I don’t want to talk about the Lawrence Taylor issue much because it’s just not worth spending much time on. I just can’t resist commenting on one aspect of the case, though. It has come out today that Taylor claimed that he thought the girl was 19, not 16 – as if that was a defense he was offering. So let me get this straight, LT – your defense is that you admit that you paid to have sex with a seedy prostitute who was there against her will and was high at the time despite the fact that you are married, but that’s all okay because she wasn’t 16. Classy. So much for your claims that you didn’t do anything wrong.
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Author: T.O. Whentam
I want to talk about the obvious story today – JaMarcus Russell – but before I do I just want to hit on the Red Wings’ game for a second. It’s in the first intermission as I write this, but the Wings, facing elimination, have jumped out to a 5-0 lead. More remarkable (or unexpected given the way the two teams have played up to this point) than that is the fact that the first four goals scored in the game – over a span of five minutes and 36 seconds – were all scored by Johan Franzen. Franzen is one of the best pure scorers in the league, but he has struggled with injuries this year and had been in a bit of a slump so far in the playoffs with only two goals in 10 games up to this point. This explosion, coming against a very good goalie in Evgeni Nabokov, is probably unprecedented in playoff action. It’s pretty much impossible to believe.
I really don’t understand the appeal of Tim Tebow. He’s a nice player and all, and he was a very successful college quarterback, but I don’t know why that is turning into a love affair with NFL fans unlike any other. The guy was a marginal first round pick who is only third on the Denver depth chart, and he’s far from a lock to be a long term NFL starter, never mind a star. Despite all of that, he led all players in NFL sales in April. That’s not just rookies, but everyone – including Donovan McNabb in new threads. Sam Bradford is a better player with a much brighter future, but his jersey only ranked ninth in the league. People are strange.
I have the Blue Jays’ game on in the background as I write this. Ricky Romero has struck out four of the first five batters he has faced. Regular readers will know that this isn’t the first time I have talked about this guy. He’s a youngster who is already very good, and he has a chance to be very special. I bet on him tonight, and I expect to do a lot of that until people start to notice what he is. There isn’t a lefty with a better change-up in the league. Check this guy out if you have a chance. With the rotation they have now and Kyle Drabek ready any day the Jays have a shockingly good rotation for a team that just lost the best pitcher in baseball. Fun to watch – and to profit from.
The Derby. I respect every Derby winner – it’s the hardest race there is to win – but I have certainly respected other winners more than Super Saver. He won in a glacially slow time on a surface that was perfect for him, and he benefited from pretty much the perfect trip. Despite that he was getting chased down rapidly by Ice Box, who had had a brutal trip, down the stretch. I long for the day that I get to see a Triple Crown winner (I was alive for the last two, but was sadly too young to care), but I’m not getting my hopes up at all this year – despite what Calvin Borel says.
Zack Greinke. There couldn’t be a less likely guy in sports. On Sunday Greinke allowed one run in eight very solid innings and lost 1-0. In the last two years he has a 2.17 ERA with an AL best 16 quality starts and the best ERA in baseball, yet his team has gone 18-21 when he has started. He’s 0-3 this year despite pitching very well. Just imagine what this guy could do playing for a real team. Kansas City should grant him free agency just out of mercy.
My favorite part of the draft are the stories of the guys who don’t get any attention from the scouts, but who go on to have fantastic careers. Here are five nfl picks who could fill that role this year:
Here are five guys that will likely go today who should make their teams and nfl gamblers very happy:
1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas – There has been little talk of him in the first round, but there really should have been. He’s a better player than Clausen in my eyes – more athletic, a better arm, more successful, and a much better leader. The arm injury in the championship game is irrelevant, and McCoy is ready to be a starting QB in this league.
2. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama – Though he has the skills to get picked in the first round, size issues could make him a second day bargain. Cody is massive and may not be able to control that weight, and his body may not stand up to the strain of the league. He’s a run stopping machine, though, and he shows surprising bursts of athleticism for his size. He’s not a pass rushing demon, but he’s very useful as the relatively unique type of player that he is.
3. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida – He has good linebacking bloodlines – his cousin is Takeo Spikes. Spikes is the leader of his defense at Florida, and could take that same kind of role in the pros. He has brilliant instincts, and knows where he needs to be almost before a play happens. He doesn’t have the flashy numbers to be a first-rounder, but he looks like he could be a long term solution in a crucial position.
4. Dexter McCluster, RB, Mississippi – This isn’t a great running back class, but McCluster could be the best of the whole group. What I love about watching him is his ability to read the line in the backfield, adjust instantly, and find the hole. He has downfield vision that is very rare. He’s also very patient, and is capable of throwing in a stutter step to wait for a hole to develop.
5. Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State – He comes from a linebacker factory, so his credentials are sound. Bowman is an above average linebacker in all aspects of his game except for one – against the run he is absolutely incredible. It’s like he has running back sensors in his brain – he gets to them and almost never lets them past. That, along with solid skills in other areas, will make him a nice addition to any team. There are some concerns about his behavior, but the bulk of his issues were back n 2007 when he has going through hard times, and I think they are in the past. He’s worth a GM’s nfl bet.
All NFL Draft, all the time the next three days. The title make’s today’s offering self-evident:
Guys I Love
1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma – What’s not to like about this guy. He was brilliant from the very start at Oklahoma, and he has the look of a guy who can take that to the next level. He crushed the college football point spread at Oklahoma. He has a good arm, he’s mobile enough without using that as a crutch, he’s incredibly smart, and he just wins. Top rated quarterbacks aren’t always successful, but Clausen will be.
Continue reading “Five First Rounders I Really Love, And Three I Don’t”
I’m beginning to think that Donovan McNabb is stupid. Not just sort of stupid, either – cripplingly stupid. how else could you explain his suggestion to the Redskins that they sign Terrell Owens. There are about a million things wrong with that suggestion. McNabb and Owens were oil and water last time around. McNabb really needs to get off to a strong start for his new team. Owens has lost a step or three and clearly isn’t the player he once was. There isn’t a more divisive player in the league. Even at his best Owens wasn’t a great fit for what Mike Shanahan likes to do. Thinking that he’s up to the challenge of playing with Owens again, or that Owens would make an impact in Washington worth the heartache, is a sign of a stunning lack of awareness.
LeBron James is gong to get a title this year if he has to win it single-handedly. His efforts in the fourth quarter tonight couldn’t have been any more impressive. The pesky Bulls were tied heading into the fourth quarter, and they were causing real problems for the Cavs. They were only up by three points seven minutes later when LeBron took over. He amassed 15 points in the next six minutes to give his team the lead for good and to remind the Bulls who is boss. It was an impressive spectacle, though not a surprising one given what he is capable of. Also impressive in the game was Joakim Noah. He sounded ridiculous before the game talking trash about Cleveland, but he really backed it up with his play – 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Continue reading “Basketball, Basketball, and More Basketball”
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