So here we are, not quite Memorial Day, and the Colorado Rockies appear to be going nowhere fast.  The Rockies are 2-8 over their last ten games, are below .500 at home, and are absolutely dreadful on the road.  This last road trip saw them drop 2 of 3 to the Padres (the second worst team in baseball behind the Twins), and get swept by the Dodgers.  This team can't seem to do anything right.  The pitching is among the worst in baseball and the offense has been inconsistent.  This is a team that went out and acquired "veteran" leadership to change the locker room culture  to avoid such a start.  A friend and I were venting our frustrations with watching this team and my friend made a good point; it looks like they have no fire, no passion.  No one seems to be pissed off that they are sucking so bad!  I can't think of a time where I saw any emotion from anyone on this team; they just go with the flow.  I would give anything to see someone go Carlos Zambrano on a Gatorade cooler.  I think maybe this team has been coddled too much and somebody needs to light a fire under its ass.  Take Tulowitzki for example.  This guy has all the talent in the world and according to the MLB nework is the 4th best player in the league.  However, he has more errors than home runs and looks like all he can do is pop out.  Another example: Dexter Fowler.  It feels like we have been waiting for Fowler to make the turn into a legitimate big league hitter for years now. Oh wait, it has been years.  The guy is good in center field but he can't get it done at the plate.  Part of Dexter's problem is coaching. Why would you continue to let him switch hit?  For somebody who has struggled to adapt to big league pitching like him, wouldn't you make him pick a side and only hit from that side? 
I can't say that I see Jim Tracy making huge managerial blunders, but he doesn't seem to get the most out of his players.  Since he started managing in 2009 this team has been wildly inconsistent.  At times they look like contenders and then they get swept by a last place club.  I think the most disappointing thing is the way this team has lost games.  They were swept at home by Atlanta, despite leading them 5-0 in the first inning in game one, and 6-0 in the first inning in game two!  How does that happen?!  Another thing that is frustrating is how bad the NL west is.  The division is up for grabs.  Sure the Dodgers are way in front now, but they are one Matt Kemp pulled hammy from coming back to the pack.  The Giants are without Brian Wilson for the year and Pablo Sandoval for 6 weeks.  Not to mention, while their pitching is really good (although Lincecum is struggling), the lineup is a joke without Sandoval.  The Dbacks seem to have fallen back to earth after a big year last year.  Then the Padres' best player is Huston Street. Need I say more?
Long story short, this division is winnable every year, and the Rockies have no sense of urgency.  If there is a shimmer of hope , it's this: the Rockies are a streaky team and are just one Tulo hot streak from winning 8 out of 10.  The pitching will get better when De La Rosa comes back.  Pomeranz, White, and Friedrich are young and have looked promising this year.  I'm not saying that the Rockies will come around.  In fact, I'm sure that they won't. However, the tools are there and it's not hopeless.  I can't believe this team, with Cargo and Tulo, is this bad.  I suspect they will still finish 2nd or 3rd in the division and win about 74 games.  I don't expect them to suck this bad for the rest of the season...or they could...who knows?

With all the insanity surrounding Manning Watch, I thought I'd comment on NFL free agency and why you shouldn't panic if your team isnt a big time player in it.  First, consider the major players in free agency every year: Washington, Seattle, Miami, and most years the Cowboys.  What do all those teams have in common?  They are terrible every year.  Consider who is never making blockbuster signings: Giants, Patriots, Packers, and Pittsburgh.  What do they have in common? They are playoff contenders every year.  Why is that?  These teams realize, they have a franchise quarterback, who just needs some solid parts around him, and they will win.  Why go pay a big name WR huge money, when you can get an unheard of free agent to do the same thing for significantly less?  Besides you have to ask, why is this guy a free agent?  If a guy is really good, his team usually will pay him and keep him.  Can you think of any free agents that were big time players other than Drew Brees?  Don't get me wrong you can get guys to come to your team and be a solid player, but not a true difference maker.  

Just a few months ago if someone would have told you that the Broncos would win the AFC West, they would have said you were an idiot.  But here we are, the Broncos are in with an 8-8 record and will host a playoff game.  But, in reality this team has no business in the playoffs.  Sunday's game against the Chiefs was the worst offensive performance I've ever seen.  Why was the offense so horrible?  Two words: Tim Tebow.  Tebow played the worst game I have seen a quarterback play in my life, and I lived through the Freddie Kitchens era at Alabama!  Tebow looked lost, and showed zero confidence.  He was either afraid to throw the ball or wasn't sure who it was supposed to go to.  It seems to me that unless a receiver has no one around him he won't through the ball to them. This is the NFL, you have to be able to throw the ball in a small window every now and again.  
    So, regardless of what happens in the game Sunday against the Steelers, Tebow has got to go.  John Elway has to be the adult in Denver and tell the fans that he knows better than them, and trade Tebow to Jacksonville or Tampa Bay for a 5th or 6th round pick, or whatever they want to take him.  I believe there is a place for Tebow in the league; the shotgun power lead play they run with him on the goaline is unstoppable.  But its not in Denver.  As long as he is there Tebow freaks will be calling for him.  I say you cut bait with him, admit failure and move on, thus finally putting the Josh McDaniels era far behind us.  
    

So we have finally made it to the opening weekend of the college football season, some of the things that have taken place in the off season:

1.  Ohio State scandal- Terrell Pryor and Jim Tressell both left OSU disgraced after the tattoo/memorabilia scandal.  I guess I don't see the big deal, if some kids want to sell rings and uniforms, thats their business.  Its so stupid for the NCAA to say that student athletes shouldn't get any perks because they play sports, yet any other student could go out and make as much money as they wanted.  These kids get everything first class at school, the best food and the best dorms....and they should they are the ones who represent their respected university more than anybody else, they get scrutinized, idolized, and criticized.  So, if they want to make a little extra scratch by selling a bowl ring, so be it.

2.  Miami Nevin Shapiro Scandal-So a guy who is a prominent booster at Miami, and the mastermind behind a Ponzi scheme paid players, and did whatever he wanted in Miami, I'm shocked.  I'm sure if you looked at every school you would find rule violations everywhere.  We all know what happens on campus, kids get cash, they get cars, they get whatever they want.  Why do these things continue to shock people?

3.  More realignment-Now it appears that Texas A&M is leaving  the Big XII and trying to go to the SEC.  The SEC, of course, says they have not decided to admit any new schools.  The SEC has been at the forefront of realignment since they were the first team to expand to 12 schools and add a conference championship.  They should be the first school to expand to 16.  They should raid the Big XII and take Mizzou, then take Clemson and Virginia Tech.  I think it would be stupid for Missouri not to go to the SEC.  First, they wouldn't be off any worse competitively then they already are.  Second, they could have a natural rivalry with Arkansas, which could be a very good football rivalry.  As a Kansas City citizen I am torn.  I would love KC to be SEC country.  However, our biggest event in KC is the Big XII basketball tournament, without Mizzou we would lose that.  Losing the Big XII tournament would kill the Power and Light district ( they already have enough trouble).  I wouldn't mind seeing the SEC shoot for KU too.  I know football wise they would be horrible, but can you imagine a KU/Kentucky match up once or twice every year, that would be awesome! 

Well now that the season is here, we can focus on ball games.  I'm currently watching TCU and Baylor and its a hell of a game.  Griffin III looks legit, and the guy returning kicks for TCU looks good too (by the way, #1 for Baylor is killing TCU!).  Tomorrow we got two big games, Boise St v Georgia in Atlanta, and LSU v Oregon in Dallas.  I can't imagine Boise beating Georgia in the SEC capital.  The Georgia Dome will be rocking, and Georgia is my pick to win the SEC east.  As for the other game, it will be a hard fought game, and even though LSU will be missing a couple of guys, I think their defense will surprise Oregon.  Sure, Oregon will be fast, but LSU will be big and fast.  Agree, disagree let me know.

This last week I was glued to Twitter and ESPN watching NFL free agency and the MLB Trade Deadline.  The trade deadline is always good to get me recharged for the post-season push.  In one of the most interesting trades, the Rockies dealt Ubaldo Jiminez to the Cleveland Indians for minor league prospects LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Alex White, RHP Joe Gardner, and 1B/OF Matt McBride.  Buster Olney and Keith Law both saw that the Rockies basically raided the Indians' farm system with this trade.  Ubaldo was a proven big league pitcher, who at times was dominant, and other times inconsistent (like the rest of the Rockies).  He struggled a bit to start the season, but he looked like he was turning it around in recent weeks.  So why did the Rockies trade him?  To me it sounds like the allure of "top prospects."  By all accounts Pomeranz is supposed to be a stud.  White is projected as a 3 or 4 pitcher, and the other guys are basically throw-ins.  So essentially the Rockies traded Ubaldo for a guy who could become Ubaldo and a guy who, at best, could be Jason Hammell.  Now, I'm not saying the Rockies shouldn't have traded Ubaldo.  He struggled all season; his fastball velocity had dipped from the high 90s to the mid 90s and his command was inconsistent.  The Rockies also needed to make a move to improve this team for next season. Change was needed.  

    With that being said, rarely do these trades work out for the team receiving prospects.  For example...

2008: CC Sabathia went from Cleveland to Milwaukee for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. Before I give the stats on the guys the Indians got, let me ask you something.  Ever heard of any of those guys?  Neither have I.  CC went to the Brewers and dominated going 10-1 down the stretch and in September he pitched on 3 days rest a few times to get the Brewers to the playoffs.  The stats on the other guys: 

• Matt LaPorta has a career .235 avg., 27 HR, and 94 RBI.  Those are 'okay' stats, though those go from '09-'11.  
• Michael Brantley from '09-'11 had a .263 avg, 9 HR, 66 RBI; he has finally made it to the show and he has been a solid player this season. 
• Zach Jackson was traded to Toronto
• Rob Bryson is in AA, but looks like a promising bullpen guy. 

    To me this trade was a failure for the Indians; they gave up a guy who had been killing the AL for the last 4 years and they got a bunch of average players.  That's not the kind of return you should expect for a guy of CC Sabathia's caliber.

2009: Cliff Lee traded from Cleveland to Philly for Carlos Carasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, and Jason Knapp.
    Once again, a poor trade for the Indians.  They give up Cliff Lee, who has dominated both leagues for the last 3 seasons and leads Philly and Texas to the World Series.  Who did Cleveland get back? Carasco with a 4.58 ERA for '10-'11, Jason Donald  with a .253 avg, 4 HR, and 24 RBI, Lou Marson with a .217 avg, 4 HR, 36 RBI, and Jason Knapp who is still in AA.  Once again, average players who are clearly not worth the elite pitcher they were for whom they were dealt.

2009 Off-Season: Roy Hallady from Toronto to Philly for Trais D'Arnaud, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor.  
    This trade is one that I think about every time I hear "elite pitching prospect."  I remember this deal was hung up at the deadline because Philly didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek.  He was their top pitching prospect and they were set on keeping him.  Once they lost Cliff Lee after the World Series, they decided to make the move.  Halladay only became the most dominant pitcher in the NL last year and he threw two no-hitters.  Kyle Drabek was called up last year and was given a rotation spot at the beginning of the year.  His numbers?  4-5 record,  5.76 ERA, 48 K's and 55 BB.  Not good...he was promptly sent back down to AAA.  

    This is why I'm not a fan of giving up proven guys for prospects.  Granted, Ubaldo is not in the same class as CC, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay.  But he has shown brilliance at the major league level. These "top prospects" have played well in the minors but who knows how they will perform at the big league level.  Best case scenario, Pomeranz becomes the next Clayton Kershaw and White is a solid #3.  Worst case, they totally bomb and the Rockies look like a bunch of saps.  The point is that you can't count on minor league pitchers.  Look at the Royals with their stable of "top" pitching prospects.  Danny Duffy has struggled all year, Mike Montgomery has struggled at AAA and couldn't find a spot on the roster over J.T O'Sullivan and Kyle Davies.  Mike Lamb had Tommy John surgery and is out for 12-15 months.  So, long story short, there is about a 10% chance this trade works for the Rockies and a 5% chance this works for both teams.  Ubaldo will probably continue to struggle and will become a back of the rotation guy. 

U.S. SOCCER: WE SUCK AGAIN!!!!!!!!
Once again, our men's soccer team chokes big time.  This time up 2-0, they let Mexico come back and beat them in America (even though half  of Mexico showed up to the Rose Bowl).  I'm not one of these people who hate soccer--I respect the athleticism--I just don't respect team USA's.  In Mexico, Brazil, France, England, and every other country, the best athletes play soccer.  There is no NFL in the other countries.  Our best athletes don't play soccer, they play football and basketball.  Can you imagine, if our best athletes were raised to play soccer, where we'd be?  Think about it--what if Reggie Bush and Derrick Rose were brought up playing soccer?  Right there, team USA is quicker, more athletic, and more creative.  I just don't see this current squad winning the World Cup, and I don't see us winning one until we get some better athletes out there. 

NBA DRAFT: ZZZZZZZZZ
Nothing exciting here.  No surprises, no big trades, no big stars in the draft.  I know that Dirk had a hell of a season, but wasn't the number of foriegn players taken in the lottery ridiculous? Other than Dirk Nowitzki, is there any other foriegn player that you can count on?  I mean, there are some good players, but not a lot of All-Stars.  I did like the Nuggets' pick; Farie is a younger, less "tatted up" Kenyon Martin (thank God his ridiculous contract is coming off the books). 

ROYALS:  THE FUTURE IS NOW
The Royals are really starting to put a solid team together. With Moustakas and Hosmer both up and playing well, and Alex Gordon and Billy Butler both contributing, the Royals are putting together a nice batting order.  With the way the bullpen has pitched, and Joaqim Soria's recent resurgance, the Royals are really only a #1 starter away from being able to contend.  Who knows if one of the kids in the system can be a #1? Danny Duffy definitely has the stuff to be a #1.  I watched him pitch Saturday night; he was able to locate his pitches and he was able to control his breaking ball.  If he can keep getting better, he's going to be tough.  I still think the Royals are going to need to go buy an ace in free agency.  Also, Alcides Escobar has turned out to be a very nice player.  He has really improved at the plate in recent weeks and he's played Gold Glove defense all season.  I think Escobar has even played his way into a possible spot in the All-Star game.  Ultimately, Aaron Crow will probably get the nod because of his 1.40 ERA and his electric fastball.

So I know it's been awhile since I last made an entry in the blog, but I've been busy with other endeavors (i.e. video games and the NBA Finals). Nonetheless, I'm back now and I'll be posting consistently all summer. 

We are nearly to the All-Star break, and I thought I'd take at look at where the Rox are right now.  So far they are right at .500, and other than the first couple of weeks in April they have been pretty inconsistent.  I'm going to talk about some things that will get you excited, but also about some things that should make you worry.

REASONS TO BE OPTIMISTIC
First, Cargo and Tulo haven't really gotten into a groove at the same time.  It seems like one or the other is clicking throughout the season, but neither at the same time.  You gotta know that at some point this summer they are both going to catch fire at the same time, and the Rox will be real tough to beat.  Right now Cargo is in a bit of a hot streak and has been since being put in the leadoff role.  I personally don't like Cargo hitting leadoff.  Sure, he can do it, he can do damn near anything on a baseball diamond.  But Cargo hitting leadoff is not ideal; he needs to be hitting third.  Tulo is just a streaky player; he goes through little "mini-slumps" and then will get red hot.  But as these two go, the Rox success will go, and so far they have not played their best.  I think that if they can get on a hot streak at the same time, the Rockies will take off.

Second, the pitching.  Ubaldo has been very inconsistent.  I'm not worried because there is a track record for this.  Past Cy Young winners have had early struggles the season after winning the award.  Look no further than Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, and Zack Greinke.  All three of those guys had horrible starts the year after they won the award, but were able to turn it around and have a respectable ERA and winning percentage at the end of the year.  I think Ubaldo will turn it around this season. Eventually his luck will turn around and then...look out.  While Ubaldo has struggled, Chacin has pitched like the ace of the staff.  If Chacin can continue to give the Rox strong outings and if Ubaldo can start winning some games, the Rockies will be tough the second half.

Third, the competition.  The Dodgers are a franchise in disarray and other than Matt Kemp, they have nothing.  San Fransisco looks like Buster Posey's injury is too much for them to overcome.  That leaves the Diamondbacks, and while they have looked good early this year, lately they have started to fade.  I think the Rockies are the best, most solid team in the division and if they can play the way they are supposed to play, they should win the division.

Lastly, Charlie Blackmon.  Since his call-up, the Rockies have gone on a bit of a hot streak.  He give them a good glove in the outfield and a solid bat at the bottom of the order.  If he can keep up the solid play, he can help this team out a lot more than Dexter Fowler or Ian Stewart, both of whom continue to struggle at the big-league level.

REASONS TO WORRY
As a Rockies fan, the depth of the pitching rotation has me worried.  Jorge De La Rosa looked like he was headed for a breakout season, but then his elbow injury put him out for the season.  This is the third season in a row that Jorge has suffered an injury that has kept him out for a significant amount of time.  Is it time the Rockies say he just isn't going to be healthy and cut ties?  I don't know; I think he gets a pass because when he is healthy and he is so damn good.  That and the Rockies have been very patient with Aaron Cook, who was never as good as Jorge.  Anyway, since he has gone down the Rockies have been trying to find another pitcher.  I think they are going to have to make a move.  I think they need to look for a left-handed starter who can be a solid 4th in the rotation.  Even if it sounds ridiculous, I'd like to see the Rox try to make a move for Jeff Francis.  Francis has pitched pretty well for the Royals this year.  He has given them alot of quality starts, which is something the Rockies will need going down the stretch.  I think that right now I'd try to trade Dexter Fowler to KC for Francis straight up.  Francis addresses a big need for the Rox; he's a reliable left-hander who can provide quality starts.  Fowler gives the Royals a true centerfielder, which they lack, and a true leadoff man which they also lack in their farm system. 

On a side note, I think it's time the Rockies cut ties with Dexter.  He is a great athlete, but every year they have to send him to the minors because of his struggles at the plate.  Also, even though he's good with the glove, he's not better than Carlos Gonzales.

Lack of consistency.  The Rockies seem to go through this every year.  Inconsistent play.  They struggle with teams they shouldn't and they lose crucial games.  Last season they were right there, tied for the division with a week to go, and they lose a crucial series down the stretch.  So far this season they were the hottest team in April, the coldest team in May, and now they are heating up in June.  At what point are we, as fans, going to say this is just this franchise.  Every year since 2007 they are up and down all year.  Normally playing .500 ball would be good enough, but when you have 3 of the top 50 players in the league, .500 ball is not acceptable.  Hopefully this team will get it together and kick ass the second half. 

    Well the new evil empire is up 1-0 in the NBA Finals.  A couple of things from the game: 
    
    First, if Lebron and Wade are going to hit fadeaway three pointers with a defender in their face, you can't win.  Now, I'm  a stats guy and I think you shoot your percentage, so while Lebron and Wade are hitting super tough shots now, who knows if they will continue to hit them throughout the series.  
    Second, if Miami is going to put Lebron on Jason Terry, you have to go punish them.  What do I mean by that?  Well, Lebron is averaging 44 minutes a game and he is playing his ass off.  If you can run Jason Terry around off screens and keep Lebron expending energy on D, he is going to get tired sometime.  Now while you do that, you have to go to Dirk every possession.  Haslem may have been able to bully Dirk in '06, but he can't do it now.  Dirk can get his shot off every time with Haslem on him.  
    Third, like I said, you shoot your percentage and Dallas missed alot of wide open shots.  JJ Barea missed layups that he usually hits. Jason Terry and Peja missed wide open threes that they normally sink.  I don't expect Dallas to shoot so poorly in Game 2.  The Heat have kind of had everything bounce their way these last few months.  I mean, Boston made a horrible trade and let the Heat finish ahead of them in the standings.  Then when they were playing Boston, Rondo dislocates his elbow and the series completely changed.  In the Bulls series Chris Bosh has the series of his life, and Haslem and Mike Miller play for the first time in months.  These are things that no one expected.  If only a couple of those things don't happen, despite how well Wade and Lebron are playing, the Heat might not be where they are now.
    If the Heat do win, I'm not going to be one of those people who think they are going to win three or four titles.  One, they are putting all their eggs in the Lebron and Wade basket."  Now, maybe they stay healthy, play at a level of play no one has ever sustained, and they keep winning.  But, with Wade's injury history, I just don't see him staying at his current level of play.  I mean, did we see him get stuffed by the rim in the Bulls series?  He is falling apart.  
    I wouldn't count on Bosh too much; he is soft and if he doesn't have Lebron and Wade around him, teams could shut him down.  Lebron is the only one I can see staying at his current level of play for the next four or five years.  Lebron is a beast and despite the disaster that was "The Decison," the dude is a physical speciman that we have never before seen until now.  I think they list Lebron at 260, but I think he is more like 275 or 280 lbs, and he is still quick enough to guard Derrick Rose.  Having said that, I still feel like Lebron takes the easy way out in games.  Sometimes he does what a freshman shooting guard in college would do and jacks up an ill-advised three pointer.  
    Enough about Lebron, let's focus on the finals.  I think Dallas can steal game two if they hit shots. It's going to be very tough for them to win the series if they don't.  The finals make it a little different though, because Dallas gets three games in a row at home and if they can can steal game two, that puts pressure on the Heat.  Having said that, my heart wants Dallas to win because I don't want to see the Heat win for the same reason I don't want the Lakers to win, or the Yankees.  They are the big money teams with all the stars.  But my mind says Miami takes this series in six.  Lebron is just playing at a phenomenal level that not even Dirk can match.  But let's not give them 4 or 5 championships just yet.

So...in this column I'm going to break down the draft.  I won't go through the whole first round. I love offensive linemen just like the next guy but I can't give you some "Mel Kiper-like" insight on every guard and tackle.  So, I'll break down the first few picks and then give my winners and losers. 

Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers
Slam dunk pick here.  The Panthers needed a QB and Cam was the best one in the draft.  The dude is a freak athlete and if he can learn an NFL system he could be a bigger Mike Vick. 

Von Miller - Denver Broncos
I think Von will be a good player, but I felt the Broncos didn't address their biggest problem...the D-Line.  How many games have we watched the Donkeys get gashed up the middle by running backs? Miller is an Outside Linebacker, he will be a good pass rusher, but he can't plug the middle.  I felt Dareus should have been the pick, or Fairley, but Elway and Co. felt differently.

Marcel Dareus - Buffalo Bills
Dareus is a beast.  I've been outspoken about how good I think this guy is.  Buffalo is one of these places where guys aren't heard from again.  Dareus could have All-Pro type seasons and no one would ever know.  He will be a good run stuffer and could be a good pass rusher.

AJ Green - Cincinnati Bengals
I didn't think AJ Green was the best receiver in the draft.  I have thought that Julio is more of a complete package, but AJ is a big time athlete and he will be a solid receiver.  But he is going to Cincy, so who knows if he will ever get his career off the ground.

Patrick Peterson  - Arizona Cardinals
Solid choice here. DBs are usually good picks in the first round and Peterson was the best DB in the draft.  He is a freakish athlete, running sub 4.4 40-yard dash and is 6'1", 220 pounds.    Arizona has a lot of holes, but at least they have locked down the corner positon for the next 7-10 years.

Julio Jones - Atlanta Falcons
This was the first shocker of the draft.  Atlanta moved up 20 spots to pick Julio and they basically traded away their whole draft this year and most of next year for him.  I think it was a little too much to pay, but Julio will give them a dangerous offense.  Whether it's the Super Bowl or bust time, there will be a lot of pressure on Julio.  But he handled pressure from day one at Alabama, he met expectations, and he will at the pro level too.

Jake Locker - Tennessee Titans
Locker could have been the #1 pick last year, but chose to return to Washington for his senior year.  No one thought he would go this high, but he is a solid athlete and he can sit behind Kerry Collins for awhile and start next year.

Tyron Smith - Dallas Cowboys
Another surprise here.  I don't think anybody had him projected this high, and definitely not going ahead of Da'Quan Bowers.  Not sure how this is going to work out for the Cowboys, but they must feel he fills a need on their D.

Blaine Gabbert - Jacksonville Jaguars
Gabbert was considered either the first or second best QB prospect in the draft.  I don't think he is as good as he has been hyped, but the Jags wanted a QB and they got what they wanted.

JJ Watt - Houston Texans
Here was a surprise; no one expected this guy to go ahead of Fairley.  The Texans must of felt he was a better fit than Fairley.

Christian Ponder - Minnesota
I did a double-take when I saw this pick.  The Vikings desprately need a QB, and they draft Christian Ponder??? Sure this guy might be a hell of an athlete, and he might look the part of a NFL QB, but the dude was a 3rd rate college quarterback.  Ponder was the most inconsistent QB I've seen in years.  Even in the games where he played "great" he still had 2 or 3 interceptions.  This is a terrible pick.  This a franchise-crippling pick. You have a team that was one play from the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and you use a top 15 pick on a 3rd rate college QB?  Not smart, Minnesota.

Nick Fairley - Detroit Lions
Detroit made a pick that they hope will ensure they bury the Vikes every year.  They took the most dominant D-Lineman last year, and they follow it up with Fairley.  Wow.  That defense is going to be tough.  I like this because the Lions looked at their division and they see Chicago and Green Bay with their big time QBs and they decided to counteract that by building a doomsday defensive line.

Robert Quinn - St. Louis Rams
A solid pick for the Rams.  Quinn was considered a top d-lineman.  He will help this team out.  I felt they should have gone for some help for Sam Bradford, but I can't knock this pick.

The rest of the first round was fairly uneventful.  The only team that made noise was New Orleans when they took Mark Ingram.  I really thought New England was going to make a play for Julio Jones.  I felt like they had extra picks they could have used to move up and get a big physical receiver to give Brady some help.  Instead, Atlanta made the move. 

The second round had some pretty big surprises in my opinion.  First, the fall of Da'Quan Bowers and Marvin Austin.  Bowers I could understand.  There are legitimate concerns about his knee injury and I could see teams not willing to risk a 1st round pick on him.  Austin on the other hand, I don't get.  He was considered 1st round talent, but a character issue caused him to fall.  What is that character issue???  He attended a party held by an agent.  The Giants picked him up and they got a hell of a player on the cheap.  That is what's BS about the draft.  Teams and agents manipulate the draft by spreading word about a players faults so that other teams get scared off.  Then they pick them up in a later round, and they don' t have to give out that big 1st round money.

So who are the winners and losers this year?  I thought that Detroit had a great draft.  They got Fairley and Quizz Rogers, both of whom will help this team out next season.  The losers??? Minnesota. Clearly they had the worst 1st round draft pick I've seen in years.  Who drafts a backup QB in the first round? I know a lot of people loved the Broncos draft, but I thought they really dropped the ball not picking up a d-lineman.  Their rush defense has been awful, and drafting outside linebackers isn't going to keep the Chiefs from running Jamaal Charles down their throat for 200 yards. 

Your thoughts??? Opinions????

NBA Playoffs
I really haven't been able to watch as much NBA as I would like lately, but I've been keeping up with the current round.  To me, Oklahoma City is looking like a beast.  Durant and Westbrook are a dynamic duo and they have an array of big guys and role players.  I haven't been impressed with the Lakers or the Spurs and Dallas has looked good but not dominant.  Right now I have OKC pegged as the team coming out of the West.  As for the East, that's a whole different story.  Right now it looks like Chicago, Miami,and Boston are looking like they have all season, and anyone of them could take the East.  Derrick Rose has been the most  impressive player in the playoffs so far.  He is a matchup problem for the other teams because of his size and quickness.  The problem is that he doesn't have a really good wingman to take control if he has an off night.  Miami has been smacking Philly around, but that is not surprising to me.  Miami has been dismantling horrible teams all season.  Let's see how they play when they take on someone who can push them.  Boston has played well enough to win, but they caught a break with injuries to Amare and Chauncey.  They beat a one-man team, but let's see how they do against the other "big three."  Orlando has been inconsistent all year, and that has continued here in the playoffs.  If they lose to Atlanta, that team needs to be blown up, and probably should be blown up anyway. Ultimately I think it's down to Chicago and Boston for the East.  But like I said, it could be anyone of those teams.

Rockies Baseball
The Rox are off to a hot start.  Despite early season struggles by Carlos Gonzales, Ian Stewart, and Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rox are off to the best start in the Bigs.  Tulo has been on a tear and has been the best player in baseball thus far.  Helton and Dexter Fowler have come up big and if they can keep it up this team will be tough.  We know Cargo will come around and his HRs and RBIs will be where they need to be at the end of the year.  Ubaldo just needs to let his thumb heal, because it's obvious that it is still bothering him.  The only thing that the Rockies need to worry about is Ian Stewart's struggles.  I think he gets until the end of the year to prove himself, but he struggled at the plate last season and this year he has been dreadful.  He's hitting .180 and he got sent to the minors to work on his swing.  The season is still early though, and where things stand now will be vastly different by Memorial Day.



Royals Baseball
The Royals have been a pleasant surprise this spring.  I still have reservations about this squad, mainly because I don't know how long the pitching staff can continue to pitch this well.  Jeff Francis has been a warrior and Bruce Chen has been just as good as him.  The bullpen has been sensational; they have a bunch of young guys who have power arms and good off-speed stuff.  Kila and Aviles have been struggling and I would like to see how well this team could do if they had Hosmer and MoustakasI instead.  I expect them to be up before the All-Star break.  Alex Gordon has been playing like the player he was hyped to be 5 years ago.  I really hope he can continue this success.  I would love to see this team ride this success into August and September, but recent performances make me think otherwise.  I will say though, in past years you could see the holes in the team.  I just haven't seen the holes though this season.  I'm not saying that the Royals will win the divison, but this team isn't going to lose 100 games like I predicted. 

NFL Draft
This time next week we will be grading and evaluating the 2011 draft.  I will probably have a post up next Saturday focusing purely on the draft.  Just some things that I have observed lately...
 
In a recent article, John Elway said that Nick Saban told him Auburn wouldn't have won 4 games without Cam Newton.  That wasn't the surprise; the surprise was how much John Elway was praising Cam Newton.  He complimented him so much--I'm worried that the Broncos may take Cam.  I think that would be a mistake--not because Cam wouldn't be good--but the Broncos need to address the defense.  The Denver defense has been atrocious the last five years.  They haven't done a damn thing in the draft to address the D-Line.  Remember when they signed all the Browns rejected linemen? That worked well...NOT!  So, pick up Marcel Dareus; the guy can be just as good as Suh.  Don't believe me?  Go watch the Texas/Alabama BCS Championship game.  He blew up Colt McCoy and dominated the line of scrimmage.  Go watch the Auburn game from last season. He chased Cam Newton around and caused havoc.  Go watch the Capital One Bowl; there was no one on Michigan State that could block him.  If he's there at #2, you have to take him. 

Also, are we still discussing if Blaine Gabbert should go before Cam Newton?  There is no way you take Gabbert ahead of Cam.  Like I've said, Gabbert has proved nothing to me. He hasn't won squat.  Sure he may have the "prototypical" QB look, but so did Kyle Boller and Cade McKnown. 

I'm wondering if the Patriots are going to make a move for Julio.  The Pats need a dynamic reciever and Julio would be a perfect fit.  New England has enough picks that they could make a move into the top ten to get him.  Julio is big, fast, strong, and tough.  He played through a broken hand last season and did the combine on a broken foot.  As a Donkeys fan, the Patriots getting Julio is a concern.  A team that good getting someone like Julio is scary.

Look for a post on Dave Grohl coming soon...and next week a review on the first 2 rounds of the NFL draft.