Interviewing Kevin Coble, Big 10’s 2nd Leading Scorer

By Paul M. Banks

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Northwestern sophomore forward Kevin Coble has the two highest individual scoring games in the Big Ten this season. He’s the first Wildcat to have two 30 pt games in the same season since Evan Eschmeyer over a decade ago. He also has more total rebounds than anyone else on the team despite missing the first nine games. He missed the entire pre-conference schedule to return home and be with his mother in Phoenix while she underwent cancer treatments. The personal story of Coble and his mother has been covered by numerous media outlets including espn.com, USA Today, and Big Ten Network. Coble also led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding last season, becoming the first freshman in school history to do so. I caught up to him after the Indiana game, where he set a new career high with 37 points on 12-16 shooting from the field, 5-6 from 3pt.

On having a lead late in the 2nd  half the past two games, only to see it result in defeat……

“When we were down in Iowa, we had our lead and then we lost it, and ended up losing the game. It’s hard; it’s added to our frustration that’s been our season so far. For us to rebound like we did against teams like Indiana was really a positive step for us.”

Commenting about when Coach Carmody pulled him aside and told him that he had not been playing up to his potential lately…….

“He [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 29th, 2008

NFL Mock Draft picks #21-32

By the TSB Staff

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The first round mock at a glance

http://www.thesportsbank.net/2008/02/22/2008-nfl-mock-draft/

Picks #11-20

http://www.thesportsbank.net/2008/02/27/tsb-nfl-mock-draft-picks-11-20/

Picks #1-10

http://www.thesportsbank.net/2008/02/26/2008-nfl-mock-draft-1-10/

21. Washington Redskins – Early Doucet, WR, LSU
Hopefully for Doucet, Skins owner Daniel Snyder will not go out and overpay again for a mediocre free agent receiver like he has in the past. Doucet was the championship team’s leading receiver, grabbing seven balls in the team’s biggest game. To say that Early will go early amongst the receivers chosen is a little too obvious. I agree with Krusty the Klown that “puns are lazy writing.” Just like during the entire season, Doucet showed in the BCS championship game why teams in need of wideouts will take him in the first round. Oh, and his measurables aren’t too shabby either.
–Paul M. Banks

22. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland) Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Felix Jones is a bit like the Matt Cassel of the draft.  Not because he will get drafted late and end up a backup, but he is a guy that has NFL intangibles, and you never saw much of him.  It’s tough to imagine what he would have been like had he been the premier guy on a team.  He’s fairly quick and has good size for the NFL.  Jones and McFadden will most likely turn out to be better than Cadillac and Brown out of Auburn.  Also, when I uploaded the rosters from NCAA Football ’08 to Madden ’08, Jones uploaded at 86 overall as [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College Football, NFLPosted on February 29th, 2008

Indiana Interim Head Coach Dan Dakich Part 2

By Paul M. Banks

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Before the ousting of former coach Kelvin Sampson, Indiana interim head coach Dan Dakich was an assistant. Previously, he was a head coach at Bowling Green University for ten years. He certainly is a Hoosier through and through serving as team Captain his junior and senior seasons under Bob Knight and as an assistant coach under Knight for 12 seasons. What Dakich is most famous for however, is his stellar defensive effort on Michael Jordan in MJ’s last collegiate game. He did a fine job limiting the greatest player in history. Now I’ll be the first to admit that most press conferences can be far from exciting, but Dakich’s first post game presser as the head man was fascinating, exciting, and emotional. It accurately articulates the fallout and aftershocks of THE major national story in college basketball. Here Dakich opens up his heart and soul about a nationally powerful program in extreme turmoil and rough transition; a program he has devoted most of this professional life to.

On how comfortable he feels calling the shots and the national media coverage of how he came to power………..

“I’ve done it. I’m not here as a guy that’s been an assistant and never done it. On terms of on the court, during the game and  practice, in terms of – no, one thing I wasn’t comfortable with was the entire week’s articles and speculation that I talked to Coach about that earlier in the week. I wasn’t [More …]

1 Comment »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 29th, 2008

Indiana Interim Head Coach Dan Dakich Presser Part 1 of 2

By Paul M. Banks

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Before the ousting of former coach Kelvin Sampson, Indiana interim head coach Dan Dakich was an assistant. Previously, he was a head coach at Bowling Green University for ten years. He certainly is a Hoosier through and through serving as team Captain his junior and senior seasons under Bob Knight and as an assistant coach under Knight for 12 seasons. What Dakich is most famous for however, is his stellar defensive effort on Michael Jordan in MJ’s last collegiate game. He did a fine job limiting the greatest player in history. Now I’ll be the first to admit that most press conferences can be far from exciting, but Dakich’s first post game presser as the head man was fascinating, exciting, and emotional. It accurately articulates the fallout and aftershocks of THE major national story in college basketball. Here Dakich opens up his heart and soul about a nationally powerful program in extreme turmoil and rough transition, a program he has devoted most of this professional life to.

His opening statement…….. 

I thought this was a heck of a college basketball game. I thought going into the game that this would be an incredibly difficult game for a couple of reasons. One, our circumstances, you go through our last 24-48 hours, kids that you see playing basketball are 18-to-22 year old kids. They’re not robots. They have all kinds of emotions, as do I, as does Ray, as does Jeff. The second reason is I [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 28th, 2008

Re-name Wrigley? Blasphemy

By David K.

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2/28/08
Vitamin Water Stadium?

Kentucky Fried Chicken Ballpark?

Tampax Field?

With word that the chief executive officer of the Tribune Company won’t hesitate to sell the naming rights to the legendary ballpark we now call Wrigley Field, outrage has emerged from Cubs fans and baseball communities.  Wrigley ranks among the likes of Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Lambeau Field, and Madison Square Garden as some of the most historical venues in all of sports.  Traditionalists of the game are in an up-roar at even the suggestion that the ballpark at 1060 West Addison be called anything other than Wrigley Field. 

So am I.

The Cubs are still one of the most profitable franchises in Major League Baseball. Regardless of where the north-siders may fall in the standings, hoards of people still fill the stands at Wrigley Field; some to support their beloved team, others to enjoy a sunny afternoon with friends (a.k.a. get hammered), others to take in the ivy walls and hand-operated scoreboard for their first time.  So why is there even the mention of ruining the tradition of one of the most hallowed ballparks in baseball history just to make a few extra bucks?  Remember when our rivals to the South sold out, re-naming Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field, or when they switched the start times of all their night games to 7:11 because the lure of free Slurpees was too much?  Those moves were not highly regarded and received plenty of criticism.  Cub [More …]

2 Comments »Filed under: Chicago CubsPosted on February 28th, 2008

THE ERIC GORDON INTERVIEW!

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By Paul M. Banks

Indiana freshman two guard Eric Gordon is the Big Ten’s leading scorer. (16th nationally) He’s a leading candidate for Big Ten freshman of the year and considered a top 5 NBA Draft pick by every expert across the board. (David K. currently has him 2nd overall in his mock draft) In the preseason, Lindy’s ranked him the nation’s third best freshman, Newcomer of the Year, Most Entertaining and Top NBA Prospect. He made the midseason watch list for both the Naismith and Wooden awards. You get the point: he’s truly “everybody’s All-American,” and will likely receive a very phat paycheck this June.

He’s currently considered public enemy #1 by fans and supporters of the Illinois Fighting Illini for originally giving a verbal commitment to Bruce Weber’s program before he eventually signed with the recently deposed Kelvin Sampson and Indiana. What most members of Illini Nation find particularly loathsome about his recruiting process: Gordon’s infamous “I’m still solid with Illinois” quote, made while he had decided to reopen his recruiting. As Gordon heads into what will likely be the final games of his college career, he plays for a program in crisis. In this interview, following his first game under a new coach, he discusses Kelvin Sampson and how he and his teammates are handling the adversity of transition amid scandal.

On how he and his teammates prepared mentally for the first game after the coaching change…..

Well, coach Dakich explained that we had to [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 27th, 2008

NFL Mock Draft picks #11-20

By the TSB Staff

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11. Buffalo Bills – Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Mike Jenkins will probably never be considered a shutdown corner in the vein of Champ Bailey or Deion Sanders, but he is a talent to complement Buffalo’s young safeties. He’s also the most complete and experienced corner prospect.
–Paul M. Banks

12. Denver Broncos – Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Ryan Clady is a big body that can move at the offensive tackle position. Can you think of a better marriage than a big mobile lineman and the revered Broncos zone-blocking scheme that has led to big rushing totals by nearly every running back that has lined up behind it? Me neither. It is hard to believe that the knock on the 6’6”, 317 pound Clady is his strength, but with that size I’d say that he’s still plenty strong.

Mike Shanahan knows that his team has some positions to fill if they are looking to improve enough to compete for the AFC West title (only one Division title in the past 9 seasons). Still, Shanahan is of the mind that you ensure you have your bread and butter ready and you build from there. Clady would definitely make the running game better, no matter who is carrying the ball. The Broncos could also use help on the defensive side of the ball, especially up the middle but unless someone like Sedrick Ellis falls to the Broncos at 12, Denver will most [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College Football, NFLPosted on February 27th, 2008

Week in Review 2/26-2/19 “Saving the world, one Tuesday at a time”

By Paul M. Banks

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-By now you’ve probably noticed the re-design and what a huge upgrade it is. Like Dave K. said (quoting Kanye) “welcome to the good life.” Also, take note that WIR, our signature segment has been moved to Tuesdays.

Jesus Walks

-What would Jesus do on myspace? Here’s your answer.
Whether you’ve ‘found Jesus’ or not, at least you can find him on the net where he has 117,101 myspace friends. Which is significantly less than Tila Tequila’s 3 million. Yes, this world is indeed ready for rapture when a C-list celebrity skank has 30 times as many myspace friends as the son of man. Although I’m sure Kanye West has him in his myspace top 8.

-Second place in this week’s myspace page of the week (although finishing second to a guy who could walk on water is nothing to be ashamed of) goes to http://myspace.com/ihatenotredame The best anti-Notre Dame website that I’ve ever seen.

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-On Friday night, I went to Morgan’s, a sports bar in the University Village area of the city to experience a Soxman public appearance. I’ll let him describe it…. “Overall, we signed 75+ autographs and posed for a ton of photos, while meeting some great people.  As I’ve said before, I’m completely humbled every time, I’m asked to sign my name.  You are all the best fans and more importantly friends any hero could ask for.”

-You knew a parody of the Obama “Yes We Can [More …]

2 Comments »Filed under: The BankPosted on February 26th, 2008

2008 NFL Mock Draft 1-10

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For the full first round mock at a glance:

http://www.thesportsbank.net/2008/02/22/2008-nfl-mock-draft/

1. Miami Dolphins – Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

Team Needs: where do you start? How much time do you have? From a needs standpoint, Glenn Dorsey would fill a huge hole at defensive tackle on a team that had a horrible time stopping the run in 2007. They gave up an NFL-worst 153.5 rushing yards per game, and that includes the natural disaster in Pittsburgh where the Steelers only managed 84 yards on the ground because they played in a field that resembled Yoda’s home planet.
Bill Parcells coming to the Dolphins as the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, major changes have already begun and this a crucial decision that he will have tremendous influence on. So begins the Parcells regime. 
In the BCS championship game, Dorsey became a household name with a sack, five tackles, and a forced fumble even though the Buckeye offensive line keyed on him all night. He got through many of the double teams, showing why his explosiveness will translate well on the next level. On a night with award winners and All-Americans everywhere, the Lombardi and Nagurski award winning Dorsey stood out the most.  Dorsey would be able to start immediately and have an instant impact in the middle. He is an elite player who overcame back and knee injuries, showing the moxie to remain on the field for LSU down the stretch.
–Paul M. Banks

2. St. Louis [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College Football, NFLPosted on February 26th, 2008

Northwestern Basketball: Sports Media Hub!

By Paul M. Banks

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As I walked into the McGaw Hall Fieldhouse for the Indiana-Northwestern post game press conference, I said out loud to myself, “Wow! I’ve never seen it THIS crowded before!” Immediately to my left was ESPN’s Wendy Nix who nodded and smiled. She is even more gorgeous, with her sultry and husky voice, in real life. Her smile could light up the gloomiest North Shore February day. She’s also probably the only woman on this planet who can tell me something I don’t know about the New England Patriots. Her husband Ben, the Boston Red Sox VP of player personnel, is one lucky man. When I found my seat for the press conference, I also noticed Jay Mariotti from ESPN’s “Around the Horn” and more video and audio equipment than I’ve ever seen at a presser. When the speaking began, there was a shutterbug soundtrack usually reserved for the press conferences that television stations break into live.

This was an entirely different animal from the Northwestern-University of Chicago preseason contest, (a game I dubbed the “Intellectual Invitational” because it’s a dream match-up for grad students in pretty much any academic program) where I was joined by just a small cadre of journalists. It also verified the arguments I made against my friends a couple weeks ago in a Wrigleyville pub. They seem to be amused by my presence at Welsh-Ryan Arena’s press row. Not sure if my buddies were making fun of me or [More …]

1 Comment »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 25th, 2008

Indiana Overcomes Turmoil, Escapes Northwestern

By Paul M. Banks

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An exciting end to emotional week as conference heavyweight gets nearly knocked off

It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Indiana. The nation’s #15 ranked team wasn’t supposed to find themselves down to lowly Northwestern with just under three minutes to go. They never anticipated they would have a very realistic chance of losing in the final 13 seconds. The Hoosiers had just routed then #7 Michigan State and also handed Big 10 leader Purdue just its second conference loss. So how on Earth did they find themselves down by eight in the second half and trailing for about ¾ of the game…to a team with a RPI in the high 200s and a 7-17 (0-13 conference) record?  Where shall I begin? Like it was stated in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” “Begin at the beginning, continue on until you reach the end, then stop.”

Hoosier Cellular Provider?

Hiring a coach, Kelvin Sampson, with a checkered past is where the program’s current turmoil began. His almost megalomaniacal behavior and outrageously egregious disregard for the NCAA rules on cell phone calls and text messaging (“can you hear me now?” Indiana AD Rick Greenspan) landed him in hot water with college basketball’s governing bodies. This forced Indiana University to give him a $750,000 parachute and end his contract effective immediately. After Sampson’s “resignation,” (and I’m using the heaviest air quotes possible here) Six players threatened a boycott and skipped the first practice [More …]

2 Comments »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 25th, 2008

Marquette: Peaking at the Right Time

By David K.

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2/25/08

In my last Ring Out Ahoya article, I correctly prophesized that maybe it was a good thing Marquette hit a rough stretch in the middle of the season.  After back to back losses to Louisville and at Notre Dame, the Golden Eagles seemed as if they were fading fast in the Big East.  But MU has responded in a big way, destroying their competition in their last four games by an average of more than twenty points per game, and seemingly peaking at the perfect time as March is right around the corner.

Yes, their wins at Seton Hall, vs. Pitt, at St. John’s, and vs. Rutgers were all games Marquette should have won.  However, what really makes these past two weeks impressive is the convincing fashion in which the Golden Eagles have been victorious.  Defense has been the catalyst in all four wins as Tom Crean’s crew turned up their ball pressure forcing 76 turnovers.  Everything seems to be clicking as the entire roster is making contributions and the starting five is living up to the lofty expectations set for them at the beginning of the season. That is vitally important with four games remaining in the regular season.  Big Monday puts Marquette on the national stage visiting a Villanova squad that has risen from the dead.  After dropping five straight and falling to 4-7 in conference, the Wildcats have been on a role as of late, winning four of their last five. Their [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College BasketballPosted on February 24th, 2008

Base Wars: Episode II: 2nd Base Hopefuls

By The Soxman

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The success of the 2008 Chicago White Sox is going to hinge on quickly finding answers to a number of tough questions: ranging from the pitching rotation to numerous position battles.  Today, we take a look at the deepest position battle, second base.
 
The Contestants:
 
Danny Richar, .230, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB (187 Abs)
If there is any such thing as an incumbent at this position, it would be Richar who was essentially handed the starting job after Tadahito Iguchi was traded to the Phillies in late summer.  Richar made some spectacular defensive plays, showed good range, and showed some offensive pop, despite a sub-par batting average and a HORRIBE on-base percentage (.289).  Still, if given 500 Abs, he could produce 15 HRs and 50 RBI hitting in the number nine spot. Unfortunately, he has already fallen out of favor this spring after having visa issues and reporting late.
 
Juan Uribe, .234, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 1 SB (513 ABs)
With a career on-base percentage of .294, and a shortstop for most of his MLB career, Uribe signed a $5 million dollar contract early in the fall only to be “rewarded” by losing his starting shortstop job after the Sox added Orlando Cabrera in a trade with the Angels.  He’s said to have shown up at camp in better shape and with a positive attitude.  If he can win the starting job and [More …]

2 Comments »Filed under: Chicago White SoxPosted on February 24th, 2008

Minnesota Twins Spring Preview Part 3 of 3

By Peter Christian

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Another question going into the season is how this lineup is going to differ from the lineup of years past. One thing is certain; the Twins of 2008 are much more streamlined for one common purpose: Find pitches to hit, put them in play and run around the bases. Over the past two seasons the Twins tried to fool the league, their fans and themselves into thinking that they were a power team. In the middle of the lineup guys like Morneau and Hunter cranked out 30 HR seasons and we expected 20+ from Cuddyer and Mauer. That is not Twins baseball. The Twins will have much more success if they get back to the style of hitting that got them back into the winning ways in 2001 and 2002. Getting men on base and utilizing their speed and contact skills to move them around the diamond, occasionally putting the pressure on their opponent’s defense to make a play. Ladies might love the long ball, but enthusiasts love 5-6 hitter rallies. I’ve heard it said that the Twins outfielders (Cuddyer, Young, Monroe and Kubel) should combine for anywhere from 80-100 Home Runs this year. It is possible, but I’d much rather watch the four of them combine for 180 doubles and 360 RBI. Manager Ron Gardenhire knows that he cannot allow his team to get into a bunch of slug fests (especially within the division) and expect to win. First, that isn’t how the [More …]

1 Comment »Filed under: The BankPosted on February 23rd, 2008

Minnesota Twins Spring Preview Part 2 of 3

By Peter Christian

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On the other side of the Twins in the central division are two teams that finished above .500 in the AL Central. The Detroit Tigers definitely lacked the magic that took them to the 2006 World Series, but were able to keep their heads above water with an extremely consistent offense.

Every single player in the Tiger lineup carried the offense at one point during last season. Even when the Tigers pitching staff was decimated by injuries, (both the bullpen and rotation) the offense was strong enough to keep them in most ball games. This year, however is going to be a completely different Tigers team. Not only are they going to kill opposing pitchers with consistency, every batter in the lineup is going to see  strikes because there is just no way to pitch around their lineup. The durability of their pitching staff still remains a question mark, but I’d much rather be the Tigers this season than the Yankees and the Tigers payroll doesn’t even crack $100 million. I’d say that the Tigers are the team to beat in the AL Central and a season with less than 92 wins has to be considered a disappointment.

The Indians were last year’s lightning-in-a-bottle team. A young pitcher turns into a Cy Young candidate seemingly overnight, the offense has more highs and lows than a weekend with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and they boast the closer with the highest ERA in the league, yet he [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: The BankPosted on February 23rd, 2008

Episode 4.4 Recap

By Seth Grunlode 

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Last night at 9:05pm central time my phone almost blew up from the number of calls and texts I received, everyone was debating… Is that Claire’s baby Aaron or did Kate actually have a baby and name him Aaron? I am going to take a pretty hard line stance on this one. It’s Claire’s baby. Kate is raising Claire’s baby. Let’s just think about it in terms of a timeline. It’s late December 2004 on the Island. If Kate were to get pregnant right now (and she said that she is not currently pregnant) that would make the baby being born roughly September 2005. Jack’s flash-forward last season was April 5th, 2007. We know that from a freeze frame of the newspaper he was reading. From seeing Jack in Kate’s flash-forward last night we know that those events happened well before Jack hit his downward spiral and developed a strong desire for returning to the island. It’s hard to definitively say when Kate’s flash-forward was, but at the latest it was in 2006. There is no way she could have had her own baby, and that child be as old as he was in this episode. It’s Claire’s baby. I also point to the obvious foreshadowing: the scene where Claire and Kate are doing laundry and Kate is unwilling to even pick Aaron up. Her subsequent character comparison to future Kate being the loving mother definitely conforms to the ‘Lost’ theme of polar opposites.
 

No Comments »Filed under: The BankPosted on February 22nd, 2008

Trojan Fanfare:Analyzing another top 10 recruiting class

By Bill Port

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The Newest and Best Men of Troy:

Analyzing the nation’s 7th ranked recruiting class

You guys nabbed a verbal committ from QB Matt Barkley, the guy who is to ’09 what Terrelle Pryor is to ‘08 and Jimmy Clausen in ‘06. Tell me about him…..
 

What can I say about Matt Barkley.  He is a stud.  A standout coming from a high school that has produced quarterbacks like Matt Leinart and Colt Brennan, Barkley is THE GUY for 2009.  Thankfully, all of the talks of him going to UCLA turned out to be hogwash, it would have been sad to see such a great high school football player go to the rival college.  The best comparison I can make to Barkley is Carson Palmer.  He has good size at 6’3’’ 220 lbs. and has the arm to be the next great QB to come out of USC.  There aren’t many negatives with Barkley, and he still has a year of high school left.  The only problem I see with the situation is his playing time.  Depending on who starts in 2008, he will join Mark Sanchez (if he stays for his senior year), Mitch Mustain, and 2007 recruit Aaron Corp who won’t play as a freshman. Mustain will go the next year, meaning Barkley will battle for the job as a junior.  As long as he develops like USC QBs of the past have, he will get everyone’s attention…even if his [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College FootballPosted on February 22nd, 2008

2008 NFL Mock Draft

By the TSB Staff

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Here’s our “at a glance” NFL mock draft. Later this week, we will have synopsis and analysis for every pick.

 1. Miami Dolphins- Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
 2. St. Louis Rams-Chris Long, DE, Virginia
3. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

4. Oakland Raiders– Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs– Jake Long, OT, Michigan
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston, DE 
7. New England Patriots (from 49ers)- Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
8. Baltimore Ravens- Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
9. Cincinnati Bengals- Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
10. New Orleans Saints– Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
11. Buffalo Bills– Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida
12. Denver Broncos– Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
13. Carolina Panthers- Sam Baker, OT, USC
14. Chicago Bears– Jeff Otah, OT Pitt
15. Detroit Lions– Calais Campbell, DE, Miami(FL)
16. Arizona Cardinals– Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
17. Minnesota Vikings– DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal
18. Houston Texans – Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
21. Washington Redskins- Early Doucet, WR, LSU
22. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland)- Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers– Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
24. Tennessee Titans– Malcom Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
25. Seattle Seahawks– Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
26. Jacksonville Jaguars– Limas Sweed WR, Texas
27. [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: College Football, NFLPosted on February 22nd, 2008

Beating the Writer’s Strike Blues

By Paul M. Banks feat. Sarah Spain

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For Full story click here

http://www.therealchicago.org/0301blues.htm

The WGA writers’ strike is over, but we still have lots of time to kill until new episodes start airing again. Here’s an example of a way to combat rerun banality. A group of improv comics here in Chicago are staging live spec script readings of all your favorite sitcoms. In the second part of this feature, I interview two Chicago transplants now living in L.A. and working as part of the entertainment industry; exploring how the strike personally impacts them and how it could affect them professionally again down the line. The strike is over, but many of the same issues that incited conflict between labor and ownership could resurface again in the very near future. Follow link for full story

http://www.therealchicago.org/0301blues.htm

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No Comments »Filed under: The BankPosted on February 21st, 2008

Minnesota Twins Spring Preview Part 1 of 3

By Peter Christian

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As both a resident of the State of Minnesota and a Twins fan, the last 30 days have been unusually difficult. I’ve forged through more below zero temperature days than I have in the previous 5 winters combined, plus I watched the Twins give up Johan Santana for four players that are not expected to play a significant role in the 2008 season. Whether the Twins front office wants to admit it or not, they took a competitive step backwards for the 2008 season by letting Santana go. Not only was Santana the Twins’ ace, Opening Day Starter and the most talented pitcher they’ve ever had, but he is also the best pitcher in baseball. Instead of trotting him out to the mound every five games they have a young outfielder who will hopefully become a household name and an All-Star along with three young pitchers that are all at different levels in their learning curve. While Santana is definitely the most memorable loss of the off-season, the Twins also bid adieu to perennial Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter, the inning eating Carlos Silva, the young power pitching prospect Matt Garza, the up-and-down Jason Bartlett and the former power house Rondell White. They also have welcomed the new faces of Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, Adam Everett, Mike Lamb, Jacob Pridie, Craig Monroe and Livan Hernandez to the squad (in addition to the four players acquired in the Santana trade who will now be referred to [More …]

No Comments »Filed under: MLBPosted on February 21st, 2008