Calipari UK Bond?

Should Memphis coach John Calipari accept the Kentucky job? I say yes! It’s being reported that UK is offering Calipari an 8 year contract worth around $35 million. That there is Nick Saban like money. Now some people might say that Calipari shouldn’t leave because Memphis has been with him for the past 10 odd years or so. He is the face of the team. Why should he leave from a place where he is already having success? Well, maybe to look for a new challenge. He coaches in the Conference USA which isn’t like the Big East or SEC. The Conference USA consists of Tulsa, University of Houston, SMU, Tulane, UCF, Marshall, and more just to name a few. The competiveness in the conference isn’t fierce and usually Memphis wins the conference every year. They’ve won the Conference regular season and tournament titles for the past 4 years now. They are the dominant team in the conference. They’re an UConn like team stuck in a bad conference. They are really a big fish in a small pond.

Some fans might say he should stay to be loyal to Memphis. Um, I felt that way until I heard Colin Cowherd’s point of view on the topic on his radio show while I was driving to school. Cowherd said along the lines that Calipari needs a new challenge. He’s a big recruiter who will bring good players to UK. If people stay at the same job forever, jobs wouldn’t be very competitive and prestigious. He also mentioned how if you stay at one job for too long, your employers will pay you less money or won’t dish out the big bucks to you if you’re loyal to them. Penn State football Coach Joe Pa, got paid $500,000 last year. Coach Paterno has been there forever (42 yrs) and he’s only making $500,000 per year. Pete Carroll at USC is making over 2 million and he’s been there for less than 10 years (but has gotten good results there too). Kirk Ferentz at Iowa in the same conference as Paterno coaches in, makes over 2 million a year and he hasn’t even won a National Title for the school where Joe Pa has given Penn State 2. Let’s not also forget that he is the winning-est coach and is getting paid below a million per year. I bet Coach Pa had many other offers at coaching somewhere else, but staying loyal to his school and program got him only below a million dollars per year. That is how Penn State treats the coach with the most wins in college football. So if you get an opportunity that’s better than what you are in now, take it before it passes you by.

I think Calipari should take the job because it will elevate his status. The Alabama football job has the same equivalent as the UK Basketball job. It’s a big job offer that many coaches wish to get in their career. For him to take the UK job won’t be surprising to me because it’s human nature for people to take better jobs. Why do people bust their butts at jobs and work hard? It is to do a good job and to get promotions or better contracts/jobs in the future. It’s already mandatory for people to work hard at the job in order to earn money to provide for yourself or the family. If you don’t work hard and do your job, you’ll get fired. But if you get a better offer from another company offering more money and benefits, you will take it unless the company you’re working for can match it…that’s if you like the company you work for already.

Well Chad Johnson is making news in a bad way. He missed voluntary workouts. This is not a big deal, but it kind of is a little big deal. Last season Palmer was injured for most of the season with a partially torn ligament and tendon in his right elbow. Palmer believes he’s ready to play football for next season opting out of having surgery to repair the elbow and letting it heal on its own, "It's 100 percent and I'm healthy and I'm happy. Had I gone the other way, I don't know when I'd be able to throw again, but it wouldn't be now."

It’s a little big deal that Johnson isn’t there because Palmer is coming back from an injury. I think it would be a good idea for both Johnson and Palmer to meet and get an early start by working on some drills throwing and catching passes to help build up Palmer’s confidence and gets his feel back. I know the young WR are at the offseason workouts which is good, but the main target for Palmer is Johnson and Coles. Johnson needs to be there to show Palmer that he is serious in winning a ring and is committed to the team. How do you think Manning and Harrison have become one of the best WR/QB duos? They worked at it with perfection. Palmer’s time is kind of running out (29, has few more good year left if remains healthy) and so is Johnson’s (31 in age). Really, Palmer has missed two seasons if you think about it. He missed the Steelers game in 2005 playoffs where he got hit low and last year with the elbow injury. He lost a chance in 2005 to take the team to its furthest potential. That was his last shot to taking the team deep in the playoffs and was the last time the Bengals had a winning season too. If Palmer was in the game, they could’ve won. They lost to the Steelers, 31 to 17.

At least this year Ocho Cinco isn’t creating a big deal where last season he wanted out from Cincy and demonstrated that by missing Bengals workouts. If this keeps up and he doesn’t call the Bengals letting him know why he was absent or any indication that he will be returning to the team by the mandatory workouts…then we have a problem. I think Johnson will be with the Bengals and they could have a decent season next year if Palmer is healthy and Johnson cooperates. With the addition of Coles and Johnson on the other side of the field lined up, Palmer has options to throw the ball with another slot option in Chris Henry. Let’s hope the defense gets better. When draft day comes and goes, we will have a better idea on what teams will be good next season and which might not.

If Jesus was Reincarnated today...

I was watching Sports Center today, and I saw an interview with Tim Tebow with a stubble/beard. After seeing him in the interview, it kind of validated my infatuation that I have for him. I will admit I’m a Tebow fan and I hope the best for his future in the NFL one day. To my point, I told my brother and sister poking in fun that if Jesus came back to life today, he would come back as Tim Tebow. Tebow is very religious man and credits his abilities and his faith in God. The guy says “God Bless” after every interview. He just doesn’t say “good bye” to you, he says “God Bless”. I started to realize this when I was listening to an interview he had on the radio in my car and then on TV interviews.

Also I’ve read that during Spring Break last year, he went to Mexico or the Philippines to help his father circumcise boys and other missionary work. Most kids usually go to Cancun for their spring break, but not Tebow. He gives his time for that one week helping kids and people. Tebow also gives speeches in state prisons inspiring change for the inmates for a better future when they get released. Tebow is aiding to change the world one person at a time in a way. For a guy to stand next to an inmate, he has guts. Anything can happen to him. “No matter where I am, if I'm preaching to Muslims or in a prison, if you're in the will of God, that's safer than driving down the interstate,” Tebow said. “That's how I feel about it. He's in control of whatever happens. I'm thinking more about their needs than my needs. They need to hear what I'm sharing, so I don't think about any sense of fear. The Lord has it under control, and he'll take care of me.” The guy does all this charity work because of his status and uses it for good because he knows he can make a big impact on people’s lives.

After that loss to Ole Miss last season, Tebow took the blame on him. He made sure that the Gators would never lose again and win the National Championship. “I just want to say one thing. To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, um, you know what, I'm sorry. I'm extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida's never done here. But I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come out of this. You have never seen any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of this season, and you'll never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season, and you'll never see a team play harder than we will the rest of this season. God bless.” Well guess what? They did win the Championship beating Oklahoma. The man has a strong faith based confidence upon him and he inspires everyone around him to be the best and to work at best of their abilities. If there was a man begging for food on the streets, Tebow would be the man who would help him when others won’t. He is a great guy that will give any NFL team a better image than they already have. I’m not saying Tebow is Jesus I want to clarify that. I’m just saying if he was with us right now he would be reincarnated as Tim Tebow.

Kraft likes Taylor

Pats owner Robert Kraft, would love to add Jason Taylor to his team’s roster for next season. Taylor also hasn’t ruled out returning to his old team the Dolphins, is still a free agent from being released by the Redskins. “I did hear that. I can't lie," Taylor said Sunday night on the red carpet of an event for the Jason Taylor Foundation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “I have not talked to Robert Kraft. We'll leave it at that. Those things will sort themselves out, and hopefully in the near future so I can get back to work.”But it's great to be wanted. It's great to be wanted. Sure, especially an organization like them or the Dolphins.”

It was the Pats who wanted Panthers DE Julius Peppers. I guess things weren’t really working out for a deal to be made. I really like Jason Taylor going to the Pats. It’s a good fit and it will give him a better chance at winning a Superbowl ring. Taylor is getting up there in age (35) and I think he wants to win one Superbowl before he leaves the game for good. I think Taylor could still play, last season he was plagued with a calf injury where his numbers dropped. He only had 3.5 sacks last season where he usually averages 10 per season and only 21 tackles usually averaging 38.5 tackles per season. So last season was not his best, but it wasn’t his fault, he wasn’t playing to his fullest potential. I also think his mind was in football mode. He was dancing last spring in Dancing with the Stars. That dancing kept him away from working out possibly and attending key football dates. So he wasn’t in full football shape. If he signs with the Pats of the Fins, he will return as a better player than what we saw him as a Redskin. Let’s remember he is a 6 time Pro Bowler.

Now putting in my two cents… In Green Bay, the Defensive Coordinator is Dom Capers who was with Taylor when he played for the Dolphins. When Taylor first got released from the Skins, my first thought was the Packers better sign him. There were some signs that made me think that way. The Packers were moving to the 3-4 defense, where Taylor was very productive in Miami and also Capers was at the helm (as D-Coordinator) who worked with Taylor. I thought he would’ve been a good fit, but I guess the Packers didn’t want to dish out the money to sign him and get him into the Packers uniform.

Relax Buffalo, it's Only Voluntary

Terrell Owens will miss voluntary workouts for the Bills. Some fans might see this as the beginning of the long year with TO on the Bills roster, but I beg to differ. Remember the workouts are only voluntary and not mandatory. He does not need to be there right now. “I talked to Coach Jauron prior to the start of the workouts about that,” Owens told reporters. “Right now if there's nothing mandatory that I have to be a part of, then I won't intend to be there.” As of right now TO will work out on his own with a personal trainer. I’ve seen the guy every year and he’s is always in shape and takes very good care of his body. From the HBO show which documented the Cowboys pre-season, Owens always worked out and showed how he was committed to keeping himself in shape and tip top condition.

The only time when I would start to get a little concerned will be when he doesn’t show up during the mandatory work outs for the Bills. During those mandatory workouts, the team starts getting the new playbooks and starts doing some drills to get into more of a football shape. It will be very bad for the Bills if TO isn’t there because TO needs to adapt to the new coaching staff, the players and QB play style. He will need to be there at those times. I think he will be there because remember this is only a one year deal with the Bills. If he does show up, he will be showing his new potential future team after this upcoming season that “I’m a reliable guy who will be there on time at camp and learn all the plays”. TO will need to be in camp in order to have a great productive season next September. If the QB and the WR aren’t on the same page, TO’s numbers will suffer, hurting his chances for more teams to sign him after next season in the free agency market.

On a brighter note and a side of Owens we don’t see often, Owens was presented an award from Alzheimer’s Association this past Wednesday. The Alzheimer's Association honored Owens for raising awareness about the fight against the disease. Owens’s grandmother Alice Black, has been affected by it and she raised Owens growing up and credits her. “My grandmother has been very, very instrumental in where I am as a person and my determination on the football field,” Owens said. It’s sad that we don’t see this side of TO often. It’s always his open minded and very opinionated side we see on TV week after week on ESPN. I didn’t know he contributed so much to the Alzheimer’s Association until I read this about him last week.

Cena on A-Rod

I’m still a wrestling fan, I’m not as crazy about it as I was younger in middle school. I still watch it on TV every Monday when there is nothing good and entertaining on. I used to watch Heroes, but there storylines became very complex and confusing like a comic book and I used to watch 24, but I got bored of the show. Let's not forget about MFN, but that won’t be back on until September when football season starts again. So I watch Monday Night Raw, there isn’t nothing wrong with that.

Now to my point...In an article WWE wrestler John Cena said that steroid user Alex Rodriguez should be out in jail. “[Steroids] are the personal choice of the athlete,” says the WWE wrestler, currently starring in the film “12 Rounds.” “And [Rodriguez] got defensive, saying he used because he felt he needed to. If there was a set of [legal] stipulations set in place, he may never have even considered it. “The government should take the initiative, and if you get caught using drugs, then you should go to jail. A criminal record will hurt your endorsements and long-term contracts.”

I like his point and agree with him in a way. If A-Rod knew ahead of time that a person could face some jail time for using PED’s, then he would’ve never had taken them in the first place. All those big endorsement deals would be taken away and he wouldn’t be able to be a marketable figure in the sport. If you’re not a marketable guy, the Yankees might not pay him as much. The Yanks will still pay him a lot of money, but the guy gets paid for his talent, skills, and his face (marketability presence). If you’re put in jail you lose some of that marketability. Many kids look up to the guy just like kids do with Derek Jeter. With A-Rod though, he’s in the public eye more than Jeter or any other player in the MLB. Let’s face it, many Yankee fans come to see the Yankees because of the tradition of being a Yankee fan and also because of the big star players. If the Yanks didn’t have the star power that they did, they would be irrelevant like the Pirates. They would be a team that would be overlooked. I mean look at the Raiders, what happened to them? They’re a team that had great tradition of winning, but now are overlooked. The same goes for the Cowboys when they had TO. TO was a marketable guy and that is why ESPN put a lot of attention on the Cowboys for the past couple of seasons and they will do the same with the Bills now. No one talked about the Bills, but they will now. I believe if players are to be put in jail for using steroids, the level of the usage will go down. Cena does have a point. You do need to establish harsh penalties in order to establish order and maintain justice for wrong doings of these steroid users.

Also in my opinion, John Cena is a big guy. I’m not saying he’s a user of steroids, but he could’ve gotten big by other methods besides using steroids. If he was using steroids, I don’t think he would’ve made these comments. I also know he played football in Springfield College and my teacher knew Cena when he was going to school to be a teacher there. He told me he was a big guy who played LB for the Springfield Pride football team. I know a few athletic trainers and they all told me that teams do give out stuff (not steroids) to help football players and athletes to get bigger. I just didn’t want anyone shooting back at me saying “how dare he suggest A-Rod should be put in jail, when he looks like a user”. I just wanted that to be clear on that.

So, are you ready for some football... Week 1 games

So the first week games are out…not all of them, but the ones that matter to us in a national audience in week 1. The first game will be a Thursday night game on September 10 with the Super Bowl Champs playing the Titans. Then the following Sunday on NBC, it will be the Packers (yes, I’m looking forward to this game) playing the Bears in the frozen tundra of Green Bay. Then finally on Monday, it will be a double header with the first game including the Bills with their new WR Terrell Owens playing the Patriots. The second game will pit the Chargers playing the Raiders.

I like the how the season will open with the Champs playing the Titans, who could’ve been playing for the Super Bowl last year. Let’s not forget that the Titans did beat the Steelers last year. Then the best game of the week in my own bias opinion will be the Packers playing the Bears. I’m a big time Packers fan, so whenever I get the chance to see them play on TV…I’m hooked onto the TV through the last commercial. Living on the East Coast, I usually see lots of Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Jets, or Patriot games. Usually I see around 3 or 4 Packer games on TV total (regular season) or more if they’re in the playoffs. So far I know I will see two Packer games on TV as they will be playing the Lions on Thanksgiving. The other match up on Thanksgiving will be the Cowboys in their new stadium playing the Raiders (yawn).

Moving onto the Monday Night Football games, I like the Bills playing the Pats. It has a great story line behind it. It’s Owens’s first game with the Bills playing the Pats with Tom Brady as their QB (hopefully) from his injury. Let’s not forget it will also be TO vs. Moss as well (ESPN might play this angle out a lot before the game is near). Then the second game on ESPN will be pitting the Chargers playing the Raiders. I like the Chargers, but not the Raiders playing in the game. There really isn’t anything intriguing about them. I would’ve loved to see the Chargers playing the Chiefs. Seeing Matt Cassel leading his new team or even the Broncos with first time head coach Josh McDaniels would be much better than seeing the Raiders play the Chargers. Will Cutler lead them or a new QB taking the helm for the Broncos? Those are intriguing story lines from those two teams who should be playing the second game on ESPN for MNF. Those two teams will get you higher ratings in my opinion. Overall, a great slate of games for the first week of the season.

Ovechkin: Sticks on Fire

This week I’ve kind of wrote less about football. I had some friends and family complaining about that I focus too much on football. Sorry, but football is my expertise. So, here is another new blog on a different sport... hockey. Yes, I said hockey, the sport that is played on ice where it’s cool for people to fight. I’m not you avid hockey fan until the Stanley Cup playoffs…I’m hooked like a guy on drugs.

Well hockey’s current savior Alex Ovechkin is getting some heat from coaches and even his own coach Bruce Boudreau. After scoring his 50th goal of the season, Ovechkin celebrated with his hockey stick pretending it was on fire like Chad Johnson does with a football after a TD. Some people didn’t like the sight of it. Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau said he was caught off guard by the celebration and will talk to Ovechkin about it. Bolts Coach Rick Tocchet was not happy wither, "I grew up in the old days in the Spectrum where in the first period, after that happened, it might have been a three-hour first period. It's not something I like. It's hard for me to see that in our building." Tocchet also said, "I think he’s a terrific player. He went down a notch in my books after that”.

The NHL will take another look at the goal celebration and it will see to enforce any penalties to Ovechkin. WOW! The NHL allows fighting and celebrating goals, but not celebrating a goal in an unusual manner. Last night’s celebration was a first and unusual to many people who saw it. I’ve seen some celebration with sticks, but pretending your hockey stick was on fire…that was good and creative. I couldn’t believe no one else thought of it before. Many hockey players aren’t big watchers of the NFL. In the NFL, if there were a “Celebration for Dummies” book, the ball on fire celebration would be the first few celebrations displayed in the book and the more elaborate ones later.

Let Ovechkin do what he wants (hockey wise). That goal last night really didn’t harm anyone. Some coaches got mad over it and then it becomes blown out of proportion because people put their two cents into it (like me). Ovechkin is hockey’s last hope in a sense and if you don’t let him have fun in the NHL, and fuel that fun and enthusiasm into hockey, the sport will frizz away. I even heard of NHL banning fighting within the years to come. They can’t do that, fans love the fights. Every fan who sees a live hockey game in the NHL or AHL, wishes for a fight in the game. I know I do when I see the Wolf Pack.

Coach K vs. Obama

Coach K of the Duke Blue Devils, criticized President Obama for filling out his own bracket for the NCAA March Madness Tourney. "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets." I know he meant that in a joking matter, but to some people it didn’t see it that way. I know it was a joke because Coach K chuckled afterwards. Coach K has a dry sense of humor and some people wouldn’t understand that. I had a coach who had a dry sense of humor and sometimes I would get his jokes and at other times I wouldn’t.

Also in general, let the President fill out his own bracket. Come on, can’t the guy take a little break and fill out his tournament bracket? The guy is an avid basketball fan. The guy is working his behind off and trying to fix the mess we’re in right now. I’m not a guy who’s into politics, but he can’t fix the entire economy in one day or a few months. It’s going to take time and small types. President Obama won’t have the time he used to have before he became President, where he could play a quick game of hoops or watch an entire basketball game on TV. Andy Katz asked President Obama if he saw the 6 overtime game with UConn playing Syracuse. President Obama answered that he “only saw the highlights on Sports Center” he continued on saying that he couldn’t stay up late like he once could. The guy has the right to take a step back from work and relax from time to time. On a side note, I’m happy that our current President appreciates sports. President Obama has been very public about his knowledge and interests in sport since last year where he wanted to implement a playoff system in NCAA college football and now with his current bracket.

A-Rod in love with A-Rod

By now you have seen the A-Rod photos of him embracing himself in front of a mirror in Details magazine. When I saw the picture, I laughed to myself and wondered why. I mean was it the right time for him to be making love to himself in front of a mirror after the PED’s allegations? I know the photo shoot had taken place a couple months ago (I hope), but he could’ve done other poses. This kind of shows you how A-Rod is self absorbed and how he is in love with himself.

How much can a guy pile on to himself? First it was his divorce, the new relationship with Madonna, getting hurt, his PED use, and now the photos. The PR in the Yankees club house must have been thinking “what the hell has he gotten himself into now”? When you’re as big as A-Rod (in the fame sense) you’re every move will be captured and you will be criticized. That’s what the general public does. By doing the photo shoot, this has added more baggage on top of what he has already. The Yankees should feel like a joke with the recent photos. They should be ashamed of the pictures and of the decisions A-Rod has made so far.

Cutler & McDaniels: Heartbreak in Denver

On Sunday night, Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler has asked the Broncos organization to trade him after a meeting with Head Coach Josh McDaniels ended badly. “I went in there with every intention of solving the issue, being a Bronco, moving forward as a Bronco,” Cutler said. “We weren't in there but about 20 minutes, [McDaniels] did most of the talking and as far as I'm concerned, he made it clear he wants his own guy. He admitted he wanted Matt Cassel because he said he has raised him up from the ground as a quarterback. He said he wasn't sorry about it. He made it clear that he could still entertain trading me because, as he put it, he'll do whatever he feels is in the best interest of the organization.”

"At the end of the meeting, he wasn't like, 'Jay, I want you as our quarterback, you're our guy.' It felt like the opposite. He basically said that I needed to tell him if we can't work this out, to let him know," Cutler added. "I thought he was antagonizing me and that was disappointing because I was ready to move on, committed as a Bronco. Really, I figured we'd hash things out, shake hands, laugh a little and move forward. What happened [Saturday] was the last thing I expected. If I didn't think it could be fixed, I never would have come back to Denver. It was painfully obvious to me and Bus [Cook, his agent] it's not something they want to fix."
Well, at least the coach was honest right? I mean McDaniels could’ve lied his butt off to Cutler just to keep him, but no he was downright honest to Cutler right in front of his face. I don’t blame McDaniels for wanting Matt Cassel. McDaniels was accustomed to Cassel and his play style with the Patriots. Coaches like familiarity and McDaniels was very close with his New England QB, which he brought up to become last year’s diamond in the ruff.

I think now with how things have progressed, the Broncos should trade Cutler because there isn’t a sense that things will get better in the future. Each week it seems like this situation is getting worse and worse. I feel bad for Pat Bowlen who is in the middle of this with his franchise looking bad to the general public. The Broncos organization is getting a bad rep for what’s going on and I think the people who are to blame should be McDaniels and Cutler. We should blame McDaniels for evening thinking about replacing Cutler with Matt Cassel. You already have a decent QB who had one of his best seasons last year in Cutler. Why would you even want to replace him, just build his skills to your liking with your new offense. Adjust some things. Before things broke out, Cutler and McDaniels were talking about the new offense and Cutler was engaged into making the new McDaniels Offense work next season. Then news broke out about McDaniels wanting to trade Cutler for Cassel and all hell broke loose. We then should blame Cutler for even for prolonging this dispute. He should’ve by now in my opinion put this behind him, but he can’t because his ego is damaged and it should be. The QB is the face of the franchise in football and when a team wants to trade him, the QB should have every right to be mad.

I think the Broncos should trade Cutler and there are teams looking for his service. To name a few, the teams that are interested are the Lions, Bears, Vikings, Jets, and a few more (can’t remember from the top of my head). The best situation for Cutler would be to end up with the Vikings with Peterson because of the running game already established and a decent defense as well. Cutler will help out the Viking’s offense become more consistent unlike with Jackson in past seasons. The most realistic team that can make a trade and land Cutler would be the Lions who have two first round draft picks. They could trade either the 1st or 20th overall pick to the Broncos for Cutler. If I were the Lions, I would trade the 20th for Cutler and get an offensive lineman with the first pick or the other way around. Whatever does happen the situation over in Denver has reached its peak point with Cutler demanding a trade from the organization.

I Am Selfish

As many of you already know, TO has found a new home in Buffalo with the Bills. What were they thinking? Do you really think he wants to really stay there for more than a year? I’m guessing after next season he won’t even return to the Bills. The Bills are a short term plan for Owens. Owens will become a free agent again after the 2010 season and he sure will certainly test the free agency market for a better opportunity. I’ll tell you this, if he has a great productive season, other teams will be wanting his service in 2011 football season. The reason why he landed with the Bills was because there weren’t any other teams that wanted his service this season. It showed you how limited the market was for TO and his reputation. Many teams were reluctant on signing him.

Already TO is making demands. TO wanted to wear the number 81 and he will get what he wished for by taking that number away from second year receiver James Hardy. Hardy now will wear number 84. There you go right there. It shows you how selfish Owens really is. If he was a better man he would’ve let Hardy keep the number and he would’ve switched to a different number. Owens could’ve switched to his old college number (80), but no his ego took over and he got what he wanted which was his number he’s been wearing in the NFL since his rookie season. This just shows you how Owens is all about “me, me, me”, he has a “me” mentality and doesn’t regard the people around him. He doesn’t care about others. I bet you he didn’t care that Hardy wore that number. Owens was like “I’m gonna get my number, if I don’t, I’m gonna go apes**t around this place” and you know the Bills had to give in and give Owens what he wanted. They didn’t want this story to be blown out of proportion.

First 10 Draft Picks

Draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have come out with their first round picks. I’ll be discussing the first ten picks of this year’s draft and who i think the teams should draft.

1. Detroit Lions
Kiper: Matt Stafford
McShay: Matt Stafford
Azeem: Matt Stafford
I think the Lions need a lot of help and it should start with a QB. Stafford will most likely start right away, but the Lions do need a QB to lead the team. I don’t think Culpeper is the long term plan, but he can aid Stafford grow into a better QB with his help. If the Lions still have their second first round draft pick (20th overall), they should draft an offensive lineman to help Stafford out in the front line.

2. St. Louis Rams
Kiper: OT Jason Smith
McShay: OT Jason Smith
Azeem: OT Jason Smith
With the recent release of Orlando Pace, it’s a no brainer for the Rams to pick a offensive linemen to protect Bulger and give Jackson good blocks for good long runs and open holes.

3. Kansas City Chiefs
Kiper: LB Aaron Curry
McShay: LB Aaron Curry
Azeem: LB Aaron Curry
With Mike Vrabel on the defense and a QB already set, there is no need in drafting Mark Sanchez from USC. Chiefs need to beef up their D and Curry will help them out and he will learn a lot from veteran LB Mike Vrabel. Curry is also the best defensive player in this year’s draft and the Chiefs need to build a good D, so picking him would help them do that.

4. Seattle Seahawks
Kiper: OT Eugene Monroe
McShay: DT BJ Naji
Azeem: WR Micheal Crabtree
I think Crabtree will be a good option for Matt Hasselbeck to throw to when TJ Houshmandzadeh is covered up. They have Deion Branch, but he hasn’t lived up to his Superbowl MVP performance yet.

5. Cleveland Browns
Kiper: DT BJ Raji
McShay: Brian Orakpo
Azeem: DT BJ Raji
That Defense needs help up front and Raji is the best defensive lineman.

6. Cincinnati Bengals
Kiper: WR Micheal Crabtree
McShay: OT Eugene Monroe
Azeem: OT Eugene Monroe
The Bengals still have Ocho Cinco and added Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry is still with the team. I don’t think they should take a WR with this pick. Bengals need to build a solid line for Palmer and they should take Monroe with this pick.

7. Oakland Raiders
Kiper: WR Jeremy Maclin
McShay: WR Jermey Maclin
Azeem: Jeremy Maclin
I think Maclin should be taken here because besides for Javon Walker and Zach Miller, they have no other weapons for JaMarcus Russell to throw to. Maclin is quick and he will be explosive when the ball is snapped.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kiper: QB Mark Sanchez
McShay: WR Michael Crabtree
Azeem: OT Andre Smith
They need help up front and need to protect Garrard in the pocket.

9. Green Bay Packers
Kiper: DE Brian Orakpo
McShay: DE Aaron Maybin
Azeem DE Brain Orakpo
They need to draft a DE with former DE Aaron Kampman moving to LB next season for the new 3-4 defense. Packers had a chance to get Canty, but that didn’t work out and a DE is an obvious choice here. I like both Maybin and Orakpo, either will do for the Packers.

10. San Francisco 49ers
Kiper: DE Aaron Maybin
McShay: OT Andre Smith
Azeem: DE Aaron Maybin
Can’t draft a QB here with restructuring Alex Smith’s contract and keeping him as their QB, but they could draft Sanchez. Sanchez could be drafted but they should not draft him, wait next year with Tebow, McCoy, and Bradford coming out for next year’s draft. They should draft a DE and beef up their front line. They have decent LB and Nate Clements in the back field build that defense up baby.

Haynesworth in Trouble?

Albert Haynesworth signed with the Washington Redskins after he tested the free agency market “for only like a quick minute”. Well, it’s been about maybe two or three weeks since then and he’s has gotten himself in trouble already. Haynesworth has been indicted on two misdemeanor traffic charges in Tennessee after an accident that seriously injured another driver. The District Attorney Kim Helper said that Haynesworth faces charges of reckless driving and having expired registration…not good. The maximum punishment for his offense is six months in jail and a $500 fine on the reckless driving charge and 30 days and a $50 fine for the other charge… could’ve been worse. Also to note, these charges came from a Dec. 13 incident where police said that Haynesworth was trying to pass another driver, who crashed into a concrete median.

I know many of you guys might be thinking “he’s already gotten into trouble, come on”. Let’s not forget when the incident happened. This incident took place on Dec. 13 of last year (I believe). This happened last year when he was with the Titans. So before the Redskin fans begin to talk bad about their organization (which they should), remember that this happened last season. The Redskin could’ve done their research on the guy and saw that he could get in trouble. The Skins didn’t d their homework. That’s what it comes down to. You’re investing so much money on one guy, the least you can do is check his background. Didn’t the Skins ever wonder asking Haynesworth if he gotten into any recent problems or troubles? People get ask the same question when they apply for a college or a job. That’s because the employer wants to know that the person they’re hiring can hold the job and can’t harm the organization too. The Skins are giving Haynesworth $100 plus millions of dollars and they in return should get their monies worth. I just don’t want to be the one to say that the Redskins made a bad investment decision in signing the guy. I hope that this will work out because I hate seeing players with great ability not succeed and waste their talents. Hopefully this will be cleared up before training camp and pre-season starts.

Harsh times in Denver: Part 2

A source have said that the meeting between Broncos head coach josh McDaniels and Jay Cutler have gone from bad to worse. The Broncos told him that every player on the team and even including him would be considered to be traded. That’s not what the face of your franchise wants to hear. Come on, how would John Elway feel if he heard those words coming out from the Broncos management. You’re giving your QB a false hope of confidence in him. You’re adding more pressure on him that needs to be added before next season with a new first time head coach leading the team. Also to add Cutler needs to deal with the uncertainties of Brandon Marshall and his troubles with the law. He could miss some games next season if he drops the ball again by getting into trouble. McDaniels is creating a rift in the organization now. Even Pat Bowen isn’t sure what the direction of the team is. He said that he wouldn’t want to trade Cutler and than at other times he does. The Broncos organization is flip flopping. Trust is key in any relationship. For next season to be great season, Cutler and McDaniels will need to build their trust again. If they can’t, than trade Cutler like he wishes they do. Right now that trust is broken.

Clearly, the Broncos are spitting at Cutler’s face, who is the face of franchise. Cutler is I think 17-20 overall in wins and losses which in most part is due to his poor defenses play. He has a rocket arm as which he has admitted to, and he had a great season last year. Cutler has said that he would miss next Monday’s first workout session with the team. If you’re rookie head coach that doesn’t have the starting QB present, how are you going to install the new offense than for next season? They need to fix this problem ASAP. Cutler can play and he should play where he is wanted. I think the best situation would be if the Lions traded there 20th overall pick to the Broncos and then draft an OT with their first round pick. That would be one best case scenario.

Smith to stay a 49er

The 49ers met with Alex Smith to restructure his contract, where now Smith will be making $4 million for the next two years in 2009 & 2010 season. In his original contract, Alex Smith was supposed to make around $24 million for the next two seasons. “We have reached an agreement with Alex and his agent to keep him as a member of the San Francisco 49ers,” general manager Scot McCloughan said in a statement. “Alex expressed a deep interest to remain with the team and that feeling was mutual.”

It was Smith’s loyalty that kept him with the 49ers. Last year, many people would’ve predicted that Smith would’ve been released by the 49ers for his lackluster performance so far as a NFL QB and injuries. There were other teams interested in him. The guy could’ve left the 49ers, but he wanted to stay. I believe with a new head coach in Mike Singletary, maybe Smith can produce.

I’m happy that the 49ers organization are keeping Smith on the roster, rather than trading him or releasing him. Let’s remember that Smith was drafted number one in the same draft as when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in the late rounds of the first round. Right now, Rodgers is looking like the best QB from that draft class. When the 49ers drafted Smith, they needed a QB badly. They had no QB to take charge of the team. So it was a simple choice to draft a QB in the first round and to quickly start him right away. Well, that’s where the 49ers kind of made a mistake. I think the 49ers should’ve gotten a veteran QB to help aid Smith and develop his skills. On the current 2004 roster, the 49ers had Ken Dorsey and Tim Rattay as their QB’s. Those guys couldn’t help Smith and mold him into a decent QB in the NFL. If you look at Aaron Rodgers or even Carson Palmer, they didn’t start a NFL game until their third season in the NFL. Palmer was sat behind Kinta and Rodgers sat behind Favre, who help mold them into the players that they are today. They sat and learned and watch their counter parts take the lead of their teams in the locker room, on the practice field, and in game situations. Those players were Palmer’s and Rodger’s blueprint. You can’t throw a small shark into an ocean of larger sharks. They’ll eat all the food right away because that little shark has no experience, no one to mentor him and aid him on how to do the things he needs to do. That is what the 49ers did with Smith. You need to groom your young QB for the future. I think with Damon Huard on the 49ers roster now, he could help Smith out and progress into a decent QB. The 49ers haven’t lost everything yet with drafting Smith firs overall. He is not a bust yet, he still has time to develop into a good QB. I hope he does for the 49ers sake.

I think now with the draft coming up, it seems very unlikely that the 49ers will draft a QB in the first round. I think they should draft a WR to give some throwing options for Smith or Hill. They could still draft a QB, but it won’t make any sense. Or get some help for their defense like somewhere in the front line or even offensive front line to protect the QB from getting sacked every single time. The 49ers have many options.

You're Fired!

Dan Leone was an employee for the Eagles. He was fired for making comments about the Eagles and their off-season departures. In particular the releasing of Brian Dawkins sparked Leone to post a status comment saying…”Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver ... Dam Eagles R Retarted!!” After deleting the comment, the Eagles fired him of his job with the Eagles association as the west gate chief.

I understand why Leone did this and I think he shouldn’t have gotten fired for doing what he did. He like many fans wanted to vent on how he felt. The guy deleted the status comment after he met with Eagles front office and he still got fired by over the phone (one of the worst ways to get fired). I remember when the Packers were thinking about trading Favre to the Jets. I knew that I wrote some irate things on my status bar like “Ted Thompson doesn’t know what he’s doing and he sucks” (I didn’t write that actually, but something along those lines). I wrote that because that was how I felt, that was my instant knee jerk reaction to what was going on.

I hate the fact that the Eagles fired the guy about saying something and that the
Eagles met with him and he deleted it after that meeting. The Eagles fired him because he spoke up about how he felt. What, people can’t express themselves. Don’t people have the freedom of speech? I bet there are more people who are working with the Eagles who feel the same way Leone did, but they didn’t post it online for the entire world to see. Anyway, only Leone’s friends would’ve seen his status bar post. Now since this story has made into the public airways of the radio, print, and television, the Eagles have drawn more attention to themselves. Great job guys, before maybe only about 100-200 of Leone friends would’ve known about his comments, now the entire world knows. This was a bad way of handling this entire fiasco.

Another note, Leone only worked for the Eagles for the past six years as a west gate chief. He doesn’t get paid that much for that job. He must have another job because you can’t make a living from doing that for only 8 homes games once every Sunday or Monday per week. He worked there only part time. For all we might know, he can be a college student paying off his bills or what not. I wish the guy could get his job back. What the Eagles did was wrong in my opinion.

The Best Football Movies According to Me

Yesterday was a slow day for football news in my opinion aside from Terrell Owens getting released from the Cowboys. Nothing yesterday caught my attention. So I did this instead:

The Best Football Movies:
1. Friday Night Lights
2. The Express
3. Any Given Sunday
4. Rudy
5. Remember the Titans
6. We are Marshall
7. Jerry Maguire
8. Gridiron Gang
9. Radio
10. Brian’s Song

A Lone Star

Last year, The Cowboys ended their 2008 season at 9-7, missing the playoffs. Today, the Cowboys have released Terrell Owens from the roster. After last year’s disappointing season, moral and character issues were a big problem for the team in the locker room. During the 2008 season, Owens was in the spotlight accusing Tony Romo was distancing himself away from him and creating more passing plays with TE Jason Witten. Owens also was very critical of the offensive play calling and critical of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

I was watching Sports Center around 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time when I heard the news. I was shocked at first because I didn’t think Jerry Jones would be able to have the guts to release him. Let’s remember that Jones was the one who really wanted Owens on the team’s roster, a few years back. He gave him big money to come play for the Cowboys. I thought Jones would keep him there until Owens retired as a Cowboy. Last season, Jones brought in Roy Williams from the Lions for a first round draft pick plus third and sixth round draft picks for the 2009 draft, and a seventh round pick in the 2010 draft. Jones has invested a lot into Williams hoping to be the guy to compliment Owens. Well, that didn’t work out too well. Williams only had 19 receptions for 198 yards and 1 touchdown. On a side note, Owens begged for the ball and for more catches when he saw he wasn’t getting enough grabs last season. So how could Williams flourish with Owens? I think with the release of Owens, it will help Williams next season into becoming the main guy and Patrick Crayton into a secondary WR and Miles Austin filling into the slot position. Let’s not forget that the Cowboys still have Jason Witten who is an oversized WR playing TE.

Where will TO go now? To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I was looking at the teams in the NFL and I couldn’t find a team that would want him. I know someone will pick him up because the guy can still play and is a big threat for defenses. Maybe New England will pick him up because I think Belichick can handle the guy. I don’t know if the Pats will give him all the cash to come and play in New England. The guy does want to win a ring and the best place to do that would be New England. Whoever does hire him, they need to be preparing for TO. Owens might come into the team’s facility all ready to go and ready to work. He’ll be a team player for awhile, but once the team begins to struggle, he will jump ship and criticize the team. Once he doesn’t get all the grabs, he’ll criticize the team and coach’s game plan. We know controversy surrounds TO wherever he goes. He’s that big blue bug light that attracts all those bugs from getting zapped. He loves to be the center of attention. We all know what happened in San Francisco and Philly. He has had grudges with all of his quarterbacks. He is a problem, and I would not be surprised to see him on the free agency block for awhile. Right now, both Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison are free agents. If I had to pick one of them to be on my team, I would pick Harrison because of his character. Owens is a great player, but he needs to fix his whole image that people perceive him to be.

Leonhard flies to the Jets

Rex Ryan is bringing in ex-Baltimore Raven safety Jim Leonhard. This is the second player Coach Ryan has brought to the Jets from his days as the defensive coordinator with the Ravens. “I am extremely excited to become a New York Jet,” Leonhard said in a statement. “Obviously, to be reunited with Coach Ryan and Coach [Mike] Pettine on the defensive side of the ball is a great opportunity. I am really excited to get in there this first year with Coach Ryan and hopefully help do some great things.”

I like the deal. So far with what Rex Ryan has done is not bad. The Jet’s defense is looking like it will be very good next season. So far they’ve acquired Bart Scott, Lito Sheppard, and Jim Leonhard, all solid players. I haven’t seen too much of Leonhard play in games, but I did see him in two games where he stuck his head into tackles and made key interceptions in games. The guy can play and is not afraid to stick his nose. Leonhard was undrafted like Bart Scott and the guy is 5-foot-8. Man, I’m 5-foot-7 and the guy plays safety. One interception I saw from him was in the playoff game against the Dolphins last season, I saw the guy launch himself up in the air for the INT. To me, Leonhard is one of those unspoken players of the game who is still emerging (maybe I’m giving him too much praise).

Overall, in a much bigger picture, I like what the Jets are doing. They brought a defensive guy as their head coach and he’s been bulking up that defense. Rex Ryan’s best asset he brings to the game is his defensive knowledge and play calling ability. Nowadays, defense is key and it does win championships. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, offense was what won games, but times have changed. Just throwing the ball up in the air because you know your WR can catch any pass for a TD, just doesn’t work anymore. You can score all the points against a bad defense, but once you play a real great defense, then you’re gonna lose. Those pass plays won’t be completed as often, as to when you were playing a poor defense. You might score once or twice against a good defense, but once their offense goes out there and they score on you to match your score…what now? There is good chance, that good defense will eventually stop that offense and win the game in the end. Look what happened to the Pats in the Superbowl game against the Giants.

The Best Free Agency Moves so Far

The Best Free Agency Moves.

1. Chiefs- Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel
2. Seahawks- T.J. Houshmandzadeh
3. Broncos- Brian Dawkins, Jabar Gaffeny, Correll Buckhalter
4. Redskins- Albert Haynesworth
5. Giants- Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard
6. Patriots- Fred Taylor
7. Eagles- Stacy Andrews
8. Texans- Dan Orvlosky
9. Jets- Lito Sheppard
10. Cowboys- Kieth Brooking

Harsh times over at Denver

This past weekend before the deal between the Chiefs and the Patriots fell through, Denver had attempted to get Matt Cassel. There have been reports that the Broncos were discussing a trade with the Buccaneers and the Patriots, sending Cassel to the Broncos and Cutler to Tampa and New England in return getting draft pick(s) (I believe, not certain). Another scenario involved the Lions, Broncos, and Patriots, where the Lions would get Cutler and the Broncos get Cassel.

Wow! Imagine if that fell through. That would’ve been a big trade and would’ve shaken up the landscape a whole lot more than the Chiefs and Patriots trade. Well, guess what, it didn’t happen and now Broncos QB Jay Cutler isn’t very happy. “I'm upset. I mean, I'm really shocked at this point,” Cutler told The Post. “I could see why they want Cassel. I don't know if they think I can't run the system or I don't have the skills for it. Or if they don't think they can sign me with my next contract. I just don't know what it is. I've heard I'm still on the trading block.” I really feel bad for Cutler even though I’m not a big fan of the guy and his cockiness (thinks his arm is stronger than Elway). Pretty much what the Broncos organization is doing is spitting at Cutler’s face and his ability to be the Broncos QB. Even though they said that they never wanted to trade him, it was a slap to his face. They still thought about the possibility of trading him.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels said that the team got inquires for a number of players. “He's not the only person in the last few days we've received calls on,” new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels told the Denver Post. “We've received trade calls on a number of players, which is not uncommon this time of the year. I also think the sensitivity of the other trade that was occurring, with my relationship with New England and the whole Cassel thing, I think that stirred the pot even more.” That’s pretty much saying, we tried to get Matt Cassel, but that didn’t work out. O well, we have Jay here and he’ll do fine even though we tried to trade him. We can work with him and let’s move on. To me that seems like a bad apology even though it’s not an real apology. Jay Cutler was Mike Shanahan’s experiment which at times has worked out and at other time hasn’t. Cutler is still a work in progress and last year he had one hell of a season and his best numbers (25 TD’s, 18 INT, and 4526 yds).

As a whole, the Broncos are pretty much saying that they are not confident in Cutler to lead the team to a playoff game and potentially a Superbowl appearance. I would be lying if Cutler didn’t think that’s what the organization thinks of him right now. Also we can’t blame head coach McDaniels totally either. He tried to get Mat Cassel because he was familiar with his style of play and had a great relationship with him at New England. I can’t blame him for that. Both sides need to reconcile before the season starts. If you’re a Denver fan, you were on a big high with the recent signings going on. When this took place, that high has gone done because if the QB and head coach can’t look each other eye to eye, there will be some problems in the upcoming season. For the fan’s sake, I hope they can settle this issue out in time for next season and not create a rift between them, but it will make for good TV.

Also, can someone babysit Brandon Marshall? Really dude? The guy was arrested in Atlanta, for fighting. The guy needs to be careful. I don’t want to say the guy is becoming like Pac Man, but he’s getting close. He needs to understand that he’s employed in the NFL and many people are depending on him like his teammates and the people who sign his checks. He needs to watch his actions. Be a role model in Denver and everywhere else bro, kids do look up to you. The guy is in trouble every year. This is not good for the team in general. That Denver high must be wearing down now with the debacle between Cutler and McDaniels and the Marshall run with the law.

Isaac Bruce and Kurt Warner to reconnect for a Second Time?

Sources are saying that QB Kurt Warner is meeting with the 49ers early in the upcoming week. The Cardinals couldn’t sign the QB, where they offered him a new contract between the $10-$12 million dollars for about two years and a third year option. Warner has said that he would retire if the Cards couldn’t sign him to a new deal.

If Warner does sign with the 49ers, it will help them out a lot. Warner is a vet who can still play, but with good offensive weapons which the 49ers don’t have aside from Vernon Davis, who is still kind of growing/developing as a player and Frank Gore. The 49ers have Arnaz Battle and Isaac Bruce at the wide receiver position, but they’re not considered to be elite receivers (Bruce still has some left in the tank). Last year Battle had 24 receptions for 318 yards and no touchdowns. Nothing against Bruce, he was a great player with the Rams, but he can’t have the entire load on him. The 49ers need to get another WR to help him out. Last season, Bruce caught 61 passes for 835 yards and 7 touchdowns. The guy can still play and I think he could lure in his old teammate from the Rams days to throw him a few more touchdowns passes next season.

Also if the 49ers sign Warner, they will have a QB who can help develop the fallen star in San Francisco known as Alex Smith. Many believe that Alex Smith is a busted draft pick, but I think if Warner comes in, he can help the kid a lot. Warner is a great leader and Warner will be the role model Smith needs to help him get back on track. I wouldn’t give up on Smith now, you drafted him # 1, develop the kid. Try to salvage what you can.

What are the Cards doing? Do they really want to go to Matt Leinart next season? If it wasn’t for Warner, the Cards wouldn’t have made it to the Superbowl. They should do everything in their power to keep the guy. If they don’t, it will be another 60 years or so until they reach the Superbowl. I’ll tell you this, if Warner is gone, Fitz will be extremely mad and Boldin will be gone for sure.