We're Back!

Hello one and all!

We just got the official word this morning that Josh and I will be back this semester in our same time slot (10-noon Saturday mornings). I'm not sure when we will be starting, but it could be as soon as next weekend. We'll have to work that out yet. Anyway, I may as well get right back in the swing of things with some thoughts.

-It's a shame that Greg Oden is probably going to miss the entire season. I haven't kept up with all the reports on him, but if it turns out that this was a preexisting condition (knee), it could be a real blow to Oden, the Blazers and the NBA as a whole. We'll have to watch how this turns out, because if he can come back healthy, he has a chance to be one of the best ever.

-I'm glad Belichek and the Pats got caught - and fined - big time. I have always taken Belichek's quiet demeanor as somewhat arrogant, or at least too prideful. He keeps his cards close to his chest--and now we know partly why. This cheating was organizational, and therefore I see it as wose than steroids. It's not just one individual, it;s the entire team. Who know the impact it could have had in their success the last few years. As for what they actually did, I don't think it's inherently morally bad. To me it's like stealing signs in baseball. Gentleman's code says no, but if you can do it without being caught, more power to ya. Of course when you do get caught in baseball, your next batter will be wearing the next pitch in their earhole. But since what they did IS explicitly outlawed in the NFL, it is cheating, and it is terrible. Not that I think losing next year's first rounder will slow them that much. They will sign some rummy or get a late round pick and he will be just as good.

-The Cardinals appear to be falling fast. Their pitching is terrible. We all know the old adage "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain" to describe the old Milwaukee Braves' reliance on their top two starting pitchers. That phrase doesn't translate as well the the Cards--"Wainright and...Looper?...Then pray for rain."
But I'm tired of hearing everybody talk about whether TLR should come back next year. In my mind, there is no debate--YES he should. For him to have the Cards still within breathing distance of the Central lead (though their 0 wins in the last 7 games is darn near the proverbial final nail) is remarkable. This article from the Cincinnati Post makes his case, and shows that at least one other NL Central team might be interested in a TLR/Jocketty/Duncan management package.
It's not their fault Anthony Reyes has absolutely sucked this year. His velocity, movement and presence have diminished. I can't help but think it ha something to do with the previous arm troubles he had in college. I don't think "jerking him around" between the minors and the big leagues will make you lose 5 mph on your fastball and any mental capacity for the game. I always saw him as risky, damaged goods. He was not another Dan Haren, and I wanted us to trade him in a package deal last year, for some real value, perhaps either D-Trian or Miggy Cabrera from Fla. We've seen the 2 young guys they didn't want to trade last year--Reyes and Duncan--completely disappear from helping the team down the stretch. Now about the best those 2+ a B-level prospect could net (hopefully) is Chone Figgins and Ervin Santana from the Angels. And I still say do it. Id rather see AnkieLudwick manning the corner spots next year, and Santana is younger, with a more live arm, than Reyes.
Anyway, unless we see no improvement soon-like the September revelation of the '06 Cards, it will be appropriate to look toward next year. I'll be back to post on that soon.
Ok gotta go.
Dan

NFC Draft Grades!

Hey guys, sorry this is a little late, but I've been caught in transition between home and school. But I'm home now for a few days, so I'll try to get this all finished up.

Dallas Cowboys: (C) I loved what they did to get Purdue DE Anthony Spencer. He's a high-motor guy who could get 10 sacks for the boys in his 1st season. After that, I'm not too impressed, though. I do like NIU OT Doug Free, who in a few seasons could develop into a starter at either tackle position. And props to Wade Philips for taking a player from U of I, even if it was the 27th pick in the 7th round.

NY Giants: (C+) The Gents filled 2 needs with good talent in the first 2 rounds, with Texas CB Aaron Ross and USC WR Steve Smith. Neither may wind up being a star, buth both will be solid players for years to come. Didn't pick up a complimentary back until Marshall's Ahmad Bradshaw in the 7th. I would have liked to see them get some insurance for Reuben Droughns, who may be nearing his last legs, and of course, former Saluki Brandon Jacobs, who I'm not sold on as a #1 back.

Philly Eagles: (F) This was a disaster. Maybe Andy Reid hasn't had a chance to do any scouting with all his home problems, but even that doesn't excuse this terrible a draft. After trading their first rounder to division rival Dallas, it put that much more pressure on them to get 2 slam dunk 2nd rounders. Instead, what they did was reach for a system QB (Kevin Kolb of Houston) and a super-slow pass-rushing DE (ND's Victor Abiamiri). I can't explain the pick of Kolb, who most had at best as the 4th best QB left at that point, behind Beck, Stanton and Edwards. They must have just liked something about him. The Abiamiri pick was trying to make up for losing Spencer, to a division rival nonetheless, the guy they should have taken in the first place. Nothing in the later rounds even comes close to making up for it. Just bad.

Washington Redskins: (D-) This was another bad draft for Dan Snyder's Skins. Again, what do you expect when you (again) have on high pick, then nothing til the 5th? It's just too much to be missing. Their pass rush last year was absolutely anemic last year. (19 sacks). So, you think, they'll either take a slam dunk guy at #6 like Gaines Adams or Jamaal Anderson or even trade down to get an Anthony Sepncer, Adam Carriker, or Jarvis Moss and an extra pick. Nope, they took a safety. LSU's LaRon Landry is gonna be a helluva player, though, and that's the only reason why this isn't an F. They did get good value with USC LB Dallas Sartz in the 5th, but when he's your second player taken, it doesn't look like such a steal. A fun pick in UTEP QB Jordan Palmer in the 6th. He's Carson's lil bro, but he's got an outside shot at best to make the roster. Hell, he may be better than Tim Hasselback though.

Chicago Bears: (B) I like their first 3 picks. Greg Olsen is a game changer (even if not a HUGE need, since they already have Desmond Clark), especially at the spot they drafted from. He could have been a top 15 guy. And a lot of people say Cent. Mich. DE Dan Bazuin was a reach in the 2nd, and he was, slightly, but he has the potential to blossom in Lovie Smith's system. And I like NIU RB Garrett Wolfe as a compliment to Cedric Benson's pounding style. Their 5th rounders (LA-Monroe S Kevin Payne and New Hampshire CB Corey Graham) are a couple small-school guys who could develop into solid contributors on D.

Detroit Lions: (C-) This looks like a good draft for the Silver and Blue--filled with talent, but its all in the wrong places. I don't know how Matt Millen convinced his management team to take ANOTHER "once in a lifetime" WR (haven't we heard that before?) in the first round, but he did. I thought for sure when Calvin Johson's name was called, it would signal a trade with the Bucs. I guess Cleveland's taking Joe Thomas thwarted that, but Detroit has played it off like they are happy to have Johnson. I guess any team would be, and I guess he'll be good in Mike Martz's system, but they REALLY could've used that franchise LT. Or Pro Bowl LB. Or shut-down CB. In the 2nd, they did get a Martz-guy and possible QB of the future in Mich. St.'s Drew Stanton, but their other two 2nd rounders (Boise S Gerald Alexander and Hawaii DE Ikaika Alma Francis) left something to be desired. I don't know if I would call them out-and-out reaches, based on where they were projected, but they just aren't knock-out guys when your 1st pick (2nd overall) was a luxury pick. They didn't take a CB til the 4th (NC St.'s AJ Davis) and didn't take a LB until the 5th (Alabama A&M's Johnny Baldwin). Neither of those guys is a step-in now guy either. If I didn't think Johnson was going to be all everyone thinks he will, this grade would be much lower.

Green Bay Packers: (C-) This was not great. They reached big for Tenn. DT Justin Harrell at #16 overall. That's not to say he won't be a good player, I think he will, but they could have used a star WR or RB to help out the old man behind center. One could argue they did that with Nebraska RB Brandon Jackson in the 2nd, San Jose St. WR James Jones in the 3rd and Va. Tech WR/speedster David Clowney in the 5th, but I'm not buying it. Jackson might be able to almost fill the hole where Ahman Green once was, and last year GB showed the ability to develop mid-tier rookie WRs with West. Mich. WR Greg Jennings, who is beginning to look like a #1 guy, but they're not stars like I think Dwyane Bowe and Robert Meachem will become. What really keeps this draft from sinking beneath the ice of Lambeau is the steal of Colorado K Mason Crosby late in the 6th.

Minnesota Vikings: (B) This was a solid draft. They got a game-breaker in Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson and a first-round talent WR (South Car.'s Sidney Rice) in the 2nd. And 3rd round CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno St., would probably have been a first rounder last year, but had a slow senior season. Throw in value picks DE Brian Robison, Texas, 4th rd; WR Aundrae Allison from small school East Carolina, 5th rd; and LB Rufus Alexander from big school Oklahoma in the 6th and its a good draft top to bottom.

Atlanta Falcons: (B+) they would have loved to have gotten either Calvin Johnson or Laron Landry, but they should be happy with Jamaal Anderson. Some think he's better than Gaines Adams. He'll make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball as a flexible, pass-rushing DE/OLB. 2nd round G Longhorn Justin Blalock is a mammoth and a monster, and will add a ton of strength to the o-line. With their other 2nd rounder, they got a first-round talent in Arkansas CB Chris Houston. Their 3rd-round WR Laurent Robinson out of (gasp) Illinois State! was really under the radar until the combine, but he's good. Trust me. They even added a value center in Buckeye Doug Datish. Nice work, Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers: (B) A solid draft for Carolina. I like 1st round LB John Beason, who will either make a nice complement or a nice replacement for Dan Morgan, whose future is iffy due to lingering injuries. I'll be honest, though, I liked the pick of USC WR Dwayne Jarrett in the 2nd round a lot more before they cut Keyshawn Johnson. Without a mentor to mold him, Jarrett's motivation, discipline and ability could slide far. USC C Ryan Kalil is going to be a monster, so he was a nice 2nd round pick, and 3rd round DE Charles Johnson from Georgia is ready to contribute immediately as well.

New Orleans Saints: (B-) Tenn. WR Robert Meachem was a great pick at #27 overall. He will step right in and have a big season catching the ball from Drew Brees under the guidance of Sean Payton. I'm not a big fan of small-school CB's in round 2, especially when there are more solid guys on the board (see the case of Bartell, Ron), but everything I've heard about Kent CB Usama Young is positive. Their 4th rounders are really what help, though. Oh. St. RB Antonio Pittman will be the rock solid, not flashy, but good-enough RB he was in college, and Towson T Jermon Bushrod has the raw skill and power to become a giant for their O-line.

TB Buccaneers: (C-) They really wanted Calvin Johnson, but they settled for monster Clemson DE Gaines Adams. That's still a very good pick for them. And getting Tennessee's rock of a guard Arron Sears helps too. But Oregon St. safety Sabby Piscitelli was a reach with their other 2nd rounder, and nothing beyond that turns heads.

Arizona Cardinals: (B-) I love the nasty road-grader they got in Penn St.'s T Levi Brown, but #5 was too high. Once Gaines Adams and Joe Thomas were both off the board ahead of them, they should have traded down a few spots, where they still could have gotten Brown and few more picks, which they could use for some much needed depth. This grade will rise if Michigan DT Alan Branch can keep his quickness and step up his work ethic (and if his stress-fractured legs don't break). Their remaining three picks were well-spent on value guys Fla St. LB Buster Davis (3rd), Michigan WR Steve Breaston (5th) and Delaware TE Ben Patrick (7th).

St. Louis Rams: (B) Coach Scott Linehan did things the way he wanted to, but with a little more restraint than last year's 3 TE bonanza. 1st rounder Nebraska DE Adam Carriker is a step-right-in and contribute need guy in a Grant-Wistrom typre form. He'll be a fan and coach favorite for his never-ending motor. He also has better physical tools than Wistrom ever did. Great pick. Linehan also got one of his offensive-type guys in the jack-of-all-backs Brian Leonard from Rutgers in the second. He'll be able to spell Steven Jackson, line up behind him at fullback, and even catch passes as a TE. another great pick. Add some value guys in the 3rd (Tenn. CB Jonathan Wade), 5th (Clemson C dustin Fry) and 6th (Georgia T Ken Shackleford) and its a solid and balanced sophomore effort from Linehan's crew.

Seattle Seahwaks: (C-) I'm not in love with any of their picks. I guess their so set at most of their positioins that this was almost purely a depth draft. Trading beloved WR Darrell Jackson for a 4th rounder that allowed for Miami DE Baraka Atkins and Ga Tech G Mansfield Wrotto doesn't help, but their stocked with WR's, so if either develops well, I guess its ok. Maryland CB Josh Wilson was a reach in the second, but I do like Cali DT Brandon Mebane, who they got in the 3rd, who'll be able to develop slowly as a rotation guy initially. Auburn WR Courtney Taylor and Oregon WR Joradn KEnt (no relation to Ernie) are nice fliers in the 6th as well.

San Francisco 49ers (finally): (B+) If Cent. Mich's Joe Staley becomes the T they want him to be, this will be an A. Ole Miss's Patrick Willis was the best LB in the draft, and he fills a need position, so to get him at 11 was fine. Giving up what they did to get Staley was ok too, because of the value they got in later rounds. That value came in the forms of Wash. St. WR Jason Hill (3rd), DEs Ray McDonald (Fla) and Jay Moore (Neb.) in the 4th, and Texas CB Tarell Brown (5th). Brown could wind up as the next Nathan Vasher, an overlooked good-guy CB from Texas who blossoms in the big game. And Kansas St. RB Thomas Clayton, though not flashy and not a star, should be able to help spell Frank Gore from time to time.

Ok. That's all. Finally. If you don't agree or catch a mistake, reply. It's late, and I'm out. Dan

Draft grades--AFC

Ok guys, I don't know how much time I'm gonna have to get through this, so if this winds up getting cut short, sorry. I'll start with the AFC teams:

• Buffalo Bills: (A-) Filled needs well in first 2 rounds with Marshawn Lynch (who I like a lot) and Paul Posluszny (A first round talent). Also got good good insurance for J.P Losman (Trent Edwards) in the 3rd. Good value with Wyoming S John Wendling and Boise TE Derek Schouman in the 6th and 7th.
• Miami Dolphins: (C) This grade will increase significantly if 1. Ginn blossoms as a receiver and 2. John Beck becomes the QB they think he can. Now I like both Ginn and Beck, but I don't know if Beck is as good as Brady Quinn, who they passed over to take Ginn. He is already 26, meaning he's mature, but that also means if he takes 1-2 years to get ready, you don't have as many years as you could've gotten out of Quinn. In the end it worked out, and might turn out great, but it was too big a risk to take. Good value with Utah DT Paul Soliai in the 4th. Got a little insurance for Ronnie Brown in the 3rd with FSU RB Lorenzo Booker, and Hawaii C Samson Satele could turn out to be a monster, if he stays healthy.
• NE Patriots: (B+) It seems like these guys have 2 1st round picks every year, and they always score. This year, they took risks on 3 'character issue' guys--Miami S Brandon Meriwether in the 1st, Miami DT Kareem Brown in the 4th (both of whom were involved in the UGLY Miami-FIU brawl last season), and Randy Moss, who they got from the Raiders for a 4th rounder. No a lot else jumps out in the 6th and 7th, but Belicheck and Pioli have maybe the best knack for finding starting talent in later rounds. If anyone can corral the personalities of these guys, its Belicheck, Brady and Rodney Harrison. I think Meriwether could blossom under Harrison's tutilege, and if Brady can whip Moss back into his old form, this would raise to an off-the-chart A and bring another Super Bowl to the Pats.
• NY Jets: (B) They were left with only 4 picks after trading up for Darrelle Revis, but still wound up with a 1st-round LB in the 2nd to team with Jonathan Vilma in Michigan's David Harris. They had their choice of Revis or Leon Hall, so I'll trust their choice there. They didn't add any WR depth, something they needed, until Clemson's Chanci Stuckey in the 7th, but did add an OT, Jacob Bender from small Nicholls St. in the 6th. After a few seasons, he could be there, but needs a lot of development to fit the pro game. Their top 2 picks are among the best 1-2 tandems anyone got in this draft.
• Baltimore Ravens: (C) They got Auburn's Ben Grubbs, one of the best Gs to come out in several years, who will probably take a starting spot from either Jason Brown or Keydrick Vincent. They needed a Tackle to put opposite Jonathan Ogden, if they didn't want to expose Adam Terry to do so, and they got Iowa's Marshal Yanda for that reason, but I don't know if he's a starter right now. They also needed an OLB to fill the hole left by Adalius Thomas, and I don't think they did that with FIU's Antwan Barnes in the 4th. I'm glad they took Troy Smith in the 5th, though. He's good. Also, KSU's Yamon Figurs will make an instant impact as a returner coming in the 3rd round.
  
• Cincinatti Bengals: (C) They got the CB they needed in Leon Hall in the 1st, but adding another Aubrun RB behind Rudi Johnson tells me there's something wrong with former 1st-rounder Chris Perry. If there wasn't they wouldn't waste a 2nd on Irons. They added depth with 2 safeties (TCU's Marvin White in the 4th and ND's Nedu Nkwente in the 7th) but neither wows. And Nevada QB Jeff Rowe in the 5th should have been home state Heisman winner Troy Smith. Both are projects, but I think SMith's upside is much higher and closer to reach.
  
• Cleveland Browns: (A+) They got two guys they had in their top 10, plus 2 value corners in the 2nd and 5th. Wisconsin T Joe Thomas and ND QB Brady Quinn will be the foundation of this team for years to come. It cost them next year's 1st rounder, which might hurt, but if Jamal Lewis can run at 75% of what he used to be (a 2,000 yard back), Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow continue to improve, and Joe Jurevicius can give them around 750 yards and 8 TDs behind their improved O-line, they won't be in bad shape at all. After improving their secondary with both UNLV's Eric Wright (1st round talent) and value pickCB Brandon Mcdonald from Memphis in the 5th, if they can find long-term replacements for Ted Washington, Willie McGinest and Jamal Lewis, they could be good for some time. It's not often that a team takes this big a leap in 1 year. Of course, it all comes down to Romeo Crennel's abiltiy to get the best out of each of those guys.
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers: (B) New coach Mike Tomlin definitely left his mark on this draft, taking hard-nosed, talented defensive players in FSU LB Lawrence Timmons in the 1st and Michigan DE LaMarr Woodley in the 2nd. Throw in the best punter in the draft (Baylor's Dan Sepulveda) in the 4th and Louisville value CB William Gay in the 5th, and this is a good group of rookies to complement their the rookie coach.
• Houston Texans: (C) They had to add another D-Lineman to help out last year's unpopular overall 1st pick Mario Williams, and they did that in a big way with 19-yr old Louisville DT Amobi Okoye. If they had added anything else, their draft grade much higher, but reaching for small school Kick returner Jacoby Jones in the 3rd after having no 2nd rounder didn't help. Good value in the 7th with KSU LB Zack Diles. He could add depth to a porous defense in years to come.
• Indianapolis Colts: (A) The defending Super Bowl champs aren't supposed to be able to draft great guys to fill their needs--that's why the league makes them pick last. However, Tony Dungy and Bill Polian were able to do just that. They got the speedy Ohio St. Rhodes Scholar finalist WR Anthony Gonzalez with the 32nd pick. He will be able to step in immediately to replace departed slot receiver Brandon Stokely, and the offense won't miss a beat. Add Arkansas's athletic freak OT Anthony Ugoh in the 2nd, and they've already done better than most last-pick teams do. Throw in CBs Daymeon Hughes (Cali) and Michael Coe (Alabama St.), both of whom I like a lot, and Gonzalez's fellow Buckeyes DT Quinn Pitcock in the 3rd and WR Roy Hall in the 5th, and you've got more smart, proven winners.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: (C-) They got the guy they wanted in FL safety Reggie Nelson, even after tading down in the 1st. But they didn't add anything good enough to justify the risk of trading down. Small school (Hampton) LB Justin Durant has the physical tools to be great, but he's a reach in the 2nd, when you don't know how those skills will translate against better competition. They took Maryland's Adam Podlesh, whom most had ranked behind Baylor's Dan Sepulveda in the 4th, and some depth in the later rounds, but nothing that stands out.
• Tennessee Titans: (D) I like Texas S Michael Griffin, but the Titans shouldn't have taken him in the 1st round. They needed a RB or a WR to help out Madden cover-boy QB Vince Young. They did take Arizona RB Chris Henry in the 2nd, but beside having a very unfortunate name at this time for the NFL, he never was productive at AZ. He's athletically amazing, but hasn't proved he could actually put those skills to use. Pairing him with another underacheving back in LenDale White doens't add any scare factor to opposing defenses. A couple of WRs (Fresno's Paul Williams in the 3rd, FL St.'s Chris Davis in the 4th and productive Texas Tech's Joel Filani in the 6th), but none of them would have the impact of say, Tennessee boy Robert Meachem. If I didn't think Griffin was going to be really good, this would be an F.
• Denver Broncos: (B-) Mike Shanahan has been trying to shore up the D-Line for years now. He got a pair of good DEs in the 1st 2 rounds with FL's Jarvis Moss and Texas's Tim Crowder. Both are quick, high-motor guys. I don't think they needed to trade up to get Moss, though, and that hurt, leaving them only 2 picks in later rounds. They spent those well on ND OT Ryan Harris in the 3rd, who will become another nameless road-grader in Shanahan's O-line progression, and more D-line depth in Moss's FL teammate Marcus Thomas in the 4th. Thomas is another 'character issue' guy and was never great at FL, and will not get a ton of sacks, but he's a good risk/value pick here. They could have used more depth, especially at CB, after the tragic loss of Darrent Williams, and not wasting picks on trading up for Moss, who I think they could've gotten anyway, would have helped them do that.
  
• KC Chiefs (B-) They got a good WR which they desperately needed in LSU's Dwayne Bowe, a fast and TOUGH guy. He will have an immediate impact. Still without a solid DT after several years of trying to find one, they continued the search, adding Tennessee's Turk Tyler and NC St's Tank McBride in the 2nd and 3rd. Tyler won't help clog the run much, but he's a quick, intense and nasty guy who could help add toughness and maybe 5 or 6 sacks. I like Tank. In college, he was paired with John McCargo, a 1st-rounder last year, and many said Tank was the better of the two. He fell to them in the third after a slow senior season, but he could help solidify the D-Line. Nothing great in the later rounds, though Louisville RB Kolby Smith (5th round) showed he could be a decent backup after taking over for injured Michael Bush, and he could be the same in the NFL.
• Oakland Raiders (A-) They took the guy they wanted in Jamarcus Russell #1 overall. I have qualms about him, but if he becomes what he could be, he will be a great cornerstone guy for at least a decade. This draft was much improved by the acquisitions of coach Lane Kiffin's former #1 guy at USC, WR Mike Williams and QB Josh McCown from Detroit for only a 4th round pick. The young and creative Kiffin might be the only guy left who could revive these guys, and I think he has a good shot to do it. At least MCcown will allow them to let Russell develop for a season or 2 before they throw him in. And I know getting rid of one disgruntled WR (Randy Moss) and bringing in another (Williams) seems to be a neutral move, but I think both guys will be better off where they are now. Also, with another 4th round pick, the Raiders added injured Louisville RB Micheal Bush, who, if healthy, could add first round talent and versatility and be an interesting piece in Kiffin's offense. This is a draft of maybes, that could turn out to be monsters--good or bad.
• SD Chargers: (C-) They reached for both LSU WR Craig Davis in the 1st and Utah S Eric Weddle in the 2nd. Both guys have great potential, but aren't immediate helpers. I guess you don't need to add too much to a team that only lost 2 games last year. This might be harsh, because their biggest needs were at WR and S, but I just don't like these guys as much as some others. They traded up in the 2nd for Weddle, but seeing the short list of needs, should have been willing to give up more to get a guy like FL's Reggie Nelson or Texas's Michael Girffin in the 1st. They did get a decent depth guy in Clemson ILB Anthony Waters in the 3rd, which was also a 'need'.

R.I.P. #32; Show's over; Draft!

Hey guys,

Before anything else, I should pay tribute and condolences to the Hancock crew and the Cardinals. If you haven't heard, 29 year-old reliever Josh Hancock was killed in an atuomobile accident last night, thus leading to the cancellation of today's series-ender against the Cubbies. Read a full story here. The similarities to the Darryl Kile tragedy are eerie.
Ok on a lighter note: Sorry for the long break--I probably should have followed up our last show of the year (single tear) with a post, but it was finals time, leaving me basically no opportunity do anything other stare at books for hours. After that was all over for me, I took 2 days to sit around, eat pizza, drink Mountain Dew and take in about 12 hours of NFL Draft! I'll be following this with my draft grades soon! G2G now though.

Good show

Well I think that was a hell of a show today. If you didn't listen in, shame on you. We really had some good debate going. The main point of contention was the current NCAA system for doling out sanctions on programs for recruiting violations and the like.
It all began talking about how the NCAA office goofed and let the case against former Ohio St. men's coach Jim O'brien go by failing to file some papers before a deadline. In case you don't know, O'brien admitted to giving a player $6,000 of his own money to play.
Josh contended that penalties leveed for such violations should remain, as it is now, against the school at which the violations occured (in this case, Oh. St.) with no individual punishment (unless doled out by the school) against the coach. I don't know exactly what the penalty against OSU would have been exactly). Josh's main point is that putting the punishment on the school rather than the individual coach makes sense because the coach is merely a representative of the school, beacuse the coach is not always responsible for the violation and because that way schools will be deterred from hiring a coach who might be known for potentially committing such a violation.
I agree with him mostly, but I still think there is room for some individual punishment. I agree that as a representative of the school, the coach's problems are the school's problems. They've put trust in him and must pay the price if he screws up. I also agree that coach's definitiely are not always responsible for violations, as they often come from other personbel, especially boosters. Well, I say, either there needs to be more policing of booster activites by the NCAA or the school or the athletic dept (including the coach). But that's too big a mess to clean up probably. I think more likely, allegations of violations against schools should be investigated individually, and punishment should be dually leveed against the school and the individual who committed the act. In this case, that means O'brien and solely O'brien. Why, then, should Oh. St. players and coaches several years down the line potentially be punished for the actions of a man who they had nothing to do with. And, even bigger, why should that man be able to go freely to any other school and start with a clean record?
To speak to Josh's third point, I think it would be a bigger deterrent for schools hiring shady coaches if that potential coach had a record that trails him. If the NCAA says any school that guy goes to for the next X years will lose 2 scholarships a season, I think that would be a better deterrent than the way it is now. Josh counters that it isn't fair to the new school who had nothing to do with the violations, but I think if they are willing to hire a guy who has a record of violations in the past, they need to live with the consequences. After all, if the guy continues the way he has been, it will probably only be a few seasons before more allegations occur and he moves on to the next place, leaving behind more penalties against the school.
Well, I hope that all made sense, and I hope I don't sound like I'm bashing Josh. I'm not. I just wanted to let you all in on a great debate we had today.
Anyway, check out the show next Saturday, as it will be the last one for the year. And check out the last mock draft of the year at the J-Loe Down.
I'm out.

A little bit of this...

Sorry to all you non-Cardinals fans out there, but this is unabashedly a Cards-friendly blog. I hope that does not discourage you from reading regularly, but if you can't stand Redbird-friendly rantings, I will forgive you if you skip the first section of this post...

Just a few things. It seems Carpenter's elbow trouble could be quite serious, and that's not good for the Cards. The guys over at VEB have a much more in-depth analysis of the implications than I could put together in the very short time I have, so I suggest you head over there for some good reading. It's an excellent blog. Hopefully we will be ok, though, with the rest of the rotation looking good. Kip ripped it up in his first start, and Looper was lights out against the rolling Pirates. And Wagon-maker and Socks have given us no reason to be afraid so far. But if those don't give you enough comfort, you can at least squeal with delight reading about Jeff Weaver's first start in an M's uniform. Ha.

In NFL "news," Pac-Man has earned a full-season "vacation" from the NFL for his numerous shenanigans. His former WVU cohort Chris Henry won an 8-game reprieve. Congrats to them. Clowns.

NCAA/NBA:
-As expected, All-world freshman Kevin Durant is trading in his longhorn orange for (perhaps) the Kelly green of Boston...or any other number of suitors in the NBA. His west-coast rival Aron Afflalo has also declared (and he can't pull out again--2 times is the limit). Now we're just waiting to see if Durant's fellow frosh phenom Greg Oden will try to outjump Durant for the #1 overall spot come draft time. I can't say I blame anyone who makes the move. If someone offered me a job for millions of dollars blogging or doing PR or, hell, anything right now, I'd certainly do it, so I can't crucify any of these guys for doing so. I'll miss them in next year's tourney. And if Oden goes, I'm really gonna have to research my favorite to win it all...
-One other note: Wichita St.'s Mark Turgeon has been hired to take over the now-Gillispie-less Aggies. Sounds more like a hockey coach than a hardwood technician, but the Shockers have at least been competitive in the MVC for a few seasons now, so I guess its a good hire. I wouldn't expect to see anything close to the same type of success out of A&M we saw this season, especially now that they are without the Law-man.

For some interesting NFL rumors and his latest mock draft,head over to the Loe-Down.

Odds 'n ends

Wow. That show was fun. We had some fun topics to talk about, and we got to beat up on Ron like old times. It'll be back to normal next week though.

A few notes:
-The Cards are now 0-2, and I'm not thrilled. Carp's arm is sore and will miss 1 start. I hope it's not an indication of something more serious than that. At least Kip pitched pretty well today (6 innings, 2 ER). Who knows, maybe D. Dunc has actually whipped him into a legit #2. Let's hope. What concerns me more though is the lack of offense. 2 games, 2 runs is not good. Maybe its just sluggishness, but I have a small hunch the Cards' underlying injury problems (Enc, Edmonds, Eck, Rolen) may hurt us in a big way this year. I'd put good odds on Walt being forced to trade for a bat or 2 eventually, or selling high on some older players (Edmonds, Enc, perhaps even Eck or Rolen) if the price is right at the deadline and settling for "next year." I guess it's WAY too early to be talking like that, but I haven't had a great feeling since we failed to sign at least 1 impact bat in the off season.

-I am not too down on Dana Altman pulling a Saban-esque switcheroo on Arkansas. (I realize it's not the same scenario as Saban but the indecisive coach comparison is there.) For those who haven't heard, Altman left Creighton for Arkansas only to rescind and successfully ask for reacceptance at Creighton today. I can understand (and he said it was for his family) not wanting to leave a place where you and your family are comfortable, and where the pressure on winning is pretty much just to get to the Dance, and anything past that is gravy. Much better than the seemingly stark raving mad Razorbacks administration and the SEC. I also really don't see the Arkansas job as a marquee one now, anyway. They haven't been a major player since the days of Nolan Richardson, and I think his leaving really threw the program into dismay. Plus, with the emergence of the football team, the pressure will be increased on the basketball team, probably with lesser resources devoted to it. Not a situation I would want to step into.

As I touched on in the show Saturday, I think there is a common feeling and trend toward coaches being content at lower-pressure jobs. We saw it with Tubby Smith going to Minnesota; Alford moving to N.M.; Billy Gillispie at A&M; Chris Lowery at SIUC; Calipari at Memphis; Jeff Bzdelik at Air Force (for now anyway) ; and by my odds, Billy Donovan, who I think will stay at UF. Now there will always be those schools that can lure the guy they want away, and there will always be guys willing to move on from their jobs on to bigger and better things (see Beilein to Michigan), but I think the "traditional powers" don't hold the stature in younger coaches and players' eyes. And that's why these mid-major teams and up-and-coming programs (Tim Floyd at USC, Bob Huggins at K-State, Mark Few & Gonzaga) have been successful on the court and in recruiting. Personally, I like it. I guess it sounds funny to talk about more parity in the game when for the first time in 15 years a team won back-to-back championships and the final 4 featured 2 of the most storied programs of all time, but I think the playing field is becoming more even, and I think it's a good thing.

Ok, that was a lot to write on 2 things, so I'm gonna head out. Maybe I'll try to arrange some stuff better for a column in the Argus this week. We'll see. And I'll see you later.

EDIT: for those of you who care and didn't know, you can check out the Argus online at www.iwu.edu/~theargus.
There you'll find my column this week, and whenever I publish one (which isn't as often as I'd like).