Admiral on Bonds

Okay, okay...now that Bonds has passed the Babe on the all-time homerun list, and now that the media is calming down at least a little about Barry Bonds, I'll go ahead and chip in my two cents on steroids and the greatest baseball player of our time.

First, my thoughts on steroids:

I think it is necessary to give further thought to what steroids actually are and what they do before we start making assessments on the impact that steroids have had on baseball.

First, the purpose of steroids is to enhance the ability to heal and recover. Period. Steroids do not automatically turn a normal person into some sort of mutant. Steroids allow an athelete to endure a rigorous workout schedule while still performing at a high level as a professional athelete. Essentially, steroids enable an athelete to work harder to obtain greater physical benefits. They are not a miracle drug, but they do give an athelete a significant edge, particularly older atheletes who are past their prime and no longer able to recover quickly from physical strain.

Second, it is important to note that steroids do not just help players hit a baseball further. Steroids help a player do whatever they want to do better. They can make you faster. They can make you more agile. They can enable you to throw a ball harder. They can enable you to endure longer periods of time crouched behind the plate, and then allow you to do 50 leg squats that night. Steroids can help an athelete do just about anything physical related to baseball (or most other sports) at a higher level.

Finally, it is important to note the prevalence of steroid use in baseball from the mid 1980's until about 2005. I am convinced that during that 20 year period of time, well over half of the players in Major League Baseball were using steroids. If you are a triple-A baseball player in 1991, you would be a fool not to use steroids. While the estimates in Jose Canseco's book may have been something of an exaggeration, I have no doubt that the majority of baseball players were using steroids during that era. That includes not only sluggers playing first base and outfield, but also pitchers, speedy second basemen, and 32 year old veteran catchers. Everyone was doing it, and everyone was benefiting from it in their own way, with only a few exceptions.

So, to summarize: Steroids are about your ability to recover from physical strain, no more and no less. They helped everyone, at every position, enhance their performance. And during the so-called "steroid era" spanning from roughly 1985 to 2005, most of the league was on steroids. The pitchers and shortstops were just as juiced as the sluggers.

Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm no apologist for steroid use in baseball. However, I find it absurd to blame specific individuals for the problem, rather than looking at the system in which steroids became the norm. Blaming an individual baseball player for steroid use is like blaming an individual politician for corruption. If that politician weren't corrupt, he wouldn't be in office, because he would have lost to the other guy who got an edge on him through unscrupulous conduct. In an industry where the competition is direct and fierce, and the rules are not enforced, only the cheaters survive.

That brings us to Barry Bonds, the scapegoat of the steroid era:

From the outset, it should be noted that there is no doubt at this point that Bonds did steroids, and very little doubt that he did steroids knowingly. The most likely scenario at this point seems to be that Bonds started using illegal performance enhancing substances in the late 1990's, when he started getting old and Mark McGwire, who was obviously and blatantly on steroids, became the poster child for baseball success. It may have been a matter of jealousy, or maybe Bonds began to realize that if he wanted to extend his career, he needed to get on the steroid bandwagon. Maybe a combination thereof. Either way, Bonds began using, and his arms, head, and numbers got bigger and bigger.

So, if Bonds used steroids, what do we make of his numbers? Should we care that he just became the second most proficient home run hitter of all time? What if he passes up Hank Aaron? Does it matter?

Yes, of course it matters. Steroids or no steroids, you are witnessing the greatest baseball player of our time, and arguably the greatest ever. A lot of people used steroids at the same time as Barry, including the guys on the mound pitching to him. Barry's teammates used steroids. Barry's opponents used steroids. And none of them were any match for him. Barry Bonds is indisputably the best baseball player of our time. The playing field was relatively level, and Barry dominated like nobody since Babe Ruth. Steroids helped Barry get stronger and work harder, but Barry's eye saw a 95 mph fastball like you'd see a 25 mph cupcake. And that eye was not on steroids. The numbers are real.

But how do we compare Barry's numbers to Babe Ruth's? Easy. Babe Ruth played a game that black people were not allowed to play. How would facing competition from non-white opponents have impacted Ruth's numbers? We will never know. The game was far from perfect then, just as it is far from perfect now. Statistics are never perfect, and always must be understood in context. This is no exception. You can't discount Barry's accomplishments, even if they are, in part, steroid-fueled. Ruth's numbers were, in part, racism-fueled. And Ruth didn't face the complexity and strength of pitching that Barry faced.

Ultimately, all we can really know is that Ruth dominated his era, and Barry dominated his era, and both should be celebrated for what and who they are. Barry Bonds is a brilliant baseball player, as well as an arrogant jerk and a cheater. Babe Ruth was a brilliant baseball player, as well as a womanizer, drunk, and bigot.

So, if Bonds isn't solely responsible for all that is evil and wrong in baseball, then why the focus on Barry with respect to the steroid issue? I think the following are the reasons why Barry is regarded as the Sultan of Steroids, none of which are legitimate, and some of which are outright disturbing:

(1) Barry Bonds is a victim of bad timing. Just as the chickens finally came home to roost on MLB's dirty steroid secret, Barry was posting historic numbers. During the historic McGwire/Sosa race, baseball was still healing from labor disputes that left a lot of baseball fans hurt and disinterested. Though it was fairly obvious what was happening, baseball fans wanted to believe what they were seeing was real, and the baseball industry (including MLB, the media, and everyone else who makes money based on people's interest in baseball) NEEDED fans to believe what they were seeing. When baseball finally got ready to confront its demons and expose itself as something of a fraud to its fans, Barry Bonds happened to be the man in the spotlight. A simple case of bad luck...

(2) ...if only it were that simple. In addition to being the man who happened to be in the spotlight, he also happened to be black, rich, and outrageously successful. Whether conscious or not, American culture still has a certain disdain for a successful black man. That is particularly true when that black man is relatively outspoken, arrogant, and intimidating. Nobody ever wrote a book grilling McGwire and fishing through his life history to find any evidence of wrongdoing, even though McGwire stood at a government hearing and implicitly admitted that his entire career was a fraud. No matter how hostile the media seems to be towards Barry Bonds' accusations of racism, the fact is that their anger stems from the fact that they really don't understand what he is talking about. Bonds isn't accusing any individual of hating him because he is black. He is accusing the baseball world of hating him, in part, because he is black and successful. And Bonds is partially right...

(3) ...but it didn't help that Bonds is also an arrogant, spoiled jerk. Bonds has a long history of being openly hostile to the media, so it is not surprising that the media would fire back at him aggressively when the opportunity arose. Sammy Sosa also appears to be getting something of a pass for his obvious participation in the steroid era, but Slammin' Sammy was just so darned likeable, with his adorable little smile, his weird thing he did with his hand whenever he hit a homerun, and his love-love relationship with the fans. Everything Sammy did was gold until one day he sprayed cork all over the field. Sosa has now been disgraced and forced into retirement because his play has gone down the toilet since baseball has started actually paying attention to steroids. Even so, the media and baseball community basically leaves him alone. Sure, he's successful and black (afro-carribean, which is somewhat different than african-american, but black nonetheless), but he's just such a nice guy. Bonds has never been a nice guy. Bonds will never be a nice guy. Bonds does what he wants, plays by his own rules, dominates the sport, and doesn't seem to care. Bonds has known since age 7 that he would be a great baseball player, and he behaves like someone who has always known that he would be better than everyone else without trying. So although Bonds certainly doesn't deserve the scrutiny he is subjected to, he hasn't done much to avoid it.

(4) Last but not least, Bonds is a homerun hitter, and the steroid focus is on the homerun hitter. This is based on a fundamental misunderstanding about what steroids are, and what they do. When we think steroids, we think big muscular brute with the strength of an ox. When we think of that, we think homeruns. Thus, when we think of a guy who hits a lot of homeruns, we naturally think about steroids. This thinking is not rational. There is no reason why we shouldn't look at what Roger Clemens is doing at an old age and question whether he is on the level. There is no reason why we shouldn't question whether Chone Figgins would be so fast if it weren't for the juice. The focus on sluggers makes no sense. Steroids are a system-wide phenomenon.

The focus on Bonds as a steroid user is unwarranted. Instead, we should be focusing on the fact that Barry Bonds might be the best baseball player we will ever get to see...but keep in the back of our minds that he is a product of the steroid era, just as we should admire Babe Ruth's accomplishments and appreciate what he did for the game, but bear in mind that he wasn't the greatest guy, and he didn't play against the best of the best.

As a final note...if the story about Bonds jumping on the bandwagon after the McGwire/Sosa race is true, the cruel irony of Bonds being the posterchild for steroids in baseball is that (1) Bonds was apparently a long time steroid holdout; he had been playing at a high level for over a decade before he started using performance enhancing drugs, and was still dominating most of the steroid users; and (2) Bonds didn't really have the full benefit of his steroid use in his record-breaking year. He had just gotten started. And maybe he would have done it without the steroids.

Maybe. We'll never know. And that's what frustrates the fan about the steroid era. What do the numbers mean? We'll never really know. There is no way to know. Who do we blame? Blame the system. If you need an individual to pin it on, maybe it's Bud Selig. But it's not Barry Bonds.

It's Official...

Nobody cares about this blog.

The Toronto Raptors are on the Clock...

My early calls for the top 5 picks:

(1) Raptors: LaMarcus Aldridge, C, Texas. In 4 years he will be a force in the frontcourt alongside Chris Bosh. He won't contribute much right away, but he'll be well worth the investment in the long run.

(2) Bulls: Tyrus Thomas, PF, LSU. Thomas will join a good, young team that will contend by 2009. The Bulls have been smart with their draft picks, and this will be no exception. Look for Thomas to see limited minutes early, but become a solid contributor in a couple of years. The Bulls have a way of exploiting young talent.

(3) Bobcats: Adam Morrison, SF, Gonzaga. Should start immediately and provide desperately needed offensive firepower. Comparisons to Bird are very premature, but this kid can definitely ball. He's a competitor, and won't let the Bobcats be losers much longer.

(4) Blazers: Rudy Gay, SF, UConn. Another guy with big talent and an attitude problem. Just what Portland needs. Gay will either be the next McGrady, or an outright bust. In Portland, the latter is more likely.

(5) Hawks: Brandon Roy, G, UW. May switch to PG to play alongside Joe Johnson. Lots of good young talent on this team, but way too much sallary cap tied up with Joe Johnson for this team to be any good any time soon. The Hawks will continue to lose, but don't blame Brandon. Roy will be ROY, as in Rookie of the Year.

Also, J.J. Reddick will fall, but no further than the Jazz at pick #14.

My wish list for the Kings: They need a good backup PG who can play defense. Rajun Rondo would be ideal. If Rondo isn't available, they should take Dee Brown or Quincy Douby.

Your thoughts?

THIS POST IS ABOUT HOCKEY

...sort of.

Apparently the San Jose Sharks fans booed "O Canada," the Canadian national anthem sung before hockey and baseball games featuring a Canadian team. The Sharks are playing the Edmonton Oilers in a seven game playoff series. Edmonton is a Canadian city.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised that this would happen in San Jose, but I'm even more surprised it doesn't happen more often in regions of the country known for rabid nationalism. The Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators and Colorado Avelanche fans apparently have the sense not to boo the Canadian national anthem, but hockey fans in the notoriously liberal Bay Area suddenly hate their neighbor to the north? Very odd.

It's a little silly, in my opinion, to play the Canadian national anthem during games involving a Canadian opponent. The San Jose Sharks may well have more players from Canada than the Edmonton Oilers. Their star center, Joe Thornton, hails from Ontario. The Sharks also feature Germans, Swedes, Czechs, and Fins. Hockey is probably the most international of popular sports in America (to the extent it is popular), so booing anyone's national anthem is ridiculous. On the other hand, why play the Canadian national anthem at all? Why not play the Star Spangled Banner for games played in the U.S., and O Canada for games played in Canada? That way fans don't have to endure a double dose of national anthems, the hometown fans get their own anthem, and embarassing situations like this are avoided.

Though I don't see the connection between any national anthem and a sporting event (other than the olympics, obviously), I'm not ready to fight tradition to the point of advocating the abolition of national anthems at sporting events altogether (although there is something a little odd about asking baseball teams consisting largely of Dominicans and Mexicans to observe the U.S. national anthem)...but I think maybe we can limit the national anthem playing to the host country. I can't think of any good reason why both anthems should be played just because both countries are theoretically represented by the teams. The makeup of the teams themselves is not related to the cities, and the fans in Tampa Bay are probably not all that interested in honoring Canada.

That isn't to say that the actions of the San Jose fans are excusable. There's no reason to disrespect Canada like that, notwithstanding the ironic "Blame Canada" sentiment that seems to have arose from the South Park movie, which was clearly using the ridiculousness of a nationalistic conflict between the U.S. and Canada to show the ridiculousness of nationalistic conflict in general. Sharks fans should not be proud of their booing of "O Canada," and I don't think it can be passed off as showing support for their team over the Canadian visitors. However, I don't see any reason for the situation to arise in the first place.

Two Funniest Sports Articles Ever

Today, I saw the two funniest articles related to professional athletes that I have ever seen in my life. This is truly amazing.

(Unfortunately, the links to these articles are now dead).

#1 -- O.J. Simpson is Very, Extremely Innocent


First off, the fact that O.J. Simpson apparently now has his own candid camera show called "Juiced" is news to me. Maybe I'm not in the loop. That alone is hilarious. What's even funnier is that one of the gags involves O.J. trying to sell a white Ford Bronco at a used car lot. Even funnier is that one of his lines when trying to sell the vehicle is "It was good for me -- it helped me get away." Nice.

#2 -- Rick Sutcliffe Gives Incoherent Interview


First off, it's extremely funny that "Rick Sutcliffe Gives Incoherent Interview" is the actual headline of this article. Unfortunately for Rick, this interview was more than incoherent. Rick apparently broke the following well known rules:

(1) Don't hang out with Bill Murray in public.
(2) If you do hang out with Bill Murray in public, don't drink with him.
(3) If you do drink with Bill Murray in public, don't take any of his pills.
(4) If you do drink with Bill Murray in public and take whatever weird pills he hands you, don't get anywhere near a microphone.
(5) If you are drinking with Bill Murray in public, are on whatever bizarre drugs he talked you into taking, and then someone puts a microphone in front of you, don't say anything into that microphone.
(6) If, in the situation outlined in rule 5, you find yourself talking into a microphone, and then Bill Murray encourages you to stop talking, take Bill Murray's advice and stop talking. He is definitely handling his buzz better than you are.

Unfortunately for Rick and for Channel 4 San Diego, Rick did not obey any of the above rules. It will be interesting to see if Rick can keep his job with ESPN as a baseball analyst, or if he will instead seek employment with Woody Harrelson.

Draft Rankings

The most popular subject on this blog appears to be the recent NFL Draft, so I suppose I should ride that wave before it crashes into the shore.

Before I rate the top and bottom drafts, I should spell out my criteria. First off, I think the problem with most draft rankings is that they credit teams for things that were largely out of there control. The Saints topped a lot of draft rankings because Reggie Bush happened to fall into their lap. Picking Bush at #2 did not require any skill or manuvering. Any second grader could have done what the Saints did in the first round. There is also a tendancy to give high grades to teams that had higher picks generally. So, while I will give some weight to the overall talent that the team acquired, I will give more weight to what I think were smart moves that lesser GM's or owners may not have been able to pull off.

Having said that, here's my rankings:

1) Philadelphia Eagles: Bunkley is going to be a solid addition to an already scary Eagles front line. Winston Justice was an absolute steal in the second round, probably the best value pick in this draft. The Eagles were probably contemplating taking Justice in the first round, but they couldn't resist Bunkley, who they likely didn't expect to be available. Max-Jean Giles is also a future starter at OG, who they managed to steal in the 4th round. Jeremy Bloom in the 5th round is an intriguing pick, and will at least be an effective punt returner, which is more than can be said for most 5th round picks. Reaching for undersized I-AA defensive lineman Chris Gocong was the only blemish on what was otherwise an outstanding draft.

2) Denver Broncos: Time will tell on Cutler, but the Broncos should be commended for coming out of the draft not only with one of the top 3 QB prospects, but also an established threat at WR in Javon Walker. Dumervil will fit in very well with the Broncos D, which emphasizes speed and quickness.

3) Houston Texans: First off, I have to give the Texans credit for trusting their scouts over their fans by passing on the overhype twins, Reggie and Vince, to take a solid DE who is going to help this team win games more than both of those two put together. Normally, I am not a fan of drafting for "need" -- how much help can you really expect out of rookies? -- but with the Texans, they need to make something happen. Mario Williams will make something happen. He is already very good, and will only get better. With time, he has a chance to be the best pass rusher in the NFL. DeMeco Ryans should also have an immediate impact, and Charles Spencer and Eric Winston might help David Carr sleep a little easier on nights before his games. Wali Lundy could turn out to be a solid NFL back as well. Some say the Texans should have traded their pick...I'm sure they tried, but as time goes on, I think the fans in Houston will grow more and more happy with what they got in this draft.

4) New England Patriots: The Patriots added talent to their skill positions with Maroney and Jackson, both of whom will be big contributors to the Patriots for the next decade or so. The Patriots also impressed me in the late rounds, adding an underrated OG Ryan O'Callahan and the heir apparent to Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski, who was probably the best kicker in the draft. It's amazing to me how much NFL teams overlook the value of a good kicker...that is, until they are on the 35 yard line, down by 2 with 3 seconds left on the clock.

5) Arizona Cardinals: Leinart was a great pick, but a fairly obvious one at the 10th pick for a team that currently calls Kurt Warner their starter. More impressive to me was the second round grab of Taitusi Latui, who will bring up the level of Arizona's currently suspect offensive line, and Leonard Pope, the massive TE from Georgia who will catch a lot of passes under the radar screen as defensive coordinators are worried about Boldin, Fitzgerald, and James. Seventh rounder Todd Watkins should also make the team and be a great addition for 4 WR sets.

There's my top 5...that will have to do for now. Maybe later I'll post my 5 worst drafts. Watch out, Al Davis.

Four Year Old Kid Runs 40 Miles

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/young.runner.ap/index.html

A FOUR YEAR OLD KID RAN 40 FRIGGIN' MILES!

This is definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Since it is vaguely sports related, I decided that it needs to go on this blog.

The Kings are Dead...Long Live the Kings

Alright, we're close enough to Round 2 of the NBA playoffs that basketball merits some attention. The Sacramento Kings incredible turnaround ended last night with a beat down at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are clearly the class of the west this year, but I think next year the Western Conference is going to be wide open. Some of the top teams, like the Suns, the Clippers, and now the Kings, are going to improve dramatically next year. I would expect the Nuggets and Lakers to improve as well. Why? These teams haven't been together for very long. The Kings are still getting used to their new identity as Ron Artest's team...a gritty, defense first, hard nosed bunch who bruise up their opponents and like to keep the score under 90. It is still unclear how good the Suns will be with a healthy Amare Stoudemire. With Nash and Diaw, arguably two of the three best passers in the league (2nd and 3rd to Jason Kidd), they could be unstoppable. The Clippers are still getting used to the idea of expecting to win, but next year those expectations will be on their shoulders, and it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Meanwhile, the Big Fundamental is beginning to show some signs of aging. He turned 30 this year, and appears to be losing a step or so. He will still be a quality player for the next five or six years, but I wouldn't expect him to dominate the way he has been in the past five years. That's going to leave the Spurs weaker and more vulnerable in the paint. Opposing coaches don't lose sleep over Nazr Mohammed. The Spurs will end up relying on their depth at the guard and small forward positions, and on Tony Parker's speed, quickness, and ability to get other guys their shots. Having guys like Brent Barry and Michael Finley coming off of your bench certainly doesn't hurt...these two would be starting on any other team in the league. However, as the Mav's have shown over the past few years, having a lot of guys who can score points might win a lot of games in the regular season, but won't make you a champion. Aside from that, Manu Ginobili isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. Everyone knows he's a threat, and opposing coaches are looking to neutralize him. He looked like a superstar when teams were focusing on Duncan and Parker, but now that Ginobili is drawing double teams, his play is declining a bit. Duncan was the centerpiece of this team, and as he goes, so go the Spurs. That doesn't mean they won't be a contender...it just means that other teams in the Western Conference now have a decent shot at beating them.

The real wild card of the three aforementioned teams is the Sacramento Kings. One big factor in whether they will be as successful next year as they were in the latter half of this year is whether Rick Adelman sticks around...or, perhaps, whether he is welcome to stick around. Kings fans were calling for Adelman's head early in the season when the Kings were stinking up the court, which was ridiculous. It's amazing how short some fans' memories can be. Before Adelman came to the Kings, most people didn't even know that Sacramento had a basketball team. Admittedly, it wasn't all Adelman's doing...Chris Webber and Vlade Divac obviously had a huge impact on the Kings emerging into the realm of basketball respectability...but Coach Rick was a critical piece of that puzzle as well. I guarantee that if the Kings let Adelman go, there will be about 15 NBA teams stumbling over themselves and one another to sign him. Adelman is a coach on the level of Larry Brown and Phil Jackson, and is arguably the best of the three.

On the other hand, Adelman's style doesn't fit all that well with the Kings present personnel. Adelman likes to get his offense up and down the court, and defense has never been his top priority. Having said that, I thought that Flip Saunders didn't have a compatable style with the Pistons either. As it turns out, he's doing pretty well up there in Detroit. The Pistons are probably better now than they were under Larry Brown. I'm sure Adelman can adapt his game planning to the new Kings. After all, he did coach a group of talented players who hadn't ever played together before to one of the league's best records in the second half of the season.

If Adelman does leave, I'm not sure who they'd replace him with. I am sure, however, that it would be someone who is less desirable than Rick Adelman. The Kings were smart to shake things up this year, but the Maloofs need to be careful not to take the shake-up too far. The Kings need Rick Adelman more than Rick Adelman needs the Kings.

Round 2 in the Western Conference should be interesting this year. It's unfortunate for the Mavs that they have to deal with the Spurs in Round 2, because that would have made a great Western Conference Final. Suns vs. Lakers hasn't been settled yet, but I expect to see the Suns take care of business in Game 7. If they don't, I think Kobe single-handedly drags the Lakers all the way to the Western Conference Finals, and gives Pop and the Spurs a major headache. The Spurs should take care of the Suns or Lakers in 6, whichever one they face (I don't expect the Clippers to make it this year, but they could be a force next year), and then get swept by the Pistons.

Dorsey for Dilfer, Young QB's, and the Chargers

Today, the 49ers got Trent Dilfer for useless QB Ken Dorsey and a draft pick. The articles I have read say that the 49ers were acquiring a backup for Alex Smith. I'm skeptical. I think they acquired their new starting QB until they can come up with a graceful way to send last year's #1 overall pick packing.

Dilfer is not a great QB, but he's not that bad, either. He won't win the game for you, but he also won't lose it for you. If the 49ers do the right thing here and start Dilfer right away (or at least start him by Week 3 or so), they could move out of the cellar and win six games this year.

I'm not normally the sort of person to rush to judge a young QB. It's a tough position to play, especially when you are on a bad team and constantly running for your life. I think Joey Harrington, for example, still hasn't had a fair chance to show what he's capable of. I think Kyle Boller still could be a solid NFL QB, if he can regain his confidence and get some help. I think David Carr is an above average QB already, but doesn't have much to show for it because he's in a terrible situation. Alex Smith is in a worse situation, but I just don't see the potential with him. Bottom line...Trent Green is not coming to San Francisco to tutor Alex Smith. He's coming to keep the QB seat warm until the 49ers can find their real QB of the future.

A few years ago, the guy in Joey Harrington's shoes was named Drew Brees...everyone has already decided he doesn't cut it, but he obviously hasn't had a real chance to succeed. The San Diego Chargers were getting ready to throw him under a bus and roll out the red carpet for Eli Manning. Instead, Manning snubbed the Chargers, the Chargers wound up with a kid who, in my opinion, will be better than Eli Manning (although Manning has been better than I thought he would be), and Drew Brees became a Pro Bowler. The irony is that now that he is coming off of a major injury (the same one that has rendered Chad Pennington a lame duck), he's getting paid what he was worth before...and he isn't worth that now. The Saints really shot themselves in the foot with the Brees deal. It's a good thing Reggie Bush will be there to sell some tickets, because they are looking at being a losing team for the next several years. The Saints just brought in Jamie Martin, and the sooner he's taking snaps with the starting team, the better.

Meanwhile, the Chargers did some addition by subtraction by getting rid of the suddenly overrated Brees, and making way for Phillip Rivers. Eli might look like Peyton, but Phillip plays like Peyton. The Chargers are one star receiver away from dominating the AFC West.

NFL Draft 2006

The most recent major event in sports (other than basketball playoffs, which I don't really consider a big deal until at least the second round, and various things going on in baseball, like Barry Bonds nearing Babe Ruth's home run mark, which I think we have all heard more than enough about) is the NFL draft. Here are a few opinions I have about the draft that I think may differ from conventional wisdom:

1) The Texans taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush wasn't a bad move. It was a conservative move by a team that can't afford to make mistakes with first round picks. The hype over Reggie Bush isn't completely out of control. There's talk of him changing the game, of being a guy who is a threat to score whenever he gets anywhere near the ball, and so on. It's nonsense. Reggie Bush will be a good, but not great, running back in the NFL. All things being equal, I frankly think LenDale White is the better NFL back. Sure, Bush put up ridiculous numbers at USC, but what was he really playing against? Bush made his name by outrunning Pac-10 linebackers, few of whom are any good. If you watch Reggie Bush's games against Cal, the only team other than USC in the Pac-10 with a decent defense in the last two years, you will find that Bush didn't do much damage...and White did, because he can run you over and break tackles. I just don't see Reggie Bush outrunning as many linebackers on the NFL level. His moves can only take him so far against a skilled open field tackler, and he's not strong enough to break a lot of tackles. I see Reggie Bush as more Warrick Dunn than Emmit Smith. Look around the NFL and tell me how many starting running backs weigh less than 210. And if they weigh around 210, they are 5' 8". Bush will need to put on weight to be a back of significance...and when he does, he will lose a little of that quickness, and settle into the role of being a good, but not great, NFL running back.

Meanwhile, this Mario Williams kid looks like a beast...and in today's NFL, it's all about controlling the line of scrimmage. Mario Williams is going to help the Texans do that. Everyone is looking at what the Texans missed out on rather than looking at what they got. The shelf life of a good RB in the NFL these days is about 6 years. A franchise player at DE can hold down the fort and scare the hell out of the opposing QB for a good 12 years. Bottom line...this pick is not the disaster everyone is making it out to be, except maybe in terms of PR and marketing.

Am I saying I would have picked Bush over Williams? No. I would have tried harder to trade down. Someone in the NFL must have been in love with Reggie Bush enough to give up some value for him. If I couldn't get a trade and I were the GM of the Texans, I probably would have picked Bush to sell tickets, knowing that Williams might be the better choice if winning football games for the next 10 years were my only motivation.

2) I have a feeling that Matt Leinart is going to make nine teams very sorry that they didn't pick him in this year's draft. I don't know why, but Leinart just has thost intangible qualities that everyone looks for in a QB. He reminds me of a young Tom Brady, except much more athletically gifted. I think the teams that will most regret passing on Leinart are the Titans (more on that later), the Jets (Leinart and N.Y. was a match made in heaven, and Pennington is no longer capable of performing at an NFL level), the Bills (J.P. Losman is awful, and they don't have anyone else), and the Lions (they're giving up on Harrington, and the cupboard is pretty bare behind him). And maybe the Raiders, although I think Al Davis is either thinking that Andrew Walter is the answer (which he very well could be), or that he'll get his franchise QB of the future next year (Brady Quinn?). Meanwhile, although it lost him some money, Leinart has to be happy about being second string behind glass jaw Kurt Warner for a year or so, and then inheriting what looks to be the most explosive offense in the NFL by around 2008, assuming they can retain their current personnel.

3) I'm really unhappy with the Raiders for passing on Winston Justice in the second round. They desperately need O-Line help, and Justice was gift wrapped for them. Once the Raiders passed on Justice to take a project linebacker who will not make an immediate impact (and I think will probably never make an impact), it took the Eagles about 20 seconds to trade up and snatch him.

4) I'm at least a little surprised nobody took a chance on Marcus Vick. He's a very talented kid, although obviously too cocky, even for a QB. However, a good coach can knock him down a few pegs and turn him into a quality NFL QB. I think he's well worth a seventh round pick. How many seventh round picks make the team anyway? If I were Al Davis, I would have taken him with the last pick in the draft. Instead they took some WR from Maine who obviously won't make the team. WR is the one position where the Raiders have some depth.

5) The management of the Titans has lost their collective minds. You heard it here first...Vince Young is a bust. As much as I liked Vince Young in college, and as talented as I think he is, the bottom line is that the guy is not going to be able to read NFL defenses. He ran a dumbed down college offense for a reason. His legs are only going to be able to save him in the NFL so much. Norm Chow has his work cut out for him in training this kid to be at all useful in the NFL. Don't get me wrong...I'm not one of those people who thinks his funny throwing motion is a problem. Vince Young had one of the best arms in college football last year. He can throw it far, he can throw it accurately, and he can hit his receiver on tough routes and throw a catchable ball. His mobility could be a huge asset. I just don't think he has the requisite brain power to be a successful NFL QB. He might never start a single game.

6) I didn't think much of Cutler until Shanahan moved up to the 11th pick to grab him. If Shanahan thinks he's good, I'll take his word for it. I think Plummer's days as the Bronco starter might be numbered.

7) I don't care what anyone says...Kiwanuka was a great pick for the Giants at the end of the first round. Very solid. Strahan isn't getting any younger, and this kid is going to bring some serious talent to the Giants D Line.

8) I really, really like A.J. Hawk. He's going to be a force at the NFL level. He'll be a fixture in the Pro Bowl within a few years. Unfortunately, I think he's going to be playing for a very bad team for a while. Favre is done, and I think Aaron Rogers will be good, but not nearly good enough to save an otherwise talentless offense.

9) Steals from the third and fourth rounds: Ashton Youboty, CB, Buffalo; Dusty Dvoracek, DL, Chicago; Derek Hagan, WR, Miami; Dominique Byrd, TE, St. Louis; Max Jean-Giles, OG, Philadelphia; Ko Simpson, S, Buffalo; Elvis Dumervil, DE, Denver. Watch out for these guys.

Come to think of it, Buffalo had a decent draft, even though they completely blew it in the first round.

10) Steals from the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds: Ryan O'Callohan, OG, New England; Omar Jacobs, QB, Pittsburg (although he'll likely never get his shot and wind up a career backup); Mike Hass, WR, New Orleans; Todd Watkins, WR, Arizona

Now all we have to do is wait 7 years or so to see if these thoughts withstand the test of time. I think most of them will.

My Teams

For the record...my teams are the A's, Raiders, and Kings. So to the extent you want to allege any sort of bias in future postings...well, there it is.

The Genesis of Admiral's Sports Blog

Hey everyone...I have decided to create a blog. Now, most blogs are created by narcisistic, self-important people who want to talk about themselves or their lives...as though anyone cares. With my blog, I have instead chosen to talk about other people; namely, people associated with professional sports. That way, I can express my opinions about those people...as though anyone cares.

Since I live in Northern California, my posts might tend to be about teams from that region, but I will try to make an effort to weigh in on other teams as well.

What I'm envisioning here is a forum where sports fans can come together and talk sports, make controversial statements, and talk a little bit of smack (respectfully, of course).

So...thanks for reading my blog, and please contribute your thoughts!