Poor Umpiring

After watching Angel Hernandez make that terrible call last night, he officially jumped to my most disliked ump. He must be under the impression that the fans pay to come see him with the rediculous calls that he makes and how quick he is to run people, so with that I am starting a pole. Outside of Angel Hernandez who is the worst ump?

I am casting my vote for CB Bucknor.

While the GIF is amusing, I absolutely cannot stand how CB will randomly call an absurdly wide strike zone whenever it is convenient for him to do his over the top punchout.

That being said I am very interested to see who else you think should make this list.

Titus Young Arrested Twice in One Day

I really don't have much to say here, but thought I should pass along this article from the Detroit News. Getting arrested twice in one day is really really impressive.

By the way, this is the guy who is on the cover of the 2013 Detroit Lions Calendar

Should Derrick Rose Comeback and Play?

Should Derrick Rose Comeback and Play? Or Should he just announce that he is officially out for the rest of the season. I didn't think this was much of a topic, but every time I've turned on talk radio in Chicago since March this exact question comes up all the time.

Before the season, I personally didn't think it was a big deal if he made it back this season or not. With a healthy Rose the Bulls were still going to struggle against the Heat. I always thought when he is fully healthy he should come back. However, when you've been medically cleared for months and apparently are tearing it up in practice, people wonder why he still isn't dressing.

Now it is being suggested that he come back and play a couple of minutes a night. This I can get behind. He should try to get some of the rust off his game and no one is going to criticize him if he plays 10 minutes, and scores 0 points. If that happens next fall, that's a different story. He's been medically cleared so playing a couple of minutes shouldn't be a big deal was my thinking. Then I read Bill Simmons 2 part article, "30 Questions about Round 1 of the Playoffs."

To pull a Simmons "Quick Tangent"

The best part of reading this article was when he posted it, the Celtics had won 2 in a row and Bill was drinking his own Boston Cool-Aide like Crazy. Boston's going to beat New York, 2nd time in a decade Boston has come back from down 3-0 to New York blah blah blah. Well I didn't read this until Sunday when the Celtics have already been eliminated. So that was fun.

Quick Tangent on the Tangent

Not that this is Bash Bill Simmons time (for that please check out these funny guys at http://firejaymariotti.blogspot.com/ ) but there was another great drinking his own Boston Cool-Aide moment.

"Even if Kevin Garnett played only six years in Boston, there's a 100 percent chance he's getting his number retired there. He's a true Celtic in every sense."

Kevin Garnett, the Minnesota Timberwovles' All-Time Leading Scorer, Rebounder, Shot Blocker, Assists, Steals, Games, Minutes, and has played in every T-Wolves playoff game ever. Celtic 4-Life


Back to the story.

From Simmons Article

Q: Can you hold it against Derrick Rose for not coming back?

Absolutely not. See, Gilbert Arenas affected the NBA in four ways …

1. He's the first NBA star who tapped into the potential of connecting with fans on the Internet (with his groundbreaking Agent Zero blog). Then Twitter happened, and Facebook, and Instagram, and now we're at a point where Kobe could run for president because he's so good at social media. In fact, I think I'd vote for him in 2016. As long as he wasn't running with Dwight Howard.

2. After he bolted Golden State for the Wizards, they named a rule after him — the Gilbert Arenas provision, which makes it easier for teams to sign their own restricted free agents who were second-round picks.

3. They also named three unwritten rules after him: "Don't bet large sums of money with teammates during poker games on chartered flights," "Don't bring guns into the locker room for any reason," and "Don't give someone a massive nine-figure contract if you're not positive he's healthy."

4. He's the all-time "came back too soon" cautionary tale for anyone who suffered a major knee injury. Gilbert tore a meniscus near the tail end of the 2006-07 season, came back too soon, reinjured it in November, missed much of the season, came back too soon a second time, reinjured his knee in the playoffs, came back too soon the following fall, had a third surgery, and ended up playing 15 games total in two years. Make no mistake — he was NEVER the same.

Now? He's a cautionary tale, the name that floats through the head of any player who wants to keep pushing himself to play, feels really good … but doesn't totally trust his knee yet. Magic Johnson's biggest professional regret is coming back too soon during the 1981 season. He knew his surgically repaired knee didn't feel right, but as Magic tells it, you start feeling that pressure from every direction. Fans, teammates, coaches, the owner, you name it. And it's not even intentional. Might even be something as simple as someone saying, "How's the knee feeling?," only they make eye contact for an extra second and you start thinking, Does he not believe me? You get in your own head. You feel guilty all the time. Your confidence is shaken. You can't do the one thing that always came easiest to you. So you start pushing yourself to come back, tricking yourself, convincing yourself to feel a certain way. And that's when you can get in trouble.

As Magic put it, When you're ready, you know. If you're wondering even a little? Then you don't know. I think that's where Derrick Rose is right now. He's in his own head. He doesn't totally trust his knee yet. His hammies still hurt. And yet … he feels horrible that he can't help his team. So he's vacillating, and fortunately, GILBERT ARENAS keeps flashing through his head in all caps. Over everything else, that's Arenas's real legacy. Nobody wants to be The Next Guy Who Came Back Too Soon.

I like that last Magic quote the best and that's the reason why I'm ok with Derrick not coming back or coming back whenever he wants. 


My hope is that he's been fine all along, but knew the Bulls could make it to play the Heat in the playoffs and is just waiting. Either in Game 1 or in Game 3 (to do it in front of the home crowd) Rose is going to come back and score 50 as the Bulls destroy the Heat and cruise to a title.

Yup I'm a Meathead

2013 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions

04/30/2013

Since the Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight, I figured I'd make sure I had my predictions out there for everyone to see.  So, here it goes....

Western Conference

Round 1

Chicago over Minnesota 4-0

Los Angeles over Saint Louis 4-3

Detroit over Anaheim 4-2

Vancouver over San Jose 4-2

Round 2

Chicago over Detroit 4-1

Vancouver over Los Angeles 4-1

Round 3

Chicago over Vancouver 4-2

Eastern Conference

Round 1

Pittsburgh over NY Islanders 4-1

Boston over Toronto 4-2

Ottawa over Montreal 4-3

NY Rangers over Washington 4-2

Round 2

Pittsburgh over Ottawa 4-1

NY Rangers over Boston 4-2

Round 3

Pittsburgh over NY Rangers 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals

Chicago over Pittsburgh 4-3

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner

Sidney Crosby (C - Pittsburgh)

ACSS Making a Comeback

I feel like we need to continue the trend of posting on random/sports stuff. We haven't had a string of posts like this since, what? 2011? This makes post number 6 of the Week. That's almost once a day. Perhaps this blog will be worth coming back to daily!

2013 NFL Draft: Timeline of Events

04/25/2013

Dan and I will be writing every thought we have during this draft down, and it shall live forever.  I hope everyone enjoys the draft.  I know I'm going to have fun writing about it.

6:47 PM: Analysts mention the QB's in the draft.  Is it just me, or does anyone else think there won't be any impact QB's taken this year?

6:49 PM: Rumor has it the Chiefs will take OT Eric Fisher over OT Luke Joeckel.  I disagree with this pick.  I think Joeckel is the most NFL ready tackle in the draft.  How can you pass over a player who has played well in both the Big XII and the SEC?

6:56 PM: Jets rumored to be looking at WR Tavon Austin.  I think they will make this pick, as they have been known to make terrible decisions over the last few years.

7:04 PM: Roger Goodell is booed as he walks onto the stage.  The draft has officially begun.

7:06 PM: Dan and I both agree 10 minutes is just long enough for picks in the First Round.  We don't have all night.

7:16 PM: The Chiefs select Eric Fisher (OT - Central Michigan).  You already know how I feel about this.  They should have went with Joeckel, who has experience playing against Von Miller (on the practice field) and knows Miller's tendencies.  Dan: This is my favorite Central Michigan player to be selected #1 overall.

7:20 PM: In our draft world, the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected to move to LA, and have traded their #2 overall pick for a punter.

7:21 PM: Dan: The Jags should look at Geno Smith in order to become more dynamic on offense

7:24 PM: The Jags take Luke Joeckel (OT - Texas A&M).  Great pick by the Jags.  I feel they could have gone to DE or OLB here to put some pressure on the opposing QB, but they got, in the eyes of most, the best player in the draft.

7:28 PM: Dan: Last year the first 2 picks scored 55 touchdowns.  This year, the first two picks will score zero.  Book it.

7:32 PM: Raiders trade the #3 pick to Miami.  My thought: Miami moves up to take Lane Johnson from Oklahoma.  Good move by Miami and by Oakland.  Dan: 7 trades will be made in Round 1.

7:34 PM: Miami takes Dion Jordan (DE/OLB - Oregon).  Odd decision here by Miami.  I guess they want to put Brady on his back a bit more, but I think they should have tried to replace Jake Long.  Dan is also shocked at this pick.

7:42 PM: Philly takes Lane Johnson (OT - Oklahoma).  Great move by Philly to solidify the offensive line.  Dan and I both agree on this one.  Great decision for the Eagles.

7:46 PM: NFL Draft analysts discussing Legos.  It's time to hire a new crew.

7:50 PM: Barry Sanders announces he will be returning to Detroit.  Then all Lions fans wake up to see Sanders announcing Detroit will take Ezekiel Ansah (DE - BYU).  Bad pick by the Lions in the eyes of myself and Dan.  Very talented athletically, but has very little experience.

7:55 PM: Cleveland selects Barkevious Mingo (DE/OLB - LSU).  Not quite sure how I feel about this.  I believe they should have went with Milliner, but Mingo can make plays rushing the passer. Dan: Still no TD's drafted this year.  Mingo looks like a young Julius Peppers, though.

8:01 PM: Arizona takes Jonathan Cooper (G - North Carolina).  Dan: "Good pick if they want the second best guard."  My thoughts exactly.   Still, Cooper will help block two of the best defensive lines in the NFL in Seattle and San Fran.

8:04 PM: Bills trade #8 pick to the Rams.  2nd trade out of the 7 Dan predicted.

8:09 PM: Rams select Tavon Austin (WR - West Virginia).  I've stated this before.  Tavon is too undersized to be a big impact receiver.  He'll be good returning kicks and punts, though.  Too bad Seattle and San Fran won't be punting.  Dan: "He's a good fit for STL, but I still think he's the second best WR from WV."

8:17 PM: Jets take Dee Milliner (CB - Alabama).  Dan called it.  Milliner looked upset when his name was called, as he should be.  The Jets have a lot of holes to fill before they can compete in the NFL.  Maybe they should spend a couple years in the ACC before getting called back up to the bigs. 

8:26 PM: Titans take Chance Warmack (G - Alabama).  Great pick here.  I think he's going to have the biggest impact out of any offensive lineman in the draft.  He will help plug up holes and block for Chris Johnson.  Roll Tide. 

8:31 PM: Chargers select DJ Fluker (OT - Alabama).  Good pick for San Diego.  They need someone to protect Rivers.  Three consecutive picks from Bama, by the way.  Dan: Eifert would have been a good pick.  They need to replace Gates eventually. 

8:38 PM: Raiders take DJ Hayden (CB - Houston). The Raiders needed to solidify their pass defense, and this will help.  Still they had to reach for him.  In this situation, they should have taken the best guy available, which would be Star.

8:41 PM: This is a true Raiders pick  We learn DJ Hayden will probably be dead by Week 3.  Dan: "Al Davis phoned one in from beyond."

8:44 PM: Dan: If the Jets draft Manti Te'o, the New York media would blow their collective loads.  Also, ESPN would shut down. 

8:46 PM: Jets take Sheldon Richardson (DT - Missouri).  Once again, another team taking the second best player at the position available.  Star is going to be a huge steal wherever he lands. 

8:52 PM: Star Lotulelei (DT - Utah) goes to Carolina.  I love this pick.  He is going to fit in well in Carolina, who needs help on defense.  The health risks are there, but you can't ignore the talent and potential.

8:59 PM: Saints take Kenny Vaccaro (S - Texas).  Good pick for a team that gave up 7,000 yards last year.  This will help them limit the big plays they gave up last season.

9:04 PM: Buffalo Bills select EJ Manuel (QB - Florida State).  The first QB taken this year, and this pick comes as a shocker.  Manuel will do well in my opinion, but he came out of nowhere to be the first QB drafted.  Dan loves this pick.

9:12 PM: Steelers take Jarvis Jones (LB - Georgia).  Jones looks solid on tape, but his combine stats scare me.  It's probably a good pick, but I think Ogletree is better.

9:14 PM: Dallas trades the 18th pick to San Fran, who takes Eric Reid (S - LSU).  No idea why San Fran traded up for this guy.  They could have waited and gotten him at the end of the first round.  This pick helps Dallas more than it helps the Niners.

9:17 PM: Dan and I determine there is a 60% chance the Bears screw up and take Manti Te'o.

9:20 PM: Giants take Justin Pugh (OT - Syracuse).  Safe pick for the G Men.  I'm surprised they didn't go for a LB like Ogletree or Te'o, but this is probably the safer bet.  You can never have too many good lineman. Dan: "I see a ton of holding in this guy's future."

9:28 PM: Bears take Kyle Long (G - Oregon).  Well, Chicago needed a guard, but I think there were three much better picks available.  They could have gone with Floyd, Eifert, or Ogletree and I wouldn't have had a problem.  Very anticlimactic pick from the Bears.

9:34 PM: Bengals take Tyler Eifert (TE - Notre Dame).  The Bengals passing game just got a whole lot better.  Watch out, AFC North.  This kid is special.  Dan: "I think he's overrated, but he will be good for them."

9:36 PM: Rams trade #22 pick to Atlanta.  4th trade so far.  Only 3 to go.

9:40 PM: Falcons take Desmond Trufant (CB - Washington).  Good pick by Atlanta, who needs help at cornerback.  He should help out the Falcons pass defense in a division that includes Drew Brees and Cam Newton.  Dan: "Steve Smith and Vincent Jackson just cursed out loud."

9:45 PM: Vikings take Sharrif Floyd (DT - Florida).  I hate to say it, but this was a great pick by Minnesota.  He is a steal at this spot, and was the best player available.  Dan: "Bad news for Jay Cutler.  Hopefully Kyle Long is prepared to own this guy."

9:51 PM: Colts take Bjoern Werner (DE - Florida State).  This will help them replace Dwight Freeney.  However, there were probably better fits out there for Indy.

9:54 PM: Vikings take Xavier Rhodes (CB - Florida State).  Another solid pick for Minnesota.  They play Rodgers, Stafford, and Cutler twice each per year.  That's 6 games every year against solid QB's.  It's surprising they didn't take a linebacker, but this is still a good pick.

10:01 PM: Packers take  Datone Jones (DE - UCLA).  Good pick here for Green Bay.  He's a solid pass rusher, but is not limited to rushing the passer.  He can also cover a tight end or stop the run.  Dan: Green Bay should have taken a running back.

10:09 PM: Texans select DeAndre Hopkins (WR - Clemson).  Dan: "Fantastic pick."  I couldn't agree more.  The Texans needed someone at receiver not named Andre Johnson and this will help.

10:15 PM: Broncos select Sylvester Williams (DT - North Carolina).  Great pick and likely a steal here for Denver.  He is close in talent to the other 3 defensive tackles that were already picked.  Denver's defense just got a lot better.

10:20 PM: New England trades #29 pick for Minnesota for 4 picks.  Minnesota gave up way too much.

10:25 PM: Tribute to victims of the Boston Marathon and subsequent events.  Sweet Caroline played.  Great moment at the draft, except for some idiot yelling.  Classless move by a person in New York.  I've heard that somewhere before.

10:30 PM: Vikings take Cordarrelle Patterson (WR - Tennessee).  After a couple of solid picks from the Vikings, they really dropped the ball on this one.  I consider Patterson to be a bust, so I'm really happy Minnesota went this direction.  Dan: "It's a bad pick for what they gave up."

10:37 PM: Rams take Alec Ogletree (LB - Georgia).  Great pick by the Rams.  They way I see it, they could have gone with Alec or Eddie Lacy, but they went with the better overall player.  This will help their defense, which was already solid.  Dan: "The Rams got a great player."

10:42 PM: Cowboys select Travis Frederick (C - Wisconsin).  This is a reach for the first round.  Dallas needed a center, but they could have traded back here.

10:44 PM: Ravens take Matt Elam (S - Florida).  They passed on Manti Te'o, which of course is a good move.  Elam can fill in for Ed Reed and has great athleticism.  He started his career as a cornerback, so the pass coverage is good, but he can also hit hard.

Closing Thoughts:  No running backs taken for the first time in 50 years.  Also, Manti Te'o not taken, meaning teams are smarter than they look.  I look forward to the next few rounds tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

PREDICTIONS: Three Steals and Three Busts in the First Round

 04/25/2013

Before the 2013 NFL Draft starts, I wanted to get my predictions out there in the open.  That way, when I'm right, everyone can see I called it.  Ok, honestly, I just wanted to share my thoughts on players that I think are worth "reaching" for and players I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.  So, here are my Steals and Busts of the First Round.

Dan's picks will also be included, but without commentary.  He will be focusing more on steals and busts overall, rather than just the First Round.

Steals:

Chance Warmack (G - Alabama) - I think Warmack is the best lineman in the draft.  Even though he isn't a coveted tackle, I think having a stellar guard is just as important as anything.  If you look at the best offensive lines in the NFL, they all have one thing in common - a solid interior.  True, they all have good to great tackles as well, but I think Warmack is a special player who can start immediately at the NFL level and has perennial Pro Bowl talent.  It's not a sexy pick, but the team who drafts him won't be sorry.

Alec Ogletree (LB - Georgia) - This is one guy I'm very interested in, because he could land in Chicago, and I really hope he does.  He is a very rare combination of raw talent and great instincts.  He looks great on film and has great linebacker instincts with safety speed.  He can step in and make an impact right away

Star Lotulelei (DT -Utah) - How far he has fallen in the eyes of some is a shocker.  At one point, he was being discussed as a #1 overall pick.  He definitely has the talent to dominate on the interior of the defensive line, and reminds me a bit of Ndamukong Suh without the behavioral problems.  He simply cannot be blocked.

Dan's Steals:

Steadman Bailey (WR- West Virginia)
Kenjon Barner (RB - Oregon)
Geno Smith (QB - West Virginia)

Notes: I think Dan is a fan of the West Virginia Class of 2013.

Busts:

Tavon Austin (WR - West Virginia) - While I do agree that his counterpart, Steadman Bailey, will be a solid NFL receiver, I'm not sold on Austin.  He has excellent speed and big play ability, but is really undersized at this point in the draft.  I believe Austin will be more of a slot receiver than a deep ball threat.  This leaves him having to make plays after the catch, which is much tougher to do in the NFL than in college.

Geno Smith (QB - West Virginia) - Let me set the record straight.  I think Smith has excellent potential as a read option QB, and in the right system, he could be very, very good.  However, I don't see him doing that.  He struggled against the tougher competition he faced, especially in conference games.  He was a clear-cut Heisman winner last year, and the the Big XII schedule hit and he fell off the board. Also, his high completion percentage had to do with him throwing a lot of short passes and screen passes.  It's hard to make a living out of doing that.

Jarvis Jones (LB - Georgia) -  I used to love Jarvis Jones. I'm now a huge fan of Georgia's other linebacker, Alec Ogletree (see above), but Jones scares me.  He went into last year as the favorite for SEC Defensive Player of the Year, but seemed to be overshadowed by other players in his conference.  This is really to no fault of his own, he looks good on tape.  However, his doesn't have the physical skill set that I'd like to see at this point in the draft.  Give me Ogletree over Jones, and it's not even close.

Dan's Busts:

Ezekiel Ansah (DE - BYU)
Manti Te'o (LB - Notre Dame)
Montee Ball (RB - Wisconsin)

Notes: I agree wholeheartedly with Dan's busts.  I would also like to add Coradelle Patterson (WR - Tennessee) to my list.  Not enough experience to be ready for the NFL.

Other notes:

Dan believes the Niners should trade up to get a couple of dominant players.  I believe this would be illegal as it would make them unstoppable, meaning a new league would have to be created above the NFL.

Dan also noted tat Eddie Lacy's choice of attire was awful.  Seriously, do people even know they look terrible?

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading and enjoy the draft!