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Maria Sharapova:
The best kind of birthday is the one that we ALL get to celebrate in. With Maria's 18th today, you are officially no longer a dirty old man. Congrats!
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
BEST. AVAILABLE.
The most foolproof NFL draft strategy is to take the
"Best Available" player.
Ownership will approve.
Fans will approve.
Draft gurus will approve.
That's why the 49ers are on the precipice of bungling the first
pick of the 2005 NFL Draft by taking QB Alex Smith.
Smith is no franchise-making "top pick" in the mold of a Manning,
McNabb or Vick. (Neither is rival Aaron Rodgers.)
And yet, the 49ers are reportedly ready to take him, even though they
have equally glaring needs at positions with better draft talent, like
WR (Braylon Edwards, Mike Williams) or RB (Ronnie Brown, Cadillac
Williams).
Alex Smith?
More "Who???" than "Hooray!"
I've got two words for you:
Brady. Delhomme.
A team can develop its winning QB with scouting and "coaching them
up." The draft is littered with first-round busts; the playoffs are
peppered with late-round sleepers.
In 2005, why not choose:
*Vagabond Adrian McPherson?
*"MAC-Daddy" Charlie Frye?
*Underrated Jason Campbell?
*Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick?
(I sense a Belichick steal.)
Any can be had for less than a top-20 pick, with development potential
just as good as Smith or Rodgers -- with the right system and
coaching.
(The irony? When the 49ers are back at the top of the draft next year,
with everyone's consensus Manning-style No. 1 being QB Matt Leinart,
they'll get screwed again.)
The point? This year, there's no reason to take a QB at No. 1 overall.
More NFL Draft
Vikings trading up?
Want Edwards with Fins pick?
(via Miami Herald)
Redskins trading the 9th?
For OAK's CB Buchanon, No. 2?
(via Washington Post)
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Curt Schilling: Wins on Pats Day (thanks to 2 Manny HRs)
Sandy Alderson: Ex-A's architect hired as CEO of Padres
"R-word": Word floats that NHL may consider replacements |
| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
Yankee woes: D-Rays the tonic for what ails 'em (19-8 W)
Shaq: Questionable for last 2 regular games (thigh bruise)
Tyler Hamilton: Anti-Lance gets 2-yr suspension (doping) |
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Bears eyeing RB Benson?
Fans unlikely to approve.
(via ESPN Insider. Try it!)
Aaron Rodgers stock falling?
More Boller than bowled-over
(via Len P.: See Q It Up!)
MNF on ESPN
The End of an Era: Even as we celebrate the swan song of Monday Night Football on ABC in 2005, this is the best thing to happen to the NFL's marquee weekly event since Roone Arledge put
Cosell and Meredith in the booth together.
Suns Clinch HCA
With a 44-point 1st quarter, shredding the trendy
Nuggets and clinching home court throughout playoffs, the Suns put the rest of
the West on notice that they (not the Spurs) are the team to
beat.
Too bad for the Grizzlies, who draw the Suns in the first round, but
shocked the Spurs last night on a "buzzer-missing" winner by Mike
Miller.
NBA East Watch
Might-as-well-be-a-Must-Win:
Cavs host C's; Nets host Wiz.
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(Who are we kidding? The Cavs and Nets are jockeying for the right to
face freaking SHAQ in the first round, sponsored by
Sisyphus.)
Meanwhile, the Sixers clinched a spot, but could end up
anywhere from 6th (vs. Boston) to 7th (Detroit) to 8th
(Miami).
KG for Kobe, Cont'd
Call Monday's lead item a "frustration foul." (Of course I
didn't mean the Cavs would ACTUALLY trade LeBron.)
But a KG-for-Kobe trade idea remains inspired:
1. Both need scenery changes.
2. KG/Odom and Kobe/Wally work better than vice versa.
3. Rare fair mega-star swap.
OK, NOW start griping ...
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Paul DePodesta haters:
Contrary to offseason "wisdom," the Dodgers (10-2) are off to their best start since '81, when they won the World Series. Credit GM DePo ... finally!
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Quickie live! |
| Len P's QB analysis |
| Rodgers' stock falling? |
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| Quickie "Best Available" Draft Board |  Braylon Edwards
| Poor man's T.O.?
|  Mike Williams
| Better Andre Johnson?
|  Ronnie Brown
| The next Edge James?
|  Cadillac Williams
| Another Clinton Portis?
|  Antrel Rolle
| | The new Ed Reed? |
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Lance to retire after '05 TdF: Wait, didn't he say that LAST year?
(Anyway, it definitely jacks up interest in this upcoming
TdF.)
Kudos to the Red Sox, for revoking the season tickets of the fan
involved in the altercation with Gary Sheffield.
MLB Tuesday: Was Mark Prior's first start a fluky win or signs to good
things to come? Gets a challenge vs. the mighty (yes, MIGHTY) Reds
lineup.
MLB may use an independent group to examine 'roids in baseball, if
Congress passes. (Let MLB, not taxpayers, pay for the
investigations.)
Condolences to family, friends and fans of all-time great college
hoops coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, who won 828 games (5th-best
all time).
More condolences to family, friends and fans of Sam Mills, NFL
linebacker and most recently a coach for the Panthers.
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