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Rams to select Bradford with top pick?

ESPN’s Adam Schefter told a St. Louis radio station that the Rams will select quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick this year. The caveat is that Schefter wasn’t reporting the news, but merely making a prediction.

Schefter is always good for information around this time of year, so I wouldn’t doubt it if the Rams did take Bradford No. 1. After all, they do need a quarterback and if Steve Spagnuolo and his staff feel as though the Oklahoma product is a franchise-type signal caller, then it will be hard for them to pass.

Schefter also noted that St. Louis is reluctant to pay No. 1 money to a defensive player such as Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy. Of all the Rams’ many needs, defensive tackle isn’t necessarily a high priority so it makes sense that the Rams would pass on Suh and McCoy and take Bradford or Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen.

That said, GM Billy Devaney is familiar with former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick from their days in Atlanta. It’s not a stretch to believe that Devaney will send a draft pick to Philadelphia for Vick and then take Suh or McCoy with the No. 1 pick, seeing as how those two players are the best on the board. Drafting in the top 5 is a different animal, as teams usually throw out the word “need” and just try to acquire talent to restock their roster.

We’ll see if Schefter called this one come April, but as of right now there’s still a lot of mystery and intrigue involving the No. 1 pick.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Canada’s women’s hockey team knows how to party! Buuuuuut they’re also in trouble.

The International Olympic Committee will investigate the Canadian women’s hockey team after a number of players celebrated their gold medal victory on Thursday night by tossing back a few cold ones and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver.

From Yahoo! Sports:

A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team’s 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was “not what we want to see” from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to “act accordingly.”

The Olympic Committee is wound a little tight and I find it amusing that an event that essentially introduced steroids to athletic competition is so image conscious now. I don’t condone underage drinking, but if the Committee decides to send these girls home or ban them from the Closing Ceremony after this, then it would be ridiculous and a gross overreaction.

Considering other things that go on at the Olympics, chugging some brews and lighting up a few stogies to celebrate a win is mild.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Cavs lose Shaq, destroy Celtics, 108-88

The Celtics led 56-48 at haltfime, but were outscored 60-32 in the final two periods, resulting in a 20-point Cleveland win in Boston. LeBron James (36-7-9) had his usual stellar stat line, but it was Mo Williams who keyed the Cavs’ run in the second half, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the last two quarters.

Shaquille O’Neal left the game with an injured thumb and did not return. Anderson Varejao filled in admirably with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Cleveland has struggled of late, so even though Paul Pierce missed the game due to injury, this should be a big confidence builder for the Cavs.

Brian Westbrook’s five greatest plays

Now that he’s no longer an Eagle, Philly.com put together a list of Brian Westbrook’s five greatest plays.

I personally like #2, even though the play cost my fantasy football team win.

2. The game: Dec. 16, 2007, vs. Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium
The setup: The Eagles led, 10-6, with 2:19 left and had the ball on the Dallas 25-yard line.
The play: Westbrook took a handoff and went off right tackle to the 1-yard line, where he took a knee.
What it meant: Dallas was out of timeouts and the Eagles took three kneeldowns to close out the victory.
What he said: “I got a stern talking-to by Jon Runyan right before that play. He said, ‘Listen, if you get down to the 1, take a knee.’ I was like, ‘Ahhh … ‘ He said, ‘Take a knee, Westbrook, take a knee.’ ”

That play was frustrating from a fantasy football point of view, but the right thing to do.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Canada overtakes U.S. to capture gold in women’s hockey

Canada defeated the United States 2-0 to win their third-straight women’s hockey gold medal at the Olympics.

From ESPN.com:

Marie-Philip Poulin scored two goals and Shannon Szabados made 28 saves Thursday before a raucous crowd ringing cowbells and waving thousands of maple leaf flags.

After Poulin’s two first-period scores, the Canadians dominated every aspect of the biggest game in this young sport, earning their 15th straight Olympic victory.

Playing with a consistency and passion its men’s team would do well to emulate this weekend, Canada remained unbeaten at the Olympics since 1998, when the Americans won the first women’s gold.

The Canadians kept nearly the entire game in the Americans’ end — outpassing, outshooting and simply outworking the only team in women’s hockey with a chance of standing up to them.

I didn’t even know the U.S. team made it to the gold-medal game. I guess the win would have been nice since chances are dwindling.

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