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      Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft: Sanchez goes no. 13 to the Skins

      April 11, 2009 /

      Mark SanchezMel Kiper dropped his latest mock draft this week on ESPN.com (first 16 picks free, next three and a half rounds Insider only).

      It’s similar in most ways to what he’s been saying over the past few months, with Matthew Stafford going no. 1 overall to the Lions and Jason Smith and Aaron Curry going 2-3 to the Rams and Chiefs, respectively.

      A couple of wrinkles made it in, however. For one, he has the Bills taking DE Robert Ayers of Tennessee with the 11th pick. How this guy is shooting up so many draft charts is beyond me – he played average for a crummy team last year and had sub-par workouts. He certainly doesn’t seem to be in the same class as Aaron Maybin, Brian Orakpo, Everette Brown and Tyson Jackson.

      Mel also has Mark Sanchez sliding all the way to the Washington Redskins at no. 13. Three teams that could use a quarterback (the Jaguars at no. 8, the 49ers at no. 10, and the Broncos at no. 12) pick before then. Kiper has said repeatedly, and with good reason, that none of this year’s quarterbacks are ready to start right away, but Sanchez is more than worth a flier for a team lacking long-term stability at QB. The USC man has a chance to be a franchise saver in the mold of Matt Ryan, perhaps even more so than Stafford.

      Lastly, what is the reason for the sudden drop by Percy Harvin? Kiper himself calls the Florida Gator a Reggie Bush-type player, with running and pass-catching abilities. Bush went no. 2 overall, and while injury-prone throughout his short career, has certified himself as one of the league’s best playmakers. If Harvin is the same type of guy, I don’t see how Harvin would last past the first 15 picks.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Andy Katz’s 2009-2010 College Hoops Top 25

      April 11, 2009 /

      Sherron CollinsBasketball fans find themselves in no man’s land this week, just days removed from another thrilling NCAA Tournament and a few days away from the start of the NBA Playoffs.

      Which means it’s the perfect opportunity for some crazy predictions for next year! ESPN.com’s Andy Katz posted his top 25 college basketball teams for next season (click the link for his explanations on each team).

      1. Kansas
      2. Michigan State
      3. North Carolina
      4. Texas
      5. Villanova
      6. Syracuse
      7. Duke
      8. Purdue
      9. West Virginia
      10. California
      11. Michigan
      12. Kentucky
      13. Tennessee
      14. Xavier
      15. Butler
      16. Gonzaga
      17. Washington
      18. Oklahoma
      19. Clemson
      20. Boston College
      21. Mississippi State
      22. Ole Miss
      23. Dayton
      24. Illinois
      25. Texas A&M

      As Katz himself admits, there’s little reason to put any stock in these rankings as 1.) it’s way too early and 2.) early entrants to the NBA draft will have a huge impact on who the preseason top 25 will end up being.

      Nonetheless, here are a few problems I see with the list. For one, UNC is way, way overranked. There were times this season that they were barely the third-best team in the country, and they are likely going to lose four starters/future NBA players going into next year.

      Second, even if Willie Warren does come back, Oklahoma isn’t a top-20 team without the Griffin brothers. Kansas and Texas are going to be miles ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12.

      Lastly, I can’t help but think Louisville belongs in here somewhere. I get that in Terrence Williams and Earl Clark they are losing a ton of scoring and athleticism, but they’re two of only three key contributors the Cards will be missing next season. Young bigs Terrence Jennings and Samardo Samuels will be a year older and a year better, and Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles will all return on the perimeter. Add recruit Peyton Siva, the 5th-rated point guard prospect in the country, and they should challenge Villanova and Syracuse at the top of the Big East.

      Two off-the-radar teams to watch: Georgetown and Georgia Tech. Both struggled from growing pains last year but have a ton of young talent returning, and the Yellow Jackets will welcome Derrick Favors, the nation’s best big man recruit.

      College Basketball

      Anthony Kim records 11-birdie second round

      April 11, 2009 /

      Anthony KimIt’s hard for anything at the Masters (or any golf tournament, for that matter) to come close to matching the perennial “How is Tiger Woods doing?” story. Even Rocco Mediate’s amazing underdog bid in last year’s U.S. Open played second banana to Woods’ gut-it-out victory on a broken leg.

      A prime example of the immensity of Tiger’s shadow is the lack of buzz surrounding Anthony Kim. The guy is hardly an unknown to serious golf fans, but the 23-year old phenom has managed to fly largely under the national radar.

      Yesterday, Kim made Masters history by recording a single-round record 11 birdies. Naturally, it was overshadowed by Woods’ day, as everyone chose to talk about Tiger’s missed opportunities on the putting green.

      Kim has often been mentioned in the same breath as Woods: Is he the next Tiger?, critics ask. These questions are dismissed quickly — after all, Tiger will likely go down as the greatest to ever play the game. But how about this for a comparison: Can Kim become who Sergio Garcia was supposed to some 10 years ago? Can Kim be the talented gunner with both the skill and confidence to challenge Tiger as a young pro and eventually eclipse him as Tiger gets on in years? Will he be the one to finally give us a real Tiger rivalry?

      It’s clear Kim has the talent, and many accounts say that he’s also got the hubris to challenge Tiger’s (check out this feature Golf Magazine wrote about him).

      Only time will tell, but do yourself a favor and take a break from the Tiger watch this weekend to scope out Kim’s game (he heads into round 3 in a tie for sixth-place at -4, and tees off at 2:25 p.m.).

      Golf

      Should the Lions pass on No. 1 pick?

      April 10, 2009 /

      There’s a notion currently making its rounds on the net that the Lions should allow the time to expire on draft day and pass on the No. 1 pick, essentially relieving themselves of the financial burden that comes along with having the top overall selection.

      Given how ridiculous the rookie salaries are these days in the NFL and the fact that it’s a weak draft class, the idea makes sense. If the Lions allow the Rams, Chiefs or Seahawks to select before they do, then they’ll be on the hook financially for the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 pick and not the top spot.

      But while in theory it makes sense, realistically Detroit could lose more than it gains in the end. First of all, the Lions have holes all over their roster and they need to address those needs by getting quality players. And if they do strike gold with those selections, whether they pay now or later, they’ll eventually have to pay. To be clearer, if they allow the clock to expire and take Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford at No. 3 instead of No. 1 and he becomes a Pro Bowler over the next couple years, his next contract is going to be hefty regardless of what he signed his rookie deal for. So again, whether they pay now or later, they’ll have to pay if they wind up getting a good player.

      Continue reading »

      NFL, NFL Draft

      HBO presents the Thrilla in Manilla

      April 10, 2009 /

      Tomorrow night (April 11 at 8 pm ET/10pm PT), HBO will premiere the Thrilla in Manilla, a documentary covering the third and final fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The documentary “tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier’s perspective for the first time.” Check out the trailer:


      Martin Johnson reviews the film.

      Thrilla in Manila tells the story with alarming detail and hilarious commentary. The film is much less observational than Leon Gast’s superb When We Were Kings which captured the scene in Kinshasa for the Ali-Foreman fight in 1974. Instead, Dower arrays a cast of talking heads between them so that a dialogue emerges from the commentary. Ali’s cornerman, Ferdie Pacheco, is almost as brash and outspoken as his fighter was. Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, is a charming curiosity. Frazier’s son, Marvis, is calm and insightful. “I like to have a Robert Altmanesque ensemble,” said Dower of his motley crew of commentators.

      The film will rub hard-core fans of Ali the wrong way, but Dower says it wasn’t his intent to tear down the great heavyweight. “I came to this with no agenda about Muhammad Ali at all,” he said at a post-screening press conference in New York this week. “It’s just that in telling this story you keep butting into the myth of Ali.”

      Ali takes a few on the chin, but he has only himself to blame for some of it. Dower and his crew unearthed footage of Ali boasting about his agreements with the Ku Klux Klan on camera from the early ‘70s. And during his stay in Manila, he is caught womanizing.

      However, Thrilla in Manila is far more effective as a portrait than a rebuttal or a diatribe. Frazier is the quiet focus of the film. He is shown in his gym, and he’s coaxed into watching the third fight for the first time. “I lost the fight. What would I have learned from watching it again?” he asked without the slightest hint of wistfulness.

      Frazier, both in the movie and in person, seems like a man stuck in the wrong era. His humility and background were easily confused in the ‘70s for subservience, a time when outspokenness was the norm. He wasn’t media savvy in a moment when his opponent was charismatic and savagely sarcastic.

      If you like boxing films and documentaries, this one is definitely worth checking out. Boxing isn’t as big now as it was in the glory days of the 20th century, but it’s still big business, particularly with sports betting becoming accepted in more states. Now you can at least find a no deposit bonus opportunity and enjoy betting on fights.

      Boxing

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