New Blog

I have a new blog and the post below will also the first post on my new blog. Follow me on my new blog at: http://www.goingontherecord.blogspot.com/

Rush to Judgment

This is a different type of topic than my normal posts. The topic I want to talk about today is a mix of sports and politics. Unless you’ve been hiding under rock the past few days you’ve probably heard about Rush Limbaugh’s interest in buying the St. Louis Rams. That of course ended yesterday as it was announced that Rush Limbaugh was dropped from the group of bidders. The reason? Rush Limbaugh has said some “divisive” things over the years. Let’s be honest here. He is being blackballed by the media, NFL players union, and other entities for his Donavan McNabb comments on ESPN many years ago. He said that McNabb was being overrated by the media because they want so badly for a black QB to succeed in this league.

Before I go any further, I would like to say I don’t really care for Rush Limbaugh. I rarely agree with most of the things he says and the way he says them. I’m not a fan of his style of “shock” radio. But just because I don’t agree with him it doesn’t mean I think what they are doing is fair.

Back when Rush made his comment, though insensitive and not politically correct, it was pretty close to the truth. Rush’s critical comments were meant as a slap in the face to the media and not necessarily geared towards McNabb.

Look back at McNabb’s history. Every other year the Eagles’ fan base has been trying to run this guy out of town. Back when Rush made his comments it was true that McNabb was being overrated. Since then McNabb has risen to his status of being labeled as an elite type QB. He no longer is overrated. In fact he’s actually underappreciated.

Rush could have worded it better but that’s not his style. He has made tons of money by being controversial and saying provocative things. That doesn’t make him a racist, as some are claiming. Not everything said and done is about racism. How are we ever going to move on from race if we keep using the race card as a weapon? I wish we could just all say that we are Americans. Not African Americans. Not Indian Americans. Not Mexican Americans and so forth. We are ALL Americans and we should stop labeling ourselves any different. Only then will we really move on past all this race stuff.

My point is that Rush should be given a fair chance to buy a team. His bid should be considered on business and not his opinions. There are many rappers/singers and controversial figures who own stake in professional teams throughout the sports world. In their songs they say and do things that could be labeled as “divisive” but it’s accepted because our society accepts it. They are in tabloids and involved in sex scandals and fights and on and on. Again, those things are accepted by the society we live in.

The NFL could have avoided all this stuff by just passing on the bid in a professional manor. They could have said they had a stronger offer and avoided all this nonsense. The players union made things worse by coming out against Limbaugh the way they did. And don’t get me started on Rev Al Sharpton, who also got in on the act. This guy has made a career of keeping people from moving on from racial issues. I say beware the profit seeking profit.

Rush Limbaugh is being attacked for his political beliefs and we shouldn’t attack people just because we don’t agree with them. Most of us have friends who we disagree with on religion and politics. That shouldn’t stand in the way of friendships or the way we do business. In the words of President Obama, "This is a teachable moment."

Pat Myself on the Back Day

I’ve been blogging long enough for me to see some of my best clips over the past few years. As for some of my bad clips, well you may have to dig for them yourself as it is more fun to pat myself on the back. So these quotes date back to my first post:


“ While I believe that (Darren) McFadden is a going to be a good RB I don’t believe he is the same can’t miss RB that Adrian Peterson was/is. To me, the best value at RB is Rashard Mendenhall, the junior at Illinois……I’m going out on a limb and saying that Mendenhall will have as good of if not better career as McFadden.”

“Another point I want to make about (Matt) Ryan is had he played for USC, for example, everyone would be foaming at the mouth that he's the next great QB and no way would he not be drafted at the number 1 slot. It's the truth.”

“There have been lots of moves in NFL free agency this past week. The move I want to talk about is the recent signing of Michael Turner by the Atlanta Falcons. Turner will no doubt be a huge addition to the Falcons. This move will definitely help the Falcons move on from the whole Mike Vick fiasco…… I guess now we’ll see what Turner is really made up of but I’m also curious to where he gets drafted in fantasy drafts. Off the top of my head, I’d select Turner in the late first round or early second round.”

“One more quick thing on the draft, so I'm on record. Michigan QB Chad Henne, is the second best QB in this draft. For a guy who'll go in the 2nd or 3rd round, he's the 2008 draft's best bargain.”

“Mark Sanchez is an impressive looking QB. He’s definitely an NFL first rounder in my book. He’s got a great arm, great poise, and very accurate. He has all of Matt Leinart’s strengths and none of his weaknesses.”

“I think Kiffin is a good coach but I think he would be better suited for the college game. He will make an excellent college coach. We’ll see if he ends up in college.”

“In the case of Mendenhall, he is out for the year and forgotten because of the season ending knee injury (it was actually a shoulder injury) he had early this year. He’s behind Willie Parker on the depth chart but I still believe in a year or two he’ll be the primary back for the Steelers. He was higher on my draft list at RB than super rookie RB Chris Johnson. I still believe in the long run, Mendenhall will be a better fantasy RB than Chris Johnson.”

“And just for the sake of being on the record, Ray Rice is also a RB I hold in high regard. If he ever gets 15-20 carries a game in Baltimore the kid will be good.”

“LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft.”

“Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.”

Well that's just a few things I dug up. I think I've done well for the most part. I have a few misses on player evaluations but for the most part I think I have a pretty good track record. I'm going to keep evaluating football talent on here because that's what I love to do. Some of these evaluations are still in progress but we've seen enough to get a feel for which way they are leaning. Keep coming back from time to time as I will continue posting my thoughts on future players.

Death to the Coach’s Poll

It’s time that the college football world to wake up. This is the easiest argument I have ever made. The Top 25 Coaches Poll should be done away with. Why? Because the coaches only know two teams. They know their own team and they know their next opponent. Please tell me when do these “one game at a time” guys actually get to see another team play? They don’t. These guys are buried in practice and film watching for 16 hours a day. They don’t watch games like the writers or the fans do. And when they're not knee deep in game planning they are knee deep in recruiting. Recruiting is a year round sport. If a coach is eating and breathing bettering his football program there is no time left to sit down for 3 hours to watch a single game during the season. So again I’ll ask the question, what are they basing their votes on? ESPN News highlights?

NFL's next great Wide Receiver

Every once in a while there comes a player who is a can’t miss wide receiver. Wide receiver, in my opinion, is the toughest position to evaluate from the college level to the pro game. A lot of great college WRs are serviceable in the NFL. I’m not saying it’s hard to evaluate them in general. I’m saying it’s hard to see which guys actually will dominate the NFL like they did in college.

Last year the guy was Michael Crabtree. I’m on record as saying I don’t think he’s going to be great in the NFL. My opinion is that he will probably be a good receiver but he won’t meet expectations of being a true great.

Guys like Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald come along every once in a few years. You know w/o a doubt they are going to be natural stars. Those guys have the ball catching ability and playmaking ability that will fit in with any offense. (And I still think that Calvin Johnson has more ability than Larry Fitzgerald. Just wait until Stafford actually develops.)

This year there is another talent like that coming through the draft. The hype around Oklahoma State WR, Dez Bryant, is legit. The next great super receiver will be playing on a lucky NFL team next year. He has all the tools similar Calvin Johnson. He has the size, speed, body control, and ball catching skills that Calvin and Fitzgerald have. Bryant is a big play waiting to happen on every snap. If you get a chance to watch a Oklahoma State game do yourself a favor and watch for Bryant. To me, he is part Calvin Johnson and part Brandon Marshall and I can’t wait to watch him play on Sundays.

Garrett deserves THE blame

Dallas Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett deserves the blame for the current wreck that is the Dallas Cowboys. In my seemingly annual “Dallas Cowboys are going down the drain” post, I want to call out the guy that the media has been giving a free pass to. Jason Garrett is the problem with the Cowboys. When Garrett signed that big contract I called Jones out on how bad of a signing that was. The guy hasn’t proved anything and got a huge contract. He may be smart and well spoken and even may sound like he knows what he’s talking about. That hasn’t translated to anything on the field.

Truth is there is no track record to keep giving this guy praise. It’s popular to pick on Tony Romo. He is more fun to blame. Romo has proven he can play. Garrett no longer has an excuse now that Terrell Owens is gone. TO called Garrett and Romo out last year and they threw him under the bus. TO may be nuts, and how he handles adversity is always news worthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

Garrett is a gadget loving play caller. His plays have very little continuity. He doesn’t know how to use play action. He doesn’t know the art of mixing and setting up plays. He calls random pass plays and he loves to line up in shotgun no matter the down and distance. These kinds of coordinators drive me nuts. It’s all show with complex routes and formations. The pass plays are more sideline to sideline than down the field. Most of the running plays are draws. The downfield plays are forced and it’s frustrating. You have to work very hard for every play because of the complexity.

Garrett has three very good RBs and should be utilizing them into giving the Cowboys an identity. Then setup play action and take some of the burden off of Tony Romo to open up the downfield passing. But it’s not going to happen. Garrett is terrible and Jerry Jones is hard headed and won’t admit he was wrong. It was he and his son who “discovered” Garrett off of a bad Dolphins team 3 years ago. He was their QB coach. I said it in my post about Garrett back then and I’ll say it again, no one was knocking down the door to sign then QB coach Garrett. Jones will hold on because he CAN’T be wrong. Meanwhile the ‘Boys will continue to be an average football team. Romo will continue to get the blame and eventually Wade Phillips will be fired. The only hope for the ‘Boys is maybe they’ll hire Mike Shannahan after another disastrous season.

New RB to the watch list

There is a new RB that has caught my eye. I’ve seen him play two games and I’ve been very impressed with his toughness and between the tackles running. University of Tennessee Senior RB Monterio Hardesty is riding under the radar due to the Vols bad record. He also was a bit drowned out from super freshman Bryce Brown coming to play at UT. Hardesty has NFL vision. He sees the hole and he hits it hard. He may not have the 4.4 speed, though I am not sure of his 40 time, but he’s fast enough to play at the next level. He’s style isn’t being a HR hitter. He stands at 6' 1" and weighs in at 215. He is a bruiser but with his exceptional vision he can be a great RB in the NFL. And just because he isn’t track fast doesn’t mean he isn’t football fast. I think he’s a second round pick next year and I think his pro career will make much more noise than his college career. Let’s see what smart GM pounces on this kid.

2010 RB Watch List

Real quick post here but I wanted to give you two names to watch this year at RB as we approach 2009 College Football season. I will start my scouting with these two names and it will grow from here.



1. C.J. Spiller, Clemson- Spiller entered the draft last season but withdrew his name late. I thought he would be a round 2 pick and I’m sure he dropped out because he believes (as I do) that he could grow his stock. I believe he’s a first round talent and will be drafted that way when it’s all said and done. He was under the radar most of last year but this year he’ll be in the spotlight as he is now a Heisman candidate. I had Spiller listed as the number 1 RB prospect on my list of RBs last year (ahead of L. McCoy) but never posted it because he withdrew his name. He’s explosive and a top notch athlete. He’s a HR hitter and I can’t wait to watch him this season.



2. Jahvid Best, California- Most will have Best number 1 on this type of list. I can’t argue as Best is the real deal in the two games I’ve seen him play. Best has all the goods to be the best RB in CFB. He has the breakaway speed and vision and has done it on the field. He looks great and will be on a lot of highlights this season. Spiller and Best are very similar but I just have a better feel for Spiller as an NFL RB even if Best ends up with better numbers.

2009 Fantasy Football Preview

It’s been months since my last post but as usual football season gets me motivated to write a bit. I have no idea how much I will write this football season so I make no promises for future postings. But I do have some thoughts as preseason football is upon us. I would like to make a few predictions and speak about the 2009 season. Here is a random list of players I want to talk about.

Guys I’m high on:

RB Adrian Peterson- There isn’t a better RB in football than Adrian. Peterson is on the verge of having one of those seasons like P. Holmes, M. Faulk, S. Alexander, and L. Tomlinson has. I think he is more gifted than any of those players were. That’s not a knock on those guys. It’s just that Peterson is really that special. The only thing that ever slows Peterson down is his coach. His success has always come by his pure talent. Brad Childress is one of the worst coaches in the league to me when it comes to utilizing his talent. I hope he gets out of the way this year and lets AP reach his ceiling.

RB Matt Forte- I love Forte’s game. I think this year he will elevate his stats to fantasy football stardom. I think he will match Adrian Peterson’s numbers if not surpass them (see Brad Childress for that reason). The Bears are going to be improved this year. They have a legit passing game now that they have a good QB in Jay Cutler. It also helps that Forte is as good as a pass catcher as he is at RB.

TE Greg Olson- Staying with the Bears, Olson will make a jump to fantasy football relevance this year. I feel he is about to have a breakout year and will be a top 5 fantasy TE by year’s end. Cutler utilizes his TE very well and I feel Olson will emerge as his favorite target. The Bears are going to be great this year and it will be because their offense will finally be on par with their defense. And their defense will be back on top of the fantasy football world as well.

WR Anthony Gonzalez- This one is easy. Marvin Harrison is gone, Gonzalez is a very good WR and very consistent. Peyton Manning and the Colts won’t miss a beat and in fact will be better because Harrison’s talent was down last year. This year he is completely out of the way and Gonzalez is about to reap the rewards.

QB Aaron Rodgers- I think Aaron is one of the top fantasy QBs. I would rank him 3rd right after Tom Brady and Drew Brees. I would have Peyton Manning 4th. I also think Rodgers has the upside to be fantasy’s number 1 QB this year.

RB Cedric Benson- He’s not very fast and he doesn’t break many tackles. However, he is pretty much all the Bengals have at RB. Benson may be boring but opportunity is all it takes sometimes. An average RB with plenty of chances will get fantasy points. Benson has new life now and sometimes all it takes is a new address to revive an underwhelming career.

WR Calvin Johnson- If Stafford turns out to be half the QB I think he’ll be, its game over for the rest of the NFL. Johnson was the second best WR in the game (Larry Fitzgerald was number 1) last year. He achieved that with virtually no QB. Imagine what he’ll do with some talent throwing him the ball.

RB LeSean McCoy (Rookie)- Following up to my last blog post. McCoy is the best RB in the draft, though he was drafted after Moreno and Wells. I am super high on this kid. He may not break out this year but that’s only because Westbrook is still there. McCoy is underrated and by the end of preseason he will no longer be a secret. Knowshon Moreno may have a more immediate impact because he’ll likely be the main guy in Denver but based purely on talent and future I will take McCoy.

WR Randy Moss- Tom Brady is back. What does that mean for Moss? Well that means that Moss is back. Cassel was a poor deep ball passer and Brady as we all know is not poor at doing anything. Moss will be back as a top 3 WR again.

WR Eddie Royal- Royal was the league’s best rookie WR last year. I think he’s legit. I view him as Santana Moss type talent. Small, fast, smart, runs great routes, and is a playmaker. This year he has Kyle Orton throwing him the ball instead of Jay Cutler. That’s not a bad thing. Orton spreads the ball around and is quite efficient when in the groove. Cutler locked into Brandon Marshall most of the time. I think Royal will continue his steady upward climb into being a great number 2 WR.

Guys I’m down on:
Michael Turner- I am a Michael Turner proponent and always have been. To me, he had his career year last year. He reached his productivity ceiling. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to be very good. I just don’t see him matching his totals from last year. He is on this list because you shouldn’t expect to see stats matching last year. I think the Atlanta offense will be slightly more balanced this year and some of Turner’s stats will suffer from a less opportunities. You can’t discount the effect that the addition of Tony Gonzalez will have in the redzone passing offense. Plus Matt Ryan will have a better grasp of the offense in year two and therefore will be trusted to have more on his shoulders.

DeAngelo Williams- First I want to say I am a fan of DeAngelo’s. I think he is a super talent. My opinion of his season last year was he kind of got into a groove the last half of the season and is unlikely to get there again on that level. Jonathan Stewart will factor in the offense more this year. Williams will not get the same opportunities he did last year. The talent and explosiveness is there to have the big games but Stewart shouldn’t be discounted. Williams is still a 1st round RB but I don’t see him approaching last year’s leading RB totals.




My Super Bowl:
New England Patriots VS Chicago Bears

My Top Ten NFL Prospects of 2009

Below is my personal top 10 offensive NFL prospects list. My rankings are based strictly on how I believe they will do at the next level regardless of what they have achieved in college. This is ranking number 1 of two rankings I will do. This is the initial one based purely on talent. The second ranking will be after the actual draft in April once I see what team, coach, and system they will be playing in. I also have fantasy football in mind as I rank them.

1. Matthew Stafford (QB) Georgia- Stafford is ready for the pro game. He has battled some consistency issues throughout his career but he has the same qualities in him that Matt Ryan had at BC. Stafford looks the part and did it in a pro style offense. He may not be as good as Ryan but it’s close. He’ll be playing with one of the best wide outs in the game in Calvin Johnson, assuming that the Detroit Lions don’t make a huge mistake and pass him up.

2. LeSean McCoy (RB) Pittsburgh- While all the draft experts currently have McCoy ranked near the bottom of the first round, and as the 3rd best RB, I view him as the best RB available in the draft. At 5’10” 205 he has a pro RB frame. He looks like he could even fill out a little more too.

3. Jeremy Maclin (WR) Missouri- Crabtree is at the top of everyone’s draft lists at WR. I think that Maclin is THE premier WR that is entering the draft and will have the most immediate impact. Maclin will be an outstanding punt returner as well.

4. Mark Sanchez (QB) USC- Sanchez is going to be a solid pro. He has no real weaknesses but I think he needs to be parked the first year or two before he can assume control of a team. Aaron Rodgers type career path comes to mind if I were drafting him.

5. Michael Crabtree (WR) Texas Tech- I hate to drop him this low but I can’t help it. The eye tells me that he should succeed at the next level but my gut tells me something else. He’ll be solid but I just don’t see him being a dominant type WR at the pro level. I am prepared to be wrong on this one because, like I said, is just a gut feeling.

6. Percy Harvin (WR) Florida- Let me throw out a few names…Taylor Jacobs, Jacquez Green, Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, and Chad Jackson. Those are all former Florida Gator WRs who dominated in that gimmicky spread offense they run there. None have amounted to anything at the next level other than being mediocre at best WRs. The only thing I can say about Harvin is he seems to have a different gear and seems to be the fastest player on the field. I don’t trust any WR out of that system and history backs that assessment up. I won’t say Harvin won’t succeed but you can’t ignore the facts either. His game reminds me of the Eagles' DeShean Jackson. I think it is realistic for his ceiling to be the same as DeShean's.

7. Knowshon Moreno (RB) Georgia- If you like Cadillac Williams you’re going to like Moreno. They are the same mold of RB. Cadillac has battled injuries but there is a reason for that. His body isn’t cut out to take the pounding it takes to tote the rock at the next level as a primary RB. Moreno, in the right system, can be successful. If he goes to a two RB system he will have some value.

8. Hakeem Nicks (WR) North Carolina- He put himself into the national scene because he had an outstanding bowl game. He had a breakout game at the right time with a 200 yd plus game. He also will probably get an ESPY for best catch of the year. Regardless he has the tools and playmaking ability to make some noise at the next level.

9. Chris Wells (RB) Ohio State- I’m just going to say it. I am no fan of Chris Wells. I think he is overrated and is a decent power RB. I don’t see him amounting to much at the next level. I don’t see what the scouts see in him for him to be a first round pick AND to be rated higher than McCoy. We’ll see.

10. Brandon Tate (WR) North Carolina- Tate is my wildcard. He had season ending knee injury and surgery early in the season. You probably won’t hear much from him given that he will probably get drafted in round 3 or 4 but I can tell you the only reason for that is due to injury. I thought he was the best WR in the draft before the injury. He is expected to be 100% around April. Not sure if you’ll see him in the combine either. He has amazing hands. He’s big and fast. This is the guy I am rooting for my Dolphins to take in round 3 or 4 to give us a legit big body WR. He will be a risk due to the knee but at round 3 or 4 he will be worth it. FYI his college coach, Butch Davis, said that both Michael Irvin and Reggie Wayne had the same knee injury. They turned out fine didn’t they?

Spread Offense = NFL BUSTS

I just want to write something really quick before I post my top 10 NFL offensive prospects of 2009. I’ve wanted to write about this for a while but I just didn’t know what to say about it other than the spread offense sucks. But really the spread offenses that more and more college teams are running delay or ruin the development of some of the best prospects in the game. Yes, they put up good numbers and looks fun, but in terms of getting these guys ready for the NFL it is horrible. The kids just aren’t ready for the next level. They are used to that “fast break”, shotgun offense and don’t really learn anything. It’s very gimmicky and does a big disservice to these kids. That’s why when I see draft experts rank Sam Bradford the number 1 QB I want to personally throw a flag at them.

Bradford decided to go back to school so it’s a moot point this year but that’s precisely why I still had Matthew Stafford ranked as the number 1 guy in my book over Bradford. Bradford may turn out to be a good pro but he’ll have to dump a lot of bad habits to make the jump. Stafford is more NFL ready.

The spread also hurts WRs. They never learn to run routes and their numbers are also skewed. I want to love WR Michael Crabtree because his talent seems unstoppable but I’ve been burned one too many times for believing the transition will be smooth. Crabtree is another product of the fast break offense of Texas Tech. Could he make a smooth transition? Yes. He’s tall and fast and on the surface looks like a can’t miss. But just off the top of my head, Redskins WR Malcom Kelly (Oklahoma) had similar credentials as Crabtree. Yes he battled injuries in his rookie year but he also struggled big time running routes. I was a big fan of Kelly’s and got burned. To Crabtree’s credit he is actually a better athlete than Kelly but I still remain skeptical. You know the old saying…fool me once….

That’s just a little bit of info I wanted to layout before I put out my rankings. I’ve been doing research for about 3 weeks and am almost ready to post the results of my top ten. If all goes as planned, expect the post to be up sometimes Saturday.

Rivals or ESPN

With national signing day just around the corner (February 4th) I thought it would be fun to look back a few years and see how the top two websites have done in their rankings of highschool prospects. I’m going to look back from 2002 to present. The two main recruiting sites are Rivals.com and of course ESPN. The idea is to see how credible they are and the best way to grade them is to see how they have done in the past. So let’s review:

Rivals 2002
1. QB Vincent Young- Tennessee Titans 1st round pick
2. DT Hiloti Ngata- Baltimore Ravens 1st round pick

ESPN 2002
1. QB Ben Olson- Bust
2. RB Maurice Clarett- Jail?

Rivals 2003
1. LB Ernie Sims- Detroit Lions 1st round pick
2. RB Reggie Bush- New Orleans Saints 1st round pick

ESPN 2003
1. QB Chris Leak- Not drafted but had great college career at UF
2. QB Kyle Wright- Not drafted and was a bust at UM

Rivals 2004
1. RB Adrian Peterson- Minnesota Vikings 1st round pick and arguably best RB in the NFL
2. Tedd Ginn Jr.- Miami Dolphins 1st round pick

ESPN 2004
Couldn’t find

Rivals 2005
1. WR Derrick Williams- Projected as 2nd round pick in 2009 draft
2. WR Patrick Turner- He was a USC WR and is a Senior Bowl invitee for 2009

ESPN 2005
Couldn’t find

Rivals 2006
1. WR Percy Harvin- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected 1st round pick
2. OT Andre Smith- Has entered 2009 draft and is projected top 5 pick

ESPN 2006
1. S Myron Rolle- Would be 1st round pick if he entered but is accepting Rhodes scholarship in 2009- translation, the dude has a really high IQ
2. Percy Harvin- See above

Rivals 2007
1. QB Jimmy Clausen- Currently starting QB for Notre Dame
2. RB Joe McKnight- Currently starting RB for USC
ESPN 2007
1. RB Joe McKnight- See above
2. LB Chris Galippo- Still playing at USC and will be RS junior in 2009

Rivals 2008
1. QB Terrelle Pryor- Has made an immediate impact at Penn St as starting QB in his freshman year
2. DE DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell

ESPN 2008
1. DaQuan Bowers- Too soon to tell
2. Julio Jones- Looks to be the real deal and future NFL 1st round pick

So it looks to me that ESPN has some catching up to do but they also have partnered up with Scouts Inc since 2006 and their rankings seem to have improved. But Rivals has been pretty consistent the whole time. This year’s top two players are:

Rivals 2009
1. RB Bryce Brown- In my opinion Bryce Brown is the second coming of Adrian Peterson. He is a current University of Miami commit but has said right now he is leaning to Oregon. Regardless of who he plays for keep track of this guy because he will be playing on Sundays in 3 years.

2. WR Rueben Randle- There is a lot of buzz about Randle like it was last year about Julio Jones. Right now he remains undecided. His top 5 considerations are Alabama (yikes him and Julio Jones on same team), LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, & Oklahoma.

ESPN 2009
1. QB Matt Barkley- He looked impressive in the US Army high school all star game. He’s going to USC and seems to be the same mold of QB that has been at USC for the past decade.
2. LB Manti Te’ O- I honestly don’t know a lot about this kid other than he is from Hawaii and he is undecided to where he’s going to school.

BCS Title Game

It's been slow on the blogging lately but I have not quit. I just haven't really had anything that I felt I wanted to write about lately. I'm enjoying the NFL playoffs so far and we just completed the BCS title game. Speaking of the BCS title game, it didn't feel like a championship game. It felt like another big bowl game. It was a good game and two very good teams played. We all know the flaws. USC and Texas deserved to have a chance at the title but it didn't turn out that way. What are you going to do? I can't say I feel bad for either school because Miami has been hosed by the system before as well. I will not have any sympathy for Utah either. If you want to play for a title and you play in a small conference you HAVE to schedule at least 1 or 2 nonconference tough opponents. The Utes didn't make an argument until they beat Bama in the big bowl game. That's too late. If they had beaten a top team, like all the other schools did they would have had an argument. The thing is when undefeated Hawaii got embarrassed by Georgia last year it showed why an undefeated record is not enough. You have to be tested in the regular season. But Utah wants the best of both worlds. They want a cupcake schedule and they want to be thought of as a title contender. I don't think it's fair to the other schools that have a tough road to get there. Either way, the current system is going to screw at least one school every year, and like this year, sometimes several schools. It's about money and CFB is doing very well. They don't have enough incentive to change. Until they are not pleased with revenue it will not change.


NFL Draft:
Sometimes this month I will break down the top 10 draft prospects on the offensive side. I can’t do it right now because we are still waiting to get all the underclassmen to announce their declaration. I think they have another week until the deadline. Once the deadline passes I will break it down. Then after the draft I will do another breakdown based on what teams take them.

Who is the next Michael Turner?

If you play fantasy football it pays to watch the talented RBs that come through at the college level, especially if you are playing in a keeper league or dynasty league. Personally, I wouldn’t play fantasy football unless it was one of those two formats. The game is way too luck based to play in a one year format. You can win a league by doing little or no research. It is not rewarding at all to me if I win a league. But in dynasty I get to bring my passion into it which is evaluating talent and how a player projects at the next level.

I was a big believer in LT (Tomlinson) two years before he went pro. I was a huge Marshall Faulk fan while he was still playing at San Diego State. I was also a big fan of Michael Turner every since I saw him play for two seasons at Northern Illinois. Last year, I was a big believer that Adrian Peterson was going to be the best back in the NFL long before he ever took his first carry for the Vikings. It may sound like bragging but I take a lot of pride in being able to do that. It’s the reason I have this blog. It’s the reason I love playing fantasy sports. I love scouting players and being right about them. That is my passion. With this blog I get to go on record (and you can too!) about it.

My point that I’m trying to make if you are going to play a dynasty fantasy football league it pays to be right on the rookies before they make it big. I was disappointed when Michael Turner was drafted by the Chargers because I knew he wasn’t going to get the carries. But I was sure he was going to be a very good RB if he ever became a free agent. So he finally got the call last year and I made sure that I drafted him. I took him around a round earlier than he had been going in most drafts. After one season on a young Atlanta team Turner is more than likely going to finish as the number 1 scoring RB in fantasy football. I waited some 5 years to put that scouting to good use. It paid off for me last year by way of Peterson and it paid off this year by way of Turner.

There are two RBs who I still hold in high regard like that. One is 3rd year RB out of Minnesota, Laurence Maroney and the other is rookie RB out of Illinois, Rashard Mendenhall. If you followed my blog neither of those names would be a surprise to you. In the case of Maroney, he will have to leave the Patriots in order to amount to anything. Bill Bellicheat is murder to RBs like Mike Shanahan. As long as Maroney plays for him I am not expecting much. Plus, Maroney is going to have to get that bothersome shoulder 100% healthy too. If he ever goes the Michael Turner route I will again be ready to pounce and take a chance on him.

In the case of Mendenhall, he is out for the year and forgotten because of the season ending knee injury he had early this year. He’s behind Willie Parker on the depth chart but I still believe in a year or two he’ll be the primary back for the Steelers. He was higher on my draft list at RB than super rookie RB Chris Johnson. I still believe in the long run, Mendenhall will be a better fantasy RB than Chris Johnson. It’s just going to take some patience for it to happen. The lesson here is Michael Turner. If you believe and you are patient you can reap the rewards. It’s easy to go after talent after you see the stats but it’s something special to actually have the foresight to go after or stash away talent before it happens. And just for the sake of being on the record, Ray Rice is also a RB I hold in high regard. If he ever gets 15-20 carries a game in Baltimore the kid will be good.

One last note on RBs in the NFL, It seems that more and more teams are taking the 2 RB system that most teams are using now to a 3 RB system. It’s a disturbing pattern and it’s only a more maddening thing to add to fantasy football owners. The Giants use it. The Ravens use it. I bet the Cowboys do it next year now that Choice has emerged.

Previously On LOST

I’m going off the path of sports and into the TV world for one topic. This subject is usually set aside for my good buddy Chris and his blog but let me explain why I am doing this post. About a week ago I completed re-watching the first four seasons of LOST, catching my wife up on the show. So I have had LOST on the brain lately. Well after having a very vivid LOST dream last night I decided I needed to talk about the show so I could get it out of my system. Call it therapy. I won’t talk about the dream because well I can’t even begin to tell it other than to say it was very supernatural. This is some of the stuff that’s been rolling through my head.

-Did Jin die in the explosion? I have to say I don’t think he is. In the Michael episode right before Michael is getting on the “rescue freighter”, we were told by Island resident Tom (Sawyer nickname: Zeke) that the island won’t let you die off of it. I though well maybe they are close enough to the island where those rules don’t apply. Then I think of how the gun jammed on the boat when the head soldier dude was trying to shoot Michael. He told the captain to fix his gun after the jam. The captain later used the gun and said there is nothing wrong with it. So in that way of thinking Jin is not dead.

-Of course that leads me to this. What happened to everyone who was on the boat, including Jin? There were other Losties on the boat. Are they floating in the ocean? If so, are they in the ocean where the island was or are they in the ocean to where the island moved to?

-In sense of trying to figure out what the island is, well what is it? We know there is time travel involved because of all the Desmond episodes. Plus it was confirmed 100% when they shot the test rocket from the boat and it arrived some 30 minutes after the boat said it landed. Confirmation number 3 is when the boat’s doctor washed up the shore and the Losties found him like a day before the event actually happened. Those two events make me think there is certainly a time paradox time thing going on. I am well versed in these types of scenarios due to my Star Trek watching days. A time paradox is very confusing but the short explanation is somehow the past, present, and future are all connected. The future can happen first and the past can happen last and so forth. It's like a circle that is all connected. No matter where you begin in the circle you end up in the same place. Why do I think this is the case? Well, let’s make the island the point of origin. The test rocket lands on the island 30 or so minutes from when the boat people said it did. It landed on the island AFTER it was supposed to. Then the doctor’s body washed up like a day BEFORE it actually happened. In perspective of the people on the island one event happened after the boat’s point of view and one event happened before. Two different time conclusions. Time paradox confirmed. Gotta headache yet? I do. This is also my theory to why you hear voices on the island. There are ripples throughout the island were instability in the time/space/dimensions are semi open. So you sometimes hear voices, see people, and sometimes, like in the case of Walt, they show up and speak backwards. I know that is not all of what’s going on but I am convinced it is a major explanation to part of what’s going on. Don’t forget this is a sci-fi show after all. They disguise it well with the storylines.

-I also think that new arrivals Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles are clues to what else is going on. Miles talks to the dead or sees other dimensions. Charlotte has been searching for the Dharma island for a while it seems and could have even been there before, based on her conversations. Daniel is of course the time travel expert. I got why he's there figured out. We gotta figure out what the other two are doing there. Charles Widmore knows about the island in great detail like Ben so there is a reason why he chose those specific people to be on the team from the boat. He obviously wants some answers though because he sent scientists. Ben seems to know first hand what Charles is still trying to figure out.

-Speaking of Ben and Charles, what the heck is up with with that storyline? They seem to have been going at this for a while. Charles wants the island and Ben has it. Not going to figure this one out for a while but we also figure out that the island is not only a when (as in time travel) but also a where because Ben ends up in the Sahara desert when he moved the island using that wheel thingy. But apparently once you move the island you can never go back. I think Ben has always had his self interests in mind along with the islands. He is using Sayid and Jack for his selfish reasons in the flash forwards. My theory is Ben is not the good guy or the bad. He just wants the island to himself. So whatever he is manipulating Jack and Sayid do is to somehow get order restored and get himself back on the island.

-The island has chosen another leader because Ben has fallen off his path due to his selfishness. That’s why he ended up with a tumor and no longer is untouchable. Locke is a great man who is selfless and is exactly what the island needs as a leader. He is the chosen one to take Ben’s place. He had to go through all the bad things that happened to him to make him become that person that the island needs to lead it. He is fulfilling his destiny. But as Ben said, “Destiny is a fickle bitch”. So I think Locke is only a caretaker of the island for the person who the island is really waiting for…

-That person is Aaron. Yes baby Aaron is being groomed to be the ultimate caretaker of the island. He can’t come yet because he has to go through his path of life to make him that person that Locke is now. That’s why Claire came to Kate in a dream to tell her she can’t bring Aaron back to the island. Also to why Jack’s dad came to him and said “you’re not supposed to raise him, Jack”. That’s why Kate doesn’t want to go back with Jack…because baby Aaron isn’t supposed to come back….yet. But Jack knows the island is haunting him so he feels they have to go back. Maybe they are but I do know that Ben has his own agenda to why he is trying to get everyone back on and I believe the island (or Jacob) has another plan to the one that Ben is trying to pull off. My theory is that Aaron is to be the island’s caretaker of the future. Ben is desperate to get back and well Locke is fulfilling his destiny of the present. There is so much more to this story and I could write for many more hours but really my brain really hurts so I’m ending it here. Please feel free to let me know what ya think.

Who's Fault Is It

So it's been a rough week or so due to me having some surgery. It's pretty hard to type because I have to lay on my side. I'm ok though but wanted to let ya know why I haven't been positing. Anyway now to my brief post that may or may not interest you.

I always liked Herm Edwards as a person and his press conferences are always good. He is kinda like Bill Parcells that way. However, I have always been a bit skeptical about his coaching abilities. He did a heck of a job turning the Jets around but when he went to KC the team kind of went backwards from the Dick Vermiel teams. I always thought it was Herm's fault. But I have to say after reading this article ( http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/938739.html ) I am not so sure now. It seems that Herm had a vision that was not supported by GM (now soon to be former GM) Carl Peterson. Herm wanted to blow up the roster and start fresh but Carl saw it differently. 3 years later the Chiefs are in full rebuilding mode and it turns out Herm knew what he was talking about. Not sure if the next GM will keep Herm but I no longer think Herm to be the blame for what is now the Chiefs. I just wanted to correct that because I was on record for blaming Herm for this mess.

Some College Football

Just wanna chat a bit about some of the young players I am going to keep an eye on next year in college football. Also want to talk about a few other things going on in CFB right now too.

Julio Jones #8 (Freshman WR) Alabama- I was skeptical when he was coming out of high school. He was the number 1 ranked player and there was a lot of hoopla about him. Usually when you hear so much hype before a player takes the field it screams of bust. Not the case with Jones. He was worthy of all the hype and will continue to get better. He stands at 6’ 4” and weighs in at 210 lbs. I compare him to WR Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos but he’s probably a little faster than Marshall. He doesn’t look like any freshman that I’ve ever seen at that position.

A. J. Green. #8 (Freshman WR) Georgia- Green is a special talent. As true freshman he’s already had some big games and has now become a huge weapon for QB Matthew Stafford. What stands out to me is his body control as he goes up after the ball. I see a little of Calvin Johnson in him. He has some filling up to do at 190 lbs but standing at 6’ 4” it will happen. He has a long ways to go to get there but keep an eye on him.

Russell Wilson #16 (Freshman QB) NC State- All I can say is wow and by wow I mean Michael Vick. He’s only 5’ 11” but I haven’t seen a guy weave through a defense at QB like this since Vick did. He may not be an NFL QB but he certainly is at the college level. You may not know who he is but you will because he will be mentioned as a Heisman trophy candidate in the next year or so. I will watch NC State’s crap bowl just to watch him play.

As far as QBs go, let’s talk about some NFL QBs. Talk all you want about Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell or Texas’ Colt McCoy. I won’t include Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford in this because he’s only a sophomore. But if I am the Detroit Lions, and I have the number 1 pick, the guy I am choosing to be my franchise QB is Georgia Bulldog’s junior QB Matthew Stafford. Of course he has to declare for the draft first. At any rate he’s the best NFL QB out of this bunch. He is this year’s Matt Ryan and my number 1 pick. Yeah it’s premature but I wanted to start this conversation before the Mel Kiper’s of the world get started.

I read today that Tim Tebow was going to petition the NFL to see where he would be drafted if he declared for the draft. That’s not unusual so it’s not that big of a deal. But I want to save TeBow some time. Dear Mr. Tebow, after careful consideration of where you will be drafted in this year’s class, we are pleased to inform you that we project you to go in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL draft and you’ll be playing TE. Good luck and we hope to see you on draft day.

Bama and the Gators will lock up for the big game this weekend. Gators are the favorite and most experts think the Gators will win. Heck I even said weeks ago that I thought the Gators were better. But the more I think about it the more this Alabama team reminds me of that Ohio State team of 2001. The team that wasn’t as good as their record and never really blew anyone out and even played the lesser teams close. They played my beloved number 1 Hurricanes who had won 35 or 36 games in a row. It seemed like a mismatch but somehow at the end they were holding the national championship trophy. I still feel pain from that game. But anyway, don’t be quick to dismiss Alabama. Florida hasn’t played any team that is going to play them as physical as Bama is about to. Should be a good game.

Kiffin is new Vols Coach

Not going to spend a lot of time on this but I did want to say that UT got it right by hiring Kiffin as the head coach. Kiffin is 33 years old and a very promising young coach that could be one of the best. At USC he was recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator and won 2 national championships at those positions.

I mentioned a few articles back that I thought Butch Davis might get the gig but I think UT was wise not go that route. This was a cheaper and really the anti Rich Rodriguez way to go. We know what has happened to Michigan since Rich went there in that messy leave of West Virginia. Less controversy and just a cleaner transition all the way around. UT did the right thing.

Kiffin will be the coach at UT for many years to come. I have no doubt in my mind about his abilities as a leader and a terrific coach. The SEC got stronger today (as if they needed the help). The only thing UT has to worry about is when an NFL team comes back to knock at Kiffin’s door 3 or 4 years down the road. It remains to be seen if Kiffin’s passion is in college or the pros. All I know is he is the best young coach in football and if I were an athletic director he would have been at the top of my list.

NFL Power Rankings

We’re getting to the point where the NFL season goes into another gear. My top 20 teams. I didn't include any teams that I thought had no chance to get in to the playoffs.

1. NY Giants (10-1) – The defending Super Bowl Champs have been playing lights out since the playoffs last year. Amazing what confidence does to a team. Lose your best two defensive players during the offseason….no problem. The running trio of Jacobs, Ward, Bradshaw (AKA Earth, Wind, & Fire) have been unstoppable. Eli Manning has been playing efficient and steady for this team as well. They have their work cut out for them with games against Washington, Dallas, & Carolina in three of their next four weeks but it really hasn’t mattered who they have been playing lately.

2. Tennessee Titans (10-1) – A loss to the red hot Jets has brought the Titans back down to earth a bit. The formula to beat this team is stopping the run. Collins has shown he is an OK QB but he can’t put this team on his back. The Titans just don’t have enough talent in the passing game to win w/o running the ball against a good team. Collins may be able to make some plays but with the Titans defense playing less than dominant lately there is too much on his shoulders. The Titans have to get back to running the ball 35 times a game and playing defense. They are a team that wins ugly and I think they forgot their own identity. Sometimes a loss wakes you up. Sometimes a loss gives another team the formula to beat you though. Let’s see what the Titans do from here.

3. Pittsburg Steelers (8-3) – The Steelers are a model of how a franchise should be run. They have a great defense that is relentless. They have a tough big play QB. They run the ball with power and play with a nasty attitude. No one wants to play the Steelers at Heinz Field. If this team has any issues, it is in the offensive line because they tend to get their QB killed at times. But they have the right QB in there to take those shots and get right back up. Not a Steelers fan but this team is tough and plays gritty, tough, and entertaining football.

4. NY Jets (8-3) – The Jets are here because, well they have beaten the once unbeaten Titans. They are hot and playing great football. Favre is playing well and put on a clinic in the short passing game against the Titans. I am skeptical though. This team really has the making of the flavor of the month rather than a serious championship caliber team. I just don’t buy into all that Bret Favre stuff. This team is just on a high right now and I will come down a bit.

5. Dallas Cowboys (7-4) – The Cowboys are slowly but surely starting to build a little momentum. Romo is back and this team just can’t win w/o him. But how many teams can win w/o their superstar QB? Not many. All I have to say is don’t forget about this team. Too much talent and when they are rolling there isn’t much to stand in their way. They also have many combustible parts so anything is possible.

6. Indianapolis Colts (7-4) – Don’t look now but the Colts are starting to gain some traction. Team Peyton seems to have finally gotten into a groove offensively. Maybe this year, without trying to rest their starters, they might actually make some noise in the playoffs. The only Super Bowl ring Manning and Dungy have won was the year they got in as a wildcard team. Their schedule is pretty soft the rest of the way except for the last game of the season when the Titans are in town. The Colts could easily be 12-4 to finish the season.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) – Gotta give credit to Coach Gruden here. No one has done more with less than the Bucs’ coach. He has a top tier defense but offensively this team has very little talent, but somehow this team wins. I don’t think they will make much noise in the playoffs but again I gotta give credit for getting this team to 8 wins so far.

8. Carolina Panthers (8-3) – Carolina is another team that I was very skeptical about. I will say I was wrong. The RB tandem DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart has been exemplary. The passing game is also formidable with S. Smith and Muhammad out there catching balls from Jake Delhomme. The defense has been above average and this team comes to play on most weeks. I’m not sold this team has a playoff run but will say this team can’t be taken lightly.

9. New England Patriots (7-4) – There are some people floating the idea that Matt Cassell should be retained by the Patriots and trade away Tom Brady? What!? I thought I’ve heard it all before but this is just plain crazy. The Patriots are a good but not great team. As good as they can be one week is as beatable they can be in another. They have some talent and terrific coaching but they don’t have enough to beat some of top teams on this list in the playoffs.

10. Arizona Cardinals (7-4) – If the Cardinals had home field advantage I’d be all over this team for an upset special run. But they don’t. This team finally lost their first game at home to the Giants this past week. I’d have to say if it were me voting, the MVP of the season thus far is Kurt Warner. Brees and the Saints are just so Jekyll and Hyde and don’t come to play every week. Don’t forget that Warner is also on a pace to beat Dan Marino’s single season yardage mark as well as Brees. Brees may have the better numbers but it isn’t by that much. The Cardinals will give anyone they play in the playoffs fits.

11. Baltimore Ravens (7-4) – This is another team that is oh so dangerous. I don’t think this team is consistent enough to put the string of games it takes to go to the Super Bowl, having said that, this team can beat ANYONE in a one game playoff. Whoever draws this team in round 1 is in for a fight. I still think they are trying to find their identity on offense but make no mistake the Flacco kid can play. But the playoffs are a different animal for a rookie QB.

12. Washington Redskins (7-4) – The NFC East is so strong that it is conceivable that the Redskins could finish with a 10-6 record and still miss the playoffs. The Giants will win the division but the Redskins will have to pound it out with the Cowboys and could very well be on the outside looking in. Lots of football has to be played to decide the wildcard mess in the NFC.

13. Atlanta Falcons (7-4) – This team is light years ahead of where they should be. I don’t think this team makes the playoffs but they are in the mix. I felt they needed to be acknowledged for their accomplishments after the disaster year they had last year. They are building a nice team in Atlanta with Matt Ryan leading the ship.

14. New Orleans Saints (6-5) – It’s time for us to call the Saints what they are. They are under achievers. As fun as their offense is to watch this team doesn’t know how to win. There is too much talent on this offense to be sitting at 6-5. But here we are again and another year where the Saints are more than likely out of the playoffs. Nothing this team has done over the past 3 years gives me any hope this team has a strong run in them.

15. Miami Dolphins (6-5) - Hey if I can include the Saints in this I have to include the Fins. They are the opposite of the Saints. They have far less talent on this team but have done much more. Probably not enough to get into the playoffs but they have a soft enough schedule where there is an outside possibility. As bad as Sean Payton has done with his good talent with the Saints Sparano has done the opposite with utilizing his questionable talent with the Dolphins.

16. Chicago, 17. Minnesota, & 18. GB (Who Cares) – None of these teams will do anything in the playoffs but one of these teams will win the NFC North. It will be a one and done scenario so I won’t waste my time or yours.

19. Denver & 20. San Diego (Who Cares)- See 16, 17, & 18.

The New Head Pumpkin for UT

This may be way off but I am going with a gut feeling that current UNC head coach Butch Davis will be the coach of the Tennessee Volunteers next season. Butch has said publically that he was staying at UNC but I don’t believe him.

This is the worst possible thing that can happen. I absolutely hate the Vols. Butch Davis is exactly what the Vols need. Perfect match if you ask me. Davis is no fool. He will either parlay this into a huge contract extension with a huge raise or he will be the new orange pumpkin on the UT sidelines.

Why do I think this will happen? Well for one thing Davis, like Nick Saban, has no loyalties. To Saban’s credit, he left the Dolphins because he was given the highest power and the best contract possible to go back to his true love, which is coaching college football. Davis uses every contract he gets as a stepping stone. He left the Canes, after he swore he was not interested, to go to the Cleveland Browns. Now he has an opportunity to go to the best conference in college football, the SEC. He will get a contract offer from UT on par with Saban’s. He will join a program with a big following and football atmosphere, none of which are available at UNC.

Don’t ever discount a coach’s ego. The ego of Butch Davis + the $$$$ will equal Butch saying so long to UNC and hello to Tennessee. Trust me, it will happen. And the Vols will be back to the nation’s elite teams in less than 3 years. No one is a better recruiter than Butch Davis. No one is better at finding talent than Butch. He not only signs the big time talent he also finds the diamonds in the rough that are under the radar. He did it with the Canes. He is doing it with the UNC and will be doing it with the Vols. As a Vol hater this idea makes me sick.

Running Up the Score

Every week in college football there seems to be a debate on some team running up the score on their opponent. It’s a legitimate debate. On one hand should you show sportsmanship and pull the rains back when you are up 35-0 in the second half? Or should you ease up and run the ball 3 times in a row and punt?

It’s a tough thing. You don’t want to embarrass the other team and their players, but in today’s world where you have one loss teams trying to impress the pollsters to climb over other one loss teams you can’t blame a coach for trying to do what's best for his school. Truth is no matter how much pollsters deny it style points matter.

I’ve been on rooting ends of both sides as a fan. I’ve seen my team fighting for position in a national championship race and whip a team by 50 points and I’ve also been on the receiving end of one of those same beat downs. It makes you mad and embarrasses you as a fan. You want to reach your hands through the TV and choke the opposing coach. You wish for their starting players to break something so you can yell “that’s what you get!”

I think there is a fine line there. The way I look at it is this. It’s all fair game until the team that is getting their brains beat down accepts that it’s not their day. If you have your starters in there trying your best to score, its fair game that I have my players in there trying to stop you. Look, if you want me to stop you have to stop. That’s the mentality you should have.

Coaches can’t have it both ways. If you feel the game is over and you are on offense, take out your starters or run the ball and punt. It shows you admit that you have lost the game. It’s a gesture to the other sideline that says "you win". "Good game and good luck next week". You can’t expect the other team to stop trying if you’re not willing to stop.

You can argue that the team that’s getting blown out needs to work on their offense and correct their mistakes or gain some momentum for next week and that’s why they should keep their starters in there and keep fighting. To me that’s a poor argument. How is your team, that’s getting beat 56-0, improving itself if you are expecting the other team to lay down for you while you try and score? Bottom line is if you’re in there punching me I have the right to punch back. That should be the unwritten rule in sports. It will end the debate once and for all. At least it would in my eyes. When a coach cries foul, all he has to do is look in the mirror.

Recruiting News

I'm getting ahead of myself but it's never too soon to talk about future star running backs. First 2010. I introduce to you Baby Gore....

Jakhari Gore could follow in Frank's footsteps
Class of 2010 ESPNU 150 Watch List running back Jakhari Gore, cousin of former Cane and current San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, isn't ready to announce yet, but Miami is the leader for his signature.
He told ESPN affiliate Web site InsideTheU.com, "Right now, I am just keeping everything open, but if I was ready to commit I would commit to them (UM). But I talk to my mom everyday about it, to my coach, everyday, we sit down and talk. They tell me to stay focused. I got a whole another year. Keep everything open."


But let's not forget about next year...The number 2 RB in the country has verbally committed to The U. Bryce Brown is 6ft 215 pounds. Watch both of these highlights because he's incredible. Makes me think if he's number 2, who the heck is number 1??

Soph Year


Junior Year




The number 1 recruit at RB is non other than Trent Richards who plays about 40 miles from Pensacola. I had no idea he was in my back yard, wow. Guess I may have to see him play a game. Anyway, he's going to Bama.

Singletary

Last night, I decided to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals. It was a pretty good game but I wanted to watch the game for two reasons. One was for stupid fantasy football reasons but the other was I wanted to see first hand what difference, if any, Mike Singletary was having on this lackluster football team. During my observation I had a few other thoughts as well.

I have no doubt that the 49ers were somewhat responding to their new coach. They played pretty hard. Let's be real about one thing though. This team has two wanna be QBs (3 if you count Alex Smith). QB play is everything in this league. It separates winners from losers. Talent wise this SF team is no worse than your average NFL team but they lose like some of the worst teams in the league. JT O' Sullivan and Shawn Hill are too inconsistent and too turnover prone to be legit QBs. Look at what the Atlanta Falcons have done in one year with Matt Ryan. The Falcons cleaned house last year. They made two key additions to that team. They got themselves a legit RB and a star in the making at QB. Other than that they really deducted some talent from this roster. But rebuilding the 49ers is not my point here. Just stating a flaw that needs to be addressed.

My point is that Singletary's management skills, or lack there of, can't be disguised. Not when you cost your team a chance to win. Then he throws Martz (offensive coordiantor) under the bus in his press conference by saying he called the play. That made me angry. He is the head coach. Own up to it publically. Yell at Martz in the office but not in the press. When you are preaching "loyalty" and saying you want to keep the locker room "scared" you can't do that.

Singletary's tactics are quickly becoming old. He is using motivational tactics that work in the college game but not in the pros. He is treating this team like kids and NFL players don't usually respond to such tactics. He gets the benefit of being a well respected hard nosed former player. But that honeymoon period is quickly coming to an end. When you do those things and you still lose, players don't want to hear that stuff. Players start thinking "yeah, yeah, blah blah". It also shows what happens when an untested position coach moves all the way up to head coach. It's a different world being THE MAN. Singletary is proving he isn't ready to be there. He is not only losing the goodwill of this team but he may be on his way to losing a chance to coach on any team, even as a positional coach. He had better wake up but I think it's already too late. This team will quit on him at the first sign of trouble.

The BS Poll

With the annual “I hate the BCS” talk around college football I figured it was time for me to rank my own top 8. Why 8? Well because that is the number of teams that need to be playing in a playoff system. The following list is based solely on who I think is the best teams, regardless of record. Just plain ole who is the best football team in MY opinion….

1. USC- I know this is controversial, but to me, this is the best team in the country. Line up any team against this team when it counts and they will win. They did have their annual hiccup to a lesser team but that's out of the way now.

2. Florida- I dislike Tim Tebow and their pompous coach Urban Meyer but this team is good. Yes they have only 4 plays that work but they do those 4 plays really well. Option 1, Tim Tebow up the middle (AKA Fat Boy up the middle). Option 2, lineup WR Percy Harvin in the backfield and hand him the ball. Option 3, Lineup Harvin at WR and run a reverse. Option 4, Pass the ball to Harvin. You would think the defenses could cover 4 plays but they can’t.

3. Alabama- I cringe to put them this high because I don’t believe they are this good yet. But Saban can coach and though I dislike him personally, I have a lot of respect for his coaching ability. His team is playing a year ahead of schedule and to me this is the second best team in the SEC.

4. Texas Tech- This team is offensively almost unstoppable. If they didn’t play in the weak, no defense playing Big 12, I might have more respect for them as a true national title contender. I don't believe they can beat a physical team though.

5. Texas- Texas would be a lot higher if the LB for Texas didn’t drop that sure INT to put Texas Tech away with 1:30 left in the game. I’ve never seen an easier ball dropped in a big situation like that.

6. Penn State- Yes this team is undefeated but they play in a joke for a conference in the (little) Big Ten. It’s not their fault they play nobody but I believe every team ahead of them on this list would give them a beat down. Yeah they beat Ohio State when they were number 9 but no one can tell me Ohio State is top 10 good.

7. Oklahoma- I haven’t seen them play yet this year so they make the list by default.

8. Oklahoma State- I also haven’t seen them play either, but their coach is 40 and is a man so I give them a nod for that.

Others that may cry about not getting into my BS poll: Utah & Boise St. I don’t believe either of these schools could hang with the 8 schools listed ahead of them.

This is so true about Fantasy Football

A paragraph out of ESPN’s Bill Simmons latest article:

“My big epiphany: Really, the fantasy football season isn't fun. Winning is OK; losing is agonizing. You constantly feel awful about your choices and your bad luck; it's the only exercise that causes arguments with friends you normally never would argue with; and you spend roughly a kazillion hours managing your team for the 10 percent chance that you might win your league. There's just not a ton of upside. It's almost like smoking cigarettes -- it started out with good intentions, and it's something to do, and it can be fun in the right moments, but ultimately, there are an inordinate amount of moments when you find yourself leaning out a window in 20-degree weather to puff out a quick cig as your nose gets frostbitten, or bumming a cig from a group of horrible girls and then feeling obligated to talk to them, or waking up in the morning and coughing up your right lung. Really, it's more harm than fun. And yet, we continue to do it. And love it. This entire paragraph made me want to smoke.”

I've never smoked but man I totally agree with every point Bill makes about Fantasy Football. Fantasy Football, I wish I could quit you.

Deadliest Young QB/WR Combo

As the NFL turns, this list will change every year with the constant revolving rosters and injuries in the NFL world. However, one thing is going to be for sure. These guys will always remain in the argument as what QB/WR combo is the deadliest for years to come. And when I say deadliest, I mean the combo that puts the most fear into a defense. Feel free to straighten me out if I miss anyone that excites you.

6. Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson- Going into week 9, Andre Johnson leads the NFL in receptions with 56 and yards with 772. The only thing that keeps AJ from being higher on the list is that he hasn’t been able to find the endzone with any consistency. But make no mistake you can’t have an argument like this w/o his name being in the mix.

5. Any QB/Calvin Johnson- I believe that Calvin Johnson is the most talented WR in the NFL. If the guy ever plays with a good QB he’ll be at the top of this list. He’s only in his 2nd year and I get the feeling that Detroit (now that Matt Millen is gone) will get a QB of relevance this offseason.

4. Kurt Warner or Matt Leinart/Larry Fitzgerald- Fitzgerald was a can’t miss WR coming out of college. He hasn’t done anything but prove those expectations right in his 4.5 seasons in the league. Give the fact he’s got a fantastic WR on the other side (Anquan Boldin) there is no real way to cover him.

3. Aaron Rodgers/Greg Jennings- One thing is for certain about Rodgers, there is no question who he looks to in the Packers offense. Greg Jennings is option one and two. Rodgers has shown he’s a legit NFL QB and he and Jennings are just getting warmed up. This duo is here to stay for years to come. Rodgers is among the league leaders in passing and Jennings is number 2 in yards. His best days are still ahead of him.

2. Jay Cutler/Brandon Marshall- This duo is very scary. Marshall is Terrell Owens good today. This combo has managed to turn the Denver offense into a passing offense. A Mike Shanahan team has always been famous for being one of the best running teams in the NFL. Not anymore. This team is now a pass first team thanks to the unique talents at QB and WR.

1. Matt Ryan/Roddy White- At first it seemed that this combo was a fluke. I’ve taken notice though. I really believe in this combo. If you’ve been following this blog over the past year, you know that I was a big believer in Matt Ryan. He’s playing QB like a veteran in his rookie year. It also helps to have an explosive WR in White. This is no fluke. Week in and week out this combo is getting more and more dangerous. White has unique size and speed and is a threat to score a TD from any point on the field. We’ve seen White’s explosiveness in glimpses but he’s never had a QB that could throw the ball with consistency. Now we all see what he can do with a legit QB.

NBA 2008-2009 Rookies

Sorry for the delay in my blog posting. I’ve had a busy last few weeks. I was out of town and also got married so things have been hectic. Anyway, I want to kick off the new NBA season by talking about some of the individual players to watch this season and what I expect these players.

First I want to talk about the rookies. Most people expect Greg Oden to win Rookie of the Year honors and rightfully so. Some even think it is Michael Beasley. However, I think the rookie of the year will be unanimous this year and that honor will go to OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mayo is NBA ready. He’s a natural scorer and has an all around game rivaling some of the superstars in the league. While he’ll have his rookie ups and downs his overall stats will be better than what we saw from last year’s super rookie Kevin Durant.

Durant line from last year was 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, .98 steals, .94 blocks, while shooting at a 43% clip. I believe that Mayo will average around 18 points a game but will do it more efficiently than 43% and his all around game will be better than Durant’s. I expect Mayo to average 2 steals a game and shoot about 45% from the field.

Another player that has caught my attention is NJ Nets Center Brook Lopez. Lopez probably will come off the bench this season but I see some real “big man” talent there. If he gets the minutes, I think he’s a double double lock and will block some shots as well. It remains to be seen how long the Lopez will continue to come off the bench. If he gets the opportunity to start he’ll make some noise at the Center position. Greg Oden is the cream of the crop here but Lopez shouldn’t go forgotten.

Derrick Rose is still on my list of great players out of this rookie class. I don’t include him in the conversation ONLY because it is so hard to succeed in the NBA as a Point Guard in the first year. I think Rose will live up to his draft status but his learning curve is much higher because of the position. He’s got a lot to learn. That’s not to say Rose won’t be relevant this year. I think he’s going to put up some good numbers. I just don’t think it will be OJ Mayo level numbers.

This is how I see it unfolding this year in the Rookie of the Year award. Feel Free to argue…

1. OJ Mayo
2. Greg Oden
3. Michael Beasley
4. Derrick Rose
5. Marc Gasol
6. Brook Lopez

Is It Only A Matter of Time?

There have been lots of rumblings in Miami about offensive coordinator Patrick Nix. The criticism goes from Nix being too conservative to not having his players prepared enough on gameday and even being accused of lousy playcalling. Nix’s response (he joked), “We've petitioned to the NCAA to get an extra 20 hours and get a 40-hour week, but they haven't seemed to buy it yet,". So his excuse (and that’s exactly what it is) is that he doesn’t have enough time to teach his young team his system. He says that 20 hours a week is not a reasonable time for college kids to learn an offensive system in 1 or 2 years.

That response made me think. In his second year, is Nix’s excuse valid? Is it really too much to expect a player to learn an offensive system in a year or even 2? I did some research to see if, indeed, it just takes time. I went searching the rest of college football to see if any of the top offenses in the country had 1st year or 2nd year coordinators. What I found was quite surprising.

-As of Thursday, October 16th, the number 1 offense in the country is University of Tulsa. Gus Malzahn is the offensive coordinator. He’s in his second season. They average 602.2 YPG of total offense. That ranks number 1. They average 53.2 points per game, which also ranks them number 1 in the country. What did Malzahn’s offense do in 2007? In his first season Tulsa averaged 549.6 YPG. That was also good for number 1 in the country. His team scored 41.1 PPG, good for number 6 in the country.

-Dana Holgorsen is in his 1st season as offensive coordinator at Houston. Under Holgorsen, the Cougars boast the number 4 offense in the nation at 561 YPG. They also average 38.5 PPG, which is tied for 14th (Florida) in the country. I want to reiterate this is Holgorsen’s 1st season there.

- Chip Kelly is in his second season as the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon. His offense currently ranks 12th in the nation at 475.2 YPG and 10th in the nation scoring at 39.7 PPG. In his first season, in 2007, his offense averaged 481.2 YPG which was good for 10th in the country and averaged 38.2 PPG, which was good for 10th.

-Doug Nussmeier is in his first season as offensive coordinator at Fresno State. His offense averages 447 YPG, good for 21 in the country. Fresno puts up 33.2 PPG, good for 30th in the nation.

I only looked up the top 25 offenses because it was a lot of work to find out that information. There were more examples down the line but this is enough to prove my point. Don’t tell me it’s impossible to have success in 1 or 2 years. A good offensive coordinator finds a way to have success. The above guys have found a way to teach their players to execute their system in less than 1 or 2 years. The excuse of not having enough time is not valid.

A Star Has Fallen

I hate to keep talking about the Cowboys here because I am certainly no fan, but you can’t ignore what has happened over the past week…..

-First, Mr. Pacman Jones gets into some fight with his own bodyguard. The bodyguard was of course someone the Cowboys themselves hired to be with him. That is irony at its finest right there. You can’t help but to laugh.

-The Cowboys lollygag around and lose to a lesser Arizona Cardinal team in OT. Add injury to insult they lose QB Tony Romo on the last offensive play of their opening offensive series by a hit on their QB.

-Then on the very next play, when the Cowboys have to punt and already have their QB knocked out for 4 weeks, their punter’s kick gets blocked and AZ recovers for a game ending TD in OT. Again, adding injury to insult, their punter gets his leg broken and he’s out indefinitely.

-During this ever painful game, they also lose promising rookie Felix Jones for up to four weeks with a partially torn hamstring.

-Now we just learned that Pacman Jones will be suspended 4 games by the NFL for the above mentioned incident. When a franchise is willing to give a talented player away you usually find out why sooner rather than later. Jeff Fisher and the Titans have to be laughing.

One week and the Cowboys go from a Super Bowl probable team to a team in shambles. The Cowboys give new meaning to the phrase “Worst Week”. I will admit I can’t help but to laugh at their misery.

"We're Number 1! We're Number 1!"

In the world of the NFL there is no such thing as a “gimme” game. There is no game on the schedule that you can count as an automatic win no matter how bad of an opponent you are facing. Somehow, this idea is lost on the Dallas Cowboys. They are playing uninspired and underperforming football. They have the most talent in the league on that team. It’s a team full of stars and great playmakers on both sides of the ball. Yet, they have only shown glimpses of that so far this season.

Most of the blame for this is on the NFL’s highest paid cheerleader. Wade Phillips is one of the worst coaches in the league today. But he’s at the helm of arguably the league’s greatest franchise. How could this happen? Well, it happens because Wade is a “yes” man.

Jerry Jones, the captain of this ship, is everything Al Davis wishes he could be. He actually is a successful meddler. Nothing goes on in Big D without Jones putting a stamp of approval on it. It’s because of that reason Dallas’ biggest asset (a great owner who goes after great players at any cost) is also the thing that gets in their way.

There aren’t many coaches who can work without the control. Successful coaches want things done their way. It’s because of that they are successful. It’s that ego and the in charge feeling they have which make them who they are. They will take all the blame when they lose and all of the credit when they win, even if it's only done in their mind. That’s why they live and breathe football. It’s the adrenalin rush from having the power in success and defeat that keeps them motivated to coach. They love it.

There is room for one ego per NFL team. That ego belongs to Jerry Jones. That's why Jimmy Johnson left and that's why Parcells grew tired of coaching under Jones.

Bill Parcells is also the guy who said it best in one of his many great press conferences. “If they want you to do the cooking, they can at least let you pick out some of the groceries”. Ok, that’s not exactly word for word but you get the drift. The point is coaches need to feel that total control.

Phillips doesn't fit that bill of a successful coach. He got this gig because Jerry Jones knew he could work with him. He needed someone who would sit across the table and say “yeah, Jerry, I can coach that guy” when Jerry asks him what he thinks. He knows what Jones wants to hear and will gladly agree. It’s not like he has a choice. No other team in the NFL wants him.

For that reason, Wade Phillips got this job. His job is to say yes to Jerry Jones while keeping order in the locker room. By order, I don't mean he puts his foot down. He has to keep his guys happy. He’s like the players’ friend. That’s why they love playing for him. They get to do what they want. But a happy locker room doesn’t translate to a Super Bowl team.

When this team wants to play, there are few teams that can step on the field with them. The problem is they need someone to motivate them to play up to their potential every week. Instead, they look bored. They think they are just going to start playing come playoff time. They don’t have respect for the other teams in the NFL. They expect to win just because they know how good they are. They forget it takes hard work to win in this league. Somehow, the guys in the Cowboys’ locker room are going to have to light a fire under themselves because Philips isn’t going to demand that kind of disciplined. That kind of discipline is brought on by tough love and hurt feelings. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Phillips is their friend. He’s their cheerleader. But he’s no coach.

Monday Football Rewind

The Good

It’s scary but the NY Giants actually look better this year than they did last year. At 4-0, they look like they are getting better and better every week. Eli Manning (so far) looks to be taking the lead in the “which Manning is better?” debate. Stay tuned…..The other lone remaining undefeated team in the NFL, The Tennessee Titans at 5-0, somehow keep finding ways to win. They gave Baltimore its second consecutive heart breaking loss in the final moments of the game. Baltimore outplayed and physically beat up the Steelers and Titans but managed to lose both games…..The Redskins have played some serious football the last few weeks (4 weeks to be exact). They have beaten the Cowboys and the Eagles in consecutive weeks. That is no small task this year. The NFC East arguably has the top four NFC teams in the conference with the Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, and the Eagles…..The Buffalo Bills lost for the first time this season and did so embarrassingly. They got whipped by Arizona 41-17. I think that says more about how good Arizona is at home more so than how good or bad the Bills are. Buffalo is certainly not as good as their 4-1 record though…..Expectedly, the Cowboys walked all over the Bengals to go to 4-1. They played uninspired football minus one huge TD combo of Romo to TO. It doesn’t take much to beat the Bengals.

The Bad

The Bungals are a sad bunch. You can see how frustrated they are with finger pointing and yelling at one another during the game. Palmer is underachieving big time, missing wide open receivers by 10 yards. There is one way out of this for this group, start over. Gotta clean out the roster and bring in new coaching. This combo is a disaster…..Bad teams find a way to lose. If you don’t believe me, ask the Houston Texans, who put a whipping on the Colts only to give the game away with 2 consecutive fumbles in the final minutes of the 4th quarter…..Man, how things have changed in Seattle. The one time perennial contender is quickly becoming irrelevant. I think Mike Holmgren is leaving the team one year too late. Things look pretty bad going forward for this organization…..I’m not going to waste time writing more about the Detroit Lions and the KC Chiefs. Both franchises are several free agency periods and drafts from becoming possibly relevant again.


Fantasy football and Fun with numbers:

Mystery QB 1- 1032 yds, 6 TDs, 1 Int
Mystery QB 2- 1031 yds, 5 Tds, 5 Int

QB 1, well that’s Eli Manning’s numbers through 4 games this season. QB 2, that’s Peyton Manning’s numbers through 4 games.

Mystery RB 1- 331 Yds, 3.7 YPC, 4 TDs
Mystery RB 2- 286 Yds, 4.9, 6 TDs

RB1, that’s LaDainian Tomlinson’s numbers through 5 games this season. RB 2, that’s Ronnie Brown’s numbers through 4 games played this season.

I can go on and on with examples, but the point I’m trying to make is once the season starts in fantasy football, it doesn’t matter where a guy is drafted once you take the name away. Take away a guy’s name and look at the numbers. It doesn’t matter if you drafted the guy in round 1 or round 10. Play your best players according to how they are playing from week to week. You could put yourself in a hole that you can’t dig yourself out of waiting for a big name guy to produce just because you picked him in round 1 or 2. In football it just doesn’t work that way. Once the season starts, throw the draft position and name in the trash and play your guys that have produced.

Why Was Dempster the Cubs’ Game One Starter?

Ok Lou Piniella . I understand wanting to reward your players for having a great season and all, but ask any scout-or baseball writer-or anyone who has any lick of baseball common sense, Ryan Dempster shouldn’t be getting the ball in game one of the playoffs. Especially, when you have two true number one starters in Zambrano and Harden. I don’t care that Zambrano struggled toward the end of the season. Even if you don’t agree that Zambrano should get the ball in game one you can’t argue that Harden shouldn’t get the ball with his ERA around 2.00. Either one of those guys should have gotten the ball instead of Dempster. I just don’t get the logic behind it. It’s short best of 5 series. If facing elimination, the Cubs have to rely on Dempster again to go out and prevent that from happening. I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t give me confidence at all. Even if the Cubs win the rest of their games and advance, it was the wrong move. They put themselves in a bad situation. I don’t want to blow a loss of one game out of proportion, but this is the playoffs now. One move like this could mean disaster for confidence and put added pressure on a team that could have been prevented. Admittedly, I haven't followed the matchup talk leading up to the playoffs so maybe I am not up to date on why this decision was made so feel free to set me straight.

Say what you want about Manny Ramirez, but the one thing you can’t argue is that every team he’s played on has become better. Cleveland made it to two World Series with him in the lineup. Boston won 2 World Series with him. Now the Dodgers, who were struggling before his acquisition, are now a legitimate threat in the NL. The same personality traits that cause Manny to, well , be Manny is the same that allows him to absorb all the pressure off of everyone in a clubhouse. One thing is a constant in every dugout that Manny is a part of. Those teams always look like they are having fun. The Dodgers seem to be having fun for the first time in a decade.

Karma Is Supposed to Be A …..

During the end of the 2005 baseball regular season the Chicago White Sox were in position to win the AL East. They had a four game lead over the second place Indians. Though mathematically possible, it was a long shot for the Indians to catch the Sox because they had to sweep all four games to win the division. The more important race was that the Indians could have gotten into the playoffs as a wildcard instead of the Boston Red Sox. All they had to do was split the series against the White Sox to get in. The Yankees and the Red Sox were locked in a battle along with Cleveland. Well, basically the Indians got swept and the Red Sox and Yankees both got in. Ozzie Guillen, on his trip to the mound to make a pitching change during the game his team eliminated the Indians from playoff contention, gave this disgraceful choking gesture. He thought it was funny. Even for Ozzie Guillen, this was a bad show of sportsmanship.

Turn the clock forward to 2008. The White Sox went into the final series of the season against Cleveland, with a chance to clinch the division. This time Cleveland won 3 out of 4 games, which led to the Sox having to play a makeup game (which they won) against the Tigers. Then they now have to play a makeup game against the Twins in a 1 game playoff for the division and the last playoff birth. Will karma finally strike Ozzie Guillen? It couldn’t happen to a more deserving person, if it does. He is a disgrace to the sport of baseball and unless you are a White Sox fan you probably dislike (I’m being as nice as I can) him like I do. There isn’t a team in baseball I despise more than the Chicago White Sox. So even though my Indians are missing the post season, I am hoping to take pleasure in Ozzie Guillen’s misery. I will take pleasure knowing that the Indians had a hand in their ejection from the playoffs. Tonight I am a Twins fan.

Say goodbye to these NFL coaches

Marvin Lewis-
Marvin Lewis may be looking for a new job by year’s end. This team is in the 3rd consecutive year of a downturn. This once promising offense led by Carson Palmer is below average. The defensive minded Lewis leads a defense to the field who is usually on the ESPN highlights….for the other team’s offense. He has a receiver making more headlines than the team itself. And speaking of Ocho Cinco, please change your name back to Chad Johnson. I liked to watch that guy better. This Ocho Cino person is terrible. After 3 weeks, Ocho Cinco has 8 receptions for 88 yards. Chad Johnson used to beat those numbers by halftime of one game. This team is known for keeping the justice system in Cincinnati in business. All those things equals a need for change with this team. Carson Palmer’s prime years are going to waste.

Herman Edwards-
Herman Edwards and that whole KC organization should be embarrassed. To get blown out this week by a Falcons team who is at the beginning stages of a rebuilding a process, a year after the Michael Vick fiasco, is just plain embarrassing. No other way to put it. Of course to get beat down by an Oakland team that is one of the top 3 worst teams in the league is equally as embarrassing. The offense is horrendous. How’s taking Glenn Dorsey with the 5th overall pick working for you Herm? Remember what I wrote about Glenn Dorsey before the draft? Taking a DT that high in the draft just doesn’t make any sense in terms of smart football. Looking at KC makes me proud to be a Dolphins fan. That’s how bad it is in KC. They need to reboot the system.

Matt Millen-
Ok so he’s the GM of the Lions and not the head coach. I actually think that Marinelli is a pretty decent coach. It won’t matter because Matt Millen is the GM that has no clue on what it takes to put a roster together. To be fair, I agreed on all three of the WRs that Millen took in the first round, starting with Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson. Yes Mike Williams was a bust, but Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson are two very good receivers worthy of their draft status. That’s not the problem. It’s the rest of the draft and FA moves that make Millen a true executive retard. With those horrible credentials he may be qualified to run for the white house. It’s not easy being that bad. I mean he’s Isiah Thomas bad.

Lane Kiffin-
He’s only on this list because the reports are swarming that he’s about to get fired. I think Kiffin is a good coach but I think he would be better suited for the college game. He will make an excellent college coach. We’ll see if he ends up in college. The real person that should go is Al Davis. Too bad you can’t fire an owner. I think Kiffin can’t wait to be fired so he can move on. He certainly isn’t quitting and walking away from the millions that is owed to him. Al Davis is trying to play chicken so he doesn’t have to pay him and Kiffin isn’t budging.

Scott Linehan-
This one is easy. Linehan is a proven offensive coordinator but he’s been so bad at everything head coach related that it’s time for St. Lois to cut their losses, and yes I mean that literally. He has been as bit of a bad head coach as Cam Cameron was with the Dolphins. That team has taken a step back every year since he’s been there. How do you turn a Pro Bowl QB into a clip board holder? Linehan has managed to do it with Marc Bulger. Heck Marvin Lewis didn’t screw up this bad with Carson Palmer.