Six months ago, the media were highly anticipating the idea of two Central Division rivals, the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, being the last two teams standing out East.
Follow paulmbanksArchives for April 2015
Charles Barkley previews Bulls vs Cavs playoff series
April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
NBA on TNT Analyst Charles Barkley has cajones. This obviously is not news; Sir Charles has made a long, wonderful career of being the boldest, most outspoken sports figure in the American landscape. It’s been that way for awhile.
However, this is the first time I can remember Barkley previewing a playoff series between two teams that even STARTED their previous round series.
“Cleveland and Chicago are the best two teams in the Eastern Conference, and when they play in second round, that will be the Eastern Conference Finals,” Barkley said on media conference call today.
Follow paulmbanks2015 NFL Mock Draft 4-30-15 (FINAL)
April 30, 2015 By 25 Comments
UPDATE: new photos of Draft Town from the areas not yet open to the public. Media Preview at this link
Mel Kiper Jr. said on a recent call that he began doing Draft analysis back in 1978, and he was just one of three guys who was doing it 37 years ago. The 2015 NFL mock draft database on Walter Football, the largest collection on the internet, has 357 mock drafts. The NBA database on WF has just 24 mocks.
Also, you’ll want to check out our 2015 NBA mock draft and our 2016 NBA mock draft. As well as our 2016 NFL mock draft.
Follow paulmbanks2015 NFL Draft Town Chicago: everything you need to know
April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
UPDATE: new photos of Draft Town from the areas not yet open to the public. Media Preview at this link
Having the NFL Draft in Chicago could be the greatest thing since sliced bread. (“Sliced bread having been invented the previous winter” -Abe Simpson)
Or it could be an enormous disaster that will spawn dozens of horrifying headlines.
Or something in between.
Or all of these things all at the same time.
Because Draft Town, a ginormous fan fest that’s never been done in concordance with the NFL Draft, only with the Super Bowl, will be lab tested with Chicago as its petri dish.
Chicago is a city known for graft, corruption, police brutality, public intoxication and a sometimes dysfunctional obsession with sports. Yes, you could say the same exact thing about most big cities, but hey, what could go wrong?
Follow paulmbanksNFL Draft Town photo preview, Draft nuggets and tidbits
April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
We previewed NFL Draft Town in detail earlier this week. However, that wasn’t enough. The NFL Draft is such a huge sporting event that it’s actually two sporting events. It’s the only day on the calendar that unites all NFL fans, and all college football fans.
It’s the only sporting event that actually airs on two networks. And viewership and interest continues to grow larger every year! So we had to do a second Draft Town, NFL Draft fest preview. Yesterday, we stopped by and got a chance to see some areas that aren’t open to the public yet.
Follow paulmbanksRandy Gregory could be the next Dion Jordan or the next Jason Taylor
April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Randy Gregory, along with Shane Ray and La’el Collins, are this draft’s biggest wildcards. No one has any idea where they’ll actually end up. Today, more bad stuff came out from NFL Media and NFL Network about Gregory. He could drop out of the first round altogether.
Said NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock:
“I think Randy Gregory is totally intriguing. I’m not sure if he’s Jason Taylor on the plus side or is he going to be the kid Miami took a couple years ago at No. 3 on the negative side, Dion Jordan. He’s a long, lean guy.”
Follow paulmbanksCornhuskers Ameer Abdullah could be Reggie Bush heir apparent
April 29, 2015 By 5 Comments
Ameer Abdullah is looking like the third or fourth running back on the NFL Draft board. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, who very likely could land in Seattle (here’s a whole separate article on this idea and how it could happen) tops the positional rankings. Georgia’s Todd Gurley is number two.
#FearAmeer is right there with another Big Ten back, Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, for the third and fourth slots.
Follow paulmbanksHawkeyes Brandon Scherff should be a top 10 NFL draft pick
April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
“He’s not just a weight room freak,” Iowa Hawkeyes tailback Weisman said of former UI OT Brandon Scherff.
“He’s a football freak.”
Brandon Scherff is called a freak because he can do this, which is insane. Yes, he power cleaned 443 pounds three times. FOOTBALL! STRENGTH!!!! RAR RAR RAR!!!!!!!!!
Scherff is almost guaranteed to be a first-round pick (here’s where I have him in my latest mock) and in my interview with him below we talk NFL Draft, and his weight room heroics.
Follow paulmbanksEight Michigan State football players who will get drafted
April 29, 2015 By 1 Comment
NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr did an ESPN conference call with the nation’s media and the one college program that kept coming up was…Miami? Notre Dame? USC?
Nope.
Someone from the SEC?
No, it was a Big Ten program.
Ohio State? Michigan?
Neither, it was Michigan State football actually. Yes, the Spartans are loaded with prospects; for both the 2015 NFL Draft and 2016 NFL Draft.
Follow paulmbanksMichigan State’s Trae Waynes: this NFL Draft’s #1 CB
April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Michigan State corner Trae Waynes is another member of the “no fly zone,” (the original no fly zone, remember that the Arizona Cardinals took the name from the MSU Spartans, who had it first) will join former Jim Thorpe award winner Darquezze Denard by becoming a first round NFL draft pick.
NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock, on media conference call this week to preview this week’s NFL Scouting Combine.
Follow paulmbanksShould the Oakland Raiders go Williams or Cooper?
April 29, 2015 By 1 Comment
As it’s NFL Draft Eve, we’ll soon get our answers. Some might say #4, where the Oakland Raiders pick, is where this Draft actually starts. We know Jameis Winston is locked in at #1, Marcus Mariota at #2, and most people seem to believe Dante Fowler will stay at home at get picked by Jacksonville at #3.
There’s a chance Fowler will be there for the Raiders at #4, but I wouldn’t bet on it. It’s okay that, because Oaktown seemingly can’t lose with Amari Cooper or Leonard Williams. The former was the best player in the best conference in college football last year. The latter is the best overall player available in this draft.
Follow paulmbanksHow To Build up Your Bankroll with Football Betting
April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Considered to be the king of NFL sports betting over the last decade, Jon Price from Sports Information Traders is on top of the leaderboard with a 64% overall winning percentage since 2009. Not only does he win consistently but he wins BIG. Jon is one of the few sports handicappers in the industry today that believes in his picks and information enough that he routinely bets on his own picks on a daily basis. In fact, Jon has won over $12.5 million in the NFL alone since 2013. That includes a $1.5 million bet on this year’s recent Super Bowl. That’s a man that stands behind his product.
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