Post Draft Shock

I know I said I would do a draft recap Sunday, but I was still in shock. I'm talking about the Redskins drafting Auburn QB Jason Campbell. I'm not knocking the guy- I think he will be a solid player. However, regardless of what Joe Gibbs calls it (a "value" pick), he or someone else does not believe Patrick Ramsey can do the job. Is Gibbs going to be with the Redskins long enough to see Campbell develop into a starting quarterback? I'm not going to get into grading their picks or talking about who they should've taken, but I'm not sure that Campbell was worth the 3 draft picks the Redskins gave up to get the 25th pick in the 1st round. With that said, I'm happy with the choice of Carlos Rodgers with the 9th overall pick. I was thinking that they might pick Mike Williams, seeing as he was still out there after 8 picks (I was actually screaming out his name when I saw Tagliabue about to announce the pick) but cornerback is definitely a need and I think it was addressed.

Look out for the Vikings! What a draft they had picking up Troy Williamson, Erasmus James and Ciatrick Fason. Most people (including me) had the Vikes taking Mike Williams. Let's not forget that Williamson had a 18.9 yards per catch average at South Carolina to go along with his speed. As much as I hate to say it, I think Dallas did a good job of addressing their needs defensively. They will be much tougher on the defensive side of the ball. Will it be good enough to unseat the Eagles as division champs? No, because Drew Bledsoe will throw an interception or two or three in the closing moments of a key division game.

As for my draft predictions, 8 out of 10 were in the top ten, just not in the order I picked them in. Only three of them- Alex Smith, Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams were picked by the teams I thought they would go to. Who would've thought that Aaron Rodgers would slip down to the Packers with the 24th pick? For that matter, who would've thought that Maurice Clarett would've been drafted in the 3rd round by the Broncos? What an eventful 2 days...I can't wait for the season to start...I think there will be some interesting deals happening in the next few months...and yes, I'm still in shock...

DRAFT DAY IS HERE!

Courtesy of NFL.com

WOOHOO!!!! IT'S DRAFT DAY!!! I know I'm excited, but hey- it's been almost three months since the season ended and this is next best thing to watching a game so cut me some slack. I'll post a full recap on Sunday...stay tuned. The San Francisco 49ers are on the clock...

2005 NFL Draft Top Ten Picks Prediction

There is some movement going on in regards to draft picks these last couple of days with the Redskins/Broncos and the Raiders/Jets trading and swapping picks and players, but I'm going to go ahead and give my predictions for the top ten picks in this years' draft. So without further adieu...

1. 49ers - Alex Smith, QB, Utah
2. Dolphins - Ronnie Brown, RB, Auburn
3. Browns - Aaron Rodgers, QB, California-Berkeley
4. Bears - Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan
5. Buccaneers - Carnell Williams, RB, Auburn
6. Titans - Antrel Rolle, CB, Miami
7. Vikings - Mike Williams, WR, USC
8. Cardinals - Cedric Benson, RB, Texas
9. Redskins - Adam Jones, CB, West Virginia
10. Lions - Shawne Merriman, DE, Maryland

Redskins Draft Update

I did a little ranting and raving in a previous post regarding the Redskins and the report regarding possibly drafting Auburn's Jason Campbell. Well, it seems that Joe Gibbs, Dan Snyder and VP of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato had a press conference yesterday to address these reports and to discuss the reasoning behind acquiring the 25th pick in the 1st round from the Broncos. Gibbs basically gave his endorsement to Ramsey, but didn't really rule out that they may be looking at Campbell according the the Redskins official website. I do like the fact that the top 3 guys in the organization came out to address various reports and rumors that have been floating around the press. It presented a unified front and came across as, yes, we are talking to each other and we are on the same page. I think this could be another example of how words can be taken out of context without the full statement.

It seems that the Redskins are trying to get the best players available, but also trying to put themselves in a position to get more picks or players by trading one of their 1st round picks. We'll have to wait until after the draft to figure out if they made smart moves or dumb moves. All I know is when the season starts, I don't want to see 100 screen passes every game. My predictions for the top ten picks in the draft are coming soon...

Best Team In Baseball...The L.A. Dodgers?!?

The Dodgers are 12-2, matching their best start in team history with an eight game winning streak and are leading baseball with the best record. The Dodgers? Really?!? The last time the Dodgers started 12-2 in 1955, they won the World Series...hmm...can it possibly happen again? The most recognizable names on this team include Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe and J.D. Drew. No Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Albert Pujols- just a bunch of guys that play team baseball. Imagine that- I guess sometimes that does work! Look at teams like the New England Patriots- their roster isn't filled with a bunch of high priced superstars, just a bunch of guys that play as a team and get it done. Maybe this is the Dodgers year...who knows, it's a very long season...only about 148 games left for them.

BTW, did anyone catch their game last night against the Padres? Who in the heck picked those camoflaged uniforms??? I understand that they were paying tribute to the area's military population, but sheesh...U-G-L-Y!! Maybe the uniforms were appropriate, seeing as the Padres haven't played well in recent years...they might as well have been camoflaged...

Redskins Get Two 1st Round Draft Picks

That's right, the Redskins now have the 25th pick to go along with the 9th pick in the first round of the draft this Saturday. What the...? They gave up a 3rd round pick in this year's draft along with a 1st and 4th round pick in next year's draft to the Denver Broncos...what the...? I think this is a little too steep a price for the 25th pick. It is clear to me that Gibbs is looking to turn this team around quickly before his 5 year plan runs out. You know, the one that says that he will leave in 5 years!?!

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN is reporting that the Redskins are eyeing Auburn's Jason Campbell with the 25th pick. What the...he even reported that the Redskins would consider a trade involving Patrick Ramsey. I find this news even more disturbing. How in the heck do you expect Ramsey to feel comfortable being a QB in Washington with this kind of talk going on? First there was the Mark Brunell thing, which by the way was a huge waste of money, where Ramsey had to prove that he was indeed better that Brunell and should be the starter. What in the world does Ramsey have to do to satisfy everyone? Give him some time- I think Ramsey will do better being that he will have a full season to play in the current system. Go get a big receiver to go along with the speedy receivers we have now. Go get a middle linebacker to replace a great player we lost in free agency. Go get a cornerback to replace a great player and fan favorite we lost in free agency. Nuff said...

Redskins Blogs

I've come across some good reading lately at a couple of different blogs. One is called Hog Heaven by Chris & Jeff and is dedicated to the Washington Redskins (of course). The next one is called Maryland Sports Fans by Chris and is dedicated to Maryland sports. Even though that includes the Ravens, I can deal with that since the Ravens are an AFC team- it would however be different if it addressed the Eagles, Cowboys or Giants. But since it doesn't and it's a good site, it deserves some mention here. Another good Redskins blog is called Redskins Review by Jeff. Jeff has some interesting commentary on one Steven A. Smith. It has something to do with his middle initial. Make sure you drop these guys a line and say "chello!".

All of these blogs are linked under the sports blog links on the right...

The Next Yao Ming and then some...

AP Photo

Everyone, meet Sun Ming Ming. He's 7'8" and training in North Carolina to play in the NBA. His coach is keeping his training low key as he doesn't want to have too many Yao Ming comparisons- btw there's no blood relation between the two in case you're wondering. The two played together on the Chinese National team. Take a look at the picture below and note how small the ball looks in his hands. Wow.


AP Photo

The Empire Strikes Back?

AP Photo

Did anyone see this game last Thursday? What a game- a classic Yankees/Red Sox battle with a little "fracas" as shown in the photo above. I know, I know, why so late with the post? I was away for a wedding this weekend so I'm catching up now. BTW, congratulations Kevin & Kathy!

Back to the game...I thought Gary Sheffield handled the situation very well and was justified in his actions. Does anyone remember when that psycho and his psycho dad attacked that base coach from the Kansas City Royals? Fans have steeped over the line too- I think what we saw with the Pistons/Pacers brawl is a reflection of that, along with some good ol' common stupidity.

Let's remember that this is only a game...we pay to watch it and enjoy it. But, as always, there's some idiot at a game that acts stupid...go back to your village where you belong.

2005 NFL Schedule

The schedule has been released! You can view the full schedule here. As far as the Redskins go, it's interesting to note that their last 3 games are NFC East contests. This tells me that unless someone runs away with the division, the division champ will probably be decided in the last week. The Cowboys and Giants both made significant upgrades to their teams and I'm expecting the NFC East to be one of the toughest divisions in the league. I don't think the Eagles will have an easy time this year going through the division.

Some interesting scheduling by the NFL this year include rematches of both league championship games from last year- Eagles vs. Falcons for the 1st Monday night game of the season and Patriots vs. Steelers in week 3 of the season.

I can't wait for the season to start...10 days until the draft...coming up in a future post, predictions for the draft...stay tuned...

For All the Yankee Fans Out There

AP Photo

The only reason I'm posting this photo is because I know this really irritates Yankees fans. Take that Evil Empire...Go Tigers.

He's Baaack!!

AP Photo

Should I even waste space with this story? I can't resist...unbelievable...this guy has made more comebacks than Steve Howe has made comebacks from cocaine abuse. Check out the height difference- Mike Tyson's latest opponent Kevin McBride is 6'6". Oh, and he's a decent boxer too- 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts. Something tells me that Tyson won't be able to bite McBride's ear off...let's hope that he doesn't go for "other" body parts. The fight is slated for June 11th at the MCI center in Washington D.C.

Check out this list of Mike Tyson quotes - definitely classics! What's that? Oh, it's the sound of everyone holding their breath...the anticipation is killing me...