I’ll spare you all my usual vitriol about how I don’t like basketball and all that nonsense. Bottom line, I am a sports fan, and as such, I do sort of pay attention. I still don’t like it, but I sort of keep track. So I know that Dwight Howard, this year’s premier free agent in the NBA, has decided not to stay with the Lakers and seek greener pastures in Houston. Ok. Good riddance. Life goes on.

But whiskey tango foxtrot (how many of you all know your nautical alphabet?) is up with the sudden influx of “Los Angeles is now a Clippers town” crap that every idiot with a sportswriting job is now vomiting up?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t you have to hang a couple of banners, or at least one, before you piss on the fire hydrant? The Lakers have won a ton of championships since both teams have been in Los Angeles, while the Clippers have only made the playoffs a scant few times, and haven’t exactly gotten very far when they have.

ESPN’s Rick Reilly is a chief culprit of this crap. You can read his article here. Really, dude? The disappointing thing is, Reilly is one of the last true sports journalists. The guys that care about their craft. The guys that write about stuff that matters. He doesn’t have to pander for clicks. His excellence stands on its own. So why does he have to write this nonsense?

So Dwight Howard left. So Kobe is getting old. So Gasol is a shell of his former all star self. Every team, in any sport, eventually has to go through a rebuilding process. Key guys eventually just get old. Guys leave. It’s life.

Now, let’s look at the Clips. Chris Paul is elite, one of the best five players in the NBA. If I had to start an NBA team, and I admit that my NBA and basketball knowledge is not at the level of some others, I would do it with the best point guard in basketball. LeBron is obviously the best “player” these days. But I’d take CP3. What else do they have? Blake Griffin? An amazing athlete to be sure, but he’s not a complete player, and more concerned with making highlight reels than he is with doing the dirty work required of the elite 4s in the NBA. Kevin Garnett never had an issue doing that stuff. And I can’t imagine that Zach Randolph ever played Garnett out of the building like he did Griffin in the Clips Grizzlies playoff series. DeAndre Jordan? Caron Butler? No doubt, the Clips will probably lead the league in appearances on Sportscenter’s Top 10. But they’ll never win a title. Not unless they get some guys who are as concerned with winning as they are with their own hairstyles.

Now, you might be thinking, “Clipper hater…” Quite the opposite. I grew up a Laker fan during the Showtime period. I still think Magic Johnson is the best player that ever lived, and Michael Jordan is number two. But in the period that followed, I just couldn’t get as attached to Shaq and Kobe, their excellence not withstanding, and grew disenchanted with basketball in general and the personalities of the main players. But I always hoped that one day the Clippers would emerge and be an elite team. Then, the city in which I was born and raised, and have loved unconditionally since I’ve known how to love, would have TWO elite teams in the NBA. That never changed. I would be ecstatic if the Clippers won the title in 2014. But it ain’t happening. So all of you professional writers out there who are in such a hurry to pass the keys of Los Angeles basketball over to the Clippers, put your drink down and look in the mirror. Do you believe what you are writing? I didn’t think so.

And let’s face it, it has been. Don’t let the current modest 4 game winning streak fool you. Any time a team with a 200-million dollar payroll is in last place in its division this far in, it’s a disaster. And as with most disasters, people like to point finger. It’s “fire Colletti!!!” or “fire Mattingly!!!” or “trade EVERYONE!!!” Though the late great George Steinbrenner may disagree, the solution is rarely as simple as just firing everyone. But, when a supposed juggernaut is instead a giant suckbag of fail, someone needs to be held accountable. Let’s take a look at the usual suspects and see who in fact is most likely to shoulder the blame.

General Manager, Ned Colletti

His detractors will point to the cataclysmic decision to sign Brandon League to a big contract, despite League never having shown extended periods of success as a closer, though he had some track record as a decent set up guy. They can point to Josh Beckett’s lost season so far, or Ted Lilly’s, or the fact that with Jerry Hairston, Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, and Luis Cruz, you essentially have the same player. Who the hell needs four utility infielders!? They can also look, with the assistance of hindsight, at the contract extension given to Andre Ethier, who now pretty much amounts to a 85 million dollar fourth outfielder. Let’s not even get started on (suddenly resurgent) Juan Uribe. His apologists will say that once he was freed from the shackles of the McCourt’s stranglehold on the pocket book, he was tasked with going out and getting the best available players. He got Carl Crawford, he got Adrian Gonzalez, got Hanley Ramirez, signed Zack Greinke, extended Matt Kemp, is likely to soon lock up Clayton Kershaw, what more do you want from the guy? The players have to perform, and the manager has to make good decisions!

The verdict: It’s really a mixed bag with Colletti. When he was hamstrung by a skimpy budget, he was able to still cobble together a decent enough roster for the team not to embarrass itself with, though never really contend. Now that he has money to spend, he has gotten the best available guys. But he’s also thrown around quite a bit on players who probably shouldn’t have had it thrown around on them… and somehow managed to assemble a roster with four facsimiles of one another. The team’s current situation is probably less his fault than it is more, though.

Manager, Don Mattingly

Give him a team of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, and a bunch of has beens, never will bes, an who the hell is this guys, and he navigated a half way decent ship. He seemed to make good decisions at vital times, wasn’t afraid to charge out of the dugout and embarrass an umpire who had just screwed them on a call, and seemed to be respected by his players and the media. Hand him a team flush with allstars, and he makes the unconscionable decisions to batt Jerry Hairston clean up, continue to use a foundering Brandon League in high leverage situations, keep Justin Sellers to open the year as the starting shortstop under the guise that he’s superior defensively, when in fact he’s average at best, and any one of the four (with the defensively excellent Luis Cruz the best option) utility guys already on the roster could have done the job better.

The verdict: It’s tough, because Donnie Baseball is revered by a lot of different people, most of them for his exploits as a player. But there were high hopes for him as a manager too. Whether or not he’s to blame for all of the team’s current dire straits is debatable, but you can’t continually mismanage a bullpen and make haphazard lineup decisions and come out with zero blood on your hands.

The Players

Players have to play. That’s what they say, right? Well, through the first 50 games of the season, the Dodgers were historically bad with runners in scoring position and even worse than that with the bases loaded. Star outfielders Kemp and Ethier were struggling. Hanley Ramirez barely played due to injury. The team was languishing at the bottom of the league in runs scored. This is despite solid contributions from the guys hitting atop the lineup, and A-Gon in the middle. It truly was befuddling. How do key guys hit, and the team doesn’t score? Now, with sensation Yasiel Puig playing every day and the return of Hanley Ramirez, the offense is showing some life… but it’s still only when someone muscles up and hits one out of the park. This team remains incapable of manufacturing runs.

The verdict: Well, players do have to play. And when they don’t play well, guys get shipped off for other guys who will. But the thing is, nobody has gone anywhere. It’s hard to say whether or not the players are getting too much or not enough of the blame for the team’s poor performance thus far, but if the Dodgers are riding into battle on the horses that took them this far, and things don’t improve, it’s glue factory time for some of them.

Nobody (injuries)

Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Zack Greinke, Mark Ellis, Carl Crawford, Chris Capuano, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly. What do they have in common? They make gazillions of dollars and have all spend significant time on the DL this year. Guys can’t play if they’re hurt right?

The verdict: I don’t buy it. Freak injuries happen. Jackasses like Carlos Quentin will charge the mound and snap your collarbone like a toothpick from time to time, sure. A guy getting up in age will tweak a groin trying to hustle out an infield it sometimes. We all get old. But there is no excuse for muscle pulls and strains. You get those when you fail to prepare, stretch, or in general give a damn about your body. Which when you’re an athlete, that’s what you’re paid to do. I don’t care if you have a Stay Puff Marshmallow Man physique (see: Sandoval, Pablo) or an Adonis-like one like Matt Kemp. You can’t get hurt with crap like hamstring strains. Anyone counting injuries as the primary blame for poor performance can just go ahead and file the blame with the players… or wait, shouldn’t the manager motivate the players to get and stay ready?

The truth is, everyone needs to shoulder a bit of the blame. But the only one who has no excuse is Mattingly. You can make every decision right, and still lose sometimes. You can make 50/50 calls and get most of them wrong. But you can’t make terrible decisions day in and day out and get away with it for very long. If the key acquisitions Colletti has made pan out, people will ultimately overlook him paying a servicable middle reliever 7 million a year for three years to be a closer, and see that he did what a GM with money is supposed to do; buy the best players available, damn the cost. The players are what they currently are. Even if they are underperforming, they are going to stay because the alternatives that are AVAILABLE (see; guys their current teams aren’t intent on keeping, all you Cano to the Dodgers shouters) are no better. No matter what angle you look at it from, Mattingly is really the only one who has no excuse for his performance so far. Make a gutsy/innovative/questionable decision and turn out correct, you’re a mad genius. Make the same decision over and over again, and have it blow up in your face over and over again, you’re just mad. And ultimately, unemployed.

Kyle Love was cut by the Patriots after being diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes.  I have several family members and friends that have diabetes, and know the struggles it can cause.  That being said, it is also a disease that can be managed and you can lead a relatively normal life.  There have been some mild grumblings that the Patriots cut Love for having diabetes rather than working out a situation to help him with his newly diagnosed condition.  The Jaguars did claim him on waivers, so he is still in the NFL.

I am happy Love got picked up, but part of me is really interested to have seen what would happen had he not been claimed on waivers.  Now, he can be put on the non-football injured reserve and continue to get medical care and consultation from top class physicians, but I argue the non-football part of this.  Here on in is completely hypothetical and risk being poorly informed, but that is part of the reason I would be interested to see what would have happened.  I know that most if not all NFL players have a playing weight set forth by their team and can be fined for being above or below said weight.  Therefore, can’t Love argue that a high weight requirement was a factor in him being diagnosed with diabetes?  Would he be able to successfully sue the Patriots for cutting him for a disease their requirements may have caused this diagnosis?  I don’t know what the tenure is required to receive health insurance after retirement, but if Love were to retire due to this, could he sue to have the Patriots cover his health bills?  I am no lawyer, but I feel Love would be able to successfully sue for damages.  I understand the NFL is a cutthroat business, and I know their focus is on concussions and other injuries, but had Love not been picked up, maybe there would be a focus turned to the health of the guys in the trenches and more awareness could be brought to diabetes.

David Beckham played possibly his last game as a professional today (I don’t buy it… Coca Cola Championship player manager, anyone???). If he did, it marks the departure from the professional game of a true legend. As my friend, George Ogier (find him on Twitter at @georgeogier) accurately put, anyone who thinks David Beckham was overrated simply does not understand soccer. That’s paraphrased, but whatever.

I’m not here to convince anyone of his excellence. You either believe it and you are right, or you don’t and you are wrong. But there is one thing that is indisputable; he never failed to represent his country. In a day and age where many international soccer players retire from playing for their country in their mid 20s, Beckham played for England until they no longer wanted him to. Well into his mid 30s, he was still representing. Even after he was no longer being included in the international squad, he still made himself available.

There’s something to be said about that. There is way more money in club play, which is why so many young guys decide they don’t want to play for their country. Where’s the patriotism!?

To this day, when you bring up the name, John McEnroe, more people point to the tantrums than they do his brilliance in tennis. Even fewer, nearly none in fact, will remember that McEnroe always played Davis Cup. It was important for him to represent his country.

So for those of you who may be unenlightened in soccer and David Beckham, if for nothing else than his undying desire to represent his homeland, give him a bit of respect and knock off the overrated nonsense.

Thoughts From Five Beers Deep

It’s now several weeks since NBA center, Jason Collins came out as gay. And, like I’d hoped, nobody gives a sh*t. What Collins did took guts, and he’s had his moments on Oprah to talk about his experiences as a closeted player and why he decided to come out. And that’s great. Know what’s greater? Nobody gives a sh*t. He’ll probably get signed to a contract this offseason, and whichever team (I’m betting the Lakers… yep) signs him will probably have to deal with a brief period of media frenzy and then once again, nobody will give a sh*t. I have said it before and I will say it here, I am proud of how society… well, doesn’t give a sh*t. If you can play, you can be on my team. Gay, straight, bi, I don’t give a sh*t. And by all appearances, the majority of athletes who play in games that actually matter feel the same way.

This is why I’m befuddled by Rick Reilly’s recent article for espn.com about Glenn Burke. Burke was a talented young outfielder for the Dodgers in the 70s, and gay. His story, a sad one, has been told before. And if it’s indeed true that the Dodgers offered him money to marry a woman so talk about him being gay would be quieted, that sucks. But why would Reilly publish this article now? If it’s NOT a dig at Collins, then it should have written differently. As I’ve said plenty of times above, nobody gives a sh*t, but what Collins did was still brave as all getout. And Reilly publishes an article quoting Abudl Jalil al-Hakim (Burke’s agent) attempting to change the direction of the spotlight. Why would you do this? Sure, al-Hakim would say that because he’s as consequential as a bug carcass on your windshield these days, and is probably hoping someone remembers his name. But why would Reilly publish it? A brainfart is all I can think of. Reilly is an excellent journalist but he crapped the bed on this one.

Homer Corner

If you’re the Texas Rangers, and Ned Colletti calls you and offers you Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and a couple of spare parts (perhaps Matt Guerrier and Nick Punto, both in the last years of their contracts) for Jurickson Profar, Craig Gentry, and a couple of prospects, you do it, right? You’re instant World Series favorites.

Think I’m overreacting to a poor Dodgers start? This team has problems. And, much to many people’s surprise, it’s not the deal with Boston last year that added gazillions in payroll last year. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez are pulling their weight easily. Punto has played well. Josh Beckett’s numbers are ugly but his pitching has actually been decent. Any luck whatsoever and he has a few wins and his ERA is two runs lower. The poor start can be laid squarely on the atrocious start by Kemp and patently mediocre play by Ethier, both of whom have newly minted contracts. Think we’re overpaying for Profar? What’s so bad about opening up a spot for your all World prospect, Yasiel Puig, and finally giving an extended look to Scott Van Slyke to see if he can really produce at the big league level. Meanwhile, you also get a potential franchise shortstop, allowing you to move Hanley Ramirez to third base where he’s much better suited. Meanwhile, your staff is still anchored by Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, with a solid supporting cast led by Hyun Jin Ryu, a hopefully improved Beckett, and a resurgent Chris Capuano. Telling me that team can’t contend for the playoffs? You’ve had more to drink than I have tonight.

I didn’t have a quarterback in the first round of my first mock draft, and I still don’t. But, some things have changed so I figure I should probably…well, change some things too. So here it is.

1.       Kansas City – Luke Joekel, OT

2.       Jacksonville – Star Lotulelei, DT – Remember when he was a possible first overall pick? Heart is good, so he still is.

3.       Oakland – Sharrif Floyd, DT – This pick makes sense, so it probably won’t happen…

4.       Philly – Eric Fisher, OT

5.       Detroit – Dee Milliner, CB

6.       Cleveland – Ezekiel Ansah, DE – Raw, but looks like the real deal. Way higher than I had him earlier.

7.       Arizona – Lane Johnson, OT

8.       Buffalo – Dion Jordan, LB

9.       Jets – Chance Warmack, G

10.   Tennessee – Sheldon Richardson, DT

11.   San Diego – Tyler Eifert, TE – Yeah, you heard me. A certain HOF tight end in S.D. ain’t getting any younger.

12.   Miami – Barkevious Mingo, DE

13.   Jets (from Tampa) – Tavon Austin, WR – Two high picks, address the line, address Mark Sanchez’ lack of weapons. This would be a good draft for them…

14.   Carolina – Jonathan Cooper, G

15.   New Orleans – Bjoern Werner, DE – He’s falling, for some reason, in other mocks. I don’t get it. If you like Chris Long, you should like Werner.

16.   St. Louis – Cordarelle Patterson, WR – Because the whole project thing worked out soooo well with Brian Quick, they figure they’ll just make the same mistake twice… because that’s what the Rams do. 17.   Pittsburgh – Kenny Vaccaro, S – Polamalu does get hurt from time to time… and Vaccaro is good…

18.   Dallas – Alec Ogletree, LB – Personally, I think they trade down. But if not, Ogletree’s talent is too much to pass on.

19.   Giants – DJ Fluker, OT

20.   Chicago – DJ Hayden, CB – From near death to the first round, great story comes full circle. Plus, by putting him here, I have consecutive DJs being drafted… and that’s just cool…

21.   Cincy – Eddie Lacy, RB

22.   St. Louis – Jonathan Cyprien, S – I can only pray…

23.   Minnesota – Sylvester Williams, DT – There’s this thing there with guys named Williams on the defensive line…

24.   Indianapolis – Menelik Watson, OT

25.   Minnesota (from Seattle) – Justin Hunter, WR

26.   Green Bay – Matt Elam, S

27.   Houston – Robert Woods, WR

28.   Denver – Jarvis Jones, LB – There’s really no reason he should still be on the board at this point…

29.   New England – Manti Te’o, LB

30.   Atlanta – Zach Ertz, TE

31.   San Francisco – Xavier Rhodes, CB

32.   Baltimore – Desmond Trufant, CB

Yes, there are probably some oversights here, but with only 32 teams picking in the first round, and probably 40 or so guys who deserve to go in it, someone gets shafted. That’s how it works. Kevin Minter is a first round talent. A guy like Kawann Short might go towards the end of round 1. Keenan Allen who was a slam dunk first rounder not too long ago fits. Who knows, I could be wrong about the whole quarterback thing and Denver might pick Peyton’s heir at 28. More likely, if they decide they want that from this draft, they target Mike Glennon in Round 2. But anyway, wouldn’t it be hilarious if I got more picks right my first time around?

 

1)      Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel – OT – Texas A&M – It is clear the Chiefs are going for a left tackle given their offseason moves.  Eric Fisher has made a case to be taken first, but Joeckel has long been the best player in this draft.  He is good in both pass and run blocking, and will be able to start from week 1.

2)      Jacksonville Jaguars – Ezekiel Ansah – DE – BYU – Fun stat, last season J.J. Watt had 20.5 sacks, the Jaguars had 20.  Needless to say a pass rusher is a major need.  Ansah is a cool story.  Born and raised in Ghana, enrolled at BYU in 2008, ran track in 2009, first played football in 2010, and is now a freak athlete with raw skills that can really make an impact on a team that is still a few years away.

3)      Oakland Raiders – Sharif Floyd – DT – Florida – I originally liked Star Lotulelei for the Raiders, but the heart issue that came up at the combine will cause him to fall, which leaves Sharif as the best defensive tackle.  He is not a pass rusher, but is certainly a run stuffer.

4)      Philadelphia Eagles – Eric Fisher – OT – Central Michigan – A lot of people have Geno Smith going here, and while I think he would be a good fit for the Eagles, I don’t see any QB being worthy of a pick in the top 20-25.  The Eagles pass protection has been terrible the past couple years, and with Chip Kelly coming in and expected to run a read option offense, the Eagles desperately need someone that can protect the quarterback.

5)      Detroit Lions – Dee Miliner – CB – Alabama – Ideally the Lions would like to see Fisher or Ansah fall to them, but Miliner will definitely help an ugly secondary.  His speed is a little less than ideal, but he is big and physical, and may be able to make up for lack of speed by using his body to slow opponents receivers.

6)      Cleveland Browns – Chance Warmack – G – Alabama – The Crimson Tide offensive line draft prosects have become a trendy list of bust candidates, but I love Warmack.  Warmack has the skills of a tackle, but because he is just 6-2, he will be stuck in the interior.  He can overpower defensive tackles, and gets to the second level as good as anyone.  I look forward to seeing him as the pulling lead blocker ahead of Trent Richardson for years to come.

7)      Arizona Cardinals – Dion Jordan – OLB – Oregon – He is crazy athletic, ran a 4.54 40, and is 6-6 250+.  He will be a huge threat off the edge and the only reason he slips to 7 is concerns over his shoulder.  He will likely become the next big time pass rushing linebacker.

8)      Buffalo Bills – Barkevious Mingo – DE/OLB – LSU – I will start by saying I will not predict any trades in my mock draft, but I am certain the Bills will come out of this draft with Ryan Nassib at QB.  That being said, another huge need for the Bills is a pass rusher.  They took a flyer on Shawne Merriman regaining his form a couple years ago, but haven’t really found an answer as an outside rusher, I believe Mingo is the answer.

9)      New York Jets – Lane Johnson – OT – Oklahoma – The Jets already have a franchise left tackle, but desperately need a man on the end of the right side of the line.  Johnson might be well fit as LT on another team, but having two left tackle caliber guys on the offensive line is something no team would complain about.

10)   Tennessee Titans – Jonathan Cooper – G – North Carolina – I am still a believer in Locker and I think Chris Johnson still has something left.  Both guys would benefit from an athletic offensive guard, and that is just what Cooper would provide.  He may be a liability against powerful defensive tackles, but that often comes due to a high pad level.  If anyone can help coach up an offensive lineman, it is Titans head man Mike Munchak.

11)   San Diego Chargers – Star Lotulelei – DT – Utah – Arguably the best talent in the draft, a heart concern at the combine has cause Lotulelei to slip.  The Chargers would be doing back flips to get Star here.  Joining Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget would make the San Diego interior defensive line as good as any in football, and all would be age 23, meaning great for years to come.

12)   Miami Dolphins – D.J. Fluker – OT – Alabama – The Dolphins need to replace the departed Jake Long at left tackle.  Fluker might have the most raw skills of any tackle in the draft, but the emphasis is on RAW.  His athleticism is a bit in question, but his power is incredible.  He will compete with Jonathan Martin for the left tackle job, and whoever loses the battle, will do just fine on the right side.

13)   New York Jets – Kenny Vaccaro – S – Texas – Even after trading Revis, the Jets have a decent set of corners, and  a quality safety will only improve the two guys on the corner.  Vaccaro makes the big hit and big plays, which is something the Jets could use.  Obviously the glaring need is at QB, but a ball hawking QB on D isn’t too bad.

14)   Carolina Panthers – Sheldon Richardson – DT – Missouri – A classic 3 technique defensive tackle that can get into the backfield is something the Panthers desperately need and Richardson can provide.  With a guy that can be disruptive up front, just imagine how good last year’s defensive rookie of the year Luke Kuechly could be.

15)   New Orleans Saints – Jarvis Jones – OLB – Georgia – Last year the Saints were the worst defense in NFL history, so they simply need to choose the best available defensive player, and that is Jones.  Jones can get after the QB and is a great first step in what will likely be a very defensive focused draft for the Saints.

16)   St. Louis Rams – Tavon Austin – WR – West Virginia – Quick, name a Rams wide receiver…yeah, I am not sure I can either (insert Torsten listing them off while cursing each of them).  Austin is not only a talented receiver, but he is a bonafide playmaker, aka exactly what the Rams offense needs.

17)   Pittsburgh Steelers – Tyler Eifert – TE – Notre Dame – The Steelers lost Mike Wallace, but kept their other two star receivers.  Eifert is a guy that can stretch the field from the tight end position, which should help keep one-on-one coverage for the outside receivers.  In a defensive oriented division, a big, athletic TE can be a real difference maker.

18)   Dallas Cowboys – Matt Elam – S – Florida – Ideally one of the previously mentioned offensive linemen or Kenny Vaccaro would fall for the Cowboys, but should that not happen, the Cowboys need upgrades at both safety spots, so they can go strong safety in Elam.  Elam is undersized but is a quality player.  He will be productive and be a solid safety, something the Cowboys haven’t had for some time.

19)   New York Giants – Alec Ogletree – LB – Georgia – Not sure he fits in with Tom Coughlin, but he is the most talented guy at a position of need for the Giants.  He is excellent in pass coverage, which is a plus in a league that is being dominated by tight ends.  A little uncertain if he would be an inside or outside backer, but he can be productive in either spot.

20)   Chicago Bears – Manti Te’o – ILB – Notre Dame – With Urlacher no longer a Bear, they will be looking for the next in the long line of middle backers in Bears history.  There were obviously many questions raised starting from the national championship game all the way through the pro day for Te’o, but he is the type of guy that should be able to make the transition to the NFL and be successful.

21)   Cincinnati Bengals – Eddie Lacy – RB – Alabama – I don’t like taking running backs in the first round, but after the law firm looked more like a public defender than a high powered law service, the Bengals could really use help in the backfield.  Lacy is by far the best running back in the draft, and he won’t get past the Packers, so this is the time for Cincy to get an impact back.

22)   St. Louis Rams – John Cyprien – S – Florida International – A clear need for the Rams is at safety.  That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take Kyle Long here and target Shamarko Thomas in the second round, but assuming they attack biggest need here, Cyprien is a great pick for the Rams.

23)   Minnesota Vikings – Cordarrelle Patterson – WR – Tennessee – Patterson was a little unproven on the field, but was a workout monster at the combine.  The Vikings could use an entire new receiving corp, so expect them to attack this high upside receiver.

24)   Indianapolis Colts – Kyle Long – T/G – Oregon – There is some debate as to whether or not Long can play tackle.  He certainly has the size, 6-6 315 lbs., but his footwork will decide where he plays on the next level.  Regardless, the Colts must build a line to keep franchise QB Andrew Luck upright and healthy, and Long can definitely help there.

25)   Minnesota Vikings – Kevin Minter – ILB – LSU – Based on roster composition, I wouldn’t blame the Vikings if they drafted a second receiver here, but that never has and never will happen.  Minter can be an anchor in the middle of that defense for years to come.  He is slightly undersized and may be physically outmatched at times, but he has very high football IQ, which will allow him to be the QB of that defense. 

26)   Green Bay Packers – Menelik Watson – OT – Florida State – I don’t see him starting right off the bat.  He is very raw and needs to be coached up, but he is as talented an offensive lineman as there is in this draft.  He will be a sixth lineman this year, maybe becoming the right tackle by seasons end, but he could easily be a Pro Bowl left tackle in a couple years…that is, assuming there is still such a thing as a Pro Bowl in a couple years.

27)   Houston Texans – DeAndre Hopkins – WR – Clemson – He isn’t a burner. He isn’t a physical beast.  He isn’t the best athlete, he doesn’t run the most crisp routes, he won’t out jump many people, he won’t break away from many defenders.  He will produce though.  He has been underwhelming in terms of perceived talent for all three years at Clemson, but one thing can’t be argued with, he gets the job done, which is exactly what the Texans need opposite Andre Johnson.

28)   Denver Broncos – Bjoern Werner – DE – Florida State – Werner can create a pass rushing threat opposite Von Miller.  Werner gets off the ball quick and has good power on his rush.  He could create a Freeney-Mathis like pair that helped keep the Colts dominant for a decade.

29)   New England Patriots – Desmond Trufant – CB – Washington – The Patriots draft defensive backs every year, and tend to miss on them every year.  Trufant I don’t believe would be a miss.  He won’t ever be a top tier shutdown guy, but we will be a solid #1 corner. 

30)   Atlanta Falcons – Zach Ertz – TE – Stanford – Tony Gonzalez is coming back for one more season, but Ertz can be the heir apparent.  He is a very talented receiving tight end and can add yet another threat on an incredibly potent offense.  The Falcons can take Ertz, then focus the rest of the draft on improving defensively, and will be one of the scarier teams to face in the NFL.

31)   San Francisco 49ers – Margus Hunt – DE – SMU – YouTube his Sheraton Hawaii Bowl highlights.  Then realize this guy is Estonia born and raised, moved to Dallas to attend SMU and participate on their track team, only to have the track team dropped.  The former track coach introduced him to football head coach June Jones who gave Hunt a scholarship based on his athleticism.  What athleticism you ask?  How about 6-8, 277 lbs., runs a 4.6 40, benched 225 lbs. 38 times, registered a 34.5 inch vertical at the combine.  Oh, and his name is Margus Hunt, aka the greatest name for a defensive lineman ever.  In case you couldn’t tell, this is my favorite guy in the draft, and putting him on the 49ers line is just unfair.

32)   Baltimore Ravens – Robert Woods – WR – USC – The Ravens need a guy to fill the Anquan Boldin role and be a threat opposite Torrey Smith.  Woods is it.  He is a great athlete with great hands, and runs above average routes.  If the Trojans would have lived up to their pre-season #1 ranking, Woods and fellow Trojan Matt Barkley could easily have been 1-2 in this year’s draft.

Other guys I really like in this draft on day 2 and 3:

Ryan Nassib – QB – Syracuse – I think I have been clear I have him ending up with the Bills.  What I may not have expressed is I believe he ends up being the best QB to come out of this draft.  He is really underrated in all phases of the game.

Johnathan Franklin – RB – UCLA – This guy will be the best RB to come out of this draft.  He was the main reason UCLA has such a successful season.  His size might not be ideal, but his skills are.

Keenan Allen – WR – Cal – There are concerns as a red flag for marijuana was raised at the combine that is causing his stock to fall.  If he stays out of trouble, whoever drafts him will be getting a steal.

Barrett Jones – OL – Alabama – He can play 5 offensive line positions.  Even if he never becomes a regular starter for a NFL team, he will be incredibly valuable.

Shamarko Thomas – S – Syracuse – Watching this guy play at Syracuse was just plain fun.  He gets beat from time to time, but when that doesn’t happen, he is destroying receivers that dared go over the middle.  He simply punishes people.

Brad Wing – P – LSU – Yeah, I am highlighting a punter, so what?  This dude is good.  The one consistent “negative” I see in his scouting reports…he outkicks his coverage…aka he kicks the ball too far.  Oh, and he is from Australia, and grew up playing Australian rules football, the same story as my favorite punter of all time, Darren Bennett.

Brittney Griner, the finest women’s college basketball player of all time, has come out as gay. And not surprisingly, nobody really gives a sh*t. Griner is affable, a “cool kid” by all accounts, and… wait for it… a woman.

ESPN’s LZ Granderson editorialized today that there is no perfect time for a gay male player of one of the four major sports to come out, just the perfect guy. Citing such heroes as Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott, and others, he makes a good point.

However, and we’ve written quite a bit about this issue here at The Stain in recent months, there’s an elephant in the room. Look at societal history in the United States, hell, the World, and you should be able to plainly see that man’s booksmarts have always far exceeded man’s streetsmarts. To paraphrase a couple of old jokes, we put a man on the moon in the 60s but it wasn’t until the 70s that we realized it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage. The space program spent supposedly spent a huge sum of money developing a pen that would work in zero gravity. In fairness, the Russians got that one right. They brought a pencil… at the cost of roughly a nickel.

Where is the common sense? Look at all of humanity’s incredible accomplishments. Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine for polio in 1955. In 1903, the Wright brothers successfully accomplished powered flight. There are too many to mention. The steam engine, electricity, the telephone… I mean, think about it. With about a dozen pokes onto a keypad, you can talk to anyone in the world who also has a telephone. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Now, look at this. In 1963,  President John F. Kennedy called for a bill to give all Americans equal access to public facilities. Really? It took until 1963? If you were born on this day in 1963, you would be 50 today. What this means is that an enormous part of the population, numbering in the billions, were actually alive during a time when it was deemed commonplace for certain human beings to not be allowed to be in the same public establishments because they were of a different race. If the world began in 1910, you might think that it took humanity half a century to get it right. No biggy. I mean, how often do we get it right the first time, anyway.

In 1776, the American Colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. Already at war with Britain over oppression in the form of unfair taxation among other things, it was nearly a century later that slavery was finally abolished.

History is full of incongruency between accomplishment and shockingly obtuse ideals. Knowing this, can it really be much of a surprise that it’s considered newsworthy should a man playing one of the “Big Four” sports come out as gay while still active in his career?

Granderson theorizes that for a couple of weeks, it would be kind of a big deal. Some would call the first openly gay male, for the sake of argument let’s say football player, a hero. Some by a more unsavory expletive. And then it would go away.

He’s probably right.

He also compares the ensuing media frenzy to be much like the circus that followed Tim Tebow around all of last NFL season. I think he’s probably wrong. Because people are still talking about Tebow, and it’s been way more than a couple of weeks.

What we are lacking as a society in terms of how we view sports is the ability to see the big picture.

It comes in the wake of an awful tragedy at the Boston Marathon, but what happened at last night’s Boston Bruin’s game gave me hope that we will one day get it. In summary, joined by the Color Guard from the Boston Fire Department, about 20,000 fans in attendance joined singer Rene Rancourt in belting out the Star Spangled Banner. In a moment of sheer brilliance, whether choreographed or otherwise, Rancourt let the fans take the lead for nearly the whole thing. If you’re in the mood to have your bones chilled (in a good way), grab your Kleenex and click here.

A gay male athlete in one of the big four sports comes out. How big of a deal is it really?

Just a quick note of tribute from The Stain, where we appreciate excellence in sports broadcasting above most other things.

Pat Summerall died today of cardiac arrest at the age of 82.

Truly a master of his craft, he will be missed by sports fans across the nation.

As a writer, it’s always tough to eloquently describe anything briefly. As a broadcaster, it’s even more difficult.

And he did it beautifully.

Today is a difficult day, but also a day where America can stand up and prove what we are all made of.  Earlier today I was writing about the good and bad in a week of sports, while writing and posting, the good and bad of humanity was being tested.  Across baseball, we are celebrating Jackie Robinson Day, celebrating a man who endured unimaginable hatred.  A man that is arguably the greatest second baseman in baseball history, but his humanitarian efforts dwarf his baseball career.  Jackie passed at just 53 years of age, but did more in his life than most normal people could accomplish in 500 years on this planet.  Today is also Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and Maine.  A day where New Englanders, and people from all over the world flock to Boston, enjoy early day baseball at historic Fenway Park, and then move to the finish line of the Boston Marathon, where people test their own will in running 26.2 miles in a race named after a the story of man whom in ancient Greece fell over dead after running that distance from the battle of Marathon to Athens to proclaim “we won”, a feeling that must be felt by any runner upon completion of a marathon.  Patriots’ Day is in honor of The Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first in the American Revolutionary War, a day where 13 colonies stood up for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, heck, freedom to be free.

The bombings in Boston today were horrifying, and my heart and thoughts go out to anyone whose friends or families were in anyway injured in that cowardly attack.  I was lucky.  I have several people in my life who were either in the area, or were supposed to be, but all escaped any physical harm.  All that being said, I reflect on this day, reflect on the festivities being celebrated today, and wonder what the people we celebrate today would do, and what they would say given all they stood for.  Regardless of who ends up to blame for the attacks in Boston today, be it international terrorists, domestic terrorists, or some other extremist group, we need to remember what today stands for. 

If it turns out to be a terrorist organization, domestic or international, attacking the American way, remember our founding fathers.  Remember the reason I am allowed to write this blog post, the reason you are allowed to go to the church of your choosing, the reason you are free is the American spirit terrorists are so desperately attacking. Should the attacks be some extremist group who may be racially, religiously, or some other prejudice, remember the spirit of Jackie Robinson, remember a man that did not fight back and lower himself to those actions, but a man who stayed the course, a man who didn’t let the naysayers cause him to live his life in fear, but instead lived his life and moved on, consequently changing the world.  When attacks like this occur, we need to remember the will of those before us, those who shaped the world we lived in, and push it forward, live the dream they dreamt for us, and not allow any cowardly actions prevent us from being strong, human, and most importantly, American.

The past 5 days or so have been what is great and what is bad in sports.  Here are just some of my thoughts and observations.

• The azaleas, the dogwoods, Amen Corner, the racists, the sexists, the green jacket, the protesters, great finishes, bigotry, drama.  Is there a sporting event that is more polarizing than the Masters?  It’s history and strangling control of the broadcast are things I would usually completely boycott, but then come late third round I find myself glued to the TV watching a fantastic event.  Congrats to Adam Scott, but Augusta National is a place I will never support.

• Sweet, there is a basebrawl.  Wait, Carlos Quentin, you are a moron.  You are hit by a pitch ever 24 plate appearances in your career, that is 8 PA more common than the second most frequent active player.  It was a 3-2 count in a one run game, in an at-bat that included 3 breaking balls.  Just stupid, but still, a pretty sweet brawl.  Oh, wait, Grienke broke his collarbone and is out at least 8 weeks. 

• Kobe, the definition of polarizing.  Never enjoy seeing someone get injured, especially a ruptured Achilles, but I am not one to feel sorry for the guy.  Then he goes on Facebook to vent and makes himself completely human, vulnerable, and suddenly I am pulling for him to come back as good as ever, damn you Kobe!

• If you haven’t done so yet, make it a point to sit down and watch the Marlins Jose Fernandez pitch.  His story is fantastic.  Three failed attempts to escape Cuba, all ending in prison time, dove into shark infested waters to save his mother on one attempt.  Finally made it during high school, and now is in the big leagues.  As if that isn’t enough, he follows 96 MPH fastballs with a slider that will send you running to take a shower it is so incredibly filthy.  Trust me, make it a point to watching him pitch.

• Evan Gattis is another fantastic story.  Battled depression, anxiety, and alcoholism that prevented him from accepting a scholarship to Texas A&M, worked as a janitor, lift operator, and everything in between before going back to school, getting drafted by the Braves, and absolutely raking so far.

• Could there be more injuries in sports right now?  Already mentioned Kobe and Grienke, add the who’s who of third base injuries in baseball, Jose Reyes, Stanton and Morse both out for a bit.  It has been ugly.

• Speaking of ugly, one of my fantasy baseball teams has Gio Gonzalez, and Jarrod Parker on it.  Pretty good until you look at Sundays performances.   A combined 8 1/3 innings and 15 earned runs…yeah, it wasn’t a pretty Sunday.

And finally, I just want to express my disappointment in baseball.  Today is a great day.  Jackie Robinson day is always great, it is awesome to see everyone wearing the number 42.  But why are only 18 teams playing?  Neither New York team is playing.  On this day, especially with the movie 42 coming out this weekend, 30 of 30 teams need to be playing baseball.  That should be a rule for baseball.  No teams should have the day off on Jackie Robinson Day, all players should have the opportunity to go out there and honor the man that changed modern baseball for the better by breaking the color barrier. (Something Augusta National didn’t allow until 1990, and the first woman joined last year, just saying.)