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Mel
Kiper, Jr. is on Fire The NFL Draft in primetime was a huge success. In the past, I've never been big on wasting any more than ten or fifteen minutes on the draft coverage when it started on a Saturday afternoon. Why bother wasting away inside on a beautiful Carolina weekend, listening to non-stop BS from your favorite "draft experts"? The NFL's decision to move it to primetime and air the proceedings on a Thursday and Friday night was brilliant. The ratings proved the point, too....as the NFL destroyed the NBA Playoffs, which included Kobe and LeBron. Plus, by breaking up the first round, it gave fans of all teams a chance to regroup and count their blessings and their draft picks....assuming you had one....and I'm talking to both Carolina and Chicago. It also gave the "draft experts" and other collections of talking heads a chance to realize that they didn't have a clue about what they were talking about. This is where "Draft Expert" Mel Kiper, Jr. enters the picture.
For the past five years, I've charted Captain Hairdo and his unabashed series of disastrous picks and predictions. The guy is completely clueless, and that's why I admire him. He continually points out his assertions, even after he's been proven to be the biggest tool on television. Kiper had never been better in all of his 26 years, than last Thursday night. It was Kiper that pounded his chest about the incredible football talent that is known as Jimmy Clausen. The Notre Dame QB was the third-best player in the entire draft according to Kiper, and teams would have to be damn stupid to pass on him. It was hilarious to watch every team in the NFL that had a first round pick disagree with Marvelous Mel Kiper, Jr......every single team passed on Clausen......except Carolina and Chicago, because they were taking the night off. With each pick that passed on Clausen, Kiper screamed even louder in support of the Irish signal caller. When the Denver Broncos picked Tebow, it became personal to Kiper. I've never laughed harder at Kiper, in all of my NFL Draft-watching days......Kiper was awesome....a complete moron, in "red alert" mode. Even his collection of ESPN blowhards couldn't help but laugh at the "Draft Expert" with the perfectly coiffed hair......it was must-watch television, for all the wrong reasons. After the first round, the ESPN suits had to realize what a disaster they had on their hands.....the best news was that America was digging the primetime Draft coverage and the train wreck which was ESPN's production of the night. I couldn't wait to see what Kiper had in store for us on Friday's second and third rounds of the NFL Draft...... Kiper didn't disappoint. I grabbed Mel's final mock draft of the 2nd round, and he continued to impress. Of the 32 2nd round picks, Kiper got one absolutely correct: the NY Jets with the 61st pick selected Vladimir Ducasse, an OT from UMass. Way to go, Mel....nice work. One correct pick, after regrouping from the embarrassment of round one. Of the 32 second round players selected, Kiper correctly anticipated 18 of the guys to be selected. That means 14 were not even in the right zip code. Damn, Mel.....that's weak, even by your standards. But the good news is that Mel Kiper's favorite QB, Jimmy Clausen, is headed to Carolina. I loved the pick by Fox and Hurney. It automatically gives us something to talk about all off-season, and given how pathetic the Panthers have been since the end of the year, that's a good thing. Can Clausen play and contribute for the Panthers? We're going to find out right away. I know he was a stellar 16-18 as a starter at ND....and we all know the Irish underachieved during his tenure. Personally, it's going to be great to watch him either suck or succeed in Carolina. If past ND QBs in recent decades are any indication, Clausen will continue the bust mode....but I'm anxious to see him try to prove everybody in the NFL wrong. As for Kiper.....I happened to turn on the tube Sunday afternoon and caught him making a bold prediction......Kiper stated in the next three years both Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy would lead the Panthers and Browns, respectively, to the Super Bowl. That should make every Carolina Panther cringe. There's no defense for Mel Kiper, Jr.....unless you have the TV remote. A couple of quick tidbits: The race at Talladega on Sunday was one of the best that I've ever watched. The conclusion had three overtime segments; there were 88 lead changes and 29 different leaders. Kevin Harvick's dramatic win and post-race comments were fantastic.....nothing like telling your sponsors to hit the road with a smile on your face. Even Jeff Gordon took a shot at Jimmie Johnson....it was great stuff. It's exactly what's been missing from the sport.....great racing, great storylines, and some trash talkin' thrown in, for good measure. I was really disappointed that the Bobcats found a way to let game 3 slip away from them on Saturday. The crowd was pumped....Dwight Howard had fouled out.....the team had multiple chances.....but it came up short, at the worse time. By doing so, the Bobcats are down 3-0, with game four Monday night in the Queen City. There have been been 88 teams prior that trailed 3-0, and not a single one has been able to come back to win a series. At this point, you can forget about winning the series....the Bobcats need to win a single playoff game. Currently, this is the only series in which a team has a "0" in the win column, and that's not a good thing. For as many advancements as the Bobcats have made this season, getting swept in the playoffs would be a step in the wrong direction. Let's hope they can pull one out on Monday. On Wednesday, I'm caddying for Boo Weekley again at the Quail Hollow Pro-Am. I'm really looking forward to getting up with my buddy on the PGA Tour. Plus, Boo is starting to get healthy and playing much better...the last two weeks he's finished in the Top 15, and Quail Hollow sets up well for another good finish this week. Assuming his caddy doesn't screw him up. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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