Archive for February, 2008

Kevin Borseth Is Forty! He’s a Man!

Add another coach to the list of meltdowns in the last year. We were entertained by the antics of Mississippi Braves manager, Phillip Wellman…the passionate defensive by Oklahoma State football coach, Mike Gundy…and now? Michigan women’s basketball coach, Kevin Borseth, takes his frustrations out on the media. Dude. They’re just rebounds, man.

The idea of this game is to recruit football players and move ‘em around that basket, and get rebounds!

I tell you what, though. Even Ed Harris couldn’t have done a better job of selling that anger. (Seriuosly, he looks like Ed Harris…don’tcha think?)

Popularity: 14% [?]

Custom Car Builder, Boyd Coddington, Dead At 63

I have to be honest…I may be a car guy, but if it weren’t for the show “American Hot Rod”, I wouldn’t have really appreciated Boyd Coddington’s rides. I knew the name. I knew it mainly for his wheels. But once I saw the show, I really began to realize that his designs were brassy and intrepid (not to be confused with the fugly car), and influenced other builders and manufacturers alike. The Hawaiian shirt, perfectly Flowbee‘d beard, and his testy attitude were always a kick to watch.

Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.

Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.

Courtesy — Jeff Wilson, Associated Press

Here are a few of the cars he created and influenced over the years:

1965 Mustang GT Fastback

1936 Delahaye

Porsche Cayenne Turbo

1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air (aka, “Chezoom”)

1946 Cadillac Cadzilla for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top

See more of Boyd Coddington’s cars at BoydCoddington.com

Popularity: 44% [?]

Greg Oden Does Some Unpaid Endorsing

On YardBarker.com (the blog of playas everywhere), Greg Oden officially endorsed Barack Obama immediately following a phone call from the Senator. Why not. It’s not like he’s busy playing basketball or anything. Oden did mention that The Big b’Rock didn’t dig his faux hawk to which Oden replied — What’s up with that Aunt Jemima outfit anyway?

Ok. On a serious note, it’s great to see a young celebrity…and likely a role model…not only endorse a candidate, but acknowledge that he’s excited about the fact that his vote might count.

If the person I vote for wins it’s gonna be because of my one little vote, at least that’s what I’m gonna think. I think everyone should think that way. This will be my first presidential election to participate in as a voter and I hope that you younger voters will get involved. I think that our votes can really influence the outcome so go out, register and vote for who you think is the best candidate to be the best leader for this country and make sure you and your family will feel good about the new president that is elected in November.

I can already see the Greg Oden TV ads for Barack Obama. He’s already got practice. They’d look something like this:

Read the rest of Greg Oden’s article — Senator Obama Is Getting My Vote.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Yao Ming Out For The Season

You can’t call time out mid season, Yao!

According the the Houston Chronicle, Yao Ming will be out for the rest of the foreseeable season with a stress fracture in his left foot. Looks like Tracy “Right Eye” McGrady will get the weight of the Rockets on his shoulders once again. Nothing against T-Mac, but I’d say you can scratch Houston off of your post-season schedule.

The Rockets (36-20) have won 12 consecutive games since losing the one game Yao has missed this season. Yao averaged 22 points and 10.8 rebounds this season.

Yao is scheduled to hold a 6:15 p.m. press conference today to discuss the injury. Everytime I think of Yao Ming doing an interview, I immedaitely think of Ivan Drago. I wonder if Bridgette Nielsen is going to speak on his behalf.

Popularity: 19% [?]

2008 NFL Combine — QBs, WRs, and RBs, Oh My!

This is the day when the players in the spotlight…um…are in the spotlight. Each of the groups today — QBs, WRs, and RBs — are packed with unproven talent. And what I mean by that is aside from the top 3-5 prospects, there are a handful of players that have NFL potential and have alot to prove. And best of all, there are a crop of RBs thought to run some lightning 40-yard dash times!

In the case of the quarterbacks, there are three clear favorites…and one hiding in their shadows. Here are my top 5 quarterbacks:

1. Matt Ryan, Boston College. Decided to wait to throw the ball on BC’s Pro Day on March 18th. I like Matt because is the most NFL-ready QB in terms of his developed skill set. If it weren’t for that, he’d be #3 or #4 on my list. He threw 19 INTs, but boasts a 60% completion percentage. That, and I liked him in Van Wilder. He ran a 4.98 40-yd dash.
2. Joe Flacco, University of Delaware. The most upside of the “elite” group. He’s taking some criticism for his lack of footwork because he was primarily a shotgun QB, not to mention a Div I-AA player. Who cares? Watch his highlight video. He’s good. He ran a 4.78 in the 40, which definitely helped his stock.
3. Brian Brohm, Louisville. He has a ton of experience. He’s a 4-year starter. And he’s efficient with better than 63% completion percentage in each of his four seasons, not to mention he threw no more than 5 INTs each season but 2007. He threw 12 picks; but Louisville also went 6-6 and lost their offensive guide, Bobby Petrino. As far as the Combine, he ran a 4.83 in the 40-yard dash, leaped 30″ vertical (#3), and he threw the ball well in drills today.
4. Chad Henne, Michigan. Henne’s strong point is his accuracy, which he exhibited late in the day today as well as in the Senior Bowl throwing the North’s only two touchdowns. Like those of Brian Brohm, Henne’s fundamentals look natural. Henne ran a best of 4.90 in the 40-yard dash.
5. Dennis Dixon, Oregon. Lost draft stock momentum after his injury late in the season, but he’s still a valueable prospect. He threw for 368 yards and a career-high 4 touchdowns in the Ducks’ win over Michigan. I still believe he is the second coming of Vince Young, but with much more patience in the pocket…something VY is still working on. He did not work out at the Combine, but Oregon’s Pro Day is April 3rd.

This year will feature a handful of quality QBs from which to choose. It will be hard to ignore guys like John David Booty of USC, Erik Ainge of Tennesse, Matt Flynn of LSU, and Anthony Morelli of Penn State. Kevin O’Connell of San Diego State is certainly worth mention in the list of value prospects. He’s mobile and accurate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 28% [?]

2008 NFL Combine — Tight Ends Are Athletes Too

Today marked the beginning of the 2008 NFL Combine brow raising as the Offensive Linemen, Kickers, and Tight Ends went through their respective agility drills. Most NFL Draft geeks believe 2008 features a hefty crop of offensive linemen. But I really didn’t pay much attention to their performances as they’re…well, they’re boring. And I don’t necessarily pay attention to their performances throughout the season. So, naturally it would be unfair for me to add any opinions as far as their draft status. But for $#!ts and giggles, here are the top offensive line performances in the bench press:

1. Jake Long. LT/RT, Michigan Wolverines — 37 reps
2. Jeremy Zuttah. RT, Rutgers — 35 reps
3. Kirk Barton. RT, Ohio State — 34 reps
4. Carl Nicks. LT/RT/DE, Nebraska — 31 reps
5. Brandon Keith. LT, Northern Iowa — 31 reps
6. Mike Gibson. LT, Cal — 31 reps

Tight Ends
The tight end performances were actually enjoyable to watch. There were definitely a bunch of unorthodox tight ends in the mix, which just made the traditional slow, blocking tight ends look uncoordinated. With the emergence of the spread offense in the college game, it’s no surprise that the 2008 NFL Combine featured a bunch of Belgian Blues at the tight end position.

Sometimes (ok, alot) I look at Mike Mayock’s Top 5 Lists and can’t help but chuckle. This is definitely one of those times. However, I think Mayock will change his list around a bit after today’s performances.

• John Carlson, ND. Disappointed on-lookers with a 4.96 40-yd dash, and followed it up with a 4.89. Mike Mayock is in love with this guy for his all-around ability (blocking/catching). While he wasn’t the best TE at the Combine per se, he definitely displayed his ability to catch the football in the Gauntlet the way he did throughout the season. His so-so 40-yd dash performance will undoubtedly give scouts another reason to go back and look at some tape. He’s definitely one of the top 5 tight ends, but not #1.
• Kellen Davis, Mich State. K3 (I’m sure he’d punch me for calling him that) was one of my favorites before his Combine performance. He played both ways for the Spartans this season…occasionally at Defensive End. Great showing in the 40-yd dash (4.58) not to mention he could have run with a full glass of water on his head and not spilled a drop because his stride was so smooth. Despite his Spartan stature, he does come with some flaws. He’s been criticized for his blah work ethic, and he was arrested back in 2006 for fighting. Regardless, he’ll be a great addition to most rosters.
• Derek Fine, Kansas. Like John Carlson, Derek didn’t have a fine (I had to) showing in the 40 (4.89). But he exhibited his catching abilities in the Gauntlet, and he always looked like he was trying his hardest. This is the one tight end whose blocking abilities I can remember. He made a couple of key blocks for teammate Jake Sharp (RB) during their game against Kansas State this season. I’m not sure if he’ll be drafted, but worth the mention. And I like his name.
• Jermichael Finley, Texas. The perfect example of why you can’t quantify a player’s ability with other drills. Despite a slower 40-yd dash (4.82), he caught every ball thrown to him in the Gauntlet including a David Tyree-like head catch to finish it off. He’s also the youngest tight end in the NFL Combine this year; he left Texas as a Sophomore. If you haven’t watched much Texas football lately, watch any of his YouTube highlight videos and you might be as impressed as I am.
• Dustin Keller, Purdue. Dustin Keller is the poster child for using the Combine to improve your draft stock. He earned a golf clap for his 26 reps @ 225 lbs in the bench press (#2), then more for his consistent 40-yd sprints of 4.54 & 4.53 (#1, officially 4.55), his Dwight Howard-esque 38″ vertical leap (#1), 10’11″ in the broad jump (#1), 6.88 seconds in the 3-cone (#2), 4.14 seconds in the 20-yd shuttle (#1), and a nearly perfect Gauntlet (1 drop). No doubt he’ll be the first tight end drafted. Not simply for his almost flawless Combine performance, but for his prodigious 2007 season.
• Brad Cottam, Tennessee. At 6’7 1/2″, 270 lbs, this guy blew through the 40 in 4.68 seconds! Are you kidding me? I can’t remember many highlights from this season even though I did catch a number of Vols games, but who wouldn’t want to throw to a guy that tall that runs a 4.68? Mayock likes him as #5. Who knows?
• Fred Davis, USC. He didn’t wow alot of folks in the Combine (or me at least). He appeared to be a little gimpy, but he still managed to participate. He did finish with 24 reps @ 225 lbs (#3) and a very decent Gauntlet. And anyone that watched USC football this season knows about his many accolades including the distinction as the nation’s best tight end (2007 John Mackey Award recipient).

My Honorable Mention tight ends include Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M and Darrell Strong from Pitt. Strong looked pretty good in the Gauntlet, but finished fair in everything else. He’s had some off-field issues in the past. Apparently he showed up out of shape for preseason workouts and was forced to wear a pink t-shirt during workouts that said “I work out at Curves”. Martellus Bennett will get the short end of the stick in this year’s draft. He’s a great athlete with great hands, but was under-utilized in the “Run First, Run Second” Texas A&M offense. He clocked a 4.69 in the 40-yd dash (#7) and a 34-inch vertical jump (#3). And he can dunk over his coach.

My Top 5 Tight Ends

1. Dustin Keller, Purdue
2. Jermichael Finley, Texas
3. Fred Davis, USC
4. John Carlson, Notre Dame
5. Kellen Davis, Michigan State

Tomorrow is QBs, RBs, and WRs. I can’t wait. You can keep track of the 2008 NFL Combine Top Performers on NFLNetwork.com.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Now This Is Happening — Lindsay Lohan Photos Trump $100 Oil

$100 Oil! C’mon…say it with me! “$100 OIL!!!” The crude (not refined) stuff ended above $100 per barrel yesterday for the first time ever. $100.10 to be exact. It’s up about 4% so far this year. Looks like Trump put that call into OPEC! “Get those prices down…and I mean now!” (6:01). Stockpile speculation on crude oil for March delivery dropped to $99.11 per barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and traded at $99.30 at 1:50 p.m. in Singapore.

Not Jake Shimabukuro

Eat your heart out, Don Ho (R.I.P.). Jake Shimabukuro is better than you at the ukulele. Be sure to check out his recent performance on Conan O’Brien. It’s like Monte Montgomery at chipmunk speed. Pretty cool!

Lindsay Lohan’s mom, Dina, is ok with “LL”s nude photo shoot. The photos in New York Magazine are photographer Bert Stein’s recreation of his legendary 1962 nude shoot with Marilyn Monroe titled “The Last Sitting”. What a relief! I was waiting for Mrs. Lohan’s blessing before I checked those out. And by “those”, I mean her photos. If you’re at work, you might want to wait until you get home to see “those”.

Shaquille O’Neal will return to the hardwood tonight against his old crew, the Lakers. Shaq wasted no time talking Shmaq…calling out everyone from Kobe (of course) to Phil Jackson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaq questioned Kareem’s lack of conversation and attention with regard to his place in the Lakers organization. Hey, Shaq. Hakim (see Game of Death) owns Kazaam.

Popularity: 18% [?]