On Thursday, the sports world will revert to football for 5 days to analyze the upcoming 2012 draft class, almost two months before teams draft players. As much as I appreciate the rejuvenation of football on sports radio, in my opinion the NFL Combine proves only how fast a player can run and what he can bench. Yes, teams interview players, but like many sports nothing can replace game experience. So, in my mind, the “Indoor Underwear Olympics” rarely require too much attention for sports fans (Jerry Jones forgets this advice every year).
This year, however, presents one of the most interesting QB crops I can remember. While very little can ever approach the 1983 QB class in talent (Elway, Marino, and Kelly), I find this group intriguing for its many storylines.
The Best: Ask anyone, and Stanford QB Andrew Luck looks like “a sure thing” with many comparing him to a predecessor from Stanford, John Elway. Watching a few Stanford games this year, I would have to agree. He throws strongly, accurately, and quickly while maintaining the intelligence and athleticism to play in a pro offense. Not much more to be said, other than he will almost undoubtedly replace Peyton Manning in Indy, so there’s some intrigue right there.
The Angry: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III mesmerized the nation last season and the obsession can only grow if you live in Cleveland, Miami, or Washington. This week, however, RGIII expressed some frustration at ESPN analyst Todd McShay’s suggestion Griffin enter the draft as a wide receiver, so much so to move his pro day away from conflicting with Luck’s. I want to encourage you all to watch the newswire this week to see the attitude towards Griffin after the Combine. While he will be the #2 QB, the question remains which team will take him.
The Old: The NFL must ensure wheelchairs are available for draft day, because Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden, a former professional baseball player, will enter the NFL at the ripe age of 29. Easy to think teams will avoid him, since he has a foreseeable shelf-life, but the attention lavished on him by scouts adds to the intrigue of this class. He has maturity to learn quickly and can play in a pro offense immediately. While you may think him better suited for a BENGAY sponsorship, I’d put money on Weeden getting some love come draft day.
Raising Arizona: The state of Arizona boasts two NFL quarterback prospects this year. Arizona State QB Brock Osweiler engenders varying reactions. He might have stood a better chance in next year’s draft, to better work on his mental toughness, but still possesses the necessary physical build (6 foot 7 inches) and athleticism to be a good quarterback (watch his 40 meter time be second to Darron Thomas for QBs). Arizona QB Nick Foles also looks good to many NFL scouts, mainly because his offensive line last season forced him to develop calm under pressure and a good running ability. Along with Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M, these two will vie to be the third QB drafted overall. My take: teams will appreciate Osweiler’s physique and choose him first, while Foles will fall farther than expected. Tough to believe in a guy with so little team success.
The FCS Transfer. Tennessee-Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman presents an increasing NFL rarity: a realistic prospect at the most important position from a FCS school. Of all the current NFL quarterbacks, there is room for FCS talent. Joe Flacco and Tony Romo lead playoff-worthy teams each year (though Dallas underachieves like clockwork) and John Skelton led the Cardinals on a string of victories last season. Coleman played his first year at Tennessee, but never saw the field, so his presence at the draft gives the feeling of either a solid NFL prospect or a raw talent with good upside. Either way, worth watching how he does this weekend.
The Weird. Collective wisdom right now puts Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill behind Luck and Griffin as the third QB prospect. While RG3 dislikes the wide receiver label, Tannehill presents the opposite. Recruited to play receiver, Tannehill played a season and a half at QB in College Station, but now finds himself as a high prospect. This is a unique situation: in recent years players like Antwaan Randle-El and Matt Jones moved to wide receiver after playing quarterback in college, but rarely vice versa, even in the four year college life. Thus, I will be curious to see what happens to Tannehill.
The Possible but Highly Likely Mistake. Oregon QB Darron Thomas can flat out burn you. He has amazing quickness, finding a second and third gear when reaching the second level of a defense. The issue for Thomas is, in a draft class this deep, why would he come out after being a “system quarterback.” Any eight-year-old could tell you Oregon doesn’t play in any way similar to the NFL, so why leave one of the best college teams for the 7th round? I will be shocked if he stays in the league more than 4 years and, if he does, I bet he does not remain a QB.
In summary, while this week normally does not provide much excitement, the cast of characters after Luck and RGIII presents some very interesting possibilities. Who will be third? Would a team believe in the equivalent of an NFL octogenarian? Could we see this class in future years be one of the deepest ever? Maybe not, but perhaps the most interesting.
Bit #1: Great Oden’s Raven?
Occasionally in sports you feel a real sadness for a player who cannot show their talent due to injuries. On Tuesday, I felt such sadness for Greg Oden. Those of you with long memories remember the Oden vs. Durant debate in the 2007 draft, when the Portland Blazers chose Oden with the first overall pick. Even so, in the five years since being drafted, Oden has undergone five knee surgeries and played in only 82 games. Yes, one full season in games over the course of five calendar years. The flip side: Oden has collected $23 million since draft day, but draft busts always engender sympathy, especially with injuries involved.
Worst part: the Blazers are good at this act. If the name Sam Bowie rings a bell to any of you, please skip to the last sentence. For others, the Blazers passed on one Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft. Imagine if the Blazers took both MJ and Kevin Durant when they had the chance…truly interesting thought.
Bit #2: London Bridge is falling down
For the second week in a row, a London-based club team lost in horrendous fashion in Italy during the Champions League. On Tuesday, Chelsea lost to Napoli 3-1 in Naples, a team that hasn’t won the Italian Serie A since the late ‘80s. As I described last week for Arsenal, if Chelsea can beat Napoli at home while covering the difference in goal differential, they advance to the next stage. If they are unable, however, watch the Champions League for a Spanish triumph, with two of the four big English clubs (Arsenal included) out by the Round of 8.
Bit #3: Where is the Slam Dunk Contest?
On Wednesday afternoon, New York Knicks rookie Imam Shumpert pulled out of the Slam Dunk Contest this weekend, with Utah’s Jeremy Evans taking his place. (Pause for jaw hitting the floor....) WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE!?
In the 80s, the Dunk Contest was a premier event with premier participants. Jordan, Wilkins, Erving, and Drexler participated and the rules were simple: one chance to successfully dunk and the judges give a score out of a possible 50. Since those days, the Dunk Contest has looked an awful lot like a Mark Ruffalo movie where you think, “there must be someone better for this, right?”
It astounds me recognizable superstars like Blake Griffin, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade are not in the Contest. Instead, NBA fans must watch Chris Anderson try almost 20 times before completing his dunk. I’ll pass on this for a while.
Bit #4: February 22, 1980 – Miracle on Ice
I’ve waited to spotlight this event since starting to post. The Miracle on Ice, in my mind, continues as the greatest single American sports moment. To rehash for your benefit: the USSR decimated competition in the late 1970s. The team beat the NHL All-Stars in the 1979 Challenge Cup, punctuating victory with a 6-0 crushing after two competitive games. The U.S. team, on the other hand, boasted the services of college athletes, many hailing from Minnesota or Michigan who could not believe they would play in the Olympics. From a pure sports angle, this easily enters the conversation as the biggest sports upset of the last 50 years, if not all-time.
But the true value of the Miracle was not the unlikelihood of U.S. victory, but the context around it. Americans in 1980 suffered from huge inflation, long gas lines, and TV images of American hostages. The Soviet Union, by comparison, invaded Afghanistan a few months before this game, seemingly unstoppable in building its power. The Miracle on Ice shows the incredible power of sports to rally the confidence of a whole nation. Winning as the underdog added excitement, but beating a political international rival during one of the lower points of American confidence created the atmosphere many people still remember from the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. I couldn’t tell you anything else from that year’s Olympics, but they maintain a mystique for many as the point when Americans believed in themselves, idolizing upstart collegians as models in the face of overwhelming adversity. All through one sports event.
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