Thoughts while contemplating my favorite name of a 2010 Derby horse. And this.
*Ever think you'd see Tiger phone it in? Now you have.
*Tough luck for the Thunder. The difference was Durant shooting 5-for-oblivion. I know Durant is universally loved and I know that Ron Artest is arguably the best lock-down defender in the NBA, but if you're over 30, you're allowed to think "John Starks '94."
*The Nuggets are in the same boat as the Mavs: They ain't winning anything, as currently constructed. Implode 'em. Put Dirk in Denver. Put Melo in Dallas. Something...
*LeBron is NBA MVP: Of course he is. Who were the cranks who didn't vote for him?
*My only question about Favre is why he didn't get the ankle surgery -- minor or not -- in February, which would ensure he was all set by July. (Oh, I know why: He's the most selfish player in NFL history.)
*Barry Zito is 4-0. The Mets have won 8 straight. The Nats are 13-10. What's going on here?
*Where was THAT Jaroslav Halak against the Caps in Game 7?
*Holmes vs. the iPod: Anyone else flown next to someone who refused to turn off their iPod or phone when instructed to? It happens to me virtually every time I fly.
*Tebow looked good in his Broncos mini-camp debut. It was funny to watch the local Denver media finally figure out what a mania they have on their hands.
*Derby Day. Be sure to support your local OTB with a $2 flyer.
-- D.S.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
04/30 Quickie: Derby, Mavs, LeBron, More
If you're a Seinfeld fan, yesterday's Twitter flash-meme of naming Kentucky Derby horses using Seinfeld references was an amazing distraction during the afternoon. So much so that I led today's SN column with it. I'm torn between the very obscure references and the ones that actually sounded vaguely like something you'd name a racehorse after ("The Boca Breeze").
But it's not like there isn't a ton to talk about today:
*Mavs bounced out. First time a 7 beat a 2 in the NBA Playoffs. But more than that, it's an indication that the Mavs need to be imploded. If Cuban's goal is to win a championship, he isn't going to do it with this group, including Dirk. Here's a scenario: Dump 'em all and make a play for LeBron, who is (and should be) intrigued by playing for Cuban.
*I'd really like to see the Thunder beat the Lakers tonight to force a Game 7. I'd really like to see the Cavs stumble with that LeBron elbow injury (as much as I dislike the Celtics). I'm really surprised that this is Grant Hill's first time beyond the first round of the playoffs.
(I have a soft spot for Grant Hill, who is just a few months older than I am -- back when I turned 37, I think I counted -- at most -- a half-dozen players older than me in the NBA. That block Hill had on Bayless at the end of the 1st half was a turn-back-the-clock moment for all of us oldies.)
*The most intriguing team in baseball? The Diamondbacks, and it has nothing to do with their play on the field and everything to do with their place as a traveling symbol for Arizona's immigration law and the protests surrounding it. Everywhere they go, they will find protests - for now, those protests will get a ton of coverage, which will beget more protests.
*Today's column also has my after-1-month MLB awards: Longoria and Pujols for MVP (over teammates Crawford and Rasmus), Garza and Lincecum for Cy, Maddon and Manuel for Manager... and I leave Rookie blank for now.
There's a lot more in there. Check it out here. More coming later and throughout the weekend, as usual.
-- D.S.
But it's not like there isn't a ton to talk about today:
*Mavs bounced out. First time a 7 beat a 2 in the NBA Playoffs. But more than that, it's an indication that the Mavs need to be imploded. If Cuban's goal is to win a championship, he isn't going to do it with this group, including Dirk. Here's a scenario: Dump 'em all and make a play for LeBron, who is (and should be) intrigued by playing for Cuban.
*I'd really like to see the Thunder beat the Lakers tonight to force a Game 7. I'd really like to see the Cavs stumble with that LeBron elbow injury (as much as I dislike the Celtics). I'm really surprised that this is Grant Hill's first time beyond the first round of the playoffs.
(I have a soft spot for Grant Hill, who is just a few months older than I am -- back when I turned 37, I think I counted -- at most -- a half-dozen players older than me in the NBA. That block Hill had on Bayless at the end of the 1st half was a turn-back-the-clock moment for all of us oldies.)
*The most intriguing team in baseball? The Diamondbacks, and it has nothing to do with their play on the field and everything to do with their place as a traveling symbol for Arizona's immigration law and the protests surrounding it. Everywhere they go, they will find protests - for now, those protests will get a ton of coverage, which will beget more protests.
*Today's column also has my after-1-month MLB awards: Longoria and Pujols for MVP (over teammates Crawford and Rasmus), Garza and Lincecum for Cy, Maddon and Manuel for Manager... and I leave Rookie blank for now.
There's a lot more in there. Check it out here. More coming later and throughout the weekend, as usual.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
04/29 Quickie: Caps, Bucks, Mets, More
I'm not going to offend Capitals fans by claiming to be a big Caps fan and fully understand the obliteration of last night's loss. But you don't have to be a Caps fan -- or even a hockey fan -- to appreciate the chokery in DC: The first 1-seed to lose a 3-1 series lead in NHL Playoff history.
As I lead in today's SN column, it instantly becomes the defining detail of Alexander Ovechkin's MVP career.
Again, I try to stay away from hockey, because I don't follow the sport closely. But this result transcends hockey into something bigger, particularly because it involves the league's best player -- and one of the biggest stars in all of sports. And it's rough.
More you'll find in today's column:
*Speaking of chokes... the Hawks?
*Does the Mavs season end tonight in San Antonio?
*Suspend Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland?
*The Mets are the new Braves -- and vice versa.
*Tim Lincecum with the ND of the Year
*Hopefully, Tiger will get at least one heckler at Quail Hollow.
See the complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
As I lead in today's SN column, it instantly becomes the defining detail of Alexander Ovechkin's MVP career.
Again, I try to stay away from hockey, because I don't follow the sport closely. But this result transcends hockey into something bigger, particularly because it involves the league's best player -- and one of the biggest stars in all of sports. And it's rough.
More you'll find in today's column:
*Speaking of chokes... the Hawks?
*Does the Mavs season end tonight in San Antonio?
*Suspend Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland?
*The Mets are the new Braves -- and vice versa.
*Tim Lincecum with the ND of the Year
*Hopefully, Tiger will get at least one heckler at Quail Hollow.
See the complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
04/28 Quickie: NBA Playoffs, NHL Game 7s
It's a pretty intriguing morning in the NBA, I think. Worth leading today's SN column, for sure:
*The plucky Thunder got a lesson in "pivotal Game 5s" from the defending champs. OKC will file that away for when they are hosting a Game 5 down the road. LA in control.
*LeBron's elbow! LeBron's elbow! Meh: Overrated issue, until he takes the floor against the Celtics in Game 1 and the Cavs lose HCA. Otherwise: Let's focus on the dislikability of both teams.
*I think the most intriguing storyline of the night: Was that Dwyane Wade's last game for the Heat? He talks a good game about being loyal -- what else would he say? -- but he also leaves plenty of room for bolting, if it doesn't look like the team is better than a 1st-round/5-game exit. As I said in the column: If your goal is a championship, going out in the 1st round in 5 games is closer to not making the playoffs at all than winning the championship.
*Wizards fans vicariously enjoy a playoff win through Caron Butler (and even Brendan Haywood). Better times ahead for Wiz fans: Ted Leonsis is one step closer to ownership.
Lots more in the column today:
*You can't stop the Mets!
*You can't stop Francisco Liriano!
(Or Livan Hernandez!)
(Or Stephen Strasburg!)
*Jeff Ireland has a new big-detail-in-obit moment.
*Scott Sicko: From NFL novelty to standard UFA.
*I imagine Fred Hoiberg keeping Harrison Barnes in Ames.
*Nothing beats a NHL Playoffs Game 7, especially when it involves the league's best player.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
*The plucky Thunder got a lesson in "pivotal Game 5s" from the defending champs. OKC will file that away for when they are hosting a Game 5 down the road. LA in control.
*LeBron's elbow! LeBron's elbow! Meh: Overrated issue, until he takes the floor against the Celtics in Game 1 and the Cavs lose HCA. Otherwise: Let's focus on the dislikability of both teams.
*I think the most intriguing storyline of the night: Was that Dwyane Wade's last game for the Heat? He talks a good game about being loyal -- what else would he say? -- but he also leaves plenty of room for bolting, if it doesn't look like the team is better than a 1st-round/5-game exit. As I said in the column: If your goal is a championship, going out in the 1st round in 5 games is closer to not making the playoffs at all than winning the championship.
*Wizards fans vicariously enjoy a playoff win through Caron Butler (and even Brendan Haywood). Better times ahead for Wiz fans: Ted Leonsis is one step closer to ownership.
Lots more in the column today:
*You can't stop the Mets!
*You can't stop Francisco Liriano!
(Or Livan Hernandez!)
(Or Stephen Strasburg!)
*Jeff Ireland has a new big-detail-in-obit moment.
*Scott Sicko: From NFL novelty to standard UFA.
*I imagine Fred Hoiberg keeping Harrison Barnes in Ames.
*Nothing beats a NHL Playoffs Game 7, especially when it involves the league's best player.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
On Bill Simmons and Jay Penske
What would Bill Simmons do? Everyone makes this assumption that with Simmons' ESPN contract (nearly) up, he will either (a) take a huge payday to re-up with ESPN; (b) entertain offers from mainstream media competitors like AOL or CBS or Yahoo or Fox; or (c) strike out on his own, as he has intimated and not unlike his buddy Adam Carolla.
I want to go back to something I wrote about a few months ago, because I think that an ultimate option is (d) none of the above.
Instead, watch a recent development in the entertainment and tech news categories: Burgeoning media mogul Jay Penske throwing gobs of cash at successful indie publishers like Nikki Finke and, most recently, Boy Genius Report.
It only makes sense that Penske -- scion of the Penske auto-racing empire -- would want to create his own empire in sports. Penske's Mail Media even owns the ideal sports URL: Fan.com.
And so it would seem to make sense for the LA-based Penske to send an invite to the LA-based Simmons to meet halfway and discuss the kind of deal both seem to want. Penske can offer Bill a few things Simmons would find desirable:
*Tons of money: Penske can afford to pay Bill more than ESPN pays Rick Reilly, commensurate with Bill's status as the most popular sportswriter in the country. Forget the ROI of ad sales; it is reasonable to say that a mere $10 a year iPhone app would more than cover Simmons' annual compensation.
*Equity in his own enterprise: Beyond mere paychecks, Penske can give Simmons a stake in Mail Media -- or an even bigger stake in a spin-off sports property over which Simmons would be given the opportunity to ride the upside.
*Total creative control: It is one thing for Bill to get to write about anything he wants. It is another for Bill to expand on his executive role with "30 for 30" and invest in any project (or talent) he wants. Meanwhile, Penske's team can handle the finances and ad sales.
In this way, it's not unlike Howard Stern's deal with Sirius -- talent not merely as the brand, but as the entire business.
In exchange, Penske gets the biggest individual brand in sports media -- someone who will instantly bring an audience, creative vision and the ability to recruit other talent. Penske's media empire has its biggest star and a platform to be a player in sports media, online or off.
The odds-on result of Simmons' pending free agency is not unlike LeBron's: Rumors of interest elsewhere abound, but ultimately, he will more than likely re-sign with the home team, which has a vested interest (and plenty of resources) to make that happen.
But if Bill is serious about doing something new -- something his -- then no amount of money or responsibility at ESPN (or other mainstream sports media company) will ever totally satisfy him.
And that is an opportunity for Penske -- or any other media-focused investor -- to show Simmons another way.
I want to go back to something I wrote about a few months ago, because I think that an ultimate option is (d) none of the above.
Instead, watch a recent development in the entertainment and tech news categories: Burgeoning media mogul Jay Penske throwing gobs of cash at successful indie publishers like Nikki Finke and, most recently, Boy Genius Report.
It only makes sense that Penske -- scion of the Penske auto-racing empire -- would want to create his own empire in sports. Penske's Mail Media even owns the ideal sports URL: Fan.com.
And so it would seem to make sense for the LA-based Penske to send an invite to the LA-based Simmons to meet halfway and discuss the kind of deal both seem to want. Penske can offer Bill a few things Simmons would find desirable:
*Tons of money: Penske can afford to pay Bill more than ESPN pays Rick Reilly, commensurate with Bill's status as the most popular sportswriter in the country. Forget the ROI of ad sales; it is reasonable to say that a mere $10 a year iPhone app would more than cover Simmons' annual compensation.
*Equity in his own enterprise: Beyond mere paychecks, Penske can give Simmons a stake in Mail Media -- or an even bigger stake in a spin-off sports property over which Simmons would be given the opportunity to ride the upside.
*Total creative control: It is one thing for Bill to get to write about anything he wants. It is another for Bill to expand on his executive role with "30 for 30" and invest in any project (or talent) he wants. Meanwhile, Penske's team can handle the finances and ad sales.
In this way, it's not unlike Howard Stern's deal with Sirius -- talent not merely as the brand, but as the entire business.
In exchange, Penske gets the biggest individual brand in sports media -- someone who will instantly bring an audience, creative vision and the ability to recruit other talent. Penske's media empire has its biggest star and a platform to be a player in sports media, online or off.
The odds-on result of Simmons' pending free agency is not unlike LeBron's: Rumors of interest elsewhere abound, but ultimately, he will more than likely re-sign with the home team, which has a vested interest (and plenty of resources) to make that happen.
But if Bill is serious about doing something new -- something his -- then no amount of money or responsibility at ESPN (or other mainstream sports media company) will ever totally satisfy him.
And that is an opportunity for Penske -- or any other media-focused investor -- to show Simmons another way.
04/27 Quickie: Howard, Big Ben, NBA
Sorry for the quick entry this morning, riffing on today's SN column:
*Cripes, that's a lot of money to pay for a 36-year-old Ryan Howard.
*Big Ben's acceptance of responsibility? Unimpressive.
*So this means Roy Halladay won't go 30-0, right?
*It's going to be hard to stay up for a 10:30 tip for Lakers-Thunders, but you have to try, right?
*My favorite late-round draft pick: UAB's Joe Webb by the Vikings
*Jan Vesely wouldn't have ignored the NBA draft if he was a college kid.
*Tim Tebow's NFL jersey > Sam Bradford's NFL jersey.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
*Cripes, that's a lot of money to pay for a 36-year-old Ryan Howard.
*Big Ben's acceptance of responsibility? Unimpressive.
*So this means Roy Halladay won't go 30-0, right?
*It's going to be hard to stay up for a 10:30 tip for Lakers-Thunders, but you have to try, right?
*My favorite late-round draft pick: UAB's Joe Webb by the Vikings
*Jan Vesely wouldn't have ignored the NBA draft if he was a college kid.
*Tim Tebow's NFL jersey > Sam Bradford's NFL jersey.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 26, 2010
04/26 Quickie: Draft Winners, NBA Playoffs
Love the Scott Sicko story. That guy will get more attention for not playing in the NFL than he ever would have for playing in the NFL.
Speaking of the NFL, the Monday after Draft weekend is for the post-mortem: Winners, losers, projections, notable UFAs and more.
As I lead in today's SN column, Pete Carroll is off to a good start; Detroit is starting to look respectable; and Jason Campbell is starting in Oakland.
And even though Tim Tebow won't start in Denver this year, I think he can win Offensive Rookie of the Year, because Josh McDaniels has a vested interest in getting Tebow TDs near the goal-line.
(There's my Monday-morning contribution to the "Tebow exceptionalism" argument I made at the Teblog on Friday to make the point that we should default to his success, not failure.)
I know many of you are gagging on your Wheaties over that prediction, so let's move on...
The NFL hits a hiatus (before mini-camps and, undoubtedly, more Tebow-Mania... and not just by me), just in time for the NBA Playoffs to get really, really interesting:
I am loving this Spurs-Mavs series, with San Antonio on the verge of bouncing out Dallas, the 2-seed. The 5-seed Jazz are on the verge of bouncing out the 4-seed Nuggets. The Suns and Blazers are a total toss-up (particularly given Roy's return), and you can't have watched even a little bit of the Thunder win over the Lakers in Game 4 and not been at least a little bit intrigued that OKC is not going to go down easy.
Oh, and then there's LeBron's triple-double and Wade's 46, for the only reason that Heat-Celtics series is still interesting.
At a minimum, Lakers-Thunder Game 5 is a must-see.
There's a bunch more in the column, including why the Rays are the best team in baseball right now and why Oregon hoops is a tough job, even for the qualified Dana Altman.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Speaking of the NFL, the Monday after Draft weekend is for the post-mortem: Winners, losers, projections, notable UFAs and more.
As I lead in today's SN column, Pete Carroll is off to a good start; Detroit is starting to look respectable; and Jason Campbell is starting in Oakland.
And even though Tim Tebow won't start in Denver this year, I think he can win Offensive Rookie of the Year, because Josh McDaniels has a vested interest in getting Tebow TDs near the goal-line.
(There's my Monday-morning contribution to the "Tebow exceptionalism" argument I made at the Teblog on Friday to make the point that we should default to his success, not failure.)
I know many of you are gagging on your Wheaties over that prediction, so let's move on...
The NFL hits a hiatus (before mini-camps and, undoubtedly, more Tebow-Mania... and not just by me), just in time for the NBA Playoffs to get really, really interesting:
I am loving this Spurs-Mavs series, with San Antonio on the verge of bouncing out Dallas, the 2-seed. The 5-seed Jazz are on the verge of bouncing out the 4-seed Nuggets. The Suns and Blazers are a total toss-up (particularly given Roy's return), and you can't have watched even a little bit of the Thunder win over the Lakers in Game 4 and not been at least a little bit intrigued that OKC is not going to go down easy.
Oh, and then there's LeBron's triple-double and Wade's 46, for the only reason that Heat-Celtics series is still interesting.
At a minimum, Lakers-Thunder Game 5 is a must-see.
There's a bunch more in the column, including why the Rays are the best team in baseball right now and why Oregon hoops is a tough job, even for the qualified Dana Altman.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Friday, April 23, 2010
04/23 Quickie: Tebow, Obviously
Ironically, I don't have a ton to add from last night's post-draft post.
The overall reaction seems to be "What a surprise!" I know I'm impossibly biased, but by yesterday morning, I really didn't see Tebow not getting taken in the 1st round. (Given that I had Tebow going to the Vikings and had heavily discounted him going to the Broncos, I will claim some surprise that it was Denver who got him. I didn't read those tea leaves closely enough, obviously.)
The second most-popular reaction seems to be "What a risk for Josh McDaniels!" I would qualify it as a calculated risk: McDaniels is a QB development guru, so if he thinks he can work with Tebow, I believe he can.
And, in the short term, McDaniels is among the few coaches who I think can creatively design situational plays -- short-yardage or goal-line -- to maximize Tebow's talents. And I think the opportunity is wide open for Tebow to start in 2011.
But the overall vibe is that Tebow was THE story of the Draft last night. Consider that: The 25th pick of the Draft eclipsed not just everyone in front of him, but a draft that was kicked off by a QB being taken with the No. 1 overall pick, usually a lock for "Story of the Draft."
I'm going to dig into all this more on TimTeblog a little later today, but the foreshadowing was in my final tweet last night: Tebow exceptionalism has been proven over and over again. At some point, doubting should become benefit-of-the-doubt. The default should be that he will succeed.
Tebow even influenced the second-biggest storyline of the draft -- Jimmy Clausen's freefall out of the 1st round. It was a study in contrasts, right down to the humiliation of Mel Kiper -- who dogged Tebow for months while putting Clausen as the No. 4 overall pick on his "Big Board."
I'm sure Clausen will go quickly in the 2nd round. Again, this was just a schadenfreudy humiliation -- it's no indication of his future pro success or failure.
More in today's SN column:
*Good morning after for Lions fans. A rare good morning.
*I love the Colts' pick of Jerry Hughes at the end of the 1st.
*Pete Carroll did really well: Solidifies OT and DB.
*That was the best game of Kevin Durant's career.
*That was probably the best game of Derrick Rose's career.
*Ubaldo Jimenez affirms he is an elite starting pitcher.
*I am so underwhelmed by the 68-team tournament (UNLESS they make the play-in game for the 12-seed, which would be kind of awesome).
*Will Elin just divorce Tiger already?
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
The overall reaction seems to be "What a surprise!" I know I'm impossibly biased, but by yesterday morning, I really didn't see Tebow not getting taken in the 1st round. (Given that I had Tebow going to the Vikings and had heavily discounted him going to the Broncos, I will claim some surprise that it was Denver who got him. I didn't read those tea leaves closely enough, obviously.)
The second most-popular reaction seems to be "What a risk for Josh McDaniels!" I would qualify it as a calculated risk: McDaniels is a QB development guru, so if he thinks he can work with Tebow, I believe he can.
And, in the short term, McDaniels is among the few coaches who I think can creatively design situational plays -- short-yardage or goal-line -- to maximize Tebow's talents. And I think the opportunity is wide open for Tebow to start in 2011.
But the overall vibe is that Tebow was THE story of the Draft last night. Consider that: The 25th pick of the Draft eclipsed not just everyone in front of him, but a draft that was kicked off by a QB being taken with the No. 1 overall pick, usually a lock for "Story of the Draft."
I'm going to dig into all this more on TimTeblog a little later today, but the foreshadowing was in my final tweet last night: Tebow exceptionalism has been proven over and over again. At some point, doubting should become benefit-of-the-doubt. The default should be that he will succeed.
Tebow even influenced the second-biggest storyline of the draft -- Jimmy Clausen's freefall out of the 1st round. It was a study in contrasts, right down to the humiliation of Mel Kiper -- who dogged Tebow for months while putting Clausen as the No. 4 overall pick on his "Big Board."
I'm sure Clausen will go quickly in the 2nd round. Again, this was just a schadenfreudy humiliation -- it's no indication of his future pro success or failure.
More in today's SN column:
*Good morning after for Lions fans. A rare good morning.
*I love the Colts' pick of Jerry Hughes at the end of the 1st.
*Pete Carroll did really well: Solidifies OT and DB.
*That was the best game of Kevin Durant's career.
*That was probably the best game of Derrick Rose's career.
*Ubaldo Jimenez affirms he is an elite starting pitcher.
*I am so underwhelmed by the 68-team tournament (UNLESS they make the play-in game for the 12-seed, which would be kind of awesome).
*Will Elin just divorce Tiger already?
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tim Tebow Drafted by Broncos
I am still processing the events of the night:
*Tim Tebow was, in fact, a 1st-round NFL Draft pick. Not only that, but he was the only QB taken in the 1st round besides the No. 1 overall pick, Sam Bradford.
*The Broncos are a curious fit: They have Orton and Quinn -- hardly long-term solutions at QB. But McDaniels is a Belichick protege, and Tebow (and Urban Meyer) are Belichick-friendly.
*So I guess I'm a Broncos fan now, hunh? I already got multiple texts from a friend in Denver welcoming me to the fan base. Tebow's Broncos jersey will be a Top 10 seller in the NFL in 2010.
*The biggest loser of the night was not the undrafted Jimmy Clausen -- it was Mel Kiper, who had Clausen ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect of the draft. It is a discrediting moment.
*"Tim Tebow Draft" is the No. 1 most searched term on Google tonight. What a bookend to the "John 3:16" Google domination in January 2009 that convinced Tebow to return to school.
If you want, find more over at TimTeblog.com.
-- D.S.
*Tim Tebow was, in fact, a 1st-round NFL Draft pick. Not only that, but he was the only QB taken in the 1st round besides the No. 1 overall pick, Sam Bradford.
*The Broncos are a curious fit: They have Orton and Quinn -- hardly long-term solutions at QB. But McDaniels is a Belichick protege, and Tebow (and Urban Meyer) are Belichick-friendly.
*So I guess I'm a Broncos fan now, hunh? I already got multiple texts from a friend in Denver welcoming me to the fan base. Tebow's Broncos jersey will be a Top 10 seller in the NFL in 2010.
*The biggest loser of the night was not the undrafted Jimmy Clausen -- it was Mel Kiper, who had Clausen ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect of the draft. It is a discrediting moment.
*"Tim Tebow Draft" is the No. 1 most searched term on Google tonight. What a bookend to the "John 3:16" Google domination in January 2009 that convinced Tebow to return to school.
If you want, find more over at TimTeblog.com.
-- D.S.
Tebow Draft Day: Renewed NFL Fandom
Well, everyone knew this was coming: Without a real NFL allegiance -- I think we can all agree the Jaguars thing, um, didn't really work out -- I was always going to adopt the team that drafted Tebow. And, on Tebow Draft Day, here is the post that lays it all out:
Let's start with a confession: I enjoy the NFL -- though not nearly as much as college football -- but I don't have a particular NFL team I root for. I mean: I have my fantasy team. But that isn't the same thing.
This is strange. Everyone should have a favorite NFL team -- it's the most popular sport in the country. It just feels... wrong. I envy the folks with a strong NFL allegiance -- feels like almost everyone has one.
I used to have a team...
The onset of puberty and fan identity happen at roughly the same time. Immersion into your favorite team – into sports more generally – helps to offset the awkwardness of a cracking voice or unsettling sight of hair in weird places; hormones dictate that girls get more interesting – but still socially awkward, you throw yourself into love of your team.
For me, that was the unstoppable 1985 Bears. Growing up in a die-hard Redskins town, I was a Bears fan. On its surface, that was because my dad was a Bears fan – there was an early and powerful father-son connection to be made there. But looking back, there was a deeper interest for me: Displaced fandom made me unique, gave me an identity as a fan. I could be a Skins fan like the rest of ‘em… or the only Bears fan in the school.
At this age, I was an outlier: The more typical path of the emotionally and physically awkward 13-year-old fan is to find a new community – commonality – with other fans around them. Fan identity is incubated in a safe environment – not so for me.
And so I was a Bears fan. I suffered through the Redskins' success (often at the Bears' expense) and reveled in the 1985 domination. When it came time to go to college, I was headed to Northwestern, just outside of Chicago. To be able to root for my favorite football team up close seemed like the best kind of bonus.
As it happened, it didn't quite turn out like I expected. I actually became less of a Bears fan once I got to Chicago -- in part in my immersion into a town of crazy Bears fans. It was like I lost the "unique" part of my fandom that was such a big component of my fan identity.
From there, things atrophied further. In 1997, I actually went to go work for the NFL, and if it wasn't seriously eroded by then, upon the conclusion of my one season with the league, the dissolution of my NFL fandom was complete.
Very briefly, I found a new spark of interest -- the emergence of Kurt Warner, which I think is the most interesting story in NFL history. Once I started writing the Daily Quickie, I obviously was immersed in NFL news, but that didn't do anything for my individual NFL team fandom. I was still lost.
In 2006, I tried an odd experiment: Given the assignment from Deadspin to write the Jacksonville Jaguars season preview, I adopted the Jaguars as my own. They seemed an interesting fit: There aren't many of them out there, and the north Florida location seemed like a pretty good fit with my then-5-year-old Florida Gators fandom.
I tried. I really did. (I also recognize if "real" Jaguars fans were offended by my bandwagon-hopping.) But it just didn't take. I couldn't watch them every Sunday -- hell, even fans in Jacksonville can't watch them on TV every Sunday -- and I just didn't have a passion to keep up with them.
But around the same time -- fall of 2006 -- I recognized almost immediately that Tim Tebow was my favorite football player of all time. That only grew in 2007 -- as I'm sure it did for many people. It compounded in 2008, and -- obviously -- my interest in the subject intensified in 2009.
It was sometime after that first season with the Jaguars -- and first season with Tebow -- that I decided that, ultimately, I was going to end up rooting for whatever team Tim Tebow was drafted to.
If you thought it was odd that my fandom for Florida came when I met my wife -- who was a "real," born-and-raised Gators fan -- it might seem even more odd that I would pick an NFL team based on a specific player.
Maybe that's not the case. I know a lot of fans -- particularly ones I see on message boards -- who care about their college team but don't have a particularly strong NFL allegiance who root for their favorite college players on whatever NFL team they end up on.
Now, that's not the same as being a fan of that team -- whoever is on that team. It is actually the opposite: You are a fan of a team precisely because of who is on that team. This can cause complications.
For example: If Tebow is drafted by the Vikings, I will definitely root for the Vikings and want to watch the Vikings play -- as a function of being a Tebow fan. If things go awry and Tebow ends up on the Patriots in four years, I presume I would stop rooting for the Vikings and pick up rooting for the Pats.
This cannot possibly do anything but make Vikings fans cringe -- I'm not even sure they would want me. Then again, this is the fan base that went from loathing Brett Favre to cheering him in the span of a week; they hardly can claim a problem with someone else's bandwagon fandom.
And so in addition to the next phase of Tim Tebow's career beginning tonight, I look forward to the next phase of my own career as a sports fan -- I'm ready to pick up and root for the team that Tebow plays for, whether the fans of that team want me or not. I will buy the jersey. I will read the coverage. I will watch the games.
Does it matter that my interest is focused specifically on Tebow? I don't think a team's existing fan bases are in a position to be turning away new converts.
Obviously, fandom is not just fundamentally social but also intensely personal.
To that extent, the team's existing fans are hardly in a position to judge the level or intensity or focus of my fandom. (Although I'm sure there will be plenty of judging going on -- much of it not positive.)
But they should count me in.
My transformation -- or, I guess, evolution -- continues tonight. And I get the feeling that there are many folks out there who root for Tebow who will be joining me. He presents a cult of personality unlike any athlete in sports right now. I'm not sure any team's marketing department or existing fans understand that yet.
But they will.
-- D.S.
Let's start with a confession: I enjoy the NFL -- though not nearly as much as college football -- but I don't have a particular NFL team I root for. I mean: I have my fantasy team. But that isn't the same thing.
This is strange. Everyone should have a favorite NFL team -- it's the most popular sport in the country. It just feels... wrong. I envy the folks with a strong NFL allegiance -- feels like almost everyone has one.
I used to have a team...
The onset of puberty and fan identity happen at roughly the same time. Immersion into your favorite team – into sports more generally – helps to offset the awkwardness of a cracking voice or unsettling sight of hair in weird places; hormones dictate that girls get more interesting – but still socially awkward, you throw yourself into love of your team.
For me, that was the unstoppable 1985 Bears. Growing up in a die-hard Redskins town, I was a Bears fan. On its surface, that was because my dad was a Bears fan – there was an early and powerful father-son connection to be made there. But looking back, there was a deeper interest for me: Displaced fandom made me unique, gave me an identity as a fan. I could be a Skins fan like the rest of ‘em… or the only Bears fan in the school.
At this age, I was an outlier: The more typical path of the emotionally and physically awkward 13-year-old fan is to find a new community – commonality – with other fans around them. Fan identity is incubated in a safe environment – not so for me.
And so I was a Bears fan. I suffered through the Redskins' success (often at the Bears' expense) and reveled in the 1985 domination. When it came time to go to college, I was headed to Northwestern, just outside of Chicago. To be able to root for my favorite football team up close seemed like the best kind of bonus.
As it happened, it didn't quite turn out like I expected. I actually became less of a Bears fan once I got to Chicago -- in part in my immersion into a town of crazy Bears fans. It was like I lost the "unique" part of my fandom that was such a big component of my fan identity.
From there, things atrophied further. In 1997, I actually went to go work for the NFL, and if it wasn't seriously eroded by then, upon the conclusion of my one season with the league, the dissolution of my NFL fandom was complete.
Very briefly, I found a new spark of interest -- the emergence of Kurt Warner, which I think is the most interesting story in NFL history. Once I started writing the Daily Quickie, I obviously was immersed in NFL news, but that didn't do anything for my individual NFL team fandom. I was still lost.
In 2006, I tried an odd experiment: Given the assignment from Deadspin to write the Jacksonville Jaguars season preview, I adopted the Jaguars as my own. They seemed an interesting fit: There aren't many of them out there, and the north Florida location seemed like a pretty good fit with my then-5-year-old Florida Gators fandom.
I tried. I really did. (I also recognize if "real" Jaguars fans were offended by my bandwagon-hopping.) But it just didn't take. I couldn't watch them every Sunday -- hell, even fans in Jacksonville can't watch them on TV every Sunday -- and I just didn't have a passion to keep up with them.
But around the same time -- fall of 2006 -- I recognized almost immediately that Tim Tebow was my favorite football player of all time. That only grew in 2007 -- as I'm sure it did for many people. It compounded in 2008, and -- obviously -- my interest in the subject intensified in 2009.
It was sometime after that first season with the Jaguars -- and first season with Tebow -- that I decided that, ultimately, I was going to end up rooting for whatever team Tim Tebow was drafted to.
If you thought it was odd that my fandom for Florida came when I met my wife -- who was a "real," born-and-raised Gators fan -- it might seem even more odd that I would pick an NFL team based on a specific player.
Maybe that's not the case. I know a lot of fans -- particularly ones I see on message boards -- who care about their college team but don't have a particularly strong NFL allegiance who root for their favorite college players on whatever NFL team they end up on.
Now, that's not the same as being a fan of that team -- whoever is on that team. It is actually the opposite: You are a fan of a team precisely because of who is on that team. This can cause complications.
For example: If Tebow is drafted by the Vikings, I will definitely root for the Vikings and want to watch the Vikings play -- as a function of being a Tebow fan. If things go awry and Tebow ends up on the Patriots in four years, I presume I would stop rooting for the Vikings and pick up rooting for the Pats.
This cannot possibly do anything but make Vikings fans cringe -- I'm not even sure they would want me. Then again, this is the fan base that went from loathing Brett Favre to cheering him in the span of a week; they hardly can claim a problem with someone else's bandwagon fandom.
And so in addition to the next phase of Tim Tebow's career beginning tonight, I look forward to the next phase of my own career as a sports fan -- I'm ready to pick up and root for the team that Tebow plays for, whether the fans of that team want me or not. I will buy the jersey. I will read the coverage. I will watch the games.
Does it matter that my interest is focused specifically on Tebow? I don't think a team's existing fan bases are in a position to be turning away new converts.
Obviously, fandom is not just fundamentally social but also intensely personal.
To that extent, the team's existing fans are hardly in a position to judge the level or intensity or focus of my fandom. (Although I'm sure there will be plenty of judging going on -- much of it not positive.)
But they should count me in.
My transformation -- or, I guess, evolution -- continues tonight. And I get the feeling that there are many folks out there who root for Tebow who will be joining me. He presents a cult of personality unlike any athlete in sports right now. I'm not sure any team's marketing department or existing fans understand that yet.
But they will.
-- D.S.
Quick Note on That ESPN Tebow Column
If you saw that ESPN.com column today about Tebow, there was this:
Tebow was in New York making an appearance for EA Sports, which chose him to be the cover boy of its 2010 NCAA video game, hoping to tap into his folk-hero status. Just across the room waiting to talk to him next sat a blogger who had earlier joked (sort of) to me that he'd secretly hoped Tebow might be persuaded to perform a circumcision on his infant son.But that should come as no surprise to readers here, who would recognize that from this not-so-secret post back in October 2008. (Although yes, the post was a joke. Sort of.)
04/22 Quickie: NFL/Tebow Draft Day
Well OBVIOUSLY I was going to lead today's SN column with a brief overview of Tim Tebow's draft prospects -- which I've given the shorthand "WWTG?" (Where Will Tebow Go?)
Let's start with this: Unless Ben Roethlisberger is traded, where Tebow goes tonight -- if he goes at all (more on that in a sec) -- will be the No. 1 story of the draft, fairly remarkable if you consider that he is hardly considered a Top 10 (even 1st round) talent.
Speaking of which, the big question is: Will Tebow go in the 1st round? Consider that the conventional wisdom, up until a week ago, was "2nd round" -- and that was considered some kind of inflation. Now, the conventional wisdom is presuming he will go in the 1st, with it being a surprise (if not a shock) if he goes in the 2nd.
More personally, let's also remember that tonight marks the start of a new NFL fan allegiance for me. (More on that later today.)
There's tons more in today's column:
*I love the new draft format, and I think there are all sorts of fascinating unforeseen consequences coming in the 18 hours between 11 pm tonight and 6 pm tomorrow.
*Big Ben: Well the Steelers kind of HAVE to trade him now.
*Roy Halladay: 30 wins or bust!
*I'm briefly but earnestly obsessed with Pete Carroll's Twitter feed.
See the whole thing here. More later.
-- D.S.
Let's start with this: Unless Ben Roethlisberger is traded, where Tebow goes tonight -- if he goes at all (more on that in a sec) -- will be the No. 1 story of the draft, fairly remarkable if you consider that he is hardly considered a Top 10 (even 1st round) talent.
Speaking of which, the big question is: Will Tebow go in the 1st round? Consider that the conventional wisdom, up until a week ago, was "2nd round" -- and that was considered some kind of inflation. Now, the conventional wisdom is presuming he will go in the 1st, with it being a surprise (if not a shock) if he goes in the 2nd.
More personally, let's also remember that tonight marks the start of a new NFL fan allegiance for me. (More on that later today.)
There's tons more in today's column:
*I love the new draft format, and I think there are all sorts of fascinating unforeseen consequences coming in the 18 hours between 11 pm tonight and 6 pm tomorrow.
*Big Ben: Well the Steelers kind of HAVE to trade him now.
*Roy Halladay: 30 wins or bust!
*I'm briefly but earnestly obsessed with Pete Carroll's Twitter feed.
See the whole thing here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
2010 NFL Tim Tebow Mock Draft
Given that Tim Tebow is the biggest storyline of the 2010 NFL Draft -- who will draft him? where will he go? is he a 1st-rounder? will someone trade up for him? -- it seems fitting to create a 2010 NFL Mock Draft composed entirely of... Tim Tebow.
1. St. Louis Rams: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Umm...no. If the NFL Draft was about selecting the most popular or compelling player -- or, say, the best player in college football history -- Tebow is a lock at No. 1. But it's not. It's apparently about selecting some idealized version of "NFL quarterback," despite his flimsy shoulder.
2. Detroit Lions: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If marketing mattered as much as winning, the Lions would seriously consider taking Tebow and finding a way to get him in the game -- or certainly on the front of the marketing collateral. As it stands, they have their franchise QB. Detroit fans would have loved Tebow, though.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If the Bucs didn't take the Tebow-esque Josh Freeman in the 1st round a year ago, Tampa would be right up there with the Bills and Jags as teams that might-just-might be convinced to take Tebow as a Top 10 pick. They still flashed a little regional interest back at Tebow's Pro Day. But not for this pick.
4. Washington Redskins: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
The Redskins were on the original short list of teams interested in Tebow -- one of the first to want to bring him in for a workout. Then they traded for Donovan McNabb, giving up their high-2nd-round pick (more likely to be used on Tebow than the No. 4 overall pick), and the D.C. dream ended.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
"Transitive property" at work here: Chiefs GM Scott Pioli comes from the Belichick Mafia. Belichick, of course, loves Urban Meyer and Tebow. KC has bigger needs here than duplicating a position they invested in so heavily a year ago -- but maybe a Tebow trade partner with the Pats in the early 2nd round?
6. Seattle Seahawks: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Another team on the short list of teams that originally expressed a lot of interest in Tebow. It makes a lot less sense since Pete Carroll traded Seattle's 2nd-round pick and cash for Charlie Whitehurst as the presumptive heir to Matt Hasselbeck. Vast needs for Seattle here beyond another QB.
7. Cleveland Browns: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The Browns seem as interested in Tim Tebow as any team in the league -- right up there with the Bills. They need a QB to develop. They need a face of the franchise. Tebow offers both, but the No. 7 spot will simply be too much for Mike Holmgren. But that doesn't mean Cleveland won't get him.
8. Oakland Raiders: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Another team on the Tebow short list. Al Davis is a little crazy -- but not crazy enough to take Tebow with the No. 8 overall pick. (Keep reading down to my special 2nd-round preview, because I think that Oakland still offers the floor for Tebow's draft position.)
9. Buffalo Bills: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
At least a few mock drafters have put Tebow here; that's how interested the Bills supposedly are. I don't even rank this on my Tebow Draft Scenarios, but I do think that there is a better chance than for any other team that Buffalo exits the first round of the NFL Draft with Tebow in tow.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Gosh, remember when "Tebow to the Jags at No. 10" was it? Done deal. Case closed. The Jags would follow the marketing hype -- and, to be fair, the idea that in 3 years they will need a franchise QB to replace Garrard. But now? Basically zero buzz that the Jags will take him here.
11. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Lots of discussion when Denver brought Tebow in for a workout on Monday, but given that they just traded for Brady Quinn, it is entirely unlikely that the Broncos would use the No. 11 on Tebow. If they want him, they have two 2nd-rounders (43, 45), but will need to package them to move up.
12. Miami Dolphins: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Fins QB coach David Lee got a first-hand look at Tebow while coaching him during the Senior Bowl. Tebow shares an agent with Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. And Tebow is a classic "Parcells QB." But there is no way that the Dolphins use this pick -- or any -- to take Tebow.
13. San Francisco 49ers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The last time the 49ers used a 1st-round pick to take a highly touted QB that was mentored by Urban Meyer, they got Alex Smith -- where was the draftniks' skepticism on THAT one? -- which might make both the team AND Team Tebow (which includes Meyer) disinclined to meet up here.
14. Seattle Seahawks: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
So let's assume that the Seahawks use their first 1st-round pick on an extreme need, like offensive line. Their fans are happy. Maybe they decide they want to reach here and take Tebow -- or maybe trade out, for extra picks, to a team hot to get him, like Buffalo?
15. New York Giants: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Bob Tebow predicted that Tim would go in the first 15 picks of the 1st round. Well, we are here. The Giants won't take him, but that doesn't mean that Tebow won't be selected by the time we get here -- if a team that wants him badly enough is able to trade up with New York... or earlier.
16. Tennessee Titans: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
When it comes to Tebow's 1st-round prospects, the name you hear come up a lot is Vince Young, who the Titans picked with the 3rd overall pick of the 2005 Draft and whose college style wasn't necessarily going to translate to the NFL. VY is the template for TT: Context is critical. (But taking Tebow here is not for Tennessee.)
17. San Francisco 49ers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
This isn't unlike the Seahawks: Let's say the 49ers pass on Tebow on their first 1st-rounder. Maybe they take a flier on him here -- or, more likely, they are given the opportunity to trade down for extra draft picks, which they need more than Tebow. But the Bills might be willing to do it.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
A running joke has been the notion of pairing Tim Tebow and Ben Roethlisberger in some kind of "perfect strangers"-style buddy comedy reality series. This part is no joke: The Steelers have an image problem at QB and might very well trade Big Ben. But not for Tebow, even if he is the anti-Ben.
19. Atlanta Falcons: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Well, here is one team where you hear absolutely no discussion of interest in -- or fit for -- Tebow. Which makes them a solid candidate to field offers from teams that want to trade up before things get a lot more unpredictable in the 20s.
20. Houston Texans: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
NFL.com draft guru Gil Brandt has been as bullish on Tim Tebow's draft prospects as anyone in the draftnik industry, and as recently as last week, Brandt has been insisting that he sees Tebow going in the Top 20. If he isn't gone by now, Houston will be getting offers to trade out for picks.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Entirely unlikely to take Tebow, but certainly a willing taker if a team wants to try to trade multiple picks to get Tebow here. Beyond that, the Bengals are a great example of a team that let its franchise QB sit for an entire year, no pressure, to learn. And it worked out great. Template for Tebow?
22. New England Patriots: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
I have always felt in my gut that Bill Belichick would do anything reasonable to get Tebow -- I think Belichick is sincerely intrigued by the intellectual challenge of scheming ways to get Tebow to contribute. Here would be a surprise -- but you know Belichick would love to confound the draftniks.
23. Green Bay Packers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Green Bay is a team that spent a late 1st-round pick on a QB with a lot of upside; gave him years -- three long years -- to sit and observe and develop; then unleashed him on the league -- quite successfully, actually. They won't take him, but the team that does could learn from Green Bay.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Plenty of circumstantial evidence that the Eagles wouldn't mind having Tebow on the roster, but with the new commitment to Kevin Kolb, QB isn't a need at No. 24. However: Trading out to a team that wants to give up multiple picks to move into this spot and take Tebow? Possible.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Every team's beat writers have tried to find a Tebow hook -- it's worth the traffic to the Web site. And thus: The so-called "Purple Wildcat," which the Ravens could run when not letting Joe Flacco throw to the revamped corps of WRs. Still: Balto hasn't been on anyone's Tebow radar.
26. Arizona Cardinals: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Well, it's not like the Cardinals don't have questions at QB: Kurt Warner is gone. Derek Anderson has been imported. Matt Leinart's struggles have continued to prove that draftniks' "grades" are far from conclusive. A very early mock draft (Don Banks, SI.com) had Tebow here. Distant memory.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
"He'd never get on the field." That was Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about Tim Tebow's prospects with the Cowboys. Even if he was inebriated when he said it and since back-tracked a bit, let's agree that he was being honest about his feelings. And as GM, that's what will stand. (Trade out?)
28. San Diego Chargers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
They don't need a starting QB and Philip Rivers doesn't look like he's going anywhere for a long time. Plus, they have plenty of other holes to fill as they try to keep pace with the Jets and Colts in the AFC. Does that make them a contender to trade out for multiple lower-round picks?
29. New York Jets: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
I don't think anyone is suggesting that this wouldn't be a wild development -- Tebow on Broadway, playing for the voluble Rex Ryan. Of course, the Jets have a starter for the future (and now) in Mark Sanchez, plus a Wildcat guy in Brad Smith. Another contender to trade out, especially because....
30. Minnesota Vikings: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
If there is a scenario that would make teams like the Bills or Browns antsy to trade up into the 20s, it is the very reasonable prospect that the Vikings could take Tebow here, in a move that would instantly become the sensation of the draft -- if only for the concept of "Favre-Tebow" media overload.
31. Indianapolis Colts: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
If the Vikings pass and Tebow is still on the board, the Colts will get plenty of offers to trade out of this pick, allowing the Bills or Browns or anyone else to avoid the extreme uncertainty of the 18-hour hiatus between the 1st round and the 2nd round.
32. New Orleans Saints: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The champs can afford to be bold and take Tebow -- it would be the draft equivalent of an onside kick in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl. But, more likely, they will be hit with plenty of offers from teams desperate to avoid a Day 2 bidding war for Tebow. If Tebow is still around, it's a seller's market.
Bonus 2nd-round coverage!
The new draft format creates a fascinating dynamic -- with 18 hours to sift through the prospects on the board, if Tebow is still available, plenty of teams will be jockeying to try to get him -- competing with teams trying to trade up for any "value" picks left.
That's why I think a team serious about Tebow will need to trade into the back of the 1st round to get him; there is simply too much competitive uncertainty if he drops into the 2nd round.
33. St. Louis Rams: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
34. Detroit Lions: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
36. Kansas City Chiefs: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
I group these as a "Gang of Four." None need Tebow -- the Bucs made a courtesy call in Gainesville during Tebow's Pro Day in March. All need more talent, and they could get extra picks by trading out to a team that wants to jump the line and snag Tebow.
Look at the Bills, Browns, Raiders, Broncos and Patriots for trading up here. The Gang of Four will also have plenty of offers from teams looking for other value picks that are surprisingly left on the board overnight -- or they will keep their picks to snag that talent themselves.
(Keep an eye out for the Chiefs at 36 -- GM Scott Pioli has a working history with both Pats coach Bill Belichick and Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.)
37. Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
The moment that the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb, I added them to the short list in the Tebow Derby. If Tebow is still around here, they will seriously consider taking him -- but with the Browns, Raiders and Bills jockeying for him, there will be plenty of interest to trade out.
38. Cleveland Browns: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If the Browns don't take a QB at No. 7 -- and there is no indication that they will -- and Tebow is still on the board here, I think Mike Holmgren takes him and trusts that he can develop him into a starting QB just as the rest of his rebuilding starts to click. No pressure to start/win immediately.
39. Oakland Raiders: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Mel Kiper may list Tebow's "floor" as the Bills at No. 41, but I think that Al Davis can't help himself if Tebow is still available when Oakland picks here. I think this is the lowest he will go.
40. San Diego Chargers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If Tebow is still on the board -- and everyone knows that the Bills are going to take him next -- there will be a frenzy of deal-making to try to trade up and get him. In this scenario, watch the Patriots here.
41. Buffalo Bills: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Armchair psychological analysis of Al Davis aside, if Tebow is still on the board here -- and the Bills didn't take Jimmy Clausen with the No. 9 overall pick or elsewhere in the 1st round, there is no way Tebow drops further than this.
43. and 45. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Again, given the signals of Denver's interest, if the Broncos really want Tebow, they will have to use one or both of these 2nd-round picks to get ahead of the Browns at 38 or the Raiders at 39 -- or the Bills, at whatever price they're willing to pay.
1. St. Louis Rams: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Umm...no. If the NFL Draft was about selecting the most popular or compelling player -- or, say, the best player in college football history -- Tebow is a lock at No. 1. But it's not. It's apparently about selecting some idealized version of "NFL quarterback," despite his flimsy shoulder.
2. Detroit Lions: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If marketing mattered as much as winning, the Lions would seriously consider taking Tebow and finding a way to get him in the game -- or certainly on the front of the marketing collateral. As it stands, they have their franchise QB. Detroit fans would have loved Tebow, though.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If the Bucs didn't take the Tebow-esque Josh Freeman in the 1st round a year ago, Tampa would be right up there with the Bills and Jags as teams that might-just-might be convinced to take Tebow as a Top 10 pick. They still flashed a little regional interest back at Tebow's Pro Day. But not for this pick.
4. Washington Redskins: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
The Redskins were on the original short list of teams interested in Tebow -- one of the first to want to bring him in for a workout. Then they traded for Donovan McNabb, giving up their high-2nd-round pick (more likely to be used on Tebow than the No. 4 overall pick), and the D.C. dream ended.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
"Transitive property" at work here: Chiefs GM Scott Pioli comes from the Belichick Mafia. Belichick, of course, loves Urban Meyer and Tebow. KC has bigger needs here than duplicating a position they invested in so heavily a year ago -- but maybe a Tebow trade partner with the Pats in the early 2nd round?
6. Seattle Seahawks: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Another team on the short list of teams that originally expressed a lot of interest in Tebow. It makes a lot less sense since Pete Carroll traded Seattle's 2nd-round pick and cash for Charlie Whitehurst as the presumptive heir to Matt Hasselbeck. Vast needs for Seattle here beyond another QB.
7. Cleveland Browns: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The Browns seem as interested in Tim Tebow as any team in the league -- right up there with the Bills. They need a QB to develop. They need a face of the franchise. Tebow offers both, but the No. 7 spot will simply be too much for Mike Holmgren. But that doesn't mean Cleveland won't get him.
8. Oakland Raiders: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Another team on the Tebow short list. Al Davis is a little crazy -- but not crazy enough to take Tebow with the No. 8 overall pick. (Keep reading down to my special 2nd-round preview, because I think that Oakland still offers the floor for Tebow's draft position.)
9. Buffalo Bills: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
At least a few mock drafters have put Tebow here; that's how interested the Bills supposedly are. I don't even rank this on my Tebow Draft Scenarios, but I do think that there is a better chance than for any other team that Buffalo exits the first round of the NFL Draft with Tebow in tow.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Gosh, remember when "Tebow to the Jags at No. 10" was it? Done deal. Case closed. The Jags would follow the marketing hype -- and, to be fair, the idea that in 3 years they will need a franchise QB to replace Garrard. But now? Basically zero buzz that the Jags will take him here.
11. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Lots of discussion when Denver brought Tebow in for a workout on Monday, but given that they just traded for Brady Quinn, it is entirely unlikely that the Broncos would use the No. 11 on Tebow. If they want him, they have two 2nd-rounders (43, 45), but will need to package them to move up.
12. Miami Dolphins: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Fins QB coach David Lee got a first-hand look at Tebow while coaching him during the Senior Bowl. Tebow shares an agent with Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. And Tebow is a classic "Parcells QB." But there is no way that the Dolphins use this pick -- or any -- to take Tebow.
13. San Francisco 49ers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The last time the 49ers used a 1st-round pick to take a highly touted QB that was mentored by Urban Meyer, they got Alex Smith -- where was the draftniks' skepticism on THAT one? -- which might make both the team AND Team Tebow (which includes Meyer) disinclined to meet up here.
14. Seattle Seahawks: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
So let's assume that the Seahawks use their first 1st-round pick on an extreme need, like offensive line. Their fans are happy. Maybe they decide they want to reach here and take Tebow -- or maybe trade out, for extra picks, to a team hot to get him, like Buffalo?
15. New York Giants: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Bob Tebow predicted that Tim would go in the first 15 picks of the 1st round. Well, we are here. The Giants won't take him, but that doesn't mean that Tebow won't be selected by the time we get here -- if a team that wants him badly enough is able to trade up with New York... or earlier.
16. Tennessee Titans: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
When it comes to Tebow's 1st-round prospects, the name you hear come up a lot is Vince Young, who the Titans picked with the 3rd overall pick of the 2005 Draft and whose college style wasn't necessarily going to translate to the NFL. VY is the template for TT: Context is critical. (But taking Tebow here is not for Tennessee.)
17. San Francisco 49ers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
This isn't unlike the Seahawks: Let's say the 49ers pass on Tebow on their first 1st-rounder. Maybe they take a flier on him here -- or, more likely, they are given the opportunity to trade down for extra draft picks, which they need more than Tebow. But the Bills might be willing to do it.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
A running joke has been the notion of pairing Tim Tebow and Ben Roethlisberger in some kind of "perfect strangers"-style buddy comedy reality series. This part is no joke: The Steelers have an image problem at QB and might very well trade Big Ben. But not for Tebow, even if he is the anti-Ben.
19. Atlanta Falcons: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Well, here is one team where you hear absolutely no discussion of interest in -- or fit for -- Tebow. Which makes them a solid candidate to field offers from teams that want to trade up before things get a lot more unpredictable in the 20s.
20. Houston Texans: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
NFL.com draft guru Gil Brandt has been as bullish on Tim Tebow's draft prospects as anyone in the draftnik industry, and as recently as last week, Brandt has been insisting that he sees Tebow going in the Top 20. If he isn't gone by now, Houston will be getting offers to trade out for picks.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Entirely unlikely to take Tebow, but certainly a willing taker if a team wants to try to trade multiple picks to get Tebow here. Beyond that, the Bengals are a great example of a team that let its franchise QB sit for an entire year, no pressure, to learn. And it worked out great. Template for Tebow?
22. New England Patriots: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
I have always felt in my gut that Bill Belichick would do anything reasonable to get Tebow -- I think Belichick is sincerely intrigued by the intellectual challenge of scheming ways to get Tebow to contribute. Here would be a surprise -- but you know Belichick would love to confound the draftniks.
23. Green Bay Packers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Green Bay is a team that spent a late 1st-round pick on a QB with a lot of upside; gave him years -- three long years -- to sit and observe and develop; then unleashed him on the league -- quite successfully, actually. They won't take him, but the team that does could learn from Green Bay.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Plenty of circumstantial evidence that the Eagles wouldn't mind having Tebow on the roster, but with the new commitment to Kevin Kolb, QB isn't a need at No. 24. However: Trading out to a team that wants to give up multiple picks to move into this spot and take Tebow? Possible.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Every team's beat writers have tried to find a Tebow hook -- it's worth the traffic to the Web site. And thus: The so-called "Purple Wildcat," which the Ravens could run when not letting Joe Flacco throw to the revamped corps of WRs. Still: Balto hasn't been on anyone's Tebow radar.
26. Arizona Cardinals: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Well, it's not like the Cardinals don't have questions at QB: Kurt Warner is gone. Derek Anderson has been imported. Matt Leinart's struggles have continued to prove that draftniks' "grades" are far from conclusive. A very early mock draft (Don Banks, SI.com) had Tebow here. Distant memory.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
"He'd never get on the field." That was Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about Tim Tebow's prospects with the Cowboys. Even if he was inebriated when he said it and since back-tracked a bit, let's agree that he was being honest about his feelings. And as GM, that's what will stand. (Trade out?)
28. San Diego Chargers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
They don't need a starting QB and Philip Rivers doesn't look like he's going anywhere for a long time. Plus, they have plenty of other holes to fill as they try to keep pace with the Jets and Colts in the AFC. Does that make them a contender to trade out for multiple lower-round picks?
29. New York Jets: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
I don't think anyone is suggesting that this wouldn't be a wild development -- Tebow on Broadway, playing for the voluble Rex Ryan. Of course, the Jets have a starter for the future (and now) in Mark Sanchez, plus a Wildcat guy in Brad Smith. Another contender to trade out, especially because....
30. Minnesota Vikings: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
If there is a scenario that would make teams like the Bills or Browns antsy to trade up into the 20s, it is the very reasonable prospect that the Vikings could take Tebow here, in a move that would instantly become the sensation of the draft -- if only for the concept of "Favre-Tebow" media overload.
31. Indianapolis Colts: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
If the Vikings pass and Tebow is still on the board, the Colts will get plenty of offers to trade out of this pick, allowing the Bills or Browns or anyone else to avoid the extreme uncertainty of the 18-hour hiatus between the 1st round and the 2nd round.
32. New Orleans Saints: Tim Tebow, QB Florida
The champs can afford to be bold and take Tebow -- it would be the draft equivalent of an onside kick in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl. But, more likely, they will be hit with plenty of offers from teams desperate to avoid a Day 2 bidding war for Tebow. If Tebow is still around, it's a seller's market.
Bonus 2nd-round coverage!
The new draft format creates a fascinating dynamic -- with 18 hours to sift through the prospects on the board, if Tebow is still available, plenty of teams will be jockeying to try to get him -- competing with teams trying to trade up for any "value" picks left.
That's why I think a team serious about Tebow will need to trade into the back of the 1st round to get him; there is simply too much competitive uncertainty if he drops into the 2nd round.
33. St. Louis Rams: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
34. Detroit Lions: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
36. Kansas City Chiefs: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
I group these as a "Gang of Four." None need Tebow -- the Bucs made a courtesy call in Gainesville during Tebow's Pro Day in March. All need more talent, and they could get extra picks by trading out to a team that wants to jump the line and snag Tebow.
Look at the Bills, Browns, Raiders, Broncos and Patriots for trading up here. The Gang of Four will also have plenty of offers from teams looking for other value picks that are surprisingly left on the board overnight -- or they will keep their picks to snag that talent themselves.
(Keep an eye out for the Chiefs at 36 -- GM Scott Pioli has a working history with both Pats coach Bill Belichick and Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.)
37. Philadelphia Eagles: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
The moment that the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb, I added them to the short list in the Tebow Derby. If Tebow is still around here, they will seriously consider taking him -- but with the Browns, Raiders and Bills jockeying for him, there will be plenty of interest to trade out.
38. Cleveland Browns: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If the Browns don't take a QB at No. 7 -- and there is no indication that they will -- and Tebow is still on the board here, I think Mike Holmgren takes him and trusts that he can develop him into a starting QB just as the rest of his rebuilding starts to click. No pressure to start/win immediately.
39. Oakland Raiders: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Mel Kiper may list Tebow's "floor" as the Bills at No. 41, but I think that Al Davis can't help himself if Tebow is still available when Oakland picks here. I think this is the lowest he will go.
40. San Diego Chargers: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
If Tebow is still on the board -- and everyone knows that the Bills are going to take him next -- there will be a frenzy of deal-making to try to trade up and get him. In this scenario, watch the Patriots here.
41. Buffalo Bills: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Armchair psychological analysis of Al Davis aside, if Tebow is still on the board here -- and the Bills didn't take Jimmy Clausen with the No. 9 overall pick or elsewhere in the 1st round, there is no way Tebow drops further than this.
43. and 45. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB Florida.
Again, given the signals of Denver's interest, if the Broncos really want Tebow, they will have to use one or both of these 2nd-round picks to get ahead of the Browns at 38 or the Raiders at 39 -- or the Bills, at whatever price they're willing to pay.
04/21 Quickie: NFL Sked, Draft, Ben, Tebow
Let's get right to the point: I did, in fact, meet Tim Tebow face-to-face last night. I'm still trying to organize my analysis of the experience. I will say this: It is an understatement to say that he had never heard of "TimTeblog.com."
Aside from that recap, I've got one more Tebow-related post before the Draft that I will publish here. Bear with me.
As for today's SN column, there is a ton of ground to cover. Start with the thesis: This week showcases the NFL at the height of its power.
*The schedule release yesterday was AN EVENT (the NFL knows what it's doing kicking off the season with Saints-Vikings).
*They will do their best to mitigate the Big Ben suspension today by wedging it between Schedule Hangover and the climax of pre-Draft insanity.
*And then there is tomorrow's Draft, unprecedented in format and likely to draw the biggest audience in the history of the event. I had already thought that Draft Day was the single-biggest day of the NFL year besides the Super Bowl -- tomorrow will reinforce that.
(Speaking of the Draft, will Tebow show? As of last night, he still wasn't sure. I can make a compelling argument both ways. I would argue that the NFL needs him there more than he needs to be there for the NFL.)
More you'll find:
*The 2010 Thunder remind me of the '86 Bulls.
*Totally surprised by the Celtics rout.
*Unsurprised by the Suns rout.
*It's a farce that the NBA plays a playoff game on Sunday then doesn't play Game 2 until Wednesday. If MLB tried that, people would freak.
*Expect nothing from Big Ten commish Jim Delany today.
*Of the three big men who declared for the NBA Draft yesterday (Gallon, Babbitt, Samuels), one will be a break-out NBA hit. My bet is on Gallon.
*I'm not a big Mike Shanahan fan, but I'm glad to see him steering clear of T.O. in DC.
*I'm not a big Jason Taylor fan, and it's fair to wonder if he signed with New York to be near the media spotlight.
*Who didn't put Dwight Howard on their Defensive Player of the Year ballot? Transparency!
*I don't doubt that Edinson Volquez took fertility drugs. I doubt he took them for -- y'know -- fertility.
*I am fully on board the Jason Heyward Bandwagon.
*After all that stalling, Reggie Bush settles. He oozes.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Aside from that recap, I've got one more Tebow-related post before the Draft that I will publish here. Bear with me.
As for today's SN column, there is a ton of ground to cover. Start with the thesis: This week showcases the NFL at the height of its power.
*The schedule release yesterday was AN EVENT (the NFL knows what it's doing kicking off the season with Saints-Vikings).
*They will do their best to mitigate the Big Ben suspension today by wedging it between Schedule Hangover and the climax of pre-Draft insanity.
*And then there is tomorrow's Draft, unprecedented in format and likely to draw the biggest audience in the history of the event. I had already thought that Draft Day was the single-biggest day of the NFL year besides the Super Bowl -- tomorrow will reinforce that.
(Speaking of the Draft, will Tebow show? As of last night, he still wasn't sure. I can make a compelling argument both ways. I would argue that the NFL needs him there more than he needs to be there for the NFL.)
More you'll find:
*The 2010 Thunder remind me of the '86 Bulls.
*Totally surprised by the Celtics rout.
*Unsurprised by the Suns rout.
*It's a farce that the NBA plays a playoff game on Sunday then doesn't play Game 2 until Wednesday. If MLB tried that, people would freak.
*Expect nothing from Big Ten commish Jim Delany today.
*Of the three big men who declared for the NBA Draft yesterday (Gallon, Babbitt, Samuels), one will be a break-out NBA hit. My bet is on Gallon.
*I'm not a big Mike Shanahan fan, but I'm glad to see him steering clear of T.O. in DC.
*I'm not a big Jason Taylor fan, and it's fair to wonder if he signed with New York to be near the media spotlight.
*Who didn't put Dwight Howard on their Defensive Player of the Year ballot? Transparency!
*I don't doubt that Edinson Volquez took fertility drugs. I doubt he took them for -- y'know -- fertility.
*I am fully on board the Jason Heyward Bandwagon.
*After all that stalling, Reggie Bush settles. He oozes.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
When Dan Shanoff Met Tim Tebow
There is a scene in the classic movie "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie finally -- finally -- gets a chance to meet Santa Claus to ask about the Red Ryder BB gun, only to blank in Santa's presence.
Santa says: "How about a nice...football?" (In Ralphie's own head: "Football? Football? What's a football? With unconscious will my voice squeaked out 'football'. A football? Oh no, what was I doing? Wake up, Stupid! Wake up!")
Ralphie nods his head, and Santa sends him down the slide. Halfway down, Ralphie realizes what is happening, stops short, clambers back up the slide and announces his interest in the gun. Santa replies: "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" Then taps his boot on Ralphie's forehead, sending Ralphie down the slide into oblivion with a whimpering "Nooooo....."
That's a very real scenario for me, because tonight, there is a pretty good chance that I am going to meet Tim Tebow. Finally meet Tim Tebow, I guess you could say. Or, the way many of you might characterize it: Awkwardly meet Tim Tebow.
There is a 100 percent chance that I will be standing in a room with him as a frenzy of media folks jockey to interview him at a launch party for EA's NCAA Football 11. The closest I have otherwise been to Tebow is about 20 rows up from the field at the Swamp at the Tennessee game last September.
So then the open question is whether or not I will actually talk to Tebow myself -- as part of the group or, perhaps, even a brief 1-on-1 interview. If so, the even bigger question is: What would I talk with him about?
In my Ralphie moment, the handlers will nudge me into a one-question interview with Tebow and I'll sputter "Football...." Tebow will answer pleasantly about making a difference or finishing strong or the effort he will bring to whatever NFL team he is lucky enough to be drafted to. And then he'll move along, and I'll realize the brilliant, thought-provoking question I should have asked:
"Wait, wait: How can one reconcile the "relationships-over-championships" attitude with the tears of disappointment on the sidelines of the Georgia Dome? What do you think is the most applicable secular interpretation of your religious beliefs? What's your favorite piece of Tebow mythos? What role did growing up a Gator fan play in your college career? AndhaveyoueverheardofTimTeblogdotcom?"
Let's be realistic here: I don't exactly have the typical media person's perspective on Tebow. Everyone else will attend tonight and ask him the standard questions about his college career, draft status, NFL prospects, video-game expertise, faith, etc. And, more than likely, Tebow will reply with standard answers.
But what about the guy who has the blog focused entirely on Tim Tebow? The guy who has written nearly 800 posts about Tebow over the past 9 months? The guy who has dissected and analyzed practically everything Tebow has said or been said about him?
To be totally honest, the entire prospect of talking with Tebow freaks me out. Not just because of the obsessive coverage or the faux-journalistic distance I've maintained from Tebow (for example, not getting media credentials to cover him up close in G'ville or his trips to NYC).
And, no: Not because of the awkward moment when I mention -- if I even have the chutzpah to bring it up -- that he-has-probably-never-heard-of-it-but-I-have-a-Tebow-focused-blog-called-TimTeblog.com... only to have him say "Wow, hm. No, can't say I've heard of it." Probably followed by something chipper like "But sounds fun!" Either that, or a quick safe-word alerting the PR handlers to take me back to the media holding pen.
(Quick digression: The most common question I get when I talk with people about the blog is that they ask me if I think Tebow has seen or read it. With absolutely no false modesty, I tell them that I am 100 percent sure he has never even heard of it, let alone read it. I think he steers clear of coverage of himself, no matter what the form. If his family or the Florida sports information department has set up a Google Alert for "Tebow" -- and I'd be shocked if they didn't -- it would be hard for them to miss the blog. But really, bank on it: He's never seen it or heard of TimTeblog.com. And I'm not even sure how I could bring it up without sounding like a complete tool.)
But let me tell you what freaks me out the most: Coming up with a question beyond the banal. Getting a response beyond what I already know he will say. (Now, I recognize that any speaker as polished as Tebow will always glide back to the talking points, but I can at least make an effort.)
I have been racking my brain -- not to mention the archives of the blog -- trying to come up with the questions that might illuminate Tebow in some new way. Short of that, I am heading in trying to make sense of the larger theses that I have developed about Tebow over the past year about Tebow's football or his faith or his mythology.
I can envision a dream scenario: That my questions are good enough that Tebow would be willing to sit down with me for a half-hour at some point this summer when things are a little bit calmer, for a more extensive discussion. But I'm not holding out for that.
I can also envision a nightmare scenario for tonight: That my question will just be the same old thing. Not even that his answer will be one I've read or linked to a hundred times -- but that the experience won't live up to built-up expectations of the year of attention I have put into the Teblog project.
The reality is that there probably ISN'T a question -- or an answer -- that would validate my unusual dedication to the Tebow beat. And, ultimately, recognizing that is how I'm going to get over the babble in my head, get in the queue to talk with him, introduce myself and ask him a couple questions.
My wife -- the original Gators fan in our family and who has supported the Teblog effort so patiently (most of the time) -- has a pretty interesting theory: That it is very hard to talk with someone you know a LOT about when you don't actually know them. It's a false familiarity that should be recognizable to any sports fan -- or fan of anything, I guess. But I digress.
Some might (appropriately) say that the crucible for shamelessness about all this was defined back in mid-July when I launched a blog devoted entirely to covering Tim Tebow -- that whatever happens tonight is only a function of that.
Still doesn't change the fact that this feels like the culmination of the past year's work, and I'm still not sure how it fits. Maybe after tonight I will enjoy a revelation.
*****
The essay above was republished from a post that originally appeared at TimTeblog.com. And it's worth asking: What would YOU ask him?
Santa says: "How about a nice...football?" (In Ralphie's own head: "Football? Football? What's a football? With unconscious will my voice squeaked out 'football'. A football? Oh no, what was I doing? Wake up, Stupid! Wake up!")
Ralphie nods his head, and Santa sends him down the slide. Halfway down, Ralphie realizes what is happening, stops short, clambers back up the slide and announces his interest in the gun. Santa replies: "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" Then taps his boot on Ralphie's forehead, sending Ralphie down the slide into oblivion with a whimpering "Nooooo....."
That's a very real scenario for me, because tonight, there is a pretty good chance that I am going to meet Tim Tebow. Finally meet Tim Tebow, I guess you could say. Or, the way many of you might characterize it: Awkwardly meet Tim Tebow.
There is a 100 percent chance that I will be standing in a room with him as a frenzy of media folks jockey to interview him at a launch party for EA's NCAA Football 11. The closest I have otherwise been to Tebow is about 20 rows up from the field at the Swamp at the Tennessee game last September.
So then the open question is whether or not I will actually talk to Tebow myself -- as part of the group or, perhaps, even a brief 1-on-1 interview. If so, the even bigger question is: What would I talk with him about?
In my Ralphie moment, the handlers will nudge me into a one-question interview with Tebow and I'll sputter "Football...." Tebow will answer pleasantly about making a difference or finishing strong or the effort he will bring to whatever NFL team he is lucky enough to be drafted to. And then he'll move along, and I'll realize the brilliant, thought-provoking question I should have asked:
"Wait, wait: How can one reconcile the "relationships-over-championships" attitude with the tears of disappointment on the sidelines of the Georgia Dome? What do you think is the most applicable secular interpretation of your religious beliefs? What's your favorite piece of Tebow mythos? What role did growing up a Gator fan play in your college career? AndhaveyoueverheardofTimTeblogdotcom?"
Let's be realistic here: I don't exactly have the typical media person's perspective on Tebow. Everyone else will attend tonight and ask him the standard questions about his college career, draft status, NFL prospects, video-game expertise, faith, etc. And, more than likely, Tebow will reply with standard answers.
But what about the guy who has the blog focused entirely on Tim Tebow? The guy who has written nearly 800 posts about Tebow over the past 9 months? The guy who has dissected and analyzed practically everything Tebow has said or been said about him?
To be totally honest, the entire prospect of talking with Tebow freaks me out. Not just because of the obsessive coverage or the faux-journalistic distance I've maintained from Tebow (for example, not getting media credentials to cover him up close in G'ville or his trips to NYC).
And, no: Not because of the awkward moment when I mention -- if I even have the chutzpah to bring it up -- that he-has-probably-never-heard-of-it-but-I-have-a-Tebow-focused-blog-called-TimTeblog.com... only to have him say "Wow, hm. No, can't say I've heard of it." Probably followed by something chipper like "But sounds fun!" Either that, or a quick safe-word alerting the PR handlers to take me back to the media holding pen.
(Quick digression: The most common question I get when I talk with people about the blog is that they ask me if I think Tebow has seen or read it. With absolutely no false modesty, I tell them that I am 100 percent sure he has never even heard of it, let alone read it. I think he steers clear of coverage of himself, no matter what the form. If his family or the Florida sports information department has set up a Google Alert for "Tebow" -- and I'd be shocked if they didn't -- it would be hard for them to miss the blog. But really, bank on it: He's never seen it or heard of TimTeblog.com. And I'm not even sure how I could bring it up without sounding like a complete tool.)
But let me tell you what freaks me out the most: Coming up with a question beyond the banal. Getting a response beyond what I already know he will say. (Now, I recognize that any speaker as polished as Tebow will always glide back to the talking points, but I can at least make an effort.)
I have been racking my brain -- not to mention the archives of the blog -- trying to come up with the questions that might illuminate Tebow in some new way. Short of that, I am heading in trying to make sense of the larger theses that I have developed about Tebow over the past year about Tebow's football or his faith or his mythology.
I can envision a dream scenario: That my questions are good enough that Tebow would be willing to sit down with me for a half-hour at some point this summer when things are a little bit calmer, for a more extensive discussion. But I'm not holding out for that.
I can also envision a nightmare scenario for tonight: That my question will just be the same old thing. Not even that his answer will be one I've read or linked to a hundred times -- but that the experience won't live up to built-up expectations of the year of attention I have put into the Teblog project.
The reality is that there probably ISN'T a question -- or an answer -- that would validate my unusual dedication to the Tebow beat. And, ultimately, recognizing that is how I'm going to get over the babble in my head, get in the queue to talk with him, introduce myself and ask him a couple questions.
My wife -- the original Gators fan in our family and who has supported the Teblog effort so patiently (most of the time) -- has a pretty interesting theory: That it is very hard to talk with someone you know a LOT about when you don't actually know them. It's a false familiarity that should be recognizable to any sports fan -- or fan of anything, I guess. But I digress.
Some might (appropriately) say that the crucible for shamelessness about all this was defined back in mid-July when I launched a blog devoted entirely to covering Tim Tebow -- that whatever happens tonight is only a function of that.
Still doesn't change the fact that this feels like the culmination of the past year's work, and I'm still not sure how it fits. Maybe after tonight I will enjoy a revelation.
*****
The essay above was republished from a post that originally appeared at TimTeblog.com. And it's worth asking: What would YOU ask him?
04/20 Quickie: Ben, Bron, NFL Sched
I think it's pretty clear that the day of the release of the complete NFL schedule has become a holiday for fans -- part of the league's strategy for a year-round, no-offseason sport.
That's why they won't suspend Ben Roethlisberger today, when he would pull attention from the release of the schedule. They will mitigate the news as much as possible by wedging it between the schedule release and the lead-up to the 1st round of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
Schedule Day is the lead of today's SN column, but it's loaded:
*LeBron goes "Wap. Wap. Wap. Wap."
*But you have to love the Bulls' trash-talking.
*Hard to feel sympathy for the Nuggets.
*Wow, the Red Sox are not good. (And the Rays are very good.)
*Joe Maddon can wear a hoodie in my baseball league.
*Kyle Singler just made Duke the team to beat in March 2011.
*Remember the name: Jeff Driskel, Florida's next great QB.
*I don't mind Big Ten expansion. Super-conferences!
*There is a better-than-good chance that I am going to meet Tim Tebow tonight. Bonus post on that later this morning.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
That's why they won't suspend Ben Roethlisberger today, when he would pull attention from the release of the schedule. They will mitigate the news as much as possible by wedging it between the schedule release and the lead-up to the 1st round of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
Schedule Day is the lead of today's SN column, but it's loaded:
*LeBron goes "Wap. Wap. Wap. Wap."
*But you have to love the Bulls' trash-talking.
*Hard to feel sympathy for the Nuggets.
*Wow, the Red Sox are not good. (And the Rays are very good.)
*Joe Maddon can wear a hoodie in my baseball league.
*Kyle Singler just made Duke the team to beat in March 2011.
*Remember the name: Jeff Driskel, Florida's next great QB.
*I don't mind Big Ten expansion. Super-conferences!
*There is a better-than-good chance that I am going to meet Tim Tebow tonight. Bonus post on that later this morning.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 19, 2010
04/19 Quickie: NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft
Now you all know that I have shown insane levels of restraint in not making the blog a Tebow-NFL Draft hotbed -- I'm glad I have TimTeblog.com for that -- but we won't be able to help digging into the Draft (and its top storyline, Tebow) starting tomorrow through the end of the week.
But for now, today's SN column leads with the opening frame of the NBA Playoffs and how it sets the tone: KG getting suspended (dirty!), Kevin Durant getting an education in playoff basketball from the Lakers, and the Blazers getting raves for beating the Suns in PHX without Brandon Roy.
Personally, I find the pace of the NBA Playoffs to be interminable -- people gripe when there is a single extraneous day in between MLB playoff games. The NBA by practice puts days between each individual game in a first-round series. I love the NBA Playoffs, but man....
More you'll find in today's column:
*Memo to the Lions: Just draft Suh. Please.
*SN mock drafters don't see Tebow to the Vikings at 30.
*91,000 at Bama's spring game: Hol-eee....
*Mets get season highlight with 20-inning win Saturday (back to reality Sunday).
*Josh Selby is Xavier Henry all over again. Ho-hum.
*Dan Boyle: In for a rough day.... Just a mistake.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
But for now, today's SN column leads with the opening frame of the NBA Playoffs and how it sets the tone: KG getting suspended (dirty!), Kevin Durant getting an education in playoff basketball from the Lakers, and the Blazers getting raves for beating the Suns in PHX without Brandon Roy.
Personally, I find the pace of the NBA Playoffs to be interminable -- people gripe when there is a single extraneous day in between MLB playoff games. The NBA by practice puts days between each individual game in a first-round series. I love the NBA Playoffs, but man....
More you'll find in today's column:
*Memo to the Lions: Just draft Suh. Please.
*SN mock drafters don't see Tebow to the Vikings at 30.
*91,000 at Bama's spring game: Hol-eee....
*Mets get season highlight with 20-inning win Saturday (back to reality Sunday).
*Josh Selby is Xavier Henry all over again. Ho-hum.
*Dan Boyle: In for a rough day.... Just a mistake.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Joakim Noah Has a Message To Share
Blogs With Balls 3.0 | Joakim Noah from HHR on Vimeo.
Ironically, he probably has no idea about my insane Florida fandom.
Blogs With Balls is in Chicago in June. Tickets are on sale now.
Sports Bloggers as Godfather Characters
The sure-fire way to get bloggers to link to you is to talk about them. Especially when you come up with a gimmick like mapping sports bloggers to characters from "The Godfather."
So which character did the Gally guys attach to me? Hyman Roth.
I'm going to go ahead and not assume that it was entirely because of the Jewish thing -- although if you scan the list of bloggers, there are surprisingly few Jewish folks on there.
Anyway, the Roth character is a meaty one: The token Jewish guy in the Corleone family, who then becomes an antagonist while building his own empire.
(The great acting coach Lee Strasburg was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Roth.)
Maybe I'll build my own empire some day (although I'd prefer not to end things as Roth did).
-- D.S.
So which character did the Gally guys attach to me? Hyman Roth.
I'm going to go ahead and not assume that it was entirely because of the Jewish thing -- although if you scan the list of bloggers, there are surprisingly few Jewish folks on there.
Anyway, the Roth character is a meaty one: The token Jewish guy in the Corleone family, who then becomes an antagonist while building his own empire.
(The great acting coach Lee Strasburg was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Roth.)
Maybe I'll build my own empire some day (although I'd prefer not to end things as Roth did).
-- D.S.
04/16 Quickie: NBA Playoffs, Draft, More
Today's SN column lead was the follow-up to Wednesday's column that the entire NBA season was all about LeBron. The playoffs are no different -- perhaps even more so.
Because it's "Title or Fail" for Mr. James. Not unlike Florida football in 2009 -- even the Colts in 2009 -- anything less than a national championship is a failed season. I think that goes even more for LeBron than Florida, if only because of its weight on the pending Summer of LeBron.
And so one's playoff predictions come down to this: Where do you think LeBron's season ends?
*With a championship?
*Losing in the Finals, say to the Lakers?
*Losing in the East finals, say to the Magic?
It's that last scenario that we've seen before -- LeBron's Cavs were the favorite in the East (if not the entire NBA) a year ago. That dream collapsed in 6 games -- in large part due to Cleveland's inability to stop Orlando's "stretch-4," Rashard Lewis. So the Cavs went out and got Antawn Jamison. The Magic, of course, did their work in the summer, getting Vince Carter (losing Turkoglu), Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson, and re-signing Marcin Gortat. On paper, it was unmatched depth. On the court, they have "hand" (in Costanzan terms) over the Cavs.
Considering I'm a leading "instant historian," I'm a sucker for believing too much in what happened last year as forecast for what will happen this year. It remains my biggest weakness as a prognosticator of seasons or playoffs (or brackets).
But I think the Cavs fall short again -- losing to the Magic in the East finals, before the Lakers beat the Magic again in the NBA Finals.
What are your NBA playoff picks? Put them in the comments.
Tons more in the column today, including a reaction to Big Ben (yikes), yawning at the Browns' play for Bradford, celebrating Jorge Cantu and anticipating the reception for Tiger Woods at Quail Hollow, plus a lot more.
More later.
-- D.S.
Because it's "Title or Fail" for Mr. James. Not unlike Florida football in 2009 -- even the Colts in 2009 -- anything less than a national championship is a failed season. I think that goes even more for LeBron than Florida, if only because of its weight on the pending Summer of LeBron.
And so one's playoff predictions come down to this: Where do you think LeBron's season ends?
*With a championship?
*Losing in the Finals, say to the Lakers?
*Losing in the East finals, say to the Magic?
It's that last scenario that we've seen before -- LeBron's Cavs were the favorite in the East (if not the entire NBA) a year ago. That dream collapsed in 6 games -- in large part due to Cleveland's inability to stop Orlando's "stretch-4," Rashard Lewis. So the Cavs went out and got Antawn Jamison. The Magic, of course, did their work in the summer, getting Vince Carter (losing Turkoglu), Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson, and re-signing Marcin Gortat. On paper, it was unmatched depth. On the court, they have "hand" (in Costanzan terms) over the Cavs.
Considering I'm a leading "instant historian," I'm a sucker for believing too much in what happened last year as forecast for what will happen this year. It remains my biggest weakness as a prognosticator of seasons or playoffs (or brackets).
But I think the Cavs fall short again -- losing to the Magic in the East finals, before the Lakers beat the Magic again in the NBA Finals.
What are your NBA playoff picks? Put them in the comments.
Tons more in the column today, including a reaction to Big Ben (yikes), yawning at the Browns' play for Bradford, celebrating Jorge Cantu and anticipating the reception for Tiger Woods at Quail Hollow, plus a lot more.
More later.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
04/15 Quickie: Hayward, NBA Playoffs
I'm saving my NBA Playoff picks for tomorrow's SN column lead, and I'm glad I did, because the news of Butler's Gordon Hayward testing the NBA Draft is a pretty compelling topic to lead with: It is the anti-"Hoosiers." As I said in the column, Jimmy Chitwood didn't bolt Hickory for the NBA.
I don't begrudge Hayward -- at all. Just ask Da'Sean Butler about what kind of freak things can happen to ruin your pro career. And although Hayward would be an All-American next year, his draft prospects won't get better than this year (projected around 15-20).
Hayward going pro doesn't fit the wholesome movie-script storyline, but it fits entirely with reality.
The column is loaded today:
*Reggie Bush will pick torching USC over perjury.
*Brandon Marshall was worth it for the Dolphins.
*SN has Tim Tebow going to the Raiders at No. 39.
*I have Kevin Durant, youngest NBA scoring champ ever, as the No. 2 guy on my MVP ballot.
*Stephen Curry's 42 to end the season was ridiculous.
*So was DaJuan Blair's 20/20 double-double.
*I'm much less intrigued by Brandon Knight becoming the latest top PG to go to Kentucky than I am about Ray McCallum following his dad to U. of Detroit. Both will end up in the NBA soon enough.
*Jorge Cantu: H/RBI record to start a season. Not bad!
*But probably not as interesting as Jose Guillen hitting a HR in his 4th straight game...
*Which, in turn, is not as interesting as Colby Lewis -- spot-starting for CJ Wilson -- striking out 10....
*Which, in turn, isn't as fascinating as Twins fans' first experience with rain at a home game.
*Elin divorcing Tiger? Well, obviously.
*It's official: My first fantasy championship.
See the whole column here. More later.
-- D.S.
I don't begrudge Hayward -- at all. Just ask Da'Sean Butler about what kind of freak things can happen to ruin your pro career. And although Hayward would be an All-American next year, his draft prospects won't get better than this year (projected around 15-20).
Hayward going pro doesn't fit the wholesome movie-script storyline, but it fits entirely with reality.
The column is loaded today:
*Reggie Bush will pick torching USC over perjury.
*Brandon Marshall was worth it for the Dolphins.
*SN has Tim Tebow going to the Raiders at No. 39.
*I have Kevin Durant, youngest NBA scoring champ ever, as the No. 2 guy on my MVP ballot.
*Stephen Curry's 42 to end the season was ridiculous.
*So was DaJuan Blair's 20/20 double-double.
*I'm much less intrigued by Brandon Knight becoming the latest top PG to go to Kentucky than I am about Ray McCallum following his dad to U. of Detroit. Both will end up in the NBA soon enough.
*Jorge Cantu: H/RBI record to start a season. Not bad!
*But probably not as interesting as Jose Guillen hitting a HR in his 4th straight game...
*Which, in turn, is not as interesting as Colby Lewis -- spot-starting for CJ Wilson -- striking out 10....
*Which, in turn, isn't as fascinating as Twins fans' first experience with rain at a home game.
*Elin divorcing Tiger? Well, obviously.
*It's official: My first fantasy championship.
See the whole column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Finally, a Fantasy Championship
I have been playing some form of fantasy sports since the mid-90s: Football and baseball, mostly. A few seasons of basketball. I have been in leagues with co-workers, with friends, with randoms. I have been in snake drafts and, a couple years ago, even tried an auction-draft baseball season.
The common factor among every season: I was a loser.
Almost always, a second-division loser. I can remember making the playoffs once or twice, but that feels hazy -- like I created that in my head to make myself feel better about the perennial sucking. (Wait: I just remembered that somewhere in a box in a storage unit, I have one of those old ESPN.com pennants for winning my league. I cannot remember how or when I won it -- maybe the late-90s? It is also possible I merely swiped one from the ESPN.com fantasy storage closet while I was working next to it.)
My failures have been pretty epic: In my main baseball league, I had a breakthrough year in 2009... finishing 9th or 10th out of 16 teams. In my three football leagues, I was so bad that I had to claim moral victory in my Kissing Suzy Kolber keeper league by capping yet another last-place season by knocking DJ Gallo out of the playoffs with a rare win.
All that said, I am going to win my first fantasy championship tonight, when my "Gilbert's Arenas" wins the "6-Inch Verticals" NBA fantasy league, defeating Deadspin's Tommy Craggs in the two-week championship series. The league was organized by Yahoo's Brett Dykes (aka Cajun Boy), who set up a scoring system so convoluted -- a Byzantine calculus including made (and missed) field goals and free-throws, made (and missed) 3s and all sorts of other traditional stats -- that someone like me could stumble my way to a championship. In fact, I was somewhat of a juggernaut.
And, oh, did it feel good to finally win consistently. And does it feel good to finally win that championship.
And so I want to take a moment to spotlight my team of champions:
PG: Chauncey Billups, Aaron Brooks
SG: Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon
F: Josh Smith, Al Horford, Carlos Boozer
Drafted but Dropped At Some Point (but still getting a playoff share): Tyreke Evans (!), Al Harrington, Jonny Flynn, Andrei Kirilenko, Greg Oden, Charlie Villanueva.
Critical Mid-Season Pickups: George Hill, Chris Andersen, Omri Casspi, Anthony Tolliver and Late-Season Pickups: Terrence Williams, Tayshaun Prince, Taj Gibson, JJ Hickson.
Finally: I might have kicked myself for dropping Tyreke Evans after the first week of the season, but the player I ended up swapping him for turned out to by my team -- and arguably league -- MVP: Marc Gasol, who under the scoring system, was an absolute monster. Because of his role on my one and only title team, he will always have a special place for me.
Team of Champions: I salute you!
(As for the rest of the players under my management, across all sports: New standards!)
-- D.S.
The common factor among every season: I was a loser.
Almost always, a second-division loser. I can remember making the playoffs once or twice, but that feels hazy -- like I created that in my head to make myself feel better about the perennial sucking. (Wait: I just remembered that somewhere in a box in a storage unit, I have one of those old ESPN.com pennants for winning my league. I cannot remember how or when I won it -- maybe the late-90s? It is also possible I merely swiped one from the ESPN.com fantasy storage closet while I was working next to it.)
My failures have been pretty epic: In my main baseball league, I had a breakthrough year in 2009... finishing 9th or 10th out of 16 teams. In my three football leagues, I was so bad that I had to claim moral victory in my Kissing Suzy Kolber keeper league by capping yet another last-place season by knocking DJ Gallo out of the playoffs with a rare win.
All that said, I am going to win my first fantasy championship tonight, when my "Gilbert's Arenas" wins the "6-Inch Verticals" NBA fantasy league, defeating Deadspin's Tommy Craggs in the two-week championship series. The league was organized by Yahoo's Brett Dykes (aka Cajun Boy), who set up a scoring system so convoluted -- a Byzantine calculus including made (and missed) field goals and free-throws, made (and missed) 3s and all sorts of other traditional stats -- that someone like me could stumble my way to a championship. In fact, I was somewhat of a juggernaut.
And, oh, did it feel good to finally win consistently. And does it feel good to finally win that championship.
And so I want to take a moment to spotlight my team of champions:
PG: Chauncey Billups, Aaron Brooks
SG: Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon
F: Josh Smith, Al Horford, Carlos Boozer
Drafted but Dropped At Some Point (but still getting a playoff share): Tyreke Evans (!), Al Harrington, Jonny Flynn, Andrei Kirilenko, Greg Oden, Charlie Villanueva.
Critical Mid-Season Pickups: George Hill, Chris Andersen, Omri Casspi, Anthony Tolliver and Late-Season Pickups: Terrence Williams, Tayshaun Prince, Taj Gibson, JJ Hickson.
Finally: I might have kicked myself for dropping Tyreke Evans after the first week of the season, but the player I ended up swapping him for turned out to by my team -- and arguably league -- MVP: Marc Gasol, who under the scoring system, was an absolute monster. Because of his role on my one and only title team, he will always have a special place for me.
Team of Champions: I salute you!
(As for the rest of the players under my management, across all sports: New standards!)
-- D.S.
04/14 Quickie: LeBron, Marshall, NBA Finales
The NBA regular season revolved around LeBron. The offseason certainly will. Sandwiched in between, the postseason will, too: It's "Title or Bust" for LeBron, period. Fair or unfair?
More you'll find in today's SN column:
*Great deal for the Dolphins to get Brandon Marshall.
*Does anyone want Dez Bryant?
*Jazz-Suns the linchpin of NBA postseason seedings.
*Ricky Romero!
*Ekpe Udoh: I like his NBA prospects a lot.
*Larry Brown to the Sixers: Really? Ugh.
There's a bunch more in there. Sorry for the quick post this morning. More later, including a long-awaited championship.
-- D.S.
More you'll find in today's SN column:
*Great deal for the Dolphins to get Brandon Marshall.
*Does anyone want Dez Bryant?
*Jazz-Suns the linchpin of NBA postseason seedings.
*Ricky Romero!
*Ekpe Udoh: I like his NBA prospects a lot.
*Larry Brown to the Sixers: Really? Ugh.
There's a bunch more in there. Sorry for the quick post this morning. More later, including a long-awaited championship.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
04/13 Quickie: QBs, Target, NBA Seeds
Intriguing day for QBs around the NFL, leading today's SN column:
More on the radar today:
NBA early-entries: Wes Johnson is a Top 5 pick. Ed Davis is a Top 5 pick... in 2009. In 2010, he might slip into the 6-10 range, particularly if his injured wrist doesn't let him work out for teams in advance of the draft.
Yankees home opener today: Expect the usual triumphalism as they put up the championship banner.
Big Ben's meeting with the Commish should be a good scolding... Sam Bradford is meeting with the Rams, and presumably they will not ask "Can you take NFL punishment?" but "Can you sign before the draft?"
And, yes, there's even a new Tim Tebow storyline: He wasn't on the NFL's list of 16 players attending the draft. I'm not sure that means he WON'T attend (I think he should, because he's the biggest storyline of the draft), but for now, he won't. (He will be in NYC next Tuesday for an EA event. I might be there. More on that later.)
More on the radar today:
The NBA's regular season is nearly over, and the West has its 8-seed locked in to play the Lakers: Durant's Thunder, which will get a valuable education in playoff basketball. Actually, I love the Lakers-Thunder 1st-round pairing.
NBA early-entries: Wes Johnson is a Top 5 pick. Ed Davis is a Top 5 pick... in 2009. In 2010, he might slip into the 6-10 range, particularly if his injured wrist doesn't let him work out for teams in advance of the draft.
Target Field looks really nice. Certainly nicer than the Metrodome.
The A's are the new Mariners (while beating the Mariners, coincidentally).
Yankees home opener today: Expect the usual triumphalism as they put up the championship banner.
Lots more in today's column. More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 12, 2010
04/12 Quickie: Phil, Holmes, Halladay
Sorry for the brief intro to today's SN column, but check it out here, including:
*Phil as the anti-Tiger.
*Jets steal Holmes.
*Just give Halladay the NL Cy now.
*John Brantley is pretty good.
*The new "short-term" LeBron plan.
Lots more. More later.
--- D.S.
*Phil as the anti-Tiger.
*Jets steal Holmes.
*Just give Halladay the NL Cy now.
*John Brantley is pretty good.
*The new "short-term" LeBron plan.
Lots more. More later.
--- D.S.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday (Spring Game) Quickie
I've tried to show restraint here about Florida football during the spring practice season, but today is the Gators' spring game, so permit me a bit of obsessiveness:
It is the official start of the John Brantley Era. You may remember him from such posts as "Let John Brantley Start Over Tim Tebow Against LSU."
As a passer, Brantley is mechanically superior to Tebow -- so much so that I think Brantley will emerge next season as Mark Sanchez 2.0: One season of starting, but a sure-fire 1st-round pick.
True freshman Trey Burton plays the "Tim Tebow 2006" role -- the energetic back-up who will likely play a role in short-yardage situations.
Other things to watch for: The WR corps, which will benefit from Brantley's style; the linebackers, who are a wrecking crew; and Mike Gillislee, the talented RB squashed in between Jeff Demps and incoming freshman stud Mack Brown.
It's a gorgeous spring day here in New York -- and in Gainesville.
Couple of things on my radar today:
*Tiger: Still on pace to win.
*No charges against Big Ben?
*Break up the SF Giants!
*No Kobe, no problem -- at least against the T'wolves.
*Did Alex Ovechkin just lock up NHL MVP?
*Buying: David Price for a breakthrough season.
*Not buying: Jimmy Clausen.
Enjoy the day. Probably a lot of Masters-watching. At least keep the windows open...
-- D.S.
Friday, April 09, 2010
04/09 Quickie: Tiger, Stevens, Wells, More
Well, you can see it coming already: Tiger is going to win the Masters.
I guess it should have been obvious that Tiger would make his return and shoot the best 1st-round score at the Masters of his career, to an adoring gallery. Just, to see it happen though...insane. Obviously, it leads today's SN column.
If he is in contention on Sunday afternoon, it really will be the most-watched golf event in history.
More you'll find in today's column:
*Brad Stevens will coach as many of the 12 years' of extension at Butler as he'll get until Indiana inevitably fires Tom Crean and hires Stevens.
*Vernon Wells: Still the worst contract in baseball? (Probably, yes. But still: 4 HR already?)
*When LeBron and Kobe are "resting," their teams are tanking the game. This is just as bad as the Colts resting Peyton in Week 17 -- lot less outrage, though.
*Bulls-Raptors battle for East 8-seed. It's supposed to be this big symbolism for showing Bosh why he should sign with their team, but doesn't everyone know he's going to the Knicks?
*Of the CBB players who declared for the draft yesterday, I'm in an internal battle to figure out which prospect will be a bigger dud in the NBA: Willie Warren or Avery Bradley?
*It cannot possibly surprise you that Tim Tebow is on the cover of EA NCAA Football '11. He's been a lock for that since the 2007 season.
*Speaking of Tebow, Vikings coach Brad Childress is in Gainesville today for an Urban Meyer coaching clinic, so naturally it's time to speculate that the Vikings might take Tebow with the No. 30 pick. Can you imagine Brett Favre and Tim Tebow on the same team? It's the kind of Venn Diagram that would make many fans' heads explode.
More in the column today. All eyes on Tiger. More later and throughout the weekend.
-- D.S.
I guess it should have been obvious that Tiger would make his return and shoot the best 1st-round score at the Masters of his career, to an adoring gallery. Just, to see it happen though...insane. Obviously, it leads today's SN column.
If he is in contention on Sunday afternoon, it really will be the most-watched golf event in history.
More you'll find in today's column:
*Brad Stevens will coach as many of the 12 years' of extension at Butler as he'll get until Indiana inevitably fires Tom Crean and hires Stevens.
*Vernon Wells: Still the worst contract in baseball? (Probably, yes. But still: 4 HR already?)
*When LeBron and Kobe are "resting," their teams are tanking the game. This is just as bad as the Colts resting Peyton in Week 17 -- lot less outrage, though.
*Bulls-Raptors battle for East 8-seed. It's supposed to be this big symbolism for showing Bosh why he should sign with their team, but doesn't everyone know he's going to the Knicks?
*Of the CBB players who declared for the draft yesterday, I'm in an internal battle to figure out which prospect will be a bigger dud in the NBA: Willie Warren or Avery Bradley?
*It cannot possibly surprise you that Tim Tebow is on the cover of EA NCAA Football '11. He's been a lock for that since the 2007 season.
*Speaking of Tebow, Vikings coach Brad Childress is in Gainesville today for an Urban Meyer coaching clinic, so naturally it's time to speculate that the Vikings might take Tebow with the No. 30 pick. Can you imagine Brett Favre and Tim Tebow on the same team? It's the kind of Venn Diagram that would make many fans' heads explode.
More in the column today. All eyes on Tiger. More later and throughout the weekend.
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Quickie: Tiger Ad, Kentucky 5, More
That Tiger ad is creepy. But say this for Earl Woods: Even from the grave, he asks better questions and makes more salient points than you'll hear from golf media this week -- and certainly the broadcast teams. Of course, Tiger leads today's SN column.
More you'll find:
*Kentucky sends 5 to NBA Draft: They're all going to go in the Top 20 (possibly Top 15), too, which makes the decisions a no-brainer. (I'll bet Orton goes ahead of Patterson or Bledsoe.)
Between Wall, Turner and Cousins, the Top 3 of the Draft declared yesterday.
*I think it's safe to say that Curtis Granderson is a Yankees fan favorite.
*More impressive milestone: Don Nelson setting the all-time career wins record or the Bobcats making the playoffs for the first time?
*A not-too-far-off comparison between NFL draft prospects and Idol Top 9 (not my analysis, but I approve).
Tons more in the column today. Sorry for the short post. More later.
-- D.S.
More you'll find:
*Kentucky sends 5 to NBA Draft: They're all going to go in the Top 20 (possibly Top 15), too, which makes the decisions a no-brainer. (I'll bet Orton goes ahead of Patterson or Bledsoe.)
Between Wall, Turner and Cousins, the Top 3 of the Draft declared yesterday.
*I think it's safe to say that Curtis Granderson is a Yankees fan favorite.
*More impressive milestone: Don Nelson setting the all-time career wins record or the Bobcats making the playoffs for the first time?
*A not-too-far-off comparison between NFL draft prospects and Idol Top 9 (not my analysis, but I approve).
Tons more in the column today. Sorry for the short post. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
04/07 Quickie: UConn, Red Sox, Messi
How can you NOT be impressed by UConn's second straight undefeated national title season? Unprecedented. What made it all the more interesting: That 12-point 1st half against Stanford, the ultimate WTF? moment in sports this year.
That's the lead of today's SN column, which has a lot more:
*Duke wins the game, Brad Stevens wins America.
*How's that "run prevention" strategy working out for the Red Sox?
*Jazz-Thunder was the best game of the year in the NBA.
*Any mock draft that doesn't even acknowledge that Tim Tebow is very likely going to go in the 1st round is intellectually fraudulent.
*Lionel Messi. This is why you need to watch every Argentina game in the World Cup this year.
*Based on my experience watching what Bill Carmody has done going from Princeton to Northwestern, I don't expect much from Steve Donahue. At least he sold high.
*Hank Aaron loves Jason Heyward. Everyone loves Jason Heyward.
*Why would anyone ever expect the Masters broadcasters to talk about Tiger's off-course storyline? If that will bother you, watch with the sound off.
(But it's ludicrous to suggest that people are going to be tuning in to watch everyone else. 90 percent of fans will tune in to find out how Tiger is doing.)
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
That's the lead of today's SN column, which has a lot more:
*Duke wins the game, Brad Stevens wins America.
*How's that "run prevention" strategy working out for the Red Sox?
*Jazz-Thunder was the best game of the year in the NBA.
*Any mock draft that doesn't even acknowledge that Tim Tebow is very likely going to go in the 1st round is intellectually fraudulent.
*Lionel Messi. This is why you need to watch every Argentina game in the World Cup this year.
*Based on my experience watching what Bill Carmody has done going from Princeton to Northwestern, I don't expect much from Steve Donahue. At least he sold high.
*Hank Aaron loves Jason Heyward. Everyone loves Jason Heyward.
*Why would anyone ever expect the Masters broadcasters to talk about Tiger's off-course storyline? If that will bother you, watch with the sound off.
(But it's ludicrous to suggest that people are going to be tuning in to watch everyone else. 90 percent of fans will tune in to find out how Tiger is doing.)
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Daily Quickie Readers Challenge Final
Congrats to N. Jansen, whose "neily27" entry rode Duke's national title to a crushing championship in the 2010 Daily Quickie Readers group of the Tournament Challenge.
Jansen's bracket not only included Duke as the champ, but included Butler (!!!) and West Virginia in the Final Four.
ESPN.com ranks Jansen's bracket as the 775th best in the entire field of umpteen million brackets.
Jansen: Email me to claim the coveted prize -- a guest-post on DanShanoff.com, to be redeemed at your convenience.
As for me, I finished 256th out of 414. My place in the 37th percentile is roughly twice where I finished a year ago, so I presume that qualifies as progress.
Mrs. Quickie finished 22nd overall (3rd among folks who didn't pick Duke as champ) and in the 93rd percentile nationally. (Did I marry well or what?)
President Obama didn't come close to last year's finish in the 80th percentile -- he barely cracked the 50th percentile. Then again, not having any Final Four teams will do that for you.
If you used the National Bracket, things weren't much better -- again, a function of the N.B. being very chalk-heavy. And yet, if I had followed it, I would have finished in the 60th percentile.
In my bracket autopsy of vicious hindsight, I shouldn't have doubted Tom Izzo. I should have doubted Kentucky's freshmen. I had the right idea in the West, taking Butler to the Elite Eight -- if I was sure Onuaku was going to be out, oh what could have been!
And as for Duke, I let blind loathing -- not to mention memories of the past few years' Tournament debacles -- cloud the evidence that was plain from Ken Pomeroy's advanced stats: Duke had the best combination of offense and defense in the country, by a wide margin.
I always stumble in the same way: I allow myself to be too influenced by what happened last year. So, naturally, next year I won't doubt Duke, and they'll go back to losing. Or I'll take Butler all the way, only to have them stumble early as a 1- or 2-seed.
The only constant -- besides my wife kicking my ass -- is that I continue to talk myself into dumb choices. After last season's debacle, this season I figured I would go "safe," and it totally backfired. I don't know where I go from here.
But, as always, I appreciate all of you joining me in bracket madness. This was as fun -- and unpredictable -- a year as we could have asked for.
Next year: 96. Maybe that will be my format....
-- D.S.
Jansen's bracket not only included Duke as the champ, but included Butler (!!!) and West Virginia in the Final Four.
ESPN.com ranks Jansen's bracket as the 775th best in the entire field of umpteen million brackets.
Jansen: Email me to claim the coveted prize -- a guest-post on DanShanoff.com, to be redeemed at your convenience.
As for me, I finished 256th out of 414. My place in the 37th percentile is roughly twice where I finished a year ago, so I presume that qualifies as progress.
Mrs. Quickie finished 22nd overall (3rd among folks who didn't pick Duke as champ) and in the 93rd percentile nationally. (Did I marry well or what?)
President Obama didn't come close to last year's finish in the 80th percentile -- he barely cracked the 50th percentile. Then again, not having any Final Four teams will do that for you.
If you used the National Bracket, things weren't much better -- again, a function of the N.B. being very chalk-heavy. And yet, if I had followed it, I would have finished in the 60th percentile.
In my bracket autopsy of vicious hindsight, I shouldn't have doubted Tom Izzo. I should have doubted Kentucky's freshmen. I had the right idea in the West, taking Butler to the Elite Eight -- if I was sure Onuaku was going to be out, oh what could have been!
And as for Duke, I let blind loathing -- not to mention memories of the past few years' Tournament debacles -- cloud the evidence that was plain from Ken Pomeroy's advanced stats: Duke had the best combination of offense and defense in the country, by a wide margin.
I always stumble in the same way: I allow myself to be too influenced by what happened last year. So, naturally, next year I won't doubt Duke, and they'll go back to losing. Or I'll take Butler all the way, only to have them stumble early as a 1- or 2-seed.
The only constant -- besides my wife kicking my ass -- is that I continue to talk myself into dumb choices. After last season's debacle, this season I figured I would go "safe," and it totally backfired. I don't know where I go from here.
But, as always, I appreciate all of you joining me in bracket madness. This was as fun -- and unpredictable -- a year as we could have asked for.
Next year: 96. Maybe that will be my format....
-- D.S.
04/06 Quickie: Duke, Butler, MLB Openers
Anyone else think that Gordon Hayward's half-court shot was going in? I did.
It was the most memorable missed shot in the history of basketball, capping one of the best championship games in the history of college hoops.
I really thought it was going in.
Not to diminish Duke -- although that's the popular sentiment -- but when we look back at the 2010 Tournament, the first thing to come to mind will be Butler.
That's not to say Duke wasn't as worthy of a champ as any team this season. They had the best combination of offense and defense in the country this season -- and, unlike other would-be contenders like Kansas or Kentucky, didn't choke early.
I might even say that this Duke team was relatively likeable -- I said "relatively." But for whatever reason, this group was OK. (It might have a little to do with my longtime sympathy for Jon Scheyer, but it probably goes beyond that. The way they won -- yeah, including a few iffy calls -- earned our respect, even if it was paired with crushing disappointment that Butler didn't pull it off.)
Here's the crazy part: Butler will surely miss Veazey (and Jukes!), but they will be even better next season. Is it so crazy, based on this Tournament run, to install them as the No. 1 team in the country next year? Hardly. Certainly no crazier than me making Boise State my No. 1 team in football for next season, based in large part by the way they performed last season (and that they return almost everyone).
And so the college hoops season is over -- and, with it, the 65-team era of the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, I'm not as averse to the change as many many others, but it will be a change. This was a good way for this era to end.
(By the way, I really enjoyed the Jennifer Hudson version of One Shining Moment, but it was appalling that CBS included multiple shots of Hudson herself in the montage. Whose idea was that? If hers, CBS should have passed; if CBS's, someone should be demoted.)
Tons in the SN column today: MLB Opening Day (J-Hey! Pujols! Halladay! Buehrle!), Tiger press conference, UConn women preview. For a Tebow-Nike reaction, click here.
More later.
-- D.S.
It was the most memorable missed shot in the history of basketball, capping one of the best championship games in the history of college hoops.
I really thought it was going in.
Not to diminish Duke -- although that's the popular sentiment -- but when we look back at the 2010 Tournament, the first thing to come to mind will be Butler.
That's not to say Duke wasn't as worthy of a champ as any team this season. They had the best combination of offense and defense in the country this season -- and, unlike other would-be contenders like Kansas or Kentucky, didn't choke early.
I might even say that this Duke team was relatively likeable -- I said "relatively." But for whatever reason, this group was OK. (It might have a little to do with my longtime sympathy for Jon Scheyer, but it probably goes beyond that. The way they won -- yeah, including a few iffy calls -- earned our respect, even if it was paired with crushing disappointment that Butler didn't pull it off.)
Here's the crazy part: Butler will surely miss Veazey (and Jukes!), but they will be even better next season. Is it so crazy, based on this Tournament run, to install them as the No. 1 team in the country next year? Hardly. Certainly no crazier than me making Boise State my No. 1 team in football for next season, based in large part by the way they performed last season (and that they return almost everyone).
And so the college hoops season is over -- and, with it, the 65-team era of the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, I'm not as averse to the change as many many others, but it will be a change. This was a good way for this era to end.
(By the way, I really enjoyed the Jennifer Hudson version of One Shining Moment, but it was appalling that CBS included multiple shots of Hudson herself in the montage. Whose idea was that? If hers, CBS should have passed; if CBS's, someone should be demoted.)
Tons in the SN column today: MLB Opening Day (J-Hey! Pujols! Halladay! Buehrle!), Tiger press conference, UConn women preview. For a Tebow-Nike reaction, click here.
More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 05, 2010
2010 MLB Predictions and Picks
2010 MLB Predictions and Picks:
World Series Champ: Red Sox over Phillies
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Card: Red Sox
ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
AL Rookie: Brian Matusz
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Rockies
NL Wild Card: Braves
NLCS: Phillies over Cardinals
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
NL Cy: Roy Halladay
NL Rookie: Jason Heyward/Stephen Strasburg
My Favorite Storylines:
*Roy Halladay on the Phillies
*Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward
*Rays trying to crash AL East lockdown
*Can Greinke repeat his '09 season?
*I obviously don't buy the Mariners, though I want to.
*Bigger AL X-Factor: John Lackey or Jake Peavy?
(I know I'm missing something...)
Baseball books I'm reading right now:
"Are We Winning?" by Will Leitch (out in May)
"Mint Condition" by Dave Jamieson (out now)
Season Highlight:
I will be taking my older son to his first MLB game in mid-July: Cubs-Phillies at Wrigley Field. Can't wait for that.
Let's get your predictions in the Comments -- playoff picks, award-winners and your favorite storylines for the season.
-- D.S.
World Series Champ: Red Sox over Phillies
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Card: Red Sox
ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
AL Rookie: Brian Matusz
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Rockies
NL Wild Card: Braves
NLCS: Phillies over Cardinals
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
NL Cy: Roy Halladay
NL Rookie: Jason Heyward/Stephen Strasburg
My Favorite Storylines:
*Roy Halladay on the Phillies
*Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward
*Rays trying to crash AL East lockdown
*Can Greinke repeat his '09 season?
*I obviously don't buy the Mariners, though I want to.
*Bigger AL X-Factor: John Lackey or Jake Peavy?
(I know I'm missing something...)
Baseball books I'm reading right now:
"Are We Winning?" by Will Leitch (out in May)
"Mint Condition" by Dave Jamieson (out now)
Season Highlight:
I will be taking my older son to his first MLB game in mid-July: Cubs-Phillies at Wrigley Field. Can't wait for that.
Let's get your predictions in the Comments -- playoff picks, award-winners and your favorite storylines for the season.
-- D.S.
04/05 Quickie: Butler, McNabb, Tiger, MLB
Wow: When MLB Opening Day is the FOURTH-biggest story of the day, it's a loaded day.
*Butler-Duke: Rooting for Butler, lamentably picking Duke. But in today's SN column, I argue that Butler will have historical resonance on its side, meaning: Even if Duke wins, we will remember this Butler team for its run to the title game.
(This is pretty rare in sports. In college hoops, I think Duke was involved in one of the other instances of this: 1992, when we remember the Fab Five -- national runners-up -- more than we do the Duke team that beat them. Obviously, we remember that Duke team won back-to-back titles, but the '92 season was defined by the Fab Five, even in ultimate defeat. UPDATE: Great comment that it was the '93 Michigan team that may have been better remembered than the '92 version, although I'm partial to the whole "freshmen" angle. But yes: '92 was Duke-Kentucky.)
*McNabb traded to the Redskins: Despite growing up in DC, I'm not a Skins fan. And while Philly sports fans are slightly more tolerable than Boston sports fans, that doesn't mean they engender my support. If you're like me, you can enjoy both fan bases not knowing HOW to react right now. (Ironically, I kind of like Donovan McNabb, going back to his days at Syracuse. Hope he finds success in DC -- best-case scenario, he has a Favrian renaissance.)
*Tiger meets media at the Masters: First, Augusta National -- and Team Tiger -- will ensure that he gets treated nicely by the media today. Not sure that's necessary, because -- second -- the mainstream sports media has always wanted to gush about Tiger and brush off his scandal. The media event will be a frenzy because it's Tiger, but I don't have high expectations. Augusta Nat'l is going to go back to the old blockade strategy for Tiger.
*MLB Opening Day: The 4th story of the day? Really? This deserves to have its own spot at the top -- maybe during the day, it will get all the attention because of the day games that are in play. I completely mis-timed doing my MLB preview in the SN column, so I'm going to post my MLB predictions and picks here at around 11:00 or 11:30 this morning.
I'll give a preview: The team I pick to win the World Series is the team that won last night. But among today's storylines, the debut of Halladay as a Phillie and the debut of Heyward as a Brave are the ones I have my eye on.
Oh, and the UConn women are about to finalize themselves as the greatest team in women's college basketball history -- and one of the great teams in sports history, period. They won their Final Four game by 20 -- and it felt close.
Complete SN column here. More later this morning.
-- D.S.
*Butler-Duke: Rooting for Butler, lamentably picking Duke. But in today's SN column, I argue that Butler will have historical resonance on its side, meaning: Even if Duke wins, we will remember this Butler team for its run to the title game.
(This is pretty rare in sports. In college hoops, I think Duke was involved in one of the other instances of this: 1992, when we remember the Fab Five -- national runners-up -- more than we do the Duke team that beat them. Obviously, we remember that Duke team won back-to-back titles, but the '92 season was defined by the Fab Five, even in ultimate defeat. UPDATE: Great comment that it was the '93 Michigan team that may have been better remembered than the '92 version, although I'm partial to the whole "freshmen" angle. But yes: '92 was Duke-Kentucky.)
*McNabb traded to the Redskins: Despite growing up in DC, I'm not a Skins fan. And while Philly sports fans are slightly more tolerable than Boston sports fans, that doesn't mean they engender my support. If you're like me, you can enjoy both fan bases not knowing HOW to react right now. (Ironically, I kind of like Donovan McNabb, going back to his days at Syracuse. Hope he finds success in DC -- best-case scenario, he has a Favrian renaissance.)
*Tiger meets media at the Masters: First, Augusta National -- and Team Tiger -- will ensure that he gets treated nicely by the media today. Not sure that's necessary, because -- second -- the mainstream sports media has always wanted to gush about Tiger and brush off his scandal. The media event will be a frenzy because it's Tiger, but I don't have high expectations. Augusta Nat'l is going to go back to the old blockade strategy for Tiger.
*MLB Opening Day: The 4th story of the day? Really? This deserves to have its own spot at the top -- maybe during the day, it will get all the attention because of the day games that are in play. I completely mis-timed doing my MLB preview in the SN column, so I'm going to post my MLB predictions and picks here at around 11:00 or 11:30 this morning.
I'll give a preview: The team I pick to win the World Series is the team that won last night. But among today's storylines, the debut of Halladay as a Phillie and the debut of Heyward as a Brave are the ones I have my eye on.
Oh, and the UConn women are about to finalize themselves as the greatest team in women's college basketball history -- and one of the great teams in sports history, period. They won their Final Four game by 20 -- and it felt close.
Complete SN column here. More later this morning.
-- D.S.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Sunday (Butler) Quickie
Let's start with this: Mrs. Quickie is currently 5th out of more than 400 entries in the Daily Quickie Readers group. Now, she'll get passed by dozens if Duke wins. But if Butler wins, she will have a Top 5 finish in the pool this year. That's amazing.
More coming tomorrow, but my general thesis is that -- at this point -- Butler wins, no matter what happens on Monday night.
In this case, if Butler loses, they will still be the team/story we all remember from the 2010 season. If Butler wins... well, it would arguably be the biggest championship story in college sports history (and on the short list for all sports, all time).
That said: I don't think Butler will win. Make no mistake: I am ROOTING for Butler. But as good as their defense is, their offense last night against MSU was impotent. I'll credit MSU's defense to some extent, but....
Duke, meanwhile, carved up a very good, very physical West Virginia defense, while stifling the 'Eers with their own D. This Duke team is VERY good, and I think they match up particularly well with Butler.
You all know I'm a Duke hater; regardless, this team looks like a champion. (Which will make it all the more awesome if Butler can pull off the upset -- but it would be a huge upset.)
For all the Butler drama, the most riveting moment of the night was Bob Huggins hovering over the fallen Da'Sean Butler, faces just inches apart, with Huggins stroking the cheek of the inconsolable Butler.
In one image, it became the defining moment of Bob Huggins' career. I have never been a Huggins fan, but that moment displayed a level of coaching empathy you NEVER see publicly.
More (very briefly):
Yankees-Red Sox open MLB season tonight: Holler at me when the NCAA Tournament is over tomorrow night, then I'll be ready to engage fully in baseball.
Thunder clinch playoff spot: It is one of the most dramatic leaps in recent NBA history.
Happy Easter, to those of you celebrating. I will have a Cadbury Creme Egg (or few) to celebrate on your behalf.
-- D.S.
More coming tomorrow, but my general thesis is that -- at this point -- Butler wins, no matter what happens on Monday night.
In this case, if Butler loses, they will still be the team/story we all remember from the 2010 season. If Butler wins... well, it would arguably be the biggest championship story in college sports history (and on the short list for all sports, all time).
That said: I don't think Butler will win. Make no mistake: I am ROOTING for Butler. But as good as their defense is, their offense last night against MSU was impotent. I'll credit MSU's defense to some extent, but....
Duke, meanwhile, carved up a very good, very physical West Virginia defense, while stifling the 'Eers with their own D. This Duke team is VERY good, and I think they match up particularly well with Butler.
You all know I'm a Duke hater; regardless, this team looks like a champion. (Which will make it all the more awesome if Butler can pull off the upset -- but it would be a huge upset.)
For all the Butler drama, the most riveting moment of the night was Bob Huggins hovering over the fallen Da'Sean Butler, faces just inches apart, with Huggins stroking the cheek of the inconsolable Butler.
In one image, it became the defining moment of Bob Huggins' career. I have never been a Huggins fan, but that moment displayed a level of coaching empathy you NEVER see publicly.
More (very briefly):
Yankees-Red Sox open MLB season tonight: Holler at me when the NCAA Tournament is over tomorrow night, then I'll be ready to engage fully in baseball.
Thunder clinch playoff spot: It is one of the most dramatic leaps in recent NBA history.
Happy Easter, to those of you celebrating. I will have a Cadbury Creme Egg (or few) to celebrate on your behalf.
-- D.S.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Saturday (Final Four) Quickie
Final Four Saturday: As discussed yesterday, no one can confidently predict who will win either game -- which makes it so much more interesting. I'm sticking with Butler-Duke.
(Rooting interest? Butler, definitely -- unless you're a Michigan State fan, how could you NOT root for Butler? On the other side, West Virginia -- although I'd rather see Butler win a national title by beating Duke than beating WVU. But I can't stomach a Duke national title.)
Bracket Update: I enter the day in the 40th percentile. I have a feeling I can only go down from here -- can't possibly reach the 18th percentile nadir from last year, right? RIGHT?!?!
Lakers lock up Kobe for 3 years beyond next season: That puts the Lakers' window for more titles at 5 seasons, if you include this season. The Lakers have 3 years to find a succession plan.
Cavs beat Hawks: Eastern Conference semifinals preview? Not sure the Hawks are ready to take down the Cavs, but then again, I'm not sure the Cavs are ready to take down the Magic.
Redskins sign Willie Parker: What a Snyder-esque twist on Shanahan's old model of RB-by-committee, which used to use otherwise anonymous RBs. Now, they use washed-up star RBs.
Cripes: That story about the Notre Dame recruit is horrible.
Doesn't the Indianapolis Star know that defacing photos with Photoshop is for blogs? And, for the record, most bloggers are FAR more clever with their defacing.
-- D.S.
(Rooting interest? Butler, definitely -- unless you're a Michigan State fan, how could you NOT root for Butler? On the other side, West Virginia -- although I'd rather see Butler win a national title by beating Duke than beating WVU. But I can't stomach a Duke national title.)
Bracket Update: I enter the day in the 40th percentile. I have a feeling I can only go down from here -- can't possibly reach the 18th percentile nadir from last year, right? RIGHT?!?!
Lakers lock up Kobe for 3 years beyond next season: That puts the Lakers' window for more titles at 5 seasons, if you include this season. The Lakers have 3 years to find a succession plan.
Cavs beat Hawks: Eastern Conference semifinals preview? Not sure the Hawks are ready to take down the Cavs, but then again, I'm not sure the Cavs are ready to take down the Magic.
Redskins sign Willie Parker: What a Snyder-esque twist on Shanahan's old model of RB-by-committee, which used to use otherwise anonymous RBs. Now, they use washed-up star RBs.
Cripes: That story about the Notre Dame recruit is horrible.
Doesn't the Indianapolis Star know that defacing photos with Photoshop is for blogs? And, for the record, most bloggers are FAR more clever with their defacing.
-- D.S.
Friday, April 02, 2010
On NCAA Expansion to 96 Teams
Let's review why expanding the NCAA Tournament isn't the end of the world, as so many hysterical college hoops pundits would have you believe:
*The 64-team bracket is "perfect!" Actually, the NCAA Tournament is not beloved for the number of teams included.
It is beloved for its upsets, its buzzer-beaters, its weekday workday diversion in the first round and its promotion of socially acceptable gambling (or the ability to compete with your friends and co-workers).
Expansion doesn't change that. If anything, you will get more of all of them with an extra 32 games.
(And it doesn't preclude major upsets either: Northern Iowa over Kansas will still happen, whether Kansas has played a 1st-round game or not. Speaking of 1-seeds, the idea that the 1-seed ALWAYS beats the 16-seed is a huge flaw in the Tournament's current format. If anything, I think that with an expanded field, you'll see more top seeds lose in their first game than before, because they will be playing a team that just finished up a tense do-or-die play-in game. "Bye" teams in the Top 32 who come out sluggish could find their Tournaments over quickly. As soon as we see a bunch of top teams fall in their 1st game, the critics' wailing will be drowned out by fans' cheering.)
The essential qualities of the NCAA Tournament -- rather than some arbitrary number -- are born out by the fact that the Tournament has expanded from 8 to 16 to 32 to 48 to 64 to 65. And I'm sure the pundits either have -- or would have -- complained all along the way. In vain.
And, by the way: Pundits who fret about how the new bracket will make filling out office-pool sheets more difficult have apparently not tried filling out a bracket online, like 99.9 percent of the world now does. ESPN, CBSSports.com and Yahoo will make it VERY easy to fill out the expanded bracket -- even if their columnists rail on about hating the idea -- because they have a vested interest in making it easy to fill it out.
*"It devalues the regular season!" Actually, you'd have to say FURTHER devalues the regular season, because the ascension of the 64-team tournament devalued the regular season a long time ago.
The reality is that most fans don't pay attention to college basketball until March anyway. And, aside from the die-hard fans who make up about 5 percent of the fans who follow March Madness, those that do tune in before March are watching marquee games between powerhouse teams whose inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field isn't in doubt.
If anything, people watch before March to get a sneak peek of teams they should be betting on IN March. And with 32 more teams, that means that fans who want to know the field have to watch that much regular-season basketball. Meanwhile, the chance to earn a bye gets expanded beyond the four 1-seeds to the Top 32 teams in the country -- something worth playing for in January and February.
(And, yes, there will still even be a "Bubble" -- it just slides down the list. It is arguable whether the incessant Bubble talk is even good for the sport. And don't argue about "quality"; the Bubble has never been about "good/bad" -- just "in/out.")
*"The quality of the extra 32 teams they let in will dilute the pool!" Let's see: If Ohio can beat Georgetown, I'd be curious how the 8 teams that finished ahead of Ohio in the MAC might do. Most early-round NCAA games aren't exactly pretty basketball played at high levels; they're street fights. Let's go back to the foundational point: As long as games are close at the finish or won on buzzer-beaters or feature seed upsets or "no-name" schools beating "name" schools, fans will be happy. And that will happen frequently -- perhaps more often, given the general parity between teams ranked between 1 and 100.
*"It's just about money!" (Yeah? And? So is everything else.)
*"But what about the children!?" (Oh please. Any pundit who brings this up is acting as cynically as the NCAA.)
*"Fans hate it!" Well, they hate it when they are asked about it in a poll attached to a pundit's column that says "NCAA SUCKS!!!" It's the hoops-pundit equivalent of shouting "Death panels!"
Pundits ignore the essential elements of the Tournament that fans love -- upsets, buzzer-beaters, gambling, skipping work -- because that relatively superficial reality devalues their own life's passion. There is a fundamental (and not entirely irrational) fear of irrelevancy at work here.
(Don't worry, pundits! Your jobs are totally safe! In fact, you're more necessary than ever if there are more teams in the Tournament! But first you really have to respect the fans more than you do.)
You get the sense that the college hoops pundits freaking out over expansion have one fear that overrides everything else: That they will expand the Tournament and fans will actually LIKE it. Or, at the very least, fans won't care. Fans will still enjoy the Tournament for all the fundamental reasons that make it great. Coincidentally, all the reasons that the pundits overlook or ignore.
Again, what bothers me most is the knee-jerk intractability of the pundits -- they don't even allow for the idea of expansion to make SOME sense or have ANY benefit. It is all doomsday, when -- clearly -- it's not.
They look and sound ridiculous for it -- and will look even more ridiculous a year from now, when everyone is totally satisfied with the new system. And even though I like the 64-team format very much, it takes a fundamental misunderstanding of fans and why the Tournament is so beloved -- ironic, given that these pundits claim to know and love the game -- to rail against expansion in the way they have.
-- D.S.
For some good arguments, read John Gasaway here and an NYT roundtable here.
*The 64-team bracket is "perfect!" Actually, the NCAA Tournament is not beloved for the number of teams included.
It is beloved for its upsets, its buzzer-beaters, its weekday workday diversion in the first round and its promotion of socially acceptable gambling (or the ability to compete with your friends and co-workers).
Expansion doesn't change that. If anything, you will get more of all of them with an extra 32 games.
(And it doesn't preclude major upsets either: Northern Iowa over Kansas will still happen, whether Kansas has played a 1st-round game or not. Speaking of 1-seeds, the idea that the 1-seed ALWAYS beats the 16-seed is a huge flaw in the Tournament's current format. If anything, I think that with an expanded field, you'll see more top seeds lose in their first game than before, because they will be playing a team that just finished up a tense do-or-die play-in game. "Bye" teams in the Top 32 who come out sluggish could find their Tournaments over quickly. As soon as we see a bunch of top teams fall in their 1st game, the critics' wailing will be drowned out by fans' cheering.)
The essential qualities of the NCAA Tournament -- rather than some arbitrary number -- are born out by the fact that the Tournament has expanded from 8 to 16 to 32 to 48 to 64 to 65. And I'm sure the pundits either have -- or would have -- complained all along the way. In vain.
And, by the way: Pundits who fret about how the new bracket will make filling out office-pool sheets more difficult have apparently not tried filling out a bracket online, like 99.9 percent of the world now does. ESPN, CBSSports.com and Yahoo will make it VERY easy to fill out the expanded bracket -- even if their columnists rail on about hating the idea -- because they have a vested interest in making it easy to fill it out.
*"It devalues the regular season!" Actually, you'd have to say FURTHER devalues the regular season, because the ascension of the 64-team tournament devalued the regular season a long time ago.
The reality is that most fans don't pay attention to college basketball until March anyway. And, aside from the die-hard fans who make up about 5 percent of the fans who follow March Madness, those that do tune in before March are watching marquee games between powerhouse teams whose inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field isn't in doubt.
If anything, people watch before March to get a sneak peek of teams they should be betting on IN March. And with 32 more teams, that means that fans who want to know the field have to watch that much regular-season basketball. Meanwhile, the chance to earn a bye gets expanded beyond the four 1-seeds to the Top 32 teams in the country -- something worth playing for in January and February.
(And, yes, there will still even be a "Bubble" -- it just slides down the list. It is arguable whether the incessant Bubble talk is even good for the sport. And don't argue about "quality"; the Bubble has never been about "good/bad" -- just "in/out.")
*"The quality of the extra 32 teams they let in will dilute the pool!" Let's see: If Ohio can beat Georgetown, I'd be curious how the 8 teams that finished ahead of Ohio in the MAC might do. Most early-round NCAA games aren't exactly pretty basketball played at high levels; they're street fights. Let's go back to the foundational point: As long as games are close at the finish or won on buzzer-beaters or feature seed upsets or "no-name" schools beating "name" schools, fans will be happy. And that will happen frequently -- perhaps more often, given the general parity between teams ranked between 1 and 100.
*"It's just about money!" (Yeah? And? So is everything else.)
*"But what about the children!?" (Oh please. Any pundit who brings this up is acting as cynically as the NCAA.)
*"Fans hate it!" Well, they hate it when they are asked about it in a poll attached to a pundit's column that says "NCAA SUCKS!!!" It's the hoops-pundit equivalent of shouting "Death panels!"
Pundits ignore the essential elements of the Tournament that fans love -- upsets, buzzer-beaters, gambling, skipping work -- because that relatively superficial reality devalues their own life's passion. There is a fundamental (and not entirely irrational) fear of irrelevancy at work here.
(Don't worry, pundits! Your jobs are totally safe! In fact, you're more necessary than ever if there are more teams in the Tournament! But first you really have to respect the fans more than you do.)
You get the sense that the college hoops pundits freaking out over expansion have one fear that overrides everything else: That they will expand the Tournament and fans will actually LIKE it. Or, at the very least, fans won't care. Fans will still enjoy the Tournament for all the fundamental reasons that make it great. Coincidentally, all the reasons that the pundits overlook or ignore.
Again, what bothers me most is the knee-jerk intractability of the pundits -- they don't even allow for the idea of expansion to make SOME sense or have ANY benefit. It is all doomsday, when -- clearly -- it's not.
They look and sound ridiculous for it -- and will look even more ridiculous a year from now, when everyone is totally satisfied with the new system. And even though I like the 64-team format very much, it takes a fundamental misunderstanding of fans and why the Tournament is so beloved -- ironic, given that these pundits claim to know and love the game -- to rail against expansion in the way they have.
-- D.S.
For some good arguments, read John Gasaway here and an NYT roundtable here.
April 2 Quickie: Final Four, The 96 Thing
I'm picking Butler to beat Michigan State and Duke to beat West Virginia.
Now that it's settled that we'll actually see a Michigan State-West Virginia championship game, let's focus on the real issue:
I haven't read anyone yet who argues with certainty about the result of either semifinal. That's partly a function of compelling arguments for each team and partly a function of the sheer unpredictability of this year's Tournament.
That makes it particularly fun. I am won over by what I saw last weekend: No team went through a tougher regional path than Butler. And Duke -- perhaps with a little help from some gift calls -- proved that they aren't as chokey as previous editions.
(That said: Giving Izzo 6 days to prepare for a Tournament game feels like path to MSU winning. And we already know from 2008 that West Virginia has Duke's number in the Tournament. But, too little too late, I'm trying not to let past performance influence future results.)
I had to lead today's SN column with my Final Four preview, but if I had my choice, I would have led with yet another defense of the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 96 teams.
I'm working on a longer argument that I'll post later, but my larger point isn't that 64 isn't great.
It's that the hysterics in the basketball media are absurd, and that expanding the Tournament won't "ruin" anything. When you look at how people actually consume college basketball -- and the NCAA Tournament -- there is nothing to suggest the dire consequences that the college hoops intelligentsia would have you believe.
Anyway, I just deleted 500 words that I was going to put here about it, because I want to save it for a separate post.
More you'll find in today's column:
*UConn over Baylor by 30?
*Aminu will go Top 10, if not Top 5.
*MLB Opener is a sneak-peek of my pick for World Series champs (but I won't tell you whether I'm picking the Yankees to repeat or the Red Sox to re-assert themselves until next week).
*If the Rams were smart, they would skip Bradford, take Suh first, then pick up Colt McCoy in the 2nd.
Check out the complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Now that it's settled that we'll actually see a Michigan State-West Virginia championship game, let's focus on the real issue:
I haven't read anyone yet who argues with certainty about the result of either semifinal. That's partly a function of compelling arguments for each team and partly a function of the sheer unpredictability of this year's Tournament.
That makes it particularly fun. I am won over by what I saw last weekend: No team went through a tougher regional path than Butler. And Duke -- perhaps with a little help from some gift calls -- proved that they aren't as chokey as previous editions.
(That said: Giving Izzo 6 days to prepare for a Tournament game feels like path to MSU winning. And we already know from 2008 that West Virginia has Duke's number in the Tournament. But, too little too late, I'm trying not to let past performance influence future results.)
I had to lead today's SN column with my Final Four preview, but if I had my choice, I would have led with yet another defense of the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 96 teams.
I'm working on a longer argument that I'll post later, but my larger point isn't that 64 isn't great.
It's that the hysterics in the basketball media are absurd, and that expanding the Tournament won't "ruin" anything. When you look at how people actually consume college basketball -- and the NCAA Tournament -- there is nothing to suggest the dire consequences that the college hoops intelligentsia would have you believe.
Anyway, I just deleted 500 words that I was going to put here about it, because I want to save it for a separate post.
More you'll find in today's column:
*UConn over Baylor by 30?
*Aminu will go Top 10, if not Top 5.
*MLB Opener is a sneak-peek of my pick for World Series champs (but I won't tell you whether I'm picking the Yankees to repeat or the Red Sox to re-assert themselves until next week).
*If the Rams were smart, they would skip Bradford, take Suh first, then pick up Colt McCoy in the 2nd.
Check out the complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
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