Category Archives: sports

MLB: Potential September Call-Ups

Every fan, even if their team is out of the playoff race, gets excited around September 1st. In 2009, there are a huge list of potential future stars that could be called up. I compiled a list of players that fans would like to see play in the Major Leagues in September this year. A few of the names on the list may not be called up, but they all have a legitimate shot.

1B Brandon Allen – Arizona Diamondbacks

C Robby Hammock – Baltimore Orioles

2B Justin Turner – Baltimore Orioles

C Jeff Fiorentino – Baltimore Orioles

OF Chris Duncan – Boston Red Sox

1B Yonder Alonso – Cincinnati Reds

3B Josh Vitters – Chicago Cubs

P Jeff Samardzija – Chicago Cubs

P John Gaub – Chicago Cubs

C Tyler Flowers – Chicago White Sox

C Carlos Santana – Cleveland Indians

SS Jason Donald – Cleveland Indians

OF Matt Murton – Colorado Rockies

OF Wikin Ramirez – Detroit Tigers

P Zach Simons – Detroit Tigers

1B Gaby Sanchez – Florida Marlins

1B Logan Morrison – Florida Marlins

OF Mike Stanton – Florida Marlins

OF Drew Locke – Houston Astros

SS Mike Moustakas – Kansas City Royals

1B/DH Kila ka’aihue – Kansas City Royals

OF Chris Petit – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

3B Blake DeWitt – Los Angeles Dodgers

3B Mat Gamel – Milwaukee Brewers

OF Shelley Duncan – New York Yankees

3B Brett Wallace – Oakland Athletics

3B Pedro Alvarez – Pittsburgh Pirates

P Aaron Poreda – San Diego Padres

C Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants

1B Mike Carp – Seattle Mariners

OF Matt Joyce – Tampa Bay Rays

P Luis Mendoza – Texas Rangers

C J.P. Arencibia – Toronto Blue Jays

P Drew Storen – Washington Nationals

P Clint Everts – Washington Nationals

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Unused NFL Nicknames

I’m growing tired of the nicknames players either give themselves or announcers coin a nickname by used first initial and the beginning of last name (A-Rod). Also, enough with the recycling of nicknames, LaDanian Tomlinson is not “LT,” that nickname should only be used for Lawrence Taylor. My list of nicknames are ones the players never use, because most of them I made myself.
Use them in sentences and blog posts, let’s get these in the vernacular of sports fan and establish them in the sports lexicon. Okay, I’ll stop using words that I learned in Linguistics class.

Maurice Jones-Drew – The Hyphen

Peyton Manning – The Good Son

LaDanian Tomlinson – The Forgotten

Hank Baskett – The NFL’s Rick Fox

Terrell Owens – The QB Killer

Tony Romo – Page Six

Matt Schaub – 10-Game All Star

Brian Westbrook – Day-To-Day

Plaxico Burress – Six Shooter

Michael Vick – The Postman

Steve Slaton – The Mosquito

Brandon Jacobs – Diesel

Kurt Warner – The Octo-Dad

Pierre Thomas – The French Tickler

Vishante Shiancoe – The Kickstand

Chris Cooley – The Streak

Wes Welker – America’s White Boy (I’ll let him use it)

Brandon Marshall – Fast Food

Darius Heyward-Bey – Unlucky

Knowshon Moreno – Leapfrog

Shaun Rogers – BBQ Rib Combo

Jay Cutler – Huggies

Beanie Wells – Injured Reserve

Jerricho Cotchery – Armadgeddon

Torry Holt – I’m A Jag?

Steve Breaston – Bouncing

Kyle Orton – The Hillbilly

Sage Rosenfels – Paprika

Chris Brown – 3rd String

2009 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Team By Team)

It’s about that time of year that you are preparing for your annual fantasy football drafts. Everyone has a good idea of who they want with their first-round picks, but what about the later rounds? Those who are in deeper leagues or “Man’s Leagues” with 20 teams, they need to be aware of sleepers of players that you can pick up later in the draft that may have some fantasy value. A few of the players that I’m about to list should be picked higher than where they are going and a few are possibly injury replacements that you should keep your eyes on.

Arizona Cardinals – Tim Hightower RB – The Cardinals drafted Beanie Wells out of Ohio State, but he has dealt with the injury bug in college and could keep that trend in the NFL. Hightower wasn’t happy when Arizona drafted Wells and worked hard in the off-season.

Atlanta Falcons – Brian Finneran WR – Finneran adds veteran leadership to the wider receiver squad. He should help with the catches if any other receiver goes down with an injury. (I had Harry Douglas here earlier, but I was informed that he tore his ACL a few days ago. Thanks to theGNC for giving me the heads up on this one)

Baltimore Ravens – Ray Rice RB – Even with LeRon McClain and Willis McGahee in the backfield, Rice will get some carries. He has had a great training camp so far and a lot of people are saying good things about his work ethic. He was a beat at Rutgers, where he played top talent, I bet Rice will be a force in the NFL very soon.

Buffalo Bills – Fred Jackson RB – Marshawn Lynch starts the season suspended and they sign Dominic Rhodes, but Jackson has the upper hand in the battle between himself and Rhodes. He will slip into the later rounds and it would be a nice pick in the mid-rounds to secure some #1 running back totals the first few weeks of the season.

Carolina Panthers – Josh McCown – QB – I’m not sold on Jake Delhomme, Carolina should have signed Byron Leftwich when they had the chance, but Josh McCown is their #2 QB right now. McCown will see action this season, so if you are ballsy and pick Delhomme, make sure you snag McCown as insurance.

Chicago Bears – Juaquin Iglesias WR – The Bears have Jay Cutler as QB and he loves speedy and tall receivers, Iglesias is your man. He will not be drafted in most leagues, but he needs to be. Cutler will be throwing the ball all over the place this season, get in early on Iglesias.

Cincinnati Bengals – Chase Coffman TE – Reggie Kelly is out for the year and Coffman will step into the starting role for the Bengals. He was drafted in the third round from Missouri and he was considered one of the best receiving tight ends in the draft. Carson Palmer is back and he needs a short option, since Cedric Benson can’t catch well, Coffman should receive a lot of looks.

Cleveland Browns – Steve Heiden – TE – Brady Quinn looks to be the starter in Cleveland and he loves his tight ends. When Quinn played last season, Kellen Winslow had nice games. Heiden has had a lot of injuries over his career, but he has good hands and will see the end zone this season.

Dallas Cowboys – Sam Hurd – WR – Hurd has been a “player to watch” the last few seasons, but he has dealt with injuries. Terrell Owens is in Buffalo now and Roy Williams is still getting used to Tony Romo, so Hurd may have a chance to gain some playing time this season. He would be an option in deep, deep leagues that need a receiver in later rounds.

Denver Broncos – Jabar Gaffney – WR – Josh McDaniels is the new coach in Denver and he has brought over some of his old New England Patriots receivers. Whomever the starting quarterback will be in Denver, Kyle Orton or Chris Simms, they will need a reliable possession receiver. Gaffney can get open and will receive a good number of chances to earn fantasy points.

Detroit Lions – Bryant Johnson – WR – The Lions need offense to win games this year, since their defense is made of swiss cheese. Calvin Johnson will be doubled often and Bryant Johnson is a capable receiver. Matthew Stafford or Daunte Culpepper will learn to love Bryant Johnson.

Green Bay Packers – Jordy Nelson WR – Nelson had a few flashes last season. Aaron Rodgers makes sure to keep an eye out for him. He could turn into a very good 3rd receiver for Green Bay. If Driver or Jennings goes down, he can pick up the slack.

Houston Texans – Rex Grossman QB – Matt Schaub is a good QB in the NFL, but he misses a few games every year. Dan Orlovsky is the other QB in Houston, but if Grossman can beat him out for the 2nd-string position, he could re-gain some value in the NFL. If only he could grow a few inches…

Indianapolis Colts – Austin Collie WR – Marvin Harrison isn’t in Indianapolis anymore, so all the receivers will be bumped up a spot, which leaves the 3rd receiver open to competition. Collie was a good receiver at BYU and is a much better long-term option than Roy Hall. Expect Collie to see some action early this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Chauncey Washington RB – Fred Taylor is in New England and Jacksonville is expecting that Maurice Jones-Drew to be their lone back this year. MJD is a good running back, but it’s a lofty goal for a back that small to last an entire season without missing some action. Washington could get some action when Jones-Drew needs a breather.

Kansas City Chiefs – Bobby Engram WR – Engram has had success wherever he has player and should have a decent year in KC. Matt Cassel proved himself last year and even if he falters, Tyler Thigpen did a good job last season. The ball should be in the air more with Cassel under center and Engram can rack up catches in a hurry.

Miami Dolphins – Patrick Turner WR – Miami’s receiving corps is average at best. Camarillo, Ginn, and Bess will not win any awards, so Turner could see some playing time this year. He’s a big target and Pennington could see a receiver with size.

Minnesota Vikings – Sidney Rice WR – Everyone has been waiting for Rice to have a big year, he probably won’t have one this season, but he’s worth a late-round gamble. The QB situation in Minnesota is bad, but if Sage Rosenfels wins the job, look for the Vikings to throw the ball more. Rice could be the winner in that case, but it is still to be determined.

New England Patriots – Laurence Maroney RB – Maroney was a first-round pick just two seasons ago, but his draft stock took a tumble with injuries and sharing carries with Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk. Don’t count on Fred Taylor doing much, he’s old and fragile. Tom Brady is back and they should be throwing the ball more this year, but Maroney is too good of a back to be wasted. I expect him to see the end zone at least 6 or 7 times this year.

New Orleans Saints – P.J. Hill RB – Reggie Bush is not an every-down back and Pierre Thomas is still unknown. Hill was a great, punishing back at Wisconsin and should add some power in the backfield. He could vulture some touchdowns away at the very least.

New York Giants – Mario Manningham WR – Plaxico Burress was dumb and shot himself in the leg last year and he’s no longer on the Giants. Eli Manning needs a tall, deep threat to spread the defense out for Brandon Jacobs. Manningham can be the receiver they need, since the rest of the receiving corps are smaller possession receivers, Manningham could become a great asset for the Giants.

New York Jets – Brad Smith – WR – Chansi Stuckey and Jericho Cotchery will be catching most of the passes from Mark Sanchez this year, but this team lacks a 3rd receiver. Brad Smith has had limited success as a receiver, but this year could be his breakout season for the Jets.

Oakland Raiders – Johnnie Lee Higgins – WR – Higgins had some highlights last year and he’s very speedy. He could be the recipient of some deep balls from JaMarcus Russell. If Russell gets beat out by Jeff Garcia at any point this season, Higgins value could be hurt, since he doesn’t throw the deep ball much.

Philadelphia Eagles – LeSean McCoy – RB – Correll Buckhalter is no longer with the team and someone has to be there when Bryan Westbrook goes down at some point this year. The NFC East is too tough of a defensive division to think that he can stay healthy all year. McCoy was a stand-out in college and can be a difference maker in the NFL. He could see significant action this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Rashard Mendenhall – RB – Mendenhall is the heir apparent to Willie Paker, but he needs a healthy season under his belt before he can become a first or second round fantasy pick. Mendenhall could be a nice insurance pick if you own Parker. Look for him to at least get some scrub time at the end of the season if they are already locked into a playoff spot.

San Diego Chargers – Malcolm Floyd – WR – There aren’t too many fantasy sleeper option in San Diego. They are loaded with guys that deliver every year. Floyd could be a nice third or fourth option for Phillip Rivers. He’s tall and speedy, kind of like Chris Chambers.

San Francisco 49ers – Alex Smith – QB – I know what you’re thinking, c’mon man, Alex Smith?! He needed a change of scenery, he didn’t get it, but now he has Mike Singletary as his head coach. Mike Nolan didn’t have any clue how to groom Smith in his offense. If anyone is going to get through to Smith, Singletary will be the guy. Shaun Hill could end up with the starting job, but it’s a close race right now.

Seattle Seahawks – Seneca Wallace – QB – I think it’s the area of this post where I like back-up quarterback, due to starting QB injury concerns. Hasselbeck has had a good NFL career, but he is nearing the end. A smart bet would to have sign Michael Vick, but I doubt Jim Mora Jr. would have wanted him again. Wallace did a nice job filling in for Hasselbeck over the last few seasons.

St. Louis Rams – Kyle Boller – QB – I’m not sold on Marc Bulger anymore. He had two good seasons and he has hit a wall. Steve Spagnuolo will preach defense and ball-control, so the Rams offense should see better starting field position this year. Boller has been known to throw interceptions, but Bulger has been just as bad.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Michael Clayton – WR – Clayton isn’t really a traditional “sleeper,” but I expect him to have a great season this year. If Josh Freeman is the QB in Tampa Bay, Clayton will see a lot of looks. I predict a 1,000 yard receiving season for Clayton. Make sure you draft him in the mid-late rounds, if he’s still there.

Tenneessee Titans – Nate Washington – WR – All Tennessee needed last year was a dynamic receiver, Washington could be that player. He can stretch defenses with his deep threat ability, something they missed last year. Kerry Collins could fall in love with him by mid-season.

Washington Redskins – D.J. Hackett – WR – Santana Moss and Antwan Randle-EL are speed guys, but Hackett has both speed and better hands than either of them. He did a great job in Seattle and could end up being a nice pick up for Washington.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Fire Dusty Baker

I am finally going to take part in the whole blog stereotype by calling for someone’s job. I have yet to do it in all of my time as a blogger, but it needs to be done. Dusty Baker, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, needs to be fired. To make it even more clear, I’m not even a Reds fan, not at all. I live in Columbus, OH, so I get every Reds game on Fox Sports Ohio, but I usually just watch them if they are playing the Cubs or I see a guy on my fantasy baseball team up to bat.

Dusty Baker is like Godzilla destroying the Reds, one pitcher at a time. Last season, a lot of the experts expected the Reds to have a good season. Their pitching staff was rated as one of the best, since they had young arms like Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. The mood was high and every Reds fan was excited about the young arms and guys like Jay Bruce waiting in the minors waiting to be called up. Baker had success with the Giants and Cubs as the manager, even making it deep in the playoffs with both teams. After Baker left, it looked like a 100-foot lizard destroyed the entire franchise.

Let’s start with Baker’s destruction of young pitching. I would like to coin a word and say the “Bakerification” of a pitcher, which would be the utter and total annihilation of a young pitcher’s career. In San Francisco, Baker the only elite pitching prospect that the Giants had while he was manager was Shawn Estes. He was teh 11th overall pick in the 1991 MLB amateur draft. He made his pro debut in ’95, and had a great year in ’97 (19-5 3.18 ERA). He had a good 2 1/2 year run as an elite pitcher, but he fell off the face of the earth. Except one decent year in Colorado, he has bounced around as a 5th or spot starter. Baker used him and pushed him over 200 innings and kept him in games in which they were behind by a large number of runs.

In Chicago he had a full plate of young pitching prospects. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior being the best two young pitchers the Cubs had seen since Greg Maddux. They had high expectations and were going to be a great #1 and #2 starters for a long time. After the 2003 season, both pitchers were never the same. They have missed complete seasons each and have had a laundry list of arm problems. Prior hasn’t really pitched in the big leagues since and Wood was converted to a closer, but not as dominant as he once was (he is a closer for Cleveland and has a 4.72 ERA this season). The lone young pitcher that seems to be standing after the Baker era in Chicago is Carlos Zambrano. I think there must be some truth to the rumors that he is actually a zombie.

This all circles back to the present-day Cincinnati Reds. It was announced last week that Edinson Volquez underwent Tommy John surgery and could miss the entire next season, as well as the rest of this season. To add more fuel to the fire, Johnny Cueto has had arm troubles this season and he’s now injured with a hip injury. Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang both had great season a few seasons before Baker became skipper, but the last two years they have been horrible. You can’t blame run support for their losses, since they have been sporting ERA around 5.00. So it’s not only the young pitchers who are prone to “Bakerification.”

You can’t blame GM Walk Jocketty for sticking with Dusty Baker. He was the man who hired Tony LaRussa in St. Louis, so he likes guys with winning experience. I think it’s time to let Baker go and find a man himself. The former GM Wayne Krivsky hired Baker as a last-ditch effort to save his job, kind of a desperate man’s final meal. He needed to make a splash, but he clearly had no plan for the future of the club. He was hoping that Baker could catch lightning in a bottle, but I think he more or less caught something else that needs some penicillin to clear up.

Once again, I would like to reiterate that I am not a Reds fan, I’m a Cubs fan, but I would like to see them competitive again. I have the same feeling about the Pirates too, but if both of those franchises ever get to a point where they are actually contending for the NL Central, I may not be too pleased. The Reds need to be blown up and get rid of guys like Harang and Arroya and build around some guys like Bruce, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and future-star Yonder Alonso. The start this process, fire Dusty Baker!

10 ESPN Personalities That You Never Want To See In A Peephole Video

Perverts around the world have been attacking Google this week in hopes of find the infamous Erin Andrews nude peephole video. I have already argued my point in a previous post that this is wrong and I hope that they find the person that did it. It was a pretty serious post and I’m not a guy who is very serious. I started thinking about other ESPN personalities who would cause such a frenzy if something like this happened again. It was a short list, but my list of people who should never, ever have a peephole video, was much bigger. Here are 10 ESPN personalities that you never want to see in a nude peephole video.

Jon Miller – He calls the marquee baseball games with Joe Morgan on ESPN. He has a great voice that is made for radio and a not necessarily something that I would want to see on my television. If he ever appeared in a peephole video, please cancel my cable internet.

Holly Rowe – She is a sideline reporter for ESPN. She basically has the same job as Erin Andrews, but she covers the C-list game on ESPN. You can normally see her during the Wyoming vs. Idaho State football games on ESPN2.

Mike Golic – Golic is one-half of the duo on “Mike and Mike In the Morning” on ESPN Radio and appears on NFL Live. I know he has lost 22 pounts on the Nutri-system diet, but he needs to eat less pot roast and more vegetables.

John Clayton – It’s hard to believe, but he is a football guy at ESPN. The angle in the picture is about the only angle that you get to see him at. My theory is that he is actually a 2-D figure. Dan Patrick, formerly of ESPN, jokes around that he has a pony-tail. I kind of hope that is true and if that is the case, is that a sign of Armageddon? If John Clayton was in a peephole video, it would probably look like a 8-bit Nintendo game.

Chris Berman – His voice is one of the most recognizable voices in sports television. He also has one of the best comb-overs in the entire industry. If Berman had a peephole video, I would envision that he would end up doing the play-by-play of it. He could even give his “boys” some sort of nickname that would reference some late 70’s funk band. The picture above is about all the nation can endure of Berman’s body.

Dana Jacobson – She might be best known for her drunken appearance at the Mike & Mike roast awhile back. She also hosts ESPN’s “First Take” in the morning, I don’t watch that show much since I can’t stand her or Skip Bayless. Jacobson looks like a mix between Chyna and Cybill Shepherd, and I’m not a fan of either. I guess I would rather see a Skip Bayless video more than one of her, what does this say about me? Yikes, what a scary thought.

Bob Ley – He has been with ESPN since the beginning and he looks nearly identical from when he started. I think he looks a bit like Peter Griffin, if he was a real person. I wouldn’t want a Bob Ley peephole video, because I fear that he would do a 10-piece “Outside The Line” feature about it. I would not want to see that on a loop for any period of time.

John Kruk – I could do with the easy joke here and but I can’t, too simple. Kruk appears on “Baseball Tonight” and his analysis goes in slumps and so does his hair (I had to throw that in there, Sports Hernia). I would expect Kruk to had random crumbs of Doritos spread all around his body. His skin could be permanently dyed orange from the nacho cheese flavoring.

Mike Ditka – Mike Ditka was a great coach, but now he’s a football analyst for ESPN. He can go off on tangents that never lead you to anywhere, much like this blog. A Ditka peephole video would do well in Chicago, but not so much in New Orleans. I would think that he still has his Bears v-neck on at all times, so maybe the video wouldn’t be too revealing.

Tony Kornheiser – He is one of the hosts of “Pardon The Interruption” on ESPN. He was also in the booth during “Monday Night Football,” but that experiment ended when he didn’t want to do it anymore, or so he wants us to believe. A peephole video for Kornheiser would be awful and I would put odds that he is either wearing a hat or holding up one of those faces on a stick. Scratch that, he would probably be doing the penguin dance.

There is my list, for some reason Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd didn’t make the list. I can’t explain that, but hopefully one of these guys gets the bump from ESPN and they make the top 10. Any other ESPN personalities that should make the list?

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Erin Andrews Video Photos Turns NY Post Writer Into A Virgin Blogger

The NY Post turned into a poor man’s blog today. They wrote a story that publicized the pervert that took pictures of Erin Andrews’ naked in a hotel room. I will not put a link to their story on my blog, since they did an insufficient job at writing the story and with censoring the photos. The photos, which are blurry and crude, have black boxes over areas that they couldn’t print due to nudity. One of the photos, a full body shot, is so poorly censored that you could clearly see her backside, since the black box is a small, thin box that censors very little.

I know the NY Post isn’t exactly the Wall Street Journal, but they should be held to higher standards. They clearly look at Google Trends and realize that the terms “Erin Andrews” and “Aaron Andrews” (a misspelling of her name) were both the top trends at one point yesterday and most of the weekend. I am guessing that the writer, Andy Soltis, who works for the Post Wire Service, went to journalism school. I don’t want to put down bloggers, since I am one and a lot of my collegues are great people, but The Post is acting like a blog who’s fishing for hits. “The Erin Andrews Rule” is when you post something about her, you will see a little spike in traffic. Nearly every major sports blog or “pretty girl blog” has a post just declaring how beautiful she is. The posts usually contains pictures of her on the sideline from curious point-of-views.

I am a writer who took many journalism classes in college. I know a little more than the basics when it comes to decent journalism practices. I understand that this is turning into a major story and once it becomes something that your readers want to know about, you must inform the readers. I don’t have a problem with them writing a story about the photos, but publishing them they way that they did, was distasteful.

I think everyone who write for a blog would one day like to write for a major print publication or be in some other media. The NY Post makes me never want to read a newspaper again. I feel sorry for Erin Andrews and her family, she seems like a nice lady who just wants to do her job. I will never subjugate her as a sex symbol on my blog, I feel that she has already went through enough.

The NY Post should be ashamed and I hope that anyone who is upset about the photos being published will cancel their subscription. I hope this story goes away and whomever took the video/photos is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

22 Sports People You Must Follow On Twitter

I was apprehensive to join Twitter because I knew that I would become addicted to it. I was out with some friends, about a year ago, and my friend talked me into signing up with her phone. I just posted a few “tweets” and then that turned into multiple “tweets” and now I’m on there all the time. I have around 1700 followers and it fluctuates daily. My Twitter name is @sweetbob and you can follow me by clicking here.

Here are the 22 sports people that you must follow on Twitter. Continue reading →

Re-Do – 2006 NBA Draft

You can’t really grade a draft in any league until 3 years later. I did a “re-do” post a year ago with the 2005 NBA Draft, you can see that HERE.

The NBA just had their draft last week and it will take a few seasons to see if they work out. The 2006 NBA Draft has had only one all-star so far, but a few stars are starting to emerge. The teams didn’t seem to know who they wanted during the draft, 5 out of top 10 picks were traded. Toronto had the first pick in that draft, would they still pick Andrea Bargnani? Here is what the 2006 NBA Draft Lottery would look like if it were held today. Continue reading →

2009 NBA Draft – Best Undrafted Players

Not everyone can be drafted in the NBA Draft. Many players go on to become undrafted free-agents and sign on with teams. Most of these players will either sign with an NBA team, play in the NBDL, or go onto Europe and play. I was surprised that my boy, Ben Woodside, didn’t garner a late 2nd-round pick. He is small and played at North Dakota State, but the kid is a scoring machine. Jeremy Pargo and Josh Shipp were two others that surprised me, since they both come from good programs and were stars. Here is a list of the best players who didn’t hear their name called last night.

Josh Heytvelt – Gonzaga
Paul Harris – Syracuse
Dionte Christmas – Temple
Jerel McNeal – Marquette
Chris Johnson – LSU
Courtney Fells – NC State
Tyrese Rice – Boston College
Leo Lyons – Missouri
Jeff Adrien – Connecticut
Curtis Jerrells – Baylor
Eric Devendorf – Syracuse
Shawn Taggart – Memphis
Jeremy Pargo – Gonzaga
Ben Woodside – North Dakota State
A.J. Abrams – Texas
Josh Shipp – UCLA
Alex Ruoff – West Virginia
Andrew Lovedale – Davidson

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2009 NBA Draft – Team Grades

You can’t judge a draft in any league for about three years, but everyone has a knee-jerk reaction to a team’s draft picks. The NBA Draft makes or breaks General Manager’s careers. If you miss on a guy, you’re screwed. If you pass up on a guy, you’re screwed. If you have a high pick, but draft for need, and a guy who is drafted after your pick turns into a superstar, you’re screwed. The draft has about a 75% failure rate and is the reason why you never see a GM without some gray hair. Here are my draft grades for the 2009 NBA Draft.

Boston Celtics – They only had one pick in the draft and it was a late one. They ended up picking Lester Hudson from Central Florida. He is a scorer and will probably be a NBDL all-star, but doubtful to make the team the next two seasons. Draft Grade: D

New Jersey Nets – The Nets also only had one pick, but their pick was in the Lottery. Terrence Williams will be a good player in this league, he’s eccentric and fun. He isn’t that mature and scouts say he loses focus, but he dominated in the Big East last season. Draft Grade: B-

New York Knicks – The Knicks need young talent, since after this season, they will have about $50 bucks on their payroll. They picked Jordan Hill and traded for Toney Douglas, good solid picks. This draft makes me miss the Isiah Thomas-led drafts. Where was the random Renaldo Balkman kind of pick? Draft Grade: B

Philadelphia 76ers – Jrue Holiday was their lone pick in this draft. I’m not a fan of Holiday, but he did upstage Darren Collison at times. He is a few years away, by the time he’s ready, Elton Brand will be ancient. Draft Grade: C-

Toronto Raptors – You can blame Tim Floyd for my low draft grade for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan came into USC has a game-changing stud, but his numbers never took off. Toronto was reaching a little by picking him #9. Draft Grade: D+

Chicago Bulls – The Bulls made a good showing in the NBA Playoffs last season. They are still relatively young and need to build around Derrick Rose. Taj Gibson and James Johnson are two good pieces, only if Johnson grows up and learns to get along with his teammates. Draft Grade: B

Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs knew that they were not able to improve their team this year with this draft. They pick Christian Evenga and Danny Green, two guys that will not make the team this year. Evenga will probably stay in Europe and Green can help their NBDL affliate. Draft Grade: D

Detroit Pistons – Detroit had a typical Pistons draft. They got guys who showed defense ability and the ability to play team basketball. Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers will be Pistons and will contribute. Jonas Jerebko could be a decent bench player for a team that doesn’t need to add any expensive free agents. Draft Grade: B+

Indiana Pacers – Indiana shocked the world when they picked Tyler Hansbrough. Everyone thought that they were picking a point guard, but they waited until the 2nd round and got A.J. Price from UConn. It was a weird draft for them and took some risks. Draft Grade: C-

Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks traded away Richard Jefferson and needed to add some offense. Brandon Jennings will not help you offensively, but could turn into a nice point guard. Jodie Meeks could step in and score points immediately. He could turn into a Ben Gordon-type player coming off the bench. Draft Grade: B+

Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks are re-building their backcourt and by drafting Jeff Teague, they have themselves a possible future star. He’s a combo guard and can run the point if Bibby leaves. Draft Grade: B-

Charlotte Bobcats – I don’t like the strategy the Bobcats use by only drafting UNC and Duke players in the first round. Gerald Henderson may have already reaching his ceiling and Charlotte should have went in another direction. The Derrick Brown and Robert Vaden picks could bolster their bench, but unfortunately Larry Brown and rookies go together as well as hot sauce and a guy with IBS. Draft Grade: D-

Miami Heat – The Heat needed some size in the paint, but drafted a guy who is small for his position. Robert Dozier is not great fit for the Heat, but with no first round pick, they had to pick from what was left. Draft Grade: F

Orlando Magic – The Magic didn’t have any picks in the draft this year.

Washington Wizards – The Wizards traded their lone draft pick to Houston.

Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks are getting long-in-the-tooth and need youth to help re-build their team. Dallas acquired Rodrique Beaubois, who will likely stay overseas, and drafted Ahmad Nivins from St. Joseph’s. This draft was a wash and didn’t accomplish a whole lot. Draft Grade: D-

Houston Rockets – Houston didn’t have any picks in this draft, but they were active in acquiring players for future considerations and picks. Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger and Sergio Llull were gained in the draft process. I don’t know how their odds of making the team this year, but Budinger had a lot of upside. Draft Grade: C+

Memphis Grizzlies – Not only did Memphis get rid of Darko Milicic, but they had a pretty good draft. Hasheem Thabeet, DaMarre Carroll, and Sam Young are all big guys that should help them defensively. They were one of the worst defensive teams in the league and needed size. Draft Grade: A-

New Orleans Hornets – Chris Paul is a great point guard, but he is small. They needed a back-up for Paul, but they picked Darren Collison, who is just as small. Is this a swing and a miss? Draft Grade: F

San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs are known to always do their homework on European players and make the most of their 2nd round picks. They didn’t have a first round pick this year, but got DeJuan Blair, a first round talent, in the second round. He is missing both ACLs, but in San Antonio, he doesn’t need to play a lot of minutes. Jack McClinton was another great 2nd round pick, but his maturity is in question. Draft Grade: A

Golden State Warriors – The Knicks thought that they had Stephen Curry, but the Warriors stole him. The rumor is that they may send this pick to the Suns in the Amare Stoudemire deal. If Curry stays in Oakland, he will put up monster numbers in Don Nelson’s offense. Draft Grade: B+

Los Angeles Clippers – It isn’t hard to do well in a draft if you’re picking #1 in a one player draft. The Clippers will have to try really hard to mess this kid up. Draft Grade: A+

Los Angles Lakers – The Lakers came into the draft with three picks, but left with only one. The only player they kept was Chinemelu Elonu, who was picked in the late 2nd round. He will probably end up in the NBDL, but he could end up joining a team as a defensive replacement. Draft Grade: D-

Phoenix Suns – Steve Kerr has had a rough time as the Suns GM. The Shaq deal didn’t work out and he’s taking a lot of heat. He needed a great draft to distract from his rough start. Unfortunately for Mr. Kerr, he whiffed on another draft. The Earl Clark pick was a reach and someone should tell him that he wanted “Blake Griffin,” not “Taylor Griffin.” Draft Grade: D

Sacramento Kings – The Kings came into this draft needing impact players. They traded away a lot at the trading deadline last year and basically only have Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson as cornerstones. Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi will help them immediately and I really love the Evans pick. They traded for Jon Brockman, so they will have an all-Huskies frontcourt in Sacramento. Draft Grade: A+

Denver Nuggets – Denver didn’t have much to do in this draft, but they did get a player that they coveted. George Karl is a UNC alum and he loved Ty Lawson. He can spell Chauncey Billups and will benefit from learning under him. Draft Grade:B-

Minnesota Timberwolves – The T-Wolves set themselves up for an extremely busy day. They traded Washington for their first round pick and ended up with a total of six picks for the day. They chose two point-guards with the #5 and #6 picks. It was a little confusing, but from what I hear, Ricky Rubio does not want to play in Minnesota. They could package a deal and receive instant talent and maybe a future #1. Jonny Flynn will be a good player in the NBA and I liked that pick a lot. Wayne Ellington and Nick Calathes was also picked by Minnesota, both fell down the draft to them and they clearly picked them as the “best player available.” Draft Grade: A+

Portland Trail Blazers – Jeff Pendergraph adds to the young talent in Portland. The late pick of Patrick Mills will only add to the excitement about the Blazers. Draft Grade: B

Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder are looking for the future. They have picked smart and the future is looking bright. James Harden will make their offense even more scary. B.J. Mullens is a nice addition, but needs a few years to mature.Draft Grade: B

Utah Jazz – The Jazz are smart and take players who have good fundamentals. Eric Maynor will be a great back-up for Deron Williams. Maynor may end up developing into something better than they expect. Draft Grade: B

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

The 2009 NBA Draft Live Blog

I am running a live blog update during the 2009 NBA Draft. Click on the title of this post to view the up-to-date information and analysis on the NBA Draft. What are the odds that both the Jazz and Pacers pick white boys? I’m not a betting man (at least that’s what I tell my mother), I would bet the house.

7:27 – Why does Dick Vitale is wearing a shirt that matches his skin color…orange.

CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR THE REST….

7:37 – I’m suprised that the Clippers really waited this long to announce their pick. Donald Sterling was probably with a few of his “asian friends” and forgot what time it was.

The Los Angeles Clippers pick Blake Griffin

7:43 – I wonder if Griffin grew out his hair, would he look like Delonte West?

7:45 – Stu Scott is interviewing Mike Dunleavy. Everytime Dunleavy is on ESPN, Bill Simmons sheds a tear

The Memphis Grizzlies pick Hasheem Thabeet

7:46 – Can a tailor actually make suits that fit these guys? There is just too much fabric on suits for guys over 7 feet. They look like they are wearing stilts.

7:50 – Thabeet just explained the difference between soccer and basketball. I’m glad that I watched this or I would have never known.

The Oklahoma City Thunder pick James Harden

7:52 – Ricky Rubio was just shown clapping as if someone just stole his girlfriend.

7:53 – Is there enough points to go around in OKC? Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and James Harden will put up some nice offensive numbers.

7:55 – Harden is the early leader for the worst suit of the night. His bowtie screams Joakim Noah and his shirt/vest combo screams Hakeem Olajuwon.

The Sacramento Kings pick Tyreke Evans

7:57 – Evans and Griffin appear to be wearing the same suit. I like this pick, he’s tall and can get into the paint. The Kings really don’t have anyone else on their team, they are probably 3-4 years away from being competitive.

8:01 – ESPN is showing the resume of David Kahn, the new GM for the Minnesota Timberwolves. I have seen high school graduates with better credentials to be a GM.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Ricky Rubio

8:04 – Rubio’s suit was probably made by some European designer and cost a lot of money, but he looks like he’s either going to a funeral or re-fill my drink.

8:06 – This is either a Ricky Rubio interview or a promo for the movie “Bruno.”

8:07 – They are comparing Rubio to ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich and Steve Nash. Are they setting this kid up for disaster?

The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Jonny Flynn

8:10 – If Jonny Flynn drops a “passion bucket” in his interview here, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be the official team of the Dan Patrick Show. Is the NBA going to have two balls on the court now? I don’t quite understand going point guard/point guard here. Is there going to be a trade coming up?

8:14 – Ouch! No “passion bucket” reference, but he did say “overflowing passion”…close enough.

The Golden State Warriors pick Stephen Curry

8:16 – The Knicks fans boo, but I think Curry will fit well in Oakland. Doesn’t the Knicks have enough tweener guards? Trust me Knicks fan, you need more than Curry.

8:19 – I bet Curry gets carded everywhere he goes. The kid looks 15 years old and he was just picked in the NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks pick Jordan Hill

8:21 – Get used to the boos Mr. Hill, you’re going to be hearing them every night.

8:23 – Hmmm, a PF/C chosen by the Knicks #8 from Arizona…Channing Frye? How did that turn out for you guys? Oh, ouch!

The Toronto Raptors pick DeMar DeRozan

8:27 – The ESPN crew is going to have a hard time trying to talk up DeRozan. He had a bad year at USC for a guy expected to be a stud.

8:29 – DeRozan has a family with healthy issues AND he had to play under Tim Floyd. I don’t know which one to feel more sorry for him about.

The Milwaukee Bucks pick Brandon Jennings

8:33 – I love “Young Money”‘s flat-top. I am crossing my fingers that that hair-style will come back soon. By the way, it was rumored that he was going to drop in the 20s, I guess they were wrong. He sounds like he could be the next T.J. Ford, since he doesn’t have much of an offensive game.

8:36 – A player who struggled in Italy and did bad on his SATs…sounds like it could end horribly.

The New Jersey Nets pick Terrence Williams

8:38 – This kid could be my new favorite player. He looks like his suit is made out of satin. I heard this kid wears Spongebob socks and a Barbie backpack. I may need to get this guy’s jersey.

8:41 – The first awkward moment of the night. Williams kept talking as they cut to a shot of the crew.

The Charlotte Bobcats pick Gerald Henderson

8:45 – The Bobcats continue their solid “when all else fails, pick a guy from UNC or Duke, it could help attendance” plan.

8:46 – I can’t say this enough, but I hate the term “Basketball I.Q.” What the hell doesn’t that even mean?

The Indiana Pacers pick Tyler Hansbrough

8:50 – If you read the beginning of this post, I won. The team photo for the Pacers now looks like the 1940 Fort Wayne Pistons. The Indiana Pacers are still official team of “America’s White Boy.”

8:53 – All kidding aside, I think the Pacers needed a point guard, but Hansbrough will be a good player for the Pacers. Indiana could get a point guard in the early second round. This draft is deep at that position.

The Phoenix Suns pick Earl Clark

8:56 – Haha! Bradon Jennings randomly shows up. That was weird, it completely threw off the entire ESPN crew.

8:57 – Clark was #10 on the “Best Players Available” by Jay Bilas. I don’t like this pick here, they need to get a point guard to take Steve Nash’s spot when he leaves.

8:59 – The Pistons are picking next, can they just forfeit this pick? I doubt they really need to add more payroll at this point.

The Detroit Pistons pick Austin Daye

9:02 – The Pistons just drafted a Tayshaun Prince clone, but unfortunately he isn’t as talented.

9:04 – Jay Bilas said that Daye needs to get tougher. Maybe the Pistons need to send him to Jay Glazer for some MMA training, ala Matt Leinert.

9:06 – Dick Vitale loves the Tyler Hansbrough and Stephen Curry picks? I’m shocked! He just predicted that Curry would win Rookie of the Year. Every time he complains about players who leave college early and get picked on potential, he sound like a mean, old man that was just served cold soup.

The Chicago Bulls pick James Johnson

9:09 – Yikes, I don’t like this pick. Wake Forest had a stacked team and many blame Johnson for the team not living up to their potential. Apparently the kid didn’t get along with his teammates.

9:12 – I was going to say something about how Steve Kerr looks weird, but then my power went out. There is a bad storm oustide here in Columbus,OH.

My power went out for 5 hours….I guess that concludes the live portion of my “live coverage”….maybe next year. I am going to list the rest of the NBA Draft picks and some analysis.

The Philadelphia 76ers pick Jrue Holiday

Holiday is a few years away from being an impact player. The Sixers have a young team, they might be able to wait on him.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Ty Lawson *trades pick to Denver

Great, a “future considerations” trade for a mid-1st round pick? That proves how weak this draft is.

The Atlanta Hawks pick Jeff Teague

Teague is a combo guard that can score. I thought the Pacers was trying to move up to take him, but Atlanta is re-building their backcourt with him and trading for Jamal Crawford.

The Utah Jazz pick Eric Maynor

I like this pick. The Jazz are content with Deron Williams at point, but Maynor will be a key reserve off the bench.

The New Orleans Hornets pick Darren Collison

This is a bad pick by New Orleans, they already have a small point (Chris Paul), they would have been better suited to get more size at that position.

The Portland Trail Blazers pick Victor Claver

The Blazers missed out on Ricky Rubio, but picked up his countryman. The passed up DeJuan Blair here, good idea, the kid doesn’t have any ACLs.

The Sacramento Kings pick Omri Casspi

He was the other buzz-word European in this draft, other than Rubio. His name has been floating around for a few years. He has a great motor and doesn’t quit.

The Dallas Mavericks pick B.J. Mullens * traded to Oklahoma City

The Thunder are loading up on talent, but Mullens will take a few years to see what he can do.

The Oklahoma City Thunder pick Rodrique Beaubois *traded to Dallas

This kid has had upside, length, explosiveness, all the token adjectives to describe a draft pick.

The Chicago Bulls pick Taj Gibson

I like this pick, Gibson will replace Ben Gordon, it’s doubtful that he will re-sign.

The Memphis Grizzlies pick DeMarre Carroll

He had a good month last season and it translated into a 1st round. Mizzou came out of nowhere this year and a lot of it is because of this kid.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Wayne Ellington

This draft is the T-Wolves draft. If Ellington would have came out last year, he would have been a lottery pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers pick Toney Douglas *trade to New York

Douglas would have been a good fit for the Lakers, but even better for the Knicks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pick Christian Evenga

Danny Ferry is trying to duplicate what he learned at San Antonio. Evenga will probably stay overseas and be ready in a couple seasons. He was a teammate of Ricky Rubio, he better thank him for helping out his game.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NBA Draft Coverage

I will have live coverage and commentary during the 2009 NBA Draft. This is one of my favorite non-physical sporting events. I love that even the Thunder and Grizzlies fans can feel good about their team for at least one day a year. My favorite part is the horrible draft day suits. I want to leave you with two of my favorites to quench your thirst until tonight.

I love this picture. Hakeem Olajuwon looks like he’s either going to a prom or parking cars outside the event. I also like how David Stern looks like he’s a stand-in from Accounts Payable for the real commissioner.

Joakim Noah’s look is kind of a newer version of Olajuwon’s attire. He adds some extra flare with the unkept fro and jumbo bowtie.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.