A Good Decision? By The Rams?

Full Discolsure: Marshall Faulk and Ozzie Smith were my two favorite athletes from childhood. I have liked Faulk ever since I saw him smoke the 4-0 St. Louis Rams while he was in Indianapolis, virtually ending the Rams’ inaugural season (the St. Louis Rams’ first-ever loss, portending most of the rest of the decade). Marshall Faulk is so cool, in his wikipedia picture, he’s not even looking at the camera, he’s playing x-box 360. With sunglasses on.

Faulk led the Rams to the first ever home team-title that I ever saw in my lifetime (the Ambush just do not count!). He was unstoppable during the Greatest Show on Turf days, and should have won the MVP over Kurt Warner every year during that stretch. It’s very telling that the success of the Rams was completely tied to Faulk’s arrival, and that he was the team MVP (over Warner) during the 1999-2001 glory days. Marshall Faulk is so cool that he single-handedly ruined the St. Louis Rams in 1995, then single-handedly rebuilt them in 1999.

Football, apple pie, and law suits…

Some people like to say “….as American as apple pie.” I prefer “as American as a law suit.”  Grady Jackson, the behemoth defensive tackle who weighed in last season at around 360 pounds, agrees with me, and to show his support, he is suing his employer, the Atlanta Falcons. 

Falcons’ officials beleive the lawsuit is a ploy by Jackson’s agent to net a new contract with the team.  He is scheduled to earn 1.5 million dollars each of the next two seasons, after having earned the veterans minimum in the first year of the deal.  Jackson is suing for defamation and invasion of privacy, stating that the team released private information regarding his health to the media.  Falcons’ officials couldn’t be reached for a response, but usually no one ever responds to my calls, not even my mother.

(grady)

NFL Mock Draft – Atlanta Falcons on the clock

The NFL Draft is pure theater, a made-for-television event that pits the opinions and whims of fans against the opinions and whims of scouts and personnel directors. And the only winners are the news-outlets who cover it. There may not be a more ridiculous sight in the world of sports than that of fans cheering – or booing – their teams’ respective selection (Jets fans, we look squarely in your direction). With that being said, the only thing more ridiculous than the NFL draft itself, is the scouting guru who populates the airwaves in what has become a year-round industry (Mel Kiper, we look squarely in YOUR direction). These experts turn in multiple mock drafts, with varying degrees of inaccuracy; suffice it to say that if these draft-niks gambled on their own picks, they would have a very bad weekend. The draft is an exercise in hype, and we make it a point to mock the absurdly over-hyped. With that being said, we turn to our own Draft Curmudgeon, Brian Hamburger, for the First Annual Hurricanes are for Drinking Mock Draft.. The Atlanta Falcons are on the clock…

With the tenth pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select LaRon Landry, Safety, LSU.

Rich Mckay finally realizes that he sucks at drafting wide recievers, and reverts to form, drafting a stud defensive performer from a big time football school.  The Falcons desperately need a safety who can make an immediate impact on the gridiron.  Landry fits this role nicely, and should wrestle the starting spot away from Chris Crocker, a solid run stopper who struggled mightily at times last season against the deep pass. 

NFL Mock Draft – Miami Dolphins are on the clock

The NFL Draft is pure theater, a made-for-television event that pits the opinions and whims of fans against the opinions and whims of scouts and personnel directors. And the only winners are the news-outlets who cover it. There may not be a more ridiculous sight in the world of sports than that of fans cheering – or booing – their teams’ respective selection (Jets fans, we look squarely in your direction). With that being said, the only thing more ridiculous than the NFL draft itself, is the scouting guru who populates the airwaves in what has become a year-round industry (Mel Kiper, we look squarely in YOUR direction). These experts turn in multiple mock drafts, with varying degrees of inaccuracy; suffice it to say that if these draft-niks gambled on their own picks, they would have a very bad weekend. The draft is an exercise in hype, and we make it a point to mock the absurdly over-hyped. With that being said, we turn to our own Draft Curmudgeon, Brian Hamburger, for the First Annual Hurricanes are for Drinking Mock Draft.. The Miami Dolphins are on the clock…

With the ninth pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, The Miami Dolphins Select Brady Quinn, Quarterback, Notre Dame

NFL Mock Draft – Houston Texans are on the clock…

The NFL Draft is pure theater, a made-for-television event that pits the opinions and whims of fans against the opinions and whims of scouts and personnel directors. And the only winners are the news-outlets who cover it. There may not be a more ridiculous sight in the world of sports than that of fans cheering – or booing – their teams’ respective selection (Jets fans, we look squarely in your direction). With that being said, the only thing more ridiculous than the NFL draft itself, is the scouting guru who populates the airwaves in what has become a year-round industry (Mel Kiper, we look squarely in YOUR direction). These experts turn in multiple mock drafts, with varying degrees of inaccuracy; suffice it to say that if these draft-niks gambled on their own picks, they would have a very bad weekend. The draft is an exercise in hype, and we make it a point to mock the absurdly over-hyped. With that being said, we turn to our own Draft Curmudgeon, Brian Hamburger, for the First Annual Hurricanes are for Drinking Mock Draft.. The Houston Texans are on the clock…

With the Eighth Pick in the NFL Draft, The Houston Texans select, Levi Brown, Offensive Tackle, Penn State University.

The Texans need to fix an offensive line that has been a mess since their failed selection of Tony Boselli in the expansion draft.  Boselli was one of the top three offensive tackles in the league at the time, but never suited up for the Texans because of extensive shoulder injuries.  Needless to say the line never recovered, giving up a remarkable number of sacks annually, while failing open holes for the ground game.

The addition of Brown would be a step in the right direction.  He has prototypical size, checking in at 6’5″, 325 pounds, and phenomenal quickness and body control.  Brown was a four year starter at left tackle, and should immediately step into the starting role for the Texans, thanks in part to his experience and awareness at the position. 

The Texans, especially David Carr, are badly in need of a consistently effective offensive line.  Brown will be the best option available, and the Texans can’t afford to pass him up.

(levi)

Joe Horn is one Dirty Bird

The Atlanta Falcons are close to inking former New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver and mouth piece Joe Horn to a contract.  Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but the salary figure will not be very high, because the Falcons are currently only 6 million dollars under the cap. 

Horn, will presumably take over the #1 spot on the depth chart, since former first round draft picks Mike Jenkins and “Rowdy” Roddy White have yet to prove themselves.  The signing is much more then just the addition of a consistent offensive threat to a team that sorely lacked a reliable option on the perimeter.  Horn, as noted in “A Stunna – the Saints release…” was the soul of the Saints’ organization, an unabashed critic who isn’t afraid to express his opinion, no matter the ramifications.  The Falcon’s are badly in need of Horn’s style of leadership and attitude – the team simply faded during the second half of each of the past two seasons.

Chicekity-a-Chinese The Chinese Kicker!

Thanks to the internet and satellite television, globalization has become par de course and a competitive endeavour for the big three (NFL, NBA, MLB).  Bud Selig’s effort to dominate the global sports scene has produced an International tournament (World Baseball Classic).  David Stern, whose league is full of foreign-born stars, has discussed scheduling pre and regular season games overseas, and already has an international exhibition schedule in place.  Roger Goodell and the NFL haven’t been far behind, hosting preseason games overseas, and soon regular season games as well(Tokyo Dome, Wembley Stadium).   

The NFL has now taken two steps further than its competitive cartel brethern, recruiting three mainland Chinese athletes, Americanizing them, with hopes they can make it as kickers.  This is part of the NFL’s master plan to infiltrate the untapped population of China, reap the lucrative benefits of it’s billion-plus fans, and of course maintain their hegemonic position over the other leagues. 

A Stunna: The Saints Release a Piece of New Orleans

Last summer, a talk radio show in New Orleans asked its listeners to name the Saints player who best exemplified the community. Reggie Bush was an obvious choice, and this weeded out the idiots. Drew Brees was another popular choice, since his rebuilding shoulder was somewhat analogous to the rebuiding of the city. I immediately disqualified both of these players, because at that point they had yet to play a game for the franchise. How can they exemplify the Saints, when we have never seen them wear Black and Gold?

I thought that there were two players who fit very well, Deuce McAllister, and Joe Horn, two players who could have been the right answer. At the time, Deuce was busy rebuilding his knee, and nobody knew that he would have a ridiculously productive year. In fact, most fans, to a man, thought that Reggie Bush would be the team’s starting tailback by mid-season. Deuce is also quiet and understated; that really doesn’t describe New Orleans. That left me with Joe Horn, perhaps the only person with a personality that truly exemplified the spirit of New Orleans. This video illustrates my point, watch as McAllister enters the arena before Horn:

NFL Mock Draft – Minnesota Vikings are on the clock

The NFL Draft is pure theater, a made-for-television event that pits the opinions and whims of fans against the opinions and whims of scouts and personnel directors. And the only winners are the news-outlets who cover it. There may not be a more ridiculous sight in the world of sports than that of fans cheering – or booing – their teams’ respective selection (Jets fans, we look squarely in your direction). With that being said, the only thing more ridiculous than the NFL draft itself, is the scouting guru who populates the airwaves in what has become a year-round industry (Mel Kiper, we look squarely in YOUR direction). These experts turn in multiple mock drafts, with varying degrees of inaccuracy; suffice it to say that if these draft-niks gambled on their own picks, they would have a very bad weekend. The draft is an exercise in hype, and we make it a point to mock the absurdly over-hyped. With that being said, we turn to our own Draft Curmudgeon, Brian Hamburger, for the First Annual Hurricanes are for Drinking Mock Draft.. The Minnesota Vikings are on the clock…

With the seventh pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select…well…its complicated…

It’s very likely that the Vikings will field a lot of phone calls from teams around the league that want to trade up to select Brady Quinn.  While the purple people eaters beleive they have their quarterback of the future in Tarvaris Jackson, Quinn could be considered a bit of a steal at this point by teams like the Jets, Panthers, and Jaguars – all of whom have QBs with major question marks.

The Vikings could hang-on to the pick and draft out of need.  They need consistent playmaking from their offensive skill positions, something they have lacked since trading Randy Moss.  Ted Ginn Jr. could be an option, thanks to his track star speed and ability to return kicks.  Ginn is a bit of a reach at this point; he has yet to prove he can run intermediate routes, but after Calvin Johnson he is the clear #2 WR in this draft. 

Ginn is a bit of an athletic freak, and it is very possible he could blossom into a bonafide star in the NFL.  His ability to go deep is coupled with the skills to snatch a screen pass or short slant and produce alot of YAC.  Ginn needs to add some muscle to his frame to help him break tackles in the NFL.  He should be able to immediately contribute over the top and in the return game, providing explosive plays with his blazing speed. If he can put on some weight, there is no reason that he can’t become his generation’s Torry Holt, assuming he works as hard as Holt.

Since 84 left the land of 10,000 lakes, the Vikings have been in an offensive funk.  Trading down and stockpiling picks seems to be the safer bet, but a player with the speed and talent of Ginn could be very tough to pass up. The best case scenario: the Vikings trade down to the mid-first round, and are still able to draft Ginn. But that might be wishful thinking.

(ginn)

NFL Mock Draft – Washington Redkins are on the clock…

The NFL Draft is pure theater, a made-for-television event that pits the opinions and whims of fans against the opinions and whims of scouts and personnel directors. And the only winners are the news-outlets who cover it. There may not be a more ridiculous sight in the world of sports than that of fans cheering – or booing – their teams’ respective selection (Jets fans, we look squarely in your direction). With that being said, the only thing more ridiculous than the NFL draft itself, is the scouting guru who populates the airwaves in what has become a year-round industry (Mel Kiper, we look squarely in YOUR direction). These experts turn in multiple mock drafts, with varying degrees of inaccuracy; suffice it to say that if these draft-niks gambled on their own picks, they would have a very bad weekend. The draft is an exercise in hype, and we make it a point to mock the absurdly over-hyped. With that being said, we turn to our own Draft Curmudgeon, Brian Hamburger, for the First Annual Hurricanes are for Drinking Mock Draft.. The Washington Redskins are on the clock…

With the sixth pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Gaines Adams, Defensive End, Clemson.

The Washington Defense had trouble pressuring opposing quarterbacks last year; acquiring a pass-rusher like Gaines Adams should be a top priority in Washington’s offseason rebuilding plan.  He will provide an instant outside rush, for a defense that recorded a franchise single-season low of 19 sacks.   The ‘Skins are badly in need of a playmaker up front who draws double teams, and can consistently get upfield to collapse the pocket.  Adams fits this role nicely, and should be on the field for all passing downs.

Checking in at 6’5″, 261 pounds, Adams demonstrated his explosive ability at the annual NFL Combine with a broad jump of 9’11″, a 40 time of 4.64 seconds, and a 35″ vertical jump.  He is a sack machine who should be very effective coming off the edge, but he will need to add some bulk in order to stay on the field in a full time starters role. 

(gaines)