NFL Draft, not a moment too soon

I am a huge NFL fan. I love to watch any game at any time no matter the teams. Yes, I’d even watch the Raiders vs the Lions at 3am (OK, I have a Tivo). Anyway, the time from February through September is brutal for me. Yes, I like other sports. Yes, I was thrilled when the North Carolina Tar Heels just won the NCAA Basketball Championship. But it is just not the same without the NFL.

So, the more the NFL becomes a year round sport (Combine, draft, free agency, etc.) the better for me. I look forward to the draft more and more too, because I’m just not into the baseball frame of mind yet either. I will watch (or Tivo) as much as I possibly can.

This year I have a little extra reason to be interested. A guy I have seen play live in person many times is waiting for his name to be called. Liberty University’s power Running Back, Rashad Jennings, is projected to go in either the 3rd or 4th round this weekend. Rashad is a big, bruising runner with a crazy workout ethic that has lead to his pro-ready physique.

I've seen where some scouts and writers don’t seem to think he is allusive enough or has enough break away speed, but my eyes tell me differently. Yes, I know the level of competition LU plays is not that high in comparison to some other runners in the draft, but I’ve seen him hit a hole way quick and be gone before you knew it. As far as being allusive he is much better than those scouts seem to think. I think he has the ability, and will improve fairly rapidly in the right situation just like he showed during Senior Bowl week. This kid really wants it, and will work hard with the coaches to be the best he can possibly be.

I've even read where some critics mention his upright running style as a negative. I always remember how NFL scouts didn’t like Philip River’s delivery and some even called it a disaster. Well it seems to be working out pretty well for him. It doesn't really matter if Rashad is running upright or not when he's mowing over a defender or two. I also think some of these scouts suffer from the “I don’t know LU or this guy very well, so I’ll make something up” syndrome. Those who have seen him play, or workout are very impressed and positive.

I had tried to catch up with Rashad before the draft for a quick interview, but couldn’t work it out. But, today I ran across an article from a guy who did. His name is Ed the Sports fan, and it is a great read (http://tinyurl.com/dfoz67).

Here is the text of the interview portion of the interview:

“I had the chance to talk with Rashad earlier and discuss his thoughts on the draft, life at Liberty, and his potential contribution to an NFL team.

Ed The Sports Fan: How you been? T-Minus 6 days until the draft, how you feeling?

Rashad Jennings: Every emotion in the world is running through my body, from the highs to the lows. I remember I was the kid on the sideline "picking my nose" just wondering what would happen next. (Laughs) It's a comfortable yet exciting feeling though, being able to do what I said I wanted to do as a 6-year old is a liberating feeling.

ETSF: Some sources are projecting you in about the 3rd-round, and I see you as the "Tim Hightower" of the draft and could be a real value pick. How do you feel you can contribute to an NFL team?

Rashad: Whichever team selects me, my first priority will be to help the team win. Winning over the respect of the players in the locker room, and doing whatever it takes to get us a victory is the biggest thing.

ETSF: Who was your favorite team growing up?

Rashad: Well, when I tell people everyone laughs, but my favorite team growing up was the Arizona Cardinals. Everyone around here was either Redskins or Cowboys fans, but I really liked Arizona!

ETSF: (laughing) Wow, didn't expect that one. Favorite player?

Rashad: Definitely Eddie George.

ETSF: What would you say the toughest or hardest things you've dealt with growing through the draft process?

Rashad: Waiting for the actual draft, waking up everyday not knowing what will happen on April 25th. Also not knowing what type of recognition and success I would've had at Pitt. At the end of the day, football is football, and I feel like I would've been successful wherever I played.

ETSF: Tell us what you got out of the Senior Bowl earlier this year.

Rashad: The coaching was the best, getting the opportunity to work with (Jacksonville coach) Jack Del Rio and (Cincinnati coach) Marvin Lewis was the best. I feel like I'm very coachable, and being able to learn simple techniques and tips worked wonders even in practice. Imagine what I could do in a real game. Plus, the pros come out and worked out with us as well, and Maurice Jones-Drew roomed with me while at the Senior Bowl. That was fun.

ETSF: What's the first thing you're going to do after you hear your name called?

Rashad: (Laughs) Probably ball out and start crying, feeling elated. Being thankful for my family and truly being happy. After that, just focusing on getting on that plane and going to work.

Rashad will be graduating with a double-major in Sports Management and Business, and will be walking the stage May 9th.”

All I can say is Go Rashad. Make us Lynchburg folks and Liberty Fans proud. I believe he will make some team and its fans very happy.

That’s what is rolling around in the DOME for now.

Championship time TONIGHT!

This is a difficult preview for me to write. I have been a loud, proud UNC fan since I was like 8 years old. Hey be quiet, I'm not that old. Anyway, back on task. So, it makes it a bit hard for me to be objective. But, I'm not really sure that it matters when talking about this particular team. They are absolutely on a roll. They have won all 5 of their tourney games by double digits, and won Saturday night despite being out rebounded by Villanova and shooting 40% from the charity stripe. They just find a way to win.

This should be a great game. Izzo is sure to have an excellent game plan, and Roy Williams is sure to counter. I do feel strongly that it comes down to Carolina's Speed, Depth, and yes their newly recognized defense. I think Ellington and Lawson will be huge, but I believe this one will be carried on the back of one Tyler Hansbrough. I can't wait to see these guys hoist the trophy somewhere midnight.

Another note for this game is that with a win tonight, the Tarheel Seniors (Hansbrough, Frazor, and Green) begome the 4 year team with the most wins in Carolina history. This is an impressive group of guys.

My Score prediction: Carolina 85 - Michigan State 74.

ENJOY!

That's what's rolling around in the DOME for now!


UPDATE

Man was I close! Tarheels won 89-72 (Only 6 points off!). This was never really a game. The HEELS owned this tourney and this game!

UNC Tarheels 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Champs!

SAY WHAT??????

Early on this afternoon I thought the Broncos had lost their minds and had gotten taken by the Bears in the Jay Cutler trade. It appeared to me that they just were so done with Cutler that they were trying to just get anything. I mean this was one of the top offenses in the league the last 2 years. They were really just a few big time play makers on Defense away from being a contender. Granted they need some more pieces on offense too, but they were not that far away. They were poised to make some strides in the draft, but now this?

Well, that was before the full details of the trade were out.

Are you kidding me? The Bears must really think Cutler is the best QB EVER. So they gave the Broncos a 1st round pick this year and next year. We knew that was their stated price all along, no biggie. Wait, then more came out. They also got Kyle Orton. OK so, Orton is no real prize, but he was a starting QB in the league last year. Wait? What, there is more? Your kidding????? The Broncos also got the Bears third round pick this year, WOW! A third round pick is huge, and very good players can be picked up there. The Broncos did have to give the Bears a 5th round compensation pick this year, but in my opinion the made out like bandits.

So, you pick up a QB in the draft as your "Future". You muddle by with Simms or Orton this year and pick up a bunch of talent in the draft this year and next. They also have the a bunch of picks to trade with to move up in this year's draft if they want. For example, if McDaniels has a man crush on Sanchez from USC like he does on Matt Cassell, he can trade up and get him. If he does, watch out for these guys right away. What started off as a big mess has just turned into the jackpot.

As for Cutler, he got out of town like he wanted. I'm just not sure being a part of the hapless Bears is any better. They could now be contenders with him though so watch out for them too.

One more thing. I hope Jay Cutler is happy with what he asked for. One thing Denver did have was a decent Offensive line that gave him time to work and protected him. Now he moves to the bears who didn't have a great O-Line to begin with and recently dismantled it. I hope you like the view of the sky from your back Jay.

Man I love the NFL.

That's what's rolling around in the DOME for now!

We will (Choke, Cough) miss you Coach McKay!

Alright already!

People have been contacting me all day yesterday and today asking why I haven’t posted a blog entry on Coach Ritchie McKay leaving Liberty (http://tinyurl.com/cnk98p). The simple answer is that posting too quickly on this topic would not have been a good thing for you or me. I was way too upset to be rational in any way. I am still not happy about the whole situation, but I have come down off the ceiling of anger I was stuck on yesterday.

I will start with my initial thoughts. Early on yesterday morning, the whole thing caught me completely off guard. I was hoping it was a sick April fool joke. Then as I started to get messages from good sources and found that it looked to be true I became a bit on the mad side. I saw the idea of going from a Head Coach (yes in the Big South) to an Assistant coach (yes, in the ACC) as a bit of a lateral move. I mean the money has to be somewhat similar. Then what really burned my cookies was the fact that this man has only been here for two years. Not only that, but he has said time and again that he truly felt God called him to Liberty, and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. He even went as far at last Thursday’s Flames Club luncheon to say he thought he’d stay at LU for the rest of his career. Look, I’m well aware that coaches say things like this all the time and don’t mean it. But I thought that a great Christian man at a Christian School wouldn’t make such claims unless they truly meant them. So, at this point I felt that Coach had lied to us and was rather angry for that.

Now that I have heard more details, read Coach McKay’s statement, and cooled down; I feel somewhat differently. As the details of the friendship between Tony Bennett and Coach McKay came out, things started to make a little more sense. Bennett’s father Dick was actually Ritchie’s mentor and Tony and Ritchie have worked together before. He sees this as his opportunity to help a friend build a new program at a much higher level than LU. So this part of the story makes sense. We all do stuff for our friends and to be around our friends.

Now to the part of his story that I’m struggling with: He says he is looking forward to being an assistant so the amount of pressure on him will decrease. There are 2 reasons this doesn’t work for me. First, he has been a head coach for over 14 years. After the messy divorce with New Mexico, he didn’t waste any time looking for another Head Coach gig. So to believe he just doesn’t want to do it anymore is just hard for me. Second, going from the Head job at LU in the Big South to any job with the UVA program in the ACC seems like a step up in the pressure level to me. I don’t think LU Administration, fans, or what small donor base we have is anywhere close to the level of pressure their UVA counterparts will dish out. UVA is a lower level ACC basketball program whose fans think they should be winning championships every year. Good luck with finding a decrease in stress coach.

So, I have decided to move on and accept Coach McKay’s decision. UVA has picked up a great man and coach to help lead their program up from the bottom. I wish him and them the best. The future for LU basketball will be just fine without him as Jeff Barber and Jerry Jr. will surely find someone very good. I do think despite the recent transfers and now Coach’s departure, the program will still be in decent shape. We have several key players returning, and hopefully some good ones still coming in. The key now is to bring in a coach as soon as possible. This is big for saving as many of the recruits as we can and filling the spots of any who leave before signing day on April 15th. It is comforting knowing the AD Barber is on his way to Michigan for the Final Four Coaches Job Fair as we speak. I think the program will be fine. Is it set back a year or two, yes. But, the future of Flames basketball is just fine. You'll see, SOON!

That’s what’s rolling around in the DOME for now.

You are missing the point!

We’ve all heard the details of the continuing Jay Cutler verses Josh McDaniels soap opera that has been brewing out of Denver. Josh came to town as the New Broncos coach and wanted his New England up and comer Matt Cassel as his QB. He tried to trade Cutler for Cassel, and then lied to Cutler telling him he wasn’t trying to trade him. Since then Cutler has been begging to be traded and has not shown up for voluntary workouts.

Most every NFL commentator and radio talk show blabber has busted on Cutler. On the surface it appears that Cutler is asking out because McDaniels “hurt his little feelings”. The critics have said he is unprofessional, and said he is overreacting. Former Denver Bronco and current ESPN talker Mark Schlereth even went as far as to call him a “petulant child”. WOW! You people are harsh. Give the guy a break. Plus I don’t buy the popular reasoning for why Jay wants out. You are missing the point.

Look, have you watched any Broncos games in the last few years? I have unfortunately since I cheer for an AFC West team. Their defense is abysmal. There is very little real talent on the defensive side of the ball, which is shown by the amount of yards and points they have given up of late. Yes, their offense has been prolific and flashy at times, but very inconsistent and centered around marginal Running Back talent and a very troubled Wide Out. The owner has shown an unwillingness to be aggressive with money to improve the talent. It is also very cold in Denver. So, my theory is that Cutler simply wants out to go to a better team in a better place and is using the leverage a young, over zealous coach gave him. That is how I see it. Either way, how can you blame the guy?

Jay Cutler has the talent to make some team great, but like it or hate it he has to be happy. My theory is that he’ll end up either a Jet, a Lion, a Buccaneer, or a Brown. At this point I’m leaning to the Browns because they can provide a QB in return. We’ll see.

That’s what’s rolling around in the DOME for now.