Sports Commentary and Opinions from the Armchair

Post Draft Shock

2005-04-25T10:45:00.000-04:00

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!

2005-04-23T07:46:00.000-04:00

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

2005-04-21T08:56:00.000-04:00

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...

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

Redskins Draft Update

2005-04-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

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?!?

2005-04-21T08:17:00.000-04:00

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

2005-04-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

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

2005-04-20T07:57:00.000-04:00

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...

2005-04-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

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?

2005-04-17T18:07:00.000-04:00

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

2005-04-13T15:59:00.000-04:00

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

2005-04-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

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!!

2005-04-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

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...

Format Changes...

2005-04-11T13:20:00.000-04:00

There's going to be some changes around here coming very soon...keep coming back to see what's happening...it'll be for the better...

Detroit Tigers Update

2005-04-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

Tigers are now 3-3 for the season. They split weekend games with the Cleveland Indians this weekend with a big 11-1 win Saturday. Now they go on the road this week to Minnesota and Kansas City. Go Tigers!

Tiger Woods is No.1 again...

2005-04-11T08:17:00.000-04:00

I had a great photo to go along with this entry, but the stupid program you have to use to upload pictures hasn't been working for the last week. Hence the reason for no entries lately...anyhoo...back to the subject! What a great Masters tournament! It had all the drama- Chris Dimarco right on Tiger's heels for the whole day- Tiger sinking that great chip shot on 16- Tiger bogeying 17 & 18- Dimarco almost holing a chip shot on 18 for the win- Tiger making a putt similar to Phil Mickelson's winning putt last year on 18 to win over Dimarco on the 1st hole of the playoff- wow!!!

BTW, to answer the anonymous comment from my last post, Ernie Els finished 47th at 10 over par. 4 out of my 5 picks finished better than Els so hah! Take that!! Stay classy everyone...

Masters Week

2005-04-05T11:15:00.000-04:00

I believe this is my first post regarding golf- I know alot of people hate the sport and hate to watch it even more, but guess what- it's my blog and I can do what I want! With that said, let's talk some golf...

Phil Mickelson is fresh off a playoff victory at the rain-shortened Bellsouth Classic and is probably a favorite to win the Masters. My picks to win it this year are Mickelson (last years' champ), Tiger Woods, Joe Ogilvie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Jerry Kelly. If you care to read this far, I bet your asking yourself "why these guys?" Here's why:

Phil- see above. He's hot this year with 3 wins already plus he doesn't have the pressure of being "the best player never to have won a major".

Tiger- does this need any explanation? He's back on track after a sub-par season last year (for Tiger's standards) and has to be considered a favorite to win any time he's entered in a tournament.

Joe Ogilvie- he's my darkhorse to win. He played well enough to get into a playoff at the Honda Classic this year with Vijay Singh and eventual champ Padraig Harrington.

Jose Maria Olazabal- he's playing very well as of late and is a former Masters champion. He knows how to win here and still has a chance.

Jerry Kelly- beats me why I picked him. I needed a 5th player for my fantasy golf team. That's right, I said fantasy golf.

Feel free to voice your opinion on who will win this year's Masters...

Live by the 3, Die by the 3

2005-04-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

Yes, North Carolina won the big one and got that proverbial monkey off coach Roy Williams' back- I'm happy for the guy...he's a great coach and deserves to win it, but I can't stand Carolina. Anyone but Carolina. Illinois couldn't make a three in the first half and trailed early in the game. Illinois didn't have an answer for Sean May, especially when James Augustine got in foul trouble. Give May some credit- he went 10-11 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. Illinois did come back in the second half and started to make some threes, but it was too little too late. North Carolina did what nobody thought they could do to win this game- play team defense.

It was another great tournament- this event is what makes college sports great to watch. Sure, everyone wonders what the tournament would be like if this guy and that guy didn't leave school early for the NBA, but I think college basketball is just fine. Next year is ODU's year- go Monarchs...

Tigers Win Big in Season Opener

2005-04-05T10:57:00.000-04:00

GO TIGERS!!! I know it's early in a long season, but Tigers fans haven't had much to cheer about lately, so I'm enjoying a great start to the season by the Tigers. Dmitri Young became the 3rd player to hit 3 home runs on opening day, helping the Tigers to beat the Kansas City Royals 11-2. Jeremy Bonderman pitched a great game for the Tigers, as one of the youngest starters to pitch on opening day (22 years old). Let's hope they can use this to build some momentum for the season and make a playoff run. A good write-up about this game can be found on CBS Sportsline's website here.

March Madness Part IV

2005-04-04T10:01:00.000-04:00

It's down to North Carolina and Illinois- anyone care to comment on who they think will win? Just click on the link at the bottom of this post that says "comments". You can leave an anonymous comment if you don't want to be recognized...it doesn't hurt or cost you anything...promise!

I think we'll see lots of scoring- I don't see this as a defensive battle. Can Roy Williams finally win the big one? I'm choosing Illinois to win it all. I just can't give North Carolina the nod...I'd rather see Duke or N.C. State win it all. Yep, I'm not a Carolina fan...

"Evil Empire" Wins

2005-04-04T09:54:00.000-04:00

Major League Baseball kicked off yesterday with a win by the New York Yankees in primetime last night. As always, the Yankees spent lots of money and re-loaded for the season, most notably with Randy Johnson. Not that he's got much to prove, but showed that he still has good stuff. It's a long season and way too early to judge, but the Yankees will once again be at the top of the standings come playoff time. One could say that it's because Steinbrenner spends a ton of money acquiring players in the offseason, but the Baltimore Orioles have spent a ton of money in the last few years as well. They haven't had the success the Yankees have had- evaluating talent correctly probably has some to do with it along with good coaching, but who knows...strange things happen once you're a part of the "Evil Empire". Go Tigers...

NFL Rumor Mill

2005-03-29T10:53:00.000-05:00

The latest gossip is that the 49ers are in discussions with the Chargers to obtain Phillip Rivers for the 1st pick in this years' draft. Rivers is graded higher than the top two quarterbacks in this years' draft- Cal's Aaron Rodgers and Utah's Alex Smith. That would give the Chargers 3 1st round draft picks- give San Diego GM A.J. Smith some credit here for turning the team around and keeping the team in great financial shape while getting great picks in the draft. Dan, are you prepared to be a 49er fan??

In other news, disgruntled Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry, who has said that he will hold out if not traded, might be traded to the Arizona Cardinals. With it being so late in the free agency signing period, Henry will be hard-pressed to get a huge contract. It also doesn't help that there is a plethora of good backs in the draft and as restricted free agents (Edgerrin James comes to mind). If Arizona can pull this off, they can probably get Henry at a decent price. We'll see how this all shakes out...I can't wait for the draft...25 days and counting...

March Sadness Part III

2005-03-28T08:44:00.000-05:00

Alright...so I spoke too soon and gave the old jinx to Arizona. They lost to Illinois in a game they should've won. There goes my bracket! Give Illinois some credit- they played hard and made the shots when they had to. It also helped that they were basically playing a home game at Depaul's gym- the crowd was going nuts as Illinois closed the gap - Arizona was up 15 at one point in the 2nd half.

Did anyone pick Michigan State in their brackets? I guess that's what I get for bad-mouthing them, but hey, they beat my alma mater so I deserve to be a little pissed. With all due respect, they are a good team with excellent coaches. Tom Izzo has done an excellent job with this team- who would've thought they would get this far after losing in the first round of the Big Ten Conference tournament to 7th seeded Iowa? There's no doubt this team has talent- they finished second to Illinois in the Big Ten. Can they possibly beat Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina in the same tourney? I guess we'll find out...

March Madness Part II

2005-03-26T10:13:00.000-05:00

Well, my brackets have gone south...way south. Duke lost, NC State lost (sorry Dan)- the only shining star is that my darkhorse team Arizona is still in. Who would've picked Michigan State to come this far with Syracuse and Duke in the same bracket? I picked my Old Dominion Monarchs to beat Michigan State in the 1st round. Oh well...I guess that's why they call it "March Madness".

Cool Photography

2005-03-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

Check out some cool pics at Mighty Max's site here.

This One's for Robby

2005-03-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

Let's do a little survey...who thinks the Steelers will repeat last season's 15-1 performance? They have not done much in free agency except for the signing of WR Cedric Wilson, formerly of the 49ers. They did manage to re-sign "The Bus" Jerome Bettis, but they also lost Plaxico Burress. Will Big Ben choke again in the playoffs? Will the Steelers be able to run over teams with their rushing attack again? Will Bill Cowher's face return to normal? Let's hear what you have to say...

Barry Bonds is a Whiner

2005-03-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

Poor Barry. The media has finally done him in. In his own words, he blames the media for not being able to play until mid-season or possibly next season. What?!? Give me a break- I don't recall his knee injury being a result of a physical attack on him by the media. I can understand that the media frenzy has been tough on Barry with regard to the Balco investigation, but isn't it really the second surgery he had to get on his knee that's keeping him off the field? Be a man Barry- I don't see Mark McGuire getting all sappy and blaming the media for any of his problems.

March Madness!!!

2005-03-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

I love this time of the year- college basketball at its best! The 1st & 2nd round of the tournament is over and the sweet 16 remain. Unfortunately for my alma mater, ODU lost a close game to Michigan St. in the 1st round. I'm proud of the way they played and thought they could do some real damage in the tournament. They had one of the best years ever by an ODU team and won 28 games. Only one other team in the 65 team field had that many wins- Illinois. True, the number of wins isn't a good measure of how good a team is, but many D-1 coaches will tell you getting that many wins is impressive nonetheless. ODU only has one senior leaving, so hopefully next year will be our year- go Monarchs!

What would this discussion be without any mention of bracket picks? I'm doing pretty well in mine- all of my final four picks are still in- Duke, UNC, Illinois & Arizona. Yep, Arizona. They're my darkhorse to win it all. Salim Stoudamire is the best pure shooter I've seen in college basketball. He makes more shots under pressure that anyone I've seen, including J.J. Redick of Duke, who I think is over-rated. Sheldon Williams is the real star of that team- he's a beast in the paint. Good luck to the rest of you in your tourney pools...

New Redskin Santana Moss

2005-03-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

New Redskin Santana Moss and David Patten (formerly of the Patriots) change the look of the Redskins wide receiving corps for the 2005 season. With Laveranues Coles in New York and Rod Gardner on the trading block it is clear that Joe Gibbs is keeping to his word in trying to improve the offense. Like many others, I thought the Redskins would go after a big, physical type receiver, like Plaxico Burress. Instead, they chose to go with smaller, faster receivers. Whether or not that is the fix to the Redskins passing game remains to be seen...I just hope it works! Go Redskins!!!

What Platform Are They Running On?

2005-02-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

Voting Signs

Better Than Jordan at His Age...

2005-02-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

King James

There is no doubt that Lebron is much better than Jordan at his age now than Jordan was at the same age. This kid is flat out amazing! Jordan was more the scorer in his first years in the league, filling the highlight reels with spectacular dunks and moves that left opponents flat-footed. Lebron is so much more than just a scorer- to me he is a combination of Jordan's scoring knack, Magic's play-making ability and Barkley's toughness and tenacity under the basket.

Forget Kobe, Harold Minor (who was dubbed "Baby Jordan" coming into the league out of college if you can remember him) and the rest- Lebron is the real deal and a legend in the making. Everyone needs to stop comparing him to Jordan- he will be better & bigger than Jordan. That's right, I said it! Don't get me wrong- I'm a huge Jordan fan. But Lebron should be given his due, even though he's only in his second season. He will have to win championships to be considered one of the greats, but I think it's only a matter of time...

NBA Issues New stadium Guidelines

2005-02-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

Hurry before the 4th Quarter Starts!

The NBA has issued as part of their security guidelines for stadiums a provision for limiting alcohol sales at the start of the 4th quarter. I know what your thinking- "I'll just buy 4 beers before it's too late!". Ok, maybe everyone isn't thinking that (it must've been a fraternity flashback) but the guidelines state that there will be a 2 beer limit per person to prevent the aforementioned scenario. I don't think this will stop anyone from fighting- it only means the fights will be earlier in the game instead of at the end...maybe the players need some anger management counseling or is it just alcohol that causes this?!? I think not...

Pro Hockey has been canceled

2005-02-17T15:55:00.000-05:00

Hockey's Done!!!

Does anyone actually care?!? Ok, Ok, I know there are hockey fans out there that live and breathe this stuff, but I'm just not one of 'em...seeing it live is one thing, but watching it on the tube is BORING. What I do know about this situation is that once again the FANS lose when owners & players can't come to an agreement, whether it be a labor dispute (baseball is famous for that) or other reasons. Unfortunately lots of support people and behind-the-scenes types will lose their jobs.

I hope all those multi-million dollar hockey players saved their money. No more about this, but I thought I should at least mention it since this is a sports blog and all...

My 1st Blog!!!

2005-02-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome everyone (if there is anyone) to my commentary and opinions on sports and other topics, but mainly sports! If you have a comment, feel free, but please don't post anything offensive as I have SUPREME control over this blog and will proceed to dropkick your comment outta here! Happy reading...