Silva Sportz

Our Trip to the DFW Marriott (aka the most fun I've had in years!)

2007-10-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers had attended the Cowboys/Rams game from two weeks ago and he told me that him and his family stayed at the hotel and that they had gotten some autographs. Of course being the hardest of hardcore, hard to the core, numero uno Dallas Cowboys fan, I immediately knew what my destiny was. I had to make the pilgrimage to the hotel and meet my heroes. So on Saturday, October 13th, Sarah, Devin, Pete, and myself took a trip to Irving to try and get some autographs. We first had to fuel up properly because we knew that we would need adequate energy to complete the task before us. We decided to stop at Mary's in Strawn for the best chicken fried steak in Texas, which of course means the best chicken-fry around. Of course we were all decked out in our finest Cowboys gear and everyone could tell we meant business. For $11.00 you get a chicken fried steak that is bigger than my head (3/4 lb to be exact), a pile of fresh-cut french fries, and salad. It was truly a meal fit for a king. We stuffed ourselves and then took our leftovers (yes, we actually all had leftovers), and headed to the DFW Airport Marriott, which is the host hotel for the Dallas Cowboys. We arrived about 4:45pm and there were already some people standing out at the fence near the players parking lot. The set up is that the players pull into a private parking lot that is blocked off to the public in their own personal vehicles. The players then park and go inside the hotel for the evening. When the players park, some of them will then walk over to the fence and sign autographs. So from the fans perspective, whenever you see an expensive vehicle coming down the street, you get excited anticipating who it could be! Then you run along the fence waiting to see which spot the car will pull into in the parking lot. Then you bumrush the fence and push woman and children out of the way and yell for your favorite player. Of course, not everyone signs but the ones who do were extremely friendly. Without further adieu, below are some pictures from our experience! (double click each picture for full size viewing)

Look at this chicken fry! It's huge!

Are you hungry yet? Mary's Cafe in Strawn, TX.

Andres and Pedro

This is when we had just arrived. We met some cool guy there from Florida and he took the pic. Pete's "got five" shirt has a pic of the Cowboys five Super Bowl championship rings on the back. Some guys came up to Pete and said they liked it. Then the guys says, "got five. Oh, that's like got milk." It was funny.

You can barely see, but if you look closely there is a guy right between those two arms. He didn't sign any autographs. People claimed it was DeMarcus Ware, but I never got a good enough look to confirm.

Here is Jason Witten. He drove up in the dark colored SUV and was just walking over to the fence. The silver SUV belongs to Brad Johnson, backup QB.

The crowd pressing in for Witten's autograph. I had already gotten it, so I was kind and slid back to let others in.

Witten again. That's Devin and some black guy. They have the same hat.

I really like this pic. Devin, Pete with the short hair, and Sarah pressing in to touch the hem of Witten's garment.

Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar. On the ends of the parking lot the fence is only waist high.

Nick Folk, the hero from the Buffalo game.

Julius Jones just getting out of his Ferrari. The enormous grey truck next to him is Leonard Davis'. Enormous truck for enormous man, I guess.

Julius Jones up close and personal.

Linebacker Kevin Burnett. He only signed for kids. I can understand that. I'm lying - stupid kids.

It's Ken Hamlin! In the dark some of the players are hard to recognize. And some players people just don't know who they are. Everyone was calling this guy Patrick Crayton, then I saw his face and I shouted to him, "Nope. I know you, you're Ken Hamlin!" He smiled at me. I can die now.

That's Sam Hurd over there. Giving you a sense of the mob you have to push through.

WR Sam Hurd #17.

Big Leonard Davis grey truck along with some other vehicles.

Mat McBriar again. He was actually pretty big for a punter.

Kicker Nick Folk from a distance. I think that is my shoulder in blue. Pete took the pic.

Tony Romo.

TE Anthony Fasano. He was another player that I was the first to recognize.

Ken Hamlin

More Ken Hamlin. Can you ever have enough?

This is Brad Johnson emerging from his car. He didn't sign though.

Jason Witten just got out of his car! I can't explain how excited I was at this point.

Witten looking confused. Witten was really cool. Even though he is one of the biggest names on the team, he probably stayed out there signing longer than anyone.

Ken Hamlin

We ran out of film, but we still met some other cool Cowboys. At about 10:00pm all the parking spaces in the lot were full, so everyone out there pretty much left. Most of the people there were staying at the hotel, so they went inside. We retreated to our vehicle were we had brought sandwiches. While munching near the rookie parking lot, Devin spotted some guys going to their cars to leave. We quickly hurried over and met rookies Doug Free and Deon "Cricket" Anderson. Anderson was especially cool. He shook our hands and talked to us for about 5 minutes. Unfortunately we had no more film. We then made our way back to the fence, just in case any more Cowboys straggled out. Sure enough, we got to meet Remi Ayodele and Jacque Reeves and no other fans were out there but two other people. I am sure everyone is wondering where the big names were. We did see T.O. get out of nice car, but he had someone else park it. He didn't sign but he waved when everyone was yelling and then quickly went inside. Never saw Romo or Roy Williams. DeMarcus Ware, I am still not sure about but they claim that was him in the earlier pic, but I don't know for sure.

Here are all the autographs I was able to get on a really nice football:
Mat McBriar, P, #1
Sam Hurd, WR, #17
Julius Jones, RB, #21
Evan Oglesby, CB, #23
Deon Anderson, FB, #24
Ken Hamlin, FS, #26
Jacque Reeves, CB, #35
Doug Free, OT, #68
Cory Procter, C, #71
Jason Witten, TE, #82
Jay Ratliff, DE, #90
Remi Ayodele, DT, #92

If you ever come over I might let you see it for a fee. As for holding it and touching it, you don't have that kind of money.

Idiotic Temper Tantrums

2007-09-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have written on Silva Sportz, but there are some recent sports stories that I must comment on.

First, the Milton Bradley story. Milton Bradley has to have one of the worst tempers in all of sports history. Scratch that, in all of history. He is mad because an ump taunted him? Seeing how easy it is to set him off and make him go nuts, I kind of want to taunt the guy just because it is so funny! Bradley claims the ump told him he was a piece of s**t and something else, blah, blah. I guess we will never know the truth of what was said on either end. Of course, I don’t think the ump should call Bradley a piece of s**t, but at the same time, has Bradley never been called a name in his life? Ignore it or tell someone else. There are so many ways that would have been a better choice to handle it than the way Bradley did. The other problem I have is that headline keep saying that Bradley’s manager “threw Bradley down”. I saw the highlights. The manager restrained him and Bradley fell and twisted his knee all by himself. FACT: If you tear your ACL because you are throwing a tantrum, then you deserve it.
Is 'provocative' umpiring responsible for Bradley's knee injury? (USA Today)

A second story I must comment on is Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy going nuts on a reporter. Do these guys not know how stupid they look while throwing their tantrums? Gundy was mad because a reporter called Bobby Reid soft. First of all I found out that the reporter was a chick. Not that that really makes a difference but I guess it is just funnier because a girl made Gundy so ticked. Since when does a reporter’s opinion matter? I could see if she said dissed Reid with some of those old Matt vs Chris Battle rhymes but come on, calling a kid soft is hardly worthy of the rant Gundy went on. If I were that reporter, I would write at least one column a week calling someone from OSU soft. I would also write a column calling Gundy a baby and then I would photoshop lots of pics of him with a diaper or a bottle or something and put it on the front page. Also if I were at that press conference when he went on his tirade I would not have been able to resist just standing up and shouting, “hey coach you’re soft, Bobby Reid’s soft, your whole team is soft!” I think Coors Lite should use that Gundy clip for one of their beer commercials where the guys talk to different coaches. But only on two conditions. Number one, OSU or Mike Gundy get no profits from it and number two, it has to make Gundy look stupid. Again.
Cowboys' Gundy doesn't back down after postgame tirade (ESPN)

Speaking of crazy people, I can’t pass up this quote of the day. I heard that Mike Tyson was in court Monday from his arrest last year. A judge asked him, “Do you use cocaine?” to which Tyson responded, “Whenever I can get my hands on it.” While I would never condone drug use, I feel like Chappelle on “I know black people”, somehow Tyson’s answer is correct and by correct I mean cool.
Tyson Pleads Guilty to Drug, DUI Charges (Associate Press)

New NFL Gear

2007-08-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

I need someone's help please. I am trying to find this tracksuit or warmup suit or whatever you want to call it. I have seen L.T. wearing one during last Sunday night's preseason game and also Frank Gore was wearing one one Monday night's game. As you can see, it is made by Reebok, but it was not on their site. If anyone can tell me where to get one, then you will gain mad fame and props. Thanks.

Best Team Drafts

2007-04-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned on reviewing and ranking every team’s draft. But as I began to undertake that task, I realized that that is 32 teams a whole lot more time than I have to spend on this. Until someone wants to start paying me to write about the NFL full-time, then sorry but I have to cut it short. So what I will do is give a couple teams that I feel had the best draft and then hopefully tomorrow I can drop a few of the worst drafting teams.

First I will cover the teams that had the best drafts. A couple of teams mentioned as having good drafts are 49ers, Cardinals, Cowboys, Raiders, Browns, Falcon, Colts, Panthers, and Vikings. (Based on Pro Football Weekly and NFL.com. Before I give two teams that I believe had the best drafts, I want to qualify how I arrived at my decision. I considered what team’s picks will have an impact on their team immediately. Of course to truly evaluate a draft, we would have to look at least 3 years down the road, maybe even more. Since I am not John Tetor, I can only look at the present. Also I considered the team’s needs coming into the draft to see if they met their biggest needs. So judging on that criteria, my the two teams I feel had the best draft are the Carlolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Carolina Panthers:
25. Jon Beason, LB, Miami
45. Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
59. Ryan Kalil, C, USC
83. Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
118. Ryne Robinson, WR, Miami (Ohio)
155. Dante Rosario, TE, Oregon
164. Tim Shaw, LB, Penn State
226. C.J. Wilson, CB, Baylor

In no particular order, I had the Panthers biggest needs as OT, DE, WR, TE, LB. As you can see they covered several of those. I can see the first four picks starting or at least receiving significant playing time. Beason and Kalil were both tops at their position coming into this draft. Jarrett and Johnson both dominated competition at one point in their college careers. If they can carry that success over, they could both be great values. Finally, not many people know about Wilson, but he is confident and talented and could contribute in nickel packages and special teams.

The second team with the best draft was the Minnesota Vikings.
7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
44. Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
72. Marcus McCauley,CB, Fresno State
102. Brian Robison,DE, Texas
146. Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
176. Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma
217. Tyler Thigpen, QB, Coastal Carolina
233. Chandler Williams, WR, Florida International

In no particular order, here are the Vikings needs coming into draft. OL depth, firepower on offense, secondary depth, and a pass-rush. I don’t think I have to say much about Peterson. I believe he will be the Rookie of the Year. As for Sidney Rice, he had some injuries last year that made people forget about him some, but at one time he was the most consistent wide-out in college, even ahead of Calvin Johnson. In my opionion, Rice was the second/third best receiver in the draft. McCauley was potentially a first round pick. Robison, as anyone who follows Texas Longhorns knows, is a player. He has a motor and as he showed at the combine, he is an athlete. I also like the pick of Alexander. Alexander fell down many draft board because he is small and apparently not very strong. Alexander does however have a nose for the ball, as he proved as a standout at OU.

Check back later to see who did worst job drafting this week-end.

Cowboys Draft Picks

2007-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the Cowboys picks from the 2007 NFL draft. I have included links to info on all the players so you can find out all about the newest members of the greatest team on earth. Hopefully all these men can produce in some way. Also the Cowboys site has some bios, which are basically the NFL bios re-copied, but they do have some video clips of our picks or some other good analysis.

Round 1
Pick #26 Anthony Spencer, OLB, Purdue
Spencer's NFL.com profile here. Spencer's Scout.com profile here.

Round 3
Pick #67 James Marten, OT, Boston College
Marten NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Round 4
Pick #103 Isaiah Stanback, QB/WR, Washington
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here. Here's article about Stanback and how he never got to live up to his potential.

Pick #122 Doug Free, OT, Northern Illinois
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Round 6
Pick #178 Nick Folk, K/P, Arizona
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Pick #195 Deon Anderson, FB, Connecticut
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here. Here's an article about how Anderson was poor and had to live in a locker room.

Round 7
Pick #212 Courtney Brown, CB, Cal Poly
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Pick #237 Alan Ball, CB, Illinois
Profile from Illinois since this guy was pretty unknown, he didn’t have an NFL.com profile but Scout.com does have him as a 3 star prospect here.

Finally, how did the experts rank Dallas' draft? Gil Brandt of NFL.com's analysis can be found here.

Day 2 Notable Draft Picks

2007-04-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the more notable players taken on the second day of the draft. You can review the entire draft here.

Round 4
100. Oakland Raiders - Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
102. Minnesota Vikings - Brian Robison , DE, Texas
107. New Orleans Saints - Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio St
112. Pittsburgh Steelers - Daniel Sepulveda, P, Baylor
117. Detroit Lions - Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech
120. Seattle Seahawks - Baraka Atkins, DE, Miami

Round 5
142. Arizona Cardinals - Steve Breaston, WR, Michigan
143. Washington Redskins - Dallas Sartz, OLB, USC
174. Baltimore Ravens - Troy Smith, QB, Ohio St

Round 6
176. Minnesota Vikings - Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma
183. Houston Texans - Casey Studdard, G, Texas
188. Tennessee Titans - Joel Filani, WR, Texas Tech
193. Green Bay Packers - Mason Crosby, K, Colorado
196. Kansas City Chiefs - Herbert Taylor, OT, TCU
205. Washington Redskins - Jordan Palmer, QB, UTEP

Round 7
227. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dallas Baker, WR, Florida
235. NY Jets - Chansi Stuckey, WR, Clemson
239. Buffalo Bills - CJ Ah You, DE, Oklahoma
240. San Diego - Brandon Siler, LB, Florida
Mr Irrelevant 255. Detroit Lions – Ramzee Robinson, CB, Alabama

2007 Draft - Round One Wrap-up

2007-04-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so day one of the 2007 NFL draft is in the books. Rounds 1-3 held some surprises, some obvious picks, and a whole lot of trades. As you can check my Mock Drafts in previous posts, I didn’t do so hot. Not terrible, but not great. I got seven of the round one picks correct, which out of 32 sounds crappy, but in actuality it’s about average. The best mock draft that I tracked was Pro Football Weekly, who got a whopping 13 picks correct in the first round, including the first 8 picks! I won’t waste time telling you everyone or every site I tracked, but a few notables are ESPN’s draft gurus, Mel Kiper got 8 correct picks in his mock draft and Todd McShay got 7 correct. Sports Illustrated’s mock draft that was printed in their most recent issue was compiled by SI writer Jeffri Chadiha, who got 5 picks correct. Anyway, if you want to know the rest, then shoot me an e-mail. Now onto my analysis of round one. (I’m too lazy to do all three rounds, but after Sunday and the entire draft is complete, hopefully, I can post my draft review for each team).

1. Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
No huge surprise here. At first I wasn’t high on Russell, but I guess I sort of bought into the hype, because I think he will be allright. But, I won’t be shocked if he flops. Honestly, I thought and still do think that Andrew Walters is an NFL quality QB, but Russell was the right pick for this team.

2. Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
I don’t like how people have been saying that Johnson is a “sure thing”. There is never any sure thing coming out of college, you just never know what will happen. I know everyone tries to clown the Lions for always taking receivers but this was again the right pick. Kitna is capable at quarterback and if Johnson live up to his hype, with Roy, and Mike Furrey, these Lee-owns could give the Cards or Colts a run for best receiving corp in the league.

3. Cleveland Browns – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
Again, people kept saying Thomas was the “safest” pick. Since when has the NFL been about being “safe”? It’s all about winning and I think Quinn was the best chance to help this team win. I guess it worked out for them in the end, since they ended up getting Thomas and Quinn, but truth be told, the Browns got kind of lucky for that to happen. On paper, the Browns are starting to look pretty good, but unfortunately games aren’t played on paper and this has been a struggling franchise for years. We’ll see.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
I don’t know about Adams. I have to be honest, I just haven’t seen him play enough (hilights don’t count). The Bucs weren’t really sure what to get here and I would imagine they considered trading down, but if no one will trade, then you gotta make the pick, and you gotta take the best player available. That was prolly Adams here.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Levi Brown, OT, Penn St
Wow, really surprised me with this pick. Like the Bucs before, I would imagine the Cards considered trading down after Thomas was gone, but if you can’t get a deal, you can’t get a deal. I would’ve taken Adrian Peterson here. Yeah, they got Edge but I think he is definitely on the decline. Peterson is a game-breaker that doesn’t come around very often. Besides in the league now you almost have to have two starting –level RB’s. With that said, the line was in desperate need of improvement and Brown should start immediately.

6. Washington Redskins – LaRon Landry, S, LSU
As many people know there are a couple of different draft strategies when it comes to picking. You can either take the best player available or you can fill your biggest need, or a combo of both. I think here, the ‘Skins took best player available in Landry. I don’t know if people know how good Landry was/is. In my opinion, he was prolly third on my big board of best overall players. He could be scary in the defensive backfield with the Meast, Sean Taylor, but I think Taylor is kind of overrated. Anyway he should make an immediate impact, so the ‘Skins made the right choice.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
I had heard rumors that the Vikes were for sure gonna take Landry with this pick, just one problem. The ‘Skins took him with the pick right before! Vikings needed help with a pass-rusher, but this is too high to take any of the remaining options. It comes down to Quinn or Peterson and I think the Vikings feel they have made an investment in Tarvaris Jackson, so they want to see him through. Besides, you can’t go wrong with Peterson, who I predict will be rookie of da year.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
I will spare any references to the old Dirty Bird RB. Just know that this is what the Falcons needed most (pass rusher) and Anderson is the best DE at this point.

9. Miami Dolphins – Ted Ginn, Jr, WR, Ohio St
Well it was bound to happen. Every year someone has to make a bonehead pick. Not saying Ginn will necessarily be a bust, (although, in my opinion he isn’t nearly that good of a receiver) but I am saying this was a bad pick for the ‘Phins. I mean they desperately need a QB and Quinn falls into their lap and what do they do? Receiver wasn’t even one of their top three needs. So they took a player too early that they didn’t even need. They screwed the pooch men.

10. Houston Texans – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
They did need D-line help and if Okoye can live up to his potential then this youngster can develop into a fine DT and that could give the Texans a promising, young line along with Big Mario.

11. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
The Niners have been rebuilding on both sides of the ball and needed some D-line, linebacker, and receiver help. Willis is a great player and should be a star in the league for years to come. Couldn’t go wrong with this pick.

12. Buffalo Bills – Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
The Bills had two enormous needs coming into this draft. They desperately needed a RB and desperately needed some LB’s. I believe they would’ve taken Willis if the ‘Niners hadn’t snagged him right before. This was a little high for Lynch, but it also would’ve been high to take any of the other backers left also. This was probably the best pick, otherwise they would have had to trade for a RB because after Lynch, none of the other RB’s in this draft have full-time starter talent.

13. St. Louis Rams – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
Oh man, this guy looks like a zombie. The Rams did need pass-rush help and Carriker supposedly has a non-stop motor. They think he will be another Grant Wistrom. Good pick.

14. NY Jets (from CAR) – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
The Jets moved up to grab Revis. They needed a corner, I just think that their would’ve been a good corner when they picked at 25. However, I assume their scouting department really liked Revis and thought he was the best corner for them. If he’s your guy then trading up to secure him is a good move. He should be a starter next year so good move.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
Well I already don’t like Timmons because he wore #83 in college. Why??? Anyway, the Steelers are trying to replace Joey Porter so a linebacker was a natural pick here. However, I am not sure about Timmons pass-rushing ability, but he will probably be an upgrade from Porter who had fallen off. Remember when SI tried to say Porter was the most feared man in the NFL?

16. Green Bay Packers, Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
As everyone already knows , it is claimed Harrell would’ve been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his bicep, so maybe this is a steal? But no, he did tear his biceps so he wasn’t going to be taken high. I think the Pack reached for Harrell here. They could’ve used some offensive firepower here instead like a wideout or even Greg Olsen (sorry Big Spring). They still have to trade for an RB also.

17. Denver Broncos (from JAX) – Jarvis Moss, DE/LB, Florida
The Broncos traded up to snag Moss. They did need linebacker help, but I think Moss projected better as a 3-4 outside backer. I don’t think the Munchos should’ve moved up to take Moss. They could’ve gotten a solid LB with pick 21.

18. Cincinnati Bengals – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
The Bengals needed a corner and Hall was projected to be the best on many boards. However, against every top-tier competition he face, he struggled (Jarrett, Ginn, etc). Hall will face nothing but the best in the NFL so we’ll see if he’s up to it.

19. Tennessee Titans – Michael Griffin, S, Texas
I thought the Titans would’ve taken a receiver here, but I guess there wasn’t anyone they liked in this position. Griffin does have big play potential plus look how their last Texas draftee worked out for them.

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
Ross was actually who I had the G-men taking in my mock draft. They needed a corner or o-line help. Good pick for the Giants, just too bad he will have to get beat at least two games a year.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
Another pick I had in my mock draft. They Jags wanted Nelson, and I’m pretty sure they would’ve taken him at pick 17, so to be able to trade down, get the extra picks, and still get your man? Can’t get much better than that!

22. Cleveland Browns (from DAL) – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
First let me touch on Dallas’ end of the deal. Sheer genius. Okay Dallas knew that several teams were looking to move up to take Quinn here. Dallas also knew that more than likely at this pick they weren’t going to get any player that would be a sure-fire starter. So when they are offered the Browns picks you gotta jump on it. Plus to get the Browns first round pick next year should be really juicy (I sang that) as the odds that Cleveland finished in bottom 5 picks. Now onto Cleveland’s end of the deal…they wanted Quinn badly. I mean badly. In fact they almost took him with the third pick. So to be able to get Joe freakin Thomas and still get a franchise QB is a helluvadeal. HECKUVARUSH!! Seriously, many people tried to say that the Browns gave up too much by giving their first round pick for next year. What would they have gotten with that pick next year? A franchise QB! Basically they just got him a year earlier, plus Quinn has a shot to be really good, plus he is a fan-favorite being from Ohio. So it worked out great for both teams.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
Chefs did need a receiver desperately, especially one who can be explosive. Supposedly Bowe fits that mold so this was a good pick for them.

24. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
I believe Meriweather was the second best safety in this draft after Landry. His stock took some hits for off-the-field issues, but the Pats are probably the best team for people with questionable character. Belicheck and his staff know how to keep people in line and even more importantly they know how to get the most from players especially DB’s. Meriweather can be a playmaker for years to come. I actually had the Pats picking Meriweather with their pick at #28.

25. Carolina Panthers (from NYJ) – Jon Beason, LB, Miami
Well the Panthers could’ve used Greg Olsen, but they do love their defense. They also had some holes at backer so Beason will have an opportunity to start. Plus, the Panthers got those extra picks from the Jets for moving down, so all in all, not a bad move.

26. Dallas Cowboys (from PHI) – Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue
Wow. I have been loving Spencer for a while now. He is a beast! The Cowboys were actually gonna take Spencer with their 22nd pick, so to get him later was genius. Sure they had to give away some picks to move back up, but they had picks to spare and Spencer is well worth it. Good move by Cowboys, as for the Eagles moving down, well they are idiots so I could care less what they do. Screw them.

27. New Orleans Saints – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
I thought for sure the Aints would get a corner here, but I’ll admit they did need some receiver help. Joe Horn is gone so Meachem should fill in nicely.

28. San Francisco 49ers (from NE) – Joe Staley, T, Central Michigan
As I said earlier, the ‘Niners are totally rebuilding so that means filling lots of holes. Staley was their man so no problem moving up to take him. You gotta think about trading picks like this: Would the later round picks that you give away have gotten you a player of value equal to the one you are moving up to take? For example for San Fran would the picks they gave away (don’t remember specifically what they were) gonna produce like Joe Staley will? I say no and apparently the Niners said no also. Staley has a chance to start from week one. As for New England, the had didn’t think their was any player of value here that they desperately wanted now, so they decided the better value for them was taking the extra picks.

29. Baltimore Ravens- Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
In the NFL you always need plenty of quality O-lineman and D-lineman. I thought the Ravens should have looked for some linebacking help, with the departure of Adalius. Grubbs will probably start next year.

30. San Diego Chargers- Craig Davis, WR, LSU
Wow. After Miami, most shocking pick of round one. The Chargers did need a wideout or safety with this pick. This is where your scouting department come in. For the Chargers to think Davis was the best wideout available at this point says a lot. No one, and I mean no one had Davis rated this high, so only time will tell if the Chargers are genius or fools.

31. Chicago Bears – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
The NFC Champion Bears really had no glaring needs. They still have a problem with Briggs holding out and a questionable QB, but for the most part, no payer picked here would be a week one starter. I didn’t even consider Olsen here, but now I really like the pick. Olsen can cause problems and every sucky QB needs a safety valve.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St
The Colts, like the Bears before, had no glaring holes to fill. This pick was pretty much gonna be best player available. With the vaunted passing attack of the Colts, Gonzalez is a great pick. He was never flashy, but Gonzalez was a solid receiver and should fill Stokely’s void nicely.

Situ's Updated 2007 Mock Draft

2007-04-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Note the date and time posted so you can verify that this was submitted before the actual draft took place!

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB LSU

2. Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

3. Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson

5. Arizona Cardinals – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

6. Washington Redskins – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville

7. Minnesota Vikings – Laron Landry, S, LSU

8. Atlanta Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas

9. Miami Dolphins – Levi Brown, T, Penn St

10. Denver Broncos (from HOU) – Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss

11. San Francisco 49ers – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska

12. Buffalo Bills – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan

13. St Louis Rams – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jarvis Moss, LB, Florida

16. Green Bay Packers – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida

18. Cincinatti Bengals – Paul Posloszny, LB, Penn State

19. Tennessee Titans – Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio State

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas

21. Houston Texans (from DEN) – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh

22. Dallas Cowboys – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU

24. New England Patriots – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State

25. NY Jets – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas

26. Philadelphia Eagles – John Beason, LB, Miami

27. New Orleans Saints – Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St

28. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami

29. Baltimore Ravens – Anthony Spencer , DE/LB, Purdue

30. San Diego Chargers – Michael Griffin, S, Texas

31. Chicago Bears – Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn

32. Indianapolis Colts – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee

Situ's 2007 Mock Draft

2007-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB LSU
The Raiders, or namely Al Davis, have been on JaMarcus’ nutz for a while now. They want him to just air it out to Moss and hell that just might work but I doubt the O-line can block to let Moss get down field.

2. Detroit Lions – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
Matt Millen read “Drafting for Dummies” upside down. This organization doesn’t know how to pick. They could take Calvin Johnson, but I think they are so tired of getting made fun of for always taking receivers that they will pass this year. The weird thing is, this is finally the year they should really take him. Anyway, they have mad regrets not taking a QB last year and they are close to not having any fans so it’s time to get a face of the franchise in Quinn.

3. Cleveland Browns - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Could use Joe Thomas or Calvin Johnson but Peterson could have more of an impact with the 1-2 punch with J-Lew. Damn, I just feel sorry for AD since he has to be a Brown. Oh well, he overcame going to gay OU so he is used to it.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
It was speculated that Johnson was only good because he had such a great, cool QB. Anyway, the Bucs get their boyfriend and they didn’t even have to trade or sleep with Geezoid or anyting like dat. Now if they can just decide which of their 10 QB’s will get the ball to Johnson, they will be straight.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
Every year some O-lineman is supposed to be a king…remember Bob Gallery? Yeah he fuckin sucks but D’Brickashaw is solid and Thomas will be solid also. The Cards O-line was horrible last year and they lost their best man, so Thomas starts immediately, he doesn’t even have to show up or anything, he starts for them already. Right now he starts and he hasn’t even been drafted. No, I mean if you go into Ken Whisenhunt’s office, Joe Thomas is on the death chart as the number one left tackle right now.

6. Washington Redskins – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
The ‘Skins were last in the NFL last year in sacks with a franchise-record low 19 sacks for all season. Adams is a gift to fall to them here so this is a no-brainer. Dan Snyder isn’t good at drafting so they could surprise people with someone stupid here, like a gay guard or something, but they can’t be that dumb.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
Let me just say right off the bat that the Vikings could take a number of players here. They are a team that is in the rebuilding phase and if any of the big name backs/receivers are available here, they will take them. With that said, as you can see in this mock draft, none of them are here so the Vikes go with their other big need. While their defense was tops in the league at stopping the run, they were also 31st against the pass. A possible choice here is Laron Landry but I will go with Anderson as their pass rush struggled most. Look for the Vikings to be drafting in the top 3 next year as they will blow this season.

8. Atlanta Falcons – LaRon Landry, S, LSU
Atlanta is another team that, like Minnesota, has lots of holes. Should they draft Stanley Yelnats? Prolly, but they will get the best player available, the black Ron Perlman. Pete will buy his jersey.

9. Miami Dolphins – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
The trend continues – like the Vikings and Falcons before them, the ‘Phins have many needs. Their O-line is super crappy and a OT could be taken here, but I still maintain that lineman are easy to be found later. With a pick this high you want something more impacting, and Okoye has too much potential. Plus, he told his HS coach that he was related to Chrisian Okoye. Although, Miami passes on the O-lineman here, look for them to draft like two or three in later rounds. Oh and they will be picking in the top three next year also.

10. Houston Texans – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
The Texans dropped the ball last year by not drafting hometown hero Vince. That really has nothing to do with this, I just wanted to remind any Texans fans who might read this that they fucked up on that one. Anyway…remember last year when the Texans tried to say, “we play the Colts twice a year so we need players to defend against their passing attack”. Well, they still play the Colts twice a year and they still need those defenders. Maybe Adam Carriker, but I go with Hall. If he’s good they’ll have two good, young corners with Hall and Dunta Robinson. Wait did I just say Dunta Robinson was a good corner?

11. San Francisco 49ers – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
The ‘Niners were busy in the off-season to fill many holes, especially on D. They still need some pass rushers to go along with the great Manny Lawson. Carriker has a good motor and is a hard worker which Coach Nolan likes. Niners could also look at a receiver here, but still may be a little early to take the ones left.

12. Buffalo Bills – Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi
The Bills desperately need a RB and an ILB. Allright let me break it down to you like this: Right now their starting RB is the A-Train, Anthony Thomas. His back-up is Shaud Williams. As for their LB’s, other than Angelo Crowell, you won’t even have heard of these dudes. I am serious. Right now, UT has better backers than the Bills. They are so desperate for LB’s that Coy Wire is now a LB. What’s he gon’ do, jump out a swimming pool? Anyway, the Bills will address both these in this draft and the choice is tough, but I go with Willis only because he is a better talent than Marshawn Lynch. I really don’t see any way AD could fall to here, but if so, it’s a done deal, the Bills would snatch him up.

13. St Louis Rams – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
This is kinda by default. They need some D-Lineman. Who is better Branch or Justin Harrell? I say Harrell but they will prolly think it’s Branch and grab him here.

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
Panthers defense is stronger than offense right now, so I give this first pick to the offensive side of the ball. Could go with an OT or S but I heard someone who covers the Panthers say that Olsen was a “big Steve Smith” so umm yeah.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jarvis Moss, LB, Florida
The Steelers will still run 3-4 but are transitioning to 4-3. Moss will replace Joey Porter and is already a better pass rusher.

16. Green Bay Packers – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
This was too easy. Sorry, but Vernand Morency is not carrying the runningback load. With letting Almond go, the Packers are surely going to take an RB with this pick and Lynch is the best available back.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
Deon Grant peaced out and Donovin Darius is getting old. I don’t have anything witty to say here. Sorry.

18. Cincinatti Bengals – Paul Posloszny, LB, Penn State
Did I spell his name right? Who cares. Marvin Lewis thinks he likes Ted Ginn but their linebacker core is too crappy to pass up Posloszny. And I believe he is a good leader so maybe he can keep all their players from getting arrested all the time. I doubt it, but maybe.

19. Tennessee Titans – Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio State
Obviously the Titans need a big play receiver as they let the Hobbit go. It could be argued who is the best receiver at this point and I leaned some towards Dwayne Jarrett since Norm Chow knows him, but I think they will need someone who can stretch the field as their other receivers are possession type guys. Also Ginn can return punts/kicks for them since they lost Adam Jones due to beatin’ down strippers.

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
The Giants need a cornerback or an OLB. Who cares what they do, they will be gay next year by default. Aaron Ross is cool though.

21. Denver Broncos – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
The Munchos lost a few players to death this off-season but they also have some old players they need to replace. Among them d-line, safety, and receiver. They will cover receiver here.

22. Dallas Cowboys – Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
The Cowboys have lots of options here to pretty much get the best player available. Hell, if Brown falls this low, I say grab his fat ass to replace Flozell-hotel who is old and falling off. Other possibilities are a cool safety, cool pass rusher, or cool receiver. They’ll be in the Super Bowl.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
Have the Chiefs ever had a good wide-out? They did have that one guy from HSU but clearly their only feared receiver is their tight end. Jarrett can be the playmaker they need at wide-out.

24. New England Patriots – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
The Pats, like the Cowboys, are pretty good. Actually I will be first to call they meet up in the Super Bowl.

25. NY Jets – Darrelle Revis , CB, Pitt
Uh, this is what they need.

26. Philadelphia Eagles – John Beason, LB, Miami
Here are two facts. The Eagles are gay, no matter who they pick. John Beason used to play fullback.

27. New Orleans Saints – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
They will get a corner here, just don’t know who. I figure Houston is best one left, but maybe that dude from Fresno St. They need to get that Pepsi machine even though it couldn’t do a bench rep.

28. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
Damn, why does this great-ass team get all the picks? Pete and I still have a bet of who will be better between Meriweather and Laron Landry. If the Pats get Meriweather, he will definitely be the one with the better team honors.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Anthony Spencer , DE/LB, Purdue
They think Dan Cody can replace Adalius Thomas, but what they really want is a beast to get to the QB. Spencer is their man for the job.

30. San Diego Chargers – Michael Griffin, S, Texas
The Chargers need a safety or a receiver. Receivers are deep in this draft.

31. Chicago Bears – John Beck, QB, BYU
I say the Bears do something shocking here. Clearly the weakest point on their team last year was the unreliable Grossman. Some people say Beck is the best QB in this draft, ahead of Russell and Quinn. He won’t be around long, so why not grab him? Only other possibility is an OLB in case Lance Briggs refuses to play.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
They claim he would’ve been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his biceps. And the Colts need a big DT to plug up the middle where they struggled against the run.

Sleepers:
Brian Smith, DE/OLB, Missouri - Go read about him here.

Eric Weddle, DB, Utah - He's great. Here's a scouting report on Weddle.

Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue - I guess he ain't really a sleeper, since I have him going in the first round, but he isn't that know and he will be tremendous. Here's the low-down on Spencer.

You Gonna Buy This?

2007-03-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

This is kinda cool but also kind of disappointing. The Chargers will unveil new uniforms and a new logo Wednesday, March 14th. It is always pretty cool when teams get new uniforms, it’s just that the Chargers have some of the coolest uniforms in the league. Whatchu know ‘bout them powder blues? Anyway, maybe their new logo will be that swoll Jack Nicholson.

Chargers to unveil bold new tradition (Chargers.com)

More Mascot Mayhem

2007-03-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

First we had T-Rac in a golf cart running over Adrian McPherson. McPherson then sued T-Rac. Now there is another lawsuit against a mascot. A man is suing the Indiana Pacers mascot, Boomer, because he claims Boomer tackled him and permanently injured his back. What is up with this guy? Is he just after money or is he the biggest puss ever for letting a mascot take him out? Here is Boomer, a cat who tackled a grown man and hurt him.

Titans’ mascot sued over golf cart injury (Newschannel5.com)

Pacers’ mascot sued over on-court tackle (Foxsports.com)

New B-ball Uni's

2007-03-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last night Syracuse debuted their new Nike uniforms against UConn. They are new form-fitting tops, kinda like Under-Armour with extra baggy shorts. You can see a video clip of Syracuse rockin' the uni's here. Along with the Orangemen, Nike is also redesigning the uniforms of Florida, Arizona, and Ohio St. Florida supposedly has already worn theirs and the other schools should debut them sometime this week. Here is Nike's explanation of what they were trying to do.

"Basketball works in lock step with the music and entertainment culture, specifically hiphop," said Hans George, Nike's general manager of global basketball apparel. "Hip-hop is growing up. It's becoming more businesslike." Patricia Mears, deputy director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, said Nike's look might be more old school than futuristic. "It's probably true that the pants take their cue from the hip-hop look," she said, "but the overall silhouette also reminds me of men's casual sportswear from the midcentury. Often, American men donned sleek tops and tucked them into pleated full-cut trousers." But beyond style, the new outfits are supposed to be more functional. George and some of the athletes say that because the jersey is body-fitting and made of two synthetics, Sphere and Dri-FIT, it will better wick away moisture. And by eliminating 10 inches of fabric from the waist, where it bunches up, players have a cleaner look, said David Egelhoff, the director of men's basketball operations at Ohio State. Yet Daryl Gross, the athletic director at Syracuse, said its greater effect might be on the game. "You can't grab the jersey," he said.

Personally, I've never seen anybody in hip-hop rockin' skin-tight shirts but what do I know. Here are some sample pics of the different uniforms.

NIKE Bringing Sexy Back for College Hoops (Sportsfanmagazine.com)

Can You Guess Who?

2007-03-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, today we are gonna have a little quiz-whiz! Here are some highlights from an NFL quarterback, tell me if you can guess who this is referring to...

2nd highest career NFL win percentage among active QB's
3rd highest completion percentage in the history of the NFL.
The only QB in the history of the NFL to complete 60% or more of his passes for nine straight seasons (Joe Montana & Steve Young are 2nd with eight straight seasons)
On 9/14/03 surpassed the 20,000-yard plateau for career passing yeads
6th highest career NFL win percentage among active quarterbacks
Highest quarterback rating in the NFC in 2002
Threw 22 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions in 2002
Only player in the history of the NFL to complete a touchdown pass to himself
In the Top Ten in NFL history for career quarterback rating

Give up? Then scroll down.....

Yep, it Brad Johnson, the new backup QB for the Dallas Cowboys. I know what you're thinking...no way all that stuff can be true, but it is. At least that's what his website says. So do you think Johnson will be a good addition to the 'Boys? This one tall man at church used to look like him.

Brad Johnson personal fansite (www.bradjohnson14.com)

Look-A-Likes - Pat McQuistan and That Dude from "Mask"

2007-03-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Pat McQuistan

and

That dude from "Mask"

New and Notes - Dom Rhodes and Randy McMichael

2007-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Dom Rhodes met with NY Giants GM Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin Friday and he supposedly underwent a physical and met with the other G-men coaches today, Saturday.

Also, it is reported that the Dolphins are trying to shop around TE Randy McMichael. They reportedly want a third round pick for him. We'll see what happens with both these items.

P.S. - Visanthe Shiancoe is now a Viking. On a side note I always thought his name was spelled Visante Shanco or something like that. Whatever.

NFL Free Agency Has Begun!

2007-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some thoughts on the first days of free agency:

Why the hell do the Bucs want so many Q’s? They signed Garcia, traded for Dick Plummer, Limo is coming back from death, and they still have Bruce Gradkowski who they thought was good. If you melt all those QB’s down and then mash them together, they might make a solid starter. They should bring back Shaun King. More here.

People mad overpaid for players that aren’t nearly as good as their contracts. Sure Nate Clements is a good corner, but $80 mill? The guys has never even made a Pro Bowl and now he is the highest paid defender in the NFL?!! In the Niners defense, they can always restructure Clements contract later if he doesn’t produce like they want, but at least $22 million is guaranteed. Hey if the dumb Niners want to overspend and waste money that is there own choice, but they ruin free agency for others. Just think how much the Cowboys will have to fork over for T-New when his contract is up in two years. By the way Champ Belly’s last deal was 7 yrs for $63 million. Do you think Clements is $17 million better than Bailey? I don’t. More here.

Speaking of overspending, the Browns paid Eric Steinbach $49.5 million over 7 years. Everyone thought last year that the Vikings were crazy for paying Steve Hutchinson $49 million for 7 years and now this? I know that Steinbach isn’t better than Hutchinson. Oh well, the Browns continue to be the gayest franchise. More here.

Todd France is having the best week ever. Check it out why here. Even if he gets a miniscule percentage of his clients salaries he negotiated, France is a very wealthy man. Mover over Drew Rosehaus, there is a new top dog in agent land.

Here are some other cool movers around the league: The Pats got Adalius Thomas. Also the Hobbit is now a Ram and the Munchos signed Big Daddy Dan Wilkinson. The Bills got Derrick Dockery and the ‘Skins got London Fletcher-Baker. As for the greatest team in the world, the ‘Boys are chillin’ right now although big Len Davis did visit Valley Ranch Friday, but then left without a deal finalized.

An NBA football team??

2007-02-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

No i did not write this myself. I found this article on ESPN Insider written by David Thorpe and thought it was pretty cool. Since I am one of the few insiders we know, i decide to share it. (kinda pullin a Keifer huh?)

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Jason Kidd
The triple-double king has the three ingredients of a great quarterback: He can run, pass and lead. Kidd still has plenty of juice left in the tank. Just beat out Steve Nash, partly on size.

Tailback: Dwyane Wade
Changes gears and explodes through cracks like a bigger Marshall Faulk, but can make you miss with his twists and spins. He is the master at finishing (long runs, in this case).

Tight end: Amare Stoudemire
A nightmare matchup for an LB thanks to his speed and vertical, plus he has "hands for days." Picture the Chargers' Antonio Gates, who played hoops at Kent State, but six inches taller.

Wide receiver: Mike Miller
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is the perfect possession receiver on this team of stars.

Wide receiver: Leandro Barbosa
This speed demon can stretch any defense, and he is tough enough to make the catch in the middle, too.

Wide receiver: LeBron James
Think Michael Irvin, then add serious height and 20 pounds. His combo of speed and size makes him the go-to guy on this offense.

Left tackle: Reggie Evans
Kidd wants the meanest "big ugly" to protect his blind spot, and Evans has the long arms and the disposition of a great bodyguard.

Left guard: Carlos Boozer
Boozer's agility and speed make him lethal as a pulling guard. His massive frame will pave the way for some great sweeps.

Center: Chris Kaman
Kaman's a footwork master, and he comes from an underrated football conference.

Right guard: Eddy Curry
This big guy has developed into a nice power player, giving Wade the perfect lead for his power runs off tackle.

Right tackle: Danny Fortson
We needed some nastiness on the strong side to keep people out of Kidd's face on rollouts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEFENSE

Free safety: Trevor Ariza
The fastest guy on the field, he can make up for any mistakes made in front of or behind him.

Strong safety: Chauncey Billups
Rugged and smart, will not fall for play-action passes. Also has the ability to knock down big shots.

Cornerback: Allen Iverson
He'd be playing on Sundays if he weren't such a gifted scorer. He's a former all-state high school quarterback and our best defender on the gridiron.

Cornerback: Nate Robinson
A mismatch at 5-9, but speed and vertical make up for lack of size (just ask Yao). Won't back down from anyone (see MSG brawl). And boasts experience (played DB for Washington Huskies).

Middle linebacker: Ron Artest
And you thought Dick Butkus was a maniac …

Outside linebacker: Ruben Patterson
Our blitzing specialist, he is very quick in tight spaces and plays with incredible energy.

Outside linebacker: Kobe Bryant
Relentless and will defend both the run and the pass -- our version of Derrick Brooks.

Defensive end: Dwight Howard
Super-quick big man. "Too Tall Dwight" will line up on the strong side and force the QB to throw over his massive reach.

Defensive tackle: Brian Cardinal
A bit undersized but will make things happen so our big dogs can eat. He's used to getting beat up and coming back for more.

Defensive tackle: Craig Smith
Maybe the strongest man, pound-for-pound, on our team.

Defensive end: Ben Wallace
The Smiths, Bubba and Bruce, were big and quick, but this cat is on a whole other level. Also a monster on special teams blocking kicks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: Manu Ginobili
The Argentinean was born to kick, has great footwork and focus, and lives for the pressure moment. You can trust him in a field-position battle.

Kicker: Darrell Armstrong
A long-distance specialist nowadays. Was a kicker at D-II Fayetteville State, where he connected from 48 yards out.

Punt returner: Earl Boykins
Any guy crazy enough to think he can play in the NBA at 5-foot-5 is uniquely qualified to return punts ... plus he has the quickness too. Iverson can help us out here too.

Kick returner: Monta Ellis
The pride of Mississippi has the jets to be a gamebreaker every time he touches the rock.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COACHING STAFF

Defensive coordinator: Gregg Popovich
A master motivator who will use the tremendous team speed and nasty attitudes to create as much havoc as the '85 Bears did with their "46" defense.

Offensive coordinator: Don Nelson
With every trick in the book, Nellie will create and take advantage of mismatch opportunities for his freakishly athletic and tall skill players.

Coach: Pat Riley
The reigning champ gets the honor of coaching this team of stars, as Riley is just the man to get these athletes to play physically. He'll even look good in a windbreaker.

Finally.....

2007-01-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today the Falcons fired Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. after a disappointing 7-9 season, 26-22 career record. I know his defense was banged up a lot this year but he had the most explosive man in the league on his team in Too Cool Mr. Michael Vick. Vick isn’t the most accurate passer, but he can make plays and Mora didn’t utilize him enough. Strik

Besides from the on-field troubles Atlanta had, Mora also said he would take the Washington Huskies job if available. Mora insisted he was only joking. That is equivalent to Vick saying he would like to quarterback the Panthers or something!

If the Falcons can get a coach who would run a spread offense and let Vick takeoff whenever, and pound Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwod, the Falcons should be in the play-offs. It’s inexcusable a team with Vick’s talent and punishing run game like Atlanta’s is not in the play-offs.

K News (that means quick)

2006-12-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Jevan Snead is transfering to Ole Miss. He will have 3 years of eligibility.

Prince At XLI

2006-12-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

It was announced today that Prince will be the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLI will be February 4th in Miami and will be broadcast on CBS. Prince is an interesting choice because ever since Janet Jackson showed her boobie at halftime of Panthers/Patriots, it seems the NFL and the broadcasters have feared what might happen during the Super Bowls halftime show. The last two years they tried to play it safe by having on really, really old dudes such as Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. Prince has not been without controversy in the past. He wrote slave on his cheek and he even changed his name to a symbol (which I have no idea how to type on my computer). Prince has also been known for very sexual songs and performances in the past but he has toned it down in recent years. I guess he has toned it down enought that whoever selects the halftime entertainment felt Prince was a good call. So, are you happy with Prince performing at halftime? Who would you like to see perform at halftime of the Super Bowl instead or in the future?

Prince to perform at Super Bowl

Cowboys Get Tony Parrish

2006-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Cowboys signed veteran Free Safety Tony Parrish off of waivers. Parrish was released this week by the Niners. Dallas' current FS include the 6-5 rook Pat Watkins and special teams standout Keith Davis.

Parrish's last complete season was 2003 where he had arguably his best season as a pro. 79 tackles, 18 passes deflected, and 9 interceptions. I think Parrish is a solid player although he is coming off a broken right fibula from the 2005 season.

In other news, Lisa Leslie will miss this upcoming WNBA season cuz she is pregnant.

That Bowl Lineup Is In

2006-12-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

The BCS schedule has finally been announced . Here are the match-ups:
National Championship - Ohio State vs. Florida
Rose Bowl - Michigan vs. USC
Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame vs. LSU
Orange Bowl - Wake Forest vs. Louisville
Fiesta Bowl - Boise State vs. Oklahoma

Some other notable bowl games:
Alamo Bowl - Texas vs. Iowa
Cotton Bowl - Nebraska vs. Auburn
Capital One Bowl - Arkansas vs. Wisconsin
Gator Bowl - West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Outback - Penn St vs. Tennessee
Chick-fil-A - Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
Holiday - Cal vs. Texas A&M
Emerald - Florida State vs. UCLA

For a complete listing of all bowl games and when they are aired, click here.

So, did Michigan get screwed? Should it be the Wolverines facing the Buckeyes for all the marbles? I think in terms of what team has the best chance to beat the Buckeyes, then yes it would be the Wolverines. However with their win over Arkansas yesterday, I do believe that the Gators do deserve to be #2 and thus face the Buckeyes in the championship. I think the Rose Bowl should be a game not to miss also with some potent offenses taking the field. The Sugar Bowl could be renamed the overrated bowl as I’m not sure either of these teams deserved a BCS game in my opinion. Another interesting game to watch will be the Fiesta Bowl. All year long Boise State has said that they deserved more respect and to be considered with the top teams. We’ll see if they are correct when they face a good OU team. As for the Orange Bowl, I’m sure it will get overlooked by many as Wake Forest and Louisville don’t appear to be the most marketable teams. However I think Louisville is one the top teams in the nation so tune in to this too. I’ll make my official predictions closer to the actual games.

So what do you think? Who got screwed? What games are you most looking forward to? Are you happy with the National Championship? Tell me whatcha think dude.

Fox Sports Official BCS website here

2006 College Football Awards

2006-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

You can now go here and vote for the 2006 College Football Awards. I won't list all the categories or people nominated, just check it out and vote for your favorites. The winners will be announced live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec 07 at 6:00PM CST.

UT Update

2006-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it is now official. Texas’ QB Jevan Snead will transfer at mid-term. Snead is not the only Longhorn to file paperwork to leave the school. Sophomore DE Chris Brown and sophomore OT Greg Dolan will also transfer and leave Texas. While Brown and Dolan will be missed, Snead will have a possibility to have a much larger impact on the Longhorns future, namely their upcoming bowl game. Starter Colt McCoy is still healing from a stinger and it is not known if he will be ready to go by the end of the month. Trainer Kenny Boyd issued an update on McCoy's injury Friday, saying the quarterback "has made significant progress over the past week.We will continue to monitor and evaluate him," Boyd said. "One thing we know about Colt is he'll work really hard and do everything in his power to get back. He's progressing extremely well." The Longhorns do not begin bowl practice until Dec. 12. They wouldn't leave for either bowl game until Dec. 26. But if McCoy can’t go, and without a number two QB, where does that leave Texas under center? Texas is left with just walk-on Matt McCoy and redshirted Sherrod Harris for its date in either the Gator or Alamo Bowl. It is highly unlikely that head coach Mack Brown would lift Harris' redshirt for a second-tier bowl game. Earlier in the year, Brown said a worst-case-scenario would include WR Quan Cosby taking over at QB. The sophomore was a two-time Texas 2A First-Team All-Stater at QB in 1999-2000. Brown has also said a while back that WR Billy Pittman could be pressed into action at QB. Pittman was a four-year starter at Cameron Yoe and was the scout team 'running quarterback' during his RS-freshman year in 2004. You can see it is a pretty interesting situation. As far as what bowl the Longhorns will even be playing in, here are the top possibilities for Texas. Georgia Tech will play in the Gator bowl. They accepted an invitation Saturday night. So that leaves Texas in the mix. The folks at the Gator Bowl could also choose Louisville, but Louisville played in Jacksonville last year, so Texas is a strong possibility. We know Iowa is in the Alamo Bowl. So, if the Gator Bowl passes on Texas, the Horns will likely land in San Antonio. That will probably land West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. If that happens, Texas would likely play in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. Whatever the case, with the quarterback situation, it should make for an interesting game!

Now some good news for Texas and Colt McCoy. McCoy has been selected as the Associated Press Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and was the runner-up to Nebraska QB Zac Taylor as the conference Offensive Player of the Year. McCoy was a semifinalist for the 2006 Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top QB) and was also named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches. Big-ups Jim Ned and the big city of Tuscola!

Texas players elect to transfer (Official UT website)

The King Back

2006-12-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

Highly touted freshmen/lord/king/beast Greg Oden played his first game of the year as Ohio State defeated Valpraiso 78-58. Mr. Oden scored 14 points, a team leading 5 blocks, and a team leading 10 boards. He had missed all this time due to a torn wrist ligament. His former high school teammate Mike Conley Jr. added 7 points and 7 assists.