"Hey, what the hell is going on out there?!"
Ok, I had a rough day yesterday. Didn't get much sleep and got up right around 11:30. I rubbed the crust from my eyes and threw on ESPN, knowing that the Draft started at 11 today...but what happened next literally took me until now to try and fathom (I still can't by the way). So ok, I know sometimes I can be wrong. Hey, that's what happens when you put your neck out there and write your opinions down. You can't always be right. I am the first to admit that I have swung and missed on a bunch of different things, but this one took the cake. All along, I said there was no way the Pats would ever go after Randy Moss (yeah, I remember italicizing that, don't worry). So when I got up this morning, still half-drunk from my escapades last night, I literally went to my bathroom and ran water on my face for five minutes, then went back and went on Patriots.com to see if it was true...and there it was. The words Randy Moss and New England Patriot consecutively, and I lost my mind. The actual transcript of what I was saying probably shouldn't be repeated. Basically it was all the words I can't say to my Mom (well I've probably slipped a couple times, but I didn't mean to...honestly) and other loud noises I was screaming that may have been in some kind of third-world tribal language (you get the idea...or maybe you don't...I dunno?). Guys, Randy Moss is a New England Patriot. That's right...Randy Moss...Randy Moss!!! Holy...sorry, I mean I'm really trying not to curse here, but this whole transaction only conjures up a beautiful stream of optimistic swearing the likes of which I haven't had in quite some time. Anyway, the Raiders, who were all over the freggin' place in the Draft this year, decided that the fourth rounder the Pats got from the Niners was the best deal they were going to get for Moss, who they have been trying to dump ever since Lane Kiffin (yeah, I don't know either...I think he was the O-Coordinator at Southern Cal?) decided that Moss was all done in Oakland. Moss basically gave up on the team, which has been his big "red flag" all along. What if this guy was only out for himself and not a team player...what are the Pats supposed to expect? Here's what I think: First of all, yeah, Moss is going to have his "moments," but trust me, it's not going to be a Keyshawn/Tuna kind of relationship, where you could see Johnson on the sideline screaming at Parcells to "give him the damn ball" (at least that's a rough translation of what was said). Trust me, if Moss tries any of that, he's done, and the thing is, the Pats are so loaded with receivers after this past offseason (adding to Caldwell, Gaffney, Jackson (who may or may not play), and Troy Brown, you now have Stallworth, Welker, and Kelley Washington), that Moss is pretty much dispensable. Not saying that any of the guys they currently have right now are better or even as good as Moss (they're not), but with Tommy Terrific at the helm, the receivers they already had could have definitely handled the workload (so long as Reche Caldwell does not play too much in the playoffs, I think we'll be all set on that end...)
(Playoffs? Playoffs???!)
Moss is going to add another element to this offense though, and it will be one the Pats haven't had since Irving Fryar from way back when (ok, I mean if you don't remember him, you totally get a pass...that's kind of a freak thing I know that being 22 years old...can't say I'm normal). Moss is going to demand a lot of attention, and when you consider that Stallworth will be on the other end (almost got 1,000 yards last year), Gaffney and Caldwell in the slot, with Washington or Brown playing as the Z-receiver in five-receiver shotgun sets (by the way, expect a bizarre amount of those this year...are you kidding?...with the receivers they have?...I think defenses are going to have to be in dime for the entire game, which means hello Laurence Maroney rushing for like 1,300 yards), this team is going to be oh so hard to contain. Holy crap I am losing my mind right now. This is like when the Sox were going after Helton, and I could picture the kind of lineup they would be putting out there...ok, but this is real. This isn't like some kind of fantasy lineup...this is actually going to happen. The only question left is what number Moss is going to wear (I am going to take a stab and say #89, but if Troy Brown doesn't come back, it will be close between 80 and 89...his #84 is worn by Watson, his #88 from Marshall is taken by newly acquired Kyle Brady, and his #18 from Oakland is Donte's...but I hear these things can be negotiated, and Moss has a lot of money...a lot of money). Regardless of numbers, you are now looking at the favorites to take it all down. It's not even a question. The Colts have put it in neutral, while the Pats, who were a dropped pass away from going to the Super Bowl (blink damn it!...blink!), have completely overhauled any kind of weakness they may have had from last year and have not only made up for it, but now, they have become strengths on the team (getting Meriweather adds a hard-hitting safety they were lacking in Harrison's absence, their questionable core of receivers have become the best group in the league, and the hole that never was filled after Willie McGinest left for Cleveland last year, is now being filled by a pro-bowler...goodnight nurse). I am so pumped about this upcoming season I can't even stand myself right now...and it's April! What am I going to do until August...wait, this just in, the team with the wall will be performing a dance on the American League's collective faces (and even the NL on occasion).
The Sox went to the Bronx over the weekend and took two of three from the Yanks (oh by the way, thanks for showing the loss on national TV and not the two wins...really, much appreciated...idiot!) Again, they are doing what they need to do at this moment in time, which is to dominate and get as much space in between them and New York as possible. I am fully aware that the Sox are not "meltdown-proof" (see the Boston Massacre: parts one (1978) and part two (last year)), so it's early to deem them the favorites to win the whole thing (unfortunately, Belichick doesn't coach the Sox...I mean I don't get it, just have Tito come in around August, and you'll be all set!...naw, I'm kidding most definitely, I love Francona...the guy's the man, and literally has all the job security on God's green Earth going for him right now). However, I'm loving how the Sox seem like they are in a kind of groove where it's a different guy every night (that is unless Alex Cora is out there, because he's going to do something every time he's out there...you call me crazy, but Cora is one of the keys that will determine if they just make the playoffs or are able to make a playoff run). I'm loving the bullpen man. Are you kidding me right now? Okajima has been on fire (again, it's early for him, but he has been simply outstanding), Donnelly is doing exactly what I thought he would do, basically being the set-up guy in between Timlin's appearances, and shutting people down as well, and then, well there's the closer...don't make me gush...come on now! Anyway, the starting pitching has been overall solid thus far, with a few hiccups here and there. Dice-K is still throwing smoke, which is encouraging. He's been hit up a few times in his start, but still, I love how he is able to keep his composure, and really seems like he's embracing Boston (notably because we've embraced the crap out of him and will continue to do so). Also, hello Josh Beckett. I knew you were out there somewhere. After a season of longball theater last season, Beckett has settled in to his #2 role quite nicely right now, simply dominating everyone he has played. This guy had it all along, and I knew it, but the only thing that was keeping him from living up to his potential was whatever kind of issues he had going on in his head. His stuff is electric, and it's obvious that he has regained the confidence that he started with last year. I think that this will be an adjustment that will hold up for the long haul, because Beckett has already been around the league once, so hitters know what he's coming with ("here comes the heat") and they are still looking ridiculous right now. Wake has been fantastic, but again, for whatever reason, he can't get any runs. I have a theory on this. I think that because he is so slow to come to the plate, he is actually putting his fielders to sleep, which doesn't bode well when they are up to bat and the opposing pitcher is throwing smoke right by them. It's kind of like what happens when you have been facing a knuckleballer all game long, and then, a guy like Farnsworth or Zumaya comes in and starts throwing high 90s fastballs, the hitters have no chance. I don't know, it's just kind of curious about how Wake gets no run support whatsoever, so that's my little theory I'm throwing out there...sleep on it, maybe it will make sense. Oh, and by the way, I need to now tonight Jon Lester, I need you more than ever. Please, let the higher powers from above make sure this kid is going to be ok, and that he will be able to return to his role as the fifth starter, because I'm not sure I can handle all this Julian Tavarez face time (he pitched decently today, but giving up a three-run homer to Minky never really sits well with me). I'm so pumped about this team though. This is going to be a fun summer, and what's going to make it better? DirecTV w/ NESN and a Boston bar right down the street...
"If you try sometimes, you get what you need."
True that.
Anyway, I'm sure Fitzy is going to be losing his mind on his upcoming webcast. If you like hearing from annoying Boston guys, you'll love this guy, and if you don't...you'll love this guy. Anyway, I put his site up under "Links" (Townie News), so definitely check that out. I have a feeling that this is going to be like a ten minute segment. It's gonna be wicked pissah for sure (also the name of his webcast).
So, that's all for now. Finals week happens to be, well, this week, and it's really started to get to me. At the one end, college is over, meaning that I have to make the transition from college student to alcoholic...not so sure how smooth that's going to be. And then, at the same time, I've been waiting for this my entire life. My own place, with satellite TV, in warm weather, next to a Boston bar...basically everything I could have ever wanted. Now, if only I can get a job to keep the dream alive, that would definitely be nice. I'm super stoked about the future though man, and why not? Moving up to Charlotte next Monday, getting satellite put in on Tuesday, taking a mini vacation until the 14th, whereby I'll be getting on a bus and touring baseball parks for college credit...and did I mention going to Shea on a Saturday for Mets-Yankees? Even if I did, I could care less, and if it seems like I'm rubbing this in...ummm...sorry? You should have taken a Maymester class. It's pretty good. And then, if all goes well, I'll be starting my internship on the 28th, two days after I get back from Atlanta...so everything is kind of locking into place (well...not everything...but a large majority...wish it was everything though...(sigh)). Sorry to get emotional there. Well, that does it for now. I have absolutely no idea when the next time I'll be able to write anything, because these next couple of weeks are going to be nuts. I'm definitely doing the road trip diary though, because there are going to be long stretches to go on that bus (is it weird that there will be more chicks than guys?...I was looking at the roster, and it looks to be about 60/40 female...I have no problem with that, but I would have figured it would have been a sausage fest on that bus, but that was a pleasant surprise...and it's not even what you think; I'm happy because now, the bus won't smell that bad...seriously, that's all I'm saying about that...seriously!), so that will be a nice way to pass the time. I still have absolutely no idea what I have to do for the class, and quite frankly, I want some cheese doodles! Haha, no I'm just kidding. Really, I don't care what my obligations are. I mean, if I have to write about anything sports-related...well, you can kind of get the idea from this...it's not the most difficult thing in the world for me to do.
Ok, have a good week everyone. Good luck for those taking finals this week, and for anyone taking them eventually. Congrats to all the hopeful graduates! Class of 2007 kid! Right on! Alright, take care now. Peace.
~Mell-o
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Ok, Even I'm "Drafted Out"
"When I wake up tomorrow, will you still feel the same?"
So I was so tired today that after I found out the Pats had traded out of their pick, I went back to my place and crashed the freak out. I was all done. The Draft is a grind man. Seriously, it's wicked tough to sit on a couch for five straight hours and try and pay attention to something. I don't know, I kind of like to get out sometimes, but today, I had no choice. I waited for today for the entire year, and it came, and it didn't disappoint. There were ups and downs throughout it all, with some major stories (Quinn, Ginn, Calvin...yes I tried to keep rhyming there) that emerged. But now, let's stray a little bit from the Draft, because I have a ton of time to kill before the Pats pick again.
So the NBA Playoffs have been going on, and strangely, I haven't really talked about it...until now. I happened to check out two games last night. First, Chicago took on the defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat are starting to look like the early '90s Celtics here. It just seems that there's nothing left in the tank for these guys. The Heat just looked tired and awkward, while the "Baby Bulls" were running circles around them. All of a sudden, this team looks like they have what it takes to contend for the Eastern Conference title (not going to rush into saying they are championship material yet...not too far off though). The key, in my opinion, has been the play of Ben Wallace down low, as he has neutralized Shaq the entire series, meaning the Heat have become a one-man operation, and right now, in the NBA, you need a second fiddle, because D-Wade, although amazing, simply is not good enough to make it happen by himself. The Bulls, on a whole, have been playing outstanding defense. When you factor in that three of the Bulls (Deng, Hinrich, Gordon) can go for at least 20 a night, you are going to have major issues stopping them. Wallace may not get 20 (actually, if he gets 10, it's considered to be amazing), but he knows his role, and he's picking up where he left off in Detroit, playing solid defense and crashing the hell out of the boards. The Heat had a lead last night, but the as the game wore on, and the Bulls were able to put in fresh bodies, headlined by super-subs Andres Nocioni and P.J. Brown, Chicago simply blew by the Heat, and Miami simply could never find their bearings in the fourth. With the series at 3-0 in favor of the Bulls, the Heat will try to put together a last-gasp effort to try and keep the series alive, but I really can't see that making much of a difference in the long run.
The Pistons finally put the Magic out of their misery today, completing the sweep of Orlando with a 97-93 victory. Dwight Howard is an unbelievable talent, but the Magic still need to add some more pieces around him to seriously consider making a run at a series win. Again, the Magic are going to have money to spend in the offseason, with Grant Hill's unbelievable contract finally coming to an end , the Magic will be looking for a second scorer (Rashard Lewis maybe?). Also, they tapped Jameer Nelson to be their point guard of the future, but he certainly hasn't lived up to his first-round billing yet, so Orlando will also be looking for help bringing the ball up the court (Chauncey? Mike Bibby? Earl Boykins?). Anyway, Orlando did an admirable job with the pieces they had to even make the playoffs (I know it's the Eastern Conference, but still...). And what more can anyone say about Detroit? This is a unit. Sure, they could have guys that could try and stand out ('Sheed, Rip, Chauncey...heck even Tayshaun), but instead, they band together by using their core guys mixed in with some wily veterans (McDyess and C-Webb) to create an unstoppable force. There is a reason this team was ranked number one in the East and have dominated the conference for the last four or five years. Minimizing egos equals wins, and this is especially true in the NBA. It's funny because individual players (Kobe, LeBron, T-Mac) run the league and feed to the ratings, but when it comes down to it, it's still a team game, and no one represents that more than the Pistons, who look as though they are going to roll on into the East finals. I think a matchup with the Bulls will be very intriguing, featuring Big Ben against his old team, and really, the Bulls are starting to emulate what the Pistons have done, so you will be looking at two teams with very similar strategies. Defense, FG%, and most importantly, teamwork.
Speaking of all this, I found it very interesting that, in an ESPN article I was reading the other day, Shawn Marion is a completely different person than I had pictured. Marion is basically just out for himself, and wants more credit than what he is given. I mean this guy is something else. First of all, he's getting a max contract. Second, he's playing on arguably the biggest offensive juggernaut of our lifetimes. Third, Phoenix is in the playoffs every year, they are led by probably the best player in the league, and will always be in contention for a title run. But yet, it's not enough for Marion. He wants the individual accolades. I mean, obviously it would be nice for Marion if he got his all-star selections, and got named to All-NBA teams, but you have to question the timing of all of this. He also insinuated that he would trade his place right now on the Suns in order to get more individual recognition somewhere else. Do you really need that right now? With the rest of the West looking as vulnerable as ever (more on that later), the timing of this is just completely wrong. Also, I think Marion is regarded as one of the best fifteen or twenty players in the league, and just because he hasn't apparently received the kind of fame he was looking for, that doesn't mean that it will never come, but it seems that until it does, Marion will feel the way he feels, which is too bad because I really don't think he understands what the general perception is for the kind of player he is, which is this: freggin' amazing.
Dallas got one of the all-time worst first round draws for a #1 seed in NBA playoff history. Playing a team that has literally owned them for the last year-and-a-half, the Mavs find themselves with their backs against the wall, down two games to one to Golden State, with their home-court advantage gone up in smoke. The Warriors are an example of a team that just matches up well against certain teams, and causes total headaches in certain situations. A perfect example is the matchup between Baron Davis and Jason Terry. Terry is simply overmatched against Davis, who is constantly driving the ball to the hoop and dishing the ball to Biedrins down low, or going outside to J-Rich or Monta Ellis, who has caught fire down the stretch. Dallas has looked, as NBA.com put it, "ordinary" throughout the series. The problem has been that the Warriors have out-paced the Mavs so far, which doesn't bode well considering that the Mavs love to push the ball, and have the speed to get back on defense (I believe they were second in the league in FG% allowed). However, when you have a team that is even faster and more tenacious, that's going to be a problem. Also, to say that the Warrior fans were pumped for the game last night would be the understatement of the decade. They were rocking and rolling last night (side note: where the Warriors play is literally in the same lot as the Oakland Coliseum, which I totally dig; it's almost like a college setting where everything is in one place...very convenient). The Mavs have to win Game 4, or else they're done. What's going to make it tough is that they are once again playing in Oakland, and from all indications, these fans aren't letting up anytime soon. This leaves the door wide open for Phoenix, San Antonio, or even Houston to get into the Finals without having to play the best team in the league this year.
'Melo and the boys lost to the Spurs today, putting them down 2-1 in the series. Anytime Manu Ginobili has eleven free throw attempts, you know something is up. I would put most of the blame on Steve Blake, as he's allowing Manu to penetrate into the lane, forcing their big men (Nene and Camby) to get off their men and try and defend shots. Not good. What also isn't good is that the Nugs are only playing with eight guys, with only two guys (Najera and J.R. Smith) being the only ones to get "actual" minutes. Obviously, stamina has become an issue for them, because they looked tired down the stretch. A.I. and 'Melo both went over 44 minutes again today. These guys are used to it, but still, it has to still get to you after a while. I mean this is the playoffs. It's not as though these are just regular season games where, if you lose, there's always tomorrow. Every game counts, and this was a critical loss because Denver took one at San Antonio, and would have been in the driver's seat with a game lead and home court. Denver had a real tough time behind the arc (3-12, 25%), which is key when you consider the Spurs shot very well from outside (9-21, 42.9%). In my opinion, I would definitely try and stretch the defense, because according to those numbers, it seems like the ball gets funneled into the paint a lot. When you have Iverson and J.R. Smith on the outside, you're definitely going to want more impact from their perimeter shooting than that. Iverson is the key to this series. Tim Duncan is going to do what he does night in and night out (25 and 10...it's clockwork), so Iverson is going to have to step up and become the leader on this team. 'Melo is my boy, but I don't believe he is the one who is going to be able to light the kind of fire that A.I. can. Also, when you consider Iverson basically had to carry the Sixers on his back for a decade, I would assume that it would be much easier for him to assume leadership, and at the same time, know that he has weapons around him so that he will not be keyed-up like he was in the past. This next game is another big one, much like the Dallas/Golden State series, for the team down 2-1. If Denver can pull off Game 4, they will even up the series, and send the Spurs reeling. I would probably switch defenders and put Iverson on Manu and Blake on Parker. The thing is, I can't really tell, when Manu gets the ball, if he is thinking pass or shoot. With Parker, he definitely does his fair share of driving, but not nearly as much as Ginobili, and is also a pass-first guard, so an adequate defender like Blake will have an easier time attempting to control Parker than he would with a slasher like Manu.
Well, I'm officially drained. Seriously, I feel in a heap on my bed when I got home today. I literally could not move at all. As I was writing this, the Pats traded away their third rounder to Oakland for their 7th this year and 3rd next year. I mean I guess they really don't have any interest in anyone right now. I still would like to see them take a gamble on Michael Bush, who is probably the biggest name left out there (along with Antonio Pittman from Ohio St.). As for tomorrow, the Pats have 10 picks. I'm not sure about this, but I have to say that's going to be the most of anyone. Here's how they're looking right now (round-pick in round (overall)):
4-11 (110)
4-28 (127)
5-34 (171)
6-6 (180)
6-28 (202)
6-34 (208)
6-35 (209)
7-1 (211)
7-37 (247)
Here are some guys I think the Pats should take a look at tomorrow:
Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
Brandon Siler, ILB, Florida
Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise St. (please take him, I'm begging you!...Statue of Liberty play!)
Kenneth Darby, RB, Alabama
Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
Dallas Baker, WR, Florida
Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware
Josh Beekman, G, Boston College
Manuel Ramirez, G, Texas Tech (just to get massive name confusions...if he has dreads, it's a lock)
Keith Jackson, DT, Arkansas
Zak DeOssie, OLB, Brown
Rory Johnson, OLB, Ole Miss
David Irons, CB, Auburn
C.J. Gaddis, CB, (gulp) Clemson
Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest
The Pats only had one pick today, and it was definitely a bit of a head scratcher, getting the troubled safety Brandon Meriweather from Miami. I would just think that the red flags for "off-the-field" character issues would be waving pretty high and true. Again, I have a lot of faith in what the Pats do, but I kind of find it hard to root for this pick. Again, maybe it's just me, but I would have liked to have seen them take a guy that wasn't as flamboyant as a guy like Meriweather is, which is why I thought all along that Posluszny would be a perfect fit. Again, Meriweather is a tremendous talent, but I find it fascinating that they would take a gamble on him. I'm thinking they know something I don't, because if he is like the guy I envision he is, there's no way they would have taken him.
By the way, I mean I think the Niners will have a good team next year, but I'm really hoping they tank. This is what happens when you get a future first-rounder. The Niners are going to be like the pseudo-Yankees of the NFL this year for me. I'm going to cringe every time they do something good, every time they win, every Frank Gore rush, every Nate Clements pick...basically anything positive for the Niners is not going to be good for me. However, I don't think they will be too, too good, so I'm expecting the Pats will be picking around 18 or 19 with the Niners pick, and also at #32, because you know who's taking it all this year (ok, our linebackers are Vrabel, Bruschi, Thomas, and Colvin...it's over, forget it).
Alright, hopefully I can put something together tomorrow to wrap up the Draft/Sox-Yankees series. Have a good night all. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
So I was so tired today that after I found out the Pats had traded out of their pick, I went back to my place and crashed the freak out. I was all done. The Draft is a grind man. Seriously, it's wicked tough to sit on a couch for five straight hours and try and pay attention to something. I don't know, I kind of like to get out sometimes, but today, I had no choice. I waited for today for the entire year, and it came, and it didn't disappoint. There were ups and downs throughout it all, with some major stories (Quinn, Ginn, Calvin...yes I tried to keep rhyming there) that emerged. But now, let's stray a little bit from the Draft, because I have a ton of time to kill before the Pats pick again.
So the NBA Playoffs have been going on, and strangely, I haven't really talked about it...until now. I happened to check out two games last night. First, Chicago took on the defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat are starting to look like the early '90s Celtics here. It just seems that there's nothing left in the tank for these guys. The Heat just looked tired and awkward, while the "Baby Bulls" were running circles around them. All of a sudden, this team looks like they have what it takes to contend for the Eastern Conference title (not going to rush into saying they are championship material yet...not too far off though). The key, in my opinion, has been the play of Ben Wallace down low, as he has neutralized Shaq the entire series, meaning the Heat have become a one-man operation, and right now, in the NBA, you need a second fiddle, because D-Wade, although amazing, simply is not good enough to make it happen by himself. The Bulls, on a whole, have been playing outstanding defense. When you factor in that three of the Bulls (Deng, Hinrich, Gordon) can go for at least 20 a night, you are going to have major issues stopping them. Wallace may not get 20 (actually, if he gets 10, it's considered to be amazing), but he knows his role, and he's picking up where he left off in Detroit, playing solid defense and crashing the hell out of the boards. The Heat had a lead last night, but the as the game wore on, and the Bulls were able to put in fresh bodies, headlined by super-subs Andres Nocioni and P.J. Brown, Chicago simply blew by the Heat, and Miami simply could never find their bearings in the fourth. With the series at 3-0 in favor of the Bulls, the Heat will try to put together a last-gasp effort to try and keep the series alive, but I really can't see that making much of a difference in the long run.
The Pistons finally put the Magic out of their misery today, completing the sweep of Orlando with a 97-93 victory. Dwight Howard is an unbelievable talent, but the Magic still need to add some more pieces around him to seriously consider making a run at a series win. Again, the Magic are going to have money to spend in the offseason, with Grant Hill's unbelievable contract finally coming to an end , the Magic will be looking for a second scorer (Rashard Lewis maybe?). Also, they tapped Jameer Nelson to be their point guard of the future, but he certainly hasn't lived up to his first-round billing yet, so Orlando will also be looking for help bringing the ball up the court (Chauncey? Mike Bibby? Earl Boykins?). Anyway, Orlando did an admirable job with the pieces they had to even make the playoffs (I know it's the Eastern Conference, but still...). And what more can anyone say about Detroit? This is a unit. Sure, they could have guys that could try and stand out ('Sheed, Rip, Chauncey...heck even Tayshaun), but instead, they band together by using their core guys mixed in with some wily veterans (McDyess and C-Webb) to create an unstoppable force. There is a reason this team was ranked number one in the East and have dominated the conference for the last four or five years. Minimizing egos equals wins, and this is especially true in the NBA. It's funny because individual players (Kobe, LeBron, T-Mac) run the league and feed to the ratings, but when it comes down to it, it's still a team game, and no one represents that more than the Pistons, who look as though they are going to roll on into the East finals. I think a matchup with the Bulls will be very intriguing, featuring Big Ben against his old team, and really, the Bulls are starting to emulate what the Pistons have done, so you will be looking at two teams with very similar strategies. Defense, FG%, and most importantly, teamwork.
Speaking of all this, I found it very interesting that, in an ESPN article I was reading the other day, Shawn Marion is a completely different person than I had pictured. Marion is basically just out for himself, and wants more credit than what he is given. I mean this guy is something else. First of all, he's getting a max contract. Second, he's playing on arguably the biggest offensive juggernaut of our lifetimes. Third, Phoenix is in the playoffs every year, they are led by probably the best player in the league, and will always be in contention for a title run. But yet, it's not enough for Marion. He wants the individual accolades. I mean, obviously it would be nice for Marion if he got his all-star selections, and got named to All-NBA teams, but you have to question the timing of all of this. He also insinuated that he would trade his place right now on the Suns in order to get more individual recognition somewhere else. Do you really need that right now? With the rest of the West looking as vulnerable as ever (more on that later), the timing of this is just completely wrong. Also, I think Marion is regarded as one of the best fifteen or twenty players in the league, and just because he hasn't apparently received the kind of fame he was looking for, that doesn't mean that it will never come, but it seems that until it does, Marion will feel the way he feels, which is too bad because I really don't think he understands what the general perception is for the kind of player he is, which is this: freggin' amazing.
Dallas got one of the all-time worst first round draws for a #1 seed in NBA playoff history. Playing a team that has literally owned them for the last year-and-a-half, the Mavs find themselves with their backs against the wall, down two games to one to Golden State, with their home-court advantage gone up in smoke. The Warriors are an example of a team that just matches up well against certain teams, and causes total headaches in certain situations. A perfect example is the matchup between Baron Davis and Jason Terry. Terry is simply overmatched against Davis, who is constantly driving the ball to the hoop and dishing the ball to Biedrins down low, or going outside to J-Rich or Monta Ellis, who has caught fire down the stretch. Dallas has looked, as NBA.com put it, "ordinary" throughout the series. The problem has been that the Warriors have out-paced the Mavs so far, which doesn't bode well considering that the Mavs love to push the ball, and have the speed to get back on defense (I believe they were second in the league in FG% allowed). However, when you have a team that is even faster and more tenacious, that's going to be a problem. Also, to say that the Warrior fans were pumped for the game last night would be the understatement of the decade. They were rocking and rolling last night (side note: where the Warriors play is literally in the same lot as the Oakland Coliseum, which I totally dig; it's almost like a college setting where everything is in one place...very convenient). The Mavs have to win Game 4, or else they're done. What's going to make it tough is that they are once again playing in Oakland, and from all indications, these fans aren't letting up anytime soon. This leaves the door wide open for Phoenix, San Antonio, or even Houston to get into the Finals without having to play the best team in the league this year.
'Melo and the boys lost to the Spurs today, putting them down 2-1 in the series. Anytime Manu Ginobili has eleven free throw attempts, you know something is up. I would put most of the blame on Steve Blake, as he's allowing Manu to penetrate into the lane, forcing their big men (Nene and Camby) to get off their men and try and defend shots. Not good. What also isn't good is that the Nugs are only playing with eight guys, with only two guys (Najera and J.R. Smith) being the only ones to get "actual" minutes. Obviously, stamina has become an issue for them, because they looked tired down the stretch. A.I. and 'Melo both went over 44 minutes again today. These guys are used to it, but still, it has to still get to you after a while. I mean this is the playoffs. It's not as though these are just regular season games where, if you lose, there's always tomorrow. Every game counts, and this was a critical loss because Denver took one at San Antonio, and would have been in the driver's seat with a game lead and home court. Denver had a real tough time behind the arc (3-12, 25%), which is key when you consider the Spurs shot very well from outside (9-21, 42.9%). In my opinion, I would definitely try and stretch the defense, because according to those numbers, it seems like the ball gets funneled into the paint a lot. When you have Iverson and J.R. Smith on the outside, you're definitely going to want more impact from their perimeter shooting than that. Iverson is the key to this series. Tim Duncan is going to do what he does night in and night out (25 and 10...it's clockwork), so Iverson is going to have to step up and become the leader on this team. 'Melo is my boy, but I don't believe he is the one who is going to be able to light the kind of fire that A.I. can. Also, when you consider Iverson basically had to carry the Sixers on his back for a decade, I would assume that it would be much easier for him to assume leadership, and at the same time, know that he has weapons around him so that he will not be keyed-up like he was in the past. This next game is another big one, much like the Dallas/Golden State series, for the team down 2-1. If Denver can pull off Game 4, they will even up the series, and send the Spurs reeling. I would probably switch defenders and put Iverson on Manu and Blake on Parker. The thing is, I can't really tell, when Manu gets the ball, if he is thinking pass or shoot. With Parker, he definitely does his fair share of driving, but not nearly as much as Ginobili, and is also a pass-first guard, so an adequate defender like Blake will have an easier time attempting to control Parker than he would with a slasher like Manu.
Well, I'm officially drained. Seriously, I feel in a heap on my bed when I got home today. I literally could not move at all. As I was writing this, the Pats traded away their third rounder to Oakland for their 7th this year and 3rd next year. I mean I guess they really don't have any interest in anyone right now. I still would like to see them take a gamble on Michael Bush, who is probably the biggest name left out there (along with Antonio Pittman from Ohio St.). As for tomorrow, the Pats have 10 picks. I'm not sure about this, but I have to say that's going to be the most of anyone. Here's how they're looking right now (round-pick in round (overall)):
4-11 (110)
4-28 (127)
5-34 (171)
6-6 (180)
6-28 (202)
6-34 (208)
6-35 (209)
7-1 (211)
7-37 (247)
Here are some guys I think the Pats should take a look at tomorrow:
Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
Brandon Siler, ILB, Florida
Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise St. (please take him, I'm begging you!...Statue of Liberty play!)
Kenneth Darby, RB, Alabama
Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
Dallas Baker, WR, Florida
Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware
Josh Beekman, G, Boston College
Manuel Ramirez, G, Texas Tech (just to get massive name confusions...if he has dreads, it's a lock)
Keith Jackson, DT, Arkansas
Zak DeOssie, OLB, Brown
Rory Johnson, OLB, Ole Miss
David Irons, CB, Auburn
C.J. Gaddis, CB, (gulp) Clemson
Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest
The Pats only had one pick today, and it was definitely a bit of a head scratcher, getting the troubled safety Brandon Meriweather from Miami. I would just think that the red flags for "off-the-field" character issues would be waving pretty high and true. Again, I have a lot of faith in what the Pats do, but I kind of find it hard to root for this pick. Again, maybe it's just me, but I would have liked to have seen them take a guy that wasn't as flamboyant as a guy like Meriweather is, which is why I thought all along that Posluszny would be a perfect fit. Again, Meriweather is a tremendous talent, but I find it fascinating that they would take a gamble on him. I'm thinking they know something I don't, because if he is like the guy I envision he is, there's no way they would have taken him.
By the way, I mean I think the Niners will have a good team next year, but I'm really hoping they tank. This is what happens when you get a future first-rounder. The Niners are going to be like the pseudo-Yankees of the NFL this year for me. I'm going to cringe every time they do something good, every time they win, every Frank Gore rush, every Nate Clements pick...basically anything positive for the Niners is not going to be good for me. However, I don't think they will be too, too good, so I'm expecting the Pats will be picking around 18 or 19 with the Niners pick, and also at #32, because you know who's taking it all this year (ok, our linebackers are Vrabel, Bruschi, Thomas, and Colvin...it's over, forget it).
Alright, hopefully I can put something together tomorrow to wrap up the Draft/Sox-Yankees series. Have a good night all. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
NFL Draft: Hour #6
5:00: Dallas is great on Draft Day. Just so unpredictable. First, they trade out of the first round with Cleveland. Then, they trade back into it, giving up the Browns' second, and their own third, and fifth to get to #26.
5:06: So Spencer is the pick, and once again, a "hybrid" kind of guy goes to Dallas. This is the third one in the first round in recent memory (DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears in 2005). Spencer was a guy that a lot of people were really high on, and honestly, when I brought into account the "hype" factor, I'm kind of surprised he lasted this long.
5:08: Although I hate to say it, I have a pretty good feeling the Pats are trading out of the first round (of course, if they swing a trade like Dallas did with Cleveland, I'll be a lot happier).
5:12: With the Saints on the clock, I'm kind of leaning towards Olsen here.
5:15: However, after further analysis (i.e. listening to people on the TV...and not just Kiper), I'm liking either Olsen or Chris Houston, because the Saints really do need some help in their D-backfield.
5:18: Due to time restraints, the Pats will be the last pick I will be covering today.
5:19: Kind of a shocker at #27, as the Saints went with Meachem. I mean it makes sense when you look at it in an overall sense. They lost Joe Horn, and suddenly, there was a gaping hole across from Marques Colston. So it is a good pick, just one of those picks that you didn't really think about.
5:20: Alright, here we go...what do we got?
5:26: No, seriously, who do we got...it's time to get my grub on. Bill, help me brother.
5:31: We traded out...cant say I didn't see it coming. Niners are drafting now. I'm out. Peace.
~Mell-o
5:06: So Spencer is the pick, and once again, a "hybrid" kind of guy goes to Dallas. This is the third one in the first round in recent memory (DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears in 2005). Spencer was a guy that a lot of people were really high on, and honestly, when I brought into account the "hype" factor, I'm kind of surprised he lasted this long.
5:08: Although I hate to say it, I have a pretty good feeling the Pats are trading out of the first round (of course, if they swing a trade like Dallas did with Cleveland, I'll be a lot happier).
5:12: With the Saints on the clock, I'm kind of leaning towards Olsen here.
5:15: However, after further analysis (i.e. listening to people on the TV...and not just Kiper), I'm liking either Olsen or Chris Houston, because the Saints really do need some help in their D-backfield.
5:18: Due to time restraints, the Pats will be the last pick I will be covering today.
5:19: Kind of a shocker at #27, as the Saints went with Meachem. I mean it makes sense when you look at it in an overall sense. They lost Joe Horn, and suddenly, there was a gaping hole across from Marques Colston. So it is a good pick, just one of those picks that you didn't really think about.
5:20: Alright, here we go...what do we got?
5:26: No, seriously, who do we got...it's time to get my grub on. Bill, help me brother.
5:31: We traded out...cant say I didn't see it coming. Niners are drafting now. I'm out. Peace.
~Mell-o
NFL Draft: Hour #5
4:00: With Jacksonville on the clock, the pick should probably be Reggie Nelson. The Jags cannot keep their safeties healthy, and with the departure of Deon Grant, they literally have no safeties left.
4:03: Yeah, saw that coming.
4:04: So what is Wade Phillips going to do with Dallas' pick at #22? I mean, I could easily see what the Tuna was going to do while he was running things, but I'm not sure what Phillips' philosophy will be. Dallas is always looking to trade down, which is an interesting possibility.
4:07: Ah yes, Ed Werder chiming in, so you know that the rumors are swirling around Cowboys camp. I think the pick is going to be receiver. Again, I like Meachem, and also, Dwayne Bowe from LSU is a possibility.
4:11: I still can't see Michael Johnson throwing down on suds after a run. Also, I guess he goes to a bar that doesn't have a doorman...cut off sleeves? Who are you? Me?
4:15: So Cleveland just traded up...Brady, get the cobwebs out of your eyes...you're about to get drafted.
4:16: With the 22nd pick in the 2000 Draft? Anyway, "finally," Quinn gets taken. Cleveland again has got to be feeling good. They got both the guys they were considering at #3.
4:21: Upon further review, the Browns just got hosed on that deal. Their second rounder and a first rounder next year to move up? Considering no one was really willing to draft the guy, why not wait until the very end of the first round? That just seems like an incredible amount to give up. Ok, anyway, when are the Pats picking? Seriously, sometimes, it's not the best thing to be the best, and this would be, well, the only time.
4:27: So are we going to see any other receiver go in the first round? If so, this is definitely the place.
4:29: KC is taking way, way too long considering we're up next. Oh come on!
4:31: Dwayne Bowe to KC. I like it. Again, Bowe is a solid pick, and also, the Pats are on the clock now, so who cares?
4:33: It seems no one is showing the kind of enthusiasm for this pick that I am...what's the deal with that? Again, I gotta say it's Posluszny. The guy is just a perfect fit and such a Belichick type of guy.
4:36: Getting some fresh air. The anticipation is killing me.
4:40: That was amazing. Anyway, beers #5 and #6...didn't double-fist, but I forgot I was going to be annoying and count the amount of beers. So, sorry...I guess?
4:45: Go!!! Go!!! Come on now!
4:46: Ok, Meriweather is a good player, but I mean...really? I'm kind of taken back by this, and yet, I trust them so much that, hopefully, they saw something in him that I haven't, because I think this guy is trouble, and more importantly, he's from the U. Wilfork is from the U, and he has turned into a great team player, but this guy..."I'm not so sure about that."
4:51: The pick is in, but of course, ESPN is going to commercial. I still think the Panthers are hot for Greg Olsen, and if Olsen was their guy all along, this was an absolute brilliant move.
4:55: Ok, right school, wrong guy. Not saying that Beason was not the right pick though, because he absolutely is. They needed help at linebacker because Dan Morgan has never been right, so Beason was a good pick. Now that we have Meriweather, no way can we have two Miami guys in the first round...just no way.
4:58: It's so nice out, why not spend another five hours inside?
4:03: Yeah, saw that coming.
4:04: So what is Wade Phillips going to do with Dallas' pick at #22? I mean, I could easily see what the Tuna was going to do while he was running things, but I'm not sure what Phillips' philosophy will be. Dallas is always looking to trade down, which is an interesting possibility.
4:07: Ah yes, Ed Werder chiming in, so you know that the rumors are swirling around Cowboys camp. I think the pick is going to be receiver. Again, I like Meachem, and also, Dwayne Bowe from LSU is a possibility.
4:11: I still can't see Michael Johnson throwing down on suds after a run. Also, I guess he goes to a bar that doesn't have a doorman...cut off sleeves? Who are you? Me?
4:15: So Cleveland just traded up...Brady, get the cobwebs out of your eyes...you're about to get drafted.
4:16: With the 22nd pick in the 2000 Draft? Anyway, "finally," Quinn gets taken. Cleveland again has got to be feeling good. They got both the guys they were considering at #3.
4:21: Upon further review, the Browns just got hosed on that deal. Their second rounder and a first rounder next year to move up? Considering no one was really willing to draft the guy, why not wait until the very end of the first round? That just seems like an incredible amount to give up. Ok, anyway, when are the Pats picking? Seriously, sometimes, it's not the best thing to be the best, and this would be, well, the only time.
4:27: So are we going to see any other receiver go in the first round? If so, this is definitely the place.
4:29: KC is taking way, way too long considering we're up next. Oh come on!
4:31: Dwayne Bowe to KC. I like it. Again, Bowe is a solid pick, and also, the Pats are on the clock now, so who cares?
4:33: It seems no one is showing the kind of enthusiasm for this pick that I am...what's the deal with that? Again, I gotta say it's Posluszny. The guy is just a perfect fit and such a Belichick type of guy.
4:36: Getting some fresh air. The anticipation is killing me.
4:40: That was amazing. Anyway, beers #5 and #6...didn't double-fist, but I forgot I was going to be annoying and count the amount of beers. So, sorry...I guess?
4:45: Go!!! Go!!! Come on now!
4:46: Ok, Meriweather is a good player, but I mean...really? I'm kind of taken back by this, and yet, I trust them so much that, hopefully, they saw something in him that I haven't, because I think this guy is trouble, and more importantly, he's from the U. Wilfork is from the U, and he has turned into a great team player, but this guy..."I'm not so sure about that."
4:51: The pick is in, but of course, ESPN is going to commercial. I still think the Panthers are hot for Greg Olsen, and if Olsen was their guy all along, this was an absolute brilliant move.
4:55: Ok, right school, wrong guy. Not saying that Beason was not the right pick though, because he absolutely is. They needed help at linebacker because Dan Morgan has never been right, so Beason was a good pick. Now that we have Meriweather, no way can we have two Miami guys in the first round...just no way.
4:58: It's so nice out, why not spend another five hours inside?
NFL Draft: Hour #4
3:05: As we get closer and closer to the Pats drafting, I will tell you this right now: If Sidney Rice ends up on the Patriots, you will see me in a Sidney jersey as soon as his official number is announced. I don't care how broke I am, that will be mine. In life, there are three things I really need: food, booze, and Sidney Rice.
3:07: Hey, ESPN threw up another Brady Quinn stat (tied for third in the NCAA in TD passes...apparently Stanford's D isn't what it used to be). And he's in the commissioner's "private quarters?" Suzy Kolber, what is this? A loading vessel? Private quarters? "There's a vast sea mate, you can't come back from that." Sorry, random Seinfeld reference.
3:12: So apparently, the Wisconsin faithful did not dig the Justin Harrell pick all that much. I mean that was really a stretch taking Harrell that high. I think he was around a mid-second round value, considering he missed ten games last year with a biceps injury. Hey, I'm not an expert on evaluating talent, but when you have a guy like Olsen out there, and in need of a receiver, I'm not sure about taking a DT there.
3:17: So Wright is officially in the zone with the Jags on the clock. It's kind of curious that the Draft Tracker was taken off during commercials for the first time today while Jacksonville on the clock. He is just sweating because Brady Quinn is still on the board, and the crew has been talking about their QB situation. This could get ugly.
3:22: The minutes are ticking by, and Wright is getting more and more antsy. I don't know how much more he can take.
3:23: Well, relief of sorts, I guess. Sure, the Jags just traded out of their pick and are drafting at 21st, but then again, that just means he has to sit and pray that Quinn is taken off the board by then. Because it will be the same song and dance if they pick 21st.
3:25: The Jags definitely got some value by trading down, getting Denver's first, third, and sixth rounders for Jacksonville's pick at #17. The Broncos ended up with Jarvis Moss, who many had forgotten about considering Spencer's rapid climb up the board, and he was actually who I thought they would be taking there. Thankfully, they did not show Moss blocking any of the field goals against us in November. That was nice.
3:35: Leon Hall went to Cincinnati, which was definitely about right considering I had Chris Houston going there, but basically, I was just figuring Hall would be off the board by then. Again, I love Hall, and the Bengals clearly needed to help themselves in the defensive secondary, with Tory James going to your New England Patriots.
3:39: I'm going through serious Spurrier commercial withdrawals. Didn't they run click-clack last year like 50 times? Are they going to just hit me with it all at once?
3:40: The Titans are on the clock, everyone is thinking receiver here. Logically, I would think Meachem would be an easy pick here. He's a guy who has been rising up the Draft board, and was able to build himself up to "game ready" last year after sitting out the entire 2005 season.
3:47: The Titans took Griffin, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed because I thought he would be a good pick up for the Pats, who desperately need help at safety. They kind of threw a curve there, and to be honest, I'm not too thrilled.
3:49: I've just made the executive decision to cut this off after the first round, because I am wicked tired, and, I kind of want to check out the Sox game because I missed it last night.
3:56: The Giants fans are straight up wannabe Jets fans. They're trying to be annoying, but come on, the Jets fans will never be topped...ever...and it's not really a bad thing that they don't.
3:58: G-MEN! Aaron Ross is a smart pick. They needed corner help with Sam Madison basically all by himself back there. Ross will be an impact player. I thought they would get some help for their line with Staley, but this was definitely filling a need.
3:07: Hey, ESPN threw up another Brady Quinn stat (tied for third in the NCAA in TD passes...apparently Stanford's D isn't what it used to be). And he's in the commissioner's "private quarters?" Suzy Kolber, what is this? A loading vessel? Private quarters? "There's a vast sea mate, you can't come back from that." Sorry, random Seinfeld reference.
3:12: So apparently, the Wisconsin faithful did not dig the Justin Harrell pick all that much. I mean that was really a stretch taking Harrell that high. I think he was around a mid-second round value, considering he missed ten games last year with a biceps injury. Hey, I'm not an expert on evaluating talent, but when you have a guy like Olsen out there, and in need of a receiver, I'm not sure about taking a DT there.
3:17: So Wright is officially in the zone with the Jags on the clock. It's kind of curious that the Draft Tracker was taken off during commercials for the first time today while Jacksonville on the clock. He is just sweating because Brady Quinn is still on the board, and the crew has been talking about their QB situation. This could get ugly.
3:22: The minutes are ticking by, and Wright is getting more and more antsy. I don't know how much more he can take.
3:23: Well, relief of sorts, I guess. Sure, the Jags just traded out of their pick and are drafting at 21st, but then again, that just means he has to sit and pray that Quinn is taken off the board by then. Because it will be the same song and dance if they pick 21st.
3:25: The Jags definitely got some value by trading down, getting Denver's first, third, and sixth rounders for Jacksonville's pick at #17. The Broncos ended up with Jarvis Moss, who many had forgotten about considering Spencer's rapid climb up the board, and he was actually who I thought they would be taking there. Thankfully, they did not show Moss blocking any of the field goals against us in November. That was nice.
3:35: Leon Hall went to Cincinnati, which was definitely about right considering I had Chris Houston going there, but basically, I was just figuring Hall would be off the board by then. Again, I love Hall, and the Bengals clearly needed to help themselves in the defensive secondary, with Tory James going to your New England Patriots.
3:39: I'm going through serious Spurrier commercial withdrawals. Didn't they run click-clack last year like 50 times? Are they going to just hit me with it all at once?
3:40: The Titans are on the clock, everyone is thinking receiver here. Logically, I would think Meachem would be an easy pick here. He's a guy who has been rising up the Draft board, and was able to build himself up to "game ready" last year after sitting out the entire 2005 season.
3:47: The Titans took Griffin, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed because I thought he would be a good pick up for the Pats, who desperately need help at safety. They kind of threw a curve there, and to be honest, I'm not too thrilled.
3:49: I've just made the executive decision to cut this off after the first round, because I am wicked tired, and, I kind of want to check out the Sox game because I missed it last night.
3:56: The Giants fans are straight up wannabe Jets fans. They're trying to be annoying, but come on, the Jets fans will never be topped...ever...and it's not really a bad thing that they don't.
3:58: G-MEN! Aaron Ross is a smart pick. They needed corner help with Sam Madison basically all by himself back there. Ross will be an impact player. I thought they would get some help for their line with Staley, but this was definitely filling a need.
NFL Draft: Hour #3
2:02: I mean really, the Brady Quinn talk is going to get incredibly old, and he may not go for a good long while.
2:04: Okoye is off the board. This guy is going to be a freak. Watch how much Mario Williams improves because of him. Okoye is going to be incredible. Youngest player ever drafted in the NFL.
2:06: I got Carriker going to the Niners. I think this would be a real good fit because the Niners are in desperate need for help on their line, and they have been making strides to improve the D with the signings of Nate Clements and Michael Lewis.
2:10: Is the Draft moving quicker than normal? The question was brought up, and I have no answers.
2:15: San Fran is definitely pacing themselves, so obviously they got the message that the Draft was moving too fast.
2:18: Ok, kind of a shocker, but Patrick Willis is a beast. A "lock" for sure. San Fran is a team that is going to be on the rise, especially considering what division they play in.
2:22: Does the Madden curse apply to commercials? Reggie, what are you thinking? Why even chance it? Endorse 2K sports if you're going to do video games, but Madden?
2:24: I have 5-to-1 right now that a Charlie Weis interview is upcoming (live via satellite...or from the gastro clinic as Wright pointed out)
2:26: Totally awesome that they let Bruce Smith announce the Bills' pick. What's even better is that Bruce Smith announced a non-Brady Quinn pick, meaning the free fall will continue. It's funny because Lynch was rumored to be going to the Bills awhile back, but then, the pick turned into Willis. So with Willis gone, this was a logical pick, because they have a huge hole at running back, and they haven't really gone out and done anything to fill it...that is until now.
2:30: Totally pumped that the Sox are on TV today. What really would be my motivation to go outside today? Actually, a beer run is imminent, so you never know. Maybe food too, I don't know, I don't know if I'll have time.
2:31: Daydreaming about my new place during the commercials. I may not have any furniture or money, but I'll have my TV hooked up to satellite, watching Red Sox games, then going to the Boston bar, which I'll probably walk to (that's nice!) to pour over the details. So nice, so nice.
2:35: Beer #4 (getting slower I know...there's still time, trust me...I'm pacing myself)
2:39: Love the Carriker pick. This kid is so tough, and he proved in the Combine that he's the real deal. The NFC West has done a real good job so far, with Brown, Willis, and Carriker.
2:44: J-E-T-S! Yes, the anticipation is over for Jets fans to be completely devastated. Or maybe not. Actually, I don't think they will because there is a new regime in place, and Mangini has been guided by the Belichick/Pioli tandem, so I really think they will actually start drafting wisely. I know you're disappointed, I know.
2:47: So now the question lingers: What are the Jets going to do? They have been showing coverage of D-backs. All of a sudden, I'm thinking Darrelle Revis is the best corner in the Draft, and not Leon Hall. The reason is because they are both equal in skill, but Revis adds a whole 'nother element in terms of the return game. I like Revis here, but you never can tell. I said Olsen here, and it definitely could happen, especially when you consider the Packers, who need a TE, could definitely take Olsen at #16. So trading with the Panthers, the only other team in the market for Olsen, makes sense.
2:53: Revis was definitely worth trading up for, and Carolina made an incredible deal, because now, unless the Pack take Olsen, the Panthers could wind up with Olsen at #25. Otherwise, they are still looking for a safety, so Reggie Nelson, if still available, could be a possibility.
2:57: Pittsburgh did not take long at all on the clock. I really came around on Anthony Spencer, the DE from Purdue. I saw footage of him against Notre Dame, and he looked really good. I guess knocking Brady Quinn around helps your cause.
2:58: Timmons started to drop after the Combine, but is a special talent, and it will be interesting to see how well he can transition into the 3-4, especially when you consider the Steelers are under a new coaching staff.
2:04: Okoye is off the board. This guy is going to be a freak. Watch how much Mario Williams improves because of him. Okoye is going to be incredible. Youngest player ever drafted in the NFL.
2:06: I got Carriker going to the Niners. I think this would be a real good fit because the Niners are in desperate need for help on their line, and they have been making strides to improve the D with the signings of Nate Clements and Michael Lewis.
2:10: Is the Draft moving quicker than normal? The question was brought up, and I have no answers.
2:15: San Fran is definitely pacing themselves, so obviously they got the message that the Draft was moving too fast.
2:18: Ok, kind of a shocker, but Patrick Willis is a beast. A "lock" for sure. San Fran is a team that is going to be on the rise, especially considering what division they play in.
2:22: Does the Madden curse apply to commercials? Reggie, what are you thinking? Why even chance it? Endorse 2K sports if you're going to do video games, but Madden?
2:24: I have 5-to-1 right now that a Charlie Weis interview is upcoming (live via satellite...or from the gastro clinic as Wright pointed out)
2:26: Totally awesome that they let Bruce Smith announce the Bills' pick. What's even better is that Bruce Smith announced a non-Brady Quinn pick, meaning the free fall will continue. It's funny because Lynch was rumored to be going to the Bills awhile back, but then, the pick turned into Willis. So with Willis gone, this was a logical pick, because they have a huge hole at running back, and they haven't really gone out and done anything to fill it...that is until now.
2:30: Totally pumped that the Sox are on TV today. What really would be my motivation to go outside today? Actually, a beer run is imminent, so you never know. Maybe food too, I don't know, I don't know if I'll have time.
2:31: Daydreaming about my new place during the commercials. I may not have any furniture or money, but I'll have my TV hooked up to satellite, watching Red Sox games, then going to the Boston bar, which I'll probably walk to (that's nice!) to pour over the details. So nice, so nice.
2:35: Beer #4 (getting slower I know...there's still time, trust me...I'm pacing myself)
2:39: Love the Carriker pick. This kid is so tough, and he proved in the Combine that he's the real deal. The NFC West has done a real good job so far, with Brown, Willis, and Carriker.
2:44: J-E-T-S! Yes, the anticipation is over for Jets fans to be completely devastated. Or maybe not. Actually, I don't think they will because there is a new regime in place, and Mangini has been guided by the Belichick/Pioli tandem, so I really think they will actually start drafting wisely. I know you're disappointed, I know.
2:47: So now the question lingers: What are the Jets going to do? They have been showing coverage of D-backs. All of a sudden, I'm thinking Darrelle Revis is the best corner in the Draft, and not Leon Hall. The reason is because they are both equal in skill, but Revis adds a whole 'nother element in terms of the return game. I like Revis here, but you never can tell. I said Olsen here, and it definitely could happen, especially when you consider the Packers, who need a TE, could definitely take Olsen at #16. So trading with the Panthers, the only other team in the market for Olsen, makes sense.
2:53: Revis was definitely worth trading up for, and Carolina made an incredible deal, because now, unless the Pack take Olsen, the Panthers could wind up with Olsen at #25. Otherwise, they are still looking for a safety, so Reggie Nelson, if still available, could be a possibility.
2:57: Pittsburgh did not take long at all on the clock. I really came around on Anthony Spencer, the DE from Purdue. I saw footage of him against Notre Dame, and he looked really good. I guess knocking Brady Quinn around helps your cause.
2:58: Timmons started to drop after the Combine, but is a special talent, and it will be interesting to see how well he can transition into the 3-4, especially when you consider the Steelers are under a new coaching staff.
NFL Draft: Hour #2
1:02: Arizona reached for Brown, but I love the pick. I think they probably could have traded down, but this was such a need for them, and he is a top-10 talent, so I really think 'Zona made the right move.
1:03: Beer #3
1:04: This is the official tug-of-war of the Draft...the 'Skins. Trade down? Draft Okoye? Draft Landry? Right now, they have a definite potential because Miami and Minnesota have been hot for Quinn, and Washington has no other picks today!
1:08: The first Celtic discussion has officially come up. I'm going to be on the bus for the 22nd, but I will figure out some kind of communication so I can find out. One or two, it doesn't matter to me anymore. Give me one of them, I'm all about that.
1:12: Thank you LaRon Landry. The first actual "hey, I actually got drafted" moment of the Draft. Get excited! You're playing a game and getting millions of dollars to do it. I'm more excited than like all of these guys, which is ridiculous and sad I know.
1:15: I think Keyshawn has "Jaworski" syndrome, where if there is no talk about receivers, he has basically been rendered useless. Jaws can't talk unless they are talking about quarterbacks, the Eagles, or mad men who study film 24/7
1:18: Brady Quinn holds how many Notre Dame records? Oh yeah, right. Hey, when I forget that two minutes from now, I hope ESPN will remind me for the seventh time.
1:19: Totally was just reminded about Takeo Spikes going to Philly. Also, Fletcher went to the Redskins, meaning there is no way the Bills don't take Willis at #12, that is unless someone wamboozles them and moves up the board and takes him, which is a very real possibility (hint hint, we have two first round picks, and are willing to move).
1:26: I'm liking Peterson to the Vikings. I really like Chester Taylor, but I feel he's more of a "split time" back, so Peterson will take some of the load off him
1:29: Great catch: Someone slipping on a VA Tech pin on Peterson's suit, which he apparently didn't have on. It's like "well, if he's not going to wear it begin with, why make him?"
1:30: We're sitting at #8 with the Falcons, and this is one of those Arizona picks where I really don't know what the call is. I said Okoye, but the Falcons really wanted Johnson, and now that he's out of the picture, I would think they would want to trade down. Anderson may be a reach at this point (also when I have him ranked him behind Carriker as far as DEs).
1:33: So what is the deal with this? Atlanta's on the clock, and yet, all the talk is about Brady Quinn going to Miami, and how it's a "good fit" for him. Yeah, playing the Pats twice a year, real good spot.
1:38: Boomer makes the "hey, by the way, the Falcons are on the clock" reference. Good stuff.
1:39: Anderson is a good pick, especially when you consider how fast he moves for a 285 pounder. The Falcons definitely wanted Landry, and were trying to move up to get Johnson, but Anderson definitely fills a need they have.
1:42: Just realizing there was literally no outcry about Johnson going to the Lions. I mean four receivers in six years? I don't care how bad they ended up, there is no way you should be taking that many receivers that high in the Draft over that span of time.
1:46: Ok, it's kind of ridiculous how long the 'Fins are taking. I think they may be considering the kind of damage Brady Quinn is about to cause their franchise.
1:47: Fan poll just came in, Quinn is third in the voting behind Hall and Revis for who Miami should take. If Quinn doesn't go here, Trent Green is a Dolphin, and I will be happy to witness one of the potential biggest slides in Draft history...but it's not going to happen unfortunately.
1:50: OHHHHHH!!! TED GINN!!! YES!!! I love the Dolphins right now. This is one of the biggest ongoing stories in the history of the Draft. After the Bills, it's all over for Quinn. Honestly, I think Cleveland has to start thinking about trading up, and if they do, it could be considered one of the better drafts by anyone. I don't even like Brady Quinn, but if they end up with Joe Thomas and Quinn, the Browns will be in the lead for the best draft this year.
1:54: The shock waves are still setting in. Unbelievable. Trent Green is so a Dolphin. I would expect the announcement to come down anytime today.
1:57: The Wally the Green Monster commercial is still amazing.
1:59: So if Quinn didn't start slipping, would they really show this flashback of famous "waiting" moments for first-round QBs? Also, they were all quarterbacks. Notice that a guy like Okoye, who is rated higher than Quinn on most boards, is slipping just as much, yet no one really says anything about that. Totally ridiculous.
1:03: Beer #3
1:04: This is the official tug-of-war of the Draft...the 'Skins. Trade down? Draft Okoye? Draft Landry? Right now, they have a definite potential because Miami and Minnesota have been hot for Quinn, and Washington has no other picks today!
1:08: The first Celtic discussion has officially come up. I'm going to be on the bus for the 22nd, but I will figure out some kind of communication so I can find out. One or two, it doesn't matter to me anymore. Give me one of them, I'm all about that.
1:12: Thank you LaRon Landry. The first actual "hey, I actually got drafted" moment of the Draft. Get excited! You're playing a game and getting millions of dollars to do it. I'm more excited than like all of these guys, which is ridiculous and sad I know.
1:15: I think Keyshawn has "Jaworski" syndrome, where if there is no talk about receivers, he has basically been rendered useless. Jaws can't talk unless they are talking about quarterbacks, the Eagles, or mad men who study film 24/7
1:18: Brady Quinn holds how many Notre Dame records? Oh yeah, right. Hey, when I forget that two minutes from now, I hope ESPN will remind me for the seventh time.
1:19: Totally was just reminded about Takeo Spikes going to Philly. Also, Fletcher went to the Redskins, meaning there is no way the Bills don't take Willis at #12, that is unless someone wamboozles them and moves up the board and takes him, which is a very real possibility (hint hint, we have two first round picks, and are willing to move).
1:26: I'm liking Peterson to the Vikings. I really like Chester Taylor, but I feel he's more of a "split time" back, so Peterson will take some of the load off him
1:29: Great catch: Someone slipping on a VA Tech pin on Peterson's suit, which he apparently didn't have on. It's like "well, if he's not going to wear it begin with, why make him?"
1:30: We're sitting at #8 with the Falcons, and this is one of those Arizona picks where I really don't know what the call is. I said Okoye, but the Falcons really wanted Johnson, and now that he's out of the picture, I would think they would want to trade down. Anderson may be a reach at this point (also when I have him ranked him behind Carriker as far as DEs).
1:33: So what is the deal with this? Atlanta's on the clock, and yet, all the talk is about Brady Quinn going to Miami, and how it's a "good fit" for him. Yeah, playing the Pats twice a year, real good spot.
1:38: Boomer makes the "hey, by the way, the Falcons are on the clock" reference. Good stuff.
1:39: Anderson is a good pick, especially when you consider how fast he moves for a 285 pounder. The Falcons definitely wanted Landry, and were trying to move up to get Johnson, but Anderson definitely fills a need they have.
1:42: Just realizing there was literally no outcry about Johnson going to the Lions. I mean four receivers in six years? I don't care how bad they ended up, there is no way you should be taking that many receivers that high in the Draft over that span of time.
1:46: Ok, it's kind of ridiculous how long the 'Fins are taking. I think they may be considering the kind of damage Brady Quinn is about to cause their franchise.
1:47: Fan poll just came in, Quinn is third in the voting behind Hall and Revis for who Miami should take. If Quinn doesn't go here, Trent Green is a Dolphin, and I will be happy to witness one of the potential biggest slides in Draft history...but it's not going to happen unfortunately.
1:50: OHHHHHH!!! TED GINN!!! YES!!! I love the Dolphins right now. This is one of the biggest ongoing stories in the history of the Draft. After the Bills, it's all over for Quinn. Honestly, I think Cleveland has to start thinking about trading up, and if they do, it could be considered one of the better drafts by anyone. I don't even like Brady Quinn, but if they end up with Joe Thomas and Quinn, the Browns will be in the lead for the best draft this year.
1:54: The shock waves are still setting in. Unbelievable. Trent Green is so a Dolphin. I would expect the announcement to come down anytime today.
1:57: The Wally the Green Monster commercial is still amazing.
1:59: So if Quinn didn't start slipping, would they really show this flashback of famous "waiting" moments for first-round QBs? Also, they were all quarterbacks. Notice that a guy like Okoye, who is rated higher than Quinn on most boards, is slipping just as much, yet no one really says anything about that. Totally ridiculous.
NFL Draft: Hour #1
12:02: That pre-show montage totally sucked. Troy Smith? Yamon Figurs? I mean how much were these guys asking for to appear in this spot?
12:03: Booing Keyshawn never felt so right for Jets fans. I'm looking forward to this.
12:06: Look at Brady Quinn tear up that Washington defense. Love that ND schedule.
12:07: John Madden is afraid to be on the cover of Madden cover because he is going to be affected by the curse...basically meaning he will die...again, Vince Young is cooked.
12:09: Goddell is way more personable than Tagliabue, who basically looked like he was subconsciously going "the teleprompter is way too far out there" and "where are we again?"
12:12: We had our first TV difficulties regarding digital cable (Wright sat on the clicker, temporarily pausing the TV...and we flipped...I just hope he is able to recover from this).
12:13: I say Oakland stays on the clock for eleven minutes. They already know they're getting Russell, yet they need face time to say "hey, we are the absolute worst team in the league."
12:16: There is no one left at ESPN. Apparently someone else thought this was a big deal.
12:19: Keyshawn's first slip-up: "He's a guy whose physical like Randy Moss and myself."...Randy Moss?! You want to talk about a guy who has absolutely no physicality. He doesn't even go over the middle.
12:20: Who is JaMarcus Russell talking to? I mean really, he seemed like he was surprised to go #1. Calvin Johnson was looking up like he could go there. Doesn't anyone notify these guys?
12:22: Beer #2
12:25: Is Calvin Johnson happy or sad? If he's happy, is he happy he's going to the Lions, or happy they are like "we're drafting you, but you're not staying here."...Oh thank you! Thank the Lord!
12:27: The Bucs are trying...trying, but the Lions want #4 and both the Bucs' second round picks, meaning Johnson is officially stuck in Matt Millen hell for the next five years.
12:29: We will say "the pick is in" after every single pick (by the way, there will be a venue change at around 5:30...this is going to get interesting, because I don't know where I'm going.
12:31: The official word on Calvin: "Hey, at least it's not Oakland."
12:32: Cleveland is going to make a homer pick with Brady Quinn. And there goes the franchise.
12:34: They velcro the name onto the jersey. See, that's interesting, because on the one hand, you got the name on there, which is nice, but on the other hand, it looks like s***, so I'm not really sure how to fully interpret that.
12:36: Spurrier on the Under Armour commercial: Outstanding..."Yeah, click clack." Show that a thousand more times please.
12:37: Interesting note: the Jags were in the top 10 in both offense and defense, yet finished 8-8, which brings me to my original point: Don't schedule the Patriots.
12:38: Joe Thomas on the "Foxey Lady" has officially taken over has the most awesome thing that's happened today, replacing...I don't even know.
12:41: And finally, a shocker. Joe Thomas has been rewarded for not showing up, going to Cleveland at #3. Good for him not breaking a tradition with his Dad though. This guy is one of the true "locks" of the Draft in my opinion...good for 'dem!
12:43: Is Arizona really taking Peterson now? I like the whole two-back thing, but I mean come on now. You have Edge and absolutely no line. They need to trade down and get Levi Brown, or get someone...anyone for Leinart.
12:46: Tampa's phone has to be ringing off the hook. And they might get Peterson? What?! This is a time where they need Gaines Adams.
12:48: Brady Quinn is going to Minnesota or Miami, but the questions are not going to stop. Very reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers, but it's not going to be as severe...but I really wish it was. I mean that was nice.
12:51: I really like how Gaines Adams is trying to bring the "lines on the side of your head" back into play. I mean I would have done it, but no one really follows the jersey/beat-up hat/basketball shorts look, so I'm not sure if I'm a trend setter or not.
12:54: This was a riveting talk about how we, after four years, can spot someone attempting to hand out fliers, and then, planning the walking route based on that. Forget boxing, flier avoidance is the "sweet science."
12:57: I am so clueless about who 'Zona is going with right now. Mark May is liking Levi Brown. Finally, something we can agree on (that guy is the Tim McCarver of college football...ugh...)
1:00: And we've ended hour #1 on a bright spot. Michael Smith, who has always been a great writer for the Globe, is now getting a bunch of face time, which is awesome because he's completely biased, and he is actually bringing up the respectability that Michael Holley shunned.
12:03: Booing Keyshawn never felt so right for Jets fans. I'm looking forward to this.
12:06: Look at Brady Quinn tear up that Washington defense. Love that ND schedule.
12:07: John Madden is afraid to be on the cover of Madden cover because he is going to be affected by the curse...basically meaning he will die...again, Vince Young is cooked.
12:09: Goddell is way more personable than Tagliabue, who basically looked like he was subconsciously going "the teleprompter is way too far out there" and "where are we again?"
12:12: We had our first TV difficulties regarding digital cable (Wright sat on the clicker, temporarily pausing the TV...and we flipped...I just hope he is able to recover from this).
12:13: I say Oakland stays on the clock for eleven minutes. They already know they're getting Russell, yet they need face time to say "hey, we are the absolute worst team in the league."
12:16: There is no one left at ESPN. Apparently someone else thought this was a big deal.
12:19: Keyshawn's first slip-up: "He's a guy whose physical like Randy Moss and myself."...Randy Moss?! You want to talk about a guy who has absolutely no physicality. He doesn't even go over the middle.
12:20: Who is JaMarcus Russell talking to? I mean really, he seemed like he was surprised to go #1. Calvin Johnson was looking up like he could go there. Doesn't anyone notify these guys?
12:22: Beer #2
12:25: Is Calvin Johnson happy or sad? If he's happy, is he happy he's going to the Lions, or happy they are like "we're drafting you, but you're not staying here."...Oh thank you! Thank the Lord!
12:27: The Bucs are trying...trying, but the Lions want #4 and both the Bucs' second round picks, meaning Johnson is officially stuck in Matt Millen hell for the next five years.
12:29: We will say "the pick is in" after every single pick (by the way, there will be a venue change at around 5:30...this is going to get interesting, because I don't know where I'm going.
12:31: The official word on Calvin: "Hey, at least it's not Oakland."
12:32: Cleveland is going to make a homer pick with Brady Quinn. And there goes the franchise.
12:34: They velcro the name onto the jersey. See, that's interesting, because on the one hand, you got the name on there, which is nice, but on the other hand, it looks like s***, so I'm not really sure how to fully interpret that.
12:36: Spurrier on the Under Armour commercial: Outstanding..."Yeah, click clack." Show that a thousand more times please.
12:37: Interesting note: the Jags were in the top 10 in both offense and defense, yet finished 8-8, which brings me to my original point: Don't schedule the Patriots.
12:38: Joe Thomas on the "Foxey Lady" has officially taken over has the most awesome thing that's happened today, replacing...I don't even know.
12:41: And finally, a shocker. Joe Thomas has been rewarded for not showing up, going to Cleveland at #3. Good for him not breaking a tradition with his Dad though. This guy is one of the true "locks" of the Draft in my opinion...good for 'dem!
12:43: Is Arizona really taking Peterson now? I like the whole two-back thing, but I mean come on now. You have Edge and absolutely no line. They need to trade down and get Levi Brown, or get someone...anyone for Leinart.
12:46: Tampa's phone has to be ringing off the hook. And they might get Peterson? What?! This is a time where they need Gaines Adams.
12:48: Brady Quinn is going to Minnesota or Miami, but the questions are not going to stop. Very reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers, but it's not going to be as severe...but I really wish it was. I mean that was nice.
12:51: I really like how Gaines Adams is trying to bring the "lines on the side of your head" back into play. I mean I would have done it, but no one really follows the jersey/beat-up hat/basketball shorts look, so I'm not sure if I'm a trend setter or not.
12:54: This was a riveting talk about how we, after four years, can spot someone attempting to hand out fliers, and then, planning the walking route based on that. Forget boxing, flier avoidance is the "sweet science."
12:57: I am so clueless about who 'Zona is going with right now. Mark May is liking Levi Brown. Finally, something we can agree on (that guy is the Tim McCarver of college football...ugh...)
1:00: And we've ended hour #1 on a bright spot. Michael Smith, who has always been a great writer for the Globe, is now getting a bunch of face time, which is awesome because he's completely biased, and he is actually bringing up the respectability that Michael Holley shunned.
And So It Begins
11:32: In the magical land of Wright Culpepper's apartment. He of course rocking the Jags (Jones-Drew) and I with my Pats shwag (Bruschi as always). Apparently the Raiders have notified Russell that he's going #1...unless they swing a trade...I love the Raiders. So suspenseful. Love it.
11:34: Beer #1 (this is going to be either funny or annoying...I can't decide)
11:35: Wright's parents are coming over later. This is going to be interesting.
11:37: Antwaan Randle El: Unanimously a bad pickup for the 'Skins...product of the system
11:39: "Kiper got botox on his hair." Nice, first botox reference of the day.
11:43: Goddel can pronounce names...always a good sign. That Brett Favre mispronunciation was classic, and oddly enough, I missed that the first time around
11:45: "I'm not so sure about that" is the official phrase of the day. A running counter for that is almost mandatory, and yet I will resist.
11:47: And Jason Taylor went where?...the Zips of Akron!
11:49: None of us will buy a Gaines Adams jersey regardless of where he ends up.
11:50: "Mike Vick made his flight!"
11:51: Still, awesome that the NFL is paying tribute to VA Tech. Say what you want, but there will never be enough support to be given to the Hokies.
11:52: By the way, Bruce Smith will be starring as Marcellus Wallace in "Pulp Fiction 2." (that got a little bit of a laugh...hey I'm trying man!)
11:53: That was arguably the worst moment of silence in the history of moments of silence. Seriously, how can you expect people to be quiet after they've been drinking since 6 in the morning?
11:57: Ed Werder in Oakland? This is going to get some serious getting used to.
11:59: One minute to go!
11:59: Latest: Johnson could go to the Bucs or the Falcons. Anyway you slice it, Johnson is going #2, the question is whether or not the Lions will trade him before or after they pick...or maybe they keep him, who knows?
IT'S DRAFT TIME!
11:34: Beer #1 (this is going to be either funny or annoying...I can't decide)
11:35: Wright's parents are coming over later. This is going to be interesting.
11:37: Antwaan Randle El: Unanimously a bad pickup for the 'Skins...product of the system
11:39: "Kiper got botox on his hair." Nice, first botox reference of the day.
11:43: Goddel can pronounce names...always a good sign. That Brett Favre mispronunciation was classic, and oddly enough, I missed that the first time around
11:45: "I'm not so sure about that" is the official phrase of the day. A running counter for that is almost mandatory, and yet I will resist.
11:47: And Jason Taylor went where?...the Zips of Akron!
11:49: None of us will buy a Gaines Adams jersey regardless of where he ends up.
11:50: "Mike Vick made his flight!"
11:51: Still, awesome that the NFL is paying tribute to VA Tech. Say what you want, but there will never be enough support to be given to the Hokies.
11:52: By the way, Bruce Smith will be starring as Marcellus Wallace in "Pulp Fiction 2." (that got a little bit of a laugh...hey I'm trying man!)
11:53: That was arguably the worst moment of silence in the history of moments of silence. Seriously, how can you expect people to be quiet after they've been drinking since 6 in the morning?
11:57: Ed Werder in Oakland? This is going to get some serious getting used to.
11:59: One minute to go!
11:59: Latest: Johnson could go to the Bucs or the Falcons. Anyway you slice it, Johnson is going #2, the question is whether or not the Lions will trade him before or after they pick...or maybe they keep him, who knows?
IT'S DRAFT TIME!
Mock Draft Quickie
No time for analysis:
- Raiders- Russell
- Lions- Johnson
- Browns- Quinn
- Bucs- Adams
- Cards- Thomas
- Skins- Landry
- Vikes- Peterson
- Falcons- Okoye
- Fins- Brown
- Texans- Hall
- Niners- Carriker
- Bills- Willis
- Rams- Revis
- Panthers- Nelson
- Steelers- Spencer (DE, Purdue)
- Pack- Lynch
- Jags- Anderson
- Bungles- Houston
- Titans- Ginn
- G-Men- Staley
- Broncos- Woodley
- Cowboys- Ross
- Chiefs- Meachem
- Pats- Posluszny
- Jets- Olsen
- Eagles- Griffin
- Saints- McCauley
- Pats- Merriwether
- Ravens- Kalil
- Chargers- Bowe
- Bears- Smith
- Colts- Beason
Pre-Draft Festivities
"If I like their race, how can that be racist?"
8:02: And a happy Draft Day to everyone! I figured I would try this out and see how it went before I actually got into the real thing. Got up in Charlotte at 6:30 this morning because, frankly, on Draft Day, the only means that I actually trust to get me up is my "mental alarm," so I willed myself up and hit the road (also doesn't hurt that I was sleeping in an air conditioned room with no blanket). Anyway, this is an official disclaimer about today: I may get insanely personal, and I may say things that might be a little harsh, but when you are filling eight hours, and consuming alcohol, these things may happen. So, let the madness begin!
8:11: Want to mention that I went on my third interview with Northwestern Mutual, and from all accounts, they seem to like me (at least this is what they tell me to my face), so things are looking good on the job front. Also just got a new place and I'm moving up there on the 7th of May (1.2 miles from the Boston bar...oh that had no affection on my decision at all...yeah...). I am so psyched because I'm getting DirecTV with the sports package...oh man is that going to be amazing. Plus, I'm getting DVR, so basically I'll just become a shut-in. Kind of weird when I was signing the papers yesterday. I had this strange sensation in my stomach, like things were actually coming to this point. It's like "wow, this is no joke anymore, things are getting really serious." There's going to be the job and taxes and insurance and planning for a family. It really has taken me back some. Hopefully this feeling will die down some, but for right now, it's really a lot to take in.
8:17: Apparently, people have caught onto the Black Keys like I have. After watching them on Conan (a performance that literally blew my face off), I decided that this was "the band" for me right now (their link is listed below). It's a duo that really captures the '70s down home, funky style of rock (here's another great live performance). Anyway, after hearing "Your Touch," I heard it on the new AmEx commercial featuring Shaun White, and the new episode of "Entourage," so once again, it appears I'm about a month behind the latest thing, which also reminds me, I really have to give new music more of a chance than I do. Just because there's not as much good music out there now doesn't mean that the quality of the good stuff has gone down...it's just a lot harder to find it than it used to be way back when.
8:27: I didn't get to catch the Red Sox game last night, which was totally bogus, but the mood from my other friends was basically "forget that" (or another F-word of the sort) in terms of going out to Matthews (about 15 minutes from my buddy's place) because, for whatever reason, the game wasn't on national TV. However, I watched the bottom line and saw the highlights, and I have to say, we really need to continue to beat the holy crap out of them right now while they're at their weakest point. On a side note, I forgot to give "mad propers" to Hideki Okajima (yeah, the other Japanese guy), who has been absolutely lights out so far in his first major league stint. Again this is going to be a "wait-and-see" process like it is with Dice-K, meaning I won't be so quick to judge him, and probably am going to hold off on his "greatness" until about June or July. But so far, I'm really liking what I'm seeing. On another note, as soon as I saw Wily Mo hit a grand slam, I immediately said "who the hell would throw him a fastball?" The answer, apparently, is Chris Ray, because he threw a pitch that literally is exactly in Wily's sweet spot (just on the outside corner) and absolutely belted it. If you want to get him out, throw curveballs! I think some of this has to do with the fact that Ray is on my fantasy team, and from what I can gather, three earned runs in 2/3 an inning...yeah, not so good.
8:38: By the way, had sushi for the first time last night...not bad. My friend happened to hold up on the whole guacamole joke in terms of wasabi, which apparently is a staple for a "make everyone laugh so hard they start crying" kind of moment. I kind of liked the sushi with a fork and knife, but apparently that's a taboo in the sushi industry (I don't know, I feel like when I eat something with a fork and knife, I can appreciate it more...I mean call me weird, but I started eating pizza like that around three years ago and haven't looked back...I'm telling you, I'm out there).
8:41: I promised a three-round mock draft, but due to time restrictions, here's what I'm going to do: After I take a bit of a cat nap, and shower, and do all those wonderful things I'm sure you want to here all about, I'm going to post the final first round prognostication, and then, throughout the day, I will be posting the rest of Day One's picks. I know this is kind of "cheating" in a way, but there's really no time for me to try and break down every team and every pick right now, so the first round (which I think will last for about six hours) will definitely be a good time to do so.
8:44: Honestly, do you remember the last time you went into Draft Day being totally clueless about who would go #1 (even last year, Mario Williams was signed the day before)? I still think Oakland would be crazy not to take Russell, and be even more crazy to take Brady Quinn, who I have said time and time again will be miserable in the pros. If the pick is Calvin Johnson, I can't really blame them in those regards, because he is simply the best player coming out this year.
8:46: As of right now, my gut feeling tells me the Pats are going linebacker, then defensive back in Round One. If I had things my way, I would go either Posluszny/Beason at 24, and Griffin/Weddle at 28. Apparently, Weddle is slipping down the board, and Eric Wright, the former Southern Cal DB who eventually ended up on UNLV because of some "off-the-field" issues, has taken over has the defensive back "on the rise." I think if Weddle is still around at, say #40, the Pats should do a similar maneuver like they did last year, and trade up and get this guy. I mean Weddle is the real deal, and he fits Bill's "do anything for the team" type of character profile.
8:49: I think Mel Kiper dumbed down the amount of hair spray he's using. Can anyone back me up on that?
8:51: Ok, well I'm wicked tired, so I'm going to go take a nap, because today is going to be a long day. This went well. I think once I start doing it more, it will come a little more naturally. I will be checking back in hopefully around 11-11:30. I'm going to be watching the Draft at my friend Wright's place (he may be referred to as "Sweater" at some point today...don't ask...ok, chest hair joke...I know, juvenile...I told you not to ask!), so it's basically on him as to when I can start up this little shindig. Take care now. Peace.
~Mell-o
8:02: And a happy Draft Day to everyone! I figured I would try this out and see how it went before I actually got into the real thing. Got up in Charlotte at 6:30 this morning because, frankly, on Draft Day, the only means that I actually trust to get me up is my "mental alarm," so I willed myself up and hit the road (also doesn't hurt that I was sleeping in an air conditioned room with no blanket). Anyway, this is an official disclaimer about today: I may get insanely personal, and I may say things that might be a little harsh, but when you are filling eight hours, and consuming alcohol, these things may happen. So, let the madness begin!
8:11: Want to mention that I went on my third interview with Northwestern Mutual, and from all accounts, they seem to like me (at least this is what they tell me to my face), so things are looking good on the job front. Also just got a new place and I'm moving up there on the 7th of May (1.2 miles from the Boston bar...oh that had no affection on my decision at all...yeah...). I am so psyched because I'm getting DirecTV with the sports package...oh man is that going to be amazing. Plus, I'm getting DVR, so basically I'll just become a shut-in. Kind of weird when I was signing the papers yesterday. I had this strange sensation in my stomach, like things were actually coming to this point. It's like "wow, this is no joke anymore, things are getting really serious." There's going to be the job and taxes and insurance and planning for a family. It really has taken me back some. Hopefully this feeling will die down some, but for right now, it's really a lot to take in.
8:17: Apparently, people have caught onto the Black Keys like I have. After watching them on Conan (a performance that literally blew my face off), I decided that this was "the band" for me right now (their link is listed below). It's a duo that really captures the '70s down home, funky style of rock (here's another great live performance). Anyway, after hearing "Your Touch," I heard it on the new AmEx commercial featuring Shaun White, and the new episode of "Entourage," so once again, it appears I'm about a month behind the latest thing, which also reminds me, I really have to give new music more of a chance than I do. Just because there's not as much good music out there now doesn't mean that the quality of the good stuff has gone down...it's just a lot harder to find it than it used to be way back when.
8:27: I didn't get to catch the Red Sox game last night, which was totally bogus, but the mood from my other friends was basically "forget that" (or another F-word of the sort) in terms of going out to Matthews (about 15 minutes from my buddy's place) because, for whatever reason, the game wasn't on national TV. However, I watched the bottom line and saw the highlights, and I have to say, we really need to continue to beat the holy crap out of them right now while they're at their weakest point. On a side note, I forgot to give "mad propers" to Hideki Okajima (yeah, the other Japanese guy), who has been absolutely lights out so far in his first major league stint. Again this is going to be a "wait-and-see" process like it is with Dice-K, meaning I won't be so quick to judge him, and probably am going to hold off on his "greatness" until about June or July. But so far, I'm really liking what I'm seeing. On another note, as soon as I saw Wily Mo hit a grand slam, I immediately said "who the hell would throw him a fastball?" The answer, apparently, is Chris Ray, because he threw a pitch that literally is exactly in Wily's sweet spot (just on the outside corner) and absolutely belted it. If you want to get him out, throw curveballs! I think some of this has to do with the fact that Ray is on my fantasy team, and from what I can gather, three earned runs in 2/3 an inning...yeah, not so good.
8:38: By the way, had sushi for the first time last night...not bad. My friend happened to hold up on the whole guacamole joke in terms of wasabi, which apparently is a staple for a "make everyone laugh so hard they start crying" kind of moment. I kind of liked the sushi with a fork and knife, but apparently that's a taboo in the sushi industry (I don't know, I feel like when I eat something with a fork and knife, I can appreciate it more...I mean call me weird, but I started eating pizza like that around three years ago and haven't looked back...I'm telling you, I'm out there).
8:41: I promised a three-round mock draft, but due to time restrictions, here's what I'm going to do: After I take a bit of a cat nap, and shower, and do all those wonderful things I'm sure you want to here all about, I'm going to post the final first round prognostication, and then, throughout the day, I will be posting the rest of Day One's picks. I know this is kind of "cheating" in a way, but there's really no time for me to try and break down every team and every pick right now, so the first round (which I think will last for about six hours) will definitely be a good time to do so.
8:44: Honestly, do you remember the last time you went into Draft Day being totally clueless about who would go #1 (even last year, Mario Williams was signed the day before)? I still think Oakland would be crazy not to take Russell, and be even more crazy to take Brady Quinn, who I have said time and time again will be miserable in the pros. If the pick is Calvin Johnson, I can't really blame them in those regards, because he is simply the best player coming out this year.
8:46: As of right now, my gut feeling tells me the Pats are going linebacker, then defensive back in Round One. If I had things my way, I would go either Posluszny/Beason at 24, and Griffin/Weddle at 28. Apparently, Weddle is slipping down the board, and Eric Wright, the former Southern Cal DB who eventually ended up on UNLV because of some "off-the-field" issues, has taken over has the defensive back "on the rise." I think if Weddle is still around at, say #40, the Pats should do a similar maneuver like they did last year, and trade up and get this guy. I mean Weddle is the real deal, and he fits Bill's "do anything for the team" type of character profile.
8:49: I think Mel Kiper dumbed down the amount of hair spray he's using. Can anyone back me up on that?
8:51: Ok, well I'm wicked tired, so I'm going to go take a nap, because today is going to be a long day. This went well. I think once I start doing it more, it will come a little more naturally. I will be checking back in hopefully around 11-11:30. I'm going to be watching the Draft at my friend Wright's place (he may be referred to as "Sweater" at some point today...don't ask...ok, chest hair joke...I know, juvenile...I told you not to ask!), so it's basically on him as to when I can start up this little shindig. Take care now. Peace.
~Mell-o
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Calm Before The Storm
"Shining down like water."
With only two days left to go until the 2007 NFL Draft, the rumors have been swirling around, and some of them could have a huge impact on who goes where. In certain scenarios, teams will be looking to gain a veteran who has playing experience who can play now over a building project that will take a few years to bloom. Some fan bases can't wait two or three years for top prospects. They want results now. After all, this is America, pretty much the most impatient nation in the world. So, some teams will be looking to franchise the future in order to find a fix right now.
The biggest rumor going right now has to be the Larry Johnson situation in Kansas City. It seems that KC is thinking that there will be no way they will be able to re-sign LJ, as he is playing out the final year of his rookie deal. From the sound of it, Johnson is going to be looking for a contract that will pay him more than the 7-year, $60 million deal LaDainian Tomlinson received from San Diego two years ago. Also, there is already a lot of bad blood between LJ and the Kansas City organization after his rookie year, where Dick Vermeil knocked his work habit, and got absolutely no playing time because of the incumbent Priest Holmes. Johnson has rushed for 1,700 yards the last two seasons and has positioned himself as the second best runn
er in the league. When you factor in the fact that the NFL increases its salary cap every year, you can understand why Johnson is feeling the way he does. Also, considering the Chiefs line, which was once probably the best in the league, is getting older and older. Will Shields retired, and their outside tackles, Kyle Turley and Chris Terry, may not have enough gas left to be able to contain the pressure that will come from the corners. The Chiefs will be compensated with a "sandwich" pick if they are unable to re-sign Johnson (a sandwich pick meaning that Kansas City will receive a pick that puts them in the middle of two rounds, hence the name "sandwich;" with Johnson's value, it will almost surely be in between the first and second rounds). Another option they may try is franchising Johnson, but it would probably end up being like a Lance Briggs-like situation (more on him later). So, with all that considered, it would seem like the Chiefs could attempt to try and get something more than just a sandwich pick. However, it would appear KC will be asking a whole heck of a lot, because there is absolutely no way any team will get anything close to the caliber back of Johnson in the Draft (Peterson looks great, but come on, do you think he has the potential to rush for 1,700 yards in nine games like LJ did two years ago?). So far, from what I have gathered, the teams interested have been the usual suspects in terms of teams in dire need of a runner (Cleveland, Buffalo, Green Bay, Tennessee), but no one has been able to put up the kind of deal the Chiefs want in return (probably two first-rounders and a defensive starter). The Chiefs also have Michael Bennett sitting on the bench, so it's not as though they have nothing to fall back on (he's no LJ, but with the line right now, Bennett should approach 1,000 yards). This will be an ongoing story, because it would change the entire landscape of not only the Draft, but the entire league. This guy is a franchise-changer. He can literally account for 7-8 wins by himself each year, so considering if he winds up on a team like the Packers or the Titans, they instantly become not only a contender to make the playoffs, but a contender to wind up in the Super Bowl. Dead serious on that one.
Speaking of Kansas City, they have another guy who has been piping the rumor mill for almost two months, QB Trent Green. Teams like Miami and Cleveland have been inquiring about Green for the whole time, and still, no progress has been made. Miami is just dying to make this trade. They realize that Daunte Culpepper (again, more about him later) was a huge mistake, and is not nearly dependable enough to stay healthy for the entire season. Then, when
you consider that their backup is Kiko Calero, you know the Dolphins are in the market for someone to step in behind center for the upcoming year. What remains to be seen is if the interest the Dolphins have in the top two QBs in the Draft (Russell and Quinn) is greater than what they have for a proven veteran like Green, who has said he wants to play for two or three more years. As of right now, the teams cannot come to terms on compensation. The Chiefs want a second rounder, while the Dolphins have been rumored to only want to give up a fourth rounder. What is interesting is that Kansas City's GM referenced the Wes Welker trade to the Pats, and how if the Pats gave up a second and seventh rounder for Welker, it would seem that a starting QB would garner a little more than a second day pick. This deal, if it were to be completed, would greatly change how the Dolphins draft. They would definitely be willing to trade down, because they are still a team with a lot of needs, including defensive backs, who are readily available at the tail end of the first round.
Daunte Culpepper is all but out in Miami, and it seems as though it won't matter if they get Green or not. The Dolphins will be attempting to trade up, and if they can't accomplish that, they will be selecting someone in the second round (Drew Stanton or Trent Edwards), and Miami will try and get someone else to hold down the fort until their new guy is ready (maybe Josh McCown?). So, they will either release or trade Culpepper, and a rumored location has been Oakland, which is very intriguing considering who already resides on that team. Could reuniting Randy Moss and Culpepper possibly turn both their careers around? I'm a little cautious about this though. Oakland's line is horrible, and their running game is not much better, meaning defenses will be able to key up on Moss and the deep passing game.
Still, it's apparent that Moss needs someone to bomb the ball because he has struggled mightily since his arrival in Oakland. Here's something to think about: If the Raiders do end up with Culpepper, what do they do with the #1 pick? Personally, I think they have no choice but to get JaMarcus Russell. Even though Calvin Johnson is by far and away the best prospect in the Draft, the Raiders desperately need someone to take the reigns of the offense for the long run. You have to realize that Culpepper is not going to be the long-term solution. However, his build and style of play closely resembles that of Russell. If the Raiders can create some kind of offensive gameplan to work around the likes of Culpepper, it would create for a much smoother transition into the offense for Russell. Johnson looks like a great prospect, but I have never had too much confidence in receivers going near the top of the Draft. But these are the Raiders, meaning that they are unpredictable and ready to mix it up a little. Definitely stay tuned for that.
There is still no resolution in the Lance Briggs fiasco, but things are getting a lot less cloudy for Briggs' future. At the initial outset, the Redskins looked like they were the front-runners, offering a switch of first-round picks (Chicago would move to #6, Washington down to #31) for Briggs, which at the time seemed like a fairly good deal for the Bears, especially when you consider that Briggs has already threatened to sit out ten games of the regular season if he is given only his one year "franchise" tenure. However, the Bears balked, and decided that there were better deals out there (apparently, if LB Rocky McIntosh, the 'Skins second rounde
r from last year, was included in the deal, it would get done). Recently, two more teams have joined the fray. Tampa has said to have significant interest in Briggs, and if they can not get Calvin Johnson (if the Raiders do not draft Johnson, I find it hard to believe that he will end up anywhere else but Tampa), the Bucs could use its pick at #4 to try and obtain Briggs. Also, Tampa just cleared up room in its salary cap by releasing LB Shelton Quarles (who may have a small impact of his own, especially if he ends up on Indy with former head coach Tony Dungy; it would definitely mean the Colts would be focusing on the defensive backfield, especially if they can't retain Nick Harper), so it would seem like they have the means to get Briggs, but again, they are dying to get Johnson, and are basically doing whatever they can (including trading up to #1 with Oakland) to get him. Denver has also joined in the fold after the departure of long-tenured linebacker Al Wilson, but will need to come up with a major deal to pull that off, as they are picking at #21, which further inclines me to believe that the Broncos will be looking at guys like Lawrence Timmons, Paul Posluszny, or Jon Beason to fill their need.
This one kind of hits close to these parts, as Carolina is apparently fed up with Kris Jenkins, and is looking to move him. Reportedly, Jenkins has had difficulty keeping his body in "game condition," as he's put on nearly 25 pounds since the start of last year. About three or four years ago, Jenkins was considered the best defensive tackle in the league, and the heir apparent to Warren Sapp as far as the most dominant interior lineman in the game. However, Jenkins' wok ethic has really slowed down his progress, and he has fallen back into mediocrity t
hanks to the multiple injuries he has suffered over the past couple of seasons (played four games in '04 and only 1 in '05). Recently, however, coach John Fox has come out and said Jenkins will be back with the Panthers next yearThe Broncos showed initial interest, but now it seems the Rams, who happen to be picking one spot ahead of Carolina, appear to be the front-runners, and the current rumored deal has been the switching of first rounders and a second day pick in this year's or next year's Draft for Jenkins. If Scott Linehan (coach of St. Louis) is able to turn Jenkins into a diligent worker, then I don't see any reason that Jenkins cannot return back to his Pro Bowl-form (will be 28 years old and in his seventh season, so he still has plenty of time to right the ship; the only doubt is in his desire, as he has all the tools necessary to be a real presence up front).
The last name of great significance would have to be Michael "The Burner" Turner (I think anytime anyone mentions him now-a-days, they have to throw in "the burner;" I mean that's a great nickname, but in casual conversation, can we just say Michael Turner every once in a while? Maybe that's just me, I don't know). Tennessee has been the front runner all along for Turner had the fourth most yards per carry last year in a season of rushing for more than 500 yards in the history of the NFL! San Diego has come out and said that the chances of Turner continuing to backup LT are "around 70%." Still, I would have to imagine that
San Diego will at least entertain offers, as it will take at least a first-round pick swap and another first day pick to land Turner (may even be another first rounder next year). What I find fascinating is that most "veteran for draft pick" trades that come up are suddenly using the "Deion Branch barometer" in determining what kind of value they can get back for a on-the-cusp veteran (on-the-cusp meaning that he isn't a star yet, but definitely has that potential, which is true about Branch because, when he was with the Pats, he was clearly the #1 guy, but not really a "star" by any standards). Here's the thing: Seattle got absolutely screwed on that trade. First of all, they already had a #1 receiver in Darnell Jackson, so clearly, they were looking for someone to upgrade their receiving core (which I said time and time again was the best all-around bunch in the NFL, even better than Wayne/Stokley/Harrison because there were at least five guys on that team that could be at least a #2 receiver on just about every team), but giving up a first-rounder for him? That simply was a dumb move. Seattle would have been just fine without Branch (who did put up good numbers with them: 53 receptions for 725 yards). They also should have had a lot more leverage as far as how much they would give up, as it was a certainity that Branch was willing to sit out the entire season if the Pats did not offer a suitable, long-term deal. So why did they have to give up so much for him? Not saying it will pan out this way, but at pick #24, you will probably have your pick of guys like Sidney Rice, Dwayne Bowe, Dwayne Jarrett, and Anthony Gonzalez. So, instead of paying a guy like Branch top 10 receiver money (which I'm still not convinced he's worth), they could have waited it out, started the group of Jackson, Nate Burleson, D.J. Hackett, and Bobby Engram (who was hurt for a good part of the year, I'll give them that) and drafted a guy like Rice or Jarrett that have tremendous size and would have caused headaches for the NFC West corners, many of whom are undersized and inexperienced (Antrel Rolle and Tye Hill come to mind). Anyway, getting back to Turner. This guy actually seems like he could be worth trading a first round pick for. Unless this is a complete illusion brought on by defenses that were worn down after Tomlinson ran all over them, Turner has the physicality and the quickness to be an every-down back. Another thing is that Turner only has 157 rushing attempts in three seasons, so he is still relatively young and probably has a lot of wear left on the tires. Tennessee is clearly desperate for two skill positions, running back and wide receiver. If they are able to get Turner, they will go head-on after one of the top tier of receivers coming out this year (as if they weren't already doing that anyway).
Well, the last mock draft will be coming at you tomorrow as soon as I get back from Charlotte. Again, the running diary will be going on all of Saturday afternoon. Check back about once an hour to see what my impressions were on the first day (I'm pretty sure I'll only do the first two rounds...hey, that's still like eight hours...good times). Until then, have a good one. Peace.
~Mell-o
With only two days left to go until the 2007 NFL Draft, the rumors have been swirling around, and some of them could have a huge impact on who goes where. In certain scenarios, teams will be looking to gain a veteran who has playing experience who can play now over a building project that will take a few years to bloom. Some fan bases can't wait two or three years for top prospects. They want results now. After all, this is America, pretty much the most impatient nation in the world. So, some teams will be looking to franchise the future in order to find a fix right now.
The biggest rumor going right now has to be the Larry Johnson situation in Kansas City. It seems that KC is thinking that there will be no way they will be able to re-sign LJ, as he is playing out the final year of his rookie deal. From the sound of it, Johnson is going to be looking for a contract that will pay him more than the 7-year, $60 million deal LaDainian Tomlinson received from San Diego two years ago. Also, there is already a lot of bad blood between LJ and the Kansas City organization after his rookie year, where Dick Vermeil knocked his work habit, and got absolutely no playing time because of the incumbent Priest Holmes. Johnson has rushed for 1,700 yards the last two seasons and has positioned himself as the second best runn
er in the league. When you factor in the fact that the NFL increases its salary cap every year, you can understand why Johnson is feeling the way he does. Also, considering the Chiefs line, which was once probably the best in the league, is getting older and older. Will Shields retired, and their outside tackles, Kyle Turley and Chris Terry, may not have enough gas left to be able to contain the pressure that will come from the corners. The Chiefs will be compensated with a "sandwich" pick if they are unable to re-sign Johnson (a sandwich pick meaning that Kansas City will receive a pick that puts them in the middle of two rounds, hence the name "sandwich;" with Johnson's value, it will almost surely be in between the first and second rounds). Another option they may try is franchising Johnson, but it would probably end up being like a Lance Briggs-like situation (more on him later). So, with all that considered, it would seem like the Chiefs could attempt to try and get something more than just a sandwich pick. However, it would appear KC will be asking a whole heck of a lot, because there is absolutely no way any team will get anything close to the caliber back of Johnson in the Draft (Peterson looks great, but come on, do you think he has the potential to rush for 1,700 yards in nine games like LJ did two years ago?). So far, from what I have gathered, the teams interested have been the usual suspects in terms of teams in dire need of a runner (Cleveland, Buffalo, Green Bay, Tennessee), but no one has been able to put up the kind of deal the Chiefs want in return (probably two first-rounders and a defensive starter). The Chiefs also have Michael Bennett sitting on the bench, so it's not as though they have nothing to fall back on (he's no LJ, but with the line right now, Bennett should approach 1,000 yards). This will be an ongoing story, because it would change the entire landscape of not only the Draft, but the entire league. This guy is a franchise-changer. He can literally account for 7-8 wins by himself each year, so considering if he winds up on a team like the Packers or the Titans, they instantly become not only a contender to make the playoffs, but a contender to wind up in the Super Bowl. Dead serious on that one.Speaking of Kansas City, they have another guy who has been piping the rumor mill for almost two months, QB Trent Green. Teams like Miami and Cleveland have been inquiring about Green for the whole time, and still, no progress has been made. Miami is just dying to make this trade. They realize that Daunte Culpepper (again, more about him later) was a huge mistake, and is not nearly dependable enough to stay healthy for the entire season. Then, when
you consider that their backup is Kiko Calero, you know the Dolphins are in the market for someone to step in behind center for the upcoming year. What remains to be seen is if the interest the Dolphins have in the top two QBs in the Draft (Russell and Quinn) is greater than what they have for a proven veteran like Green, who has said he wants to play for two or three more years. As of right now, the teams cannot come to terms on compensation. The Chiefs want a second rounder, while the Dolphins have been rumored to only want to give up a fourth rounder. What is interesting is that Kansas City's GM referenced the Wes Welker trade to the Pats, and how if the Pats gave up a second and seventh rounder for Welker, it would seem that a starting QB would garner a little more than a second day pick. This deal, if it were to be completed, would greatly change how the Dolphins draft. They would definitely be willing to trade down, because they are still a team with a lot of needs, including defensive backs, who are readily available at the tail end of the first round.Daunte Culpepper is all but out in Miami, and it seems as though it won't matter if they get Green or not. The Dolphins will be attempting to trade up, and if they can't accomplish that, they will be selecting someone in the second round (Drew Stanton or Trent Edwards), and Miami will try and get someone else to hold down the fort until their new guy is ready (maybe Josh McCown?). So, they will either release or trade Culpepper, and a rumored location has been Oakland, which is very intriguing considering who already resides on that team. Could reuniting Randy Moss and Culpepper possibly turn both their careers around? I'm a little cautious about this though. Oakland's line is horrible, and their running game is not much better, meaning defenses will be able to key up on Moss and the deep passing game.
Still, it's apparent that Moss needs someone to bomb the ball because he has struggled mightily since his arrival in Oakland. Here's something to think about: If the Raiders do end up with Culpepper, what do they do with the #1 pick? Personally, I think they have no choice but to get JaMarcus Russell. Even though Calvin Johnson is by far and away the best prospect in the Draft, the Raiders desperately need someone to take the reigns of the offense for the long run. You have to realize that Culpepper is not going to be the long-term solution. However, his build and style of play closely resembles that of Russell. If the Raiders can create some kind of offensive gameplan to work around the likes of Culpepper, it would create for a much smoother transition into the offense for Russell. Johnson looks like a great prospect, but I have never had too much confidence in receivers going near the top of the Draft. But these are the Raiders, meaning that they are unpredictable and ready to mix it up a little. Definitely stay tuned for that.There is still no resolution in the Lance Briggs fiasco, but things are getting a lot less cloudy for Briggs' future. At the initial outset, the Redskins looked like they were the front-runners, offering a switch of first-round picks (Chicago would move to #6, Washington down to #31) for Briggs, which at the time seemed like a fairly good deal for the Bears, especially when you consider that Briggs has already threatened to sit out ten games of the regular season if he is given only his one year "franchise" tenure. However, the Bears balked, and decided that there were better deals out there (apparently, if LB Rocky McIntosh, the 'Skins second rounde
r from last year, was included in the deal, it would get done). Recently, two more teams have joined the fray. Tampa has said to have significant interest in Briggs, and if they can not get Calvin Johnson (if the Raiders do not draft Johnson, I find it hard to believe that he will end up anywhere else but Tampa), the Bucs could use its pick at #4 to try and obtain Briggs. Also, Tampa just cleared up room in its salary cap by releasing LB Shelton Quarles (who may have a small impact of his own, especially if he ends up on Indy with former head coach Tony Dungy; it would definitely mean the Colts would be focusing on the defensive backfield, especially if they can't retain Nick Harper), so it would seem like they have the means to get Briggs, but again, they are dying to get Johnson, and are basically doing whatever they can (including trading up to #1 with Oakland) to get him. Denver has also joined in the fold after the departure of long-tenured linebacker Al Wilson, but will need to come up with a major deal to pull that off, as they are picking at #21, which further inclines me to believe that the Broncos will be looking at guys like Lawrence Timmons, Paul Posluszny, or Jon Beason to fill their need.This one kind of hits close to these parts, as Carolina is apparently fed up with Kris Jenkins, and is looking to move him. Reportedly, Jenkins has had difficulty keeping his body in "game condition," as he's put on nearly 25 pounds since the start of last year. About three or four years ago, Jenkins was considered the best defensive tackle in the league, and the heir apparent to Warren Sapp as far as the most dominant interior lineman in the game. However, Jenkins' wok ethic has really slowed down his progress, and he has fallen back into mediocrity t
hanks to the multiple injuries he has suffered over the past couple of seasons (played four games in '04 and only 1 in '05). Recently, however, coach John Fox has come out and said Jenkins will be back with the Panthers next yearThe Broncos showed initial interest, but now it seems the Rams, who happen to be picking one spot ahead of Carolina, appear to be the front-runners, and the current rumored deal has been the switching of first rounders and a second day pick in this year's or next year's Draft for Jenkins. If Scott Linehan (coach of St. Louis) is able to turn Jenkins into a diligent worker, then I don't see any reason that Jenkins cannot return back to his Pro Bowl-form (will be 28 years old and in his seventh season, so he still has plenty of time to right the ship; the only doubt is in his desire, as he has all the tools necessary to be a real presence up front).The last name of great significance would have to be Michael "The Burner" Turner (I think anytime anyone mentions him now-a-days, they have to throw in "the burner;" I mean that's a great nickname, but in casual conversation, can we just say Michael Turner every once in a while? Maybe that's just me, I don't know). Tennessee has been the front runner all along for Turner had the fourth most yards per carry last year in a season of rushing for more than 500 yards in the history of the NFL! San Diego has come out and said that the chances of Turner continuing to backup LT are "around 70%." Still, I would have to imagine that
San Diego will at least entertain offers, as it will take at least a first-round pick swap and another first day pick to land Turner (may even be another first rounder next year). What I find fascinating is that most "veteran for draft pick" trades that come up are suddenly using the "Deion Branch barometer" in determining what kind of value they can get back for a on-the-cusp veteran (on-the-cusp meaning that he isn't a star yet, but definitely has that potential, which is true about Branch because, when he was with the Pats, he was clearly the #1 guy, but not really a "star" by any standards). Here's the thing: Seattle got absolutely screwed on that trade. First of all, they already had a #1 receiver in Darnell Jackson, so clearly, they were looking for someone to upgrade their receiving core (which I said time and time again was the best all-around bunch in the NFL, even better than Wayne/Stokley/Harrison because there were at least five guys on that team that could be at least a #2 receiver on just about every team), but giving up a first-rounder for him? That simply was a dumb move. Seattle would have been just fine without Branch (who did put up good numbers with them: 53 receptions for 725 yards). They also should have had a lot more leverage as far as how much they would give up, as it was a certainity that Branch was willing to sit out the entire season if the Pats did not offer a suitable, long-term deal. So why did they have to give up so much for him? Not saying it will pan out this way, but at pick #24, you will probably have your pick of guys like Sidney Rice, Dwayne Bowe, Dwayne Jarrett, and Anthony Gonzalez. So, instead of paying a guy like Branch top 10 receiver money (which I'm still not convinced he's worth), they could have waited it out, started the group of Jackson, Nate Burleson, D.J. Hackett, and Bobby Engram (who was hurt for a good part of the year, I'll give them that) and drafted a guy like Rice or Jarrett that have tremendous size and would have caused headaches for the NFC West corners, many of whom are undersized and inexperienced (Antrel Rolle and Tye Hill come to mind). Anyway, getting back to Turner. This guy actually seems like he could be worth trading a first round pick for. Unless this is a complete illusion brought on by defenses that were worn down after Tomlinson ran all over them, Turner has the physicality and the quickness to be an every-down back. Another thing is that Turner only has 157 rushing attempts in three seasons, so he is still relatively young and probably has a lot of wear left on the tires. Tennessee is clearly desperate for two skill positions, running back and wide receiver. If they are able to get Turner, they will go head-on after one of the top tier of receivers coming out this year (as if they weren't already doing that anyway).Well, the last mock draft will be coming at you tomorrow as soon as I get back from Charlotte. Again, the running diary will be going on all of Saturday afternoon. Check back about once an hour to see what my impressions were on the first day (I'm pretty sure I'll only do the first two rounds...hey, that's still like eight hours...good times). Until then, have a good one. Peace.
~Mell-o
Monday, April 23, 2007
East Lansing And Beyond
“Nobody said it was easy.”
Hope everyone out there is enjoying this beautiful weekend. Who would have thought that it would be as warm here in 
rt of
over my life for like the entire month of April (or as I refer to it, “NESN Withdrawal Month”). This seems to be the most uncertain the Draft has been in quite some time (I am fully aware that I keep mentioning that, but still, I can’t get over how many different possibilities could happen…exciting stuff if you get your kicks off of this, which fortunately I do). Of course, what makes everything great is who is sitting at the top of the Draft board. I mean does it get any better than Al Davis? You want to talk about unpredictable? Here’s “Exhibit A” (“Who knows what he’s going to do? He fires people like it’s a bodily function!”). As if the Draft wasn’t great enough. As far as a comparison, think of it like a pyro at an Exxon station…pretty volatile…cannot wait.
I think there’s some kind of conspiracy regarding radio stations and how many good songs they’re allowed to play every hour. Do you ever catch yourself totally “vibing out” when a station (literally any station by the way) plays like four or five songs in a row you totally dig, and then all of a sudden, like it was some unwritten law, a song comes on that is so not happening. I find this especially true with ‘80s music. I mean I’m all about tunes from then, but sometimes, I find myself being like “I know the ‘80s were wild times, but people actually liked this one?” Basically my point is why can’t a station just keep playing songs that the masses enjoy, and not try and hit every little demographic out there (totally adding radio program director to the list of “jobs I think I would be exceptionally good at, but know there’s absolutely no way I will ever be able to do it”…ugh, such a long list for my un-talented self)?
Oh by the way…how ‘bout them Red Sox?” The three game sweep of th
e Yanks became official last night, with none other than Paps shutting the door in the ninth in two straight games. Oh, and did I mention four homers in a row on Sunday! Yeah, that’s happened for the Sox, umm…never. It’s so cool when you are witnessing history “first hand” (hey, when watching a game in HD, it’s close enough). I think this is true regardless of the fact if it’s positive or negative. Like I remember when Chris Bosio tossed a no-hitter against the Sox way back in the day (’95?). It totally sucked watching my favorite team in the world get completely dominated like that, but at the same time, it was like “wow, this guy is going nuts on us, and he has a chance to do something that is fairly rare in this game…I’m definitely intrigued.” Anyway, Sunday was incredibly positive in that regard. I also learned a bunch of things from the three-game set:
- I mean I love
- Dustin Pedroia is going to be amazing, but these next couple of months are going to be incredibly rough. I can’t even imagine what’s going through his head? “Ok, I’m playing second for the Sox, and we’re playing the Yankees at Fenway on national TV in front of 37,000 people…(pause for endless stream of obscenities and other expletive material). However, he showed a lot of promise, especially in the field. Now, the question will be if he can carry over the poise he shows in the field to the plate. Someone eventually is going to have to sit him down and tell him that the uppercut swing is not going to fly if you’re a 10-15 homer guy.
- A-Rod is the best player in the game. I’ve tried numerous times to convince myself otherwise, but in the end, the facts are there, and no one right now is even close to the level he’s at. However, in being the best player, he has also showed that, in the past, when it counts…nothing. I am almost ready to call him the Peyton Manning of baseball…he’s clearly the best at his position, and has numbers to make him a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer, but when it comes down to the big moments (of course, Peyton got over this hump), yeah, not so much. I would say that a change of scenery would do him good, but realize that, most likely, this is going to be his best shot at a title. I think there would be about two or three teams that can a.) afford him and b.) offer him the kind of protection like he’s getting right now in that order. If he opts out of the remaining three years of his pre-existing deal, people are going to start to wonder if he is just out for himself or if he actually has the desire to win a championship.
- If the Sox were looking for a stretch to take advantage of the Yankees and create some space between them in the standings, now is going to be the best time. Clearly, their pitching is so roughed up and completely non-Yankee like (oh yeah, really reached back for that adjective). Wang is scheduled to come back later this week, but even he can’t solve all the problems they have. Sure, their starting pitching is completely decimated at this point, but they are going to have guys come back pretty soon to cover up the holes. I think the bullpen is easily their biggest concern right now. When you have a 6-2 lead going into the eighth inning, it should be all over but the crying if you look in terms of who is at the back-end of their relievers. I mean…it’s Mo. The guy with one pitch who can locate better than almost any pitcher out there. Yet when I saw him pitch his one appearance on Friday night, I couldn’t get over how awful he looked. First of all, his velocity has gone down about 7 MPH, and for those of you who don’t know, that is an absolutely huge difference. Second, he can’t locate, which is bad news considering he only has one pitch, meaning it’s not as though he can say “well this one isn’t working tonight, better try something else.” No. It’s cut fastballs, and that’s it. This is what used to, and really still does, frustrate the hell out of me. “He’s got one pitch! How is he so good!” The key was that Rivera would set guys up big time. Against lefties, he would jam them inside, then locate on the outside corner, with the ball sweeping across the corner at the very last second. And to righties, he was able to throw the ball down the middle, then have it tail off, causing hitters to either miss entirely, or hit cue shot ground balls. I mean the guy was extremely effective, and is arguably the greatest closer to ever live (for my money…yes). But now he looks like a mere mortal out there. He seems weak, and certainly doesn’t strike the fear into batters like he once did. It’s funny because now, on the other side of the line, you have Papelbon, who, as of right now, cannot be touched. No one, and I mean no one has figured this guy out yet. Plus, it seems like he gets stronger and stronger with each out, which is tricky when you’re facing a guy who throws right at about 100 MPH with his fastball, then can drop the hook in at about 80-82 MPH. Plus, he has a great cutter. Not as good as the one Rivera used to throw, but still, it gets the job done. To me, it seems like the game is evolving to the point where you need at least three effective pitches to get people out, not like back in the day, when all a pitcher needed was his “out pitch” to get himself out of a jam. So the Yankees definitely need to be concerned with this, because up until now, they have been in cruise control as far as dealing with closers. They never really accounted for the fact that Rivera could get older and start losing some of his stuff. What they really need is similar to what they had back in the mid ‘90s, when John Wetteland was the guy in the ninth, but they had Rivera coming up, and it was a certainty that he would be “the guy” eventually once Wetteland wore down. I look to
- Dice-K is going to be a great pitcher, and probably will win in excess of 20 wins a season, but already, I can tell that people are a little too high on him right now. The guy has some of the best stuff I have ever seen, but his lack of experience dealing with major league hitters is going to catch up with him. I will say he has shown a tremendous amount of poise throughout everything. The negotiations dealing with his posting, the contract issue, Spring Training, and now, being at Fenway, where literally billions of people are watching and studying his every move. Nothing really seems to affect how he handles himself. However, I have seen some moments when he will get flustered with himself in a certain situation. As long as he can keep those moments to a minimum, and learn to adjust to the workload that goes along with pitching in the MLB, he will be fine. Still, I want to see how hitters adjust to him once we get into June and July, and a detailed scouting report is going to be out on him, then you are really going to know how good Dice-K can be (I’m not trying to sound pessimistic; trust me, this guy has got the goods, but I caution myself and everyone out there to not get to high up on the guy because, eventually, he will struggle, and people have got to understand that it’s an inevitability; people will have the right to get down on him, but in the same token, they have to realize that this guy is here for six years; it’s not as though this is a one year experiment; so you have to be excited about the potential this guy has)
- Major League Baseball is absolutely right to be scheduling these games on the weekend, and thus, getting them on national TV. Sure, it’s April, but still, you have to know that a win in April is just as important as a win in September. So, when you hit the stretch run, these games are even more significant in terms of the standings and the tie-breaker, which is division wins (ahem, thank you 2005 Red Sox for the crash course on that…had the same amount of wins at the end of the year, but because of the tie-break, ended up getting the wild card and had to go on the road to play Chicago, the inevitable champs, while New York hosted Oakland). And also, why hide what people really want to see? You know that people are going to be glued to these games because the rivalry is larger than life (although there have been subtle things that have kind of dumbed it down a little…the WS title of ’04, while amazing, slightly lessened the emphasis on the Yanks). Still, people will watch it every single time that it’s on. The same thing applies to the Cubs/Cardinals series, which is really starting to pick up steam after the Tribune sold the Cubbies and they started flashing the green to free agents (which is the reason I believe Zambrano is going to sign an extension here…the times are changing, and it seems like Chicago is much more willing to over-pay their stars, which certainly wasn’t true about the old team). Sure, MLB is basically a publicity whore by doing this, but at the same time, they are satisfying the general public and the demand that games like these call for.
I can’t get into UFC or Pride or any of that kind of stuff. Here’s my logic behind that: I don’t really like that much violence. Sure, I definitely appreciate boxing and wrestling (fake and real), but when I’m watching this stuff, it’s like…wow. I mean these guys are really going at each other. And then, when they’re down, they still beat the crap out of the guy. Unbelievable! Even in real fighting when a guy goes down, generally, you allow him to get up (generally, unless this is like “Rose Down Valley Stream” and that kind of stuff…fictional movie gangs are tremendous). However, this thing is really getting popular. The fights are bringing in a ton of money, and TV shows are starting to pop up more and more. Maybe it’s just me, but is this kind of a reflection on society right now? I just think people are a little too pissed off at the moment. Again, this is just my philosophy, and if you can’t understand…groovy, but allow me to explain. Look at fake wrestling and boxing from back in the day. It was all about gamesmanship. It wasn’t about trying to incapacitate someone. It was about the spirit of competition (which UFC definitely has). I mean guys can get really, really messed up in these fights. Sure, in boxing, you will have your fair share of injuries, and once in a while, something really bad, but the rate of serious injuries has got to be way higher in “the Octagon” than it would be in “the squared circle.” The reason I’m bringing this up is that I was watching a promo for a fight coming up on Spike (which by the way, is totally genius that they have Pay-Per-View-like fights on basic cable; if nothing else, I give the heads of these companies credit for thinking outside the box in the attempt to become relevant), and was really taken back by it. I mean, it was the promo! This is the stuff that they advertise with on ESPN, meaning that there is probably way worse than that going on (and there is). I don’t know, call me “soft” or what not, but I’m just not sure this is the kind of thing we as a country need right now. Not sure putting emphasis on violence is the best statement to be making.
ESPN The Magazine is about five years away from catching Sports Illustrated as far as popularity and its overall contribution to the world of sports. They took what was basically the formula for Sporting News and improved on it. When I get my magazine in the mail, I know that I have reading material for a long, long time. Not saying that SI isn’t good. It absolutely is. I think what I mean to say is that ESPN just seems to be much more relevant and kind of “with it” than SI. It’s like SI is kind of the “antique” magazine, while ESPN is pushing the envelope a little more. SI will continue to be a great read, and extremely popular, but for my money, ESPN is about ten times better. The reason is because, first, you have ESPN personalities contributing, which is the kind of exposure that allowed “The Mag” to really get off the ground running. We all know who these guys are. Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott, Mike and Mike, etc. These guys are on TV and radio all the time. So, if they already have a bit of a “following,” then it would seem as though their fans would make a fairly smooth transition over to reading ESPN. I also like that ESPN is willing to try new things to make their magazine better. For example, the recent “baseball preview” felt like an almanac. I mean the thing was huge. SI will come out with “double issues,” but they don’t cover nearly the depth that ESPN does. I figured I would point that out because over the weekend, I happened to be reading both at around the same time, and found myself saying “man, ESPN is just so much better than SI.” Also, ESPN’s contributors seem to be a lot more witty and able to poke fun at things a lot more easily than SI. I compare it kind of to the New York Times and the New York Post. The Times is where you go to get the serious information and ground-breaking exposés. Whereas you get a similar flow of information in the Post, but there’s a lot more freedom and less of a set structure. Again, this is probably just me, but then again, I do have opinions…you did see the disclaimer at the top right?
Anyway, that’s all for now. The next post is most likely going to be the final “Mock Draft,” which I’m planning on getting to as close to the actual thing as possible. In addition, I am going to attempt to do a running diary of the Draft itself, but I have never done one of these (I e-mailed Bill to get any tips…nothing back yet). However, my attention span and alcohol consumption could hinder that, so stay tuned. Have a good rest of the week. Peace.
~Mell-o
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Final Position Rankings
"She's alone in the new pollution."
With all the pro days completed, it is now a wait and see process about who will be going where. So now, it will become an issue of personnel getting together and determining their boards. With that will come the leaks, which will start to give momentum to players who have been red hot. Guys like Amobi Okoye, who has seen his stock go to meteoric heights since the Combine and his pro day. So, these are my final rankings, but as shown from recent history, guys will see their stock rise and plummet literally hours before the Draft, and sometimes, even during the Draft. So now, I'm going to list the top 200 prospects in order of straight-up talent, with no bearing on what team is picking where. After that, I'm going to list every player that is eligible to be drafted. You can click on the name to check out their NFL.com prospect profile, and also, there is room for round, pick, and team so you can play along at home. Well alright now:
Have a good weekend everyone. Peace.
~Mell-o
With all the pro days completed, it is now a wait and see process about who will be going where. So now, it will become an issue of personnel getting together and determining their boards. With that will come the leaks, which will start to give momentum to players who have been red hot. Guys like Amobi Okoye, who has seen his stock go to meteoric heights since the Combine and his pro day. So, these are my final rankings, but as shown from recent history, guys will see their stock rise and plummet literally hours before the Draft, and sometimes, even during the Draft. So now, I'm going to list the top 200 prospects in order of straight-up talent, with no bearing on what team is picking where. After that, I'm going to list every player that is eligible to be drafted. You can click on the name to check out their NFL.com prospect profile, and also, there is room for round, pick, and team so you can play along at home. Well alright now:
- Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
- JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
- Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
- Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
- Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
- Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
- Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
- LaRon Landry, S, LSU
- Patrick Willis, ILB, Ole Miss
- Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
- Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
- Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
- Levi Brown, OT, Penn St.
- Joe Staley, OT, Eastern Michigan
- Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
- Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
- Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida
- Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
- Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
- Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
- Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
- Jon Beason, OLB, Miami
- Michael Griffin, S, Texas
- Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
- Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio St.
- Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
- Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn St.
- Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
- Justin Blalock, OT/G, Texas
- Ryan Kalil, C, Southern Cal
- Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
- Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida St.
- Dwayne Jarrett, WR, Southern Cal
- Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno St.
- Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue
- David Harris, ILB, Michigan
- Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
- Brian Leonard, FB, Rutgers
- LaMarr Woodley, DE, Michigan
- Eric Weddle, CB/S, Utah
- Eric Wright, CB, UNLV
- Sidney Rice, WR, USC
- Tony Ugoh, OT, Utah
- Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St.
- Victor Abiamiri, DE, Notre Dame
- Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
- Trent Edwards, QB, Stanford
- Aaron Sears, OT, Tennessee
- Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
- Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio St.
- Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
- Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio St.
- Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware
- Tim Crowder, DE, Texas
- Aaron Rouse, S, Virginia Tech
- Demarcus Tyler, DT, North Carolina St.
- Zach Miller, TE, Arizona St.
- Daymeion Hughes, CB, California
- Brandon Siler, OLB, Florida
- Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
- Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn
- Steve Smith, WR, Southern Cal
- Craig Davis, WR, LSU
- Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE, Hawaii
- Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan St.
- Josh Beekman, OG, Boston College
- Ray McDonald, DE, Florida
- Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida St.
- Johnathan Wade, CB, Tennessee
- Josh Wilson, CB, Maryland
- Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston
- Tony Hunt, RB, Penn St.
- Fred Bennett, CB, USC
- Jason Hill, WR, Washington St.
- Tanard Jackson, CB, Syracuse
- Sabby Piscitelli, S, Oregon St.
- Justin Durant, OLB, Hampton
- Zak DeOssie, ILB, Brown
- David Irons, CB, Auburn
- H.B. Blades, ILB, Pittsburgh
- John Beck, QB, BYU
- Brandon Mebane, DT, California
- Tarell Brown, CB, Texas
- Leroy Harris, C, North Carolina St.
- Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia
- Samson Satele, C, Hawaii
- Stewart Bradley, OLB, Nebraska
- Mason Crosby, K, Colorado
- Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR, UTEP
- Troy Smith, QB, Ohio St.
- Chris Henry, RB, Arizona
- Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech
- James Marten, OT, Boston College
- Marshall Yanda, OG, Iowa
- Buster Davis, OLB, Florida St.
- Michael Coe, CB, Alabama St.
- Rufus Alexander, OLB, Oklahoma
- Antonio Johnson, DT, Mississippi St.
- John Wendling, S, Wyoming
- Scott Chandler, TE, Iowa
- Mike Walker, WR, Central Florida
- Jordan Palmer, QB, UTEP
- Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest
- Paul Williams, WR, Fresno St.
- Brandon Frye, OT, Virginia Tech
- Courtney Taylor, WR, Auburn
- Rory Jackson, ILB, Ole Miss
- Dustin Fry, C, Clemson
- Yamon Figurs, WR, Kansas St.
- C.J. Gaddis, CB, Clemson
- Adam Podlesh, P, Maryland
- Daniel Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan
- David Jones, CB, Wingate
- David Clowney, WR, Virginia Tech
- Usama Young, CB, Kent St.
- Jackie Battle, RB, Houston
- A.J. Davis, CB, North Carolina St.
- Michael Okwo, ILB, Stanford
- Nate Harris, OLB, Louisville
- Ryan Moore, WR, Miami
- Derek Landri, DT, Notre Dame
- Jay Alford, DT, Penn St.
- Tim Shaw, OLB, Penn St.
- Daniel Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan
- Anthony Arline, CB, Baylor
- Matt Spaeth, TE, Minnesota
- Timothy Duckworth, OG, Auburn
- Roderick Rogers, S, Wisconsin
- Turk McBride, DT, Tennessee
- Jacoby Jones, WR, Lane
- Bo Smith, CB, Kentucky
- Stephen Nicholas, OLB, South Florida
- Doug Free, OT, Northern Illinois
- Dan Mozes, C, West Virginia
- Ronnie McGill, RB, North Carolina
- Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota
- Andy Alleman, OG, Akron
- Enoka Lucas, C, Oregon
- Cameron Stephenson, OG, Rutgers
- Earl Everett, OLB, Florida
- Chris Davis, WR, Florida St.
- Cory Anderson, FB, Tennessee
- DeShawn Wynn, RB, Florida
- Chansi Stuckey, WR, Clemson
- Gerald Alexander, S, Boise St.
- Mansfield Wrotto, OG, Georgia Tech
- Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise St.
- Jason Snelling, RB, Virginia
- Paul Soliai, DT, Utah
- Michael Johnson, S, Arizona
- Noland Burchette, DE, Virginia Tech
- Ryan Smith, CB, Florida
- Louis Leonard, DT, Fresno St.
- Kolby Smith, RB, Louisville
- Marvin White, S, TCU
- Corey Graham, CB, New Hampshire
- Anthony Pudewell, TE, Nevada
- Kasey Studdard, OG, Texas
- Tra Battle, CB, Georgia
- Keith Jackson, Jr., DT, Arkansas
- Juwan Simpson, OLB, Alabama
- Quincy Black, OLB, New Mexico
- Chris Denman, OT, Fresno St.
- Matt King, OLB, Maine
- Zach Cantanese, S, Arizona St.
- Ryan McBean, DT, Oklahoma St.
- Mario Henderson, OT, Florida St.
- Larry Birdine, DE, Oklahoma
- Kelvin Smith, ILB, Syracuse
- Clark Harris, TE, Rutgers
- Daren Stone, S, Miami
- Laurent Robinson, WR, Illinois St.
- Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas
- Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Marshall
- Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern
- Thaddeus Washington, ILB, Colorado
- Jon Cornish, RB, Kansas
- Tyler Palko, QB, Pittsburgh
- Dane Uperesa, OT, Hawaii
- Jon Newton, TE, Oregon St.
- Adam Koets, OT, Oregon St.
- Victor DeGrate, DE, Oklahoma St.
- Brannon Condren, S, Troy
- Uche Nwaneri, OG, Purdue
- Kenneth Darby, RB, Alabama
- Abe Brown, OLB, Louisville
- Johnathan Holland, WR, Louisiana Tech
- Doug Datish, C, Ohio St.
- Sam Olajubutu, OLB, Arkansas
- Herbert Taylor, OG, TCU
- David Patterson, DT, Ohio St.
- Dan Santucci, OG, Notre Dame
- Travarous Bain, CB, Hampton
- C.J. Wilson, CB, Baylor
- Antwan Barnes, OLB, Florida International
- Kevin Boss, TE, Western Oregon
- Tala Esera, OG, Hawaii
- Gabe Hall, OG, Texas Tech
- Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern St.
- Chindeum Ndukwe, S, Notre Dame
| Quarterbacks | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 216 | ||||||
| 222 | ||||||
| 223 | ||||||
| 232 | ||||||
| 217 | ||||||
| 220 | ||||||
| 234 | ||||||
| 210 | ||||||
| 215 | ||||||
| 231 | ||||||
| 208 | ||||||
| 226 | ||||||
| 217 | ||||||
| 222 | ||||||
| 226 | ||||||
| 263 | ||||||
| 213 | ||||||
| 216 | ||||||
| 235 | ||||||
| 237 | ||||||
| 216 | ||||||
| 219 | ||||||
| Running Backs | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 226 | ||||||
| 235 | ||||||
| 193 | ||||||
| 198 | ||||||
| 202 | ||||||
| 253 | ||||||
| 218 | ||||||
| 207 | ||||||
| 206 | ||||||
| 213 | ||||||
| 228 | ||||||
| 230 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 210 | ||||||
| 217 | ||||||
| 222 | ||||||
| 231 | ||||||
| 218 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 227 | ||||||
| 217 | ||||||
| 215 | ||||||
| 232 | ||||||
| 212 | ||||||
| 225 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 177 | ||||||
| 226 | ||||||
| 238 | ||||||
| 217 | ||||||
| Fullbacks | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 247 | ||||||
| 259 | ||||||
| 236 | ||||||
| 238 | ||||||
| 248 | ||||||
| 238 | ||||||
| 257 | ||||||
| 252 | ||||||
| Tight Ends | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 255 | ||||||
| 257 | ||||||
| 261 | ||||||
| 257 | ||||||
| 257 | ||||||
| 248 | ||||||
| 261 | ||||||
| 242 | ||||||
| 253 | ||||||
| 259 | ||||||
| 256 | ||||||
| 253 | ||||||
| 256 | ||||||
| 252 | ||||||
| 270 | ||||||
| 250 | ||||||
| 225 | ||||||
| 248 | ||||||
| 267 | ||||||
| Centers | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 260 | ||||||
| 302 | ||||||
| 326 | ||||||
| 298 | ||||||
| 291 | ||||||
| 299 | ||||||
| 301 | ||||||
| 230 | ||||||
| 311 | ||||||
| 305 | ||||||
| Guards | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 302 | ||||||
| 321 | ||||||
| 310 | ||||||
| 307 | ||||||
| 304 | ||||||
| 308 | ||||||
| 314 | ||||||
| 309 | ||||||
| 303 | ||||||
| 335 | ||||||
| 318 | ||||||
| 335 | ||||||
| 296 | ||||||
| 307 | ||||||
| 305 | ||||||
| 316 | ||||||
| 304 | ||||||
| Offensive Tackles | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 300 | ||||||
| 329 | ||||||
| 328 | ||||||
| 318 | ||||||
| 302 | ||||||
| 299 | ||||||
| 318 | ||||||
| 303 | ||||||
| 328 | ||||||
| 322 | ||||||
| 302 | ||||||
| 313 | ||||||
| 308 | ||||||
| Defensive Tackles | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 304 | ||||||
| 331 | ||||||
| 290 | ||||||
| 305 | ||||||
| 305 | ||||||
| 277 | ||||||
| 281 | ||||||
| 305 | ||||||
| 287 | ||||||
| 301 | ||||||
| 334 | ||||||
| 296 | ||||||
| 323 | ||||||
| Defensive Ends | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 271 | ||||||
| 260 | ||||||
| 274 | ||||||
| 250 | ||||||
| 279 | ||||||
| 250 | ||||||
| 278 | ||||||
| 265 | ||||||
| 269 | ||||||
| 261 | ||||||
| 268 | ||||||
| 263 | ||||||
| 292 | ||||||
| 271 | ||||||
| 249 | ||||||
| 249 | ||||||
| 254 | ||||||
| 271 | ||||||
| 278 | ||||||
| 272 | ||||||
| 290 | ||||||
| 276 | ||||||
| 276 | ||||||
| 249 | ||||||
| 251 | ||||||
| 273 | ||||||
| 266 | ||||||
| 266 | ||||||
| 269 | ||||||
| Inside Linebackers | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 245 | ||||||
| 239 | ||||||
| 237 | ||||||
| 244 | ||||||
| 235 | ||||||
| 239 | ||||||
| 237 | ||||||
| 220 | ||||||
| 232 | ||||||
| 237 | ||||||
| 238 | ||||||
| 236 | ||||||
| 245 | ||||||
| 240 | ||||||
| 234 | ||||||
| Cornerbacks | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 199 | ||||||
| 182 | ||||||
| 179 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 205 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 190 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 193 | ||||||
| 185 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 188 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 196 | ||||||
| 200 | ||||||
| 186 | ||||||
| 197 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 179 | ||||||
| 168 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 188 | ||||||
| 190 | ||||||
| Free Safeties | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 211 | ||||||
| 210 | ||||||
| 213 | ||||||
| 202 | ||||||
| 195 | ||||||
| 205 | ||||||
| 192 | ||||||
| 193 | ||||||
| 201 | ||||||
| 216 | ||||||
| 199 | ||||||
| Strong Safeties | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 201 | ||||||
| 216 | ||||||
| 205 | ||||||
| 211 | ||||||
| 224 | ||||||
| 225 | ||||||
| 193 | ||||||
| 200 | ||||||
| Kickers | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 218 | ||||||
| 214 | ||||||
| 201 | ||||||
| 186 | ||||||
| Punters | ||||||
| Player | Ht. | Wt. | School | Rd | Sel# | Team |
| 179 | ||||||
| 215 | ||||||
| 202 | ||||||
| 229 | ||||||
Have a good weekend everyone. Peace.
~Mell-o
Monday, April 16, 2007
For The Fallen Hokies
"Techmen, we're Techmen, with spirit true and faithful,
Backing up our team with hopes undying;
Techmen, Oh, Techmen, we're out to win today,
Showing pep and life with which we're trying."
It's going to be tough to continue on after that, but I'm going to give it a go, and hopefully, this will help some of you out there.
So another Patriot's Day has come and gone, and outside of what happened in Blacksburg, was one of the most memorable (in a positive way) "Marathon Mondays" in a long time. First of all, the good ol' Red Sox got off to their usual early start (actually, they were scheduled for 10:00, but the game got pushed back to 12:15) and were able to pound out the Angels for the third straight game. I think the weather definitely had a huge factor in the way the Angels played over the weekend and into today. When you are facing Nor'Easter-like conditions, and you play half your home games in sunny Anaheim, you know there are going to be problems. Orlando Cabrera continues to play well against us (3 for 9, HR, SB), which makes me think the Sox should conspire with some NL team to pull of a three-team deal to get Cabrera out of the league, because as long as they face him, he is going to continue to show he deserved the $9 million he was looking for after 2004. An interesting note is what happened to Vladimir Guerrero, as he was hit on the wrist with a Josh Beckett fastball in the first inning. The X-Rays taken after the game came up negative, which was followed by a huge sigh of relief from all Angel backers out there. Guerrero is the centerpiece of this team. If they lose him for any amount of time, I would expect the Angels to start falling apart, because if the weekend was any indictaion (and again, it could all be related to the weather, but I mean...they got absolutely smoked), then the Halos cannot depend on the starting pitching that they have out there right now (Weaver is still on the shelf, and Colon has been smoking hot in his rehab starts). If you take out that kind of bat from the order, forget it (too early to start calling for the SI jinx?)
If the Sox ever wanted to start building a lead in the division, now would certainly be a good time. With 4/5 of their starting rotation on the DL, the Yanks are looking as vulnerable as ever, especially when you consider how their series with the A's ended (Mariano Rivera giving up a walk-off homer to Marco Scutaro...you heard me), the Bombers are in dire straits at the moment (speaking of which, one of the best music videos ever...face it, anything in the 80s involving Sting kicked an incredible amount of ass). The rumor mill is running hot right now for Roger Clemens, but don't panic too much Red Sox Nation, as it seems as though the Rocket is staying to his word about not deciding on anything until June. In the meantime, the Yankees will be hoping for some kind of Shawn Chacon/Aaron Small magic that they got two years ago from some of the guys they will be bringing up or signing. Phillip Hughes is young, but he's going to have to get in there and get his hands dirty at some point. The good news is that, from their three offseason moves (Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield), they were able to acquire some major-league ready talent (Chris Britton from Baltimore, Luis Visciano, who is mostly a set-up man, from Arizona, and Humberto Sanchez from Detroit). With the added depth, they at least have options, which would be a completely different story if something like this happened last year.
Speaking of which, I have been thinking about how the Sox would be able to deal with a similar situation (hey, I'm knocking on wood, but when you have two guys nearing 40, another guy with past blister issues, and a guy who is pitching every five days for the first time in his career, some questions may arise you know?). I wouldn't say that we would be completely in the clear, but I think we have some capable guys coming up through the ranks that could be able to fill-in for a given period of time (definitely not the whole season yet though). So, here's kind of an impromptu look at the arms who are on the farm right now who could be surfacing in the next few years:
Jon Lester: Ok, I know what you're thinking. This guy has already been up to the majors and has pitched nearly a full season. However, after battling lymphoma, Lester has made a miraculous comeback, and is doing some great things in Single A Greenville. With former Sox favorite Gabe Kapler looking on as his skipper, Lester has put together two strong outings, and is now begging Tito (Sox manager Terry Francona) for more innings. It looks like Lester could rejoin the big league team as early as mid-to-late May, which is incredible considering he was diagnosed just eight months ago. Lester is a solid #5 because a.) he's a lefty in a division where a majority of the good hitters are lefty as well, and b.) he has a great array of pitches, from a high 80s fastball to a 11-5 curve. If his rehab stints continue to go well, he will replace Julian Tavarez, as he will return to his more "natural" role as the long relief man (I say natural because he pitches two to three innings out of the bullpen with a lot more confidence and better stuff than he does when he starts games).
Devern Hansack: This guy has been on absolute fire since starting the year in triple A Pawtucket. Hansack has started two games so far, going 10 and 2/3 innings in two starts, with a 1-0 record, 0.83 ERA, 3 BBs, and 20 Ks!...20 strikeouts in two starts! The reason Hansack did not make the big club out of Spring Training (where he was also outstanding) because the Sox felt like if Hansack started the year in Pawtucket, he would get valuable game experience that would serve him in the future. If he were starting for the Sox right now, who knows? He could be a phenom, or he could get lit up. I think the Sox made the right move here, because even though AAA ball is very competitive, it's still AAA. If he gets beat up down there, it's not going to be as big of a deal as it would be with Boston, where he would have thirty different press guys slam you in all these different publications. However, I think Hansack will not have to worry about that, because this guy looks like he's the real deal.
Manny Delcarmen: Of course, there's the hometown hero, and my favorite prospect going right now. Delcarmen, in limited time last year, showed he could be one of the better set-up men to come along in the Sox organization in quite some time. After Tommy John surgery in 2003, scouts have said that he has actually gained some velocity on his fastball, which is now topping out at around 97 MPH, and uses a change and a real nice curve in his arsenal. Delcarmen will be called up at some point this year...trust me (people, people...Joel Piniero...Joel freggin' Piniero...I mean what would an offseason be without overpaying for a reliever?).
Craig Hansen: My have the tides turned on Hansen. In what seemed to be the lock to replace Jonathan Papelbon in the closer role, Hansen was horrendous in Spring Training, forcing the Sox to re-evaluate their entire bullpen situation. In three games this season in AAA, Hansen is sporting a 1.80 ERA, but also an inflated WHIP of 2.20, so Hansen still has a long way to go in terms of contributing in the bigs. He has great stuff, but again...Scott Boras...yikes!
Kason Gabbard: The guy who can say he recorded the final win of the 2006 season for the Sox, Gabbard has been up and down in the minors, especially last year, where after being solid at double A Portland (9-2, 2.57 ERA), he really struggled at AAA Pawtucket (1-7, 5.23 ERA). Injuries have factored into his development, but Gabbard has shown good mound presence, combining a low 80s fastball with an above average change-up. I think he is still about two years away from making any kind of impact in the big leagues (where he will likely be used in long relief situations).
Clay Buchholz: Ths guy seems to be the #1 guy in terms of pitchers right now, and with very good reason. His minor league record last year, while splitting time between Greenville and Wilmington, was an impressive 11-4 with a 2.42 ERA in 24 starts, including a gaudy 140 Ks and an even more impressive .208 average against. Buchholz starts the year in Portland, but look for a quick call-up to the PawSox, and then, inevitably, his time will come to take over one of the spots that Schilling or Wakefield will leave open. What makes Buchholz such a great prospect is that he can throw five pitches for strikes, including a two-seam and four-seam fastball that he can pipe in at around 94 MPH, a sweeping curve, slider, and change-up, which he generally keeps in the high 70s. He was named the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, and I would not be surprised if he repeats that honor this season.
Bryce Cox: In just his second year of pro ball, Cox is already being rumored as to being an addition to the Sox once the rosters move from 25 to 40 players in September. Cox was an intricate member Rice Owls to the 2005 College Baseball World Series title, and immediately put in three appearances in 2006 after being drafted in the same year in the 3rd round. Scouts have been raving about his stuff (mid 90s fastball, sharp breaking slider, and a change), but control has been an issue in the past. With the talented coaching staffs that will be working with him in Portland, Pawtucket, and eventually Boston, Cox will flourish. The only question is where does he fit into the Sox plans in the grand scheme of things?
Daniel Bard: The Sox infatuation with Bard is the reason Todd Helton is not manning first base at Fenway right now. Bard, who is just 21 years old, was a first-round pick in last year's Draft. Standing at 6'4, Bard is known for his velocity, as he hit the high 90s in regulation while playing his college ball at UNC. Bard is a raw talent, and as of right now, he is being used out of the 'pen, but has not had a good time of it so far playing in single A Lancaster (two appearances , 4 1/3 innings, 7 ER, 7BB, just 2 K's). I'm not sure if the Sox are going to continue to groom him as a reliever, as he was a starter in his three years with the Tar Heels. Look out for this guy in the future though, as he has big-league stuff already.
So, God forbid the Sox need to tap any of these guys throughout the year, but still, it's good to know there is a bit of a net underneath them should things start to get dicey this year.
It's funny how today's Boston Marathon, in the men's division, was oddly comparable to a Nextel Cup race. To start the race, you had two guys (Josephat Ongeri and Jared Nyambok, who are both Kenyan, but were representing the U.S. as they hailed from Huntsville, AL) who got out to a huge lead, and I mean huge. At one point, they were ahead of the lead pack by almost three minutes. However, just like in NASCAR, when you are left out all by yourself, and you are facing a pack that are drafting off of each other, and have a monster aerodynamic edge, the pack will catch up inevitably, and this was no exception. Fellow Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot eventually crossed the finish line in first, picking up his third Boston Marathon overall, and his second in a row. Because Cheruiyot had also won the Chicago Marathon, he collected a cool $500,000 in addition to the $100,000 he got for winning the race (that's-a nice!). The top American finisher was Peter Gilmore, who finished in 8th. On the women's side, one of the favorites to win the title was actually an American (Deena Kastor). Ultimately though, Kastor would finish 5th (which is still an amazing accomplishment), and Lidiya Grigoryeva from Russia ultimately took home the crown. This was one of the worst weather conditions to ever hit the Marathon since its inception 111 years ago, and yet, it has never been canceled. So if you took part in the race, or know someone who did, I pass on my congratulations, especially this year, because that's a hell of an accomplishment to run that far in any kind of conditions, let alone the ones that faced the runners today.
Am I the only one who loves the La Quinta commercials? I don't know, it's just so incredibly catchy to me. Anyway, if you haven't seen them, or have, but am not sure what I'm talking about, today's your lucky day (maybe): 1, 2, 3
Well, that's going to do it for now. Actually, I have just one more bit of housekeeping to take care of. I know I have been telling a lot of people about my trip in May up and down the East coast checking out different parks. Here is the initial itinerary of my whirlwind bus tour:
May 14: Columbia, SC: Capital City Stadium
May 15: Greenville, SC: West End Field (Greenville Drive vs. Augusta Green Jackets)
May 16: Charletson, SC: Joseph P. Riley Field (Charleston Riverdogs vs. Rome Braves)
May 17: Richmond, VA: The Diamond (Richmond Braves vs. Rochester Red Wings)
May 18: Philadelphia, PA: Citizen's Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies vs. Toronto Blue Jays)
May 19: Flushing, NY: Shea Stadium (New York Mets vs. New York Yankees...that's right)
May 20: Washington, DC: RFK Stadium (Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles)
May 21: Bowie, MD: Prince George's Stadium (Bowie BaySox vs. New Britain Rock Cats)
May 22: Baltimore, MD: Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays)
May 23: N. Myrtle Beach, SC: Coastal Federal Field (Myrtle Beach Pelicans vs. Winston-Salem Warthogs)
May 24: St. Petersburg, FL: Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. Seattle Mariners)
May 25: Bradenton, FL: McKechnie Field (Minor League Baseball Offices)
May 26: Atlanta, GA: Turner Field (Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies)
Again, this should be an incredible time, and I will be keeping a running diary of all the events along the way. So, until next time, thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Sunday, April 15, 2007
NFL Mock Draft: Raiders Of The Lost Ark
"I hate snakes."Two more weeks! Can you feel it?! For two days, I am free. I literally have no cares in the world. This is like a mini vacation from reality. For two days, I will not budge from my TV (except for the occasional beverage). I will watch 255 college athletes have their dream come true, and have their name called at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Not all of them will play in the NFL, but the moment their phone rings, and a coach is on the other line telling him he has just been picked by an NFL team...I won't ever be able to fathom what that would feel like. Some people don't understand why I make such a big deal about it, so I try and explain why it is. This is like a story unfolding. Basically everyone that becomes anyone in the league I love so much starts right here. These guys I have been watching on Saturday for three or four years are now taking the next step. This is going to be an extra-
special event for me, because, in a way, I'm taking the next step in my life and turning pro. These are really exciting times, and things are starting to click for me, and I have never been happier in my life than I am right now. So, let's get into it shall we?Ok, first thing I have to say is that I am scrapping the MLB Preview. I actually liked doing it, and I hope the AL East and Central were good reads for you, but here's the thing: It took so much time to do those two, that literally, I wouldn't be able to get it all done by about the end of July. Plus, I like bouncing around from different topics, and that kind of weighed me down a little. So sorry about that, I know I said I would do them all, but unfortunately, this is not my job (yet) and I really wish I could devote all my time to doing this, because this is one of the best things to happen to me ever (seriously).
I am mad at the conspiracy theorists out there who are trying to ruin "The Sopranos" for me. What really got me was that I was looking at this through ESPN and CNN/SI. These are sports sites! Damn it! I don't want to know where they are shooting the final episode. I don't want to hear factual information about a fictional show. I want to be kept in the complete dark about everything. That's what makes the show so great, and that's what makes TV and movies great in general. What would be the fun of going into a movie, or watching a TV show, and knowing how it all ends? I mean really, let it all go. Sure, I have thoughts and ideas about what might happen, but I don't want to hear about real things that are happening that could potentially spoil how the show reaches its conclusion.
The NHL Playoffs have been outstanding, especially the quadruple OT game between Vancouver and Dallas. All there is left to say is this: If you're not with it now, you'll probably never get it, and I feel bad for you, because these are the some of the most skilled and tough athletes in the world, and it's unfortunate that more credit is not given to these guys.
A recent ESPN poll asked the question "should Ohio State freshman Greg Oden enter the NBA Draft?" As of 11:00 on Sunday, around 70,000 people responded, with 58% saying yes, 42% no. Then there is a state-by-state breakdown. Anyway, flash forward to Massachusetts: 82% yes, 18% no...oh, big surprise. Anyway, his dad is on record as saying he's leaving, but his mother and his "adviser" Mike Conley, Sr. (who's son, Mike Conley, Jr., is also deciding whether or not to leave early...if you don't think the Oden decision will have any effect, you are out of your mind) have been pretty tight-lipped about the whole situation. I understand that Oden loves school, but when it comes down to it, this is something he has to do. College is always going to be there, but the opportunity to most likely be the #1 pick in the Draft won't be. Kevin Durant had the same dilemma (actually his was a little tougher considering Oden is pretty much a lock to go #1, while Durant, if he produced anything close to what he did this year next year, would have gone #1 in next year's Draft, but he weighed the risk/reward factor, and knew that injuries could happen at any time, and decided to declare). I think Oden and Conley will both leave. The deadline is April 29th (oddly enough, that's also Day 2 of the NFL Draft...what a day!).
I know that a lot has already been said about this, but I figured I would throw my two cents in. The idea of wearing #42 on Jackie Robinson day was a noble one by Ken Griffey, Jr., and then, a few other players got on board and decided to pay honor to Robinson. And then, baseball kind of lost me. All of a sudden, entire teams were having their guys wear the #42. Here's the thing: As hard as this may be able to process, not everyone knows who Jackie Robinson is. And some of these people are the players wearing the number. I find it kind of trivial that guys are wearing the uniform number of a guy who did so much for the game, and they don't even know, or sometimes care, about who this guy is. Again, I think it's great that Major League Baseball is doing a great thing by paying tribute to Robinson, but when you start forcing people into doing something, what was a great idea really starts to lose its credibility. If one or two players, who volunteered like Griffey to wear the number, it would have definitely been a more poignant way to honor a man who revolutionized the game for his generation and future generations to come. But simply making players wear the number (I think most had a positive response, but I'm kind of targeting the other crowd here) really diminishes the importance and the meaning of it all (by the way, I have absolutely no problem with the Dodgers doing this, but St. Louis and Milwaukee?...where did that come from?).
Alright, let's press on into my third edition of the Mock Draft. Again, I am going to save the full analysis until my final draft. There have been a few changes made here. Also, I am going to make note of teams I feel will be moving up(+) or down (-) with their picks. So here we go:
- Oakland- JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
- (-)Detroit- Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
- Cleveland- Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
- (+)Tampa Bay- Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
- Arizona- Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
- (-)Washington- Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
- (+)Minnesota- LaRon Landry, S, LSU
- (-)Atlanta- Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
- (+)Miami- Levi Brown, OT, Penn St.
- (+)Houston- Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
- San Francisco- Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
- Buffalo- Patrick Willis, ILB, Ole Miss
- St. Louis- Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
- (-)Carolina- Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
- (-)Pittsburgh- Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida
- Green Bay- Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
- Jacksonville- Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
- Cincinnati- Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
- Tennessee- Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
- New York Giants- Joe Staley, OT, Eastern Michigan
- Denver- Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
- Dallas- Justin Blalock, OT/OG, Texas
- Kansas City- Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio St.
- New England- Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn St.
- New York Jets- Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia- Michael Griffin, S, Texas
- New Orleans- Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida St.
- (-)New England- Eric Weddle, CB/S, Utah
- Baltimore- Ryan Kalil, C, Southern Cal
- San Diego- Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
- Chicago- Jon Beason, OLB, Miami
- Indianapolis- Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
~Mell-o
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I Just Can't Win
"You do it yourself, just you, you and no one else."
Ok, so again, basically anytime I have anything to say about the Celtics, Sports Guy is all over it. For the second time in probably the last month, as soon as I finish an article, I click over to Sports Guy to see what he has to say, and it looks as though I plagiarized the whole thing (I am finding that coming from a city that has had two huge plagiarism cases (Mike Barnicle and Ron Borges from the Globe) apparently is not such a good thing right now). The two articles in question, which looked extremely similar in their context ("Fan-tanking" and "The NBA Lottery") I wrote literally right before I read The Sports Guy (by the way, this in no way is putting down Bill Simmons, because I love the guy, and his articles are outstanding; it's just that two people from similar backgrounds, even if we are a few years apart, tend to have the same thought process sometime). So again, I am telling you, I am not trying to copy him in any way (although I probably should because he is way more elegant and humorous about everything than me). I have way too much respect for him to be doing that. Just wanted to get that off my chest.
It seems like MSNBC reads my blog, or else they listened to the millions of people on this planet called Earth that was calling for the firing of Don Imus, because guess what? Done deal. Nice. Good riddance.
Also, I want to bring up something that may have been misinterpreted by people. I think J.D. Drew is a very good player, I just don't think he's worth $14 million a year, especially when you consider a guy at the same position, Vladimir Guerrero (excuse me, former MVP Vladimir Guerrero) is making $13 million, and he is way better than Drew. I realize that, this offseason, the salaries were really getting up there, but the fact remains that the Sox got suckered by Scott Boras, which was the underlying reason why Boras laid off of his demands for signing Dice-K. Again, I want to stress that I think Drew is good, but completely overpriced. I also feel the same way about Julio Lugo: Good player, way, way too much money.
So does anyone know what's going on in the Oakland front office? Because I sure don't. It seems as though no one is being clear about the intentions of the Raiders in the upcoming Draft or for the rest of the free agency period. I have heard numerous reports saying that they are in talks with Detroit to acquire Josh McCown to take over the starter's position left vacant by Aaron Brooks. If this scenario were to take place, you would be hearing a lot more about the following:
1.) Drafting Calvin Johnson #1 overall instead of JaMarcus Russell, and
2.) Trading Randy Moss to whoever can stand him.
In any case, if Oakland traded for McCown and drafted Johnson, you would be talking about one of the biggest shakeups as far as who's going where in recent Draft history (yes, even more than the immortal Mario Williams pick). Let me describe what the domino effect would start to look like if this went down:
The NHL Playoffs started up with little-to-no fanfare, which I really don't get. I mean I am fully aware of the lack of popularity of the NHL, but this is the Playoffs. These are the best players in the world competing in the fastest game on Earth. Even if you're not a fan, I'm telling you, watch maybe five minutes (this is of course assuming you get VS., which can be viewed by about 50% of households...yeah, not so good) of a playoff game. To me, it's riveting TV. The games are even faster now, the hits are harder, the moves are better, the intensity is at its peak, and the beards get progressively bigger as the playoffs wear on. With all of that being said, I am going to do a brief playoff preview (really, if this was going to be the main point, you would have skipped it right?...well, you might skip this anyway, but at least give it a shot for my sake). I am going to try and do each round (I'm going to try and do the same for the NBA, but in both cases, I can't guarantee anything). So, here is the first round:
Eastern Conference:
(1) Buffalo vs. (8) New York Islanders: Rick DiPietro, the Islanders' goalie, is recovering from effects of a concussion, and he has been listed as doubtful to play in any of the first-round games. With that being said, the Sabres have one of the better netminders in the game in Ryan Miller. In additon, they probably have the best defense in the league in terms of speed and overall ability. In the end, the Isles, who have a shaky defense to begin with, will not be able to handle the aggressive Saber offense
Pick: Buffalo in 5
(2) New Jersey vs. (7) Tampa Bay: Even if you're not a big hockey fan, there's a good chance you've heard of the name Martin Brodeur before. This guy is simply outstanding. Easily the best goalie in the league, Brodeur is up for the Vezina (best goalie) and Hart (MVP) trophies. I give the advantage to the Devils for that reason, because when you look at the other side of the ice, the Lightning do not have a solid goalie in their lineup, choosing instead to rotate between Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis. While Tampa certainly has some firepower in Vincent LeCavlier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis, and also, they have a defenceman, Dan Boyle, who is up for the Norris (best defenceman) Trophy, their goalie situation really has me second-guessing their chances. Although they did win the regular season series 3-1, in the playoffs, having a solid goaltender is huge, and I can't get around the fact that Brodeur is one of the best to play all-time.
Pick: New Jersey in 6
(3) Atlanta vs. (6) New York Rangers: Wow, all three NY teams in the playoffs. Maybe this has happened recently, but still, it's quite an accomplishment. The Rangers have finally dug themselves out of salary cap hell (well, not all the way out, but they are looking a whole lot better than they did after Gretzky retired) and put up a very respectable season this year. Led by Jaormit Jagr, the Rangers have been red hot heading into the postseason. Meanwhile, when you talk about the Thrashers, you have to talk about Ilya Kovalchuk, one of the best young scorers in the game. Along with Keith Tkachuk, Scott Mellanby, and Marion Hossa, Atlanta has produced their best season in franchise history. However, with that being said, I'm going to ride the Rangers hot streak and pick the upset.
Pick: New York in 7
(4) Ottawa vs. (5) Pittsburgh: With perhaps the greatest young duo in the history of the NHL (Crosby and Malkin), the Pens are trying to put the talks of a move to Kansas City behind them as they face the Senators in the first round. This is a classic case of old (Ottawa) vs. new (Pittsburgh). Ottawa has scorers in Daniel Alfredson and Dany Heatley who have been to the postseason before and know of the pressures that come along with it. However, I like the upstart Penguins here. Keep in mind that in four meetings this year, Pittsburgh won three, including two in Ottawa last month. I think the Pens will have more legs under them, as, to me, this is going to be a series that goes all the way to a 7th game. One of the keys will be the effectiveness of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, because if he breaks down, it won't matter how much stamina Pittsburgh has. Ottawa has some scary offensive options, so Fleury will have to do his best to contain them.
Pick: Pittsburgh in 7
Western Conference:
(1) Detroit vs. (8) Calgary: Of all the teams Detroit would want to face in the first round, Calgary has to be at about the bottom of the list. The Flames have the best pure scorer in the game in Jerome Iginla (yes, even better than Crosby...at least for right now), the best defenceman in the game in Dion Phaneuf, and one of the better goalies in the league in Miikka Kiprusoff (who you may recall carried the Flames on their postseason run last year). However, Detroit just has way too much depth to handle. They start off by playing their young guys, then they bring in their core group of veterans to give the young guys plenty of rest. This is a very potent combination, as they have proved all year long (113 points, tied with Buffalo for most in the NHL). Also, I can't see me betting against Dominik Hasek anytime soon, I don't care how old he is. He is battle-tested, which is a huge plus when you're making a push for the Cup.
Pick: Detroit in 6
(2) Anaheim vs. (7) Minnesota: Anaheim went out last offseason to make their weakness last year their biggest strength this year: defense. With the additions of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermeyer, the Ducks have the best blue-line in the entire league. Plus, a huge surprise was the play of Temmu Selanne, who scored 94 points (48 goals, 46 assists) in his 13th season. Jean Sebastian Giguere has taken time off to care for his new son, so backup Ilya Bryzgalov, who is quite capable, will be in net for the time being. For Minnesota, Marian Gaborik has fueled the resurgence of the Wild, who were on the outside looking in for most of the year. Also, star goalie Manny Fernandez, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, is questionable to return during the playoffs, but once again, Minnesota also has a very capable backup in Niklas Backstrom, who produced a sub-2 GAA in 41 games this year. One of the keys will be Pavol Demitra, as he has been battling leg problems and was forced to sit out the final game of the year. If he is healthy, I really like the upset in this one. I feel that Selanne will not be able to carry the offense by himself, and the Wild have been red hot.
Pick: Minnesota in 7
(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas: In a matchup of two of the best goalies in the league, expect every goal to be very hard to come by. In their four matchups this year, all the games were decided 2-1, one ended in ovetime, and one had to go to a shootout (series was tied 2-2). I love Vancover's depth on their scoring lines, with the Sedin boys (Henrik and Daniel...not sure if they're related), Brendan Morrison, and Markus Naslund, their first two lines are extremely dangerous. Dallas will counter with a cast of veterans, including Captain USA Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen up front, with Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor on D. Again, I believe it will all come down to the matchup of goalies, where I give the slight edge to Vancouver, because Roberto Luongo (Vancouver) is a bit younger than Marty Turco (Dallas). Also, the Canucks have more scoring options than Dallas.
Pick: Vancouver in 7
(4) Nashville vs. (5) San Jose: It was has to be considered the most intriguing matchup in the entire first round, the Predators and the Sharks will most likely be competing in a wild west (no pun intended) shootout. Nashville went out during the season and got Jason Arnott and Peter Forsberg, who is considered by most to be the best player on Earth. When you add Paul Kariya into the mix, you are looking at a devastating crew up front. Their goaltending has been questionable at times though, and their defense is also rather young and inexperienced. The Sharks will counter with all-world center Joe Thornton (you're welcome), who has been reunited with former Boston linemate Bill Guerin. Also, with Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo, the Sharks are even more dangerous than the Preds in this regard. Plus, when you throw in the fact that San Jose went out and got experience on the blue line in Craig Rivet, and Evgeni Nabokov in goal, who became a star in last season's playoffs. San Jose is going to be a tough beat for Nashville, who had one of the best home-ice advantages all year long. In the end though, I like the Sharks, but it's going to be tough, and they will have to win all their games in San Jose to do it, but I think they have the firepower and the talent to get by here.
Pick: San Jose in 7
Well, hope you enjoyed as much as you could possibly stand. I'll see you on the flip side. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Ok, so again, basically anytime I have anything to say about the Celtics, Sports Guy is all over it. For the second time in probably the last month, as soon as I finish an article, I click over to Sports Guy to see what he has to say, and it looks as though I plagiarized the whole thing (I am finding that coming from a city that has had two huge plagiarism cases (Mike Barnicle and Ron Borges from the Globe) apparently is not such a good thing right now). The two articles in question, which looked extremely similar in their context ("Fan-tanking" and "The NBA Lottery") I wrote literally right before I read The Sports Guy (by the way, this in no way is putting down Bill Simmons, because I love the guy, and his articles are outstanding; it's just that two people from similar backgrounds, even if we are a few years apart, tend to have the same thought process sometime). So again, I am telling you, I am not trying to copy him in any way (although I probably should because he is way more elegant and humorous about everything than me). I have way too much respect for him to be doing that. Just wanted to get that off my chest.
It seems like MSNBC reads my blog, or else they listened to the millions of people on this planet called Earth that was calling for the firing of Don Imus, because guess what? Done deal. Nice. Good riddance.
Also, I want to bring up something that may have been misinterpreted by people. I think J.D. Drew is a very good player, I just don't think he's worth $14 million a year, especially when you consider a guy at the same position, Vladimir Guerrero (excuse me, former MVP Vladimir Guerrero) is making $13 million, and he is way better than Drew. I realize that, this offseason, the salaries were really getting up there, but the fact remains that the Sox got suckered by Scott Boras, which was the underlying reason why Boras laid off of his demands for signing Dice-K. Again, I want to stress that I think Drew is good, but completely overpriced. I also feel the same way about Julio Lugo: Good player, way, way too much money.
So does anyone know what's going on in the Oakland front office? Because I sure don't. It seems as though no one is being clear about the intentions of the Raiders in the upcoming Draft or for the rest of the free agency period. I have heard numerous reports saying that they are in talks with Detroit to acquire Josh McCown to take over the starter's position left vacant by Aaron Brooks. If this scenario were to take place, you would be hearing a lot more about the following:
1.) Drafting Calvin Johnson #1 overall instead of JaMarcus Russell, and
2.) Trading Randy Moss to whoever can stand him.
In any case, if Oakland traded for McCown and drafted Johnson, you would be talking about one of the biggest shakeups as far as who's going where in recent Draft history (yes, even more than the immortal Mario Williams pick). Let me describe what the domino effect would start to look like if this went down:
- Oakland takes Johnson
- Detroit now has an amazingly complicated decision here (luckily, the Raiders take a receiver, meaning the chances are less probable they will take another one here, unless Teddy Ginn's pro day was that impressive), in which they could go in three different directions. First, they could draft their "franchise" QB in Russell or Brady Quinn, second, they could draft their tackle of the future in Joe Thomas (who I am convinced that along with Johnson and Gaines Adams are the only sure "locks" to produce in the NFL, but then again, I said the same thing about Robert Gallery, so you never know), or, they could trade down with a team that wants Russell or Quinn. If the Raiders do not draft Johnson, it is almost a given that Tampa will trade up to #2 to snag him. Teams looking to do this include Cleveland (who has been enamored with Quinn all of a sudden), Miami, or even Minnesota.
- Cleveland now decides whether to trade up or not. If they are here, and Quinn gets taken, I don't see the Browns drafting Russell, so what do they do? They signed Jamal Lewis to a one year deal, but that certainly will not be any type of long-term fix (by the way, this and the Wes Welker move I love, because basically these were two guys that killed one team, and rather than have to deal with them any more, they just sign the guy and say "ok, you can hurt our practice squad, but that's as far as it goes."...brilliant). So, do they go after Adrian Peterson, or, again, are they looking at maybe improving their line with Thomas.
- Tampa will then be on the clock. This would be a position that they would be dying to get out of, because Johnson has been the guy they were eyeing all along. With Jeff Garcia now in the fold, and Chris Simms still a young capable backup, Tampa will not be in the market for a QB, and after signing Luke Pettigout, they don't need a tackle. So, there is a chance that they would be entertaining offers to trade down, because, again, with most likely only one of the two QBs gone at this point (I would have to say Russell will be there), there is going to be someone who will want to move up. However, there is another possibility here, and that would be to pick Gaines Adams, who has also been linked to going to Detroit (so you can add that to the possibilities). Adams has come through as the clear-cut best defensive prospect in the Draft, and their ends, Simeon Rice and Greg Spiers, are getting up there in age, and the Bucs were shopping Rice throughout last season. With Adams, they get an instant upgrade to their defense, who, now that I think about it, are really starting to age a lot in general, and not just at the ends.
- Arizona goes #5, and they want Joe Thomas. The Cardinals need to sure up their line, and no one fills that need better than Thomas. He will not fall past here. If Thomas is gone, I would expect them to draft Jamaal Anderson.
- And then, there are the Redskins. Almost a month ago, the 'Skins were linked to Russell, and had him in for a visit. After Jason Campbell had a bit of a shaky go at it last year (again, it was his first time starting, so a couple of kinks here and there are expected...they can't all be Vince Young), Washington was a little unsure about the future of the franchise. Could they possibly take Russell here and put the screws to Campbell, a guy they traded up for just two years ago? Washington has been linked to Gaines Adams and Jamaal Anderson the whole time, so, if he's still there, Anderson could be the pick. Or, will they be willing to try and fill their hole in their secondary by drafting LaRon Landry? And then, there's the other possibility of them trading down, then targetting a guy like Adam Carriker or Jarvis Moss at end. Remember, Washington does not have a pick until the 5th round after this, so any way they can pick up more selections would probably be appreciated.
- Minnesota drafts here. They would be looking at Russell and Landry. Again, if both are gone, the Vikings could be looking at a guy that they have shown a lot of interest in: Ted Ginn, Jr. After his pro day, he put to rest most of the concerns about any lingering problems with his foot (I say most because it started bothering him after he did about twenty or so reputations) with a 4.38 40 time. Ginn has supplanted Dwayne Jarrett for second best receiver, so it would not be out of the question to see him go here. Again, if the Vikes like Quinn as much as it has been rumored, then Minnesota could try and move up to #2.
- Atlanta moved up to #8 after trading Matt Schaub to Houston. This is the one team that will probably go unaffected by everything that has happened before this. Landry is gone before he can even get here no matter what happens (whether Minnesota takes him, or someone trades up to take him to get him). So, I would think Atlanta is an enviable situation. They can either take Leon Hall here (which could be a little high), or they can trade down to somewhere in the middle of the first round. At this point, they really have their pick of anyone (including Hall perhaps). Reggie Nelson is starting to rise up the boards again after an impressive workout, and will be available most likely until #17, when Jacksonville picks. Also, fellow safety Michael Griffin would be a solid choice in the late teens-early twenties. Or, if they went the corner route, they could draft Chris Houston, Aaron Ross, Darrelle Revis, or Marcus McCauley.
- Miami would be the big winner if all shook down to the point that everyone had cooled on JaMarcus Russell. The Dolphins have been targetting Russell for a long time now (apparently they're not completely turned off with former LSU Tigers), and if he slips here, and no progress is made in the Trent Green offerings, this is about as much of a sure thing as you can get. Russell is in the Daunte Culpepper mold, but he's healthier and younger than Culpepper, and considering the Dolphins were so enfatuated with Culpepper, you have to believe that Russell would be perfect for them.
The NHL Playoffs started up with little-to-no fanfare, which I really don't get. I mean I am fully aware of the lack of popularity of the NHL, but this is the Playoffs. These are the best players in the world competing in the fastest game on Earth. Even if you're not a fan, I'm telling you, watch maybe five minutes (this is of course assuming you get VS., which can be viewed by about 50% of households...yeah, not so good) of a playoff game. To me, it's riveting TV. The games are even faster now, the hits are harder, the moves are better, the intensity is at its peak, and the beards get progressively bigger as the playoffs wear on. With all of that being said, I am going to do a brief playoff preview (really, if this was going to be the main point, you would have skipped it right?...well, you might skip this anyway, but at least give it a shot for my sake). I am going to try and do each round (I'm going to try and do the same for the NBA, but in both cases, I can't guarantee anything). So, here is the first round:
Eastern Conference:
(1) Buffalo vs. (8) New York Islanders: Rick DiPietro, the Islanders' goalie, is recovering from effects of a concussion, and he has been listed as doubtful to play in any of the first-round games. With that being said, the Sabres have one of the better netminders in the game in Ryan Miller. In additon, they probably have the best defense in the league in terms of speed and overall ability. In the end, the Isles, who have a shaky defense to begin with, will not be able to handle the aggressive Saber offense
Pick: Buffalo in 5
(2) New Jersey vs. (7) Tampa Bay: Even if you're not a big hockey fan, there's a good chance you've heard of the name Martin Brodeur before. This guy is simply outstanding. Easily the best goalie in the league, Brodeur is up for the Vezina (best goalie) and Hart (MVP) trophies. I give the advantage to the Devils for that reason, because when you look at the other side of the ice, the Lightning do not have a solid goalie in their lineup, choosing instead to rotate between Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis. While Tampa certainly has some firepower in Vincent LeCavlier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis, and also, they have a defenceman, Dan Boyle, who is up for the Norris (best defenceman) Trophy, their goalie situation really has me second-guessing their chances. Although they did win the regular season series 3-1, in the playoffs, having a solid goaltender is huge, and I can't get around the fact that Brodeur is one of the best to play all-time.
Pick: New Jersey in 6
(3) Atlanta vs. (6) New York Rangers: Wow, all three NY teams in the playoffs. Maybe this has happened recently, but still, it's quite an accomplishment. The Rangers have finally dug themselves out of salary cap hell (well, not all the way out, but they are looking a whole lot better than they did after Gretzky retired) and put up a very respectable season this year. Led by Jaormit Jagr, the Rangers have been red hot heading into the postseason. Meanwhile, when you talk about the Thrashers, you have to talk about Ilya Kovalchuk, one of the best young scorers in the game. Along with Keith Tkachuk, Scott Mellanby, and Marion Hossa, Atlanta has produced their best season in franchise history. However, with that being said, I'm going to ride the Rangers hot streak and pick the upset.
Pick: New York in 7
(4) Ottawa vs. (5) Pittsburgh: With perhaps the greatest young duo in the history of the NHL (Crosby and Malkin), the Pens are trying to put the talks of a move to Kansas City behind them as they face the Senators in the first round. This is a classic case of old (Ottawa) vs. new (Pittsburgh). Ottawa has scorers in Daniel Alfredson and Dany Heatley who have been to the postseason before and know of the pressures that come along with it. However, I like the upstart Penguins here. Keep in mind that in four meetings this year, Pittsburgh won three, including two in Ottawa last month. I think the Pens will have more legs under them, as, to me, this is going to be a series that goes all the way to a 7th game. One of the keys will be the effectiveness of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, because if he breaks down, it won't matter how much stamina Pittsburgh has. Ottawa has some scary offensive options, so Fleury will have to do his best to contain them.
Pick: Pittsburgh in 7
Western Conference:
(1) Detroit vs. (8) Calgary: Of all the teams Detroit would want to face in the first round, Calgary has to be at about the bottom of the list. The Flames have the best pure scorer in the game in Jerome Iginla (yes, even better than Crosby...at least for right now), the best defenceman in the game in Dion Phaneuf, and one of the better goalies in the league in Miikka Kiprusoff (who you may recall carried the Flames on their postseason run last year). However, Detroit just has way too much depth to handle. They start off by playing their young guys, then they bring in their core group of veterans to give the young guys plenty of rest. This is a very potent combination, as they have proved all year long (113 points, tied with Buffalo for most in the NHL). Also, I can't see me betting against Dominik Hasek anytime soon, I don't care how old he is. He is battle-tested, which is a huge plus when you're making a push for the Cup.
Pick: Detroit in 6
(2) Anaheim vs. (7) Minnesota: Anaheim went out last offseason to make their weakness last year their biggest strength this year: defense. With the additions of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermeyer, the Ducks have the best blue-line in the entire league. Plus, a huge surprise was the play of Temmu Selanne, who scored 94 points (48 goals, 46 assists) in his 13th season. Jean Sebastian Giguere has taken time off to care for his new son, so backup Ilya Bryzgalov, who is quite capable, will be in net for the time being. For Minnesota, Marian Gaborik has fueled the resurgence of the Wild, who were on the outside looking in for most of the year. Also, star goalie Manny Fernandez, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, is questionable to return during the playoffs, but once again, Minnesota also has a very capable backup in Niklas Backstrom, who produced a sub-2 GAA in 41 games this year. One of the keys will be Pavol Demitra, as he has been battling leg problems and was forced to sit out the final game of the year. If he is healthy, I really like the upset in this one. I feel that Selanne will not be able to carry the offense by himself, and the Wild have been red hot.
Pick: Minnesota in 7
(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas: In a matchup of two of the best goalies in the league, expect every goal to be very hard to come by. In their four matchups this year, all the games were decided 2-1, one ended in ovetime, and one had to go to a shootout (series was tied 2-2). I love Vancover's depth on their scoring lines, with the Sedin boys (Henrik and Daniel...not sure if they're related), Brendan Morrison, and Markus Naslund, their first two lines are extremely dangerous. Dallas will counter with a cast of veterans, including Captain USA Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen up front, with Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor on D. Again, I believe it will all come down to the matchup of goalies, where I give the slight edge to Vancouver, because Roberto Luongo (Vancouver) is a bit younger than Marty Turco (Dallas). Also, the Canucks have more scoring options than Dallas.
Pick: Vancouver in 7
(4) Nashville vs. (5) San Jose: It was has to be considered the most intriguing matchup in the entire first round, the Predators and the Sharks will most likely be competing in a wild west (no pun intended) shootout. Nashville went out during the season and got Jason Arnott and Peter Forsberg, who is considered by most to be the best player on Earth. When you add Paul Kariya into the mix, you are looking at a devastating crew up front. Their goaltending has been questionable at times though, and their defense is also rather young and inexperienced. The Sharks will counter with all-world center Joe Thornton (you're welcome), who has been reunited with former Boston linemate Bill Guerin. Also, with Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo, the Sharks are even more dangerous than the Preds in this regard. Plus, when you throw in the fact that San Jose went out and got experience on the blue line in Craig Rivet, and Evgeni Nabokov in goal, who became a star in last season's playoffs. San Jose is going to be a tough beat for Nashville, who had one of the best home-ice advantages all year long. In the end though, I like the Sharks, but it's going to be tough, and they will have to win all their games in San Jose to do it, but I think they have the firepower and the talent to get by here.
Pick: San Jose in 7
Well, hope you enjoyed as much as you could possibly stand. I'll see you on the flip side. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Monday, Monday
"It just turns out that way."
So I have thought long and hard about this (oh by the way...hey, what's up?), and I have come to this conclusion: The Masters was...ok. Yeah, just ok. I mean I have to say that, because, basically, I watched the entire thing unfold on TV, and at times, I was sitting there like "this is the greatest tournament every single year, and this year is no different," and other times wondering "so they're playing at Augusta right? They didn't decide to play at Carnoustie this year did they?" The first round went fairly well. Scores were kind of high (I believe only four or five were in red figures...correct me if I'm wrong on that), but for the most part, the quality of play was still there. And then, the wind hit, the cold weather hit, and with those came the high scores...and I mean high scores. Think about it like this: Retief Goosen, who ended up finishing in a tie for second, just made the cut at +8 due to the "10 shot rule," meaning that because there were more than 44 players, including ties, that were within 10 shots of the lead, all of those at +8 or better would make the cut. So anyway, Friday and Saturday were horrendous. I mean I like to see a challenge, but were those really the best players in the world out there? It kind of reminded me of high school. And what was with all the complaints about weather? As I mentioned earlier, the conditons were kind of British Open-esque, but still, these are professional golfers. These guys do not have day jobs outside of this (at least for the most part), so why is it acceptable that they get to complain about the conditions? I mean, so sorry that Augusta wasn't its usual 80 degrees and sunny, but seriously, get over it! So it was in the mid 50s...oh boo-hoo. I saw Vijay Singh use an umbrella to try and "shield" the wind (this further cemented my stance that I hate Vijay Singh...oh it's complete hate now; at first I really didn't like him because he showed no emotion, no fire, was lathargeic as all get up, and did his stupid little neck bend after every single freggin shot...it went straight!...why are you cocking your head!?...but now I have the ammunition to put it to full-on hatred). Tiger inexplicably choked when he had the outright lead. First of all, after some of the shots he had this weekend (and not all of them can be blamed on the weather...I mean he had some terrible swings), I'm shocked he even finished in a tie for second. Two balls in the water in the final round? The only reason I can come up with is that, seemingly, every time Tiger is even close to being in contention, other golfers will start making huge mistakes like it was their job. This is especially true if you're playing with him, as witnessed by Stuart Appleby, who had the lead for both Friday and Saturday, shot 75 in the final round (which when you consider everything really isn't that bad) to finish four shots back. It was getting real ugly though, especially on Saturday, when I wondered aloud "does anybody really want to win this?" I think there were about nine different leaders on Saturday, and then Sunday rolled around, and again, it seemed as though no one could stay on top for more than two or three holes. Zach Johnson ended up with the low total for the week (289, tied for highest winning score ever) and won his second tournament on the PGA Tour. Not a bad place for a second win. The funny thing is that Johnson is a relative unknown to those who don't follow the PGA Tour every weekend. Johnson is actually a real good player, and has been for quite some time. He finished 24th on last year's money list. In the 99 events he's played in, he has recorded a top 25 finish 39 times (39.4%). Johnson showed a lot of poise on the final day, especially in the last couple holes, where he drained two crucial birdie putts that made it almost impossible for anyone to catch him. Although it was good to see someone new win at Augusta, I really hope that next year, the actual golf itself is not as hard to watch as it was this year. Seriously, it just seemed as though no one had an answer for anything, and that they were not applying anything that may have happened to them in previous rounds, opting instead to be over-aggressive on a course that rewarded players being careful and using finesse rather than power (on two instances on Sunday where Johnson could have easily reached a par 5 in two, he opted instead to lay-up, and posted -1 for those two holes). Johnson deserved the win because, frankly, he was the best golfer on that course that day. Everyone else, with the exception of Goosen, was either in reverse or neutral.
So, the word is that Kevin Durant has made up his mind, and he, in fact, will declare himself eligible for the NBA. Now, as long as Greg Oden also declares, and the ping pong balls fall the right way, the Celts could be looking at a franchise guy for the next ten years (A little bit of a sidetrack on the ping pong ball scenario, and this is actually quite interesting: There has been quite a road to get to what the system currently is (I'm not going to bore you with this, rather, I'll let NBA.com do the honors). What's interesting is that only the top three picks are determined by the lottery, and the picks after that are determined by inverse order of their record. Anyway, here's my point: Just because a team has the worst record, it is definitely not a sure thing they will be picking #1. You know, let me just make a whole new paragraph for this, because this is important stuff.
Ok, so, just as a refresher, here are the combinations and odds for the lottery teams, and I have inserted the teams that, as of right now, would be receiving these combinations:
Ok, now I'm going to show you who has won the lottery in the modern era, followed by the rank of their probability going into the draft:
2006: Toronto (5th)
2005: Milwaukee (6th)
2004: Orlando (1st)
2003: Cleveland (1st)
2002: Houston (5th)
2001: Washington (3rd)
2000: New Jersey (7th)
1999: Chicago (3rd)
1998: L.A. Clippers (3rd)
1997: San Antonio (2nd...Vancouver had worst record, but could not pick first, so guess who was in line for #1?...AHHHH!!!)
1996: Philadelphia (1st, again, Vancouver had the worst record, but between '96-'98, could not pick first)
1995: Golden State (5th)
1994: Milwaukee (4th)
(info provide by http://www.nba.com/history/lottery_probabilities.html)
So, as you may notice, only three times, since the lottery has been determined by ping pong balls, has the team with the worst record picked first. I mean how insane is that? The thing that I noticed was that only one team (Milwaukee) has won the lottery more than once. There have been many conspiracy theories dealing with how the picks are ordered (none more so than in 2003, when it was clear that LeBron James would resurrect Cleveland's franchise because he was the hometown boy and would be an instant smash for the Cavs). However, I kind of like how completely and utterly random this entire process is. This sort of counter-acts the whole "fan-tanking" that Celtics Nation and I have been participating in for most of the season. However, in this draft, picking second is not really all that bad. Getting Oden or Durant would mean an instant revenue bump for the winning two teams in terms of ticket sales and merchandise (I have already budgeted money in advance so that on May 23, the day after the lottery, if we get Oden or Durant, I'm all over getting the jersey for the Summer). So, with all of that being said, here's a bit of a sneak peak into the 2007 NBA Draft. Now, although not everyone has declared yet, here's a list of who I think are the top 50 prospects going into the Draft (this list will balloon after I know who's in and who's not):
One final note has to do with the suspensions of Pac-Man Jones (one year) and Chris Henry (eight games). While I respect what the NFL is trying to do, if they really believe that this is going to stop anyone from getting into trouble, they are completely naive. Sure, these are some heavy suspensions being handed down, but really, what choice did they have? You want to talk about bad boys? Pac Man has been involved in 10 off-the field incidents, including an on-going investigation about a triple-shooting in Las Vegas during the NBA's All-Star Weekend, and Henry seemed to be linked to any sort of felony being related to the city of Cinicinnati and its surrounding areas (note to NFL teams thinking about drafting Pat White or Steve Slaton in the future: STAY AWAY!!!...these West Virginia boys are trouble!). Again, I understand that the NFL is trying to clean up their act, but still, there is plenty of room for improvement. First of all, Roger Goodell is finally stepping up to the plate, which is a good sign for times to come. Paul Tagliabue was a good commissioner on a whole, but it seemed like he needed a literal public outcry before he took any action. Goodell was able to recognize that if he didn't do anything, this kind of conduct was going to continue, with little to no repercussions. So good job for right now. Hopefully, Goodell will continue to take initiative and stop all these acts before they happen. I know that would be kind of a "utopian" world, but still, there are measures he can take to make sure it really hurts these guys if they screw up. The drug policy must be more stringent, and players should receive eight, not four games for a first-time offense. Off-the-field incidents should be governed by the teams themselves, but if they are unable, or unwilling to do anything about the situation, the NFL should immediately step in and investigate the situation, then levy down whatever kind of punishment they deem to be acceptable. I think the two suspensions are a step in the right direction for the NFL, but still, the boys will play on and off the field, and I don't see an end in sight in terms of off-the-field instances being ceased anytime soon.
Well, that's all for now. Take care. Peace.
~Mell-o
So I have thought long and hard about this (oh by the way...hey, what's up?), and I have come to this conclusion: The Masters was...ok. Yeah, just ok. I mean I have to say that, because, basically, I watched the entire thing unfold on TV, and at times, I was sitting there like "this is the greatest tournament every single year, and this year is no different," and other times wondering "so they're playing at Augusta right? They didn't decide to play at Carnoustie this year did they?" The first round went fairly well. Scores were kind of high (I believe only four or five were in red figures...correct me if I'm wrong on that), but for the most part, the quality of play was still there. And then, the wind hit, the cold weather hit, and with those came the high scores...and I mean high scores. Think about it like this: Retief Goosen, who ended up finishing in a tie for second, just made the cut at +8 due to the "10 shot rule," meaning that because there were more than 44 players, including ties, that were within 10 shots of the lead, all of those at +8 or better would make the cut. So anyway, Friday and Saturday were horrendous. I mean I like to see a challenge, but were those really the best players in the world out there? It kind of reminded me of high school. And what was with all the complaints about weather? As I mentioned earlier, the conditons were kind of British Open-esque, but still, these are professional golfers. These guys do not have day jobs outside of this (at least for the most part), so why is it acceptable that they get to complain about the conditions? I mean, so sorry that Augusta wasn't its usual 80 degrees and sunny, but seriously, get over it! So it was in the mid 50s...oh boo-hoo. I saw Vijay Singh use an umbrella to try and "shield" the wind (this further cemented my stance that I hate Vijay Singh...oh it's complete hate now; at first I really didn't like him because he showed no emotion, no fire, was lathargeic as all get up, and did his stupid little neck bend after every single freggin shot...it went straight!...why are you cocking your head!?...but now I have the ammunition to put it to full-on hatred). Tiger inexplicably choked when he had the outright lead. First of all, after some of the shots he had this weekend (and not all of them can be blamed on the weather...I mean he had some terrible swings), I'm shocked he even finished in a tie for second. Two balls in the water in the final round? The only reason I can come up with is that, seemingly, every time Tiger is even close to being in contention, other golfers will start making huge mistakes like it was their job. This is especially true if you're playing with him, as witnessed by Stuart Appleby, who had the lead for both Friday and Saturday, shot 75 in the final round (which when you consider everything really isn't that bad) to finish four shots back. It was getting real ugly though, especially on Saturday, when I wondered aloud "does anybody really want to win this?" I think there were about nine different leaders on Saturday, and then Sunday rolled around, and again, it seemed as though no one could stay on top for more than two or three holes. Zach Johnson ended up with the low total for the week (289, tied for highest winning score ever) and won his second tournament on the PGA Tour. Not a bad place for a second win. The funny thing is that Johnson is a relative unknown to those who don't follow the PGA Tour every weekend. Johnson is actually a real good player, and has been for quite some time. He finished 24th on last year's money list. In the 99 events he's played in, he has recorded a top 25 finish 39 times (39.4%). Johnson showed a lot of poise on the final day, especially in the last couple holes, where he drained two crucial birdie putts that made it almost impossible for anyone to catch him. Although it was good to see someone new win at Augusta, I really hope that next year, the actual golf itself is not as hard to watch as it was this year. Seriously, it just seemed as though no one had an answer for anything, and that they were not applying anything that may have happened to them in previous rounds, opting instead to be over-aggressive on a course that rewarded players being careful and using finesse rather than power (on two instances on Sunday where Johnson could have easily reached a par 5 in two, he opted instead to lay-up, and posted -1 for those two holes). Johnson deserved the win because, frankly, he was the best golfer on that course that day. Everyone else, with the exception of Goosen, was either in reverse or neutral.
So, the word is that Kevin Durant has made up his mind, and he, in fact, will declare himself eligible for the NBA. Now, as long as Greg Oden also declares, and the ping pong balls fall the right way, the Celts could be looking at a franchise guy for the next ten years (A little bit of a sidetrack on the ping pong ball scenario, and this is actually quite interesting: There has been quite a road to get to what the system currently is (I'm not going to bore you with this, rather, I'll let NBA.com do the honors). What's interesting is that only the top three picks are determined by the lottery, and the picks after that are determined by inverse order of their record. Anyway, here's my point: Just because a team has the worst record, it is definitely not a sure thing they will be picking #1. You know, let me just make a whole new paragraph for this, because this is important stuff.
Ok, so, just as a refresher, here are the combinations and odds for the lottery teams, and I have inserted the teams that, as of right now, would be receiving these combinations:
1. Memphis, 250 combinations 25% chance of receiving the #1 pick
2. Boston, 199 combinations 19.9% chance
3. Milwaukee, 156 combinations 15.6% chance
4. Phoenix (from Atlanta), 119 combinations 11.9% chance
5. Charlotte, 88 combinations 8.8% chance
6. Seattle, 63 combinations 6.3% chance
7. Philadelphia, 43 combinations 4.3% chance
8. Portland, 28 combinations 2.8% chance
9. Sacramento, 17 combinations 1.7% chance
10. Minnesota, 11 combinations 1.1% chance
11. Chicago (from New York), 8 combinations 0.8% chance
12. Atlanta (from Indiana), 7 combinations 0.7% chance
13. New Orleans, 6 combinations 0.6% chance
14. Golden State, 5 combinations 0.5% chance
(info provided by http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/history/draft/lottery.htm)
Ok, now I'm going to show you who has won the lottery in the modern era, followed by the rank of their probability going into the draft:
2006: Toronto (5th)
2005: Milwaukee (6th)
2004: Orlando (1st)
2003: Cleveland (1st)
2002: Houston (5th)
2001: Washington (3rd)
2000: New Jersey (7th)
1999: Chicago (3rd)
1998: L.A. Clippers (3rd)
1997: San Antonio (2nd...Vancouver had worst record, but could not pick first, so guess who was in line for #1?...AHHHH!!!)
1996: Philadelphia (1st, again, Vancouver had the worst record, but between '96-'98, could not pick first)
1995: Golden State (5th)
1994: Milwaukee (4th)
(info provide by http://www.nba.com/history/lottery_probabilities.html)
So, as you may notice, only three times, since the lottery has been determined by ping pong balls, has the team with the worst record picked first. I mean how insane is that? The thing that I noticed was that only one team (Milwaukee) has won the lottery more than once. There have been many conspiracy theories dealing with how the picks are ordered (none more so than in 2003, when it was clear that LeBron James would resurrect Cleveland's franchise because he was the hometown boy and would be an instant smash for the Cavs). However, I kind of like how completely and utterly random this entire process is. This sort of counter-acts the whole "fan-tanking" that Celtics Nation and I have been participating in for most of the season. However, in this draft, picking second is not really all that bad. Getting Oden or Durant would mean an instant revenue bump for the winning two teams in terms of ticket sales and merchandise (I have already budgeted money in advance so that on May 23, the day after the lottery, if we get Oden or Durant, I'm all over getting the jersey for the Summer). So, with all of that being said, here's a bit of a sneak peak into the 2007 NBA Draft. Now, although not everyone has declared yet, here's a list of who I think are the top 50 prospects going into the Draft (this list will balloon after I know who's in and who's not):
- Kevin Durant, F, Texas
- Greg Oden, C, Ohio St.
- Brandan Wright, F, North Carolina
- Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown
- Al Horford, F/C, Florida
- Julian Wright, F, Kansas
- Joakim Noah, F, Florida
- Yi Jianlian, C, China
- Corey Brewer, F, Florida
- Jeff Green, F, Georgetown
- Mike Conley, G, Ohio St.
- Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh
- Al Thornton, F, Florida St.
- Acie Law, G, Texas A&M
- Nick Fazekas, F, Nevada
- Alando Tucker, F, Wisconsin
- Jared Dudley, F, Boston College
- Chris Lofton, G, Tennessee
- Brandon Rush, G, Kansas
- Spencer Hawes, C, Washington
- Chase Buddinger, F, Arizona
- Josh McRoberts, F/C, Duke
- D.J. Augustin, G, Texas
- Aaron Afflalo, G, UCLA
- Aaron Brooks, G, Oregon
- Glen Davis, C, LSU
- Nick Young, F, Southern Cal
- Jarrius Jackson, G, Texas Tech
- Rodney Stuckey, G, Eastern Washington
- Taurean Green, G, Florida
- Ronald Steele, G, Alabama
- D.J. White, F, Indiana
- Daequan Cook, F, Ohio St.
- Sean Williams, F/C, Boston College
- Scottie Renyolds, G, Villanova
- Sean Singletary, F, Virginia
- Mario Chalmers, G, Kansas
- Darren Collison, G, UCLA
- Drew Neitzel, G, Michigan St.
- Marcus Williams, G, Arizona
- Curtis Sumpter, F, Villanova
- Mario Boggan, F, Oklahoma St.
- Tyrese Rice, G, Boston College
- Adam Haluska, G/F, Iowa
- Brandon Heath, G, San Diego St.
- Dominic James, G, Marquette
- Tre Kelley, G, USC
- Zabian Dowdell, G, Virginia Tech
- Randolph Morris, C, Kentucky
- Derrick Byars, F/C, Vanderbilt
One final note has to do with the suspensions of Pac-Man Jones (one year) and Chris Henry (eight games). While I respect what the NFL is trying to do, if they really believe that this is going to stop anyone from getting into trouble, they are completely naive. Sure, these are some heavy suspensions being handed down, but really, what choice did they have? You want to talk about bad boys? Pac Man has been involved in 10 off-the field incidents, including an on-going investigation about a triple-shooting in Las Vegas during the NBA's All-Star Weekend, and Henry seemed to be linked to any sort of felony being related to the city of Cinicinnati and its surrounding areas (note to NFL teams thinking about drafting Pat White or Steve Slaton in the future: STAY AWAY!!!...these West Virginia boys are trouble!). Again, I understand that the NFL is trying to clean up their act, but still, there is plenty of room for improvement. First of all, Roger Goodell is finally stepping up to the plate, which is a good sign for times to come. Paul Tagliabue was a good commissioner on a whole, but it seemed like he needed a literal public outcry before he took any action. Goodell was able to recognize that if he didn't do anything, this kind of conduct was going to continue, with little to no repercussions. So good job for right now. Hopefully, Goodell will continue to take initiative and stop all these acts before they happen. I know that would be kind of a "utopian" world, but still, there are measures he can take to make sure it really hurts these guys if they screw up. The drug policy must be more stringent, and players should receive eight, not four games for a first-time offense. Off-the-field incidents should be governed by the teams themselves, but if they are unable, or unwilling to do anything about the situation, the NFL should immediately step in and investigate the situation, then levy down whatever kind of punishment they deem to be acceptable. I think the two suspensions are a step in the right direction for the NFL, but still, the boys will play on and off the field, and I don't see an end in sight in terms of off-the-field instances being ceased anytime soon.
Well, that's all for now. Take care. Peace.
~Mell-o
Monday, April 09, 2007
MLB Preview- AL Central
"Oh now there's no sound, for we all live underground."
In the second installment of "The Preview," I will break down the AL Central, which is probably the best division in all of baseball. This is no joke. You're looking at four of the strongest teams in the AL, all of whom could conceivably win the division.
AL Central:
Detroit: The reiging AL Champs will have a tough road ahead of them, as they are not going to be surprising anyone, and all of a sudden, they are the hunted. The Tigers were able to use their tremendous pitching and a bit of small ball to reel off nine potseason victories in a row last year, including four straight against both the Yankees and Oakland. Has the rest of the league figured out the Tiger bullpen after their meltdown against the Cardinals? There is definitely some material now out there that other teams can use to try and beat them, but the thing is this: It's easy to watch a 102 MPH fastball on tape, but it's a whole different story when you step into that box and put a bat on your shoulders, trying to stare down Joel Zumaya. Personally, I think the Tigers will win the division. After that, the future is very unclear.
Infield: Of course the infield starts with good ol' Pudge. Rodriguez has shown that he can lead the young guys to the promise land (tell me of another guy who went to two world series in four years with teams having an average age of under 25). Pudge is only getting older, but can still be relied on for an ample supply of offense and above average play behind the plate. At first, you have "The Mayor," Sean Casey. I have always liked Casey. The guy definitely knows how to put the ball in play (career .302 hitter, five out of ten seasons above .300). However, his numbers took a major dip last year. He did only play 112 games, so health is now becoming an issue for Casey. At second, you have everyone's favorite, Placido Polanco. This is a growing trend in baseball now. The valuation of a "utility" guy has certainly picked up over the past few years. Having a guy who can play three different positions is invaluable. Polanco is another guy who puts the ball in play, and also, he has some serious speed. This guy could very well be the best ninth hitter in all of baseball. Carlos Guillen is at short, and is showing no signs of giving up his fantastic numbers just yet. Guillen should be considered a top-10 shortstop. Rounding it out is Brandon Inge at third. Inge has seen his power numbers rise in each of his first five seasons (home run totals from 2002-2006: 7, 8, 13, 16, 27). However, I think Inge has peaked, and right now, I'm looking for him to get around 20 homers this year. Still, he is a very valuable commodity to have, and Inge is still going to have a very porductive season.
Outfield: The big offseason splash for the Tigers came in the form of Gary Sheffield. I'll say it once, and I'll say it again. I've seen a lot of baseball in my life, but I have never seen anyone swing as hard as Sheffield. Anytime he played the Sox, if he had a wall-ball off of the Monster, I would approximate and say that it took the ball around one and a half seconds to get there. I mean real hard. However, it will be interesting to see if Sheff can keep up his pace, as he is 39 now, and also, he will be hitting in a "pitcher's park," so look for a slight dip in his overall numbers, but still, Sheffield will be extremely effective batting in front of Maglio Ordonez, who will be used primarily as a DH. Curtis Granderson will be holding it down in center. Granderson had a productive year last season, and showed a bit of pop with 18 homers. However, you have to think the Tigers will trade off his power to get a couple more hits from Granderson in the leadoff spot (.260 average, .335 OBP). Out in left will be Craig Monroe, who is coming of his second straight monster year. Monroe led the team in home runs and RBIs, and I expect him to have the same kind of stats this year (around 25 homers, 90 RBIs).
Starting Pitching: Here's where things are going to be a little dicey. The staff ace, Kenny Rogers, will be sidelined until at least the All-Star break coming off of surgery to repair a blood clot in his left shoulder. Now the pressure is squarely going to be on Jeremy Bonderman and rookie sensation Justin Verlander to carry this team in Rogers' absence. Both are extremely young, and throw extremely hard. You have to hope that they pitch within themselves, and not try to over-extend themselves by trying to do too much. That would put them on the fast track to a season-ending injury, something the Tigers definitely cannot afford. The rest of the staff is pretty shaky. Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth have shown some good signs, but when you are playing against this division, with that kind of talent, the consistency is going to have to be there. Rounding out the rotation for the time being will be Chad Durbin, who pitched only six innings last year in the majors, so you know that Durbin may have a tough time shaking off some of the rust. However, he did make numerous starts for KC, Arizona, and Cleveland, so it's not as though he is completely unfamiliar to the pro game. Durbin actually was a reliever for a while there, but became a starter again two years ago while coming up with Cleveland.
Bullpen: Easily the strongest facet of this team. Todd Jones inexplicably continues to save 40 games a year. It seems like every year, people predict that this is the year he starts to break down, and every year, he proves his critics wrong. Despite having the flamethrower setting up games, and seemingly waiting in the wings if Jones were to fall off a little bit, I still think he will be the closer for the duration of the season, and he will get around 30-35 saves. The aforementioned Zumaya will continue to baffle hitters with his explosive stuff. He is the closer of the future, but for now, he is their eighth inning guy, and there's not too many better than him. Watching the Tigers in the playoffs last year, it just seemed as though they could throw out guys at will who could hit 97 on the gun, which makes me wonder about something. Is there such a thing as too many fireballers? It seems to me that if all you throw out there are guys that throw hard, wouldn't that make it easier to time as a hitter? I know guys will have different movements on their fastballs, but it's going to be around the same velocity every time. I would think you would want some kind of change of pace to keep the hitters honest, and make it so that they cannot get their timing down on these guys.
Overall: Again, despite being in a tough division, I think the Tigers will excel again this year. Verlander is going to have to shake any kind of "sophmore slump" and be a real driving force for this team. He is a very special player, and his team needs him in a big way. The Tigers are not a power hitting team, rather, they are a contact team that relies on their pitching to keep them in games and to allow a minimum amount of runs. Do they have enough for another deep postseason run? Well, that remains to be seen. What I do know is that, initially, the Tigers may struggle without Rogers, but if he is able to return this year, he will provide a huge boost in the later months, which I think will be just enough to carry the Tigers to a division title.
Minnesota: The defending AL Central division-winning Twins are going to have a tough time repeating this year, especially when you consider rookie phenom Francisco Liriano will be sidelined for the entire 2007 season with elbow surgery. However, they still have the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana, the reigning MVP in Justin Morneau, the best reliever in the game in Joe Nathan, and the best catcher in Joe Mauer. Plus, there are other weapons sprinkled throughout this team that makes them perennial playoff contenders.
Infield: With Joe Mauer behind the plate, the Twins are looking at their franchise guy for years to come. Mauer has a rare combination of plate discipline, power, grace, and toughness, especially when you consider the position he plays. I think Minnesota needs to be careful with Mauer and put him into the DH role every now and again to try and conserve his health, because he is the franchise as far as an offensive superstar. Justin Morneau will be looking to duplicate his success from last year. After the Twins moved David Ortiz to Boston to make room for Morneau, people immediately labelled this an incredibly dumb move (including yours truly). However, Morneau has proved his worth, and I would not be surprised to see another .300/35/120 season this year (although you have to wonder if the Twins simply kept Ortiz at DH, they would still have both, and that would probably be the best lineup in baseball). With Luis Castillo at second, you have a guy who knows how to put the bat on the ball, and he has lights-out speed at the top of the order. The weak links of this team right now come on the left side of the infield, with Jason Bartlett at short and Nick Punto at third. These guys are offensive liabilities, but play well in the field and have good speed. Jeff Cirillo was signed just in case Punto could not hold down the hot corner for the entire year.
Outfield: You have to start out in center with the mulit-Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter. Hunter is in his contract year, and given who else is in the market (Andruw Jones, Ichiro), Hunter will be looking for a monster year at the Metrodome. His numbers were already good to begin with, but now, with something to prove to teams looking for a centerfielder (Boston, Texas, Atlanta), a 30/30 season is not completely out of the question if Hunter is able to stay healthy. Michael Cuddyer will be out in right. He was seemingly the "forgotten man" last year. I mean he had a huge year (.284/24/109), and really didn't get that much recognition. Cuddyer will try and have another breakthrough year batting cleanup. A real question mark is out in left with Rondell White. White is an aging veteran who doesn't nearly have the kind of pop that he once possessed back in his Montreal days.
Starting Pitching: Now this is an "ace." Johan Santana will be holding down the fort for at least the next two years. The Twins have tried desperately to sign Santana to an extension, but it seems like Santana is destined to hit the free agent market, and once there, will easily be getting the richest contract ever given to a pitcher. Until that day comes, the Twins have to feel good giving this guy the ball every fifth day. Brad Radke, who was the #2 man for a long time, retired, and with Liriano out, their pitching is suspect after Santana. Boof Bonser (yes, you heard it right, the #2 starter's name is Boof...good stuff), Carlos Silva, Ramon Ortiz, and Sidney Ponson are going to have to do what they can as far as keeping the Twins in ballgames. Minnesota is left with a $50 million payroll, so they have determined that the best thing to do would be to re-build through their farm system. Matt Garza and Glenn Perkins will be starting the year in AAA, and don't be surprised if they get a call-up in September.
Bullpen: Again, the 'pen is led by the best closer in the game, Joe Nathan. Nathan has explosive stuff, with a fastball in the high 90s and a back-breaking curveball. It's basically all over if you are losing in the ninth inning to these guys. The best way to get to the bullpen is try and take advantage of a weak set-up man in Jesse Crain. In comparison to most set-up guys, Crain has to rank towards the bottom as far as ability is concerned. Minnesota has their lefty-righty specialists in Juan Rincon and Dennys Reyes, and they are able to chop down the best hitters the opposition can throw out there.
Overall: There are serious concerns about the starting pitching. The Twins are going to try and stay the course through most of the year with their collection of mediocre pitchers until they can get their prospects up to the majors. I feel like the offense has so many weapons that the Twins are going to attempt to bash their way through the non-Santana starts. Their offense is really going to have to step up if they want to even be close to the top.
Record: 87-75
Cleveland: The Tribe has used an influx of youth in their lineup in the past to try and jump start their team. Now, Cleveland has gone out and acquired some veterans who they hope will step up and become leaders of this young team. The Indians replaced 2/3 of their outfield and have overhauled their bullpen. Still, there are a lot of questions left to be answered. Fortunately, though, they have one of the best young players in the game in Grady Sizemore, who many experts are picking to win MVP this year. While I agree that Sizemore is an amazing player, does he have what it takes to carry this team into the playoffs? Considering what division he is playing in, it will take a lot more than just one man to put the Tribe over the hump.
Infield: When you mention the infield, you have to start off with Victor Martinez, who had another outstanding year last season. Martinez will return to his duties behind the plate, but as shown in the past, to keep him healthy, Martinez will also be utilized as a first baseman. Again, this is a trend that is really starting to catch on, especially when you have outstanding young catchers like Martinez or Joe Mauer. Teams are finding ways to keep these guys in the lineup without them having to put wear on their knees from catching nine innings. Expect another big year from Martinez, who has shown that he is comfortable batting cleanup. When Martinez is behind the plate, Ryan Garko will be manning first. Garko has been in the minor league system since 2003, including the past three years at AAA Buffalo, where he had a great deal of success in between call-ups. Newly acquired Josh Barfield will play second. The Tribe have not had an impact player here in quite some time, and given how successful they were during the Carlos Baerga/Roberto Alomar days, they are hoping that Barfield (fantasy sleeper alert!) can come close to the kind of play he displayed with the Padres over the last couple of seasons. Jhonny Peralta is slotted to be the shortstop. Here's another guy who has gone largely unappreciated, but I expect him to hit around 20 homers, and considering that is a position that has a real power drop off, Peralta can really swing the bat. Rounding out the infield is Andy Marte, who was acquired last year for Coco Crisp (you're welcome). Marte is the type of raw talent that drove the Indians of the mid '90s. I really think that, someday, we'll be talking about him in the same breath as Jim Thome, Richie Sexson, and Manny Ramirez as far as young guys who played for Cleveland and were able to have break-out seasons and careers. Marte still is in need of help as far as adjusting to major league pitching, but with this being his first full year in the majors, I really think in two or three years, he is going to have the kind of season that he has shown could potentially happen by his play in the minor leagues. Also, keep your eye on Casey Blake, one of the best utility men in the game (plays first, third, and right field)
Outfield: The aforementioned Sizemore will be in center. I don't think it's a stretch at all to have him posted as having a 30/30 season. Easily one of, if not, the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball (ongoing fight with Carl Crawford on that one). Also, when you consider he bats around .300 and gets on base roughly 40% of the time, you are looking at a guy who is going to be a star for years to come. He already has somewhat of a cult-following in Cleveland, but his stardom has still yet to have reached its peak, but expect a monster year from Sizemore. In left, David Delucci will once again have a starting job in the outfield. Delucci was traded right before last season from Texas to Philadelphia. Delucci had been a starter with the Rangers, and was primed to repeat his career year of 2005, but when he was traded to the Phillies, he was relegated to being a fourth outfielder. Now, in the relatively hitter-friendly confines of Jacobs Field, Delucci will most likely put up 20-25 homers and have similar success like the season he had two years ago. Of course, in right is a guy near and dear to my heart. I still can't get used to another #7 in right at Fenway. Trot Nixon is the definition of "gamer." He is everything you would ever want in a ballplayer. He is a "team first" guy. A guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Because of decreasing power numbers, Nixon became "expendable" to the Sox, who went out and signed J.D. Drew, let Trot walk on to Cleveland. He may not put up the numbers he is used to having, but he will bring leadership, something that can't be measured by a box score.
Although I don't have a spot reserved for breaking down a DH, I have to have a stand-out little paragraph for Travis Hafner, who is as good of a pure hitter as you will see in the game today. This guy has scary power and hits for average as well. By keeping him at DH, Hafner will be able to play out the year while having a relatively small chance of ending up on the DL. If he gets to 50 homers like he is capable of doing, Hafner should get the same kind of respect that Sizemore will get in the MVP race. Just a really fantastic guy to have batting third, especially when you have Grady at the top getting on base all the time.
Pitching: C.C. Sabathia will return as the ace of the staff. This guy is a workhorse, basically a shoe-in to give you 30 starts and 200 innings every year. They say Sabathia may be a bit on the heavy side, but he is still very effective, and his body type actually helps him as far as his overall strength to endure an entire season. Jake Westbrook has been shaky at times, but can still be deemed as being reliable overall. Jeremy Sowers has shown all kinds of potential, and will get the nod as the #3 guy in the rotation. Sowers looked good in his first year in the bigs, and I think he could potentially be a huge asset for the Tribe to have this season. Paul Byrd has flown largely under the radar for basically his entire career, but still, having Byrd as your fourth starter is definitely not all that bad. You can usually rely on him to win 11-12 games if he stays healthy. Francisco Carmona is still an anomoly to manager Eric Wedge and the rest of the Indians organization. Last year, they tried using Carmona as a closer after they traded off Bob Wickman to the Braves. Turns out that wasn't exactly a good idea (anytime you give up walk off homers to David Ortiz on back-to-back nights, there stands good reason for someone to come down with Byung-Hung Kim syndrome). Carmona went 1-10 as a reliever last year, so the Indians figured that, if they spaced Carmona's outings out for more than an inning, it would take some of the pressure off of him. Carmona has good stuff, and perhaps this is the best way to utilize him.
Bullpen: This was the focus of the Indians in the offseason. They attempted to sign Keith Foulke, but he retired before he ever threw a pitch. This meant that Joe Borowski, who is coming over from Florida, will have an uncontested trip to the end of the bullpen to take the closer spot. Borowski came up with 36 saves last year, and I expect pretty much a similar effort from him this year. Cleveland also went out and got Roberto Hernandez, but I don't see him having much impact. Rafael Betancourt will serve as the set-up man, and Fernando Cabrera, Aaron Fultz, and Jason Davis round out the bullpen squad. Overall, this is not really a formidable group. It is going to be hard to get the ball to Borowski. This is going to be a really big test to see if this team can somehow make it to the trade deadline without losing too much ground. I expect that, if Cleveland is still in it by then, to pull off a move for more relief help, because even though this was their focus, they didn't pull the necessary moves to really pull themselves out of the muck that was created last year when Wickman was traded, which eventually was the downfall of the Tribe's playoff push last season.
Overall: This team has three guys they are basically builiding their team around. Unfortunately for them, none of those guys can pitch in the 8th inning. I think the Indians did make a legitamate push to try and get whatever kind of help they could in the 'pen, they came up pretty short. Adding Borowski was definitely an upgrade from what they had the last three months of last season, but overall, the bullpen, and even the starting pitching is pretty weak. The Tribe will attempt to outslug their opponents, but that will only work for so long.
Record: 83-79
Chicago White Sox: The boys from the North side have seen a bit of a decline in their quality of play since winning it all two years ago, even though they have basically retained most of the key ingredients that got them to that point. The White Sox are definitely going to be able to produce a lot of runs, especially with the murderer's row of Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, and Jermaine Dye. However, they struggle with most of the rest of their lineup, which includes a lot of "dead spots." Their starting pitching has their moments, but they have been wildly inconsistent as a unit. The bullpen is even more sketchy, as even their closer, who has potential to be one of the best in the league, has shown that he is not bulletproof. This team seems to be in a state of limbo, and they haven't really done anything to change that. Basically, they are hoping that they can recapture some of the magic of two years ago by hanging on to the same guys. It also seems as though their manager, Ozzie Guillen, was one of the main reasons they were so successful, lighting a fire under his team which seems to have become a dim flicker over the last year.
Infield: A.J. Pierzynski is solid behind the plate. He seems to be improving at the plate each year as well in terms of balancing both his power and his ability to get on base. I've always been a fan of A.J. He is a guy who will be candid about what he thinks, and he plays the game with max effort every time he straps on the mask. At first is Paul Konerko. Konerko has shown he is one of the elite players in the league, and easily in the top 5 as far as offensive first basemen. Konerko not only hit 35 homers and drove in 113 runs, but he also hit for .300 for the first time in his career. It still remains unclear where Konerko will bat in the order, but wherever he ends up, he is a force to be reckoned with. Tadahito Iguchi will start at second. Iguchi, in his first two years, put up decent numbers for a second baseman. Still, I think he has room to improve, considering he struck out over 100 times in both seasons. Still, he did almost score 100 runs last year, so he is somewhat formidable at the plate. Juan Uribe will return to start at short. Uribe showed signs of power (21 homers, 71 RBI), but his average has suffered because of it (.235). He had a similar season in 2004 in terms of power, but he batted .283, which is a significant change from his average last year. If he is not careful, he could wind up in a platoon situation with Alex Cintron. Joe Crede is at the hot corner, and from all indications, here's a guy who could have another stellar year. Crede had a career year last year, breaking through with a .283/30/94, all career highs. If Crede is able to duplicate his success from last season, you will be looking at one of the most under-appreciated players in the whole league, and it's no coincidence that it is that way because of the other guys on this team. Crede could be a star in the making.
Outfield: Scott Podsednik will start the season off in left field, although it has been made known that he will not start against many lefties, as Guillen has become more comfortable with Podsednik seeing righty pitchers and some lefties, while giving Pablo Ozuna a chance against a majority of the lefties. There have been concerns about Podsednik's health, but I still believe is in the elite class of baserunners. Remember, this was one of the moves that put the White Sox over the edge in 2004 (although Carlos Lee is a tremendous talent, Podsednik brought the element of speed that the Sox were lacking, and while Lee is certainly better than Podsednik, Lee had things the White Sox already had, and Podsednik has the things they needed). Newly acquired Darin Erstad will get the start in center. Erstad only played 40 games last season, and it remains to be seen how effective he will be after coming off of offseason ankle surgery. In right is Jermaine Dye, who supplanted even Konerko in terms of the most valuable hitter on this team. Dye has always been good, but turned in an MVP-caliber type year last season, with a .315/44/120. Dye is a bopper, and he has become very comfortable at U.S. Cellular, and also in this lineup, which contains enough ammuntion around him to know that he is going to get pitched to on a regualr basis.
Starting Pitching: Here's where it gets kind of interesting. For whatever reason, Jose Contreras will start the year as the #1 guy instead of Jon Garland, who will start at #2. Ok...why? Contreras has been beyond inconsistent, and has had a roller coaster-like career thus far. Meanwhile, Garland is one of the best young pitchers in the game, and after a year in which he posted a 18-7 record, you have to wonder about the logic in that move. Maybe it is to protect the young righty from competing against an opposing ace? At #3 is Javier Vazquez, who is still trying to find his form that he had in his Montreal days. Don't get me wrong, he has shown that he still has good stuff, but he is unable to put it together on a consistent basis. Mark Buehrle is slated as the #4, but he has experienced forearm troubles, and it's unknown when he will be coming back. After the Sox traded away Brandon McCarthy to Texas, they have opened up the #5 spot to one of their young pitchers in the system. For now, John Danks, who was brought over in that trade, will get the nod. This could change very quickly, as Gavin Floyd is also waiting in the wings, waiting for a spot to open up (this shouldn't be too difficult considering that Vazquez and Buehrle are both at the end of long-term deals, so if Floyd doesn't get in this year, he most certainly will next year).
Bullpen: Bobby Jenks opens the year as the closer. The young fireballer has shown a lot of potential, and has been very successful, but he still needs to work on his control. He did have 80 K's, but also had 31 walks and a 4 ERA. The other thing could be that he was a touch overworked last year, making 67 appearances, which is an incredible amount for a closer. When you consider the stress that all those appearances had on him, knowing that he was in a win/lose scenario basically every time, maybe that had some kind of effect on his psyche. Again, I'm not trying to speculate, but I just find it interesting that they worked a 25-year old guy in his second year that much. Mike MacDougal, who you may remember as the former closer at KC, has shown he can be effective in the set-up role, posting a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings. The rest of the bullpen is all over the map. Matt Thornton, David Aardsma, Nick Masset, and Andrew Sisco have shown no signs that they will be able to hold down the "in-between" role. This is why Chicago will not be able to contend this year. They need help, and they need it real bad in their bullpen. The starters, for the most part, are not going to be able to go seven innings, meaning that they need a bridge to get to MacDougal and Jenks, and the "bridge" they have now is like one of those rickety wood-planked bridges held together by rope and going over a raging river. Sure, every now and again, you'll be able to sprint across and get safely to the other side, but most of the time, the boards will give way, and the river will push you down to the waterfall (ok, that was kind of a roundabout analogy...I made an attempt at doing something somewhat imaginative there though, so at least give me that).
Overall: The Sox do have a potent offense, but they will struggle with their pitching. The Brandon McCarthy trade didn't really make sense to me. I mean they did get two good pitching prospects from the Rangers, but McCarthy was suppose to be a great pitcher, and the Sox avoided having to give him up for two years. And then, once they have room in their rotation, they ship him out? I don't get the reasoning behind that. They also shipped Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia for more young prospects, which means they are looking towards the future, but for right now, they don't appear to have the goods to be a contender in the Central.
Record: 83-79
Kansas City: The Royals are going to be cellar-dwellers for a few more seasons, but as the front office starts spending more, like they tried to do this offseason, and once their farm system, which scouts have been raving about for years, the Royals will start moving up the ranks. But for now, they are still the worst team in the AL. Again, they are trying to put something big together, but I'm not previewing the future (well...I kind of am), this is for the present season, and as of right now, things do not look good for KC.
Infield: John Buck will be manning the plate this year. Don't expect too much from this guy. I'm thinking he will have a "Varitek" year (by the way, this will be the official term for a guy who should have a .280/20/80 year but will end up going .230/15/60...I love 'Tek, but, I'm telling you, the guy has to get the bat off his shoulder...please!). At first will be Ryan Shealy, because Mike Sweeney, who will spend a majority of the time hitting DH, has been battling injuries for the last couple of years, and because he is still the most reliable hitter on the team, they need Sweeney to stay healthy. Shealy showed potential in the minors when he was in the Colorado farm system, but is still somewhat of an anomoly in terms of what he can do at the MLB level (has had less than 300 ABs). Mark Grudzielanek begins his second season with the Royals. Once known for his versatility, he is now relegated to only playing second, and because of the lack of anyone behind him potentially being able to take over, Grudzielanek has a ton of job security, but again, I wouldn't expect too much out of him. Tony Pena, Jr. will start the season at short. Again, this is a potential pitfall in the lineup, as Pena doesn't have any kind of prescence at the plate. However, he is wanted for his defense and not for his bat. At third, things are going to get interesting. Rookie sensation Alex Gordon has been on such a hot streak that he jumped from AA Wichita (mind you, he did not play rookie ball, he started at AA, this is his second season of pro ball) straight to the majors. Gordon has long been considered one of the brightest talents going, and this year, he will attempt to show what all the hype has been about. I expect big things from Gordon, but I don't expect them happening for at least a couple of months, if not, maybe sometime into next year. This kid is going to be fantastic though, but don't jump to conclusions if he stumbles out of the start gate.
Outfield: Although they have Sweeney as the captain and veteran leadership, the franchise guy is out in right field. Mark Teahen is poised to have a big season this year. Teahen is entering his third year in the bigs. Last year, in just 109 games, he posted a .290/18/69/10 and a .519 slugging percentage. The Royals really think that this is going to be the guy to take the torch from Mike Sweeney once he departs or retires. I feel like a .300/25/90/20 season would not be out of question if Teahen stays healthy. David DeJesus will start in center. He is in almost a Freddy Sanchez-like mold. A guy who hits for average, gets on base, scores runs, and don't worry about power or speed numbers. DeJesus should score around 100 runs, hit around .300, and have close to a .400 OBP, which is exactly what you need from a leadoff man. Rounding out the outfield is Emil Brown in left. You know, to be honest with you, I know very little about this guy, but after reading his stats from the last few years, Brown is actually a good little hitter. In his two seasons with KC, Brown went .286/17/86 in '05 and .287/15/81 in '06. So, with that being said, I would expect something of the same from Brown this year, because as he has shown, given an opportunity (he was with Pittsburgh for five years, barely got any playing time), he can produce some fairly good numbers. Also, keep in mind that Billy Butler will eventually get called up sometime during the season. He is one of the top 10 prospects in the country.
Starting Pitching: The biggest splash the Royals have made in recent memory came in the form of Gil Meche, who signed a 5-year, $55 million contract. KC is hoping that they have found a guy to anchor their staff for the forseeable future while they continue to groom their stud pitchers down on the farm. I like their aggressiveness, but I think they may have gone after the wrong guy. I think Meche would be a good #3, maybe even a #2, but they have put a lot of resources into a guy that has a lot of potential to be a bust. If they had waited another year, when guys like Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, Bartolo Colon, or even John Smoltz hit the market. Or, had they have been a little more aggressive this year with a guy like Jason Schmidt or Randy Wolf, maybe that would have been a better move, at least in my opinion, than to put all this pressure on Meche. Remember, next year, the Royals are going to be spending aorund $20-25 million, so they need to hit the phones hard next year and try to get a true #1 guy. Zach Grienke could be a great pitcher (won 2003 Minor League Player of the Year). He has already shown he has great stuff, and hopefully he was able to handle the off-the-field issues that led him to miss most of last season with social anxiety disorder. Grienke is another guy that fills out as a #2 guy, not an ace. Odalis Perez, Jorge De La Rosa, and Brandon Duckworth are basically warm bodies to go our and pitch after their two legitamate guys throw. Guys who will be making appearances with the big club down the road include Luke Hochevar, Tyler Lumsden, and maybe even a third in Erik Cordier.
Bullpen: The Royals were not so pleased with the play of Ambroix Burgos last year, so they let him walk to the Mets, and KC signed the aft-healthy Octavio Dotel to a one-year pact. Dotel has not been healthy in about three years since he got the closer's role in Oakland. The Royals decided to gamble on him (it was either going to be him or Gagne, they chose Dotel), and if he somehow can produce anywhere close to what he did while he was healthy, this could be a fantastic move for the Royals. It's a big risk, but frankly, there is a lot of upside, and if it doesn't work out, you wipe your hands clean of it after a year. So when you break it down, it seems like the Royals didn't make too bad of a move there. Keep in mind that KC led the majors last year with a whopping 31 blown saves, so call it desperation, but they had to do something. David Riske will be called upon to serve as the set-up man. Riske is kind of a journeyman, but has proven that if he gets settled into a clubhouse, or a particular park, that he can really be effective. After that, you have guys like Jimmy Gobble, Joel Peralta, and Todd Wellemeyer who will do their best to keep them in games, but don't expect a whole lot from that group. Anything they can offer is about all the Royals are asking for.
Overall: Still, this team is not ready to compete with the big boys. However, there are a lot of things to be positive about if you back the Royals. Because of their string of down-right horrendousness, they have been able to stockload a ton of talent in their farm system, and in two or three years, they are going to be bringing up some extremely talented personnel, and if the GM can continue to get more and more payroll flexibility, they will be able to lock these guys up, and can build a pretty decent club for years to come. But, this will not be the year that that happens. They will be in last, but they will have their fair share of bright spots this year as well.
Record: 65-97
The AL West is up next. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
In the second installment of "The Preview," I will break down the AL Central, which is probably the best division in all of baseball. This is no joke. You're looking at four of the strongest teams in the AL, all of whom could conceivably win the division.
AL Central:
Detroit: The reiging AL Champs will have a tough road ahead of them, as they are not going to be surprising anyone, and all of a sudden, they are the hunted. The Tigers were able to use their tremendous pitching and a bit of small ball to reel off nine potseason victories in a row last year, including four straight against both the Yankees and Oakland. Has the rest of the league figured out the Tiger bullpen after their meltdown against the Cardinals? There is definitely some material now out there that other teams can use to try and beat them, but the thing is this: It's easy to watch a 102 MPH fastball on tape, but it's a whole different story when you step into that box and put a bat on your shoulders, trying to stare down Joel Zumaya. Personally, I think the Tigers will win the division. After that, the future is very unclear.
Infield: Of course the infield starts with good ol' Pudge. Rodriguez has shown that he can lead the young guys to the promise land (tell me of another guy who went to two world series in four years with teams having an average age of under 25). Pudge is only getting older, but can still be relied on for an ample supply of offense and above average play behind the plate. At first, you have "The Mayor," Sean Casey. I have always liked Casey. The guy definitely knows how to put the ball in play (career .302 hitter, five out of ten seasons above .300). However, his numbers took a major dip last year. He did only play 112 games, so health is now becoming an issue for Casey. At second, you have everyone's favorite, Placido Polanco. This is a growing trend in baseball now. The valuation of a "utility" guy has certainly picked up over the past few years. Having a guy who can play three different positions is invaluable. Polanco is another guy who puts the ball in play, and also, he has some serious speed. This guy could very well be the best ninth hitter in all of baseball. Carlos Guillen is at short, and is showing no signs of giving up his fantastic numbers just yet. Guillen should be considered a top-10 shortstop. Rounding it out is Brandon Inge at third. Inge has seen his power numbers rise in each of his first five seasons (home run totals from 2002-2006: 7, 8, 13, 16, 27). However, I think Inge has peaked, and right now, I'm looking for him to get around 20 homers this year. Still, he is a very valuable commodity to have, and Inge is still going to have a very porductive season.
Outfield: The big offseason splash for the Tigers came in the form of Gary Sheffield. I'll say it once, and I'll say it again. I've seen a lot of baseball in my life, but I have never seen anyone swing as hard as Sheffield. Anytime he played the Sox, if he had a wall-ball off of the Monster, I would approximate and say that it took the ball around one and a half seconds to get there. I mean real hard. However, it will be interesting to see if Sheff can keep up his pace, as he is 39 now, and also, he will be hitting in a "pitcher's park," so look for a slight dip in his overall numbers, but still, Sheffield will be extremely effective batting in front of Maglio Ordonez, who will be used primarily as a DH. Curtis Granderson will be holding it down in center. Granderson had a productive year last season, and showed a bit of pop with 18 homers. However, you have to think the Tigers will trade off his power to get a couple more hits from Granderson in the leadoff spot (.260 average, .335 OBP). Out in left will be Craig Monroe, who is coming of his second straight monster year. Monroe led the team in home runs and RBIs, and I expect him to have the same kind of stats this year (around 25 homers, 90 RBIs).
Starting Pitching: Here's where things are going to be a little dicey. The staff ace, Kenny Rogers, will be sidelined until at least the All-Star break coming off of surgery to repair a blood clot in his left shoulder. Now the pressure is squarely going to be on Jeremy Bonderman and rookie sensation Justin Verlander to carry this team in Rogers' absence. Both are extremely young, and throw extremely hard. You have to hope that they pitch within themselves, and not try to over-extend themselves by trying to do too much. That would put them on the fast track to a season-ending injury, something the Tigers definitely cannot afford. The rest of the staff is pretty shaky. Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth have shown some good signs, but when you are playing against this division, with that kind of talent, the consistency is going to have to be there. Rounding out the rotation for the time being will be Chad Durbin, who pitched only six innings last year in the majors, so you know that Durbin may have a tough time shaking off some of the rust. However, he did make numerous starts for KC, Arizona, and Cleveland, so it's not as though he is completely unfamiliar to the pro game. Durbin actually was a reliever for a while there, but became a starter again two years ago while coming up with Cleveland.
Bullpen: Easily the strongest facet of this team. Todd Jones inexplicably continues to save 40 games a year. It seems like every year, people predict that this is the year he starts to break down, and every year, he proves his critics wrong. Despite having the flamethrower setting up games, and seemingly waiting in the wings if Jones were to fall off a little bit, I still think he will be the closer for the duration of the season, and he will get around 30-35 saves. The aforementioned Zumaya will continue to baffle hitters with his explosive stuff. He is the closer of the future, but for now, he is their eighth inning guy, and there's not too many better than him. Watching the Tigers in the playoffs last year, it just seemed as though they could throw out guys at will who could hit 97 on the gun, which makes me wonder about something. Is there such a thing as too many fireballers? It seems to me that if all you throw out there are guys that throw hard, wouldn't that make it easier to time as a hitter? I know guys will have different movements on their fastballs, but it's going to be around the same velocity every time. I would think you would want some kind of change of pace to keep the hitters honest, and make it so that they cannot get their timing down on these guys.
Overall: Again, despite being in a tough division, I think the Tigers will excel again this year. Verlander is going to have to shake any kind of "sophmore slump" and be a real driving force for this team. He is a very special player, and his team needs him in a big way. The Tigers are not a power hitting team, rather, they are a contact team that relies on their pitching to keep them in games and to allow a minimum amount of runs. Do they have enough for another deep postseason run? Well, that remains to be seen. What I do know is that, initially, the Tigers may struggle without Rogers, but if he is able to return this year, he will provide a huge boost in the later months, which I think will be just enough to carry the Tigers to a division title.
Minnesota: The defending AL Central division-winning Twins are going to have a tough time repeating this year, especially when you consider rookie phenom Francisco Liriano will be sidelined for the entire 2007 season with elbow surgery. However, they still have the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana, the reigning MVP in Justin Morneau, the best reliever in the game in Joe Nathan, and the best catcher in Joe Mauer. Plus, there are other weapons sprinkled throughout this team that makes them perennial playoff contenders.
Infield: With Joe Mauer behind the plate, the Twins are looking at their franchise guy for years to come. Mauer has a rare combination of plate discipline, power, grace, and toughness, especially when you consider the position he plays. I think Minnesota needs to be careful with Mauer and put him into the DH role every now and again to try and conserve his health, because he is the franchise as far as an offensive superstar. Justin Morneau will be looking to duplicate his success from last year. After the Twins moved David Ortiz to Boston to make room for Morneau, people immediately labelled this an incredibly dumb move (including yours truly). However, Morneau has proved his worth, and I would not be surprised to see another .300/35/120 season this year (although you have to wonder if the Twins simply kept Ortiz at DH, they would still have both, and that would probably be the best lineup in baseball). With Luis Castillo at second, you have a guy who knows how to put the bat on the ball, and he has lights-out speed at the top of the order. The weak links of this team right now come on the left side of the infield, with Jason Bartlett at short and Nick Punto at third. These guys are offensive liabilities, but play well in the field and have good speed. Jeff Cirillo was signed just in case Punto could not hold down the hot corner for the entire year.
Outfield: You have to start out in center with the mulit-Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter. Hunter is in his contract year, and given who else is in the market (Andruw Jones, Ichiro), Hunter will be looking for a monster year at the Metrodome. His numbers were already good to begin with, but now, with something to prove to teams looking for a centerfielder (Boston, Texas, Atlanta), a 30/30 season is not completely out of the question if Hunter is able to stay healthy. Michael Cuddyer will be out in right. He was seemingly the "forgotten man" last year. I mean he had a huge year (.284/24/109), and really didn't get that much recognition. Cuddyer will try and have another breakthrough year batting cleanup. A real question mark is out in left with Rondell White. White is an aging veteran who doesn't nearly have the kind of pop that he once possessed back in his Montreal days.
Starting Pitching: Now this is an "ace." Johan Santana will be holding down the fort for at least the next two years. The Twins have tried desperately to sign Santana to an extension, but it seems like Santana is destined to hit the free agent market, and once there, will easily be getting the richest contract ever given to a pitcher. Until that day comes, the Twins have to feel good giving this guy the ball every fifth day. Brad Radke, who was the #2 man for a long time, retired, and with Liriano out, their pitching is suspect after Santana. Boof Bonser (yes, you heard it right, the #2 starter's name is Boof...good stuff), Carlos Silva, Ramon Ortiz, and Sidney Ponson are going to have to do what they can as far as keeping the Twins in ballgames. Minnesota is left with a $50 million payroll, so they have determined that the best thing to do would be to re-build through their farm system. Matt Garza and Glenn Perkins will be starting the year in AAA, and don't be surprised if they get a call-up in September.
Bullpen: Again, the 'pen is led by the best closer in the game, Joe Nathan. Nathan has explosive stuff, with a fastball in the high 90s and a back-breaking curveball. It's basically all over if you are losing in the ninth inning to these guys. The best way to get to the bullpen is try and take advantage of a weak set-up man in Jesse Crain. In comparison to most set-up guys, Crain has to rank towards the bottom as far as ability is concerned. Minnesota has their lefty-righty specialists in Juan Rincon and Dennys Reyes, and they are able to chop down the best hitters the opposition can throw out there.
Overall: There are serious concerns about the starting pitching. The Twins are going to try and stay the course through most of the year with their collection of mediocre pitchers until they can get their prospects up to the majors. I feel like the offense has so many weapons that the Twins are going to attempt to bash their way through the non-Santana starts. Their offense is really going to have to step up if they want to even be close to the top.
Record: 87-75
Cleveland: The Tribe has used an influx of youth in their lineup in the past to try and jump start their team. Now, Cleveland has gone out and acquired some veterans who they hope will step up and become leaders of this young team. The Indians replaced 2/3 of their outfield and have overhauled their bullpen. Still, there are a lot of questions left to be answered. Fortunately, though, they have one of the best young players in the game in Grady Sizemore, who many experts are picking to win MVP this year. While I agree that Sizemore is an amazing player, does he have what it takes to carry this team into the playoffs? Considering what division he is playing in, it will take a lot more than just one man to put the Tribe over the hump.
Infield: When you mention the infield, you have to start off with Victor Martinez, who had another outstanding year last season. Martinez will return to his duties behind the plate, but as shown in the past, to keep him healthy, Martinez will also be utilized as a first baseman. Again, this is a trend that is really starting to catch on, especially when you have outstanding young catchers like Martinez or Joe Mauer. Teams are finding ways to keep these guys in the lineup without them having to put wear on their knees from catching nine innings. Expect another big year from Martinez, who has shown that he is comfortable batting cleanup. When Martinez is behind the plate, Ryan Garko will be manning first. Garko has been in the minor league system since 2003, including the past three years at AAA Buffalo, where he had a great deal of success in between call-ups. Newly acquired Josh Barfield will play second. The Tribe have not had an impact player here in quite some time, and given how successful they were during the Carlos Baerga/Roberto Alomar days, they are hoping that Barfield (fantasy sleeper alert!) can come close to the kind of play he displayed with the Padres over the last couple of seasons. Jhonny Peralta is slotted to be the shortstop. Here's another guy who has gone largely unappreciated, but I expect him to hit around 20 homers, and considering that is a position that has a real power drop off, Peralta can really swing the bat. Rounding out the infield is Andy Marte, who was acquired last year for Coco Crisp (you're welcome). Marte is the type of raw talent that drove the Indians of the mid '90s. I really think that, someday, we'll be talking about him in the same breath as Jim Thome, Richie Sexson, and Manny Ramirez as far as young guys who played for Cleveland and were able to have break-out seasons and careers. Marte still is in need of help as far as adjusting to major league pitching, but with this being his first full year in the majors, I really think in two or three years, he is going to have the kind of season that he has shown could potentially happen by his play in the minor leagues. Also, keep your eye on Casey Blake, one of the best utility men in the game (plays first, third, and right field)
Outfield: The aforementioned Sizemore will be in center. I don't think it's a stretch at all to have him posted as having a 30/30 season. Easily one of, if not, the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball (ongoing fight with Carl Crawford on that one). Also, when you consider he bats around .300 and gets on base roughly 40% of the time, you are looking at a guy who is going to be a star for years to come. He already has somewhat of a cult-following in Cleveland, but his stardom has still yet to have reached its peak, but expect a monster year from Sizemore. In left, David Delucci will once again have a starting job in the outfield. Delucci was traded right before last season from Texas to Philadelphia. Delucci had been a starter with the Rangers, and was primed to repeat his career year of 2005, but when he was traded to the Phillies, he was relegated to being a fourth outfielder. Now, in the relatively hitter-friendly confines of Jacobs Field, Delucci will most likely put up 20-25 homers and have similar success like the season he had two years ago. Of course, in right is a guy near and dear to my heart. I still can't get used to another #7 in right at Fenway. Trot Nixon is the definition of "gamer." He is everything you would ever want in a ballplayer. He is a "team first" guy. A guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Because of decreasing power numbers, Nixon became "expendable" to the Sox, who went out and signed J.D. Drew, let Trot walk on to Cleveland. He may not put up the numbers he is used to having, but he will bring leadership, something that can't be measured by a box score.
Although I don't have a spot reserved for breaking down a DH, I have to have a stand-out little paragraph for Travis Hafner, who is as good of a pure hitter as you will see in the game today. This guy has scary power and hits for average as well. By keeping him at DH, Hafner will be able to play out the year while having a relatively small chance of ending up on the DL. If he gets to 50 homers like he is capable of doing, Hafner should get the same kind of respect that Sizemore will get in the MVP race. Just a really fantastic guy to have batting third, especially when you have Grady at the top getting on base all the time.
Pitching: C.C. Sabathia will return as the ace of the staff. This guy is a workhorse, basically a shoe-in to give you 30 starts and 200 innings every year. They say Sabathia may be a bit on the heavy side, but he is still very effective, and his body type actually helps him as far as his overall strength to endure an entire season. Jake Westbrook has been shaky at times, but can still be deemed as being reliable overall. Jeremy Sowers has shown all kinds of potential, and will get the nod as the #3 guy in the rotation. Sowers looked good in his first year in the bigs, and I think he could potentially be a huge asset for the Tribe to have this season. Paul Byrd has flown largely under the radar for basically his entire career, but still, having Byrd as your fourth starter is definitely not all that bad. You can usually rely on him to win 11-12 games if he stays healthy. Francisco Carmona is still an anomoly to manager Eric Wedge and the rest of the Indians organization. Last year, they tried using Carmona as a closer after they traded off Bob Wickman to the Braves. Turns out that wasn't exactly a good idea (anytime you give up walk off homers to David Ortiz on back-to-back nights, there stands good reason for someone to come down with Byung-Hung Kim syndrome). Carmona went 1-10 as a reliever last year, so the Indians figured that, if they spaced Carmona's outings out for more than an inning, it would take some of the pressure off of him. Carmona has good stuff, and perhaps this is the best way to utilize him.
Bullpen: This was the focus of the Indians in the offseason. They attempted to sign Keith Foulke, but he retired before he ever threw a pitch. This meant that Joe Borowski, who is coming over from Florida, will have an uncontested trip to the end of the bullpen to take the closer spot. Borowski came up with 36 saves last year, and I expect pretty much a similar effort from him this year. Cleveland also went out and got Roberto Hernandez, but I don't see him having much impact. Rafael Betancourt will serve as the set-up man, and Fernando Cabrera, Aaron Fultz, and Jason Davis round out the bullpen squad. Overall, this is not really a formidable group. It is going to be hard to get the ball to Borowski. This is going to be a really big test to see if this team can somehow make it to the trade deadline without losing too much ground. I expect that, if Cleveland is still in it by then, to pull off a move for more relief help, because even though this was their focus, they didn't pull the necessary moves to really pull themselves out of the muck that was created last year when Wickman was traded, which eventually was the downfall of the Tribe's playoff push last season.
Overall: This team has three guys they are basically builiding their team around. Unfortunately for them, none of those guys can pitch in the 8th inning. I think the Indians did make a legitamate push to try and get whatever kind of help they could in the 'pen, they came up pretty short. Adding Borowski was definitely an upgrade from what they had the last three months of last season, but overall, the bullpen, and even the starting pitching is pretty weak. The Tribe will attempt to outslug their opponents, but that will only work for so long.
Record: 83-79
Chicago White Sox: The boys from the North side have seen a bit of a decline in their quality of play since winning it all two years ago, even though they have basically retained most of the key ingredients that got them to that point. The White Sox are definitely going to be able to produce a lot of runs, especially with the murderer's row of Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, and Jermaine Dye. However, they struggle with most of the rest of their lineup, which includes a lot of "dead spots." Their starting pitching has their moments, but they have been wildly inconsistent as a unit. The bullpen is even more sketchy, as even their closer, who has potential to be one of the best in the league, has shown that he is not bulletproof. This team seems to be in a state of limbo, and they haven't really done anything to change that. Basically, they are hoping that they can recapture some of the magic of two years ago by hanging on to the same guys. It also seems as though their manager, Ozzie Guillen, was one of the main reasons they were so successful, lighting a fire under his team which seems to have become a dim flicker over the last year.
Infield: A.J. Pierzynski is solid behind the plate. He seems to be improving at the plate each year as well in terms of balancing both his power and his ability to get on base. I've always been a fan of A.J. He is a guy who will be candid about what he thinks, and he plays the game with max effort every time he straps on the mask. At first is Paul Konerko. Konerko has shown he is one of the elite players in the league, and easily in the top 5 as far as offensive first basemen. Konerko not only hit 35 homers and drove in 113 runs, but he also hit for .300 for the first time in his career. It still remains unclear where Konerko will bat in the order, but wherever he ends up, he is a force to be reckoned with. Tadahito Iguchi will start at second. Iguchi, in his first two years, put up decent numbers for a second baseman. Still, I think he has room to improve, considering he struck out over 100 times in both seasons. Still, he did almost score 100 runs last year, so he is somewhat formidable at the plate. Juan Uribe will return to start at short. Uribe showed signs of power (21 homers, 71 RBI), but his average has suffered because of it (.235). He had a similar season in 2004 in terms of power, but he batted .283, which is a significant change from his average last year. If he is not careful, he could wind up in a platoon situation with Alex Cintron. Joe Crede is at the hot corner, and from all indications, here's a guy who could have another stellar year. Crede had a career year last year, breaking through with a .283/30/94, all career highs. If Crede is able to duplicate his success from last season, you will be looking at one of the most under-appreciated players in the whole league, and it's no coincidence that it is that way because of the other guys on this team. Crede could be a star in the making.
Outfield: Scott Podsednik will start the season off in left field, although it has been made known that he will not start against many lefties, as Guillen has become more comfortable with Podsednik seeing righty pitchers and some lefties, while giving Pablo Ozuna a chance against a majority of the lefties. There have been concerns about Podsednik's health, but I still believe is in the elite class of baserunners. Remember, this was one of the moves that put the White Sox over the edge in 2004 (although Carlos Lee is a tremendous talent, Podsednik brought the element of speed that the Sox were lacking, and while Lee is certainly better than Podsednik, Lee had things the White Sox already had, and Podsednik has the things they needed). Newly acquired Darin Erstad will get the start in center. Erstad only played 40 games last season, and it remains to be seen how effective he will be after coming off of offseason ankle surgery. In right is Jermaine Dye, who supplanted even Konerko in terms of the most valuable hitter on this team. Dye has always been good, but turned in an MVP-caliber type year last season, with a .315/44/120. Dye is a bopper, and he has become very comfortable at U.S. Cellular, and also in this lineup, which contains enough ammuntion around him to know that he is going to get pitched to on a regualr basis.
Starting Pitching: Here's where it gets kind of interesting. For whatever reason, Jose Contreras will start the year as the #1 guy instead of Jon Garland, who will start at #2. Ok...why? Contreras has been beyond inconsistent, and has had a roller coaster-like career thus far. Meanwhile, Garland is one of the best young pitchers in the game, and after a year in which he posted a 18-7 record, you have to wonder about the logic in that move. Maybe it is to protect the young righty from competing against an opposing ace? At #3 is Javier Vazquez, who is still trying to find his form that he had in his Montreal days. Don't get me wrong, he has shown that he still has good stuff, but he is unable to put it together on a consistent basis. Mark Buehrle is slated as the #4, but he has experienced forearm troubles, and it's unknown when he will be coming back. After the Sox traded away Brandon McCarthy to Texas, they have opened up the #5 spot to one of their young pitchers in the system. For now, John Danks, who was brought over in that trade, will get the nod. This could change very quickly, as Gavin Floyd is also waiting in the wings, waiting for a spot to open up (this shouldn't be too difficult considering that Vazquez and Buehrle are both at the end of long-term deals, so if Floyd doesn't get in this year, he most certainly will next year).
Bullpen: Bobby Jenks opens the year as the closer. The young fireballer has shown a lot of potential, and has been very successful, but he still needs to work on his control. He did have 80 K's, but also had 31 walks and a 4 ERA. The other thing could be that he was a touch overworked last year, making 67 appearances, which is an incredible amount for a closer. When you consider the stress that all those appearances had on him, knowing that he was in a win/lose scenario basically every time, maybe that had some kind of effect on his psyche. Again, I'm not trying to speculate, but I just find it interesting that they worked a 25-year old guy in his second year that much. Mike MacDougal, who you may remember as the former closer at KC, has shown he can be effective in the set-up role, posting a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings. The rest of the bullpen is all over the map. Matt Thornton, David Aardsma, Nick Masset, and Andrew Sisco have shown no signs that they will be able to hold down the "in-between" role. This is why Chicago will not be able to contend this year. They need help, and they need it real bad in their bullpen. The starters, for the most part, are not going to be able to go seven innings, meaning that they need a bridge to get to MacDougal and Jenks, and the "bridge" they have now is like one of those rickety wood-planked bridges held together by rope and going over a raging river. Sure, every now and again, you'll be able to sprint across and get safely to the other side, but most of the time, the boards will give way, and the river will push you down to the waterfall (ok, that was kind of a roundabout analogy...I made an attempt at doing something somewhat imaginative there though, so at least give me that).
Overall: The Sox do have a potent offense, but they will struggle with their pitching. The Brandon McCarthy trade didn't really make sense to me. I mean they did get two good pitching prospects from the Rangers, but McCarthy was suppose to be a great pitcher, and the Sox avoided having to give him up for two years. And then, once they have room in their rotation, they ship him out? I don't get the reasoning behind that. They also shipped Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia for more young prospects, which means they are looking towards the future, but for right now, they don't appear to have the goods to be a contender in the Central.
Record: 83-79
Kansas City: The Royals are going to be cellar-dwellers for a few more seasons, but as the front office starts spending more, like they tried to do this offseason, and once their farm system, which scouts have been raving about for years, the Royals will start moving up the ranks. But for now, they are still the worst team in the AL. Again, they are trying to put something big together, but I'm not previewing the future (well...I kind of am), this is for the present season, and as of right now, things do not look good for KC.
Infield: John Buck will be manning the plate this year. Don't expect too much from this guy. I'm thinking he will have a "Varitek" year (by the way, this will be the official term for a guy who should have a .280/20/80 year but will end up going .230/15/60...I love 'Tek, but, I'm telling you, the guy has to get the bat off his shoulder...please!). At first will be Ryan Shealy, because Mike Sweeney, who will spend a majority of the time hitting DH, has been battling injuries for the last couple of years, and because he is still the most reliable hitter on the team, they need Sweeney to stay healthy. Shealy showed potential in the minors when he was in the Colorado farm system, but is still somewhat of an anomoly in terms of what he can do at the MLB level (has had less than 300 ABs). Mark Grudzielanek begins his second season with the Royals. Once known for his versatility, he is now relegated to only playing second, and because of the lack of anyone behind him potentially being able to take over, Grudzielanek has a ton of job security, but again, I wouldn't expect too much out of him. Tony Pena, Jr. will start the season at short. Again, this is a potential pitfall in the lineup, as Pena doesn't have any kind of prescence at the plate. However, he is wanted for his defense and not for his bat. At third, things are going to get interesting. Rookie sensation Alex Gordon has been on such a hot streak that he jumped from AA Wichita (mind you, he did not play rookie ball, he started at AA, this is his second season of pro ball) straight to the majors. Gordon has long been considered one of the brightest talents going, and this year, he will attempt to show what all the hype has been about. I expect big things from Gordon, but I don't expect them happening for at least a couple of months, if not, maybe sometime into next year. This kid is going to be fantastic though, but don't jump to conclusions if he stumbles out of the start gate.
Outfield: Although they have Sweeney as the captain and veteran leadership, the franchise guy is out in right field. Mark Teahen is poised to have a big season this year. Teahen is entering his third year in the bigs. Last year, in just 109 games, he posted a .290/18/69/10 and a .519 slugging percentage. The Royals really think that this is going to be the guy to take the torch from Mike Sweeney once he departs or retires. I feel like a .300/25/90/20 season would not be out of question if Teahen stays healthy. David DeJesus will start in center. He is in almost a Freddy Sanchez-like mold. A guy who hits for average, gets on base, scores runs, and don't worry about power or speed numbers. DeJesus should score around 100 runs, hit around .300, and have close to a .400 OBP, which is exactly what you need from a leadoff man. Rounding out the outfield is Emil Brown in left. You know, to be honest with you, I know very little about this guy, but after reading his stats from the last few years, Brown is actually a good little hitter. In his two seasons with KC, Brown went .286/17/86 in '05 and .287/15/81 in '06. So, with that being said, I would expect something of the same from Brown this year, because as he has shown, given an opportunity (he was with Pittsburgh for five years, barely got any playing time), he can produce some fairly good numbers. Also, keep in mind that Billy Butler will eventually get called up sometime during the season. He is one of the top 10 prospects in the country.
Starting Pitching: The biggest splash the Royals have made in recent memory came in the form of Gil Meche, who signed a 5-year, $55 million contract. KC is hoping that they have found a guy to anchor their staff for the forseeable future while they continue to groom their stud pitchers down on the farm. I like their aggressiveness, but I think they may have gone after the wrong guy. I think Meche would be a good #3, maybe even a #2, but they have put a lot of resources into a guy that has a lot of potential to be a bust. If they had waited another year, when guys like Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, Bartolo Colon, or even John Smoltz hit the market. Or, had they have been a little more aggressive this year with a guy like Jason Schmidt or Randy Wolf, maybe that would have been a better move, at least in my opinion, than to put all this pressure on Meche. Remember, next year, the Royals are going to be spending aorund $20-25 million, so they need to hit the phones hard next year and try to get a true #1 guy. Zach Grienke could be a great pitcher (won 2003 Minor League Player of the Year). He has already shown he has great stuff, and hopefully he was able to handle the off-the-field issues that led him to miss most of last season with social anxiety disorder. Grienke is another guy that fills out as a #2 guy, not an ace. Odalis Perez, Jorge De La Rosa, and Brandon Duckworth are basically warm bodies to go our and pitch after their two legitamate guys throw. Guys who will be making appearances with the big club down the road include Luke Hochevar, Tyler Lumsden, and maybe even a third in Erik Cordier.
Bullpen: The Royals were not so pleased with the play of Ambroix Burgos last year, so they let him walk to the Mets, and KC signed the aft-healthy Octavio Dotel to a one-year pact. Dotel has not been healthy in about three years since he got the closer's role in Oakland. The Royals decided to gamble on him (it was either going to be him or Gagne, they chose Dotel), and if he somehow can produce anywhere close to what he did while he was healthy, this could be a fantastic move for the Royals. It's a big risk, but frankly, there is a lot of upside, and if it doesn't work out, you wipe your hands clean of it after a year. So when you break it down, it seems like the Royals didn't make too bad of a move there. Keep in mind that KC led the majors last year with a whopping 31 blown saves, so call it desperation, but they had to do something. David Riske will be called upon to serve as the set-up man. Riske is kind of a journeyman, but has proven that if he gets settled into a clubhouse, or a particular park, that he can really be effective. After that, you have guys like Jimmy Gobble, Joel Peralta, and Todd Wellemeyer who will do their best to keep them in games, but don't expect a whole lot from that group. Anything they can offer is about all the Royals are asking for.
Overall: Still, this team is not ready to compete with the big boys. However, there are a lot of things to be positive about if you back the Royals. Because of their string of down-right horrendousness, they have been able to stockload a ton of talent in their farm system, and in two or three years, they are going to be bringing up some extremely talented personnel, and if the GM can continue to get more and more payroll flexibility, they will be able to lock these guys up, and can build a pretty decent club for years to come. But, this will not be the year that that happens. They will be in last, but they will have their fair share of bright spots this year as well.
Record: 65-97
The AL West is up next. Thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Saturday, April 07, 2007
And A Good Saturday To You
"Get about as oiled as a diesel train."
Well alright then. Still working on the baseball preview, which is kind of ridiculous considering at this rate, it will be done by about late June. Also when you consider Finals week is right around the corner (wonder why I capitalized finals?), it's going to be even longer before I can actually devote the amount of time I really want to write this. You have to understand how passionate I am about doing this. It's nice to have a space where I can basically say anything I want to, and from the sound of it, apparently some people enjoy it, which makes it even more worth it. So I got some things on my mind...figured I might as well throw it out there.
Although everyone always talks about the first-round and who might be going where (I am included in this), the real draft doesn't start until after the first round, where you can potentially draft a franchise-changing player. I know this is like beating a dead horse, but #12 went #199 overall. So the Pats are sitting right now with four sixth-round picks. Furthermore, don't be in the least bit surprised if they trade out of one of their first-round picks in order to get even more picks (there is a flip side to this, and they very well could use one or both of their first round picks to move up...when you consider how the Pats draft (i.e. lock onto a guy and do whatever it takes to get him), there is a real possibility of that happening). So anyway, with all that being said, I have made a list of guys who probably don't have a first round grade, but I believe would be a great fit for New England:
Curt, seriously, leave the blogging to me. This guy writes more than I do, which is ok, but after his performance against the Royals, maybe his hands cramped up from all that typing, because he looked horrendous. He had no control, no velocity, and he looked like he was about 30 pounds overweight. Is this the end for Schill? Boy I hope not, because he's the "rock" of the staff, and if the rock starts moving, the team will roll down the hill with him. Personally, I'm not incredibly worried about this, and the fact was that the Royals were incredibly pumped up for that game. I mean they actually sold out Kauffman Stadium. I'm thinking that might happen once every five years. So the Royals seemed to have the fire that the Sox were lacking, and thus, we got destroyed. However, flash forward to the next night, and there were those lovable Royals, looking like the AAA team that they are, and being supported by about 5,000 fans, half of whom were probably Red Sox backers. Josh Beckett looked incredible, but then again, where did I see that before? (hint: Arlington, TX) So once again, I will be holding my breath and wondering if the real Josh Beckett would please stand up, because I'm tired of worrying about who this guy really is.
And then, there was "The Monster." For some bizarre reason, ESPN didn't pick up Dice-K's first start. Do the realize what kind of ratings bonanza they passed up on? Also, apparently DirecTV was only carrying the game on the Royals broadcast, and from what I can gather (Sports Guy), that really sucked. I mean I need Gary Thorne and Rick Sutcliffe on the mic. I need Sutcliffe to throw in some kind of pitching reference that has absolutely nothing to do with anything. I want that! However, they did manage to make up for it by having wall-to-wall coverage of the outing on Baseball Tonight, SportsCenter, and every show in between. Again, his debut was against the woeful Royals, but I mean...come on now. Come on! I don't care who you play (speaking of great Jim Mora lines, this is just a tribute, you gotta believe it!), that was an outstanding performance by the Dice man (random side note: because of the name, and because of his new reality show, there is going to be an endless amount of references to Andrew Dice Clay...I'm serious, I don't even know if I can contain myself...boom!). Anyway, I was able to see the first five innings on Japanese NESN (YouTube is simply amazing, but the thing is, once people found out about it, they took down all of the clips, which totally sucked because I only got to see the first five innings...still, it was awesome), and his stuff was so right on. It's like every time 'Tek was spotting the corners, or wanting a ball down in the zone, Dice was all over it (speaking of 'Tek...what the freak? I mean the guy has one hit...one hit! By the way, I could easily throw a Bob Eucker reference from "Major League," but I know some people would not appreciate me throwing a GD out there...but you know what I'm talking about...anyway, 'Tek is great, but seriously, the guy's gotta find his swing, because he looks lost out there in the box). I was noting the speeds of his pitches, you know, all seven of the pitches he had (you know, having way too many pitches is good, but sometimes it can be bad...Eric Gagne sometimes gets attached to his curveball, which is ok, but I mean he should be a fastball-first pitcher, and I think sometimes, he feels like he can't get people out with his fastball). I actually had fun computing KM/H to MPH (check it out!...yay metric system!...by the way, I saw a bumper sticker that was advocating the switch to the metric system...ok, first of all, who does that? And secondly, does anyone realize how much money that would cost? You know that national debt ticker in New York?...Yeah, that's not slowing down anytime soon...I don't get it...maybe you do and I'm an idiot...maybe). His change-up was clocking at anywhere between 71-77 MPH and his fastball was between 87-96 MPH. I mean this is Pedro-esque, and those comparisons are becoming more popular every day. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like on Wednesday night, where the first at-bat of the game will be Dice-K on the mound, and a guy named Ichiro in the box. You want to talk about an international event? (ESPN is actually making it up to me by broadcasting this game on the Deuce...7:00 by the way, because I know you're interested, I don't have to ask). That is going to be some fun stuff. I cannot wait. But again, I have my reservations about naming this guy "the next great thing," but after that outing, I am glowing just writing about this guy. "These are the good times" as Chic would say.
So New England's offseason has taken a turn for the worst, as Asante Samuel pulled a "Lance Briggs" earlier this week while being interviewed on NFL Network, basically saying he's not happy with his contract negotiations, and will be seeking a trade (Redskins have already shown interest). Look, I know we're cheap, but sometimes, you have to pony up. Look at what happened when we let Ty Law go. Yeah, he only went on to lead the NFL in interceptions for the freggin' Jets. So I have this to say to the Pats' front office...come on! Come on! It's Asante! This guy is so young and is so good. You have got to lock this guy up. And you know what? This is what you get for waiting until the last minute. Had they locked him up right after the AFC Championship, they could have gotten him for cheaper than what Asante is "worth." With 'Dre Bly signing with the Broncos, the market has officially been set, and as of right now, Samuel is arguably better than Bly, and he's younger, meaning that he is likely asking for more than the five-year, $33 million Bly received from Denver. So all of this is really disappointing for me. The Pats are already skinny at cornerback, and if this all falls apart, the quest to get back to the Super Bowl will likely end...the guy is that good.
I am thoroughly convinced that Will Ferrell is taking on all of these sports movie roles because he is simply toying with us. My theory is that he is going to keep getting even more and more outlandish characters just because he can make anything funny...Anything! "Blades of Glory" is his newest release, marking the third straight sports-themed movie he has starred in ("Kicking and Screaming" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). I mean seriously, figure skating? I haven't even seen the movie, and I already know that it's going to be outstanding (by the way, while he was on SNL, this was one of his better skits ever, and oddly enough, also sports-related). All I have to say to this is, keep toying with me, because I am loving this. Taking the most interesting and outlandish stories and making them hysterically funny.
Well, that about wraps things up for now. Just a programming note, I will be on a little bit of a field trip in the middle of May, going up and down the east coast, visiting different ballparks, and getting college credit (yessah!), so I will be keeping a bit of a diary on that. Also, I'm going to take a page out of Sports Guy's book and do a running diary on the Draft coming on April 28. Take care, and thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Well alright then. Still working on the baseball preview, which is kind of ridiculous considering at this rate, it will be done by about late June. Also when you consider Finals week is right around the corner (wonder why I capitalized finals?), it's going to be even longer before I can actually devote the amount of time I really want to write this. You have to understand how passionate I am about doing this. It's nice to have a space where I can basically say anything I want to, and from the sound of it, apparently some people enjoy it, which makes it even more worth it. So I got some things on my mind...figured I might as well throw it out there.
Although everyone always talks about the first-round and who might be going where (I am included in this), the real draft doesn't start until after the first round, where you can potentially draft a franchise-changing player. I know this is like beating a dead horse, but #12 went #199 overall. So the Pats are sitting right now with four sixth-round picks. Furthermore, don't be in the least bit surprised if they trade out of one of their first-round picks in order to get even more picks (there is a flip side to this, and they very well could use one or both of their first round picks to move up...when you consider how the Pats draft (i.e. lock onto a guy and do whatever it takes to get him), there is a real possibility of that happening). So anyway, with all that being said, I have made a list of guys who probably don't have a first round grade, but I believe would be a great fit for New England:
- Eric Weddle, CB/S, Utah
- Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise St.
- Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan St.
- Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
- Justin Blalock, G, Texas
- Josh Beekman, G, Boston College
- Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno St.
- Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
- Brandon Siler, ILB, Florida
- Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware
- Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn
- Doug Datish, C, Ohio St.
- LaMarr Woodley, DE, Michigan
- Antonio Johnson, DT, Mississippi St.
- Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston
Curt, seriously, leave the blogging to me. This guy writes more than I do, which is ok, but after his performance against the Royals, maybe his hands cramped up from all that typing, because he looked horrendous. He had no control, no velocity, and he looked like he was about 30 pounds overweight. Is this the end for Schill? Boy I hope not, because he's the "rock" of the staff, and if the rock starts moving, the team will roll down the hill with him. Personally, I'm not incredibly worried about this, and the fact was that the Royals were incredibly pumped up for that game. I mean they actually sold out Kauffman Stadium. I'm thinking that might happen once every five years. So the Royals seemed to have the fire that the Sox were lacking, and thus, we got destroyed. However, flash forward to the next night, and there were those lovable Royals, looking like the AAA team that they are, and being supported by about 5,000 fans, half of whom were probably Red Sox backers. Josh Beckett looked incredible, but then again, where did I see that before? (hint: Arlington, TX) So once again, I will be holding my breath and wondering if the real Josh Beckett would please stand up, because I'm tired of worrying about who this guy really is.
And then, there was "The Monster." For some bizarre reason, ESPN didn't pick up Dice-K's first start. Do the realize what kind of ratings bonanza they passed up on? Also, apparently DirecTV was only carrying the game on the Royals broadcast, and from what I can gather (Sports Guy), that really sucked. I mean I need Gary Thorne and Rick Sutcliffe on the mic. I need Sutcliffe to throw in some kind of pitching reference that has absolutely nothing to do with anything. I want that! However, they did manage to make up for it by having wall-to-wall coverage of the outing on Baseball Tonight, SportsCenter, and every show in between. Again, his debut was against the woeful Royals, but I mean...come on now. Come on! I don't care who you play (speaking of great Jim Mora lines, this is just a tribute, you gotta believe it!), that was an outstanding performance by the Dice man (random side note: because of the name, and because of his new reality show, there is going to be an endless amount of references to Andrew Dice Clay...I'm serious, I don't even know if I can contain myself...boom!). Anyway, I was able to see the first five innings on Japanese NESN (YouTube is simply amazing, but the thing is, once people found out about it, they took down all of the clips, which totally sucked because I only got to see the first five innings...still, it was awesome), and his stuff was so right on. It's like every time 'Tek was spotting the corners, or wanting a ball down in the zone, Dice was all over it (speaking of 'Tek...what the freak? I mean the guy has one hit...one hit! By the way, I could easily throw a Bob Eucker reference from "Major League," but I know some people would not appreciate me throwing a GD out there...but you know what I'm talking about...anyway, 'Tek is great, but seriously, the guy's gotta find his swing, because he looks lost out there in the box). I was noting the speeds of his pitches, you know, all seven of the pitches he had (you know, having way too many pitches is good, but sometimes it can be bad...Eric Gagne sometimes gets attached to his curveball, which is ok, but I mean he should be a fastball-first pitcher, and I think sometimes, he feels like he can't get people out with his fastball). I actually had fun computing KM/H to MPH (check it out!...yay metric system!...by the way, I saw a bumper sticker that was advocating the switch to the metric system...ok, first of all, who does that? And secondly, does anyone realize how much money that would cost? You know that national debt ticker in New York?...Yeah, that's not slowing down anytime soon...I don't get it...maybe you do and I'm an idiot...maybe). His change-up was clocking at anywhere between 71-77 MPH and his fastball was between 87-96 MPH. I mean this is Pedro-esque, and those comparisons are becoming more popular every day. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like on Wednesday night, where the first at-bat of the game will be Dice-K on the mound, and a guy named Ichiro in the box. You want to talk about an international event? (ESPN is actually making it up to me by broadcasting this game on the Deuce...7:00 by the way, because I know you're interested, I don't have to ask). That is going to be some fun stuff. I cannot wait. But again, I have my reservations about naming this guy "the next great thing," but after that outing, I am glowing just writing about this guy. "These are the good times" as Chic would say.
So New England's offseason has taken a turn for the worst, as Asante Samuel pulled a "Lance Briggs" earlier this week while being interviewed on NFL Network, basically saying he's not happy with his contract negotiations, and will be seeking a trade (Redskins have already shown interest). Look, I know we're cheap, but sometimes, you have to pony up. Look at what happened when we let Ty Law go. Yeah, he only went on to lead the NFL in interceptions for the freggin' Jets. So I have this to say to the Pats' front office...come on! Come on! It's Asante! This guy is so young and is so good. You have got to lock this guy up. And you know what? This is what you get for waiting until the last minute. Had they locked him up right after the AFC Championship, they could have gotten him for cheaper than what Asante is "worth." With 'Dre Bly signing with the Broncos, the market has officially been set, and as of right now, Samuel is arguably better than Bly, and he's younger, meaning that he is likely asking for more than the five-year, $33 million Bly received from Denver. So all of this is really disappointing for me. The Pats are already skinny at cornerback, and if this all falls apart, the quest to get back to the Super Bowl will likely end...the guy is that good.
I am thoroughly convinced that Will Ferrell is taking on all of these sports movie roles because he is simply toying with us. My theory is that he is going to keep getting even more and more outlandish characters just because he can make anything funny...Anything! "Blades of Glory" is his newest release, marking the third straight sports-themed movie he has starred in ("Kicking and Screaming" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). I mean seriously, figure skating? I haven't even seen the movie, and I already know that it's going to be outstanding (by the way, while he was on SNL, this was one of his better skits ever, and oddly enough, also sports-related). All I have to say to this is, keep toying with me, because I am loving this. Taking the most interesting and outlandish stories and making them hysterically funny.
Well, that about wraps things up for now. Just a programming note, I will be on a little bit of a field trip in the middle of May, going up and down the east coast, visiting different ballparks, and getting college credit (yessah!), so I will be keeping a bit of a diary on that. Also, I'm going to take a page out of Sports Guy's book and do a running diary on the Draft coming on April 28. Take care, and thanks for reading. Peace.
~Mell-o
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
A Tradition Unlike Any Other
"He's a cinderella boy...tears in eyes I guess..."
Alright, I'm going to take a quick break from previewing the baseball season, because frankly, it is taking way longer than I thought it would (trying to get the AL Central up by Thursday), and I'm going to be previewing the Masters. First, a few observations:
Greg Oden is definitely leaving early, but what about Kevin Durant? Is it possible that Durant will come back for his sophmore year? Actually, the odds of that happening as of right now look pretty good. Durant's family has said all along that he is actually leaning towards coming back next year as opposed to declaring himself eligible for the Draft. As a Celtic fan, this is now getting to the point of being sickening. Here, my beloved Celtics, and mostly Doc Rivers have basically made a mockery of "Celtic Pride" by doing things that could give meaning to a "conspiracy theory" of getting either the #1 or #2 pick in the Draft. Then, Danny Ainge gets fined $30,000 for having contact with Durant's family during the Big 12 Tournament. And after all this, he might not even come out! Are you saying that all of this rooting against my favorite team was all for not? You can't be serious! And worst of all (I'm literally clutching the walls quoting Sanford and Son), we could wind up with Joakim Noah. Joakim Noah! AHHHH! Say it's not so. I don't care how good of a pro this guy could end up being. There is no way, you hear me, no way I am ever rooting for Noah. I'm not even trying to get anymore into this, basically I'll just put it as I really don't like the guy.
Speaking of the lottery, here are the top 10 people I would like to see go to Seacaucus and represent the Celtics at the NBA Lottery:
10. Bill Russell
9. Lucky the Leprachaun
8. Celtics Dance Team
7. Magic Johnson
6. Someone who can do a Johnny Most impersonation ("what a disgusting display!")
5. Every member of Red Auerbach's family...every one of them
4. Tom Brady with Gizelle and her sisters
3. Greg Kite, Rick Carlisle (gonna be tough considering he coaches now), David Thirdkill, and the rest of the bench players from the '86 Championship team
2. Carl Yastrzemski and any other living member of "The Impossible Dream" Red Sox of '67
1. Tommy Heinsohn ("you call that ping pong ball?...oh these guys are killing us!")
Anyway, before I get too off-track, let me run a little bit of a preview for The Masters, easily the best golf tournament going in the world. Every year, it's the same old scene, but that scene will never get old. Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, Hogan's Bridge...nothing compares to Augusta National. A lot of the focus this week has been on Tiger and Phil, and rightfully so considering these guys have won 6 of the last 9 green jackets. However, Tiger is not blowing out fields like he used to, so you have to give "the field" a lot of credit, because these guys have come a long way in a few years, and they are not going to go away quietly. Here's a run down of some of the guys I think could make a serious run at those two:
Mike Weir: If there is one thing my Dad and I can agree on in terms of sports, it's that Mike Weir is outstanding. He has one of the most recognizable warm-up routines in the game, and you can see that it helps, as he is able to swing along the plane he draws up for himself almost every time. Also, factor in that he already has won this title in 2003, and finished tied for 5th in 2005 and 11th last year. Weir is likely going to be in contention come Sunday.
Henrik Stenson: I think basically everyone not picking Tiger or Phil is picking Stenson to win on Sunday. After winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Stenson moved up to 5th in the world rankings, which is pretty remarkable considering he has just five wins overall, four of which came on the European Tour over the course of six years. Stenson can bomb the ball and keep it straight, which is a must at Augusta. However, he has proved he can play on the top stage, sinking a winning putt to clinch the Ryder Cup for the European team last year, so you know Stenson has been tested, but has responded with vigor.
Retief Goosen: Goosen has struggled a bit over the past year, but still, when you look at his past at Augusta (2nd in 2002, 3rd in the last two Masters), you have to consider him to be one of the favorites. Although I think he will do well, I still don't think he has the kind of tools needed to take down this tournament. He is a great player, but it seems as though he cannot get over the hump. I could be wrong, but still, I like him to finish in the top 10.
Chris DiMarco: For years, DiMarco seemed to be near the top of the leaderboard after Friday's round, then slipped up on Saturday or Sunday. However, in 2005, while he did shoot a 74 on Saturday, he shot a 68 while playing in the final group with Tiger Woods (this was the year Tiger made "the shot" on 16) and was able to force a playoff. DiMarco again finished second to Tiger at last year's British Open. This is going to be my setimental pick this year. I'm going to be a hardcore DiMarco fan because this could be the the best player in the world to not win a major. Not Sergio, not Stenson, but DiMarco. He has shown time and time again that he has what it takes to contend, but now he needs to have a better overall tournament and play four of the best rounds of his life to propel himself to the top of the leaderboard.
Vijay Singh: As much as it pains me to say this, because I absolutely can't stand Vijay (I have my reasons), I still have to give the guy a lot of credit. He is a world class player, and at the Masters, he has five consecutive top 10 finishes coming into this year, as well as the 2000 title. While I'm not sure he will win, he will definitely be getting his fair share of face time over the weekend.
Ok, so now that I've told you who will contend, here are some guys who will pretend:
Ernie Els: It does not appear like Els is on a good stretch at Augusta. After five consecutive top 6 finishes from 2000-2004, Els finished 47th in 2005 and tied for 27th last year. I love his balanced swing so much (it gets to the point of raging jealousy sometimes), but it seems like Els is about to fade off into the distance, despite his third place finish at the Open Championship last year. I just don't see Els making the kind of run that he could have made in the past. I'm being kind of cynical, I know, but I just think he is starting to run out of gas.
Fred Couples: As much as I hate saying Freddie is a "pretender," the fact is that his back is still killing him. He had a tie for 6th in 2004 and a tie for 3rd last year, but physically, I really think that Couples may come undone this week. If he makes the cut, you never know, but Fred making the cut is not as sure of a thing as it used to be (just a side note, he's made every cut since 1995).
Sergio Garcia: Here's a guy who everyone wants to see win a major. Garcia has come so close so many times, and who will ever forget the shot from behind the tree at Medinah in the '99 PGA Championship. But here's the thing: Sergio has struggled mightily in this tournament, getting two top 10s, but finishing below 28th in his other five professional appearances, including two missed cuts. Garcia simply does not have the kind of accuracy needed for this course, and it will take some more time to get his bearings at Augusta.
Jim Furyk: Last but not least, here comes the #2 player in the world. Furyk has proven that he is one of the best players to come along in the last decade. However, he has finished out of the top 20 in his past two appearances. I believe that he may come close to finishing in the top 10, but when you are second in the world, a top 10 should be a given, and you should be in a position to contend for the title in a major tournament. Again, he'll be close to the top 10 (I'm thinking around 12th), but he won't be able to hang with the quality of play that will be happening this weekend.
My Pick: I am going to be pulling for DiMarco, because this guy has earned my respect. But let's get real here. It's Tiger's tournament to lose. It will always be Tiger's tournament to lose. It may be crazy to not take the field over Tiger, but it's equally as crazy to think Tiger is going to let an opportunity like Phil putting that jacket on him slip away. I like Tiger by 4. He'll have it wrapped up by Amen Corner, and it will be a victory lap down the homestretch.
Ok, now some supplementary stuff for your viewing pleasure:
Here's how the holes look as far as distance goes. There were no changes in yardages from last year, but apparently, they've added some foliage to the course to try and have an added element of toughness. Also, I would assume they have narrowed the fairways some. I think by the time I get to be 50, the fairways won't exist. It will just be tee, rough, and green.
Here is a list of the tee times for Thursday. Friday's tee times will be in the reverse order. Then, Saturday and Sunday's pairings will be determined by rank on the leaderboard.
8:00
B. Mayfair
I. Poulter
8:11
S. Verplank
N. O'Hern
J. Durant
8:22
L. Mize
T. Clark
T. Matteson
8:33
S. Lyle
D. Wilson
B. Dredge
8:44
B. Crenshaw
J. Kelly
D. Love III
8:55
C. DiMarco
K. Ferrie
S. Stricker
9:06
G. Player
J. Guerrier
V. Taylor
9:17
A. Oberholser
N. Fasth
Z. Johnson
9:28
T. Watson
C. Watabu
F. Funk
9:39
M. O'Meara
D. Womack
S. Appleby
9:50
B. Langer
R. Beem
C. Montgomerie
10:01
C. Campbell
A. Cabrera
J. Henry
10:23
M. Weir
K. Choi
H. Stenson
10:34
F. Couples
G. Ogilvy
E. Els
10:45
S. Garcia
B. Bryant
S. Katayama
10:56
P. Mickelson
R. Ramsay
A. Scott
11:07
J. Olazabal
C. Howell III
J. Rose
11:18
S. Cink
T. Hamilton
11:29
S. Ballesteros
C. Pettersson
P. Goydos
11:40
I. Woosnam
T. Herron
R. Karlsson
11:51
J. Furyk
R. Pampling
B. Curtis
12:02
R. Floyd
M. Jimenez
J. Sluman
12:13
R. Allenby
B. Wetterich
L. Westwood
12:24
S. Micheel
J. Singh
B. Crane
12:46
C. Stadler
D. Howell
S. Ames
12:57
R. Goosen
J. Rollins
Y. Yang
1:08
M. Campbell
L. Glover
R. Sabbatini
1:19
F. Zoeller
D. Clarke
J. Edfors
1:30
M. Calcavecchia
T. Bjorn
T. Pernice jr.
1:41
P. Harrington
J. Kelly
L. Donald
1:52
T. Woods
P. Casey
A. Baddeley
2:03
V. Singh
B. Quigley
H. Tanihara
2:14
T. Immelman
C. Villegas
D. Toms
Here are the TV times for the weekend. For some reason, they still are not showing the beginning groups on the Golf Channel. I hope they are able to get the financial means in the future to make this happen, because I think there's nothing I would like more, as far as golf goes, than to see The Masters playing all day long. I don't know, maybe that's me.
Thursday, April 5
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, USA Network
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay first day, USA Network
11:30 – 11:45 p.m. Highlights show, CBS-TV
Friday, April 6
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, USA Network
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay second day, USA Network
11:30 – 11:45 p.m. Highlights show, CBS-TV
Saturday, April 7
3:30 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, CBS-TV
Sunday, April 8
2:30 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, CBS-TV
However, here's a bit of good news. At Masters.org (which is where I found all of the above material by the way), you will be able to view tournament play one hour before USA and CBS pick up their respective coverage over the weekend. Also, while you're there, make sure to check out the live feed of "Amen Corner" (the 11th, 12th (the famous par 3 with Hogan's Bridge), and 13th). Here are the web times when this feed is available:
Again, sorry the baseball previews have been coming slower than I may have expected, but it's hard work...no seriously, it actually is. But anyway, hope you enjoy the golf over the weekend. Don't forget about the Sox on ESPN on Sunday night against the Rangers. Take care. Peace.
~Mell-o
Alright, I'm going to take a quick break from previewing the baseball season, because frankly, it is taking way longer than I thought it would (trying to get the AL Central up by Thursday), and I'm going to be previewing the Masters. First, a few observations:
Greg Oden is definitely leaving early, but what about Kevin Durant? Is it possible that Durant will come back for his sophmore year? Actually, the odds of that happening as of right now look pretty good. Durant's family has said all along that he is actually leaning towards coming back next year as opposed to declaring himself eligible for the Draft. As a Celtic fan, this is now getting to the point of being sickening. Here, my beloved Celtics, and mostly Doc Rivers have basically made a mockery of "Celtic Pride" by doing things that could give meaning to a "conspiracy theory" of getting either the #1 or #2 pick in the Draft. Then, Danny Ainge gets fined $30,000 for having contact with Durant's family during the Big 12 Tournament. And after all this, he might not even come out! Are you saying that all of this rooting against my favorite team was all for not? You can't be serious! And worst of all (I'm literally clutching the walls quoting Sanford and Son), we could wind up with Joakim Noah. Joakim Noah! AHHHH! Say it's not so. I don't care how good of a pro this guy could end up being. There is no way, you hear me, no way I am ever rooting for Noah. I'm not even trying to get anymore into this, basically I'll just put it as I really don't like the guy.
Speaking of the lottery, here are the top 10 people I would like to see go to Seacaucus and represent the Celtics at the NBA Lottery:
10. Bill Russell
9. Lucky the Leprachaun
8. Celtics Dance Team
7. Magic Johnson
6. Someone who can do a Johnny Most impersonation ("what a disgusting display!")
5. Every member of Red Auerbach's family...every one of them
4. Tom Brady with Gizelle and her sisters
3. Greg Kite, Rick Carlisle (gonna be tough considering he coaches now), David Thirdkill, and the rest of the bench players from the '86 Championship team
2. Carl Yastrzemski and any other living member of "The Impossible Dream" Red Sox of '67
1. Tommy Heinsohn ("you call that ping pong ball?...oh these guys are killing us!")
Anyway, before I get too off-track, let me run a little bit of a preview for The Masters, easily the best golf tournament going in the world. Every year, it's the same old scene, but that scene will never get old. Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, Hogan's Bridge...nothing compares to Augusta National. A lot of the focus this week has been on Tiger and Phil, and rightfully so considering these guys have won 6 of the last 9 green jackets. However, Tiger is not blowing out fields like he used to, so you have to give "the field" a lot of credit, because these guys have come a long way in a few years, and they are not going to go away quietly. Here's a run down of some of the guys I think could make a serious run at those two:
Mike Weir: If there is one thing my Dad and I can agree on in terms of sports, it's that Mike Weir is outstanding. He has one of the most recognizable warm-up routines in the game, and you can see that it helps, as he is able to swing along the plane he draws up for himself almost every time. Also, factor in that he already has won this title in 2003, and finished tied for 5th in 2005 and 11th last year. Weir is likely going to be in contention come Sunday.
Henrik Stenson: I think basically everyone not picking Tiger or Phil is picking Stenson to win on Sunday. After winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Stenson moved up to 5th in the world rankings, which is pretty remarkable considering he has just five wins overall, four of which came on the European Tour over the course of six years. Stenson can bomb the ball and keep it straight, which is a must at Augusta. However, he has proved he can play on the top stage, sinking a winning putt to clinch the Ryder Cup for the European team last year, so you know Stenson has been tested, but has responded with vigor.
Retief Goosen: Goosen has struggled a bit over the past year, but still, when you look at his past at Augusta (2nd in 2002, 3rd in the last two Masters), you have to consider him to be one of the favorites. Although I think he will do well, I still don't think he has the kind of tools needed to take down this tournament. He is a great player, but it seems as though he cannot get over the hump. I could be wrong, but still, I like him to finish in the top 10.
Chris DiMarco: For years, DiMarco seemed to be near the top of the leaderboard after Friday's round, then slipped up on Saturday or Sunday. However, in 2005, while he did shoot a 74 on Saturday, he shot a 68 while playing in the final group with Tiger Woods (this was the year Tiger made "the shot" on 16) and was able to force a playoff. DiMarco again finished second to Tiger at last year's British Open. This is going to be my setimental pick this year. I'm going to be a hardcore DiMarco fan because this could be the the best player in the world to not win a major. Not Sergio, not Stenson, but DiMarco. He has shown time and time again that he has what it takes to contend, but now he needs to have a better overall tournament and play four of the best rounds of his life to propel himself to the top of the leaderboard.
Vijay Singh: As much as it pains me to say this, because I absolutely can't stand Vijay (I have my reasons), I still have to give the guy a lot of credit. He is a world class player, and at the Masters, he has five consecutive top 10 finishes coming into this year, as well as the 2000 title. While I'm not sure he will win, he will definitely be getting his fair share of face time over the weekend.
Ok, so now that I've told you who will contend, here are some guys who will pretend:
Ernie Els: It does not appear like Els is on a good stretch at Augusta. After five consecutive top 6 finishes from 2000-2004, Els finished 47th in 2005 and tied for 27th last year. I love his balanced swing so much (it gets to the point of raging jealousy sometimes), but it seems like Els is about to fade off into the distance, despite his third place finish at the Open Championship last year. I just don't see Els making the kind of run that he could have made in the past. I'm being kind of cynical, I know, but I just think he is starting to run out of gas.
Fred Couples: As much as I hate saying Freddie is a "pretender," the fact is that his back is still killing him. He had a tie for 6th in 2004 and a tie for 3rd last year, but physically, I really think that Couples may come undone this week. If he makes the cut, you never know, but Fred making the cut is not as sure of a thing as it used to be (just a side note, he's made every cut since 1995).
Sergio Garcia: Here's a guy who everyone wants to see win a major. Garcia has come so close so many times, and who will ever forget the shot from behind the tree at Medinah in the '99 PGA Championship. But here's the thing: Sergio has struggled mightily in this tournament, getting two top 10s, but finishing below 28th in his other five professional appearances, including two missed cuts. Garcia simply does not have the kind of accuracy needed for this course, and it will take some more time to get his bearings at Augusta.
Jim Furyk: Last but not least, here comes the #2 player in the world. Furyk has proven that he is one of the best players to come along in the last decade. However, he has finished out of the top 20 in his past two appearances. I believe that he may come close to finishing in the top 10, but when you are second in the world, a top 10 should be a given, and you should be in a position to contend for the title in a major tournament. Again, he'll be close to the top 10 (I'm thinking around 12th), but he won't be able to hang with the quality of play that will be happening this weekend.
My Pick: I am going to be pulling for DiMarco, because this guy has earned my respect. But let's get real here. It's Tiger's tournament to lose. It will always be Tiger's tournament to lose. It may be crazy to not take the field over Tiger, but it's equally as crazy to think Tiger is going to let an opportunity like Phil putting that jacket on him slip away. I like Tiger by 4. He'll have it wrapped up by Amen Corner, and it will be a victory lap down the homestretch.
Ok, now some supplementary stuff for your viewing pleasure:
Here's how the holes look as far as distance goes. There were no changes in yardages from last year, but apparently, they've added some foliage to the course to try and have an added element of toughness. Also, I would assume they have narrowed the fairways some. I think by the time I get to be 50, the fairways won't exist. It will just be tee, rough, and green.
| Hole | Name of Hole | Par | Yards |
| 1 | Tea Olive | 4 | 455 |
| 2 | Pink Dogwood | 5 | 575 |
| 3 | Flowering Peach | 4 | 350 |
| 4 | Flowering Crab Apple | 3 | 240 |
| 5 | Magnolia | 4 | 455 |
| 6 | Juniper | 3 | 180 |
| 7 | Pampas | 4 | 450 |
| 8 | Yellow Jasmine | 5 | 570 |
| 9 | Carolina Cherry | 4 | 460 |
| Out | 36 | 3,735 | |
| 10 | Carmellia | 4 | 495 |
| 11 | White Dogwood | 4 | 505 |
| 12 | Golden Bell | 3 | 155 |
| 13 | Azalea | 5 | 510 |
| 14 | Chinese Fir | 4 | 440 |
| 15 | Firethorn | 5 | 530 |
| 16 | Redbud | 3 | 170 |
| 17 | Nandina | 4 | 440 |
| 18 | Holly | 4 | 465 |
| In | 36 | 3,710 | |
| Total | 72 | 7,445 |
Here is a list of the tee times for Thursday. Friday's tee times will be in the reverse order. Then, Saturday and Sunday's pairings will be determined by rank on the leaderboard.
8:00
B. Mayfair
I. Poulter
8:11
S. Verplank
N. O'Hern
J. Durant
8:22
L. Mize
T. Clark
T. Matteson
8:33
S. Lyle
D. Wilson
B. Dredge
8:44
B. Crenshaw
J. Kelly
D. Love III
8:55
C. DiMarco
K. Ferrie
S. Stricker
9:06
G. Player
J. Guerrier
V. Taylor
9:17
A. Oberholser
N. Fasth
Z. Johnson
9:28
T. Watson
C. Watabu
F. Funk
9:39
M. O'Meara
D. Womack
S. Appleby
9:50
B. Langer
R. Beem
C. Montgomerie
10:01
C. Campbell
A. Cabrera
J. Henry
10:23
M. Weir
K. Choi
H. Stenson
10:34
F. Couples
G. Ogilvy
E. Els
10:45
S. Garcia
B. Bryant
S. Katayama
10:56
P. Mickelson
R. Ramsay
A. Scott
11:07
J. Olazabal
C. Howell III
J. Rose
11:18
S. Cink
T. Hamilton
11:29
S. Ballesteros
C. Pettersson
P. Goydos
11:40
I. Woosnam
T. Herron
R. Karlsson
11:51
J. Furyk
R. Pampling
B. Curtis
12:02
R. Floyd
M. Jimenez
J. Sluman
12:13
R. Allenby
B. Wetterich
L. Westwood
12:24
S. Micheel
J. Singh
B. Crane
12:46
C. Stadler
D. Howell
S. Ames
12:57
R. Goosen
J. Rollins
Y. Yang
1:08
M. Campbell
L. Glover
R. Sabbatini
1:19
F. Zoeller
D. Clarke
J. Edfors
1:30
M. Calcavecchia
T. Bjorn
T. Pernice jr.
1:41
P. Harrington
J. Kelly
L. Donald
1:52
T. Woods
P. Casey
A. Baddeley
2:03
V. Singh
B. Quigley
H. Tanihara
2:14
T. Immelman
C. Villegas
D. Toms
Here are the TV times for the weekend. For some reason, they still are not showing the beginning groups on the Golf Channel. I hope they are able to get the financial means in the future to make this happen, because I think there's nothing I would like more, as far as golf goes, than to see The Masters playing all day long. I don't know, maybe that's me.
Thursday, April 5
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, USA Network
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay first day, USA Network
11:30 – 11:45 p.m. Highlights show, CBS-TV
Friday, April 6
4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, USA Network
8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay second day, USA Network
11:30 – 11:45 p.m. Highlights show, CBS-TV
Saturday, April 7
3:30 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, CBS-TV
Sunday, April 8
2:30 – 7:00 p.m. Live coverage, CBS-TV
However, here's a bit of good news. At Masters.org (which is where I found all of the above material by the way), you will be able to view tournament play one hour before USA and CBS pick up their respective coverage over the weekend. Also, while you're there, make sure to check out the live feed of "Amen Corner" (the 11th, 12th (the famous par 3 with Hogan's Bridge), and 13th). Here are the web times when this feed is available:
| Thursday, April 5 | 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, April 6 | 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 7 | 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, April 8 | 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Again, sorry the baseball previews have been coming slower than I may have expected, but it's hard work...no seriously, it actually is. But anyway, hope you enjoy the golf over the weekend. Don't forget about the Sox on ESPN on Sunday night against the Rangers. Take care. Peace.
~Mell-o
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
