I’m not a big fan of now former Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson. I don’t think the fact that he has the highest winning percentage among Head Coaches in NBA history (min. 250 games coached) is a reflection of his coaching skills or lack thereof. That said, the Dallas Mavericks were a 4 or 5 seed before the Jason Kidd/Everyone trade and a quickly eliminated 7 seed afterward. Avery Johnson did not make that move. Most reports say that Johnson was opposed to the Kidd trade; he had groomed Devin Harris into a mold similar to Johnson’s when he was a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs in the 90’s and didn’t want to give up on him. However, today, Avery Johnson sits with recently ousted Charlotte Bobcats coach Sam Vincent and former Bucks coach Larry Krystowiak. And really, one of those people doesn’t belong there. Avery Johnson will get work. And he’ll get it soon.

Reader (and Lord) Ryan had a few questions in his comments from yesterday. I loved that. So here are your answers Ryan (If any other readers have any questions, please ask them).

1.) If the Celtics fire Doc Rivers, who do you hire?
– Avery Johnson would be on my short list. He’d have a young point guard (Rajon) to continue to mold. I think he would do a better job than Doc, because Avery isn’t concerned with smiling during playoff games like Doc apparently is. Avery does coach. If Avery doesn’t want to come to Boston, Tom Thibodeau would also be on my short list. The things that Thib did (and yes, I’ve given him a nickname) with this defense, along with Kevin Garnett, are really miraculous by basketball standards. Last year, this team couldn’t defend a plastic bag in a light breeze. They allowed inferior players to look exceptional offensively. This year, they buckled down and played D. Thibodeau has never been a head coach in the NBA, but he’s proven his mettle with the Celtics this year and with the Rockets in the last 4 seasons. Beyond those two, if I was to go dark horse, I might make a call to a certain front office guy in Indianapolis named Larry Legend. Look at his coaching record in his 3 years with Indiana. He’s certainly not the best candidate in terms of ability, but in terms of raising excitement about the Celtics to an asinine level, that would do it.

2.) Why is Sam Cassell allowed on the basketball court?
-Because Doc Rivers doesn’t know what he’s doing. Because Doc apparently read Sam Cassell’s wikipedia page and thought, “Wow, he’s played in a lot of places. And he’s a veteran. And I understand that come playoff time, you should play veterans. Therefore, even though I have a team full of vets, I’m going to bench the more valuable and, at this point, talented, Eddie House in favor of a veteran whose best days are so far behind him that you can’t even see them.

3.) Who would you have taken with the Pats Pick in Round 1 (Pick 10)?
-I loved this question. It makes me feel more important than I really am. I liked the Mayo pick. And Bill Belichick, judging by the enormous tent he now sports, liked the pick a lot too. However, I really would have looked at the offensive line. Look, the Pats O-Line was also the Pro Bowl line last year, but that was more of an anomaly than anything else. We saw in the playoffs that they weren’t as good as we thought. I would have drafted Branden Albert (OT/OG) with the tenth pick or perhaps Boise State LT Ryan Clady. As another note, I was saddened that the Patriots did not draft LSU RB/FB Jacob Hester. I watched and loved Hester so much in college. He was the ideal Patriots guy. Except now he’s a San Diego Charger (along with Antoine Cason). I should really start loving the Chargers. You know, once they do something about their smug quarterback. Like kick him to the curb.

So as you see, you ask questions…you (probably) get answers here. For example, reader Kristen wanted to know what I thought about the Big Brother finale. I take occasional divergences in my writings, away from the world of sports (such as my Oscar Preview), however, I’m not going to do that for Big Brother as more people read this for sports than read this for my analysis of a really bad last two weeks of a show I enjoy and a boring winner only outdone by an even more boring final two.

3 of the 4 2nd Round NHL Playoff Series are currently at 3-0 (Detroit, Dallas, and Pittsburgh all lead). The other series features the two teams who eliminated the two teams I was rooting for the most. Hence, I will start talking about hockey again when the Red Wings and Stars and Penguins and Flyers begin play in their respective conference finals.

Game O’ The Day: Hawks @ Celtics. Boston wins by 20. 20! I won’t care if they win by 2 or 20, really. As long as they win.

That’s “Doc” Rivers. I could talk about how upsetting last night’s game was, but if you watched it (Ryan and Matt) you know how you felt when the game was over. I felt/feel the same way. I still think the Celtics will win the series (at least I hope they will). I, as well as the readers, am nervous for the Celtics.

Fire Doc Rivers!

Today’s post may be typed very poorly. I apologize in advance for this. I have a puffy piece of gauze on my thumb. Needless to say, sticking your hand in the trash to compress it is a really dumb idea, especially when there is razor sharp aluminum in there. I’m a moron. As well, I’m still functioning on minimal sleep (about 8 hours in the last four days). However, this is a sports blog, not a blog about my life. There’s clearly less demand for that.

Going to hit the meat of post now, with my breakdown of the first round of the NFL Draft.

I was 6/31 in my Round 1 Mock Draft (V.2). Mel Kiper was 5/31. I’m just saying. Full disclosure, I only hit one of my second round picks (Donnie Avery).

But lets move past my self-glorification. Here’s how the breakdown will work for Round 1 analysis. I’ll tell you the pick. I’ll grade the pick (1=Beyond injury, this guy can’t miss with this team, 2=This guy will need some work, but could be very good with this team, or just mediocre (most of the guys will be this), or 3=This team’s GM is mentally retarded and doesn’t know the difference between the NFL Draft and an NFL Fantasy League). And I’ll have some sort of insightful and/or witty comment. Let’s go:

1. Miami Dolphins-Jake Long (OT)
Grade=1
Great pick. So rarely do teams actually take the guy they should in this situation. They go for name or skill. Great pick by the Dolphins. They take the best guy for their team.

2. St. Louis Rams-Chris Long (DE)
Grade=2
It’s an okay pick, really. Long might be very good, but he was not a powerhouse defensive player at Virginia. He was very good. But no one in the middle of the year said, “Wow, no one can stop that kid.” They, instead said, “Holy shit I’m old. Howie Long’s son is a college senior!?!?”

3. Atlanta Falcons-Matt Ryan (QB)
Grade=3
Matt Ryan might be an okay quarterback in his career. But this team is terrible. And thinking a quarterback will solve that problem is foolish. They should have drafted Glenn Dorsey.

4. Oakland Raiders-Darren McFadden (RB)
Grade=2
This was almost a 3. They didn’t need a running back. Are you going to tell me that moving down for an OT or drafting Gholston would not have been more of a help. That said, McFadden is still very skilled.

5. Kansas City Chiefs-Glenn Dorsey (DT)
Grade=1
Great pick. This is the definition of a “1” grade. Barring injury, this is a can’t miss.

6. New York Jets-Vernon Gholston (DE/OLB)
Grade=2
Gholston apparently lacks the motor that Chris Long possesses. What he does have is more skill than Long. So if he finds the motivation, he could be Mario Williams in a few years.

7. New Orleans Saints-Sedrick Ellis (DT)
Grade=3
Great pick. Their defense was terrible. They improved it with this pick. Let’s just hope for New Orleans sake that Sedrick Ellis doesn’t have any Jonathan Sullivan in him.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars-Derrick Harvey (DE)
Grade=2
I almost went with a 1 here. Look, everyone complained at how much they gave up to get here. They didn’t need that much in terms of draft pieces to be great next year. They’re, on paper, the AFC’s best team. So they add some depth on the D-Line. Really not that much of a reach. Unlike another team a few picks down the line.

9. Cincinnati Bengals-Keith Rivers (OLB)
Grade=1
This is a borderline 1/2 grade. However, Rivers is a great character guy with a great motor coming to a porous defense. Seems like a good equation to me.

10- New England Patriots-Jerod Mayo (OLB)
Grade=2
Good pick, not mind blowing by any means. As usual, the Patriots draft a guy that no one had them picking.

11. Buffalo Bills-Leodis McKelvin (CB)
Grade=2
Eh. This pick doesn’t make me sexually excited as it did ESPN’s entire crew on Saturday. McKelvin did not play at the highest of levels in college. We’ll see how he fares in the NFL. I’m giving this pick time. Leodis McKelvin…like wine.

12. Denver Broncos-Ryan Clady (OT)
Grade=1
When you need an OL and you draft the best OL and it’s 4 months until people start, you know, playing, this pick has to be a 1.

13. Carolina Panthers-Jonathan Stewart (RB)
Grade=3…no, a 4…perhaps a 72?
This was the worst pick of the first round in my opinion. The biggest head scratcher by far. Most prognosticators had Rashard Mendenhall (bigger back, quicker, less wear and tear) ranked higher than Stewart. And Carolina didn’t need a running back in Round 1. But the Panthers laugh in the face of common sense. They needed an OT? And Brandon Albert, Chris Williams, and Jeff Otah were still available? So what! Let’s draft a running back!

14. Chicago Bears-Chris Williams (OT)
Grade=2
A sound pick by the Bears.

15. Kansas City Chiefs-Brandon Albert (OT/OG)
Grade=1
I loved their first three picks (Brandon Flowers (CB) in Round 2 was their 3rd). But who didn’t? On paper, the best draft. And then they go out and sign a stud undrafted QB. Much like with the Broncos, the Chiefs needed an OT and took the top prospect at said position.

16. Arizona Cardinals-Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB)
Grade=1
They could have drafted a scarecrow to play CB and it would have been a “2.” Rodgers-Cromartie, to the best of my knowledge, is not a scarecrow.

17. Detroit Lions-Gosder Cherilus (OT)
Grade=2
A bit of a reach and I would have taken Jeff Otah. But, whatever.

18. Baltimore Ravens-Joseph Flacco (QB)
Grade=2
Where Cerilus was a bit of reach, this was some Stretch Armstrong stuff. No team below them until they picked again was going to draft a QB in Round 1. It wasn’t even a question. That said, I think Flacco is the best prospect in this draft.

19. Carolina Panthers-Jeff Otah (OT)
Grade=2
They move up to take a guy they should have taken at 13 and give up this draft’s 2nd and 4th round picks AAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDD next year’s 1st rounder. But at least they didn’t draft a running back.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Aqib Talib (CB)
Grade=2
I like the pick a lot. Almost enough to make it a 1. Nice cajones by the Bucs for taking Talib despite “character concerns.” He should fit in pretty well.

21. Atlanta Falcons-Sam Baker (OT)
Grade=3
This is just a moronic reach. Just stupid.

22. Dallas Cowboys-Felix Jones (RB)
Grade=1
A great mix with Marion “The Barbarian.” And he’s a Hog. And I was calling for this pick. The only problem I kind of have with this pick is that Rashard Mendenhall is still available.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers-Rashard Mendenhall (RB)
Grade=2
This is almost a 3, only because I don’t see the actual need. You look at the rest of Round 1 and who was available, are you going to tell me that Antoine Cason or Mike Jenkins wouldn’t make more sense? Mendenhall might end up being a very good feature back in his career, but in the short term, I still don’t understand.

24. Tennessee Titans- Chris Johnson (RB)
Grade=3
This competes with Carolina’s first pick as the single dumbest decision in World History. They needed (and still DO!) a wide receiver. All of them were available (including former Vince Young teammate Limas Sweed). So they took the dynamic speedster running back when they already have 2 decent to mediocre running backs on the roster.

25. Dallas Cowboys-Mike Jenkins (CB)
Grade=2
Very good first round for the ‘Boys.

26. Houston Texans-Duane Brown (OT)
Grade=2
Most people give this a 3 or their equivalent. However, I think if we give it time, it might not be such a terrible pick.

27. San Diego Charger-Antoine Cason (CB)
Grade=1
I love it more than I love driving on a sunny day with the window down listening to 6 year old pop-punk music. Defensive rookie of the year.

28. Seattle Seahawks-Lawrence Jackson (DE)
Grade=2
This really isn’t a bad pick, because like Jacksonville, what do the Seahawks really need to address in round 1? Tight end was a weakness for this team, but really, Fred Davis and Dustin Keller are not surefire first rounders. So they bolster up the D-Line. Can’t hurt, right?

29. San Francisco 49ers-Kentwan Balmer (DT)
Grade=2
This is a really good pick. Time will tell if Balmer’s game can translate to the NFL, but the 49ers at least made a smart pick. Sure they would have loved to have had the 7th pick, to take Sedrick Ellis, but that’s the price you pay for Joe Staley.

30. New York Jets-Dustin Keller (TE)
Grade=3
I don’t get it. Someone explain it to me. They needed a tight end that badly?

31. New England Patriots- Pick forfeited (Head Coach)
Grade=3
It would have been nice to have had this pick…

32. New York Giants-Kenny Phillips (S)
Grade=2
This is neither a great pick or a terrible one. Phillips should be a nice addition to their secondary. Nice. Not fantastic.

Game O’ The Day: Phoenix @ San Antonio (Game 5). This is a must win game for the Suns. If they don’t win this game, their coach will be fired and whatever system they’ve established there goes absolutely kaput. With it will go Steve Nash’s career, sadly. He was designed to run this offense. Or perhaps this offensive system was designed for Steve Nash to run it. Whatever it is, the Suns need to win tonight and the next two games. They cannot be eliminated by the Spurs again in the playoffs or we will lose the most entertaining offense since Showtime.

Two-time former Miami Heat coach Pat Riley announced today that he won’t be back as Heat head coach next year, because, as one ESPN.com commenter put it, “When the going gets tough, Pat Riley quits.” A few years back, the Heat were underachieving, so Pat decided to get hip surgery, handed the team over to Stan Van Gundy, and then when they started playing better, came back, took the team from Van Gundy, and won a title with them, taking full credit for the job. Class act, Pat Riley. Of course, this year the Miami Heat would not have won the NBDL title, so Pat Riley decided he didn’t have anything more to teach and quit on the Heat. I despise Pat Riley.

I was going to do a full grade out the first round of the NFL Draft today, but I’m very tired and very spacey today (not the Kevin variety) and don’t really want to write a 1,500 word post. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t have some draft comments:

1.) The Kansas City Chiefs somehow got the two players they valued most in the first round (DT Glenn Dorsey and OT/OG Brandon Albert). They also signed undrafted free agent QB Ricky Santos, so they’re obviously making the playoffs in the 2008-09 season.

2.) The Atlanta Falcons, who were previously enamored with Dorsey, decided instead to handcuff their franchise for a few years by reaching for OT Sam Baker in the middle of Round 1 and drafting QB Matt Ryan with the 3rd overall pick. I’ve made it very apparent before, but Matt Ryan’s best characteristic as a quarterback is that he’s built like a quarterback, which is foolish. Ryan did not play with top notch talent in Chestnut Hill, but he also personally choked in his only primetime National TV performance, at home, against an underachieving Florida State team. So there’s that.

3.) The Carolina Panthers had the single worst pick of the first round however, but we’ll discuss that nonsense tomorrow.

Switching gears to baseball, these are the teams that are currently leading their respective divisions (ties go to the more unexpected team):

Baltimore Orioles
Chicago White Sox
LA Angels
Florida Marlins
Chicago Cubs
Arizona Diamondbacks

Our current wild card teams are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Oakland Atheltics. These would be the playoff matchups today (with the Tampa Bay Rays just missing out):

Los Angeles vs. Baltimore
Chicago vs. Oakland

Arizona vs. St. Louis
Chicago vs. Florida

I do this only for reference sake in 5 months when very few of these teams are in the hunt for the playoffs. I expect only the Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Angels to be a factor in September, but if I had to pick one other team, from this group of 8, I’m just saying, look out for the Florida Marlins.

Perhaps someone should introduce Roger Clemens to Miley Cyrus. Or perhaps, not, based on Roger’s apparent interest in younger ladies. If you don’t get the joke, in short, Roger allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 15 year old country start when he was in his mid-20’s with the Red Sox. Don’t worry though, Rusty Hardin said nothing sexual happened. And really, if anyone was to know that, Rusty Hardin would. I’m voting for Roger Clemens to be voted off the island. Which is to say that I want someone to smash him upside the head with a snow shovel.

I’m going to cut today short. I’m hoping that I get some much needed sleep tonight so that I can be back tomorrow with a real post for you all, the loyal readers. Before I go though…

Game O’ The Day: Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks. It’s not even close to an actual must win game for the Celtics and I’m almost certain that they’ll win tonight. However, there’s one thing you don’t want to give a young team in the playoffs: Hope. If the Hawks win tonight, they’ll have lots of that. I’m just saying, I’m a little nervous for the C’s.

Also tonight, the Magic will close out the Raptors and the Lakers will put the final bullet into the proverbial skulls of the Denver Nuggets, whose head coach will be fired before the end of the week.

Back tomorrow, minions.

College basketball’s player of the year, North Carolina’s Tyler Hansborough, announced today that he will be returning to Chapel Hill for his senior year. As a hater of North Carolina, this upsets me. As a college basketball fan, this excites me. The biggest of all kudos to Hansborough for realizing that it doesn’t get much better (I would presume) than being a college player. Ask Kevin Durant if he would have preferred playing on an 18 win Oklahoma City Sonics team this year or for a National Title contending Texas Longhorns club. Yes, there was money, but that money isn’t going anywhere. As I’ve said before in this spot, how many guys have gone back to school only to lose the rest of their career to an injury? Name one please. Hansborough’s return to the game will only make for a more exciting season in 2008-09.

I got no comments about Round 2 of the Mock Draft, which leads me to believe that most of you just skipped over that. As I’ve said before, tell me what you want to read about and I will make it happen. There’s really no sense in you reading this blog if it’s full of stuff you don’t want to read.

I did receive a comment from Ryan in regards to my not mentioning the Boston Celtics’ easy victory over the Atlanta Hawks. There were two reasons for this: 1.) I didn’t see any of the game, as I was at National’s Park and 2.) The Celtics are about 464X better than the Hawks. The only reason I see I should talk about them this round, is if they lose the series to Atlanta. Next round, when they are facing the Cleveland LeBrons, the Celtics will have my attention. Call me a fairweather fan. It doesn’t bother me.

Playing off of that subject, I haven’t watched any of the NBA Playoffs. Beyond the Sixers/Pistons and Suns/Spurs, there really isn’t one series that is going to be in question. Yes, the Raptors, Cavs, and Rockets won last night. They’re still going to lose their respective series. I will start paying more attention in Round 2, when we have the Lakers playing the Jazz and the Spurs playing the Hornets our west, with the Celtics and Cavs and two other teams playing in the East. The NBA is a league of matchups. And there aren’t any great ones here. For reference sake, remember when I realigned the NBA a few months back? Under that system, these would be your first round playoff matchups:

1.) Boston
8.) Sacramento
(okay, not very good)

4.) Houston
5.) Orlando

3.) San Antonio
6.) Dallas

2.) Los Angeles
7.) Denver
(ironically enough)

-Okay, so that conference sucks. Two good matchups, one we’ve already seen, and a typical 1-8 stinker. HOWEVER, in our other conference:

1.) Detroit
8.) Portland

4.) Utah
5.) Cleveland

3.) Phoenix
6.) Washington

2.) New Orleans
7.) Golden State

That’s 4 intriguing matchups, including the insane Vengeance Series between Utah and Cleveland (remember when Carlos Boozer screwed over the Cavs to go to Utah?) You also have the upstart Blazers playing the Pistons. A “First one to 120” series between Phoenix and the Wizards, and an entertaining New Orleans/Golden State matchup. I’m sorry, I like these better.

With today being a slow news day and a Friday, I’ll spare you all any more. But before we part for the weekend, here’s the Top 5 Sporting Events (Big Brother Finale on Sunday night not included) you need to watch this weekend:

5. Padres/Diamondbacks (Sunday…Peavy vs. Webb-The game’s two best pitchers square off)
4. San Jose/Dallas (Game 1-Tonight…Intriguing series gets started in Silicon Valley)
3. Pittsburgh/New York (Game 2-Sunday…Sid The Kid on National TV in the Playoffs)
2.. Phoenix/San Antonio (Game 3-Tonight…The Suns need to win. If they don’t, they’re done.)
1. NFL Draft (Tomorrow-Sunday…Self-Explanatory)

Before we all go crazy and talk about how dumb the Cowboys are for trading a fourth round pick for Adam Jones, bear in mind that if the PacMan isn’t reinstated, the Cowboys get the pick back next year from the Titans. So really, everybody wins. Including us, because now we get to enjoy the sights and sounds of PacMan in a new city.

Last night I attended my first game at Nationals Park. In case Jon Miller hadn’t come to your home to tell you already, the Washington Nationals have a new Ballpark, which they’re touting as “The House That Zim Built,” in honor of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who is hitting .215, .240, .333 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8R this year. In case you’re not a baseball fan, Ryan Zimmerman’s numbers are terrible whether you prefer so-called “Small Ball” (like me) or prefer a Sabermetric approach to the game (like long-time reader and God-Lord Matthew). This is due in large part to the fact that he is, what baseball experts call, “not good.” Regardless, the Ballpark is aesthetically pleasing inside, like a larger Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies). When you’re inside of CBP, you can feel the tightness of the park. The power alleys are not terribly deep, there’s not a ton of room in foul play, etc. Nationals Park has much deeper power alleys (about 380 to left and right) and more foul room on the field. The hot dogs, while not the best I’ve had (that nod goes to Oakland’s Whatever They’re Calling It This Season Colosseum) were quite good and cooked in front of your face. My main gripe with the park, besides the less than charming aesthetics of Southeast D.C. outside of the park, was and is the pricing. The Park was publicly financed and caused a lot of controversy because, frankly, there are more important economic issues in this city than giving a baseball team some new digs. The city’s public school system ranks as one of the lowest achieving in the country due in the most part to not being as publicly supported as they should be. So when a $611 million park opens up and is primarily financed by the tax payers of the District, the least the new ownership can do is make the tickets cheap enough so that the people who will soon lose their home to gentrification in and around the ball yard, will actually get to see why they’re soon to be homeless. However, despite the fact that the Nationals are putrid on the field, with little hope of being good any time soon, you pay prices at the gate similar to those at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium to see a 6-16 team. Maybe this is why the Nationals set a modern baseball record for the smallest crowd to attend the second game of a new Ballpark.

I’d like to welcome aboard James, a recent discoverer of Mid-Atlantic Bias and also send a Kudos to Sylwia for sticking with “The Bias” despite her obvious despondency over the elimination of her beloved NJ Devils from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, at the hands of the hated Midtown Manhattan Rangers, no less.

No hockey games to talk about today, however, my Second Round predictions just came out of the oven and are fresh for consumption:

Eastern Conference:
Philadelphia over Montreal in 6 games
Pittsburgh over Midtown Manhattan in 6 games

Western Conference:
Detroit over Colorado in 7 games
Dallas over San Jose in 6 games

In case you missed yesterday’s post (and care to know who the Lions are going to take with the 46th pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft (and Sunday too)), you should go to yesterday’s post and find out (it’s USC Tackle Sam Baker). For those of you who already know, proceed below for the finale of my Round 2 Mock Draft.

49. Atlanta Falcons
THE PICK:Roy Schuening (OG Oregon State)
This is one of those “As Sexy as Rhea Perlman” picks, but Schuening is the best guard available and for a team with a below average O-Line (and everything else) this isn’t such a bad pick.

50. Philadelphia Eagles
THE PICK: Curtis Lofton (OLB Oklahoma)
The Eagles’ linebacker corp is not as deep as Jim Johnson, their defensive coordinator would like it to be. Lofton only had one year of solid time at Oklahoma, but he was also coached by Bob Stoops, who is no slouch. It may take him a year or so, but he has potential to be a starter at OLB.

51. Arizona Cardinals
THE PICK: Mike McGlynn (OG Pittsburgh)
The primary issue with this team has been their porous OL. They would love, if they had a brain, for Schuening to fall to them at this pick. McGlynn is a notoriously hard worker with a mind for the game and a passion. The Cardinals don’t have a lot of those guys.

52. Washington Redskins
THE PICK: Tom Zibikowski (S Notre Dame)
Unlike most teams who lose players to injury, the Redskins lost their top defensive player to gun shot wound last year. Zibikowski is by no means anywhere near Sean Taylor in skill, but what he is an upgrade over Reed Doughty (the Skins’ current FS) in skill, and a smart defensive player, with the hitting ability similar to Taylor. He’s a bit of a reach late in the 2nd round, but I like this pick for the Redskins.

53. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
THE PICK: Mario Manningham (WR Michigan)
Manningham has a reputation for being a bit of a jerk. Okay, a big jerk. However the Bucs don’t exactly jump out at you as having a real deep receiving corp, and there’s a big drop off after Manningham at this position. As long as he gets thrown to once in a while, he might make it through training camp.

54. Pittsburgh Steelers
THE PICK: DaJuan Morgan (S North Carolina State)
As we saw last year, the Steelers need help in the secondary for Troy Polamalu. In Round 1, they passed on the more talented Aqib Talib for Brandon Flowers. They’re not passing on the best available safety here to line up opposite Polamalu. Morgan’s flaws remind me a lot of a certain Steelers safety with a big mouth. However, there’s not much need anywhere else on this team.

55. Tennessee Titans
THE PICK: Tavares Gooden (OLB Miami (FL))
He’s a linebacker.

56. Seattle Seahawks
THE PICK: Trevor Laws (DT Notre Dame)
The Seahawks are set next year at nearly every starting position, so the draft becomes a tool for them to build depth at positions where they aren’t as strong. Laws projects as a 4-3 DT in the NFL with a lot of raw talent. This is a guy the Colts would love to draft.

57. Green Bay Packers
THE PICK: Chad Henne (QB Michigan)
Just in case Brett doesn’t come back.

58. Miami Dolphins
THE PICK: Mike Pollack (C Arizona State)
This is the most boring pick in the history of Mock Drafts. It’s a good thing the Dolphins didn’t wait to draft a QB when their pick rolled around at the start of this Round, because Henne is off the board (and I operate under the assumption that Flacco would have been as well). The Dolphins get the draft’s best Center, a positional need and have now begun to build their OL for the future with Jake Long and Pollack.

59. Jacksonville Jaguars
THE PICK: Anthony Collins (OT Kansas)
Just more depth for a team with plenty of it. The Jags would probably like to build up their linebacker corp, but the next best available player here is Cliff Avril of Purude, who projects in the late 3rd/early 4th.

60. Indianapolis Colts
THE PICK: Pat Sims (DT Auburn)
As mentioned above, they’d love to draft Trevor Laws with their first pick in the draft. With him unavailable, I feel they need to go to the next best D-Tackle, which is Pat Sims.

61. Green Bay Packers
THE PICK: Reggie Smith (CB/S Oklahoma)
Most teams project Smith as a safety at the next level and the Packers are thin beyond Atari Bigby at that position. So they draft Smith and turn him into a conversion project.

62. Dallas Cowboys
THE PICK: Kendall Langford (DE Hampton)
Langford may be the one player who I’ve read a lot about that I think could be a great pickup by someone who is already solid on defense and can develop him. He dominated at Hampton in FCS and may also dominate down the line in the NFL, especially working with Wade Phillips and operating on the same rush edge as DeMarcus Ware.

63. New England Patriots
THE PICK: Cliff Avril (LB Purdue)
I would love for the Patriots to take East Carolina’s Chris Johnson here, as he would be a great addition to an already dynamic offense. Imagine Reggie Bush playing on this team, with great receivers. Despite that, the Patriots are more likely to reach for a 3-4 linebacker (if they pass on Keith Rivers in Round 1) here. Avril fits that bill.

64. New York Giants
THE PICK: Justin King (CB Penn State)
King has coachability issues and perhaps came out of school too soon. Tom Coughlin will attempt to make him more coachable. He has skill, though there’s a significant drop off from Brandon Flowers, I feel. The Giants have enough talent right now at corner that King doesn’t have to be anything more than a nickelback.

Game O’ The Day: Game 1, Western Conference Semi-Finals. A late 1990’s rivalry gets renewed. The series doesn’t have the luster it would have had in 1999, but it should be a great matchup. Detroit jumps out to a 1-0 lead in the series tonight with a 3-1 victory in Hockeytown. In the other NHL game tonight, the Canadiens beat the Flyers 4-3.

Yes, you read that correctly. Below you will find my mock draft for Round 2. Before I get to that though, some quick hits:

1.) With the Bruins and Capitals both eliminated from the NHL playoffs, I’m squarely on the Pittsburgh Penguins bandwagon. If they are to be eliminated, I feel like I could see myself on the Rangers’. After that, it’s sort of a crapshoot. Let’s try to keep a watchful eye on these developments.

2.) With every New Orleans Hornets victory, I feel slightly more vindicated. If you have been reading this blog since day one, you know that I’m an admirer of the Hornets. To listen to people talking about how they’re beating up the Mavericks makes me laugh. NBA people! Not random folks. People hired to talk about the NBA because they apparently know stuff about professional basketball, shocked that the New Orleans Hornets are actually good. My allegiance is obviously with the Celtics, and I would love a Lakers/Celtics final just as much as anyone, however, second best to that would be seeing the Hornets bring home a title to the Crescent City. A real possibility. Even if Tim Legler, Stephan A. Smith (the “A” is for “A person who cannot engage in civil discourse), Jeff “The Ankle-Biter” Van Gundy, Hubie “Watch Me Talk About Zone Defenses for 86 Seconds While Mike Tirico Contemplates the Most Fun Way To Commit Suicide on National Television” Brown, and the other talking heads don’t see it coming.

3.) As a sidebar, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic (The Sports Savants that they are) would like you to know that they just discovered that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are young superstars. Glad you guys showed up to the party. Too bad we’re out of beer, pot, and food. There’s plenty of Fresca in the fridge, though.

4.) Barry Zito

5.) It’s still early, yes, but consider that last night, the Boston Red Sox called up David Pauley to make an emergency start against the second best team (right now) in the American League with their ace (in the absence of Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey) pitching. Not only that, but the Sox’s Captain (also catcher) was out of the lineup and their starting Second Baseman was the emergency catcher in the game. So this is a classic, “Get out of here in under 3 hours with everyone as healthy as possible” game. Instead the Red Sox, behind Jacoby Ellsbury’s 2 homers (Rookie of the Year…remember that), defeated the LA Angels of Anaheim, California Angels (I’ll never stop doing this). I honestly cannot envision a scenario in which this team does not make it to the playoffs.

Now, on to Round 2 of my Mock Draft. We’ll use Round 1, V.2 as the guideline for this draft. I may only do half today and half tomorrow. However, I’ll see how I feel around pick 45.

33. Miami Dolphins
THE PICK: Joe Flacco (QB Delaware)
If you think John Beck is the answer for this team at quarterback, you probably don’t watch much football. Just take a look at the highlight video of him throwing. Every pass is a wobbly duck. Flacco has a big arm. He isn’t terribly mobile. Hmmm…Drew Bledsoe? Bill Parcells? They Dolphins don’t want to wait to see who’s left at QB at pick 57.

34. St. Louis Rams
THE PICK: Donnie Avery (WR Houston)
Scouts compare him to Torry Holt. That worked too perfectly for me.

35. Atlanta Falcons
THE PICK: Antoine Cason (CB Arizona)
Look, I’m not Mel Kiper Jr. But Cason was the best shut down corner I saw play last year in college. I’m glad to see him climbing up draft boards, where he is being projected now as a late first round pick. In my scenario, he falls to the Falcons in early 2. This team has so many holes, but also has a pick at 38, so they can wait on QB and RB.

36. Kansas City Cheifs
THE PICK: Calais Campbell (DE Miami (FL))
If they miss out on Chris Long in the first round, which I still think they will , they need to go D- lineman after trading Jared Allen to the Vikings. Campbell is good value in the second round and should help a subpar defense get younger.

37. New York Jets
THE PICK: Quentin Groves (DE Auburn)
Groves is a really intriguing prospect because of his ridiculous speed (4.57 40-yard) and athleticism. Line him up with the newly acquired Kris Jenkins to his right, as a strong-side edge rusher and the Jets should be a contender in the AFC East again.

38. Atlanta Falcons
THE PICK: Brian Brohm (QB Louisville)
Yes he is a disciple of Bobby Petrino. However, as much as I like Joey Harrington, he’s probably not the answer here. Neither is DJ Shockley. So for the Falcons it comes down to whether or not they want to draft Jonathan Stewart (who even I am surprised is still on this board, but do you really see a team that needs to use a first round pick on a running back?) and team him with Michael “The Burner” Turner or go QB with Brohm.

39. Baltimore Ravens
THE PICK: Kenny Phillips (SS Miami (FL))
At this point, the Baltimore Ravens 2008 season looks lost. They missed out on Matt Ryan in Round 1. Now they miss out on Brian Brohm in Round 2. So it’s Kyle Boller in ’08! I think Boller can be an effective QB in the NFL. Just not in Baltimre. His time has passed here. The Ravens could take Stewart, but they’re terrible and have a front line back in Willis McGahee. Phillips has fallen for no good reason other than teams not going safety. So they line him up with Ed Reed to at least solidify their secondary.

40. San Francisco 49ers
THE PICK: Lawrence Jackson (DE Southern California)
This is another team similar to the Ravens who have so many glaring holes, it’s almost impossible to predict where they’ll go. With the exception of the newly acquired Justin Smith, their defensive line is rife with low-level talent. This is their attempt at an upgrade. I don’t see the 49ers and Ravens playing in the Super Bowl next year. Just a hunch.

41. New Orleans Saints
THE PICK: Dan Connor (OLB Penn State)
An insane steal at pick 41. Connor is a defensive genius. A guy that Bill Belchick would wake up thinking about in the middle of the night. This would be such a great pick for a terrible New Orleans defense to end up with such a smart player. It makes too much sense.

42. Buffalo Bills
THE PICK: Early Doucett (WR Louisiana State)
A nice complement in the slot at receiver for a team thin at receiver.

43. Denver Broncos
THE PICK: Jonathan Stewart (RB Oregon)
This is the insane steal section of the draft. The Broncos don’t really need a running back, with Selvin Young (who emerged last season) and Travis Henry on the depth chart. This pick is more about value than need. The Broncos are not a bad team. They helped their subpar OL in Round 1. Now they get a speed back who can break tackles. A team to fear in ’08.

44. Carolina Panthers
THE PICK: Jamaal Charles (RB Texas)
They’d love to get a Defensive End here, but there’s no one on the board worth taking. Running back could be a real problem for this team. After De’Angelo Williams (who is no stud back) they’re left with LaBrandon Toefield or Nick Goings. Charles’ would be a nice addition to the Panthers backfield.

45. Chicago Bears
THE PICK: Xavier Adibi (OLB Virginia Tech)
You might think I’m crazy here, having a team with Lance Briggs and Brain Urlacher take a linebacker in Round 2 when they have huge offensive problems. However, they also have huge problems with Urlacher and Briggs not wanting to be here. Adibi was great throughout college at Virginia Tech and, if nothing else, would be a huge insurance policy for a team with some emerging defensive questions to join their stagnated offensive problems. And really, there’s no player available here that can help their offense more than someone found in later rounds could.

46. Detroit Lions
THE PICK: Sam Baker (OT Southern California)
Again, they could go cornerback and would love to see Antoine Cason available. He’s not. They’re weaker than me doing squat lifts at offensive tackle. Baker is a nice addition that will hopefully help keep Jon Kitna on his feet, making miracles with the power of Jesus.

47. Cincinnati Bengals
THE PICK: Tyrell Johnson (S/CB Arkansas State)
In case you weren’t already aware, this team is a dysfunctional mess. Their head coach needs to be fired. Marvin Lewis, a supposed defensive genius is doing to the “genius” label what Brian Billick did to it in Baltimore. Johnson is athletic enough to play corner if the Bengals so see fit. But it’s not like they’re full of talent at safety either.

48. Minnesota Vikings
THE PICK: Duane Brown (OT Virginia Tech)
This team is loaded, especially now with the addition of Jared Allen on defense. Brown is a potential stud, who just needs some good coaching. He’ll be teamed with Steve Huchinson and Matt Birk on the Vikings OL, so he’ll have two of the best lineman in the game to teach him. This team has two question marks to me: Quarterback (I still believe Tavaris Jackson can be the answer) and receiver. The NFC North should be there’s for the taking next season.

Tomorrow, I will have the conclusion of Round 2.

Game O’ The Day: New York Mets @ Washington Nationals. Johan Santana is pitching. I’m going. Sounds like a Game O’ The Day to me.

I think I may have just broken a personal record for the longest post title in Mid-Atlantic Bias history. For those of you unaware (and really, if you come here for breaking sports news, you’re probably missing out on a lot) the Miami Dolphins have decided to start the NFL Draft 5 days early by signing Michigan Offensive Lineman Jake Long, thus cementing his status as the first offensive lineman taken first overall since the St. Louis Rams drafted another Big Ten Tackle, Orlando Pace, first overall in 1997. Time will obviously tell whether Jake Long will have the success of Orlando Pace or the failure of Aaron Gibson, however, the Dolphins did the right thing here and didn’t try to make a sexy splash by taking a quarterback (Matt Ryan) or the hot flavor of the moment (Vernon Gholston). I’m interested in seeing where they’ll head with the first pick in the second round. My guess would be that they would stay on the offensive side of the ball, perhaps at receiver, or maybe even at QB.

So, if you’re a loyal reader, you know that I was away for the last 3 days of Mid-Atlantic Bias (because, again, the Weekend Edition went the way of Old Yeller). I apologize for not being as frequent in my posts, though those of you who know why I was gone, probably understand. To make up for my absence, I didn’t want to leave you with a brief 600 word post today. So, to make this as epic as possible, I am going to write about all four major sports today at some sort of length.

NHL:

I don’t know why it happens this way. But it happens every year. Every year I find myself ignoring the NHL’s regular season, acting as though it was Preseason NFL football. And then, the moment the playoff start, I become Don Cherry (look him up, kids). So, every day of the postseason, I have found myself watching at least one game. At this point, I have seen every team play, and I stick to last week’s assertion that the Penguins an Stars are the two best teams in hockey right now. But that’s not why I’m writing about the NHL today.

No, I am writing to talk about Game 6. The game’s overall result becomes seemingly diluted after last night’s breakdown. But, I for one, will always remember watching this game, and will classify it as not just one of the greatest hockey games I have ever seen, but one of the most memorable sporting events of 2008; better than the Super Bowl, better than the Memphis/Tennessee game or the Memphis/Kansas game, etc. To the readers of this blog who were at the game, I will forever be somewhat jealous of you for being part of the crowd that very well may have revived hockey in Boston.

Perhaps it was the way the Bruins won on Saturday that did them in, ultimately, last night in Montreal. Every time you though that the Canadiens had the game, the Bruins would score. You could tell that they wanted the game more. That was no more apparent than on the play where Marco Sturm blazed down the left wing, past both Canadiens defenders, and led Phil Kessel perfectly to Carey Price’s left to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead.

Of course, 11 seconds later, Christopher Higgins of the Canadiens scored an easy goal before the PA Announcer was done yelling “Woo!” And at that point, the Bruins could have easily said, “Look, we weren’t really supposed to be here. Everyone (including myself) had us pegged to go down in a sweep. We hadn’t beaten Montreal in a game since the Garfield administration. Now here we are in Game 6 and when we have the win, they take it away quicker than our announcer can call the previous goal.” But the Bruins didn’t lie down. Instead, Marco Sturm scored with about 2 minutes left in the game and the B’s held on for the most memorable hockey win in Boston since Ray Bourque left town.

My hope, of course, is that the bandwagon jumpers (myself included) stay on the bandwagon next year and conversely, that the Bruins management does not do as the Bruins management has been known to do and fudge things up. The Bruins made it this far having lost their best offensive player in the first week of the season to a head and neck injury. With him back next season, joining the emerging Phil Kessel, the future face of this team, Milan Lucic, and the already established Marc Savard and Marco Sturm the Bruins offensive problems should be gone. I just hope that the aura and feeling that Game 6 brought to the Garden won’t be gone as well.

NFL:

ESPN.com recently released the 50 biggest draft busts of all time, which I read, and hated, because of the insane omissions found (or not found) on the list. So, with that in mind, here are my rankings of the previous 15 first overall picks in the Draft (Jake Long not included) based on the success they’ve had and the potential they still possess.

15. Ki-Jana Carter (Cincinnati Bengals)
-When you tear your ACL on your third carry in your NFL career, you’re destined to be the worst overall top pick in any block of time.

14. Tim Couch (Cleveland Browns)
-Keep in mind that when a player has a section on their Wikipedia page called, “Attempted Comebacks” and “Drug Allegations” they probably weren’t a great first pick either. The most telling Tim Couch situation was when he hurt his neck in a game and the crowd cheered when he was taken off on a stretcher. His home crowd.

13. David Carr (Houston Texans)
-Just couldn’t learn how to not get sacked.

12. Courtney Brown (Cleveland Browns)
-He did nothing in Cleveland. He didn’t do very much more in Denver. That’s two Penn State players and two Cleveland Browns picks among four. Clearly, their doing something right.

11. Dan Wilkinson (Cincinnati Bengals)
-When your nickname is “Big Daddy” because you’re a fat cow that can’t move quickly, you’re not going to impress many people as a pro. He is at least a serviceable backup now.

10. Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers)
-Thus proving my theory that white, system quarterbacks don’t work in the NFL.

0. Michael Vick (Atlanta Falcons)
-It really says a lot about David Carr, Tim Couch, and Alex Smith that they are ranked below the quarterback who is currently playing football for a Kansas Federal Penitentiary because he ran a dogfighting ring and killed dogs.

8. JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders)
-The jury is still out. Though not impressed so far.

7. Keyshawn Johnson (New York Jets)
-His biggest contribution to the game of football was a book about how he wanted the damn ball.

6. Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)
-A great quarterback, but he has never won a big game, in the pros or college. All the skill, none of the success.

5. Drew Bledsoe (New England Patriots)
-See “Carson Palmer.”

4. Mario Williams (Houston Texans)
-It’s still early, but he has all the potential to become a dominant edge rusher in his career. Speed and power. He’s got it all for a D-Lineman. I would have taken D’Brickashaw Fergueson with this pick in 2006. Now, I would take Williams.

3. Eli Manning (New York Giants)
-He’s won a Super Bowl. Simple as that.

2. Orlando Pace (St. Louis Rams)
-(second reference in today’s blog to him…strange). You can’t measure the value of an O-Lineman, but consider the offensive success the Rams had with Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger than imagine them doing that without Pace.

1. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
-This isn’t a shock to anyone. At least I hope not.

MLB:

MLB Power Rankings (Installment Number 1 of the 2008 Season. Based on current success and future potential. Hence the Yankees being ahead of the Marlins)

30. San Francisco Giants
29. Washington Nationals
28. Texas Rangers
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
26. Kansas City Royals
25. Tampa Bay Rays
24. Cincinnati Reds
23. Houston Astros
22. Los Angeles Dodgers
21. Minnesota Twins
20. Baltimore Orioles
19. Colorado Rockies
18. Detroit Tigers
17. Cleveland Indians
16. San Diego Padres
15. Seattle Mariners
14. Florida Marlins
13. Toronto Blue Jays
12. Philadelphia Phillies
11. New York Yankees
10. Oakland Athletics
9. New York Mets
8. Atlanta Braves
7. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Chicago White Sox
5. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Los Angeles
3. Chicago Cubs
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
1. Boston Red Sox

NBA:

So, yes the playoff have started already. However, here were my picks, including my upset special which now makes me look like I’m riding a team’s success to make myself look good. Nonetheless, take these picks to the bank. What you do with them while at the bank is ultimately up to you.

Eastern Conference:

Boston over Atlanta in 4
Philadelphia over Detroit in 6
Cleveland over Washington in 6
Orlando over Toronto in 5

Western Conference:

Los Angeles over Denver in 4
New Orleans over Dallas in 6
San Antonio over Phoenix in 5
Utah over Houston in 5

Game O’ The Day: Philadelphia @ Washington (Game 7). It’s a game 7 in sports. Just watch it.

Sorry that I’m doing this again, but Mid-Atlantic Bias is going to be suspended temporarily (until next week) so I can go home and deal with family stuff. I’m sure you all understand, as this is really not that important in the grand scheme of things.

Send some ideas my way for things you’d like to see next week and I’ll make up for the lack of posts in the last week with your requests.

I hope you all have a great weekend…wherever you are.

I don’t have a ton of time, so I’m going to rush out a blog entry today. 2 quick NHL playoff thoughts:

1.) Dear God, I was wrong with yesterday’s picks. Yikes.

2.) I watched the Avalanche/Wild game last night and was taken aback by how terribly the Wild played. After going down 4-0, they become completely content with just fighting everyone and playing the dirtiest hockey I’ve seen, post-lockout (even dirtier than the Flyers “Hack-a-Huet” philosophy from last night’s Caps/Flyers game). I was neutral in this series before, now, I’m rooting against the Wild until the end.

On to Mock Draft V.2, picks 17-32 (excluding pick 31 for obvious reasons). Check out yesterday’s post for picks 1-16.

17. Minnesota Vikings
THE PICK: CB Mike Jenkins (South Florida)
Their defensive secondary is still terrible, just like it was when I did Mock Draft V.1 However, here, McKelvin is off the board. So they go with the comparable Jenkins.

18. Houston Texans
THE PICK: Rashard Mendenhall (RB Illinois)
A steal at this pick. Especially for a team that needs to bolster their running game.

19. Philadelphia Eagles
THE PICK: Devin Thomas (WR Michigan State)
As usual, their receiving corp is subpar. They draft Thomas to try to fix that.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
THE PICK: Phillip Merling (DE Clemson)
In V.1 they took Harvey, but he’s gone now. They still need to get younger on defense. And with all but Aqib Talib gone from the sure-fire first round CB’s in this draft, I look for the Bucs to go to the D-Line.

21. Washington Redskins
THE PICK: Limas Sweed (WR Texas)
He gives the ‘Skins the size they need at wideout to complement Santana Moss’s speed. All this without James Hardy’s baggage. Something this team does not need any of right now.

22. Dallas Cowboys
THE PICK: Felix Jones (RB Arkansas)
Jonathan Stewart is rated higher than Jones by everyone. However, Stewart did not go to the University of Arkansas, like Jones and Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones (no relation) did. And therefore, he stays on the board. The Cowboys need a corner and Aqib Talib is on the board, but they choose to cross their fingers that he’s still there in a few picks.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers
THE PICK: Brandon Flowers (CB Virginia Tech)
Talib is the better corner, but remember, Talib smoked marijuana in college, so ignore the fact that he was one of the 3 best cornerbacks in the country. The Steelers go to the next best thing, which is Flowers. One of the teams below them rejoice.

24. Tennessee Titans
THE PICK: De’Sean Jackson (WR California)
Jackson is a real burner and gives Vince Young his first downfield receiving threat since he played with Limas Sweed…in college. Wide receiver is such a no-brainer here.

25. Seattle Seahawks
THE PICK: Fred Davis (TE Southern California)
Tight end isn’t exactly a deep position in this draft. They could steal Jonathan Stewart here, but they already signed 23 running backs in the offseason and still have Shaun Alexander on their roster. So they stay at tight end with Davis, as they did in V.1.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars
THE PICK: Kentwan Balmer (DT North Carolina)
Like the Campbell pick in V.1, this pick will be executed to do nothing more than bolster a solid defense. They could go receiver here, but with so many mediocre first round picks at WR on this roster, perhaps they should wait until later and hope that someone falls.

27. San Diego Chargers
THE PICK: Malcolm Kelly (WR Oklahoma)
As mentioned yesterday, Kelly’s pro day workout was, by all accounts including his own, abysmal. So he falls and the Chargers get a huge steal. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they went to Jonathan Stewart as a power/speed duo with LT, much like Michael “The Burner” Turner was.

28. Dallas Cowboys
THE PICK: Aqib Talib (CB Kansas)
This is the team that risked waiting and the risk paid off. Truth is, I could see all of the above teams taking Talib without the pot smoking issue. However, if one team is going to risk it on a guy with a ton of talent and “character problems,” it would be the ‘Boys.

29. San Francisco 49ers
THE PICK: James Hardy (WR Indiana)
They’d love to have Talib fall to them. Or Kentwan Balmer. Or Phillip Merling. However, none of those guys are around here. So it comes down to quarterback or trying to improve a very mediocre receiving group with a talented headcase. They go with that.

30. Green Bay Packers
THE PICK: Dustin Keller (TE Purdue)
Donald Lee is their only other tight end with any experience. So they hope that Fred Davis is available and if he’s not, they take Keller. While I had them going Quarterback in V.1, they don’t do that here, because they already have Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, who will be back by the middle of August.

31. New England Patriots

32. New York Giants
THE PICK: Gosdar Cherilus (OT Boston College)
The Giants have to be smart enough to know that their O-line got lucky last season and is not as good as they played. So they help that out by drafting Cherilus to replace the void Luke Petigout left before last season. And they pray that Eli Manning thinks every game is the Super Bowl.

Game O’ The Day: New Jersey Devils @ New York Rangers. This is a crucial game, with the Rangers up 2-1. I’m not making a pick.

Okay…I’ll take the Rangers to win and go up 3-1.

And remember kids, STOP SNITCHIN’.

Apologies to my readers for yesterday’s lack of a post. Some days, I just don’t feel like posting.

I proved myself incorrect last night, or perhaps the Golden State Warriors did, when they were eliminated from playoff contention. So to wrap up, yesterday, the Denver Nuggets “star” forward was arrested on suspicion of a DUI and they made the playoffs, all without having a game.

I’ve been paying a good amount of attention to the NHL Playoffs thus far (funny because I watched 3 regular season games and two were in person). The Penguins and Stars have both impressed me a ton thus far, more so the latter who has shut down the Ducks in both games played in Anaheim. On the flip side, the San Jose Sharks have to be the biggest disappointment of the playoffs, down 2-1 to Calgary, after leading 3-0, 3:30 in to their game on Sunday night. So as it stands, on April 15, I’m sticking with the Penguins winning the Cup, but I’ll have them doing it over the Stars (I didn’t pick a team in the West. I’m not sure why). I, as always, reserve the right to change this.

Joe Lunardi, who I hate, released his first Bracketology for next season yesterday. He has Duke, North Carolina, Texas, and Pittsburgh as his number 1 seeds. What he should have is a Pit Bull attached to his scrotum.

In a non-sports related topic, I am currently in the same city as the Pope.

Yesterday, Michael Beasley announced that he was entering the NBA Draft (as did his college teammate Bill Walker). Today, reports have surfaced that Derrick Rose will be joining him. Not that we didn’t already see that coming. I would like to give credit to Blake Griffin, who would have been a lottery pick, who last week decided to head back to Oklahoma for his Sophomore season. On the flip side, Eric Gordon of Indiana apparently thinks that he doesn’t need another year of seasoning at Indiana and is headed to a very abbreviated NBA career.

I’ve talked about my lack of desire for a Second Round NFL Mock Draft. Well, I’ve decided that I’m not going to do it. What I am going to do for you, the reader, is another First Round Mock Draft. I did the first installment exactly one month ago (okay, a month and a day) and a lot has changed since then. Scouts are apparently falling at the feet of Virginia OG Brandon Albert, who I originally had going to the Steelers at pick 23. Over the next two days, I will lay out Mock Draft Version 2.0. Todd McShay is already up to 7, so I don’t feel so bad about having 2. And at least I’m not doing a Mock Draft of the 2740 draft like Joe Lunardi, who will undoubtedly call for Zogon-71A (QB, UNH) going number one overall to the Uranus Hemmorhoidal Ointments. So, without further ado, picks 1-16. If you’re looking for witty team analysis, go back to March 13 and March 14’s posts.

1. Miami Dolphins
THE PICK: Jake Long (OT Michigan)

2. St. Louis Rams
THE PICK: Vernon Gholston (DE Ohio State)
Here’s the deal: I don’t think Gholston is a great prospect. What I do think is that enough people will become enamored with his speed and overlook the fact that he doesn’t play hard all the time. This is the NFL Draft, people. Common sense goes out the window.

3. Atlanta Falcons
THE PICK: Glenn Dorsey (DT Louisiana State)
The Falcons are enamored with Dorsey. If he’s there, they take him.

4. Oakland Raiders
THE PICK: Chris Long (DE Virginia)
This just makes too much sense doesn’t it?

5. Kansas City Chiefs
THE PICK: MATT RYAN (QB Boston College)
Word is that the Chiefs are going to take Brandon Albert here, which I really think is a reach. However, what happens if the Falcons don’t take Matty Ice? Do the Chiefs think that Brodie Croyle is their answer at quarterback? Or do they take the consensus number 1 QB in this draft?

6. New York Jets
THE PICK: Darren McFadden (RB Arkansas)
They’ll still be happy to see him here.

7. New England Patriots
THE PICK: Brandon Albert (OG Virginia)
Bill Belichick likely hasn’t slept thinking back to the Giants’ defensive line running over the Patriots’ offensive line. Albert is now the best offensive lineman on the board. There are other needs, (corner and linebacker) but those will get solved in the next 6 rounds.

8. Baltimore Ravens
THE PICK: Sedrick Ellis (DT Southern Cal)
Too much value for a defensive minded team to pass up on here. They have Haloti Ngata at DT, but there’s also something called a 4-3 defense, especially when your linebacker corp is as old and getting older as this one is.

9. Cincinnati Bengals
THE PICK: Keith Rivers (OLB Southern Cal)
Unlike in Mock Draft V.1, when Glenn Dorsey was available, he and Ellis are gone here. So it comes down to the linebackers or the secondary. I’m still high on Rivers, though others questioned my having him go to New England in V.1. And really, a cardboard cutout would be an upgrade on this teams’ defense.

10. New Orleans Saints
THE PICK: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB Tennessee State)
While Aqib Talib is my top first round corner (remember ANTOINE CASON is my favorite. I can’t make this more apparent) concerns about his smoking pot a few times will drop him, because you know, that’s a good indicator of talent. Rodgers-Cromartie fills a need.

11. Buffalo Bills
THE PICK: Derrick Harvey (DE Florida) The Bills have issues all over the board, especially on offense. And yet, I have them going D here, because any of the receivers (especially after Malcolm Kelley’s insanely terrible pro day workout) are a reach here.

12. Denver Broncos
THE PICK: Ryan Clady (OT Boise State)
Their offensive line is not very good. This is the next best lineman on the board at the moment (though Chris Williams and Jeff Otah are not very far behind)

13. Carolina Panthers
THE PICK: Jeff Otah (OT Pittsburgh)
They’d apparently love Derrick Harvey, but the last time I checked, the Buffalo Bills are not the same as the Carolina Panthers. So, they go to the next need, which is tackle and big Jeff Otah.

14. Chicago Bears
THE PICK: Chris Williams (OT Vanderbilt)
This is just a thoroughly exciting portion of the draft. Three consecutive offensive lineman selected as America falls asleep.

15. Detroit Lions
THE PICK: Jerod Mayo (OLB Tennessee)
When your defense is terrible, you tend to take the best available guy. Mayo is, like Brandon Albert, moving up the draft boards. I might go corner here as well. Speaking of which…

16. Arizona Cardinals
THE PICK: Leodis McKelvin (CB Troy State)
Much like Detroit, their defense isn’t exactly “good.” So McKelvin is a help here.

Tomorrow, I will complete Mock Draft V.2. But do you think I’m done today? I scoff at that notion.

As a way to apologize to anyone who came here yesterday looking for a post, only to find nothing. I give to you V.1 of my MLB Awards. We’re about 10% (it’s actually about 8%, but 10% is a nice easy number) through the MLB season at this point. I will do this 10 times this year. So lets hand out some awards, not for potential, but for where we are right now:

AL MVP: Joe Crede (3B Chicago White Sox). Crede has crushed pitching thus far and the White Sox find themselves in second in the AL Central. The chance that he wins AL MVP at the end of the season, however, is about 0%.

NL MVP: Mark Reynolds (3B Arizona Diamondbacks). Reynolds, much like Crede, has tore the cover off the ball through the first 10% of the season and the Diamondbacks find themselves in first in the NL West. Again though, no chance of winning this award when it really counts.

AL CY YOUNG: Zack Greinke (SP Kansas City Royals). The Royals are in first place and Greinke is the reason why. He’s 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA. Greinke could win this award at season’s end. I’m completely serious. 10% chance.

NL CY YOUNG: Ben Sheets (SP Milwaukee Brewers). He has been completely dominant and just edges out Jake Peavy, for now, because he has more strikeouts and less walks than Peavy, and a lower ERA. Sheets can win this award, but he’ll need to stay healthy. His chance of doing winning the Cy Young is about 20%

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: David Murphy (OF Texas Rangers). This is only because there are so few AL rookies who have qualified stats in either pitching or hitting. Only 3, actually: Daric Barton (1B Oakland), Nick Blackburn (P, Minnesota), and Murphy. Murphy has the best statistics. He has 0% chance of winning this award.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Johnny Cueto (SP Cincinnati Reds). Mind-defying numbers. 20% chance of winning this award. (Note: My preseason pick of Justin Upton to win this award was wrong, because apparently, he’s not eligible for it. So that’s nice).

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Trey Hillman (Kansas City Royals). Chance of winning this award is about the same as Greinke’s of winning his.

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Freddi Gonzalez (Florida Marlins). Chance of winning this award is about the same as mine of winning any.

Game O’ The Day: Washington Capitals @ Philadelphia Flyers (Game 3, Series tied 1-1) Also look for the Canadiens and Bruins (Mon. leads 2-1…and win tonight), Anaheim and Dallas (Dal. leads 2-0…and win tonight), San Jose and Calgary (Cal. leads 2-1…and lose tonight), and Minnesota and Colorado (Min. leads 2-1…and take a 3-1 lead tonight).