Monday, May 08, 2006

A Pure Sport Gauntlet

NFL Draft - Last thoughts from the draft. I'm still skeptical about Mario Williams going 1st overall. Look at his stats. You can talk about the p-word all you want, but give me production over potential any day. Williams may have all the potential in the world, but as a friend of mine close to the NC State program admitted, he took games off. That's not what you're looking for in a number 1 pick. This is not the NBA where you can let a player sit at the end of your bench and develop over several years. The NFL has a 55 man roster and you need every slot to be a productive player. And as for the comparison of Mario to Julius Peppers, it doesn't work. Peppers was a beast every game, not just certain games. I wish Mario the best of luck and I hope he proves me wrong, but based on his stats, the crowd in New York was correct when they chanted "Over-rated." One more note about the Wolfpack, congratulations to having three 1st round picks, but one has to ask at some point, "How do you have three of the top defensive linemen in the nation and only finish 7-5?" Speaking of the ACC, how about their draft-day domination? 55 picks, or roughly 20% of the players selected were from the Atlantic Coast Conference. How about the Seminoles with 8 overall, including 4 1st round picks? On a minor note congratulations to UNC for having one, yes, one player selected. Basketball season this ain't!

NC State - Love the hire of Sidney Lowe as head coach. Many similarities to my previous post re: Derek Whittenberg. Although his NBA coaching record is nothing close to spectacular, remember he was at the helm of expansion teams. Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach would've had losing seasons with them too. Now he's an assistant with the Pistons. Just think about Lowe visiting a recruit - an NCAA championship ring on one finger, and being able to relate to recruits with tales of Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, and company. Now he has added Monte Towe to his bench as associate head coach. Brilliant move. Absolutely brilliant. Wolfpack fans should be lining up to renew and purchase season tickets. Sendek wasn't passionate enough for you? Lowe and Towe carry the banner of both championship seasons - '74 and '83 - for your team. If you cannot get behind them, you need to re-evaluate your expectations as a fan.

Stanley Cup playoffs - As I heard someone recently say referring to both the NBA and NHL, "If they played the regular season with as much intensity as they do for the playoffs, I'd watch every single game." I'd second that. But the fact is they don't. The playoffs are an amazing display of talent and desire. Watching the Hurricanes finish off the Canadians and then destroy the Devils in game one was amazing. The excitement within the RBC Center was tangible. Every breakaway, power play, and even crossing of the blue line sent one's heart pounding with anticipation. You could hear the fans in attendance sharing the same sentiment. You suddenly see a mass of Hurricanes' shirts and car-flags around the city. As someone who refused to pay attention during the regular season as a means of retaliation for hockey's lockout of last year, I for one have been completely swept up with playoff fever. Best of all, the Hurricanes should be good for several years to come. They have a strong nucleus of young players combined with several gritty veterans. And you have to be in awe of the play in goal by Cam Ward. Game one against the Devils - the twenty-two year old Ward earns a shutout. Martin Brodeur surrenders six goals. That's something you just do not hear.

Like the ads with Keifer Sutherland and Denis Leary providing voice-overs for the Stanley Cup. Chris Jericho, the former WWE Superstar and whose Dad played for the New York Rangers should be hired for one too.

Rescue Me - Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 30th. It's the premiere of the third season on FX.

Kentucky Derby - Sinister Minister was my horse. Too bad he ran himself out halfway down the track. My better half picked Bluegrass Cat who placed / finished second. Congratulations Terri Myers! She was the winner at the party we attended.