Maybe it's just me, but…
ECHO CHORUS
We heard all of the “experts” bloviate (that word’s definition is exactly as the word sounds) with their “mock drafts” and by now you all know how they made out. As for me (I’m writing this two day before the draft) I saw the Jets deeply pondering if they should trade up to the second position to be sure that they could choose (RB) Darren McFadden but I don’t think they should because most of the successful RB’s come from the middle of the pack. They should go for (LB) Vernon Gholston who IS the pass rusher that they desperately need.
The Giants need help at DB, LB, and on the DL so they should pick the best one that’s still available- maybe Jerod Mayo who can handle all three LB slots.
Gary Meyers of the News saw McFadden going to the Jets and (S) Kenny Phillips going to the Giants with the 31st pick in the first round.
Sam Farmer had the Jets tapping McFadden after fielding several trade offers. He saw the Giants going with SS Tyrell Johnson because he felt Johnson is a better prospect than Phillips. Farmer also saw Chris Long going to Oakland where his father Howie played..
With the 31st pick in the first round, it’s like the Giants don’t have a first rounder but DO have two second round picks- the 31st & 63rd.
DRAFT THOUGHTS
Did that ten-minute time limit for picks really mean ten-minutes?
How many times did we hear: “We chose the best athlete available,” “He can step in and help us right away,” “We saw the trade (of draft positions, players) as a benefit that allowed us to do what we wanted,” and the biggest one, in my mind’s eye- “He was our choice all along.”
ASSISTANT COACH
Dwight Perry wondered if Will Shakespeare was in an NFL Draft War Room. He said that Will “wasn’t that much of a football player, but he had a knack for scripting plays.”
THIS IS NOT A GAME. THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS!
Sally Jenkins wrote in the D.C. Post .on 3/26, “Still another event spectators apparently can enjoy in Beijing is the 10,000-meter Surveillance Sweep. The U.S. State Department last week issued a bulletin warning that spectators should expect "on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times," even in their hotel rooms. Furthermore, those rooms may be broken into and searched without visitors' knowledge. That will be easy to do: According to the State Department, so many Beijing structures were thrown up so hastily (by forced labor) that they might collapse, and lack basic protections such as emergency exits, fire suppression systems, carbon monoxide monitors, locks or alarms. China called the State Department bulletin "irresponsible" and denied unusual surveillance measures. The centerpiece of China's bid seven years ago was a promise to make progress on human rights and to open the country to world media coverage. Chinese officials practically begged for the Games and made all kinds of assurances. But instead, the direct opposite has happened — the Games actually have caused a significant pre-Games crackdown, abuses that range from sweeping arrests of dissidents to the strong-arming in Tibet, where as many as 130 may have died, according to the exiled Tibetan government. The party Beijing is preparing to throw bears no resemblance to any recent Olympics: shootings, beatings, jailings, buggings, environmental crimes and paramilitary police flooding the streets? You can pretty much bet that this isn't what Coca-Cola or the other dozen corporate sponsors had in mind when they signed up for the Olympics back in 2001.
BOYCOTTS
The Sports Curmudgeon took me to task and reminded me that nothing was ever accomplished by any Olympic boycotts. The U.S. withdrew from the 1980 Games in Moscow because of the Carter administration condemnation of the Russian’s invasion of Afghanistan. That didn’t do ANYTHING as the Soviets were there for about ten years. The USSR withdrew from the 1984 Games in LA as an answer but since the USSR ceased to exist shortly after that, we had no payback for that. The SC’s mantra here was, THE GAMES WILL GO ON!
SWOON SONG
Did Jon’s Mets leave it all in Florida in Spring Training? Are we in the “September Collapse” for the Mets already? Are the Mets older players breaking down and if they are, will the Mets have any experienced players left?
As I write this, the Mets are 11-11, .500 and have to play .564 for the rest of the season to reach 90 wins.
My Yankees are not going like the dickens, either. They’re 12-12, .500 and need to play .615 to get to 97 wins.
YEP, IT WAS IN PHILLY THIS TIME
A gas station in Philadelphia ran a promotion for the 76’ers where they sold gasoline for 76 cents a gallon for 76 minutes. The line of autos was cut off at 100 cars. Why 100 cars? Because any more than that and the gas station would be like Jon’s Mets and would have–all together, now: RUN OUT OF GAS!
YANKEE FOOD PYRAMID
Yankee manager Joe Girardi banned Gummy Bears and Swedish Fish from the Yankee clubhouse and even asked visiting clubs to do the same. I thought that these were adults who were sitting in the dugouts with bags of sunflower seeds in their pockets.
The Sports Curmudgeon talked about food pyramids and asked if the pyramid was SO important, how come it changes every five or so years? And, what happened to those who followed the previous pyramid so religiously?
PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS? WHAT PLAYOFFS?
There seems to be a growing movement to increase the numbers of pro-teams that are eligible to make postseason playoffs. I don’t know if this is the “everybody gets a trophy so no one’s feelings get hurt” school of thought, or if it is more likely to have more teams in playoffs to keep fan interest alive, or is it most likely (to my way of thinking) if more teams are playoff teams, owners can make MORE money by overcharging for playoff tickets to see a poor team play.
Again, maybe it's just me…
