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2008 NFL Draft re-do

December 11, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Don Banks of SI.com decided to re-do the 2008 NFL Draft after what we know now. (I.e. Matt Ryan is a freak.)

1. Miami Dolphins (Original Pick: Jake Long, OT, Michigan)
RE-DO PICK: MATT RYAN, QB, BOSTON COLLEGE
Chad Pennington has been superb, and Chad Henne is locked and loaded as the Dolphins quarterback of the future. But Ryan is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons ever by a rookie quarterback, and you don’t pass on that given a second chance. Just like Ben Roethlisberger in our inaugural re-draft of 2004, Ryan shoots to the top of the heap.
2. St. Louis Rams (Original Pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia)
RE-DO PICK: JOE FLACCO, QB, DELAWARE
You think Flacco lingers to No. 18 on the board this time around? Uh, no. It’s a quarterbacks league, and while I’m not sure anyone could win in St. Louis about now, Marc Bulger sure isn’t getting it done. The list of teams that wished it had believed in Flacco last spring is getting longer all the time.
3. Atlanta Falcons (Original Pick: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College)
RE-DO PICK: JAKE LONG, OT, MICHIGAN
Without the Falcons getting their quarterback in this slot, they would turn to their need at left offensive tackle, where they took USC’s Sam Baker after trading back into the first round at No. 21. Long, Ryan Clady and Duane Brown have all excelled at LT this year, but the ex-Wolverine has been a solid pro.
4. Oakland Raiders (Original Pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas)
RE-DO PICK: CHRIS JOHNSON, RB, EAST CAROLINA
We all know Al Davis loves speed, but in Johnson he gets speed that has actually produced as a rookie. McFadden has just one 100-yard rushing game, and that came in Week 2. Johnson has been a spectacular season-long contributor to Tennessee’s overwhelmingly successful running game.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (Original Pick: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU)
RE-DO PICK: CHRIS LONG, DE, VIRGINIA
The Chiefs have gotten virtually zero impact out of Dorsey, and they sure could have used some defensive line help to offset the loss of the traded Jared Allen. Long has modest statistics, but his four sacks are a good first step in the right direction. Don’t forget it took Mario Williams until year two to find his groove.

It’s always interesting to look back at the draft every year after most of the regular season has been played out. In April, Glenn Dorsey was arguably the best defender in the draft but as Banks points out, he’s made no impact for the Chiefs. Granted, these players are just 14 weeks into their young careers so a lot could change, but how wrong was everybody (myself included) who suggested the Falcons should have taken Dorsey over Matt Ryan? It would have looked like one of the biggest draft blunders of the year, assuming of course Dorsey was equally ineffective for Atlanta.

NFL

Atlanta Falcons Chris Johnson Chris Long Darren McFadden Glenn Dorsey Jake Long Kansas City Chiefs.Matt Ryan Miami Dolphins Oakland Raiders St. Louis Rams

The Top 10 NBA Free Agents of 2010

December 11, 2008 / John Paulsen

Originally published December 11, 2008.
Updated November 12, 2009.

The phrase “Summer of 2010” has become part of the NBA lexicon. Teams have been tripping over each other trying to clear cap space for next summer so that they can sign an impact free agent (or two). With that in mind, let’s take a look ahead at the free agent crop of 2010.

Below is a list of the top 10 players that are likely to be free agents next summer. I’m ranking them based mostly on talent, but it’s also important to note each player’s age in July of 2010, as that will affect his value and skill. For example, a 31 year-old Paul Pierce holds much more value than a 33 year-old Paul Pierce. Get the drift?

1. LeBron James, SF (26 years-old)
James is the golden boy of this free agent class and is the player that every franchise would love to land next summer. He will have just turned 26 and whatever team is lucky enough to sign him will – barring injury – enjoy four or five years of the best basketball of his career. The Cavs have gone “all in” this season, signing Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon, and re-signing Anderson Varejao. In the process, they gave up whatever cap space they would have enjoyed next summer. If Cleveland’s season ends in disappointment once again, it wouldn’t be surprising if LeBron decides to take his game elsewhere. Three teams — the Knicks, Bulls and Nets — jump out as good fits. LeBron has stated that his top priority is to become a “global icon” and playing in Manhattan would serve that purpose. If the Knicks are able to unload Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries before the trade deadline, then they’ll have the projected cap space to sign two top players on this list, and that might be enough to convince LeBron to sign on the dotted line. Plus, he’s familiar with Mike D’Antoni (via the duo’s work with Team USA) and the Knicks’ up-tempo system would be a near-perfect fit for LeBron’s skill set. The Nets offer a better supporting cast (led by Devin Harris and Brook Lopez) and the (impending?) move to Brooklyn would boost the franchise’s profile. Chicago has a number of pieces already in place (Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich) and is bigger market than Cleveland. But would LeBron want to go to the franchise that Michael Jordan built?
Note: Player option (PO)

External Sports, NBA

Amare Stoudemire Chris Bosh Dirk Nowitzki Dwyane Wade Joe Johnson LeBron James Manu Ginobili NBA free agency Paul Pierce Summer of 2010 Tracy McGrady Yao Ming

John Daly at it again – smashes fans’ camera into tree

December 11, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

John “Happy Gilmore” Daly decided that a fan had their camera to close to his face at the Australian Open…so he smashed the camera into a tree.

Daly was clearly frustrated at his lack of success in three tournaments in Australia this season.
After snatching the camera he stalked up to the nearest tree and hurled it with all his force into the trunk, saying “you want it back, I’ll buy you a new one”.
As Daly completed the hole Clegg, a 15-handicapper at Sydney club Ashlar, was left to pick up the pieces – literally.
Clegg, who had taken a leave day especially to see Daly play, said it was a disappointing way to finish the day.
“It hasn’t ended well,” he said.
Asked if he would be seeking compensation, Clegg said: “I don’t think I’ll be chasing him for the money. He’s a big bloke.”
Clegg said he had come out specifically to watch Daly because it might be the last chance he has.
“It was very unexpected.”

Apparently the guy wasn’t supposed to have a camera at the event anyway, so Daly won’t face any repercussions for his actions.

Yep, just another day in the life of John Daly – the coolest guy in the universe.

Golf

Australian Open John Daly John Daly smashes camera John Daly smashes fans camera John Daly stories

Terrell Owens rips Emmitt Smith and Keyshawn Johnson

December 11, 2008 / Anthony Stalter

Wideout Terrell Owens took recently aim at ex-Cowboys Emmitt Smith and Keyshawn Johnson for being critical of Dallas this season.

T.O. claims that he doesn’t watch ESPN, but he sure gets worked up about what the network’s analysts have to say.
He’s particularly perturbed about ex-Cowboys Keyshawn Johnson and Emmitt Smith, who have often been critical of the current Valley Ranch residents. Without prompting, T.O. fired a few shots at Keyshawn and Emmitt today.
“Those two need their own show – Dumb and Dumber,” said T.O., who was otherwise jolly while sporting a Cowboys-customized Santa cap and blinking red nose.
T.O. called Emmitt a hypocrite for publicly calling the Cowboys a bunch of individuals, then leaving a message on Greg Ellis’ cell phone to pass onto the team. (T.O. wouldn’t say what the message was.) T.O. also pointed out that Emmitt doesn’t even know the name of the rookie running back who starred against the Steelers, since No. 22 apparently referred to Tashard Choice as Rashard.
As for Keyshawn, T.O. pointed out for the 1,348th time that the Cowboys gave Keyshawn a pink slip so they could sign him.
“Obviously, this guy is still really jealous of me,” T.O. said, “because I’m here and this guy is in the booth talking about me and the Cowboys.”