Oh, It's On!

Here we go. At 3 ET the 2008 NFL Draft will begin. I will be in my own personal war room with my daughters and wife, with one eye on a game board of my girls choosing, the other on the flat screen. I will have one hand on my green Candyland man, the other on a slice of pizza. With my butt on my couch, my mind on the tracker and my heart in the Dolphins war room, I will sit on edge with anticipation. Will the Dolphins trade Jason Taylor? I think so. Will Jeremy Shockey become a Saint? Yes. Will Chad Johnson get dealt. I believe so, but I hope not. I'd love to see what happens if he is forced to play for the Bungles this year. Who will the Rams pick? Will the Packers actually pick up Culpepper? Will the J-E-T-S pick an under achieving lineman, a player no one else has been talking about or a kicker with their first round pick (they better take McFadden if he's still there). Will Matt Ryan fall to the Ravens or further? I'm so excited I will probably vomit all over myself before the day is through. Here's to fantasy geeks, Papa John's and the NFL! After this weekend, I promise everyone I will try to get a life!!! 

What happened LeBron?

If you had told me that the final score of Thursday nights Cleveland vs. Washington match up would be 108-72, I would have said either Cleveland beat the Wizards or maybe Cleveland beat the Hoyas or Terrapins. One thing I wouldn't have said was that Cleveland received, in the words of Cavs head coach Mike Brown, "a good old-fashioned behind kicking." DeShawn Stevenson was showing LeBron the "can't feel my face" gesture while the crowd chanted "overrated." I doubt it will really make a difference to LeBron - I still like Cleveland in 6. Nonetheless, kudos to Washington, the Wizards came to ball last night. Houston and Toronto made their playoff pairings a bit more interesting as T MAc and the Rockets shocked the Jazz in Utah and Toronto notched a solid victory over the Florida Boys behind TJ Ford and Jose Calderon.  

Pacman is a Dallas Cowboy

The Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys agreed in principle on a deal that sends troubled Adam "Pacman" Jones from Music city to Big D. The Titans part with Jones (who is still serving a suspension imposed by Roger Goodell) and will receive the Cowboys 4th round pick, pick #126 in this weekends draft. In addition the Titans will receive one of Dallas' picks in 2009 unless Jones fails to be reinstated by the league. I believe this is potentially a win-win for both teams. I think the Titans have done the right thing. Living here in Nashville, the locals "don't take too kindly" to the kinds of problems that Jones has constantly had. People here want players their community can be proud of, not players they are afraid of. Dallas is taking the real risk here. I believe it's only a matter of time before Jones is in the middle of bullets or strippers or punches or chickens or fist fights or some other bad situation. To quote Tweety Bird, "Once a bad puddy tat, always a bad puddy tat." At the same time, to quote Jack Nicholson in the 1989 version of Batman, "You can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs." If Jones could stay out of trouble, and if he is reinstated, and if he plays the way he did a year ago in Nashville, Dallas will benefit greatly. For me, there are too many "if's." What say you?  

Great start to the NBA playoffs

Pau Gasol went nuts on Sunday. Who would have predicted the Gasol would upstage Kobe, Melo and AI. Gasol's line of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists was one of the best performances of the weekend and the Lakers had no problem with the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs game one victory in double-overtime over Shaq and the Suns was the best game I've seen in a first round match up in a long time. Duncans 40 and that 3-pointer earn him equal praise with Gasol. Philadelphia downs Detroit? Wow. I feel like the teams that will survive the first round are; Cleveland, Boston, Detroit and Orlando in the East and L.A., Phoenix, New Orleans and Utah. Anybody up for an eight game challenge? Your thoughts ... 

Chiefs are on the clock ...

The Chiefs are in need of help on their offensive line, their corners on defense and another playmaker at wide receiver. I believe the Chiefs will take a couple of linemen to get back to the power running game that they love. With the departure of Ty Law and given Pat Surtain will be 32 this year, they will draft a corner. However, having said that, and after listening to several sources close to the team, I think they will take USC DT Sedrick Ellis (provided the stars align with Jupiter and my previous picks are dead on).

The Oakland Raiders

At number four the Raiders have been saddled with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden by nearly every mock I have seen. I don't see this as a pressing need on Oakland's roster. With Justin Fargas, LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes and Michael Bush on the roster, I could see a curveball here by Al Davis and company. At the NFL owners meetings a couple weeks ago, Lane Kiffin said, "Running back is not really a need for us." If so, where are the Raiders most glaring needs and whom should they pick to become a better team? Keep in mind the Raiders only have five picks in the entire draft. I see them looking for line help on both sides of the ball, a quarterback and a linebacker. I'll trust my instincts here and say, "With the fourth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Vernon Gholston, defensive end, Ohio State."

522 for A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez hit a solo homerun in the first inning of New York's 15-9 thumping of Boston on Wednesday night. The shot was the 522nd of his career and pushed him ahead of Ted Williams and Willie McCovey into 15th place all-time. Rodriguez is only 32 years old and should have a legit shot at making a run at Barry Bonds homerun record. He is in the first year of a 10 year contract; if he plays all ten years he could make a run at 800 and possibly 900. 

... the Atlanta Falcons select ...

It's true that the Falcons have needs on both the offensive and defensive line. Most mock drafts I have read predict Glenn Dorsey will end up in Atlanta should the Rams pass on him. The Falcons also have needs in their secondary with the departure of DeAngelo Hall and at tight end since releasing Alge Crumpler. In my opinion, their biggest need is a leader. With Joey Harrington and Chris Redman on the roster, I feel as though they would be wise to choose Boston College QB Matt Ryan. If they do draft Dorsey, I would look for Delaware's Joe Flacco, Michigan's Chad Henne or Louisville's Brian Brohm to head to Atlanta in the second round. Let me throw a wrench into the mock - 1. Jake Long, OT to Miami 2. Chris Long, DE to St. Louis and 3. Matt Ryan, QB to Atlanta.

Lakers lock up top seed in the West

With a 124-101 railing of Sacramento Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers locked up the top seed in the Western Conference. All season long the Lakers have been picking up steam. Remember last summer when Kobe Bryant was bumping his gums about being traded? Remember when he was found on YouTube trashing teammates and, generally speaking, making an arse of himself for all to see? Not many L.A. fans recall or care about any of that now that the Lakers are resembling a serious championship contender. Since the arrival of center Pau Gasol the Lakers have looked incredibly hard to beat going 17-3 for a stretch. Who can, or will stop the Lakers? New Orleans? Utah? The Spurs? Houston? Dallas? I must admit, the old school fan in me wouldn't mind seeing an LA/Boston final this year. Also, should Bryant be the MVP? Do his childish antics last summer factor in? Or should the NBA reward another player like KG, Chris Paul or LeBron? What do you think? 

2008 NFL SCHEDULE

The NFL released its 2008 schedule on Tuesday. A few things stood out to me. The Patriots, once again, have an incredibly soft schedule. The Patsies play the Chiefs, 49ers, Raiders, Rams and Cardinals and get the benefit of playing in the worst division in football, the AFC East. Couple those five easy wins with the six games they will automatically win against the Jets, Bills and Dolphins and they have 11 wins before the season starts. There are only a couple of tough games (Chargers, Colts, Steelers) on their schedule. How does this work? New England goes 16-0 one year and gets rewarded with a schedule where their opponents winning percentage is .387? This after Spygate. Wow. The Bills and Dolphins are hooking up in Toronto where over 100,000 ticket requests have been made. I wonder if folks in the small market of Buffalo, New York are at all nervous. Somehow the name the Toronto Bills sounds worse to me than the Oklahoma City Sonics. Other note worthy games to me include; Isn't it wrong that the Saints are traveling to London for a "home game" this year against the Chargers? After losing all their home games to Katrina just a while ago, now they are forced to surrender another home game in 08. I think the NFL could have either sent someone else or at the very least made it a home game for the Chargers. Also, how about the Browns getting five prime time opportunities. I never thought I'd see that happen (although the Browns will be a serious contender this year). And, finally, the Raiders new corner DeAngelo Hall will get a shot at his old beloved team, the Atlanta Falcons, on November 2. What stands out about the schedule to you?

The Rams at #2

As I read the St. Louis Post Dispatch this morning, I was amazed to see that so many fans are opposed to the rumored report that the Rams (provided Miami picks Jake Long) will pick LSU monster DT Glenn Dorsey. One poll showed that only 18% of Rams fans would make that pick. Ironically, 42% wanted Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long. After a 3-13 season, what should the Rams do with their pick after Miami. Give me your scenarios, assuming Miami goes with Jake Long and assuming they pick someone else. I personally believe that Virginia's Chris Long would be a good fit on a defense that has a ton of holes. The upside to Chris Long (character, consistency, intelligence, football IQ) makes him one of the safer picks in the top 10. With Jake Long gone, the Rams will still have options on their o-line in this tackle-deep draft. My mock so far then, is; Jake Long to Miami and Chris Long to St. Louis. It sure will be fun to see how "off" I am in this poker game. Let's not forget, Parcells is picking first. I'd also like to see the Rams draft defense early (their average age on D is nearly 31), perhaps going after a second DE eventually and they would be wise to pick a later round QB to develop (perhaps even in day 2). Your thoughts are welcome.

David Ortiz 4-for-43?

Red Sox nation has to be wondering when David Ortiz will return to form. So far this season "Big Papi's" numbers are hard to phathom. He's hitting .070. He's slugging .140. Many questions are beginning to circulate concerning the slow start by Ortiz. Some wonder if his plate problems are related to his surgically repaired knee. I personally wonder if he may be better suited to wear a Tigers uniform. To be sure, something has to give. Manager Terry Francona sat his star against the Yankees in the weekend finale at Fenway after his most recent 1-for-29 slump. Francona remains confident, as do I, that Ortiz will return to form. "Good hitters get to their level," Francona said. "Watching David get to his level is going to be fun." Any thoughts in Beantown? 

The Oklahoma City Supersonics?

After 41 seasons in Seattle, the Sonics are relocating in Oklahoma City? What in the name of Jack Sikma is going on? No public contributions towards a new arena is one of the biggest reasons. The Sonics defeated the Dallas Mavericks Sunday in what will undoubtedly be the last game played at Seattle's Key Arena. At least, a few NBA notables said they think the Sonics belong in Seattle. Dallas owner Mark Cuban said, "I'm trying to stand up and say I don't think moving is the best choice." Mavs guard Jason Terry, who is from Seattle, wore green and black before and after the game in honor of his hometown team. "Seattle without basketball? We love the Mariners, we love the Seahawks, but the Sonics are always in our hearts. I don't know if it's a money issue or they need a new arena, but Key Arena is fine with me. If I was the owner, I would keep them here." The Oklahoma City Supersonics sounds almost as weird as the Indianapolis Colts sounded to all of us when they left Baltimore. No offense Oklahoma but imagine these team names; The El Paso Spurs, the Richmond Redskins or the Fargo Brewers. Strange, huh? Chime in NBA fans! 

2008 NFL DRAFT

In less than two weeks, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will step to the podium and say, "With the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select ..."  The big question is what the next few words will be. Michigan's ogre Jake Long seems to be the favorite if you spend anytime listening to sports talk radio, reading mock drafts or looking at the Miami Herald or the Sun-Sentinel. There are talks that Miami will make Virginia's Chris Long or former Buckeye Vernon Gholston a hybrid linebacker in their 3-4 alignment. Still some suggest that LSU's Glenn Dorsey is the most dominant defensive player available and that the Dolphins may still be interested in going that direction. In my opinion, the Dolphins have the biggest need on the O-Line. Bill Parcells believes in building teams from the inside out and in running the football. That said, adding a 6'7 320-pound man-beast would be helpful. Long isn't tremendously quick at this point, but his agility will improve, especially under Tony Sparano who receives high praise for his previous gig as a O-Line guru in Big D. What would you do if you were running the Dolphins war room?