Goodbye Al Wilson

I realize the NFL is a business. I realize that with the salary cap tough decisions have to be made and really good players with high cap numbers have to be cut sometimes. I also realize this is probably a smart move considering his injury from last year and the fact that he's not been able to get cleared to play football. None of these reasons however make it any easier saying goodbye go one of my favorite Broncos of all time Al Wilson. You always knew what you were getting with Wilson. He's a blue collar, extremely tough and physical linebacker that could literally knock you out with his hits. Al Wilson is the epitime of everything an NFL linebacker should be, and is a true leader which will be the hardest thing for the Broncos to replace. I have tons of great memories of Al Wilson, from him coming out and pumping up the crowd with his incredible charisma and enthusiasm, to him taking over games on defense. Here are some of my favorite Al Wilson memories.

• Al Wilson mauling Ricky Williams with one of the hardest hits I've seen live against the Dolphins in a Sunday Night football game. Remember this was Ricky Williams in his prime, a Ricky Williams that was tough to bring down at all and Al Wilson rocked his world sending him flying back 3 yards at least.


• Al Wilson in a snow game at Denver pulverizing Tyrone Wheatley of the Raiders on a 4th and 1. Wheatley was a big dude and Wilson made him look like a high school player with that hit, it was unbelievable.


• Al Wilson nailing Deion Branch to seal a win for the Broncos against the Patriots on a 4th down pass play where Branch didn't really even see him coming.


• Al Wilson's overall intensity and passion in the divisional playoff game againt the Patriots in 2005. He came out of the tunnel and set the tone, pumping the crowd up like he always does. No one was more fired up for that game than Al Wilson. No one.


• Al Wilson always playing with a broke hand with a cast on it. It seemed like every year Wilson broke his hand or his finger or something and he always played with a cast on it for the remainder of the year. This explained his inability to intercept passes.

When I look back at the Al Wilson era, I will look back on it fondly. The Broncos have never had a better true leader on their team and that is going to be next to impossible to replace. I really hope Wilson can get over this injury and get cleared to play, because who ever gets him will truly be lucky. Wilson was a joy to watch, and I know I won't ever forget number 56.

Pacman Jones loses a years worth of rain money

Brand new NFL commissioner Roger Goddell made a strong statement today suspending Pacman Jones of the Tennessee Titans for the entire 2007 NFL season. This move will hurt the Titans but hurt fans of the NFL even more. Pacman Jones is a once in a lifetime personality that makes getting up and watching the bottom right hand corner on ESPNews extremely interesting because you know he will end up there once a month, and you have no idea what it will be for. Anyways like Deadspin said please Pacman for the love of God don't change. You are too much fun.

Durant is going to play for money next year

Not very surprising news out of Austin today. Star forward Kevin Durant will skip town and take his game to the Association. The question is, what kind of player will Durant be? I'd take Durant number 1 overall, ahead of Greg Oden. Durant was the most dominant freshmen player since Carmelo Anthony and his game projects very well in the NBA. I see Durant as a Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady hybrid, and a regular All-Star. I think he has more upside than Oden does, and will be a much better scorer than Oden as well. I guess it depends on the team that ends up getting the number 1 selection, but you really can't go wrong with either guy at this point.

Nuggets get huge win

The Denver Nuggets recorded a huge win against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight defeating them 115-111. The Nuggets came out on fire in the first half but the Lakers made it close in the second half. Melo led the way for the Nuggets pouring in 33 points, while Iverson added 24. Camby added a monster 22 rebounds. Kobe only shot 9-30 from the field on his way to 23 points. With the win the Nuggets move 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers for the 6 seed in the West. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing considering the 6th seed will probably have to play the Spurs. Anyway a huge win for the Nuggets, their 6th in a row. This team is starting to look scary good.

Mock Draft

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU

The easiest pick to forecast in the draft by far. I think he will be a project and may be a bust but the Raiders have to take him number 1. I question the fact that he wasn't a unanimous number 1 until playing a great game against a terrible Notre Dame defense in the Sugar Bowl but definately has a ton of upside.

2. Detroit Lions - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

The Lions need another high pick first round wide receiver like Don Vito needs another Krispy Kreme doughnut, so I think they will resist the temptation of drafting Calvin Johnson out of Georgia Tech for drafting a legitimate quarterback to build their franchise around in Brady Quinn. He's a pro style quarterback who was down right dominant at times at Notre Dame, unfortunately it was mostly against the service academies.

3. Cleveland Browns - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

Adrian Peterson is a beast. He is my favorite running back prospect in the draft. Peterson is a very large, muscular back with speed to boot. Cleveland would be smart drafting him to give their running game a boost.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

You just know Jon Gruden goes to bed every night praying Calvin Johnson falls to them at number 4, and I believe he will. I believe, like many others that Calvin Johnson is the best prospect in the entire draft, a legitimate game breaker from wide receiver that doesn't come around very often. It would give Tampa's offense a huge shot in the arm, and give them a franchise player.

5. Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

The Cardinals are desperately seeking help on the offensive line and should get it here in Joe Thomas, who is the most polished offensive linemen in the entire draft. Although the last time I heard that, they were saying it about Robert Gallery and althought he's not a bust, he wasn't nearly worth the 2nd pick the Raiders used on him. Either way Thomas is the pick here for the Cardinals.

6. Washington Redskins - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson

One of the things the Redskins will definately be looking to improve upon when the draft rolls around is the defensive line, and Gaines Adams is the best prospect there. He should be able to come in and immidiately help the Skins with their pass rush.

7. Minnesota Vikings - Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville

The Vikings also have a need on the defensive line and when it's all said and done Okoye may just be the best player to come out of this draft. That's how much I like this kid. He is only 19 years old and has enormous upside.

8. Atlanta Falcons - LaRon Landry - S, LSU

Landry should be on the table here and the Falcons would be wise to take him. There were few players more impressive during the college football season, or at the combine then LaRon Landry. He is a hard hitting safety who can cover and should have a long and productive NFL career.

9. Miami Dolphins - Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas

Anderson can go a lot higher than this so the Dolphins would be lucky if he was still around at 9. Although the Dolphins need more help on the offensive side of the ball they'd be crazy not to take Anderson if he falls to them.

10. Houston Texans - Ted Ginn Jr. WR, Ohio State

They got Matt Schaub, how about get him a weapon in Ted Ginn Jr. a speedster with a ton of upside? I don't see why not

11. San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi

A much improved team last year gets even better by drafting Patrick Willis who is widely regarded as the best linebacker in college the last 2 years. Willis is extremely muscular and quick and should really help the 49ers defense out.

12. Buffalo Bills - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan

With the departure of Nate Clements the Bills need another impact corner. Hall is the best of the bunch coming out of college and the Bills would probably take him if they don't trade down.

13. St. Louis Rams - Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC

A tremendous talent out of USC who unfairly gets lumped in with the failures of another USC alum Mike Williams. Jarrett was fantastic in college, and Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce aren't getting any younger. I might think about taking Jarrett ahead of Ginn Jr.

14. Carolina Panthers - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida

The first Gator to get drafted. Nelson is a safety who relies heavily on his athleticism which isn't really a problem because he has a ton of it. The Panthers are in the market for a play making safety and Nelson makes sense here.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska

As a Big 12 fan I got to see a lot of Carriker and he is a very safe pick. He is big enough and athletic enough to line up anywhere on the defensive line and be very good. He would fit nicely into a 3-4 scheme therefore I think Pittsburgh would be wise to take him here.

16. Green Bay Packers - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU

Another physical specimen out of LSU. Bowe is a very talented receiver and should provide the ageless Bret Favre with a nice target, and also be very good down the road when Bret Favre retires in 19 years.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee

Jacksonville needs to add a playmaker for their anemic offense. Maurice Jones Drew broke out last year but they need someone to come in and be a consistent wide receiver. Meachem fits the mold. I saw a number of his games at Tennessee and was fairly impressed by his consistency, and play making ability. I think this would be a good pick for Jacksonville.

18. Cincinnati Bengals - Lawrence Timmons - LB - Florida State

The Bengals are in need of a linebacker upgrade and Timmons should be able to provide that. He would fit nicely into the Bengals blitzing defense, and also has decent range.

19. Tennessee Titans - Marshawn Lynch - RB - California

After losing Travis Henry to Denver, the Titans need to upgrade at runningback. I know they are counting on Lendale White to take over, but I am not a big believer in him. Lynch is as talented as they come and would make a great pair with Vince Young.

20. New York Giants - Justin Blalock, OG, Texas

Giants lost some offensive linemen this offseason and Blalock would be a solid pick here. He engineered that dominant Texas offensive line and is a very smart player.

21. Denver Broncos - Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida

In desperate need of an impact defensive lineman that can provide a consistent pass rush the Broncos have to go defensive line with this pick. Jarvis Moss is a quality pick. He is fast and athletic and the kind of defensive end the Broncos so desperately need.

22. Dallas Cowboys - Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh

The Cowboys could certainly benefit from having another corner. Revis is probably the 2nd best prospect in this draft besides Hall and would be a good get at 22.

23. Kansas City Chifs - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State

The Chiefs offensive line is aging and aging quick. They are in need of a new youthful presence and Levi Brown would fit the bill just fine.

24. New England Patriots (From Seattle) - Greg Olson, TE, Miami

The team that has had the best off season in the NFL thus far get even better by nabbing the best tight end in the draft. Olson would fit in with New England famously and would be an immidiate factor.

25. New York Jets - Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina

After playing for Steve Spurrier, Rice will take his game to the NFL and play for Eric Mangini. The Jets could always use play makers on offense and Rice is a real talented player.

26. Philadelphia Eagles, Antony Spencer, DE, Purdue

The Eagles always seem to draft defensive linemen and this year will be no acception. If Spencer is here the Eagles take him.

27. New Orleans Saints - Jon Beason, LB, Miami

After a break out year for the Saints, they get better and faster on defense by taking ball hawk Jon Beason.

28. New England Patriots - Michael Griffin, S, Texas

Rodney Harrison is getting up there. Griffin is an excellent young player with tons of potential. I could see him fitting in with New England. Wow New England is going to be scary next year.

29. Baltimore Ravens - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan

This pick would be of good value to Baltimore. You can never have too many quality offensive linemen.

30. San Diego Chargers - Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas

A project. But a project that should be well worth it. As a Broncos fan a combo of Cromartie and Houston in a couple years gives me nightmares.

31. Chicago Bears - Paul Poslusny, LB, Penn State

With Lance Briggs as good as gone a linebacker upgrade is needed. Poslusny would have been a top 10 pick had it not been for an injury in the Orange Bowl his junior year. Regardles he is a very smart linebacker and would work well with the Bears.

32. Indianapolis Colts - Tank Tyler, DT, NC State

I just like that name, Tank Tyler. The Colts defense is still very suspect and upgrading the defensive line would be the way I'd go if I were them.

Around the MLB

• In Matsui we trust - The Rockies picked up their first road win of the season yesterday 4-3 thanks in large part to a tremendous outing by new pitcher Jason Hirsh. Hirsh was dominant striking out 8 in 6 and 2/3 innings but not quite as much of a joy to watch as the mighty Kaz Matsui! I never realized how fast this guy was. Wow! Matsui was Greg Maddux biggest nightmare last night with 3 hits, 2 stolen bases, an r.b.i, and a run scored. There's a reason Matsui flamed out in New York and I'm sure Rockies fans will see it soon but it was nice of him to play this well at least for a night.
• Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets- The Mets are looking like the class of baseball right now. Their lineup is absolutely terrifying, and their pitching has been remarkable so far. Last night they embarassed the Atlanta Braves 11-1 boosting the Mets record up to 4-0. Oliver Perez was terriffic as was Jose Reyes. Reyes shined in this game going 3-6 with two triples, 4 r.b.i's and a run scored. I said this last year and I'll say it again, nobody is funner to watch in baseball than Jose Reyes.
• Trouble in Houston - Not quite time to panic yet but Houston really does have a problem, and that problem is their anemic offense. The Astros only crossed the plate twice last night in a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals. I'm not expert but I don't think having an offense who gives pitchers no run support is the best way to sway Roger Clemens your way when he finally does decide to come back and play baseball.
• Yankees lose, Yes! - I always love when the Yankees lose. It just makes a good day for me. I don't care how early in the season it is, or who was pitching or anything, I just love to see them lose, and they did yesterday to the Orioles 6-4. Even with the Yankees potent offense I don't know how you can ignore their pitching problems right now. They don't have a single guy who scares you. Mike Mussina, one of their more reliable guys in the past got hit around yesterday by the Orioles. I'm lovin it.

Nuggets win! Nuggets win!

In a really strange game last night the Nuggets topped the N.B.A's best team the Dallas Mavericks 75-71. That's right the score was 75-71. Usually there is a better chance that an individual could win the Lotto, Powerball, and die on the same day then there is the Nuggets winning a game in which they score less than 100 points, but it happenned last night. Carmelo Anthony after struggling mightily in the first half stepped his game up in the 4th quarter in one of the more clutch performances he's had in recent memory. He finished the game with 23 points on only 7 -21 shooting but if you're a Nuggets fan you will realize the significance of this. Usually when Melo comes out and puts up a bad performance in the first half he'll start forcing things unmercifully, which in all fairness he did for most of the first half. But then Melo will start to pout because things aren't going his way and eventually disappear from the game. That didn't happen last night. Melo sucked it up and got it done in the 4th quarter. Maybe a sign of his maturity. The win for the Nuggets was no doubt huge, but a little less significant because the Mavs were without Josh Howard for most the game. Don't expect the Nuggets or any of their fans to be sorry though. We play without key players all the damn time. Next up tonight at the Clippers. Big game.

Masters starts tomorow

The Masters starts tomorow, which is one of my favorite golfing events that goes on during the calender year. It's such a fun tournament to watch because it challenges every skill that golf requires. Anyway the main reason I love watching it is the same reason a lot of other golf fans love watching it, Tiger Woods. Tiger in my opinion will go down as the Muhammad Ali of this generation. He is an amazingly dominant athlete in the prime of his career. He is a joy to watch because of his incredible golf skills, and Michael Jordan like competitiveness. While you are watching the Masters this week take time to appreciate the greatness Tiger Woods is. You don't get to watch athletes this amazing and dominant very often.

Rockies top D-backs

In the rubber match today between the Rockies and D-backs, the Rockies came out on top 11-4. The game was closer than the score would indicate as the Rockies pulled out 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning but still a solid win for the Rockies. Rodrigo Lopez pitched very well today, which is good news because he was one of the unknown pitchers in the Rockies rotation. Holliday went yard for the 1st time this year as he carried the Rockies offensively going 4-5 on the day. Now it is on the road for 9 straight games against N.L West opponents. It'll be interesting to see how Jason Hirsch pitches. Hopefully the Rockies can grab at least 5 wins on this road trip coming up.

Forida Reigns Supreme

What an accomplishment for the Florida Gators winning back to back national titles with the same starting 5. This team may go down as one of the best ever. Corey Brewer was outstanding as he won Final Four mvp honors. What is next for the Gators? How can things possibly get any better for them from here on out? Anyways it wasn't a spectacular game like much of this years tournament, but congradulations to Florida, they are on the absolute top of the college sports world right now.

Elway making a comeback?

I'm as shocked as you are. According to a local sports show here in Colorado on Fox Sports Net called The Dino Costa Show, Jon Bon Jovi and John Elway made a bet that if Elway's Colorado Crush won against Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul then Bon Jovi would have to sing the nation anthem at all Colorado Crush home games. But if Bon Jovi's Soul beat Elway's Crush, then Elway would have to play quarterback for the remaining Colorado Crush games. As it turns out Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul won which means Elway lost the best and if he is a man of his word, would have to quarterback the Colorado Crush the rest of the season. I'm not sure how valid this story is but if true, wow! just wow! I would be speechless. I guess it would make a little bit of sense because in the AFL you don't exactly have to be mobile, the quarterback pretty much just has to drop back in the pocket and get rid of the ball which would suit Elway as his age. This may also be a publicity stunt for the Crush to get the stands full, which here in Colorado if Elway so much as played in a rec league flag football game people would flock to see it. Either way this is shocking news to me. What's next, Larry Bird coming back to play in the NBDL?

Rockies drop opener

The Colorado Rockies dropped their home opener today against the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-6. Starters Aaron Cook and Brandon Webb weren't particularly sharp today giving up 5 earned runs apiece in 5 innings for Webb, and 6 innings for Cook. The same old story came to the forefront again for the Rockies as the bullpen failed to keep a 6-5 lead in the 8th inning. Latroy Hawkins just being Latroy Hawkins gave up 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning in the 8th to doom the Rockies. Last year it was Jose Mesa and Ray King who killed us, and this year it looks like it'll be Latroy Hawkins who is going to kill us. Great! The offensive juggernauts today were Eric Byrnes from the Diamondbacks who was a solid 3 for 5 with 2 r.b.i's, and for the Rockies it was Brad Hawpe who also went 3 for 5 with 2 r.b.i's. Youngsters Troy Tulowitzki and Chris Iannetta also played well for the Rockies but as usual the bullpen blew it. Such is the life of a Rockies fan I guess. Back at it tomorow at 6:30 mountain time with Jeff Francis facing Livan Hernandez.

NCAA Title game tonight

As you more than likely know, tonight is the Men's basketball title game, matching the Florida Gators up against the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Florida can cement their legacy as one of the greatest college teams to play by winning back to back titles with the same starting 5, and Ohio State can be the best freshmen led team since Melo's Syracuse Orange won it in 2003. Should be a fun one with tons of future N.B.A players in it including, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Chris Richard, Greg Oden, and Mike Conley Jr. who just happens to be the guy I would want the most to play for the Nuggets some day. My prediction though is that Lee Humphry of Florida will go off from 3 point land to lead Florida to their 2nd straight national title.

Comparing Melo and Kobe

With the Nuggets and Lakers set to play tomorow night in Los Angeles I thought it would be interesting as a Nuggets fan to see how Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony compare after the first 4 years of their careers. I am a huge Kobe guy, and believe he is the best basketball player in the world so I wanted to see how our young star matches up. Now Kobe came straight out of High School and didn't get many minutes his first year and Melo came in after one national championship year at Syracuse, and came to a struggling team where he was counted upon to be their star right away so I know it's kind of biased but I still wanted to see so lets check out some of the numbers.

Lets take a look at offense:

• Melo - Through his first 4 years Melo averaged 36.5 minutes a game, averaging 24 points per game, shooting 45% from the field, grabbing 5.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per contest. Defensively he has averaged just a steal a game.



• Kobe - 29.4 minutes a game, averaging 16.3 points per game, shooting 44% from the field, grabbing 4.15 rebounds per game, and 4 assists per game. Defensively he averaged a little over a steal a game at 1.15.

Now I am not trying to argue that Melo is better than Kobe is right now. You'd have to be crazy to argue that. All I am trying to say is the future looks bright for Melo if his career follows the path and statistical progressions Kobe's did. The one thing that I think may hold that up is that Melo is not a volume scorer like Kobe is. Party because Melo is pitiful from 3 point range, while Kobe is very good. This makes a big difference and if Melo ever found a 3 point stroke like Kobe has look out. Anyway it should be a fun game tomorow, and I am looking forward to it.

Broncos trade for Bly

The Denver Broncos acquired Dre Bly from the Lions today for right tackle George Foster, and runningback Tatum Bell. This is a great trade for the Broncos considering the fact that Foster and Bell were basically dead weight. Foster may be one of the worst right tackles in the game, while Bell has proven that he cannot be an every down back in the NFL. I will say this though, Foster may have been the victim of the wrong scheme, as the Broncos use their famous cut blocking scheme, and that doesn't utilize Fosters enormous size and strength. Bell is an excellent backup, situational runningback, he can break one at any time, but as I said before he has proven he cannot be an every down back and he fumbles way too much. Meanwhile the Broncos get Dre Bly in the trade which when paired with Champ Bailey gives the Broncos arguably the best cornerback tandem in the league. Now it's up to the Broncos to address their defensive line issues, but I like the start to this off season.

Nuggets beat Orlando

Nuggets get the win tonight against Orlando 111-101. Not a brilliantly played game but a win is a win for the Nuggets right now. Iverson's ankle is getting healthy as he carried the Nuggets tonight with 34. The Nuggets goal at this point should be to get some chemistry down and get to playing good ball and take out the Lakers for the 6 seed in the West.

Painting the game purple

Yes it is that time of year again. Baseball season! And that means new hope for the Colorado Rockies. After dissapointing its fans for thirteen of their first fourteen seasons the Rockies field a team this year that at least, well how should I put this, shouldn't be that bad? Might be a little bit exciting? Might be in the playoff race in July? I don't know for sure all I know is I love the Rockies no matter what happens. So here is my Rockies preview examining their expected lineup.

1. Cf Willy Taverez- acquired in the Jason Jennings trade, Taverez is a speedster who the Rockies will lean on to get on base consitently to set up the rest of the lineup. He hit .278 last year with the Astros with a .333 on base percentage and swiped 33 bases. Not bad numbers but not jaw dropping either. He struckout a lot more than he walked, which is not exactly a good trait for a leadoff hitter, but for some reason I'm optimistic about this kid. I think he can up his average about ten to fifteen points at coors and get on base a little bit more. He needs to learn some plate discipline but I think this was a good get for the Rox.


2. 2B Kaz Matsui- he came on once the Rockies acquired him from the Mets last year. He never lived up to expectations with the Mets, in fact he was down right awful with the Mets, but he had a ton of potential and maybe of change of scenery will do him some good. He's a switch hitter which is nice, and will see some really good pitches hitting in the two hole so you never know. Obviously I'm not too high on Matsui but hey we're the Rockies, somebodies got to play second base right?


3. 3B Garret Atkins- the most consistent, and best pure hitter on the Rockies team period. This guy just flat out knows how to hit. Extremely good discipline, above average power, great gap hitter, he's everything the Rockies could hope to have in the 3 hole. I'm hoping he makes the all star team this year because this kid is a great ball player.


4. LF Matt Holliday- a huge breakout year last year for Holliday. In my opinion the second best hitter on the team behind Atkins. Holliday is a pure masher. He can hit the ball as far as anyone in the major leagues. He hit .326 last year with 34 long balls, and 114 r.b.i. This guy is scary strong, and should produce another monster year, which begs the question will the Rockies be able to pay him after this year? With Scot Boras as his agent I'll have to say no.


5. 1B Todd Helton- the most interesting story on the Rockies by far. Helton used to be one of if not the best pure hitter in all of baseball. With a ridiculous career .333 batting average, .593 slugging percentage, and a .430 on base percentage Helton was being compared with the likes of Don Mattingly. But after posting a career low 15 homeruns last year you have to wonder if his best days are behind him. If he can get back to anywhere near the player he once was the Rockies are in real good shape with him hitting in the 5 hole. Even if he can't you can expect Helton, on pride alone to hit at least .300 again this year with a minimum 15 homeruns.


6. 6. RF Brad Hawpe- this is one of my favorite players on the Rockies. Very good offensive upside and an absolute cannon of an arm. After starting off the season on fire, Hawpe cooled down in the later months but still managed to hit .293 with 22 homeruns. I believe Hawpe's best years are still in front of him and he should flourish in the Rockies lineup this year. Plus he saves a ton of runs with his arm out in right field.


7. SS Troy Tulowitzki- the Rockies top draft pick in 2004. Very solid defensive short stop, with decent offensive talent. This kid has a lot of Rockies fans excited and is the future of the position in Colorado. I expect him to hit in the .260 to .270 range with 12 - 15 homeruns and most importantly play fundamentally sound at short stop and make some big plays.


8. C Chris Iannetta- another young kid out of the Rockies very good farm system. He came up late in the season last year and did an admirable job. His biggest challenge will be handling the pitching staff effectively. He needs to do that and focus on his offense later. He hit .260 last year in his stint with the Rockies.

I will examine the bench and pitching staff tomorow.

Yesterdays Roundup

• In College hoops: Maryland beat North Carolina pretty much assuring them of an NCAA tourney bid. A month ago if you would've said Maryland would be in the NCAA tourney you would've been considered crazy, but it is a testament to them that they were able to turn it around, and are actually playing really good ball right now. Meanwhile North Carolina remains a bit of a mystery to me. Do I believe they are the most talented and deep team in the country? yes. Do i think they are wildly inconsistent, inconsistent enough to cost them big time in the tourney? yes. It seems like every close game Carolina plays in they find a way to lose. The NC State game, the Virginia Tech game, and the game last night against Maryland. Despite all of this I'm still going to pick them to win the tourney, because like I said, talent wise and depth wise, I don't think they can be matched.
• In the big game of the day, maybe of the year, Ohio State edged Wisconsin in the final seconds on a Mike Conley runner in the lane 49-48. Is it just me or is anyone not really that impressed with these two teams? I'm not stupid, I do realize they are ranked 1 and 2 in the nation, I'm just not that impressed. I would not be surprised at all to see either of these teams not make it to the Sweet 16. Wisconsin struggles mightily to score and that is not a good thing going into the tourney. My favorite player on Ohio State surprisingly is not Greg Oden, no, Mike Conley Jr. takes that honor. I really like this kids game and I truly believe they would not be as good as they are without him. This might make some people shake their heads even though nobody reads this, but to me Greg Oden is vastly overrated. Now I do realize he is basically playing with one hand, but where is the dominant post play? Where is the ability to take over a college game? He is a huge presence on the defensive end, I'll give him that, but if I have the number 1 pick in the NBA draft do I want a guy who just has a huge presence on the defensive end? Probably not, unless I'm an already established, solid team that doesn't need a scorer like Kevin Durant that sneaked into the top two picks of the draft through a trade or something, which is very unlikely. To me the pick is simple, it's got to be Kevin Durant. This guys does it all. I would go as far as to say I'd be dissapointed if I ended up with Oden. I know it's highly unlikely but I really wish Oden would stay at Ohio State one more year and develop his offensive game a little bit more. I do believe he has the potential to be a completely dominant post player, but he's just not there right now.
• More combine news: Calvin Johnson, and Adrien Peterson did themselves favors yesterday absolutely dominating their combine workouts. Both should go in the top 4. Two lesser known guys that I was pretty impressed with are, Chris Henry, no not the Chris Henry who had to do jail time for serving alcohol to underage girls, and is one of the weirdest looking men I have ever seen in my life, but Chris Henry, a running back from the University of Arizona. He has an incredible physique, and had a superb 40 time. Another guy I was impressed with was linebacker moved to defensve end Mike Shaw from Penn State. He's a little under sized to play defensive end in the NFL, but looked like a real player and helped himself out a lot at the combine. Two guys that did not help their draft stock at all, were the guys I mentioned in my last post, Chris Leak, and Troy Smith. Chris Leak ran a 4.7 40, and during Troy Smith's passing drills he just looked horrible. He wasn't accurate, and lacked zip on his ball. I'd be surprised if either got drafted before the 4th round.

Yesterday's Rundown

• At the NFL combine: Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas, and Miami tight end Greg Olson seemed to distance themselves from the pack at their respective positions. Joe Thomas didn't put on a great display on the bench press, which I believe is an overrated way to evaluate the strength of football players anyway, but his impressive footwork, speed, and overall knowledge of the game should make him a solid top 3 pick. Another offensive lineman I was very impressed with was Ryan Kalil out of USC. This kid did 39 reps on the bench and looks like a very impressive prospect. Probably a good second round pick for some team that needs help along the offensive line, like say the Denver Broncos. Today the Running backs, Quarterbacks, and Wide Receivers work out. It'll be interesting to see how Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Troy Smith, and Chris Leak perform. Adrian Peterson has the tools to become a franchise Running back, as does Calvin Johnson at Wide Receiver so I'm surprised that they are even going to work out. While Troy Smith, and Chris Leak need good workouts to impress teams even though they each had great college careers. With the lucrative contracts being thrown around at NFL players these days the combine has become a vital part of the scouting process and they inspect each one of these guys very thoroughly. A good combine workout can sky rocket your draft stock, or as in Maurice Clarrett's case, completely kill your stock, so it is interesting to watch, especially since the NFL Network covers pretty much every workout now.
• R.I.P Damien Nash: In some more serious and sad news, backup Running back Damien Nash of the Denver Broncos passed away. He collapsed after a charity basketball game in his hometown St. Louis, Missouri. I can remember Damien Nash coming on this past preseason and showing signs of promise, he was a very hard runner, just like the Broncos like. I also remember the two games he got significant playing time this season. One was at home against the San Diego Chargers in which he rushed for 52 yards, the other was on the road against the Oakland Raiders. This has to be the worst off season in Broncos history, not only did they lose Darrent Williams but now Damien Nash. How does this happen? Whens the last time a team has lost two players to death over an off season? It is just terribly sad, and my condolences go out to Damien Nash's family.
• Nuggets lose again, this time to the undisputed best team in the league the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets played a decent first half, trailing by only four at halftime but couldn't pull out the win as the Mavs ended up winning 115-95. At least the Nuggets played well for one half. This team just continues to disappoint though. Hopefully they get it figured out soon so they can make a playoff push. I just don't see it happening right now.
• Georgetown is on top of the Big East. It's been awhile since you could say that, and frankly it's good to see. I've been watching more and more of Georgetown lately and the more I watch the more I like that team to do big things in the tournament.

Nuggets struggling

After making a 2 hour trip to see my beloved Denver Nuggets pathetic attempt at playing a basketball game against division rival Utah last night I realized a few things about this team that has fallen on hard times of late:

1. George Karl is an absolutely pitiful basketball coach. Watching him coach against Jerry Sloan of Utah last night was like watching the J.V. high school basketball team trying to beat the varsity. It was just a complete mismatch. Every single timeout George Karl has a meeting with his coaches to discuss what to say to the team when they are struggling during the game, and only addresses the team for maybe 15 seconds, while Jerry Sloan wastes no time instructing his team. The ref even had to come over and get the Jazz back on the court on more then one occasion during timeouts he was instructing his team so thoroughly. George Karl has lost all of his passion. I do not know why. There were a lot of questionable calls last night by the refs and instead of sticking up for his team and making getting a technical and showing some emotion Karl decided he was probably better off showing as much passion as Art Shell and chewing on his precious mints he has by his side for each game.

2. The Nuggets run absolutely no plays. This goes back to George Karl again. They might set a pick or two each time in their half court set but that's about it. It's all one on one with Melo or Iverson trying to create there own shot, and occasionally they will kick it into Nene for a post touch. Watching the Jazz run plays last night was amazing, it actually works! What a novel concept. Running plays to get your scorers good looks instead of them having to create on their own. I can't believe no one has thought of this before. Oh wait, they have, the Nuggets just have no clue how to do it.

3. To say the Nuggets defense is non existent would be way too nice of me. The Nuggets show absolutely no desire or ability to play defense. I'm not even sure if it's just a lack of effort or just the inability to do it at all or a combination of both. The fact is their defense is beyond bad. For a team that's supposed to be a "fast break" team giving up easy layups, playing no defense, not wanting to play defense, and not rebounding well is not a good way to get the fast break started. I can only remember one instance where the Nuggets ran at all last night, and it was probably their only opportunity. To put it in perspective, the Nuggets gave up 93 points to the Jazz by the end of the 3rd quarter! Boozer played limited minutes, Kirilenko was hurt in the first quarter and didn't come back, and Okur didn't even play! That is simply inexcusable. You are not going to win any games with that kind of defense.

4. This team has no identity. Are they going to be a fast break, high octane, offensive type team like the Suns? Do they want to be a slow it down, half court set, defensive oriented team like the Spurs? Do they want to just let Melo and Iverson create all the offense, and at least try to play a little bit of defense? I don't know, nobody knows right now. Nobody knows their role on the team and there is no chemistry what so ever.

5. I used to love Marcus Camby. He used to be one of my favorite players, not only on the Nuggets but in the entire league. But lately, I see him as the laziest, most fragile player in the league. Kerry Wood thinks Camby gets hurt too often. Camby is repeatedly not contesting easy layups or providing help side defense when someone penetrates, he doesn't play nearly enough minutes, though I don't know if that's his fault or Karl's. He is a terrible post defender, which most people think is a strength of his. He gets dominated by bigger post players. I remember watching them play Boston this year and seeing Al Jefferson have a career game because Camby had no answer for his size. Camby is a solid rebounder I will give him that, but lately he has been extremely disappointing, and one of the main problems on this team.

This team is way too talented to be struggling like it is. Once we got Iverson people admitted that they may not be good enough yet to compete with the likes of the Mavericks, and Suns but were also willing to admit they were probably the 4th best team in the west. Well at the rate they are going they will find themselves out of the playoffs, and with a lottery pick that we don't even have. The scapegoat and rightfully so will be George Karl at the end of the year.