Quick Thoughts - NFL Draft
OK, first, an explanation of my absence. My intention was to write about the NFL Draft; give a little analysis, maybe even enlighten some of you on topics that perhaps you don’t know about yet (hold for laughter…). Unfortunately, I had a little problem with the whole “I’m going to do nothing but watch 48 hours of NFL Draft coverage while only moving my ass off the couch to go to the can or flip channels between the Draft, the Red Sox, and the NBA Playoffs because my remote broke when I threw it against the wall a couple of weeks ago so now I’m forced to get up just to flip channels or raise the volume (and maybe if I keep typing everyone will have to hold their breath especially if they’re reading this out loud or reading to someone else because this is one hell of a run-on sentence)” scenario.
The problem? I had to work. One of life’s little annoyances. I need more money, and since no one is going to pay to read these little blogs I post, I must work. And work, and then work some more. My 9-5 weekday job (which is actually more like 7:30 to 5) is at a hospital. On weekends, I either work as a “freelance contractor” (read: odd-jobs guy) or as a semi-pro poker player. Stunningly, I make more at the poker job than at either of the others.
I know what you’re thinking – is this going to turn into another poker article? Probably not. Although I am trying to land a weekend job as a poker/gambling writer, I will try to stay away from that today. (You and I both know that this will eventually end up right back there, but for now, maybe a little false hope will keep you all reading for a couple more paragraphs)
Anyway, back to the Draft. Sometime around 2PM last Saturday, I realized that I was missing the Draft telecast because I was working, so I quickly asked to flip on ESPN. Luckily, the draft was so ridiculously slow this year that I had only missed about 4 picks. I was only able to watch the telecast until around pick #12 or #13, and then I left.
I tried to catch some of the Sox game on the radio, as I was staying in Boston that night. No go. Then I thought about watching the Celtics play game 1 of their series, but I ended up going with friends to a couple of college bars that decided to show MLS soccer on the Plasma screens rather than the NBA playoffs. No, I’m not joking.
That left me with only one option… go to bed and wake up for a big poker tournament on Sunday! (See, I knew this would devolve to poker eventually.)
I won’t bore you with the gory details. Let’s just say that I had never finished dead last in a legit tourney before Sunday. I only played two hands to the flop; one took about 35% of my stack (bad read), the second took everything left (personal stupidity/bad read). I played a couple cash games and got chased down in each of them, sending me home tired and poor. Such is life.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I would be playing much more poker then I normally would (or probably should) in preparation for my upcoming trip to Las Vegas for the WSOP in July.
Now I’m beginning to wonder if I should just keep the $1200 that was to be used for flight/hotel and pay off bills with it rather than fly out to Vegas and probably get outdrawn yet again, missing work for 10 days and probably blowing an additional grand in the casinos.
After cashing in a freeroll a couple days ago and eeking that cash up to a level where I could actually play normal stakes matches, I watched in horror as I was outdrawn on 18 consecutive all-in hands. 18 straight times I entered an all-in hand (either myself or my opponent) ahead, and 18 consecutive times I was outdrawn. There’s something wrong here.
For now, let me just pass along the following thoughts about the NFL Draft:
Quick Thoughts while wondering which receiver the Lions will draft next year…
n Watching Mike Williams fall to #10 overall was brutal. Although, I gotta say: great pick by the Lions; I really think they needed one more high-profile, unproven wide receiver. Why not just trade away next year’s #1 to move to Miami’s slot and grab Braylen Edwards? We all know that if they have a First-Round pick it’s going to be spent on a receiver. Maybe Paul Tagliabue should strip Matt Millen of all first round selections until he learns his lesson, like giving a little kid a “timeout” in the corner until he apologizes for throwing his toys all over the room… sorry, I’m babbling again, as usual.
n Actually, if the Lions have a high first round pick next year, it’s probably going to be spent on a QB, because if they have another losing season, Joey Harrington’s done.
n Baltimore grabbed Mark Clayton at #22 overall – if Kyle Boller turns it around this season, that’s a scary, scary team right now.
n Troy Williamson better be worth it, Mike Tice. Because if you have to watch Mike Williams, in your own division, light up the NFL for the next 10 years, you’ll never live it down.
n I heard a “Draft Guru” on the radio last week make a very good point against Cedric Benson. Most guys coming out of college are young, fresh, and relatively injury-free. While Benson isn’t coming off a major injury, he has been the featured back in a run-oriented offense since High School. Runningbacks only have so many miles in their bodies, and Benson’s already pushing the boundaries of his own personal odometer.
n Of course, that didn’t stop me from saying he should be the first RB taken…
n Aaron Rogers to Green Bay at #25. Now THAT’S a freefall…
n Not only a freefall, but he went from presumptive #1 overall to the #3 overall quarterback in the draft. Ouch.
n Dallas had a nice draft, essentially rebuilding their entire defensive line with two top-20 draft picks. Now if only they had an offense…
n Pittsburgh didn’t get their marquee first-round wide receiver, as I thought they would, but they did get the best available Tight End, a guy who will probably be revered in The Steel City.
n San Diego – another franchise building a winner with good drafting. Merriman and Castillo are both solid players, and Castillo’s admittance to using Androstendione (and subsequent pledge to return his entire signing bonus if he ever tests positive again) shows me that he’s a stand-up kind of guy. I’d like to see him succeed.
n You think Oakland is trying to dump Charles Woodson? Too bad he actually signed the offer sheet…
n Roddy White to Atlanta at #27 overall. Well, I’ve never heard of Roddy White, and considering he’s a Wide Receiver in Atlanta, there’s a good shot I’ll never hear from him again.
n I was actually quite angry when I heard that Cincy grabbed David Pollack at #17 overall. I was really hoping he’d slide to the Pats at #32. He reminds me of Tedy Bruschi – high-energy guy who’s undersized at his D-Line position, but would be a good speed rusher from the Middle-Linebacker slot.
n Speaking of the Patriots… let’s give them an incomplete grade on this draft, since I’ve never heard of any of the guys they drafted, but I’ve learned to trust Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli over the past few years.
That’s it. I’d comment on the NBA playoffs, but, well, the NBA sucks. And the Celtics, well let’s not even mention them.
Lata.
posted by Big D @ 8:45 AM
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