated 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur in less than 4 years – with in excess of 2 million being displaced from their villages and homes (which have been burned to the ground). The Janjaweed pursued the fleeing villagers to the Western border of Sudan and into Chad, where refugee camps the size of small cities have sprung up. Lack of food, water and necessities constitute the general standard of living.

Perhaps most troubling in this time of turmoil are the reports from Darfur refugees about how the attacks on their villages were carried out. The Janjaweed are largely unsophisticated in their warfare techniques – many travel via horseback and while they now have automatic weapons and some explosives (thanks to the Sudanese government), they do not make use of heavily armored military vehicles or more advanced fighting technology. Contrasting the unsophisticated weaponry of the Janjaweed are the reports of villagers who have survived the attacks in Darfur. A number of these survivors have indicated that their villages were showered with “bombs from above,” an event that suggests not only an aerial assault, but an assault carried out by the Sudanese government. The horrifying possibility is that the Sudanese military was attacking its own people in Darfur. Unfortunately, the conditions in Darfur and the inhabitability of the region have made it difficult to establish proof of these alleged air raids.

Regardless of specifics, the situation in Darfur is dire. International response has been mixed. The U.S. has termed the conflict a genocide, but has limited avenues for which to pursue relief (as well as limited interests in the region – an article for another day). The United Nations has stopped short of using the term genocide, but has stated that “crimes of war” are taking place. In the face of this damning situation, the Sudanese government has been strongly resistant to outside help – stating that any concentrated outside intervention into Darfur would be treated as an invading army.

In January 2007, the government and several of the non-Arab rebel groups signed a cease-fire – peace lasted mere weeks before another attack took place. The current approach by outside nations to the Darfur “conflict” is to send aid to the refugees in Chad and Darfur, and attempt to foster continued peace talks between the government and the rebels. The ongoing suffering in the refugee camps constitutes the only images that you MAY have seen on TV – the suffering of the dead has been mostly forgotten. As we march further into 2007, there has been no end to the tragedy in Darfur and there is an apparent international apathy (particularly in the U.S.) that the tragedy has continued.

And so the cycle comes full circle. Einstein said to keep it simple, but we have digressed into a discussion of farmers, herders, and Janjaweed. Can't we simplify this complicated situation? Can't we just call it what we intuitively see it as? Isn’t it really just conflict and suffering in a far away place that we don’t really identify with or care about? I’ll tackle that question in Part 2 of this series but for now I’ll leave you with this thought…

In December 2004, a tsunami killed in excess of 200,000 people along coastal areas of the Indian Ocean. International response was swift and powerful. Telethons, charity concerts and lemonade stands came to the aid of those in need as the rebuilding efforts began. In the months preceding and 2 years subsequent to that tsunami, in excess of 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur, yet the telethons are few and far between and the lemonade stands are non-existent. The people of Darfur have long yearned for a local water source or continued supply of rain – perhaps they should have just prayed for a tsunami.

For Next Time: Part 2 – Why Should We Care?

Spikes Traded to Eagles...

2007-03-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Philadelphia!

On Monday, March 26, 2007, the Philadelphia Eagles sent veteran DT Darwin Walker and an undisclosed conditional draft choice to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for former All-Pro OLB Takeo Spikes and 11-year veteran backup QB Kelly Holcomb.

The move made sense for both the Eagles and the Bills. The Eagles have invested a mountain of money and draft picks in the DT position, especially in the last two years. They spent first round draft picks on DT in each of the last two years, drafted another in the seventh round, picked up a veteran this offseason and re-signed a backup in 2004. Now, instead of stockpiling DTs, Andy Reid has finally made the decision to start investing in some much needed help at OLB. Although Spikes' production waned in the past two seasons due to an Achilles tendon injury, he is healthy again and is poised to make a great return to the field.

For the Bills, the time to strike a deal was now - before Spikes's contract skyrocketed in the next two years. Why not get something they need while getting rid of something they can live without? Since Sam Adams' departure over a year ago, the Bills defense has been struggling to get a push up the middle. In this trade, the Bills rid themselves of two things: (1) a big salary for an aging veteran and (2) a possible QB controversy that has been brewing since 2005. In turn, they acquired a solid DT that is still in his pass-rushing prime.

Spikes' Impact
Spikes is 6'2" and 242 lbs. He will provide a dominant force from the outside linebacker position. He knows how to make plays and is always around the ball. Spikes will most likely replace strongside linebacker Dhani Jones.

In Dhani Jones's 7 year career, he has made 446 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 1
FF and 4 FR. In the first 7 years of Spikes's career, he has made 791 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 12 INTs, 10 FF and 15 FR. Spikes is just a hands-down playmaker, and the upgrade the Eagles have made is very obvious.

Kelly Holcomb's Impact
With only McNabb and Feeley on the roster for QB, the Eagles needed a veteran presence in the backup position. Ideally, teams like to have three QBs on the roster: a starter who is in his prime, a young backup QB who is waiting in the wings and learning, and a veteran QB to give some good advice and serve as a sounding board for the starter. Donovan is the unquestioned leader and starting QB of this team. However, there are times (unfortunately many times) when he gets that unmistakable look of loss on his face. These are the moments when a veteran like Holcomb can have a calming influence. With all of the different offensive systems Holcomb has seen over his career, he should have no problem picking up the Eagles' version of the West Coast Offense.

Darwin Walker's Impact.
The Bills DT position has not been its strongpoint. But this new coaching staff is starting to make the necessary changes. It began with drafting John McCargo in the first round last year. He played in 5 games, where he registered 6 tackles and 1 pass defended. The other DTs for the Bills are forgettable and once Walker steps into the lineup, then will be even more so.

This trade makes sense for both sides. It will be exciting to see how it plays out on the field next season.

Book Review: In the Name of Honor - A Memoir

2007-03-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

In the Name of Honor: A Memoir by Mukhtar Mai

The first time I was introduced to an honor crime was in an anthropology class my freshman year of college. The crime took place in Iran and involved a girl in her mid-teens. She was accused of raising her head and making eye contact with a man. Less than 24 hours later, she was dead; stoned to death by over thirty villagers. I was shocked and appalled! How in the 21st century could these medieval practices still be tolerated? Little did I know, that was only the beginning. Over the next two hours, dozens of more brutalities were described. These women were beaten, tortured, disfigured, raped, and killed for crimes which included dressing “inappropriately”, partaking in “forbidden” relationships, and looking at someone the “wrong” way. I saw pictures, watched videos, and listened to personal accounts. I felt nauseous… disgusted…and powerless.

In the Name of Honor: A Memoir rekindled those disturbed feelings. This narrative is a reminder that these atrocities continue throughout the world on a daily basis. This is the story of a single event so gruesome, it should have killed its victim. But instead of succumbing to societal expectations, this author fought back. Her story is one of suffering and despair, but also courage, dignity and hope. Thankfully, in the spirit of a happy ending, it proves that one person really is capable of impacting this world.

In 2002, Mukhtar Mai was a 28-year-old woman living in the Meerwala village in the Punjab providence of Pakistan. Like most Muslim women in this feudal farming community, Mukhtar never learned to read or write. Although divorced, Mukhtar was a peaceful, honorable woman who taught the Koran (through memory and recitation) to the village children. She was as respected as a woman in her position could be.

On a late June day, Mukhtar’s 12-year-old brother was falsely accused of talking to a daughter from a powerful caste. In a matter of hours, the accusations against the young boy progressed from talking, to stealing the family’s sugar cane, to raping the woman. Mukhtar’s family begged her (her tribal justice council orders her) to visit the neighboring Mastoi clan and ask for forgiveness. Her brother has been in jail for nearly 12 hours, and she is his only hope. She faithfully agrees and travels to her neighbors. Instead of understanding, she is met with pistols, rifles, and men filled with hatred and contempt in their eyes. In front of hundreds of bystanders she is dragged through the street and locked in a stable. She is repeatedly gang-raped by four men (all Mastois) and then tossed out on the street, naked, alone, and shamed.

These men did not kill her. They did not have to. In rural Pakistan, women so defiled are expected to commit suicide. They are no longer pure in the eyes of men, and are a source of shame to their family. For days, Mukhtar contemplates how she will kill herself. Only the watchful eye of her caring mother prevents her suicide. Then, as anger for what has been done to her and her younger brother begins to consume her, Mukhtar becomes empowered. She no longer feels shame for what has been done to her, only hatred for her attackers. Although it has never been attempted before in her village, she decides to seek justice by pressing charges. This is an extreme decision for a woman in her village, where as Mukhtar says:

“A woman is nothing more than an object of exchange from birth to marriage… Men have the monopoly on vengeance, which passes through violence inflicted on women… Before I lived in absolute submission; now, my rebellion will be equally relentless.”

With no education and little support from her village, she battles corrupt officers, lying testimonies, and endless threats on her life. After numerous setbacks, she finally is victorious and her government begins to change its “blind eye” acceptance of local clan tribal justice, which has meted harsh punishments without any type of judicial protection on women for so-called honor crimes. Her case gained international notoriety and NGOs from all over the world pledge their support.

In a matter of months, Mukhtar transformed from a submissive Islamic peasant woman to an outspoken women’s activist. With money from her settlement, she opens the first school in her village, the Mukhtar Mai School for Girls (Mukhtar means “respected big sister”). After the first year, over 300 children, both boys and girls are enrolled. Children from the Mastoi clan are even invited to attend. Her goal is to teach literacy to young girls so they are not powerless and develop tolerance and respect in young boys. Five years later, her school is still growing. She has employed more teachers and purchased livestock in an attempt to make the school self-sustaining. She travels the world, acting as an ambassador for human rights, but always returns back to her village in Meerwala.

This book is translated first from Mukhtar’s native language into French, and then into English. It is written in casual speaking style, and at first I was concerned that its message might be lost in the translation. But that is not the case with this 170 page narrative. The simplicity of the writing makes it all that more accessible for people of all walks of life. Hatred is Hatred, Violence is Violence, Strength is Strength, and Love is Love...no matter how you word it. All of which strongly resonate with the reader. I highly recommend committing a few hours to reading, In the Name of Honor: A Memoir. Mukhtar Mai’s story, both heartbreaking and inspirational, deserves to be heard.

Matt Schaub Trade Analysis

2007-03-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

The Atlanta Falcons this past week traded away Matt Schaub (their back-up QB) and their 1st round pick (10th overall) in this year’s NFL draft. Those two pieces were sent to the Texans for Houston’s first (8th overall) and second round picks this year, as well as their second round pick in next year’s draft. Also this week, Schaub signed a 6-year contract worth $48 million. Not bad for a back-up quarterback who has never won a start in the NFL. So what were these teams thinking?

Atlanta’s Perspective:

This trade was a slam dunk for the Falcons. With Michael Vick still wowing fans with his speed and agility (although not that much winning), Schaub was never going to be a starter for this team. Although he has filled in nicely when Vick has been hurt, he still has yet to win a game as a starting QB. That said, most teams around the NFL feel Schaub has the potential to be a top quarterback in the league. Every off-season, teams have been trying to trade for him (see Minnesota last year). The Texan’s were the team to finally get it done.

To obtain two second round picks in addition to moving up two spots in the first round for your back-up quarterback was simply masterful. Moving from the 10th spot to the 8th spot won’t change their pick, but it should assure them of landing their man - Laron Landry from LSU (to check out who everyone else will be taking in the first round, read my latest mock draft here). It is the two second round picks though, that I see as being the biggest key to this deal.

The Texans aren’t exactly a model franchise in the NFL. They have not been a good football team and there is no reason to think that Schaub and the rest of this year’s group will do much to change that. This means that the second round pick for next season could be even better than the one in this year’s draft (and this year’s is in top 10 of the second round). This is clearly a top-notch trade for the Falcons. Bobby Petrino will certainly be given some quality players with which he can build his team.

Houston’s Perspective:

The Texan’s side of this trade is not as immediately clear. While the Falcons got draft picks, which have a clear and calculable value, Houston got Matt Schaub and the aforementioned 10th pick overall. Moving down to #10 shouldn’t change the Texans pick. I had them pegged for Levi Brown from PSU at #8 and if he gets by the Dolphins at #9, the Texans will have traded down two spots and still gotten the man they want and need. So while I’m sure the swapping of first round picks this year was key in getting the deal done, I don’t see it playing out as a major impact in the trade.

Matt Schaub is the key to this deal. The problem with this trade is that, from the Texan’s side, it is all based on potential. If Matt Schaub becomes a top quarterback who leads the Texan’s for the next 10 years and makes them a competitive franchise, then this was obviously a great trade for Houston. On the other hand, if he is completely inept and turns out to be another bust, then the Texan’s will have to rebuild yet again. Houston could become the first team in NFL history to rebuild 3 different times before ever becoming competitive.

That is why this trade is so important for the Texans. Matt Schaub certainly has the talent to be a good, possibly great, player. He has to step up and be the man for a franchise who passed on Reggie Bush. Think about that. Not only does Schaub have the pressure of a $48 million contract, but also of being the guy who the organization is counting on to make the fans forget about passing on Bush. Either one of those on its own is enough to make a talented player fail worse than Ryan Leaf, but combined, it is enough to drain Superman of his powers faster than Kryptonite.

Final Thoughts:

Right now, this is clearly a win for the Falcons. The 8th overall pick and two second round picks for a back-up QB and the 10th overall pick is huge for a franchise with a new direction like Atlanta. Best case scenario for the Texans is that Schaub becomes a star, wins Super Bowls, and turns Houston into a dynasty. If that were to happen, it would obviously be a win for the Texans, but Schaub can just make the Falcons competitive, the trade might be even. For right now though it’s advantage Falcons…Superman better get to work.

NCAA March Madness - Day 7

2007-03-23T23:32:00.001-05:00

Ok, so once again we had another .500 night against the spread and a 75% straight up. Although I'm a little shy of both of my goals, there is still a slight chance I surpass both of them. Last night all of the top seeds inched their way closer to the tournament. Will this be the first year all of the #1 seeds get to the final four? Don't bet on it. The first #1 seed falls now!I expect the team in BOLD to win outright.

Saturday March 24, 2007

10* Game of the Year Play

Ohio State Buckeyes -2 over Memphis Tigers

Holy Buckeyes! How has OSU survived up to this point? They should have been bounced the last two games, yet here they are on their way to a possible final four appearance. I usually love playing against a squad who holds on the week before by a hair, but there seems to be some magic behind the Buckeyes this season. Knowing that the Tigers are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win definitely helps our chances. It doesn't hurt knowing that the Buckeyes are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games. It looks like my NCAA Basketball pool just got better. Buckeyes win a close one!

UCLA +2 over Kansas

Another one-two matchup ready for the pickin! If you asked me when the tournament started whether or not I thought the Jayhawks were the real deal, I would have said no. If you had asked me again after their first two tournament games, I would have said they were going to beat my Final Four Bruins in the Elite Eight game. Now, after watching them struggle versus an overrated Southern Illinois Saluki squad, I have changed my mind again. The bottom line is you can't judge a team by its most recent performance. Handicappers realize this, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Jayhawks crush the Bruins tonight. My only concern is the trends are all on the Bruins side. The Jayhawks are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Pac 10, while the Bruins are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog of 0.5 to 6.5 pts and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a win % above .600. Maybe I'm a little biased because one of my final four teams is the Bruins...or maybe not. The Bruins are off to Hotlanta!

Best of Luck,

Pikes

Pike's NCAA Documented Record: 47-9 S.U. (84%) and 30-23-3 ATS (57%)

NCAA March Madness - Day 6

2007-03-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

Goodbye Buckeyes? Not so fast. Yesterday may have been one of the greatest days in the history of college basketball. How will the other #1 seeds fair the remaining tournament days? Let's see what happens...
I expect the teams in BOLD to win the game outright.

Friday March 23, 2006

Georgetown -7.5 over Vanderbilt
North Carolina -8.5 over USC
UNLV +3.5 over Oregon - Pike's Best Bet Game of the Day!
Butler +10.5 over Florida

Best of Luck,

Pikes

Pike's NCAA Documented Record: 44-8 S.U. (85%) and 28-21-3 ATS (57%)

NCAA March Madness - Day 5

2007-03-22T18:12:00.000-05:00

How sweet it is! Do you think the games have lived up to the hype thus far? Even though I've hit an impressive 85% straight up in the tournament, my bracket is looking a tad beat up. Currently my mother in-law is winning the annual family tournament. Usually we laugh at her because she picks all the #1 seeds to go to the Final Four (this year included); however, this year she could be on to something. So what gives? Is the tournament extremely boring because the top seeds are running away with it? I think it's just that the top seeds are playing like top seeds should. I never dreamed OSU would come back from a 9 pt deficit against Xavier last Saturday. I didn't expect Oregon to be where they are today. I really thought Miami OH would beat them. I think Texas A&M is a fraud yet they are in the Sweet 16 and could be headed to the Final Four! So is this tournament going to continue to play out as it should, with the top seeds earning a trip to Hotlanta? Time will tell. Until then, let's profit!
I expect the team in BOLD to win the game outright.

Thursday March 22nd

Memphis +3.5 over Texas A&M

Ohio State -4.5 over Tennessee
Kansas -8.5 over So. Illinois

Pittsburgh +3.5 over UCLA

BET OF THE NIGHT.....4 pt teaser with Kansas -4.5 and Pitt +7.5!

Best of Luck,

Pikes

Pike's NCAA Documented Record: 41-7 S.U. (85%) and 27-18-3 ATS (60%)

Daily Commute: The Resurrection

2007-03-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

Following in the proud tradition of Fantastic Four: Rise of Silver Surfer, Rocky V, and Long John Silver's, I am resurrecting a franchise that maybe should be left in the archives. My work commute photos have been on hiatus as a result of a broken camera, but Seth was nice enough to ship me his (quite) old Olympus so I could start up again. To prepare you for the upcoming return of more poorly composed, badly lit, and clumsily executed pics you may or may not have despised before, here are five pictures from my personal archive. Appropriately, the theme of my morning crossword puzzle was a quote: "Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

30th Street Station, Philadelphia

War Eagle Mill, Arkansas

Great Sand Dunes National Park - Middleofnowhere, Colorado

Just off the 16th Street Mall - Denver

Denver Botanic Gardens - Um, Denver

Actual commute pics will be back next week!

A Millen to One Odds

2007-03-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

“There’s always next year.”

It seems that every year dejected fans in all but one NFL city mutter that very sentiment minutes after the final loss of the season. In Detroit, they mutter it after the first preseason loss. What if that were all about to change? What if the pieces of the puzzle finally were to paint a beautiful picture filled with loads of confetti and Super Bowl rings the size of Barry Sanders? It may sound far-fetched, but it could be the greatest tale of redemption the gridiron has ever seen.

When it comes to Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen, it’s often hard to tell the difference between the facts and the myths. Is it really true that Millen was once a Super Bowl winning linebacker? Yes, he won rings with the Raiders, Redskins, and 49ers. Speaking of San Francisco, did Millen really insinuate that Jeff Garcia was gay when “Latino Heat” was in Detroit? No, that was Terrell Owens. Was Millen the guy behind the first round selections of Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams? Yes, although he forgot he didn’t have someone to throw them the ball.

It's been a forgettable journey for Millen to this point. Those tuned into the world of professional football are well aware that he is already covered up to his fuzzy mustache by the waters of failure. Yet even though most normal people would have already drowned under the pressure of perpetual scrutiny, Millen has soldiered on and now stands at the edge of his greatest battle. This could be a story about engineering the greatest comeback in NFL history. Forget about Montana or Elway. The road to redemption runs through the front office. Specifically, Matt Millen's office.

As spring hits full swing in late-April, Millen will round up his advisers, scouts, and coaches to take one last chance at saving his job. A good draft would make ownership drain some of the water out of Millen’s office. Millen needs to select at least three players who can start or provide significant contributions to the team - this could help the Lions at least double their win total from last season. A great draft would consist of finding a stud in the first round, perhaps in the form of Joe Thomas (who could anchor the line) or Brady Quinn (who could provide a stable force to throw the ball to the plethora of wide receivers). The Lions would still need production from two or three other youngsters, but they could realistically get to 7, 8, or even 9 wins. Even this modest improvement would mark a major change for a franchise which is on the verge of replacing the old Bengals as the benchmark of futility in the NFL.

On the other hand, this April's draft could lead to a dreadful disaster in the Motor City. If Vegas had a line on Millen returning to the Lions next season, the odds would not be good. It is highly unlikely for any team, let alone the Lions, to find three or four rookie starters in one draft. Sure, the Lions' draftees won't have alot of competition in training camp, but they will still be rookies. Furthermore, it's not a given that Joe Thomas will be able to make a huge impact his rookie season. As for Tom Brady…I mean...Brady Quinn - he should remember the name "Tim Couch". If that doesn’t work, maybe the name "Ryan Leaf" will shake him up.

I know our Detroit readers want to say “there’s a chance,” but Custer had a chance too. Millen could create a story of redemption that would make Bob Marley cry like no woman can, but it’s not likely to happen. This draft is not going to be enough to save Millen. He may put a few pieces in place that help the franchise a few years from now, but he's not going to be getting that new posh office. Millen may have come in like a lion, but he’ll be leaving with his tail between his legs. The worst part is that it’s too late for him to do much about it.

Somebody needs to pass Matt Millen a snorkel. He’s going to need it, because it's hard to hear someone tell you, "there's always next year," from under water.

NFL Draft 2007: The Top 15 WRs

2007-03-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

It’s now time for the fastest of the fast and the quickest of the quick. We’re taking a look at the best wide receivers available in the 2007 NFL Draft and where they are projected to go in the upcoming draft. Here are the sure-handed fellas who will be catching passes in the league for years to come.

1. Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech (6’4” 235lbs) – Johnson is far and away the cream of the crop at WR, if not the entire draft. Johnson’s impressive 40 at the combine may not be his most impressive attribute. Johnson has fantastic ball skills and his college highlight reel will leave you speechless. This top prospect won’t escape the top 5 of this draft.

2. Ted Ginn, Ohio St (6'0" 180lbs) – Ginn gets the number 2 nod because he is electric on the field. Though he may disappear for stretches, he is a threat to score every time the ball is in his hands. His lethal return skills give him an edge over Meachem and Jarrett, who are both more polished receivers. Ginn should be gone in the top 15 selections.

3. Robert Meachem, Tennesee (6’2” 205lbs) – Meachem is a complete receiver. He does everything from running crisp routes underneath to burning defenders deep. He is also a threat after the catch and his breakout junior year proved he’s ready to carry the load. Expect Meachem to be drafted in the mid-first round.

4. Dwayne Jarrett, USC (6’5” 215lbs) – Jarrett is a huge mismatch for almost any defensive back. Jarrett uses his height extremely well to shield defenders and should be just as successful in the NFL in the red zone. He lacks elite speed, but runs good routes and has great hands. Jarrett and Meachem will compete to be the third receiver taken in this draft.

5. Dwayne Bowe, LSU (6’3” 215lbs) – Bowe gets the nod over Sidney Rice because he’s a more polished receiver than Rice. Bowe showed consistent improvement at LSU and will be a reliable receiver at the next level. He lacks elite speed but, like Jarrrett, finds ways to get open. Bowe will be a mid-to-late first round selection.

6. Sidney Rice, South Carolina (6’4” 202lbs) – Rice had a brilliant, though short, career with the Gamecocks. He posted nearly identical numbers in both his seasons at SC. Rice has great body control and is eerily similar to Jarrett. Rice should be a sure mid-to-late first rounder and may turn out to be a real steal for the team that drafts him.

7. Jason Hill, Washington St. (6’2” 205lbs) – Hill may have been a first round pick after posting solid sophomore and junior seasons, but an inconsistent senior season dropped him from a lot of teams radars. He answered some questions about his lack of speed by running a 4.3 40yd dash at the combine. He still has the potential to be an impact receiver. Expect Hill to be the first wide receiver taken in the second round.

8. Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio State (6’0” 195lbs) – Gonzalez was overshadowed by Ted Ginn at OSU, but he could flourish into a solid number 2 wideout at the next level. Gonzalez put up almost identical numbers to Ginn in 2006, but lacks the homerun ability to be a stud wide receiver. He does run good routes and has solid hands. He’ll be an early-to-mid second round selection.

9. Steve Smith, USC (6’1” 195lbs) – Smith has the potential to be a fantastic player in the NFL. He polished his skills over four seasons at USC and improved each season despite being overshadowed (literally) by Dwayne Jarrett. Smith is quick and is a crafty route-runner. He’ll be taken in the second round (hopefully by Carolina…I’m still hoping for the Steve Smith tandem).

10 Craig Davis, LSU (6’1” 200lbs) – Davis falls into the same area as Gonzalez and Smith. He is a solid possession receiver who runs well, but won’t blow by everyone. Another player who stayed in school and improved each season. Davis made some big plays for LSU and that will help him find a home early in the third round.

11. Jacoby Jones, Lane (6’4” 210lbs) – Jones should be the biggest beneficiary of Marques Colston’s success last season. Jones runs a 4.4 40yd dash and was also a threat as a return man. He’s a big target who should find success at the next level if he can acclimate to the tougher competition. Jones should be a successful third round selection for a team that can give him some time to develop.

12. Yamon Figurs, Kansas State (5’11” 175lbs) – Figurs figures to be this year’s answer to the Devin Hester phenomenon. Figurs has wowed scouts with his abilities as a return man, and though he has work to do as a receiver, he could find a niche as a Dante Hall type player for any number of teams. This electrifying return man will be gone by the middle of the third round.

13. Joel Filani, Texas Tech (6’3” 220lbs) – Filani may come from a pass happy offense which inflated his numbers, but his size and athleticism will get him into the NFL. A sizeable target, he ran a decent 40 at the combine and is a great red zone threat. Although he may not ever develop into a number one receiver, he’ll be a smart selection in the mid-to-late third round.

14. Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP (6’0” 180lbs) – Higgins was a solid receiver who exploded onto radar screens with a tremendous senior season. He lacks ideal bulk, but Higgins makes up for it with decent speed and a good vertical leap. Higgins has a chance to be a serious slot threat and will be another mid-to-late third round pick.

15. Mike Walker, UCF (6’2” 195lbs) – Walker is a fearless player who makes catches everywhere on the field. He put up very good numbers in his collegiate career and should continue to develop in the NFL. He doesn’t have amazing speed, but he’s well rounded and consistent. Walker could lead a bunch of receivers off the board in round 4.

The Best of the Rest
Aundrae Allison, East Carolina (6’0” 190lbs) – great athleticism, could be a steal
David Clowney, Virginia Tech (6’1” 180lbs) – good skills, lacks stats to back it up
Matt Trannon, Michigan State (6’6” 230lbs) – great potential with his size and skill
Brandon Myles, West Virginia (6’1” 185lbs) – potential homerun threat, lacks bulk
Steve Breaston, Michigan (6’1” 180lbs) – another dangerous return man, decent in the slot
Courtney Taylor, Auburn (6’2” 205lbs) – solid player with run for improvement
Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame (6’2” 210lbs) – solid and consistent, durability questions
Dallas Baker, Florida (6’2” 205lbs) – catches lots of touchdowns, but poor workouts
Chansi Stuckey, Clemson (6’0” 190lbs) – former QB, crafty route runner, good hands
Paul Williams, Fresno State (6’2” 200lbs) – little known, but potential to make an impact

Next Week: The Top 15 Cornerbacks who will have to match up with these guys