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Drafting I'm not a Draft junkie, and I'm surprised how many people will watch the NFL Draft from start to finish. In the past, I have enjoyed watching Mel Kiper, Jr. flounder on-air with his clueless picks....so this year, I decided to do something different for the NFL Draft.
I was going to watch ESPN's coverage up to the point that Mel stepped in it. I can verify that it didn't take long into the telecast before that magical moment took place. Everybody on the planet knew the first two picks of the draft, but when the Oakland Raiders traded the 3rd pick in the selection process to the Miami Dolphins, the guessing game was on. Instantly my man, Mel, was reading off all the names that would be a great fit for the Fish....he concentrated most of his insight on the offensive line and he thought Lane Johnson of Oklahoma was absolutely the pick for Miami. Wrong. Not only did the Dolphins pass on Mel's suggestion....they actually decided to go in the opposite direction. They selected Dion Jordan, the defensive end from the Oregon Ducks. Good night, ESPN....I'm switching to the NFL Network. I actually love Mel Kiper, Jr. because he has fooled everybody...but anybody that believes he has any insight into the Draft has lost their damn mind. I still remember interviewing Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney years ago on my old show in the Carolinas and I asked him before the NFL Draft how often he speaks to Kiper about players and philosophy. Hurney replied that he'd never spoken to Kiper.....ever. As for the rest of the Draft, the real story had to be the SEC's influence. There's no denying that the conference plays the best brand of college football in all the land, but the NFL Draft numbers were staggering. Through the first three rounds of the draft, there were a grand total of 97 selections....the SEC accounted for 32 of them. When everything was said and done, the Southeastern Conference had 63 players selected...the ACC was second in the country with 31 players. The SEC East alone had 32 picks....when you think about it, that's incredible. Closer to home, the Carolina Panthers were one of a few teams with only 5 picks in the process and they predictably loaded up on the defensive line where the club really needed help. The one pick that seems strange on the surface surrounded the selection of Oregon RB Kenjon Barner. Don't get me wrong, I love Barner as a player. He's got ridiculous speed and great moves. I also had the chance to interview him in person when I visited the Oregon campus on our SiriusXM Camp Tours last year....he's an impressive kid. But the Panthers have spent well over 40 million bucks with fellow Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. It's one thing to have depth....but that move makes no sense unless you plan on trading away one of those backs. On the surface, that pick was bizarre. But like I always say when it comes to the NFL Draft or National Signing Day in college football.....you never know what you have until the pads start to pop. I watched a little bit of the NASCAR race from Richmond on Saturday night. They were banging and grinding all over the short track and that is exactly the way it's supposed to be in racing. You figured there had to be some ticked off drivers at the end of the night, and that's precisely what happened. You won't believe who was bumping, pushing and cussing out drivers at the end of the race.....Tony Stewart was fired up again. "Smoke" didn't care for the way Kurt Busch banged him around down the stretch and he made sure he knew it by wrecking and confronting him after the race. Tony Stewart is a trip....I love his intensity and there's no doubt that he is one of the best drivers on the planet. Now granted the confrontation wasn't as hilarious as the ending of the Nationwide event the previous night. That race produced a fitting climax when we were subjected to a driver deciding to kick another one South of the Mason-Dixon line. By the way, our Danica Demolition Derby meter is up to date, if you'd like to keep an update on the "Face of NASCAR". I must admit that she has done a nice job keeping her equipment off the wall....but I guess it makes it easier when you are constantly being lapped by the leaders. The PGA Tour comes to Charlotte this week with the Wells Fargo Championship. The field is pretty strong, despite the fact that the world's #1 player, Tiger Woods, has decided to pass on the event. I know tournament organizers are disappointed with that bit of news, but the show goes on. Tiger hasn't had much success in Charlotte the past few years. He missed the cut in 2010....he skipped the event in 2011....and he missed the cut again in 2012. It still would have been great for the tourney to have him in the field. The golf course is under a little bit of scrutiny in the fact that two of the greens had to be replaced last week. It's one thing for your Member-Guest Tournament to be inconvenienced with shoddy greens, but not a PGA Tour event. You know the suits at Quail Hollow will have the place looking like a million bucks this week....it is a first-class event and a perfect fit for the Charlotte sports scene, and that's true whether Tiger is here or not. All I know is that my man, Boo Weekley, is in the field and it's great to see him healthy and playing well again. Michael Jordan got married over the weekend. I hope Ahmad Rashad approved. After two weeks of doing way too much yard work during my getaway....I'm back on SiriusXM hosting "College Sports Today". The next time I take that much time off in the Spring, I'm traveling somewhere around the country. I hate yard work and the Springtime in the South is the time to be in the yard. Thank goodness I'm trading a shovel, mower and rake for the microphone. |
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