You hear it all the time, pro athletes are spoiled, they get paid millions of dollars to play a kids game, just take what you can get and play the game you spoiled babies. A couple posts ago I talked about the "Stick to sports" crowd and those people are usually saying the things I said above. After that post my friend Jenni who is much smarter than me sent me a message saying often people see athletes as commodities instead of people. I of course in all my ramblings about sticking to sports didn't see that and since then I've been thinking a lot about that. Now the last couple days with the MLB owners and MLBPA having their fight about profits and schedule, there have been feuding factions, some blame the players, I'm on the side of hating the owners. With all this bickering, instead of making a case about why they owners are to blame, I'm going to talk about the idea that Jenni gave me, players are commodities and why we think they are the spoiled ones.
The thing about being an athlete good enough for the professional levels, or even the upper echelon of college sports is that they are special. They are so special you'll shell out anywhere from 30-250 dollars to sit in a seat and watch them play a game. The thing about athletes is they don't have much choice in where they play. They get a choice in high school to choose and when they sign that paper they are required to stay at the school or forfeit a year of eligibility. So that's strike 1 in the commodity box. They belong to that school or face a penalty. If you or I go to college and decide to switch schools we can do it whenever we want without penalty. Then if you're good enough after 1-4 years you get drafted into the professional levels. They get to visit all the teams and choose what's best for them, no instead a team drafts them, and they automatically belong to that team. Now you can threaten to not sign but you'll get labeled as selfish and not a team player. That is another check in the commodity box, you belong to that team and until the end of your first contract you belong to them or can't play. If you or I graduate college we go work for an insurance firm, don't like how things are going, we can quit and go find a new job with another insurance firm, a football player is stuck playing for the Jaguars, they can't just go work for the Chargers. Those are just how the players are treated by their employers, that doesn't even talk about the fans.
Your favorite team just drafted the future QB or signed the big free agent starting pitcher. You're very excited, you go online and order that guys jersey. Boom I'm this guys #1 fan, he's taking us to the promised land. Then the season starts and he doesn't do any of that, instead he's a bit lazy and underachieves. Now he's an overpaid BUM, go home loser he hears as he walks off the field. You invested in this player and he's let you down, he's a failing stock. But here's the thing, his performance wasn't going to make you any more or less money. So he isn't a stock that you invested in, no you just bought a shirt with a number on it and another person's # on the back. However since you have that piece of laundry you feel like he owes you something, and that again makes him a commodity, your commodity that you should get something back from.
Fantasy sports is another step in the commodity process. We have these drafts where we sit around and pick guys to be on our team. The team we run, manipulate and do everything possible to win. We trade, we cut, we add, we buy low, we sell high. Fantasy sports is the stock market for jocks. We invest so much time and energy into winning, that even if you do bring home the championship and some dollars if you look at the time spent for that money it adds up to like .50 cents and hour, and that's if you win. If you lose you do all that work for nothing. I understand fantasy is fun, I quit watching the NFL and still play fantasy football. I'm not bashing the fantasy games, just using them as an example of why we think of these guys as commodities.
To get back to the owners vs players debate, I think there is another commodity train of thought. When a player signs a contract, you know what he signed for. Bryce Harper 13 years 330 million dollars, what a spoiled ass, nobody is worth that money. When you watch Harper play, every game that contract will be brought up, whether he's overperforming or underperforming. What you don't hear though is how much money the owner is getting for the broadcast rights for that game, how much money the owner gets in profit sharing from the league, how much the owner makes at the gate, the concession stand, the suites, everything. You hear when they make the deal, but those numbers are forgotten because they aren't brought up during every slump. The TV broadcasters aren't going to say, can you believe my bosses paid money so you can watch these guy play the Marlins. No you never hear that instead it's the players fault because his contract is easy to find, Google his name and it's right there. Highest paid QB in the league, and when a new QB signs that contract you hear well he's not worth that. But when someone pays to broadcast the Mets, nobody says they paid too much to air Mets games.
Another thing is for the most part these owners stay out of the limelight. Yeah I know Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are up front a lot, but for the most part you can't name who owns your favorite team. You know your players because that's who matters, those guys make the difference for how you feel. I have no idea who owns the Giants, they have a CEO whom they had accept all those trophies but the principle owner I have no clue. I can though name the starting 8 from all 3 World Series teams, those guys made the difference on the field so they get the memories.
It takes 2 to tango, the players need the owners to pay them and the owners need the players to make sure the best product is on the field. Of course that isn't always true, in fact the Marlins are a terrible product and they had 5 people bidding to give the last owner a $1 billion profit for the sale of the team. Just being affiliated with these leagues gives the owners the money they need. My final point is, if it's so profitable for players to play sports and they are so rich and spoiled, how come only 1 former player is an owner of a team? Michael Jordan owns the Hornets, that's it that's the list. Several former players are investors but other than Jordan nobody is the principle investor. These guys are owned by any of us, and they certainly don't owe us a damn thing. They are paid what the market will give them, they can't just demand 15 million dollars a year and someone gives it to them, they have to show they are worth that money. Stop thinking of them as commodities and instead see them for what they are, people.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
The 90's Vs Today
The amount of nostalgia lately is at record highs. With no sports (besides racing, golf, and foreign sports leagues) to watch, networks have been airing past games, documentaries, and other media to spark interest. Making those of us in our 30's and 40's long for the days of yesteryear when if you went to the hole Rick Mahorn was going to rip your head off, or if you went across the middle Junior Seau was going to decapitate you. They weren't these pampered primadonnas who flop and play with skirts on, (yes I know we sound like our parents, who said back in our day they didn't even wear helmets). I fell into the nostalgia worm hole a couple times, The Last Dance for sure brought back memories, I watched some of the 1997 Michigan team, yesterday during the lightening delay of the race I had a discussion with Chris about who the drivers from today compared to the early 90's. Throw in the constant talk about baseball having labor issues, just like 1994 and it feels like we're back in the 90's and looking at things with fresh eyes.
The Last Dance was a pretty good documentary showcasing Michael Jordan and his rise to being best player in the world, and all the obstacles in his way, while also showing how his final season in Chicago played out. I wasn't the biggest MJ fan as a kid, it's my natural instinct to be contrarian, so if everyone loved him, I had to find someone else to love. I was a Bulls fan but Scottie Pippen was my favorite player on the team. Since I wasn't the huge MJ fan the documentary hit me different, instead of being wowed by his greatness, (he was insane good and those highlights of his early years were just amazing to see and he changed how the game is played) I was more focused on the guys who the movie wasn't about. I ate up the interviews, BJ Armstrong, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Patrick Ewing, and Isaiah Thomas were all great to hear. Reggie Miller is an amazing story teller, and him talking about that series in 98 was outstanding. That Pacers team was loaded, and they had more firepower than the Bulls. They just didn't have Jordan and he was the difference. To me though the star of the last 2 episodes were those Jazz warm ups, the all purple with the mountains on them just screamed 90's. With everyone trying to be cool, remember the black uniform craze, those terrible things just made me laugh so hard.
The thing that happened because of the Last Dance is what I didn't like. Since MJ was on our TVs for 2 hours every Sunday it brought the LeBron haters out in full force. Everything became fair game because you could see everything great about MJ and say what he was that LeBron isn't. I'm not the hugest hoops fan anymore but this constant bickering about MJ vs LeBron is stupid and a waste of time. I don't think there is a single person who has changed their mind on the two because of what you tweeted. What I saw is that MJ played the game the way LeBron does now, there was plenty of working the refs, and he got away with some stuff. Now he did get his head ripped off by Detroit but that was about it. The Knicks tried to be tough but John Starks was fake tough and Oakley was MJs friend. I think MJ changed the game and a lot of what you see today was because of him, especially those last 3 years in Chicago.
During the delay in the race Fox aired a couple specials about Davey Allison. If you didn't know Davey came from a racing family and was on his way to being a big star in stock car racing when he died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1993 at the age of 32. Davey was coming off of finishing 3rd in points in and winning the Daytona 500 in 1992. When he died he was the 2nd of the top 3 drivers from the 92 points race to die tragically. Reigning champion Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash in April. The question poised by Chris was, "Who is better than Davey today?" I wasn't sure how to answer, the sport and championship are settled so differently today. I decided I gotta make a power rankings and compare 1988-1994 vs 2014-2020. Let's compare some drivers.
#1 Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch. In each of the times we're comparing these are the only multiple time Champions. Senior racked up 4 of his 7 titles in those 6 years while Kyle has won 2 titles in the 6 years, and could win in 2020. I'm in no way saying Kyle Busch is Dale Earnhardt but in today's racing he's the closest thing we got. With the crowning of a champion changing from season long points to a winner take all, I think Kyle is for sure our #1 of today because if you had one race to win Kyle would be your first choice of stock car racers.
#2 Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick. Both of these guys have a championship in this window. The both also have so many close calls. In his window, Rusty got a title, 2nd twice and a 3rd place points finish. Harvick has a title a 2nd and 3 3rd place finishes. The biggest difference between the 2 is their ages, Harvick is in later years while Rusty was in his prime during the time frame. Harvick wasted some of his prime years in sub-par equipment at RCR.
#3 Bill Elliot and Joey Logano. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was the fastest guy in the sport at this time, he set all kinds of qualifying records including going 210 MPH at Daytona in 1987 and later that same season he went 212 MPH at Talladega. He won a title in 1988 and had some other top 5 finishes. Joey Logano since joining Penske racing has been on a tear, he runs up front almost weekly and has a championship already. Again their career trajectories are in different phases but they compare favorably for these 6 years.
#4 Davey Allison and Martin Truex Jr. I became a Davey fan about a decade ago when I bought a die cast of his and since then I've read up on him a little, plus the 2 specials on Fox and it showed what a great racer he was. Davey was on his way to being a superstar, he was going to challenge Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for titles once he learned to finish races instead of crashing. Martin Truex Jr. is a bit more of a late bloomer, but he's been up front a lot the last 4 or 5 years. I think these two compare favorably and shoulda coulda had more.
#5 Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin. This one is almost too easy. Denny just tied Mark in career wins with 40 and neither of them have a title. They run up front, they win races, they get close in points only to come up short. Their careers are so similar it's scary.
#6 Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson. These aren't really a ranking anymore. DW and JJ are so close performance wise. Personality, they are polar opposites but both being past champions in the twilight of their careers while still putting up ok finishes but not exactly who they used to be. I know Jimmie got a championship in this time frame, but that was gifted by Carl Edwards.
#7 Alan Kulwicki and Brad Keselowski. They have a lot more in common than the polish last name. Each of them have a championship, though BK's is before the time frame. I think if Brad could he would live Kulwicki's racing life. Back then a guy could own his car and win a championship, which is exactly what Kulwicki did in 1992. Brad strikes me as a guy who love to have his own shop and win races for himself.
#8 Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. This one is a bit of a stretch but these two have few things in common. They each have championship, and while neither was the best of his era they both have had good careers. Kurt has 31 wins compared to Terry's 22. They are older brothers to drivers who also have championships (who happened to win their titles with Joe Gibbs, in the 18 car). Texas Terry is a little more likeable than KuBu, but I think they line up alright together.
#9 Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney. Jeff Gordon didn't arrive on the scene until 1992, he didn't get a title in the window of this exercise but he was on his way. I think these 2 drivers both compare favorably to the Jeff Gordon trajectory. They are on the elite teams with the unlimited resources to win. I think for sure they each win a title and possibly multiple titles in their careers.
I don't have a #10, this went farther than I thought it would already. Enjoy the nostalgia while you still can, and the way things are going you'll have plenty of time to keep looking back at the past and comparing it to today.
The Last Dance was a pretty good documentary showcasing Michael Jordan and his rise to being best player in the world, and all the obstacles in his way, while also showing how his final season in Chicago played out. I wasn't the biggest MJ fan as a kid, it's my natural instinct to be contrarian, so if everyone loved him, I had to find someone else to love. I was a Bulls fan but Scottie Pippen was my favorite player on the team. Since I wasn't the huge MJ fan the documentary hit me different, instead of being wowed by his greatness, (he was insane good and those highlights of his early years were just amazing to see and he changed how the game is played) I was more focused on the guys who the movie wasn't about. I ate up the interviews, BJ Armstrong, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Patrick Ewing, and Isaiah Thomas were all great to hear. Reggie Miller is an amazing story teller, and him talking about that series in 98 was outstanding. That Pacers team was loaded, and they had more firepower than the Bulls. They just didn't have Jordan and he was the difference. To me though the star of the last 2 episodes were those Jazz warm ups, the all purple with the mountains on them just screamed 90's. With everyone trying to be cool, remember the black uniform craze, those terrible things just made me laugh so hard.
The thing that happened because of the Last Dance is what I didn't like. Since MJ was on our TVs for 2 hours every Sunday it brought the LeBron haters out in full force. Everything became fair game because you could see everything great about MJ and say what he was that LeBron isn't. I'm not the hugest hoops fan anymore but this constant bickering about MJ vs LeBron is stupid and a waste of time. I don't think there is a single person who has changed their mind on the two because of what you tweeted. What I saw is that MJ played the game the way LeBron does now, there was plenty of working the refs, and he got away with some stuff. Now he did get his head ripped off by Detroit but that was about it. The Knicks tried to be tough but John Starks was fake tough and Oakley was MJs friend. I think MJ changed the game and a lot of what you see today was because of him, especially those last 3 years in Chicago.
During the delay in the race Fox aired a couple specials about Davey Allison. If you didn't know Davey came from a racing family and was on his way to being a big star in stock car racing when he died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1993 at the age of 32. Davey was coming off of finishing 3rd in points in and winning the Daytona 500 in 1992. When he died he was the 2nd of the top 3 drivers from the 92 points race to die tragically. Reigning champion Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash in April. The question poised by Chris was, "Who is better than Davey today?" I wasn't sure how to answer, the sport and championship are settled so differently today. I decided I gotta make a power rankings and compare 1988-1994 vs 2014-2020. Let's compare some drivers.
#1 Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch. In each of the times we're comparing these are the only multiple time Champions. Senior racked up 4 of his 7 titles in those 6 years while Kyle has won 2 titles in the 6 years, and could win in 2020. I'm in no way saying Kyle Busch is Dale Earnhardt but in today's racing he's the closest thing we got. With the crowning of a champion changing from season long points to a winner take all, I think Kyle is for sure our #1 of today because if you had one race to win Kyle would be your first choice of stock car racers.
#2 Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick. Both of these guys have a championship in this window. The both also have so many close calls. In his window, Rusty got a title, 2nd twice and a 3rd place points finish. Harvick has a title a 2nd and 3 3rd place finishes. The biggest difference between the 2 is their ages, Harvick is in later years while Rusty was in his prime during the time frame. Harvick wasted some of his prime years in sub-par equipment at RCR.
#3 Bill Elliot and Joey Logano. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was the fastest guy in the sport at this time, he set all kinds of qualifying records including going 210 MPH at Daytona in 1987 and later that same season he went 212 MPH at Talladega. He won a title in 1988 and had some other top 5 finishes. Joey Logano since joining Penske racing has been on a tear, he runs up front almost weekly and has a championship already. Again their career trajectories are in different phases but they compare favorably for these 6 years.
#4 Davey Allison and Martin Truex Jr. I became a Davey fan about a decade ago when I bought a die cast of his and since then I've read up on him a little, plus the 2 specials on Fox and it showed what a great racer he was. Davey was on his way to being a superstar, he was going to challenge Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for titles once he learned to finish races instead of crashing. Martin Truex Jr. is a bit more of a late bloomer, but he's been up front a lot the last 4 or 5 years. I think these two compare favorably and shoulda coulda had more.
#5 Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin. This one is almost too easy. Denny just tied Mark in career wins with 40 and neither of them have a title. They run up front, they win races, they get close in points only to come up short. Their careers are so similar it's scary.
#6 Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson. These aren't really a ranking anymore. DW and JJ are so close performance wise. Personality, they are polar opposites but both being past champions in the twilight of their careers while still putting up ok finishes but not exactly who they used to be. I know Jimmie got a championship in this time frame, but that was gifted by Carl Edwards.
#7 Alan Kulwicki and Brad Keselowski. They have a lot more in common than the polish last name. Each of them have a championship, though BK's is before the time frame. I think if Brad could he would live Kulwicki's racing life. Back then a guy could own his car and win a championship, which is exactly what Kulwicki did in 1992. Brad strikes me as a guy who love to have his own shop and win races for himself.
#8 Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. This one is a bit of a stretch but these two have few things in common. They each have championship, and while neither was the best of his era they both have had good careers. Kurt has 31 wins compared to Terry's 22. They are older brothers to drivers who also have championships (who happened to win their titles with Joe Gibbs, in the 18 car). Texas Terry is a little more likeable than KuBu, but I think they line up alright together.
#9 Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney. Jeff Gordon didn't arrive on the scene until 1992, he didn't get a title in the window of this exercise but he was on his way. I think these 2 drivers both compare favorably to the Jeff Gordon trajectory. They are on the elite teams with the unlimited resources to win. I think for sure they each win a title and possibly multiple titles in their careers.
I don't have a #10, this went farther than I thought it would already. Enjoy the nostalgia while you still can, and the way things are going you'll have plenty of time to keep looking back at the past and comparing it to today.
Monday, June 8, 2020
A New Wave
In the last few years the fans at Kinnick Stadium have started a new tradition of turning and waving to the Children's Hospital that overlooks the stadium after the 1st quarter of all home games. The tradition has been a beautiful celebration of those kids who have been fighting like most of us couldn't understand. Unbeknownst to us, there was another group in the stadium every week that was also fighting something that most of us don't understand and until recently we didn't know about. That fight is for cultural unity inside the Iowa football program. According to many former players of the Iowa program, guys who graduated and players who transferred out, the staff at Iowa has been biased towards black players and has caused them great anxiety in there time as members of the football program. Not every black player has a bad experience but enough have that there seems to be a trend. Since these revelations surfaced on Friday night, and many more posts over the weekend Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has suspended Strength Coach Chris Doyle with pay, while there is an independent investigation. There have been swift changes made, as the players returned to football complex this morning it was an entire new world for them. #1 the coach they spend the most time with wasn't there, instead of Chris Doyle they have intern head strength coach Raimond Braithwaite, who has been a member of Doyle's staff since 2008. The second is Ferentz has lifted his ban of the players of posting on Twitter. The players also met today and it sounds like the team is unified in their direction of creating change, while also asking us the fans to also help create the change.
The racial disparities (the words former player and current Chicago Bear James Daniels used) inside the program for the most part have gone unnoticed by the general public. We as fans see the transfers, but usually it's a guy who got passed on the depth chart, or is far away from home so we chalk it up those reasons, not that guys were being asked to act differently than how they were raised. Iowa has had a large number of black players transfer out of the program, and those players have usually not spoken up about the problems on the inside, there was one player Derrick Mitchell, who transferred after 2016 and has since passed away after being hit by a car. Mitchell was on twitter during 2018 and was critical of the program, he was met with cries of sour grapes and that he wasn't good enough. Well he was right at the time and he spoke his truth but nobody wanted to hear it, now these players who left on good terms are speaking up and sadly Mitchell can't have his say. I'm not going to sit here and act like I believed him, but I think we all should realize he gave us the signs and we didn't follow them. Again it sounded like sour grapes, I still find myself doing that today when I read what guys who transferred have to say. We need to make sure we give those allegations as much credence as any.
I'm not sure what the end result of all of this unrest will amount to. I think at the very least Chris Doyle will be fired. I think Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz and Linebackers Coach Seth Wallace will both face some form of discipline. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz seems to have the benefit of the doubt and even the players speaking up have said he should get a chance to fix the problems and not be fired. I don't think Ferentz should be fired, but I'm also not the one being discriminated against. The stories these players share are heartbreaking, and they deserve better, but I think Ferentz should get his shot to right the ship. The changes that have already started seem to speak on KF's willingness to change.
Allowing the current players to post on Twitter is a huge step in the right direction, the players in the past were allowed to keep their accounts but couldn't post. They could post on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms, but posting on Twitter was prohibited. The prohibition was lifted on Saturday and the players have used the platform to ask for change. This afternoon, there was a lot of activity from the current players, I'm assuming after they all met, they each wrote an individual statement and posted about unity and moving for change. Safety Kaevon Merriweather made a statement saying if you can't support the change we're asking for, please find another team. I loved his tweet and you should find it. I think he's saying come the fall we're going to kneel for the national anthem and if you got a problem with that, go ahead and find another team. I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I support these young men and I'll back them up however I can, as a white guy chasing 40 who's been to 1 game ever, I doubt I can do much, but damn it I'll try.
These kids deserve our support, and we should respect their courage. The pressure of performing on Saturday's has to be enormous, and sure a few of them are going to play at the next level, but for most this is their peak. Plus they have to balance life away from home, while going to school, and giving all their energy to football, for a hope and a dream. I hope we can get to football on Saturday's and these players can play with nothing on their mind, except for the players on the opposing sideline and of course turning and waving to their heroes up in those hospital rooms, and not fighting for respect from their coaches. Hopefully a new wave of respect will come through the program.
The racial disparities (the words former player and current Chicago Bear James Daniels used) inside the program for the most part have gone unnoticed by the general public. We as fans see the transfers, but usually it's a guy who got passed on the depth chart, or is far away from home so we chalk it up those reasons, not that guys were being asked to act differently than how they were raised. Iowa has had a large number of black players transfer out of the program, and those players have usually not spoken up about the problems on the inside, there was one player Derrick Mitchell, who transferred after 2016 and has since passed away after being hit by a car. Mitchell was on twitter during 2018 and was critical of the program, he was met with cries of sour grapes and that he wasn't good enough. Well he was right at the time and he spoke his truth but nobody wanted to hear it, now these players who left on good terms are speaking up and sadly Mitchell can't have his say. I'm not going to sit here and act like I believed him, but I think we all should realize he gave us the signs and we didn't follow them. Again it sounded like sour grapes, I still find myself doing that today when I read what guys who transferred have to say. We need to make sure we give those allegations as much credence as any.
I'm not sure what the end result of all of this unrest will amount to. I think at the very least Chris Doyle will be fired. I think Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz and Linebackers Coach Seth Wallace will both face some form of discipline. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz seems to have the benefit of the doubt and even the players speaking up have said he should get a chance to fix the problems and not be fired. I don't think Ferentz should be fired, but I'm also not the one being discriminated against. The stories these players share are heartbreaking, and they deserve better, but I think Ferentz should get his shot to right the ship. The changes that have already started seem to speak on KF's willingness to change.
Allowing the current players to post on Twitter is a huge step in the right direction, the players in the past were allowed to keep their accounts but couldn't post. They could post on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms, but posting on Twitter was prohibited. The prohibition was lifted on Saturday and the players have used the platform to ask for change. This afternoon, there was a lot of activity from the current players, I'm assuming after they all met, they each wrote an individual statement and posted about unity and moving for change. Safety Kaevon Merriweather made a statement saying if you can't support the change we're asking for, please find another team. I loved his tweet and you should find it. I think he's saying come the fall we're going to kneel for the national anthem and if you got a problem with that, go ahead and find another team. I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I support these young men and I'll back them up however I can, as a white guy chasing 40 who's been to 1 game ever, I doubt I can do much, but damn it I'll try.
These kids deserve our support, and we should respect their courage. The pressure of performing on Saturday's has to be enormous, and sure a few of them are going to play at the next level, but for most this is their peak. Plus they have to balance life away from home, while going to school, and giving all their energy to football, for a hope and a dream. I hope we can get to football on Saturday's and these players can play with nothing on their mind, except for the players on the opposing sideline and of course turning and waving to their heroes up in those hospital rooms, and not fighting for respect from their coaches. Hopefully a new wave of respect will come through the program.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Stick to Sports!!!
We've all done it, you're scrolling twitter, you come across an athlete or sports reporter who decides it's time to share their opinion on something in the news. If you look at the replies there will be someone that says "stick to sports," it might even be you who says it. I know I've said before, not on twitter and not about politics, mine is when my guys Jay and Troy talk about silly television shows on Don't Hassle Us We're Local, I'm kidding usually but I'm not innocent. So let's visit why we feel the need for our sports heroes to stick to sports, why we discount their opinion, and if we can still cheer/like/read someones work if we disagree with their politics or views on an issue.
I think the main reason you'll see anyone say "stick to sports" is first and foremost they disagree with the opinion being expressed by the person they are replying to. You hide that disagreement while saying stick to sports, if there was an athlete you agreed with you would probably not reply at all or even share what they've said. If you happen to disagree perhaps just scrolling by would work best, but there is an impulse in all of us that have to show, I disagree with you and now I'm not gonna like you because we have different politics. I wonder what you want the person to be discussing, everywhere you go these issues is what everyone is talking about, including you. They are entitled to their opinion and they may be more informed than you think they are. When someone is a professional athlete they have plenty of time on their hands as they only work about 5-6 hours a day. If I were to share something, would you say "stick to shipping stuff?" I doubt you would because that would make no sense. So yeah let's not say that anymore.
We do discount athletes and members in the media on their opinions because I think we don't trust them. We want to read their words or watch them perform and think they have no bias, when we all know they have bias. Writing a story about sports though has no bias, if a guy goes 2 for 3 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs that's a good game, you can't spin that. A political opinion you can spin, and when you're used to someone who only deals in facts seeing an opinion can be jarring. With athletes we often think of them as just jocks who are good at a game, have never had hardship and don't need to know anything outside of tackling or throwing a ball. They are obviously more than that and usually they have some education, so they are at least informed.
The last part of this is wondering you can still root for someone because of their politics. I think that's an easy yes, I have plenty of people who I cheer for who's politics I don't agree with. I am a NASCAR fan and that's a sport that is rooted in the south and leans to the right. Most drivers don't share their politics but the ones that do usually share only their right leanings, as to not abandon the fan base. I don't feel shame watching racing or cheering for Denny Hamlin who is a Trump supporter, I don't like him for that reason, I like him for he drives a car. Same reason I like Barry Bonds, yeah he's a jerk but being a jerk didn't stop him from hitting baseballs very far. You have to separate the athlete from the person. I would guess all the athletes on a team don't share the same beliefs and somehow they work together to win games, so I would think you can put your differences aside and still cheer for them.
Try to be fair, try to understand, and please stop saying "stick to sports" to anyone. Hopefully next week I can get back to sports.
I think the main reason you'll see anyone say "stick to sports" is first and foremost they disagree with the opinion being expressed by the person they are replying to. You hide that disagreement while saying stick to sports, if there was an athlete you agreed with you would probably not reply at all or even share what they've said. If you happen to disagree perhaps just scrolling by would work best, but there is an impulse in all of us that have to show, I disagree with you and now I'm not gonna like you because we have different politics. I wonder what you want the person to be discussing, everywhere you go these issues is what everyone is talking about, including you. They are entitled to their opinion and they may be more informed than you think they are. When someone is a professional athlete they have plenty of time on their hands as they only work about 5-6 hours a day. If I were to share something, would you say "stick to shipping stuff?" I doubt you would because that would make no sense. So yeah let's not say that anymore.
We do discount athletes and members in the media on their opinions because I think we don't trust them. We want to read their words or watch them perform and think they have no bias, when we all know they have bias. Writing a story about sports though has no bias, if a guy goes 2 for 3 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs that's a good game, you can't spin that. A political opinion you can spin, and when you're used to someone who only deals in facts seeing an opinion can be jarring. With athletes we often think of them as just jocks who are good at a game, have never had hardship and don't need to know anything outside of tackling or throwing a ball. They are obviously more than that and usually they have some education, so they are at least informed.
The last part of this is wondering you can still root for someone because of their politics. I think that's an easy yes, I have plenty of people who I cheer for who's politics I don't agree with. I am a NASCAR fan and that's a sport that is rooted in the south and leans to the right. Most drivers don't share their politics but the ones that do usually share only their right leanings, as to not abandon the fan base. I don't feel shame watching racing or cheering for Denny Hamlin who is a Trump supporter, I don't like him for that reason, I like him for he drives a car. Same reason I like Barry Bonds, yeah he's a jerk but being a jerk didn't stop him from hitting baseballs very far. You have to separate the athlete from the person. I would guess all the athletes on a team don't share the same beliefs and somehow they work together to win games, so I would think you can put your differences aside and still cheer for them.
Try to be fair, try to understand, and please stop saying "stick to sports" to anyone. Hopefully next week I can get back to sports.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The Favorites of Not Your Favorite
I posted this question about a week and a half ago on the Facebook, "Who are your 5 favorite baseball players that never suited up for your team?" It got quite the response, lots of people chimed in with their favorites so I decided I would go through the list and give a few thoughts on each group of 5. Hope the guys don't mind me using them on the blog.
Scott Buskirk: Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg, Ken Griffety Jr., and Rickey Henderson. Scott is buddy of mine from time in Arizona, we used to work together and we went to some Diamondbacks games together. We talked baseball a lot. Scott now lives in Texas and I think is a Rangers fan, so his 5 guys never played for Texas. His list is the perfect late 80's-early 90's group. All 5 were generational players, considered the best at their position or in the game in general for a while. Rickey Henderson seems to be forgotten by some, he was the Wayne Gretzky of stealing bases, he didn't just set the steals record, he shattered it. If you gave Rickey 939 SBs (one more stolen base than 2nd place Lou Brock) he would have enough stolen bases left over to be 48th all time in steals, no modern player has that kind of record. Just amazing.
Chris Erb: Mickey Mantle, Paul Molitor, Kirby Pucket, Mookie Betts, and Miguel Cabrera. If you read the blog you know who Chris is, he and I talk sports almost daily. He is a Cubs fan and obviously all these guys have won the World Series so they never played for the Cubs. Mantle is all time great, like top 10. Molitor and Pucket were awesome, and even teammates for a few years in Minnesota. Miggy is the best hitter of the 2010s and I know Mookie made the list because he is Chris's dude in fantasy baseball. I gotta talk a little about Molitor. When I was young he was everywhere I looked, first with the Brewers, then he went to Toronto and won the World Series MVP in 1993. He finished his career with the Twins. He has 3,000 hits and the Brewers retired his number, he was an outstanding hitter and I think he sometimes gets forgotten.
Matthew Erickson: Frank Thomas, Jose Canseco, Cal Ripken Jr., Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan. Matty is my boy from the Quad Cities, we're radio/internet buddies thanks to Don't Hassle Us We're Local. Matt is a Cubs fan as well you can tell again because all of his guys have World Series Rings. I find this group interesting, you got the old legend Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, who pitched a lot like Ryan. Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken, 2 upstanding citizens who played the game and retired legends. Jose Canseco on the other hand, well he's more infamous than famous. Canseco has a lot of baggage attached to him. The obvious steroids use, and then the outing of other steroid users has made him a pariah to the game. He did however have his time in the sun, there was no better power hitter in the late 80's than Canseco, plus he was the first 40-40 guy, when I was a kid 40-40 was maybe the biggest thing in baseball, it was so new and crazy. There have only been 4 40-40 guys, and 3 or them used the roids (allegedly) and the 4th is Alfonso Soriano. He became a clown in his later years with the home run bouncing off his head and the time he pitched and then immediately had elbow surgery.
Greg Stietz: Miguel Cabrera, Ivan Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Barry Bonds, and Vladimir Guerrero. Greg is my cousin and much like me grew up in Wisconsin before moving to Iowa as a wise adult. He is a Brewers fan but included the Braves in his exclusion because he was a Braves fan as a younger person. I like Greg's list a lot, and not just because of Bonds. Randy Johnson, Pudge, and Vlad are all in the Hall of Fame, Miggy will be there 5 years after he hangs it up. Vlad is the guy on this list that sticks out because he was different. The dude hit so many terrible pitches, and did damage with pitches in the dirt, he was the best bad ball hitter I've ever watched. Plus, Vladdy had that cannon, he could throw people out from anywhere in right field. He was such a joy to watch and probably didn't get the credit he deserved while playing.
Kyle Bredeson: Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, and Clayton Kershaw. Kyle is also my cousin, only he never left Wisconsin and is a Cubs fan. His list has one glaring omission, WHERE IS ROBBY THOMPSON? I'm kidding of course, Robby is related to both of us and Kyle admitted his mistake very quickly. Another Randy Johnson and a 2nd Barry Bonds, but 3 new names. Jeter is on his way to the Hall of Fame, Andruw Jones should get more consideration for the Hall of Fame, and Clayton Kershaw will be there after he retires. Andruw Jones is who I'm going to focus on. There was a time he was the best centerfielder in the game, from 1997-2007 he was a 3+ win player every year, that's really good for playing CF every day, he could get you 30 homers and 20 stolen bases in his early days, and eventually he quit running but hit a few more homers. He eventually left Atlanta and limped around the league for a few years, but for those 10 years he was awesome.
Cody Colden: Ken Griffey Jr., Joey Votto, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGwire, and Randy Johnson. Toby is a garbage human being from my hometown, and he's friends with my step-brother Greg. I coached him in baseball back when he had talent. He is a Brewer fan. His list is interesting as well, usual suspects with Griffey and Johnson. Two sweet swingers in Votto and Martinez. Then it's McGwire, and I have to say thanks for spelling McGwire correctly, if you ever see twitter or social media that talk baseball everyone spells it wrong, it's very annoying. Cody has been a pretty big Edgar Martinez guy online since his run for the Hall of Fame started, he is the best DH of our youth, and one of the best pure hitters the game ever saw. I'm glad Edgar made it to Cooperstown.
Curt Miller: Rickey Henderson, Randy Johnson, Ozzie Smith, Mike Trout, and Ken Griffey Jr. Curt if my wife's cousin, we like to fight on facebook, but love talking sports with one another. Curt is a Cubs fan. I love this list, these 5 guys are all amazing ball players. Ozzie is the best defensive shortstop of his time, I've talked about Rickey. Griffey and Trout are both awesome CFers and then there is the Big Unit. The Unit is by the guy on the most lists, I would've put him on mine but he played a year for the Giants. My favorite part of Randy is the fact he was a late bloomer, he didn't become dominate until he was 26, even then he still lead the league in walks for 3 more seasons. He was just so damn intimidating on the mound. The height plus he threw side-arm, so the ball had to look like it was coming from right field with how far out his arm was. Unit also slayed the Yankees in 2001 which was unbelievable at the time. He also did it for a long time once he got going, which is probably why he's listed more than say Pedro who was just as dominate.
Mike Vander Loop: Greg Maddux, Fred McGriff, Chipper Jones, Ryne Sandberg, and Ken Griffey Jr. Brasi is a college friend and once tried to get me a job as DJ as his home bar in Kimberly, Wisconsin. He's a Brewer fan but from this list you can surmise he watched a lot of TBS as a youth. I'm gonna get right into it, Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame and the fact he isn't is criminal, there should be congressional investigations as to why the Crime Dog isn't in Cooperstown. He has 493 career home runs, just 7 short of 500, and if it wasn't for the strike in '94 and late start to '95 season he would have those 7 bombs and then he could be in the Hall of Fame. I try not to get worked up about the hall anymore and even if Barry Bonds never gets in, he will always be 2nd on my list of snubs after Fred McGriff, it bothers the hell out of me.
Mark Flesch: Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout, Craig Biggio, and David Ortiz. Mark is my wife's cousin, we play fantasy football together and I've always thought of him as more of a football guy, but his list is awesome. David Ortiz made being a DH cool. You got Biggio who was one of my favorites as kid because he was a catcher who switched to second base and eventually the outfield. I'm gonna talk about Griffey though, he had the prettiest swing ever, I don't think anyone has had a better looking stroke. You know the Jordan Jumpman logo? Griffey's swing is that recognizable, he was the player of our generation. The cool dude in the backwards hat, who had fun and played the game the "right way." I liked Griffey enough but being a Bonds guy he was never my favorite. He was the one who was supposed to break all the records but he instead broke himself and never indulged so he didn't break the game the way Bonds did. Griffey though will always live in the hearts of anyone born between 1975 and 1987.
My List: Roberto Clemente, Cal Ripken Jr., Roberto Alomar, Mike Trout, and Alex Bregman. Roberto Clemente is my favorite player who I never got to watch play. His story is how everyone would love to be remembered, he got hit #3,000 then passed away in a plane crash going to help others. He was truly a great person and ballplayer. Cal Ripken Jr. is who we named our son after, he was so fun to watch and brought a new element to the game, being such a huge shortstop, he changed the game. Robbie Alomar was my dude as a kid, if I wasn't going to catch I wanted to play 2nd like Robby Thompson, and Robbie Alomar was my 2nd favorite 2B after Robby. He was awesome and until that time he spit on the umpire was a good dude to follow. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball and should be everyone's favorite. Alex Bregman is my guy in fantasy baseball and yes he was caught up in the Astros cheating scandal, but he plays third and short and hits the shit out of the ball even though he's a little guy. Just love watching him play the game.
That's what I got from everyone, I've enjoyed this exercise and I've done many variations on Facebook and have had some good conversations about why people feel the way they do. Catch you next time.
Scott Buskirk: Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg, Ken Griffety Jr., and Rickey Henderson. Scott is buddy of mine from time in Arizona, we used to work together and we went to some Diamondbacks games together. We talked baseball a lot. Scott now lives in Texas and I think is a Rangers fan, so his 5 guys never played for Texas. His list is the perfect late 80's-early 90's group. All 5 were generational players, considered the best at their position or in the game in general for a while. Rickey Henderson seems to be forgotten by some, he was the Wayne Gretzky of stealing bases, he didn't just set the steals record, he shattered it. If you gave Rickey 939 SBs (one more stolen base than 2nd place Lou Brock) he would have enough stolen bases left over to be 48th all time in steals, no modern player has that kind of record. Just amazing.
Chris Erb: Mickey Mantle, Paul Molitor, Kirby Pucket, Mookie Betts, and Miguel Cabrera. If you read the blog you know who Chris is, he and I talk sports almost daily. He is a Cubs fan and obviously all these guys have won the World Series so they never played for the Cubs. Mantle is all time great, like top 10. Molitor and Pucket were awesome, and even teammates for a few years in Minnesota. Miggy is the best hitter of the 2010s and I know Mookie made the list because he is Chris's dude in fantasy baseball. I gotta talk a little about Molitor. When I was young he was everywhere I looked, first with the Brewers, then he went to Toronto and won the World Series MVP in 1993. He finished his career with the Twins. He has 3,000 hits and the Brewers retired his number, he was an outstanding hitter and I think he sometimes gets forgotten.
Matthew Erickson: Frank Thomas, Jose Canseco, Cal Ripken Jr., Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan. Matty is my boy from the Quad Cities, we're radio/internet buddies thanks to Don't Hassle Us We're Local. Matt is a Cubs fan as well you can tell again because all of his guys have World Series Rings. I find this group interesting, you got the old legend Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, who pitched a lot like Ryan. Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken, 2 upstanding citizens who played the game and retired legends. Jose Canseco on the other hand, well he's more infamous than famous. Canseco has a lot of baggage attached to him. The obvious steroids use, and then the outing of other steroid users has made him a pariah to the game. He did however have his time in the sun, there was no better power hitter in the late 80's than Canseco, plus he was the first 40-40 guy, when I was a kid 40-40 was maybe the biggest thing in baseball, it was so new and crazy. There have only been 4 40-40 guys, and 3 or them used the roids (allegedly) and the 4th is Alfonso Soriano. He became a clown in his later years with the home run bouncing off his head and the time he pitched and then immediately had elbow surgery.
Greg Stietz: Miguel Cabrera, Ivan Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Barry Bonds, and Vladimir Guerrero. Greg is my cousin and much like me grew up in Wisconsin before moving to Iowa as a wise adult. He is a Brewers fan but included the Braves in his exclusion because he was a Braves fan as a younger person. I like Greg's list a lot, and not just because of Bonds. Randy Johnson, Pudge, and Vlad are all in the Hall of Fame, Miggy will be there 5 years after he hangs it up. Vlad is the guy on this list that sticks out because he was different. The dude hit so many terrible pitches, and did damage with pitches in the dirt, he was the best bad ball hitter I've ever watched. Plus, Vladdy had that cannon, he could throw people out from anywhere in right field. He was such a joy to watch and probably didn't get the credit he deserved while playing.
Kyle Bredeson: Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, and Clayton Kershaw. Kyle is also my cousin, only he never left Wisconsin and is a Cubs fan. His list has one glaring omission, WHERE IS ROBBY THOMPSON? I'm kidding of course, Robby is related to both of us and Kyle admitted his mistake very quickly. Another Randy Johnson and a 2nd Barry Bonds, but 3 new names. Jeter is on his way to the Hall of Fame, Andruw Jones should get more consideration for the Hall of Fame, and Clayton Kershaw will be there after he retires. Andruw Jones is who I'm going to focus on. There was a time he was the best centerfielder in the game, from 1997-2007 he was a 3+ win player every year, that's really good for playing CF every day, he could get you 30 homers and 20 stolen bases in his early days, and eventually he quit running but hit a few more homers. He eventually left Atlanta and limped around the league for a few years, but for those 10 years he was awesome.
Cody Colden: Ken Griffey Jr., Joey Votto, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGwire, and Randy Johnson. Toby is a garbage human being from my hometown, and he's friends with my step-brother Greg. I coached him in baseball back when he had talent. He is a Brewer fan. His list is interesting as well, usual suspects with Griffey and Johnson. Two sweet swingers in Votto and Martinez. Then it's McGwire, and I have to say thanks for spelling McGwire correctly, if you ever see twitter or social media that talk baseball everyone spells it wrong, it's very annoying. Cody has been a pretty big Edgar Martinez guy online since his run for the Hall of Fame started, he is the best DH of our youth, and one of the best pure hitters the game ever saw. I'm glad Edgar made it to Cooperstown.
Curt Miller: Rickey Henderson, Randy Johnson, Ozzie Smith, Mike Trout, and Ken Griffey Jr. Curt if my wife's cousin, we like to fight on facebook, but love talking sports with one another. Curt is a Cubs fan. I love this list, these 5 guys are all amazing ball players. Ozzie is the best defensive shortstop of his time, I've talked about Rickey. Griffey and Trout are both awesome CFers and then there is the Big Unit. The Unit is by the guy on the most lists, I would've put him on mine but he played a year for the Giants. My favorite part of Randy is the fact he was a late bloomer, he didn't become dominate until he was 26, even then he still lead the league in walks for 3 more seasons. He was just so damn intimidating on the mound. The height plus he threw side-arm, so the ball had to look like it was coming from right field with how far out his arm was. Unit also slayed the Yankees in 2001 which was unbelievable at the time. He also did it for a long time once he got going, which is probably why he's listed more than say Pedro who was just as dominate.
Mike Vander Loop: Greg Maddux, Fred McGriff, Chipper Jones, Ryne Sandberg, and Ken Griffey Jr. Brasi is a college friend and once tried to get me a job as DJ as his home bar in Kimberly, Wisconsin. He's a Brewer fan but from this list you can surmise he watched a lot of TBS as a youth. I'm gonna get right into it, Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame and the fact he isn't is criminal, there should be congressional investigations as to why the Crime Dog isn't in Cooperstown. He has 493 career home runs, just 7 short of 500, and if it wasn't for the strike in '94 and late start to '95 season he would have those 7 bombs and then he could be in the Hall of Fame. I try not to get worked up about the hall anymore and even if Barry Bonds never gets in, he will always be 2nd on my list of snubs after Fred McGriff, it bothers the hell out of me.
Mark Flesch: Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout, Craig Biggio, and David Ortiz. Mark is my wife's cousin, we play fantasy football together and I've always thought of him as more of a football guy, but his list is awesome. David Ortiz made being a DH cool. You got Biggio who was one of my favorites as kid because he was a catcher who switched to second base and eventually the outfield. I'm gonna talk about Griffey though, he had the prettiest swing ever, I don't think anyone has had a better looking stroke. You know the Jordan Jumpman logo? Griffey's swing is that recognizable, he was the player of our generation. The cool dude in the backwards hat, who had fun and played the game the "right way." I liked Griffey enough but being a Bonds guy he was never my favorite. He was the one who was supposed to break all the records but he instead broke himself and never indulged so he didn't break the game the way Bonds did. Griffey though will always live in the hearts of anyone born between 1975 and 1987.
My List: Roberto Clemente, Cal Ripken Jr., Roberto Alomar, Mike Trout, and Alex Bregman. Roberto Clemente is my favorite player who I never got to watch play. His story is how everyone would love to be remembered, he got hit #3,000 then passed away in a plane crash going to help others. He was truly a great person and ballplayer. Cal Ripken Jr. is who we named our son after, he was so fun to watch and brought a new element to the game, being such a huge shortstop, he changed the game. Robbie Alomar was my dude as a kid, if I wasn't going to catch I wanted to play 2nd like Robby Thompson, and Robbie Alomar was my 2nd favorite 2B after Robby. He was awesome and until that time he spit on the umpire was a good dude to follow. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball and should be everyone's favorite. Alex Bregman is my guy in fantasy baseball and yes he was caught up in the Astros cheating scandal, but he plays third and short and hits the shit out of the ball even though he's a little guy. Just love watching him play the game.
That's what I got from everyone, I've enjoyed this exercise and I've done many variations on Facebook and have had some good conversations about why people feel the way they do. Catch you next time.
Monday, May 18, 2020
The Return of Sports
Slowly but surely we're getting our sports back. You get a little UFC, some PBR, a few golf matches, and Nascar. I'm very excited for the return of sports and decided I would talk a little about the return of Nascar since that's what I watched. Hopefully, the NBA, NHL, and MLB can figure out their plans and we can get even more sports back in the near future. First though a few thoughts on the Darlington race from Sunday, and what Nascar brought to the table.
Nascar did an excellent job on Sunday protecting everyone from each other. I think the drivers and crew guys were far enough apart to show they are trying to do the right thing while also being able to do their jobs. There was a camera view of the spotters in the stands and it looked like they were very close but some people at the track dispelled that and said they were properly distanced. Fox did a good job with the interviews and only had one reporter on site and he had a boom mic to keep his distance from the person being interviewed. I think a few things were a little over the top. After the race Kevin Harvick stood alone in victory lane with the trophy with a mask on, he's by nobody, the mask was unnecessary. I realize it's all about the look but let's also not take things too far. There were plenty of people on social media being sure to point out the 1 or 2 instances of poor distancing but those people are blowhards and need a life.
The race itself was OK. This race package, which we're going to be stuck with for another year thanks to Covid, is very frustrating on the tracks that usually have good racing. Darlington is a great track but when clean air is king it's a frustrating track. I thought there was plenty of passing in the pack but passes for the lead were minimal and that makes for boring racing. If the goal is get off pit road first, hold someone off for 2 laps and then you get a 2 second gap because of the air, is crappy. Now a few guys blew their shots, Jimmie Johnson wrecked himself trying to pass a lapped car, but even that incident looked like rust. All in the all I enjoyed the race, but I like when the lead changes and 1st place isn't out for a cruise.
One of the things that might have fixed the no lead changes was longer runs, usually at Darlington you get at least 1 long run, but yesterday there were all 30 lap runs and right as the tires were about to get old someone would spin. That probably had more to do with the layoff than anything. These guys had no data for the track and were out of practice. That's something I'm looking forward to on Wednesday, with more data maybe we'll get better racing.
Nascar put on a decent show, but it could've been better and with a chance to get the world watching I think they put up a dud for the most part. Just like last years championship race, when the lights were the brightest the show didn't deliver. With a different racing package or a different track things might of been better, but to get new fans and be the only game in town you have to entertain and yesterday wasn't entertaining. Like I said hopefully the next race is better if some teams can alter the set up a little more, and hopefully Nascar gets rid of the glued on banners to the walls since that caused a caution yesterday.
If you're new to Nascar and are watching to pass the time, enjoy the races, pick a driver to love and one to hate, it's easier to watch if you got someone to root against. We get a lot of races in the next 2 weeks so you should have plenty to watch and gamble on.
Nascar did an excellent job on Sunday protecting everyone from each other. I think the drivers and crew guys were far enough apart to show they are trying to do the right thing while also being able to do their jobs. There was a camera view of the spotters in the stands and it looked like they were very close but some people at the track dispelled that and said they were properly distanced. Fox did a good job with the interviews and only had one reporter on site and he had a boom mic to keep his distance from the person being interviewed. I think a few things were a little over the top. After the race Kevin Harvick stood alone in victory lane with the trophy with a mask on, he's by nobody, the mask was unnecessary. I realize it's all about the look but let's also not take things too far. There were plenty of people on social media being sure to point out the 1 or 2 instances of poor distancing but those people are blowhards and need a life.
The race itself was OK. This race package, which we're going to be stuck with for another year thanks to Covid, is very frustrating on the tracks that usually have good racing. Darlington is a great track but when clean air is king it's a frustrating track. I thought there was plenty of passing in the pack but passes for the lead were minimal and that makes for boring racing. If the goal is get off pit road first, hold someone off for 2 laps and then you get a 2 second gap because of the air, is crappy. Now a few guys blew their shots, Jimmie Johnson wrecked himself trying to pass a lapped car, but even that incident looked like rust. All in the all I enjoyed the race, but I like when the lead changes and 1st place isn't out for a cruise.
One of the things that might have fixed the no lead changes was longer runs, usually at Darlington you get at least 1 long run, but yesterday there were all 30 lap runs and right as the tires were about to get old someone would spin. That probably had more to do with the layoff than anything. These guys had no data for the track and were out of practice. That's something I'm looking forward to on Wednesday, with more data maybe we'll get better racing.
Nascar put on a decent show, but it could've been better and with a chance to get the world watching I think they put up a dud for the most part. Just like last years championship race, when the lights were the brightest the show didn't deliver. With a different racing package or a different track things might of been better, but to get new fans and be the only game in town you have to entertain and yesterday wasn't entertaining. Like I said hopefully the next race is better if some teams can alter the set up a little more, and hopefully Nascar gets rid of the glued on banners to the walls since that caused a caution yesterday.
If you're new to Nascar and are watching to pass the time, enjoy the races, pick a driver to love and one to hate, it's easier to watch if you got someone to root against. We get a lot of races in the next 2 weeks so you should have plenty to watch and gamble on.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Draft Revisited 2012
This is going to be my last one of these for a while. I gotta find some other stuff to talk about, but I would feel bad for you if you didn't get to see my pain. I wrote a diary about 2012, take a look and read it to see what my feelings were on that eventful night. This draft brought me so much joy and within 2 years the joy was all gone. It's not exactly why I've fallen out of the NFL but it's one of the many factors. I invested heavily in Robert Griffin III and the Redskins ownership, front office, and coaches just shit all over him, and in a way shit all over me. I was a fan of that team for many years and when they left him in in the 2nd half vs Seattle to just let him hurt himself more, it ruined me. We'll get into the draft and the oddest part is the guy I was sure would fade into oblivion because he played receiver for a year in college is the only QB in the top 10 that is still doing it, while the 2 good QBs are a career back up and retired. Let's check out this class.
Pick 1 Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck QB, Standford. Luck was can't miss as can't miss can be. He was the next John Elway and the Colts performed the "Suck for Luck" perfectly. It helped Peyton Manning missed all of 2011 and there was no back up plan. Luck got to Indy and performed. The Colts won 11 games his rookie year, and he lead them to the playoffs his first 3 seasons. Then in 2015 the injuries started adding up for him, and not just normal injuries but lacerated kidney and torn stomach muscles, then it was his shoulder that kept him out 2017. He gave it one more run in 2018, made the playoffs and then hung it up before 2019. Just crazy, the dude was legit but the rehab was too much for him and he quit before he even turned 30, shame.
Pick 2 Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III QB, Baylor. A running QB he comes out of nowhere with one good year, then goes high in the draft. I had my reservations about the Redskins trading up to take RGIII, but he proved me so wrong his rookie year. The Redskins sold the farm to get him, which is another reason it pisses me off they treated him like trash. You don't trade 3 1st rounders and a 2nd just to sacrifice that guy. Things started out shaky for RG but he eventually got the ball rolling and lead the Skins to division championship and the playoffs. I kept saying 2 years after the draft I would still make that trade but only because RG gave me so much joy in 2012 and Mike Shanahan stole that joy and stomped all over it, asshole.
Pick 3 Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson RB, Alabama. You think I was wrong about RG, I was WAY THE FUCK wrong about Trent Richardson. This dude ended up in the AAF, he sucked. Not only did he trick the Browns, he also tricked the Colts who traded for him in 2013, and gave the Browns a 1st round pick. Richardson is another in the line of Alabama running backs who got in the league and fell off the map, Mark Ingram is about the only one who made a lasting impact. At least the Browns got something for this bust which in 2 picks we'll have a different story. Richardson was out of the league after 2014.
Pick 4 Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil OT, USC. I don't know a ton about Kalil's career, he did make 1 Pro Bowl with the Vikings, but other than that it's been pretty blah. I don't think you take your franchise left tackle with pick 4 and then let him walk after 5 years. He's a free agent right now after not playing in 2019, go sign him.
Pick 5 Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma State. I said I was wrong about Richardson, what if I told you I liked Blackmon more. He was my favorite player in this draft and he went to Jacksonville where talent goes to die. Blackmon got into a little trouble as well and his career was over after 20 games. Don't do drugs and drink kids, it will ruin your career. Such a waste Blackmon was legit in college.
If you're keeping track so far the top 5 in order are, retired, back up QB in Baltimore, released, DNP in 2019, released. So even though RG III broke my heart he's the only one still in uniform.
Pick 6 Dallas Cowboys: Morris Claiborne CB, LSU. When Dallas moved up to get Claiborne I lost my mind with anger. I thought damn it why didn't Minnesota take him now we gotta deal with him. Well luckily for me Claiborne was solid but not spectacular. He battled injuries in Dallas before heading to the Jets and eventually the Chiefs. He's never had more than 2 interceptions in a season so I guess I was wrong again.
Pick 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron S, Alabama. If you read the diary Mike Mayock said Barron's downside was a Pro Bowl safety. Guess I'm not the only person wrong with this draft. Barron hasn't made a Pro Bowl, I have no idea what happened to him, I never heard his name. He got traded to the Rams during 2014 and played for the Steelers in 2019. This draft sucks.
Pick 8 Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M. Tannehill made waves at the draft because his girlfriend was a smoke show, also he went top 10 after playing wide receiver in 2010. Tannehill was never great for Miami, he only had 2 4,000 yard seasons in his 6 seasons, he missed all of 2017 with a torn ACL. Then 2019 happened and with the Titans Tannehill made the playoffs, and beat Tom Brady in the playoffs. Are you kidding me, this guy is the success story of the top 10, THIS GUY, I was wrong about everyone in this draft.
Pick 9 Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly LB, Boston College. Man Boston College used to be so good at getting one dude in the top 10. Kuechly was a legit stud, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He was the best MLB in the league for his 7 years but sadly he hung it up after 2019. I understand getting out while you still have most of your body, but from this top 10, the best offensive and defensive players each retired before their time was up.
Pick 10 Buffalo Bills: Stephen Gilmore CB, South Carolina. Gilmore is a good corner. I don't remember being blown away by him at the draft the way Claiborne did, but he's the only DB of the 3 in the top 10 who made a Pro Bowl and has made a difference. Gilmore is actually come off one of his best years in 2019 when he had 6 interceptions for the Patriots. He worked out well for Buffalo and had been a great addition for the Patriots.
So the top 10 is actually very sad, half the top 10 are out of the league already, it's only been 7 years. I think Kuechly is a Hall of Fame player but that's about it. There are so many misses here and the hurt only gets worse for me, as a Super Bowl winning QB is there and RG III's ultimate demise is taken in the 4th round.
11-20 started off with a bang with Dontari Poe going to the Chiefs at 11, I incorrectly projected him to bust. Fletcher Cox went to Philly at 12, he has a ring and 5 Pro Bowls. Bruce Irvin went to Seattle at 15, I thought he was going to be better. Melvin Ingram went to the Chargers at 18 after a slow start he really took off in his 4th year.
You won't believe this but the Patriots did work in the 20's. Chandler Jones went to them at 21 and Dont'a Hightower landed at 25. Having Tom Brady is nice, but just killing drafts is where the Patriots did their damage in the last 8 years. 2 good lineman went back to back with Riley Reiff and David DeCastro at 23 and 24. Minnesota got back into the first round to get Harrison Smith at 29, he was really good when I watched football. Finally, Tampa traded back into the 1st round to get the Muscle Hamster Doug Martin at 31.
In the 2nd round the Bears took Alshon Jeffrey, who was good for them and better for Philly. The Seahawks landed Bobby Wagner, spoiler alert the Seahawks won the draft. The Bucs got Lavonte David pick 58, they really should've been better. Kelechi Osemele went to the Ravens and the Packers got Casey Hayward who I think did more damage for the Chargers than Green Bay.
3rd round the Dolphins nabbed Oliver Vernon at 72. Brandon Brooks went to the Titans at 76.
The Seahawks steal the draft getting Russell Wilson at 75, he's been to a couple Super Bowls, won one of them. Could've had some league MVPs, is in the top 5 QBs in the league, just generally awesome. Apparently he's a good dude as well, but I can't stand him. He's the best player not named Keuchly in this draft.
End of the 3rd round featured Nick Foles (88 Philly) Akiem Hicks (89 Saints) and T.Y. Hilton (92 Colts) I love me so T.Y.
4th round the Redskins undermined their 2nd overall pick by taking Kirk Cousins, nothing says building for the future like taking a QB with a complete different skill set later in the draft. I hate Kirk Cousins, he is bad at football.
The Packers stole Mike Daniels at pick 132, he was a beast at Iowa and played on a line that featured nobody else. He proved a lot of people wrong in the league.
Josh Norman was pick 143 to Carolina, that's a pick that helps build.
The Redskins got Alfred Morris in the 6th round, they did alright in this draft, they did win 2 division titles soon after this.
The Bengals signed Vontaze Bufict as an undrafted free agent, that almost worked out, he was awesome until he lost his head.
The Seahawks won this draft and they quickly won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season.
I think Luke Keuchly was the best player in the draft with Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson right there.
Justin Blackmon is the bust of the draft but the price the Redskins paid for RG III will always haunt them, even though he won the division his rookie year which ultimately led to his demise because that field sucked ass and it ruined his knee.
This was a fun, check in next week because I'll have real live sports to talk about as NASCAR holds their first race since March, and first race without fans, should be interesting.
Pick 1 Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck QB, Standford. Luck was can't miss as can't miss can be. He was the next John Elway and the Colts performed the "Suck for Luck" perfectly. It helped Peyton Manning missed all of 2011 and there was no back up plan. Luck got to Indy and performed. The Colts won 11 games his rookie year, and he lead them to the playoffs his first 3 seasons. Then in 2015 the injuries started adding up for him, and not just normal injuries but lacerated kidney and torn stomach muscles, then it was his shoulder that kept him out 2017. He gave it one more run in 2018, made the playoffs and then hung it up before 2019. Just crazy, the dude was legit but the rehab was too much for him and he quit before he even turned 30, shame.
Pick 2 Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III QB, Baylor. A running QB he comes out of nowhere with one good year, then goes high in the draft. I had my reservations about the Redskins trading up to take RGIII, but he proved me so wrong his rookie year. The Redskins sold the farm to get him, which is another reason it pisses me off they treated him like trash. You don't trade 3 1st rounders and a 2nd just to sacrifice that guy. Things started out shaky for RG but he eventually got the ball rolling and lead the Skins to division championship and the playoffs. I kept saying 2 years after the draft I would still make that trade but only because RG gave me so much joy in 2012 and Mike Shanahan stole that joy and stomped all over it, asshole.
Pick 3 Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson RB, Alabama. You think I was wrong about RG, I was WAY THE FUCK wrong about Trent Richardson. This dude ended up in the AAF, he sucked. Not only did he trick the Browns, he also tricked the Colts who traded for him in 2013, and gave the Browns a 1st round pick. Richardson is another in the line of Alabama running backs who got in the league and fell off the map, Mark Ingram is about the only one who made a lasting impact. At least the Browns got something for this bust which in 2 picks we'll have a different story. Richardson was out of the league after 2014.
Pick 4 Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil OT, USC. I don't know a ton about Kalil's career, he did make 1 Pro Bowl with the Vikings, but other than that it's been pretty blah. I don't think you take your franchise left tackle with pick 4 and then let him walk after 5 years. He's a free agent right now after not playing in 2019, go sign him.
Pick 5 Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma State. I said I was wrong about Richardson, what if I told you I liked Blackmon more. He was my favorite player in this draft and he went to Jacksonville where talent goes to die. Blackmon got into a little trouble as well and his career was over after 20 games. Don't do drugs and drink kids, it will ruin your career. Such a waste Blackmon was legit in college.
If you're keeping track so far the top 5 in order are, retired, back up QB in Baltimore, released, DNP in 2019, released. So even though RG III broke my heart he's the only one still in uniform.
Pick 6 Dallas Cowboys: Morris Claiborne CB, LSU. When Dallas moved up to get Claiborne I lost my mind with anger. I thought damn it why didn't Minnesota take him now we gotta deal with him. Well luckily for me Claiborne was solid but not spectacular. He battled injuries in Dallas before heading to the Jets and eventually the Chiefs. He's never had more than 2 interceptions in a season so I guess I was wrong again.
Pick 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron S, Alabama. If you read the diary Mike Mayock said Barron's downside was a Pro Bowl safety. Guess I'm not the only person wrong with this draft. Barron hasn't made a Pro Bowl, I have no idea what happened to him, I never heard his name. He got traded to the Rams during 2014 and played for the Steelers in 2019. This draft sucks.
Pick 8 Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M. Tannehill made waves at the draft because his girlfriend was a smoke show, also he went top 10 after playing wide receiver in 2010. Tannehill was never great for Miami, he only had 2 4,000 yard seasons in his 6 seasons, he missed all of 2017 with a torn ACL. Then 2019 happened and with the Titans Tannehill made the playoffs, and beat Tom Brady in the playoffs. Are you kidding me, this guy is the success story of the top 10, THIS GUY, I was wrong about everyone in this draft.
Pick 9 Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly LB, Boston College. Man Boston College used to be so good at getting one dude in the top 10. Kuechly was a legit stud, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He was the best MLB in the league for his 7 years but sadly he hung it up after 2019. I understand getting out while you still have most of your body, but from this top 10, the best offensive and defensive players each retired before their time was up.
Pick 10 Buffalo Bills: Stephen Gilmore CB, South Carolina. Gilmore is a good corner. I don't remember being blown away by him at the draft the way Claiborne did, but he's the only DB of the 3 in the top 10 who made a Pro Bowl and has made a difference. Gilmore is actually come off one of his best years in 2019 when he had 6 interceptions for the Patriots. He worked out well for Buffalo and had been a great addition for the Patriots.
So the top 10 is actually very sad, half the top 10 are out of the league already, it's only been 7 years. I think Kuechly is a Hall of Fame player but that's about it. There are so many misses here and the hurt only gets worse for me, as a Super Bowl winning QB is there and RG III's ultimate demise is taken in the 4th round.
11-20 started off with a bang with Dontari Poe going to the Chiefs at 11, I incorrectly projected him to bust. Fletcher Cox went to Philly at 12, he has a ring and 5 Pro Bowls. Bruce Irvin went to Seattle at 15, I thought he was going to be better. Melvin Ingram went to the Chargers at 18 after a slow start he really took off in his 4th year.
You won't believe this but the Patriots did work in the 20's. Chandler Jones went to them at 21 and Dont'a Hightower landed at 25. Having Tom Brady is nice, but just killing drafts is where the Patriots did their damage in the last 8 years. 2 good lineman went back to back with Riley Reiff and David DeCastro at 23 and 24. Minnesota got back into the first round to get Harrison Smith at 29, he was really good when I watched football. Finally, Tampa traded back into the 1st round to get the Muscle Hamster Doug Martin at 31.
In the 2nd round the Bears took Alshon Jeffrey, who was good for them and better for Philly. The Seahawks landed Bobby Wagner, spoiler alert the Seahawks won the draft. The Bucs got Lavonte David pick 58, they really should've been better. Kelechi Osemele went to the Ravens and the Packers got Casey Hayward who I think did more damage for the Chargers than Green Bay.
3rd round the Dolphins nabbed Oliver Vernon at 72. Brandon Brooks went to the Titans at 76.
The Seahawks steal the draft getting Russell Wilson at 75, he's been to a couple Super Bowls, won one of them. Could've had some league MVPs, is in the top 5 QBs in the league, just generally awesome. Apparently he's a good dude as well, but I can't stand him. He's the best player not named Keuchly in this draft.
End of the 3rd round featured Nick Foles (88 Philly) Akiem Hicks (89 Saints) and T.Y. Hilton (92 Colts) I love me so T.Y.
4th round the Redskins undermined their 2nd overall pick by taking Kirk Cousins, nothing says building for the future like taking a QB with a complete different skill set later in the draft. I hate Kirk Cousins, he is bad at football.
The Packers stole Mike Daniels at pick 132, he was a beast at Iowa and played on a line that featured nobody else. He proved a lot of people wrong in the league.
Josh Norman was pick 143 to Carolina, that's a pick that helps build.
The Redskins got Alfred Morris in the 6th round, they did alright in this draft, they did win 2 division titles soon after this.
The Bengals signed Vontaze Bufict as an undrafted free agent, that almost worked out, he was awesome until he lost his head.
The Seahawks won this draft and they quickly won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season.
I think Luke Keuchly was the best player in the draft with Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson right there.
Justin Blackmon is the bust of the draft but the price the Redskins paid for RG III will always haunt them, even though he won the division his rookie year which ultimately led to his demise because that field sucked ass and it ruined his knee.
This was a fun, check in next week because I'll have real live sports to talk about as NASCAR holds their first race since March, and first race without fans, should be interesting.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Draft Revisited 2011
Seems like every time I start these drafts I have 2 reactions, holy crap what shit show, or holy crap how loaded is this draft. Well this is the latter, I say this every time, but this might be the most stacked top 10 I've done of these. Let's even expand it to top 11, then you get 9 Pro Bowlers. It's crazy to see how smart these teams are, and then how bad the misses are. This is a fun exercise for me, so let's get into another.
Pick #1 Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton QB, Auburn. Not often the flash in the pan, one year wonder QB works out. Cam is the exception, not the rule. He dominated college football in 2010 with his size, speed, and arm strength. I know Michael Vick was a cheat code, but put 50 lbs on him, make him right handed, and change nothing else, that was young Cam. I hated Cam in college but became a fan of his in the NFL. He wasn't perfect but he was pretty damn good. It's almost a decade later and he's looking for work, but I think taking a QB #1 and he gets you to a Super Bowl is a great pick.
Pick #2 Denver Broncos: Von Miller LB, Texas A&M. When you can nail a pick in the top 5 it really helps your chances at winning football games in the near future. For the Broncos getting an absolute beast of a pass rusher set them up to contend for Super Bowls in the near future. Von Miller has been a multiple time All Pro and Pro Bowler. He was 3rd in the league in sacks his 2nd year. In 2015 he won the game MVP as the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He's heading to Canton.
Pick #3 Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus DT, Alabama. When Dareus was young and right he was dominate defensive tackle. He made a couple Pro Bowls with Buffalo and even signed a huge extension. However, he troubles started with drugs and sadly once you're in the NFL drug program it usually doesn't turn out well. He's been suspended twice, and he's now a free agent after spending 2019 in Jacksonville. If you're keeping score, that's 3 for 3 with Pro Bowlers.
Pick #4 Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green WR, Georgia. The hits keep coming with this draft. AJ Green has been a very good receiver since entering the league, he's never been the best but he's often considered in the upper echelon. When Calvin Johnson suddenly retired AJ Green became my guy in fantasy football. He's fought the injury bug in the last couple years, but 6 of his 8 seasons he's gone over 1,000 yards receiving and double digit touchdowns 3 times. Hopefully he's still got a little gas in the tank to help Joe Burrow in 2020.
Pick #5 Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson CB, LSU. We're 5 for 5, Patrick Peterson was arguably one of the best cover corners in the league for a time, but much like running back being a shutdown corner doesn't last long. He's got 25 career interceptions, he went to 8 straight Pro Bowls. He did land a PED suspension in 2019, but that shouldn't overshadow his tenure in the league. Peterson worked out well for Arizona.
Pick #6 Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones WR, Alabama. It's rare for 2 wide receivers to go in the top 10, it's even rarer for both of them to pan out. Atlanta paid a mint for Julio, 2 1st round picks, a 2nd, and 2 4th rounders, but he's what they wanted, a big play deep threat for Matt Ryan to throw to and open up Roddy White underneath. It nearly worked in 2016 when after an awesome catch by Julio the Falcons bungled the next 3 plays and took themselves out of FG range, I've talked about that sequence a lot on the blog back in December. Julio has been a hit for Atlanta, and the streak continues as we're now 6 for 6 in guys making at least 1 Pro Bowl.
Pick #7 San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith LB, Missouri. There are plenty of head cases in the NFL, the key is find a coach or teammate they respect enough to keep in line. Well apparently the 49ers never found that guy for Smith. He was dominate on the field and just as dominate off the field, racking up over 30 sacks his first 2 years, he also got arrested, stabbed and arrested again in those 2 years. He never really kept it going on the field after that, he was out of the league after 2015 and even though he's trying to come back next season I don't expect much from him. However, those first 2 seasons made the 49ers look like geniuses, he was basically Von Miller and JJ Watt, but he lost his head and then he was gone. 7 for 7 on Pro Bowlers.
Pick #8 Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker QB, Washington. Here's the thing about Jake Locker, if Cam Newton doesn't happen out of nowhere he's the #1 pick. He was the #1 pick in 2011 as soon as the 2010 draft ended. Locker was the next big thing, see my Mt. Rushmore post a couple weeks back. He didn't pan out, he wasn't the 2nd coming of Steve Young or anything even close. 4 years, 23 starts, 27 TDs and 22 INTs gets you out of the league pretty fast. What's worse for Locker is he automatically the bust of this draft since the 7 guys in front of him were all Pro Bowl caliber players for at least a season, he wasn't, instead he runs a gym now.
Pick #9 Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith OT, USC. I only have 1 question, how in the hell did a 6'7" 310 lb tackle make it to #9 with no other tackles being taken. This dude is legit good, 7 Pro Bowls 4 time All Pro, and of course Jerry Jones made a smart pick. I guess how hard is it when a future hall of famer just lands in your lap at #9. You can't fault the other teams who didn't take him, besides Tennessee, but he's outlasted most of these dudes. Julio Jones is the only other guy at Smith's level right now. Great pick by Dallas and Smith has a couple more years in the tank.
Pick #10 Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert QB, Missouri. Remember what Atlanta paid to get to 6, Jacksonville didn't pay that much to get to 10. They sent a the 16th pick and a 2nd to get Yo Gabba Gabbert. I'll give Gabbert credit, he's the kind of QB that even though he failed he's managed to at least hold a clipboard this entire time, (he's like Colt McCoy) he'll start a couple games a year and have success 1 out of 4 starts but he never puts it together. I liked Gabbert more than Locker coming into the draft. Obviously this didn't work out as Jacksonville was back drafting another QB in a couple years, but he isn't the bust Jake Locker was.
That is as stacked a top 10 I've done, this draft though isn't as deep as the 2007 draft that I just reviewed. The best player of the draft though went #11 to Houston, JJ Watt, who has been a multiple time Defensive Player of the Year and when he stays healthy he's an absolute force.
From 12-20 you had some decent guys, the 4th QB taken was Christian Ponder at 12 to Minny. Some premium pass rushers in Robert Quinn (14th, Rams) and Ryan Kerrigan (16th, Redskins) sandwiched a good interior lineman in Mike Pouncey (Dolphins). Nate Solder went 17th to New England, and Adrian Claybourne went 20th to Tampa Bay.
21-32 had some decent guys, the Saints got 2 of them in Cameron Jordan at 24 and Mark Ingram at 28. Cameron Heyward went to Pittsburgh at 31, they have a good eye for defense.
2nd round the Bengals got the 2nd best QB of the draft in the Red Rocket Andy Dalton, whom they paired with AJ Green. San Francisco took Colin Kaepernick with the next pick at 36.
The Vikings made a great pick with Kyle Rudolph at 43. Green Bay got Randall Cobb with the last pick of the 2nd round.
Picks 70 and 71 by Kansas City and Dallas were both stellar, with Justin Houston and DeMarco Murray.
4th round saw Seattle get K.J. Wright and Cleveland got Cameron Jordan, who was a stellar tight end for a season and a half. Denver snaked Julius Thomas near the end of the 4th, he was great when paired with Peyton Manning, average with everyone else.
Seattle stole Richard Sherman in the 5th round
Philly drafted Jason Kelce to play Center in the 6th round, that was a good deal.
Seattle continued their shrewdness by signing Doug Baldwin as an undrafted free agent.
So Seattle did well, but New England also had a solid draft. Dallas did ok.
Jake Locker was the bust of the draft, what a shame.
I think JJ Watt is the best player but Tyron Smith has been the most consistent and Julio Jones has been the most dynamic.
This was a good class but they didn't have enough greatness to pass 2007 for my favorite. Still a good one though. I'm going to do 2012 next and if you look in the archives you'll see I did a draft diary for that one, I'm probably going to cry a lot, like a lot, I'm still mad, damn it.
Pick #1 Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton QB, Auburn. Not often the flash in the pan, one year wonder QB works out. Cam is the exception, not the rule. He dominated college football in 2010 with his size, speed, and arm strength. I know Michael Vick was a cheat code, but put 50 lbs on him, make him right handed, and change nothing else, that was young Cam. I hated Cam in college but became a fan of his in the NFL. He wasn't perfect but he was pretty damn good. It's almost a decade later and he's looking for work, but I think taking a QB #1 and he gets you to a Super Bowl is a great pick.
Pick #2 Denver Broncos: Von Miller LB, Texas A&M. When you can nail a pick in the top 5 it really helps your chances at winning football games in the near future. For the Broncos getting an absolute beast of a pass rusher set them up to contend for Super Bowls in the near future. Von Miller has been a multiple time All Pro and Pro Bowler. He was 3rd in the league in sacks his 2nd year. In 2015 he won the game MVP as the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He's heading to Canton.
Pick #3 Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus DT, Alabama. When Dareus was young and right he was dominate defensive tackle. He made a couple Pro Bowls with Buffalo and even signed a huge extension. However, he troubles started with drugs and sadly once you're in the NFL drug program it usually doesn't turn out well. He's been suspended twice, and he's now a free agent after spending 2019 in Jacksonville. If you're keeping score, that's 3 for 3 with Pro Bowlers.
Pick #4 Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green WR, Georgia. The hits keep coming with this draft. AJ Green has been a very good receiver since entering the league, he's never been the best but he's often considered in the upper echelon. When Calvin Johnson suddenly retired AJ Green became my guy in fantasy football. He's fought the injury bug in the last couple years, but 6 of his 8 seasons he's gone over 1,000 yards receiving and double digit touchdowns 3 times. Hopefully he's still got a little gas in the tank to help Joe Burrow in 2020.
Pick #5 Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson CB, LSU. We're 5 for 5, Patrick Peterson was arguably one of the best cover corners in the league for a time, but much like running back being a shutdown corner doesn't last long. He's got 25 career interceptions, he went to 8 straight Pro Bowls. He did land a PED suspension in 2019, but that shouldn't overshadow his tenure in the league. Peterson worked out well for Arizona.
Pick #6 Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones WR, Alabama. It's rare for 2 wide receivers to go in the top 10, it's even rarer for both of them to pan out. Atlanta paid a mint for Julio, 2 1st round picks, a 2nd, and 2 4th rounders, but he's what they wanted, a big play deep threat for Matt Ryan to throw to and open up Roddy White underneath. It nearly worked in 2016 when after an awesome catch by Julio the Falcons bungled the next 3 plays and took themselves out of FG range, I've talked about that sequence a lot on the blog back in December. Julio has been a hit for Atlanta, and the streak continues as we're now 6 for 6 in guys making at least 1 Pro Bowl.
Pick #7 San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith LB, Missouri. There are plenty of head cases in the NFL, the key is find a coach or teammate they respect enough to keep in line. Well apparently the 49ers never found that guy for Smith. He was dominate on the field and just as dominate off the field, racking up over 30 sacks his first 2 years, he also got arrested, stabbed and arrested again in those 2 years. He never really kept it going on the field after that, he was out of the league after 2015 and even though he's trying to come back next season I don't expect much from him. However, those first 2 seasons made the 49ers look like geniuses, he was basically Von Miller and JJ Watt, but he lost his head and then he was gone. 7 for 7 on Pro Bowlers.
Pick #8 Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker QB, Washington. Here's the thing about Jake Locker, if Cam Newton doesn't happen out of nowhere he's the #1 pick. He was the #1 pick in 2011 as soon as the 2010 draft ended. Locker was the next big thing, see my Mt. Rushmore post a couple weeks back. He didn't pan out, he wasn't the 2nd coming of Steve Young or anything even close. 4 years, 23 starts, 27 TDs and 22 INTs gets you out of the league pretty fast. What's worse for Locker is he automatically the bust of this draft since the 7 guys in front of him were all Pro Bowl caliber players for at least a season, he wasn't, instead he runs a gym now.
Pick #9 Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith OT, USC. I only have 1 question, how in the hell did a 6'7" 310 lb tackle make it to #9 with no other tackles being taken. This dude is legit good, 7 Pro Bowls 4 time All Pro, and of course Jerry Jones made a smart pick. I guess how hard is it when a future hall of famer just lands in your lap at #9. You can't fault the other teams who didn't take him, besides Tennessee, but he's outlasted most of these dudes. Julio Jones is the only other guy at Smith's level right now. Great pick by Dallas and Smith has a couple more years in the tank.
Pick #10 Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert QB, Missouri. Remember what Atlanta paid to get to 6, Jacksonville didn't pay that much to get to 10. They sent a the 16th pick and a 2nd to get Yo Gabba Gabbert. I'll give Gabbert credit, he's the kind of QB that even though he failed he's managed to at least hold a clipboard this entire time, (he's like Colt McCoy) he'll start a couple games a year and have success 1 out of 4 starts but he never puts it together. I liked Gabbert more than Locker coming into the draft. Obviously this didn't work out as Jacksonville was back drafting another QB in a couple years, but he isn't the bust Jake Locker was.
That is as stacked a top 10 I've done, this draft though isn't as deep as the 2007 draft that I just reviewed. The best player of the draft though went #11 to Houston, JJ Watt, who has been a multiple time Defensive Player of the Year and when he stays healthy he's an absolute force.
From 12-20 you had some decent guys, the 4th QB taken was Christian Ponder at 12 to Minny. Some premium pass rushers in Robert Quinn (14th, Rams) and Ryan Kerrigan (16th, Redskins) sandwiched a good interior lineman in Mike Pouncey (Dolphins). Nate Solder went 17th to New England, and Adrian Claybourne went 20th to Tampa Bay.
21-32 had some decent guys, the Saints got 2 of them in Cameron Jordan at 24 and Mark Ingram at 28. Cameron Heyward went to Pittsburgh at 31, they have a good eye for defense.
2nd round the Bengals got the 2nd best QB of the draft in the Red Rocket Andy Dalton, whom they paired with AJ Green. San Francisco took Colin Kaepernick with the next pick at 36.
The Vikings made a great pick with Kyle Rudolph at 43. Green Bay got Randall Cobb with the last pick of the 2nd round.
Picks 70 and 71 by Kansas City and Dallas were both stellar, with Justin Houston and DeMarco Murray.
4th round saw Seattle get K.J. Wright and Cleveland got Cameron Jordan, who was a stellar tight end for a season and a half. Denver snaked Julius Thomas near the end of the 4th, he was great when paired with Peyton Manning, average with everyone else.
Seattle stole Richard Sherman in the 5th round
Philly drafted Jason Kelce to play Center in the 6th round, that was a good deal.
Seattle continued their shrewdness by signing Doug Baldwin as an undrafted free agent.
So Seattle did well, but New England also had a solid draft. Dallas did ok.
Jake Locker was the bust of the draft, what a shame.
I think JJ Watt is the best player but Tyron Smith has been the most consistent and Julio Jones has been the most dynamic.
This was a good class but they didn't have enough greatness to pass 2007 for my favorite. Still a good one though. I'm going to do 2012 next and if you look in the archives you'll see I did a draft diary for that one, I'm probably going to cry a lot, like a lot, I'm still mad, damn it.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Draft Revisited 2007
You go far enough back on these and you find a draft class with a ton of talent and future Hall of Fame players. The 2007 class is one of those, this thing is loaded. With just a quick glance I got 6 Hall of Famers minimum in this group. This might be my favorite of the newer classes I've done, if you search the archives I got 2004-06 done as well, and I think '06 and '04 compare with this class, and 2010 belongs in the conversation as well. It doesn't start great but things get better pretty rapidly.
Pick #1 Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU. Oh boy, all that celebration about the greatness of this draft and we start with probably the biggest bust of the 2000s. Russell rose to the top with a stellar Junior year and outplayed presumptive #1 QB Brady Quinn (who didn't turn out much better) in the Sugar Bowl. A QB from LSU having 1 great year and going #1, never heard of that happening before.
Pick #2 Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson WR, Georgia Tech. Detroit had such a terrible record of drafting WRs in the top 10 in the 3 drafts from 2005-2007 (Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams) that when they took Megatron they were universally panned. How could Detroit go the that well again? Well it worked out this time, Tron is the conversation of best WR of the decade, and was on his way to Canton before he hung em up prematurely. He is probably my favorite player in this draft, he was my guy in fantasy football, I didn't have many teams he wasn't on. Still think he gets to Canton but it isn't a slam dunk like a couple more years would've made him.
Pick #3 Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas OT, Wisconsin. They are already making his bust in Canton and putting it in a storage room till he's eligible. Joe Thomas was the best Left Tackle in the NFL for a very long time. This was one of the few great picks Cleveland ever made, and honestly Thomas was made for Cleveland, he went to work, did his job and went home. Didn't need the spotlight, even on draft day he went fishing instead of going to the draft, do you remember that, of course you do, it's all anyone talked about. He's the best player in this draft and probably should've gone first.
Pick #4 Tampa Bay Buccanneers: Gaines Adams DE, Clemson. Gaines Adams was pretty good his first couple years in the league, had 6+ sacks each of his first 2 seasons. In 2009 Adams was traded from Tampa to Chicago after a few games. He finished the season with the Bears and tragically died from an enlarged heart that January. Adams could've been a beast with the Bears and that defense, instead he's was lost to soon.
Pick #5 Arizona Cardinals: Levi Brown OT, Penn State. This draft has probably 4 Hall of Fame offensive lineman, and Brown isn't one of them. Oh what could have been had Arizona just taken Adrian Peterson, instead they took Brown. He made it 6+ years with the Cardinals and half a season in Pittsburgh before being released. In a draft this loaded, any miss is a big deal.
Pick #6 Washington Redskins: LaRon Landry S, LSU. I LOVED this pick at the time. The Redskins getting Landry to pair with Sean Taylor and give them a couple of guys you feared if you came across the middle. I thought hell yeah, we got the secondary covered, next we can help the rest of the team. Little did I know Sean Taylor only had a few games left, and well Landry was alright. He did well in Washington aside from a couple injury problems. He left after his first contract and made a Pro Bowl with the Jets. Then went to the Colts for a couple years before being kicked out of the league for PEDs which was no shock to anyone, the dude was jacked. I still wonder what if with Taylor and Landry.
Pick #7 Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma. I said Joe Thomas was the best player in this draft, well the competition is stiff. All Day was an absolute force at Oklahoma, he broke his collar bone his Junior year, but still almost broke the all time rushing record for the school. Peterson didn't let up in Minnesota, he had 1,000 yards rushing in all but 1 of his 8 full seasons for the Vikings (he did miss 1 year to injury and was traded after 3 games his final year). In 2012 he ran for 2,000 yards and was named MVP of the league which is monumental that a QB didn't win it. Peterson had some off field issues, but all in all Minnesota made the most of this pick. It's 13 years later and Peterson is still doing it, which for a RB is down right amazing.
Pick #8 Atlanta Falcons: Jamaal Anderson DE, Arkansas. Atlanta tried to get the monopoly on Jama(a)l Andersons in NFL history, sadly this one didn't work out like the RB. Double A racked up 4.5 sacks in 4 seasons for the Falcons and was out of the league by 2012. Very hard to miss in this draft and Atlanta missed terribly.
Pick #9 Miami Dolphins: Ted Ginn Jr. WR, Ohio State. On first thought he's one of the better return specialists in the NFL of the last decade, on the other hand you don't use a top 10 pick on a kick return guy. Ginn has been consistent, but that's about it, never had a 1,000 yard receiving season. He's done most of his damage outside of Miami, and is still doing it.
Pick #10 Houston Texans: Amobi Okoye DT, Louiseville. When Okoye was drafted I remember him being a great workout guy, well winning the underwear olympics doesn't make you a good defensive tackle. Okoye never really panned out. He had decent rookie year but nothing more after that. He was out of the league by 2012, and again with this great of a draft it's hard to miss.
So the top 10 was a mixed bag, some Hall of Famers and some flat out busts. The rest of the top 20 had some firepower. Patrick Willis went 11th to the 49ers and Marshawn Lynch went 12th to Buffalo. Both turned out to be studs. Darrelle Revis went 14th to the Jets, he'll be in the Hall of Fame. Lawrence Timmons 15th to Pittsburgh, he made the Pro Bowl once. One of my favorites in this draft Michael Griffin went to the Titans at 19, I really thought he was going to be awesome. Couple of decent corners in Leon Hall (Bengals) and Aaron Ross (Giants) went 18 and 20.
In the last part of the 1st round the talent doesn't end. Reggie Nelson went 21 to Jacksonville. Brady Quinn went 22nd, he sucked. 23 to 29 in order Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Brandon Meriweather (Patriots), Jon Beason (Panthers), Anthony Spencer (Cowboys), Robert Meachem (Saints), Joe Staley (49ers), and Ben Grubbs (Ravens). That's 6 Pro Bowl players, and I think Staley has a Hall of Fame shot. That's just an awesome group of talent. The Bears took Greg Olsen at 31, he was a force for a while, mostly in Carolina.
2nd round featured Eric Weddle at 37 and Zach Miller at 38. Vikings hit another good pick with Sidney Rice at 44 and Pittsburgh got another LB in LaMarr Woodley at 46. Non face puncher Steve Smith, (the USC one) was picked by the Giants at 51. Ryan Kalil went to Carolina at 59.
Future Super Bowl hero Jacoby Jones went in the 3rd round to Houston, sadly for them his Super Bowl moment came with Baltimore.
The Ravens landed Marshall Yanda in the 3rd round, all he did was become the best Guard of the 2010s and will likely be in Canton. Starting to see where Baltimore could win a Super Bowl in the near future.
4th round Jermon Bushrod and Dashon Goldson went back to back, this is a great secondary class, I'm starting to think I should've been mad the Redskins went with Landry.
Le'Ron McClain probably the last good Fullback went to the Ravens with the last pick of the 4th round.
If you're a college football nerd like me, you recognize the name Josh Gattis, who was taken as a Safety by the Jags in the 5th round. He's currently the OC at Michigan and was previously at Alabama.
Bears got Corey Graham in the 5th, man they made some nice moves.
Mason Crosby was drafted by the Packers in the 6th, he did alright.
That's a hell of a class, those first 3 rounds are loaded with talent. Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Megatron, Joe Staley, Marshall Yanda, Darrelle Revis, and Patrick Willis were all considered the best at their position for a time in the league, and all could end up in Canton.
JaMarcus Russell is the obvious bust of the draft.
Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson can argue over who was better.
The Ravens had a great draft as did Pittsburgh.
That was a fun one, I'll be doing 2011 next so come back for that one, and if you want go back in the archives to 2014 and read my first 3 of these.
Pick #1 Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU. Oh boy, all that celebration about the greatness of this draft and we start with probably the biggest bust of the 2000s. Russell rose to the top with a stellar Junior year and outplayed presumptive #1 QB Brady Quinn (who didn't turn out much better) in the Sugar Bowl. A QB from LSU having 1 great year and going #1, never heard of that happening before.
Pick #2 Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson WR, Georgia Tech. Detroit had such a terrible record of drafting WRs in the top 10 in the 3 drafts from 2005-2007 (Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams) that when they took Megatron they were universally panned. How could Detroit go the that well again? Well it worked out this time, Tron is the conversation of best WR of the decade, and was on his way to Canton before he hung em up prematurely. He is probably my favorite player in this draft, he was my guy in fantasy football, I didn't have many teams he wasn't on. Still think he gets to Canton but it isn't a slam dunk like a couple more years would've made him.
Pick #3 Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas OT, Wisconsin. They are already making his bust in Canton and putting it in a storage room till he's eligible. Joe Thomas was the best Left Tackle in the NFL for a very long time. This was one of the few great picks Cleveland ever made, and honestly Thomas was made for Cleveland, he went to work, did his job and went home. Didn't need the spotlight, even on draft day he went fishing instead of going to the draft, do you remember that, of course you do, it's all anyone talked about. He's the best player in this draft and probably should've gone first.
Pick #4 Tampa Bay Buccanneers: Gaines Adams DE, Clemson. Gaines Adams was pretty good his first couple years in the league, had 6+ sacks each of his first 2 seasons. In 2009 Adams was traded from Tampa to Chicago after a few games. He finished the season with the Bears and tragically died from an enlarged heart that January. Adams could've been a beast with the Bears and that defense, instead he's was lost to soon.
Pick #5 Arizona Cardinals: Levi Brown OT, Penn State. This draft has probably 4 Hall of Fame offensive lineman, and Brown isn't one of them. Oh what could have been had Arizona just taken Adrian Peterson, instead they took Brown. He made it 6+ years with the Cardinals and half a season in Pittsburgh before being released. In a draft this loaded, any miss is a big deal.
Pick #6 Washington Redskins: LaRon Landry S, LSU. I LOVED this pick at the time. The Redskins getting Landry to pair with Sean Taylor and give them a couple of guys you feared if you came across the middle. I thought hell yeah, we got the secondary covered, next we can help the rest of the team. Little did I know Sean Taylor only had a few games left, and well Landry was alright. He did well in Washington aside from a couple injury problems. He left after his first contract and made a Pro Bowl with the Jets. Then went to the Colts for a couple years before being kicked out of the league for PEDs which was no shock to anyone, the dude was jacked. I still wonder what if with Taylor and Landry.
Pick #7 Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma. I said Joe Thomas was the best player in this draft, well the competition is stiff. All Day was an absolute force at Oklahoma, he broke his collar bone his Junior year, but still almost broke the all time rushing record for the school. Peterson didn't let up in Minnesota, he had 1,000 yards rushing in all but 1 of his 8 full seasons for the Vikings (he did miss 1 year to injury and was traded after 3 games his final year). In 2012 he ran for 2,000 yards and was named MVP of the league which is monumental that a QB didn't win it. Peterson had some off field issues, but all in all Minnesota made the most of this pick. It's 13 years later and Peterson is still doing it, which for a RB is down right amazing.
Pick #8 Atlanta Falcons: Jamaal Anderson DE, Arkansas. Atlanta tried to get the monopoly on Jama(a)l Andersons in NFL history, sadly this one didn't work out like the RB. Double A racked up 4.5 sacks in 4 seasons for the Falcons and was out of the league by 2012. Very hard to miss in this draft and Atlanta missed terribly.
Pick #9 Miami Dolphins: Ted Ginn Jr. WR, Ohio State. On first thought he's one of the better return specialists in the NFL of the last decade, on the other hand you don't use a top 10 pick on a kick return guy. Ginn has been consistent, but that's about it, never had a 1,000 yard receiving season. He's done most of his damage outside of Miami, and is still doing it.
Pick #10 Houston Texans: Amobi Okoye DT, Louiseville. When Okoye was drafted I remember him being a great workout guy, well winning the underwear olympics doesn't make you a good defensive tackle. Okoye never really panned out. He had decent rookie year but nothing more after that. He was out of the league by 2012, and again with this great of a draft it's hard to miss.
So the top 10 was a mixed bag, some Hall of Famers and some flat out busts. The rest of the top 20 had some firepower. Patrick Willis went 11th to the 49ers and Marshawn Lynch went 12th to Buffalo. Both turned out to be studs. Darrelle Revis went 14th to the Jets, he'll be in the Hall of Fame. Lawrence Timmons 15th to Pittsburgh, he made the Pro Bowl once. One of my favorites in this draft Michael Griffin went to the Titans at 19, I really thought he was going to be awesome. Couple of decent corners in Leon Hall (Bengals) and Aaron Ross (Giants) went 18 and 20.
In the last part of the 1st round the talent doesn't end. Reggie Nelson went 21 to Jacksonville. Brady Quinn went 22nd, he sucked. 23 to 29 in order Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Brandon Meriweather (Patriots), Jon Beason (Panthers), Anthony Spencer (Cowboys), Robert Meachem (Saints), Joe Staley (49ers), and Ben Grubbs (Ravens). That's 6 Pro Bowl players, and I think Staley has a Hall of Fame shot. That's just an awesome group of talent. The Bears took Greg Olsen at 31, he was a force for a while, mostly in Carolina.
2nd round featured Eric Weddle at 37 and Zach Miller at 38. Vikings hit another good pick with Sidney Rice at 44 and Pittsburgh got another LB in LaMarr Woodley at 46. Non face puncher Steve Smith, (the USC one) was picked by the Giants at 51. Ryan Kalil went to Carolina at 59.
Future Super Bowl hero Jacoby Jones went in the 3rd round to Houston, sadly for them his Super Bowl moment came with Baltimore.
The Ravens landed Marshall Yanda in the 3rd round, all he did was become the best Guard of the 2010s and will likely be in Canton. Starting to see where Baltimore could win a Super Bowl in the near future.
4th round Jermon Bushrod and Dashon Goldson went back to back, this is a great secondary class, I'm starting to think I should've been mad the Redskins went with Landry.
Le'Ron McClain probably the last good Fullback went to the Ravens with the last pick of the 4th round.
If you're a college football nerd like me, you recognize the name Josh Gattis, who was taken as a Safety by the Jags in the 5th round. He's currently the OC at Michigan and was previously at Alabama.
Bears got Corey Graham in the 5th, man they made some nice moves.
Mason Crosby was drafted by the Packers in the 6th, he did alright.
That's a hell of a class, those first 3 rounds are loaded with talent. Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Megatron, Joe Staley, Marshall Yanda, Darrelle Revis, and Patrick Willis were all considered the best at their position for a time in the league, and all could end up in Canton.
JaMarcus Russell is the obvious bust of the draft.
Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson can argue over who was better.
The Ravens had a great draft as did Pittsburgh.
That was a fun one, I'll be doing 2011 next so come back for that one, and if you want go back in the archives to 2014 and read my first 3 of these.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Draft Revisited 2008
I hate draft grades, the idea of watching the draft and the next day deciding who did better than who is ridiculous. You have no idea who did better than who. We can make jokes and remark on draft picks but we have no clue what that player will mean for the franchise in the coming years. When I do these and I go on Wikipedia and look at the entire draft list, there is always a highlighted player in the 4th or 5th round from a team that wins the Super Bowl in the next couple years. This draft has a few of them teams, New Orleans, Green Bay, Baltimore, and New England all made picks in 2008 that helped them win Super Bowls. So yeah it's fun to read who won last week, but I don't think you can grade a trade until players reach that 2nd contract, IF they reach that 2nd contract. The top 10 of the 2008 draft is full of big time players from college, but the picks from 11-30 had more success in the NFL and made bigger impacts. Not sure how the top 10 got graded but I assume very well, because I know most of these guys and they were all dynamite in college.
Pick 1 Miami Dolphins: Jake Long OT, Michigan. The Dolphins had their hearts set on Jake Long or not, I know some other guys were bigger names Long was the guy they wanted. Jake Long was a great pick and did some good things in Miami before leaving in 2013. The Dolphins however never found a QB for Long to protect, so kind of like Joe Thomas he was a wasted stud. He fought the injury bug the 2nd half of his career and never reached his entire potential but he was named to 3 straight Pro Bowls in Miami.
Pick 2 St. Louis Rams: Chris Long DE, Virginia. I think Chris Long has made a name for himself even having a hall of famer for a father. He was never the elite player his dad was but he was consistent. But when you're taken 2nd overall consistent isn't what teams want. He did lead the Rams in sacks in 2012, but that was about it. He never made a Pro Bowl, after the Rams released him after 2015, he went to New England and then Philly to win some Super Bowls. He retired after 2018 with 70 career sacks in 11 seasons. He's a much bigger presence on social media, being a vocal voice for his college town in Charlottesville, and all around a decent dude.
Pick 3 Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan QB, Boston College. Dude Boston College used to be a factory, what happened? Anyway, Matt Ryan was the prototype coming out of college. Checked every box that a 2008 offense would want, who could say otherwise. He has been great in Atlanta, reached a Super Bowl and has mostly lived up to this draft position. Great pick by Atlanta and he's still doing all these years later.
Pick 4 Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas. Run DMC had 3 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 3 years and only had 2 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 9 NFL seasons. He was the next greatest thing coming out of Arkansas and of course he went to Oakland where it seemed all talent of the late 2000's went to die. He never played an entire season in Oakland, missing a few games each season, which for a RB is expected. His 3rd year was his best but the other years for the Raiders left a lot to be desired. Run DMC eventually ended up in Dallas had a decent season in 2015, but was done with football by 2017.
Pick 5 Kansas City Chiefs: Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU. I remember thinking Dorsey was can't miss. He was awesome at LSU, 2 time All-American awesome. Well that didn't happen. He never found his game in Kansas City, totaling 4 sacks in 5 years and getting a little over 50 tackles a year. Dorsey tried again in San Francisco but didn't find much success there either. He tore his ACL in 2015 and ended his career, he missed, damn it.
Pick 6 New York Jets: Vernon Gholston DE, Ohio State. When you take a 4-3 DE and then stand him up to be a 3-4 LB, things sometimes don't work out. For Vernon Gholston, nothing worked out, the Jets switched his position, he never played his rookie year, or his 2nd season, or even his 3rd season. Then he was gone from the Jets and never played again. 3 years 42 tackles 0 sacks, and the Jets made the AFC championship game a couple years in a row after whiffing that bad on him.
Pick 7 New Orleans Saints: Sedrick Ellis DT, USC. Ellis ended up being a cog in the Saints defense, he was never a monster but he was solid. He started every game he played in and helped the Saints on their run to the Super Bowl. He made it 5 years with the Saints, signed with the Bears in 2013 and retired before camp started.
Pick 8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Harvey DE, Florida. I swear Jacksonville is in the top 10 of every one of these I do, and every guy they take is in contention for bust of the top 10. Derrick Harvey is no different, 3 years in Jacksonville then 1 year in Denver and he's gone. Harvey fared a little better than Vernon Gholston but not much. Now you know why Jacksonville plays a game in London every year, they suck at drafting.
Pick 9 Cincinnati Bengals: Keith Rivers LB, USC. Rivers was on his way to making a difference his rookie year, until Hines Ward broke his jaw with a helmet block to the face. Rivers had 2 more decent years with the Bengals before being traded to the Giants for a draft pick. He didn't do as well in New York and much like other guys was out of the league after 2013. This top 10 has a few 5 year or less careers.
Pick 10 New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo LB, Tennessee. Here's the thing, when New England takes a guy this high you know he's good. They are the kings of moving back in the draft and still getting their guys. In fact New England had traded off of 7 (who they got from San Francisco) to New Orleans to move back to 10. Mayo was very good for the Pats, he won defensive rookie of the year. Mayo was a force the Patriots defense for 8 seasons before hanging it up, this was a good pick.
11-20 if full of studs, Ryan Clady went to Denver at 12, he was a top tackle in the league and played for a decade. Jonathan Stewart went at 13 to Carolina, he was on my fantasy team many times. Kansas City double dipped in the 1st round with tackle Branden Albert at 15. Arizona selected Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at 16. Joe Flacco went to Baltimore at 18, that worked out for them. Finally at 20 Aqib Talib went to Tampa, he worked out alright for a few teams.
Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Johnson went back to back at 23 and 24.
The Patirots forfeited their pick at #31, believe that was spygate. This was coming off the perfect season for them, so they were in full FU mode.
The Giants took Kenny Phillips at 31, he turned out alright.
2nd round Green Bay took Jordy Nelson, he was a very good player for them.
Bears got Matt Forte in the 2nd round, this turned out to be an ok RB class with Stewart, Mendenhall, Forte, Ray Rice (2nd Baltimore), Jamaal Charles (3rd round Kansas City), and Justin Forsett (7th Seattle)
More 2nd round gold, DeSean Jackson to Philly and Calais Campbell to Arizona.
Green Bay in the moving on from Brett Favre faze selected 2 QBs, Brian Brohm in the 2nd and Matt Flynn in the 7th.
Cliff Avril was picked by Detroit in the 3rd, I remember more for his damage done in Seattle.
With the last pick of the 4th round Green Bay took Josh Sitton, he was an anchor on the line for a few seasons.
Saints got Carl Nicks in the 5th, Nicks was an all pro for the Saints and started on the Super Bowl winning team.
I think Matt Ryan and Ryan Clady were the best 2 guys in this draft.
Vernon Gholston is for sure the bust.
New Orleans probably had the best draft, but New England and Green Bay also did well.
This was a fun one, that top 10 reminds me a lot of 2006, where there were a lot of studs from college in the top 10 who just flamed out. I'll get to 2007 next and then I'll work my way forward with 2011.
Pick 1 Miami Dolphins: Jake Long OT, Michigan. The Dolphins had their hearts set on Jake Long or not, I know some other guys were bigger names Long was the guy they wanted. Jake Long was a great pick and did some good things in Miami before leaving in 2013. The Dolphins however never found a QB for Long to protect, so kind of like Joe Thomas he was a wasted stud. He fought the injury bug the 2nd half of his career and never reached his entire potential but he was named to 3 straight Pro Bowls in Miami.
Pick 2 St. Louis Rams: Chris Long DE, Virginia. I think Chris Long has made a name for himself even having a hall of famer for a father. He was never the elite player his dad was but he was consistent. But when you're taken 2nd overall consistent isn't what teams want. He did lead the Rams in sacks in 2012, but that was about it. He never made a Pro Bowl, after the Rams released him after 2015, he went to New England and then Philly to win some Super Bowls. He retired after 2018 with 70 career sacks in 11 seasons. He's a much bigger presence on social media, being a vocal voice for his college town in Charlottesville, and all around a decent dude.
Pick 3 Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan QB, Boston College. Dude Boston College used to be a factory, what happened? Anyway, Matt Ryan was the prototype coming out of college. Checked every box that a 2008 offense would want, who could say otherwise. He has been great in Atlanta, reached a Super Bowl and has mostly lived up to this draft position. Great pick by Atlanta and he's still doing all these years later.
Pick 4 Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas. Run DMC had 3 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 3 years and only had 2 1,000 rushing yard seasons in 9 NFL seasons. He was the next greatest thing coming out of Arkansas and of course he went to Oakland where it seemed all talent of the late 2000's went to die. He never played an entire season in Oakland, missing a few games each season, which for a RB is expected. His 3rd year was his best but the other years for the Raiders left a lot to be desired. Run DMC eventually ended up in Dallas had a decent season in 2015, but was done with football by 2017.
Pick 5 Kansas City Chiefs: Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU. I remember thinking Dorsey was can't miss. He was awesome at LSU, 2 time All-American awesome. Well that didn't happen. He never found his game in Kansas City, totaling 4 sacks in 5 years and getting a little over 50 tackles a year. Dorsey tried again in San Francisco but didn't find much success there either. He tore his ACL in 2015 and ended his career, he missed, damn it.
Pick 6 New York Jets: Vernon Gholston DE, Ohio State. When you take a 4-3 DE and then stand him up to be a 3-4 LB, things sometimes don't work out. For Vernon Gholston, nothing worked out, the Jets switched his position, he never played his rookie year, or his 2nd season, or even his 3rd season. Then he was gone from the Jets and never played again. 3 years 42 tackles 0 sacks, and the Jets made the AFC championship game a couple years in a row after whiffing that bad on him.
Pick 7 New Orleans Saints: Sedrick Ellis DT, USC. Ellis ended up being a cog in the Saints defense, he was never a monster but he was solid. He started every game he played in and helped the Saints on their run to the Super Bowl. He made it 5 years with the Saints, signed with the Bears in 2013 and retired before camp started.
Pick 8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Harvey DE, Florida. I swear Jacksonville is in the top 10 of every one of these I do, and every guy they take is in contention for bust of the top 10. Derrick Harvey is no different, 3 years in Jacksonville then 1 year in Denver and he's gone. Harvey fared a little better than Vernon Gholston but not much. Now you know why Jacksonville plays a game in London every year, they suck at drafting.
Pick 9 Cincinnati Bengals: Keith Rivers LB, USC. Rivers was on his way to making a difference his rookie year, until Hines Ward broke his jaw with a helmet block to the face. Rivers had 2 more decent years with the Bengals before being traded to the Giants for a draft pick. He didn't do as well in New York and much like other guys was out of the league after 2013. This top 10 has a few 5 year or less careers.
Pick 10 New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo LB, Tennessee. Here's the thing, when New England takes a guy this high you know he's good. They are the kings of moving back in the draft and still getting their guys. In fact New England had traded off of 7 (who they got from San Francisco) to New Orleans to move back to 10. Mayo was very good for the Pats, he won defensive rookie of the year. Mayo was a force the Patriots defense for 8 seasons before hanging it up, this was a good pick.
11-20 if full of studs, Ryan Clady went to Denver at 12, he was a top tackle in the league and played for a decade. Jonathan Stewart went at 13 to Carolina, he was on my fantasy team many times. Kansas City double dipped in the 1st round with tackle Branden Albert at 15. Arizona selected Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at 16. Joe Flacco went to Baltimore at 18, that worked out for them. Finally at 20 Aqib Talib went to Tampa, he worked out alright for a few teams.
Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Johnson went back to back at 23 and 24.
The Patirots forfeited their pick at #31, believe that was spygate. This was coming off the perfect season for them, so they were in full FU mode.
The Giants took Kenny Phillips at 31, he turned out alright.
2nd round Green Bay took Jordy Nelson, he was a very good player for them.
Bears got Matt Forte in the 2nd round, this turned out to be an ok RB class with Stewart, Mendenhall, Forte, Ray Rice (2nd Baltimore), Jamaal Charles (3rd round Kansas City), and Justin Forsett (7th Seattle)
More 2nd round gold, DeSean Jackson to Philly and Calais Campbell to Arizona.
Green Bay in the moving on from Brett Favre faze selected 2 QBs, Brian Brohm in the 2nd and Matt Flynn in the 7th.
Cliff Avril was picked by Detroit in the 3rd, I remember more for his damage done in Seattle.
With the last pick of the 4th round Green Bay took Josh Sitton, he was an anchor on the line for a few seasons.
Saints got Carl Nicks in the 5th, Nicks was an all pro for the Saints and started on the Super Bowl winning team.
I think Matt Ryan and Ryan Clady were the best 2 guys in this draft.
Vernon Gholston is for sure the bust.
New Orleans probably had the best draft, but New England and Green Bay also did well.
This was a fun one, that top 10 reminds me a lot of 2006, where there were a lot of studs from college in the top 10 who just flamed out. I'll get to 2007 next and then I'll work my way forward with 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)