2014 NFL Season Previews: AFC North

The season preview continues and this division includes an intriguing one. If I did this blog just a day or or two ago it would be completely different than it is now. This division is usually very competitive and now that the Browns have a defense it is more so now. Let's dive into the preview.

1. Cincinnati Bengals:

2013: 11-5, 1st in the AFC North, lost in the wildcard round of playoffs.

Key Losses: James Harrison, Kyle Cook, Andrew Hawkins, Anthony Collins, Michael Johnson, Brandon Ghee, OC Jay Gruden, DC Mike Zimmer

Key Additions: Marshall Newhouse, Jason Campbell. Darqueze Dennard, and Jeremy Hill.

Toughest Match ups: New England Patriots, Denver Broncos,
Indianapolis Colts, and the New Orleans Saints.

2014 Outcome:
This is more of a default pick than anything. I do think that the Bengals probably have the best overall team in the division. They just seem to be lacking once playoff time comes around. They will be hurt by the losses of both their coordinators. Especially Jay Gruden who helped Mold Andy Dalton into a quarterback that nobody thought was possible. Yes Dalton came up short in the playoffs but he was a guy that threw for 33 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. I also love Giovanni Bernard and the drafting of running back Jeremy Hill will make for an effective run game. The Bengals didn't make too many moves in the offseason but they still remain the overall best team in the division. Also Dalton has looked tremendous in preseason. It may be the preseason but it has to be good to see the offense do well after losing their defensive coordinator. I see them going 10-6.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers:

2013: 8-8. Second in the AFC North. Didn't make playoffs.

Key Losses: Al Woods, Emmanuel Sanders, Ziggy Hood, Jericho Cotchery and Jonathon Dwyer

Key Additions: Lance Moore, Mike Mitchell, Darius Heyward-Bey, LeGarrette Blount and Arthur Moats.

Toughest Match ups: New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Monday Spread Option 08-25-14

1. It's back! College football finally returns this week with the same great rivalries and a new postseason format. What week one match-up are you most looking forward to watching? 

Spencer- 

Usually Week 1 of the college football season pairs a lot of mismatches, but there are still some intriguing games to look forward to. The one I am looking forward to most is probably No. 16 Clemson vs. No. 12 Georgia on Saturday. These two teams play each other every year and it is always a competitive game. Look at last years 38-35 Clemson win in Week 1. The Tigers however lost all their biggest offensive play-makers from 2013-14 and although they have new ones, such as Cole Stoudt at quarterback, I think a Georgia front seven will give them trouble. On the other side of the ball Georgia's offense will go through running back Todd Gurley who is a freak of an athlete and can take it to the house with every touch. Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley, who has great NFL potential, has other plans though. In last year's game he was a headache for the Bulldogs' backfield and will make his presence felt again.

Ty- 
Can I say none? I'm joking of course but I really am not overly excited for the first week. The teams I'm most excited to watch are UCLA and Florida State and they are both playing games that will be blowouts in all likelihood. There are some games that should be good, like Texas A&M vs South Carolina, 16 Clemson at 12 Georgia and 14 Wisconsin vs 13 LSU. But with no Johnny Manziel I'm not that compelled to watch A&M. There is also nobody on any of the teams that I stated earlier that draws me to the games. I will be watching the games though because this is where stars start to emerge and maybe a player will make me want to watch his team in week 2. But I probably will just watch my boy "Crab legs" Winston tear up Oklahoma State.

2. Staying with the college football discussion, what four teams do you predict will make the first ever college football playoff? 

Monday Spread Option 08-11-14

1. Over the weekend sports fans were focused on a place very familiar to us, Western New York, where Tony Stewart hit and killed Kevin Ward Jr. on Saturday night on a dirt track race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. There was speculation that Stewart purposefully hit Ward

who got out of his car angry at Stewart who had spun him out on the previous lap. Do you think Stewart intended to hit Ward, or was it an accident all around? Should Stewart have raced yesterday at Watkins Glenn? 

Spencer- 

I  don't think Stewart intentionally hit Ward, but I can see why some people think otherwise. In the video you can clearly hear Stewart speed up as he get's close to Ward and obviously he made Ward spin out in the first place, adding to the suspicion. Regardless I don't think there is enough evidence to say Stewart did it on purpose though, which is why he won't be charged or get in any legal trouble. I was happy to see he decided not to race at Watkins Glenn yesterday though. It should of been obvious from the start that racing was a bad idea after the accident the night before. I know he is a competitor and wants to race but it was obvious what the right decision was. Glad he made the right one.

Ty-

 I don't think Stewart wanted to intentionally hit Ward. This story is tragic but it could have possibly been prevented if Ward remained in his car. Once he left his car and stood in the middle of the track he lost all of the safety afforded to him. It was also reported that several other cars almost hit Ward as well. The story just looks really bad because Stewart caused the spin out in the first place. But to think that Stewart intentional hit him with his car then you are questioning Stewart's morals. Either way he has to live with it the rest of his life. Stewart was right to not race the next day, But I'm sure it would have made the situation much worse.

Monday Spread Option 07-28-14

1. At the end of last week the NFL announced Ray Rice's suspension of two games for his part

in an altercation with his then fiancé, which resulted with him knocking her unconscious and dragging her out of an elevator. What do you think of the suspension? Does the punishment fit the crime, or was it not severe enough? 

Spencer- 
Obviously the biggest problem with Ray Rice's suspension is the fact that two games seems extremely forgiving for something as serious as domestic violence. Not only did he break rule number one of not ever hitting a woman, but he full on knocked rung her bell and knocked her out. That's about as bad as it can get. Obviously since then he has apologized and married Janay Palmer, his fiancé at the time, but that doesn't excuse what he did. The NFL had a chance to take a stand on something that is a big problem not just in United States society, but around the world and instead they came up with a whopping two game suspension. How NFL senior vice president of labor policy Adolpho Birch defended the decision on Mike and Mike this morning is literally beyond me. They dropped the ball and we all know that. Josh Gordon is set to receive a full year suspension for failing a second drug test for a substance that is quickly becoming legal around the nation, but Ray Rice can knock out a woman and just get two games. How lopsided is that? What was even worse for me was John Harbaugh's press conference after it was announced and that the Ravens as a team said they felt shafted by the NFL for announcing the suspension on the first day of training camp. Harbaugh sounded completely idiotic saying that the suspension was "a good lesson for the kids" and all that other nonsense like it wasn't a big deal.
Oh okay John, it's not a big deal that your star running back almost ruined a woman's life. And by the way all this teaches kids is that you can get away with minimal consequences for beating up women. Way to go John. And I get that Baltimore wants to defend their teammate and Ray Rice is important to the team's success but in no way should the Ravens feel shafted by the announcement coming at the start of training camp. You all had to know it was coming, or do you all think what your teammate did was a good thing? Bunch of selfish cry babies man. Sorry your day was ruined cause you lost your running back for two measly games when it should of been eight. Complete garbage man by both the Ravens organization and the NFL. If I'm Josh Gordon, I'm fighting my year suspension till the Super Bowl after all this.  

Ty- 
No. Ray Rice should have received at least a 4 games or 6 game suspensions. The NFL has seemed to completely change the way they dealt with these matters. On one hand I do see why someone would say that the NFL doesn’t have to deal with these manners and should let it play out in the court. Which in Ray Rices case the charges were dropped and his then fiancé has forgiven him and since married Rice. Those facts do complicate the situation but I think that the NFL had a duty to say they weren’t going to tolerate this. This is the same league that disciplined Adam “PacMan” Jones for being in constant nightclub situations without even have been convicted of anything. Yet now they decide to hand out a slap on the wrist. I understand them waiting for the law system to play out because unlike what most people believe people are innocent until proven guilty. But after the investigation they had to take a tougher stand and say that that kind of conduct isn’t tolerated under any circumstance. Instead they choose to perpetuate the notion that women aren’t as important as men. I for one am embarrassed because it reflects badly on myself as a man and it is something women have had to deal with forever and in 2014 we shouldn’t have this issue.

Monday Spread Option 05-12-14

1. The Thunder and Wizards both blew big fourth quarter leads in game four against the Clippers and Pacers respectively, do you see it as choking by Oklahoma City and Washington, or as a historic comeback by Los Angeles and Indiana? 

Spencer- 
I think it was more of Oklahoma City choking than a great comeback by the Los Angeles. Look I'm not discrediting the Clippers late rally, but obviously they weren't going to roll over and quit in a playoff game. The Thunder just looked lost in the final six minutes of the game. They couldn't run an offense to save their lives, there was no ball movement and guys weren't working to get open, on top of that no one was working to get rebounds and got boxed out on both ends. It just looked like the OKC thought they were coasting to a win. For the Pacers and Wizards I think that was an unreal comeback by Indiana. Anytime one player takes it upon himself to will his team back into it like Paul George did, it has to be a comeback. He was knocking down everything yesterday and down the stretch he came up with two huge threes in a row to cut it to 85-82 Wizards. Then he made the free throws to put Indiana up and then snatched the game clinching steal at end of the game. Regardless both of these games were terrific after the first few games in all the series had kinda been lopsided for the most part.

Ty-
I think that in both cases it was a lil bit of both. I do think that the Clippers came back because Doc Rivers made adjustments that Scott Brooks didn't counter but I also think that the Thunder relaxed on the Clippers. The Clippers needed this game and yet the Thunder was roasting them for most of the game. The Thunder look like the better team but they just took their foot off the gas to much. The Same thing happened to the Wizards. Except that they don't know how to close out teams. Even in the first round there were a couple games that the Wizards should have won easily but they let the Bulls stick around. They did the same thing yesterday. But you have to give the Pacers some credit, especially Paul George who went off from 3 point range.

2. Roy Hibbert broke out of his slump over the weekend, which saw him put up a 0 in the points column in three of four games in a row, to post double digit points and add a combined 23 rebounds in three straight games. Is Hibbert back, and if so what are the Pacers chances of winning it all with his contributions? 

Ty- 
Hibbert is back.... I guess. I think his impact has been more on defense. John Wall loves getting into the pant and now Roy Hibbert is playing great inside. The Scoring helps because Indiana struggles but that's not his main contribution. The Pacers have been playing great defense over the last two games and if they do that then they can be the team that can compete with the Heat. But honestly they still did not look very good or at the level they did earlier in the season.

Spencer- Yes, based on the last three games Hibbert is back. Honestly I don't know where he went to begin with but his play has been great over the last three games and has been a huge part of the Pacers 3-1 series lead over Washington. As far as his impact on their championship chances, it's HUGE. If Hibbert continues to contribute offensively and get blocks and rebounds for his team the Pacers are the scary team they were in the beginning of the year. It has taken some time for them to come around but it looks like, at least of of now, and will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If they meet the Heat there we will all get the match-up we wanted since Miami won that series last year.

3. The NFL Draft has come and gone. Which team had the best draft and which team had the worst? 


Spencer- For me its got to be the St. Louis Rams who had the best draft this year, and no I'm not just saying that because of the emotional and historic pick of Michael Sam in the seventh-round. Although it was a cool moment. Still the Rams targeted their needs and stuck to their board in this years draft and they could be a much improved team in the future. They had two top 13 picks, because they held the number two pick from the Redskins trade two years ago, and used them to select offensive tackle Greg Robinson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. I think Robinson was key because the best way to get a gauge on Sam Bradford's chances of being their franchise quarterback is to get him protection and keep him healthy for the grind of a full season. Donald obviously will add even more pressure to an already aggressive defensive line. I expect defensive coordinator Greg Williams to have some fun with those guys. Then they added cornerback LaMarcus Joyner who was possibly a reach in the second round but adds some depth and potential in the secondary. Later on they got runningback Tre Mason and another corner in E.J. Gaines who can both become difference makers in their positions. Then obviously the Sam pick helps potentially bolster the defensive line a little more as well. I think all in all the Rams won this draft and I expect a turn around from them, if not this year down the road.

The worst draft in my mind goes to the Philadelphia Eagles. I think the one pick that made perfect sense and will benefit the Eagles immediately is the pick of Vanderbilt Wide receiver Jordan Mathews in the second round. Otherwise some of the other picks are question marks. The Eagles must of known something we didn't about Marcus Smith to feel he was worth the first round pick. He definitely could pan out but only time will tell. Josh Huff and Taylor Hart are similar in that regard, that I don't know what the Eagles will get from them. Jaylen Watkins in the third round made sense there and was probably the one bright spot of Florida's secondary this year so that wasn't a terrible pick either. Mostly I just felt they reached in a lot of places they didn't have to and also traded away Bryce Brown who added some quickness and depth at running back behind LeSean McCoy. I think the draft could potentially benefit Philadelphia in the long run but right now it didn't impress me and left some questions on how these guys will turn out.

Ty- 
It is hard to say which teams had the worst and which teams had the best draft because the players haven't played. but....

It looks as though the Rams had a great draft. They added two great players on the offensive and defensive sides of the lines in the first round. They also added Joyner who could help in the secondary after some time. I really like them adding Tre Mason, he went later in the draft but that has more to do with the NFL right now and I think he could absolutely contribute to the Rams right away.

The worst draft to me was the Saints. They got the WR that they needed with Brandin Cooks but they could have gotten another WR later as well. I think that they also didn't draft a bunch of guys that can fill their needs. The Browns are also in this category if they knew they didn't have a receiver and they passed on Sammy Watkins and any other WR in this packed class.

4. Ole Miss shooting guard Marshall Henderson posted this tweet today in response to the emotional video of Michael Sam getting drafted: 


He is now claiming it was just a psychology experiment for his gay friend. Do you buy Henderson's story and what is it going to take for athletes at all levels with this kind of notoriety to realize how quickly social media can get them into trouble? 

Ty-
I don't know id Henderson is telling the truth or not but although I could see him saying something like that and meaning it just based off of his usual demeanor. But I also think that Henderson tends to speak his mind so I don't think he would cover his tracks like that or do it that instantly so I'm slightly inclined to believe him. But I will say that the NCAA and other sports leagues need to employ a social media literacy program. I think fining people after the fact doesn't always work. But if they learn certain things that they probably should not say on social media it can help.

Spencer- I don't think anyone is falling for Henderson's excuse. He's just doing damage control at this point. It really is crazy how many athletes fall victim to this and in some cases it's not even the punishment they receive from their respective organization, but the fact that the comments they make can hurt their image and character more than anything. Now with Henderson I don't know if he cares about his image much given his rebellious past, but he obviously cares enough to try to cover it up after the fact. I think the bottom line is that these athletes need to be educated on social media and it's impacts as well as proper use of their accounts. For student athletes I would understand a high level of inspection of their accounts by the school or team because obviously that reflects badly on the athlete as well as the school. For professional athletes I think if they speak their mind it is more on them, I mean they are grown adults and can make their own choices knowing what repercussions there could be, but I still think again, educating them about the impacts could be helpful. Sometimes I think athletes let the spotlight get too big for them and don't think publicizing their opinions like that won't cause any harm when they are so high profile, but it's quite the opposite. I believe in freedom of speech but the world is always ready to give their input on things too and when it's a controversial issue like this it's obviously going to cause a stir and leave room for response.


5. What We Leaned: 

Ty- The Sterling Family Just Don't Get it

In life we are able to make mistakes and be forgiven for those mistakes if we apologize and ask for it. But usually when a person continues to make the same mistake, forgiveness becomes less of an option. Now Donald Sterling is finally apologizing about the comments he made that was leaked over 2 weeks ago. But why didn't he come out and apologize as soon as the tape was leaked? Oh it's because he didn't know if he had to and didn't want to because he is not sorry. But instead he wants to retain ownership of the Clippers team. There is nothing that he can say that would change his history of not only saying racist things but also discriminations in his business practices. I honestly don't care what he has to say.

Sherly Sterling also does not seem to get it. Yes she was cheated on, but you would have to be naive to think that she didn't know about her husbands actions. I get that it would not seem fair for her to be stripped of ownership for something her husband said but there is more to this. First she has an alleged history of discriminatory actions as well. Also she does not seem to understand that she is in an entertainment business where the general public is your customer.

It is just like the episode of the Newsroom where they had to retract their story about abuse in the war because the evidence fell apart. Then Charlie Skinner tells Will McAvoy that they have lost the public's trust an that they should quit. Sure it worked out int the end on the Newsroom but this is real life. The Sterling name is tarnashed and players will not want to play for the teams. It will hurt sponsorships and ticket sales. Sterling is too toxic of a name to be able to own the team.

If the Sterling family weren't a stubborn bunch of billionnaires that are used to getting their way. If they were decent people they would have already sold the team because they didn't want to distract the team.
But why should I expect better out of people that don't lnow who to dhis law

Spencer- It's Johnny Manziel's World and we're just living in it 

Assuming many of you watched the draft or at least the first round live on ESPN, I'm sure you noticed the networks love affair with Johnny Football. Now I'm not here to say it wasn't for good reason, because obviously he was a tremendous talent in college and an electrifying player to watch that could turn around a franchise in Cleveland, and I love Manziel as much as the next guy and want to see him succeed. But I couldn't believe how after every pick the discussion went right back to Manziel. Before he was drafted it was all about where he could get taken, after it was all about his play and how excited people were to see him play and give Cleveland a chance.

As much as I understand the media attention, I think we missed the fact that other talented players were getting drafted this past weekend as well. When he finally was picked it seemed like everyone at the discussion table was on a Johnny Football high talking about him and how they think he's going to succeed until Mel Kiper brought them back down to earth and said "look I think he is going to have a chance to be a good player in Cleveland but..." and he went into talking about some of the other impact players who were drafted and how they will help their respective team as well. As much as Manziel deserves the attention and popularity it is important to remember that all of these guys reached the ultimate football goal this weekend and that they earned it as much as him. Look at Blake Bortles for example. Dude was the first quarterback taken and the third overall pick but all people had to say was "oh ya he'll be the future for this Jaguars team down the line, How bout this Johnny Manziel!?" Bortles in my opinion was a reach but there was barely any talk about it or his impact on the Jaguars organization.

When the Cowboys were on the clock with Manziel still on the board the TV rating for the draft went up an entire point as America waited to see if Jerry Jones would pick the highly coveted QB who he raved about earlier that week. That is statistical evidence that this draft was the "Johnny Football Show." As a celebrity Manziel will put butts in seats, he'll sell jersey's and grow in popularity if he succeeds. The draft was just the tip of the iceberg for this Johnny Football fanfare, the NFL's got a new main attraction. So in a year or two when you're sick of every Sportscenter topic being a headline with Manziel's name, remember we saw this coming.

Monday Spread Option 05-05-14

1. The NBA playoff first round was arguably the best first round of all-time. We saw five series got to game sevens, a handful of overtimes and an unexpected amount of four point plays. Which series was the best in your eyes and why? 

Spencer- 
No series was better than the Oklahoma City, Memphis series...nothing. The number of times I caught my self saying "What just happened?" throughout those seven games was crazy. Russell Westbrook was slamming crazy dunks, there was that Durant four point play. Tony Allen was locking KD down, while Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph did work in the paint. It was just a fight! Add in the fact that there were four overtime games, I mean it just doesn't get any better than that. It's going to be tough for the second round to live up to these first round games but I'm excited for it.

Ty- 
A week ago I would have agreed with Spencer about the Thunder and Grizzlies but the last 2 games ended in blowouts so idk If I can pick it. I think I would go with the Portland v. Houston series. All the games were close. It had 3 overtimes and it although it ended in 6 it came down to the last shot of the series to end it. Although the Rockets got down 3-1 you could have argued that they could have easily been in the up 3-1 because of how close the games were and how each game turned on maybe one or two bounces to decide it.

2. Now as the NBA teams are set for round two who wins each series to advance to the conference championship round and in how many games? 

Ty-
The second round match ups should hopefully live up to the first round of games as well. In the west I have the Thunder over the Clippers in 7 games. These teams love to play a very fast pace so they end up playing very similar styles. The difference is that I think that the Thunder can play better defense for longer stretches of time. Blake Griffin usually struggles against the Thunder and they wont have the size advantage they had against the Warriors. In the Spurs v. Trailblazers matchup I have the Spurs in 7 as well. I'm only saying seven games because Portland is very resilient. I do think that they can score on the Spurs at any point but The Spurs are capable of playing defense and I don't trust the Blazers D at all. I will say if the Blazers get hot or play better D than they can win in 6. In the east the Pacers v. Wizards match-up is interesting because the Pacers were the better team for most of the year but imploded. The Wizards are close to contenders now that they got Nene back. I have the Wizards winning in 6. Finally I have the Miami Heat beating the Nets in 7. This is because the Heat have Dwayne Wade for now and that makes the difference. Now if Wade gets hurt, which is still a good chance. Then all bets are off because I do feel like this Miami team is not as good as they were last year.

Spencer- 
The match-ups for this round should be insane if we're basing it off of the first round and how the teams stack up. I think there are two that on paper have game seven potential and that's the Thunder and the Clippers and the Pacers and the Wizards. Thunder, Clippers, I just get the sense is going to be a battle. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan down low will give Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins some trouble down low, I don't know if it will be as much as Marc Gasol and Zach Randoph did, but it will still be impactful. Then you got the match up of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook too. In the end it will go seven and the Thunder win. For the Pacers, Wizards series I just can't trust the Pacers enough yet to believe they are back to their dominant form and the Wizards are a force to be reckoned with. If Roy Hibbert continues to put up 0's it could be the end in this round, but going small has worked for them in big moments so we'll see what strategy they go with. In the end I think the Pacers hang on in seven again. I may regret that, but I just have the feeling when the Pacers are in survival mode they get it done. The other two series (Heat vs. Nets and Spurs vs. Blazers) are tougher for me to pick. On one hand you got Brooklyn who swept the Heat in the regular season, but on the other you got a rested Miami team who we all know coasted in the regular season. Then you have the veteran's in the Spurs against the young up and coming Trailblazers. Miami should win their series but not as easy as round one, this time it will take six games. As for San Antonio and Portland, I just don't see the disciplined and experienced Spurs team letting Damian Lillard go off like he did against the Rockets. Spurs in five.

3. The Stanley Cup playoffs are well into the second round now, who do you like to advance in each series and why? 

Spencer- 
In the East I think, as I've said in past Monday Spread Options, the Bruins are the best team still in the playoffs, I mean look at how relentless they are! They were down 3-1 to Montreal and went on to score four goals in the third period alone to win 5-3. Unreal. I think they will get back to the conference championship for sure. Between the Rangers and Penguins I think if the Pens play like they did last night in their 3-0 win, they will win the series. Fleury looked like the 09 Fleury in the shutout and not to mention the penalty kill unit killed off six penalties in the game. If they can continue to do that then we'll have a rematch of last years Eastern Conference Championship, Boston and Pittsburgh. On the Western side I think Chicago is just too good for the Wild. They are already up 2-0 in the series and neither game has felt very close by score or in the teams play. I just don't think Minnesota is stopping the defending champs. The Kings and Ducks series could end up being the best series of the four because its two scrappy teams. On one side you got Kopitar leading the league in points for the playoffs and on the other you got Hiller with the best postseason goals against average. You've got two defensive minded teams that can score, so that should make for a solid series. I think in the end the Kings will come out on top though. The Ducks have had some shaky goal tending at times, which is the reason Hiller started playing in the first place. I think LA feels confident with Quick in net and that will give them confidence to go full steam ahead on the offensive end.

Ty- 
I could pretend to know alot about hockey but I do not. From what I do know I got these picks. I doubt you want my analysis but let's see if I get it right. The Rangers have played 5 games in 7 days and at some point has to be exhausted so I'm going Penguins over Rangers. Then I have the Bruins over Montreal. They seem like the better team. In the West I have the the Blackhawks over the Wild just because they have looked great against them and they are up 2-0. Also although my gut tells me the Kings will win, I'm going to take the Ducks just because I just had a flashback to my childhood of me watching the Mighty Ducks cartoon show. So there is obviously an edge there I guess.

4. The wait will finally come to an end this week as the NFL Draft is set to get underway Thursday night. There has obviously been a lot of talk leading up to now about who will get drafted where, give your mock draft for the top five picks and why? 

Ty-
1. Houston:  J. Clowney, DL
The Texans can't pass on this guy. Plus if Teddy Bridgewater is truely slipping out of the first round, they can grab him with the first pick in the second.

2. St. Louis: Greg Robinson, OT
The Rams might move down. I think they should take Watkins to give Bradford an actual #1 reciever. but I think they pink Robinson if they stay here.

3: Jacksonville: S. Watkins, WR
The Jags probably don't need a WR. They could take Bortles here but I think they go with the sure thing.

4: Cleveland: J. Manziel, QB
There has been a lot of hype and for some reason I think the Browns bite on it. I guess if Bortles is here too he can be an option as well.

5: Oakland: K. Mack, ILB
The Raiders would be in the running for Watkins and either of the quarterbacks as well but I think they go defense.

Spencer-
1. Houston: Trade Down 
I don't think Houston wants to justify paying Jadeveon Clowney at the number one overall pick salary and will trade down to get potentially more picks from a team to help improve their depth, which is something they lack greatly. They need a QB obviously and taking one a few picks later if they trade down would make sense. Falcons could be a potential suitor for the first pick and they need to improve their defense immensely and may want Clowney badly enough.

2. St. Louis: Greg Robinson, OT 
This is probably the easiest top five pick to predict. Rams want to put their faith in Sam Bradford and to do that they need to protect him. I expect them to look for other receiving options later in the draft because Bradford doesn't have a ton to throw to right now. That's the next step for the Rams in my mind.

3: Jacksonville: Sammy Watkins, WR
Jaguars have a decision to make. They need a lot but first thing they need is someone to get fans energized around this team. I think they should take Johnny Manziel because he will have the most immediate draw being a thrilling player and former Heisman winner. That being said I think the take Watkins and look for a quarterback later. We'll see what happens.

4: Cleveland: Johnny Manziel, QB

Cleveland once him bad and I think the way things will shake out they will get him. He will be someone who adds immediate excitement and high expectations, or in other words he'll put butts in seats for Cleveland. Not only that but if he becomes a great player like some expect he could help lead a much improved Browns team to the promise land. We'll see if he does, or if he becomes another name on the long list of QB failures in Cleveland.

5: Oakland: Khalil Mack, LB
Oakland needs a lot of help defensively and Mack is expected to be the highest linebacker taken. I think Mack can learn under a guy like Lamarr Woodley who the Raiders signed in the off-season and gain some great experience to become a solid future player for an Oakland franchise looking to be revived.

5. What We Learned: 

Spencer: The Kentucky Derby is still one of the nations best sporting events 

This past Saturday marked the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl of horse racing. California Chrome ran away with it, pulling ahead by several lengths at the end to win the race. As it is quite commonly known as "the best two minutes in sports" it lived up to the title, not to mention it drew the second largest crowd in the events history as 26,211 people packed into Chruchill Downs. Even more people watched from the comforts of their own home and placed bets on the horses amongst family and friends.

All in all I think the Kentucky Derby is so different but so historic it still works for America! It isn't your usual game of football. It isn't an obscure Olympic sport like trampoline. It's horse racing. A sport with a deep history and a sport that thrives on chance. The trainers train their horses for years to get to this stage. The owners buy the horses with the hope of chasing a triple crown and proving it was a wise investment. And the Jockey's work hard getting to know the horses and working hard to build a winning relationship with it. It is a delicate and unique system unlike anything else in sports.

On top of the romanticism of the sport itself I think it appeals to a wider American audience because of  the gambling aspect of it, because well gambling on sports is basically an American pastime, and because of its viewing accessibility. On a Saturday where there were three NBA playoff game sevens going on as well as the Stanley Cup Playoffs and baseball games, the nation stopped what they were doing to watch this race. It is so simple to just turn it on 10 minutes before, see them break down the horses one at time as they get to the starting gate and get an understanding of the best horses who is expected to win and all that. Then you watch the two minute race and it's over and you can go back to watching what you were before. The quickness of it all benefits the audiences interest and we saw that again this year when Twitter blew up with posts about the race and the winning horse California Chrome.

From what I understand though there is nothing like being there in all-day at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby and taking it all in. I for one hope to get there some day.

Ty- The Draft Still Hasn't Happened Yet?

There has been complaints about the draft being pushed back by many because all the mock drafts have become dry. I hate the length between the season and the draft because it gives to much times to over think on players. Guys that were 1st rounders by scouts at the end of the season has been scrutinized into later rounds.

The only guy who might be immune to this is  Johnny Manziel. But he is said to maybe go early in the 1st but also could drop out of the 1st round. The guy who has fell the most was Teddy Bridgewater although I think it could help the Texans because I still feel like he is a good player.

The draft should have been moved earlier in my opinion and not later although I get they did the move to get more ratings I guess. But it should also be about maximizing the talent on the teams and I think more time actually hurts that because scouts find more reasons to hate players they already didn't like and more reasons to like players that they were already fond of. I do know that scouts know what they are doing but everybody is human and sometimes people are bias.

I honestly just want the draft t be over. I'm not excited for it all now, I'm more tired about hearing about it and mock drafts and people's stock. I just want it to be over with and know who has been drafted to each team.

Monday Spread Option 2-24-14

1. The weeks AP ranking was shaken up by last weeks events. Florida now stands at #1. Who do you think is the best team?

Ty-
It's tough to argue against Florida right now. They have won a lot of games purely based of the strength of their great defense. In that way they are a lot like Syracuse. Although they too have flaws offensive, their defense will probably not be as vulnerable to great shooting like Syracuse is. But they did have their scare against Ole Miss. I honestly think that come tournament time the best team will be the Kansas Jayhawks. They have played the hardest schedule in basketball both because of their non-conference schedule and how good the Big 12 conference is. They had a lot of hype going into the year because of Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid but they have clawed their way into the top 5. Their combination of good defense and solid offense will be formidable against any opponent.

Spencer-
I think the AP rankings got it right after last weeks upsets. Florida was number two last week, and despite having a near scare against Auburn, they pulled it out and showed even in close games they can keep their composure. That is, in my opinion, a necessary characteristic for a number one team to exemplify. The Gators are playing solid basketball right now.  They haven’t lost since December, they recently got a win over a solid Kentucky team and they play really great team basketball. They have several guys who can score and unlike a lot of these top ranked teams don’t have a popular star freshman running the show but three experienced seniors in Casey Prather, Patrick Young and Scottie Wilbekin. Quick note though I think Wichita rightfully stays at second because of the strength of their schedule. I understand they are the only unbeaten team left but they haven’t played most quality opponents. The Shockers are a great team and will be a number one seed in the tournament especially if they finish undefeated. Unfortunately I can’t hand them the number one ranking based on just that.

2. The NFL Combine has begun and there has already been scrutiny over Johnny Manziel's height being 1/4th of an inch shorter than 6 feet. Does it really matter?

Spencer-
No, no and no. If you think 1/4th of an inch dictates whether a player will succeed in the NFL you’re ignorant. As part of my argument I will give you exhibit A: Drew Brees and Exhibit B: Russell Wilson. Brees stands at an exact 6 ft tall, 1/4 of an inch taller than Manziel, has thrown for over 5,000 yard for three consecutive seasons, previously held the single-season passing yard record until this year and has a Super Bowl ring. Russell Wilson is only 5 ft 11 in. and although he isn’t breaking passing record through his first two seasons has become a franchise QB for Seattle and won the Super Bowl. These are two prime examples of why it shouldn’t matter at all that Johnny Manziel is less than 6 ft tall. If the kid can play football, he can play football. He has been doing it at a high level in college at the height he is and I can see him doing it in the NFL. Makes me wonder what the NFL really learns fro the combine, which segues perfectly into my rant for for what I learned this week. Keep reading...

Ty-
Didn't we already know that Manziel was shorter than the average quarterback? Are NFL executives still using the old school mindset of draft grades after all 5' 11'' of  Russell Wilson just led his team to a Superbowl victory. Russell Wilson had all the intangibles and talent coming out of the draft as anybody but slipped in the draft because of his size. Size is important in some cases but it shouldn't handcuff people. Johnny Manziel is probably more prolific than Russell Wilson was coming out of college so I think the size issue is an overreaction. This is why the combine is a joke for the most part. They measure a lot of things that wont tell you how good a player will be. What they should worry about is wether or not Manziel can make all the throws you want an NFL quarterback to make and if he can lead your team to more victories.

3. Give your top 5 list of serious contenders for the NBA Championship.

Ty-
This NBA Season might be as wide open as any for the championship. There are a lot of teams that can challenge the Heat for the Title. So I can really see any of these teams winning the championship if everything breaks right for them.


Top 5 NBA Contenders:
1. Miami Heat (If Dwayne Wade is healthy)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Houston Rockets

I think that Dwayne Wade wont be able to stay healthy throughout the playoffs which will be the downfall of the Heat. So my pick to win the championship is Oklahoma City right now. The other teams behind them all have a chance. The teams that I left out, Portland and San Antonio, where left out because they have huge weaknesses. The Trail Blazers aren't just a bad on defense but they are borderline terrible. I have no faith the Blazers can beat any of the top 5 teams in a seven game series. The Spurs, on the other hand, can beat one of the top teams because of their experience. Yet they haven't been able to beat any of the contending teams beside the Clippers. They have been to injured and it's tough to see them in the Finals again.

Spencer-

1) Indiana Pacers: Despite everyone talking about the Heat gaining on them in the standings, I think from top to bottom they are still the most solid team. You have Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, Lance Stephenson kind of running the show. Then they have depth with guys like George Hill and Luis Scola who give get good minutes and produce for Indiana. Then add in the recent acquisition of Evan Turner as well. This team isn’t missing much. They have lost a few games here in the last couple weeks but I see them finishing on top of the east. I also think they are a better team than the Heat and they have a guy in George who can actually guard Lebron and a guy in Hibbert who plays right into Miami’s biggest weakness which is a down low presence.

 2) Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant is going to be the MVP this year and he is going to continue putting up ridiculous numbers. With Westbrook now back for them the team will get familiarized to a lineup with him on the floor and they will be fine. I don’t think one loss to Miami speaks to how good or bad this team is. They will be more than fine and look like a team on a mission this year.

 3) The Miami Heat: People wanted to write them off early and say they were coasting, well coasting or not the Heat proved they are still a team to beat in the league with their blowout win over the Thunder. Again I don’t think they got the Thunder’s A game, but it at least showed that they are going to play with the other top teams. Even with an often injured Dwayne Wade and Lebron’s broken nose, they will be right there.

4) Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers were missing Chris Paul for nearly a month, and dropped some winnable games in his absence but Blake Griffin seemed to have a coming out party while Paul missed time as well and now with him back and healthy they are in the mix. They got a big win yesterday over the Thunder, which definitely made a statement in the tough Western Conference. They have dropped some silly games against opponents like Cleveland and Charlotte and they have struggled against the leagues top teams. Despite all that though I think they have proven they can hang with those teams and with Paul back and in usual form, I expect a playoff run from them.

 5) San Antonio Spurs: I know they are old, and have lost to some teams they should be beating, such as the Knicks, I just can’t not put the Spurs on this list. They, like the Clippers, have also been hit or miss against some of the best teams in the league but they have hung in those games as well. Every year we count these guys out and then they surprise us. Last year they were a play away from being NBA champs. Got to believe that Pop and the boys still have some gas in the tank, and if they make it again this year, I now won’t have to be so surprised.

4. Does Jason Williams' warm reception translate to how Michael Sam will be treated in the NFL?

Spencer-
I don’t know if it translates completely but I think it is a step in the right direction for all sports. Unfortunately a lot of people see football as the “Ultimate man’s game” and I think have a hard time imagining a gay player in locker rooms and on the field.  I think that is extremely sad, but I think Sam could face harsher scrutiny from fans than Collins. Also all eyes are on the NFL, from media to spectators worldwide so for the attention Collins got for his appearance last night, double it for Sam. Nonetheless I have always thought sports has this unbelievable ability to unite people, so if the highest level of sports can make a statement with openly gay players being accepted and participating I think it can have an astronomical impact on the way society accepts homosexuals in general. At least I hope it does. This is something that goes beyond the lines on a field or a court and I think it can be a huge step toward equality. 

Ty-
It should give some sense to how the athletes will embrace an openly gay player. But in this case it is different. The NBA has always prided itself on being ahead of the other sports in social problems of this nature. But Adam Silver said it best, "No one in sports should be too proud. Sports has led society in so many critical areas. [Here] we fell behind." The NFL is one of those sports who have lacked the hardest in this issue. In this day and age it shouldn't be a problem and for most in the NFL I suspect it wont be a problem. This will be big because this is the first in the sport but most of society has been okay with this for a while now. But we are being Naive if we think everybody will accept this and that there wont be some hiccups along the way.

What we learned last week?

Ty-

The NFL and the N-word.

Let me try to do this without diving into the merit of the word and wether I feel as if people should be able to say it or not. This word only has the power to hurt one group of people in the world. African-Americans had to live with the word, the history, and the racism so it seems weird for others to tell them how to use that word. The biggest thing that needs to e realized is that if your not apart of a certain race, than it becomes pretentious to try to tell people how to feel about a word and wether or not they should use it. That goes the same for any race and any derogatory term. The word is one thing but it's not everything. A person can be extremely overtly or covertly racist and not use that word at all. It's more of a symptom than the disease that racism is and this hip hop/ n-word use debate seems to be shifting the blame back on African-Americans instead of looking at racism as a whole. I'm not saying anybody should or shouldn't say it, but that should be left up to those people the word hurts.

This is a tough situation to tackle for society as a whole, let alone the NFL. I just don't get why this is being done. I'm not sure what effect it has on the way the NFL is played. Will the NFL outlaw profanity as a whole? Because that would make more sense. If they use the logic of, "This is a work place, profanity should not be allowed in the work place." In this case it seems like they are creating a rule that doesn't need to happen and would be hypocritical to how the rest of the NFL operates. There isn't a need for the NFL to police this word only. I think that it would be hard for the NFL to enforce this rule. The players will also be against the rule for the most part and hopefully this doesn't come to fruition.

Spencer-
The NFL Combine Measures Nothing. 

Look I understand sports networks are reaching for the NFL topics to increase viewership, but the NFL Combine is so overblown and doesn’t really tell us anything about players headed to the NFL. That’s great that Jadeveon Clowney ran a 4.53 forty time. I’m glad a 266 lb guy has that much force behind him, but the question isn’t how much force he has, but how he uses it. The only way to really gage that is by seeing them in a game or game like scenario. Clowney will literally never be lining up and be able to run forty yards clear down the field, full speed with no one in his way like he did in the forty today. He is going to be getting blocked, double teamed, held, pushed around, ran into etc. by ruthless lineman whose job it is to put him on his butt. Not to mention he is going to have pads on for all of this as well. If you put any of these guys in pads no way they are running 4.53 forty times.

 Before you tell me “Well that isn’t all they make them do,” and other nonsense I want to say this doesn’t just apply to Clowney and that I’m not saying he or other potential players won’t pan out in the NFL. All I’m saying is that these drills shouldn’t hold so much weight in a guys draft status.

 If you think a quarterback throwing to wide-open guys tells me he is has NFL potential then you are delusional. Just like if you think a guy only bench pressing a set weight a certain number of times tells you that too. First of all if a guy has made it that far to where he has a chance to try out for an NFL team, I think he knows the potential ability is there. You could have the best arm in the world as quarterback, but if you can’t read NFL style defenses then you’ll never make it. Sorry. Same with the strength thing, I knew guys that played football that couldn’t bench 225 17, 18, 19 times but were tremendous football players. Being strong is important but playing any position in football takes more than strength. It takes thinking, and aggressiveness. Maybe these drills measure a guy’s potential aggressiveness? I don’t know. But potential doesn’t mean a sure thing. All I’m saying is the combine doesn’t necessarily translate to this guy or that guy is going to be a great NFL player. It barely even scratches the surface. There needs to be less emphasis on those tests and more on what they do in a game situation, and the reality of it is you never truly know how a guy is going to pan out in the pros.