Morgan Burnett, safety, taken in the 3rd round. Safety was a need, so I'm glad, but now we don't pick until the 5th round!!!! Phenomenal 1st round, 2nd round was a panic pick methinks--we don't need a DT but with Jolly's legal issues, Jenkins' FA and Harrell's health/bust status Thompson apparently thinks this is a need. 3rd round good except for giving up so damn much..... Can we PLEASE take a CB now Teddy?! We have our succession plan for Clifton/Tauscher now, with Bulaga/Lang, now can we get a succession plan for Woodson/Harris? Mostly Harris, since he's injured and Woodson isn't gonna slow down any time soon!
Well, they needed to pick up a good young d-lineman. They lost Edwards and Bannon in free agancy. Plus their starters (except for Ngata) are getting old. This will be like Gregg's tenth or eleventh season and it feels like Pryce has been playing forever. Gigi, I know how you feel. I also wanted the Raven's to pick up a corner. The ones they have now are alright, but I'm not sure of any of them are good enough that you can just leave them out on an island, so to speak, with the reciever. The Bengals and Steelers are both good passing teams when they need to be and of course to get to the superbowl in the afc, you have to go through the Colts, Patriots and Chargers. Each with an elite quarterback and great recievers.
Cody and Ngata aren't going to be fun for opposing running backs. As long as they have someone to sub in for him at times, Cody should be a good pickup. I still think the Raiders are going to take Bruce Campbell, but it's a lot better pick in the 4th than in the 1st or 2nd. I think one of the fifth rounders is going to be spent on quarterback Mike Kafka- apparently Al is high on him, and Kafka may be why they passed on Clausen. I kinda hope they do pick him and he becomes at least a spot starter, because I need a new Raiders jersey, and a Kafka jersey would be incredible. If they draft him, I may get one anyway
Well, the Eagles beat the Raiders in getting Kafka. Though they traded for Jason Cambell. I think it'll be a compitetion between him, Gradowski and Boller for the starting position.
Town just recorded their biggest away win in 21 years with a 6-0 hammering of Stockport. Play-offs are now guaranteed. And we're not out of automatics yet, either! Two games to go, and we're still in with a shout! Admittedly, L**ds would have to lose twice, Millwall would have to lose twice and other results would also have to go our way while we won both our fixtures. But hey, after so many years of mediocrity, it's great to be here
And the Raven's take an offensive tackle with the last pick. An interesting decision, that's for sure. Hopefully there'll be some athletic corners left over after the draft.
On thurday night the Sounders played Dallas. Overall the game was pretty decent. The sounders didn't play their best game-they could have pushed more forward, however the defense stayed quite tightly with only a few dangerous moments of Dallas breakthrough. One of those moments resulted in a penalty kick (a fair call) against the sounders which resulted in a goal for Dallas. However we counted that with a wonderful run and cross by Zakuwani right past the goalie tying the score up. Later on a foul was called against Montero giving us a kick. In what is one of the most beautiful goals I have ever seen, he kicked it from the 41st yard line over the defense and into the goal just above the goalies hands. It was a perfect direct kick and gave us the lead which we held all the way to the stoppage time. So you know how much I complained about the ref at the last game? well he nothing compared to the ref from this game. He didn't call many baltant fouls againt Sounders, however the worst call came in the final second off stoppage time (actually it was about a minute over the alloted stoppage time which I know is only a benchmark, but it was still quite far past that.) A Dallas player tried to push through two sounders defenders who was standing there and he went down. When the play was watched again it was very obvious that he was not tripped, pushed, pulled, or fouled in anyway-he merely tried to push through two defenders and kind of tripped over them. However he went down and decided to grab his ankle and the ****ty ref called it a penalty kick! Needless to say, as those are very hard to block, it went in and tied the score at 2-2 in the final seconds of the game giving us no to time to counter. I was fuming after that game-a tie/loss in the final seconds from a defenseive breakdown on our side I can deal with. I definately don't like it and I definatey get severley pissed, but I can deal with it. However a tie/loss from a ****ty call by a ****ty ref on a nonexistant foul when we did nothing? I don't deal with that well. Especially when it's on my birthday and we really should've won. I got incredibly riled up, I still am whenever I think of that. However I keep telling myself to think of our two goals and it does make me feel better-especially since one of them was by my favorite player on my birthday and is one of the most beautiful goals I have ever seen. That was thursday night
I'm pretty sure the Sounders play TFC tomorrow. I'll have to warn you, the Reds are on a hot streak having won an impressive number of matches out of their last three. One. We just edged the expansion team This was the best Raiders draft in years. Which means it wasn't an utter disaster, and we may even get multiple useful players out of it. McClain is going to bring the meanness Raider teams need to succeed, and Houston will support him up front. Our two new tackles will help protect our new quarterback (a 4th two years from now is a pretty sweet bargain for Campbell!). Oh, and maybe one of the ridiculously fast receivers and corners Al added will actually do something at the pro level.
This was a WEIRD draft for the Pack. We took a safety and LT, which was needed, but the rest of the picks I just can't get my head around: 1st round-- Bryan Bulaga (OT) 2nd round-- Mike Neal (DT) 3rd round-- Morgan Burnett (S) 3rd round-- traded to Eagles 4th round--traded to Eagles 5th round-- Andrew Quarless (TE) 6th round--James Starks (RB) 7th round--CJ Wilson (DE) What the hell, Thompson? That's all I can say--it was clearly his intention to draft for depth rather than need, which isn't a bad strategy but we are THISCLOSE to a Super Bowl and we have NEEDS. We need a CB succession plan for Woodson/Harris. No idea what's up Teddy's sleeve, but maybe a summer trade/pickup, whatever..... We're so close to a Super Bowl and we need 2 corners for when Woodson/Harris retire. Not saying Woodson will any time soon, but Harris is injured and that makes me nervous. Overall the draft gets a C+ IMO. Nothing wrong with depth drafting (because Lord knows we've got a lot riding on Grant, Finley, etc...), but need drafting would work better since any CB we drafted could sit on the bench for a year or two.
I'm more of a Best Player Available fan- with need serving as a tie-break. I've seen too many teams pick a worse player because he fit what the team needed right then, only to release him a few years later and have to spend another high pick on his replacement. Because one thing a football team will always need is good football players, and you never know when an injury will cause a position of strength to become a weakness. It is a philosophy that has served me well in Madden I like what the Raiders did- solid picks early, with big upside and little chance of not being starters at some point, and riskier boom or bust picks later. Because while it's like a few of them won't last more than a couple years in the league, if even one of them fulfills their potential they'll have picked up a huge talent in the last 3 rounds. Two more teams eliminated in the NHL tonight, the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche. In clinching their series, the Sharks went the last 15 minutes without surrendering a shot on goal. Even though their next opponent is going to be more challenging, I think the Sharks finally have it together. My only concern is the top line, which produced next to nothing this series. Did anyone else see the WEC tonight? Incredible card. The Leonard Garcia/Zombie fight has my vote for fight of the year, and in fact it's in the top 5 fights I've ever seen. And it was on the free prelims Cerrone disappointed, but Henderson is doing some damage with his guillotine. I'm not convinced either of them will fare too well in the deeper UFC light weight pool- they'd probably be like Keith Jardine, solid, regular contributors with little to no title hopes. Speaking of titles, Aldo continues to amaze. He just picked Faber apart, especially with his leg kicks. I thought it should have been stopped near the end of the fourth though. Mad respect for Faber though, he's no longer top of his division like he was for years, but he's one of the toughest fights I've seen. I could have seen a lot of others giving up with the damage he took to his leg, and at the end of the fourth.
By way of an immense improbability, my "called shot" a few weeks back of TFC beating Seattle has actually come true. The Reds have doubled their win total this season.
League One team of the season: Davies (Southampton); Richardson (Charlton), Kisnorbo (L**ds), Doherty (Norwich), Harte (Carlisle); Hoolahan (Norwich), Puncheon (Southampton), Snodgrass (L**ds), Bailey (Charlton); Lambert (Southampton), Holt (Norwich). Note one: Southampton (7th) have as many players in there as Norwich (1st), and more than L**ds (2nd). Millwall, Swindon and Town have no players in there at all. Note two: Who on Earth got to pick the full-backs? Frazer Richardson and Ian Harte? Harte can't defend to save his life, and, yes, he has scored 18 goals this season, but that ain't what he's paid to do. Frazer Richardson is a player I've seen in the flesh five times and he's been ripped to shreds every time, and on the telly four times this season alone. And ditto on the telly. I give you Dean Lewington at left-back (of the MK Dons) and Lee Peltier (Huddersfield Town) at right-back. Note three: ROBERT SNODGRASS??? Are you taking the mick? He's got no pace, only one foot and even L**ds fans have admitted that he's had a poor season! Also: five assists and seven goals for an attacking midfielder? What about Anthony Pilkington (who has two feet, a burst of pace to die for and 9 goals and 10 assists), Gary Roberts (best first touch you'll ever see, 8 goals, 14 assists), Jon-Paul McGovern (great right peg, 15 assists)... Note four: Nicky Bailey should have been discounted from that list for being an unprofessional idiot. He's a disgrace of a footballer. Dives, harangues referees, makes dangerous tackles, actually broke someone's leg iirc back in November and never apologised... Scored a couple, but Michael Collins does that and he's nowhere near the list.
Here's yesterday's match rundown First Half: Played great-especially the defense Second Hald: All play disinegrated-especially the defense And there was the match. This is officially the worst soccer weekend ever. And it's not just because of the Sounders game. For probably the first, and one of the only, times, I'm really sick of soccer. (Don't worry though, it won't last )
The Brewers have gone back to sucking. I don't GET THIS. We win TWENTY TO ZERO one game, and then lose 12-1 the next. Never a steady, happy medium. Always a roller coaster. I would LOVE a baseball team that doesn't look so promising one game and look like a minor league team the next.
Ah, the Heff is slightly exaggerating our crowds there. We're expecting 18,000 on Saturday, not 25,000! (Of course, we'd get more if Colchester were going to bring more than about 12). In the division above, Sheffield Wednesday play Crystal Palace on Sunday to decide who will play in the Championship next season. Should Wednesday not win, they will be relegated. Palace need only draw to secure their place for next season. Personally, I'm hoping Palace get beaten. I haven't forgiven them for the debacle in 2001, and nor am I ever likely to. That was the moment that hurt most as a fan of Huddersfield Town, and dear God I want them to experience that same pain on Sunday.
Bucks are kicking butt in the playoffs, and Bango's 16-foot dunk was AMAZING!! (Bango is the mascot.)
Shame what happened with Andrew Bogut a while ago. Only Aussie talent in the NBA. And bloody injured for the play-offs.
Well, at least my Sharks no longer possess the mantle of biggest chokes in the NHL. Every single member of the Washington Capitals organisation should be ashamed of themselves right now. Absolutely pathetic. Sure, they were robbed and that no-goal call is one of the worst calls I've ever seen in such an important situation, but that's no excuse for their miserable, embarrassing play the past three games. Mike Green is the single worst Norris Trophy finalist in NHL history, he's just awful, and Alexander 'Big Game' Ovechkin delivered in a crucial game again. By which I mean, did nothing. And now I have to cheer for Pittsburgh in the next round, and the Sharks have to play Detroit. This has not been a good week of hockey
Eesh, doesn't sound like it! I've watched a couple Penguins games myself to see Crosby. Olympics got me fascinated. And can I just say that he is amazing?! Although you hockey watchers knew that.
As long as Montreal gets embarrassed, I'll be happy. I hate the Penguins, but I hate the Canadiens even more It's like a Broncos-Patriots playoff meeting. Sharks won tonight. It was an excellent, exhausting game. I love the way the Sharks approached this game, they played like the fresher team, and really took it to Detroit physically. I can't see this being a short series, so this is the way to go, grinding out Detroit and forcing them to deal with the Sharks skill, size, and physicality.
I live roughly and hour and a half outside of Oklahoma City, and as many might know, we were fortunate enough to get a team into the NBA Playoffs in just the franchise's second year! The Thunder lost the first two games of the series to the Lakers, which is just what everyone expected. But, the Thunder came back and inched out the Lakers in Game 3, to make the series 2-1. Most likely a product of the home court setting(crowd set a loudness record for an NBA game at 109 decibels). Then in Game 4, Kevin Durant and company pounded the Lakers by 26 points, tying the series at 2-2. Then, last night, the Lakers imposed their revenge by whopping the Thunder back with a similar score. Game 5 is Friday night, in Oklahoma City. Previously, I've always been a die-hard Phoenix Suns fan, led by two-time MVP Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire. But ever since my state recieved an NBA team, they've begin to grow on me (and every other Oklahoman), and they are quickly becoming my favorite team. The Thunder will win Game 5 at home (I hope), and then the series goes back to LA, which has been a problem so far. If the Thunder can win the series, it will be one of the best upsets possibly in NBA history. GO THUNDER!!
Liverpool disgraced themselves last night... Beat 2-1 to Athletico Madrid, but went out on away goals. I reckon Benitez is for the chop, come the summer.
