Draft TARP

If you haven't gotten more than enough of the draft, read on.

First, let's talk about the new format. I hated it; In the old days, you'd have the first three rounds on Saturday and the last four on Sunday. The first day of the draft was mostly about the picks as they happened, while on the seoond day the analysts would just talk constantly over the picks and all you could do to follow was watch the bottom line. I guess that was okay necause most of us didn't know anybody who going after the third round anyway, but now that tactic is being used for the second round of the draft too. Since it's not the first day, I guess, they figure they have to treat it like it's the late rounds. Honestly, I really couldn't care less what the analysts think. Though it was fun watching Kiper get more and more depressed as Jimmy Clausen kept falling.

If this is how they want to run their broadcast, fine. Then run a parallel where all you do is show the commish announce the pick followed by a three minute highlight reel of the player to hold us until the next pick. You could even play what Kiper/ McShay think about the drafted player. That's it. I don't need twenty analysts arguing over everything. Hell, you don't even need a host. Just let the draft be.

Now about the draft. I think we can all agree that QB is the most important position in the NFL, yes? So how could two QBs who seem to be at least NFL starters fall so far? Every time the Browns were on the clock I knew they'd take a QB, only to be shocked when they didn't. Finally they took McCoy. So that left me to ask, who does Kansas City, Oakland, and Buffalo, think they have at QB? How did Clausen fall out of the first round? Then pass these teams again in the second? Does Oakland think Jason Campbell is the future?

Look, I like Campbell. he's a solid NFL QB. He isn't the reason a franchise will win. Oakland could have gotten Campbell for the near future while the young QB they drafted develops. The Raiders won't be ready to compete for a Super Bowl for a few years. They might be good at times, but not elite. By the time they're ready, they'll need to draft a new QB and set themselves back three more years.

When's Kansas City going to realize that there's only one Tom Brady and he isn't Matt Cassell? Does Buffalo really believe in Trent Edwards? Is there an amazing QB class coming out next year that these teams are preparing for?

I understand that the Cardinals want to give Leinhart a year. Makes sense, so no real foul there. As for Seattle, I'd be worried if I was a fan. The fact that they didn't draft a QB when they had so many chances indicates that Pete Carroll isn't planning on satying long enough to develop one. He's going to gun for it with Hassleback and if that fails, go back to college while leaving the Seahawks in ruins.

As for the 49ers and Alex Smith. I get why they didn't draft a QB. Last year, Smith seemed to be coming on some late. He can't play from under center, the Niners understood that. So they started playing him from the gun and he was being successful. This didn't seem to hurt Frank Gore much either. So in this draft, the Niners improved a weak offensive line, picked up defense, and a backup running back. Now it's up to Smith. If he can show himself to be a good NFL QB, the Niners will win their division. If not, they get rid of him and draft one next year. Either way, the team is young and poised to make a comeback as an elite franchise in the league within a handful of years. The only problem is, by then Gore will be old so they'll jave to have found a replacement for him. Still, young and talented offense, young defense, they are poised.

One thing I'd love to see after the draft is a GM to say, "Yeah, we had a terrible draft. Everyone we wanted got taken before our picks. That sucked." But no, every GM claims that they got exactly who they wanted. I could tell you for a fact that the Giants aren't happy with their first round. They wanted McLain. He made perfect sense for them. Oakland took him and they scrambled to get a talented, but raw, pass rusher. I doubt they're pleased.

That's all I got time for now.

Peace

A-Lightning-Rod

I'm not going to talk about the draft today. Waiting until the end to do so. I didn't plan on posting until then, but Alex Rodriguez managed to get himself into another contra very regarding baseball's "unwritten rules". Now, A Rod's been involved in a few of these before.

The first came in the infamous 2004 collapse against Boston. In game 6 Rodriguez grounded down the first baeline with two outs and a runner on. The pitcher Bronson Arroyo picked up the ball and tried to tag Rodriguez out, who ended up slapping the ball out of his glove. At first, he got away with it, but the umps eventually overruled it and he was out. For this he was ripped for a few reasons. One was he should've just taken the out, not tried anything. Which is fine, but I'm convinced that if Derek Jeter had done the same thing the media would've lauded him for trying to do whatever it takes to win. The second reason he got ripped there was for slapping the glove. People said it was a girly move. He should've lowered his shoulder or punched. That's just dumb. Lowering your shoulder only works if the person is completely in front of you, not just his glove. Punching would not have had the same chance of success as slapping would've.Still, it was something he probably shouldn't have done. Oh and by the way, Dustin Pedroia tried an eerily similar move in the playoffs in 07 and no one said anything. See that here.

Then came a game in Toronto two years ago. When Jorge Posada hit a pop up on the left side of the infield. A Rod, while passing the third baseman shouted "Ha!" and the fielder didn't catch the ball. The fielder, Howie Clark, alleged that the shout distracted him form making the catch. Really? You can't catch a pop up because someone shouted? I've seen many football games in the park where defenders shout at a reciever trying to catch a pass. The reviever, you won't believe this, still usually makes the catch! If amateurs playing for fun could keep their concentration, a pro can't? The truth is, the guy was struggling on that pop up and used Alex as a scapegoat. Warch it herre. You can't tell me it was A Rod's fault he didn't catch the ball.

Now we come to yesterday. Alex on first runs around second on a pop up hit by Robinson Cano that ended up landing foul. Already halfway to third, he cuts across the diamond to go back to first going over the pitcher's mound. This upsets the pitcher, who remains quiet, Until, that is, he gets out of the inning and gets close to his own dugout and near his own teammates. Then he starts shouting in a "hold me back" manner. After this he throws his glove against the wall and kicks, kicks, a stack of paper cups. You know, because he's tough. All because A Rod stepped on the mound and Thou Shalt Not Step On The Pitcher's Mound, apparently.

Now, I've never heard of that particular unwritten rule. And A Rod may not be the best guy in the world, but this seems ridiculous. Does the pitcher mind when his cathcer steps up onto the mound? What about the infielders? What about the other team? When he's running to back up home plate, does he make sure not to step in a batter's box? This was plainly and simply because it was Alex Rodriguez. You can't tell me Alex did anything worth the attention here.

Peace

Close the Window, I Feel a Draft Coming

It's that time of year again. When every football fan becomes a college football expert. When we decide which teams will be any good next year. When Mel Kiper Jr. is at his annoyingest. Also, I will continue my annual tradition of not doing a mock draft. It's not that I don't enjoy them. I love 'em. I live and die by each one as if they're real. It's simply that I don't know enough about any of these players to do one. Id probably just end up copying someone elses. So instead, here's some pre draft thoughts.

Far be it for me to compliment a football analyst, but Jon Gruden's QB camp special on ESPN last Thursday was so great. For many reasons, not the least of which were seeing him really piss of Tim Tebow when he called him Mike Alstott. What was great about the show was that it took you where you rarely get to go: the film room. Gruden sat down with the top four QB prospects individually and broke down their college film with them. Talking about everything from mechanics, to reads, to protection, everything a QB should do. What made this fantastic, though, was that it was done as if there were no cameras around. Well, not entirely. They didn't swear or anything, but they talked to each other as football people. It wasn't dumbed down for the audience. I loved that. Too often, analysts act as if the viewers don't know what they're seeing. They simplify everything. They should go the other way and let the viewer try to keep up, If not all the time, then at least specific shows. I mean, I learned more from an analyst during that hour than I have in the past ten years.

With regards to the draft. I have a few guidelines for teams. THe first, and most important, is that teams shouldn't worry about what the media an/or general public will think. If a team thinks that an available player is worth their particular pick and can't move down while the media's projected the player to go lower, the team should just take him. Suffer the criticism for a little while then prove everyone wrong. A few years ago, the Titans took Chris Johnson with the 24th pick. At the time, the seemed to be about the right spot to take him. He was the fifth back taken after McFadden, Stewart, Felix Jones, and Mandenhall. Say the Patriots took him at twelve or the Panthers took him instead of Mayo or the Jets took at him at 6 over Gholston, they'd have gotten ripped for reaching so far. Yet given what he's become and what those teams are, the public would've been proven wrong there. So teams need not worry themselves about what ianalysts say. There's a reason why they're not GMs.

Next, if you think a QB available is a franchise QB, you have to take him. You don't get too many shots at a franchise QB, unless of course if you make a habit of passing on QBs. You don't want to pick that high ever again. So while you're there, take a QB.

While it sucks when your team trades away a pick when they're on the clock, I do love the idea of trading a round two pick for a round one next year. Except for this year, I guess, because there might not be any football next year.

Alright, Ill talk nore after the draft.

Peace

WHo Needs More Touches?

What an eventful offseason for the NFL. A face of a franchise for over a decade dealt to a division rival, another franchise face gets in some serious legal troubles, a great college coach takes another shot at working in the NFL after failing before, a controversial coin toss, The Redskins and Cowboys staying quiet in free agency during an uncapped year, the Jets trying to be like the Redskins, and all this without a single mention of The Gunslinger. Now oone of the most talented WRs in the league gets dealt. Together with Boldin and Holmes, Marshall makes it three big time WRs that have moved this year. Another big name WR, though not as good as he thinks he is, still hasn't even found a home.

The league is, finally, fighting back against the prima donna wideouts. For years now, we've all accepted that WRs are arrogant and selfish. We've been okay with it. But now a new breed of wideout is entering the league. Led by Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, and Andre Johnson, these new wide receivers are showing us that selfishness doesn't have to be a pre requisite to being talented. I mean, look at the best WRs in the league: the aforementioned three, Welker, Austin, Rice, Wayne, Smith, Jackson, Jackson, White, Jennings none of these gave caused problems within their locker rooms. The ones I skipped over are those that have switched teams at least once now (Moss, Holmes, Marshall, Boldin). To be fair, Welker did witch teams, but that was before most anybody knew he was great,

There are still some young WRs that seem to take the mold of the old ones (Jackson, Crabtree), but that can change. If these guys see how the prima donnas are being treated as compared to those who aren't, they might adjust their begavior. Hopefully, at least.

Peace

McNabb is No Elway. Someone Should Break it to Him.

[After the McNabb trade went down, I decided to get a die hard Eagles fan's take on the whole situation. You could get Ustad Hammad's musings on anything and everything here.]

Donovan Jamal Mcnabb. gone. Well its truly the end of an era, and a tumultuous one at that. As a die hard fan of the Eagles, i have to say I'm generally happy about it. At first there was shock and even irritation that a trade was made with the Redskins. The vile Redskins. However, i have faith in Daniel Snyder. i have faith that he is not an intelligent football mind, and that any trade he makes or acquisition he gets will likely fail at some point. On the other hand, most of Andy Reid's choices and acquisitions are actually not that bad at all. Recall in the 1999 draft class was a QB rich one...or so we all thought. Reid managed to sift through it all and passed on Ricky Williams to get Mcnabb. Everyone knows how that panned out.

So here is my take on it after having a chance to absorb the trade. The Redskins are doomed. If they do not win in two or three years they're back to the basement of the NFC East. and quite frankly, that's how it will play out. People forget that it's a team stacked to the brim with washed up big names on offense. In the backfield they offer three running backs with sketchy careers going forward. Portis is coming off a season marred by a concussion and he is 28. That most likely gives him 2 more solid years, assuming the Redskins haven't run him into the ground already given their dependence on him. Willie Parker and Larry Johnson are the second options and who really cares about them? Santana Moss is also over 30. Chris Cooley may be the only thing that they have going for them over the next 5 years and by then all the other pieces will be washed up, including Mcnabb. Given that they have at maximum a 3 year window to take care of business, that does not exactly give them much time to adjust to the new system Shanahan brings and the time it will take them to build some chemistry.


On the other hand, you have the Eagles. There are a few reasons this works well for them. First, you find out what Kolb's got. Second, you will probably have a good shot at destroying the Redskins considering you know all of Donovan's weaknesses. Trust me, he has plenty to be exploited. If nothing else, the Eagles have gone younger and at its worst, if in two years Kolb stinks, you move on to someone else. That means 3 years the Eagles would not be deep in the playoffs, but you need to realize they were not going deep in the next 3 years with DMac. So who cares who the QB is that leads you to mediocre records with a one and done record in the playoffs? Could you imagine how much worse it would be to go average 10-6 over the next 3 years with Mcnabb and then finally bring Kolb on only to realize after an additional 3 years that he is either much better or much worse? i refuse to tolerate 6 years of crappy football. So let's bring on the Kolb era and fast forward this show!


Can't wait to see the NFC East matchups.

McTwist

As a few people have already pointed out to me, the fact that I wrote about Tiger Woods the day after Donovan McNabb gets traded is inexcusable. It's a terrible job by me. Major fail. The truth is, I'd written most of the Tiger stuff yesterday and just finished it up today. So when the McNabb stuff went down, I decided to stay with my original plan and do a McNabb entry on Wednesday. That was definitely the wrong move. When something as big as that trade happens, I need to adjust. Should have at least mentioned it today and expanded on it later. So to make up for one mistake, I've decided to break one of the few rules I run this blog post with. So here's my second entry of the day.

Donovan McNabb has, for the most part of his career, been a major thorn in the sides of the other three NFC East teams. What's perplexing is that the way he was run of town you'd think he was an even bigger thorn for his own team. McNabb and Philadelphia seemed, from the outside, to have a strange relationship. The type of relationship that shows up once in a while in cities whose team is far removed from a title. The McNabb/Philly situation is reminiscent of the Ewing/NY and Garciaparra/Boston relationships. The home team's far removed from a title, has been struggling to even be competitive for some time, and get a player who seems to be the one who'll turn everything around. The player does well, but can't get over the hump. Suddenly, the fans start to turn on the player. He eventually gets traded, is missed by the fans, and given a standing ovation when he returns to his former home field/arena.

The McNabb situation presents some aspects that I don't recall having seen before, though. First of all, McNabb still seems to have a lot more game left than the other two combined at their respective trading points. Next, McNabb was dealt to a rival. Now THAT, I know I've never seen. The face of a franchise that just went to the playoffs being dealt to a bitter rival. It would've been as if Favre had been traded to the Vikings rather than the Jets.

So how this plays out will be extremely intriguing. When the Redskins visit Philly, the Eagles organization lose regardless of how the crowd greets McNabb. If he's given a standing ovation for his service to the team, the Eagles look bad for dealing him to a hated rival. This can be counteracted by playing a tribute video to McNabb before the game. This could backfire, though, if McNabb gets booed. Now you have the greatest QB in your franchise's history being booed on your own home field. Lose/lose.

Now, as for the trade itself. I understand why the Eagles made the move. It's completely logical. They feel they have a commodity that they'll lose for nothing in a year. A commodity that has value, albeit diminishing. Moreover, they feel they have THE replacement for said commodity ready to be unveiled. So why not get returns on it while you still can? As for trading him to the Redskins, if they offered you the best deal for your team, it'd be irresponsible not to take it.

What this trade accomplishes is toughening up the NFC East even further. Suddenly the Redskins are a major player. They won't have to worry about a QB so they could go elsewhere with their first pick.

The Eagles' side of the deal is more interesting. They got three picks, a second round this year and two later picks next year. Ordinarily, I'd say that the Eagles can't expect to win the Super Bowl with a first year starting QB so they'll probably flip this year's second round pick for a first next year, something that seems to be a popular trend in the league. However, Philly was so adamant about getting a high second round pick that it seems that there's someone they covet at that spot. So what I expect from the Eagles is to wait through the first round and into the second round to see if the player they want falls with them. Take him if he does. If he doesn't, flip the pick to get into position for a monster draft next year. Which, of course, would be Kolb's second year as a starter when you could realistically expect to win a lot with him.

Of course, all this could be made moot if there's no football next year.

All in all, the trade helps both teams in different ways. The Redskins win in the short term and the Eagles probably win in the long run. The losers of this trade? Definately the Giants and Cowboys.

Peace

Second Golf Post of the Year!

So Tiger's cmoing back and every sports personality is predicting how he'll fare. Bill Simmons went as far as to say that no athlete ever had to deal with what Tiger's going through so there's no way to judge how he'll react.

I think he's wrong.

Simmons compared Tiger's situation to Muhammad Ali's return after being exiled from boxing. It's obvious, despite what the Sports Guy said, that Ali had a ton more to deal with. Still, the two situations are not comparable. They're not simillar in the least. There is, however, an athlete who went through a simillar situation recently, worse I'd argue, and gave us a gauge of how Tiger might perform upon his return.

I type, of course, about none other than Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Like Tiger, Rodriguez had a marriage that fell apart due to infedeillity that was revealed and trumpeted by the tabloids. His divorce was extremely public and went on during the offseason. Tiger missed the beginning of his season, as did Rodriguez with his hip surgery.

The difference, though, is that Rodriguez had a few more issues. There was the Joe Torre book. There was the weird magazine pictorial where he kissed himself in the mirror. There were the questions about his clutchness. Oh, and he admitted his steroid use.

With Tiger's return, the questions circle solely around whether he can focus enough on golf to perform the way he used to. With A Rod, the questions were, not only about his focus, but also whether he'd even be physically capable to perform the way he used to post steroid bust and his surgery.

So when Rodrigues stepped into the batter's box on a Friday night in Baltimore, the sports world watched to see if he showed any indication of how the rest of his season would go.

He did.

He turned on the first 97 mph fastball and launched it into the left field seats. He never looked back. Rodriguez not only played the way he'd dine before, but also excercised his playoff demons. Never before had Rodriguez been so clutch. He did, I'd argue, get an unfair rap about his clutchness, but still had as good a playoff as you can expect any player to have.

I expect simillar results with Tiger. I see him birdie-ing his first hole and having at least a solid Masters, if not absolutely dominating. I guess we'll see this weekend.

Well you might see. I don't watch golf.

Peace