Buffalo Sports Day » Football

Sports Beat – 3/23/11

Lloyd Carroll — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:02:14 +0000

One week after the NFL announced that it was locking out its players, Jets head coach Rex Ryan made his first public appearance, doing a meet and greet for Revolution Eyewear at Vision Expo East, an optical trade show held at the Javits Center.

Rex told me that he expected the League and the Players Association to cut a deal before training camp gets underway. I tend to agree with Rex because I can’t see the NFL’s television partners–CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN, collectively sucking their thumbs while they fork over a billion dollars to greedy owners who are guaranteed to get paid by the networks even if there is no football in 2011. You better believe that CBS’s Leslie Moonves, FOX’s James Abernathy, NBC’s Dick Ebersol, and ESPN’s CEO George Bodenheimer will call Roger Goodell into a closed door meeting where the language won’t be pretty if the owners are playing hardball.

It is ridiculous to expect the players association to give up any economic benefits when the owners are making money hand over fist while refusing to allow the union’s CPAs to examine their financial books.

Jets owner Woody Johnson has reenforced his image for unmitigated avarice. Despite the fact that it is the off-season and that he has more money than most nations combined, Woody announced that Jets front office personnel would be furloughed and that Rex Ryan’s assistant coaches would have to absorb a 25% pay cut. This is the same Woody Johnson who wanted New York taxpayers to help finance a stadium for him near the Javits Center in 2005 even though he was cited that year by the Senate Finance Committee for trying to evade the IRS by having too much money in Cayman Islands bank accounts. It should be noted that Giants CEO John Mara has not reduced anyone’s pay in his organization.

“Are you really going to write that about Woody?” Rex asked me. He did not go out of his way to dissuade me. To answer your question Rex, as Sarah Palin likes to say, “You betcha!”

Speaking of the Vision Expo, Melville-based Marchon Eyewear introduced fashionable 3-D glasses that can be used as well as sunglasses and can even be used for prescriptive purposes to correct nearsightedness. Marchon’s Lacoste line has elongated side frames with magnetic tips that can be folded around your neck so that it is harder to lose them. Oakley, which has long been a favorite of baseball players with its stylish wraparounds, introduced sunglasses designed by snowboarding legend Shaun White. Oakley’s sister company, Revo, signed Jacques Cousteau’s beautiful granddaughter, Alexandra, to promote its collection of sunglasses that are specifically designed for those who spend a lot of time at sea such as fishermen and sailors. Hauppauge-based Clearvision displayed its always fashionable Cole Haan aviators while Viva International was promoting its Harley-Davidson line of eyewear.

The Rangers have had an up-and-down season and it always seems as if their traditional April Sunday matinee with the Flyers in Philadelphia is a referendum on their post-season aspirations. The Blueshirts will be at the Wells Fargo Center this Sunday at 1 PM.

Supermodel Carol Alt, who grew up in East Williston, turned 50 this past December. She still looks smoking hot based on her appearance at the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency’s press conference promoting a search for models who are over 40. Alt, who was married to former Ranger Ron Greschner, and is now reportedly romantically linked with former Islander Alexei Yashin, added a touch of needed glitz to hockey when it truly was a niche sport in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

Renown sportscaster Bob Wolff recently turned 90 and he is still not thinking about retirement. He still contributes to Cablevision’s various News 12 operations in our area and he has just written his latest book titled Bob Wolff’s Complete Guide to Sportscasting (Skyhorse Publishing) which is humorously subtitled “How to Make it in Sportscasting With or Without Talent.”

Unlike pedantic sportscasting historian Curt Smith, Wolff engages the reader in a relaxed conversational manner. He singles out the Mets radio tandem of Howie Rose and Wayne Hagin (who has not gotten the accolades from the media that he deserves) for brightening up many a dreary Mets loss with witty banter and timely storytelling. Rose and Hagin will clearly have their work cut out for them again this year.

This year marks the 70^th anniversary of Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, a record that many doubt will ever be broken. Sports Illustrated editor Kostya Kennedy recounts the events of the 1941 season in his latest book that is simply titled “56″ (SI Books) although we don’t get much insight into the kind of guy Joltin’ Joe really was. While Kennedy’s book is readable much of the ground was covered better a few years ago by Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro whose 1941 (Random House) is still available in paperback.

Catching Hell, the ESPN film about unfortunate Cubs fan Steve Bartman that was supposed to be part of its “30 for 30″ 30^th anniversary documentary series, will finally make its debut at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.

The National Enquirer has been dipping its gossipy toes into the world of sports lately. After enjoying a field day with Tiger Woods’ foibles, The Enquirer has recently run stories on why veteran NASCAR drivers resent newcomer Trevor Bayne who won the 2011 Daytona 500, and how singer Carrie Underwood demanded that the Ottawa Senators trade her husband, Mike Fischer, to the Nashville Predators, which they eventually did.

Rock & roll legend Lloyd Price inducted his old Specialty Records boss, Art Rupe, at this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Price though seemed more excited to discuss his bowling prowess in the Waldorf press room as he claimed that he has rolled six perfect games and has a 212 average.

On the sneaker front, the Air Jordan 2011 is definitely going with a retro feel. Their black and white athletic shoe resembles spats from the 1930s. K-Swiss has been promoting its tubular-soled sneakers with actor Danny McBride playing his Kenny Powers role from HBO’s “Eastbound and Down” (which is about to start its new season) in the company’s billboards and subway ads. Finally, Under Armour, which is best known for body-fitting gym clothes, has quietly gotten into the footwear business and was recently Major League Baseball’s official shoe supplier.

Dark chocolate has a lot of medicinal benefits since cocoa leaves contain anti-oxidants. Forget Hershey’s and Nestle’s; if you want to step up in quality try Green & Black’s Organic chocolate bars which have a far higher cocoa concentration than the big names in the industry.

Popcorn has long been considered one of the healthier snacks and one of my favorite brands is Popcorn, Indiana which makes generous size bags of kettlecorn.

Sure, Florida may have orange and grapefruit juices, but upstate New York has the best apple, nectar, and cherry juices. Zagat has rated Red Jacket Orchards from Geneva, NY as having the best juices on the planet. While that may be a bit extreme, their juices do come straight from the orchard and provide fiber, Vitamin C, and anti-oxidants. And yes, they do taste great.

Red wine is great for heart health as well as getting a gentle buzz. The only downside is staining your teeth. A new product called Wine Wipes will safely clean off your pearly whites after you imbibe. So now you can drink up and not worry.

Theater “Lombardi” Starring: Dan Lauria & Judith Light

Lloyd Carroll — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:36:22 +0000

Another sign that my fellow baby boomers are getting older is that this past September marked the 40^th anniversary of the passing of the most famous head coach in NFL history, Vince Lombardi. This milestone has not gone unnoticed. HBO Sports and NFL Films have been working on a documentary that will air on the cable network this December. The NFL has also been instrumental in getting Lombardi’s story on Broadway as it is a major financial backer of the new play, “Lombardi,” that is based on David Maraniss’s bio, “When Pride Still Mattered” (Simon & Schuster).

“Lombardi” cleverly examines a random autumn week in the coach’s life as his Green Bay Packers are preparing to take on the San Francisco 49ers. Look Magazine has dispatched a young sports reporter, Michael McCormick (Keith Nobbs), to spend the week with Vince (Dan Lauria) and his wife Marie (Judith Light) for a profile article.

What McCormick does not know is that his editor and Lombardi are old friends and he is there for a puff piece. Even worse, Look is willing to give the Packers coach having final edit control on the piece. It turns out that the gruff Lombardi was sensitive to a harsh article about him that had been published a few weeks earlier in Esquire.

Michael McCormick represents the public and he does a great job probing Vince Lombardi by not only interviewing him, but also his better half, Marie, and a trio of Packers legends, Dave Robinson (Robert Christopher Riley), Paul Hornung (Bill Dawes) and Jim Taylor (Chris Sullivan). The supporting characters hold our interest as much as the title protagonist does.

Marie Lombardi is no shrinking violet and can go toe-to-toe with her boisterous husband if necessary. Their love was clearly deep and the play makes it clear that she was Vince’s rock when he was thinking of dropping football for a career in banking when he grew tired of being an assistant coach with the Giants. He couldn’t understand why he had been overlooked by every major college and NFL team until the lowly Green Bay Packers came calling in 1959.

While she encouraged her husband to take the job in Green Bay, it is clear that life in the NFL’s smallest outpost did not suit her. She tells McCormick that she desperately misses Manhattan and wiles away too much of the time by hitting the liquor cabinet.

“Lombardi” does not shy away from key social and economic issues. Lombardi was never a big fan of individualism and preferred a marine corps-style thinking of putting the best interests of the group first. The positive side of this was that the Packers were remarkably free of prejudice. Louisiana good ole boy Jim Taylor did not think twice about socializing with black linebacker Dave Robinson.

The negative side of that philosophy was that Vince, who was also the Packers general manager, had trouble dealing with his players when it came to their economic welfare. He goes ballistic when Jim Taylor lets it be known that he has an agent who will negotiate his next contract for him (he would soon be traded to the expansion New Orleans Saints) while Dave Robinson is team’s first union rep and relishes the idea of getting better benefits for the rank-and-file.

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing!” is the quotation most associated with Vince Lombardi. The play takes pains to talk about how it has been misinterpreted over the years. Lombardi was only trying to emphasize the cultivation of a winning attitude and not that one should commit harakiri if you are on the losing side.

Dan Lauria, best known for his role as the dad on “The Wonder Years,” bears a strong physical resemblance to Lombardi and sounds like him as well. He is so credible in this role that you have a feeling that some NFL teams may want to hire him as their next head coach. Judith Light, best remembered for the ABC sitcom “Who’s the Boss?”, makes Marie a sympathetic character. Keith Nobbs reminds one of a young Tom Cruise.

“Lombardi” comes in at a sprite 95 minutes and does not have an intermission. While it helps to be a football fan, even those who have little interest in the gridiron will enjoy this play. If you know little about Vince Lombardi except that his name adorns the Super Bowl trophy and a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, then you owe it to yourself to get to the Circle In The Square Theater ASAP.

Confidence Score Picks – NFL Week

Jon Wagner — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:58:20 +0000

Each week throughout the 2010 NFL season, Jon Wagner (Sr. Writer At-Large for Football Reporters Online, Senior Columnist for Pro Football NYC, and writer for NY Sports Day), picks the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own confidence picks in the comments sections at FRO, PFNYC, or NYSD, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week. Here are Jon’s season results and picks for this week (home teams in CAPS):

LAST WEEK: 9-7 84 points (out of 136)

SEASON: 18-14 89.0 pts/week (out of 136.0)

16 NEW ENGLAND (1-1) over Buffalo (0-2)

The Patriots have beaten the Bills 13 straight times and have won all 8 games played between the two teams at Gillette Stadium. There’s no reason why those trends shouldn’t continue. Division games always have potential of springing surprising upsets, but this is one of the AFC’s best hosting one of the AFC’s worst. Throw in the Pats being mad over losing to the Jets last week, and this one has the makings of an easy rout for New England.

15 BALTIMORE (1-1) over Cleveland (0-2)

On one hand, the Ravens have only managed 10 points in each of their two games, winning one, while losing the other. On the other hand, they’ve yet to give up a touchdown, allowing 8 field goals in those two game. The Browns meanwhile, blew 14-3 lead to lose in Tampa, and managed to lose to the Chiefs at home despite not allowing a defensive touchdown. Baltimore finally gets the offense going at home and rolls to an easy win for the “old Browns” over the “new Browns.”

14 NEW ORLEANS (2-0) over Atlanta (1-1)

The Falcons figured it all out at home last week, crushing Arizona, after a lackluster loss to the shorthanded Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Saints haven’t looked like the defending champs yet, but they’ve found a way two go 2-0. Reggie Bush is a big loss for New Orleans, but it’s lessened in this matchup by the loss of Atlanta’s Jerious Norwood. Drew Brees, who has completed 74.3 percent (55 of 74) of his passes this year, should get the Saints’ passing game rolling and the Superdome rocking.

13 Cincinnati (1-1) over CAROLINA (0-2)

The Bengals will look to tee off on rookie QB Jimmy Claussen, who will make his first NFL start. Other than in garbage time at New England in Week 1, Cincinnati’s offense has struggled thus far. It might benefit from a short field a few times if the Bengals’ defense can rattle the untested Claussen early and often.

12 MINNESOTA (0-2) over Detroit (0-2)

The Lions have fought well and should really be 1-1, so they’ve shown improvement from their dreadful play over the past few years. The Vikings season could be on the line though, and the prospect of going from Super Bowl contenders for a second straight year to a second straight loss at home and a disastrous 0-3 start should be enough motivation to spark Minnesota to its first win.

11 Green Bay (2-0) over CHICAGO (2-0)

A great old school matchup for Monday Night Football. No NFL teams have met more than these two. The Bears will be wearing their throwback 1940’s uniforms to honor the Monsters of the Midway. Unfortunately, the Bears’ defense won’t play that way against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who looked very sharp against the Bills last week. Green Bay simply has more talent than Chicago, which is lucky to be 2-0 (they should have lost to Detroit). The Bears come back to earth a little bit and the Packers take their rightful control of the NFC North.

10 HOUSTON (2-0) over Dallas (0-2)

Jerry Jones’ dream of hosting Super Bowl XLV in Dallas with his Cowboys as a participant already seems to be slipping away. Dallas gave away a game in Washington and then played uninspired football in losing to Chicago at home. The Cowboys now have to travel to undefeated Houston to face the NFL’s top-ranked offense. Ouch. Interesting stat: for all of the passing that Matt Schaub and the Texans’ offense did to win in Washington last week, the Texans over the past three seasons, are 20-2 when they rush at least 30 times and 2-23 when they rush less than 25 times. They were all rushing against Indianapolis, all passing against Washington. They’ll need to find better balance. A hunch says the Cowboys play a lot more sound than they have the first two weeks, but the Texans, at home, who will want to stake claim as Texas’ number one team over Dallas, will make enough plays on both sides of the ball to go 3-0 for the first time in their history and send the Cowboys to their first 0-3 start since 2001.

9 Philadelphia (1-1) over JACKSONVILLE (1-1)

Andy Reid finally decided to go with Michael Vick over Kevin Kolb (after he went with Kolb over Vick earlier in the week). He might have made that decision after looking at the Jaguars’ Cover 1 defense and the potential for Vick to gain some serious rushing yards if his receivers are covered downfield. A dangerous number for a less than strong road pick in the Eagles, but the Jaguars, after a solid home win against Denver, showed what we might see more of from them last week, in San Diego.

8 NY GIANTS (1-1) over Tennessee (1-1)

The Titans have won 9 straight against the NFC and 4 in a row against the Giants. Those trends will continue if the Giants can’t contain RB Chris Johnson, who is the type of athletic and speedy back who had given the Giants’ defense fits in recent years. Johnson should be highly motivated after being held to just 34 yards against Pittsburgh last week. He’ll get his yards against the Giants, but QB Eli Manning and his wide receiver corps, along with RB Ahmad Bradshaw (both rushing and receiving) should be able to make enough plays to counteract what Johnson will do for Tennessee, while the Giants’ strong secondary will make it tough for QB Vince Young to throw down field.

7 Washington (1-1) over ST. LOUIS (0-2)

Last week, Donovan McNabb gave his new team exactly what they wanted when the Redskins traded for him… except a win, that is. But, that had more to do with the Redskins’ normally very solid defense collapsing against Houston while blowing a 17-point second-half lead in an overtime loss to the Texans. Sam Bradford has been fairly good in his first two NFL games, but he simply doesn’t have the team around him. Washington is the better team here and McNabb, along with Clinton Portis, and Washington getting back to normal Redskin defense, will keep the 2010 top draft pick waiting at least another week for his first NFL win.

6 San Francisco (0-2) over KANSAS CITY (2-0)

The 49ers looked a lot better against the Saints than when they laid an egg in Seattle, but they’re still seeking their first win. The Chiefs meanwhile, failed to reach 10 first downs or 200 total yards against San Diego, and went without an offensive touchdown in Cleveland, yet they’ve started 2-0. Look for things to get back to what was expected here. The Niners finally get their first win while the Chiefs fall back down to earn a little bit as they find it tougher to win yet again with a struggling offense.

5 ARIZONA (1-1) over Oakland (1-1)

RB Beanie Wells, injured earlier in the week, will play for a Cardinals team that finally gets to play its home opener after flying out to St. Louis and then across the country to Atlanta to split its first two games on the road. But, Oakland is stout against the run, so even a healthy Wells won’t help much. Cardinals tough. Offseason acquisition Jason Campbell will remain benched for the start of this one in Bruce Gradkowski, who seems to give the Raiders a lift at home, but almost never on the road. Same here. If in Oakland, the Raiders would be the pick. But, in the dome in the dessert, home opener for the Cards, Arizona will get by.

4 Indianapolis (1-1) over DENVER (1-1)

The Colts must have felt a little like Mark Twain. After setting the record for the most consecutive seasons with at least 12 regular season wins, reports of Indianapolis’ demise were greatly exaggerated after a season-opening loss in Houston. Of particular note, the Colts’ running –- yes, running game, not only their passing game –- keyed a win over the Giants during which the Colts never broke a sweat. Peyton Manning will hurt the Broncos’ pass defense enough to overcome one of the better home field advantages in the NFL, as Denver looks to put together two straight good efforts at home after opening with a road loss in Jacksonville.

3 San Diego (1-1) over SEATTLE (1-1)

Week 1, the Chargers were disappointing in a loss while the Seahawks surprised with an easy win. Last week, San Diego kicked it into high gear with an easy win while Seattle stepped back with a bad loss. Now you know why this one is only a score of 3 (tough to tell what to expect in this league). But, QB Phillip Rivers should have a second straight solid performance and much like Peyton Manning helping the Colts overcome a tough home team in Denver, Rivers should help the Chargers get by a Seattle team that’s the good Jekyll at home and the bad Hyde on the road.

2 NY Jets (1-1) over MIAMI (2-0)

It’s an absolute disgrace that WR Braylon Edwards is playing in this game 562 days after he was out drinking with Donte Stallworth the night Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian with his car in Florida. Edwards learned nothing from Stallworth’s crime, but thank the overprotective CBA for not allowing the Jets much leeway to appropriately discipline Edwards instead of waiting for the NFL to take care of that. Hopefully, head coach Rex Ryan has the conscience to bench Edwards for most of the game and Edwards isn’t a factor. If Edwards wanted to do the right thing however, he could ask out of the game and Ryan could oblige that way. Don’t expect that, though. All of that drama aside, QB Mark Sanchez played well with the reigns taken off of him last week, and the Jets’ defense shut out New England on the second half without shutdown CB Darrelle Revis, who will miss this game with a hamstring injury. Though the Dolphins have yet to lose, they’ve also yet to score that much. And, although Miami’s defense will again be tough, Sanchez will find enough receivers and TE Dustin Keller (as he did last week) to move the ball, and RB LaDainian Tomlinson should make at least a couple of big plays. If RB Shonn Greene can also produce and keep the ball off the ground, it will be even easier for Gang Green, which after a distracting couple of weeks, tries to put the focus back on the field, instead of off of it.

1 TAMPA BAY (2-0) over Pittsburgh (2-0)

Who would have thought that this would be a fascinating Week 3 matchup between a pair of 2-0 teams? Yet, that’s exactly what it is, with the Steelers going with fourth-string QB Charlie Batch, trying to find a way to win yet again on nothing more than defense and guts, and virtually no offense (see last week’s 127 yards of total offense while winning in Tennessee). The Bucs meanwhile, haven’t been tested (with wins over Cleveland and Carolina). This one might be 6-3 with the way these two defenses can play, and with the offensive issues each team has. Thanks to injury though, the Bucs have the better quarterback, they’re at home, and the Steelers can’t win every game with out Ben Roethlisberger, can they?

Confidence Score Results – NFL Week 1

Jon Wagner — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:35:21 +0000

Each week throughout the NFL season, Jon Wagner, NYSD reporter, will be picking the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own picks in the comments section here at FRO, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week! Here are Jon’s results for Week 1:

CORRECT, WEEK 1: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 8, 4 ,1

WRONG, WEEK 1: 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2

WEEK 1 RECORD: 9-7 WEEK 1 SCORE: 94 (of 136)

SEASON RECORD: 9-7 SEASON AVERAGE: 94.0

Not a great start to the season in terms of picking winners. Only 9-7 in the opening week, and I should have been 8-8. However, 4 of the 7 I got wrong were among the 6 lowest scores, and I still pulled out a score of 94, thanks in part to a horrible rule that kept me from rightfully losing 15 on Chicago. The way the Niners played shocked me, and I didn’t think the Chiefs would be that tough at home. I had my suspicions about the Cowboy offense, but I thought that unit would do a little more than it did. I thought the same about Atlanta, and Buffalo was worth the risk at 2 even though I knew Miami was better. But, that’s the fun of picking e NFL. So, send in you Week 2 picks and see if you can beat me this week!

-Jon

Oakland at Tennessee Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

After the disastrous 0-6 start to the season last year before finishing 8-2, a home game against the improved yet still mediocre at best Raiders should get the Titans off on a winning note, especially with Vince Young –- and Kerry Collins, who’s not what he used to be –- starting things off for Tennessee this season.

Pick: Tennessee Confidence Score: 16

Detroit at Chicago Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Joe Paquette, Jr., a 63-year-old Lions’ fan with two arthritic knees easily became the NFL’s most devoted fan when he walked 450 miles over 17 days, from his home in Michigan to the Lions’ practice facility, just to tell the Lions in person that they needed “sisu,” a Finnish term meaning “strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.” Unfortunately for the Lions, sisu alone, sans enough talent, won’t be enough to break a 20-game road losing streak in Chicago, against a Bears team which is at home, and simply a better team than Detroit.

Pick: Chicago Confidence Score: 15

Carolina at NY Giants Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Hosting the Panthers has been a nightmare matchup for the Giants, who became the first NFL team in 26 years to be shut out while hosting a playoff game when they lost to Carolina, 23-0 in 2006. Last year, with a playoff berth on the line, playing for the final time in the old stadium which bared their name, the Giants were again embarrassed by the Panthers, 41-9. This time should be vastly different. The Giants still have a myriad of issues to address as the season progresses, but the early season schedule appears favorable, including their opener against a Carolina team that should be far less dangerous than in years past, after an offseason veteran purge, leaving the Panthers with the NFL’s youngest roster.

Pick: NY Giants Confidence Score: 14

Cincinnati at New England Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Tom Brady emerged unharmed from an early Thursday morning auto accident and he should be fine by Sunday. And, he gets back his favorite underneath target in Wes Welker, who makes the Patriots’ offense significantly more dangerous. That, along with opening at home should be enough to overcome the Bengals, even with Cincinnati’s own wide receiver addition of Terrell Owens to compliment Chad Ochocinco the way Welker will compliment Moss.

Pick: New England Confidence Score: 13

Minnesota at New Orleans Thu 9/9 8:30pm EST

The 2010 NFL season kicks off with a rematch of last year’s NFC championship game, which the Vikings should have won, if not for some costly turnovers. They outplayed the Saints last January, but with New Orleans brimming with pride and confidence after taking home its first Super Bowl title, and with Brett Favre hurting for wide receiver weapons, the Saints should be able to win easier this time.

Pick: New Orleans Confidence Score: 12

Green Bay at Philadelphia Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

A game featuring two teams moving in opposite directions. The Eagles have moved on from the Super Bowl contending Donovan McNabb era to that of Kevin Kolb’s with questions if Philadelphia is even a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Packers are a serious Super Bowl contender and Aaron Rodgers is a legitimate MVP candidate. This would figure to be an easy win at Lambeau, but anything can happen on the road in the NFL. Still, the Packers should open with a win at The Link.

Pick: Green Bay Confidence Score: 11

San Diego at Kansas City Mon 9/13 10:15pm EST

The Chargers usually start out of the gate slowly, but probably not here, not even on the road. Their talent advantage over the Chiefs should help them spoil the first Chiefs’ home game on Monday Night Football since 2006 and the unveiling of what Kansas City is billing as the “New Arrowhead” after a $375-million makeover.

Pick: San Diego Confidence Score: 10

San Francisco at Seattle Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

Head coach Pete Carroll makes his Seahawk debut as former Eagle Brian Westbrook tries to show if he’s got something left in the tank to compliment RB Frank Gore. The Niners appear to be the clear cut favorite in the NFC West, and even on the road, where they only went 2-6 last year, they should send an early message to a fellow NFC West foe that they are the new team to beat in the division.

Pick: San Francisco Confidence Score: 9

Arizona at St. Louis Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

Two new quarterback eras begin in this contest, one starts with a veteran, the other with a top-picked rookie. Derek Anderson takes over the Cardinals for Kurt Warner and Sam Bradford makes his first NFL start. Bradford looked good in the preseason, but he will have a tough job making a team that didn’t win a home game last season be more competitive, especially for a roster that includes nine 2010 draft picks and five undrafted free agents. Even without Warner, the Cardinals are the better team and should get the road win.

Pick: Arizona Confidence Score: 8

Dallas at Washington Sun 9/12 8:20pm EST

The Cowboys start their 50th anniversary season hoping it ends with them hosting the Super Bowl in their brand new “Dallas Palace.” The Redskins, meanwhile, start the Donovan McNabb regime, looking to turn things around after last year’s 4-12 season. A dangerous opener but one the Cowboys should win if they’re on their game.

Pick: Dallas Confidence Score: 7

Atlanta at Pittsburgh Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pittsburgh would be the clear favorite with Ben Roethlisberger, or perhaps even with a healthy Byron Leftwich. However, with Dennis Dixon making just his second NFL start (playing in only his third NFL game), and with the once-proud Steelers’ offensive line and rushing game both on the decline, the Falcons might be going into a usually tough place to play at just the right time. With more offensive weapons with which to work, Atlanta should come away with a nice road win to start its season.

Pick: Atlanta Confidence Score: 6

Indianapolis at Houston Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Are you ready for some football? Well, how about a key AFC South divisional game, right from the start of the season. Over the past few years, the Texans have been the trendy pick each season to make their first trip to the playoffs. But, each year, they come up a little short. And, each year, all the Colts do is win during the regular season. This should be a tough test for each side, but until we see different, the wise move is to cautiously err on the side of history, especially with the ultra-competitive Peyton Manning itching to go this year after losing in Super Bowl XLIV.

Pick: Indianapolis Confidence Score: 5

Baltimore at NY Jets Mon 9/13 7:00pm EST

Story lines abound. Monday Night Football. The Jets play their first regular season game at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Rex Ryan against his old team, which like his current one, is a Super Bowl contender. Will the Jets in fact get one step further than the AFC title game they reached last year, or will they be more like the team that went 4-7 after a 3-0 start a year ago? And, is Baltimore poised to go further after winning soundly at New England in last year’s playoffs before adding Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmanzadeh to bolster the only part of its game that was really lacking. It’s tough to go against the Jets opening on Monday night with their defense and with Ryan pumping them up, but the Ravens are talented enough to barely win what should be a terrific, physical, old school football game.

Pick: Baltimore Confidence Score: 4

Denver at Jacksonville Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Kyle Orton has slowly been putting to rest earlier criticism during his career that he wasn’t even close to an NFL-caliber quarterback. While he’s being pushed by the quickly popular Tim Tebow for the starting job, Orton is likely to get the nod in Jacksonville and should remain the starter as long as his solid play continues. The defection of Brandon Marshall to Miami will hurt however, and RB Knowshon Moreno could miss the game with a hamstring injury. The Jaguars though, have their own problems offensively, and in a game that could be low scoring and close, the kickers could come into play. The Broncos get the edge there, with Mike Prater, who was 30 of 35 last year, including 10 of 13 from 40 or more yards away. In contrast, Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee was just 10 of 16 from the same distance and only 3 of 7 from 40-49 yards.

Pick: Denver Confidence Score: 3

Miami at Buffalo Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

An AFC East game with each team featuring new defenses. The Bills made the switch from the Tampa-2 to the 3-4 while the Dolphins revamped much of their defense to compliment the addition of big play receiver Brandon Marshall. Miami is the better team on paper, and Buffalo could be a bad team this season, but a hunch says it takes a few games for Chad Henne and Marshall to gel while RB C.J. Spiller, who gets the starting job as a rookie after an impressive preseason, will do enough to start the Bills off with a mild upset of Miami at home.

Pick: Buffalo Confidence Score: 2

Cleveland at Tampa Bay Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Not even Joe Paquette might want to see this unappealing game if he were either a Browns or a Bucs fan. If he were the latter, Paquette wouldn’t be able to watch the game on TV as it will mark the first regular season blackout for a Bucs’ home game since 1997, the year before Tampa Bay moved into Raymond James stadium. Cleveland begins its Mike Holmgren and Jake Delhomme era while Tampa looks to stride forward after a rocky start with head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Josh Freeman at the helm. In the battle of attrition been two of the NFL’s weaker teams, go with the home team, barely.

Pick: Tampa Bay Confidence Score: 1

Week 1 Confidence Ratings

Jon Wagner — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:59:17 +0000

Each week throughout the NFL season, Jon Wagner, FRO’s Sr. Writer At-Large, will be picking the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own picks in the comments section here at FRO, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week! Here are Jon’s picks for Week 1:

Oakland at Tennessee Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Tennessee Confidence Score: 16

Detroit at Chicago Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Chicago Confidence Score: 15

Carolina at NY Giants Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: NY Giants Confidence Score: 14

Cincinnati at New England Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: New England Confidence Score: 13

Minnesota at New Orleans Thu 9/9 8:30pm EST

Pick: New Orleans Confidence Score: 12

Green Bay at Philadelphia Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

Pick: Green Bay Confidence Score: 11

San Diego at Kansas City Mon 9/13 10:15pm EST

Pick: San Diego Confidence Score: 10

San Francisco at Seattle Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

Pick: San Francisco Confidence Score: 9

Arizona at St. Louis Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST

Pick: Arizona Confidence Score: 8

Dallas at Washington Sun 9/12 8:20pm EST

Pick: Dallas Confidence Score: 7

Atlanta at Pittsburgh Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Atlanta Confidence Score: 6

Indianapolis at Houston Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Indianapolis Confidence Score: 5

Baltimore at NY Jets Mon 9/13 7:00pm EST

Pick: Baltimore Confidence Score: 4

Denver at Jacksonville Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Denver Confidence Score: 3

Miami at Buffalo Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Buffalo Confidence Score: 2

Cleveland at Tampa Bay Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST

Pick: Tampa Bay Confidence Score: 1

The Rise and Fall of JaMarcus Russell

JP Fox — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:40:08 +0000

When people used to bring up the phrase “Draft Bust,” it used to signal the talk of Ryan Leaf. Nowadays, Leaf is basically an afterthought. There’s a new man holding down that crown of being the biggest draft bust in NFL History, and that man is JaMarcus Russell. Russell was just recently released by the Oakland Raiders, after playing only three seasons for the team. He was even shunned by “THE” Al Davis, the man who gave the go-ahead to draft him with the 1st pick in the 2007 draft. Davis is notorious for drafting players that have great speed, or had a great combine, or have many accolades. With this article, I’ll talk a little about what made Russell the 1st pick in the draft, and only three seasons later, being jobless.

JaMarcus Russell went through his junior season at Louisiana State as a wonderkind. He was putting up unbelievable stats while leading the Tigers to a 10-2 record and a spot in the All-State Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame. During the regular season, Russell threw for 3,129 yards 28 Touchdowns and 8 interceptions. In the bowl-game against Notre Dame, Russell accumulated 350 yards of total offense and had 3 touchdowns while being named the game’s MVP in a 41-14 win. At LSU’s pro-day, Russell measured and weighed in at 6’5 ½ 265 pounds, and was throwing 60 yard bombs from his knees. When people heard of this, most of them were saying, “he did what?” Guys with that kind of arm-strength are basically not human. Can Chad Pennington throw the ball even 50 yards with a running start and full wind-up? I doubt it.

But Russell was basically the topic of pre-draft chatter after what he did at the LSU pro-day. What puzzles me is that nobody was really talking too much about his weight. A quarterback coming in weighing 265 pounds….wouldn’t there be some concern over weight issues? In my mind, yes, there should have been. But the Raiders went ahead and drafted Russell with the 1st pick in the 2007 draft, over the likes of Calvin Johnson, who head coach Lane Kiffin wanted, Adrian Peterson, who is a perennial NFL rushing leader year in and year out, and even Patrick Willis, who just signed a 5 year extension with $29 million guaranteed with the 49ers because of how much of a beast he is. Passing on franchise WR’s, future hall-of-fame RB’s, and Brian Urlacher-type LB’s could set your franchise back years. In fact, in what is definitely a weird coincidence, in the next three drafts for the Raiders after Russell, they drafted a RB, WR, and LB. (Darren McFadden in ‘08, Darrius Heyward-Bey in ‘09, and Rolando McClain in ‘10, just for kicks)

So back to JaMarcus Russell. He held out his rookie training camp before signing a huge contract in the range of 6 years for $68 million with $31.5 million guaranteed. Russell didn’t even take a snap from center until December 2, 2007 when he did so against the Denver Broncos. Russell went 4 of 7 for 56 yards. He didn’t play again until December 23 when he played against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a disastrous statistical game, Russell completed only 7 of 23 passes for 83 yards to go along with 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and 1 lost fumble. OUCH. After that performance, and the Raiders only sporting a 4-11 record, Lane Kiffin decided to start Russell in the last game of the season against the San Diego Chargers. On Russell’s first pass as a starting quarterback, he threw an interception. Russell couldn’t finish the game after leaving early in the third quarter after an apparent injury. He did, however, finish the game completing 23 of 31 passes for 224 yards and a TD. I failed to mention he had three turnovers which led to 17 Charger points in a 30-17 loss. Without those 17 points, the Raiders would have won that game 17-13.

In the 2008 season, Russell was named the starting QB in training camp and ended up starting 15 games. In what was his best statistical season in the NFL thus far in a very short NFL career, Russell threw for 2,423 yards, 13 TD and only 8 INT’s. That was not a bad year for a guy who is only starting his first full season in the league. The Raiders thought they had something now. They thought wrong. Coming into the 2009 season, Russell was again named the starting QB in training camp, which didn’t surprise anybody after the season he had in ‘08. Which would end up being the beginning of the downfall of JaMarcus Russell, he finished a horrible season completing 48.8 percent of his passes with an abysmal 3 TD’s and 11 INT’s in 9 starts. During the season, he was also benched for the likes of Bruce Gradkowski and journeyman Charlie Frye. Russell really soured in the Raiders’ front office with his mediocre play and nonchalant attitude. He was often seen on the sidelines looking not interested and non-caring. By the end of the ‘09 season, Russell was now the #3 QB on the Raiders depth chart.

In the off season, Russell was criticized for his lack of conditioning and the talk was beginning that the Raiders front-office personnel was trying to convince Al Davis that they had to move on from Russell. Davis eventually agreed and on May 6, 2010, less than 3 years after drafting him #1 overall, JaMarcus Russell was released by the Oakland Raiders. With $36 million already collected in paychecks and guaranteed money, and another $3 million coming his way in the form of a guaranteed paycheck, Russell collected $39 million from the Raiders for completing 52% of his passes, a little over 4,000 yards passing with only 18 TD’s and 23 INT’s. Now, Russell is jobless. What a shame for a guy to have so much talent, make so much money, to just not care about his job and then subsequently be released so soon into his career.

There was talk that the Cincinnati Bengals were interested in bringing him in as a backup, and there was also speculation some teams were interested in bringing him in and playing another position. Russell is not budging. The New Orleans Saints have already said they are not interested in bringing Russell back to his home town to backup Drew Brees. Russell has said that he is not at all interested in signing with the Arena Football League or the Canadian Football League. I believe he should leave all doors open. Even if he tried to boost his stock in the newly developed United Football League, I think that’d be great for him. Daunte Culpepper has just signed with a team out in Sacramento. Having two big-name guys in the league would be good for exposure and be good for Russell. He shouldn’t say, “I’m only going to play in the NFL, or nothing.” I truly believe a team in the UFL should definitely try to woo him into playing a year or two with them. He is only 24 years old and doesn’t turn 25 until August. Playing a year in another league where he could work on his conditioning, keeping his weight under control, and even his skills, he could benefit in all aspects. But with that said, having $39 million in the bank is unreal, maybe he’ll just retire. Who knows? Only JaMarcus does.

Team Needs and Moves AFC

Frankie Underwood — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:33:23 +0000

Buffalo Bills

Team Losses - T. Owens – WR, J. Reed – WR, C. Draft – LB

Team Additions – D. Edwards – DE, A. Davis – LB, C. Green – OT

Team Needs – (Switching to a 3-4) OT, NT, QB, OLB, WR, DE

Draft:

1. CJ Spiller – RB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxkNT9IxEu8

2. Torell Troup – DT, UCF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeLhek6HBOM

3. Alex Carrington – DE, Arkansas State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAvEloMMOhQ&feature=related

4. Marcus Easley – WR, Connecticut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV2L0DpLmQM

5. Ed Wang – OT, Virginia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMqPNKXgFLA

6. Arthur Moats – OLB, James Madison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaaRxhjB_LU

6. Danny Batten – OLB, South Dakota State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJKntBPsdo4

7. Levi Brown – QB, Troy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pgLJdyBh0

7. Kyle Calloway – G, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ7pxdQ3oPg

Miami Dolphins

Team Losses – J. Taylor – OLB, J. Porter – OLB, G. Wilson – S, T. Ginn – WR/KR, A. Ayodele – LB, N. Jones – CB

Team Additions – B. Marshall – WR, K. Dansby – LB, R. Incognito – G, T. Dobbins – LB

Team Needs – OLB, NT, FS, G, TE, ILB

Draft:

1. Jared Odrick – DT, Penn State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5LXLmFg7E

2. Koa Misi – OLB, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Mm-hICcfc

3. John Jerry – G, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwDK66T5kL0

4. AJ Edds – OLB, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do7aIOuBD7o

5. Nolan Carroll – CB, Maryland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY32955jZag

5. Reshad Jones – S, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R1Ryqw3k5Y

7. Chris McCoy – OLB, Middle Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eGaRsen0n8 (at 1:21 mark)

7. Austin Spitler – ILB, Ohio State

New England Patriots

Team Losses – B. Watson – TE, A. Thomas – LB/pass rush specialist

Team Additions – T. Holt – WR, D. Lewis – DT/DE, A. Crumpler – TE, T. Banta-Cain – OLB/pass rush specialist

Team Needs – (possibly implementing more 4-3 defensive fronts) TE, OLB, WR, CB, D-Line depth

Draft:

1. Devin McCourty – CB/KR, Rutgers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIl5Du2OMMg

2. Rob Gronkowski – TE, Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiCZGXQkVRU

2. Jermaine Cunningham – DE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94309Y-E6Os

2. Brandon Spikes – ILB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsSCrkUrI1U

3. Taylor Price – WR, Ohio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7WrvN3aKJE

4. Aaron Hernandez – TE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G0i3Cc84Tc

5. Zoltan Mesko – P, Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJS91Gfd_CI

6. Ted Larsen – C, N.C. State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 1:47 mark)

7. Thomas Welch – OT, Vanderbilt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 2:02 mark)

7. Brandon Deaderick – DE, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzHFpI3L3DA

7. Kade Weston – DT, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 2:29 mark)

7. Zac Robinson – QB, Oklahoma State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QP4gWiz22A

New York Jets

Team Losses – T. Jones – RB, L. Washington – RB, K. Rhoades – S, L. Sheppard – CB, A. Faneca – G

Team Additions – A. Cromartie – CB, L. Tomlinson – RB, S. Holmes – WR, J. Taylor – OLB, B. Poole – S

Team Needs – OLB, DE, S, G, T

Draft:

1. Kyle Wilson – CB, Boise State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TMCiFmr7E4

2. Vladimir Ducasse – OT, Massachusetts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLp0hBtWsg

4. Joe McKnight – RB, Southern Cal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fliv9DNBfIg

5. John Conner – FB, Kentucky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWksU1w1Qq0 (at :10 mark)

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Team Losses – B. Marshall – WR, T. Scheffler – TE, A. Davis – LB

Team Additions – J. Williams – NT, J. Bannon – DE, A. Ayodele – LB, B. Quinn – QB

Team Needs – WR, C, QB, D-Line, LB

Draft:

1. Demaryius Thomas – WR, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nDhGrYAx5g

1. Tim Tebow – QB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unznEqnn2E4

2. Zane Beadles – OT, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A43AZoUopLs (at 1:45 mark)

3. J.D. Walton – C, Baylor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95VCpeM5kEc (at :12 mark)

3. Eric Decker – WR, Minnesota

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx9WWaKQk5s&feature=fvst

5. Perrish Cox – CB, Oklahoma State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma_n9K3stn8

6. Eric Olsen – G, Notre Dame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95VCpeM5kEc (at :42 mark)

7. Syd’Quan Thompson – DB, California

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMk77JUWmw0

7. Jammie Kirlew – LB, Indiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu2wuaKUhGs

Kansas City Chiefs

Team Losses – N/A

Team Additions – T. Jones – RB, S. Smith – DT, R. Lilja – G, J. Urban – WR, C Wiegmann

Team Needs – OT, NT, S, TE, LB

Draft:

1. Eric Berry – S, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABh4EthNnDA

2. Dexter McCluster – RB/WR, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA1dAqOIEE0

2. Javier Arenas – CB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIGsZqAK8N4

3. Jon Asamoah – G, Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=989OK1N8Hg0

3. Tony Moeaki – TE, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GoGPZ-43CY

5. Kendrick Lewis – DB, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMGEdBCO4A (at the 3:55 mark)

5. Cameron Sheffield – LB, Troy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG5EThKqj-U (at the 2:00 mark)

Oakland Raiders

Team Losses – K. Morrison – MLB, G. Ellis – DE, J. Fargas – RB, G. Warren – DT,

Team Additions – J. Campbell – QB, K. Wimbley – OLB, Q. Groves – OLB

Team Needs – (possibly transitioning to a 3-4 defense) OT, MLB, DT/NT, QB, S

Draft:

1. Rolando McClain – LB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvj1eDfaIO4

2. Lamarr Houston – DT, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUTXDrkWXM

3. Jared Veldheer – OT, Hillsdale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpRy5cVwHh4 (at 1:42 mark)

4. Bruce Campbell – OT/G, Maryland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnMm7AcJ7RI

4. Jacoby Ford – WR, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp4_19YsG2A

5. Walter McFadden – DB, Auburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YultaUpaBAQ (pt 1 of 3)

6. Travis Goethel – LB, Arizona State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 5:20 mark)

7. Jeremy Ware – DB, Michigan State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 5:33 mark)

7. Steven Brown – DB, Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 6:05 mark)

San Diego Chargers

Team Losses – J. Williams – NT, L. Tomlinson – RB, A. Cromartie – CB, T. Dobbins – LB

Team Additions – N. Vasher – CB, N. Novak – K

Team Needs – RB, NT, CB, DE, O-Line depth

Draft:

1. Ryan Mathews – RB, Fresno State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA9wiFnDVdE

3. Donald Butler – LB, Washington

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtJT1-uqcik (at 3:53 mark)

4. Darrell Stuckey – DB, Kansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z52oB5j0QI

5. Cam Thomas – NT, North Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npe9dFUyGJ4 (#95)

5. Jonathan Crompton – QB, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNhd0oV3-3o

7. Dedrick Epps – TE, Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGnPKV9rZk

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Team Losses – D. Edwards – DT/DE, J. Bannan – DT/DE, S. Rolle – CB

Team Additions – A. Bolden – WR, C. Redding – DT/DE, D. Stallworth – WR

Team Needs – ILB, CB, TE, WR

Draft:

2. Sergio Kindle – LB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVLT2w6Z6SY

2. Terrence Cody – DT/NT, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iig2eh_zjOs

3. Ed Dickson – TE, Oregon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc0hRDBgjBE

4. Dennis Pitta – TE, BYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSqUnYL60Ao

5. David Reed – WR, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUaGQrb6mgU

5. Arthur Jones – DT, Syracuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsF3OEVaJBU

6. Ramon Harewood – OT, Morehouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd-Am4-7ZV8 (at 4:12 mark)

Cincinnati Bengals

Team Losses – S. Smith – DT, B. Williams – G, L. Coles – WR, S. Graham – K

Team Additions – A. Bryant – WR, M. Jones – WR/TE, M. Nugent – K, G. Wilson – S, Pacman Jones – CB, C. Peerman – RB

Team Needs – TE, S, G, LB, QB

Draft:

1. Jermaine Gresham – TE, Oklahoma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nngZJXnuS98

2. Carlos Dunlap – DE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q5Q2PZklrI

3. Jordan Shipley – WR, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3oyB-AbPCU

3. Brandon Ghee – CB, Wake Forest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66qlBv7WTME (#17)

4. Geno Atkins – DT, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHcibKj216A (at 1:23 mark)

4. Rodderick Muckelroy – LB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXCoGLMbTc

5. Otis Hudson – G, Eastern Illinois

6. Dezmon Briscoe – WR, Kansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThFMPYiIniE

7. Reggie Stephens – C, Iowa State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6YYSsWIeg (at :23 mark)

Cleveland Browns

Team Losses – J. Lewis – RB, B. Quinn – QB, D. Anderson – QB, A. Hall – LB, B. Poole – S, H. Fraley – C

Team Additions – J. Delhomme – QB, S. Wallace – QB, B. Watson – TE, S. Brown – CB, T. Pashos – OT, C. Gocong – LB, S. Fujita – LB, P. Hillis – RB/FB, A. Smith – TE, E. Ghiaciuc – C

Team Needs – QB, S, WR, CB, RB, LB, O-Line

Draft:

1. Joe Haden – CB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBn0saY1_k

2. TJ Ward – S, Oregon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NetmUwDaAI

2. Montario Hardesty – RB, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJiHPqy8xE

3. Colt McCoy – QB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5B_tGheuQ4

3. Shawn Lauvao – G, Arizona State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcaxxJoe3n0

5. Larry Asante – S, Nebraska

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IkAU7G6Sic

6. Carlton Mitchell – WR, South Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddm_AwNfUY8

6. Clifton Geathers – DE, South Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uCPzHnWk4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Team Losses – S. Holmes – WR, W. Parker – RB

Team Additions – B. Leftwich – QB, A. Randle-El – WR, W. Allen – S, B. McFadden – CB, L. Foote – LB, J. Scott – OT

Team Needs – O-Line, CB, LB, RB, WR, TE

Draft:

1. Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6NT3DAMtrE

2. Jason Worilds – LB, Virginia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBzLNXDuTGA

3. Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNthxAPLaFw

4. Thaddeus Gibson – LB, Ohio State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icaUlcW2SCQ

5. Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IysD6dlxsIo

5. Crezdon Butler – DB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhQucP7DjYE

5. Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-3oUIQ09IU

6. Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9Yme2gczU

6. Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U172KCi1mks

7. Doug Worthington – DE, Ohio State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeCahfEqJLg

AFC South

Houston Texans

Team Losses – D. Robinson – CB, B. Russell (?) – S

Team Additions – N. Rackers – K, W. Smith – O-Line, M. Gaines – TE

Team Needs – CB, RB, G, FS, WR

Draft:

1. Kareem Jackson – CB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUlu7sXogUM

2. Ben Tate – RB, Auburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

3. Earl Mitchell – DT, Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FgzV4MRXcU

4. Darryl Sharpton – LB, Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMGEdBCO4A (at 1:22 mark)

4. Garrett Graham – TE, Wisconsin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAljnqfm7yA

5. Sherrick McManis – DB, Northwestern

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4VulMlHEjI (at :12 mark)

6. Shelley Smith – G, Colorado State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIXVCmvoUw (at :10 mark)

6. Trindon Holliday – KR, LSU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlYgAUH7zfI

7. Dorin Dickerson – TE/WR – Pittsburgh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9fZQpuoJ_Q

Indianapolis Colts

Team Losses – M. Jackson – CB, R. Brock – DE, R. Lilja – G, J. Sorgi – QB

Team Additions – A. Terry – OT

Team Needs – OT, G, DT, LB, QB, DE

Draft:

1. Jerry Hughes – DE, TCU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkvPIDwMlqE

2. Pat Angerer – LB, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NpRbgzYTY0

3. Kevin Thomas – CB, Southern Cal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TltqT7D8D_I

4. Jacques McClendon – G, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_Obm0Zi74

5. Brody Eldridge – TE, Oklahoma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulV_O5UZE6U (at 2:05 mark)

7. Ricardo Mathews – DE, Cincinnati

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGh_uGzSPH8 (at 1:28 mark)

7. Kavell Conner – LB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzgxywpm8wc (at 2:26 mark)

7. Ray Fisher – DB, Indiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjBpDXKv6Fc

Jacksonville Jaguars

Team Losses – J. Henderson – DT, T. Holt – WR, T. Thomas – OT, Q. Groves – DE

Team Additions – A. Kampman – DE, K. Morrison – MLB, F. Keiaho – LB, K. Osgood – WR

Team Needs – LB, DT, S, QB, C, DE, WR

Draft:

1. Tyson Alualu – DT, California

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjawbHQ2Ns

3. D’Anthony Smith – DT, Louisiana Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdX0jhm3ulI

5. Larry Hart – DE, Central Arkansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOvrOHGbU0

5. Austen Lane – DE, Murray State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLzaVpl0NUQ

6. Deji Karim – RB, Southern Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMpFoHv6kQM

6. Scotty McGee – KR, James Madison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svRvZxTCTb4

Tennessee Titans

Team Losses – K. Vanden Bosch – DE, K. Bulluck (?) – LB, K. Mawae (?) – C, L. White – RB

Team Additions – W. Witherspoon – LB, J. Babin – DE, T. Hill – CB, C. Simms – QB

Team Needs – DE, CB, LB, G, WR, QB

Draft:

1. Derrick Morgan – DE, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFUIyuqiH0

3. Damian Williams – WR, Southern Cal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eggkv0Z0tQ

3. Rennie Curran – LB, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wndM8tc0SB8

4. Alterraun Verner – CB, UCLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cZbjLR1l_c

5. Robert Johnson – S, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ourKzKOnY

6. Rusty Smith – QB, Florida Atlantic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qf5qN7TfiA

6. Myron Rolle – S, Florida State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsn1aIaYj-Y

7. Marc Mariani – WR, Montana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNM1NYBp0QQ

7. David Howard – DT, Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLzaVpl0NUQ (at :22 mark)

NFC South Draft Recap

William Queen — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:31:36 +0000

The NFC South gave birth to the Super bowl Champion in 2009. However, despite the good play, many, many needs have arisen from each of the four teams in the division. The fastest, easiest way for teams to make up for their teams losses each year is the NFL Draft. Lets see how the NFC South did.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons needed quite a few different things in order to make this year’s draft a success; a receiver to counteract Roddy White, help at linebacker, depth at defensive tackle, an offensive guard to solidify the line, and somebody who knows how to stop the pass (I know they have to defend Drew Brees, but when you play Carolina twice a year, ranking 28^th in pass defense doesn’t cut it).

With their first round pick (19^th) Atlanta decided to take Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. Now this is a great pick considering that he was the best player available; He’ll surely cure all their problems at linebacker; he can play all three linebacker positions. His combine results were top-of-the-line and his film backs it up. A very instinctive, playmaking linebacker, Weatherspoon will probably serve a huge role as a weak side backer in Atlanta’s Tampa Two defense. I say this pick was a huge success.

The Falcons had to wait until the end of the third round before their next selection came around. This time, big-boy Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters was the selection. Now Peters isn’t the ideal starting defensive tackle, in the sense that his technique isn’t where it needs to be in order to compete every down in the NFL. However, Peters will add another hard-working body to the defensive tackle rotation in Atlanta; that looks like a solid pick to me.

Now in order to get their offensive line under control, which wasn’t too bad in the first place (only allowing 27 sacks in 2009), they drafted Alabama offensive guard Mike Johnson and UNLV offensive guard Joe Hawley. Neither may be the immediate fix at offensive guard, however, they will provide much needed depth to Atlanta’s questionable offensive line. Johnson can be a solid backup as a rookie, while Hawley has the versatility to play any of the three interior positions. Hawley may not be quite as talented as Johnson, but will provide more help than many may expect. Okay so these two picks didn’t quite exemplify the offensive line, but it’ll work for the time being.

Well, so far so good for the Falcons. At this point, they’ve used every one of their picks in a good manner. However, with all the needs that Atlanta came into the draft needing, it’s nearly impossible to satisfy all of them; Roddy White’s still lonely out wide and the secondary didn’t get any better when you drafted two straight offensive guards. Yet, I think this is where the Falcons did the best job. Still needing some help in the secondary, Atlanta chose Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks. Franks is a surprisingly good fit for Atlanta’s Tampa Two defense and should excel with his great instincts and zone coverage. He may not be a starting corner at first, but could help out in packages that require more than four defensive backs such as nickel or dime.

At this point, the only need left for the Atlanta Falcons to fill is at receiver. Wide receiver Roddy White accounted for 85 receptions, 1153 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns in 2009, so it’s safe to say that they have a #1 receiver. But other than that, the Falcons don’t’ have a guy that can pick up the slack (#2 receiver Michael Jenkins only had 635 receiving yards and one touchdown reception in 2009). So, with all this in mind, Atlanta picked up hybrid Kansas receiver Kerry Meier to fill their hole. Meier used to start at quarterback for the Jayhawks, but was converted to a receiver during his junior year. Ever since, Meier has been more than productive considering his circumstances. However, I don’t think that Meier is gonna be enough to satisfy that #2 spot. Hey, he might go out there and prove me wrong, but I haven’t seen enough proof to lead me to believe that this guy can be a productive receiver in the NFL. Picking up someone in the fifth round doesn’t exactly fill their need as well as it should. I’m not very impressed with how Atlanta handled that.

Overall Draft Grade: B

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers came into the draft needing three main things; a quarterback to build their team around, someone for that quarterback to throw to, and some players that could stop the run for God’s sake (particularly at defensive end). Some fans argue that quarterback is not as big of a need as the media portrays it to be, however, when your team leader throws more picks per game than any other quarterback in the league, we got a problem. So, to fit this need, the Panthers looked to the draft for answers.

It was probably a very painful few hours in Carolina’s draft room, as they were forced to wait until the mid second round before their first pick arrived. When it did, and they saw that Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was still on the board, they couldn‘t believe their eyes. What is it with Notre Dame quarterbacks these days? I don’t know, maybe Brady Quinn scared teams off. But no matter, Carolina jumped all over Clausen while he was still there and there probably isn’t a second that goes by that the Panthers regret their decision. Clausen has an NFL-ready arm and is very used to playing in a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. He can fire passes into small spaces and can put some touch on the ball in order to make it just over the defender and into the receivers hands. Clausen should have plenty of opportunities to blossom as a quarterback in Carolina. Running backs Jonothan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should make him look good anyways (much like Mark Sanchez and the Jets).

Now for that player for him to throw to; the Panthers had another whack at the NFL Draft piñata, this time in the mid third round, and went with LSU receiver Brandon LaFell. LaFell was a player that was projected to go in the early-to-mid second round, but it wasn’t a huge shocker when he was still around at the 78^th pick. Carolina‘s #2 receiver Muhsin Muhammad is entering his 15^th season in 2010, so this is a very smart pick, as LaFell shouldn’t have to wait long before his spot opens up in the offense. During his junior and senior season at LSU, LaFell never really had an established quarterback to throw him the ball and still managed to put up 1721 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns during that two-year speriod; he’s probably thrilled to be starting along side a matured quarterback in Jimmy Clausen.

That’s two needs down with their first two picks, so I guess you can say that the Panthers had plenty of breathing room with eight picks left. However, drafting quarterback Tony Pike and wildcat quarterback Armanti Edwards in the later rounds, I guess you can say Carolina would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to quarterback. Don’t wanna take any more chances there. These two picks may not look like much of a significance at first, but this is really where Carolina’s draft is going to make a huge impact. Not only do they have one franchise quarterback (Clausen), but they have two (Pike)! Not to mention someone to take the snaps in the wildcat and give Deangelo Williams a break.

This is where the “great” part of the Panther’s draft ends and the “good” part begins. With Probowl defensive end Julius Peppers on his way out, Carolina needed a strong, balanced guy to take his spot. Drafting Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy may not be in the best interest for the Panthers. Hardy used to be a big-time, explosive player at Ole Miss, but wasn’t even a starter in 2010 because of how badly injuries have affected him; I don’t think Hardy is a very reliable replacement at defensive end. Well too bad that’s the only defensive lineman they drafted, cause they sure needed some help in the middle if you ask me. Ranking 22^nd in the league in rush defense, the line is in obvious need of repair. And don’t go blaming their linebacking core; middle linebacker Jon Beason racked up 141 tackles last year; he’s not the problem.

However, the Panthers did draft South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood in the late fourth round. Norwood isn’t the best athlete, but he has instincts and playmaking skills that shows very great potential. Norwood actually reminds me of middle linebacker Jon Beason that I spoke of earlier. If Norwood turns out like Beason, then the Panthers may not need a defensive line for then next eight years.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

Coming into 2010 as the defending Super Bowl champs, it’s hard to believe that the Saints have any needs whatsoever. However, with last year’s first-round selection Malcolm Jenkins being in a limbo between corner and safety, while free safety Darren Sharper’s career is coming to a close, New Orleans has a lot happening on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle and linebacker are areas of concern and some how the secondary still isn’t up to par.

With their first round pick, 32^nd overall, the Saints took another chance with a corner, this time Florida State’s Patrick Robinson. All this means is that last year’s 16^th overall pick Malcolm Jenkins will have a chance to move to safety, hopefully solidifying the secondary; so, when are the Saints going to give the whole defensive back thing a rest? That’s three years in a row that they’ve selected a defensive back with their first round pick, meaning that those picks obviously didn’t make a big enough impact to direct their draft picks in another direction. Now Robinson is a speedy, athletic corner that closes in fast on the receiver. He has great see-to-do instincts and can make a play pretty much anywhere on the field; he didn’t fall into the first round on accident. Robinson can provide another solid developing corner to the Saints secondary and can hope to be starting along side Malcolm Jenkins in the near future.

The next two picks were a bit of a mystery to me; first of all, do the Saints really need another tight end? They had five on their roster last season. And it’s not like they’re all bad or anything, Jeremy Shockey is probably the best pass-catching tight end in the game and back up David Thomas has enough talent to be a starter for just about any other team. Anyways, the guy they drafted, Miami tight end Jimmy Graham, is an ex basket ball player that only played two years of college football. He was very productive during his time on the gridiron and reminds many of Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. It would be great if this guy turned out like Gates, heck, it’d be great if all six of their draft picks turned out as pro-bowlers; then Drew Brees would have to get used to throwing out of two tight end packages.

The Saints took USC offensive tackle Charles Brown in the late second round, fulfilling a potential need at tackle if Jammal Brown gets traded. Brown is a solid NFL tackle that has a certain potential to become a starter sometime during his career. 6’5” 305 pounds, his size is certainly good enough and has pretty good athleticism for a big guy. This is a solid pick by New Orleans, they took the best player available rather than someone to fill their immediate needs, but I think this pick will certainly pay off.

Trading up seven spots to draft LSU defensive tackle Al Woods was probably the best decision by the Saints this draft. He may not be that player that’ll just blow up the scene in New Orleans, but he’s a hometown hero in Baton Rouge and will attract plenty of fans. The college-NFL transition will be very easy and he’ll have tons have people pushing him for success. He was one of the best run stoppers in the nation last year and that’s exactly what the Saints are looking for in a defensive tackle. With a surprising draft up to this point, Al Woods just made it look better.

Moving to their last pick of the draft, the Saints drafted Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield. Even though the Saints don’t have a very good history in drafting quarterbacks, this was a mediocre pick because they needed somebody be behind Drew Brees. If Brees were to get injured, the Saints wouldn’t be receiving their Super bowl rings this August. The need for a back up was exposed after Mark Brunell went unsigned this off season; in Brunells only start last season, he threw for 102 yards and one interception, so they’re not losing too much. Canfield is the type of quarterback that will be a good fit in New Orleans. He’s smart and accurate, much like Brees, and has great leadership skills; should be a great back up for the Saints.

Draft Grade: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers finished with the worst record in the NFC South, third worst in the NFL, and therefore had the third overall pick in the Draft. They needed quite a few things this draft, particularly on defense; two defensive tackles to satisfy the defensive line, help at defensive end, a play-making safety, someone at wide out, and maybe a guy or two to help out at linebacker.

Having the third pick of the NFL Draft, Tampa Bay had the opportunity to draft practically in player in the whole draft (outside the first two picks). Luckily, the Bucs chose the right year to be in need of a defensive tackle; Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy fell right into their laps. One of the four Oklahoma players to be drafted in the top four picks, McCoy was slightly overshadowed by the presence of Nebraska counterpart Ndamukong Suh. Suh was drafted second overall by the Lions, leaing Tampa Bay with a defensive tackle of equal value. McCoy is an extremely quick and speedy defensive tackle that also has enough power and strength to fight off the double team. An all-around athlete that has virtually no weaknesses. Predictable, yet great pick by Tampa Bay.

Does everybody remember when Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland ruled the LOS back in the early 2000’s? They actually won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay if you recall. Well maybe that’s what they’re trying to recreate here by drafting UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price to follow up McCoy. Price brings more of a raw talent to the defensive line. He is very quick, like McCoy, but also is very violent in his play. Has great moves and is one of those guys that can really shoot a gap and stuff it. I like what the Buccaneers are trying to do here with their defensive line and I think both McCoy and Price have great potential starting next to each other.

Tampa Bay drafted two big-play receivers to quench their thirst for a receiver; Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn in the second round and Syracuse receiver Mike Williams in the fourth. Benn is a player that knows how to make guys miss and is a terrific worker, while Williams is very talented, yet had some off the field issues that put him at risk of not finding the field as much as wants to. The Buccaneers weren’t a very explosive offense in 2009, so adding these two receivers was a great way to add more talent around quarterback Josh Freeman.

In the later rounds, Tampa Bay addressed their nagging concern for a linebacker by not drafting one, but two solid players. Virginia Tech’s Cody Grimm and Florida State’s Dekoda Watson were both drafted in the seventh round by the Bucs. Both Grimm and Watson have enough drive and heart to be very effective special teams players as a rookie. Watson has more immediate potential to actually make a difference on defense, while Grimm may stick as a special teams player for most of his career.

As cornerback Ronde Barber is getting towards the point of retiring from the NFL, Tampa Bay looked for, and found, a replacement in this year’s Draft. Taking Vanderbilt corner Myron Lewis in the third round, Tampa Bay hopes that the retirement of Barber will not leave the secondary in ruins, but let a young star take over. Lewis has sound technique at every secondary position and is one of those guys that will impress wherever you put him. A good pick by the Bucs.

Overall Draft Grade: A

Violence in Youth Sports: A growing trend? A downward spiral, and a young man’s brutalization

Dr. Bill Chachkes — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:54:57 +0000

It is becoming more prevailing in our society, the “win at any cost” mentality. Sure, that’s what competition is based on at any level. As coach Herman Edwards once said “you play to win the game.” But when is that mindset “Overkill?” At the professional level we expect athletes to give 110% all the time because it’s their profession. At the college level we expect the same for a variety of reasons, mostly because most college players desire to play professionally if they can get the chance, and because they should be playing their “hearts” out for the school colors. At the high school level, there is an inordinate amount of pressure to be successful, both for the players and for the coaches and school officials. For players it’s to be accepted, to be a “part” of a winner. For the adults again, it’s a variety of causes that keep them “in the heat of the pursuit.” of athletic immortality, and financial security for their families and their schools’ athletic programs. As a moral society for the most part, we expect athletes to give their best all the time, just as workers are supposed to do their jobs to the best of their ability all the time. We also expect them, their coaches, and the fans to follow the rules at all times, and we decry anyone who does not put their best effort into whatever they are doing.

But what about youth developmental programs, and why does it matter? Every football player gets their start in “Pop Warner” youth style football, much like baseball players get their start in “Little League” play. It’s supposed to be a place where, like school-based programs, learning takes place. Learning about the sport and it’s proper play in a safe environment where basic fundamentals are taught that will, we hope, carry the student athlete through the rest of his/or her life. Integrity, honor, sportsmanship, respect for each other and the rules of the game, and above all, fair play. At least that’s what my contemporaries and I were taught growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s. So why should it be different now?

Incidents of a violent nature at youth sporting events is not new, but has always been isolated to a few “bad days” here and there. Or is it? Is there a growing trend here, among the communities of our country? Are parents pushing their kids too hard to “win” at any cost? And who should take responsibility and control? We expect ourselves to hold each other to a high standard of behavior, but what about when that standard breaks down? If we are as a people, going to police our own on this, we first have to be aware of the danger signs. When a parent or a coach tells a player to “Get That Kid” at the top of his lungs, is he really saying “cover that kid” or “Stop that kid from beating us at any cost”? Where does the rage come from? Is it simply from being outplayed, or is the desire to please the parental figures in a youth athlete’s life pressure them to “win at any cost,” even if the rules are broken.

An ongoing study project at Rutgers University’s Youth Sports Research Council asserts that while there is still no evidence to support “Sports Rage” as an out of control “epidemic” situation, the instances are happening more often and leading to serious injury among those involved. The research at Rutgers points to two different areas: fan violence at events, and instances on the field of play. On Field instances are broken into three different incident types: athlete on athlete, violence against officials, and other situations such as assaults on coaches by parents and other bystanders. The following is quoted from a finding by the council, led by Professor Gregg Heinzmann, the council’s director, on the topic of parent behavior at youth sporting events (in larger type):

Why Do Parents Misbehave?

To date, many of the explanations given for “why rage occurs” have been too shortsighted to be of any practical value. For example, in response to the important and legitimate question, “why do some parents behave so poorly at their child’s sporting event,” the often parroted answer has been, “because no one told them they couldn’t.” Such simplistic analysis fails to provide direction for reforming youth sports, in terms of preventing sports rage, because it doesn’t address the underlying reasons for poor parental behavior.

To our credit as a society we have tried to do better in this decade, but it seems we still have a long way to go in some areas of policing our own behavior at youth sports events.

Still, when there is a connection between an overzealous parent shouting at his child or children to “get that kid,” and an incident that leads to serious injury of a youth athlete that was sparked by actions on the part of parents or coaches, we as a society have a moral obligation to prevent it from getting out of hand. Regardless of the fact that laws are in place or not, we should feel a duty to protect our youth and place a binding code of conduct on athletes, coaches, parents and fans of ANY youth sporting event at any level, with serious punishment to those that violate the code of conduct and the law.

There also has to be a concern that behavior of this type if allowed to go unchecked, leads to far worse incidents of violence as the athlete grows up, along with an increase in anti-social, and even possibly sociopathic action on the part of some. While we always commend the athlete for having a “winning” attitude or a great “game” face and playing with emotion, there is a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not on the field of play. While no clear relation exists between a youth athlete who gets into trouble for taking things too far on the field and the excesses of some current professional athletes and their behavior and “Self-Entitled” way of life, it’s not too far off base to surmise that poor sportsmanship and behavior on the part of youth athletes that aren’t “behavior modified” can lead to far worse actions in later life. The police blotters across the country are filled with current and ex-pro athletes running amok and tarnishing their reputations and the great game of football. The only way this can be combated is through early intervention on the part of parents, coaches, and administrators.

Not long ago a parent reached out to me to get my feelings on one such incident that took place last fall in a Denver suburb. My first thought was “these things happen all the time” but once I viewed the video (attached with the families’ permission at the end of this article) you will see that this is not the kind of thing that should be allowed to be explained away as “just football” or “it happens all the time.” I was compelled to get involved because of my background in football, and a moral standard I adhere to.

It’s because of an incident like this, where a young man could have been crippled for life, or worse, died on the field from a broken neck, that assurances must be granted that no incident goes by without an appropriate reaction from a league’s administrators no matter what the level. Youth football is about teaching skills. It’s about learning what a 2-5 sweep is. It’s about how to hold and carry and throw a football. What it is not is your coach or your dad telling you to “Get that Kid” and you punch him 4 times in the head and through his facemask and then grab him by the mask and twist his neck and head like your taking the lid off a jar, then walk away sneakily hoping you don’t get caught when most everyone clearly saw what you did. There is just no just excuse for this on any level. Not “its just football” or “it was in the heat of the game.” In the state where I live, what you are going to see on this video would be classified as a violent felony (assault and battery to be exact), which would and should cause anyone tried as an adult for such crime and convicted be jailed for said crime. Clearly we can’t do that in the case of a 10 or 11 year old child, but steps must be taken to make sure this never happens again, and proper behavior is reinforced at all times on the field of play.

This past week on our radio show we brought this situation to light by having the parents and coaches of the injured player join us for the last two segments of our show, along with their legal counsel, to take questions on air from myself and my team of co-hosts. We can’t believe for the life of us how these parents are in the minority in their feeling that something is wrong with this situation, and that there is the possibility of a “cover up” of some sort going on here, especially when I receive a reply via e-mail by way of a “statement” from the current president of the league where this incident took place the next day.

In this e-mail I was given a detailed account of the league’s sincerity and that “Trust me.

If we have the video, and it shows what it purports to show, swift, direct and appropriate action will be taken by me.” That is all well and good intentioned, and we are glad that it’s possible that common sense could win out here. But it should have been done when the incident took place, not six and a half months later, and only because the mother of the athlete involved came on my show because her and the few parents supporting her could not get any supportive action from the league’s administrator’s at the time of the incident and felt they had no other recourse to get assistance. That being said, I’m happy the current president of this league wants to move forward and get this rectified in a proper manner. In the interest of fairness I have invited him (and the league’s legal counsel if he feels threatened by the truth of this situation) to come on our show as guests two weeks from now, to explain what steps will be taken to make sure this never happens again.

These parents also feel that much as been done to smear them up until now, that they have been painted as “crazy malcontents” bent on destroying the league. I have been personally accused of “ getting involved in something that is none of my business” and “doing this to get the ratings of my show up.” As a matter of fact, while we were conducting the show this past Thursday night I was getting support from a few people in our show’s chat room. At the same time I was being harassed by someone via instant message telling me “what do I care about a few crazy parents for” and “since when does the “New York Based” sports media even care about youth football in Colorado.”

My Answer to these people is plain and simple: Any time anyone tarnishes the great game of football by their actions or lack there of, it’s my business. No matter where it is, New York, Colorado, or anywhere else, and I will stand up for these parents and their children until justice is done. It’s not about my show ratings. I get plenty of good guests, mostly retired NFL players, current college players or coaches, player agents, and fellow football media. I don’t need a story like this to get up my ratings. This story needs to be told and the issues addressed. No one is looking to keep these kids from playing football. That’s the last thing we want. But we want the athlete who was injured to never have to worry about getting hurt like this ever again because an opponent took it a little too far, or because a parent of the opposing player pressured him into beating up an opponent for no reason other then he was frustrated over being outplayed at that moment or because he didn’t like the way he was blocked. Anyone who needs to question that shouldn’t be involved in sports.

ACC DRAFT RECAP

William Queen — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:30:22 +0000

With the 9th pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Clemson running back CJ Spiller. The biggest scoring threat in this year’s draft, Spiller is too electrifying and too explosive to be ignored. I guess you could say that he has enough talent to be taken anywhere in the draft, so it shouldn’t have been a huge shocker when he went 9th overall. However, I didn’t think the Bills were going to take this big of a chance with a running back this early. Now we’re talking about a position that they’re not even in the need of; while Bills running back Marshawn Lynch missed plenty of games last season, back-up Fred Jackson took over and ran for more than 1000 yards during his absence. There has been a mixed success of top-10 running backs in recent years. Since 2005, Cedric Benson, Cadillac Williams, Reggie Bush, Darren McFadden, and Adrian Peterson are the backs that have been drafted with a top-10 pick. That’s one future hall-of-famer, one stuck on a crappy team, and three busts. So while the Bills are dreaming of Spiller being the next AP, the odds are against it. A better way to handle the situation would have been to draft someone like Derrick Morgan or Jason Pierre-Paul, who could help out at defensive end or perhaps at a an outside linebacker spot. Or maybe even a Brandon Graham, who would be a definite fix at linebacker. Plus, there are plenty of late-round backs that could have fit the bill such as Montio Hardesty, Conte Cuttino, Dexter McCluster, or Charles Scott.

With the 16th pick of the NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans took versatile Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. Morgan is another one of those guys that has tons of talent and, like Spiller, had the potential to be drafted anywhere in the draft. Quite frankly, if I were Jeff Fisher right now, I’d be pretty stoked about finding this guy at the 16th spot. He can play defensive end in a 4-3 system and an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Morgan’s speed and relentless pass rush gives him the edge over most sluggish offensive tackles and he collapses the pocket very quickly; Tennessee couldn’t be happier. The defensive line has been falling apart lately and Morgan could defiantly add depth there and, heck, outside linebacker Kieth Bullock is getting up there in age, so it may not be a bad idea to see how he does at outside linebacker too.

The Broncos used their 1st round pick, 22, to draft Georgia Tech receiver Demaryius Thomas. This pick leaves me with one question; is this Denver’s master plan? First, we’re going to trade our #1 offensive threat, Brandon Marshall, to the Dolphins and, then, we’re going to replace him with an incoming rookie receiver that was the leader in YPC in college. They also drafted Tim Tebow with the 25th pick; the Broncos are taking some huge strides, the question is, are they in the right direction? There’s no doubt that the Broncos are looking to acquire a big-play receiver to replace Brandon Marshall, but the fact that they’re drafting Thomas to take over; those are some big shoes to fill. Now there’s no question that Thomas is a talented receiver; you don’t just fall into the 1st round on accident. He’s a very physical receiver that blows by corners with his strength. He has very sticky hands and, when he goes up for the ball, he’s almost always coming down with it. Sounds a little bit like Marshall. Final note – the Broncos should have never traded Brandon Marshall, because they’ve forced themselves to draft a receiver such as Thomas this early in the draft.

Only two ACC players were drafted in the 2nd round; Virginia cornerback Chris Cook went 34th to the Vikings and Virginia Tech defensive end Jason Worilds went 52nd to the Steelers.

When the Vikings took Cook, well, I’m not sure if they had their thinking caps on for this one. Cook is a very competitive, tough corner that isn’t afraid to help out with the run; sounds like a Vikings corner to me. But I’m afraid that Minnesota missed out on the chance to draft an elite receiver. Golden Tate, Arrelious Benn, Brandon LaFell, and Damian Williams are all receivers that would have scratched the itch for receiver in the 2nd round. Perhaps the Vikings are looking to turn Cook into a strong safety; not only do they have a greater need at that position, but Cook’s toughness and tackling mentality would certainly make an easy transition to the safety position.

Jason Worilds is a perfect fit for the Steelers; I love the pick. Pittsburgh’s starting defensive end Aaron Smith is entering his 13th NFL season, so it’s safe to say that, unless he pulls a Brett Favre, the Steelers are going to be without a defensive end very soon. Worilds will be a very good asset to the smash-mouth kind of football that the Steelers defense brings to the field. He is in a lot of ways like Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan in the sense that he explodes into the backfield. His pass rushing moves are as good as they get and he when he when he gets to the quarterback, he leaves no prisoners. I think Pittsburgh made a great pick here and that Worilds will be very successful under the Steelers aggressive, blitzing defensive scheme.

With the 71st pick, Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. The main goal for Green Bay coming into the draft was to complete their offensive line in a sense where they wouldn’t be racing for answers in free agency. They took care of that in the 1st round, allowing them to pick up Morgan Burnett, a guy who wasn’t expected to be there in the 3rd round. Burnett’s a very quick, athletic, instinctive player that has all you want in a safety. He makes big plays on the ball, is terrific against the run, and should be a very good asset in Green Bay.

Miami tight end Jimmy Graham was drafted by the defending Super Bowl champions at 95th overall. It seems like defensive back has been the Saints biggest need in the NFL Draft the last five years, but as the 3rd round came along, New Orleans piled up by drafting a tight end I’m not quite sure they really needed. Hey, Graham should be thrilled; he’s going to be playing on last year’s Super Bowl winning, #1 offense. Though he may not get much playing time. Jeremy Shockey is still at lbay reeling in passes and 2nd string tight end David Thomas isn’t too bad either; he caught 35 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown as a back up in 2009. Not to mention the other two tight ends on their roster that never got to the field in the Saints Super Bowl run. I guess they’re just trying to provide competition.

Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee was drafted by the Bengals with 96th pick. I like the decision the Bengals made with going with this guy in the 3rd round. They’re in a huge need of a #2 corner, as well as two fresh safeties; at least this satisfies one of their needs considering they didn’t address any needs in the first two rounds. Cincinnati drafted another tight end in the 1st round? What!? I thought their 2009 1st round selection, Missouri tight end Chase Coffman, was expose to take care of that? Oh yeah, he didn’t catch any balls last season, guess they gotta keep trying. Ghee didn’t make many headlines as a starter for Wake Forest, but he was very productive and will be a very solid corner in the NFL if he has time to develop. However, I’m feeling obligated to bash on Cincinnati; they didn’t really need to draft a tight end. They could have used their 21st pick in the 1st round to draft, hmm, I don’t know maybe Devin McCourtney? Kyle Wilson?

Miami linebacker Darryl Sharpton was drafted to the Houston Texans 102nd overall and offensive tackle Bruce Campbell was drafted 106th by the Oakland Raiders. A few picks later, Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford was drafted at 108 (The Raiders couldn’t go a draft without choosing a 4.3 forty receiver?).

UNC defensive end E.J. Wilson was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks at 127th overall, while Miami offensive tackle Jason Fox was picked next (128th ) by the Lions.

The Seahawks also picked up Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor 133rd overall (5th round), Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp was drafted by the Eagles 134th overall, and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Ed Wang was selected by the Bills with the 140th spot.

Maryland corner back Nolan Carroll and UNC defensive tackle Cam Thomas were drafted back to back in the 5th round. Carroll by the Dolphins145th and Thomas by the Chargers 146th.

Boston College center Matt Tenant was selected by the Saints (158th), Wake Forest guard Chris DeGeare was picked up by the Vikings (161st), and Clemson cornerback Crezdon Butler was drafted by the Steelers (164th).

Hookies punter Brent Bowden was drafted by the Buccaneers (172nd), former Georgia Tech A-back Jonathan Dwyer was selected by the Steelers (188th), NC State center Ted Larson was picked up by the Patriots, and Florida State safety, road scholar, Myron Rolle slipped all the way down to the Titans; the last pick in the 6th round (207th).

Virginia Tech safety Cody Grimm was drafted by the Buccaneers (210th), NC State defensive end Willie Young was taken by the Lions (213th), Miami tight end Derrick Epps was picked up by the Chargers (235th), and, going to the Indianapolis Colts, Clemson linebacker Cavell Connor was the last ACC player taken in the draft.