8/28/2008

Feck Off

Right, I'm well on my way to getting drunk but I just wanted to post and prove that I've not entirely gone away. Coming soon: Football predictions and some other gay shit about fags.

4/29/2008

It's the Twilight Zone

I've been going through the blog, adding tags to posts; tags like "Buccaneers" or "Hurricanes" or "NCAA." I've also been kicking around "hilariously wrong predictions" and "eerily accurate predictions." For the ultimate in eerily accurate, I present you Week 2 of 2007 where I correctly predicted the Patriots would play the Chargers for the conference title.

I know, right??

4/28/2008

Draft Recap NFC West Edition

Arizona Cardinals - Defense ruled the day for the Cardinals. Despite DE being lower on the needs card, they drafted fuckin' three of 'em, including absolutely massive (6'9", 282lbs.) DE Calais Campbell out of Miami. They also got the best CB in the draft, the previously-mentioned Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. By the way, memo to whoever it was on the ESPN draft team (Chris Berman, probably) who said DRC would hope for success like his namesake: "namesake" refers to something or someone you are named after. It is highly improbable that Dominique's surname was chosen based on the recent success of Antonio Cromartie. Morons. Also, WR Early Doucet will be a playmaker.

St. Louis Rams - DE Chris Long, son of Howie, went #2 this year and he will immediately fill a pressing need for the Rams on getting more pressure to the opposing quarterback. Their second pick, WR Donnie Avery may not have been ranked high, but the Greatest Show on Turf knew it was all about offensive speed.

San Francisco 49ers - Well, they did need a DE, and Kentwan Balmer was the sexy pick, but the most pressing need was WR and getting some goddamn help for Alex Tinyhands. With their early round position and WRs dropping like rocks in this draft, they could have (and should have) picked up some hands.

Seattle Seahawks - Everyone had the Seahawks picking a TE in the first, but DE was a need, too, and check the line on the guy they got: Lawrence Jackson is 6'5" and weighs 268lbs. At USC he played in the shadows of giants DE Sedrick Ellis and LB Keith Rivers yet still managed to rack up 30.5 sacks. Yikes.

2008 Mr. Irrelevant - Say hello to DB/LB David Vobora!

Draft Recap NFC South Edition

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A+ all around. Well, okay, maybe not so much. The Buccaneers had two big needs: WR and CB. Joey Galloway is about 107 years old and while he's still fast, he's the only deep-ball threat on the team. Well, in the sense that he will catch passes thrown long on the field. Jeff Garcia is a deep-ball threat of a different stripe. Anyway, John Gruden wanted a speedy WR but General Manager Bruce Allen overruled Gruden and the Bucs drafted CB Aqib Talib. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was off the board and Talib was probably the best available. But why not get a wideout? Well, Brian Kelly is gone and Ronde Barber turned 33 earlier this month. The Buccaneers know that championships are built on strong defenses and stuck with that philosophy. Although, in a weird draft day twist, former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson left the Bengals and apparently went back to play college ball because he was drafted to play for the Bucs again on Saturday. He did pretty well in a certain game where his team, Appalachian State, played at a certain Big House. Oh, and another fucking QB for Gruden to molest.

Atlanta Falcons - Their situation provided an easy litmus test for any team owners or GMs looking to hire new head coaches. Would you, as part of the '08 Atlanta Falcons draft team, have chosen Glenn Dorsey over QB Matt Ryan? You would? Well there's the door, sir, have a good day. Of course, time will eventually tell if Matt Ryan pans out as a Peyton Manning or a Ryan Leaf, but sweet feathery Jesus, if you can't see the need for the Falcons to draft a quarterback early, you have no business being around footballs.

Carolina Panthers - Risky maneuvers on the part of the Panthers. They grabbed RB Jonathan Stewart and the sacrificed next year's first-round pick to get OT Jeff Otah. The man is a giant, yes, and he'll do what he can to protect the QB, but the Panthers didn't get a QB and who knows if Jake Delhomme is going to work this year.

New Orleans Saints - Overall '07 defense: 26th. Pass defense in '07: 30th. Draft picks: DT, CB, DT, OT, K. A limited number of picks and they addressed defense, so there's a chance at contention again like they had in '06.

Draft Recap NFC North Edition

Chicago Bears - Twelve players chosen and not one of them throws a football.

Detroit Lions - Their first pick, OT Gosder Cherilus, did fill a need, but it was a reach. In addition to some much-needed help on defense, they drafted local (local to me, at least) hero RB Kevin Smith, who was just 61 yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders' single-season record. Good for Smith.

Green Bay Packers - No first round, but the Pack did all right. In a move sure to continue the old NFC Central rivalry against the Buccaneers, the Packers chose WR Jordy Nelson, who caused problems for CB Aqib Talib (the Bucs' first pick) in college. They also picked up QB Brian Brohm in case Aaron Rodgers doesn't work out.

Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings carved out large chunks of their draft this year to go after DE Jared Allen who led the league in sacks last year. The Vikings had the worst pass defense in '07, but Allen and second-round pick FS Tyrell Johnson will certainly improve that number. This was not a draft for QBs and WRs, as QB John David Booty got picked by Minnesota in the fifth. Wake up call for Mr. Tavaris Jackson.

Draft Recap NFC East Edition

Dallas Cowboys - HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!? Second-best draft after KC in my opinion. Could've been the best draft, honestly. KC is a team rebuilding and were fortunate to have so many draft picks that they could maneuver effectively and pick well. The Cowboys went 13-3 in '07 and had two first round picks plus four more, yet they addressed their needs and got exciting players with half as many picks as Kansas City. Stunningly, RB Felix Jones was still around at 22 in the first round, and Jerry Jones, a former Razorback, snapped up Felix Jones, a former Razorback. He's gonna be a great partner to Marion Barber in the backfield, which makes me wonder why on Earth they drafted RB Tashard Choice in the fourth. The only black mark on an otherwise near-perfect draft.

New York Giants - I've never mentioned this on Footlawl before, but I've got a couple of tattoos. Nothing big or elaborate, but important to me nonetheless. After the Super Bowl this year, I went out and got two more. The first one is on my dick and it's a picture of me sucking Eli Manning's dick. The second one covers both of my ass cheeks right above my asshole and reads "Reserved Parking: Eli Manning Only." You see, the Giants gave me the single greatest sensation of pure ecstatic joy by crushing the Patriots and making 18-1 the sweetest record ever recorded in the NFL. I figure it's only fair to indicate to Eli that at any time he wants, my supple moist lips are available to service his MVP dong and my quivering virgin balloon knot is his and his alone. In April, they chose not to end a streak, and drafted S Kenny Phillips out of Miami, making 14 straight years in which a player from the U has gone in the first round. Handjobs all around for the Giants' front office!

Philadelphia Eagles - Wow, that was pretty terrible, let us never speak of handjobs for Tom Coughlin again. What is there to say about the Eagles' draft? They traded out of the first but took Carolina's first round for '09. They pick up a beast of a DT in Trevor Laws (6'1", 304lbs.) and zippy little WR DeSean Jackson (6'0", 169lbs.). He's a little guy, but he may be the fastest player in the draft.

Washington Redskins - They traded their first round pick to Atlanta and got low second- and third-round picks in exchange which they used to go WR, TE, WR which gave new coach Jim Zorn some weapons to play with on offense. They didn't address the D-line, however, so let's hope sixth-round pick P Durant Brooks can get off his blocks and after the QB. Oh wait he won't because he's a punter taken in the sixth-round. I don't have any proof, but I'd bet $5 Daniel Snyder was behind that move. Man, it must be nice being a Raiders or Lions or Redskins fan. I mean, not that nice because all of those teams suck, but they are able to pin the blame on just one person. How cool is that? FIRE MILLEN is so much more severe than FIRE FISHER, HIRE AN OFFENSIEVE COORDINATOR FROM THE PAC-10 AND SHUFFLE THE FRONT OFFICE A BIT.

Draft Recap AFC South Edition

Denver Broncos - The first two picks, OT Ryan Clady and WR Eddie Royal, will help Jay Cutler and the rest of the offense, but sweet Jesus your run D was #30 last year and you're gonna rely on Dewayne Robertson is going to fix that? They didn't look at DTs until the fifth round.

Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs entered the draft room Saturday with 97 picks, which they used quite effectively, either to move around the draft board or to pick knock-out players like DT Glenn Dorsey. It really surprised me that Dorsey fell to #5, and the fact that I think somebody can fall to #5 tells you a lot about how I feel about this kid. He's an absolute beast out of the SEC with a motor that does not stop. Sure he'll probably destroy his knees over the course of about 6 years and fade into obscurity, but he'll destroy a shitload of other players' knees during that time. OT Brandon Albert, also taken in the first, was, like Miami's Jake Long, the beginnings of a rebuilt offensive line.

Oakland Raiders - Before the draft on Saturday, I checked Yahoo! News and saw a teaser headline: "Which team does nobody want to play for?" My immediate thought: I'd rather die than play for Oakland. Well, sure as shit whoever wrote that article felt the same way. So did DE Chris Long, DE Vernon Gholston, DT Glenn Dorsey, QB Matt Ryan, and RB Darren McFadden. Sadly for McFadden, he got the stort stick and is now stuck on the worst team in the NFL. Good luck with 70+ touches a game, champ. While the Raiders were on the clock, someone asked me why nobody wanted to play for the Raiders. Simple answer: Mismanagement. After they picked McFadden at #4, the Raiders were done for Saturday and even got to sleep in on Sunday because they didn't have another pick until #100 in the fourth. One thing is certain: If McFadden does not have the immediate kind of impact that All-Day Purple Jesus Adrian Peterson had in Minnesota, this draft was a complete waste.

San Diego Chargers - Ugh, I've still got a bad taste in my mouth thinking about Oakland. Good news though, and that's San Diego having a solid draft. CB Antoine Cason was a reach based on some boards, but the Chargers knew what they wanted and got it. They then picked FB Jacob Hester and RB Marcus Thomas as relief backs for LdT.

Draft Recap AFC South Edition

Jacksonville Jaguars - Something must have spooked the Jags, 'cause they traded right the fuck up to #8 in the first round to snag DE Derrick Harvey and then moved up again to get DE Quentin Groves. They also needed DTs but I suppose they'll count on the ends to cut off the corners and the LBs to stuff the run. Hell, this whole division suffers from Peyton Manning syndrome: the idea that in order to win you have to be able to put Manning on his back. This is the same idea that led to the Texans, who desperately needed an RB last year, to draft Mario Williams instead.

Houston Texans - As mentioned, the Texans badly needed an RB last year and didn't get the home-run back everyone thought they would, so this year they addressed that concern and drafted OT Duane Brown. Wait, what? Okay, so they got Steve Slaton in the third round but he's not one of the top 10 RBs this year. They did have needs at CB and OT, though, but didn't cover DE.

Indianapolis Colts - Not a sexy first pick (in the 2nd, they had none in the first round) but C Mike Pollak will eventually take over for Jeff Saturday. LB Philip Wheeler will work in the Tampa 2 defense nicely. Stupidly, the two biggest need positions (DE and DT) weren't addressed.

Tennessee Titans - What the hell was Jeff Fisher thinking? Vince Young needs outside help from WRs and he doesn't pick one until 125 other guys have already gone? I suppose RB Chris Johnson might help with play-action, but still... who the hell's gonna catch the ball?

Draft Recap AFC North Edition

Baltimore Ravens - Well, the Ravens finally gave up on Kyle Boller and drafted a QB. Matt Ryan wasn't available but they did get Joe Flacco who a lot of people think is a better QB anyway. He may not be as NFL-ready as Ryan, but he's got a cannon for an arm. Their need card shows CB and DE as two unaddressed positions.

Cincinnati Bengals - So... let's see here. Last year, your defense was ranked 27th and your offense was a respectable #10. First, you draft LB Keith Rivers and that's cool, but then 3 of the next 4 picks are offensive players? Really? The first two offensive picks were both WRs, so I guess they're preparing for Chad Johnson to sit out this year. Shame, Johnson always seemed like a good guy despite his showboating.

Cleveland Browns - Suck. Last year they shipped their '08 first-round pick to Dallas for QB Brady Quinn, who is now a huge #2 on the depth chart to Derek Anderson. The Browns had no picks until Sunday and addressed their needs at linebacker, but did not take a corner, their #1 need, or an RB, #2. Whoops.

Pittsburgh Steelers - If Willie Parker goes down again this year, their first pick, RB Rashard Mendenhall, should be able to step up easily. The Steelers also benefitted from a dearth of first-round WR picks and snagged Limas Sweed, one of several WRs with first-round grades. They also picked up QB Dennis Dixon, who was in the Heisman chase last year until his knee exploded. They needed a G to replace Alan Faneca and I don't think OT Tony Hills is gonna fit.

Draft Recap AFC East Edition

Miami Dolphins - We knew by Tuesday who the Dolphins were going to pick #1 overall, so no real surprise there. The Dolphins are a mess, obviously. You don't need me to tell you that; they barely escaped 0-16 last year. Fortunately for them they had enough picks this year to sort of work on rebuilding. Unfortunately, their needs card included corners and linebackers and they drafted exactly zero of them. DE Phillip Morgan and DT Kendall Langford were the only defensive players of note, but who knows? Maybe DE Lionel Dotson (245 overall) will shock the world. I guess Bill Parcells believes the first step to rebuild is offense, and a guy like Jake Long at left tackle is not a bad thing, but personally I'd rather have a better defense first.

Buffalo Bills - Their needs card had corner and wide receiver at the top, and they picked CB Leodis McKelvin and WR James Hardy early to fill those spots. Hardy's a big fucker at 6'5", 217lbs. which should help take away pressure from Lee Evans, something the Bills desperately needed. If there's another team in the league more in need of a second receiver to relieve pressure on the #1 guy, it'd have to be the Panthers. It was painfully obvious last year that when you can shut down their receiver, there will be no wins.

New England Patriots - I was glad to see them drop in the first round, even if it was only from 7 to 10. The goddamn Patriots have always drafted smart under Bill Bellichick, and this year was no exception. Their linebacker corps' age is measured via carbon dating and their secondary took a hit during free agency, and the Patriots addressed those needs: LB, CB, OLB, QB, CB, WR, and OLB. People are going to tell you that picking LB Jerod Mayo 10th was a reach, but even people living in mud huts who have never heard of the NFL know this: The goddamn Patriots have always drafted smart under Bellichick.

New York Jets - Boy, ESPN sure loves to roll that clip of draft blunders, don't they? That never gets old, no sir. Bunch of fuckin' hacks up in Bristol, lemme tell ya. Anyway, the fans at Radio City didn't boo Vernon Gholston, which is no surprise because the man is a beast and should make the Jets happy. They also picked up the best tight end in the draft with Dustin Keller, and QB Erik Ainge probably heralds the end of Chad Pennington if Kellen Clemens works out.

4/27/2008

The NFL draft

I only watched the first round of the draft yesterday and absolutely none of it today. It was a real snooze-fest, honestly. The 10-minute window for teams to make their choices sped it up to be sure, but there was less time for highlights. It's great that Chris Berman can tell me about Derrick Harvey, but I'd much rather see him track down a QB for the sack. I know little of Aqib Talib except he likes to smoke pot.

And holy shit, just checking the Bucs' draft board for today and see that not only did Geno Hayes drop to the 6th round, but the Bucs snagged him. That makes me happy.

More analysis to come tomorrow.

12/30/2007

A reminder

  • Jerry Rice did it in a 12-game season.
  • 16-0 isn't a perfect season; the only number that matters is 19-0.
  • I really don't want to hear about it.

Fuck

FUCK