8/3: TUESDAY TOP 25: THINGS I MISS ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL

As the 2010 college football season approaches there are many things we all look forward to: people, places, games, stadiums, and so much more. I thought a good start to my college football blogging for 2010 would be to list off the top 25 things I miss about college football during the off-season. Feel free to share your own.

As always I will do a fair mix of serious and joking (by that I mean many jokes). I hope you enjoy.

#25: CapitalOne Mascot Commercials

Those commercials seem to go on and on all season long, but when they're gone I miss them terribly. It's just something I associate with college football too strongly to not miss. Here's one such commercial:

#24: Ed Orgeron

Yes, Coach O is amongst the ranks of the hated Lane Kiffin now at Southern Cal, but I don't miss Orgeron because of any sense of virtue or ethics. I miss Coach O because he makes Ron Zook seem apathetic and calm by comparison. On a serious note it is worth reading Meat Market (a book by Bruce Feldman of ESPN which chronicles recruiting as seen primarily through the eyes of Orgeron and his staff while at Ole Miss). Orgeron can recruit and was a horrible failure during his short tenure in Oxford leading the Rebels, but he inspired the best YouTube video in the history of Ole Miss football:

#23: Penn State "White Out" Games

Penn State has developed what has every appearance of the best current student section for TV in college football. The massive stadium and general sports-centric nature of the area dictate that they are passionate, and the costumes remind you strongly of the 70's Steelers fan followings for a reason. It is worth noting that the prominence of white at a Penn State home game is really not a challenge. In fact, nobody in the below video needed body paint or even clothing to give off this appearance:

#22: Tom O'Brien's "Prevent Offense"

Tom O'Brien, current head coach at NC State and former head coach of Boston College, has the outward personality of your average tax collector. O'Brien also has a penchant for coaching teams with the offensive philosophy of your average high school coach, the one that runs the ball on 3rd & 15 to the dismay of the entire stadium. His playbook is so close to the vest that it is digging deeply into his spine. I always smile when I flip through and watch NC State run a draw on 3rd & 19 down 14-9 in the fourth quarter. It is a thing of absolute abject horror, but I get a laugh every time.

#21: Fight Songs

In few sports are their truly songs that epitomize and unite the fan bases, but college football has many. Notre Dame's Victory March, Michigan's Hail to the Victors, or Southern Cal's Fight On are just a sampling of songs you immediately identify with the university and its fans. I admit to being kind of a freak with these, as I know the song and sometimes lyrics of entirely too many of these fight songs. This doesn't even take into account songs like Rocky Top at Tennessee which are only spirit songs, and not actually fight songs. Of course these unifying songs sometimes get turned completely around, I'm particularly biased towards this parody:

#20: Weekday Garbage Games

During the rest of the year I know there are games littered throughout the week of less significance for every sport, but only for college football do I watch. It could be Hawaii at Louisiana Tech, Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky, Bowling Green at Miami (OH), or any possible combination of teams from conference that don't matter and who combined will end the season with 4 wins. I will watch. Some beauties this year include: Troy at MTSU, UAB at UCF, UCF at Marshall, Buffalo at Ohio, Toledo at Northern Illinois, and Florida State at NC State.

#19: Lou Holtz & Mark May Rambling Past Midnight

I honestly don't usually stay up very late on weekends unless I'm out and about, which is rare. One time of the year I stay up late every Saturday is during college football season. The reason is for the late night college football recap show with Rece Davis, Mark May & Lou Holtz. They've been giving you picks and highlights since noon, but they're still at into early Sunday morning. You really don't know how Holtz manages to keep it up so late at his age, but then you see this:

#18: Virginia Tech's Entrance

For biased reasons this is my second favorite entrance in college football, but just watch it and enjoy it:

#17: Dan Hawkins

Dan Hawkins, current head coach at Colorado and former head coach at Boise State, is a bit different. He came in sounding a different tune from your average college football coach, and seemed to be headed for success in Boulder after a successful stint in Boise. Things aren't going well and Hawkins would likely be fired by now if not for salary and buy-out reasons. So expect more moments like this in his final season as head coach of the Buffs:

#16: Kegs & Eggs Kick-Offs

This is a tradition my boss at work told me about, he's an Ohio St fan from Ohio, regarding what to call a noon game. I would guess this is a phrase more common to Big Ten football than any other, since most other conferences avoid noon kick-offs unless television slots require it. In the Big Ten the only time games don't kick-off at noon is when television slots require a later kick-off. I admit that I enjoy these games, especially the traditional Big Ten game on ESPN2 with whatever top-flight crew they put on it this year. The Big Ten does its best to fill the void of noon kick-offs, and I assume their students and fans have gotten used to a solid Saturday morning breakfast of eggs, bacon and Natty Light.

#15: Lee Corso Getting Senile

The clown-like analyst, and formerly near total failure as a coach, Lee Corso has always relished the role as the crazy guy with gestures, catch phrases and mascot heads. He is reviled in some corners of college football fandom (Columbia, SC being one example) and is generally going to piss you off at some point during the season. Now comes the added entertainment that he is literally starting to lose it, and it's no longer just an act. I do offer some genuine sympathy as his health seems to have taken a turn last season, but overall I do not hold any ill-will either as I understand his schtick. This moment was his biggest slip last year, but expect more this season:

#14: Wisconsin's "Jump Around"

Wisconsin is amongst the Big Ten schools with a very energetic and involved student section. They actually have a Fifth Quarter when the band takes the field and plays after the game is over and the students along with fans have fun with it, but the most entertaining moment is what happens between the 3rd and 4th quarters. It is simply a great moment of college football spirit:

#13: Bill Stewart Talking

I really couldn't find a good video for this unfortunately, but be certain that Bill Stewart is an entertaining sumbitch to listen to when he is talking. He is West Virginia in every way. What makes it fun is the that means he with his drawl is funny, unassuming, modest, proud of his state, and trashed as anything on moonshine most of the time he gets a chance to talk. It is probable that he would be amongst the top ten coaches in terms of people you could get along with, but also that he truly is a state treasure for West Virginia.

#12: JoePa's Glasses

Joe Paterno garners a higher combination of respect and comedy than any other coach currently in college football. That's what happens when you're a college football coach in 2010 who can recall getting a congratulatory phone call about his football team from the White House... in the Nixon Administration:

#11: "The Right Reverend" Houston Nutt

Not only is Ole Miss coach, formerly Arkansas coach, Houston Nutt one of the craziest coaches ever, but he also happens to make his fans upset more than any other. He's the coach that everyone loves, until they realize that they will never get past a certain point with him at the helm. Arkansas found that out and eventually fan pressure resulted in Nutt bolting for Ole Miss, keeping in mind he is an alum of Arkansas. The Rebel faithful may eventually reach this point with "The Right Reverend", but until then it will be fun to watch them disintegrate to the point the Hog fans did a few year back:

#10: The "Dirty" FSN Pac-10 Game of the Week

This is another guilty pleasure of mine that shall not otherwise be mentioned. What better than announcers who I've never heard before calling games I honestly wouldn't care about if it weren't 11:50PM on Saturday night and College Football Final doesn't start for another forty minutes. Be it Washington St at UCLA, Arizona St at Oregon St, or UCLA at Washington, this game is good enough for me even if it isn't good enough for 3:30 ABC or earlier on FSN. Defense is usually optional, and rarely does anyone care about the outcome. It's 11:50PM and I want more football.

#9: Texas/Nebraska

OK, so this otherwise would not be on the list, but it is this year. This one-time only item on the list is here because of the downright venom that should ooze from this game at every orifice. Nebraska is leaving the Big XII for the Big Ten because they know Texas and the other South Division schools will never allow Nebraska to achieve the equality they will get in the Big Ten. Texas is getting their conference at a lower prestige level due to this exit. Expect hatred to a level unseen in what should be the last game of this rivalry.

#8: The Wannstache

Dave Wannstedt had mediocre runs in the NFL as a head coach, but the Pittsburgh alum has come back to get a very nice run started for the Pitt Panthers. He knocked rival West Virginia out of a national title run. He also has the best 'stache in the business, the Wannstache:

#7: Les Miles on Clock Management

Les Miles might be the least competent coach to ever win a national title, and it worth noting he lost to overtime games that season. He also has an incredible ability to call plays that make absolutely no sense whatsoever, which worked mostly during his title run. It hasn't worked as much at other times, including this beauty which shall be considered his masterpiece:

#6: "Sandstorm"

For a couple consecutive items I will show my absolute bias. This is something that really just began, too early to call a tradition, at South Carolina. I love it, but it needs not be overdone. I was at this game vs Ole Miss (ranked #4 at the time) when I saw how powerful it could be:

#5: "2001"

The entrance of the team at South Carolina:

#4: Verne & Gary

In Part 1 of 2 on my love for The SEC on CBS I bring you Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, who get genuinely whacky at times. Danielson actually brings sound analysis to other outlets when brought on, but the two together go the way of hero worship. Most notably they even joked about their own Tebow love on air to the amusement of many, including me. Here's one example of the kind of whacky chemistry these two have:

#3: The CBS College Football Intro

Hearing this is when I know college football has begun, because it signals the first weekend of SEC football every fall. After it is over the words "Hello, Uncle Verne" typically escape my lips. Let it wash over you:

#2: Rivalries

In college football there are rivalries. Some rivalries reach across the country, Notre Dame vs Southern Cal, but most are brought on geographic proximity or Big Ten membership. The Egg Bowl. The Iron Bowl. The Civil War. The Big Game. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Old Oaken Bucket. Rivalry never dies.

#1: Sloth

Step 1) Wake up in time for ESPN College Gameday (9:45AM)

Step 2) Turn on ESPN

Step 3) As noon approaches, grab complete day of games TV schedule

Step 4) At noon begin keeping the channel on the best available game of live action

Step 5) At midnight flip between end of dirty Pac-10 game and College Football Final

Step 6) Pass out when either a) tired from the day or b) too drunk to stay awake

12 step plans are for quitters, my plan for greatness gets it done in 6.

and now your moment of zen...

5/11: Unwritten Rules Are Unwritten For A Reason

Dallas Braden: Defender of the Unwritten Rules of Baseball


We all now know Oakland pitcher Dallas Braden as the guy who threw the 19th perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. He did so against the best team, by winning percentage (minimum 30 games), to ever be thrown a perfect game. The Tampa Bay Rays are still the best team in baseball by record, but on Sunday they were kept off the base paths for 9 full innings of baseball.


Before Sunday he had gotten off to a good start this year, a 3-2 record with a 4.14 ERA, but was most known for his spat with Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez over an unwritten rule of baseball. Braden felt the unwritten rule was broken when Rodriguez walked over the mound during a game he was pitching. Rodriguez passed off Braden's claim by calling him out a joke, questioning if he was good to enough to be talking smack to one of the superstars of the sport.


Since that game Rodriguez has seen his batting average drop from .315 to .200, slugging percentage drop from .593 to .400, and OPS from 1.032 to .600. Braden has not only thrown that perfect game, but also had a solid 7-inning appearance vs Texas giving up 3 ER. So funny enough Braden has seemed to step up his game following the very public bout with Rodriguez, while the Yankee slugger has slumped a bit since the controversy.


The best part of the story is that Braden threw the perfect game on Mother's Day. It's the best part because Braden's mother died when he was young and was raised by his grandmother. Braden hugged his grandmother on the field in a scene that brought tears to Braden, his grandmother, and any human being who can even remotely fathom the emotion of the moment.


Oh yea, and his grandmother said "Stick It, A-Rod."




Unwritten Rule Broken During the Perfecto?


Through four innings Braden had yet to give up a run, a hit, a walk, an error, a hit batter, or anything resulting in a batter reaching base. In other words, he was perfect through four. The A's were ahead 4-0, nothing insurmountable by normal standards of offense, obviously in this case it was a bit tougher.


The deeper a pitcher goes into a no-hitter or a perfect game the more you start to believe it will happen. The longer it goes the more each inning, each at bat, and each pitch reach a feverish intensity. More people flip over on their satellite or internet package to see the game progressing. Eventually ESPN will cut into programming if it keeps going.


It wasn't that far into the game yet, the fifth inning was not the time to start thinking it was for real. It was also time for Tampa to try to get something started. So to lead off the top of the fifth Rays third baseman Evan Longoria attempted to bunt. It was nearly perfect, but rolled foul.


Another unwritten rule of baseball is to not attempt to bunt to break up a no-hitter or a perfect game. Who says so? Well, Bob Brenley for one.


Now the commentary...




They're unwritten for a reason


The unwritten rules are unwritten because they'd laugh you out of the building if you wrote them down.


Another unwritten rule of baseball is that you don't swing at the first pitch after a pitcher has given up back to back home runs. Which I'm sure would be called for when you're trailing 4-3 in the eight inning. I'd still say you should ignore this rule in any situation, but the rules don't allow for situations in this case.


Braden's public shouting match with Rodriguez over pitching mound was something entirely revolving around respect. No advantage was gained, only respect not shown. It's clear Rodriguez was either unaware or unconcerned about this unwritten rule. Braden clearly took the rule seriously. The real issue was that the slugging third baseman chose the route of ad homenim attack against Braden. What became clear was that Rodriguez didn't respect Braden, the pitching mound being almost secondary to his verbal trashing of Braden.


It is likely most people chose their sides based on how they felt about Rodriguez. If you think he's a disrespectful prick, you added this to the list. The few of you who don't think that are probably Yankee fans.


The respectful thing would've been to avoid the pitching mound, and it's unlikely this rule will be broken again anytime soon. It's not like it's come up in a while anyway, as most of the baseball public were unaware this was even an unwritten rule. Yet we would still not do it because it seems like the wrong thing to do.


As for Longoria's bunt attempt, it's like Herman Edwards says:







The Rays bunted for a hit 20 times in 2009, and have already done so 5 times in 2010 (keep in mind the fastest player, Carl Crawford, doesn't bunt because he's terrible at it, so none of those are him). They thrive on using speed to bunt and steal their way onto and around the bases. Their strategy shouldn't change just because there's a perfect game in affect. In fact, that they had yet to get on base should increase their desire to use just such a strategy.


It wasn't that late into the game, and it was a normal strategy for the Rays. This isn't the slugging Yankees we're talking about, but the speedy Rays.


A bunt is a perfectly legal and legitimate play, so you can't decide it's not depending on the situation.


To me this rule says this: You might as well just let the bat rest on your shoulder, take three strikes, and walk back to the dugout.


It's the pitcher's job to pitch, the fielder's job to field, and the hitter's job to hit. They are to do so however they have to within the rules. The written ones that is, because those are the ones for winners. Losers can sit idly and observe the unwritten rules, until they are fired or demoted to be replace by a winner.

4/17: My 2010 NFL Draft Spectacular

One week from now we will be wrapping up the 2010 NFL Draft. So here's my preview spectacular.

NFL Draft vs Fantasy Football Draft


Which is better, the NFL Draft or your fantasy football draft?
This is actually question for anyone who looks forward to fantasy football. Both events are looked forward to all year, and both are usually are a reason to congregate and consume tasty adult beverages in mass quantity. Here's my breakdown of each aspect to get a good idea of which is truly the best.


Length
NFL Draft- In the old format it lasted 2 days (Sat & Sun)  and included 7 rounds, but this year it will last three days (Thu, Fri & Sat). The reason is that even the late round has a time limit of 5 minutes, totally unimaginable to fantasy football where picks have to move quicker.
Fantasy drafts- Usually completed in 3 hours or so and have over 10 rounds. Last year the draft I participated in had 17 rounds for the 10 teams.
Advantage: Fantasy draft, because everybody hates the lag between picks in the NFL Draft.


In-Draft Analysis
NFL Draft- Broken down as it happens by crews of ESPN and the NFL Network. ESPN usually has Chris Berman leading the coverage and they feature Mel "The Hair" Kiper, Jr engaging in shouting matches with Todd McShay. NFL Network has Rich Eisen lead coverage with Mike Mayock single-handedly providing the Kiper/McShay role of an evaluator.
Fantasy drafts- Broken down by your buddies as they snicker that you reached for Matt Ryan in the 5th round (8th QB) when Matt Schaub was still on the board. Ok, so that was me, but honestly it seemed smart at the time.
Advantage: NFL Draft, because I honestly enjoy Kiper and McShay throwing chairs at each other. Worth noting I'd give late round analysis advantage to fantasy drafts as ESPN & NFLN are still discussion first round during last three rounds.


In-Draft Alcohol Consumption
NFL Draft- We are all at home watching the draft, and there are some great NFL Draft drinking games at there: This one from 2008 would get your drunk in 15 minutes off the first three rules -> link. Here's an update for 2010 -> link.
Fantasy draft- You drink, but now you have to drink and make picks in the draft. This should be an added challenge for consideration of the NFL Draft. Impose drinking game rules in the war rooms. I think we can all assume this was what Jerry Jones was thinking when he did some testing of this rule recently.
Advantage- Fantasy draft, because it's more fun when alcohol makes some guy call out "Tom Brady!" in round 11.


"What the hell was that?" Factor
NFL Draft- Two words: Oakland Raiders.
Fantasy drafts- You know the guy I'm talking about, last year for my league we had a guy with the team name "BUD LITE BROWNS". He took 3 QBs: Peyton Manning in the 1st round, Jay Cutler in the 4th round, and Mark Sanchez in the 16th round. We played in a 1 QB format. He also took Sammy Morris in the 13th round when the following were all still available: Ahmad Bradshaw, Leon Washington, LeSean McCoy, Willis McGahee, Chester Taylor, and Laurence Maroney (who was ahead of Morris on the same team's depth chart).
Advantage: NFL Draft, because taking JaMarcus Russell 1st & Darrius Heyward-Bey 7th is still crazier.


Winner: Fantasy draft, but not by much.






Jaguars Draft Discussion


Jacksonville picks 10th in the draft due to a poor finish to the 2009 season. Here are the most likely choices for the Jaguars at this pick:


Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama: I hear a lot that he is a someone the Jags like, but it is doubtful he's be at the top of the value board at 10. Remember, Jags now believe in BAP (best available player) in draft strategy. In college he was a leader and a big time player for the Crimson Tide. Another question is if he fits the scheme in Jacksonville.


Eric Berry, S, Tennessee: It is doubtful he is still on the board at this point, but if he is I think back flips would be appropriate on my part. He's got the potential to be the next Ed Reed. Could be the best player in the draft, depending on your evaluation. It would be hard to not like him if he's there.


Earl Thomas, S, Texas: Some rank him higher than Berry at safety, Mike Mayock of NFL Network is one, and he appears to have a lot of potential. The reason he's been moving up the charts is that he showed in his combine that he has better movement and ability to turn than expected. He might be better than Berry with less hype.


Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech: Instant improvement to the pass rush, but the hesitation is whether or not he can effectively stop the run. Keep in mind Jags could still use more help in the pass rush. I like improving the defense here, especially the horrendous pass rush from 2009.


C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson: This is an intriguing thought, because Jacksonville has invested much money and PR making Maurice Jones-Drew the face of the franchise. This would be a lot to pay your 2nd running back. I'm inclined to think this would be a bad idea, but it's very possible he will be the best available player.


Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame: Clausen is likely to get the most interest from a live drama standpoint. He could go in the Top 10 or he could fall to the mid-20's. There is a great degree of debate as to his abilities. He played in a pro-style offense in college and got better each year. Still there is some hesitation regarding him that is hard to pinpoint. I'm not particularly high on him, but I've been wrong before and all.


Joe Haden, CB, Florida: Being a Gator is a big plus for the marketing side, but there are concerns. I think he'd be ok, but I'm also highly suspicious that the treatment he has gotten from Jags front office personnel is to make good with the locals. I don't expect them to take him.


Offensive lineman who drops: If one of the OL than we expect to go Top 10 drops then Jacksonville might be in a position to further improve their offensive line, which was a big area of weakness two years ago with improvement last year. The argument against it is they took OL in 1st & 2nd round last year, but that's not a good reason to avoid further strengthening the unit and getting it younger. The Jets worked wonders with multiple 1st rd OL.


Trade down: This isn't so much a choice as a possibility. It would be the best thing for the Jaguars, as they could get more players in a draft considered to be loaded with talent.


For further info look at these great sources of information regarding the Jags in the draft:
Florida Times-Union
Big Cat Country
Jaguars Official Site






My Mock Draft
I did a mock draft, because everybody ends up wrong. Here it is, bash it!


1. St Louis Rams
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
We all know it now, but unless the trade down this is where they're going


2. Detroit Lions
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
I think he is the best player in the draft, only going 2nd because he's not a QB


3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Most seem to reinforce this, but they need to improve everywhere and he's the best available


4. Washington Redskins
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Not a fan of drafting for need, but they need OL badly and he's also damn good


5. Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Baluga, OT, Iowa
There are concerns, but their OL needs help and he is evaluated well (most likely to drop out of Top 10)


6. Seattle Seahawks
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
This is where you have to take the best player possibly in the entire draft, a steal


7. Cleveland Browns
C.J., Spiller, RB, Clemson
They need a lot of things, but at running back they could play Spiller Day 1


8. Oakland Raiders
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Honestly you'd be better off with dartboard, but I'll go with logic (probably bad decision)


9. Buffalo Bills
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
I think if he doesn't go hear then he will tumble, but they need him even if their OL sucks


10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Like I said, I like him, and he may be the best safety in the draft


11. Denver Broncos
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
This is tricky, but I think the character issues with Bryant are manageable and he's too talented to pass


12. Miami Dolphins
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Pass defense needs to improve more than anything, that's his strength


13. San Francisco 49ers
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Serious need in their secondary, he's made plays versus top competition


14. Seattle Seahawks
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
They took Berry first precisely because they could get OT later


15. New York Giants
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
I think getting him here is a steal, very high on this guy


16. Tennessee Titans
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
We all know their pass rush needs help post-Haynesworth, here it comes with 1-yr wonder


17. San Francisco
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Another guy I think is a steal at this point in the draft, like his abilities on the pro level


18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
I get wishy-washy here thinking Pouncey might be a better pick, but OL needed in a bad way


19. Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Graham, LB, Michigan
I think Mike Smith wants to improve his defense in the worst way, especially when facing Brees twice a season


20. Houston Texas
Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State
I will call it now, I think he will end up the best RB from this draft


21. Cincinnati Bengals
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
Big risk here since he's a receiver from an option offense, but Bengals take risks in the draft for the upside


22. New England Patriots
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Their video game offense could use a better TE, and here he is sitting on the board at 22


23. Green Bay Packers
Maurkice Pouncey, C/OG, Florida
Another team where need exceeds all else, need to protect their franchise QB


24. Philadelphia Eagles
Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Eagles don't have to go far to drive him to the facility, recent secondary departures necessitate this pick


25. Baltimore Ravens
Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
A lot of raw talent, Zook doesn't polish players well, but the Boldin pick-up isn't gonna stop this selection


26. Arizona Cardinals
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
He seems to be falling in some mocks that I'm seeing, but I still like him


27. Dallas Cowboys
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
They need help at OL, he needs work (ex: Gil Brandt says "He looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.")


28. San Diego Chargers
Jahvid Best, RB, California
LT has moved on, this local product could improve the running game


29. New York Jets
Jerry Hughes, LB/DE, Texas Christian
Made a last minute change here, this is one of their few needs


30. Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
This is their glaring area of need, secondary, and at the end of the draft are teams that can draft for need


31. Indianapolis Colts
Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana
Strange pick, but Colts keep it close to the vest and get value every time


32. New Orleans Saints
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
He could be top CB in the draft, I think he'll fall due to competition, but he's legit and a steal here


Some guys I have falling out of first round: Taylor Mays, Everson Griffen, Sean Weatherspoon, Jared Odrick, Terrance Cody, Sergio Kindle, Charles Brown


With that all said, I'm completely full of shit and likely to be wrong on everything.




and now your moment of zen...

3/31: My Trip to Martinsville - Rain & Hotdogs

I consider a trip to a NASCAR race a quasi-religious pilgrimage that replaces communion wine with beer in a can, bread with greasy concession food, and the good book with a publication of scanner frequencies.

I've been to Talladega (Cup in 2005), Darlington (Cup in 2006), Charlotte (Cup in 2008 & 2009), Daytona (Nationwide in twice in 2009), Atlanta (Cup in 2009), and now I've added Martinsville as of Sunday... sort of.

FRIDAY MARCH 26TH

5:30PM - I've been working for entirely too long, but at long last it's time to head to the house and to load up the truck for my ride.

6:10PM - I left the house at last after getting packed.

6:12PM - I left the house for real this time after going back for my Carolina UA jacket which I thought I wouldn't need. *foreshadowing*

7:05PM - I tuned in to the Twins-Orioles game on the radio. Need to find out if Brian Roberts is gonna be healthy. I took him in the fourth round of my fantasy league. I did this for a number of reasons, none of them smart. I didn't know he was banged up, didn't realize his steals were falling off already, and was ultimately driven by the auto-draft order into thinking it was a smart call. B-Rob has done some nice things for me in recent years, so I honestly know it's possible he will exceed expectations.

7:13PM - I changed the channel once I realized that listening to spring training on the radio is simply something I can't do. It became clear to me that this wasn't going to last when I couldn't remember if Roberts batted in the first inning or not, despite that being the only reason I was tuning in. I love baseball on the radio, but spring training on the radio is just intolerable. Not sure how to describe this, but I simply cannot do it.

9:25PM - Met up with my friend Kenneth for dinner in Jacksonville. We ate while watching the beginning of Michigan St vs Northern Iowa, which sadly did not end with a UNI win. We enjoyed Tennessee having just moments earlier put the second SEC team in the Sweet 16 while the Big East had less to show for their vaunted conference. You can always have a good talk with Kenneth because he will say just about anything, including many things that would offend far too many people if I actually wrote about it. *I understand no one will actually read this, but I would like to leave that last sentence where it is.

10:45PM - Finally getting going again on my trip. I now know it will be a late night.

12:15AM - There's a stretch of I-95 in Georgia that has been under construction for as long as I've made this trip, going back to my first trip to Carolina as a freshman in the Fall of 2003. So in other words I got a BA in 3 years, but in 7 years the road is still under construction. What's even more dumbfounding is that I've never seen anyone working on this stretch and I've never even noticed any progress on my many trips (I've made over 40 trips along this stretch of road in the past 7 years).

SATURDAY MARCH 27TH

1:30AM - I finally made it to South Carolina, and stopped at the Welcome Center. I stopped there because I always do, and bad things happen when you don't stop at the Welcome Center. It's cold, something tells me this trip is gonna have bad weather. *foreshadowing*

3:30AM - Pulled into parking lot at my friend Christian's apartment. Had to wake him up with a phone call, but got in and was asleep within an hour.

9:30AM - Christian wakes me up as he is rustling around, which makes sense for him since he was a sleep before I even got there, but for me it's just terrible.

12:30PM - Met up with my friend Nick for lunch at Pawley's Front Porch in Five Points. I ordered The Beaufort. Really how can I turn down a burger with a fried egg, ham, cheese, onion ring, and hot sauce? Top it off with some sweet potato fries and a couple bottles of Coors Light for a great lunch. Nick is engaged and has a wedding in May. Really, my fraternal little brother is getting married in less than two months and I couldn't be happier for him.

2:30PM - After getting back to Christian's apartment we are now packed. The third member of our group, Bobby, has arrived and has his stuff packed as well. We are ready to roll.

4:30PM - We're on the road, I know that K-State vs Butler is starting, and I'm wondering how much of the wondrous Gus Johnson I will get to see today. That's about all there is to think about because other than Charlotte there's nothing on this route.

5:25PM - We stop at some Shell station on I-40 in North Carolina, I have no idea where this is or if I will ever find this place again, but it holds a great national treasure. It was here that I found NEHI, and of course I had to buy some. I bought an Orange Nehi, a Peach Nehi, and a Grape Nehi. For all I knew Nehi was discontinued during the Korean War after Radar left the Korean Peninsula. Souvenir #1 on my trip: Empty Grape Nehi bottle, because I had to drink it.

6:00PM - We arrived at our hotel in Winston-Salem with enough time to watch the final 8 minutes or so of Butler's victory over Kansas State. I was somehow alive in some weird pick 'em and needed K-State to win, but really didn't care. It was just too special for this victory. I can't help thinking of this team as the team from Hoosiers, even though I know they are good and not some small town miracle.

7:00PM - We head out for dinner with the idea of watching the late Elite Eight game.

7:15PM - We finally manage to get to Texas Roadhouse, but the line out the door is a turn-off.

7:20PM - O'Charley's looks promising, but there appear to be no TV's, so we're off to keeping looking.

7:25PM - TGI Friday's is our eventual landing spot. We get to our seats, which have no view of the TV's. So we spend the meal observing people and trying to figure out just how freaky our waitress probably is with her men. Really, she appears to be the absolute definition of a closet freak, with the doors wide open.

Rest of evening not very interesting, but we did load up the hotel fridge...

SUNDAY MARCH 28TH

5:29AM - I'm up, and it's way too damn early.

6:00AM - We're the first ones in line for the complimentary hotel breakfast. There were others up early, and all clearly had their respective NASCAR apparel on as well. There's nothing more unappealing than the options at a hotel breakfast, but that's because I never can talk myself into waiting and working to make a waffle.

7:30AM - After searching for a while for a Sunoco (I have a card where I had budgeted for this trip) we settle on going to a Sheetz. I have no idea what that chain is, but it had to be visited. As we turn I declared there would be a Sunoco "on the other side of that hill" because that happens to be my luck most of the time.

7:35AM - There was a Sunoco on the other side of that hill. Not kidding.

8:00AM - We pulled into our parking spot with five hours left until the scheduled green flag.

8:20AM - We visit the merchandise haulers. I got a sweater which I need because it's really cold. I also got a new BB&T hat, which is Clint Bowyer's alternate sponsor and primary sponsor for this race. The track looks awesome from here.

8:35AM - We met our friend Robbie outside the track. Robbie works on the company that broadcasts the SprintVision stuff at NASCAR races. I've always laughed at how corny much of it is, but I know it is good stuff.

9:00AM - It is cold and overcast, I start getting a really bad feeling this race won't get in. Robbie told us we need to get to 251 laps for it to be official, but first we'd need to get to 1 lap.

9:20AM - We get in line at the only port-a-johns we can find, which are in the official merchandise hauler area. Long lines already.

9:40AM - First beer opened, drinking ensues.

CHRISTIAN

BOBBY

10:00AM - Bobby goes to the port-a-johns, but Christian and I know it's not worth it and we just use the car doors to provide cover.

11:30AM - Bobby has long since given in.

11:45AM - We're heading to the track, weather still has not improved.

12:25PM - In line for the hotdogs, the "World Famous Martinsville Hotdogs"

12:55PM - So good. Hot dog, chili, slaw, and mustard for just $2. I had three.

2:30PM - Sure enough the race is postponed until Monday at noon, without a green flag lap. This was as close as we could get to seeing car on the track...

4:51PM - We leave the track, knowing that coming back tomorrow is not going to happen.

The rest of the story...

We watched the last Elite Eight game in the small window of the TV not dedicated to storm coverage. Tornadoes hit the area where we were, but not really all that close to where we actually were.

We watched the race at Christian's apartment. Sure enough, Denny Hamlin won, who is Bobby's favorite driver.

So many dollars later I still haven't seen a race at Martinsville, but we'll be back next year. Maybe we'll actually see a green flag lap next time.