Draft Grades--Caps roll a 7...

There was a massive sigh of relief from a lot of cooler heads in Redskins Nation when it was the New York Jets and not the Skins that traded for Cleveland's fifth overall selection... instead of sizzle the brain trust went with steak--and added a prime defensive player to the line in Brian Orakpo of Texas.

What makes this the guy the Skins coveted? Coach Jim Zorn and VP Vinny Cerrato both said Orakpo's speed off the edge seperated him from the other defensive linemen--and that he was also a great locker room guy; Longhorns coach Mack Brown told Cerrato he would miss Orakpo's presence off the field as much as on.

Will Brian Orakpo be an all-pro? As a thirteenth pick it's important he contributes this fall; and the priorities are first--he gets into camp healthy and ready to learn (unlike last years wideouts taken in round two)...and second--Greg Blache and staff find the right spot for him in the front seven to succeed. There's been talk he may be a rush linebacker or a defensive end; what's nice about a player with his skill set is you can move him around to maximize his strengths and thus his contributions.

Checking out the rest of the draft, I was surprised that they took cornerback Kevin Barnes in the third round--many had him sticking around into the fifth. Still, defensive back is a need and this team has evaluated secondary talent well as of late (Sean Taylor in 2004, LaRon Landry in '07, Chris Horton last year).

Late round picks are always a mixed bag: Nebraska linebacker Cody Glenn had injury and disciplinary issues while with the Cornhuskers...TCU linebacker Robert Henson looks like he'll fit in the middle behind London Fletcher...Idaho runningback Eddie Williams has played tight end and H-back as well but is also coming off knee surgery...Nevada wide receiver Marko Mitchell has 6-4 size and 4.36 speed...

I always find it amusing when the experts roll out grades five minutes after the draft ends-- mostly these "evaluations" are how well each team picked according to your evaluations of these players. You don't know how a player will perform when he makes the jump to the pros-- how well he'll deal with being in a new system or even how unlucky injuries might rear its ugly head. Can one give the Skins an effective grade for 2009? Definitely not. But you can grade them on 2006...:

Second Round--LB Rocky McIntosh started 28 games the last two years and is an effective player for the team-which is the goal for second rounders. Fifth Round--DT Anthony Montgomery started 15 games in '07, just three last year...not bad for the second day.
Sixth Round--DB Reed Doughty effectively lost his starting job to a rookie last fall before finishing the year injured...DL Kedrick Golston tallied two sacks over 12 starts last fall. Seventh Round--OL Kili Lefotu and LB Kevin Simon are both out of the league--as many seventh rounders are.

For a team that's known as a bad drafter--not too shabby-- with the primary selection (top 100) starting, and three second day picks contributing at various levels. I think it's more the lack of picks (no first, second or fourth rounders that year) that frustrates fans.


The Capitals play a first round game seven for the second straight year...kudos to rookie Simeon Varlamov for playing beyond his years in net (6 goals allowed in four games with two shutouts)... and to the offense for turning the corner (9 goals in games five and six after behind held to 8 over the first 4 games)... defenseman Brian Pothier told me yesterday after the skatearound the key to their offensive success was making sure Henrik Lundqvist didn't see the puck on their shots...whether it was screening or deflecting towards the net.

My favorite game seven? April 1987 I stayed up way past midnight into Easter morning watching the Capitals lose to the Islanders on a Pat LaFontaine goal--my mother gave me grief for staying up late because I was playing for my church's handbell choir the next morning. Somewhere in staying up late, the tight turnaround of a 6am wakeup call, Eggs Benedict and bells clanging made me ill beyond belief-- I slept the entire afternoon at the Peterson's house and missed Easter dinner before getting sick on the way home. Worth every moment.

CAPS 5, RANGERS 4.

First pick in the Draft--Overkill...plus the Terps don't get it.

Thank goodness the NFL Draft finally takes place this afternoon... I'm amazed at how it gets bigger each year...did we need Matthew McConaughey with a "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" tie-in? Please move the draft back to 12 noon so I don't have to be battered over the head with the "pre-draft special". Hasn't that been ESPN's programming the last few weeks?

The lucky 13th pick in the first round belongs to the Redskins-- and there has been quite a bit of talk surrounding potentially trading up to get USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. As previously stated in this space, I'd prefer an offensive or defensive linemen--but will the Skins go for simply steak or sexy sizzle?


Maryland wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bay is a potential first round pick-- and unfortunately instead of all eyes in College Park on their next pro, the Terps will be holding its annual spring football game this afternoon. At basically the same time (3:30 kickoff at Byrd; the draft starts at 4pm). It's akin to holding Midnight Madness the same time the Redskins host Dallas.

In today's marketplace where there's only so much airtime and column space to go around--holding the spring football game the same day as the NFL Draft is one sure way not to get your program noticed. How much video and audio from today's tilt will make the area sportscasts? Minimal, especially with the Caps remaining alive and the NBA playoffs raging--not to mention the Nats and O's. I know the University likes to have the spring game on "Maryland Day"--but Virginia and Virginia Tech do it right in having their spring showcase during a different weekend.

Feeling the Draft...This Pen isn't Mightier...V for Victory...

The NFL draft takes place Saturday afternoon--with a new start time: 4pm... and ESPN takes to the air with their "preview show" at 11am? I'm sorry, but five hours is way too long to speculate what might happen--as opposed to covering what is happening.

The Redskins currently own the 13th pick in the first round and I'm curious as to what they will do...will they go with need and take an offensive or defensive lineman, or move up and select USC quarterback Matt Sanchez? Obviously Sanchez is the sexy pick and the current Skins brain trust has a history of making big splashes---from 2000's "Fortune 500" free agent class (courtesy ESPN 980's Steve Czaban: they spent a fortune to reach .500) to the "Jetskins" of a few years later (did we need their kicker and kick returner too?). But an atrophying offensive line can't protect a QB no matter how good he is and a defensive line with depth questions that can't rush the passer will let your back seven hang out to dry.


Last year the Skins took three receivers in the second round--and although all three were "highest on the board" when chosen...is the front office flexible where their board is concerned? The "he was next on our list" response feels like a copout when that's the first and final answer as to why a player or a position was chosen. The other picks this weekend include a third rounder (#80 overall), a number five (150th) plus sixth and seventh round selections (186th and 243rd)...lets hope they don't spend one on a punter.


The long Nationals nightmare is just underway--while most felt the Nats wouldn't be a contender this year...nobody thought they would be this bad. The exclamation point of the club's 1-10 start was getting swept over the weekend by first place Florida (six early games against Washington will give you a boost in the standings)--allowing 8 runs in the ninth inning over the weekend as late leads dissolved. The smoke you see near the Anacostia River? That's the Nationals bullpen.

Good for the Nats that they've made a flurry of moves (Saul Rivera, Will Ledezma and Steven Shell to AAA, Garrett Mock, Jordan Zimmerman, Jason Bergmann and Kip Wells to the bigs)--bad for the team that reliever Joe Biemel goes on the DL with a hip strain (he had a staff best 1.23 ERA--and that means Rivera's back in DC).

The offense is the least of manager Manny Acta's worries...as the team is averaging almost five runs a game. Still the "O" is sometimes missing--and not on the field. Evidently Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn's uniforms were missing the letter "O" last Friday-- I don't know if Bert or Ernie had anything to do with the missing vowel, but the lack of a letter is exhibit A that this is the gang who can't shoot straight.




Nice game three win by the Capitals---and we may have seen the team's netminder for the next ten years. Simeon Varlamov stopped 33 shots in Madison Square Garden Monday night as the Caps avoided the dreaded 3-0 deficit. I know that a series can turn on a dime--and who's to say the Rangers offense doesn't finally get hot against the rookie in game four...but I'm starting to like the team's chances for a comeback.

Capped out...National Disaster...Isiah? No, really?

Hockey's second season began Wednesday evening-- with a disappointing result in DC as the Capitals fell to the New York Rangers 4-3...despite outshooting their opponent 35-21 and dominating much of the first period. Fingers will be pointed at goalie Jose Theodore--and although he didn't look as though he had his "A" game in gear, the netminder didn't trip and fall like Jeff Schultz did in allowing Brandon Dubinski a break-away opportunity that resulted in the gamewinner. Hockey playoff series take lives of their own...and although the Caps lost home ice advantage they can definitely rally against the Rangers.


A week and a half into the major league baseball season the Washington Nationals are still searching for their first victory. The pitching is porous--allowing almost 8 runs a game. The centerfielder of the future is now the centerfielder of the long-range future--as Lastings Milledge (wearing #85--is he the batboy or something?) gets demoted to AAA Syracuse. Instead of celebrating their home opener, the Club (and the world of baseball) mourned the loss of Hall of Fame announcer Harry Kalas. And the losses keep mounting--the immediate comparison is with the 1988 Orioles...but at least those Birds had talent. This has the feel of the '88 Braves-- an underperforming team that had plenty of youth that was only a few years away from turning the corner. Lets hope its the Braves-- one wonders how long interest in the city will hold in a bad franchise with no long-term roots.


Just when you thought the Isiah Thomas line of humor had run its course (everything from bad trades to overpaying to harrassing co-workers)...Zeke gets hired as Florida International's new head coach. Does FIU have any idea what this man's track record is? After so-so tenures with Toronto and Indiana he completely napalmed the New York Knicks--the franchise will not be able to climb out of the rubble for another year or too. Then there's the sexual harassment case. But his biggest claim of incompetence? Isiah bankrupted the Continental Basketball Association. Not just one team...but an entire league. I can hardly wait for the Sun Belt Conference media day.

Hope for chubby golfers everywhere...

Golf's first major saw a more entertaining undercard in the final round than the actual battle for the green jacket...for years we've wanted a Tiger-Phil Sunday showdown, and unfortunately it came on a day when Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera were tripping over each other to give away the championship. Congratulations to Cabrera--who is playing the role of Mark O'Meara in the late-career lightning department. What amazes me is that Cabrera's 2007 US and 2009 Masters are his first two wins on the PGA Tour. Talk about making it count!

Other thoughts from Augusta:


Was that Nicoret Cabrera was munching? My biggest memory from the 2007 US Open wasn't the shots he made, but the ridiculous amounts of cigarettes the Argentinian smoked on his way to the title. I can't imagine Augusta National (deep in the south where tobacco is king) having restrictive smoking policies--but then again, this is Augusta National--where spectators are "patrons" and the rough is the "second cut".

Was Phil Mickelson preparing for the Tour de France? I swear his shirts were of a cycler tightness that would make Lance Armstrong blush-- with extra popness to the collar not seen since Billy Zabka in Karate Kid.

Kenny Perry's a much more talented Rocco Mediate...it's easy to draw comparisons between the two--both coming up short in playoff bids to win their first major while in the sunset of their respective careers... but that's where the similarities end: Perry's ranked 11th on the tour and has four wins over the last year, while Mediate has five PGA Tour wins over his entire career.

I am not an animal!!! I was rooting for John Merrick to make a move, if only to give the film "Elephant Man" a shot in the arm in the Blu-ray/DVD market...fantastic movie with John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins...unfortunately despite a final round 66 Merrick finishes four shots off the pace and the 1981 Oscar nominee goes back to the dusty shelf. Accuracy note--the film has it wrong: the real-life Elephant Man in the 1800's was named Joseph Merrick.

Tiger's trail? Although he finished strong with a 68 (his best round of the weekend), Woods finished tied with Mr. Merrick ("I am not an animal!"--SEE how fun it is?)...setting up June's date with Bethpage Black at the US Open-- a tournament he's defending and one that he won at Bethpage Black. The US Open remains the lone major where Tiger hasn't repeated as champ (Nicklaus's lone repeat was the Masters in 1965-66)--and as good as he is at golf, Tiger's just as good recognizing the moment and history. Be prepared for another coronation.

Final four thoughts--and golf's everchanging pyramid...

The college basketball season ended the way it began--with North Carolina #1 thanks to its national championship game victory over Michigan State. As Tar Heel Nation crowns its fifth champion (third in the last 17 years)...we move on to the offseason.

Is it true Roy Williams has as many national titles as Dean Smith? Yes, it's tough to believe the student has equalled the teacher in that regard--but let's take it a step further...both of Williams wins were relatively comfortable--the five-point victory over Illinois in 2005 wasn't as close as it appeared, while this years game was over after ten minutes (31-11). Both of Dean's championships came thanks to colossal gaffes by the other team: Georgetown's Fred Brown passing to James Worthy in '82 and Michigan's Chris Webber calling a timeout the Wolverines didn't have in '93.

Does the Tar Heel run erase the ACC's underachieving season...and what do we make of the Big East? After one weekend the Atlantic Coast Conference was 5-6 in the NCAA's...with just one win outside of Greensboro while the Big East had 5 sweet sixteen schools. Odds looked good for at least one Big East school to be playing on the final Monday of the season--and while one can explain each loss-(Michigan State better motivated to get to the title than Louisville or UConn, Villanova not as talented as UNC, Syracuse not as good as Oklahoma and Pitt not matching up well with Nova)...the end result is the ACC's best fared better than the Big East's best. But the second, third, fourth and fifth best in the Big East is better than what the ACC had to offer this winter.



Masters week at Augusta National has Tiger Woods pursuing a fifteenth major...plus a pair of farewells: Gary Player after his 52nd and final competitive round and Fuzzy Zoeller on the 30th anniversary of his Masters triumph. Player will always be the George Harrison of his generation--not as well-liked as Jack or Arnie, but more than deserving of his place in the sun. Zoeller was a fine competitor who came through in the clutch (both of his major championships came in extra holes).

My take on the Tiger Woods-Jack Nicklaus debate? Much has been written about how one would do in the other's era and how their respective eras differed competition-wise... I think the elite of Nicklaus' generation (Palmer, Player and Trevino--with the later addition of Watson) beats Tiger's competition (Els, Singh, Mickelson) hands-down...but the depth of the field today is much better--today's #30 is much more capable of winning on the tour and in a major than the #30 of Jack's day. A lot of that has to do with economics...fringe players can remain on the tour longer and improve their game easier than they could 30 and 40 years ago--when if you didn't make a lot of cuts...you were going to find another line of work.

Simply put--in Nicklaus' time golf was more of an inverted pyramid--top loaded with more than a few hall of famers. Tiger's world has a much more traditional pyramid--with only a few on or near Mr. Woods' level. That doesn't make me any less mad at Phil or Ernie for not being able to close a British or U.S. Open, but it does rationalize Rich Beem or Shawn Micheel rising from out of nowhere.

Shining moments...fading lights...

The basketball bonanza wraps up this weekend as the NCAA tournament concludes in a football stadium. I've never been a huge fan of using domes for hoops...depth perception stinks for players while the buzz of having fans on top of the action is missing. Still, this is the way the NCAA conducts business--so lets move to the matchups...:

Michigan State over UConn... this should be a fun contest to watch-- as Calhoun and Izzo are master tacticians...although the Huskies are the more talented team, the Spartans are playing close to home and Ford Field will be rocking in a way most Final Four venues aren't.

North Carolina over Villanova... the Tar Heels are just too talented to be beaten (when they put their mind to it)...there's always the danger of UNC developing ADD--witness last year's first half against Kansas, or 2007's second half against Georgetown...and they don't defend well. Still, they have better and more seasoned players than the Wildcats.


Coaching carousel--I'm not surprised to see John Calipari get the Kentucky job...at first I thought they'd bring in Travis Ford or another ex-Wildcat. Although Calipari brings a fantastic resume to Lexington, those who drink the Calipari Kool-aid should beware: he's won at two schools (UMass and Memphis) with superior talent in second-tier conferences...lets see him triumph in a conference where there's more parity between the haves and have-nots. There's also usually been a recruiting cloud following him around...and UK's been trying to avoid its shady past that almost had the program facing the death penalty in the late 80's.

I was surprised to see Virginia bring in Washington State's Tony Bennett--I thought Anthony Ford might be ticketed to Charlottesville--but I think it's a better hire than Tubby Smith from the standpoint of Bennett being around longterm. UVa will have its fourth coach in eleven years--and needs some stability that marked the program under Terry Holland and Jeff Jones for 24 years. Bennett fared well at WSU...lets see how he does in the ACC.


In other relevant news, CBS announced it will cancel Guiding Light...when I was a kid my 80-something Aunt Sade watched GL religiously--and not only was I expected to know state capitals, I had to be up on the latest plotlines of her show. One time my parents wanted me to call Aunt Sade with my "Alan Spaulding" imitation--which sounded like an 11-year old sounding nothing like Alan Spaulding. I thought the show made some major mistakes in the 80's by de-emphasizing its core family the Bauers and turning into the Josh and Reva showcase... and GL's handling of Michael Zaslow's ALS (they fired him) was less than stellar. Still, it's tough to imagine afternoons minus the original Springfield USA.