Stewart Mandel On NCAA Realignment

Not that I follow anyone on twitter, but if I did, the first person I am going to follow is Stewart Mandel. Here's a great tweet on NCAA Realiangment


Twitter friends: Sadly, I don't know the answers to any of your realignment questions, other than, the Big Ten is not expanding



I for one am happy that the Big Ten is not expanding. Apprently Delany has been golfing the past few days because he doesn't care. There is no one out there that is looking to move that the Big Ten would want to Add (maybe Oklahoma). And I'm fine with that. Let the other confrences go to 14 or 16. It's already bad enough that confrence teams will go 4 seaons without playing each other in Football, what's the point of the confrence then?

Bill Barnwell Still Hates The Bears

LINK

no comments on that. I think we all know Bill Barnwell is staking his claim that the Bears suck and will keep this up until the point the Bears give him a game to prove him right.

On other news, this was a great read I forgot to post a few weeks ago.

Here We Go!!!

BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS
MAKE EVERY PLAY CLEAR THE WAY TO VICTORY
BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS
PUT UP A FIGHT WITH A MIGHT SO FEARLESSLY
WE'LL NEVER FORGET THE WAY YOU THRILLED THE NATION WITH YOUR T-FORMATION

BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS
AND LET THEM KNOW WHY YOU'RE WEARING THE CROWN

YOU'RE THE PRIDE AND JOY OF ILLINOIS

CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!!

Green Bay -- Color Me Unimpressed!

Wow, last nights game was great, it had nearly everything. A last second goal line stand with 0:00 on the clock. A phantom pass interference call that almost caused a major controversy. Nearly 1,000 yards of total offense. Two great QB's slinging it all over the field. A Chuck Woodson uppercut and no removal from the game. And a whole lot of defense... oh wait.

I'm sorry Green Bay, but, to me, your defense was exposed for what it will be this year: BAD. Green Bay lost Cullen Jenkins in the offseason. In my head, a fair comparison to what this means Tommie Harris and the 2007 and beyond Bears defense (not including last year). The Packers no longer have that guy that can get pressure, or allow others, like Clay Matthews, to be even more effective. Instead, teams can key in Clay Matthews and begin to dismantle you through the air. The best part about the Packers is that they already had issues run stopping. So, if their defense is going to play at the same level as it did last night Green Bay is going to find itself in a whole lot of shoot outs. Oh yeah, and they will find themselves behind the Bears all season long.

So, while the prognosticators and experts are all impressed by the win, because not one of them has ever come to understand that defenses really do win championships (can't win one without a decent defense), I am thoroughly unimpressed by Green Bay. And I'm even less impressed by the Saints, who look like they can't get any pressure nor stop the run or the pass. I could see the Bears going 3-0 in their first three games. On Sunday, let's show these two teams how to play defense.

NFL Player Predictions

Before I head off to Yogis for yet another Bloomington drinking adventure, a few predictions on some surprises and disappointments this year. In no particular order:

1) J'Marcus Webb makes the Pro Bowl as an alternate and gets signed to a long term contract. Gabe Carimi also gets strong consideration. Webb, the former seventh rounder from Nowhere Directional State (aka: I'm too lazy to look it up right now) becomes one of the better stories of the NFL year.

I'm pretty sure this OL will be better off without Olin Kreutz, whose asshole attitude long ago became his strongest attribute. When you're an offensive lineman, I hate to break it to ya, but blocking is more important than sucker punching teammates.

2) The Bengals and the Seahawks vie for the title of Worst Team in the NFL. Despite this, Marshawn Lynch rushes for over 1,000 yards and eight TDs. My fantasy interests may have something to do with the second half of this prediction.

3) Bill Belichik and the Patriots miss the playoffs and go 8-8. Albert Haynesworth doesn't play in more than six games.

4) The Bears make the playoffs, and Johnny Knox pushes Roy Williams to the bench by Game Three. Knox finishes with over 1,000 yards receiving, the first Bear to do so in almost a decade. Rookie Dane Sanzenbacher finishes with over 40 catches. Williams finishes with under 40 and ends the season on IR.

5) Your out-of-nowhere WR star? Oakland WR Derek Hagan. Just remember I called it. This is what is referred to as a "low-risk" projection, since I look like a genius if/when it happens, and there is absolutely no risk of looking like an idiot if/when it doesn't. I have Hagan with over 900 total yards and as many as 10-11 TDs. Really, who's goanna push him on that Raiders team? Jacoby Ford? It's not a track meet, folks. Darius Heyward-Bey? HAH!

Anyway, Derek Hagan. You heard it here first.

6) I'll roll with the other totally impartial ACSS writers on Super Bowl projections. Bears over, oh hell, Houston for the Super Bowl title. And absolute insanity in Indianapolis as 500,000 Chicago fans descend on our sleepy neighbor to the south.

7) I'll be in Indy making chili and selling it for $5 a cup when this happens. All week long. Ohhhh yes.

Week 1 Predictions

Week 1 starts tomorrow, so I'm pumped. As a result, I'm going to make some predictions:

NFL MVP: Matt Forte

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Forte

Defensive Player of the Year: Julius Peppers

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton (only because of shear playing time)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Vonn Miller

Sacks the Bears offensive line gives up: 29 sacks

Jay Cutler: 320/500 4,171 yards 35 tds 13 ints 200 rushing yards 2 rushing tds

Matt Forte: 294 carries 1,453 yards 4.9 ypc 15 rushing tds 45 receptions 611 yards receiving 9 tds

Marion Barber: 123 carries 527 yards 4 rushing tds 15 receptions 200 yards 1 td

Roy Williams: 26 catches 375 yards 3 tds 4 drops in first two games finds himself at bottom of depth chart

Devin Hester: 46 receptions 580 yards 4 tds

Earl Bennett: 75 catches 1,127 yards 7 tds

Johnny Knox: 41 catches 593 yards 4 tds

Dane Sazenbacher: 17 catches 239 yards 1 td

Sam Hurd: 10 catches 87 yards

Kyle Adams: 7 catches 50 yards

Kellen Davis: 23 catches 245 yards 5 tds

Matt Spaeth: 15 catches 64 yards 1 td

Defense:

Julius Peppers 14 sacks

Henry Melton 5.5 sacks

Amobi Okoye 3.5 sacks

Israel Idonije 5 sacks

Corey Wooten 7 sacks

Stephen Paea 3 sacks

Matt Toeania 3.5 sacks

Anthony Adams 1.5 sacks

Mario Addison 2 sacks

Brian Urlacher 3 sacks

Lance Briggs 2 sacks

Remainder of defense: 3 sacks

Total sacks: 53

Turnovers:

Brandon Merriweather 5 picks

Charles Tillman 4 picks

DJ Moore 4 picks

Chris Harris 4 picks

Tim Jennings 2 picks

Brian Urlacher 2 picks

Lance Briggs 1 pick

Rest of the Defense: 3 picks

Total Interceptions: 25

Fumble Recovered: 15

Total Takeaways: 40

Total Turnovers: 28

Turnover Differential: +12

Devin Hester: 3 Punt Returns for a TD

Okay, now on to the Bears Falcons Game Prediction:

The Falcons are solid team, but they don't have a good pass rush nor any real depth at corner beyond their starters. The Bears' corners could be better, and at times the Bears lack consistent pressure. However, both teams' offense tend to rely on the run. The difference between these two teams is the fact that the Bears have the better defense and special teams, as well as will attack down field more often. The Falcons are stronger at WR and on their o-line. The running game is about a wash for both teams. The Falcons' tend to make short quick throws. Ultimately, I see the Falcons being able to move the ball between 30 yard lines, but getting stiffled. I see the Falcons settling for field goals. Meanwhile, I see the Bears' wide receiver's speed and the Falcons' poor pass rush being the difference in this game. The Bears will hit one or two huge plays down the field that will make the difference in this game, and they will be able to control the game on the ground more than the Falcons, since the Bears have the better run defense.

Final Score: Bears 27 Falcons 16

Matt Ryan 21-33 217 yards 1 td 1 int

Jay Cutler 20-28 318 yards 2 tds 1 int

Michael Turner 18 carries 58 yards 3.22 ypc 1 fumble lost

Jason Snelling 4 carries 16 yards 4 ypc

Matt Forte 24 carries 102 yards 4.25 ypc 1 td

Marion Barber 8 carries 30 yards 3.75 ypc

Roddy White 8 catches 111 yards 1 td

Tony Gonzalez 5 catches 50 yards

Michael Jenkins 2 catches 11 yards

Julio Jones 2 catches 14 yards

Jason Snelling 3 catches 24 yards

Michael Turner 1 catches 7 yards

Earl Bennett 6 catches 75 yards

Roy Williams 4 catches 64 yards 1 td (2 drops)

Devin Hester 4 catches 87 yards

Johnny Knox 2 catches 51 yards 1 td

Matt Forte 2 catches 23 yards

Marion Barber 1 catches 11 yards

Kellen Davis 1 catch 7 yards

Now, on to my Week 1 game predictions, home team in caps:

GREENBAY over Saints

CHICAGO over Atlanta

CLEVELAND over Cincinnati

Buffalo over KANSAS CITY

Philadelphia over ST. LOUIS

TAMPA BAY over Detroit

Tennessee over JACKSONVILLE

BALTIMORE over Pittsburgh

HOUSTON over Indianapolis

ARIZONA over Carolina

SAN DIEGO over Minnesota

SAN FRANCISCO over Seattle

WASHINGTON over New York Giants

NEW YORK JETS over Dallas

New England over MIAMI

DENVER over Oakland

Noffke's NFL Predictions

Following in Ryan's Lead, I will have my NFL predictions.

I personally can't wait for the NFL season to start. I am sick and tired of hearing how bad the Bears are going to be and how lucky they were last year. This reached a peak today with Bill Barnwell said on the BS report he thinks the Bears will be the worst team in the NFL, primarily based on the new kickoff rule (WHAT!?). Anyway, here we go.

z - conference winner; y - bye week; x - division winner w - wildcard team.

AFC East

Z. Patriots
2. J-E-T-S
3. Bills
4. Dolphins

Patriots are as good as advertised. Jets have a good year, but miss the playoffs. Bills and Dolphins are terrible.

AFC South

X. Texans
W. Colts
3. Titans
4. Jags

I know, I know, Texans aren't that good, but who in this division is? Jags are the worst team in the NFL, Titans could be good depending on if CJ doesn't have any problems without a training camp and how well Hasselback plays. Colts make it in, but not the division winner unless Peyton gets healthy quick.

AFC West

X. Chargers
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs

Chiefs benefited from and easy schedule last year, and will struggle this year. Broncos will be good, but inconsistent again. Raiders will suprise with some stability for Jason Campbell in Offense (first time he's in the same offense 2 years in a row since High School) but the Chargers are the class of the West. It's tough to finish #1 in offense and defense and miss the playoffs, but some how they did it last year.

AFC North

Y. Steelers
W. Browns
3. Ravens
4. Bengals

Steelers will be the Steelers. I believe in Colt McCoy. Ravens will have a good year and the Bengals will struggle with New QB Andy Dalton, but he'll win Rookie of the Year.


NFC East

Y. Eagles
2. Redskins
3. Giants
4. Cowboys

Eagles have a lot of hype, and part of me thinks they could have a terrible year. Saying that, Andy Reid always seems to have his teams making the playoffs. Mike Shanonhan was embarassed last year and will have his team ready to play with Rex Grossman. Giants and Cowboys have solid years.


NFC South

Z. Falcons
W. Bucs
3. Saints
4. Panthers

Falcons get Home field primarily based on them getting to play the Panthers twice. Bucs keep on rising. Saints will be good, but just miss the playoffs.

NFC West

X. Rams
2. Cardinals
3. 49ers
4. Seahawks

Rams schedule is brutal to start, but no one in this division will run away from them. Cardinal's season will depend on Kolb. 49ers will be starting Kapernick by week 8 and the Seahawks are lousy.

NFC North

X. Packers
W. Bears
3. Lions
4. Vikings

Packers only go 9-7 and beat the Bears for the division on a tie breaker. Lions could be good, but everyone will get hurt again. Vikings could be good, but O-Line is a problem.


Playoffs (Home Team in CAPS)

AFC

Wildcard

Browns over CHARGERS
Colts over TEXANS

Semi-finals

STEELERS over Colts
PATRIOTS over Browns

Title Game

STEELERS over PATRIOTS

NFC Playoffs

Wildcard

Bears over PACKERS
Bucs over RAMS

Semi-Finals

Bears over FALCONS
EAGLES over Bucs

Title Game

Bears over EAGLES

Super Bowl

Steelers over Bears

NFL Predictions

Hola everyone! With the first games tomorrow, I figured what time is better than now for my annual NFL predictions. A little key: z - conference winner; y - bye week; x - division winner w - wildcard team. Here I go:

AFC EAST

z - 1. Patriots 14-2

w - 2. Jets 10-6

3. Bills 7-9

4. Dolphins 5-11

AFC WEST

x - 1. Chargers 11-5

2. Broncos 7-9

3. Chiefs 6-10

4. Raiders 5-11

AFC NORTH

y - 1. Ravens 12-4

2. Steelers 9-7

3. Browns 6-10

4. Bengals 2-14

AFC SOUTH

x - 1. Colts 10-6

w - 2. Titans 9-7

3. Texans 7-9

4. Jaguars 4-12

NFC EAST

x - 1. Eagles 11-5

w - 2. Redskins 10-6

3. Giants 9-7

4. Cowboys 6-10

NFC WEST

x - 1. 49ers 9-7

2. Rams 8-8

3. Cardinals 7-9

4. Seahawks 4-12

NFC NORTH

z - 1. Bears 13-3

w - 2. Packers 10-6

3. Lions 7-9

4. Vikings 6-10

NFC SOUTH

y - 1. Saints 12-4

2. Falcons 9-7

3. Bucs 7-9

4. Panthers 4-12

WILDCARD ROUND

Chargers 27 Titans 17

Colts 17 Jets 20

49ers 17 Packers 24

Eagles 31 Redskins 20

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Ravens 20 Chargers 17

Patriots 31 Jets 17

Bears 21 Packers 17

Saints 27 Eagles 34

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Patriots 21 Ravens 24

Bears 28 Eagles 20

SUPERBOWL

Bears 17 Ravens 13

There you have it: Bears win the Superbowl. But we all knew that already!

Is It Monday Yet?

Dear ESPN

This is a letter to the morons at ESPN. I was watching Sports Center this morning and there was a discussion of the top 10 QB's in the NFL. Darren Woodson had 15 QB's on his board. One of the QB's was Mark Sanchez. ESPN has been riding Mark Sanchez's jock since he was drafted (he wasn't named a top 10 QB but was in the top 15). How is it that a guy who has an incredible offensive line, a great running game, great receivers, and a great tight end considered in the top 15 when he completes 54% of his passes? The guy threw for only 17 td's last year. The year before he threw for 12 tds and competed 15% of his passes. I'd honestly put him near the bottom of the league in QB's. Yet ESPN rides this guy's jock like he's actually good. HE'S NOT. HE SUCKS.

And yes, this article is about to turn into how the heck is Jay Cutler not on the list of top 15 QB's. I get it ESPN, you hate him. Dilfer created your new QBR stat, and I do actually believe this, to try to make Cutler look bad. Sacks? Really? You are going to count sacks as the QB's fault? If that's the case, at least watch the film and find some objective standard in order to tell when the sacks are the o-line's fault and when they are the QB's fault. This is how flawed ESPN's QBR stat is. Here are two stat lines:

336 Completions/555 Attempts - 3,666 yards - 60.5% completion percentage - 27 tds 26 ints (6.61 yards per attempt) 40 rushes 173 yards 1 td 4 fumbles 35 sacks 76.8 regular QB rating

261 completions / 432 Attempts - 3,274 yards - 60.4% completion percentage - 23 tds 16 ints (7.6 yards per attempt) 50 rushes 232 yards 1 td 1 fumble 52 sacks 86.3 regular QB rating

Which player is better? Well, one QB has 123 more attempts and only around 400 more passing yards and 4 more passing tds with 10 more interceptions and 3 more fumbles. Essentially QB 2 could have equaled those numbers in one game. Here is the kicker, QB 1 is rated higher in ESPN's new QBR than QB2. Who are the QB's? Well if you haven't figured it out already they are both Jay Cutler. So, ESPN wants us to believe that Jay Cutler from 2009 was better than last years Jay Cutler. Why? Because of sacks. Somehow, the 17 more sacks Cutler took last year outweighs the 13 more opportunities Cutler gave the opposing team (granted 3 of those were fumbles recovered by the Bears but a fumble is a fumble). Oh yeah, and need I mention that in ESPN's QBR Trent Dilfer has one of the highest ratings in the league the year the Ravens won the Superbowl. ESPN your QBR stat doesn't even pass the eyeball test!

Now onto whether Eli Manning is a top 5, 10, or even 15 QB. I say no. Unlike anyone of the QB's I will name that are better than him, Manning is unable to put his team on his back and win a game. Yes, he can throw a TD in the last minute to make a game 17-14. So can Kyle Orton. And that is who I'd compare Manning to as a QB. Kyle Orton. Now onto where I'd rank Eli Manning right now, and this includes players I'd take over him that are currently in the NFL.

1. Peyton Manning

2. Tom Brady

3. Drew Brees

4. Phillip Rivers

5. Aaron Rodgers

6. Michael Vick

7. Ben Roethlisberger

8. Matt Ryan

9. Tony Romo

10. Matt Schaub

11. Jay Cutler

12. Josh Freeman

13. Joe Flacco

14. Carson Palmer

15. Eli Manning (only because these other guys have no established themselves yet)

16. Sam Bradford

17. Matthew Stafford

18. Matt Hasselbeck

19. Kevin Kolb

20. Donovan McNabb

21. Kyle Orton

22. David Gerrard

23. Ryan Fitzpatrick

24. Matt Cassel

25. Colt McCoy

26. Vince Young

27. Chad Henne

28. Rex Grossman

29. Shaun Hill

30. Jon Kitna

31. Alex Smith

32. Mark Sanchez

This was not based on any bias towards New York teams. I don't have a bias. This is an objective look at QB's I'd rather have starting on my team over Mark Sanchez and Eli Manning. ESPN, you need to hire objective reporters who don't care about their hometown team instead of these subjective morons you have on your staff. Quit sucking so much! Right now, you are the Mark Sanchez of sports reporting. Awful!

Kevin Wilson Gets Pissed At Radio Hosts Making Fun of IU

Some Fox radio show call Zakk and Jack invited Kevin Wilson on to do an interview. After an intro where they left Wilson on hold for about a minute and a half Wilson went on the attack.

Listen Here

Even though Zakk and Jack went on the rip on Wilson after they kicked him off the show, many other people in the Media have defended Wilson including Dan Dachich on his radio show, SI's Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples.


Mandel via Twitter


Wilson > condescending radio jocks RT @JimmyTraina: Train wreck sports talk radio w/ Indiana coach Kevin Wilson. http://t.co/qARzwtC

Staples has a Lot of back and forth via Twitter I am only including his comments. You can follow is hole chain here



RT @JimmyTraina: Train wreck sports talk radio at its finest here w/ new Indiana football coach Kevin Wilson.

@HawkeyeNation Agreed. Don't start ripping after you hang up on the guy. Hit him with that on the air if it's that important.

I know how Kevin Wilson feels. Last year, I lit up a host off-air for doing no prep before I came on. Should have done it on-air

Not so sure. Think he endeared himself to IU fans. RT @dcvol: If you're Wilson, though, you've got to bite your tongue.


prefer these guys. http://youtu.be/ws58s9wzYsA RT @turnershow: Trudeau and his wingman absolutely brutal


@andy_grey You're underestimating the public's mistrust of the media. Pit yourself against a media member and you look like a hero


@andy_grey He got more buzz by doing what he did than if he had given a sunny, cheery interview

Fantasy Football 2011: Top 5

So apparently I have a problem. It's apparently an addiction to have completed 10 mock drafts up until this point. But one thing I have noticed in these drafts is the high amount of variability in the first round. Generally, its the same people going 1-5 and then the next 5 are the same people in varying orders however that has not been the case this year. I have seen 6 different people go #1 overall including Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Arian Foster, Mike Vick, Jamal Charles, and even Rashard Mendenhall. That being said this is my Top 5 for the first round. Feel free to comment or debate any of these.

1. Adrian Peterson
With a decent quarterback behind him and a bunch of solid receivers AP is set up to do what he does every year.

2. Mike Vick
I know what your thinking. Dan quarterbacks are so deep this year why would you waste your number 2 pick on an injury prone QB. Here's why: Mike Vick is a play maker. He was among the league leaders in fantasy points last year even not playing every game either due to his injury or to Andy Reid. As for being injury prone, think of it this way. Everybody is injury prone. How many hits is AP gonna take this year? Who took Brady a few years ago and expected nothing to happen to him. The fact of the matter is anybody can get hurt at any time so ignore injuries unless the injury is current.

3. Arian Foster
I've got good news and I've got bad news. First the bad news. Every team is now looking for this guy on every play. He had most of his success last year early in the year when nobody was game planning for him. Now for the good news. Matt Schaub isn't getting any worse. With his ability to air it out to Andre Johnson defenses wont be able to cheat up into the box to shut down Foster or they will get burned deep. So they have a choice. Either get burned deep and then have Houston run out the clock on them or let them run initially either way Foster is going to get his touches.

4. Ray Rice
With Willis McGahee out of the picture look for rice to get all his regular touches plus extra goal line carries.

5. Chris Johnson
Tennesee has no other option but to hope that CJ can run the ball effectively.

If I have time I hope to finish out the first three rounds.

Northwestern to Play on Purple Basketball Court?

Northwestern is hosting a vote (http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/080111aab.html) to determine what thier new floor at Welsch-Ryan Arena should look like.

Here are the four options.

Option 1


Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

I personally like Option 1 the best, but could be talked into Option 4. I think my eyes would hurt after watching long stretches of BBall on a purple court.

Dan Persa For Hiesman

Intresting quick read from ESPNChicago.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/colleges/post/_/id/3298/nu-launches-persa-heisman-campaign

The Final Armchair Superstar Post

Well, as everyone can see, Armchair Superstar has been steadily declining in the blogging industry. We just couldn't compete with the other guys. So, like many other quality news reporting agencies of today (News of the World much?) we've decided to shut our doors. So, we at Armchair Superstar would like to thank you for your loyal readership and we'd like to take this time to say Goodbye.

Thank you & Goodbye!

I just read an interesting piece by Andy Staples discussing some potential issues with the Longhorn Network. The major discussion point wasn’t the fact that the Longhorn Network is going to make the school truck loads of cash. or the fact that now with ESPN, ESPN has incentive for the Longhorns to do well and get ratings, blurring the line for unbiased News/Sports reporting on them.

No, the main issue discussed is how the Longhorn Network is going to be showing High School games featuring kids who have verbally committed to Texas. This could be an unfair recruiting tool for Texas. However, it is likely to be deemed ok by the NCAA.

This got me thinking, if the Longhorn Network is going to show two dozen high school football games a year, why doesn’t the Big Ten Network do the same thing? Instead of watching Friday Night Tailgate (which in 4 years went from (yr 1)mildly entertaining, (Yr2) Hey! They figured it out, this is a good show, (Yr3) This is awful, (Yr4) I can’t believe this should could get worse, but it did.) why not show Gunner Kiel’s game so the IU fans can get a look at their future QB, as well as 3 other players. You don’t think Ohio State fans would have loved watching Terrelle Pryor his last year in High School?

The advantage of the BTN showing High School games over the Longhorn Network is they can show a game the features players that are going to multiple schools. If there was a matchup that featured players going to 4 different Big Ten schools, it would bring in 4 times the amount of viewers.

I say if Texas is going to do it, why not the Big Ten. They already have the Network in place, let’s use it to our advantage.

Sox Beat Twins - Finally

It's one of the enduring mysteries of the American League Central. Why can't the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota (f***in') Twins? Take a look at the stats:

Last ten: Sox 1 - Twins 9

Last 35: Sox 7 - Twins 28

That includes today's win, where Mark Buehrle (who, shockingly, has a winning career record versus the Twins) went eight strong and still had to get bailed out by Alexei "Cuban Missile" Ramirez's ninth-inning RBI single. Jesse Crain (former Twin) vultured the win with a solid 9th.

So, I gotta ask. Is this a style thing? (AJ can't throw anyone out, and the Twins know it) Is it a management thing, and does Ron Gardenhire just have Ozzie's number? Is it just one of baseball's innumerable numerical anomalies? Say that six times fast. And then hope that it is, and that the South Siders will dominate the next fifty matchups.

Anyway, it's frustrating because this Sox team is not that far out of a playoff spot (three or four games, depending on the day), but they can't win against one team they play nineteen times a year, and they aren't a whole lot better against the other three (Tigers, Royals, Indians).

If Konerko and Co. played the NL all year long, they'd be a playoff lock. Once again, they dominated their interleague schedule this year. I'm not going to look it up, but I believe the number stands at twenty straight AL-NL series won. Yeah, playing the Cubs twice a year helps with that, but still.

Unfortunately it seems as though the Sox just can't be a dominant force in their own division. This makes it extremely difficult to gain ground in a playoff push. At this point, I'd almost prefer for them to play against the beastly AL East - it seems like every Red Sox/Yankees/Rays series is at least more entertaining than the beatings regularly handed out by the Twins.

I don't have any answers for this problem. But something's gotta change, and I doubt it's going to involve the Pale Hose changing leagues. Hopefully the win today is the start of something better.

PS - Pauly and Carlos Quentin in the All-Star Game. Good times!

PPS - Sox catching prospect Tyler Flowers is coming up to the majors, since backup catcher Ramon Castro broke his hand today. Hope springs eternal.

Indiana Football Recruiting

Here is a quick update on Scout discussing Indiana's recruiting.

No, Gunner Kiel has not signed yet, but two of his teammates did. That could be helpful in beating out Alabama or Oklahoma for the highest ranked QB recruit. I personally think that Gunner wants to go to Indiana, but knows his talent level is too high to go there right now.

On the plus side if he comes, he can lead the team and potentially turn around the program. On the down side, he might not have any protection or people to throw the ball to which could hurt his draft stock compared to the other two power house programs. I still don't see him coming, but there's always hope.



Lastly. Indiana has started recruiting another Randle El. That's right, Antwaan's kid who plays WR.

Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn Admits to Using Steroids

Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn who was a star pitcher with some control porblems for the 1989 Cleveland Indaians admitted to using steriods today.




Here is some highlight clips of Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn

Joe Posnanski Calls Adum Dunn the Most Boring Player in Baseball

Intresting Article on the struggling White Sox player.

NBA Draft Quick Hits

According to almost every sports pundit I've read recently, this is one of the weakest drafts since 2000. Coming, as it does, during a year with great uncertainty as to the future of the NBA (if there are lockouts in both football and basketball, I'l leaving the damn country), the Class of 2011 is entering The League under a bit of a cloud.

Well, cheer up kids. At least you're not LeBron.

Here are a couple of my thoughts on this year's NBA draft class.

1) How on earth is Kyrie Irving the consensus #1 pick? Let's go to the film, shall we?

He's slower than Derrick Rose and has a tiny fraction of the athleticism. Also, he's smaller. And he can't pass like Chris Paul. I just don't see Irving being that good in the league.

2) Derrick Williams, on the other hand, is a future All-Star. Cleveland should really be taking him #1, and I won't be surprised if/when they do. I love his game. So powerful around the rim, a good rebounder, and terrific range. He's an absolute nightmare for most of the small forwards in the NBA.

3) One of the overseas guys will succeed, and the other two-three will fail miserably. It's just statistics. Try picking which one lasts. I sure can't.

4) The above does NOT include Enes Kanter, who I think will be a viable NBA player.

5) Sleepers. I like Butler's Shelvin Mack as a tough rotation guy, and Purdue's JaJuan Johnson as a big SF a la Kevin Durant (lite, but with better defense).

6) Again, Derrick Williams is a legit baller.

He's only a year older than Kyrie, and he is about five times more NBA-ready. I'm sensing another year of buyer's regret for the teams that pass him up (Greg Oden? Sam Bowie?). He's going to come in and be better than, say, Carlos Boozer... within a year or two.

If you want to read a far better draft preview, head on over to Bill Simmons' Grantland.com (the best thing to happen to online sports journalism that I can recall) and READ THIS.

PS- Grantland.com is named after Grantland Rice. If you don't know, now ya know.

US Open Preview

The US Open is this weekend in DC. Its being played at Congressional Country Club and its a Par 71. The defending champ is Graeme McDowell. Now there are going to be a few story lines that will for sure be talked about to much. First story that will probably talked about way to much is the absence of Tiger Woods. Woods will be skipping the event because of knee problems. This will be the second time Woods will miss a tournament because of his knee which makes me wonder how much golf he has left. He is four away from tying Jack Nicklaus's record but not sure if he we will get there.

The next storyline you'll hear about most likely will be about Phil Mickelson and how he will be going for his first US Open win. He could have already won this tournament before, but he decided to hit a driver on 18 out of bounds. He ended up doubling the hole and losing the tournament. Of course another story you will hear about will be about Rory Mcilroy and can he start off as well as he did at The Masters and finish that way.

Players to watch this year are the usual suspects. They are Phil, Furyk, Rory, Luke Donald, Ricky Fowler. My pick this year to win this year is Luke Donald. The current number 1 player in the world hasnt won a major yet so its interesting how he is actually number 1. I think a win here will help his cause and hes been playing pretty well.

If this Doesn't Get You to Watch the US Open, I don't Know What Will

Golphers clearly have too much free time on thier hands. Atleast we know the US Ryder Cup Team has Chemistry.

Viciedo Could be Called up Soon

According to this article, Kenny Williams has been really impressed with the way Dayan Viciedo has been playing in right field and he could be called up soon.

I am not exactly sure how often he would play if he got called up with Carlos playing excellent in right field. Even if they set up a rotation with the outfielders, it could still be tough for him to find regular at bats.

Plaxico Free!

Those of you that know me well (wait a second, that's basically everybody that is reading this right now... never mind) know that this story has a special resonance for me.

If you've never been in jail, you lucky li'l devils you, let me compare the feelings expressed in this ESPN article to the sense of relief you get after finishing an extremely difficult semester, and it's 85 and sunny out, and you all of a sudden have all day to DRIVE AROUND IN A DAMN RANGE ROVER WITH YOUR FRIENDS YOU HAVEN'T SEEN FOR TWO YEARS. I mean, yeah, unfortunately Drew Rosenhaus is also there, but still... pretty awesome.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=6630528

Look, I don't love Plaxico Burress. I think he's a great wide receiver. I don't think he'd be a good fit with the Bears. But I do think that we as fans should give this guy every opportunity to prove that he's done his time - by the way, it was an insanely unfair sentence - and is ready to return to society and redeem himself.

Plax, wherever you end up, I wish you the best.

Oh, and one other thing, bro. STAY OUT OF THE DAMN CLUB.

Trivia: Title Less NBA MVPS

In the history of the NBA there are 7 NBA MVPs that never won an NBA title. After the 2011 NBA finals, there will be only 6. Name all 7.

Answers will be in the comments on Monday.

Blackhawks Division Likely To Change

With the move from Atlanta to Winnipeg, it looks like the NHL divisions will look a little different starting in 2012. According to this article the three most likely teams to move East to make room for the Jets in the West are Detroit, Columbus and Nashville. This make sense as these are the three most eastern West conference teams and they all play in the Eastern Time Zone.

All three of these teams are in the Blackhawks division, so it appears change is on the horizon for them.

The Current Central Division is

Chicago
Columbus
Detroit
Nashville
St Louis

Personally, I think the following scenario makes the most sense. Winnipeg moves from the Southeast to the Northwest (to join with the 3 other Canadian teams in the Western Conference), Minnesota moves from the NW to the Central and Nashville moves from the central to the the Southeast.

Three moves that make geographic sense, and don't mess up too many teams. Saying that, I've already heard rumors that Colorado could be going to the pacific and Dallas could join the central. I hear if Detroit moves East, then the Penguins would move to the southeast. Then you start thinking of the different scenarios and your head hurts.

Bottom line is, the Central will not have the same teams in 2011-12 as they will in the 2012-13 season.

And 1

In case the refs need another reason to blow the wistle on the Bulls, please call me for a "MAKE UP RANDOM FOUL, CAN'T BE ON LEBRON OR WADE" on Wade while shooting a 3.

I thought we got rid of these fixed games


This is why I stopped watching this wothless p.o.s. league.

Indiana's 2012 Class Ranked #1

Considering the Class of 2011 hasn't even come into school yet, this may be a little premature. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/84/class/2012. But hey, it's good publicity for the University, right?

Granted, our last highly ranked class is still developing - if Christian Watford, Mo Creek, and Jordan Hulls don't make The Leap next year, it's doubtful they ever will. And that class was rated top five, easy.

I like the idea of Yogi Ferrell coming in and learning from Hulls during Jordy's senior year, and then taking the reins himself, but I still think next year with Cody Zeller is going to be very make or break for the Crean era at Indiana.

Dwight Howard A Bull?

So, I was stumbling around the internet today (and no, not with stumble upon), when I found multiple references to the Bulls being one of, if not the, front runner to land Dwight Howard this offseason. Essentially, the Bulls would have to trade their first two first round picks this year, a first round pick next year, and two of either Noah, Gibson, Boozer, or Asik, and possibly either Deng or Brewer as well. A lot of the talk has been that it would have to be a package of Noah, Gibson, and Deng with the three first rounders for Howard and either Hedo Turkoglu or Gilbert Arenas. Apparently Orlando is going to want to dump one of those two huge contracts. Either way, it is very conceivable that next years starting Bulls roster looks like this:

PG: Derrick Rose

SG: Gilbert Arenas

SF: Ronnie Brewer

PF: Carlos Boozer

C: Dwight Howard

I'd prefer that if we were giving up three players that we NOT take on Arenas or Hedo, but oh well if you have to. It's a lot to give up, but the guy you are getting may actually be the overall most valuable player in the NBA.

Bulls Panic Meter is High But I Believe They Will Likely Win Tonight

Why is everyone talking like the Bulls are out of this one? ESPN has already discounted the Bulls. If you ask them its already guaranteed to be a Heat-Mavs finals, even though the series is 2-1. ESPN has determined that the Bulls just can't keep pace with the Heat. I don't buy it. The simple fact to me is that the Bulls have played two very BAD games.

The Bulls have shot a combined 37% in the last two games and still have been right in the games until the very end, despite the Heat shooting around 49% in those very same games. In game 2, the Bulls shot 34%! Had they shot a measly 42% they would have won that game!

WHEN the Bulls start shooting around 44% they will win. And you can run around and say the Bulls are shooting that bad because of the Heat defense, but that's not true. The Heat's D is good, but not that good. The Bulls will more than likely revert back to the norm, just as the Heat will too. Don't be surprised if the Bulls win the next two.

And to go back to ESPN for a moment, does anyone else hate Michael Wilbon aside from me? He tries to act like he's a Chicago fan but he is just some guy who USED to be from the area and has lost any all connections with it, including the sports teams.

Anyways, my predictions for the games:

Game 4: Bulls win 96-86

Game 5: Bulls win 91-84

Game 6: Heat win 101-98 OT

Game 7: Bulls win 94-92

Series: Bulls win 4-3.

Carlos Boozer: Rapper, Baller, Entrepreneur

I can't even comment any further on that.

It's Carlos Boozer and Twista, feat. Mario Winans, on "Winning Streak."

First time this played at the UC, it resulted in the end of the Bulls' playoff winning streak. Coincidence? I hope so.

http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2011/05/19/finally-carlos-boozer-rocks-the-mic/

Gus Johnson Joins Fox, Leaves CBS

According to this SI Article, Gus Johnson will be leaving CBS to Join FOX's broadcast team. This is terrible news because Gus will no longer be going crazy during March Madness.

Rooting for the Red Wings?

First let me just say that I am a Blackhawks fan and hate the Red Wings, however I find myself cheering for them to advance. There is a good reason for it so hear me out. The only reason I am cheering for Detroit is because I believe that they have a better chance to beat the Canucks in the Western Conference Finals and I despise the Vancouver Canucks. If you haven't heard the Red Wings have fought their way back from being down 3-0 against the Sharks to tie the series 3-3. This is part of the reason why I don't think the Sharks could beat Vancouver.

The Sharks have shown us from past seasons that they are a great regular season team and a terrible playoff team. They are Washington Capitals of the Western Conference pretty much. As Noffke stated in our intense Business Lunch, if the Sharks advance to the Western Conference Finals it will be a match of which team freaks out first (Lets face it the Cancuks faced a Nashville team that has no offensive weapons so they had nothing to fear in that one). On that note I have to give credit where credit is due, the Canucks are a very good hockey team. A hockey team that freaks out just as easily as the Sharks but can beat them as well.

The Red Wings have solid veterans on the team that have the playoff experience that will benefit them is this Game 7 and possibly beyond. The majority of the roster is over the age of 30 but they are still solid players that could match up well against the Canucks. So is it wrong for me to cheer for the Red Wings because I think they have a better chance to beat the Canucks? Don't get me wrong if they make it to the Stanley Cup Finals I hope they get swept but I want them to beat the Canucks in the process. Thoughts?

Noah and Mutombo

Nice article on espn.com/chicago by Jon Greenberg, who has been doing great features on the Bulls all year.

Joakim Noah a unique player, person

And of course, any mention of Dikembe Mutombo means we have got to watch some hilarious Mutombo clips.

New "This is Sportscenter Commercial"

Bears Draft Pick Highlights

Hooray, it's Lineman Highlights? From chicagobears.com... I hope these load paused and don't start automatically. (Post note: Woo hoo! Apparently I do know a little HTML!)


Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State, Defensive MVP of the Pac-12 last year)




Gabe Carimi (The Jewish Hammer, Wisconsin OL, Outland Trophy winner last year) - combine video.

Minnesota Vikings: The Place QBs go to Die?

Last night the Minnesota Vikings made one of the more surprising picks of the Draft when they selected QB Chris Ponder #12 overall. Unless the Donavon McNabb rumors come true, this shows they are ready to move in a new direction for QB, and not just this season, but from the past 25 years.

The past 25 years, the primary way Minnesota has found it’s starting quarterback is by finding a player who is past their prime and hope he can resurrect his career. As much as division rival Chicago is mocked for its inability to find a quarterback, the Vikings have had just as many problems finding some to replace Fran Tarkenton (3 Supersbowls, 9 Pro Bowls, 1975 MVP, Primary starting QB from 1961-1978 with a 4 year hitatus play for the Giants).

Here’s a look back at the primary starting quarterbacks who have been used for Minnesota the past 25 years starting with the most recent.

2009-2010: Bret Favre

Age 40 when he started playing for the Vikings and had already been in football for 18 seasons. Won a Super Bowl in Green Bay and played in another one. Was able to lead team to 2009 NFC Championship game before getting hurt his second year.

2008: Gus Frerotte

Age 38 when he started playing for the Vikings, had been in the NFL for 14 seasons and had primarily been a back up for the past 8 seasons for Denver, Cincinnati, Miami, St Louis and Minnesota. Went to a Pro Bowl as a member of the Washington Redskins. He Led Vikings to 8-3 record before getting hurt.

2007: Tavaris Jackson

Tavaris was drafted by the Vikings with the last pick of the 2nd round the previous year. He drafted to be the Quaterback of the future, but never panned out.

2005-2006: Brad Johnson

Age 37 when he started playing for the Vikings again and had been in the NFL for 13 seasons. Won a Super Bowl in Tampa and went to 2 Pro Bowls with Tampa and Washington. Went 7-2 in 2005 missing the playoffs by 1 game. Midway through the 2006 season, he had already set an NFL record for passes completed short of a first down on third down in a season.

2001-2005: Daunte Culpepper

Culpepper is the one success story for the Vikings. They drafted him 11th in 1999 and by 2001 he was starting. He was a 3 time pro-bolwer and graced the cover of Madden 2002. His stint with the Vikings didn’t end well with the boat cruise dilemma

1999: Jeff George

Age 32 when he started playing for the Vikings and this was already his 4th team in 9 Season. He was the 1st overall pick in 1990 and had medicore success with each of his first three stops Indy, Atlanta and Oakland. In 10 games as a starter went 8-2 and put up excellent numbers (23 touchdowns, 8.6 yards per attempt, a 94.2 rating) in leading Minnesota to the playoffs and a round 1 victory of the Giants. After the season, Minnesota did not resign him

1997-1999: Randall Cunningham

Age 35 when he started play for the Vikings and coming off 1 full season of retirement. Was a three time pro-bowler with Philadelphia. In 1997 he came in to replace Brad Johnson and led the Vikings to the 2nd round of the playoffs. In 1998 he guided the Vikings to a 15–1 regular season record with 34 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions and took them to the NFC title game where the heavily favored Vikings were upset in Overtime by the Atlanta Falcons. After playing 6 games in 1999 he was benched due to poor performance

1996-1998: Brad Johnson

Johnson was taken in the 9th round in the 1992 draft and was primarily used as a back-up. He started only limited time in 1996 and had injury shortened 1997 and 1998 seasons.

1994-1996: Warren Moon

Age 38 when he started playing for the Vikings and had already been in football for 15 seasons. He was a 5 time Grey Cup Champions (CFL Title) 6 time pro bowl QB for Houston. Moon passed for 4,200+ yard in his first two seasons, but was injured and not resigned in 1996.

1993: Jim McMahon

Age 32 when he started playing for the Vikings and had already been in football for 11 seasons. He had won a Super Bowl with Chicago and went to one pro-bowl. He then bounced around 2 more teams before landing on the Vikings in 1993 and led them to the playoffs before being replaced by Warren Moon

1990-1992: Rich Gannon
1986-1989: Wade Wilson

Both of these two quarterbacks were late round draft picks that didn’t have much potential. They both had some success but were unable to sustain it for the Vikings


So that’s the past 25 years of quarterbacks for the Vikings. Four draft picks that didn’t pan out (3 of which were taken past the 4th round (4, 8 and 9) and were never expected to be good) 7 quarterbacks who were past their prime but were able to have one last good season for the Vikings and Daunte Culpepper.

So now we can ask the question, what does this all mean? Well as you can see, the Vikings did have some success with their old QBs, but none of them could sustain it for more than 3 seasons. They have been competitive using the model so why not look to sign Donvan McNabb for a year or two? It’s worked before and it can work again.

The only time they used a high overall pick on a QB (Culpepper), they had him sit on the bench for two years behind past their prime quarterbacks. After the two Years Culpepper thrived in the system and gave the Vikings their longest run of consistent quarterback play in a decade. The other quarterbacks they drafted were late round picks and never had much hope that they’d become the franchise quarterback even though they did spend time behind past their prime quarterbacks.

So is Minnesota the place QBs go to die? If they sign McNabb I think we can agree it is, but if you can get 1 more run out of them, that might not be a bad thing.

Peter King Explains Bears and Ravens Non-Trade

Peter King led off his article today discussing the Bears and Ravens trade that didn't happen.

Chicago, picking 29th, and Baltimore, at 26, finalized a trade that would have had them switch slots, with the Ravens getting the Bears' fourth-round pick in return. Chicago would take Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi, and the Ravens, if Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith was still on the board, would take Smith at 29. With two minutes left in the Ravens' period, the deal was done.

Under NFL rules, each team has to report the trade to NFL draft headquarters at Radio City Music Hall. The Ravens called it in. They assumed Chicago called it in, but due to a miscommunication in the Bears' draft room, no one from Chicago ever called the league. As the clock ticked down to zero, and with Chicago on the phone with Carimi to tell him he was going to be their pick, Baltimore noticed no one at the league had announced the trade and Chicago's pick of Carimi. Meanwhile, Kansas City, with the 27th pick, rushed its card to the desk at Radio City, taking Pittsburgh wideout Jonathan Baldwin.

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, on an open line to New York, demanded to know why the trade hadn't gone through. Chicago never called to confirm it, Newsome was told. Baltimore was infuriated. The league didn't allow the trade. The Ravens picked Smith at 27 (not 26; Kansas City was awarded the 26th pick and took Baldwin, because the Chiefs got the pick in before the Ravens did), and the Bears got lucky, getting Carimi at 29.

"Whatever you hear, Baltimore did everything the right way," Bears GM Jerry Angelo told Chicago media. "There were a lot of things happening in the draft room. We were getting a lot of calls, we just ... dropped the ball. I dropped the ball. I can't say anything more than that."

All's well that ends well, you say? Not so fast. Angelo called Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti to apologize, but Bisciotti wanted the fourth-round pick anyway, claiming it was part of the deal they'd agreed to. In fact, I'm told Bisciotti today will push to get the fourth-round pick, or to make the situation right in some way.

The league is under no obligation to do so, because the trade was never official. And maybe all's fair in love and draft-night trades, but as far as Baltimore's concerned, I don't think this one's over. I think the Ravens will ask the league to award them some compensation from Chicago before the draft resumes at 6 p.m. Eastern today. Stay tuned.

Noffke’s NFL Draft Round 1 Recap

Before I dive too much into this I first have to state I really don’t like instant analysis on the draft. Really we should wait a year or two to analysis who had a good draft. Too often I hear, “You know who had a good draft? The Patriots! They got good players, and filled some needs.” Well yeah, when a team has 6 picks in the top 90 I hope they have a good draft. So I don’t want to hear any of that crap. I am just going to go through some quick thoughts.

Cam Newton being the #1 pick: I think he could be good, but I don’t trust him. He was a 1 year wonder, and he has a very checkered past. He got in trouble while at Florida or he never would have left, then he “shopped” around for a new team to play for, but didn’t know about it. Great. I just heard Mike Lombardi from the NFL network say, “With one year guys, you don’t look forward, you look backwards. You look at what reasons made the guy a 1 year wonder.” I think that’s the case here, let’s see why he wasn’t better longer.

Also, TMQ brought up an interesting point. Look at BCS winning quarterbacks in the pros? Here’s a list of the 12 BCS winning QBs who have played in the NFL.

1. Tee Martin – Tennessee: Never did anything in the pros
2. Chris Wienke – Florida State: Never did anything in the pros
3. Josh Huepel – Oklahoma: Never did anything in the pros
4. Ken Doresy – Miami: Never did anything in the pros
5. Craig Krenzel – Ohio State: Started a few games for the Bears
6. Matt Mauk – LSU: Never did anything in the pros
7. Carson Palmer – USC: Good NFL Career with multiple pro bowls.
8. Vince Young – Texas: Started off promising, but didn’t sustain his level of play
9. Matt Lienart – USC: Never did anything in the pros
10. Chris Leak – Florida: Never did anything in the pros
11. Matt Flynn - LSU: Never did anything in the pros
12. Tim Tebow – Florida: Won two games as a rookie in limited action.

We’ll let Tebow be TBD and not count him. So 1.5 out of 11. Not a high success rate. These guys had great players around them which helped them thrive. Brees carried Purdue around for 3 years. Tennessee was good, not great when Peyton was there. Brady had great players around him at Michigan, but had to constantly fight with Drew Hensen for a starting job. These players learned how to play in tough situations which made them better. So needless to say, I’m penciling in Newton as a mediocre, but never great player.

While we are in Auburn, let’s talk about Nick Fairly to Detroit. Instantly everyone is excited to see Fairly play with Suh. I don’t think Fairly is anywhere near as good as Suh, and I am not convinced he’s going to be a good player in the NFL. He’s a one year player, and let’s take Lombardi’s advice and look back. He had to go to Jr College for 2 years before he could get into to Auburn cause he didn’t have the grades (think about that). He plays very high and tries to avoid contact, neither of which you want to see out of an interior lineman. If he plays high, the O-line will beat him up which could lead to injuries. He has to engage a player (or two) and then beat them to help the linebackers stay clean and flow to the football. He has a questionable work ethic, and we know how that turns out right after you pay that type of player a lot of money. I am predicting a very short NFL career for Mr. Fairly.

The Cardinals were smart, there was an obvious need for this team at QB in a very winnable division. However, they saw this draft had quarterback depth and didn’t value any of the top guys as high, so they took the best player in the draft in Patrick Petersen. I think Petersen is going to be a star, and playing inside can only help him utilize his speed. I see them grabbing Dalton or Mallet with their 2nd round pick.

The more amusing parts of the night came when the Falcons traded a whole bunch to get Julio Jones. Way to hold the Jersey the right way buddy. I can’t understand trading that much to get a WR. WR are a benefit, not a need. A smart d coordinator can eliminate a WR’s impact on the game easier then any other position. Unless they feel this guy is going to be a Randy Moss like talent (he’s not) or a Jerry Rice like work ethic (he won’t’) then I can’t see him making a big enough impact to warrant trading as much as they did. As ACSS draft expert Ryan Parrent pointed out, the Bears traded less for Jay Cutler, a proven NFL player. I don’t get it.

The dumbest part of the night came when the Vikings selected Chris Ponder with the 12th pick. I thought I had blacked out for 24 hours and it was the 12th pick of the 2nd round. I was just dumbfounded by this pick. I saw him play live against a very sub-par Boston College team, and I was not impressed. He doesn’t have the arm strength necessary to throw the 15-20 yards out which are necessary for playing in the NFL. He also has not proven to be durable, missing time in his final two years at FSU. While I am glad the Vikings took him, so they can waste 3-4 year figuring out he’s not that good, I don’t understand the pick.

Finally to the Bears. I think the trade they were trying to get through with Baltimore was to get Smith from Colorado, I don’t see any other reason why they’d try to move to that spot. Taking Camri at 29 is a good choice. He’s a solid offensive lineman who can play either tackle or either guard. I think they are going to try to get him to start at LT, but if he can’t beat out Williams or Omieyle then they can play him somewhere else until he gets the confidence and the ability to make that spots his a year or two down the line.

Looking at the Bears line I see positives and negatives now. The positives are we have 3 guys who can play both guards and both tackle spots (Omieyle, Williams and Camari) along with Garza who can play either guard, Webb who proved he can at least hold his own for a full 16 game season, and one last run for Kruetz (still think the Bears should get an interior lineman 4th or 5th round to be his eventual replacement). So the Bears will have depth and flexibility on the line that will give Mike Tice the ability to find the best fit for the team. The problem with all this flexibility is there are no players who own the position. Knowing from day 1 where they are going to play and building together from there. I think if Tice gets these guys in defined roles early in Camp (if there is one) it will be better for the team as a whole.

My Three Round Mock Draft

Okay, this is it. The NFL draft is on Thursday. So, I am going to post my final NFL Mock Draft. It will be three rounds. I will not predict any trades. At the end I will predict trades for the Bears (if there are any) and how they will wind up with their ALL of their picks.

ROUND ONE:

1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton QB

2. Denver Broncos - Marcel Dareus DT

3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller DE/OLB

4. Cincinnati Bengals - AJ Green WR

5. Arizona Cardinals - Patrick Peterson CB

6. Cleveland Browns - Julio Jones WR

7. San Francisco 49ers - Robert Quinn DE

8. Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairley DT

9. Dallas Cowboys - Prince Amukamara CB

10. Washington Redskins - Jake Locker QB

11. Houston Texans - JJ Watt DE/DT

12. Minnesota Vikings - Aldon Smith DE/OLB

13. Detroit Lions - Tyron Smith OT

14. St. Louis Rams - Correy Liuget DT

15. Miami Dolphins - Blaine Gabbert QB

16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Cameron Jordan DE

17. New England Patriots - Anthony Costanzo OT

18. San Diego Chargers - Da'Quan Bowers DE

19. New York Giants - Gabe Carimi OT

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ryan Kerrigan DE

21. Kansas City Chiefs - Nate Solder OT

22. Indianapolis Colts - Mike Pouncey OG/C

23. Philadelphia Eagles - Derek Sherrod OT

24. New Orleans Saints - Muhammad Wilkerson DE/DT

25. Seattle Seahawks - Jimmy Smith CB

26. Baltimore Ravens - Cameron Heyward DE/DT

27. Atlanta Falcons - Brooks Reed DE

28. New England Patriots - Akeem Ayers OLB

29. Chicago Bears - Benjamin Ijalana OT/OG

30. New York Jets - Marvin Austin DT

31. Pittsburgh Steelers - Phil Taylor NT

32. Greenbay Packers - Mark Ingram RB

ROUND 2:

33. New England Patriots - Mikel LeShoure RB

34. Buffalo Bills - Christian Ponder QB

35. Cincinnati Bengals - Andy Dalton QB

36. Denver Broncos - Aaron Williams CB/S

37. Cleveland Browns - Adrian Clayborne DE

38. Arizona Cardinals - Rahim Moore FS

39. Tennessee Titans - Ryan Mallett QB

40. Dallas Cowboys - Jabal Sheard DE/OLB

41. Washington Redskins - Randall Cobb WR/KR

42. Houston Texans - Brandon Harris CB

43. Minnesota Vikings - Colin Kaepernick QB

44. Detroit Lions - Ras-I Dowling CB

45. San Francisco 49ers - Torrey Smith WR

46. Denver Broncos - Ryan Williams RB

47. St. Louis Rams - Titus Young WR

48. Oakland Raiders - Stefan Wisniewski OG/C

49. Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Hankerson WR

50. San Diego Chargers - Martez Wilson LB

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Danny Watkins OG

52. New York Giants - Stephen Paea DT

53. Indianapolis Colts - James Carpenter OT

54. Philadelphia Eagles - Allen Bailey DE

55. Kansas City Chiefs - Jonathan Baldwin WR

56. New Orleans Saints - Kyle Rudolph TE

57. Seattle Seahawks - Orlando Franklin OG/T

58. Baltimore Ravens - Davon House CB

59. Atlanta Falcons - Jerrel Jernigan WR

60. New England Patriots - Rodney Hudson OG/C

61. San Diego Chargers - Edmund Gates WR

62. Chicago Bears - Jurrell Casey DT

63. Pittsburgh Steelers - Will Rackley OT/G

64. Green Bay Packers - Sam Acho DE/OLB

ROUND 3:

65. Carolina Panthers - Jaiquawan Jarrett S

66. Cincinnati Bengals - Quan Sturdivant LB

67. Denver Broncos - Jarvis Jenkins DE/OLB

68. Buffalo Bills - Christian Ballard DE/DT

69. Arizona Cardinals - Johnny Patrick CB

70. Cleveland Browns - Tandon Doss WR

71. Dallas Cowboys - James Brewer OT

72. New Orleans Saints - Daniel Thomas RB

73. Houston Texans - Curtis Brown CB

74. New England Patriots - Greg Salas WR

75. Detroit Lions - Marcus Gilbert OT

76. San Francisco 49ers - Shareece Wright CB

77. Tennessee Titans - Justin Houston OLB/DE

78. St. Louis Rams - Jason Pinkston OT/G

79. Miami Dolphins - Taiwan Jones RB

80. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ricky Stanzi QB

81. Oakland Raiders - Jalil Brown CB

82. San Diego Chargers - Kendall Hunter RB

83. New York Giants - Clint Boling G

84. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Luke Stocker TE

85. Philadelphia Eagles - Marcus Gilchrist CB/S

86. Kansas City Chiefs - Kenrick Ellis NT

87. Indianapolis Colts - Drake Nevis DT

88. New Orleans Saints - Chimdi Chekwa CB

89. San Diego Chargers - Terrell McClain DT

90. Baltimore Ravens - Austin Pettis WR

91. Atlanta Falcons - Jordan Cameron TE

92. New England Patriots - Bruce Carter OLB

93. Chicago Bears - Greg Little WR

94. New York Jets - Casey Matthews ILB

95. Pittsburgh Steelers - Joseph Barskdale OT

96. Green Bay Packers - Lee Ziemba OT/G

97. Carolina Panthers - Dontay Moch DE/OLB

There you go. Now, what do I realistically think will happen with the Bears? I think they'll trade down. I think you'll see teams who want MARK INGRAM and/or QB's looking to trade to the top part of the first round. I think the Jaguars will trade up to take our pick. They'll trade us their second and third rounders (49 and 80) and we'll swap picks 114 for 127. That puts the trade value within about 15ish. So we'll get picks 49, 80, and 127 for picks 29 and 114. Keep in mind the draft is not the same as the mock draft above since there will actually be trades.

MY ACTUAL PREDICTION FOR THE BEARS PICKS:

40 - Jonathan Baldwin WR

62 - Jurrell Casey DT

80 - Clint Boling OG

93 - Chimdi Chekwa CB

114 - Joseph Barksdale OT

160 - Jake Kirkpatrick C

195 - T.J. Yates QB

So there you have it! My three round mock draft, and my picks for the Bears draft. LETS GO BEARS!

Ozzie on E:60

Speaks for Itself

(Credit to cnnsi.com)

(I love this picture)

Tressel a Goner?

Pat Forde thinks so.

"The only bigger coach than Tressel in Ohio State history was Woody Hayes, winner of AP national championships in 1954 and '68 and the all-time leader in Big Ten conference victories with 152. Yet when Hayes shamed the university by punching Clemson's Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl, igniting a bench-clearing brawl, the school fired him the next day.

If Ohio State could fire its greatest football icon, it can fire Tressel."

Hawks Puck Mystery

I definitely woke up this morning thinking ESPN.com was swearing at me - the giant headline saying "WHERE IS THE PUCK?" was a bit, well, confusing.

However, after all my confusion, it looks like Outside the Lines has finally ventured outside of the realm of cheesy stories about disabled high school athletes doing meth or whatever and is actually doing something semi-cool, since this story is all about Patrick Kane's Stanley Cup-winning hockey puck and its mysterious disappearance.

In other news, I'm heading to Conseco Fieldhouse tonight to watch the Bulls take on the Pacers in Game 3 of what has been, so far, a highly entertaining series. It'll be strange not being at Yogi's for a game, but hey, it's the NBA! Love it Live, right? I'm thinking the place will be about 70 percent Pacers fans, 30 percent Bulls fans. Looking forward to some serious MVP chants.

Cubs Throw 1918 World Series

Well, looks like the Black Sox weren't the only dirty team in Chicago.


http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6396358

This Day in Sports (Jordan Scores 63)

Bears 2011 Schedule

As I am sure some of you are aware, the NFL just announced its 2011 schedule (assuming there is a season). I have pulled up the Bears Schedule and am going to do a quick breakdown Lovie Smith style, breaking the season into quarters

1. Falcons, @Saints, Packers, Panthers

Wow, talk about getting the NFC south out of the way. Three of the first four games are against the NFC south including both home games. This is a bummer as the Bears can’t take advantage of Warm weather teams come up North in the Winter. I am glad the Falcons are coming to Chicago though, the Georgia dome has become a house of horrors for the Bears. I see the Bears beating the Panthers, and winning at least 1 of the other 3. I could see them winning more, but to be conservative

Bears Record 2-2

2. @Lions (MNF), Vikings (SNF), @Bucs (In London), Bye, @ Eagles (MNF)

Interesting stretch here for the Bears with 4 high profile games. The Bucs make their 2nd trip to London to play while for the second straight year the Bears will play internationally (Maybe next year they can play Arizona in Mexico City and keep it going). Luckily, the Bucs are the team that are losing the home game and not the Bears. After the London trip, the Bears have 15 days off with the bye week and then MNF, so hopefully they will be fully over the jetlag. Also, it’s another year the Bears are playing the Eagles in a primetime game, that seems to happen every year. I see the Bears beating the Lions and Vikings, then splitting the Bucs and Eagles.

Bears Record 3-1

3. Lions, Chargers, @Raiders, Chiefs

The Lions then a run of the 4 AFC west teams seems odd to me. Why would the NFL schedule all the AFC games back to back? Even with all 4 teams improving (maybe not the Chiefs) I still see the Bears sweeping this part of the season, at worst dropping 1.

Bears Record 3-1

4. @Broncos, Seahawks, @ Packers (SNF *subject to change), @Vikings

The end of the season is a little rough with 3 of 4 on the road and playing in 3 of the most difficult stadiums. Luckily the Bears don’t have to make the trip to the great Northwest with the Seahawks coming to town. The Broncos game will get more attention if Captain NeckBeard is playing, but most likely the Bears will have to stop Tebowmainia? I have a feeling the Bears will lose 2 of the road games even though they should probably only lose 1.

Bears Record 2-2

Overall Record: 10-6
NFC Central: 2nd Place
NFC Playoffs: 5th Seed

With the 5th seed the Bears will defeat the NFC West Champion Rams and after that, who knows what happens.


If the season happens, it should be a fun one for the Bears. A trip to London and San Diego, I don’t think you can get any further apart?

From the Big Ten Blog: Iowa drop motivates IU's Damarlo Belcher

From the Big Ten Blog
After the 2010 season wrapped up, Damarlo Belcher had Indiana's video staff compile cutups of all his catches and drops from the previous 12 games.

The catches far outnumbered the drops. Belcher had 78 receptions last fall, tops among Big Ten players. He ranked 19th nationally in receptions per game (6.5) and finished fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (69.3 rpg). The 6-foot-5, 214-pound Belcher emerged as the most consistent pass-catcher on the league's top passing offense.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Darron Cummings
Damarlo Belcher led the Big Ten in receptions last fall, but is motivated by his drop against Iowa.Belcher reviewed every play, but he spent more time on the drops. Specifically, he watched The Drop.

Indiana fans don't need further explanation. Anyone who watched the end of the Hoosiers' Nov. 6 game against then-No. 15 Iowa understands.

After Iowa scored a late touchdown to take an 18-13 lead, Indiana responded with a drive to the Hawkeyes' 18-yard line. After three incompletions, quarterback Ben Chappell lofted a pass to the end zone on fourth-and-10. Belcher leaped above the defenders to grab it for the game-winner.

But the ball bounced off of his hands. Iowa ran out the clock, and another chance for Indiana to turn a corner had disappeared.

Belcher hasn't forgotten what happened that day.

“I can't," he said. "But it won't happen again, I'll tell you that. That’s the one I watch the most."

Belcher felt understandably sick after the drop, but his coaches and teammates rallied around him. Indiana's leadership council unanimously voted him a game captain the next week against Wisconsin.

Belcher finished the season with an eight-catch, 83-yard performance as Indiana knocked off Purdue in overtime to reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket. But Indiana fell a win shy of bowl eligibility, and the school fired coach Bill Lynch the day after the Bucket game.

The Drop has lingered in Belcher's mind throughout the winter and spring.

"I think about it every day," he said. "Whenever I'm in the weight room or out at practice, I think about it. It gives me an extra effort or motivation to just go hard."

Belcher will be Indiana's clear-cut No. 1 receiver this fall after teammate Tandon Doss declared early for the NFL draft. Belcher also considered bolting after the coaching change.

Indiana's hiring of offensive guru Kevin Wilson helped keep Belcher in Bloomington.

"That was a big part of the reason why I stayed," Belcher said. "Coming from where he came from, I couldn't do anything but stay."

Wilson has talked to Belcher about former Oklahoma star tight end Jermaine Gresham and other standout pass-catchers he coached in Norman. Belcher has responded well to the new staff this spring.

"He's the oldest guy in the group, the most experienced, and he's been great to work with," co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach Kevin Johns said. "For someone who led the Big Ten in receptions, who made All-Big Ten recognition, he's very hungry to learn. He comes into meetings with wide eyes, not a guy who feels, 'I already know everything.'"

Belcher's hunger stems in part from the drop against Iowa. He can't wait for the season and a chance for redemption.

"If it can be close, man, I want it, I want the ball in my hands," he said. "That's how much it affected me. Whenever it's crunch time, I'll be ready."

Hawks vs Canucks

So I was browsing the Web and came across this video supporting the Canucks.




While it's a kind of clever video. It did get me pumped for tonight's game (sadly still to far away). I do think we are going to win the series still, the Hawks have lost Game 1 the past two years. To make myself more pumped I started watching more clips

Goal Horn



Last Years Anthem vs Canucks



Best Anthem Ever (All-Star Game while USA was at war in Iraq in the Old Stadium)



CBC Remebers the 2010 Stanley Cup



To Beat Nashville in Game 5