It’s 2019 NFL mock draft update time! With the Super Bowl now over, the full draft order is now set. Team needs were sometimes, but often not taken into account, as it’s still early for a 2019 mock draft in the purest sense.
Follow paulmbanksBuffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals Early Favorites to Be Picking #1 on Draft Night
September 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
With the Cleveland Browns markedly improved in 2018, and thus likely to vacate their traditional spot in the National Football League’s overall basement, who will supplant them as being first overall on the clock come NFL Draft night? There’s a reason that the one movie that was ever made about the NFL Draft centered around the Brownies, but in 2019, they will almost certainly not be picking first.
There are four early contenders to take the top pick, and all of them are franchises that have endured a lot of losing lately. Yes, the NFL is a league where revenue sharing and overall infrastructure invites parity and quick mobility up the standings, but the league has seen remarkable consistency at both ends of the spectrum.
Follow paulmbanksNFL Handicapping 101 – Playing NFL Trends
September 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment
By Joe Connolly
Yes, NFL rosters can change from one year to the next. Injuries and trades can change a roster from one week to the next. Still, there’s value in respecting historical betting trends when betting on NFL games. It’s not really clear why one team always seems to struggle against one specific rival or opponent. As a sports handicapper, you are always looking for an advantage. Sometimes, the advantage could come from respecting a betting trend even in the face of all logic.
Follow paulmbanksNew Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Increases Chances of a London Super Bowl
August 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
It couldn’t happen until 2025 at the earliest, but the chances of the NFL potentially staging a Super Bowl in London someday increase with the coming advent of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 62,062 capacity venue at White Hart Lane will open Sept 15, about a month or so after its target date, but its design includes facilities that directly support American football, in addition to English football (soccer).
According to Sports Illustrated, the National Football League put $13.3 million toward its approximate £350-£400 ($600) million construction costs. From the locker rooms to the retractable field (among the many other new bells and whistles), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was constructed to support both English Premier League and National Football League action, even on the same day, according to their stated plans.
Follow paulmbanksNFL Goes Full On Meathead, Panders to Right Wing Troglodytes
May 24, 2018 By 1 Comment
Take care NFL- it’s been nice knowing you! This is certainly not the National Football League that us older millenials/younger Gen Xers used to know and love. While it’s been painfully obvious for some time that the NBA peaked long ago with its 1990s Golden Age, yesterday we learned that the NFL is over the hill too.
At least in this instance the league isn’t micro-managing itself into irrelevance by pandering to some corporatism middle ground. This time they shot themselves in the foot by taking a side- the wrong one. The ruling to penalize those who protest the national anthem is so stupid and maladaptive on so many levels, it’s hard to know where to even begin in vivisecting this. [Read more…]
Follow paulmbanks2018 NFL Mock Draft 4-26-18 FINAL EDITION
April 25, 2018 By 23 Comments
Welcome to the 2018 NFL mock draft. The big night, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas is now upon us. What will happen at Jerry’s World/The DeathStar? Our best projections follow below.
With only 32 picks to go around, yes, there will be a guy or two that you feel very strongly should be a first rounder, but got left out. Sorry, but it’s inevitable. Also, many of you will strongly disagree with the projections here, and with the write-ups, but try to be respectful about it in the comments section.
Follow paulmbanksNotre Dame NFL Draft Mocksourcing: Nelson, McGlinchey, St. Brown
April 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
In 2017, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly finally went against his pass happy ways and committed to the run game. Why? Because he had two future NFL studs on the left side of his offensive line, and he set up not just the rushing attack, but the offense itself to play to the strengths of the Fighting Irish.
Tackle Mike McGlinchey and Guard Quenton Nelson paved the way for what was certainly a top ten, maybe top five run game in the nation. In just a week from tomorrow night, we’ll find out where both of these big boys will be balling professionally. With Nelson, there seems to be a very positive consensus- he won’t last beyond the top ten, and looks very likely to be selected top five.
Follow paulmbanks2018 NFL Draft Attendees: Where All 22 Could Get Selected
April 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Only 22 players were invited to the 2018 NFL Draft, and for those that made the cut, the future looks very bright indeed. We’ve since updated our 2018 NFL Mock Draft, in the wake of the attendees list being announced.
Getting named to this short list is about as good as it gets in terms of NFL Draft stock, as it’s the highest indicator possible of first round potential. It also provides a glimpse into who has the best odds of being selected first overall. Like an online casino, trying to project who gets selected where, is fun and engaging, because it’s so unpredictable.
In fact, sports books do take bets on which players will be drafted where.
Follow paulmbanksUSC, Lions Legend Rodney Peete Talks Kitten Bowl, New Reality Show (Exclusive)
February 3, 2018 By 1 Comment
USC Trojans and Detroit Lions legend Rodney Peete (@RodneyPeete9 on Twitter) is one of three celebrities doing color commentary for Kitten Bowl V tomorrow. The co-host of Roggin and Rodney (@rogginandrodney) on AM 570 Los Angeles (@AM570LASports), M-F noon-2, once played for the Philadephia Eagles, and his wife, actress Holly Robinson Peete, is from Philly, so the Peetes will be pulling for Eagles in Super Bowl 52.
Rodney Peete was gracious enough to grant us an exclusive interview ahead of the Kitten Bowl, and in addition to that event, we talked several other topics including his new reality show premiering on Hallmark Channel, his Chicago Bears family connections, the battles against the Michigan State Spartans and UCLA Bruins during his USC days and much much more.
Kitten Bowl V Preview: Rodney Peete, Dean Cain to Do Color Commentary
January 31, 2018 By 1 Comment
You’ve already seen a zillion Super Bowl LII preview stories, and you’ll see a zillion more between now and Sunday. How many Kitten Bowl preview articles have you come across though? Well, I hope there will eventually will be a lot of them because Kitten Bowl is about a cause that is as noble as it gets- adopting shelter pets.
Kitten Bowl V is part of Hallmark Channel’s Adoption Ever After pet initiative, spotlighting the plight of homeless animals and the joy that the adopted pets bring into the forever homes.
Follow paulmbanksForecasting the NFL Pro Bowl as Patriots, Eagles Players Replaced
January 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Now that we know for certain that it will be the New England Patriots versus the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, the Pro Bowl rosters have also been updated. All the members of the Eagles and Patriots who were honored with a Pro Bowl selection must now withdraw from the exhibition game, as they have a much more important business trip to Minnesota to prepare for.
The original Pro Bowl rosters were announced on December 20, but since then we’ve learned that several players won’t be able to participate. Now that we’re in the home stretch, and we know who’s in and who’s out, it’s time to preview and handicap the NFL All-Star game which commences at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida this Sunday 1/28 at 3PM eastern.
Follow paulmbanksIs Major League Sport Ready to Take Hold in Vegas?
November 8, 2017 By 1 Comment
By John O’Leary
Over the decades, Las Vegas has become famous for many things but major league sport hasn’t been one of them. However, the signs are that this is all about to change and, indeed, it has already started to with the arrival of the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team. Now ice hockey may seem like an unlikely sport for a city where the average October daytime temperature is over 80o F but the team has already started to make itself at home at the T-Mobile Stadium enjoying a record-breaking run of wins for an inaugural season.
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