Fat People Moving Places!

What a fatso!

The Jets have evidently traded 3rd and 5th round draft picks to the Panthers for Kris Jenkins. I approve of this deal. Here are the reasons:

1. In general, I am okay with trading mid- and late round picks for proven NFL commodities. It does upset me, because it reminds me that the Patriots were able to steal Randy Moss for a 4th rounder last year. By comparison to that heist, no other trades are a good value.
2. Dewayne Robertson is a fat waste of space, and a waste of the 4th pick in the 2003 draft. As a point of reference, the Number 9 pick in that draft was Kevin Williams, who plays the same position and has made a Pro Bowl. Numerous other pro bowlers were drafted after him as well. Getting Jenkins lets us rid of him. Getting rid of him just to save me the emotional anguish is a good enough reason to make this deal.
3. Sure Jenkins is an overweight slob, but at one time he was good. And really, most of the D-tackles in the NFL have issues of some sort, weight or otherwise. Haynesworth and Shaun Rogers are 2 quick examples. Jenkins has been to 3 Pro Bowls, and was a key cog of the ferocious Carolina line that featured Martin Rucker and Julius Peppers. Sure they had some problems last year, but its still an improvement over Dewayne.
4. The Jets, stupidly, play a 3-4 defense even though it makes Jonathan Vilma, who was arguably their best player for a few years, obsolete. Sure David Harris can get the job done, but it still is sad to see us waste such a talent. Anyway, it helps to have a huge fat man in the middle of a 3-4, to eat up blockers. Maybe Jenkins can pull that off, or maybe I'm just grasping at straws here, because the Jets were so bad last year.

The again, I also was pleased with the Zach Randolph trade when it first went down, and we all have seen how that turned out. When your team is terrible, it can make you delusional, but for now, I have convinced myself that this trade is a good idea.

Update: The Bengals just got Shaun Rogers for the same price. He has the same problems as Jenkins, but with a bit more attitude. He also did this...

So would I rather have had him? Probably. Of course he's a Bengal now, so he'll probably get arrested. Oh well.

Obama Likely to be Presidential Nominee, 1st Pick in 2008 NBA Draft

Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. impressed Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves scouts this afternoon in South Carolina after daring him to make a 3 pointer. Without warming up, Obama took three dribbles, squared up, and sank the shot on his first attempt. "People were skeptical," said the confident Air Hussein "first shot...straight through...I've got skills".

Heat Vice President of Player Personnel Chet Kammerer said, "Barack had a really great workout today -- [he] really showed he can play under pressure. We're last in the league in points per game right now; we could certainly use some help on offense."

"He's a once-in-a-lifetime guy," commented Jim Stack, the Timberwolves GM. "I've coached no one that compares to him. He's got a great shot and can finish drives with both his left and right hand."

Neither team would comment on possible contract negotiations, though both stated that they are interested in what Obama could bring to their respective franchises.

a Word on Fan Bigamy

Many people have a real problem with fan bigamy, meaning being a fan of two teams at once. Bill Simmons, for example, is a staunch opponent of the practice. I feel that situationally, fan bigamy is acceptable.
Growing up in New York, I was raised a fan of the Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers. The Mets, Nets, and Islanders/ Devils never entered my thoughts. While i still keep up with these teams, I do not give them anymore attention than I would a team from Chicago, Kansas City, or Bumblefuck.
However, when it came to Football, I always was a fan of both the Jets and the Giants. One would play at one, and one would play at four. In total, they have played each other a grand total of four times since 1996, which is right about when my sporting memory begins. Moreover, it seemed for a long time that the teams would alternate years of success and mediocrity. It just became natural for me to support both teams. I currently own both a D'Brickashaw Ferguson jersey, which i hope does not become obsolete in the near future, and an Osi Umenyiora jersey. My support is evenly divided. It made the Giants victory all the more sweet, as it was over one of the Jets rivals. I bring this up to clear up any confusion that may arise as the Draft approaches. I understand many people who did not grew up in a two- team town (basically everyone not from New York, Chicago or LA) has difficulty understanding my position, which is the reason for this clarification.
Other kinds of bigamy are unacceptable. For example, if you are a fan of the Cowboys and Packers, it is clear you are simply a bandwagon hopper from the mid- to late 90's. If you like Duke and Carolina, The Red Sox and the Yankees, or Ohio State and Michigan, it is clear you don't really like any of these teams at all. Point is, bandwagon fan-dom is despicable, and rooting for two rivals is just absurd. Until I stop seeing a ground swell of Red Sox paraphernalia every time they win the World Series, and other such bandwagon tomfoolery, i will take no attacks on my football fan-dom seriously.

Symbolic injury

Since we are a bunch of UNC homers around here (right Box?), I thought i'd include a video of Dook's mascot hurting himself. Injuries= hilarious. This is why nerds and surfboards don't mix.


Video courtesy of Awful Announcing

Picture Perfect - Mike Dunleavy, Jr.

Kyle Orton would be proud

Dunleavy vs Corey Brewer - this photo has not been doctored

Say "what" again! SAY - "WHAT" - AGAIN! I dare you!
I DOUBLE-DARE you, MOTHERFUCKER!
Say "what" one more GODDAMN time!

Goodbye Brandon Lloyd

So the Washington Redskins have once again released a high profile off-season acquisition. Yesterday, the Redskins dropped disgruntled wr Brandon Lloyd, who they had traded for during the off-season 2 years ago. At the time, Lloyd was considered to have great potential, a possible wr on the rise. He had just come off a season in which he had 48 rec for 733 yards... a 15.3 ypc and had 5 tds. He also had the catch in the picture, which was the only real thing he had ever done in his career, except for the fact that it was called back for holding, and so he really has done nothing.

But back to the story, while these stats may seem pedestrian to you, you must understand the team he was playing for. Lloyd was the #1 threat on a team that was stacked with guys like Arnez Battle, Johnnie Morton, Rasheed Marshall, Marcus Maxwell and Jason McAddley. His star rb was Frank Gore, however he was in his rookie season and was only able to muster up 608 yards on the ground, with only127 attempts. He did not have any 1 stable qb, as Alex Smith, Tim Rattay, and Ken Dorsey all saw playing time, with none being effective in any way, shape or form. Alex Smith threw for 875 yards on 84 attempts... completing barely over 50% of his passes. He had a Qb rating of just above 40, had 1 touchdown and 11 interceptions. Tim Rattay fared a little better, as he had a qb rating of a little over 70. Yet he only threw for 667 yards on 56 completions, while completing 57.7% of his passses. Dorsey is terrible, and thus I do not even want to mention his statistics as if he is playing qb for your team...you know you are in trouble.

Now back to Lloyd. That year he had a fairly decent year. He was a #1 threat on a terrible offense team. Their offense ranked LAST in the entire nfl in passing yards, 17th in the nfl in rushing yards.. making them.. you guessed it LAST overall in total offense. They were an atrocious team. Little hope for anything (sad thing is they still are and are still going nowhere...at all...poor san fran). However Lloyd seemed to be going places. He was in his 3rd year and had improved each year. His rookie year he had only 14 recpetions for 212 yards and 2 tds. In 2004, he had 43 receptions for 565 yards and 6 tds. These aren't bad statistics for a 4th round pick in the 2003 nfl draft. The biggest problem about Lloyd was that he was a distraction for the 49ers. Many said that he was a malcontent, and was always bitching and complaining about the team and his coaches. He often took plays off and was considered to have a terrible work ethic and attitude. The team and the player eventually got on such bad terms that both decided it was time for a split, and the Redskins happily came in and took the Lloyd off the 49ers hands.

For you see, the Redskins were coming off a season in which their offense had once again been terrible. Their defense was respectable, but their offense was a joke. Their passing offense ranked 21st in the league, and most of the yards it gained were from simply wr screens. The team did have a very good running game with clinton portis who ran for enough yards for thier rushing offense to be ranked 7th in the league. However, in the end their offense ranked 11th in the league, and was not scoing nearly enough points. They did have Santana Moss, who had just come off a fantastic season, catching 84 balls, for 1483 yards (a team record) and 9 tds. The problem was that after Portis, Moss and the young Chris Cooley, the offense had 0 threats. So the team decided to go out and get more talent at the wr position. And thats exactly what they did. They went out and signed Superbowl winning wr Antwan Randle El from the Pittsburgh Steelers to a ridiculously large contract. But that was not enough or them, so they then went out and traded for the disgruntled BLloyd, giving the 49ers a 3rd and 4th round pick. It seemed the redskins had finally found their wr core, and that their offense would finally become a dynamic force. They stole Al Saunders from the Kansas City Chiefs, and once again the Redskins and their fans were full of optimism.

However. Lloyd never panned out. In his first year with the redskins, he was only able to muster 23 catches for a measly 365 yards and 0 tds. He clashed with the coaching staff, was caught flicking off his wr coach and going on a nasty little profanity filled hissy fit once practice. He even got so upset that during a game he took his helmet off, while on the field, and slammed it on the ground, earned himself a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty as well as a 1 game suspension from Coach Joe Gibbs.

In 2007 he was poised to have a breakout year once again. Gibbs have given him another chance, and even allowed him to start in week 1, alongside #1 wr Moss. However, Lloyds attitude never improved, and his playing time rapidly decreased as his production remained non-existent. In 2007 he had only 2 receptions for 14 yards, and only played in 8 games, but really only saw action in about 5. He broke his collar bone in november and was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Gibbs retired this offseason, the only man in the organization who ever really gave Lloyd a chance. Thus it is no surprise that new coach Jim Zorn decided that it was time to let Lloyd go and be a bitch somewhere else. Lloyd will be considered a June 1st cut, and thus will not harm the redskins salary cap this season, but will cost them nearly 5.5 million dollars in 2009. Lloyd will save the skins roughly 1.3 million dollars after June 1, and thus has done nothing for this organization but cost them roughly 11 million dollars over 2 years for 25 catches, 379 yards and 0 tds.

Lloyd has more potential than probably any other wr on the skins roster. He is quick, has a great leaping ability. He is 6'0 200 pounds and is only 25 years old. If some team can figure out how to keep him happy... and get him to play hard..they might be able to have a good wr. He can be a decent #2 and if he puts in real effort could be a mediocre #1 wr. He has the potenti

al he just doesn't have the drive or the maturity at this point. In the end he was a massive waste for the redskins and the skins are a much

better team now thats hes bitch ass is out.

UNC

This site is wayyyyy to biased towards UNC fans. Both JT and Shenanigans are UNC students and obviouly have way to much love for their alma mater. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being a fan of your school, but constantly bashing other teams ahead of unc...simply because they are ahead of unc is not the way to do things. Now lets get things straight, I go to a shitty D3 school whose basketball team is actaully fairly good, but remember its D3. I do not get into college basketball like I did when I was in high school and truly do not care one bit who is#1 and who wins the ncaa tourny, until of course I make my bracket for March Madness. I do understand that Tennessee is a streaky team. They launch 3 after 3 and if they are on, they are tough to beat, and if they are off, they are tough to lose to. But I can think of a lot of teams, both past and present that rely on the the 3, namely The Duke Blue Devils back when GayGay was there. If he had a bad night, Duke usually lost, if he was on, Duke usually won. Now I'm not saying they were a good team, but for some reason every thought they were a good team. They were probably a pretty overrated #1 but people never really said anything about them. Tennessee can be a dangerous team come tourny time if they can get hot and stay hot. WHO KNOWS. Shooting up 3 after 3 is not a bad way to play as long as you dont have a bad shooting night. Really this article has no relevance to anything at all and is pretty stupid. I just wanted to say that these UNC fans are getting on my nerves so I thought id write on something I know nothing about.. whatever GO TERPS 2008 NCAA CHAMPIONS

Update: For the record, I would have voted Duke #1 over Tennessee. It isn't mindless bashing. It's just that they are not a good team. They were not deserving of being voted the top team in the country and that is why their reign at the top lasted only about 2 hours. Kentucky is tied with them for the SEC lead and will more likely than not, beat them this weekend. They live and die by the three. Fact is (I understand they have shot pretty poorly over the past couple of games) they cannot shoot free throws. You can't win in March with a 64.5% FT. Everyone knows you don't shoot free throws during a pick up game. Someone remind Coach Ferrigno and the Vols that they are playing college basketball.

Update again: I openly admit that I know little about college basketball... im just tired of reading stuff about UNC.

Bruce Is Loose, Vols Still Suck

Tennessee looked great last night. They would run blacktops in Knoxville all day. I don't think you could find another five guys off the side of the road who could play streetball any better...actually, I'm pretty sure you could. ''I want to be ranked No. 1 at the end of the year,'' senior guard Chris Lofton said. Not going to happen.

The Vols might be one of the most undeserving #1 teams of all time. Vandy's 6-3 record at home against top ranked teams is impressive, but the Vols are only #1 by default. Shenanigans gives "Coach Ferrigno" too much credit. I don't think I've ever seen the Vols run a play on offense. He's too busy groping Erin Andrews and chasing jailbait. Go get 'em, Bruce.

The Vols shot only 68.8% from the line, 32.8% from the field, and 26.9% from beyond the arch - best team in the country indeed. What does Pearl even tell his squad during time outs or at halftime? "Alright boys...just keep launching 3s, keep them on their heels, and uh...YEAH!!! LET'S FUCKIN' RAGE!"

The great Wayne "Blism" Chism had a great night, scoring 4 pts, including his dunk with 7.5 seconds left. Tyler Smith shot 4-11, and Lofton is a "good" 3 point shooter by volume. Who takes 15 3 pointers in a game? What amuses me is that when Tennessee misses another clutch free throw, they look around in disbelief. They've made a habit of missing jumpshots and layups, so why should they shoot any better at the line? ESPN's late night headline read "Dores look like dangerous tourney team after knocking off No. 1". I beg to differ. Vanderbilt is an average team who beat a shitty one by 3 points.

Some thoughts on Tennessee

I would like to thank Tennessee for beating Memphis and then losing to Vanderbilt. Let it be known that Memphis would probably beat Vanderbilt by 15 or so. Now UNC can get the Number 1 seed in the east regional, which has plenty of good ramifications that I choose not to get into. Now for some thoughts.

• One dimensional 3 point shooters make for some really good college basketball players. Have fun in Europe Shan Foster and Chris Lofton. Where have I seen a player like you before?

Oh yea!

• Vanderbilt's (arguably) best player, Freshman center AJ Ogilvy, played 12 minutes and had 4 points and 3 boards. He averages around 17 and 7 a game. And they still beat the "number 1" team in the nation.
• If you take Foster and Jermaine Beal out of the equation, the Commodores shot 1 for 11 from 3. Oddly enough, if you take Chris Lofton out of the equation (a different equation, i suppose), the Vols also shot 1 for 11 from 3. Quality shooting performance by both sides, clearly.
• On any given night, the Vols can beat any team. They are very deep, and are like a combination of Duke and Memphis; They have tremendous athletes and can shoot from deep. However, they can also brick all there free throws (see Memphis) or go cold from deep (Duke), which makes them an entirely beatable team.
• Vanderbilt's court is set up absurdly and clearly had a major influence on the game. Bruce Pearl was about to have a stroke.
• UNC should be Number 1 in the upcoming polls, and they have Ty Lawson coming back. Things are looking up in Chapel Hill. Full disclosure, I go to UNC, so I am biased/ quite pleased about this.
  

Zach Randolph is the Greatest

Courtesy of http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/

As you may have guessed, I am a Knicks fan. This has not been a fun thing since, oh, the lockout year where the Knicks miraculously made the finals. Currently, they are just miserable to watch. David Lee is the only player on the team who is worth anything. It has gotten so bad that I, along with many other Knicks fans, actually convinced myself that trading for Zach Randolph was a GOOD idea. That was mainly because Steve Francis was a team killing cancer. Little did I know that Zach Randolph would make Stevie Franchise look like a benign tumor. (a cancer analogy, classy.)
This video essentially sums up the Knicks over the past few years. Sadly, I see no end in sight, because Isiah is a failure as a President and as a Coach, and James Dolan is a failure for not firing him ( he can't exactly fire himself, can he? Seriously, can he?)
At least a garbage team like the Sonics has a future. They have Kevin Durant and cap room. The Knicks have neither of these assets.
On the bright side, the Knicks aren't going to be moving to Oklahoma City anytime soon, although that would probably save me a lot of grief and annoyance.

Troy Williamson

The Jacksonville Jaguars seemed to have traded for a 6'1 203 pound wr, who runs the 40 in 4.32 seconds, and who has a 37 inch vertical. Most people would say that looking at that, that the Jaguards have found something special, a talent that could make their offense more explosive and more dynamic. However there's a "catch", the wr's name is Troy Williamson, and the problem is he honestly cannot catch a football.

Back in 2005, the Minnesota Vikings traded away all-stud, insanely good and possibly the best wr of all time, Randy Moss, to the Oakland Raiders. In return for this awesome talent, the vikings got almost nothing, in lb Napoleon Harris, the 7th overall pick back in 2005 and a 7th round pick later in that draft. With that #7 overall pick, the vikings drafted the heir apparent to the now gone Randy in, the aforementioned Williamson. Williamson, who has blazing speed has always been said to have a TON of potential. The man can fly and has the ability to separate from the defender, and can even jump up and get the ball in the air. The only problem is, he cant seem to bring that ball into his hands and hold onto it. In his first year,

Williamson had 24 catches for 372 yards and only 2 tds. He was given a pass as he was a rookie and rookies tend to have trouble in their first year. However, in his 2nd year, Williamson was only able to muster up 37 rec for 455 yards with 0 tds. Then in 2007, Williamson was only able to catch 18 balls for 240 yards and 1 td. He also had 9 drops in the past year, and 11 drops the year before that. Which means, that in the past 2 seasons he dropped more balls than he caught in 2007. Thats pathetic. I can think of one game, opening night against the Redskins back in 2006, in which Williamson had beaten his defender. Brad Johnson (yes he was their qb then hahaha) threw up a perfect pass that hit Williamson perfectly in his bread basket only to see Williamson let the ball drop right through his hands. The play would have resulted in a td and probably would have allowed the vikings to run away with the game. This was a common sight in Minnesota and thus the Vikings have given up on him and traded to the Jaguars, and back to Mike Tice.

Ironically it was coach Tice who was heading up the vikings back in 2005 when Williamson was drafted. Now it seems that Tice, Jacksonville's Assistant Head Coach/Offense has decided that he can bring the potential out of Williamson. Tice, whose nickname around the league is meat head, wasn't able to do much with williamson back in 2005, and the chances that he can now are pretty slim. Williamson will be added to an already poor wring core in Jacksonville. Those include, converted qb Matt Jones, underachiever Dennis Northcutt, former 4th round draft pick Ernest Wilford, and 2004 1st round draft pick Reggie Williams. None of these wrs scare anybody, and although they all have size, with Jones being 6'6, Reggie being 6'4 and Ernest being 6'4 as well... none of them have caught more than 62 passes in a year, (Northcutt back in 2003), none have caught more than 806 yards (again northcutt back in 2004), and none have caught more than 7 tds (Wilford back in 2005) other than Williams who had 10 this past season, which was a pretty impressive feat. 1/ almost every 4 catches for Williams was a td last season, which shows that the kid has potential, but then again he was still only able to catch 38 passes for only 629 yards, so really minus his td total, a very average-poor year.

While Williamson might seem like a good idea, as he is only 24, has only 3 years of nfl experience, has blazing speed and has an impressive vertical leap, he has proven over the last 3 years that he really cannot catch the football. It is not that he hasn't tried to improve his hands, as this past off-season he went out and caught 10,000, an impressive feat, however he dropped the very first pass he was thrown to. People have claimed that his hands are not the problem, that he has had poor vision throughout his nfl career. While that may or may not be true, I do not think that his sight really could be that big of a problem. You see the man makes millions of dollars a year, and if his sight really was the problem, he would have went and fixed it. Why would he go 3 seasons knowing his sight was bad, knowing that he has had trouble catching balls and then not go and fix it?

Well, Williamson finally did get eye surgery this offseason, and he has now been given a 2nd chance with the Jaguars. If it works out, Tice and th Jaguars might have found themselves a star. A player who will consistently force teams to double team him, and will open up the field for Reggie Williams, as well as Mojo Drew and Fred Taylor. The Jags have little to lose in this deal, as Williamson doesn't pan out, they would have simply thrown away a 2nd day draft pick, most likely a 5th rounder, which usually does not produce anything special. Thus, while most of us KNOW Troy will never learn to catch, the Jags have made what could possible be seen as a steal come next season. Who knows, maybe next year at this time, I'll be saying what a great trade this was and comparing it to the Pats trade this past season, for coincidentally, Randy Moss

picture from profootballtalk.com

The Combine is Awesome

"...life's this game of inches...so is football...because, in either game,life or football,the margin for error is so small, i mean, one half a step too late, or too early, and you don't quite make it, one half second too slow, too fast, you don't quite catch it, the inches we need are everywhere around us...they're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us, to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch...because we know,when we add up all those inches,that's gonna make the fucking difference, between winning and losing! Between living and dying!"

- Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday

That is why the combine is awesome. Football is a game of inches. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal that a guy didn't run a sub 4.4 40 dash, or couldn't bench 225 35 times, or have a vert over 35'', but it certainly does matter. No, the players aren't wearing pads or helmets and the 40 doesn't always translate into game speed, but all of those inches add up.

January 10, 1982...NFC Championship Game...49ers vs Cowboys. The call is Red Right Tight - Sprint Right Option. Joe Montana avoids a sack and throws a high, floating pass towards the back of the endzone. Dwight Clark jumps up and just manages to get his fingertips on the ball and brings it in for for the game winning score. What if he jumped an inch less than he did? What if Montana's pass was an inch too high?

Maybe Titans WR Kevin Dyson would have been able to get past Rams LB Mike Jones if he was 0.10 of a second faster.


Being a step faster matters. Ask Devin Hester. Being able to shed a block and blow up a play in the backfield matters. Ask Pat Williams. Being able to push the pile, keep your feet pumping, and make yards after contact - fight for that extra yard matters. Ask Adrian Peterson.

Combine stats aren't the be-all and end-all in determining which players are going to be studs and which ones are going to be busts. However, they certainly do show which players have the best chance to be successful in a league where everyone is fast, strong, agile, and hostile. And that is the reason why NFL front offices are willing to pay millions upon millions of extra dollars to guys who do run a 4.33 and not a 4.67, who can bench 225 lbs 34 times, instead of just 27, and do have 40'' verticals, instead of only 38''.

It's a game of inches.

The Combine is Stupid

For the record, I actually enjoy watching the NFL Combine. This makes me one out of about 12 people. However, I am really getting sick of how much stock the combine results get. Two examples.

Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden is awesome. He was a dominant force throughout college. He was almost universally discussed as the best player in this year's draft, and he was only a Junior. However, when the season ended, all the sudden questions began arising about him. Off the field trouble and leg strength were two of the complaints I heard. I even saw one Mock draft that had him dropping all the way out of the top 15 picks. Without playing a down, somehow his stock was plummeting. Then, the combine rolls around and McFadden runs a 4.33, and jumps out of the building on his Vert. All of the sudden, all of the questions are answered. I have two problems with this. First off, the questions were baseless and stupid in the first place. Second, how does his ability to run 40 yards fast, when we all knew he was fast in the first place, answer any of these questions?

Mike Hart

There have been questions about Mike Hart since High school. He is not big, and he went to a very small upstate New York high school. At this high school, he was able to set the NATIONAL rushing record, and single handedly lead his team to state championships three years running. I played the same class of football in New York as Mike Hart, so it is easy to see how he was so dominant. People wondered whether this ability would transfer to college, let alone Michigan. Well, Hart proved wrong any doubters, as he had a very productive college career. Going into this year's draft there are still questions about his size, but his productivity over the past four years seemingly put those to rest. Then he ran his 40...

OH MY GOD HE RAN IN THE 4.6 RANGE!!!!!!

All of the sudden, people are questioning Hart's draft stock. "I feel sorry for [Hart] because he's such a great guy," said a scout. "But he's 5-8 and 4.7. You can forget him." It is beyond my understanding how a player running two tenths of a second slower than desired can undo four years of success. Since when does running forty yards in a straight line have anything to do with your ability to run between the tackles? What good is running fast down the field when you cannot find a hole to run through?

Sure, the combines fun and all (for me and eleven other nerds), and it gives us some more stats to spew out when we have to try to justify the terrible pick our team made in the Draft, but I have to hope that NFL scouts are smart enough to disregard stupid numbers when game tape clearly indicates that an athlete can play.

Tigers Vols Letdown

"I don't know if we're the best team in the country...but i do know we're 40 minutes away from being the #1 team in the country," Bruce Pearl shouted in the visiting locker room, trying to fire up his Volunteers.

Well Bruce, you're definitely not the best team in the country. To be honest, I don't even know how you won tonight.

There was an amazing amount of hype for a game with so little substance. Tennessee shot 24-64 (37.5%) and 6-19 from 3 (31.5%). Memphis was 23-56 (41%) in FGs and 8-27 from the three point line (29.6%). All of Memphis' 3s came in the first half. The shot charts look retarded - especially Tennessee's:

Tennessee
Memphis

The final score was 66-62, not on account of good defense, but instead because of horrible shooting. Tennessee's streetball against Memphis'...something else. The gameplan for both teams must have been to shoot 3 after 3, miss most of them, and then drive the lane, making sure to miss most of your opportunities inside. No defense needed...because the opposing offense can't score anyway.

With less than a minute left, Memphis passes up 2 open shots, only to miss the layup to take the lead. Dozier and Dorsey, both Memphis players, then drag themselves to the floor. Tennessee ball. It isn't that they lost composure and missed a critical shot...that's just how they played all game. Antonio Anderson then jacks up a horrible shot, way to the left of the rim, which shot back off of the backboard. J.P. Prince made the FTs he had to, even if his first shot hit every part of the rim twice, before falling through. The game almost put me to sleep, but I kept watching because it was in HD.

If that was really #1 against #2, Kansas, Duke, UNC, UCLA, Texas, and all the other Top 25 teams must be thinking they have an even better shot in the tournament than they did before.

I wish they would have given Erin Andrews more face time.

Fool me once...

Kelvin Sampson should be fired immediately. Not because his offenses were overly egregious, because they weren't. In fact, like many of the NCAA's overly strict rules, the rule he broke was, in rational eyes, a minor infraction. He called some recruits too many times. Boo freaking Hoo.

Sampson should be fired because he is a moron. Seriously, he was already punished by the NCAA for infractions at his previous job, and upon taking this job he was warned that there is no place for such hijinks and shenanigans at Indiana. Not only does he go out and break rules despite this, but he breaks THE EXACT SAME RULES. He may be a quality basketball coach as his record indicates, but he is clearly a stupid, selfish individual.

Why is he selfish? Who knows what the punishment will be for this round of indiscretions, but if it in anyway prevents this guy...... From participating in the NCAA tournament, it will be a travesty. A player as talented as Eric Gordon needs to be displayed in front of the nation, for his benefit, and for the benefit of every basketball fan, college or pro, in the nation. Of course if he maintained his commitment to Illinois he would not have been in this situation...

Running backs are expendable

Its a terrible time to be an aging running back. The Carolina Panthers have recently parted ways with 28 year old rb DeShaun Foster, and it seems that the Seattle Seahawks will soon be cutting former MVP rb Shaun Alexander. Foster has never been what the panthers expected when they drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2002 NFL draft. Foster, a former UCLA bruin, ran for 41 touchdowns in his 4 years with the Bruins and ranked in the top 10 overall at UCLA in touchdowns, yards and points scored. However in the NFL he never once ran for 900 yards or scored more than 4 tds in one year. The Panthers decided to draft another college star in the 2006 NFL draft in DeAngelo Williams. Williams has been the better running back over the last 2 years average a higher ypc and more tds.

Shaun Alexander, 30, however was one the brightest stars just 2 years ago. He was awarded the MVP back in 2005 when he ran for 1880 yards, scored 27 tds (an NFL record at the time) and ran for 5.1 yards per carry. He was considered to be one the best running backs, never having a ypc less than 4.0 in his entire career and having rushed for over 1000 yards in 5 straight seasons. During that time period, 2001- 2005, he scored 87 rushing tds as well. He had also never missed a game in his NFL career playing in all 16 games every year including his rookie year. The Seahawks saw this and decided to reward their star back by signing him to a massive extension of 8 years for 62 millions dollars with a signing bonus of 11.5 million dollars. It was the largest contract for a rb ever at the time.

However, once rewarded for his effort it seemed Alexander had little motivation. In 2006 he rushed for a career low 3.6 ypc and only 896 yards, his worst mark since his rookie campaign. He also missed his first game of his NFL career... when he broke a bone in his foot and missed 6 games. He did however score 7 touchdowns, but as a whole his 2006 season was a disaster by any account. His career seemed to only get worse though, as last season he was only able to play in 13 games last year due to an injured wrist. Even when he was healthy enough to play, he seemed to be very unproductive and seemed to have lost a step. Alexander only ran for 716 yards and 4 tds, by far the lowest totals of his career since his rookie season. He averaged only 3.5 ypc and was often times considered to be too slow and too indecisive throughout the year.

To me both teams are making wise decisions. DeShaun Foster's replacement, DeAngelo Williams is a better running back than Foster is, with a much higher ceiling. Foster has never been all that productive and really is a pretty average running back at best. Look for him to get minor interest from a team like the Houston Texans who do not even have an average running back on their roster, or from a team like the Arizona Cardinals who could use a replacement for the aging and declining Edgerrin James.

Alexander's release may come as more of a surprise around the league, as he is only 2 years removed from his MVP season. However, Alexander, who has never been considered to be a fast back seems to have lost what little step he ever had and has become more of a pussy when trying to hit holes that his line creates. His ypc has dropped the last 2 years for a few reasons. First, obviously, because he isn't a good running back. 2nd, because his line, which was one of the best in the NFL back in 2005 is not nearly as good anymore. After his MVP season, the Vikings signed all pro guard Steve Hutchinson away from the Hawks, drastically hurting the line. It is no coincidence that Alexander's numbers have declined with the loss of one of the best guards in the NFL.

In the end, this is proof that in the nfl running backs grow on trees. Each year a back seems to break out and become an NFL star, exemplified by Adrian Peterson's break out rookie season. Year in and year out new running backs enter the league and take over for aging veterans who are no longer serviceable. With the amount of hits an nfl rb takes its no surprise that a 28 year old running back is considered to be old and no longer useful to his current team, and that a 30 year old, ex MVP, running back has "lost a step." In the NFL, no job is harder to keep than the position of running back.

Sharp As A Whistle

Duke sucks. Their fans didn't even care about college basketball until they got to campus (the ones that aren't complete douches will admit to this). Coach K is a rat bastard.

"Our team – there is something missing this week. We are not the same team these past two ball games. It is almost like someone came in and invaded their bodies or something. We have given up 91 points a game these last two games. It’s not what we do at Duke, but also it’s not what these kids have done. I don’t know if it’s the time of the year, or if they took a deep breath, or whatever" said Coach K after the game.

It isn't Duke's fault they have lost two straight games against two teams that have a combined record of .500 in the ACC. Someone came in...invaded their bodies with some voodoo bullshit...and forced them to give up more points than they can score over the last 2 games. It isn't because Duke's players are slow or unathletic, a set of rich, white stiffs. It's because its February and all of their players took a deep breath...or whatever.

Duke's only athlete can't shoot. Henderson FG percentage is alright at 46.9%, but he usually just drives and makes layups. He can't make a free throw and his dad knows it, hates it, and probably beats the shit out of him because of it.


"In reviewing important data from those seasons, one discovers an undeniable trend. Mike Krzyzewski's teams are not nearly as talented as they once were, yet the combination of a deceptively unchallenging schedule and accompanying rise up the polls leads to the same, lofty expectations as always. These Blue Devils, however, rarely achieve them..." writes SI's Stewart Mandel, "The rate of pro success for Duke's McDonald's alums is significantly lower than that of all others during the same time period, which begs the question: Did Duke recruit these players because they were good enough to be McDonald's All-Americans, or did many of them become McDonald's All-Americans simply because Duke was recruiting them?"

They are going down. Hard. I wouldn't be at all surprised if don't make it past the first round in March for the second straight year. And for the record I said VCU would beat Duke last year. Got-hamz!

Why Barry Bonds is an Ass Hat

There is, quite obviously, a great deal of animosity towards Mr. Barry Lamar Bonds. In fact, this near-universal (San Francisco excepted) hatred of Barry is most likely the reason that, despite the fact he can still hit better than most of the players in the Major Leagues, no American League has taken a chance on him at DH yet this off season. He would probably hit 86 Home runs if he played DH for the Yankees, with the Short Porch in Right Field that Yankee Stadium has. Despite this, I want no part of him. We have enough aging Steroid abusers at DH on our roster (cough*Giambi* cough).
Why is Barry so reviled? There are three main arguments. Argument one:

His Steroid Abuse has Tainted the Game of Baseball

Let's be clear. Barry Bonds did use Steroids. Let us look at some evidence shall we?

Young Barry, with his normal size head and skinny arms.


Old Barry- Who is Gigantic.

Statistically evidence, which also points to this abuse, aside, these pictures say it all. However, It is safe to assume that at least half of Major Leaguers were using something this time, based on the amount of names George Mitchell uncovered based on essentially interviewing two clubhouse attendants. Sure Barry cheated, but so did everyone else. So while it does kind of suck that the history of baseball is forever tainted by the rampant drug abuse of this era, Barry cannot be blamed for this. Argument Two:

Everyone is Racist!

This argument is ridiculous in my opinion. Let's look at two more pictures, shall we?

The First Guy is Hank Aaron. He had the Home Run record until Barry broke it. The second guy is Ken Griffey Junior. He was on track to break the record before injuries began to plague him on a yearly basis. What do these men and Mr. Bonds have in common?

They are all African American!

Shocking I know. How can the hatred of Bonds be race based when he broke the record of someone within his own race? Additionally, had Griffey broke the record, he would have been totally supported by Baseball fans. Why is this? Argument Three:

Barry Bonds is a Jerk

Ken Griffey Junior was and is a fan friendly player, who is always smiling and seems to genuinely enjoy the game. Bonds, in contrast, is seemingly always in a bad mood, hates the media, and in general acts like a tool. To make matters worse, he has been trying to act like a victim of these steroids allegations, when it is fairly clear he did in fact use. Just own up to it Barry, the lies are more despicable than the usage in the first place (Hear that, Roger). The hatred of Bonds is not because he cheats or is black, those are just reasons people or the media use to rationalize the hatred. Really, it is simply because he is not a nice guy. Had he never used Steroids, he would still be a 500 plus home run player, and a sure-fire Hall of Famer. he would also still be an unlikable jerk. It is almost a shame that the steroids have tainted what would have been a pure, genuine hatred of Bonds simply based on his asshole nature.

R.I.P. Patriots Fans

I hated you more than Brady Quinn hates gay people. Victor Thompson - enjoy that Patriots logo forever etched on both sides of your pasty white head. Wicked awesome idea, Victor. Good riddance. Fahkin' cahksuckas.

NO He Is Not A Hero

No shenanigans Jeffrey Maier is not a hero. He is what is wrong with sports. EVERYTHING. Fans are spectators, they are not supposed to interact with the play or the players in any way, shape or form. Players are on the field for a reason and fans are not. Maier decided that he was too good to obey the rules and decided to be a prick and reach over and change the course of a game. If he didn't steal that ball, it is caught by Tarasco, the O's would have won that game, would have won that series and maybe would have gone on to win the world series. Then the O's would not have fallen apart, would not have turned into the losing team it has been for the last 11 years and thus that article would never have been written. So to you Jeffrey Maier I wish the worst. I wish the worst possible outcome for you in life and hope that you are a complete and utter failure in everything you do. Fans are in the stands, not on the field. STAY there...let the players play and don't interfere. You and Mr. Bartman. Unbelievable. Please Maier kill yourself for me so I don't have to do it for you. Thank you thats all.

A Brief Rebuttal

Jeffrey Maier, "That douche bag kid" Box mentioned, is a hero.


Go Yanks!

That is all.

Hope in Baltimore

I have been an o's fan for my entire life. I can remember that douche bag kid from yankee stadium reaching over the fence and taking that ball away from Tony Tasasco back in 1997, the last time the orioles had a chance for anything. Since then its been one disaster after another. It's gotten so bad at oriole park at camden yards that fans are now protesting the games themselves, by getting up and walking out in the middle of an inning. The orioles have become laughable losers, unlike the cubs who are the lovable losers. However, it seems as if there might be some hope. I think I can begin to see a light at the end of this 11 year tunnel.

But first let me say one thing, Eric Bedard I will always love you and will miss watching you win the cy young for the next 3 years. It will be hard to watch as you dominate the Al and watch you take the mariners to the playoffs and maybe even win them a world series with King Felix. Thank you for all the great years and Baltimore and thank you for being a great competitor even though our team was a complete and utter joke.

Now, I have to say thank you one more time to Bedard, for bringing in 4 possibly awesome prospects, 22 year old center fielder Adam Jones, 19 year old right handed pitcher Chris Tillman, 20 year old left handed pitcher Tony Butler, 23 year old towering right handed pitcher Kam Mickolio and another possible trading chip in 30 year old left handed set up man/closer George Sherrill. These kids, and Sherrill, are going to be the backbone of this organization for the next decade or so, and while it is sad to lose a guy of Bedard's talent and well, awesomeness, it was something that had to be done.

So lets analyze the haul the o's got in return for him, starting with the prize prospect of the group, 22 year old Adam Jones. Jones is considered to be a 5 tool prospect, and is considered to be a more than above average cf for years to come. For those of you who don't know what a 5 tool player is, it is someone who can hit for power, average, has good if not great speed, has a good throwing arm and is a good defensive player. Guys that are or have been considered 5 tool players are Ken Griffey jr., Carlos Beltran, once upon a time Barry Bonds (even pre-steroids), Alex Rodriguez and a few others. These players are pretty rare if they actually pan out and are always hot commodities in the baseball world. Jones is considered to be the gem of this 5 player haul and will be immediately penciled in as the Orioles starting cf for the next 10 years. Jones gives the birds a very strong, young, outfield as he is paired with budding star right fielder Nick Markakis a possible 4 tool player, he does not have balzing speed and thus he is not a 5 tool prospect. But back to Jones, in his last year in the minor leagues at the AAA Tacoma Rainiers, Jones put up impressive numbers, hitting for a .314 batting average, 25 home runs, and batted in 84 runs. In only 101 games. Thats about 1 home run per 4 games meaning in a regular reason of 182 games he'd hit 45 dingers, not bad at all for a cf. Jones has been compared to Torii Hunter, as well as Mike Cameron.

Moving along to George Sherrill. Sherrill is going to be pencilled in as the orioles closer this upcoming season, as their current closer, Chris Ray, had tommy john surgery and will miss most if not all of the 2008 season. Sherrill throws from a deceptive delivery which confuses batters as the ball leaves his hand. It is hard for the batter to pick up the spin of the ball coming out of his hand and thus they have a hard time guessing what pitch he is throwing until the ball is up at them. Sherrill posted solid numbers last year for the Mariners, appearing in 73 games as a relief period, throwing 45.2 innings, with an earned run average of a low 2.36. He had 56 strike outs in those 45 innings and had a record of 2-0. He also recorded 3 saves. However, Sherrill's best attribute to the Orioles is that he is another trade commodity. Solid left handed relief pitchers are fairly hard to come by, and if Sherrill can rack up 30 saves or so this year he will be able to bring in another great haul of prospects in a trade next offseason.

Chris Tillman is the player with the highest ceiling of any of these players. He stands at 6'5, the prototypical height for a starting pitcher. Tillman, at a young age has 2 plus pitches, meaning an above average major league pitch in his fastball and cut fastball. He is working to improve his other pitches as well and has the potential to be a #1 or #2 starter in the major leagues. Last year in at A+ ball, Tillman started 20 games, throwing 102.2 innings. He had an era of 5.26 and had a record of 5-7. While those numbers don't seem to be that impressive, you must remember that he was only 19 years old, and its not really his era and record that matter. Tillman struck out 105 batters in that time, which is a very very impressive feat. Having more strike outs than innings pitched is rare, and shows that he can be dominant if he can figure out how to pitch instead of just throw, which most young prep stars do in the beginning of their careers. Scouts have compared him to Gil Meche who has been a very dependable starter and has stepping into an ace role with the Kansas City Royals the past 2 seasons or so.

Tony Butler is the other starting pitcher the o's got in this trade. Butler also has prototypical height for a pitcher, standing at 6'7 and is also extremely young at only 20 years old. Butler has 3 plus pitches in a 92-97 mph fastball, a sweeping curve ball, and a solid change up for a kid who was still pitching in high school just 2 years ago. He is still somewhat wild with his command, but remember he is only 20 years old and command can be obtained over the years (look at Curt Shilling). There is no reason that if he is allowed to progress properly over the next few years that Butler could not become a solid #2 starter for the birds. Scouts have compared him to Scott Kazmier the ace for the Tampa Bay Devil rays and one of the young bright stars of baseball.

Kam Mickolio is also a towering 6'9 right handed pitcher. Mickolio is projected to be a relief pitcher for the orioles but at 6'9 he seems to have a bright future there. The taller a pitcher is, the harder it seems that he is throwing. Guys like Daniel Cabrera and Mickiolo are so coveted because if they can harness their potential they can be lights out game in and game out simply because of their size. Mickolio posted a 1.82 era in AA ball last year, throwing in 29.2 innings and striking out 27 people. He was rewarded for this effort in the middle of the year by being promoted to AAA, where he was still dependable, throwing in 24 innings while striking out 28 batters. His era rose to a 3.75 but he is only 23 and that is not a bad era for a man making his first appearance in AAA ball.

Now I know that all prospects don't pan out. I also know that even some that do don't pan out to their full potential. I understand that and thats fine. The thing that is so promising is that the birds are actually making smart moves. Trading away players with talent to get a number of players that might have talent. They are building their up their farm system with talented players and thus while not all of the prospects will pan out, some will. They are playing the game of numbers, getting as many talented young players as they can and hoping that some work out. It is the first time I have ever seen the o's do this in my entire lifetime. I can see a future here and it gives me hope. Look for the birds to be terrible in 2008, probably the worst team in all of baseball. However, look for them to be decent in 2009 and then good in 2010, with them possibly playing for a world series in 2011. Andy McPhail seems to know what hes doing and I have hope for the first time in forever. LETS GO BIRDS!!!!!!

Quentin Thomas, Psycho T, and Some Red Paint

Early this morning, Chapel Hill police found one of the Old Well's columns covered in red paint. The Old Well is one of the University of North Carolina's most recognizable symbols. While the column was repainted white by 8am, this incident should provide some extra incentive to beat the shit out of NC State (15-10, 4-7) tonight.

One of the reasons why the Tarheels are 24-2 has been the emergence of Quentin Thomas, the senior G from Oakland, CA. Under QT, UNC averages 86.4 points per game, 15.2 assists per game, and shots 45.7% from the field, compared to 89.2 points per game, 18.5 assists per game, and 45.7% with Tywon "MyShitsMeanAndObscene" Lawson. Coach Roy Williams praised QT's efforts saying,

"I think with each and every game, he has learned how to get through mistakes and not turn around and make another one right behind it. He's learned to put the play behind him and think Tiger Woods, next shot the way we do it is 'Next play.' I think that that's been something that's been important to him. I think he's gotten more and more confident in each game and that in itself has enabled him to get through a tough play or a tough stretch. And he's getting more healthy. That's probably bigger than anything," Williams said.


QT has become so adept at putting the play behind him that sometimes he doesn't even know what the score is: "The funny thing about it - I told somebody, I didn't even know we were down by two. I thought we were down by one until I looked up at the scoreboard. I was like, 'Yeah, I really have to make these [free throws],'" he said after the Tarheel's game against Clemson. Thomas is shooting a career high 73.9% from the charity stripe. Over the last three games, Thomas has shot 7 of12 from the floor, 1 of 2 from the 3 point rage, has 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and has averaged 6.3 assists, to just 3.3 turnovers per game. I've always known that he has sick handles, but this year, he's no longer playing ball like a crackhead who got a hold of the wrong stuff.

Hansbrough's shooting has also improved from the beginning of the season. Psycho T shot below 50% in three of Carolina's first four ACC games, but has shot 50% or better in five of seven ACC games since. Being able to make the short- to mid-range jumpers also makes him a lot more dangerous - also making him a better NBA prospect. Defenders are going to have to guard him away from the basket, which will allow him to drive like a maniac and throw up some retarded looking baby hook shot that somehow seems to find its way through the hoop, more often than not. Like Thomas, he is having his best year at the free throw line, shooting 81.4% on the year. Hansbrough is averaging 22.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg, and is making a case for POY honors.

The Tarheels have been plagued by injuries all year, but once we get Lawson back from a high ankle sprain, we should have a really good chance to win another National Championship. Especially if Ellington can keep raining down threes, if Green doesn't try to be a hero every time he touches the ball, and if Deon can keep improving.

But for tonight, let's all take a huge dump on NC State's doorstep.

A post that nobody will care about

The NHL still exists. Shocking I know. Even more shocking is that (some) people still care about it!
I am one of those people, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, I am a Rangers fan. Today, this is not a good thing. I will allow ESPN's headline to say it all...

Habs rally from five down, top Rangers in SO to cap biggest rally in team history

God. dammit.

The Rangers were supposed to be good this year! They spent a small fortune to obtain two of the top available free agents this offseason in Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. They already had two surefire hall of famers in Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. They also have Sean Avery, who likes to fight people and dated this lovely young lady...

Picture courtesy of Maxim

Point is, the Rangers were supposed to be good. Sure they had defensive liabilities, but come on. Thankfully they are still in line for a playoff spot, but I fear this could be one of those demoralizing, franchise crippling losses. Remember a few years back when the Nets blew a 21 point lead to the Celtics in the fourth quarter? Sure, they were still good for another five years, but now they suck. And I blame that loss! stuff like that lays dormant in your psyche for a while, but it will come back and get you eventually.

Alright maybe not, but it was still an embarrassing loss.

And now back to sports people care about...

Image Problem?

The NFL Player seen showboating his way into the endzone is Jerome Mathis. According to Profootballtalk.com, Mr. Mathis was just arrested for choking is pregnant girlfriend. Classy.


This is Dwight Howard. He has never choked his pregnant girlfriend. And he is far better at what he does than Mr. Mathis. For the most part, few NBA Players have gotten in trouble for off the court mischief, while countless NFL players have committed crimes. Jared Allen, Jerramy Stevens, Leonard Little, Mike Vick, and Pacman Jones are among the most severe examples of NFL players who have misbehaved off the field. Najeh Davenport once Shat in someone's laundry basket. I am compelled to ask, why is it that according to a Harris Poll, the NBA is the league with the image problem?
Bill Simmons, the espn.com writer whose homerism even I find egregious, insinuated in his column yesterday that the reason for this discrepancy is race. Sure the faces of the NBA are black, while the faces of the NFL are, as ridiculous as this may be, The Manning Brothers, Tom Brady, and LaDainian. However, anyone with two eyes can see that most teams in the NFL, with the exception of New England, are predominantly NOT Caucasian. Simply put, playing the race card is a cop out excuse.
The NBA has an image problem because most people do not watch the NBA. The NFL has at most 20 games in a season for a team (GO BIG BLUE). This makes it pretty simple to watch games. Moreover, the games are entertaining to watch, and watching the product on the field makes people put the off the field nonsense on the backburner.
People should watch the NBA. The athletes are incredible, and it is a quality product. However, 82 games a year, plus playoff, is a lot of basketball to watch. Additionally, ESPN and TNT seemingly have decided that the only teams worth watching are the Spurs, Lakers, Pistons, Mavs, Suns, and Rockets. The Celtics have recently joined this list. Before the recent trade flurry, These teams were, with the exception of the Suns, fairly boring to watch. A repetitive and boring product is not going to draw viewers, so casual observers instead focus on the occasional non-basketball related problem that the league runs into.
There is hope, however. The recent trading explosion, coupled with the emergence of young, well behaved talent like Dwight Howard, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, etc., makes Professional Basketball intriguing once again. Now it is up to the programmers to vary the games that they show. Show me Hawks- Blazers once in a while, Dammit!
The image problems with the NBA are not caused by Race, they are caused by lazy television executives. For the first time since the Melee in Detroit, things are looking bright for the NBA. Sadly, it is the NFL that must now clean up after itself.

The Patriots Can Suck My Balls

I hate to ostracize an entire segment of readers with my first post, but most Pats fans can't read anyway.
I am Greg, a.k.a. Shenanigans, and I'll be adding my two cents, which will range from moderately humorous and moderately insightful to neither humorous nor insightful. Regardless, I hope you all tingle with anticipation of my future ramblings.
My Posts will discuss football, as well as Basketball, Baseball, and whatever other sports related nonsense I feel like blathering on about.
I am from New York, and my sporting allegiances are unabashedly slanted toward my New York Homerism. With that said, allow me to official say...

New York Giants= Super Bowl Champs
New England Patriots= Individuals who can suck my balls

Madden Trying To Keep The Black Man Down*

The Madden Curse is real. And dominant African American athletes are falling victim to the Man because of it.

It all started back in 1998...Madden NFL 1999 featured all-star HB Garrison Hearst of the San Fransisco 49ers. Garrison Hearst's '98 season was spectacular. He rushed for 1,570 yards and 7 tds, leading his team to the divisional game against the Atlanta Falcons. After reaggravating his hamstring against the Packers in the previous game, Hearst broke his ankle on the first play against the Falcons. The 49ers lost 20-18. Hearst didn't play until 2001.

In 1999, EA Sports was blood drunk and decided to end the careers of two great running backs. Madden NFL 2000 had two different covers - one with Dorsey Levens who was lucky enough to play for the greatest football franchise of all time and one with John Madden himself and a small picture of Barry Sanders of the Lions in the right corner. In 1997, Levens rushed for for over 1,400 yards, was voted to the Pro Bowl, and became recognized as one of the best HBs in football at the time, helping Green Bay reach 3 straight NFC Championship games along with 2 Super Bowls, winning one of them. Levens injured his knee during the 1998 season, and while he rushed for over 1,000 yards in 1999, he was released in 2001, and was out of the league by 2004. Not even Sanders could elude the Madden cover curse. Sanders retired before the 1999-2000 season.

Madden NFL 2001 sported Eddie George on the cover. In 2000, he had career highs in both yardage and tds...but he also fumbled 8 times and cost the Titans a playoff game against the Ravens, by handing Ray Lewis a pick 6. In 2001, George was bothered by a toe injury and only averaged 3 ypc, rushing for a career low 939 yds and only 5 tds. He never averaged more than 3.4 ypc for the rest of his NFL career.

Daunte Culpepper was on the 2002 cover. In 2000, he threw for 3937 yds and 33 tds, rushing for 7 tds as well. Fearing that Culpepper would revolutionize the QB position and pave the way for generations of even more black Hall of Fame signal callers, they decided to crush the seeds of change. They came too late to prevent Doug Williams from winning a Super Bowl, to destroy Warren Moon's career, and to make sure Randall Cunningham would be all but forgotten, EA took out their frustration on Daunte. While resilient in 2004, helping me win my fantasy football league by throwing for 4717 yards and 39 touchdowns, he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns over the past 3 seasons. Daunte is a great example of a dream deferred.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O0qTD8q3KRw

Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. 2003. After 4 straight 1,300 yard seasons, and recording almost 1,600 total yards and 10 tds in 2002, Marshall Faulk never broke the 1,000 yard mark for the rest of his career.

Michael Vick was on the 2004 cover. Vick fractured his fibula in a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Vick grew restless over the 2003 season and decided to start a breeding kennel for pit bulls with some friends. They called it Bad Newz Kennels. Vick is now in jail. And has herpes.

EA decided to wreak havoc on the best African American defensive player in the League in 2004 - Ray Lewis. Although the Ravens won their division in 2003, they missed the playoffs in '04. Lewis went without an interception that year, the first time in his career. He fought the curse with all his strength, totaling 147 tackles, before the power of the Madden curse snapped Lewis' arm like a twig. In 2005, Lewis tore his hamstring and missed 10 games. Now Ray Ray is only good for jumping onto piles after the whistle and stabbing people.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QSfwiul9Vqo

Donovan McNabb complained about being the cover athlete for Madden NFL 2006. The year he was on the cover, McNabb suffered a sports hernia. Roy Williams (who can't cover to save his life, but is somehow regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL), aggravated McNabb's injury on November 14th, which he whined about. McNabb chose to have season-ending surgery to repair the injury. Since his cover appearance, McNabb has torn his ACL, suffered many other nagging injuries, and has played the race card to explain all of his shortcomings. Some guy named DJ says, "If you've never been black, shut the fuck up. Period." Datzwussup!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://youtube.com/watch?v=dnaMWZA1thk

EA saw Shaun Alexander as a serious threat to the Great White Hope after he as he rushed for 1,880 yds and scored, what was then a record, 28 total touchdowns. After only missing one start in the past 64 games, Alexander fractured the 4th metatarsal in his foot and failed to rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time since 2000. He may now be the slowest athlete in America, after Tom Brady.

Vince Young beat Michigan by himself, led an impressive comeback against the Trojans the year after, and was named one of the most exciting players in the NFL his rookie season, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. EA was faced with a difficult decision as LaDainian Tomlinson began to establish himself as one of the greatest running backs of all time. EA tried to get Tomlinson to be on the cover of Madden NFL 08, but astonishingly enough, they were unable to do so. Perhaps LT's tears protected him from the Madden curse. So, EA had to settle for Vince Young, who had a terrible sophomore season throwing almost twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. He injured his quad in October, forcing him to miss a start against the Bucs, reinjured that muscle in the final game of the season against the Colts, and missed the first game of his football career (HS, college, NFL) due to injury against the Houston Texans.

George Bush doesn't care about black people. The bigots at EA Sports have a vendetta against them.

Godspeed AD...


* Let me preface this piece by saying that this is a satirical article and although I don't actually believe this to be true, but it's an entertaining thought.

Zach Thomas

So it seems that the Patriots don't like to follow common sense. At a time when most teams are trying to get younger, it seems the Patriots are trying to get older or at least just plain stay old. The Pats have recently offered a contract to recently released MLB Zach Thomas, formally of the Miami Dolphins. Thomas is currently 34, which only ties him for the 2nd oldest linebacker on the team. The honor of the oldest linebacker goes to 39 year old Junior Seau. The rest of the Pats linebacking core consists of 32 year old Mike Vrabel, American of the Century, 34 year old Tedy Bruschi, and 30 year old Adalius Thomas. They even have a backup linebacker that is 37 years old in Chad Brown. Thomas was only available for 5 games last year due a severe concussion, and many feel that Thomas has had multiple concussions throughout his career. They openly wonder as to if he has anything left in the tank, both physically and more importantly mentally. Thomas does however plan to visit a few other teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Texans.

UPDATE: It seems odd that Thomas would want to sign with a franchise that is guilty of ignoring the League's concussion problem. Former Patriots linebacker, Ted Johnson, has reported that Bitch Tit Bill subjected him to hard hits and forced him to participate in full contact drills while he was recovering from a concussion, against recommendations from the team's head trainer. Johnson, a member of the 3 Super Bowl winning Patriots squads, told The New York Times that a collision with another player during a practice in 2002 resulted in another concussion. Johnson sustained additional concussions over the next three seasons. Johnson is now affected by serious mental health problems, suffers from depression, and is addicted to amphetamines.

Garrett Gilbert > Terrelle Pryor

Lake Travis High School (TX) standout Garrett Gilbert recently committed to the University of Texas. Gilbert set Texas single season records for passing yards, completions, and attempts - as a Junior. Now, if everyone would stop sucking on Terrelle Pryor's nuts they might realize how good Gilbert actually is. Pryor is 6'6'' 235 and runs a 4.4 40 yard dash. Pryor is a freak athlete who had 24 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks and seven assists during his high school basketball game this weekend. Pryor is a run first quarterback. He takes the snap, runs around, pump fakes if he feels like it, runs around for a little while longer and then takes off down field. Sometimes, he even decides to throw a high arching spiral from his hip which falls into the hands of wide open receivers. It's impossible to guard a receiver for more than a couple of seconds. Does Pryor even know what a pocket is? One read and go...#1 recruit Pryor wins another game for Jeanette HS. Rivals.com showed Pryor rushing for 36 tds and 1,899 yards. He also threw for 1,889 yards, completed about 56% of his passes, and scored 23 tds, and 3 ints. That's crazy. He will be a pretty good quarterback for a spread offense, but I am just not impressed at all by his passing ability. What is going to happen when the defenders he is up against don't weigh 150 lbs, actually know how to tackle, and are just as fast as he is.
Pryor's highlight video can be found here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oE-TH096R-8

Garrett Gilbert is a completely different player. He runs a pro-style offense that actually requires him to be a quarterback. He can recognizes blitzes. Gilbert goes through his progressions and finds the right receiver to throw to. Not only does the throw a perfect, very catchable deep ball, he also has a cannon for an arm. Garrett Gilbert is comfortable in the pocket, avoids telegraphing throws, and can actually read coverages. He has a good mental clock, can feel pressure, and knows when it’s time to throw the ball, but is not afraid to tuck the ball and run when he has to; he's faster than you would think he would be. Gilbert is also dangerous when he rolls out of the pocket, able to effectively roll out to the right and to the left, and is still able to hit his receivers in stride.

As a college prospect, Gilbert might seem like a run of the mill pocket quarterback, while Pryor seems like a once in a lifetime player with unlimited potential. But when you think about which one would be a better professional prospect, it is clearly Gilbert. No question. The Longhorns have picked up a baller. This fall, Gilbert was 359 for 555 (64.7%), 4,826 yards. He threw 52 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He also ran 96 times for 400 yards and 6 tds.
Gilbert's highlight video can be found here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EHwBirQRVBc

Spygate part 2

Many of you have asked for it, so I guess I'll give it to you. Here is the 2nd installment of the spygate story. This one will be dedicated however to the recent developments from the Pats camp, mainly coach Belifag's, or as JT lovingly refers to him as, Bitch Tit Bill, and the V.P of player personnel Scott Pioli's press conference yesterday about the spygate accusations. Both Belifag and Pioli deny rumors that they taped any walk through practices throughout their careers and Belifag issues the most vague generic statement about how he has never, ever taped and watched a practice prior to a game. He said "In my entire coaching career, I've never seen another team's practice film prior to playing that team, [...] I have never authorized, or heard of, or even seen in any way, shape, or form any other team's walk through. We don't even film our own. We don't even want to see ourselves do anything, thats the pace that it's at. Regardless, I've never been a part of that" (http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/02/18/belichick_and_piloi_speak_out/) He even went on to say that he had never even heard of any other coach doing such a thing and that he was never a part of any other coach doing anything of that nature. As profootballtalk.com mentions in their article today, this is a ridiculous thing for Belifag to say. Of course you don't film your own walk through practices. What would you gain from doing that? Walk through practices don't do anything at all except go over the GAMEPLAN for the upcoming game. Thus filming your own walk through practice is basically like filming your pre-game meetings. However, filming another team's walk through is a completely different story, and again that would give the Pats the other team's GAMEPLAN, and thus a huge advantage. It is a little bit shocking that Belifag, a man who hardly speaks to the press, would come out and say something so stupidly vague and useless. I don't really understand why he would say something like this, and for that matter what he gains by saying it. His words don't mean anything to anyone, and it is not like he has come out and said that he didn't film the walk through, just that he hasn't seen any films of walk through practices prior to playing that team. Now first off, I don't believe this at all. There is no way he has never seen another team's practice prior to playing that team. I simply don't believe that one bit. And secondly, OK, if he didn't watch the film, his coaching staff certainly has. His players certainly have. So really this little public speech did little to quell the rumors that Belifag is in fact a lying cheating prick.

However this isn't even the most ridiculous part of the press conference. Belifag says all this, but saves the best nugget for last. Instead of apologizing for spygate 1 or saying that it was a mistake or something. Belifag tries to pawn it off as a simple miscommunication between him and the league's fair play committee. Belifag felt that "The Patriot's actions were in compliance with NFL rules, saying 'My interpretation was that you can't utilize anything to assist you during that game. What our camera guys do is clearly not allowed to be used during the game and has never been used during the game that it was shot" (same link as above). He also went on to say that the team never used the film for half-time adjustments and that the films were hardly any real help to the preparation of the team, "rating it a "one" on a scale of 1 to 100." Now lets think about this. Belifag is trying to make it seem as if its alright for the Pats to do what they did because it was a miscommunication between him and the league and beacuse the pats "never, ever, ever" used the footage during a game to make in game adjustments. However he never said anything about using the films if he played the teams a 2nd time during the year, or if he played a specific defensive coach again later in his career or anything of that nature. But because he never used any of it during a game its ok. Well Bitch Tits I don't think thats how it works. I'm pretty sure the league, as outlined in the collective barganing agreement, and in the multiple memo's that Roger Goodell sent out, basically to YOU and your CHEATING ORGANIZATION, stated that stealing defensive signals in any way, shape, or form is illegal. AND that video taping them is even, well i guess, more illegal. He mentioned this last year, and again this year. AND yet you did not get the memo? It never reached your desk? Or you did you just not read it? See I'm confused here because the league stated that you cant tape signals at all of any kind no matter when you are going to use them? Also, do you really believe that the Pats NEVER, EVER, EVER took a look at the first half tape to see if they couldn't learn something? REALLY? Cause if you do, stop reading this site and kill yourself because you are a stupid fuck. PERIOD. Numerous games they were down at the half, either not being able to score on offense or having some kind of trouble in that department. Belifag knew he had the defensive signals and do you really think that not ONCE in, oh 7/8 years, not ONCE, that he went to that tape and looked at stuff and used it to his advantage. I mean i can look at multiple games where the Pats offense was struggling in the first half and then miraculously scored a few more points in the 2nd half and won the game. And even if somehow he didn't, do you really think those tapes only helped him prepare 1% of his game plan? He had the defensive signals for the other team. That has to make life so much easier for Brady. He sees the mlb audible into some defense, but its not some defense to him because he would know what that audible sign would mean, and thus know the play. Thus he would know where the dbs would and wouldn't be and thus he can call the appropriate play and make the right throw. Interesting... seems like football wouldnt be that hard for them then huh? Who knows. All i know is that this press conference was a load of crap. And both men, Pioli and Bitch Tits are beginning to get a little nervous about this Matt Walsh guy and this Arlen Specter guy. In the end I'm hoping for a forfeit of the pats other 1st round pick #7 overall and a full year suspension for Belifag. The Pats cheated, lied about cheating, and are now lying about lying about cheating. Enough is enough. Goodell its time you stop protecting your league and start protecting your teams. Punish cheaters and kick pricks out. Pacman's gone. Isn't it time for Belifag to be gone too?

Ronaldo Through The Years

1994

1995


1998


2002


2004


2006


2007

Ronaldo Loves 'Roids

According to Goal.com, "El Fenomeno’s career could be over after he ruptured the tendon in his left knee on Wednesday night. This is the third time that the player has suffered such an injury, and his career has been ravaged by similar physical problems over the past decade. Bernando Santi [a doctor at the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF)] says that the reason why Ronaldo has suffered so many injuries is because when he signed for PSV Eindhoven in 1994 as a 17-year-old, he was regularly pumped full of anabolic steroids in order to build up the player physically and help him grow. As a result Ronaldo then developed muscles that were unable to co-exist with his knee’s bone structure, leading to devastating problems in later years. "

Ronaldo was very thin and rumor has it that PSV doctors gave a teenage Ronaldo supplements, including anabolic steroids, to help him grow and become stronger. Santi claims without a doubt that steroids have caused Ronaldo's body to deteriorate so rapidly. The striker, one of the greatest the world has ever seen has had knee issues for the better part of the last decade. On 21 November 1999, during an Italian Serie A match against Lecce, Ronaldo ruptured his right knee. Less than a year later, he reptured his knee for the second time, during his first comeback.

"He gained muscle mass very fast, when he still had not reached maturity. The bill for the use of steroids shows up long term, 10, 15 or 20 years later" said Santi.

Brazilian soccer legend Socrates, a fully qualified medical practitioner, confirms Santi's report. Socrates argues, "There is a difference between Ronaldo's muscle mass and the tendons on his knee. We have all seen Ronaldo grow too fast at the start of his career. That destroyed his knees forever.”

This report also brings into question Ronaldo's convulsive fit just hours before the World Cup final in 1998 against France, which forced Ronaldo to be rushed to a hospital. Adrian Williams, a professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University, said, "The idea that someone would be able to carry on a few hours after a seizure is wrong. I'm not saying that it would be dangerous, but there is no way that he would have been able to perform to the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit - if it was his first fit." And it may not have been his first seizure. Team doctor's claimed that the seizure was stress related.

One short term consequence of steroid use is high blood pressure, which can cause seizures, along with other complications. If Santi's claims are true, a dark shadow may be cast over Ronaldo's legacy, a three time FIFA World Player of the Year and one of my favorite players of all time.

Santi has since been fired for his speculation of Ronaldo's previous steroid use, claims which cannot yet be verified.

Superman Thunder

Dwight Howard...D12...Manchild. 6'11'' 265 lbs of raw athleticism. He's averaging a double double on the season and he is only 22. And not a 10 point, 10 rebound double double either. Howard is averaging 21.7 points, 14.6 boards, and 2.4 blocks per game. In the words of Sir Charles, "that's ridiculous".

The Slam Dunk Contest is all about entertainment. Jamario Moon's first dunk was pretty sick and it's a shame he didn't get full arm extension. Gerald Green can get up. The candle dunk hilarious. I wasn't very high on the shoeless dunk - if i was 6'8'' and black I could do that too. No problem.

Dwight Howard's first dunk was nasty. Off the back of the backboard, windmill, and slamming it in with his left hand wit his head behind the basket. Sick dirty. His second dunk, where he taps it off of the backboard with his left hand and slams it was even better. He just makes it look so easy. And about his most memorable dunk, or "layup", it was great. It doesn't even matter that he didn't make physical contact with the rim...he was inches away. Howard threw the ball down with authority. He also took off from about 11 feet away from the rim and the top of head was above the rim. The prep for the dunk was also quality, he had the crowd laughing and made it a performance. It was an instant classic and it's impossible NOT to like it.

Dwight Howard

Again, this will be mostly football, but occasionally JT and I will decide to post on something else. Today I feel like talking about last night and the NBA slam dunk contest. Mainly Dwight Howards Superman dunk. I don't have a lot to say about this because I am not a big basketball fan, but I do want to say that he did not actually dunk the ball. If you go to the video and look at it, he is about a good 1/2 foot away from the rim and just chucks the ball into the hoop. I admit the "layup" is a pretty sweet "layup" but really how can that be classified as a dunk? His hand never touched the rim, and while he did "throw it down with authority" he didn't actually dunk the ball. Thats it, point made. 

UPDATE: 11:48: I'm not saying Dwights Dunk wasn't sweet because it was sweet. He deserved to win the title and all. My point was he didn't dunk the ball. He threw it down. NOT A DUNK. Either way, he is sweet, it was sweet. He is becoming the next Shaq, but way cooler and way less fat. 

Spygate Analysis

I love this. I love that the pats were caught earlier this year cheating. I love it even more that it was the Jets who called them out. Mangenius and Belichick fighting for the top spot in the biggest prick category. Love it. I'm still gonna have to lean towards Belifag but Mangenius isn't far behind. If you recall, from the J-E-T-S post easlier, 2 veterans in the past two years have called out the Jets front office for not compensating their players accordingly. Something fishy is going on up there in New York, and with the Jets being 4-12 and being a terrible team, if i was a veteran theres no way I'd want to play for New York/b either (for those of you who dont know New York/a would be the Giants.) In the end, however, it seems that Belifag has one upped the entire league, let alone Mangenius and is now permanently crowned prick of the year.

I'm sorry I got ahead of myself again. Many of you out there might not understand why Belfag is a prick, so let me explain it to you by explaining the spygate issue to. So in a multipart article I am going to tell you all about sypgate, why its such a big deal, and why the pats are the gayest team in all of sports.

So, lets get caught up in the story. For all of you who don't know exactly what is going on, here is a brief, and not very well done summary of the events. Basically, for the last 7 years or so, the Pats have been video taping their opponents defensive signals. For offensives, the Qb has a speaker in his helmet which allows the offensive coordinator to directly tell the qb what play he wants him to run. Thus, the offensive coordinator does not have to signal out anything to his offense for them to be able to know what play to run. Defenses on the other hand, do not have this luxury. No player on the defensive side is allowed to have a speaker in his helmet, and thus the defensive coordinator has to manually tell his players what play he wants them to run. For the last 7 years or so, the pats have had a man video taping that coordinator and then taking those signs and using them to their advantage later in the game, or later in the year. They have back files on every coach for the last 7 years and have used this to enable Tom Brady to become one of the best qbs of all time, (minus this year, when he just simply had the best team of all time). However, in week 1 of this past year, as mentioned briefly above, Eric Mangini, a former Bill Belifag assistant, caught the Pats video taping their defensive signals. They actually found the man with the video camera and asked the man to hand over the tape and leave. The Jets then, went all crybaby to the league and ratted the Pats out, publicly. This caused the league a lot of trouble, and caused the pats even more. People began to speculate as to how much the pats have cheated, and privately league officials along with players came out and claimed that the pats cheated a lot. People even said that they would place microphones on their defensive line so that they could hear the audibles offenses would call out. This would be a huge deal and day after day more and more people would come out and say something different the pats would do.

This lead the new Commissioner, Roger Goodell to get involved. He ordered the Pats to hand over everything they had on cheating. Saying come clean now before we make you, or else. So Belifag and the Patriots decided to hand over everything they had accumulated over the last 2 years or so. They gave Goodell every tape from the 2006 season and beyond and claimed that that was all they had. That they didn't have anything else and that they were sorry. Belifag even had a press conference, where instead of saying sorry he basically tried to brush it all under the table and move on. Well Goodell must have been watching this press conference and must have agreed because he rapidly did the same thing. He reviewed the evidence and decided that the pats should be punished for cheating. He took away 1 of their 2 first round draft picks, #31 overall, fined the team $250,000, and also fined Belifag $500,000. He then took the evidence that the Pats handed over and destroyed it. Refusing to answer any questions on it and repeatedly tried to make it a non-issue. And that is where it was left until about a week before the super bowl, when a man name Matt Walsh became known to many, as the Savior of Professional Football.

Next part- Analysis of the Punishment, and the Matt Walsh chronicles.

(Photo courtesy of profootballtalk.com)

Adolf Hitler is a Cowboys Fan

Check out this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYu68SHWh64

Mock Draft 1.0

This mock draft assumes that there will be no trades

1. Miami Dolphins: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
The Dolphins ranked last in the league stopping the run allowing 153.5 yards a game. If you can't stop the run, it's very hard to win football games. The Tuna will run out of a base 3-4 in Miami and in that scheme, the NT position is incredibly important. Vonnie Holliday is 32 years old and had one of his least productive seasons in his career. Ellis can be just as much of a disruptive force on the defensive line as Glenn Dorsey, but has more burst and is more athletic. Ellis is 6'1'' 305 and an absolute beast.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jake Long, OT, Michigan
The Rams' offensive line was in shambles last season, giving Bulger no time in the pocket and made Steven Jackson's job a lot harder. Orlando Pace missed the entire season after tearing a labrum and a rotator cuff in his right shoulder and the Rams desperately need some depth on their offensive line. Look at what happened to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Rashard Mendenhall, HB, Illinois
The Falcons will consider drafting Darren McFadden here with the 3rd pick, because Warrick Dunn is slowing down and there is no way that Jerious Norwood can carry the load. Arthur Blank can't afford to have any more thugs on his roster and with McFadden's off the field issues, I don't think the Falcons want to draft the next Pacman or Vick. Mike Mayock's analysis of DMac showed several concerns: weak legs - not able to make yards after contact. He stops driving. He does not catch the ball well in traffic. His work ethic has also been called into question. Mendenhall has less wear on his tires, is just as fast, has better agility and is not afraid of contact. Mendenhall rushed 262 times for 1681 yards (6.4 ypc) and 17 tds. He also caught 34 passes for 318 yards and 2 tds. He has never fumbled. And against one of the best teams in college football in USC, he carried 17 times for 155 yards, averaged 9.1 yards and scored a td. He was one of the best players on the field that day.

4. Oakland Raiders: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
It would be a reach to draft a WR at #4 to give JaMarcus Russell another weapon on offense, and with the running game averaging 130.4 yards per game (6th in the league), the Raiders will look to strengthen their defense. Glenn Dorsey will fill the giant void left by Warren Sapp's retirement. They allowed an average of 145.9 yards per game on the ground in 2007 (31st) and having to play LT, LJ, and the Broncos twice, the Raiders are going to need some help up front.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
The Chiefs gave up 55 sacks last year, were ranked last in the league rushing and second to last in both yards and points per game. The Chiefs, like the Rams, had serious issues with their offensive line and with Jake Long off the board, Ryan Clady is a solid pick and is the second best OT in the draft.

6. New York Jets: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
The Jets suck. They had a turnover ratio of -4. They only recored 29 sacks all year and their sack leader was a linebacker. Chris is the son of Hall of Fame DE Howie Long. He is similar to the Packers' DE Aaron Kampman who never takes a play off and is rewarded for his effort.

7. New England Patriots: Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State
Asante Samuel probably won't be wearing silver and blue next year and Randall Gay is a RFA, so the Patriots might be tempted to pick a CB in the first round. Adalius Thomas is 30, Junior Seau is a dinosaur, and Tedy Bruschi may be half man, half god, half possible centaur, but he is 34 years old (http://www.basicmm.com/bbreview/audio/bruschi-lofi.mp3). Gholston can play both DE and LB and was the Big Ten's Defensive POY. They need to get younger on defense.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
It's too bad that being able to throw a football through the uprights from the 50 yard line on your knees doesn't help you win games in the NFL. With that said, Boller will probably head back to the bench next year, and Troy Smith doesn't look like anything more than a great college QB. Ryan is the top rated QB in the draft and will help a team that can't put up any points. McGahee found new life in Baltimore, but teams stacked the box and forced the Ravens to put the ball in the air to win - which they weren't able to do.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Darren McFadden, HB, Arkansas
Dorsey and Ellis are off the board at this point and it would be too early to draft Keith Rivers or Dan Connor to help out their miserable LB corps. Marvin Lewis keeps drafting defensive players who make little or no impact. Lewis recently said, "We have to take a hard look at rushers on defense," Lewis said. "That has to be a priority. You've got to be able to affect the football game by knocking the quarterback around and pressuring the quarterback." However with McFadden falling into their laps, it would be hard to believe that the Bengals would pass up such a playmaker. McFadden will help a rushing game that averaged only 97.2 yards per game (24th) and should find himself as the starter this fall. Besides, he would fit right in with all the other Bengals with off-field character issues.

10. New Orleans Saints: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
The Saints no longer have any running backs. Reggie Bush has never been one, they got rid of Antonio Pittman before the season started last season, Stecker isn't anything special, and Deuce McAllister no longer has working knees. But the Saints are paying Reggie way too much money to draft another HB, although they could use one desperately. The Saints secondary might be worse than their running game, giving up 245.2 passing yards per game. Jason David might be the worst CB in the league and he is a starter in New Orleans. McKelvin had a good showing at the Senior Bowl and would make an immediate impact.

11. Buffalo Bills: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Lee Evans is 5'10'', Josh Reed is 5'10'' and Roscoe Parrish is 5'9''. Malcolm Kelly is 6'4'' 219 and has a 38 inch vertical. Kelly is big, fast, and can rack up yards after the catch.

12. Denver Broncos: Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt
The Broncos' OT Matt Lepsis retired and they will need to find a capable replacement to protect Jay Cutler's blind side as well as a huge body (6'6'', 339 lbs) to keep Shanatan's running game productive.

13. Carolina Panthers: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
With Mike Wahle gone, the Panthers will pick Williams to solidify the offensive line. Wharton will likely move to LG and Williams will find a spot at LT. The Panthers also have needs at LB, WR, and DE, but ignoring the offensive line would be a huge mistake.

14. Chicago Bears: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
The Bears offense is dysfunctional. The Rex Grossman rollercoaster is over, Kyle "Neckbeard" Orton is not a starter, despite being able to shoot lightning bolts out of his eyes, and Brian Griese isn't his dad and isn't getting any younger. The Bears need an upgrade and Brohm will be the answer. He is very accurate (completed 65.1% of his passes in college), is able to quickly find the open receivers and deliver the ball on time.

15. Detroit Lions: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
The Detroit Lions cannot stop the pass; they ranked 31st. The Lions also gave up the most points per game and the most yards per game. With a pretty solid front 7, the Lions will look for Jenkins to step up and make an immediate impact at the left corner position, where Dre' Bly used to play.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Stewart, HB, Oregon
The Cardinals were one of the worst rushing teams in the league last year and while Edgerrin James' numbers were a bit better last season, he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry and he fumbled 5 times. Stewart averaged 6.2 yards a carry for the Ducks in '07. At 230 lbs, Stewart not only has the size to play in the NFL, but also the speed, having been timed at 4.34 in the 40 yard dash. He is also a great receiver out of the backfield and would be a great compliment to an effective passing game. If the Cardinals are able to keep Fitzgerald in the desert, they could have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL.

17. Minnesota Viking: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Harvey is one of the best pass rushers in the 2008 draft. DE Kenechi Udeze is battling leukemia and DE Ray Edwards only had 5 sacks last season. Derrick Harvey would compliment what may be the best pair of DTs in the league.

18. Houston Texans: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
The Texans are desperate for help on the outside. Their secondary is a huge weakness and their #1 CB, Dunta Robinson, is expected to be out until November because of a torn ACL. Flowers is fast, quick to read and react against the run, and is a very good tackler. Although a bit undersized at 5'10'' 200lbs, he is one of the most athletic CBs to come out of college this year. He might even be able to make a significant impact at safety.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
The Eagles could use a DE to replace the ineffective Kearse, but Trent Cole played great last year and Brian Dawkins is 34 years old. The Eagles will be looking to draft another impact safety who will take Quintin Mickell or Sean Considine's place in Philly's ancient secondary. Phillips is the most complete safety in the '08 class, has the ability to make big hits, reads routes well, and is a leader on the field

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
The Bucs need playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Galloway, their best offensive player is 36 years old. DeSean Jackson could be an option here, especially with his impact in the return game, Manningham is less of a risk and is a much more polished WR. He can be productive right away.

21. Washington Redskins: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
With the West Coast Offense coming to DC, the Redskins will want another receiving threat. However, there will be plenty of solid WRs to choose from in the 2nd round including Devin Thomas, James Hardy, Lavelle Hawkins, Andre Caldwell, and Adarius Bowan. Calais Campbell is 6'7'', 279 lbs, and runs a 4.8 40. Campbell has incredibly athletic ability and tremendous size. He can defend the run as well as get to the quarterback. His technique sometimes leaves something to be desired, but Miami has produced many great defensive playmakers over the years and Calais Campbell may have too much upside to pass up.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Felix Jones, HB, Arkansas
Felix Jones is the lightning to Marion Barber III's thunder. Barber is a tough, punishing runner but doesn't have the breakaway speed and Jerry Jones doesn't seem to believe that Barber can carry the load by himself, otherwise he wouldn't have played Julius Jones as much as he did. Felix Jones is the home run threat that the Cowboys are lacking. If Jones can show a willingness to run between the tackles and not rely on his speed to beat defenders to the outside, which he did in college, Jones could be special. With Barber and Felix Jones in the Dallas backfield, their running game will be more productive; certainly more explosive.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
The Steelers need to improve their offensive line. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 47 times in 2007. Faneca is a free agent who the Steelers are not willing to resign. Albert has great leverage and positioning and can match up against both speed and bull rushers. This 6'7'' 317 lbs lineman will capable of playing both G and OT in the NFL.

24. Tennessee Titans: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
Vince Young seemed to have had a role in the firing of offensive coordinator Norm Chow. Since being drafted, Young has not had the weapons he needs to be effective in the passing game. And when he began to develop chemistry with some of his WRs, injuries prevented further improvement. Eric Moulds is no longer a real threat, Brandon Jones is pretty good, but not a #1 WR, and Roydell Williams and Justin Gage are effective cogs in the Titans football machine. Who better to have catching Vince Young's passes but Limas Sweed, his favorite target when he played for the Longhorns. Sweed adjusts to the long ball very well, is effective against zone coverage, can win jump balls consistently and can make defenders miss after the catch.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Fred Davis, TE, USC
See Dollars for Algernon. Davis is the best TE in the draft with exceptional speed, athleticism, and toughness.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Philip Merling, DE, Clemson
The Jaguars have spent too many first round draft picks on WRs who have not produced numbers to match their salaries, so look for the Jags to address other needs. Merling is 6'4'', 275 lbs, and runs a 4.71 40 yard dash. Merling has a good initial burst and can beat blockers to the point of attack with his effective pursuit angles.

27. San Diego Chargers: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
Jamal Williams is 31 and his body is starting to wear down. He played in only 3 games in 2007, before missing the rest of the season due to a knee injury. The Chargers LBs are very solid and Shaun Phillips has really elevated his game, so they will look to add depth to their DLine, important in a 3-4 scheme. Balmer is a relentless pass rusher who can play both DE and DT. He is a disruptive force who is generally in the right place on defense.

28. Dallas Cowboys: DeSean Jackson, WR, California
Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn are 34 and 33 years old respectively. Terry Glenn pretty much missed the entire 2007 campaign due to injury and has lost a couple of steps. TO still has a couple of years left, but Patrick Crayton isn't more than a stop gap as a starter. Crayton is 28 too. DeSean Jackson is the best vertical threat in the draft, running a 4.33 40 yard dash. Jackson doesn't run the cleanest routes, but he certainly has the biggest upside. He can make an impact on special teams from day 1. He is not afraid to run routes across the middle of the field and is willing to compete for the ball in the air.

29. San Francisco 49ers: Early Doucet, WR, LSU
The 49ers are atrocious and their offense is embarrassing. They had the worst passing attack in the league, ranked near the bottom in the run game, last in yards, and dead last in points. Somehow they managed to win 5 games. Alex Smith is a huge tool and somehow he hasn't yet worn out his welcome as the starting QB in San Fransisco. Shaun Hill, 28, played well when he stepped in as the starter, completing 68.4%, throwing 5 tds and only 1 int. Frank Gore and Vernon Davis were the 49ers leading receivers and both missed games due to injury. That's pathetic. Darrell Jackson just isn't a good receiver anymore. Doucet is deceptively fast, is hard to bring down, and has the ability to run any route asked of him. He is also a willing blocker and will add some intensity to a dull, lethargic 49er offense.

30: Green Bay Packers: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is the cousin of league interception leader Antonio Cromartie. Charles Woodson is 31 and Al Harris is 33. Will Blackmon is incredibly athletic, but cannot stay healthy. Tramon Williams played pretty well as the nickelback and could develop into a starter, but it is too early to tell. Jarrett Bush can dance, but he just doesn't cut it as a starter. Rodgers-Cromartie runs a 4.44 and has good closing and recovery speed and consistently makes open field tackles. He is an aggressive CB who increased his draft status after a great Senior Bowl and would be a welcome addition in Green Bay.

31: New England Patriots: Pick forfeited because Bitch Tit Bill doesn't know how to play fair.

32: New York Giants: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC
The Giants' offense is well balanced with both an effective running game and solid receivers (Burress, Toomer, Smith and the best receiver of all time David Tyree). After Eli's final drive in Super Bowl XLII his position is set even though his play, in general, hasn't been that spectacular. Kiwanuka is not a good LB and Kawika Mitchell will likely be a victim of free agency, so the Giants need an OLB. Rivers is an elite LB who reads and reacts to plays very quickly and has great speed as a LB. He is a powerful hitter and an impact player on defense.

(Sedrick Ellis - 1st Pick in 2008 NFL Draft)

J-E-T-S

This is 2 years now that a New York Jets veteran player has come out against the management of the Jets. Last year G Pete Kendall came out and claimed that he wanted more money, as he was only making a paltry 1.7 million. Kendall to be honest has always been known as a very serviceable guard who does his job. However, the jets didn't think he deserved more money and instead demoted him from the starting roster and treated him poorly all through camp. He was quoted as saying "I've clearly expressed that I don't want to be here. I'm running with the second team. It's seemingly [evolved] into a personal thing. I show up and I'm assigned to the rookie dorm. I don't get that" (http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2007/07/27/unhappy-pete-kendall-shows-up-at-jets-camp/). He was then traded to the Washington Redskins for a mid round draft pick in this years up coming draft.

Then, in the past few days, another player has come out and claimed that the jets organization "lied to him." According to profootballtalk.com Laveranues Coles, their #1 wr. Coles claims that the jets "strung him along" on a new deal which he thinks he's earned. Coles, who will make 5 million this year and 6 million next year, claims that he's done everything the organization has asked, which included running clear out routes to help other wr's get open. Yet the organization responded to his request by saying no and cited his lack of production as the reason. Coles was obviously pissed about this, and now claims he will not report to training camp until he gets a new deal or is granted his release.

Hmm, something is obviously messed up with the jets current system. Two team leaders, two years in a row, come out and bash the organization for not running a fair ship. It seems that Mangenius is running a shady operation up in New York. I'm not really all that surprised. I mean he learned from a man who is probably going to be suspended for a year for stealing other teams signals and using them for the past 6 or so years. I guess apples really dont fall far from the tree... Whatever in the end the jets suck. They are an aging team with a young, terrible qb with little light at the end of the tunnel. Its even worse when the vetern players feel as if they are being cheated. If i was Coles i wouldn't ask for a new contract, i'd ask for a trade or my release. What a joke.

Albert Haynesworth

According to Profootballtalk.com, Albert Haynesworth is going to be slapped with some kind of franchise tag. It seems that the Tennessee Titans watched Super-bowl 42 and saw the kind of disruption a great dline can have on an offense. (Maybe the Washington Redskins should take one more look and re-evaluate their talent on their dline...)

And so it seems that Mr. Haynesworth is about to cash in. This should come as little to surprise to anyone who watched the titans play this year. He missed 3 contests and during those games, the Titans gave up an average of 30 points or so. While in the 13 games that he played their defense gave up a little more than 2 touchdowns a game...id say thats a pretty drastic difference. He was dominant at times, with his best game coming against the panthers where he had 7 tackles 3 sacks and seemed to throw offensive lineman aside each play. However how wise is it to take Haynesworth and only use this past year to judge him. Wasn't he the player that stomped on Cowboys center Andre Gurode face during a game last year? Wasn't he the player who only had 10 sacks in the other 5 years he played? A man who missed 3 games last season... 5 games in 2006, 2 games in 2005, 6 games in 2004, 5 games in 2003, and 3 games in 2002 all to injury? He is well known around the league for being a hot head and a punk, but some claim that in the 2007 season he matured and grew up. Whether he did that because he realized that he is no long a kid and should act like the professional he is, or because he knew that if he grew up for 1 year and played well, that he would make mad bank the year after when his contract expired? (Sean Alexander Style who set the touchdown record in 2005 and was a single yard shy of the rushing crown that year, and then went on to rush for a total of 1,612 yards the next two seasons with a total of 11 touchdowns... which is only about 18 short of the number he scored in 2005 alone...) Thus to me it is always risky to take one years stats and give a contract based on it. You must assess the players full career, college as well, and take his character and work ethic along with it. Haynesworth was considered to be a whole new man in 2007, was it a coincidence that it was his contract year? Or did he actaully grow up... either way the Titans will find out in 2008.

NO Illinois

This site is going to normally be based towards sports and sports only, but I was talking to my dad and realized that we should say something about what happened yesterday at Northern Illinois University. Everyones hearts and prayers go out to the No illinois community and to the families who lost loved ones to this fucking psycho. Its another case of crazy kid losing his mind and doing something stupid. Sad and disheartening how 1 fuck up can change the lives of so many... 

Dollars for Algernon

Seattle and Carolina are both teams that would be interested in adding a veteran TE and another receiving threat. Seattle lost to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs this past season. Marcus Pollard had some big drops in that game and both Will Heller and Ben Joppru are unproven at the TE position. Since Jerramy Stevens departure from Seattle after the 2005 season, the Seahawks have yet to find an adequate replacement. While Stevens currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he should be behind bars due to rape accusations, assault charges, and a slew of DUIs (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004147460_rbstevens270.html). Seattle had $9.55 million in cap room before the Wahle signing, but still have enough room to make a push for Crumpler. In 7 years, Crumpler has 316 receptions for 4212 yards, a 13.3 average and 35 touchdowns - all this while playing for one of the worst teams in the NFL, even being the favorite target of the reliably inaccurate Vick. DJ Hackett had a breakout year in Seattle and deserves to be resigned, Engram is a solid veteran contributor, and with Branch healthy, Crumpler would be a perfect addition to an already impressive aerial attack in the NFC.

The Panthers have very little weapons on offense. DeShaun Foster is past his prime and is on his way out in Carolina. The only 2 playmakers they have are WR Steve Smith and HB DeAngelo Williams. After cutting OG Mike Wahle and MLB Dan Morgan, the Panthers have about $12 million in cap room to work with. Matt Moore should compete with Jake Delhomme for the starting QB spot in the Panther's 2008 campaign. He played well in the final 3 games of the season, winning 2 of them. Dwayne Jarrett was a non-factor in his rookie season and Crumpler could spark some life into the Panther's offense as well as drawing some attention away from Smith. However, the Panthers have more needs than just TE, with holes in their OL, DL, and S and the Panthers may want to address those needs in free agency instead.

Interesting follow up on Crumpler

Heres a rumor from ESPN on Crumpler. It said that he has always wanted to play for the Carolina Panthers.. he grew up in North Carolina...went to UNC and wanted to be drafted by them but was instead a 2nd round pick of the falcons...now maybe he can leave shitty ass atlanta, move to carolina and play for John Fox and the Panthers

UPDATE 3:47: Another possible destination is the Seahawks where the GM that drafted Crumpler, Tim Ruskell, has moved. Not only that but Crumplers old head coach, Jim Mora, is currently the dbs coach in Seattle and is also said to be the heir apparent to Mike Holmgren... seems like pretty strong ties but who knows

Falcons

So it seems the falcons truly are going to pull a Miami Dolphins this off-season and clean house with their release of 7 players, most notably 4 time pro bowl player Alge Crumpler, who at one point was considered to be one of the best tight ends in the game, and as of last year was being paid like one, with the 2nd highest salary of all te's in the league at over 4.7 million dollars per year. Crumpler is only 30 however and most likely has at least 3 years of solid service left in his body and should be a pretty hot commodity come the  march free agency period. Yet if we go back and look at the falcons of last year it is obvious that something drastic needed to be done. They were atrociously bad and it seemed as if most of the veterns had quit long before petrino quit on them. The one main question i can think of for the falcons is whether or not deangelo hall in or not because he is a shutdown corner with pro bowl potential for the next 10 years. This is a kid that they will need for the future, and they need to convince him to buy back into the team of they will really have to start completely all over. He is without a doubt a top 5 corner back in the league and he is only 24 or 25.

Needs: Qb, RB, TE, a new oline, DT, DE, OLB, K, S...basically they have needs everywhere except really cornerback... so they need to keep him- However it does seem that Roddy White has figured out how to be a productive wr in this league...so maybe if they can get him some help they wont be as screwed as before... Rb is up in the air as some seem to think that Norwood can handle the load, while others do not. What is clear is that Warrick Dunn's best years are way behind him and that something has to be done to that position...either by giving it to Norwood, or by bringing in someone else who will be given the bulk of the carries. Atlanta is a mess and with Mike Vick Killing dogs...it doesn't seem like Atlanta has anything to look forward to until Baseball season starts

Hype yea... whatever

Listen I will admit that Lord Farve is one of the greatest qbs of all time, but his one downfall has, was, and will be his inability to protect the football. He does hold the all time interception record for a reason, and is widely known to be the perfect gun slinger type qb in the league. He makes risky throws on a regular basis, and guys who do not have his arm strength or his football savvy will not make it in the nfl... Farve is a one of a kind star, and I cannot see either Ryan or Henne, Henne especially becoming even 1/4 of what Lord Farve was last year alone.

Not buying Matt Ryan hype cont.

I am by no means crowning Henne's ass. He has just been cast aside and forgotten because of a few bowl game losses. Each of those 3 losses came to teams ranked higher than UM. John Elway was one of the worst Super Bowl QBs of all time but he has 2 rings. In 4 Bowl games, Henne is 90/157 for 1179 with a 13.1 average yards per completion, 12 tds and only 4 interceptions. Henne rarely throws off of his back foot and steps into the pocket with great purpose. It seems that something finally clicked in the game against UF in the Capital One Bowl, which continued into the Senior Bowl (5-9 2 TD). Some scouts say that Henne doesn't have the ideal height...but Brett Favre is also 6'2''. And about the 2-1 TD to INT ratio, Brett Favre's ratio was 1.53.

Not buying JT's bias

JT seems to have some kind of bias against Matt Ryan. It seems Ryan has become his next Reggie Bush. However, I must admit that Bush has in fact developed into the BUST that JT said he would, so who knows maybe he's right. Yet, moving back to Ryan, he, like most great qbs, seems to have some of the intangibles that coaches rave about. He has the ability to stay calm under pressure, which he proved in the two come from behind victories that BC had this past season, and the multiple big game situations he was able to succeed in. Now I wont openly say that I have watched a lot of Ryan's games this past season, as to be honest college football is only good to keep the NFL going in my opinion. But still, of what I have seen of Ryan I do think he has the potential to become a solid nfl qb.

Moving on to JT's comparison of Henne and Ryan, and how Henne had a 3.5% better qb rating and only a 1% worse completion percentage. Lets look at the team surrounding the players and see how each "team" did with its respective qbs at the helm.

Michigan, had one of the most embarrassing losses in all of Division 1-a football history, losing to a AA team in Appalachian State, as well as starting the season 0-2. Which was the start to a season in which they were maybe not heavy favorites to win the national championship, but were close to it with a preseason ranking of 5th in the nation. This team was supposed to be one of Michigan's best and look where it ended up. Not blaming Henne completely but he was their leader and he certainly did not lead them to anything special, not even a Rose Bowl Victory.

Ryan on the other hand, took a relatively unknown BC squad and almost WON the, albeit down, ACC division.

Ryan's leading wr was a 5'11 204 pound running back in Andre Callender who caught 76 passes for just over 700 yards and only 4 tds, the kid also ran for just under 1,000 yards on 218 carries. Thus jts response of Ryan being a dump down qb seems to be valid since his#1 wr was his running back. However he did compare him to arguable the (gayest) i mean greatest qb of all time in Tom Brady, so that cant be to bad of a thing. However it is evident that the supporting cast surrounding Ryan was not nothing compared to the supporting cast that Henne had.

Henne had arguably one of the best college wr's in projected first round draft pick Mario Manningham, who had 82 rec for over 1,100 and 12 tds. Along with Manningham, Henne had one of colleges most dominating rbs in Mike Hart, who rushed for over 1300 yards and 14 tds...making Henne's life a lot easier by forcing defenses to respect the run... Hart was not only a great rb because of his natural ability but also because the kid has more heart and drive than any college football player I've seen in a long time.

Also, Jake Long, the amazing top olineman projected to go in the top 10 if not 5 in the upcoming draft was anchoring one of the strongest olines in the game as Chris Henne was sacked only 16 times all year. Ryan wasn't taken down many more times, being sacked 21 times, but Michigan's oline was arguably the best in the Big 10, and anyone who knows college football knows that the Big 10 is known for its dominating offensive lines.

Thus i feel this argument is stupid to make, because i think it proves that Henne is in fact an inferior qb to Ryan. Their numbers aren't even comparable this year... with Ryan going for over 4,500 yards, 31 tds, a qb rating of over 127 with a 59% completion percentage.

Henne on the other hand threw for the least amount of yards in his entire college career his senior year (due to injury, in which many felt he was simply being a bitch and not playing when he easily could have) throwing for only 1,900 throwing only 17 tds to 9 picks. Meaning neither qb could have a td/pic ratio of even 2-1...which is mediocre at best.

Not buying Matt Ryan hype

Matt Ryan had a pretty solid senior year and was a Heisman candidate, a favorite even, at one point in the season. Bucky Brooks of SI.com listed him as his #1 QB in the 2008 draft. I'm not sold. He writes:

"His accuracy, touch and arm strength are all rated above average; but it is his
leadership that scouts find most impressive. Ryan is best described as a winner
who has all of the intangibles needed to lead his team to victory. He has consistently shown the ability to direct his team to wins in adverse conditions (Boston College defeated three ranked opponents on the road in '07), and his penchant for orchestrating late game comebacks has cemented his status as the ultimate competitor."

Bucky sounds like a stat guy. In the same article he mentioned that Michigan signal caller Chad Henne (Ranked #5) "only completed 58 percent of his throws as a senior." Ryan's completion percentage was only 1 percent higher. Henne's passer rating was 3.5 points higher than Matt Ryan's was. Boston College's QB was entertaining to watch in his last minute heroics in Blacksburg and it would be hard to question his heart, but his play has been pretty inconsistent. He may be 6'5'', but he doesn't have a lazer, rocket arm and seems to rely on the dump down game - see Tom Brady. An ESPN draft risk study showed that 53% of QBs selected in the first round are busts. I don't see Ryan being a bust, but I can't see him being a spectacular NFL quarterback either, intangibles or not. He threw up big numbers against Wake Forest, NC State, Army, and Bowling Green...big deal. Matt Ryan = Brady Quinn = Rob Johnson. They all look like stud quarterbacks and that is the reason people fall in love with them. For those of you who don't remember Rob Johnson, he played for the Jaguars, the Bills, the Bucs, the Skins, the Raiders, and had a brief stint on the Giants' practice squad. He went to USC where he set virtually every major passing record and was a Heisman favorite for the majority of his senior year. In the NFL he earned the nickname "Robo-sack" and held the record for most sacks per passing attempt...impressive.

And Florida would have beat the shit out of Ryan.

This Blog

This blog is going to be extremely opinionated and full of profanities. Please do not take anything personally or get offended by our language as none of it is meant to offend anyone in any way. If we offend you, leave, dont come back, and we'll be good. Thanks

About Pocket Presence

This blog is to provide you with sports commentary and opinions that are not completely retarded (Pete Prisco), outdated (John "Crypt Keeper" Clayton), and have nothing to do with coffee (Peter King).

We will run this site in the style of Tony Kornheiser and Micahel Wilbon's Pardon the Interruption. JT and I will argue back and forth with each other on issues, giving our personal opinions, using whatever we want to as our facts and you can comment and respond as you please.