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It is the Monday after the NFL Draft, and I don't know about you, but I need a bath...Why you ask? Well, I live in Cleveland...And after this draft, it really fucking stinks in here!
There is this thing in Cleveland when everyone gets their hopes up when the Draft rolls around...Sadly, since 1999 the Browns have had a lot more misses then hits...In April Browns fans are blindly optimistic, lead by the Cleveland media that is more often than not blindly swinging on the nuts of the team, and believing everything they say to be gospel...There are very few who are willing to criticize the team on draft weekend, and those who do, like me, get shouted down....
Example: When the Browns took Notre Dame Safety Jamoris Slaughter in the 6th round, I voiced my displeasure with this move...You know I love ND, and I like Slaughter, but kid played 3 games, and tore his Achilles last year....The year before he missed most the season after a shoulder injury...He was only in the draft because the NCAA disallowed a second medical redshirt...Yes, he's a big hitter...But he's a small guy, just under 6 ft. and 195 pounds...So of course it was tweeted at me that in 39 games he made 98 tackles...Big fucking deal...Former ND safety, now Vikings safety made 93 tackles in one season...Another ND Safety, Zeke Motta, taken in the 7th round by the Falcons made 77 tackles this year...Why the fuck wouldn't you take the heavy hitter that he is, instead of the guy who has been hurt the last two seasons?
Another asshole tweeted at me, "You know it's the 6th round?" Yeah dick face...I also know there are better players and players who aren't hurt out there! Everyone at 92.3 the Fan are fucking idiots, who just got the rights top air the Browns games this season, so they're all afraid to be fucking honest...
Then they start tweeting that Mike Mayock was raving about the Browns getting Slaughter...Well no shit...He gets one of his paychecks doing color for Notre Dame games...He's not gonna blast a ND guy...Fucking tools!
The Browns first round pick, Barkevious Mingo, DE from LSU...Fine pick there...They had no 2nd round pick...They gave that up when they took Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft last year...Fine...Kid has skills...3rd round they took CB, Leon McFadden from San Diego St....WTF! Kid is 5-9...I like my corners a little taller...Kid ran a 4.5 40...I like my corners faster, especially if they are short...Kid was projected as a 6th rounder....Of fucking course he was! Then they show a quick video of him...The clip showed him getting beat by a WR 4-5 inches taller and if the QB could hadn't overthrown it, it's a TD...
No worries, the Browns have more picks...Wait, they traded a 4th and 5th to the Dolphins for Devone Bess...Okay, so adding him, plus the recent acquisition of David Nelson, the Browns are okay at WR...Then they traded another 4th round pick to Pittsburgh for their 4th round pick next year...Then they traded another 5th round pick to the Colts for their 5th round pick next year...Okay, so they are already throwing in the towel on this year's draft...Got it...
In the 7th round they drafted two guys, one DE and one OL, both from division 2 schools...Listen, no offense to D-2 guys, but if you wanted them, you probably could have signed them as rookie free agents...The DE has a great history of getting busted for selling dope to undercover police...TWICE! Great pick...Then the Browns went and signed Notre Dame C/G Braxston Cave...(Finally a smart move)...They also locked up Bess for 3 years...
The media kept saying this draft was weak...Light in star players...So maybe be smart and load up on depth...Like the Patriots who traded out of the 1st round (29 overall) for a 2,3,4,and 7th round picks...Oh, and they made a trade Jeff Demps and a 7 for LaGarrette Blount...The depth they added...2 WR, OLB, ILB, CB, S, and DE...3 players, all on Defense from Rutgers...I guess Bill liked something he saw from the Scarlet Knights D...
All I know for sure, is a couple months back I talked about me and my sports fandom being free agents when it comes to the NFL and MLB, because the Browns and Indians make me sick...I gave my baseball fandom to The Nationals with an eye on the Orioles and Pirates...In the NFL I talked about the Seahawks and Patriots...Yeah, sticking with that...The Browns proved me right this weekend...All I had to see was what the Bengals and Steelers, and Ravens were doing in the draft...Ravens looking to fill holes and maintain...Steelers and Bengals looking to get better...And they both did...The Browns look like they are maintaining...Only problem is, no one should want to maintain when you are a perennial loser!
-Other Draft news...Matt Barkley proved something I've known for awhile...USC QB's are overrated...4th round to Philly...Ouch...Which of their 4 QB's will stay and which will go?
Geno Smith doesn't go in the 1st round, which is hilarious since both ESPN and NFL network filled their promo shit with him...Lucky guy then goes to the Jets...Clearly the Jets wanted to lead the league in drama again...6 QB's now...Including the hack, Mark Sanchez, and the media darling Tim Tebow, now adding Smith who has already shown what a twat he is by tweeting his smarmy feelings to scouts and draft "experts"...Kid is going to flop...Especially going to that environment...
What I watched of the draft I watched on the NFL Network...ESPN is awful...I can't stand Berman, Gruden, and Kiper...How is it old Mel keeps his job...All this guy does is analyze players for the draft, and he is religiously wrong...Mayock is a douche, but he's right a lot more than the dopes on ESPN....
But then the NFL Network guys got on my nerves when they wouldn't shut up about Manti Te'o...People, you want to know why he slipped? Watch the National Championship game again...Missed tackle after missed tackle...Found himself out of position to make plays for the first time all year...On the biggest stage...With a cloud of lies hanging over his head about a fake, dead girlfriend...It's not the girlfriend shit...It's not even the slow 40 time...It's that game, and how he got owned...I knew he'd get drafted...There is too much potential there not too...But 1st round...No way...hey, lucky for him, he's going to San Diego...Wasn't his girl in the Hospital there!?!
-The NHL playoffs will get started this week...My NY Rangers are playing well and seem to have it all together at the right time...They'll start off with The Washington Capitals...Hopefully they roll right through them...Rick Nash finally gets to take his game to the Playoffs...Looking to see him shine...I'm feeling so confident that I have excepted a bet friendly blogging bet on this series with SunTzu4m!
Chicago is the favorite out West, but they open up with the Minnesota Wild who have been a pain in their ass this year...The Wild have invested a lot this year...They want to win now...Should be an interesting goaltending battle between The Wild's Backstrom and The Blackhawks' Crawford...Both teams have firepower, so it will come down to which goalie can steal a game or two.
-This coming Saturday we have the Kentucky Derby...I love Derby day...We get the kids together and all pick horses...The kids have done well the last few years...Always a good time...Maybe I'll give them a couple Mint Juleps...Make it easier to take their money!
Have a week...
The Beeze
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The new sports spectacular that is the NFL brings us the draft this week - woohoo! It is the annual ritual of creating hope for the hopeless and young millionaires out of young men who have never played a down in the NFL.
(Speaking of millionaires, isn't great to know our Congress can get money to help them get out of DC for the air traffic controllers but no so much for a lot of other things that don't impact them? As a frequent flier, I am glad the air traffic controllers are back, but it seems like not a very fair situation to me.)
The NFL Draft has become one of the staples of the spring sports calendar but I really can't see why so many follow this with the focus of an NFL General Manager. After the first 5 or 10 guys, or even the first round, does anyone know who any of these guys are? OK, well maybe Mel Kiper does, but who is he? Actually, I give Mel credit for creating his own cottege industry. He started it years ago by publishing his annual breakdown of college talent and when ESPN got into the act, Mel somehow got on TV. You can see why they only put him on once a year - he has a face better suited for radio. I admit to tracking the Redskins picks over the years because generally they have been in the top 5 or 10...and then they previously picked so poorly, it had entertainment value. But for people following picks in Round 7, I recommend they seek professional counseling - or better yet, go outside and play catch or hit a golf ball - do something.
So the Chiefs and everyone else fairly well focused on linemen in the first round. Not too much celebrity power in that! Manti Te'o and Geno Smith did not go until Round 2. Maybe that was a little bit of a story, but I thought Te'o was crushed by Alabama - it reminded me of Heath Shuler who was mauled in the Sugar Bowl but still got drafted #1 by the Redskins...after his cup of coffee in the NFL, he ended up where? you guessed it - Congress! The cycle is complete.
The Redskins drafted sensibly with a CB and a TE...fine by me. I am sure they are fine young men and I hope they help the team...we shall see what happens. How did your team do? Any major observations? Any Jets fans out there - how do you feel about Geno Smith taking over for the perpetually over-rated Mark Sanchez on the perpetually over-hyped Jets. (Really, is there any team that gets more undeserving coverage than the Jets? After Joe Namath, what have they ever really done other than always get picked to do something and then lose? They have a blow-hard coach and a below average talent team. Thanks ESPN).
NHL Playoff Time has Finally Arrived!
In about a week and a half, we are going to start to see the first of 8 line ups to shake hands as the first round of the NHL playoffs will be drawing to a close. In the East we have the 8 teams...Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington & Montreal as the top 4 seeds and then Toronto, both New York Teams and Ottawa to round out the field. I feel fairly confident Boston & Pittsburgh will be in round 2 no matter who they play. A Toronto - Montreal match up would be fun just from a nostalgia situation and I guess I am a closet Leaf fan so I hope they would win that series. It would seem like the Capitals have good momentum, and I will still pick them to eek through to round 2 because I love what Adam Oates has done as a coach...but after 35 years of playoff heartbreak, I am well-prepared for the opposite outcome.
In the West, will Columbus get in and force out either Minnesota or end the Red Wings run of 21 years of playoff appearances? Whoever gets in is rewarded with a series with the Blackhawks - go luck with that. Anaheim, Vancouver and St. Louis round out the top 4 in the West and they will be going up against LA, San Jose and then two of the three aforementioned teams. Again, it would be hard to believe Chicago and Anaheim won't push through into the second round, although I will be watching how Bruce Boudreau does with Anaheim. He really struggled coaching in the playoffs in DC. I like Bruce, so I hope he does well. Beyond that, the other two California teams would seem to be dangerous foes - San Jose and the defending champ Kings are my picks to rounds out the west.
Bryce Harper at 20... Maybe the Best 20 Year Old Ever
Do yourself a favor and watch a couple of Nationals games or at least catch a few of Bryce Harper's at bats. This kid is really something special. The kid is 20 years old and here is his April line:
AVG: .363
HR: 8
RBI: 16
OBP: .440
SLG: .750
Those are almost unbelievable...consider he was hitting .400 in Spring Training. He is the closest thing to The Natural that I have ever seen and I am lucky enough to see him play every night. I am going to the game tomorrow and since Dan Haren is pitching, the Nats are going to have to hit to get a win. I hope to see a little more of the Bryce Harper Legend just like I did on Opening Day. The kid plays ball with passion - I love it!
I am really going to have to be on my toes next week as I will be reporting from Ireland. A traveler has to go where a traveler has to go. And a Top of the Mornin' to You, Laddy!
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There is very little of more value in the baseball world than a 27-year-old former Cy Young winner that is still under team control for two-plus seasons. Every team wants to land a stud pitcher, in his prime, that they still have some negotiating room with.
Enter stage left, David Price.
The Rays lefty is coming off of another solid season, one in which he won the American League Cy Young award while pitching in baseball's toughest division. He's thrown 200+ innings each of his three full season at the Major League level. Oh, and he's good for 200 K's per season.
So why would the Tampa Bay Rays entertain the thought of trading such a prized commodity?
Well, first off, if the Rays move Price at the appropriate time, the return could be astonomical. If James Shields could pry the Minor League Player of the Year away from the Royals, then surely Price could net a larger bounty. We're not just talking about quantity here, but we're also talking about quality, like Jurickson Profar, Oscar Taveras type quality. And that's only part of any return package for Price.
Secondly, the modest-spending Rays like to float a relatively small team payroll, with Tampa having the third lowest in baseball at $57.895 million in 2013. Price, with two years of arbitration left, is the team's highest paid player at $10.113 million, which represents a nearly $7 million increase from 2012. That's already 17.5% of the team's payroll. Imagine what that climbs up to as Price keeps playing the arbitration game. Tampa would more likely move him before his salary impedes them from playing their small market shuffle.
Needless to say, it's safe to assume that the Rays will make a deal that will send Price from Tampa to the highest bidder. That just makes the continued development of Matt Moore all the more important.
Moore was everyone's favorite for the 2012 Rookie of the Year coming into last season. In fact, the Rays thought so much of his cup-of-coffee in 2011, that they inked the rookie to a 5-year, $14 million extension after just 3 appearances at the Major League level. While he didn't exactly live up to those expectations, the hard-throwing Moore still enjoyed a solid season. When all was said and done in 2012, Moore finished 12-12 with a 3.81 ERA, an 8.9 K/9 ratio, and a 1.4 bWAR.
However, the 23-year-old Moore is looking a bit more comfortable in his second go-around.
In 2013, Moore has won all four of his starts with a minuscule 1.04 ERA, having surrendered just 3 earned runs over 26 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are reaching Moore for just a .116 batting average against and he's returning the favor by striking out 10 for every 9 innings pitched. And he's seemingly getting stronger as the early season progresses, holding the Yankees to a single earned run over 8 innings while striking out 9 on Monday night.
Moore stands to be the one with the most to gain if Price departs, and would be the likely heir to the thrown of ace. The best part for the Rays is, because of Andrew Friedman's foresight, he doesn't even begin to make a blip on the payroll scale until 2018 at best, and that is only at $9 million.
The shrewd Rays keep finding a way to restock and reload without breaking the bank, and Price is just another means to that end. David Price had his run, and next it will be Matt Moore's turn.
And, as long as they keep developing the talent they turn these players into, the Rays will keep peskily hanging around. Now all they have to do is get their Profar, Taveras, or whatever high-end prospect they can for Price.
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(Because of some technical issues I'm posting this for Bandit...Should have teh problem cleared up today)
Greetings from the Hoodwood, where as much as we want to see justice for our people in Boston we all want to see justice work the way it supposed to.
First off…our national anthem
http://youtu.be/ZzMsagY7oRs
If you don’t have either a tear or goosebumps you have no pulse.
NBA: Handicapping the playoffs
Well the chaff is gone, and as close as they came to folding the Lakers recovered enough to not only make the playoffs on the final day of the season but scramble to a 7th seed in the west avoiding the defending conference champ and #1 seed Thunder. Without Kobe Bryant one has to wonder how much a force the Lakers would be against the Spurs who stumbled badly down the stretch but still have the #2 seed. The Lakers found that they had made the playoffs before taking the court for their season finale against the Rockets as the Jazz played an absolute dog of a finale ekeing out a paltry 70 points in Memphis and getting hammered by the playoff bound Grizzlies who were nailing a franchise best 56 wins in an failed effort to snatch the #4 seed away from the Clippers. With the playoff berth secured, the Lake Show dawdled through most of the game rallied late to pull ahead get tied on a buzzer beater but pull out the win in OT. The NBA and the media conglomerate are quite happy. You have both teams from the NYC area both teams from LA as well as Chicago, Miami, Atlanta and Houston (all huge markets) in the postseason and the little guy franchise markets are well represented with Indy, San Antonio and OKC with strong playoff teams. Now who does your humble scribe have meeting in June? Same as I said in October, I see a finals rematch but this time Kevin Durant brings the trophy home this time to create a real rivalry and give the Heat some pause on their dynasty talk.
NHL: Is the end?
Where were you in 1990? Me? I was a smartass senior at Mt. Healthy Senior High School. I had just made my selection of colleges (You don’t know how close I came to being a Bowling Green student) and was marking time till high school was done. I liked Hockey but my team of choice was the Los Angeles Kings, they had Gretzky. I knew of the Detroit Red Wings but they weren’t that good, in fact they were a last place team. At 28-38-14 they had the third worst point total in the NHL at 70 and were one of only 5 teams NOT to make the playoffs in the NHL that year. Fast forward 23 years. Me, two kids the building that I went to High school in is gone and is a parking lot for the football field (the school is now about a mile drive away but 500 yards behind where the old school is.) The NHL saw teams in Hartford and Quebec disappear, teams in Dallas, Phoenix, Nashville, Miami, Tampa, San Jose, Carolina, Columbus, Denver and Anaheim appear and teams in Winnipeg and Minnesota disappear and reappear. But the one constant has been the Red Wings with the longest current playoff streak in professional sports. That streak is in the most jeopardy as it has been in a very long time as the Wings as of this morning sit in 9th place. They still control their own destiny as they have three games left to play and if they win out would make the playoffs but for this Wings that is the only thing of 1990 that he doesn’t want to be reminded of.
NBA: Is Kobe a fan not wanted?
For the first time in his career, Kobe Bryant is a spectator to a Laker playoff game. 220 Laker playoff games, Bryant wasn’t even in the building to watch the Spurs and Lakers tangle in game 1 in the AT&T center in San Antonio, but he was watching the game and tweeting. His rapid fire comments to the Lakers more or less lackluster play got everyones attention. The Lakers played like they were an overmatched 7 seed not the team that had handled the Spurs less than a week previous during their dash to the playoffs. Bryant was sounding like a fan, imploring the Lakers to get the ball inside to Dwight Howard who was playing like the invisible man. The Lakers played poorly and the Spurs took the game 1 by the easy count of 91-79. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni looked visibily irritated when asked postgame about Bryants critical tweets during the game. D’Antoni called Bryant “a fan” Was Bryant throwing his team…and coach under the bus. Well it seems that the tweeter named Mamba wont be offering insight any time soon. Bryant hastily (and huffily) said that he wouldn’t make anymore tweets during games. You have to wonder how much of that game from the coach or front office. I for one thought Bryant’s insight refreshing. Dwight Howard did need to use his ass down low…
Phat Dap/Head Slap
Phat Dap to Manchester United who won their 20thEnglish League Soccer title The win with four matches left in the season was clinched with a natural hat trick by Robin Van Persie. Folks hate Man U like MLB fans hate the Yanks… but you got to give them credit. They just bloody win…
Head Slap
In two cases where the F word was used appropriately and inappropriately.
To those who were hyper critical of Boston slugger David Ortiz for his off the cuff speech before the Red Sox first game back in Boston after last weeks Marathon Bombing
http://youtu.be/ZzMsagY7oRs
I would only correct Papi on this is our country. We are all strong right along with Boston.
But here is where it wasn’t appropriate…rookie weekend anchor was less than 10 seconds in his first broadcast when this happened
http://youtu.be/P_uX1RczgQA
I can understand being nervous but you never curse in a studio, all the years I was in broadcasting you always assume a mic is hot…
That’s the view from the Hoodwood until next post fellow sports fans!
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Before I get started this week, and as become customary of the other fantastic bloggers at YouGabSports, I want to extend my prayers to those who have suffered through the tragedy in Boston earlier this week. I also want to extend my appreciation that my friends and extended "Gab Family" members are all safe and accounted for.
As some of you folks know through Facebook, my family and I were in Boston on Saturday afternoon for the Red Sox/Rays match-up. It was a great game, one that turned out to be a 2-1 Red Sox win and featured a stellar pitching match-up between David Price and Jon Lester. Our seats were great, Loge Box 155, right off the third base bag, the first time I haven't sat in the bleachers at Fenway.
But that wasn't the memory I took away from the game.
No, my memories are of a hopping Boylston Street, a community that was out and about enjoying a moderately warm spring day. It was a true sign of the glory of spring in New England, where people are itching so badly to get outdoors that they flock together the first chance they get.
And it was that memory that made Monday's events so surreal. Seeing the photos after the fact, where Boylston Street was a virtual ghost town really sank in the impact of the bombing. The serenity of the spring blown away by a single act of unexplained violence.
That said, my thoughts and prayers go not just to those that were lost or hurt in the attack, but also for the hope that the serenity of spring can return quickly to the area, not only for the sake of peace, but also for the comfort of being able to move forward.
Speaking of moving forward, now on to baseball:
- One interesting note from the game I attended on Saturday. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury rapped a single with one out in the innng. Then, while stealing second, the throw went into center field and Ellsbury proceeded on to third.
This is where it got interesting.
Joe Maddon, who is known for his odd infield alignments opted to bring left fielder Matt Joyce into the infield as a fifth infielder. I have never seen this done before. My only assumption was that Maddon wanted to cut off the runner if he was going on contact. But what struck me more was that the situation called for Maddon to walk Victorino and open up the double play option to end the inning.
In the end, Victorino hit it up the middle, just deep enough to bring Ellsbury in with the winning run, but I was left thinking that the great baseball thinker overthrought the situation.
- What more can be said about the Atlanta Braves, who are sitting pretty with a 12-2 record at this stage in the season. We all knew that they were going to be much better offensively this season, but the pitching has been just as lethal. Coming into Thursday's action, the Braves lead all of baseball with a 1.77 team ERA through 14 games and have surrendered the fewest home runs in the game. That's good for a team that has the Major League's leading home run hitter in Justin Upton.
- Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter suffered a setback in his rehab from a broken ankle when a CT scan revealed a small fracture in the ankle. Jeter is now expected to be out until after the All-Star break, another piece of bad luck with injuries for the Yankees, who are barely recognizable this season. Jeter is under contract through the end of this season, but has a $8 million player option for 2014.
- The Colorado Rockies were thought to be dead in the water this season, but somehow they've managed to post a solid 11-4 record. However, that could be an anomaly as the team currently has a 4.30 ERA from its starting five, and that's with both Jon Garland and Jhoulys Chacin over performing. The Coors Effect just won't let this team succeed despite a mediocre pitching staff for long.
- The Detroit Tigers have to be plenty pleased with their decision to bring aboard Torii Hunter this winter. The 17-year veteran is off to an amazing start, posting a .413 batting average and a 1.027 OPS in 63 at bats. With the Angels reeling and Josh Hamilton struggling in Los Angeles, Hunter is sitting in his locker in Detroit and laughing it up for a contender, suddenly feeling a lot better about the Angels letting him go.
- New York starter Matt Harvey is one of the few bright spots for the lowly Mets this season. The 24-year-old burst onto the scene in 2012, with a solid 2.73 ERA and 70 strike-outs in 59.1 innings last season, but he's been even better in 2013. The right-hander has a 0.82 ERA and 25 strike-outs in 22 innings this season. That performance helped reward Harvey with the National League Player of the Week last week.
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