I know I have done it before (here and here), and so I am going to do it again.
I am still really crazy for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL Draft too.
After spending three days listening to the webcast of the draft, I have once again finished typing the information of all draftees into a neatly-prepared Word file.
Thanks to the Wikipedia and the internet, I no longer have to wait for months to find out what the jersey numbers of the draftees are.
So please indulge me for listing the jersey numbers of their draft class of 2010:
88 WR Dez Bryant
45 LB Sean Lee
27 CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
76 OT Sam Young
30 CB Jamar Wall
78 DT Sean Lissemore
Now there is one more happy man in the world.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
More Thoughts on the NFL Draft 2010
- Unlike previous years, the Oakland Raiders made solid picks after solid picks in this year's draft. The first pick, Rolando McClain, has been named by many experts as one of the safest picks in the draft, who will help bolster their weak run defense. Their selections of promising OT prospects Jared Veldheer and Bruce Campbell in rounds three and four surprised many as they all thought that the Raiders would have jumped of either of those with their first-round pick. But the Raiders, being the Raiders, didn't let the fastest player in the draft (Jacoby Ford) slip through their fingers. Yet taking him in the fourth round was reasonable.
- Speaking of a safe pick, the St. Louis Rams may be kicking their foot for picking Sam Bradford instead of Ndamukong Suh as the first overall pick. Don't get Yours Truly wrong, since both are excellent players who will become quality pros in the NFL. But the way the draft played out, had the Rams chosen Suh, a DT as the first overall pick, they could still choose from QB Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy in the second round. A combo of Suh and Clausen/McCoy would be much more appealing than a combo of Bradford and Rodger Saffold, their pick in the second round.
- With the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills will select ... Jake Locker, QB. Perhaps the Bills did have Locker very high in the draft board. Then perhaps that's exactly the reason why they didn't take a QB with the number 9 pick. C.J. Spiller may be the best RB in this draft, but who is going to hand off the ball to him? Trent Edwards? Ryan Fitzpatrick? Doesn't sound so good to Yours Truly.
- Josh McDaniels is on a mission. His mission? To fill the Denver Broncos roster with players of excellent character. That is why he passed on Dez Bryant despite trading up and took Demaryius Thomas instead, nabbed Tim Tebow despite intense criticism and ignored Clausen or McCoy, and traded away problematic All-Pros Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall these two seasons. The question is, will he be given the time to accomplish his goal?
- The Carolina Panthers have been ignoring a glaring need to find a young QB for years. But once they decided to do it this year, they did it in quality AND quantity. In addition to drafting Clausen in round two, they also nabbed Armanti Edwards (who is likely to be converted into a wide receiver) in round three, and Tony Pike in round six, who many predicted would have gone much earlier.
- Speaking of a safe pick, the St. Louis Rams may be kicking their foot for picking Sam Bradford instead of Ndamukong Suh as the first overall pick. Don't get Yours Truly wrong, since both are excellent players who will become quality pros in the NFL. But the way the draft played out, had the Rams chosen Suh, a DT as the first overall pick, they could still choose from QB Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy in the second round. A combo of Suh and Clausen/McCoy would be much more appealing than a combo of Bradford and Rodger Saffold, their pick in the second round.
- With the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills will select ... Jake Locker, QB. Perhaps the Bills did have Locker very high in the draft board. Then perhaps that's exactly the reason why they didn't take a QB with the number 9 pick. C.J. Spiller may be the best RB in this draft, but who is going to hand off the ball to him? Trent Edwards? Ryan Fitzpatrick? Doesn't sound so good to Yours Truly.
- Josh McDaniels is on a mission. His mission? To fill the Denver Broncos roster with players of excellent character. That is why he passed on Dez Bryant despite trading up and took Demaryius Thomas instead, nabbed Tim Tebow despite intense criticism and ignored Clausen or McCoy, and traded away problematic All-Pros Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall these two seasons. The question is, will he be given the time to accomplish his goal?
- The Carolina Panthers have been ignoring a glaring need to find a young QB for years. But once they decided to do it this year, they did it in quality AND quantity. In addition to drafting Clausen in round two, they also nabbed Armanti Edwards (who is likely to be converted into a wide receiver) in round three, and Tony Pike in round six, who many predicted would have gone much earlier.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Early Thoughts on Day One of NFL Draft 2010
- For the first time in a long while, Yours Truly's beloved Dallas Cowboys picked a wide receiver in the draft and they did it in the first round, no less. Dez Bryant was suspended for most of the past season for not being totally truthful in his dealings with former All-Pro Deion Sanders (a former Cowboy), and as a result many teams shied away from him due to his perceived "character issues". Talent-wise he should go in the top five, and once he started sliding and fell behind Demaryius Thomas (drafted by the Denver Broncos at number 22), Jerry Jones decided to trade up to number 24 and pick the former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
- More on Bryant. The Dallas Cowboys website started selling the Bryant jerseys not long after the selection. When Yours Truly logged onto it, it was kind of disappointing. No, it has nothing to do with the design (Cowboys have one of the best, if not THE best uniform in the NFL) or the price (Yours Truly can't afford one anyway). The disappointing thing was the jersey number, 88. The "88 Bryant" jersey reminded Yours Truly of Antonio Bryant, a former Cowboy who is now playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. AB wore number 88 during his days with the Cowboys, but didn't quite live up to expectation. Will the new Bryant follow his footsteps?
- Despite the flurry of trades in the first round, the Indianapolis Colts benefitted by not doing anything at all. And when it was their turn to pick at number 31, TCU's Jerry Hughes fell right into their lap. Hughes, an undersized defensive end, has often been compared with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, two similarly undersized and good pass rushers. And yes, both Freeney and Mathis are playing for the Colts.
- Maurkice Pouncey going to the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't be more appropriate. It continues the team's tradition of drafting outstanding centres throughout the years. They had drafted Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson (Ray Mansfield and Jeff Hartings were not drafted by the Steelers), and now they have Pouncey.
- The reason why the Minnesota Vikings traded out of the first round? They were disgusted by the drafting of Tim Tebow by the Denver Broncos. Tebow would have been a great fit for the Vikings since he would sit for a year or two and learn his trades from Brett Favre.
- Note to parents: If you want your kid to be drafted by an NFL team way before they should be, you have got to name your kid "Tyson", and let him play defensive tackle. Last year, Penn State's Tyson Jackson went number 3 to the Kansas City Chiefs when everyone thought he should go lower. And this year, Tyson Alualu went number 10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, when many predicted that the defensive tackle from California should be drafted in round two, at the earliest.
- More on Bryant. The Dallas Cowboys website started selling the Bryant jerseys not long after the selection. When Yours Truly logged onto it, it was kind of disappointing. No, it has nothing to do with the design (Cowboys have one of the best, if not THE best uniform in the NFL) or the price (Yours Truly can't afford one anyway). The disappointing thing was the jersey number, 88. The "88 Bryant" jersey reminded Yours Truly of Antonio Bryant, a former Cowboy who is now playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. AB wore number 88 during his days with the Cowboys, but didn't quite live up to expectation. Will the new Bryant follow his footsteps?
- Despite the flurry of trades in the first round, the Indianapolis Colts benefitted by not doing anything at all. And when it was their turn to pick at number 31, TCU's Jerry Hughes fell right into their lap. Hughes, an undersized defensive end, has often been compared with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, two similarly undersized and good pass rushers. And yes, both Freeney and Mathis are playing for the Colts.
- Maurkice Pouncey going to the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't be more appropriate. It continues the team's tradition of drafting outstanding centres throughout the years. They had drafted Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson (Ray Mansfield and Jeff Hartings were not drafted by the Steelers), and now they have Pouncey.
- The reason why the Minnesota Vikings traded out of the first round? They were disgusted by the drafting of Tim Tebow by the Denver Broncos. Tebow would have been a great fit for the Vikings since he would sit for a year or two and learn his trades from Brett Favre.
- Note to parents: If you want your kid to be drafted by an NFL team way before they should be, you have got to name your kid "Tyson", and let him play defensive tackle. Last year, Penn State's Tyson Jackson went number 3 to the Kansas City Chiefs when everyone thought he should go lower. And this year, Tyson Alualu went number 10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, when many predicted that the defensive tackle from California should be drafted in round two, at the earliest.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Corporate Delusion
Tiger Woods is not God.
On the golf course, he may be. But in private life, he's just like many of us.
That's why Yours Truly doesn't really care about his extra-marital affairs, which has been the subject of media attention these days.
To declare: Yours Truly doesn't condone extra-marital affairs, which destroys families and have serious repercussions. Sadly though, it is way more common then you think in this day and age.
When Tiger's affairs were finally revealed sometime around Thanksgiving last year, Yours Truly was not totally surprised. Come to think of it: He's got the good looks, fame and money, the perfect recipe for extra-marital affairs.
The problem is, we have been blinded by his "Mr Nice Guy" persona created by his sponsors, who are trying to take as much advantage as possible from this very image they have built. Under the protection of his sponsors and PR guys, Tiger has never been the most media accessible athlete in the world, and to be fair, he has every right to keep his private life away from the spotlight. So once we found out who had happened, somehow someone felt being betrayed, despite the fact that we never have the chance to really know him.
Somehow, Yours Truly feels for Tiger. Had he not been the best golfer in the world, had he not been surrounded by all those PR guys, had he hung out with ordinary Joes between tournaments, and had he been always cursing like a sailor, there would not have been such public backlash for the affairs, and everything would have gone away quickly and quietly.
Yours Truly always believes that golf is a sport that is hard to learn but relatively easy to excel. Once you have "IT", you can play really well. Despite a five-month absence from competitive gold, Tiger will be just fine.
And it looks like he's doing really well at the Masters at the moment.
On the golf course, he may be. But in private life, he's just like many of us.
That's why Yours Truly doesn't really care about his extra-marital affairs, which has been the subject of media attention these days.
To declare: Yours Truly doesn't condone extra-marital affairs, which destroys families and have serious repercussions. Sadly though, it is way more common then you think in this day and age.
When Tiger's affairs were finally revealed sometime around Thanksgiving last year, Yours Truly was not totally surprised. Come to think of it: He's got the good looks, fame and money, the perfect recipe for extra-marital affairs.
The problem is, we have been blinded by his "Mr Nice Guy" persona created by his sponsors, who are trying to take as much advantage as possible from this very image they have built. Under the protection of his sponsors and PR guys, Tiger has never been the most media accessible athlete in the world, and to be fair, he has every right to keep his private life away from the spotlight. So once we found out who had happened, somehow someone felt being betrayed, despite the fact that we never have the chance to really know him.
Somehow, Yours Truly feels for Tiger. Had he not been the best golfer in the world, had he not been surrounded by all those PR guys, had he hung out with ordinary Joes between tournaments, and had he been always cursing like a sailor, there would not have been such public backlash for the affairs, and everything would have gone away quickly and quietly.
Yours Truly always believes that golf is a sport that is hard to learn but relatively easy to excel. Once you have "IT", you can play really well. Despite a five-month absence from competitive gold, Tiger will be just fine.
And it looks like he's doing really well at the Masters at the moment.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Last Roll of Dice
Yours Truly just don't know what to make of the trade of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins.
On one hand, Yours Truly found Andy Reid, his coach and mentor with the Philadelphia Eagles, desperately foolish to send him to a division rival, who may be a franchise quarterback away (i.e. McNabb) from becoming a contender again, now that Mike Shanahan has joined the team as the new head coach.
On the other, Yours Truly found Reid absolutely gutsy in sending McNabb to a divisional rival. It's just like telling the Redskins (and probably McNabb) that the Eagles are so much better than you that they don't mind giving away one of the better quarterbacks in the league.
Yours Truly also admire Reid for not sending McNabb to Siberia (a.k.a. Oakland Raiders), which are rumoured to be the front-runner of the McNabb derby for a long time. With Shanahan joining the fray, the Redskins may finally return to prominence.
And of course, being a Dallas Cowboys homer, Yours Truly would rather see McNabb labouring in Siberia, rather than starting for a team that has suddenly become a real threat.
When Bill Belichick traded Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills many years ago, many people were skeptical of the move, believing that it would bite him somehow, someday. But Belichick has the last laugh thanks to the emergence of Tom Brady, who has become one of the best ever.
Reid has similar faith in Kevin Kolb. If Kolb can be consistently good over the entire season, Reid would look like a genius. But if he can't, this could probably be one of the last moves Reid has ever made.
On one hand, Yours Truly found Andy Reid, his coach and mentor with the Philadelphia Eagles, desperately foolish to send him to a division rival, who may be a franchise quarterback away (i.e. McNabb) from becoming a contender again, now that Mike Shanahan has joined the team as the new head coach.
On the other, Yours Truly found Reid absolutely gutsy in sending McNabb to a divisional rival. It's just like telling the Redskins (and probably McNabb) that the Eagles are so much better than you that they don't mind giving away one of the better quarterbacks in the league.
Yours Truly also admire Reid for not sending McNabb to Siberia (a.k.a. Oakland Raiders), which are rumoured to be the front-runner of the McNabb derby for a long time. With Shanahan joining the fray, the Redskins may finally return to prominence.
And of course, being a Dallas Cowboys homer, Yours Truly would rather see McNabb labouring in Siberia, rather than starting for a team that has suddenly become a real threat.
When Bill Belichick traded Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills many years ago, many people were skeptical of the move, believing that it would bite him somehow, someday. But Belichick has the last laugh thanks to the emergence of Tom Brady, who has become one of the best ever.
Reid has similar faith in Kevin Kolb. If Kolb can be consistently good over the entire season, Reid would look like a genius. But if he can't, this could probably be one of the last moves Reid has ever made.
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