2007 NFL Week One

I learned a lot last weekend. The very first week of college football gives you an immediate look into how well each team will perform. I learned that Notre Dame is awful and very well could start out 0-8. I learned how to correctly pronounce Appalachian St. (App-ah-LATCH-an). I also learned that my California prediction turned out to be one of my best. College football lets you know right off the bat who the major players are.

The NFL is quite different. It typically takes five to six games before you can realistically determine the elite teams from the crap teams. For this very reason, the first few weeks of the NFL are a learning process for everyone. Teams are searching for an identity that will hold throughout the season, making it a roller coaster ride for their fans. This is why picking the winners of these games are very difficult in September.

For the next 17 weeks, football will rule all. They will dominate the sports scene as well as this column. Every single week myself, along with seven esteemed colleagues will pick every single NFL game. The twist is we will not necessarily be picking the winner of the game outright, but whoever will cover the spread. For example, this week Denver (-3) is favored to beat Buffalo by 3 points. If the final score is Denver 21 Buffalo 20, then Buffalo would be the correct pick. The Bills did not win the game, but they did not allow Denver to beat them by more than 3 points. It's a very simple notion, with the idea of the spread equalizing the match-ups. It is obvious that Indianapolis would be victorious over say, Oakland this year, but would they win by at least 14 points? That is the question we will be answering the entire year.

The Players

1) Kevin Hunt - As a huge Cleveland Browns fan like myself, Kevin is used to losing. He is the closest thing to the real life George Costanza. However Hunt always seems to be very close to the top of the standings with these NFL picks. Odds to win it all, 6-1.

2) Devin Frank - Devin is a Tampa Bay fan, which puts him in the same boat as all the Browns fans the last several years. Very knowledgeable with sports, Devin and I will team up for the much anticipated debut of our radio show in the upcoming weeks. Will he have bragging rights the entire semester? Not if I have anything to say about it. Odds to win it all, 5-1.

3) Sara Normand - The only female of the group, but quite possibly one of the best fantasy players I've ever come across. Sara loves the Browns and the Cincinnati Reds. Whoops. Talk about picking the bottom feeders for each city. Odds to win it all, 11-2.

4) Michael Grothaus - Grothaus played on the golf team with me back at Calvert for three years and we both currently go to Heidelberg. Grothaus loves the Bills, but can only name about four players on their roster. Pretty good poker player, but I'm not sure about picking NFL games. Odds to win it all, 8-1.

5) Matt Barnes - Met this guy on my second day at Ohio University back in 2004 and have been great friends with him ever since. Barnes doesn't really have a favorite NFL team in my opinion, which is only to his benefit in this contest. His only downfall might be too much time spent with high school football (host for Gridiron Glory), and not enough focus on the NFL. Odds to win it all, 7-1.

6) Mr. Jeff Normand - As Sara's dad, Mr. Normand is the elder of this group. I consider myself a pretty big Browns fan, but Mr. Normand takes it to another level that I'm not familiar with. He actually painted his car to resemble a Cleveland Browns helmet! I got the privilege to ride in it last year and it was an unforgettable experience. Odds to win it all, 4-1.

7) Bart Borer - As a Michigan fan, Bart probably had a tough time last weekend. Don't worry though Bart, rescue is well on its way in the form of Notre Dame coming to visit. I would not be surprised to see Michigan win that game by 50. Bart is very familiar with picking college football and NFL games. Only thing is, I don't think he is familiar with picking the winners. Odds to win it all, 15-2.

8) Luke Florence - Yours truly. It's very difficult to handicap yourself, and I must admit I'm struggling to come up with the correct odds. Not going to lie, I'm pretty good at picking the winners straight up in the NFL, but this is the first time I've tried it against the spread. Not wanting to hype myself up and give these other guys bulletin board material, I'll go along the conservative route. Odds to win it all, 13-2.

The Format

We each contributed $17 to the pot, for a total of $136. After it is all said and done, the top three players will be in the money. Third place will receive their entry fee back of $17. Second place will double their investment and come away with $39. The winner takes home $80.

Each player had the opportunity to make a comment with their picks. Some did, others did not. For those that did, they will be posted on here. Each week standings will be available here as well. If the spread is tied, then the game will be ruled a push, and everyone who made a pick will receive a win.

Covering all my tracks, I'd say it's time to get this up and running. Giddy up.

Week One

New Orleans @ Indianapolis (-6)

The NFL seems to pit two good teams together to kick off their season. This match-up is no exception. One team, the Colts, just so happens to be the defending Super Bowl champion. The other, the Saints, lost to the Bears in last years NFC Championship game. I'm going to take the underdog in this game solely based on the reasoning that the Colts are being presented with their championship banner from last year. Pick: New Orleans.

Mr. Normand thinks otherwise, "Indianapolis should roll." We will see.

Indy: Hunt, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes. N.O: Sara, Luke.

Kansas City @ Houston (-3)

"You play to win the game. Hello!!" One of the all-time best press conferences was when Coach Herm Edwards busted out that aforementioned quote. I have a question for Coach Edwards, I know why you play the game, but, "why would I want to watch this game?" Kansas City has no quarterback and Houston has no running back. When both teams are bad, you should always go with the home team. Pick: Houston.

Bart wonders, "Why is Houston favored?" Well Bart, because Kansas City is just that bad. Houston has one thing that K.C does not, hope for the future. Mr. Normand even went as far as saying, "Going with Houston, Larry who?" He is referring to Chiefs RB Larry Johnson whose limbs might fall off before this season is done due to overuse.

Hunt comes through with the quote of the week. "Demetrius Jones (Notre Dame's starting QB last week) at quarterback still wouldn't be enough for the Chiefs to lose to the Texans. There's a reason running backs don't have to participate in the preseason and I'm fairly confident LJ didn't have to be there for training camp either."

K.C: Sara, Hunt, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes. Hou: Devin, Mr. Normand, Luke.

Denver (-3) @ Buffalo

I've noticed that the handicappers of these games tend to favor the home teams. I could not be any more thankful. Denver is a much better team and will cover easily. Pick: Denver.

Mr. Normand shows off his true colors when he says, "Still hate Denver, but going with the Broncos." I'm with him on both accounts. Hunt follows my line of thinking for this game, "It's not cold enough in Buffalo to play the home team card."

Den: Everyone. Buf: No one.

Pittsburgh (-4.5) @ Cleveland

For the third consecutive year I will be attending the Browns home and regular season opener. I've gone to five regular season Browns games, and they have not won any of them. Will this year be any different? Probably not. As a huge fan of Bill Simmons, I found myself laughing out loud when reading his last column. He writes, "The Browns are one year away from being turned around by Bill Cowher and his rejuvenated spittle." So true. Taking the safe route and going with the Steelers. If the Browns win then I will be ecstatic, but if they don't, I hope it's by five points or more. Pick: Pittsburgh.

Mr. Normand chimes in with a "Come on Brownies!," while Hunt makes a very astute observation. He says, "The fact that I'm missing the home opener for the first time in three years should be enough to at least make it close."

Pit: Devin, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Cle: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Bart.

Tennessee @ Jacksonville (-6.5)

The Jaguars recently released their long time starting QB Byron Leftwich, choosing to go with David Gerrard. The Jaguars are better at running back, wide receiver and defense by far. Everything points to the Jags. However, I'm not a big believer in Gerrard. When it comes to picking against the spread, quarterbacks rule. I'll run with Vince Young on this one. Pick: Tennessee.

Hunt comes through with yet another great quote, "Vince Young runs rampant, while Byron Leftwich laughs while watching the game with fellow recently-released quarterback Vinny Testaverde. Meanwhile, Testaverde cracks jokes about the 70's and Leftwich has no clue what he's talking about." If Hunt was as good at picking NFL games as he was coming up with great lines like that, he could quit school.

Ten: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Jax: Mr. Normand, "Jags rule."

Carolina @ St. Louis (-1)

The NFC is chalk full of teams that I'm just not sure about. These two are prime examples. Both have quarterbacks that could play great or crappy, and no one would be surprised either way. They both have solid wide receivers and defenses that should keep them in just about every single game. The real difference in this game will be Rams RB Steven Jackson. He promises big things this year. I'll take him up on that, for now. Pick: St. Louis.

Car: Sara. Stl: Kevin, Devin, Mr. Normand, "Rams roll," Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes.

Philadelphia (-3) @ Green Bay

I'm a big fan of Brett Favre. Maybe not to the level of say John Madden, but I'm a fan nonetheless. As Bill Russell said about Michael Jordan, the same can be applied to Favre, "He plays the game as it should be played." I'm not a fan of the talent around Favre though. He is not capable of carrying the Packers as he was back in the day. I'm also expecting big things from Donovan McNabb. He has a lot to prove and I think he will come through. Pick: Philadelphia.

If you are not familiar with Bart's work, then this should fill you in completely. He says, "The movie with Tom Hanks sucked balls." If you have watched that movie before, then that line is funny on a couple of different angles. Mr. Normand believes that Favre should have retired and Hunt busts out a quote from Ken Jones. "Back the pack, because the pack is back." Yes, these are my friends.

Phi: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. G.B: Kevin.

Atlanta @ Minnesota (-3)

Let the dog references commence. Seriously though, this game comes down to one match-up. Atlanta QB Joey Harrington vs. Minnesota QB Tavaris Jackson. That's right, Tavaris Jackson. Ever heard of him? Me either. He just happens to be Minnesota's starting QB. As bad as Joey Harrington has been, I'll still take him over Tavaris Jackson any day of the week. Come on Joey. Just one time, please. Pick: Atlanta.

"Vikings will choke the dogs, I mean Falcons," is what Mr. Normand goes with. I guess he has heard of Tavaris Jackson. Hunt single-handedly makes me want to change my pick when he says, "Joey Harrington will throw three TD's and things look well for Bobby Petrino." Hunt saying this is almost guaranteeing that Joey will throw three INT's and Petrino will be screaming to pull a Nick Saban by halftime.

Atl: Kevin, Devin, Luke. Minn: Sara, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes.

Miami @ Washington (-3)

In a battle of two teams who have already locked up top ten draft positions for next year, I expect defenses to prevail here. The Dolphins have the better defense and they also have RB Ronnie Brown. Brown is starting on my fantasy team, so I have a lot is riding on him having a good game and season. Pick: Miami.

Hunt follows my line of thinking in an offensive struggle, "I might lose this pick because I could see Washington winning 2-0." No joke. Meanwhile, Mr. Normand shows tremendous confidence, "Picking the Skins, I'm sure I will pay for this." I hope he does too.

Mia: Bart, Luke, Barnes. Was: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Mr. Normand.

New England (-6.5) @ New York Jets

The Patriots were just five points away from going back to the Super Bowl last year. Apparently that is a down year for New England as they went out and grabbed WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, WR Donte Stallworth, and LB Adalius Thomas. Watch out. This Patriots team is absolutely loaded. They are without a doubt the team to beat in the AFC this season. Did I mention they still have Tom Brady? Pick: New England.

Mr. Normand has it right, "You can't bet against the Pats." I might just pick them every single week. How can you not? Leave it to Hunt to find a way. "Too much of a good thing?? Tom Brady has too many weapons, delegates the ball too much, and Randy Moss finishes the game with more complaints than TD catches." Well Hunt, you may be right. I could see Moss grabbing two TD's and complaining three times. Bart chooses to keep it simple, "J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS."

NE: Sara, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. NYJ: Kevin, Devin, Bart.

Tampa Bay @ Seattle (-6)

Sometimes the best way to pick these games is to keep it simple. Tampa Bay is awful. Seattle has Shaun Alexander. That should be enough to allow Seattle to win by at least a touchdown. Pick: Seattle.

Devin seems to have complete faith in his favorite team saying, "I won't pick Tampa Bay all year." Devin is still reeling from the draft where his Bucs went with DE Gaines Adams and could not make a deal for WR Calvin Johnson. It's going to be a long year for Devin and the entire Bucs organization. Mr. Normand just rubs it in saying, "Seattle beats the Devil Rays." Ouch.

Kevin's Ballbuster Pick of the Week (0-0): Tampa Bay (+6)

Last year, while I was "pretending" to make an NFL bet, I decided to ask Hunt for some advice. Note: Online gambling should not be encouraged. Kevin went completely random, saying, take the home team in the fifth game listed. It came to be known as Kevin's Ballbuster Pick of the Week.

Hunt goes on to say, "Jeff Garcia led this team to five straight wins to end last season and put Philly into the playoffs. Seattle wins this one close on a Josh Brown FG."

I lost that completely random game Hunt picked last year. I hope he gets off to a similar start this year.

TB: Kevin. Sea: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes.

Chicago @ San Diego (-6)

I have a rule which states if Rex Grossman is your quarterback, I will pick the other team. It's just that simple. Besides that rule, this is not a good match-up for the Bears. San Diego will neutralize Chicago's defense with L.T and Grossman is good for at least three INT's and four fumbled snaps. Count it. Pick: San Diego.

It's scary to think of all the times Hunt and I see eye to eye on matters like this. Hunt adds, "What defense?" in reference to Chicago. Mr. Normand says, "Go Chargers, you got to love that Charger blue." He is absolutely right. That powder blue uniform that S.D wears is the best professional uniform in all of sports. Hands down.

Chi: Sara, Devin, Bart. S.D: Kevin, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke.

Detroit @ Oakland (-1.5)

I ranked the entire NFL last week, and I put the Oakland Raiders dead last. That franchise is going nowhere fast. They still have not signed JaMarcus Russell, their #1 draft pick yet. They signed QB Daunte "Throw It" Culpepper and will start RB LaMont Jordan. Making matters even worse, Culpepper is not even going to start! Oakland will go with Josh McCown. All signs point to Jon Kitna and the Detroit Lions. Pick: Detroit.

Hunt throws in, "The only Detroit fans who aren't already wearing the opposition's jersey are those who were dumb enough to buy a Kitna jersey or those who were hopeful enough to get a Calvin Johnson." Is it possible for the Lions to actually perform better than the Tigers? If you include expectations in this question, I would lean towards the affirmative.

Mr. Normand provides one of those accidentally humorous moments when he says, "Going with Culpepper, he has returned!" Whoops.

Det: Kevin, Devin, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Oak: Sara, Mr. Normand.

New York Giants @ Dallas (-6)

The Cowboys are the better team here. They have a better defense, running back, and wide receivers. The only problem is that the New York Giants have a history of playing so well at the beginning of the year and then fading towards the end. The greatest lesson you can learn from history is to not repeat past mistakes. I'll roll with history on this one. Pick: New York Giants.

Mr. Normand decides he likes the Cowboys, but not the six points. Thus the beauty of picking games against the spread. Typically the pick here would be Dallas to win, but usually these division rivals play close games, so picking the spread winner becomes a challenge. Bart however does not see this as being a difficult game to pick. "Dallas in a rout." Let's hope for Tony Romo's sake that you are correct Bart. Romo would hate to see this game come down to a last second field goal.

NYG: Sara, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke. Dal: Kevin, Devin, Bart, Barnes.

Baltimore @ Cincinnati (-2.5)

In the second battle of AFC North teams this week, the Ravens travel to Cincy. Baltimore brings with them a solid defense as usual, and Cincy brings a team with an extensive rap sheet. Carson Palmer has not done well against the Ravens in years past, and I again look for this to continue. The Bengals have a pretty porous defense, so look for Willis McGahee to have a solid game. Pick: Baltimore.

Mr. Normand sums this game up perfectly, "Which team do I hate more?" The answer, Art Modell.

Bal: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Bart, Luke. Cin: Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Barnes.

Arizona @ San Francisco (-3)

The 49ers are the team that was middle of the road last year who went out and acquired a ton of talent, starting with CB Nate Clements. Whether or not this team thrives will depend on two things. Can Alex Smith stay out of his own way, and can Frank Gore stay healthy? If the answers to those questions are yes, then expect San Francisco to contend for the NFC West title. Meanwhile, Arizona always seems to be the trendy team to pick each year. I'll jump on the Arizona train early. Pick: Arizona.

Mr. Normand says, "I think the 49ers will do well this year, but I probably just jinxed them." He is not the only one who thinks the Niners will have a good season, a lot of the so called "experts" on ESPN follow this same line of thinking. All I know is that if they all think San Fran will be good, chances are they won't. Things usually have a habit of working out that way.

Ari: Devin, Bart, Luke. SF: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Barnes.

That's all she wrote for this massive column. I started writing this one hour before the kick off of the Colts-Saints game. It is now half-time. Looks like I'll be prepared for all of my classes tomorrow. Grothaus failed to pick the Miami-Washington game, and I guess he's right, there won't be any winners in that one.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."

2007 NCAA College Football Preview

Seven full months. Can you believe it’s been seven months since the Super Bowl? It seems like such a long time since Rex Grossman single-handedly gave the Indianapolis Colts their championship. In that span not much has really changed on the college football scene. USC appears to be the favorite, again. The SEC is absolutely loaded, again. Ohio State has a ridiculously easy schedule, again. And lastly, the BCS will more than likely mess everything up at the end, again.

However what makes college football so great are the unpredictable moments that last a lifetime. Take for instance last year with the Boise St. Broncos. The ‘hitch and ladder’ play to tie their bowl game against Oklahoma with under a minute to go, followed up by the ‘statue of liberty’ play to win it in overtime. You simply could not predict any of that. Another unpredictable moment occurred in the Championship game between Florida and Ohio State. The Buckeyes were big favorites but got pounded by the Gators 41-14.

The simple unpredictable nature of College Football is a big reason why I absolutely despise preseason rankings. In a sport where rankings and polls mean so much it is absurd to rank all the teams before anyone plays a game. It would make much more sense to wait until at least 4 or 5 weeks into the season before coming out with the first batch of rankings. As great as College Football is they do a lot of things that just do not make sense. The preseason rankings is one and the BCS is another.

College Football needs a playoff system. There is no debating this. A playoff system would truly crown a champion and would not require a whole lot of tweaking from the current system in place. The best playoff formula would include eight teams. You could even use the BCS rankings to determine the top eight teams and then use the current bowl games for each match-up of the postseason. For example, have the Cotton Bowl, the Capital One Bowl, and then two of the four ‘major’ bowls representing the first round of the playoffs. Then in the semi-finals you could use the other two ‘major’ bowls with the championship game simply being the NCAA Title Game (as it is now). Wouldn’t take too much work but it won’t happen for a very long time.

My buddy Max asked me to rank my top ten teams for the upcoming season, so what follows is a transcript of what I sent him. A couple teams I left out were Ohio State and Wisconsin. I just don’t see Ohio State having a very good year and when Barnes tells me that they will go 9-3 I tend to listen. As far as Wisconsin goes, they just never seem to put together an entire year. They have had some very talented teams over the past ten years but they never close the deal. Wisconsin is like the new girl who moves in across the street during the summer and looks absolutely stunning. However, when she shows up for the first day of school and you compare her to all the other good looking girls in the class, she falls back in the pack. They look good by themselves, but not so much with all the others.

As for Notre Dame, they are headed towards a 7-5 season. They have a very tough schedule and question marks at quarterback. This will be the first time during Coach Weis’ tenure the Irish do not make it to a BCS bowl game.

10) Florida - I think new quarterback Tim Tebow is awful and will not be able to run the offense effectively. I also believe that Auburn is better than the Gators, but there is this rule that if you win the national championship the year prior, you get a spot in the top ten. Here it is.

9) Louisville - Another rule in college football is that if you have the preseason consensus number one draft pick in next year's draft then you get a spot in the top ten. I really wanted to put TCU here. QB Brian Brohm will lead these Cardinals to a decent season, but I don't see them getting past West Virginia.

8) California - I really liked this team last year, but then Tennessee ruined their season early. If they get past that game this year, watch out. Yeah they don't have RB Marshawn Lynch anymore, but Justin Forsett should be able to handle the load. Name to remember is DT Matt Malele. Big frickin dude.

7) Oklahoma - Huge Bob Stoops fan. His team got absolutely screwed last year against Oregon. Oh, and there was that Boise St. game, but I really don't remember how that one ended. Only thing keeping me from making them higher on the list is their schedule. They got Miami, at Texas, and at Texas Tech. I just don't think they can win all of those games.

6) Texas - As much as I hate putting the Longhorns in the top ten, I guess you kind of have to. QB Colt McCoy is going to have a great season, unfortunately, and more than likely lead this team to a BCS Bowl game. Their offense will be sick this year.

5) West Virginia - The Steve Slaton and Pat White combo is going to be deadly this year. The Mountaineers are the class of the Big East and if they run the table, which they are more than capable of doing, they should be in a great position to maybe land in the title game. Owen Schmitt is another name to remember. Awesome fullback.

4) Virginia Tech - In a loaded ACC, the Hokies stand out tremendously. They are absolutely loaded on defense, and have a plethora of options for QB Sean Glennon to choose from. The only thing holding this team back is Glennon. He has to have a better year, it's a must. They play at LSU on September 8th. Good thing for the Hokies is that it's early. A loss will not ruin their chances of getting in the title game.

3) Michigan - Sorry Max, these guys are the class of the Big Ten. They bring back everybody on offense, including Jake Long who will win the Outland Trophy this year. They have a relatively soft schedule and it all will come down to the last two games of the year. At Wisconsin and then I think they end up with Ohio State. I guess those two teams typically play towards the end of the year. Only thing hurting Michigan is that QB Chad Henne has never beaten the Buckeyes.

2) USC - As much as I love Bob Stoops, I hate Pete Carroll that much more. However, he does bring back a very talented team with one of the more polished QB's in the nation with John David Booty. The Trojans are the consensus preseaon number one, but I believe they have two things working against them. First, they are inexperienced at both wide receiver and running back. Secondly, they have one helluva schedule. I don't see them running the tables at all. Two losses wouldn't take much.

1) LSU - When a team losses two players (Russell and Landry) who were drafted in the top ten and still somehow manages to not only make the top ten but be in first, well, then you know you have a special team. I see the Tigers as the best team in the country, hands down, no doubt about it. Russell is replaced by QB Matt Flynn who was the MVP of their bowl game against Miami a couple years back, so you know he is capable. Early Doucet is one of the best wideouts in all of college football. Despite losing Landry, some, myself included, believe they have the best secondary in the nation as well. They play in the SEC, so you know they have a tough schedule, but, they play all of the big games at home this year. VaTech, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and South Carolina all at home. These guys are the real deal.

In the national championship game LSU will defeat West Virginia in a shoot-out.

That’s all I got for this post. Expect my next couple of posts to include my NFL rankings and where I feel the Cleveland Indians will end up. Also, if anyone is still interested in my ATS (Against The Spread) NFL Pick’em, let me know soon.

Until next time, “read it, roll it, hole it.”

Brady Brady Brady

If I had to rank my favorite teams then the Cleveland Browns would be number one followed by Notre Dame. I guess that makes Brady Quinn my all-time favorite player. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but back in May of 2006, when I compiled my top forty sports figures, Brady just missed the top twenty, falling in the #21 spot. It’s safe to say that he has made a small jump towards the top since that list was unveiled. I also wrote in September of ‘06 that if Brady would ever join the Browns then God would be faced with a huge conflict of interest. As of August 8, 2007, no Cleveland Brown is seriously injured and all key players are at camp. I can’t knock hard enough on wood for that one. (that’s what she said)

Unless you happen to live under a rock then you have heard that Brady Quinn has signed a five year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Brady has been under not a rock, but a microscope of scrutiny since his Sugar Bowl defeat back in January. “Brady does not perform well in big games.” “Brady is not worth a top ten draft pick.” “Brady is an inaccurate quarterback.” “Brady needs to get into camp, he is just being selfish.” These are just a small sample of some of the complaints I’ve been hearing about Brady over the past ten months.

Let’s go back to the days leading up to the NFL Draft to get my complete perspective on Brady Quinn.

The Browns had the #3 pick in the NFL Draft. Going into the draft I felt that Adrian Peterson would have been the best fit for the Browns. Not gonna lie, I still feel that way. Cleveland claims to be a running team, but never have the personnel in place to do so. The combination of Peterson and Jamal Lewis could have been lethal. However, I would have been fine if Calvin Johnson had slipped to Cleveland as well. As a big Brady fan it would have been cool for Cleveland to pick him, but deep down I wanted Brady to excel in the NFL and thought that Miami would give him the best chance to do so.

Turns out the Browns didn’t pick any of those three players and instead went with Offensive Tackle Joe Thomas. Pete and my dad loved the pick, while I hated it at the time, and not gonna lie, I still kind of do. Third is awfully high to pick an offensive lineman, and I did not think that Thomas had separated himself from the other lineman such as Levi Brown or even Joe Staley. However, they went with Thomas and I started to drink heavily in order to drown my sorrows and disappointment in my favorite team.

As the 1st round of the draft slowly labored on the big question remained, “Where will Brady land?” The cameras were on him after every single pick, gauging his reaction. The common thought among the experts on ESPN and the experts at the bar was that Brady would go to the Miami Dolphins. Jared confirmed my thoughts in that Miami would be a perfect situation for Brady. The Dolphins, on the other hand, thought differently.

Cue NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “With the 9th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select … Ted Ginn, wide receiver, Ohio State.”

Wait, what? Did I hear that right? Ted who? Have I been drinking that much already?

The NFL Network showed a split screen of the announcement of the pick along with Quinn, thinking Brady would be the obvious choice. Like all of us, Brady was equally as stunned. I’m no lip reader, but it was fairly easy to see that Brady said “That was surprising.”

Where would Brady go now? None of the teams drafting in the next few spots had a need for a young quarterback, no matter how talented he may be. Houston had Matt Schaub. Tennessee had Vince Young. St. Louis had Marc Bulger. It looked like Brady was going to have make himself comfortable for a while.

As I slowly regained consciousness from that enormous reach of a pick the Dolphins made, whispers started to float around that some teams were trying to make a trade to grab Brady. The Browns were one of them. Not only was I intrigued by these rumors, I was very excited for a chance to get Quinn.

Now, some of you might be thinking at this point, “Luke, you just said earlier you didn’t want Brady to come to the Browns, why the sudden change of heart?” Good question. Hear me out.

I entered the draft like I enter all of the drafts in which the Browns are drafting high (so, all of them that I can remember) by saying the Browns need to take the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that what the Browns need are GOOD PLAYERS. They have about 1.5 good players currently on the roster. (Between Kellen Winslow Jr., Braylon Edwards and Andra Davis it adds up to 1.5) Was Joe Thomas the best player available when the Browns selected him? Not even close. Peterson, Quinn, and LaRon Landry are all better players than Thomas.

“Luke, how do you come to that conclusion?” Another good question.

I judge a good player by one who can have the greatest impact on a team. For Joe Thomas to be successful, the entire offensive line needs to be good. Thomas can only block so many people at once. In other words, Thomas is limited in what he can do, where as those other three players I mentioned are not.

You do need to have a good offensive line in order to be a successful team. Look at the Colts, the Patriots, and the Chargers. They all have decent o-linemen. Look back at their recent draft history. How many times did one of them take an offensive linemen in the 1st round the last six years? The answer, just one. The point being that you can still have a great o-line, without wasting your 1st round pick on them.

My father has cried ever since the Browns returned to the NFL that they don’t have a line. “Luke, it doesn’t matter who you got back there to throw or run if you don’t have a good o-line.” Okay dad, you have a point, to an extent.

What is the definition of a good o-line? Probably one that gives the quarterback sufficient time to make a throw and opens up enough space for the running back.

Guess what dad, the Browns did not have a terribly bad o-line last year. As for that matter, the last couple of years. Reuben Droughns ran for over 1200 yards back in 2005. Had he played all 16 games in 2006, he would have been close to another 1000 yard season. It is fairly safe to say that Droughns is not a great running back by any means, so he must have had a decent o-line to run behind, right?

The Cleveland Browns first priority is to be able to compete with their division rivals. For the most part the Browns have the players put in place in order to so. But, what about quarterback. Take a look at the AFC North. The Steelers have Big Ben, the Bengals have Carson Palmer, and the Ravens have Steve McNair. Who do the Browns have? Um, Chuck Frye and Derek Anderson. We’ve seen what they can do. Unfortunately.

The Browns are still miles behind any good NFL team when it comes to their starting quarterback. This is why they had to go and get Brady.

Back to the draft.

I never said that I didn’t want Brady to play for the Browns. I just simply said I would rather the Browns take Peterson or Calvin Johnson. Quinn would have been the 3rd choice, and I would not have had a big problem with it.

As picks #10 through #18 went off the board, Brady remained on it. The anticipation was starting to grow in me as Cleveland and now Baltimore was showing interest in Quinn. If Baltimore would have snatched Quinn, I might have thrown myself into oncoming traffic. I hate the Ravens more than any other team and having Quinn torch the Browns two games a year for the next decade would have, as Lauryn Hill put it, “killed me softly.”

Anyways, to make a long story short (at this point it might be too late), the Browns traded back into the first round to get Brady with the 22nd pick of the NFL Draft. They gave the Cowboys their 2nd round pick of the ‘07 draft along with their 2008 1st round choice.

I was absolutely ecstatic at this point. The combination of drinking for 5+ hours and frantic phone calls with Kevin and Jared made me about as excited as I’ve ever been for the Browns. They got Brady. Along with Brady’s arm, they got a face for their franchise, and more importantly, a future.

Okay, after that long story which should have been a column in of itself, I can continue on with my response to this bashing that Brady has taken for quite a while now.

Complaint #1 - “Brady does not perform well in big games”

First things first, it is best to identify what these “big games” are. In my opinion, just about every game that Notre Dame plays is a “big game.” Yes they usually play two of the Academies every year, but the fact remains that Notre Dame is a national powerhouse. Whereas teams such as Nebraska and Ohio State are very big in their specific region, Notre Dame fans stretch throughout the whole United States. That said, if their QB has a bad game, no matter who it is against, there will be scrutiny from a lot more angles then say a QB at Michigan.

The ones who claim Brady plays poorly when it matters the most, are probably referring to games against Michigan, USC, and any bowl games. Brady’s record in those games is 2-7. That’s pretty ugly.

Looks like these guys have a point. Looks can be deceiving, lets dig a little bit deeper.

Notre Dame plays year in and year out a top notch schedule. There is no arguing that whatsoever. Brady’s record in all other games besides those three previously mentioned is 23-5. That’s pretty darn good. It appears as if critics just picked out those three games, knowing full well what the result would be. Heck, they could have completely thrown out Michigan to better make their case (Brady has a 2-1 record against the Maize and Blue), but that just leaves two “big games” and doesn’t look as good all of a sudden.

It is safe to say that Notre Dame was over-hyped last year. They were ranked #2 in the preseason polls, and many thought they could compete for a national title. Well, Michigan spanked them early in the season, USC spanked them late, and then LSU finished them off in the Sugar Bowl. In all three cases, Notre Dame was picked apart on the defensive side of the ball. The three teams combined for 132 points. That is an average of 44 points per game! Brady can do only so much, and honestly, did not have much to work with. His offensive line was pathetic to say the least, his running back failed to even get picked in the ‘07 draft, and his best receiver is now a minor league pitcher. Even with all of that working against him, Brady managed to put up decent numbers in those games. Combining all three games, Brady completed 48% of his passes for 656 yards. He threw 8 TD’s to 4 INT’s. This is the absolute worst you can make Brady’s career numbers look. Doesn’t look all that bad now does it?

Complaint #2 - “Brady is not worth a top ten draft pick”

Make no mistake, Brady was NOT a top ten draft pick this year. He fell all the way down to #22. However, that does not mean that Brady is not a top ten talent at all. Throughout life one will find that often times circumstances dictate all. This is certainly the case with Brady and the 2007 NFL Draft.

USC quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy his junior year of college and was projected to be the #1 pick in the 2005 Draft. However, Leinart decided to stay in school for his senior season and bypass the NFL. Leinart did not repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner, but put up just as impressive numbers as he did the year prior. Where did Leinart get picked in the 2006 Draft? He fell all the way to #10.

Leinart being picked by the Cardinals with the #10 spot doesn’t mean that he is not a #1 talent, it just means that for whatever reason he happened to fall where he did. Having studs like Reggie Bush and Vince Young in your draft class were probably reasons for the slip, but it does not take away from Leinart’s abilities whatsoever.

The Leinart situation can be applied to Brady’s as well. There is no doubt that Brady is a top ten talent. He was the 2nd QB taken in the draft and it just so happened that when he went past the #9 spot, no one needed a quarterback. That doesn’t take away Brady’s abilities, it is simply a matter of circumstance.

Complaint #3 - “Brady is an inaccurate quarterback”

Brady has not even as much played a down in an NFL game so it would be unfair to say at this point in time that he is indeed inaccurate. The only things to go on would be his past performance in the college ranks and his mechanics.

Starting with mechanics, Brady has been mentioned several times as having almost “flawless” mechanics. This should come as no surprise. His coach at Notre Dame, Charlie Weis, is a quarterback guru. He took Tom Brady from being a nobody to well, Tom Brady. Coach Weis knows how to mold QB’s and he helped Brady achieve very good form.

While at Notre Dame, Brady just so happened to be a very accurate thrower. In his two seasons with Charlie Weis as the head coach Brady completed 63% of his passes for over 7300 yards. He then piled on 69 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions. I don’t know about you, but I like what I see there.

Complaint #4 - “Brady needs to get into camp, he is just being selfish”

Brady signed a five year contract today which ended a holdout that lasted 11 days. The contract totals roughly 20 million dollars and could reach a maximum of 30 million if a majority of incentives are reached. This holdout bothered a lot of fans, for some reason, as they thought Brady needed to get in camp from day one. I have one question for them, why?

Why does Brady need to get in camp? To bond with teammates? To practice being a backup? To learn the offense quicker? Give me a good reason. There might be one out there, I just haven’t heard it yet.

There is no surprise that the Cleveland Browns were expecting Brady to hold out. Now, I was obviously not in on the negotiations so I do not know exactly what went on, but after reading several reliable sources, I have come to the conclusion that the Browns were not that bent out of shape with Brady holding out. Here is why.

As Brady held out, the QB battle was down to Anderson and Frye. The thing is, neither Anderson nor Frye stood out at all during Brady’s holdout. Neither one of them impressed the coaches all too well. Had Brady been in camp from day one, the temptation would have been there not only from the fans and the media, but also by the performance of Chuck and Derek to start Brady. The Cleveland Browns do not want any part of Brady starting anytime soon. Now, since Brady held out, that temptation is not present and they can ease Brady into the starting role.

I’m not saying that Brady might have been offered a “low-ball” contract by the Browns, though that could have very well been the case. Brady’s agent Tom Condon was not asking for top ten money, rather, he was asking for top twenty money. That is not a reach at all, considering all the Browns gave up to get him.

Another fact in this holdout that makes me wonder is why the Browns were so furiously nit-picking at years four and five of the contract. Cleveland gave up next year’s 1st round pick to get Brady which tells me that he is the future QB of the franchise. It doesn’t make much sense to quibble about those last two years of the contract. By that time, Brady better be starting or something terribly went wrong, and the Browns could just release the contract. That is the beauty of NFL contracts, the only thing guaranteed is the “guaranteed money,” everything else can be wiped away instantly.

Will Brady Quinn start at any time this season for the Browns? I honestly do not know. In a perfect world, I honestly hope he does not. As cool as it would be for Brady to start a game in 2007, it would be much better for his future and the future of the team that he does not play at all in ‘07. Yes, Peyton Manning came right in, took some lumps, and now look at him. However, Manning is the exception, not the rule on rookie quarterbacks. The current trend, which I feel is the surest bet on rookie QB’s, is to have them sit one year and start playing in year two. Look at Phillip Rivers and Carson Palmer. Two Pro Bowl QB’s who never even sniffed the field their rookie season.

As I wrap up this novel of a column the whole idea of Brady as a Cleveland Brown just does not seem real to me. Brady IS going to be a good QB. He was groomed by one of the best in Charlie Weis and has never shown any signs at all that he will struggle. The next time the Browns win a playoff game, Quinn WILL BE the starter. Will the bashing stop then? I doubt it. Just look at Peyton Manning. They (myself included) said that Manning would never lead a team to the Super Bowl. Whoops.
Here’s to hoping “they” get it wrong again.

Go Browns.

Until next time, “Read it, roll it, hole it.”

2007 NBA Wrap

Congrats to the Cleveland Cavaliers for making it to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history. I was, and still am, a huge critic of the Cavs, but they did shut me up by beating the Pistons and winning the Eastern Conference this year. LeBron’s Game Five performance against Detroit will not soon be forgotten. I must admit, that was truly special. Unfortunately for the Cavs, LeBron mailed it in from that point on.

This year in the East there were four legit teams that had a chance to win the conference. The Pistons, Cavs, Heat, and my Chicago Bulls. When the postseason started it was fairly obvious one of those four teams were going to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The Bulls promptly swept the Heat but then had to battle with Detroit. The Pistons dispatched of Chicago in six games as Cleveland awaited. Cleveland narrowly lost the first two games, but then rebounded to take the next four and the series with it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won one legit series this postseason. That is the exact same as the Bulls and the Pistons. The Cavs benefited from being the #2 seed in the East and only having to face one of the three “good” teams on their path to the Finals. However, you can’t take that away from them, they went out and beat the teams that were in front of them. Do not get that confused with Cleveland being a great team by any means. They have one player and a bunch of junk floating around him.

The NBA, more so than any other professional league, is all about match-ups. In the NFL a team can ride a great defense to the Super Bowl (note the Ravens and Bears). In the MLB a team can ride a great duo of pitchers to the World Series (note the Diamondbacks and the Marlins). However, with the NBA, what you have is what you got. There is no where to hide. In the NBA you cannot substitute a great defensive line-up in because they won’t be able to score any points. Therefore, when the playoffs come around, the winner is often decided by who had the better series of match-ups. Let’s take a look at this year.

The Golden State Warriors were the 8th best team in the Western Conference, barely squeaked into the playoffs, and had to face THE best team in the NBA (record wise) in the very first round. Six games later, Golden State had just upset the Dallas Mavericks. Their victory marked the very first time an eight seed managed to beat a one seed in a best of seven game series. How did this happen? One word, two syllables, match-ups.

In four games during the regular season, Golden State actually won three against Dallas. Golden State loved to use their speed and quick guards to score a lot of points. This fit perfectly with what Dallas likes to do. The Mavs also like to run up and down the court, with defense sometimes taking a backseat. The question now is, who shot better? If both teams are running up and down shooting a ton of three-pointers and getting fast break lay-ups, then the team who shoots a better percentage is going to win. It’s that simple. Golden State matched up great with Dallas because they had matching systems and styles.

Common sense would tell you that since Golden State just beat the best team in the NBA that they should be able to beat everybody else as well. Not so fast my friends. While the Warriors had a great backcourt, they had absolutely no frontcourt. Enter Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz. While the Warriors were still able to score against Utah, they could not stop Boozer. This is why the team shooting lay-ups all series long will ALWAYS beat the team shooting three-pointers. Now that is using common sense.

Back to the Cavs. After beating Detroit they promptly were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. This should come as no surprise, for not only were the Spurs the far better team, but the Cavs matched up horribly with the Spurs. Cleveland depends solely on LeBron James. If James does not have a good game, chances are the Cavs are not going to win. The Spurs have the best defensive player in the league, hands down, in Bruce Bowen. Now, while Bowen did not completely shut LeBron down, he did make him less effective. Without LeBron having fan-tastic games, the Cavs had no shot, and four games later, were all done.

This is why even though the Cavs beat the Pistons, Detroit would have matched up a lot better with the Spurs. Detroit does not solely rely on one person, but rather have a plethora of options they could go to when they need a bucket. The Spurs would have beaten Detroit, make no doubt, but it would have gone 6 games. For the same reason as Detroit, the Chicago Bulls would have matched up better against the Spurs than the Cavs. The Spurs would have won that series in 5 or 6 games as well.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to beat Detroit because the Pistons had no answer for LeBron. He could do whatever he wanted to. Take LeBron away and what do you have, a lottery team.

Here are some random thoughts.

- Robert “Big Shot” Horry won his 7th NBA title this season. This gave him more than Michael and Scottie. While you could argue that Horry did not make a ‘big shot’ this postseason, he did dish one out and was a huge reason the Spurs won it all. If it had not been for his ‘shot’ on Steve Nash in the closing seconds of Game 4, the Suns would have won that series. It’s hard to hate on Horry, all he does is win. First with the Rockets, then with the Lakers, and now with the Spurs. The only players who have more than Horry are all Boston Celtics during the Bill Russell era.

- Congrats to Dirk Nowitzki for winning the NBA MVP this season. While everyone was fast to jump on Dirk for disappearing in the playoffs, they should remember that the playoffs have nothing to do with the MVP. It is solely based on the regular season. Don’t bring down Dirk’s moment just because the league decides to name the winner after an entire postseason round has been completed. The league needs to get their act together and announce the winner before any postseason games have been played.

Staying with things that are wrong with the MVP, Steve Nash was the best player in the league this year, make no question about it. He put up better numbers than his previous two MVP award winning seasons and was the sole reason the Suns won as many games as they did. However, since Nash was a reigning two-time winner, he was not eligible to win it this year. There is an unspoken rule in the NBA that does not allow you to win the award three times in a row. This is the same reason Michael Jordan never won the MVP three consecutive times. Charles Barkley in 1993 and Karl Malone in 1997 both denied Jordan a third straight MVP. So again, congrats to Dirk for being the 2nd best player in the league this year. It was all it took.

- Kobe Bryant is not going anywhere. The Los Angeles Lakers are not going to trade him. The only way Bryant gets traded is if he doesn’t show up for training camp and makes it known that he won’t play during the regular season.

- Kevin Garnett is going somewhere. It might even be with Kobe to the Lakers. Garnett is still a dominant player in the league and will immediately drastically improve whatever team he lands on. Hopefully the Bulls, but it’s more than likely going to be Phoenix.

- The Portland Trail Blazers are going to be a force to reckon with next season. Take a look at this potential starting line-up. Jarrett Jack, Brandon Roy, Zach Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden. Watch out. If everyone stays healthy, that is a scary team.

- My Chicago Bulls need to do something. They have just about maxed out talent wise. If they stay put this year, and make no moves, they will not be that much better next season. Ben Gordon can not get any better, he just can’t. Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas have some upside, but there comes a time when you stop having potential and you start becoming an underachiever. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant both would make Chicago the frontrunner in the East next season, but neither will suit up for the Bulls anytime soon.

Rather, look for Zach Randolph or Jermaine O’Neal to possibly join Chicago in the near future. The Bulls could package a deal that sends Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Andres Nocioni, and their 9th pick in exchange for either Randolph or O’Neal. It is a much more realistic possibility than KG or Kobe.

Well folks, that is all I have for now. Look for my thoughts on the Tribe, my recent academic changes, and an NFL preview in the near future.

Until next time, read it, role it, hole it.

We’ve only just begun.

Spring Cleaning

While March Madness is a tremendous time to be a sports fan, it is a little bit one-sided. If you do not like college basketball, then having CBS switch from its nightly lineup of CSI and Survivor to an evening full of NCAA hoops probably does not sit well with you. However, if you are any bit of a sports fan, then late April provides you with something that you will enjoy.

Think about it. Major League Baseball is in its first month of regular season action, and unless you are a Kansas City or a Washington fan then your team is still in decent shape. The NBA playoffs just got underway, and even though the first round drags on at times, there is a good chance of finding an exciting game on television for the next several weeks. The NHL playoffs have one round in the books, with the conference semi-finals gearing up in the next couple of days. The NHL gets a bad rap at times, but playoff hockey can provide some memorable moments, including multiple overtimes in a game seven to decide a series. Finally, the long anticipated NFL Draft goes down this Saturday. Fans of good teams like the Colts and Bears, who pick last in every round, are probably not as excited as a Browns fan like me is for the draft. Personally, I’ve been excited for every draft that I can remember. Welcome to the life of a Cleveland Browns fan.

I thought it would be appropriate, with so many different options to write about, that I would throw it all together and touch base with every one of them, adding some predictions at the end.
Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Good advice, giddy up.

Major League Baseball

Grady Sizemore started the 2007 season the best way humanly possible. He took the second pitch he saw and drilled it into the right field stands for a lead off home-run. Doesn’t get too much better than that. Sizemore went on to hit a homer in the first three games of the season. Only problem with this is that Grady bats lead off for the Tribe. While he is a good lead-off hitter, he would suit the Indians much better if he hit in the 3rd spot. The combination of Sizemore-Hafner-Martinez batting 3-5 would create an intimidating presence for any pitcher. If the Indians could put someone else, such as Josh Barfield possibly, into that lead-off spot, Cleveland could maximize its talent. Take a look at this potential line-up.

1) Josh Barfield - 2B
2) Trot Nixon - RF
3) Grady Sizemore - CF
4) Travis Hafner - DH
5) Victor Martinez - C
6) Ryan Garko - 1B
7) Casey Blake - 3B
8) Jhonny Peralta - SS
9) Jason Michales - LF

However, Indians manager Eric Wedge probably will never put a lineup like that into place. Wedge is what is holding back this Cleveland ball club. His refusal to bunt or hit-and-run is killing this team. Wedge relies too much on the home run. That is fine if you have a lineup like the New York Yankees, but Wedge does not. The Indians have one 40+ home run guy, one 30+, and maybe two 20 home run guys. Everyone else should be bunting and hitting sac flies to score runs. Once Wedge leaves this team, it truly will blossom.

Prediction - Indians win 80+ games but lose out on the division and wild card. GM Mark Shapiro finally gets his act together and fires his buddy Wedge. Whoever they replace him with will do a better job. Indians make a run in 2008. As for 2007, I like what the New York Mets are doing, so I’ll go with them to win it all.

National Basketball Association

Last year I wrote what the NBA needed to do to fix the playoffs. Well, the NBA did not take any of my advice and we are stuck watching the long dragged out first round again. My philosophy is “It is what it is.” Staying with that mindset, there are several interesting first round match-ups.

Starting off, my Chicago Bulls put themselves in a position to earn the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but lost the final game of the regular season to blow it. They dropped all the way to #5 with the loss and face the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in the first round. The Bulls lost to the Heat in the first round last year. This year, the Bulls have home court advantage, which will help, but they still have to deal with Shaq and Dwyane Wade. Over in the Western Conference the Denver Nuggets face the veteran San Antonio Spurs squad. A huge possible upset to keep an eye out for is the Golden State Warriors over the top seeded Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors are coached by Don Nelson, who used to coach the Mavericks.

Prediction - Bulls beat the Heat in 6 tough games, but then fall to Detroit by the same number in the conference semi-finals. Nuggets upset the Spurs, while the Mavericks barely get by the Warriors. When it is all said and done, the Phoenix Suns defeat the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. Steve Nash, who will more than likely get shunned in the MVP race to Dirk Nowitzki, will win the NBA Finals MVP instead. Sweet justice indeed.

National Hockey League

The Pittsburgh Penguins this year returned to a place where they had not been since 2001, the NHL playoffs. My many childhood memories included watching Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux winning playoff games for the Penguins. This year, with Sidney Crosby leading the way, the Penguins were back. They didn’t stay long, losing to the Ottawa Senators in 5 games. Now that the Penguins are done, my time invested with the NHL will fade until next year.

Prediction - Penguins come back strong and experienced next year and win the Atlantic Division. They will win 2 playoff series before bowing out in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2009 however, the Penguins will take home the Stanley Cup. It is a rule in the NHL where if you have the best player in the league, you will win the Stanley Cup. Good thing the Penguins have Crosby. Lucky me. As for this year’s Stanley Cup winner, well, Buffalo Bills Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas finally get to sleep easy as the Buffalo Sabres win it all.

National Football League

The NFL draft is upon us. The time where lousy teams have a chance to immediately upgrade their team to a possible winning franchise. Picking the right player could lead to winning records and playoff appearances, while picking the wrong player could lead to years of misery. Needless to say, there is a lot at stake for some of the teams picking on Saturday, the 28th.

The Cleveland Browns hold the 3rd pick of this years draft. Who will they take? Who should they take? Unfortunately for the Browns, the answers to those two questions are not the same. Looking at the Browns roster, they do not have too many great players. Who is their best player? That is a great question. Some could say Kellen Winslow Jr. Others could say newly acquired Offensive Lineman Eric Steinbach, or maybe Running Back Jamal Lewis. Either way, the player does not blow you away with their skills. What the Browns need is a great player.

This years draft has two great players. Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson and Running Back Adrian Peterson are the two great players. They both have the possibility to instantly make an impact on any NFL team. The Browns should take either player, as at least one of them will be available when they pick.

If the Browns were to draft any of those two “great” players, take a look at what their offense would look like. Draft Peterson and all of a sudden you have a great two back system that can win games in chilly November and December weather in Cleveland. Draft Johnson and you have the receiving core of Johnson-Braylon Edwards-Winslow which will be nearly impossible to defend. Either way, the Browns will be a much better team.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Browns are going to draft Quarterback Brady Quinn. Browns owner Randy Lerner is very high on Quinn, and Quinn’s college head coach, Charlie Weis, is good friends with Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. It appears as if Quinn is going to be the choice.

There are two different scenarios that will play itself out on Saturday. Note: These are scenarios that do not involve teams trading picks. The Detroit Lions should trade out of their #2 spot if they want Gaines Adams. If that happens, then the draft will shake out a little differently.

Scenario #1
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell
2) Detroit Lions - Gaines Adams
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Calvin Johnson
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas
Scenario #2
1) Oakland Raiders - Calvin Johnson
2) Detroit Lions - JaMarcus Russell
3) Cleveland Browns - Adrian Peterson
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Joe Thomas
5) Arizona Cardinals - Gaines Adams

Prediction - Scenario #1 goes down, and the Browns struggle to a 4-12 record. Things get better at this point however. The Browns fire Romeo Crennel and then hire Bill Cowher. Cowher comes in and immediately turns things around. Playoffs in 2009. Go Browns.

I Heart March Madness

We are right in the middle of the madness which can only happen in March. This may be one of my favorite times of the year. Well, it ranks behind my birthday obviously. It also falls short of Christmas. Oh, and I’d probably put the last day of school in front of it too. But, besides those three, March Madness and everything it embodies is next in line.

Daylight savings time allows for night to fall later, making for more time spent outside. The snow on the ground melts away, and the drawer with all of my shorts can finally be opened from its 5 month hibernation. School days are being counted down, with only a little over a month left to go. Life is good.

Did I forget to mention they play some basketball games too?

A little over 3 years ago, a group of friends and I decided we wanted to commemorate our last March Madness in high school together by doing something great. We were sitting around in my basement when the idea hit us. We would make a huge NCAA bracket. Everyone seemed on board, but the problem arose when it came time to decide where to put it. Leave it to Bursa to solve everything. “THE CEILING!”

Thus it was born, the ceiling bracket. We carefully measured everything out but yet still messed up in classic fashion. It didn’t matter though, we were all there, working, eating, and laughing. We’ve tried to make a small update every year, just to keep it fresh. One year it was a line of past champions, another year we added the regional final names, and this year we put up all the game scores. The only thing missing is the signatures of everyone who helped put it up that day in March of 2004.

If you have not seen this 11 ft. X 9 ft. ceiling bracket, I suggest a visit. You know where to find me. You will not be disappointed.

Every year the majority of us fill out a bracket, maybe even get into a pool at school, at work, or with a small group of friends. We all sit and watch the games with a sudden rooting interest in each and every one of them. When the last second shot somehow finds its way in the basket some of us scream with jubilation, while others crumble up their wasted bracket and wait helplessly for next year.

All the way through high school the first two days of the tournament created a buzz around the hallways of school. The first set of tournament games start around 11:00 on a Thursday in March. For the first 18 years of my life, I found myself sitting in a classroom when the tournament got underway. However, certain teachers, like Mr. Stultz would put the games on during lessons. During a change in classes those who were lucky enough to know the scores would relay them to the less fortunate ones. As funny as it may sound, it provided a bonding experience for guys among different grade levels.

One particular tournament moment sticks out for me with regards to high school. First, just a little background information. Kevin, Huss, and myself have always done a pool on ESPN.com for as long as I can remember. Therefore, we tended to root against each others picks in order to win the pool. Well, the year was 2002, and the setting was in Mr. Siguenza’s room. Siguenza’s class was the last one for the day, and he did not mind when we asked if we could watch the tournament before we left for home. Huss had picked the Florida Gators to win the entire tournament and they were in a close game with the Creighton Bluejays in the first round. Kevin, Huss, myself and some other friends packed around Siguenza’s television for a good 25 minutes. Creighton and Florida were in double overtime, and with under one second to go, Terrell Taylor hit a game winning three pointer for Creighton to knock off Florida. Huss was extremely disappointed, Kevin and I were ecstatic, and Mr. Siguenza had no idea what was going on.

It is moments like that which I will never forget.

I’ll never forget Bryce Drew and Valparaiso. I’ll never forget Chris Webber’s timeout. I’ll never forget Grant Hill’s toss to Christian Laettner. I’ll never forget UCONN’s upset of Duke in 1999. I’ll never forget my little brother winning my pool in 2002, or my dad doing the same in 2004. I just can’t.

I can’t talk about March Madness without mentioning my favorite broadcaster, Gus Johnson. I remember Gus’s first ever tournament game. It was a first round game between the 4th seeded UCLA Bruins and the 13th seeded Princeton Tigers. Princeton upset UCLA 43-41 with a great backdoor pass and lay-up with just a few seconds left. Gus brings so much energy to the table, it’s hard not to like him. His voice has that certain cackle to it. It’s hard to explain, but if you were to watch a close game with Gus broadcasting, you would know what I am talking about. Gus is the man.

This year I planned on doing much better in my bracket than last years debacle. For the first time in recent memory, I did not get a single Final Four team last year. George Mason came out of nowhere. LSU upset my Texas Longhorns (a team I always seem to pick to go far), and UCLA stole one from Gonzaga in the last seconds.

Every year before the bracket is announced, I set in my mind 3 to 4 teams I really like. No matter who they get matched with, or what seed they may draw, I typically will have those teams going far in my bracket. This year my teams were Georgetown, Texas A&M, and Kansas.

I also follow a couple of rules when it comes to actually filling out my bracket. First of all, not every 1 seed is going to make it to the Final 4 (although this year it is getting pretty close). Secondly, a 12 seed always seems to upset a 5 seed in the first round (although this year it did not happen). My final rule is that in the last few years, one conference usually gets 2 teams in the Final 4 (this year only the Pac-10 can pull this off).

Based on my rules and how the tournament is going this year, it would appear that I would not be doing so hot. Well, take away Texas A&M and Law’s inability to make a lay-up, and I WOULD have been sitting pretty comfortably with all my Final 4 teams still intact. I had Kansas, Texas A&M, Georgetown, and Florida in the Final 4.

However, if the Jayhawks win it all, I’ll finish near the top of most of my pools. If they beat Georgetown in the finals, I might just win them. All I can do now is just sit, watch, and root. And I can not wait to do just that.

The NCAA tournament transcends sports. It goes past just winning and losing a basketball game. It provides moments and memories that will last a lifetime.

2006 Movies: Part 1 of 3

I wrote down every movie I watched in 2006. Why? Well, planning ahead, I figured a good column, or columns, would be of my movie reviews for the ones I watched. I placed the movies in three categories as follows. I will post one category at a time, so it is not too much of a read.

1) Movies I was watching NOT for the 1st time - Any movie that I had seen previously but still managed to sit through and watch the entire thing again goes in this category.

2) Movies I watched on TV/DVD for the 1st time - Any movie I went out and rented will fall here. Also, any movie that I watched on TV in which I sat through the entire film goes here as well.

3) Movies I went to the theater to watch - It is what it is. On we go.

For each category I will rank the movies from worst to first, with a brief synopsis and/or what I liked/disliked about the movie. I’m doing this all from memory, so if I messed something up, let me know. Enjoy.

MOVIES I WAS WATCHING NOT FOR THE 1ST TIME (12 Films)
Note: Any movie that I watched for at least the second time was probably a movie I enjoyed. Common sense would tell you that if you knew a movie was going to suck, you wouldn’t sit through it again. This holds true for the movies in this category, for the most part.

12) School of Rock - Directed by Richard Linklater
I watched this movie on TV late in the year. It was during my nice long 7 week break with no school or work, so I had some time to kill. Jack Black stars in this movie about an ex-rocker who is trying to make rent. Jack stumbles upon a teaching job and learns that his students possess enormous musical talents. The movie goes on from there. Not the best of movies, a nice flick for kids around the age of 10-14. Favorite part has to be when the kids perform at the battle of the bands at the end.

11) Snake Eyes - Directed by Brian De Palma
I’m a sucker for two things. Boxing and solving crimes. This movie has both and they are why I almost always watch it when it comes on TV. Starring Nicolas Cage, this movie follows an assassination of the U.S Secretary of Defense during a highly anticipated heavyweight boxing match. This movie is a “Who Dun It?” through and through, and I can’t get enough of it. Favorite part is when you find the answer to that very question at the end.

10) Bad News Bears - Directed by Richard Linklater
I first watched this “new” version of the old classic in 2005 at the movies with Jared and then rented it last year. This movie is very similar to the original except it has Billy Bob Thornton as the head coach, which seems to add something extra. It had several great lines, including:
- Billy Bob: “You guys swing like Helen Keller at a piñata party.”
- Billy Bob (yelling at a kid in a wheelchair): “Hey Hooper, you wanna put that thing in fourth gear and get over here already.”
- Kid on team (holding a can of pesticide): “Hey Coach, what’s carcinogen mean?” Billy Bob: “Liberal propaganda. Don’t worry about it. It’s just bullshit.”
I don’t really have a favorite part of this movie, but the kid in the wheelchair is hilarious, as well as the team’s catcher. If you just need a laugh, go watch this.

9) Saw II - Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Similar to Bad News Bears, I watched Saw II at the movies in 2005, but when it came on the movie channel back at OU, I had to watch it again. I’m not sure who stars in the movie, but the bad guy, Jigsaw, is at it again. This time he has a police officer’s kid kidnapped and placed in a house with other victims. As they try to get out, several awesome scenarios are put in place, which is a big reason why I love the Saw movies so much. You want to look away, but you just can’t. Best part of the movie by far is the syringes, as well as the ending. While it may be too gruesome for the light of heart, if you can muster it, you should.

8) Patch Adams - Directed by Tom Shadyac
Once again, I watched this movie on TV during my long winter break. This film stars Robin Williams. Not knowing what direction his life was taking, Robin committed himself to a mental institution where he discovers he wants to help people. Using his own personal style, Robin attempts to become a doctor. This movie is based on a true story of Hunter Adams. It has several comical moments as well as uplifting ones. Favorite moment is when “Patch” gives his speech to the courtroom. A great movie for all ages, and I strongly recommend watching it if you have not.

7) He Got Game - Directed by Spike Lee
Basketball, Denzel Washington, and Ray Allen. Doesn’t get too much better than that for me. This movie has all three. Denzel is Ray’s father, but is in jail on the charge of killing his wife (Ray’s mother). Ray is a stud high school basketball player who is trying to make the difficult choice of picking a college. Denzel gets put on a temporary leave of jail to try and convince Ray to go to a certain college. The movie takes off from there. A great movie for anyone who loves basketball, or for those who enjoy great movies. My favorite parts are the basketball flashbacks throughout the movie.

6) Secret Window - Directed by David Koepp
Not going to lie, if Johnny Depp wasn’t in this movie, I probably would not have watched it once, let alone numerous times. Based on the Stephen King book, Johnny, a writer himself, is at his cottage, still coping over his soon-to-be divorce. Johnny is met with a surprise by John Turturro, who clams Depp stole his idea for one of his books. A psychological thriller, this movie keeps you guessing from start to finish, without reaching any lulls throughout the film. Best moment, by far, has to be the ending, when everything comes together. Again, if anyone has not watched this movie, you are missing a great one.

5) Collateral - Directed by Michael Mann
When you put Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx together for a movie, you are going to get outstanding results. Collateral holds up well with that argument. Tom Cruise plays one of my favorite “bad guys” of all-time, as a hit-man with 5 kills to make before the night ends. Jamie Foxx gets stuck as his taxi driver for the evening, and this high action film is all set up for you. I’ve always been a big fan of both of these actors, from movies like Ali and Rain Man, so I was very excited that they would be doing a film together. This one does not disappoint. My favorite moments in this film has to be whenever Tom goes on his killing sprees.

4) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - Directed by John Hughes
I watched this movie at the Frank’s house over Thanksgiving break. I was stunned that neither Nic nor Kris had seen this classic movie starring John Candy and Steve Martin. These two guys are randomly stuck together in an attempt to make it to Chicago for Thanksgiving dinner. Just as the title says, they use every means possible. I can’t say enough about this movie as it is one of my all-time favorites. Some great lines include, “Those aren’t pillows!” and “Larry Bird doesn’t do as much ball-handling as you do in one hour.” If you go through this entire movie and do not laugh out loud at least one time then, I don’t want to know you. It’s that simple.

3) Love, Actually - Directed by Richard Curtis
I had a hard time putting this movie here at #3. I wanted to put it higher on my list, but when you read what my next two movies are, you will understand. I have to thank Liz for introducing me to this movie. At first I thought it would be another “Notebook,” but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was on TV over the holidays and allowed me to watch it again and appreciate it even more. Love, Actually weaves it way in and out of several different story lines which centralize on the premise of love and what exactly it is all about. This movie is clever, smart, and has several funny moments. My favorite part of this movie, and probably one of my top ten favorite movie moments occurs toward the end, when Keira Knightley gets a greeter at her doorstop. “Enough.” For those who have not watched this one, I’m sorry, you are missing out.

2) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Directed by Gore Verbinski
This movie made Johnny Depp my favorite actor, hands down. My favorite movie character of all time is Depp’s “Captain Jack Sparrow.” His humor, dialogue, and facial expressions are unmatched. “But why is the rum gone?” is a great example of why I love Jack Sparrow. Keira Knightley is in this movie as well, as she is probably the most beautiful girl in Hollywood. As those two, accompanied by Orlando Bloom chase the Black Pearl I fell in love. I fell in love with the action, the characters, and the superb visual effects. It is unfair to pick a favorite moment in this movie as the whole thing from start to finish was great. A movie that sits comfortably in my top ten of all-time is a can not miss. Period.

1) Cool Runnings - Directed by Jon Turteltaub
This is my favorite movie of all-time. Cool Runnings is to my favorite movies as Michael Jordan is to my favorite athletes. Both of their places are cemented at the top, probably for the rest of my life. I first watched this movie at the theater with Hunt and Huss. We all went for my 8th birthday. At first I loved the movie simply because it was really funny, which it is. When I got the movie on video back in 1994, I would watch it every Tuesday. Why Tuesday? No idea. That lasted a good 2 months.

Then, as I grew older, I appreciated the movie in different aspects. I loved the fact it was based on a true story of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team. To me, this movie is inspirational in more ways than one. Last year, Barnes, Hunt, and I compiled a list of our top 50 movies of all-time. As a group consensus, Cool Runnings was #1. We would watch it at the end of every quarter.

Personally, I love watching this movie with people who have not watched it before. This past year, I watched it with Alex, who to my amazement had never even HEARD of Cool Runnings. I try my best not to say every line in the movie, but it is hard not to. I still laugh at the same parts every time, and still get chills at the same parts as well.

If you have never watched Cool Runnings, please let me know. I will drive to wherever you are and watch it with you. It just isn’t right if you have not experienced the greatest movie of all-time.

“Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it’s bob-sled time!”

Life Is ... ?

Disclaimer: This post will not talk about the things I typically discuss. It won’t have anything to do with my favorite athletes, or who I think is going to win the Super Bowl. This post will show some of you a different side to me that you may not have experienced. So, if you are happy with what you think I am all about, then stop reading this right now, and my next post will be more of what you are used to.

I’m 21 years old.

That age seemed like an unreachable plateau when I was 11. Legally drink alcohol? Not me, that is for adults, and I seriously doubted at that age if I could ever be an adult. Now that I’m 21, does that make me an “adult?” Personally, I feel adulthood is more of a state of mind than a number.

I’m at a point in my life where my “future” is not some distant dream, it is right before me. When I was 18, just entering college, I could care less about my “future.” I just wanted to have a good time, and for the most part, I did. I wasn’t going to waste time thinking about who I was and what I was all about. I didn’t care. I just wanted to hang with friends and find the beer. That lasted for a solid 2 years. I partied, I drank, I made huge mistakes and just laughed it off by saying “you live, you learn.”

My college life was just about halfway over, and I had never sat down and thought of what I wanted to do with my life. I was majoring in broadcast news, but what did that mean? Did I want to report sports on a local TV station? What about ESPN and SportsCenter? Did I want to do play by play calling of sporting events? Did I want to write about sports? I didn’t know what I wanted because my life was on cruise control. I just floated from day to day, event to event, and party to party. It was easy, it was relaxing, and it didn’t involve any hard work.

I don’t even know what it was that made me change all of this. I can’t pinpoint a certain event or a certain person. It involved a string of events in my life that made me realize I was missing something. I was not passionate about anything in my life. Sure, I love sports, I love Cool Runnings, and I love my friends, but, those were all outside influences. I don’t know how many times I just laid in bed and thought to myself, “why should I wake up today?” That’s a horrible way to start your day, to have no reason to get out of bed. Passion, goals, and a purpose. Those were the three things I was looking for.

To those of you that really know me, you could probably sense a shifting in my demeanor entering my 3rd year of college, both at home and away at school. I don’t have an explanation for this. I guess I was just fed up with the direction my life was taking. I was going nowhere, and I was getting there fast.

So, I took a deep, hard look at myself and asked, “What do I want to do with my life?” Every time I asked that, the answer was always the same. I wanted to help others. I wanted to make a difference in other peoples lives. How do I do that? To this very day I’m not 100% sure. That doesn’t bother me too much, because I had created my own personal mission statement for the rest of my life. “Help others, make a difference.”

Currently I’m doing the education thing, trying to become a teacher. I’m also getting involved in coaching, so I can see how actively I want to pursue that down the line as well.

I now had a purpose, but what were my goals? And, more importantly, in what order would I place them in. I sat down and cranked out a list of personal goals. Each day, no matter what, I read that list, and think of how I can come closer to one of those goals today. It’s a great way to start a day, and an even better way to live it.

My number one goal in life, is to get married and have a family. That is far and away the most important goal of mine. Sure it is a long term goal, but it is the one I most want to accomplish. I want to have a beautiful wife and a big family full of kids. Without those things I fear my life would not be passionate; for with them, everything I do would be for my family. My work, my career, my life, all for them.

I guess part of the reasoning behind that line of thinking is that I’m afraid of spending the majority of my life alone. I think that would be the worst. Why would I be working? For money? For what? I don’t know. I mean, I still want to help others, but at the end of the day, I want to come home to my wife and kids. All the money in the world would not be able to fill the void my life would have if I was single.

The scariest part of that goal is that it relies just as much on someone else as it does on me. It also means I might be single for a long, long time. I’m done with the meaningless relationships. The next girl that I’m in a “relationship” with will know of my goals. I also will know of hers. The marriage and family parts will have to match.

Will this make it difficult for me to find a partner in life? I hope not, in fact, I think it will make things easier. I know exactly what I’m looking for, which leads me to this. What do I look for in a girl?

First of all, as a Catholic, she would have to have similar religious beliefs. For me, going to church with my girl is at the top of the list. Raising our children Catholic is also right at the top.

Secondly, she has to have a sense of humor. She has to make me laugh and smile.

Call me what you will, but I have to be attracted to her visually. AKA … a beautiful girl.

Next, well, as you may or may not know, I tend to be a sarcastic person at times. I‘m well meaning, but some can take this as a negative quality. So, this girl would have to be able to take my shit and dish it back on a regular basis. Meaning, she needs to be quick on her feet, and smart.

She would also need to be physically active. Rather its taking a walk, playing some tennis, or maybe a nice round of golf, I would love for my girl to be there with me.

One big “pet peeve” I have with girls is that sometimes they don’t tell me what they want or feel like doing. Here is my take, when I say that I don’t care, I truly mean that I don’t care. As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter what we’re doing. It could be the opera, line dancing practice, or playing guitar hero. As long as she is there with me, that’s all it takes. Now, if she just wants to be with me too and truly doesn’t care, then we’re fine. Personally, I just want to do something that will make her happy. Sue me.

Oh yeah, she needs to like animals, especially dogs.

I think that pretty much sums up my “perfect” girl. Have I found her yet? Well, like I mentioned earlier, that goal of mine relies just as much on someone else as it does on me. So, even if I have, that might not be enough.

I’m a completely different person in certain aspects now than I was 2 years ago. I’m a much more spiritual person than I was back then. I attend church on a regular basis, and spend some time each day in prayer. I’m not afraid to take risks like I was back then. The saying goes, “the greatest risk is not taking one.”

Where do I go from here? Who knows. I’m playing tennis for Heidelberg and that will open some doors for me. I’m assistant coach for the golf team at my old high school, that should do the same. It takes time, patience, and above all, hard work.

It’s not an easy process, every day I struggle with different things, but that’s life. I now know what I want out of my life, and how I want to live it.

“Sometimes you are ahead, sometimes you are behind, the race is long, but in the end, it’s only with yourself.”