Busted: When 1st rd Picks Don't Pan Out

Akili Smith

I always believe that the only time of a year that every NFL team believes that they are a winner is when the NFL draft is held. The NFL Draft is all about optimism and potential, this is why when we look at a draft class five or ten years down the road and one player doesn't pan out as expected then people always talk about disappointment and how the NFL didn't do their homework. This is why I have decided to choose the top 15 draft busts from the past 15 years. In my book to become a bust you could not play in the league for more than 3 years after you were drafted, this is because the average NFL career is just under five seasons. Also if your career is cut short because of injuries you are not a bust since the NFL team could not see into the future. Therefore to be a bust you had to have played 3 seasons or less, had legal issues, in team disciplinary problems or were straight up stupid.

JaMarcus Russell QB 2007 1st pk Raiders- Russell size wise could have played on the defensive front seven for any team in the league and had a cannon for an arm. He was just lazy and didn't put in the time to study the playbook. Some can say the red flags were there at LSU.

Ryan Leaf QB 1998 2nd pk Chargers- Probably what magnifies this choice even more is that the Colts decided to go with Peyton Manning at #1 instead of Leaf. Leaf much like Russell was also lazy however he had more of a natural ability to play the position. He had some authority problems at Washington State. A Leaf since leaving the NFL has been arrested for a number of small crimes and last week was arrested twice.

R. Jay Soward WR 2000 29th pick Jaguars- The red flags were there when he came out of college but his upside was too much to pass up for Jacksonville. Soward could not handle the pressure of being a first round pick and only lasted one season in the league before he was suspended for substance abuse.

Marcus Nash WR 1998 30th pk Broncos- This is one of those cases where in college was a starter on a powerhouse team and put up the right numbers at the combine and in the individual workouts, he had no red flags personality wise either. On paper he was what an NFL wide receiver should be, maybe he wasn't first round talent but still good enough to cut it. Once he was drafted he just wasn't that good and was able to fool the right people, he was out of the league after two seasons, Nash ended up having a very good Arena Football League career.

Dimitrius Underwood DE 1999 29th pk Vikings- He left the team during training camp of his rookie season saying that he could not handle playing in the NFL and being a man of Christ. His mother said that he had joined a cult and they were messing with his head, he also tried to take his own life.

John Avery RB 1999 29th pk Dolphins- Much like Nash, Avery was a very good college player but his style and his size did not translate well to the pro game. He was out of the league after two seasons, he did have some success in Canada.

Rashaun Woods WR 2004 31st pk 49ers- Woods was one of the top receivers in college, great hands good speed. For whatever reason he could not get onto the field with the 49ers, he was out of the league after two seasons.

Charles Rogers WR 2003 2nd pk Lions- Rogers probably could be higher up on this list. Unlike some of the other wide receivers on this list he could play the game at the next level, the only problem was that he would rather beat women and smoke weed the play pro football.

Rae Carruth WR 1997 27th pk Panthers- Carruth’s career wasn't anything great he probably would not have been on this list except for the fact that he had conspired to have his girlfriend killed in 1999. He is expected to be released in 2018.

Trung Canidate RB 2000 31st pk Rams- This one you can't really blame Canidate, he was picked by the Rams you at that time had future Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, where he got very little playing time. Trung was traded to the Redskins after two seasons but with the ‘Skins he never stepped onto the field and decided to retire.

Akili Smith QB 1999 2nd pk Bengals- Smith was the second QB taken in that great quarterback class of ‘99 that was expected to rival the class of 1983. Smith had started only one season at Oregon and was light out, but he wasn't really a proven player. He struggled with the speed and the complexity of the pro game.

Michael Haynes DT 2003 14th pk Bears- Haynes did nothing in the NFL based on his workouts and what he did in college he was first round talent but was not able to beat any of the guys who were already on the roster and after three years he was released.

Peter Warrick WR 2000 4th pk Bengals- Warrick was one of those players who at the college level is fast enough to look fat and blow by most of the defenders but not all. In the NFL the guys who make are the ones that you can not blow by in college. Same with his size, in college his size was good enough but not big enough to be drafted in the first round. When you saw his college tape you had to say how can this guy not be first round talent. He should have gone in the 3rd or 4th round. At Florida State he did have some off the field issues.

Jim Druckenmiller QB 1997 26th pk 49ers- he was supposed to be the future QB for the 49ers once Steve Young retired. He only played in a handful of games and was horrible in those. He was traded to the Dolphins and then released.

This year just like any other NFL draft has some first round busts we just don't know who they are. I feel there are a couple in this year’s group for sure. Statistically speaking one of the four quarterbacks taken in this year's draft will be a bust, same goes for one of the three running backs.
Ryan Tannehill QB Dolphins- He played more games at wide receiver in college then quarterback.
Dontari Poe DT Chiefs- Was a workout warrior however struggled against the weak competition in the Conference USA.
Bruce Irvin DE Seahawks- Is small and is a pure pass rushers. he will have trouble with most offensive tackles. Was a reach to get in the first round, would have still been available in the second round.
David Wilson RB Giants- I think he is too small and probably could have found a similar if not better running back in the second round.

Canton or Bust: 2012 Mock Draft

What Andrew Luck will look like with the Colts

2012 Mock NFL Draft
Some of these players will end up in the Hall of Fame others will become total busts.

1. Indianapolis Colts- Andrew Luck QB Stanford
He looks to be the safer bet between him and RG3. Has been compared to Peyton Manning and has a vast understanding of a pro style offense. he might not end up being as good as Manning but should be a solid starter for years to come.

2. Washington Redskins- Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
I would not be surprised that if he turns out to be the better of the two quarterbacks, he has the arm strength and the mobility. Unlike other dual threat QBs in the past he prefers to stay in the pocket and air it out.

3. Minnesota Vikings- Matt Kalil OT USC
The Vikings need to beef up their O-line to protect second year QB Christian Ponder. Kalil is by far the best linemen in the draft.

4. Cleveland Browns- Trent Richardson RB Alabama
The first time since the Cleveland Browns have come back into the league in 1999 they are taking a running back. In a division that is dominated by strong defense look for him to struggle early but will get his footing once the winter rolls around and the passing game starts to struggle

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Morris Claiborne CB LSU
With some of the members of the defensive backfield starting to age the Bucs have an opportunity to grab a talented DB, I don't see Tampa drafting this high in the next few years. Claiborne did have some off the field issues.

6. St.Louis Rams- Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State
The have the QB and the RB now it is time to give Sam Bradford some toys. Justin Blackmon is in the mold of the top caliber wide receivers in the league such as Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina
Remember offense wins games defense wins championships. The Jaguars have been building up a strong D the past couple of years. They could go with Michael Floyd but they can grab a WR early in the second round.

8. Miami Dolphins- Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M
Ryan Tannehill is one of those high risk high reward type picks, he could become the next Akili Smith, Tim Tebow or Steve Young. He is mobile and a tremendous athlete but started his college career as a WR and only recently moved to quarterback.

9. Carolina Panthers- Fletcher Cox DT Mississippi State
The Panthers like the Jaguars need help at WR as well as on the defensive line. look for the Panthers to take Cox the top rated defensive tackle to plug up the middle of the D-line.

10. Buffalo Bills-  Riley Reiff OT Iowa
I would say that Reiff is a top pick talent and the Bills are lucky that he will fall to them. Buffalo started great last season but struggled the second half, look for Reiff to protect Fitzpatrick and have the Bills just miss the playoffs.

11. Kansas City Chiefs- David DeCastro OG Stanford
Last year Kansas City had a great defense but struggled to keep their quarterbacks healthy, Cassel, Orton and Palko all got beat up during the season. KC needs some help on the O-line.

12. Seattle Seahawks- Luke Kuechly ILB Boston College
Luke Kuechly is one of those prospects that come through the draft and you know he will probably be a Hall of Famer right off the bat, he is top 10 pick talent but since teams in the top 10 do not need a linebacker or have more pressing needs he could fall even lower in the first round. I would not be surprised if a team in the bottom 10 trade up to grab him.

13  Arizona Cardinals- Cordy Glenn OG Georgia
The Cardinals need some help in the interior of their offensive line.

14. Dallas Cowboys- Mark Barron SS Alabama
Next to Brodney Pool the Cowboys basically have no one that has the talent to be starting in the NFL. Barron is the type of player that the Cowboys desperately need and no one picking ahead of them really needs.

15. Philadelphia Eagles- Michael Brockers DT LSU
Brockers has a lot of potential and the Eagles need a defensive tackle. This is one of those situations where the team is taking the best player available within reason.

16. New York Jets- Quinton Coples DE North Carolina
Coples is one of those “tweener” players, he can play both defensive end and outside linebacker. Since Coach Ryan is a defensive type of guy look for the Jets to strengthen their front seven.

17. Cincinnati Bengals- Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame
The Bengals already have a young star on the one side for Andy Dalton to throw to why not force the teams in the AFC North to leave on WR on single coverage. The Bengals also need a defensive back, look to see them take one with their second first round pick. If Floyd is gone then flip it, DB first and WR later.

18. San Diego Chargers- Courtney Upshaw OLB/DE Alabama
Courtney Upshaw is the same type of player as Coples but I give Coples a slight edge and dropping Upshaw down to the Chargers. The two could go the other way with Upshaw to the Jets

19. Chicago Bears- Whitney Mercilus OLB/DE Illinoise
Mercilus will be the third tweener to go in the past four picks, the Bears would be happy to take any of the three and will probably take the one that is still on the board at number 19

20. Tennessee Titans- Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
The Titans really need help in the defensive backfield, the need a shutdown cornerback for sure. If Gilmore is off the board at this pick then look for the Titans to go with Dre Kirkpatrick.

21. Cincinnati Bengals- Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
If Gilmore is off the board at 17 when the Bengals have the first of their two first round picks then they will select Kirkpatrick there. If they are both available at this pick then the Bengals will take Gilmore, I feel they can't lose with either one.

22. Cleveland Browns- Kendall Wright WR Baylor
With the Browns taking care of one offensive problem at pick number four with Richardson then with this pick they will take the best receiver left. Don't be surprised if they snag a QB here.

23. Detroit Lions- Jonathan Martin  OT Stanford
The Lions have the defense, the RB, the franchise QB and Megatron at WR, now all they need is protection for Stafford to make the offense click. What better way to do this then an offensive tackle.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Dont’a Hightower ILB Alabama
If Cox, Brokers or Kuechly are still on the board then they will take any of them. The Steelers will be needing a defensive tackle in a few seasons but when they can add an elite inside linebacker to the great history of linebackers that they have had they won't pass on Hightower.

25. Denver Broncos- Jerel Worthy DT Michigan State
A Lot of people will say that the weak point for the Broncos was their QB but they have a future Hall of Famer under center, now they have a chance to make their defense even stronger.

26. Houston Texans- Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
Like most of the teams that made the playoffs the Texans are one player away from making it to the Super Bowl. The Texans have a strong defense and arguably the best running back in the league. With Matt Schuab healthy all the Texans need is an elite WR to take some pressure off of Andre Johnson

27. New England Patriots- Nick Perry DE USC
The Patriots got their act together as the season progressed but it was still not the caliber that Super Bowl contender should have. Expect them to address their D-line.

28. Green Bay Packers- Dontari Poe DT Memphis
Can’t really go wrong with whoever they pick. Its is a good opportunity to add depth and build for the future.

29. Baltimore Ravens- Peter Konz C Wisconsin
Matt Birk isn't getting younger and the Ravens have to look for the future. This pick also gives the Ravens some versatility on the offensive line.

30. San Francisco 49ers- Coby Fleener TE Stanford
The 49ers already have Vernon Davis and Nate Byham on the roster but they look to be taking a page out of the Patriots playbook. Fleener can be used as a traditional blocking TE and also is a receiving threat. Fleener can also lineup in the backfield as an H-Back where he can block and catch.

31. New England Patriots- Ronnell Lewis DE/OLB Oklahoma
Just as with their earlier first round pick they will be using this one also on defense.

32. New York Giants- Mike Adams OT Ohio State
When you are the Super Bowl champion it doesn't seem like you have too many weaknesses. If the Giants don’t try to add depth on the O-line then they could go with the D-line.

Youth Gone Wild

Bobál twins

This past week a set of twins from the Hungarian football club Budapest Honvéd was on a tryout with the English Premier Club Manchester City. Gergely Bobál and Dávid Bobál are 16 year old twins who have pretty much out grew the Hungarian U-17 league. With Manchester City offering them trial period the question has been brought up is it the best situation or the best choice for the twins to move abroad at such a young age. There have been a bunch of situations in the past where Hungarians have left Hungary before they turned 19 with some of them panning out and others being a complete bust.

Ádám Dudás, Kristitán Nemeth, András Simon

It would probably be the easiest to look at Hungarians who have played in the past five years to get the most accurate comparison to what the Bobál twins have gone through and what they should expect. We can take a look at the 2009 U-20 team that finished 3rd at the U-20 World Cup, Attila Filkor, Ádám Bogdán, Balázs Dzudzsák, Ádám Pintér, Ádám Vass, Ádám Szalai and Krisztián Tamás.

Basically there are two arguments, does the young football star leave Hungary at the age of 17 or at 21-22. At 17 they have more potential and just like in the NBA draft you can not learn potential. At 17 a major club from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France or even the Netherlands offers you a tryout or a youth contract you take it. You either fly through the system and in a couple of seasons you are a major contributor to the first team or you are ok at the age group level but you can't crack the first team lineup, you get loaned out to a 2nd division team and when your contract runs out you are back in Hungary. This is where things get interesting, if the kid who is now 20 or 21 has his head on straight looks at the positives and know that they learned a tremendous amount both on and off the pitch and carry themselves in a professional way then in two seasons they should be able to go abroad again, worst case to Belgium, Austria, Switzerland or to any or the major 2nd divisions. If they wait till they are in their early 20s they are going abroad mentally more mature however you know what you are getting. I say at the age of 17 go west to the top leagues, 22 go west to any of the leagues, 30 go anywhere in Europe, 35 go to the middle east for one major paycheck to live off of for the rest of your life.
If we look at the 2006 U-17 squad that finished 5th at the European Championships, at that time only Vladimir Koman was playing outside of Hungary with the Italian side Sampdoria. Koman would eventually work his way up and become a regular for the Seria A side. This past winter transfer window he left Sampdoria and signed with the French 2nd division club Monaco. Over all we can say that it was a good move that he left Hungary at the age of 17. Other guys from that team also played abroad, Attila Busai was a reserve player for MTK Budapest when at the age of 21 signed with the Swiss 2nd div. team FC Wil where he played two seasons, now he is back in Hungary at the age of 23 and starting for Ferencváros and showing how mature of a player he has become. Ádám Dudás was the first player to move from the country after Koman, after a trial with both Arsenal and Rangers he was loaned out to Spartak Moscow because his parent club Györi ETO did not want to sell him. After only a couple of appearances Dudás was back in Györ where he struggled with fitness and was loaned out he has finally come around as a full time starter. This year he is having one of the best seasons in the Hungarian league, look for him to move on from Györ to another country.

Krisztián Nemeth and Vladimir Koman

Another two players from this youth team was the Simon twins Ádám and András, András a striker was sold by MTK Budapest to Liverpool where he played on the reserve team when he was healthy and was on loan to Spanish 2nd div team Cordoba, eventually his contract ran out and Liverpool did not bring him back. He spent one season in Holland with Excelsior before he came back to Hungary to play for Györ. Ádám a defensive midfielder on the other hand went the other route, he was sold from MTK Budapest to Szombathelyi Haladás, after a couple of seasons at Haladás this past summer he was bought by the Italian 1st division team Palermo and is now loaned out to Bari. One twin left young and came back the other one left late and is now in Italy. Here are some of the other players:

Krisztián Nemeth- Was bought from MTK Budapest by Liverpool, after a couple of successful seasons on the reserve team he was loaned out to Blackpool in the 2nd division. In his first match he broke he cheekbone and was done for the season. Was later loaned out to the Greek club AEK Athen and then bought by Olympiacos, he is currently playing his first season in Holland for Waalwijk, look for him to move on to a bigger club.

Peter Gulácsi- Like Németh he was also bought from MTK by Liverpool, he has been said to be the future keeper for Liverpool. He has spent the past couple of seasons as the number two or three keeper for the side and has been on loan with Hull City in the past. Look for him to replce Pepe Reina eventually.

Zsolt Korcsmár- Zsolt was not on the U-17 team however he was already part of the U-19 team years later that finished 4th at the European Championships. Korcsmár stayed with his parent club till he was 21 and then signed with SK Brann in Norway, look for him to make a move to England or Germany in the near future.

Bálint Bajner- Bajner is a very peculiar situation, at 16 he debuted with Sopron in Hungary at 17 he made the move to Liberty Oradea in the Romanian 2nd division, then went on loan to West Ham and Budapest Honvéd. After making a permanent move to Honvéd he is now playing in the Italian 4th division. After making a move that makes scenes he follows it up with playing with a random team.

András Gosztonyi- He has spent his entire career in Hungary except for half a season when he was 20 with Bari, look for him to play in Italy again.

Roland Varga- Varga left MTK Budapest when he was 18 to play for Brescia which didnt go as smoothly as planned, after being loaned out twice (once in Hungary and once in Italy) he is back in Hungary playing in Györ. This kid is too unpredictable to predict his future.

Balázs Megyeri- At the age of 17 he made the move to Bristol City after one season he was back in Budapest, right now he has just finished his second season with Olympiacos and his first as the number one keeper, look for him to move on to a better league.

Markó Futács- Made the move to Nancy in France when he was 16, after three seasons moved on to Werder Bremen and now he is in Portsmouth. He can probably play in all the top leagues in the world once he physically matures.

Markó Futács

Ádám Kovácsik- He moved to Reggina when he was 17 and pretty much has been the number keeper all along, he will eventually get his chance.

Attila Filkor- Inter Milan signed him when he was 16 spending his years on the youth teams he was loaned out to a number of Seria B clubs before making a move to cross town rival AC Milan where again he has been on loan in the 2nd division.

Ádám Bogdán- He made the move to Bolton at the age of 20 two years later he became Bolton’s number two choice keeper, in January of this year the number one keeper went down with an injury and Bogdan was called in to be the number one man. Since then Jaaskelianen his healthy but Bogdan has held on to the spot and has saved Bolton from relegation.

Balázs Dzsudzsák- He moved to PSV at the age of 21 for only a couple of million euros, in four seasons in Holland he scored 55 goals as a midfielder which lead to Anzhi Makhachkala purchasing him for 19 million euros and a half season later made the 24 million euro move to Dynamo Moscow. He is right now the most expensive Hungarian in the market but there seems to be an asterisk next to his name since he is playing in Russia. Look for him to make a move to Italy in the future.

Ádám Pintér- Much like Dzsudzsák, Pintér did not make the move from Hungary until he was a bit older, at the age of 22 he was sold by MTK Budapest to Real Zaragoza in Spain, in his second year in he has become a regular in the first team.

Ádám Vass- Vass at the age of 16 was bought by the English club Stoke City where he spent one season before moving on to Italy where he has played for Brescia. Since the age of 17 he has been a regular for the Italian club. Look for him to move to a larger Italian side in the near future.

Ádám Szalai- At the age of 16 he made the move to German side Stuttgart where he spent three seasons, next he moved on to Real Madrid in Spain and now he is back in Germany playing for Mainz and is a real scoring presence when he is healthy.

Ádám Szalai

Krisztián Tamás- Not that many people know about this kid, last summer at the age of 16 he made the transfer from Szombathelyi Haladás U-19 team to AC Milan U-17 team and has already appeared in a reserve match for AC Milan. Right now the kid has potentially eventually when he gets too old for the reserve league he will probably be loaned out to a couple of 2nd div. teams until a small first div. club picks him up.

Aside from the one Simon twin, Dudás and Varga anyone that has gone abroad has done relatively well. Yes some are not with the superstar club that originally signed them but they are playing at a higher level then they would be in Hungary. With regarding the three that are back in Hungary they are all playing in Györ and helping the club to what looks to be a second place finish in the standings. Györ has a team that can make a push for a club title in the 2012-13 season. If I had to predict what will happen with the Bobál twins then I would have to say that they will be signed by a team in one of the top leagues in Europe maybe not Manchester City but it seems like they have the physical presence to succeed. Worst case they will be playing in Holland.

The Nomad Coach

Larry Brown

A nomad is a person who never really stays at one place for a long time. A person who always seems to be on the move. Professional head coaches always seem to be on the move, in European football it is not uncommon for a coach to be in charge of 5 or 6 clubs during their career, in North America they don't not move around as much or should I say they are only in charge of one or two organizations during a career. Legendary coach Phil Jackson coached only the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, of course that also helped he was winning. Then there is Larry Brown the nomad of basketball, Larry Brown has never stayed longer at one place more than five years. Coach Brown was hired as the Southern Methodist University coach, he has not coached since he stepped down from the Charlotte Bobcats last season, one of his hand full of losing seasons he has ever had.

Larry Brown started his coaching career in the now defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Carolina Cougars leading them to the playoffs in both seasons he was with them. Following the two seasons with the Cougars the Denver Nuggets picked him up where he lead them to the ABA finals in his second season and was with them in their first three seasons in the NBA after the NBA-ABA merger. Browns first three seasons in the NBA were all winning after which he sent two at UCLA, where he took the Bruins to the tournament in both seasons and reaching the Final Four in the first one. After the two years at UCLA Brown was on the move again and back to the pros where he took the reigns of the New Jersey Nets, in the first season he took them to the playoffs but six games left in the 1982-83 season he stepped down with the Nets standing at 47-29. After just two season in the NBA Larry Brown was back in the college game and coaching Kansas, this would end up being Brown’s longest tenure in the college game and his second longest stay in one place overall. In the five seasons at Kansas he took the Jayhawks to the NCAA tournament every season and not losing more than 11 games in a season. Kansas made to the Final 4 twice and winning the national championship the second time around with Danny Manning being named the player of the year. Of course after winning an NCAA title Coach Brown was on the move again back to the NBA, in his five seasons at Kansas and the two at UCLA he had won 74% of his games. Next Brown would coach the next 18 seasons in the NBA, during this string he would coach six teams. He would go one to miss the playoffs only three times, make it to the conference finals five times, making it to the NBA Finals three times and winning it once. In those 18 season Brown coached the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks.

He is probably most known for trying to keep Allen Iverson and his ego in control for six seasons and making it to the NBA finals in 2001 to the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2004 he finally won his NBA title with the Pistons by beating the Lakers 4 games to 1, to be fair the team was already pretty good they just couldn't get over the hump of making it to the finals. In 2005 the Pistons lost to the Spurs and Brown was lured away from Detroit by the big city lights of New York and the paycheck of the Knicks. Brown ended up spending one season with the Knicks, took three season off, which was the longest he had been away from the game since he started playing as a kid. Michael Jordan and the Bobcats brought in Brown and in his second season he took them to the playoffs but got off to a slow start this season and stepped down after 28 games.
From SMU’s standpoint hiring Brown looks like a stroke genius, they will be moving to the Big East conference with a coach with a name. On the flip side Brown has not coached the college game in twenty five years so it will be interesting how it will go.

That Boy Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey

“He scores with his left, he scores with his right, that boy Clint Dempsey make Drogba look shite”. Will the tribune at Craven Cottage be echoing with these lines next season? This season Clint Dempsey has set the Fulham record for most goals scored in an English Premier League season breaking Louis Saha’s and also set the single season and career mark for goals scored by an American in the Premiership. With Clint having such a phenomenal season by all accounts his value has skyrocketed which leads to an age old question that any mid level (even though I am a huge Fulham fan we all know that they are not at the same level as a Man U, Chelsea or Arsenal) team has in any sport, should they keep their best player or sell him and strengthen other parts of the squad.

Lets look at what we know, Dempsey has had his best season so far, his past couple seasons have been pretty good as well but this is the first one where his goal scoring has shown, we don't know if he will keep this up (yes he will) and he is not getting younger so there for right now Fulham can get the most cash for him. Also if Fulham wants to make a deep run at any of the trophies they will be playing for next season, they will need to bring in another forward, midfielder and a center defender. This of course costs money, which they can get by selling Dempsey. So if the price is right Fulham will let Clint Dempsey go.

Lets look at it from Dempsey’s point of view, he will not be moving to a team that is not at least playing in one of the two european tournaments. This leaves us with seven teams, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool. I want to rule out Manchester City because he would not be a big enough signing, he does not have that international wow factor. City right now is basically trying to do what Real Madrid did in the late 90s and early 2000s, bringing in superstars and filling the rest of the roster with players from their youth system. Manchester United can also be eliminated for the time being because they have some many attacking midfielders that Dempsey would not get any playing time. Of course Giggs and Scholes are up there in age and Anderson should be on his way out, that would leave Dempsey competing with Nani, Antonio Valencia, Park Ji-Sung and Ashley Young, not that they are all better then him but Sir Alex Ferguson will play the hot hand. If anyone struggles at Man-U they are rotated out of the lineup. Chelsea is similar to Man City in that they bother sign the big name stars. Chelsea’s midfield is not as strong as it has been in the past and he could probably start for them but I do not see Clint moving to the other side of the neighborhood in London to play for the rivals.

This leaves us with Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle. Supposedly Arséne Wenger has shown interest in Dempsey and I think Arsenal would be a good fit for him however he would be in a similar situation like in Man-U that he would have to rotate with a number of other players, however at large clubs such as Arsenal that would be competing for 4 trophies you need the depth to survive the long season. At Tottenham I think he would be a great fit with all the other attacking midfielders however playing at left wing is the 22 year old Gareth Bale, Bale could move back to left back but I don't see that happening with the type of season he has had. Newcastle is making a strong push at a Champions League spot and if they pull it off they will be looking for some scoring power at a reasonable price. he could easily be the best midfielder on a squad that would have a chance of making it past the group stage. If Newcastle does not make it to the Champions League a move up north to the Toon would be looked at as almost being a lateral move. The Liverpool situation has become very interesting since thursday when they let go of their director of football operations in a move to have a major overhaul at the club this off season. I would assume that there will be midfielders coming and going in the upcoming offseason at Anfield Road, if you look at the current standings Liverpool is only three points up on Fulham and have a guaranteed spot in the Europa League since they have already won the Carling up and are still alive for the F.A. Cup. It would look like a lateral move, however they have the history and are still considered one of the top clubs in Europe with an American ownership group that is willing to spend money.

So to sum up what we have learned is that boy Clint Dempsey has an opportunity to do something that no American player has yet to do and could become one of the top offseason transfer moves. Depending on who the last five rounds of the EPL turn out Clint Dempsey will be playing for either Liverpool or Newcastle next season if he does not leave Fulham.

Then again he could also end up in a different league.

Baseball Foreign Policy

Ozzie Guillen

What was Ozzie Guillen thinking....? He wasn't like most most of what Ozzie says, its impulsive and could be said that something was lost in translation. I feel that there are two parts to this Ozzie Guillen-Fidel Castro story, however I feel that one part has nothing to do with the other and what the repercussions that followed have to do with everything in the first place.
If I understand correctly what Ozzie Guillen the manager of the Miami Marlins was saying was that you have to give a guy dibs who has been in power for this long with all these people trying to take him out, which was misconstrued as him saying that he loved Castro which would make Guillen a communist in an area of the country where there is a large  Cuban presence and the Miami Marlins are trying to get their image up in the south Florida region.
First of all what is a  baseball manager being interviewed by Time magazine on any political or foreign policy topic? I was not aware that Guillen had a background or a degree any of those topics. I agree with all the Cuban immigrants getting upset and peeved with Ozzie Guillen.
The other part of this political snafu was that Major League Baseball has suspended Ozzie for five games. Like I said before that Ozzie should have shut his mouth and not said anything and I do not agree with what he said at all, however I do not see how what he said is worthy of suspension. Major League Baseball should be worried about how to handle steroid testing and Ryan Braun’s 50 game suspension that will not be happening this season because of a loophole in the system. I don't see who a comment about foreign policy deserves a five game suspension, do you get one game for mouthing off at your neighbor? Sometimes the people that run the MLB just blow my mind.

Fear the (Playoff) Beard

Henerik Zetterberg

Ok boys its time to use the razor for one last shave before you pack it away until after Lord Stanley’s Cup has been hoisted. Thats right its time to grow out your playoff beard, the more you look like Grizzly Adams the better your team is doing. This is also where you can separate the boys from the men, literally. Men can grow full beards and end up looking like axe murderers (Henrik Zetterberg) and other look like that 14 year old neighbor who is trying to grow out his first mustache and just looks like a straight up creeper (cough cough Sydney Crosby). Which leads me to my predictions for the the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, for hockey fans this is as close to heaven as one can get. So lets just get right to it.

Sydney Crosby

Eastern Conference

#1 New York Rangers vs. #8 Ottawa Senators

This matchup should be smooth sailing for the Rangers, the Senators had to fight their way in to snag that last playoff spot. As long as the Ranger do not look too far down the road past the Sens then they should be ok. Rangers in 5.

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #7 Washington Capitals
The Bruins are the defending Stanley Cup champions and did not really lose anyone from last years squad. Ok so Timmy Thomas is not had a year like last season but he is still one of the top 2 goalies in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals in the last couple of years had arguabley the best young firepower on any one roster but this season they have fizzled and are entering the playoffs with an unproven keeper do to injuries. Bruins in 5.

#3 Florida Panthers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils
Even though the Panthers are the three seed they are not better then the Devils. If we were seeding teams according to total points and ignoring division winners then the Panther would be the 6th seed. This Devils team fits the mold of the past where they play hard nosed D and dont really win in a high scoring fashion. The Panthers have adequate goaltending expect that it was almost by committee which usually does not work in the playoffs. I am taking New Jersey in 6.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers
The Penguins were the hottest team in the league even before Crosby came back. Even after Crosby came back the Pens kept their top two line combinations together and have been on fire since. If the Penguins were playing any other team aside from the Flyers I would predict a straight sweep or at the very least a win in 5 games. However this series is between bitter interstate rivals and could end up going to 7 games. The Flyers started the season strong but have picked up some injuries as the season has progressed. Unfortunately this is a first round series that I think will end up being won by the Penguins in 6.

Western Conference

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings
The Canucks are the defending Western Conference Champions, year in and year out they have scored goals, won games at a pace that has netted them the past two Presidents Trophies for having the best regular season record just haven't been able to go all the way. I don't really see them having any problem in disposing the Kings. This could be a sweep but I am going with the Canucks in 5.

#2 St.Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks
The Blues have the top goaltending combination in the league. There is not a drop off from one to the next however you can not be switching goalies in the playoffs. Usually a team will start out with one and if they struggle then the make a move to the second one. In this case if they go with Halak first and then switch to Elliot it will be almost impossible to switch back to Halak. The Blues look good on the blue line but they do not have the offense to go all the way. They have some veterans that have lifted the Cup in Arnott and Langenbrunner. The Sharks on the flip side have some offense but the defensive depth is a bit lacking, the Sharks can pull off the upset if they can keep the series as short as possible. I am taking the Sharks in 5.

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks
The Coyotes have won their first division title since they left Canada, but they will be meeting up with better Blackhawks team that is peaking at the right time. The Hawks are a young team that is also experienced with winning the Cup a couple years back. I am predicting a sweep. Blackhawks in 4.

#4 Nashville Predators vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings
All I can say about this series is that I wish this was a match up taking a place later in the playoffs. The Wings bring the same energy and veteran leadership year in and year out, but age is starting to catch up with them. The Predators would have had an easier time had they finished 6th or 7th. In the cage they have Pekke Rinne (one of the funnest names in sports) who has been lights out this year, I would give him the Vezina Trophy hands down. They have three solid defensemen in Weber, Gill and Suter but eventually the Wings will grind them down, look for the Predators to make a deep run next season. Red Wings in 7.


As of right now I am going with the Penguins to take the cup over the Blackhawks in 6

Protecting the Plate

Crash Davis

The baseball season isn't even a week old but for some reason I keep noticing the young catchers that are calling the games this season. Usually catchers are known for their experience and that give it your all attitude. Basically a better hitting version of Crash Davis from the movie Bull Durham. The reason I say better hitting is that Crash is in the minors and these catchers are not only in the majors but are starting and calling the games for some of the best pitchers to ever play the game.

Some of these guys are known for their hitting and will probably move to another position later on in their career, others are known for their maturity on and off the field other for their arm strength and general awareness behind the plate. There were players that were expected from the start to potentially become the next Johnny Bench like Matt Wieters was projected to be. Wieters slipped to the 5th overall pick to the Baltimore Orioles because the Pittsburgh Pirates did not want to pay the money that is agent would ask for. So far defensively he has proven to be the real deal with winning the American League Gold Glove last year however his bat is still slacking but I am sure that it will eventually come around.

Matt Wieters

With Jason Varitek retiring the Red Sox are looking towards Jarrod Saltalmachia to fill the shin pads and to make a name for himself and I don't mean by having the longest name in MLB history. “Salta” is on his third team in his short career, this is not because he lack talent. He just always happend to play for a team that had another good young catcher or a veteran and it was easy to trade him for talent for a playoff run. Expect Jarrod to take advantage of his first season as a full time starter.

The Toronto Blue Jays look to have J.P. Arencibia behind the plate. Last year was his first season as the number one guy behind the plate, he showed some power which he should build on this season as he hit a 3-run homerun on opening day. He did however lead the league with 12 passed balls last year.

Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Indians is like any other player from the Dominican Republic in that he was signed at the age of 15 or 16. Defensively he is adequate but with his bat he is like any other power hitter who is not patient at the plate. He hits his fair share of home runs but also gets his strikeouts.

Alex Avila had a huge breakout season last year with the Detroit Tigers, it was his first season as the starting catcher, he caught Justin Verlander’s no hitter, was an all star and won the American League Silver Slugger award. Expect him to be around for some years in Detroit.

Buster Posey

After having a very interesting and scary offseason Wilson Ramos expects to follow it up with an even better 2012 then a 2011. Ramos was kidnaped and held hostage in his native Venezuela during the offseason and will try to move past it. In 2011 he was chosen for for the all-rookie team after a great rookie year for the Washington Nationals.

To bookend this list of young catchers I have chosen Buster Posey. Posey just like Wieters was taken 5th overall when he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants. He was rookie of the year and has already won a world series, but what I like about Buster besides his first name is his tough as nails attitude and the only way to knock him out of a game is with a broken ankle. Posey is a great defensive catcher and has the luxury of calling the games for arguably the best pitching staff in the league, he isnt known for his power but has a life time average a shade under .300.