4.29.2010

Walter Jones


What can you say about Walter Jones? He's the greatest of all time. There are all kinds of stats to back that up... too many to list here. But here's a fun one I heard from one of our Mustacheers, EP: Walter Jones had as many holding penalties, as he did Pro Bowl Appearances: 9. I know what you're thinking... 9?!?! He only went to 9 Pro Bowls??!?! Obviously he got shafted a few of those years.


Anyway, Big Walt, thanks for the years of service. You will be missed! The best ever!


Do we have the coolest front office in pro sports?

Coach Carroll tweeting songs as clues to who we are going to draft. Cool!

Going out and having what most people in the know are calling the best draft out of any team in the National Football League. Cool!

Anyone watching the draft on the NFL network would have seen them cut into our war room to see John Schnieder looking into the camera, flexing. Cool!

I had the opportunity to ask our GM what made him want to flex on National TV. His response, "I was in the zone baby! Dave Pearson wanted some tickets to the gun show!" COOL!!

4.28.2010

Baseball Predictions

With the baseball season a good three and a half weeks old I decided it was time to post the predictions for the season that Finn and I submitted before the season in the hope that our fellow party hosts would do the same. With those hopes still unfulfilled, and no real sign of a change in that status on the horizon, here are the official HCM predictions for the MLB in 2010:

Mr. F

AL WEST
Mariners
Angels
Rangers
A's

AL CENTRAL
Twins
Tigers
White Sox
Indians
Royals

AL EAST
Yankees
Red Sox (WC)
Rays
Orioles
Blue Jays

AL MVP
Milton Bradley
AL CY YOUNG
King Felix

NL WEST
D-backs
Dodgers
Rockies
Giants
Padres

NL CENTRAL
St. Louis
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Astros

NL EAST
Phillies
Braves (WC)
Marlins
Mets
Nationals

NL CY YOUNG
Roy Halladay
NL MVP
Albert Pujols

NL PLAYOFFS
St. Louis over Atlanta
Philly over Arizona

Philly over St. Louis

AL PLAYOFFS
Seattle over Boston
New York over Minnesota

Seattle over New York

WORLD SERIES
Seattle over Philadelphia
MVP Cliff Lee (oh sweet irony)

Erik

NL East:
Philadelphia
Florida - WC
Atlanta
NY Mets
Washington

NL Central:
St. Louis
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
Chicago Cubs
Houston
Pittsburgh

NL West:
Colorado
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Arizona
San Diego

AL East:
NY Yankees
Tampa Bay - WC
Boston
Baltimore
Toronto

AL Central:
Minnesota
Detroit
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland
Kansas City

AL West:
Seattle
Texas
Anaheim
Oakland

NL PLAYOFFS:
St. Louis over Florida
Philadelphia over Colorado

Philadelphia over St. Louis

AL PLAYOFFS:
Seattle over Tampa Bay
NY Yankees over Minnesota

Seattle over NY Yankees

WORLD SERIES:
Seattle over Philadelphia

NL MVP: Albert Pujols (why pick anyone else at this point?)
NL Cy Young: Ubaldo Jimenez

AL MVP: Ichiro
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

And no, I still haven't figured out how to use the "Read More" function.
.

4.23.2010

Day 2 Coverage

Alright, Day 2. Things will be getting underway soon. The big story of the day is how much further will Jimmy Clausen fall. The rumor so far is that the Rams are receiving multiple trade offers to move out of the first pick of the day. Check back throughout the day.

4.22.2010

Day 2 for the Seahawks

I loved Day 1 for the Hawks. I think both players can start next year and help the team immediately. The positions that I would like to see addressed by the second round pick (#60) are DL, RB, CB, G or WR (probably in that order).

Most of the intriguing d-line options will be gone in the first half of the round. I’d like to see the Hawks make a move to get in a position to take Brian Price (DT, UCLA). He’d be a solid player to put next to Mebane. Another DT possible would be Lamarr Houston out of Texas. It will be interesting to see how long Carlos Dunlap (DE, Florida) last. He has potential but has some off-field issues and is inconsistent.

I think the Hawks will have some good running backs to choose from at #60. Montario Hardesty, Ben Tate and Toby Gerhart could all be available at that point and would be a big help to the running game. Hardesty would be my pick if all three were still on the board. If Dexter McCluster is there he would be an interesting option. He’s more of a Spiller-type back that can be used as a receiver, runner and returner.

Five CBs went in round 1, so that position might be a bit thin now. If Chris Cook (UVA) slipped, he would be a nice add to the team. He’s 6’2” and could maybe at least be a better match up against Fitzgerald. Dominique Franks (Oklahoma) is another player I like.

I listed guard because the line needs improvement in more than just the left tackle spot. Someone like Jon Asamoah might fit the blocking schemes well and could be there at the end of the round.

Drafting a wide receiver might be pointless since Mike and Reggie Williams are going to finally live up to their first-round potential, but better safe than sorry. Damian Williams (USC) could be available as could a bigger receiver like Eric Decker (Minnesota).

I guess what I’d most like to see tomorrow is the Hawks make some moves to get a pick in the third round so we have more to look forward to.

It Has Begun

The 2010 NFL Draft is underway and the Rams are officially on the clock. Check back for commentary throughout the 1st round and feel free to join in.

Updated Mock Draft (2 Rounds)

I've put the finishing touches on my 2-round mock draft. I'll make changes if anything major happens between now and the first pick. Enjoy!
Round 1
1. St. Louis – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
I hope he’s a bust.

2. Detroit – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Soak it in Suh. This is the last time a national audience will ever see your face.

3. Tampa Bay – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
I wonder if one of these two DTs will be a bust. It seems like one guy busts each time there is a debate near the top of the draft about two guys who play the same position. My money would be on Suh. Something about him makes me think he won’t live up to the hype. Ndamukong roughly translated into English means “house of bust”.

4. Washington – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.
Some people are saying that Trent Williams fits the Redskins offense better than Okung. I think Okung is the better player and they’ll go with him over Williams.

5. Kansas City – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
I was thinking the Chiefs would go with Brian Bulaga, but I’m starting to hear more and more about people being down on Bulaga. I think he’ll slip a bit and Kansas City decides to go with an impact player to improve their defense. But what’s stopping these idiots from reaching for a good 3-4 fit? Maybe they’ll grab Dan Williams in this spot.

6. Seattle – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
I’m still not totally sold on Williams. He seems to have been on the rise during the post season and that always worries me a bit. That being said, he is an athletic tackle that can probably fit in nicely with the zone-blocking scheme.

7. Cleveland – Joe Haden, CB, Florida
They’d like for Berry to fall to them. I could see them taking Clausen, but it doesn’t sound like they’re high on him. They’ll wait and grab a QB early in round 2.

8. Oakland – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Too big and athletic for Al Davis to pass on. If he doesn’t go here, he’ll probably be available for them in round 2.

9. Buffalo – Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Could be Clausen, could be Dan Williams. The Bills really need a NT to anchor the 3-4, but I think they’ll grab Bulaga if he’s available.

10. Jacksonville – Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
It will be interesting to see if they really make a play to position themselves to take Tebow in the bottom of round 1. They could make a surprise pick here and go with Clausen.

11. Denver – Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The knock on McClain is that he might be a two-down player and he lacks coverage skills. This could cause him to slide a bit on draft day, but he fills a need for the Broncos.

12. Miami – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
They need a guy to play nose tackle. I think they’ll consider Jason Pierre-Paul here, but will go with Williams if he’s still on the board.

13. San Francisco – Earl Thomas, S, Texas
I would not be happy with this pick.

14. Seattle – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
I’m still behind the pick of CJ Spiller, but there’s talk of him going #10 to Jacksonville, or even 13 to San Fran. But for now, I’m leaving him here. If Joe Haden or Earl Thomas is still available I wouldn’t mind taking one of those two players. Also, I think Jason Pierre-Paul would be an interesting pick. He’s a risky pick since he only played one year at South Florida after coming from junior college, but he’s a tall, athletic player with a lot of potential. Improving the pass rush here might be the best option because a good running back can be had with the 2nd round pick (Montario Hardesty, Tennessee (good fit for Hawks’ offense) or Dexter McCluster (playmaker like Spiller))

15. New York (N) – Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
Might be looking for a pass rusher in this spot. Would really like for McClain to fall to this spot. Could be a reach for Weatherspoon, but it looks like he can be a nice MLB in a 4-3.

16. Tennessee – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, USF
I’m not sure where Pierre-Paul is going to go. If he’s still available I think the Titans will definitely take him.

17. San Francisco – Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Anthony Davis is a possibility here. Clausen will be one of the more intriguing storylines on Draft Day. He could go as high as 7 and he could go in to low 20’s. I think he’ll go earlier than later and if he falls to this point, someone may trade up to get in front of the Niners to take him. It would be very interesting if he drops to 18 and the Steelers. If Rapistberger is traded, they may be looking to add a QB earlier than expected.

18. Pittsburgh – Maurkice Pouncey, G/C, Florida
Maurkice Pouncey is a relentless blocker and never gives up. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He’ll have a lot in common with the QB he’s protecting.

19. Atlanta – Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
They need a DE.

20. Houston – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
They need a CB.

21. Cincinnati – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St
Tough to say where Bryant will go. He’s a Top 10 talent, but there are concerns about his character and the fact that he basically had a year off.

22. New England – Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
I think he’ll probably end up higher, but I had him here originally, so I’m going to stick with it.

23. Green Bay – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Davis is another guy that I may have put way too low. But there have been concerns about his attitude and work ethic. He might go #8 to the Raiders. Packers could be getting a steal if he realizes his potential.

24. Philadelphia – Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
I’ve heard that Philly is interested in trading up to pick Earl Thomas. If they stay here and Iupati is available, he makes sense.

25. Baltimore – Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
The Ravens need a TE to replace Todd Heap once he completely breaks down, which should be soon.

26. Arizona – Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU
They could use some help at this position. Interesting to see what happens if there’s a Clausen free-fall and he’s still available here.

27. Dallas – Taylor Mays, S, USC
I’d like for Mays to go in the first round. He seems like a good dude. Cowboys might be worried about taking a guy who will have the same problems Roy Williams had.

28. San Diego – Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State

29. New York – Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
Will convert to a 3-4 DE (and may go higher because of that).

30. Minnesota – Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
One of the best players available and fills a need. Interesting to watch these late picks to see if someone trades back into the first round to take Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow.

31. Indianapolis – Roger Saffold, OT, Indiana
Apparently they really like this guy, so I’ll run with it.

32. New Orleans – Everson Griffen, DE, USC

Round 2
33. STL – Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
34. DET – Daryl Washington, OLB, TCU
35. TB – Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
36. KC – Charles Brown, OT, USC
37. PHI – Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
38. CLE – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
39. OAK – Brian Price, DT, UCLA
40. SD – Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
41. BUF – Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
42. TB – Chris Cook, CB, Virginia
43. DEN – Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
44. NE – Tyson Alualu, DT/DE, Cal
45. DEN – Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina
46. NYG – Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
47. NE – Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Ole Miss
48. CAR – Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas
49. SF – Vlad Ducasse, OL, UMass
50. KC – Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
51. HOU – Nate Allen, S, USF
52. PIT – Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
53. NE – Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
54. CIN – Jon Asamoah, G, Illinois
55. PHI – Patrick Robinson, CB, FSU
56. GB – Morgan Burnett, S, Georgia Tech
57. BAL – Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest
58. ARI – Emmanuel Sanders, WR, SMU
59. DAL – Major Wright, S, Florida
60. SEA – Chad Jones, S, LSU
I’d like for the Hawks to be able to pick up a safety here and Jones would be the best one left on the board. This pick will be a bit more interesting if they don’t grab Spiller in Round 1. I’d like to see Montario Hardesty (RB, Tennesse) as this pick if that’s the case. Another interesting pick would be Cam Thomas (DT, UNC). If the Hawks are thinking about switching to a 3-4, it would be wise to pick up a guy who can play the NT position once the transition is made.

61. NYJ – Koa Misi, DE/OLB, Utah
62. MIN – Joe McKnight, RB, USC
63. IND – Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
64. NO – Navarro Bowman, OLB, Penn State

Live Draft Coverage

The NFL Draft is finally here and HCM has the coverage you need for Day 1. Leading up to the first pick we'll be posting any draft buzz that we're hearing from our sources. Feel free to join in with any hot rumors.

The hot rumor so far today is coming from Mr. F who is hearing a lot of chatter of the Detroit camp about trying to make a play for Albert Haynesworth. This would allow them to grab Russell Okung with the 2nd pick and result it a possible slide of Gerald McCoy to the Hawks at 6.

4.20.2010

2010 NFL Mock Draft, NOW IN VIDEO FORM!!!

The 2010 NFL Draft is just two days away. Anticipation is at an all time high. Here's something to wet your sick little whistles...

A VIDEO MOCK DRAFT, complete with touch screen interaction... for me... not you. Enjoy!!!

Picks 1 - 5:


Picks 6 - 10:


Picks 7 - 14



A 2-round mock will be posted before Thursday's draft (written form only) with any last minute changes.

4.17.2010

Scouting Spiller

I've discovered that ESPN U is showing some games from this previous college football season over the next few days. I'll be watching the ones that feature some of the prospects that seem to have an interest for the Mustacheers. I had a chance to DVR and watch Clemson vs. Miami and did so to try and get a better look at CJ Spiller. What I saw was both impressive and slightly disappointing. But, hey, enough of my yakking, click on the read more to read more of my yakking.

This game was a highlight reel for Spiller. He took a kickoff 90 yards for a score, broke open a 48-yard run and scored on a 56-yard reception. Each of these plays displayed some impressive skills. The return was set up by some good blocking and then he just out ran everyone. On the long run, he saw the hole, hit it, got to the 2nd level quickly and again used his speed to cut back and break it to the outside for the big gain. On the reception, he started in the backfield and ran play-action. He then ran a nice wheel route and just blew by the LB assigned to him and ran under a nice pass. Each of these plays demonstrated the home run ability that makes Spiller a high-rated prospect in the upcoming draft.

There were some other aspects of Spiller's play in this game that could translate well into the NFL. He looked very good running routes out of the backfield and natural catching the ball. He did a nice job of turning upfield quickly after the catch. This included a few times where he hit blocks before rolling into the flat (one he chipped a DE nicely and the other he set up a block, then disengaged and caught a dump-off pass).

There were a few things I noticed that had me concerned about his game. The thing that was most troubling was how he looked on standard run plays. He only had the one quality run from what I saw. To be fair, the blocking was not the greatest, but I would have liked to seen more from him. It looked like he was dancing a bit too much when the hole wasn't immediately available. Also, I'm concerned with his stamina. He sat out numerous plays and went right to the sidelines after the aforementioned long run. Anyone who has been in the stands with me during a Hawks/Rams game knows that this is a pet peeve of mine. I love to give Steve Jackson the business every time he has a good run, gets pumped up and then goes straight to the sideline (I'm sure that my creative jeering really gets under his skin). He also was not in the game at the end of regulation. I would think you'd want a playmaker like Spiller in there when the game is on the line.

Now to be fair, I don't think people are expecting Spiller to be a guy who carries the ball 25-30 times a game. He should be a complementary back who can be used in the passing game and on special teams. The Hawks need a guy who can make big plays and I would still love them to draft Spiller, but he's not the best option to improve the running game. I'd like for there to be a way to trade down from the 14th pick to get lower in the first round and take Ryan Matthews out of Fresno State. I haven't had a chance to expert-analyze his play, but I think he has more of a #1 back game. Still, I would love to have Spiller on the Hawks, because we have not had a player that defenses really need to account for in a long time. I just hope that if we pass on him, the Niners don't get him.

4.16.2010

I'm Here to (Sing a) Fight (Song for) You Florida Marlins



Not sure if all of you have seen/heard this yet, but Scott Stapp recorded a tribute song to the Florida Marlins, and well ... it's basically everything you'd expect it to be. Personally I agree with Stapp, I want strike outs, base hits, double plays; in that order.

NHL Playoffs!!

What is more exciting than guys growing their beards for the playoffs? This:

4.15.2010

Introducing...

THE MILTON METER!!!!

You'll notice a new addition to the website too your right... where we'll be tracking the progress of Milton Bradley (my new favorite Mariner) all year long.

I thinkk he's started out ok.. but there's room for improvement (spoiler alert: that's the pic I used in the below post). Aaaaand... not like it will happen, but there's also room for a decline. We're prepared for that too.

Anyway, have fun watching Milton's progress all year!

4.14.2010

Draft Chat

Even though participation will likely be limited to 2 or 3 people, I'm starting up this NFL Draft Chat/Mailbag. Post your questions and you'll get answers from HCM's resident draft expert, me.

And all you critics of this site need to realize that you're taking shots at a blog that is referenced as "by far the worst site on the internet." So, I hope you're proud of yourselves.

4.13.2010

Milton Bradley

I'm rooting for Milton Bradley. But apparently I'm in the minority... even in his own home town... or Seattle.



He blew it on a play yesterday... cost the M's a run. Crowd let him hear it. AND THEN... They let him hear it again when he came to the plate next inning.

Would it kill Seattle Fan's to give this guy a break. I get that he's not hitting real well, and he's got a bad rep... but this could be a perfect situation for him and let's just cut him some FRICKING SLACK.

I won't pretend to know all the fancy shmancy new baseball stats (ask Wanamaker... he'll pretend to know about those) but I gotta figure a decent to strong year form Milty would be pretty key to us making the playoffs. (Obviously the offense is AWESOME and who needs him... but he could be the extra boost).

And if that's not enough... Milton Bradley is a bad ass. Reminds me a lot of myself at a younger age. When was the last time we had a bad ass on our team? Buhner? Arthur Lee? There were a few here and there... but not much.

Anyway... I'm done rambling.... Go Milton! Go Mariners!

We suck

Nope! Not the Mariners! HCM. Listen... we've been blowing it lately.



Not gonna be time for Andersen Pro Day this year. Sorry.

Also, the weight loss challenge has come and gone, and you ladies probably have been waiting for your pix... well there aren't any. But Matt won. Good job Matt.

Stick around though, cuz Draft Guru Pete has got some big things planned, and I'm sure we'll have some real DYNOMITE! draft blogging.

Thanks for the support.

4.08.2010

Obvious Observations

Here are a few things I noticed in the M's first series. While this may not qualify as groundbreaking analysis, I feel like these topics should be discussed or at least pointed out on our cutting edge blog:

-We're 1-3.

-The bullpen looks shaaaaaky. They blew a lead in each of the first 3 games, and they actually blew it twice in that third game. It almost makes me miss Brandon Morrow. At least he could blow a game in style.

-I like to think that Jacky Z designated Langerhans for assignment based solely on his performance this season. "Look at your average Langerhans. Sorry kid, you're not cut out for the bigs." Is there any doubt that this guy will end up in Kansas City by week's end?

-It's too bad Cliff Lee is hurt, otherwise the M's would be at least 2-2. I'm not necessarily saying that he'd automatically get a W, but if he were in the rotation, Snell's nice 1 run outing would have been pushed back to Game 3, and the 5 runs scored by the offense would have been enough to get the win. Of course, there are other variables and what not, but hey we can't deal with all that, we're not scientists ... ok, most of us aren't scientists.

-On a good note, Figgins' first AB and subsequent base-path chicanery was pretty awesome. He walked, stole 2nd, got to 3rd when the throw went into center, then scored on Kotchman's hit. It was like: Ok, great, that's exactly what we got you for. Thanks!

-And finally, Eric Chavez looks like the front-runner for cover boy of this month's Sickly Man Magazine. Yikes, what happened to this guy? Every time he came up I was just worried for him.

That's what I've got for now. Anything good that I missed?