King Lame

I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch very many NBA regular season games this year. The draw wasn’t there for me until the Knicks started to become relevant. What I do know is that the NBA Finals that were just played were one of the most competitive that I can remember. It’s been since the 2004 Pistons won it that I’ve watched an NBA Finals in its entirety – until this year.

Like most of America, I tuned in to see the Heat fall. Aside from the normal “root for the underdog” sentiment that accompanies a series without a natural rooting interest, I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to see Lebron James lose again.



You could've left Cleveland the right way, but you chose to stroke your ego. I'm glad Scott Van Pelt stole your chair! You're not the King of anything outside of Akron, Oho!



Rewind to the previous offseason. I was actually OK with him signing with another team. I would have been very surprised if he had returned to the Cavs. But he didn’t, and that’s where my rooting interest in the 2011 NBA Finals was born. Lebron orchestrated “The Decision” on ESPN to announce his decision to sign with the Heat. Even if it was not his idea, he OK’d it.

The message: “I’m so important and special that I get to beat my chest about where I’m going to sign.”

Adding insult to injury, Miami had a post-championship-like celebration shortly thereafter in which they showcased their two marquee free agents, along with Dwayne Wade. It wasn’t bad enough that they were celebrating in advance, but they were preemptively declaring themselves a team of three. We had to hear Lebron declare that the Heat would win “multiple championships….not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7” NBA titles. Pretty ballsy for a guy who hadn’t yet won one.  And I thought everyone knew the sports cliché “you take it one at a time.”



Photos from the 2011 Miami Heat Pre-season NBA Championship Celebration. The still shot does not accurately capture the awkward head nods as they strutted down the aisle. I really used to like Dwayne Wade too. I was behind them all the way when him and Shaq took it down.



It’s laughable that Lebron has even been compared to Jordan at any point. There was a player who reminded me of Jordan in this series, but he’s big and goofy and plays for the Mavs.



Goofy, you say?



When I think of Michael Jordan, I think of a player who was at his best when the game was on the line. Jordan put numbers up, and littered the highlight reel. Lebron does the same, but when the pressure is on, they are night and day. Dwayne Wade is more of a Michael Jordan than Lebron could ever be.  I bet I could list 10 players more Jordan-like than Lebron.

Just in case you forgot. I mean seriously....Lebron's not even close.

I’m smart enough to know that this has only bought the basketball world a year before they have to gear up against the Heat again. It’s unlikely that the Heat will be denied an NBA title for the time that the “Big Three” are intact.

When they finally do win one, one thing is for sure – it won’t be Lebron carrying them there.

Something they have in common --- Jordan also counted up to 6 NBA Championships. The difference --- they were championships he actually had won.

AFTERTHOUGHT

I had no idea that Dirk Nowitzki was that good. I knew that he was a superstar, but I never thought of him as a “hands-down” clutch performer. I always pigeon-holed him along with the Mavs normal mantra of scoring big without playing defense. I was wrong. Not only is Dirk a superstar offensive player, but he played stellar defense and cemented his status in history as a clutch player. When he’s on a roll, he’s as indefensible as any player in the league, including the 3 guys on the evil Heat. Kudos to Dirk, J-Kidd, and the Mavs!

A Program in Dis-Tress

Jim Tressel had it all. The head coach at one of the most storied college football programs in the country. A national champion who also had great success at beating Michigan, something that endeared him to Buckeye fans. Then, with two seemingly harmless decisions, he lost it all.

The first: Looking the other way upon receiving an e-mail informing him of NCAA violations by his players.

The second: Lying about being aware of the violations.

Tressel was 9-1 in the Ohio State-Michigan game during his tenure in Columbus. 

The coverup is ALWAYS worse than what the truth would have brought about. If the Tressel had brought this to his athletic director's attention immediately, any wrongdoing would have immediately been passed off his shoulders. The actions themselves would have been on his players, while the responsibility of handling it would have been on the Ohio State Athletic Department and the NCAA.

Listen to Raffy...an exposed cover up is ALWAYS worse than taking responsibility for your actions from the get go.

But "he was trying to protect his players," as many have said. I don't buy that as an acceptable excuse. A good coach will always err on the side of protecting his players, even if they are wrong. Protecting, however, does not have to mean lying for them at all costs. Hindsight is always 20/20, but Tressel could have saved face for both his program and the young men if they had come out about it right away and thrown themselves on the mercy of the court of public opinion. He could've publicly protected his players as good kids who made a stupid mistake. 

In addition, when he lied about his knowledge of everything, who was he protecting then? I assure you, it was not his players.

I still believe Tressel to be a good man, but he couldn't have survived this. Ultimately, the "Fab Five" violators (that's GOTTA be a dig at Buckeye nation) will emerge from this and be alright - either in the NFL or wherever they end up. Ultimately, "THE" Ohio State University will be alright, perhaps after a stint on probation.



Yeah Buckeye Nation...I went there! Stop sniffing your own farts and saying "THE" before your school's name, and maybe I'll be nicer next time. For the record, I hate Michigan just as much. Growing up a "French Canadian" Notre Dame fan, I have no use for either! 

 Tressel, however, will have a much more difficult time recovering. His integrity is highly suspect now. If he's interested in coaching again, he may need to take a hiatus for a few years before re-emerging. If there's a place in college football for George O'Leary (current head coach of Central Florida) after he lied to Notre Dame about his resume credentials, there is a place for Tressel.

George O'Leary, who has nowhere near the redeeming qualities that Tressel has, was given a second chance at Central Florida after going through one of the most embarrassing lies/coverups in college football history. Why not Tressel if he wants to coach again?

NCAA Rant

Should you feel like Tressel is a scumbag? I think not....This issue runs even deeper than all that was just discussed.
I can't take the NCAA. I challenge you to find a more hypocritical organization in America. I understand that many athletes secure athletic scholarships, which is supposed to be their "payment in return" for what they do, but let's be honest.

But there's no name on the back....it could be ANY #15 on the University of Florida's football team...

The NCAA makes some serious, serious money off of some of these guys. The money made off stars like Tim Tebow is obvious, but what about the unsung guys who may never play in the NFL, but who are part of that "must see" game marketed by the NCAA. What about the players on all the mid-majors who make the NCAA basketball tournament so great each year? 

If you ever take some time to look at the ways in which a NCAA student-athlete can violate NCAA rules, take a look. It's a tremendously long list with an abundance of petty BS violations.

So Dez...You met with Deion Sanders? ....and then LIED to the almighty NCAA about it? That's violation #692 - Suspended for Life!

In the case of Ohio State, someone was about to make money off of something that the NCAA could have made money off of. That's why this is such a big deal. Think about what these players did....

They got free tattoos in exchange for signed memorabilia. Let's call a spade a spade....it's not as if they were pulling in 100 large a season to play football. Tressel did not orchestrate a conspiracy coverup, he just made a stupid decision to lie to protect himself and his players.

Rotting from the "Core"?

"The Core"

The Bronx Bombers were cruising along entering May, to the tune of a 17-9 start. The team was progressing as normal Yankee teams do, jumping out to a division lead while the Red Sox and Rays floundered out of the gate. The Yanks were getting All-Star production from Robinson Cano & Curtis Granderson. Mark Teixeira had one of the best Aprils of his career (albeit not a spectacular stat line). Even more notably, the team was able to weather an untimely injury to Phil Hughes via solid pitching by Ivan Nova, and by finding the fountain of youth with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia.

Curtis Granderson has circled the bases on his own accord 14 times this season. The Vibe's preseason pick of 35 for the Grandyman is looking good!

Winning often makes people overlook or minimize things. I mean, look at Charlie Sheen.  As the Yankees were winning, some of their key players were struggling. Nick Swisher & Brett Gardner, fan favorites for their hustle and energy, slumped horribly. Fan favorites, perhaps, but not entrenched in Yankee history.

Winning can mask a lot of blemishes and chinks in the armor (see above). Why is it so hard to say the word "winning" nowadays without referencing Charlie Sheen?

Despite Rivera-like pitching from Mariano Rivera, the other 2/3 of the remaining “core” from the 1996-2000 4x World Champions was sputtering. Derek Jeter entered May with a .242 average as the Yankee leadoff hitter, with a .308OBP. He was on pace to score only 66 runs for the season. Meanwhile, Jorge Posada was making Jeter look like Ted Williams. Posada, while making no defensive contributions as the team’s DH, entered May with a .125 average and .232 OBP. He had smacked 6 home runs in April with 12 RBI, but had not done much with any of his other at-bats. Perhaps most embarrassing was that Jorge did not get a hit off of left-handed pitching in April.

And then….the wheels started to come off

I mean...do you think of anyone else when you see the expression "wheels coming off"?

The Yanks went 3-10 over their next 13 games to drop to 20-19. Three games behind the aforementioned Tampa Bay Rays. Tied with the aforementioned Boston Red Sox. Panic has set in. The Yankee party boat that had set sail towards a runaway AL East title has started to take on some major water. Of course, losses to Boston always compound things. This past weekend’s sweep served that purpose, and the panic was magnified by the childish behavior of Jorge Posada.

Now it’s a big deal that Swisher, Gardner, Jeter, and Posada have not produced. People are calling for the Yankees to trade for corner OF help – unwilling to wait for Swisher & Gardner. Jeter and Posada’s age have been called into question. A move to the OF soon for Jeter? A move to the bench soon for Posada?

It might not be too long before Jorge starts having to make himself comfortable here....during the Yanks offensive half-innings as well. A $13 million pinch hitter...who's disgruntled with his role....Yes please!

The ballclub’s reaction to everything that happened with Posada raised another issue for me. Obviously, Posada is now on notice due to what happened. However, the club’s reaction to Derek Jeter’s seemingly harmless comments on the whole issue seemed to bring Jeter on notice. It also makes me think that the team was IRATE with Posada behind closed doors. Why else would they be aggravated with Jeter for minimizing the incident? So what issue has all this brought to the surface?

The organization was unhappy with its shortstop after he weighed in on the Jorge situation. Why is it SO easy to find pictures of Brian Cashman making this face? 

Are the legacies of Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada more important than winning in the present?

No. But there should be a measure of delicacy in handling them. Posada has thrown some gasoline on his legacy by acting like a 5 year old and stinking the joint up, but Jeter’s is as important as any Yankee in our lifetime.

I have to take these as 2 separate cases. For a few reasons….1) Derek Jeter was more important to Yankee success since 1996 (not a knock on Posada, just a statement of fact), 2) Jorge’s struggles are far worse than Jeter’s, and 3) Jeter plays the field, while Jorge is strictly a DH.

Captain Clutch

It’s too early to panic on Derek Jeter. I will state the obvious, which is that he can do everything short of standing on his head and he won’t be worth (objectively) what he is making this year. No Yankee fan should ever complain about what they are paying Jeter. He deserves it. Think of it as payment for those MVP-caliber years he put up early in his career where he made $3 million a year or less. Truth be told, you could do a lot worse than Derek Jeter as your SS, both offensively and defensively. I expect Jeter to be the SS at least through the end of next season. I can foresee, however, them dropping him to the bottom third of the order if he continues along at a .250 clip through the end of the year. I wonder if he’d handle that the Posada way? I betcha he doesn’t.



Just in case you need a reminder as to why the Bombers are paying these two what they are...

Hip Hip

I spoke much about Posada in my last blog, so I’m not going to belabor the point too much. He’s got another month of leash before he should be considered a full-time pinch hitter off the bench (and not against lefties….as he is still 0-for-THE SEASON against southpaws). To look at it in a purely objective light, he is a 39 year old DH making $13 million and hitting .165. He makes no defensive contribution (even if not by his choice). Moreover, he stirred the pot big time by pouting out of the lineup last weekend. I honestly hope that he turns it around, but I’m not confident at all. For the record, I think he deserved the contract he got as well. I also think, thought, that he should know his placeThis could be his last season in NY – one way or the other.

"Hip-Hip..."

Or should I say…”Back-Back…”

Yankees designated hitter and 5X World Champion Jorge Posada has been in the crosshairs of the Vibe for a few weeks now. Carrying a batting average south of the Mendoza line for a few weeks as a regular for the New York Yankees will do that for you. Things came to a head for Posada on Saturday night, as he mysteriously removed himself from the lineup prior to the team’s game with the Red Sox.

Posada (see above, 2003 ALCS Game 7) has had his share of big moments in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Saturday night was not one of those moments.

Posada-gate

Speculation ran wild as to why Jorge took himself out of the lineup, thanks to “diarrhea of the mouth” GM Brian Cashman, who issued an in-game statement during Saturday night's game:

“Around 6:00, he came into Joe Girardi’s office and removed himself from the lineup. It’s not an injury situation. That’s all I can say about it right now“

Cash... you make us feel this way sometimes with some of the stuff that comes out of your mouth. Everything that comes out of his mouth about Pedro Feliciano shoves his foot deeper and deeper in there. He's also made some puzzling comments about Joe Torre and, of course, Derek Jeter.

This open-ended declaration set the stage for Joe Buck incessantly discussing possible reasons for Jorge being out all game long.

Posada’s wife tweeted (probably in response to what Joe Buck was saying on TV) that Jorge “loves being a Yankee” and that his “back stiffened up” prior to game time.

 

WINNING! Just to make sure all blog readers are aware. Jorge's wife, Laura Posada (of the "back stiffness" tweet), is the one in this picture who is not Regis Philbin. This is a classy blog, so I'll stop right here. If you want it to be more of a tasteless blog, insert your own "stiffness" joke here, and have yourself a good laugh.

 Girardi, speaking calmly with reporters after the loss, downplayed everything…indicating that Jorge came to see him and told him that he “needed a day.” He indicated that he expected Posada to be back in the lineup and part of the team moving forward.

Posada, on the other hand, seemed irked at the tone and delivery of Cashman’s statement in the post-game. He echoed his wife’s claim that his back stiffened up “from taking ground balls at first base,” but also indicated that he did not mention anything to Girardi about it when he spoke with the manager. Something doesn’t seem just quite right with that assertion.

Jorge once took Joe's job when he was a young buck and Joe was approaching the twilight of his career. Is Joe one of the reasons that Jorge might now be losing his? 

Incidentally, word came out that the Yankees were docking Posada’s pay for last night’s game, citing breach of contract. I’m wondering if Jorge’s back might have started stiffening up once he heard that they would be docking him pay.

The speculative explanations for why Jorge removed himself from the lineup range from the noble “he knew he wasn’t helping the team” to the sinister “he was pissed when he saw he was batting ninth.”

OK, so which jumps out at you more...Jorge being listed 9th, or the .165, 6, 15 line next to his name. 
(Jim Mcisaac/Getty Images)

I tend to believe that the latter is not true, as it came out a few weeks ago that Jorge actually thanked Joe for sticking with him despite his lack of production. This is a little different from the A-Rod batting 8^th drama. Jorge recognized that he was not hitting. Prideful or not, I feel like hitting 9^th would not have been the reason he pulled himself.

A-Rod had much more of a gripe with Joe Torre when the skipper batted him 8th against the Tigers in the 2006 ALDS. He was 30 years old and in his prime as one of the best hitters in baseball. Posada, 39, is at the end of his career and his production has severely declined.

At least I’d like to believe that. I’m not naïve enough to think that Jorge is incapable of acting that way. As important as he’s been to the Yankees over the years, we know that he has a short fuse, bad temper, and can act childish at times when he doesn’t like something. We remember the lack of grace with which he handled the Randy Johnson personal catcher fiasco. He’s never been accused of being even-keeled.

With all of these rumors swirling, some even suggested that Jorge was going to retire, a thought which was shot down quickly by Jorge. Lack of production at age 39 coupled with "opting out" of a game (whatever be the reason) will cause that speculation.  

Moving Forward

Will this all blow over? The answer to that depends on whether you think Posada is going to start to hit or not. This could blow over without incident, or it could get so much worse. It’s no secret that Posada is not happy with the organization for bailing on him as the starting catcher. He’s not a fan of Brian Cashman….there’s no way he is. This could be the requisite fuel needed to make this a more volatile situation.

What the hell happened? They used to be such good friends...

Or….Posada could step right back into the lineup and start to produce. Winning and success cures everything.

Personally, I have said all year that I want to give Posada into the middle of June to see where he is before pushing the panic button. It's definitely an adjustment for him. You hear all these cliche claims about how he goes from being in the game every pitch (as a catcher) to only batting 3 or 4 times as a DH.

All this talk of catchers being moved got me thinking about other cases of catchers being asked to change positions. Who can forget the Todd Hundley OF experiment in 1998? Of course, there were different reasons for Hundley's offensive demise. It's worth noting that he's a glaring omission from the Vibe's All-Juice Team.

As a former catcher, I can tell you. It runs much deeper than that. As a catcher, you are seeing pitches all game long. You are picking up release points, breaking ball rotations, and making reads from 60ft. 6 in. all game long. Even though it's your own pitcher (not the same pitcher you are facing as a hitter), you are still processing pitches, which makes you see the ball better as a hitter. Going from doing this for 15+ years to not catching a single inning has to be an adjustment. 

I’m still willing to give him until the middle of June, but I will admit:

The boat is taking on water faster than I anticipated.

Jorge DID hit .248 last year. The window of YES announcers being able to say “Well, Jorge’s average is low…but his power numbers are there” is starting to close. I feel like he’s had 6 HR and 15 RBI for a month now. And the middle of June is a month away. If conditions don’t improve, the Yankees will have three options:

Option A: Ride Jorge out the rest of the year

Option B: DH platoon of Andruw Jones/Eric Chavez

Option C: Trade for another corner OF who can DH

Based on how the Yanks usually operate, I’m going to be that Option C becomes a reality if it gets to that point. The problem is, it looks as if pickin’s will be slim for a bat come July 31^st. As is usually the case, it will be an interesting summer in Yankee Stadium. 

Jorge's replacement as Yankees DH?



Osama been Tweetin'

I would be remiss if I spent three sick days at home without blogging about the biggest news story of this year.  This weekend, the United States successfully raided a compound in Pakistan, found, and killed the #1 fugitive in American history – Osama bin Laden. As this is a sports blog, I can only speak of this from an athletic standpoint.

We all remember where we were on September 11, 2001. We all remember the feeling of national insecurity, the uncertain well-being of loved ones, and the week that followed – in which time stood still. The world sought answers, healing, and closure. Activities of recreation and pleasure seemed of little importance.

Post-9/11 patriotism at sporting events was the norm in the months immediately following the attacks.

However, it needs to be stated that sports were a part of the healing process for the nation. That may sound as if it minimizes the importance of the healing process, but where else was there an opportunity for 10’s of thousands of Americans to come together? Sporting events resumed with fans having a heavy heart, but drawn together and united behind the red, white, and blue. We remember flag-covered NFL fields and chants of U-S-A…U-S-A…U-S-A! Fans in New York remember the home run by Mike Piazza that shook Shea Stadium, and the World Series heroics of Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius a month and a half later.



Mets fan or not...It's pretty hard to forget how Piazza energized Shea with his September 21st home run against the Atlanta Braves. Sporting event or not, there was arguably no more unifying moment for the city in the days after the terrorist attacks.

The connection between sports and 9/11 is one that cannot be ignored, and came to the forefront this week with the death of bin Laden. With the popularity of social media being at an apex, fans were immediately able to gain access into athletes’ opinions on anything and everything. This can be good at times, and bad at times. As illustrated below…

The Tasteful:

“USA USA USA!!” – Lance Armstrong

“So they have bin Laden's body. Never thought we'd see the day. Figured he would be like Hitler and commit suicide or just disappear.” – Drew Brees

“God Bless ... all the Troops and Civilians that serve our country at home and overseas!!” – Michael Strahan

Strahan might not have much sense when it comes to dental hygiene, but he showed a lot of tact in reacting to the news of bin Laden's death.

The Head-Scratchers:

“Since we caught Osama do I still have to take my laptop out at security?” – Steve Nash

“You can't tell me they just now finding bin Laden. We prolly found him years ago and he wasn't giving us no info and we got tired of it.” – Grant Hill

Now would be an appropriate time to remind everyone that Grant Hill has a Duke education.

The Mendenhall Take:

And of course, the most controversial athlete tweet of the weekend – Rashard Mendenhall.
 

"What kind of person celebrates death?" Mendenhall wrote. "It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."

And later…

“We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style," he tweeted.

OK. Let’s dissect this for a minute. I’m actually with him on the first point that he makes. I had a hard time feeling the need to celebrate (hootin’ and hollerin’) about somebody dying. I embrace what happened as closure for many people, and the end of a long mission for the U.S. Armed Forces. And I must say, I did not lose a loved one on 9/11, but if I had, I couldn’t imagine the death of bin Laden making me want to celebrate. It would make me feel very satisfied that justice was served, and would likely result in my quiet reflection on everything. Hell, this is basically what I did anyway. I sure didn’t feel like jumping around as if the Yankees won the World Series. I will say, it was a nice moment at the Mets-Phillies game when the crowd (mix of both fans) began a “U-S-A…U-S-A….U-S-A!!!” chant.

Fans at the Mets-Phillies game showed unity as Americans with a goosebump-inducing "USA" chant after hearing the news.

As for Mendenhall, he should have STOPPED after that first sentence....but he continued:

 “It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak.”

Are you kidding me? What profound thing would Osama have been able to say to justify the killing of thousands of Americans. Mendenhall writes this as if Osama could have given a speech to the American people and afterwards have people say “Gee, I never saw it that way before.”

Maybe Mendenhall was using the South Park depiction of bin Laden to drive his opinion. I mean, maybe if we just LISTENED to the guy . . .

But, instead of stopping with one dumb statement, Mendenhall continued to dig himself in deeper:

“I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style.”

Well, are you blind, or were you just not watching TV that day? I mean, I know that you were only 14 years old. And that you lived in Illinois. But show some sense, dude.

We can't even be sure they have TV where Rashard grew up in Illinois.

He has since issued a well-written “apology” that seems to reinforce his support for the USA and to express his sorrow for offending anyone. In order to keep this blog short and manageable, I will not post the apology blog that was written. However, I will post the unsolicited comments made by his agent after the apology, which are slightly more entertaining:

 "This was truly, word for word, Rashard's thoughts," Rob Lefko told ESPN.com’s James Walker. "It was not written by anyone else and not crafted by anyone else."

So, without even being questioned about the authenticity of Mendenhall's apology, his agent releases that statement.

HEY….EVERYONE……LOOK WHAT RASHARD WROTE…..ALL BY HIMSELF!!!

Sometimes I guess it is nice to hear some recognition for doing something "all by yourself"....

*This blog was intended to lighten the mood around a very important and serious situation. It was in no way intended to minimize any loss or devastation. There was no offense intended to anyone (except Grant Hill and Rashard Mendenhall).

God Bless America!  

2012 NFL Draft

I always thought that straight draft predictions were nearly destined to fail from the start, because there is almost ALWAYS a trade in the first round. One trade can change the whole complexion of the draft. For example, a rumor came out today that the Redskins were trying to trade up to #2 to select Blaine Gabbert. Does that guarantee Patrick Peterson to the Cardinals at #5? Does that mean Jake Locker (the consensus #3 QB) gets drafted higher? A trade like this could change the entire landscape of the draft. Shanahan has always been one to fall in love with strong-armed passers, and Gabbert fits the mold.

Like I said, Shanahan has ALWAYS loved strong-armed passers....Hey, wait just a minute...

With the unpredictability of the first round and my limited knowledge of 32 teams’ needs, I will not do a team-by-team prediction. Rather, I will rant about five topics that I think are interesting going into the draft, write a few picture captions, and then try to make picks for some of the local teams (and teams who are near and dear to certain blog readers).

1.    Will Cam Newton be successful as a pro?

I do not think that Cam Newton is a good character guy. He got booted out of Florida, and definitely was in on the whole recruiting scandal with his father. His father took the hit for him in order to protect his son’s season with Auburn (and Auburn’s team, for that matter).

Before Auburn made him the highest paid free agent in the SEC, he was booted out of the traditionally lenient Florda program for an academic cheating scandal (and allegedly stealing a laptop).

That being said, he’s got two things going for him.

#1 – He’s a physical freak of nature. He is 6’5 and 248lbs. He’s basically as big as Daunte Culpepper, with much more mobility. He ran a 4.6 in the 40 at the NFL combine, but is said to have run a 4.42. Probably was wind-aided. He also has significant arm strength. The big question is – Will he be able to make good decisions on the field?

#2 – He’s got a major chip on his shoulder and seems like the type of guy who’s going to use that to fuel his work ethic. The opposite of this, of course, is former top pick JaMarcus Russell, who had a major chip on his shoulder and used it to fuel a different kind of appetite in his belly.

Poor JaMarcus is a constant PepeVibe target. He had a chip on his shoulder but chose to take the money and get fat and happy. This is how bad it is....when you start typing "JaMarcus Russell" into the Google images search bar, the second quick search that pops up as you get to the end is "JaMarcus Russell fat"

I think he’s going to be pretty good. He’s going into a pretty good situation in Carolina where they can run the ball (when healthy). As poorly as they played last year, they are not far off from being competitive. Having a gamer with some physical tools under center can go a long way towards achieving that.

THE VERDICT = QB’s the Panthers to NFC Playoffs by Year Three

You don't have to be a good guy to have success in the NFL, and Newton will be a playoff QB in Carolina before all is said and done. 

2.    Where will Patrick Peterson end up?

People are in love with Peterson. It is said that some teams have him ATOP their draft boards. Most mock drafts have him going as high as #3 to Buffalo, while few having him dropping past Arizona at #5. He’s thought to be among the closest things to a “lock” in this draft, in terms of being an impact player.

Patrick Peterson (#7) intercepting a pass in front of another first round pick, AJ Green of Georgia. Patty Pete is said to be a pro-ready cornerback who will be able to immediately shore up the secondary of whichever team he goes to.

If the draft stays as is, the Cardinals could really have the ability to impact the rest of the Top 15. If they take Gabbert, then there could be teams trying like crazy to trade with Cleveland to take Peterson at 6. If they take Peterson, then there is less of a frenzy, and Prince Amakumamamamamama of Nebraska becomes the CB consolation prize. More importantly, the question becomes….where does Gabbert fall to? Ahhh, sounds like a whole other topic worthy of ranting on.

THE VERDICT = Peterson to the Cardinals at #5

Where Peterson ends up will be a stiuation that bears watching. His final landing spot could set off a chain reaction of moves for many of the teams looking at Gabbert and for a CB. 

3.    Blaine Gabbert is the QB of the future for…

In looking at the current Top 10, there are four teams who could definitely be in the market for a QB: Buffalo, Arizona, SF, and Washington. Carolina excluded, of course, because it’s pretty widely accepted that if they take a QB, it’s Newton. I have a feeling that Tennessee will take a QB at some point in this draft, but it might not be in Round One. They could be lining up Mallet in the 2^nd round.

You mean Max Hall isn't the answer in Arizona?

Gabbert has all the physical tools (just shy of 6’5….235lbs), but a criticism is that he did not play in a pro-style offense at Missouri. He took a lot of snaps out of shotgun (as Jon Gruden pointed out in his self-proclaimed "QB Camp" in ESPN).



*Sidebar….I can’t stand those Gruden pieces. I saw him in this episode nearly berate Gabbert for not getting to the handoff spot as quickly as Peyton Manning. The pomposity on Gruden’s part is too much for me. And no, I did not use Shift + F7 for “pomposity”…

This will be one of the most interesting things to watch in Round One….

THE VERDICT = Gabbert to the 49ers at #7

Not many know that this STALLION above (Gabbert) actually runs as fast a 40-yard dash as Cam Newton. An athlete who will be able to grow under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco.

4.    Odds the Patriots make both of their first round picks…

The Pats have the luxury of having two first round picks…..one in the middle of the round (#17) and one late in the round (#28). On top of that, they possess only 5 total picks for the entire draft. Knowing how the Patriots traditionally mini-rebuild through the draft, I don’t know if the Pats will sit with only 5 picks. I also think they need some help in spots, especially on defense and WR. I forsee one of two scenarios:

1)    The Pats package both 1^st round picks to move up into the Top 5 to grab a player like Patrick Peterson.

2)    The Pats trade away one – or both – of their picks to move back and add to the overall number of picks.

Billy will be wearing his Thursday night best as the Pats will likely wheel and deal for either a defensive stud like Patty Pete, or for some additional picks.

I see scenario 2 being more likely, I think that Billy Boy wants to have at least 7+ picks coming out of this draft….ESPECIALLY since it looks like teams will not be able to sign undrafted free agents right away after the draft because of the lockout.

THE VERDICT: Pats trade their #17 pick for two later picks, plus a pick in the 2012 draft.

The Pats never need to have high draft picks to grab talented players. Case in point, Aaron Hernandez (above) was taken in the 4th round of last year's draft and ended up being a breakout tight end.

5.    Former Heisman Trophy-winning RB Mark Ingram….Where will he go, and how good will he be?

Ingram is going anywhere from mid-first round to somewhere in the second round. I can’t help but think that if he had been able to come out last year after his Heisman, he would’ve been a Top 10 pick (I mean, CJ Spiller was the #9 pick…and he’s the same type of runner). Suffice it to say, Ingram is not a fan of the "3 years in college" NFL draft rule. I think that despite the durability concerns, and concerns about his ability to handle 20 carries a game, Ingram will be a useful player in 2011 (assuming there is a season).

Dude! You could've gone Top 10 last year! Tough luck, especially if you fall out of the first round!

I feel confident in saying that he will be a productive running back. Will he end up being a dominant feature back like ADP, Gore, Chris Johnson, MJD, etc? I don’t think so (just yet), but I like him to get 15-20 touches per game wherever he goes. The Dolphins would make sense at #15, but who knows if they’ll look to address RB in the first round (lord knows, they need it to be addressed). After the Fins, the next logical suitors are the Pats at 28 and the Pack at 32. It will be interesting to see where he goes.

THE VERDICT: Pats use their #28 pick on Mark Ingram

So you mean to tell me that the Fins will pass on Ingram and roll yet AGAIN with Ronnie Brown?!?!?! Yeish....

LOCAL DRAFT PICKS

New York Jets(#30) Justin Houston, LB, Georgia

New York “Little Sisters”(#19) Nate Solder, OL, Colorado

Philadelphia Eagles(#23) Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

SPECIAL BLOG FANS TEAMS

Buffalo Bills(#3) Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Miami Dolphins(#15) Mike Pouncey, OL, Florida

Dallas Cowboys(#9) Tyron Smith, OL, USC

San Francisco 49ers(#7) Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Top Ten, Top Ten Draft Busts in the Last Ten Years

Naturally, with the NFL Draft approaching, the next big blog has to be a blog about the draft. However, if I did a full-blown “draft preview,” it would merely consist of me reading up on the previews of others and constructing a preview that is not genuine. So, I am taking a different angle on things. Later this week, I will post an NFL Draft blog that touches on a few things that I can speak about (Cam Newton’s career outlook, which teams will be after a QB, where Mark Ingram will land, etc.).

I don't know as much as these "geniuses" know, so I can't project the entire first round. But I will make the NFL draft memorable for blog fans.

For now, there will be no preview. There are two things that everyone wants to do when a draft approaches: 1) make predicted picks, and 2) talk about “busts” from previous years.

Draft busts? Now that’s something that I can gladly speak about...In order to narrow the pool a bit, I have enacted the following criteria:

-Player must have been drafted in the top ten of that draft.

-Player must have been drafted in the last ten years (starting with the 2001 draft).

-One player per draft is dubbed the “BUST” of that draft, and other candidates are given “Honorable Mention” status.

And now, without further ado, our list of NFL Busts, starting with 2001...

2001

#8 David Terrell, WR, Michigan to the Chicago Bears

David Terrell's glory days...celebrating an Orange Bowl win with Tom Brady

Few remember David Terrell now…which speaks to how much of a bust he was. He made a living in college catching passes from Tom Brady and Drew Henson, and was a household name going into the 2001 draft (with Michigan always on ABC). Despite having some physical tools, he never seemed to show any signs of being a legitimate NFL receiving threat. He amassed 1,600 receiving yards over 5 seasons, with a career high of 43 receptions in 2003.

Honorable Mention: Jamal Reynolds (DE from FSU #9 to Green Bay)

2002

#1 David Carr, QB, Fresno State to the Houston Texans

#3 Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon to the Detroit Lions

If only Carr had some blocking in Houston, he would've been a great NFL QB....right?

Always a likeable guy, Harrington received a fresh start in Miami, Atlanta, and New Orleans to try to "resurrect" his career.

It would be a near injustice to choose one over the other here. Their careers shared similar paths, both beginning with sky-high hype. Both showed signs of success at times, but never seemed to take the next step. Carr is still active (for now) as a backup, while Harrington has been out of the league since 2007. They have comparable career passing numbers:

Carr (23-56 career) 14,433 yards, 65 TD, 71 INT

Harrington (26-50 career) 14,693 yards, 79TD, 85INT

They will forever be linked as the two “can’t miss” pro quarterbacks who did not pan out.

2003

#2 Charles Rogers, WR, Michigan State to the Detroit Lions

Rogers (right) fell in love with old Mary Jane, while Mike Williams (left) might have found himself in this blog one year ago, but salvaged his rep (for now) with a solid season in Seattle this past year.

When I saw Rogers play in college, I thought he was going to be one of the great WR’s in the NFL. He ran (what looked like at the time) great routes, had great hands, and made several highlight reel catches for the Spartans. I can remember him killing Notre Dame. Rogers started 9 games over his 3 NFL seasons and had 36 catches for 440 yards and 3TD in his career. For whatever reason, he just couldn’t put it together in the NFL (neither on nor off the field).

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Sullivan (#6 pick DT from Georgia to the Saints)

2004

#2 Robert Gallery, T, Iowa to the Oakland Raiders

There they are. These two arguably set the Raiders back 10 years. Gallery (right) was supposed to be the thuggish, rugged offensive tackle that the black hole could get behind. Instead, he ended up fighting for a starting job 3 years into his career.

One of the poster children for the Raiders poor drafting in the 2000’s….continue reading for the other. Gallery was a physical specimen who played in an outstanding college offense at Iowa. Was moved from tackle to guard a few years ago to try to get him going….it didn’t work. Had a reputation (as our other Raider on this list does) of being cocky and “too big for his britches.”

Honorable Mention: Reggie Williams (I know most of you are saying ”WHO?” but he actually was fantasy relevant for a short while in 2006)

2005

#7 Troy Williamson, WR, South Carolina to the Minnesota Vikings

This guy will replace Randy Moss as our downfield threat....NOT!

While Williamson was certainly not the most heralded WR to come out of college football, he was thought to be a potential heir apparent in the passing game to Randy Moss. He had good hands, and was supposed to be able to stretch the field. In six seasons since being drafted, he has amassed about one solid season’s worth of statistics….as his career numbers (87 rec, 1131 rec yd, 4TD).

Honorable Mention: Pacman Jones (although did make a Pro Bowl…makes this spot for off-the-field indiscretions)

2006

#10 Matt Leinart, QB, USC to the Arizona Cardinals

They said coming out of college that Leinart needed to focus more on football...Were they right? Who knows, but one thing is for sure. His reputation has taken a hit with images like these (Look at this terrible guy....what is he thinking?) and with his pouting exit from Arizona.

While still in the league, Leinart never quite showed any signs of turning into the player that many thought he would be. It was thought he would go at #3 to the Titans, and was said to be the most “pro ready” QB. A short stint as the guy in Arizona was followed by several long years as Kurt Warner’s backup. When finally given a shot to take over, he couldn’t hang on and pouted his way right out of town. Vince Young is somewhat in the mix, but did lead the Titans to quite a few wins in his years, before his unceremonious exit.

Honorable Mention: Vince Young

2007

#1 JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU to the Oakland Raiders

I wonder which one of these guys was his life coach who just quit? It was seriously hard choosing a picture to represent Russell. There are so many good ones.

This blog is the first time that JaMarcus Russell has been considered a “sure thing.” There is a viable candidate in this draft (Ted Ginn Jr.) but Russell just blows him out of the water. At least Ginn is still in football. Russell’s troubles are well-documented, and he recently had his “life coach” quit on him. You could say something like “he’s hit rock bottom,” but you have to remember….he has a lot of Al Davis’ money.

Honorable Mention: Ted Ginn Jr.

2008

#6 Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State to the New York Jets

I can't believe I actually found a picture of Gholston making a tackle. Go figure!

 This was an easy call. A pretty solid top ten otherwise. Gholston has been a waste of a draft pick for gang green, despite their continued patience with him. 5 starts in 3 years. 16 tackles. 0 sacks. His greatest contributions (and I use that term loosely) have been on special teams. He is neck-and-neck with Blair Thomas in the annals of Jets history.

Honorable Mention: N/A   

2009

#6 Andre Smith, T, Alabama to the Cincinnati Bengals



Andre Smith's stellar showing at the combine (see above) is what attracted teams to him. What...doesn't it attract you to him too?



This is the second closest race of any pair of busts (next to Carr and Harrington). Darius Heyward-Bey really gives Smith a run for his money. DHB is more of the “mainstream” favorite, because he plays WR, he plays for the Raiders, and he was picked highly instead of much-heralded Michael Crabtree. But the X-factor is that at least DHB has been on the field and has a few plays to hang his hat on. Andre Smith put the Bengals through a long holdout that all but wiped out his rookie season (1 start). As a sequel, he started 4 games last year as a second year pro. 5 starts in 2 years from your 6^th overall blindside tackle is not going to get it done. Not to mention, he was remarkably mediocre in the game action he did see. Tough call, but ‘dre gets the nod over DHB.

Honorable Mention: Darius Heyward-Bey & Matthew Stafford (a distant 3^rd here, but still worth mentioning in this discussion now)

2010

#9 C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson to the Buffalo Bills

Spiller was the top dog in a weak RB class last year. He plays a Reggie Bush-esque style that could eventually lead to him being productive. At the time of this blog, however, he's the pick from 2010.

OK, admittedly this is a tough break for Spiller. It’s too soon to label him a “bust” just yet, but in all fairness he did not have a very good rookie season. Compounding things is the fact that the rest of the Top Ten acquitted themselves very well in their rookie seasons. I still actually think he could end up being a very useful, productive player (a poor man’s Reggie Bush?). With only one year to go off of (280 rushing yds, 150 receiving yds, 23.0 KR average, and 2 TD), Spiller is the pick.

Honorable Mention: N/A