First thing is first, NCAA tourny. To make a long bracket short, Kansas over Pitt for the Championship. Oh yeah, biggest of all upsets, Duke loses in the first round. Yes you heard it here first.
Next. Early picks for Packers and Bears draft as well as "The Good, the Bad, and the ugly. A lot will change in the next month with where some will be drafted but as of right now here are a couple of picks.
Packers
Round one: Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State- I like this guy a lot and the Packers really need to draft the best available. Jenkins will not start this year unless there is an injury. The next year he will start and he will be a pro bowler within a year of starting. What is not to like about a cornerback who is physically talented and puts the hurt on opponents?
Round two: Connor Barwin DE-OLB Cincinnati - This guy is a pretty decent athlete who has a really high ceiling. He will take some time to develop BUT he also has enough ability and drive to start right away. Again, how can you not like a guy like this; high motor, great attitude, and has the measurables. This guy fits the new 3-4 OLB spot that the Packers need.
Round three: Gerald Cadogan Penn State - This is a bit of a gamble at this spot but this guy has a good attitude and has talent. The one thing that may be his undoing is that he is not nasty and is a little too nice. As my brother Paul always says, "A good offensive lineman is one of those ugly guys with lots of pimples who are mad at everybody." On Paul's theory this guy will not work out but he may be worth the gamble and the Packers need a guy who can play left tackle.
Post 3rd Round guys: Quinn Johnson FB LSU - The more I read reports on this guy the more I wonder if I was watching a different senior bowl then everybody else. This guys was making blocks and cat catches and laying the hurt on defenders. Solid and welcome in Green Bay
Andy Kemp OL Wisconsin - With Tauscher's future a little uncertain Kemp could be a solid back-up at guard or tackle and possible surprise starter for the Packers. Maybe I am living in the past and comparing him to Tauscher but I like this kid.
Jarron Gilbert DE/DT San Jose State - Dangerous to pick guys on athleticism alone but he showed he could play with the big boys in the east west shrine game.
Jason Williams LB Western Illinois - I love Western Illinois linebackers and safeties. This guy is exactly like all the previous western guys, a tough hard nosed guy. May end up being an inside LB for the packers.
Bears
1st round whoever is the best wide out available? If Jeremy Macklin is available they should jump on him. If not the next best guy should be Hakeem Nicks from N.C. They should avoid Percy Harvin and Darrius Heyward-Bey. I am not sold on either of those two. But the Bears need a wide receiver who can play. They made a huge mistake last year in drafting Earl Bennett. Hell, my brother played WR for Monmouth 10 years ago and he may want to walk into bears camp because they need wide outs and yes, he could beat out Earl Bennett. If neither Macklin nor Nicks is available then the Bears should trade down or possibly go for OT Eben Britton out of Arizona if he is available.
Round 2 Kraig Urbick OG-OT Wisconsin - This only happens if they draft a wide out in the first round and not an OL. Urbick may be able to transition into a tackle in the NFL but even if he stays at guard he will be a good fit for the Bears. On the other hand Patrick Chung SS from Oregon may be an excellent pick here as well as the Bears really need a solid safety who does not get hurt every year.
Round 3 Call me crazy but I think Pat White QB West Virginia and I will tell you why, of the top 10 QB's in this draft only 2 or 3 will make it so why not gamble a little on an intriguing prospect? White is a little bit of an underdog and he is the type of player that plays best when he has a chip on his shoulder. If he does not work out as a QB then the bears can use him at wide out.
Post 3rd round guys: Courtney Greene SS Rutgers - Needs some work but could pay off in the end for the Bears. Loves to hit.
Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly - This guy will not ever dominate but he should be able to add a little weight and be a third down guy and anybody who is 6-6 is a red zone threat. The Bears receiving core needs an enema and they may as well cut half the core and bring in new guys who want to play. This guy could do something for them.
Dominique Eddison WR Stephen F. Austin - This is another one of those guys who may slip through the cracks far enough for a team to get a steal. Look for him to take a couple of years to bulk up but after that he may be dynamite. Remember, it took T.O. three years to really look good (That was a little painful for me to type)
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick - It is a mystery as to why this guy did not go to a larger school. After scouring to find information on him I came to the conclusion that he will be a diamond in the rough. He has a strong arm, smarts, and can make more throws then a guy from this small of a school should. Why not take a chance in the 6th or 7th round?
THE GOOD (The highly touted players that will work out for NFL teams)
Aaron Curry OLB Wake Forest
Eugene Moore OT Virginia (Remember this is the guy that beat out Branden Alberts and forced him to play guard in college)
Ray Mauluga LB USC - This guy is the real deal
James Laurinitis LB Ohio State - Another tough mean LB
Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
Jeremy Maclin WR Mizzo
THE BAD (Busts or guys that will never live up to their billing)
Brian Orakpo - Texas players who have been coddled never seem to transition to the NFL well because they are nobodies when they are rookies and cease to play hard
Mark Sanchez - Really? I can't believe how highly thought of this guy is. Does anybody remember that a year ago he could not beat out John David Booty? Maybe I am wrong here but he will suffer the Leinert fate.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - He will be overdrafted and NFL teams may find out soon that while he may be a great athlete he will not beat the jam in the NFL and will suffer the same fate as former Maryland combine dynamo Vernon Davis. He will frustrate coaches for years.
Andre Smith - I can go one of two ways with this guy. If he goes to a hard nosed coach who will whip him into shape, this guy could dominate. On the other hand he seems really immature and naive and if he goes to a team like the raiders or a "players coach" he will eat himself out of the league. He reminds me too much of former Wisconsin monster OT Aaron Gibson. Although he has a damn good name
Matthew Stafford QB Georgia - Stafford will play in the NFL and he will start and he will succeed. But he will never be a top 10 QB and he is considered to be the best QB available in this draft. Think like a Jim Everett type of QB.
THE UGLY (Guys that will make it happen in the NFL or are better then their billing)
Josh Freeman QB Kansas State - I think that there is a distinct possibility that Freeman will be the only starting QB to come out of this draft. He is underrated.
Ziggy Hood DT Mizzo - There is something very intriguing about this guy. He reminds me of La'Roi Glover.
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick
Chase Coffman - Especially if he goes to the Colts. He has the same attitude and dedication as his father but in a much larger body and he has room to grow.
Mitch King DT/DE Iowa - Don't discount this kid because of his lack of size. He is the type of role player that will help a team and find ways to get on the field and make a difference
A.Q. Shipley - Centers have to be smart and savvy and some of the best centers are human fire hydrants. Shipley will be surprisingly effective in the NFL but he will not look pretty doing it.
That is all for now but I am sure I will have other opinions and I am sure that things will change in three weeks or so.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
An ode to the beer that pissed me off
Dear Kronenbourg 1664 brewer,
How are you doing today? Let me explain something to you. You are French. At one point in time the US was so pissed at you guys that we took an American food and almost changed french fries to freedom fries. So already I feel the need to give you the benefit of the doubt because we were kind of jerks to you just because of a couple of unethical transactions. Well I tried the beer that you brewed. I spent $8.99 on a six pack. Alright I paid a little more, I can handle that. I opened your beer and tasted it and I thought, "hmm, it really is not bad." Then I drank more of you. I soon realized that I would prefer many beers before I would try you. Then I thought about it and I was like "Well for that much I could have bought some Heinekin or Becks. Then I thought, wait a minute you are in a green bottle, yet you do not taste skunkey, which pissed me off even more because I have grown to love the Skunky taste of Heiniken and Becks. As I gazed at the bottle I realized just how much you pissed me off, because you only contain 11.2 oz. What the hell is that! You not only taste not that bad, do not give the green bottle promise of skunkiness, and cost more than Becks but you cannot even deliver on volume. You know what Kronenbourg 1664 brewer? I am done with you forever. Quick Stacy, give me and old style...well at least you don't suck as much as Strohs.
Much love and Regards,
André M. Smith
How are you doing today? Let me explain something to you. You are French. At one point in time the US was so pissed at you guys that we took an American food and almost changed french fries to freedom fries. So already I feel the need to give you the benefit of the doubt because we were kind of jerks to you just because of a couple of unethical transactions. Well I tried the beer that you brewed. I spent $8.99 on a six pack. Alright I paid a little more, I can handle that. I opened your beer and tasted it and I thought, "hmm, it really is not bad." Then I drank more of you. I soon realized that I would prefer many beers before I would try you. Then I thought about it and I was like "Well for that much I could have bought some Heinekin or Becks. Then I thought, wait a minute you are in a green bottle, yet you do not taste skunkey, which pissed me off even more because I have grown to love the Skunky taste of Heiniken and Becks. As I gazed at the bottle I realized just how much you pissed me off, because you only contain 11.2 oz. What the hell is that! You not only taste not that bad, do not give the green bottle promise of skunkiness, and cost more than Becks but you cannot even deliver on volume. You know what Kronenbourg 1664 brewer? I am done with you forever. Quick Stacy, give me and old style...well at least you don't suck as much as Strohs.
Much love and Regards,
André M. Smith
Sunday, January 04, 2009
It is time.
It has been a while since I have blogged anywhere so I have a lot to cover.
Musicals
What is the deal with musicals. I mean really they are pretty silly. Does anybody just break out into song and have a whole band playing for them. I watched the movie enchanted yesterday and they actually poked fun at this concept. Then there are all of these "Classic" musicals that everybody will donate their kidneys for to see a new cast when they know that they will never like them as much as the "Original" cast. So they start out on broadway and then some actually trancend to the screen, like rent. When that came out all the girls were like "Oh my goad Rent is now a movie. Then there is me, who is like, what the F is rent. Am I uncultured? Let's take "Grease". It is a story about the tough greasy boy who does not want to admit that he likes the prudish nerdy girl. I know, all the girls like the bad boy and all the boys like the nerdy girls. Have we really covered new territory? The only concession prize to this movie is Grease 2. There I said it! I mean, that shit was too good for Broadway. It knows what it is; a series of songs about sex. Songs like "Reproduction", "We are going to score tonight", and "Let's do it for our country". Even "Cool Rider" features Michelle Pfeifer straddling a step ladder. If you like musicals I am sorry, but take a Freudian look at them. There I said it.
Music
I am always beind the times with music. But I have to say that my favorite album of 2008 is officially "Re-arranger" by Mates of State. Submarines knotch their way in at number two. Most original of 2008: Fleet Foxes. Worst of 2008: anytime I am listening to the radio and I hear Fred Durst, Slipknot, deathmetal in any form, Metallica post "Black Album", and most country--regardless if any of it was actually made in 2008 because again, I am always behind the times. There I said it.
Movies
I don't see enough movies either. I guess I watch a lot of old ones. My favorite of the year is "Nick and Norah's infinite playlist" but in all fairness I still have yet to see the double Rogan feature of "Pineapple Express" and "Zach and Miri make a porno" because I am pretty sure I would like both of those. Every Christmas we see a bad movie and this year it was "The Spirit". Suprisingly enough it was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but is still the worst of the year hands down.
On another movie note, I just watched a movie called "Hawk: The Slayer". Let me explain the various categories of bad movies in decending order of bad to worse: Bad movies that are so bad and campy that you love them. Classic example, Plan nine from outer space. Then there are those movies that have amazing production value but you just can't stand the story. My example of this is when "Stargate" came out (But of course the one that I hated and others loved is "Saving Private Ryan". Then there are movies that are just flat painful to watch. My example of this would be "House of 1000 corpses". Finally there are those movies that are painful to watch, have awful special effects, and worst of all they set themselves up for a sequal. Hawk: The Slayer is one of those fantasy movies similar to "Conan the Barbarian". Actually the story reminds me of the movie "Krull" which is not a very good movie but at least had decent special effects for its time. But Hawk the Slayers best special effect is when this witch uses magic to freeze an evil soldier, but her wand just shoots out green silly string. Later she uses her magic to blind a room of bad guys which is really just a bunch of bubbles, a fog machine, and disco lights. I mean the guy in it who is supposed to be a giant is only like 6'5". THEN it has the audacity to set itself up for a sequal! Well anyways, if you want to see how bad it is they actually did put it on DVD. But really you may be better off drinking an ex-lax and tabasco cocktail. There I said it.
Will I be ready?
Today somebody put a flier under my windshield wiper and on my garage door. It starts out with "AM I READY TO STAND BEFORE ETERNAL GOD". Well yeah I guess so. According to this little essay the "much biblical evidence points to May 21, 2011 as the day of the rapture of believers - the final day of salvation. Those left behind will destroy each other, and on October 21, 2011." I wonder if we will celebrate my 30th birthday, I mean that is one of those milestones in a persons life. But don't you love how they can never say, "Look! I am going to say it now and if I am wrong then you never have to listen to me again, when I tell you that the end of the world is May 21, 2011." No of course not. They have to add ambiguity in case they are wrong. Actually I don't know who they even are. They are bold enough to leave this literature under my windshield and on my garage door. But nowhere does it say who they are! They do however tell me to listen to www.familyradio.com. So if I knew who these people were I think I might say "WILL YOU BE READY TO FACE ME IF THE WORLD DOES NOT END ON MAY 21, 2011?" If you are religious and believe in something, more power to you. But don't preach to me. There I said it.
That is all for now.
::End Transmission::
Musicals
What is the deal with musicals. I mean really they are pretty silly. Does anybody just break out into song and have a whole band playing for them. I watched the movie enchanted yesterday and they actually poked fun at this concept. Then there are all of these "Classic" musicals that everybody will donate their kidneys for to see a new cast when they know that they will never like them as much as the "Original" cast. So they start out on broadway and then some actually trancend to the screen, like rent. When that came out all the girls were like "Oh my goad Rent is now a movie. Then there is me, who is like, what the F is rent. Am I uncultured? Let's take "Grease". It is a story about the tough greasy boy who does not want to admit that he likes the prudish nerdy girl. I know, all the girls like the bad boy and all the boys like the nerdy girls. Have we really covered new territory? The only concession prize to this movie is Grease 2. There I said it! I mean, that shit was too good for Broadway. It knows what it is; a series of songs about sex. Songs like "Reproduction", "We are going to score tonight", and "Let's do it for our country". Even "Cool Rider" features Michelle Pfeifer straddling a step ladder. If you like musicals I am sorry, but take a Freudian look at them. There I said it.
Music
I am always beind the times with music. But I have to say that my favorite album of 2008 is officially "Re-arranger" by Mates of State. Submarines knotch their way in at number two. Most original of 2008: Fleet Foxes. Worst of 2008: anytime I am listening to the radio and I hear Fred Durst, Slipknot, deathmetal in any form, Metallica post "Black Album", and most country--regardless if any of it was actually made in 2008 because again, I am always behind the times. There I said it.
Movies
I don't see enough movies either. I guess I watch a lot of old ones. My favorite of the year is "Nick and Norah's infinite playlist" but in all fairness I still have yet to see the double Rogan feature of "Pineapple Express" and "Zach and Miri make a porno" because I am pretty sure I would like both of those. Every Christmas we see a bad movie and this year it was "The Spirit". Suprisingly enough it was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but is still the worst of the year hands down.
On another movie note, I just watched a movie called "Hawk: The Slayer". Let me explain the various categories of bad movies in decending order of bad to worse: Bad movies that are so bad and campy that you love them. Classic example, Plan nine from outer space. Then there are those movies that have amazing production value but you just can't stand the story. My example of this is when "Stargate" came out (But of course the one that I hated and others loved is "Saving Private Ryan". Then there are movies that are just flat painful to watch. My example of this would be "House of 1000 corpses". Finally there are those movies that are painful to watch, have awful special effects, and worst of all they set themselves up for a sequal. Hawk: The Slayer is one of those fantasy movies similar to "Conan the Barbarian". Actually the story reminds me of the movie "Krull" which is not a very good movie but at least had decent special effects for its time. But Hawk the Slayers best special effect is when this witch uses magic to freeze an evil soldier, but her wand just shoots out green silly string. Later she uses her magic to blind a room of bad guys which is really just a bunch of bubbles, a fog machine, and disco lights. I mean the guy in it who is supposed to be a giant is only like 6'5". THEN it has the audacity to set itself up for a sequal! Well anyways, if you want to see how bad it is they actually did put it on DVD. But really you may be better off drinking an ex-lax and tabasco cocktail. There I said it.
Will I be ready?
Today somebody put a flier under my windshield wiper and on my garage door. It starts out with "AM I READY TO STAND BEFORE ETERNAL GOD". Well yeah I guess so. According to this little essay the "much biblical evidence points to May 21, 2011 as the day of the rapture of believers - the final day of salvation. Those left behind will destroy each other, and on October 21, 2011." I wonder if we will celebrate my 30th birthday, I mean that is one of those milestones in a persons life. But don't you love how they can never say, "Look! I am going to say it now and if I am wrong then you never have to listen to me again, when I tell you that the end of the world is May 21, 2011." No of course not. They have to add ambiguity in case they are wrong. Actually I don't know who they even are. They are bold enough to leave this literature under my windshield and on my garage door. But nowhere does it say who they are! They do however tell me to listen to www.familyradio.com. So if I knew who these people were I think I might say "WILL YOU BE READY TO FACE ME IF THE WORLD DOES NOT END ON MAY 21, 2011?" If you are religious and believe in something, more power to you. But don't preach to me. There I said it.
That is all for now.
::End Transmission::
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