Draft Happenings Part 2

NFC South

Atlanta: LB Sean Weatherspoon is the type of player who will become a leader on defense and he fills a huge need to boot. 2nd Rd pick DT Corey Peters will give some needed beef on the inside in case last year's #1 pick DT Peria Jerry doesn't return 100% from injuries. All of their other picks appear to be reaches to fill need spots. However, this team still looks like it will lack the pass rush needed to win the division. Sure they upgraded their secondary with Dunta Robinson but it's a moot point without a pass rush. An extra second or two is all Drew Brees needs to pick you apart. Make no mistake, New Orleans is still the team to beat in the South.
Fantasy Implication... A slight bump for the Atlanta Defense
NFL... Probably not explosive enough to be more than an outside wild card candidate.

Carolina: This was an important draft for the Panthers as they have improved in the present while keeping an eye on the future. Matt Moore will be pushed by rookie QB's Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike. Both QB's fell to a point in the draft where the value was too high for Carolina to pass on them. Clausen was ranked by some as a Top 5 prospect in the draft.

Another sore spot this team has been unsuccessfully trying to fill for years has been a WR to take pressure off Steve Smith. They got great value on both Brandon LaFell and David Gettis... however WR/QB Armanti Edwards could be one of the most controversial picks in the draft. How will they utilize him? We know there will be a lot of pressure to justify trading a 2nd round pick in 2011 to acquire him. One thing that national pundits have underestimated is Edwards' popularity with local fans. Name me one 3rd Rd pick who will sell as many jerseys as Edwards. You can't. He's a cult hero in the area. On Charlotte sports radio, everyone was talking about Armanti Edwards, not Jimmy Clausen.

Lost in all of this are two steals on defense in DE Eric Norwood and DE Greg Hardy who were very productive in college. With all of this, Carolina had one of the most exciting drafts this season. It's a draft that took them from a 7-9 team to a legit wild card candidate.
Fantasy... WR Steve Smith comes back to fantasy relevance now that he has assistance
NFL... Solid wild card candidate with a favorable schedule & a good chance they have their franchise QB on the roster although we're not sure who that is yet.

New Orleans: There are so many reasons to think New Orleans will have a down year. It's tough to repeat in the NFL because you take everyone's best shot. Drew Brees could be struck by the Madden Curse. Plus teams just don't repeat in the NFC South. The Saints haven't lost much on offense and they add a possible stud on the O-Line in Charles Brown plus an intriguing TE in former Univ. of Miami basketball player Jimmy Graham. They have definitely gotten weaker on defense as they lost depth at LB. Will they re-sign Darren Sharper who was up for Defensive Player of the Year? If not, then that opens another big hole.
Fantasy... TE Jeremy Shockey is no longer draftable.
NFL... Still too proficient on offense although the gap is closing.

Tampa Bay: The Bucs got a lot better in the draft. Unfortunately, they still have far to go. They improved their run defense with Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. And they upgraded their passing game by drafting WR's Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. They will still get shredded by opposing QB's and their offensive line is lacking but this team will leave opponents knowing they have just been in a fight. It's just too bad the Bucs won't win many of the fights.
Fantasy... The additions at WR should make QB Josh Freeman draftable as a backup.
NFL... Better, but their ceiling is 6 wins.

Overall: New Orleans will overcome the distractions and repeat while Carolina and Atlanta scrap for what should be a ridiculously competitive wild card race in the NFC.

NFL Draft Happenings

NFC West:

This division is one of the weakest in the league. Each team had a solid draft and it really helped the West's Q Factor.

San Francisco is considered the favorite to win the division. They really beefed up their offensive line with the first two picks. Anthony Davis has character concerns but he could absolutely become a dominating right tackle. Mike Iupati will also be a starter from day one at right guard. Taylor Mays and Navorro Bowman are potential starters on defense. Anthony Dixon might be able to wrestle the #2 RB job from Glen Coffee. That's a haul of 4 potential starters which is a good draft.
Fantasy Implications... Frank Gore is now a definite Top 5 pick.
NFL Implications... If they get production at QB, the 49ers look like a playoff team.

Arizona has been on top in the West recently but they took some major loss when Kurt Warner retired. Then they traded WR Anquan Boldin and lost LB Karlos Dansby in free agency. The Cardinals stole DT Dan Williams at #26 and he should be a force. LB Daryl Washington has potential to start. Potential seems to be a key word for this draft. WR Andre Roberts MIGHT be a good slot receiver, DE O'Brien Schofield MIGHT end up being one of the top pass rushers from this class IF he recovers from injury and QB John Skelton MIGHT be a future starter if he can get some development and make the huge jump in competition.
Fantasy Implications... WR Steve Breaston will see increased looks as the new #2 WR
NFL Implications... They have big questions at QB and LT. They will drop back this year.

Seattle has been snakebit recently with injuries. Now they have the hot college coach coming in to try to turn things around... something which hasn't worked too well for other teams in the past few years. I have my doubts about Pete Carroll in the NFL but he certainly had a nice draft. Russell Okung fills a huge need at LT and he could have been a Top 2 pick overall and no one would have blinked. Then they get a guy who was considered one of the best DB's available in Earl Thomas. I could see Golden Tate becoming a starter at WR. DB Walter Thurmond and TE Anthony McCoy could also be key contributors. But that's not all! Seattle also added a lot of talent at RB by trading for both Lorenzen White and Leon Washington. Suddenly Seattle looks like a contender in the division again. If they get solid QB play.
Fantasy... TE John Carlson could be a Top 10 TE in Pete Carroll's scheme
NFL... Seahawks may be a year away but they appear to be on the rise.

St. Louis has been horrendous the past couple of years but they should at least be fun to watch. Some think QB Sam Bradford is a can't miss prospect. We shall see. The Rams were smart to get him some extra protection in OT Roger Saffold. The Rams need help pretty much everywhere but RB and that is why they drafted a lot of variety. They still do not have a #1 WR despite the drafting of Mardy Gilyard. And their defense still needs a lot of work. Unfortunately it looks like the Rams may have a Top 10 pick again next season even though they had a solid draft.
Fantasy... Sam Bradford becomes a viable fantasy option but probably only in keeper leagues.
NFL... Probably spending another year in the NFC West cellar.

Overall, each of these teams have big questions at QB. I pick the 49ers to win the division but I don't see any wild cards coming out of the West.

Ode To Jason Taylor

Dear Jason Taylor,

Thank you for your interest in the Douchebag Wing of Cullen's Hall of Fame. Signing a contract with the New York Jets has really gotten you noticed by the committee. Normally a Miami Dolphin alumnus would be exempt from consideration in this prestigious group. Only the likes of Dave Wannestedt has ever been mentioned as a possibility.

You must know that it's too early to induct you into the D-Bag Wing just yet. We need to see how you handle yourself in the 2010 season. Just know that you are definitely on the radar.

Signed,
The CHOF Board of Directors

PS. We have included a picture of you throwing a hot chick off of you before she could mount you. I would imagine this was the only thing the Jets needed to see to know that you'll fit right in.

Sports Hall of Fame: Bill Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer is my favorite basketball player ever. That's really all it takes to make it into the Cullen Hall of Fame. He could have no other credentials and still be inducted just because I like him. However, I truly believe that Laimbeer is one of the most underrated basketball players of the 80's.

Everyone remembers this poor soul as a thug... Oh wait, I forgot that the media only calls black players thugs. Hockey has told me that goon is the caucasian version of a thug. Either way, Laimbeer was not well liked. He took cheap shots at opposing players, whined to the refs, and generally acted like a dick.

That persona is one of the things that made him so successful. Laimbeer was one of the few players who could take opposing players out of the game mentally. He even got the normally peaceful Robert Parish to snap. Parish, by the way, dabbled in weed... do you know how hard it is to piss off a pothead???

Thus Laimbeer doesn't get a lot of credit for actually having some skills. Here are some of the other things made him so valuable on the court...

1) Four time All-Star
2) Extremely durable - he has the 5th longest NBA consecutive games streak (which was ended by a suspension)
3) Solid Free Throw shooter - 83% career is excellent for a center
4) Excellent Rebounder - twice led the league in rebounds per game
5) Range - Laimbeer added a 3 point shot later in his career and hit nearly 1/3 of his shots from downtown
6) Stuff not measured by statistics - for instance, Laimbeer set devastating picks and was an accurate passer

Unfortunately, he wasn't the most athletic guy in the world. He was strong but had no vertical leap and very average foot speed. Laimbeer also deserves induction for some notable off-the-court achievements as well.

1) One of the best Sports Illustrated covers ever (pictured above)
2) Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball for Nintendo. Check out the effing sweet storyline for it...

The game predicts a science-fiction version of the year 2030 in which there are only robot basketball players (excluding Bill Laimbeer). Basketball teams play in gruelling league matches where new players are bought and sold. Within this future, basketball uses a dedicated robot to perform the toss up at the start of each match as referees had been fired by Bill Laimbeer sometime prior to the year 2030. As a result, players now wear armor to their games and weapons are thrown from the audience

3) The Beastie Boys wrote a song about him! (it wasn't very kind)
4) One of the most successful coaches in the WNBA's illustrious history.

So congratulations to Bill Laimbeer. This is my tribute to you. Bill Simmons can suck it for not including you in his Hall of Fame.

Douchebag Hall of Fame: Pollen

Congratulations to Pollen for becoming the first inductee into the Cullen Hall of Fame's Douchebag Wing! This has been one of the worst years on record for pollen. I could only imagine how bad it would be if I had terrible allergies. Pollen is like having your Aunt Lorraine come to visit you for three weeks. Sure she will take you out to lunch a few times but generally she just gets in the way, leaves her hard candy wrappers on the coffee table and keeps you from breathing easily because she baptizes herself in the finest of Joan Collins' Target perfumes every morning.

And pollen is the same way. Five minutes after washing your car it's covered again in a yellowish-green dust. Allergy sufferers would feel better if someone sprayed them with anthrax than they do when these clouds of pollen take form.

But I don't want this to be a one-sided bashing off pollen. So arguing on pollen's side is noted hippie Ron Wagner... "If it wasn't for pollen, you wouldn't have those cut flowers in your kitchen you love so much. Or french fries."

Well stated. So do you, the reader, feel that some floral arrangements are worth a bunch of trees jizzing Peter North levels of pollen all over your cars?

PS. If you would like to learn more about hippies, visit your local library. Or visit Ron Wagner's blog entitled "Grow Dammit" at http://rondwagner.blogspot.com/

CHOF???

So what does CHOF mean? It stands for Cullen's Hall of Fame. Basically this is where I pay tribute to things by inducting them for enshrinement into a very elite place. We're talking big time stuff here.

There will be many wings to this Hall of Fame... TV, movies, athletes etc... so hopefully there is a little something for everyone. Just because something is great doesn't mean you'll see it here. This is extremely biased and based solely on my expert opinion. You're more likely to see Pascual Perez's jheri curl than the great Babe Ruth. You're more likely to see Diggstown than Citizen Kane.