The Olympics are over....

And what a great 16 days it was! There really is no other events like the Olympics it really does bring the whole world together for 2 weeks and change and is always special. It makes you care to watch or see new sports that for 4 years you dont give a crap about until you see Bob Costas talking up the big name players in the event and hear that Olympic music blaring in the background (and it truly is some amazing music, one of my favorite sports theme songs. Which would be a good idea for a writing)

So many great moments and I'm positive that I missed some that I'm still learning about, mainly because NBC likes to keep the focus solely on Americans.

But I have realized that after watching the Olympics I like watching the sport of volleyball, but it's not ever covered over here, even though I would say the most entertaining women's sport to watch. But I watched the men's volleyball too, and this was probably the best showing US volleyball has ever had so maybe it will help it get more exposure on TV so I dont forget about it until London in 2012. There are also plenty of good looking women in volleyball of all ethnicities, I enjoyed getting to watch the Venezuelan indoor team vs. the US because they decided to wear bikini bottoms kind of like a beach team, some had some fantastic hineys! But that's not to say the US were without some, like Kim Glass. President Bush seemed to take quite a liking to Misti May



President Bush is one of the goofiest people I've ever seen and I have found the perfect comparison to him...Wade Phillips! These 2 guys are exactly alike, I'll blog on this later but trust me, they are very similar.


But seriously it was fun watching the women and men's beach volleyball tandems, sometimes I enjoy watching domination. About the most dominating performance I saw this past Olympics (save Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps) was watching Phil Dalhausser in the gold medal game vs. Brazil. Him and his partner won the 1st set and blew an early lead in the 2nd set and had seemingly lost momentum going into the 3rd and final game. The 3rd and final set is only played to 15, but no worries to the 6'8 Dalhausser, he killed! He had 9 blocks in the game and 6 of them came in the final set, Brazil was getting them past this monster early in the game hitting finesse shots in the right places, but then started losing composure early in the final set. And that's when Phil wasn't letting anything past him, they got out to a 9-1 lead and by that time Brazil knew what was up and the match was the US and so was the gold.

Big props to the US women's team and I guess the men's team though I paid no attention to them, nor would I have even if the Hamm brothers were healthy, still have to feel sorry for them though for working there ass off for 4 years (especially the body damage you can do being a gymnast) and then injuring yourself a month or 2 prior to the games. And for the 2nd straight Olympics a gymnast from Collin County has won the gold in All Around, 1st was Carly Patterson and now it's Nastia Liukin.


By the way, look here at Shawn Johnson, I simply can't believe that she is 16, she is adorable, I dont like to use the word cute but that's what she is, you just look at her and say to yourself, "AWWWWWWWW" a pedophile's wet dream, not to say all gymnast aren't. Most don't look grown up at all, though Nastia did and so did Alicia Sacramone.


And now onto Michael Phelps, him and his relay team presented 2 of my favorite sports moments of the year, 1st the relay, not only did the US swimmer make a near improbable comeback but he did it against the French, which probably made every American 2 times as happy. And the reaction from Phelps and his teammates were icing on the cake, I love seeing a guy like that win, but then to show that much emotion makes you want to cheer even more, which is 10 times better then a Kobe or Jordan normally being very reserved about everything. And then seeing Phelps barely pull out the 200 Individual Medley was just as cool, just seeing how close it actually was and seeing Phelps never give up, because without that final lunge he finishes 2nd and ties the Olympic record with 7 golds rather then 8 olympic golds that he eventually won. This guy is just a machine though, I just can't imagine how you can eat 10-12000 calories a day, and now that he's been doing it for so long how will he be able to get off those eating habits. I'd like to see him in some eating contests like trying to eat a 72 oz. steak, or I once saw that in Washington state there is this place that serves a 4 pound pancake, but no one could ever finish it.

And now onto the US men's basketball team, I'm not going to lie I kinda wanted to see them fail, why you ask? Sometimes I like seeing expectations not met. And to take a quote from Wilt Chamberlain, "Nobody roots for Goliath" Now you may be wondering why I would root for the top dogs like Michael Phelps or Misti May/Kerri Walsh but not the "Redeem Team" and the answer is, I'm not as invested in those sports nor do I follow them like I follow basketball so obviously I'm not familiar enough with the competition, plus there wasn't a real legitimate threat who would dethrone them anyways. There are just players on the US team that I don't like for various reasons and think it would be too funny to see them fail to meet expectations for the 2nd straight Olympics. My first choice would have been to see Dirk and ze Germans win gold but I knew that was farfetched, about the best they could have done is make it to the medal round, but they couldn't even beat China to do that. But the Gold Medal Game of the US vs. Spain was an amazing game and had it not been for Dwyane Wade in the 1st half and Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter, they would have lost to this up and coming Spain team.


I think this could be the start of a nice rivalry of international play between these 2 teams. The Spaniards have the Gasol brothers, I still think Pau Gasol is a wuss and though he scored 21 points in the gold medal game, he missed a couple of bunny's, but his brother Marc, that is a specimen. He is so much bigger then his brother it's almost hard to believe they're related, I was skeptical on his ability in the pro's but I think he can come in next year for the Grizzlies and be a Luis Scola type player easily. And then Juan Carlos Navarro was breaking down the defense at will and penetrating into the lane, I still don't understand why he is heading back to Europe after having a good rookie season, especially since fellow Spaniard Marc will be joining him. And the 2 main reasons I think the Spanish will have a shot at beating the US maybe some day is Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez, Rubio is only 17 and will be a top 10 and potentially top 3 pick next year. He's already great defensively and is improving offensively, he didn't shoot as much as I would have liked but did a nice job creating opportunities for his teammates. And he's a top player already in one of the best leagues in Europe.


And Rudy Fernandez was without a doubt the star of the game for Spain, and what's even scarier is he's going to be a Portland Trailblazer, if Greg Oden stays healthy and they can get a half decent PG this team could be looking at a dominant run, the possibilities are endless. They have a top 5 SG, a potential top C in the league defensively and we don't even know how good his offense is because he played his freshman year with his off hand. Then Lamarcus Aldridge is a top 10 PF and become an All Star once the likes of Dirk and Tim Duncan get older. And they have 3 quality small forwards also, with Fernandez, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw, all excel in different facets of the game. And then they added freshman sensation from U. of Arizona Jerryd Bayless, he seems like a combo guard based on his college #'s but sometimes that is what a team like this needs. The only thing they really lack is a veteran presence but some may find that overrated. But back to Rudy, he's very versatile, he has the handles to play and/or guard the 1-3 positions, and he has a sweet shot w/some great hops. The dunk he had on Dwight Howard was sick.


I'd say the weakness to the US team this year was the inside game, Howard was limited and not that dominant and Chris Bosh isn't a C. I thought there lack of size would be there weakness, and if China had more talent around Yao they could give the US a run for there money, but they don't. But in 2012 I predict Greg Oden will provide a large interior presence to the US so there problems might be solved.

I also like the FIBA rules, it's a very entertaining game, not to mention quick, I'm curious if the NBA would become more popular if the NBA cut TV timeouts in half and reduced team called timeouts. It will never happen because ad revenue is part of what keeps the league going but if you watch a nationally televised game on TNT, it's going to last at minimum 2 hours and 45 minutes. The title game couldn't have lasted longer then 2 hours and change. You get in, you get out, you have a great time. But I think if the NBA adopted some of the International rules it could be better for the league. One thing I like is the physicality, though the refs were inconsistent, at times they'd be calling touch fouls then the next time down a player would get mauled and it'd be a no call. The things I hate though is the trapezoid lane, the 5 fouls (though if it's 10 minute quarters it makes sense) and the ball, that ball just seemed different, which is why the NBA scrapped plans when they switched to the international ball.


But overall I thouroughly enjoyed these games and can't wait 4 years when the Summer games in London.

Discipline

So in about 6 hours I'm heading off to Stillwater where I will be an Oklahoma St. Cowboy. I'm excited yet a little nervous. This will be my 3rd college in the 3 years and like the other 2 I'm pissed off because I won't be able to for at least the 1st semester get to participate in my major of choice because of GPA requirements. For those that don't know I want my major to be radio/broadcast journalism. It's that last word 'Journalism' that pretty much makes it have a GPA requirement. And though it's not an out of this world requirement for a slacker like me it kind of is. I have a 2.32 and need a 2.5, it will go up slightly after my summer school classes.

And it was today when I went to turn in my final to my English teacher Mr. Yarbrough. Fantastic teacher, I only had him for 5 weeks but he's one of the 4 best teachers I've had in college. I think that partly speaks on his teaching abilities, but also on other teachers, part of the problem with college is the teachers don't do much teaching, just lecture after lecture and note taking. It's supposed to be an enhanced learning experience and thought provoking where the majority of the classes you take are the exact opposite.

But thats beside the point as I'm rambling again, I get back my 1st paper I wrote and see I made a 60 on it, that's the bad part, the good part is he says I have the potential to be a great writer and have a sort of poetic style in writing. The problem was it's sloppy and undisciplined, in other words it looks like something you started working on 2 hours before class, which I did. And that pretty much sums up my whole life, especially academically since around 5th grade. I have no disciplined, no real drive, especially when it comes to things I'm not interested. It's almost amazing that I have a GPA above 2 with the lack of work I do. Normally when a paper is due, I "start" on it 3 hours before, horse around the computer for about an hour to hour an d a half then whip something together in 20 minutes to an hour then turn it in. Sometimes it works, other times teachers can see through the bullshit.

Part of the problem is this stupid shit known as MLA format, why is it that every paper must be the same structure P.O.S? He says he used to be the same way but you have to figure out how to fix your mistakes and write like everyone else, no matter how annoying it is. So obviously not being very informed about the rules and writing a paper seemingly on the fly as I scramble for sources it will obviously look sloppy.

I just wonder what is wrong with me and why am I so unmotivated to try new things or to work my ass off? Obviously long term it will lead to good things but short term I'm just getting a grade and on the whole uninterested. I wonder if I need to try and get some adderall, some of my friends take it, it almost sounds like steroids for school, but it works for them. It'd probably just make me focus more intently on an article I'm reading or movie I'm watching.

What makes a person lazy and what makes him not want to try and go out and fix there laziness? Why do I lack discipline when it comes to school? And why am I so afraid to go out and try and meet new people? Why am I so damn scared?

How is it that a person can point out practically every flaw about himself and then not try and change them? Does my laziness help shape my personality? Does it make me funny or give me some sort of comedic timing when making a joke a witty comment?

I've hardly cracked a book since 10th grade, my grades haven't been stellar since about 7th grade, as my dad's told me a hundred times I just do the bare minimum, and I don't exactly understand why I'm perfectly content with it. Part of the reason is people are afraid to stand out or even ask a question in class, I'm part of that crowd mostly but I don't like being associated with that crowd for the most part. I don't want to stand out because I don't want people to have a real opportunity to judge me and be thought of as a douchebag, I'm so self-conscious about everything, almost always afraid of looking like a moron. Just last week I was going to a party and without even thinking I get in a car with a pair of stained jeans and a raggedy Dallas Mavericks t-shirt. This was mainly with a bunch of people I'd never met and even before I had opened the door I already felt like a moron. Why can't I let things go, I always re-think conversations thinking of how much of an idiot I must have sounded like just because of one dumb thing I said or did and making myself feel like a complete tool.

Even this thing I'm writing right now is undisciplined, when I go and re-read it it'll just be sloppy and take on all sorts of directions. I just hope something in me changes when I get to Stillwater, there's a 99% chance it won't happen, even if I have the opportunity to change it, I'm just not that type of guy, for christ sake I've had the same comforter since I was in kindergarten, I hate changing things, I hate trying new things and meeting new people. But look where that's got me, I'm unhappy and for the most part a loser, despite being a complete badass. As cocky as it sounds if you got to know me I'm sure you'd feel that way.

But it's time to get disciplined, wake up on time the first time my alarm goes off and not the 5th, finally open a damn book instead of paying 80 bucks a book to see them collect dust. It's a new year in Stillwater, GO COWBOYS!

Why I love sports

I was watching the Rangers play the Yankees tonight, beaming with excitement that they just beat the Yankees the night before with not great offense but great pitching and hoping that they could bounce Joba Chamberlain early tonight after having him on the ropes early in the game. Normally I watch the games upstairs by myself because I can get a little worked up. But I went down to eat dinner and turn the game on and my mom asks the question, "How can you watch this everyday?"

Now I can understand a sane person who had a life with tons of friends or someone with a lot of responsibilities not watching just about every game he or she possibly can but I'm not every person. For the most part I keep to myself and spend my time chatting endlessly on forums when the Rangers, Mavericks or Cowboys aren't playing. And I'm a little unsure how my mom has put up with my dad and I watching sporting event after sporting event for the past 20 years. At the time I thought nothing of the question until it crept back into my mind after Rangers newcomer 1st baseman Chris Davis tagged 1st to end the game and the Rangers won there 2nd straight 1 run game vs. the Yankees in Yankee stadium.

Now the teams that I've followed in sports have given me a lot of heartbreak for various reasons, be it the Rangers constant failing, the Mavericks getting screwed in the finals or the Cowboys making mistakes costing them in the playoffs and prior to that just being plain incompetent from the time Jimmy Johnson left until Bill Parcells left. But then there are those moments where you get that little payoff or as a drug addict would say, that little "high" that keeps you coming back. It's so addicting and fulfilling that you just can't get enough, and given this youth movement the Rangers are having this season and the great success they are having with all the young guys I'm experiencing that high. The same goes for this past Cowboys regular season, the Rangers season in 2004 and the Mavericks playoff run in 2006.

And since the last 2 nights the Rangers have beaten the Yankees in Yankee stadium it's given me an extra kick and incentive to be so happy. I hate the Yankees, everything they stand for, from the overpaid players, the New York lore, the jackass of an owner (and his son) the bitchy fans and bandwagon fans that feel entitled because they're the Yankees (I'm sure people feel the same way about the Cowboys) and the constant attention they and the Red Sox get from ESPN. Not to mention that the Yankees usually kill the Rangers every time they meet and I was fully expecting to lose at least 2 of 3 if not get swept.

But when I see Scott Feldman who is a completely different pitcher this year as a starter then he was last year as a reliever (when I loathed him so much to the point that I wanted to release him) pitch 5 and 2/3 and hold the Yankees to 1 run and see the bullpen come in and completely shut down the Yankee offense, that's why I love sports. Especially after reading comments by Yankee fans thinking Scott's a bum or when NY sport show's just dismiss the Rangers altogether expecting a sweep in preparation for there 4 game series coming up vs. the Red Sox. But then also getting to see Chris Davis who has killed the ball at every level of his professional career bang an opposite field double off the wall for an RBI, that's why I love sport. That guy is a player and although he struckout a lot in the minors when he gets a hold of a ball WATCH OUT!

But then back to today's ballgame where the Rangers are clinging to a 1 run lead yet again after squandering a couple opportunities and Josh Rupe comes in and gets 2 quick outs. Then in typical Yankee fashion get a couple of soft hits that find holes and the Yankees tie up the game. Normally in year's past the Rangers would crumble like a cookie but Rupe didn't lose focus and got the 3rd out of the inning preventing further damage. Then after wasting a couple opportunities in the 7th and 8th innings the Rangers go to the top of the 9th facing the best reliever of all time Mariano Rivera who has only given up 3 runs all year coming into this game. So first guy up is Ian Kinsler and he gets his hands in fast enough to fight off the famous Rivera cutter and get a double down the line for his 4th time on base in the game. Did I mention prior to this AB Kinsler had 2 stolen bases, he couldn't seriously try and steal 3rd could he? Well Kinsler did just that so now there was a man on 3rd with no outs and your 3 best hitters coming up.

So the infield has to come in for Michael Young's at bat and the next pitch after Kinsler's stolen base MY hits a chopper over Rivera's head and past the outstretched arm of Wilson Betemit (Derek Jeter had the night off) So fast forward to the bottom of the inning: Enter CJ Wilson, the Rangers closer got a save the night before but has been shaky the past month, so what does he do to inspire confidence to all of us viewers back in Dallas? Walks a guy who's walked 1 time in 82 at bats this year on 4 pitches. Now that's a Ranger pitcher if I've ever seen one, but then something changed, he got ahead of Melky Cabrera and jammed him causing a groundball right to Michael Young who turned a double play. Then he got even more pumped up throwing a 98 MPH fastball (though I don't think it was actually that fast) to Johnny Damon and following it up with a 96 MPH fastball. So Damon get's down 1-2 and the best he can do is saw his bat in half for a little dribbler to Chris Davis for the final out giving the Rangers the 1st 2 games of the series and a chance for a sweep in the "House That Ruth Built".

Growth is what this season is all about for the Rangers, and the youth movement, every young player that has come up this year has contributed in one way or another. C/1st baseman Max Ramirez had a go ahead and what would turn out to be the game winning runs when he hit a towering HR off Roy Oswalt against Houston this past week. Eric Hurley went 5 and 2/3 to get his 1st major league win against the Philadelphia Phillies this past Sunday beating them 5-1, and Chris Davis also had his 2nd homerun in 2 games. I don't know if this team can contend or stay in the race but I know if they do it will be with the young guys mixed in with veterans, and if they aren't helping, the way the Rangers system is right now they'll replace you with someone who will.

I don't want this team to trade any of Vicente Padilla, Milton Bradley or Kevin Millwood unless I get an offer I can't refuse. Fewer and fewer teams are parting with Major league ready pitching but if they want either of these 3 guys they're going to have to pony up. Personally I want to resign Milton Bradley, he's been exactly what the Rangers need, a fiery spirit who's loud and wears his intensity on his uniform. I love guys like Michael Young and Johs Hamilton and CJ Wilson and how they play but you also need to mix it in with a few loud mouths who love to get after it and yell and scream. Plus I think Bradley can provide better protection for Josh Hamilton moreso then our young guys can right now. I also think in the offseason we will make a big move for a pitcher in the offseason whether it's by trade or free agency remains to be seen, but we know that Jon Daniels isn't afraid to pull the trigger on a deal.

Youth=Potential=New Hope which means that one day this team might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and fulfill there potential and we'll see the playoffs and hopefully World Series in Arlington. That is why I love sports.

Funniest man ever dies

Normally I start my day every morning (or actually afternoon) by logging on to the internet and I usually just browse the headlines to see if anything piques my interest. And today before I checked my email I see one of my favorite people ever and arguably the funniest man ever died. For the people who don't know it's George Carlin, the man I've seen referred to in several articles this morning as a counterculture hero. Famous for his bits such as the 7 words you can't say on TV, differences between baseball and football and his rants on topics such as the soft language of today and religion.

He was 71 and performed just last week, he looked to be in better shape in his last HBO special then his one before that. He had a history of heart and drug problems (including cocaine in the 70's) and checked himself into rehab several years ago for prescription drugs. He died of heart failure.

He also was the 1st host of Saturday Night Live and Mad TV and was on the long time TV show Shining Time Station that was seen by millions of kids. He also starred in movies like Dogma, Bill and Ted, and Cars. He also had 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials (including one as recently as March) and 3 best selling books.


The thing that I respected him the most is that he always told it like it is, wasn't afraid of authority, as evidenced by his 7 words you can't say on TV bit that got him arrested in Milwaukee. And here it is for those who have never seen it:



And now that he's died he'll complete the Mt. Rushmore of comedians along with Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks. The 1st 3 are shoe-ins maybe Hicks is up for debate but for social commentary Hicks is at the top of the list.

He had just completed his 50th year in comedy and was slated to receive the Mark Twain award in American humor in November. He had won 4 Grammy's and has been cited by numerous people as being a big influence in the comedy world.

He was always pushing the envelope, causing people to think and question themselves and society. And though it almost cost him in his early career proved to have been the best decision he ever made, playing sold out concert halls and plenty of other venues. Here's a snippet of George Carlin's views on how language has softened over the years:




The man was also a linguist, just evidenced by his poem "Modern Man" or baseball vs. football or the 7 words bit. He was also never afraid to give his opinion on society and the deterioration of man. "I don't have any beliefs or allegiances. I don't believe in this country, I don't believe in religion, or a god, and I don't believe in all these man-made institutional ideas," he once said in a 2001 interview. No one will ever come close to his variety either constantly reinventing himself and finding new ways to present material, you could literally watch his entire collection of standup and find very few similarities in his performances. But at the same time they were all structured perfectly timed and executed to present joke after joke that could leave you laughing for hours and hours. I'm just lucky to have had the privilege to see George back in November when visiting my friend in Missourri. I leave you with a couple more bits that I liked including one on baseball vs. football







Here are some other articles on Carlin's death:

AP article about George

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_GEORGE_CARLIN?SITE=TXDAM&TEMPLATE=ENTERTAINMENT_GL.html

Picture gallery chronicling Carlin

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20208391,00.html

Time article on George

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1817192,00.html?cnn=yes

Interview with Larry King on Carlin

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/23/larryking.carlin/index.html


Lastly I just hope kids more my age can get to know and love George Carlin for what he was, a great comedian and person. It sickens me to know that some kids may think Dane Cook might be the funniest person they know when in truth he's a hack and a thief. But people these days seem to not give a damn about stuff like morals and values they just want a cheap laugh, and never giving some guy before there time a chance at all.

RIP George wherever the hell you are, I'll pray to Joe Pesci for you tonight.

Something that bothered me

First off before I start I'd like to point out that I saw Harold and Kumar 2 tonight and that once again I had to see yet another grown man's dick, this is of course referring to the column 3 down from here if you think this blog may be worth my time.


Now then onto more important matters, the home page for my computer is Comcast and they always have these little news snippets or video's much like any other home page (Yahoo, MSN etc...) Sometimes if something piques my interest I'll read the article, this time I saw this video about Tom Hanks presidential endorsement. I think I clicked on the link just to annoy myself. And before you read this I'm sure it's been written about a hundred times before but it bothered me.


Now I do not hate Tom Hanks by any means, Forrest Gump makes me stop whatever show I'm watching and I focus on that movie until it's over. I just would like to slap (that's right slap) the person in the face and knee in the balls (I never understand why people say groin when we really know what u mean) who thought to themselves, hey people always bitch and complain about low voters turnouts how 'bout we get a celebrity (or 90) and let there opinion be heard, doesn't that sound like a neatto idea? It's the same contrived load of crap every single freakin time, "This is the most important election of your lives, blah blah blah I was in a movie where I took over the govt. we had a bunch of stunts and in the end I got the girl. It's up to you to make history, now where's my check?"

Here's the video by the way:



Now the thing I can actually respect about Tom Hanks is that he knows it's a crock what he's doing and pokes fun at himself by saying beware, celebrity endorsement and mocking how people's decisions have been made. But other celebs out there that take themselves way to seriously actively campaigning for Hillary or Barrack just sit back a minute and SHUT THE HELL UP! It's embarrassing to think there are people out there that one would actually vote based on who so and so prefers. I'm not saying there are thousands upon thousands thinking to themselves, well if the guy who did Forrest Gump and was an animated cowboy likes Barrack then by golly he's got my vote but there have to be some moronic teenagers to early twenty somethings who just watch MTV before they go whoring themselves out who are influenced by this stuff (I'm sure Tom Hanks isn't as good an example as someone else closer to there demographic.) But there's no doubt in my mind that if Oprah took her show on the road with Barack's tour from August to November (assuming he gets the Democratic nod) she could influence lonely housewives everywhere.

It just goes to show you how much people love celebrities no matter how much they bitch about them or want someone like Brittney to go away. And I'm not saying I'm innocent of it but I'm not always in the loop on her or Lyndsay Lohan or who got kicked off American Idol (I'd give a toe to make that show go away)I just think if anyone can't for one think for themselves or 2 be informed then he/she has no right to vote.

And since I could give a damn about politics I will not vote because I will not be following the election close enough to consider myself informed and because 1 vote does not make a difference, despite what people tell you.

Grading the mock drafts

All right so now that the NFL draft is nearly a week old I have decided to take some of the top analysts when it comes to grading the NFL draft and we will see how they did guessing there mock drafts.

Here is the point system for every pick they get correct:
10 points for getting a pick correct
5 for being within 3 picks
2 points for being within 10 picks

And here are the mock drafts we will look at:
Rick Gossellin from the Dallas Morning News

Mel Kiper from ESPN (note: I couldn't find the official link to his mock draft so I googled it and I assume this was his final mock draft, as silly as it looks)

Mike Mayock from the NFL network

Scott Wright from nfldraftcountdown.com

Jeff Risdon from realgm.com

And here is how the the actual first round went like:
* means a trade occured

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long LT
2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long DE
3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan QB
4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden RB
5. Kansas City Chiefs - Glenn Dorsey DT
6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston DE/OLB
7. New Orleans Saints* - Sedrick Ellis DT
8. Jacksonville Jaguars* - Derrick Harvey DE
9. Cincinatti Bengals - Keith Rivers OLB
10. New England Patriots* - Jerod Mayo ILB
11. Buffalo Bills - Leodis Mckelvin CB
12. Denver Broncos - Ryan Clady LT
13. Carolina Panthers - Johnathan Stewart RB
14. Chicago Bears - Chris Williams OT
15. Kansas City* - Branden Albert OG/OT
16. Arizona - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
17. Detroit Lions* - Gosder Cherilus OT
18. Baltimore Ravens* - Joe Flacco QB
19. Carolina Panthers* - Jeff Otah OT
20. Tampa Bay Buccanneers - Aqib Talib CB
21. Atlanta Falcons* - Sam Baker OT
22. Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones RB
23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashard Mendenhall RB
24. Tennessee Titans - Chris Johnson RB
25. Dallas Cowboys* - Mike Jenkins CB
26. Houston Texans - Duane Brown OT
27. San Diego Chargers - Antoine Cason CB
28. Seattle Seahawks* - Lawrence Jackson DE
29. San Francisco - Kentwan Balmer DT
30. New York Jets* - Dustin Keller TE
31. New York Giants - Kenny Phillips FS

I think many of the people's mock drafts because of the amount of trades in the 1st round. Not to mention this draft had the most trades ever with 34
Here are all the trades that went down in the 1st round:

New Orleans Saints traded the 10th pick and there 3rd rounder to New England for the 7th pick and there 5th round pick

Jacksonville Jaguars trade the 26th pick 2 3rd round picks and there 4th round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for the 8th pick of the draft.

Kansas City Chiefs traded up from the 17th pick and there 3rd and 5th round picks in exchange for Detroits 15th pick and there 3rd round pick

Baltimore traded up from 26th overall and gave up there 2nd 3rd round pick and a 6th round pick for Houston's 1st round (18th overall)

The Panthers gave up there 1st round pick next year and there 2nd and 4th round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles 1st round pick (19th)

The Atlanta Falcons traded 2 2nd round picks (34th and 48th) and there 4th round pick for Washington's 1st round pick at 21 and there 3rd and 5th round picks

The Dallas Cowboys traded there 2nd 1st rounder (28th) and there 5th and 7th round pick to the Seahawks for the 25th pick

The New York Jets gave up there 2nd round pick and 4th round pick to the Green Bay Packers for the 30th pick overall.

And now to judge the mock drafters:

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News:
Correct picks - He got 9 picks (Jake and Chris Long, Darren McFadden, Vernon Gholston, Sedrick Ellis, Ryan Clady, Felix Jones, Kentwan Balmer and Dustin Keller)
I'm going to dock him 3 points each for when he correctly predicted the slot a player would be taken but when a trade occured (Like Ellis and Keller)
I'm also going to give him 8 points because in his mock draft he had Carolina taking Jeff Otah with there 1st pick, they ended up trading back into the 1st round and taking Otah.

Players taken within 3 picks - He got 6 of these (Glenn Dorsey, Derrick Harvey, Leodis Mckelvin, Branden Albert, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Aqib Talib)

Players within 10 picks - He got 7 (Matt Ryan, Chris Williams, Mike Jenkins, Johnathan Stewart, Gosder Cherilus, Keith Rivers and Rashard Mendenhall)

And his total points are: 136


Mel Kiper's mock draft (allegedly)

Correct picks - Surprisingly he got 9 picks despite him screwing with the top of the draft (Chris and Jake, Ellis, Rivers, Stewart, C. Williams, Jeff Otah, Aqib Talib, F. Jones)
I'm going to dock him 3 pts. each again for Ellis and Otah because he was picking for the slot not anticipating a trade.

Within 3 picks - He got 7 (Gholston, Dorsey, McFadden, Harvey, McKelvin, Branden Albert and Antoine Cason)

Within 10 picks - He got 7 (Ryan, Jerod Mayo, Mike Jenkins, Rashard Mendenhall, Clady, Rodgers-Cromartie, Kentwan Balmer)

Total Score is: 133

Kiper killed in the middle picks but was way to cute in the top 6 players, he was dumb for thinking Oakland would take anyone but McFadden (only other player they would have considered was Chris Long) He was also terrible in the last 9 picks, not even picking 1 player correctly.

Mike Mayock of NFL Network

Correct picks - He got 11 including 10 of the 1st 14 picks (He got the 1st 6 guys right and the rest he got right was Johnathan Stewart, Clady, C. Williams, McKelvin, F. Jones)
I'll also give him 8 points for giving the Saints Sedrick Ellis though they traded up for him.
I'll give him another 8 points for having Washington pick Devin Thomas because they did take him with there 1st pick.

Within 3 picks - He got 6 (Rivers, Derrick Harvey, Jeff Otah, Gosder Cherilus, K. Balmer and Antoine Cason)

Within 10 picks - He got 5 (J. Mayo, Mendenhall, Mike Jenkins, Dustin Keller, Albert)

Total Score: 166
This is a great score by Mayock but he also most likely has more resources then anyone else and I believe he published his later then anyone elses therefore was able to know and alter his mock draft having Atlanta take Matt Ryan over Glenn Dorsey thus making his draft a little easier.

Scott Wright from nfldraftcountdown.com

Correct Picks - 7 (Jake Long, Ryan, McFadden, Ellis, K. Rivers, J. Stewart and F. Jones)
I'm going to give him the full 10 points for Sedrick Ellis because he had the Saints not only taking him but trading up, he was just 1 spot off.
I'll give him 8 points for having the Cowboys take Felix Jones but in the wrong slot.
And I'll give 7 points for having the Jaguars take Quentin Groves because they did take him in the 2nd round.

Within 3 picks - 10 (Dorsey, Gholston, McKelvin, D. Harvey, Vernon Gholston, Albert, Otah, Clady, Aqib Talib, Duane Brown and Kenny Phillips) Wright was also off by 1 pick on 4 of these players

Within 10 picks - 7 (C. Long, J. Mayo, Mendenhall, K. Balmer, Gosder Cherilus, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Chris Williams)

Total Score: 139

He got to cute on his draft or else he could have scored even higher.

Jeff Risdon of realgm.com

Correct Picks - 7 (The Long Twins, Mcfadden, Clady, C. Williams, D. Rodgers-Cromartie and Felix Jones)

Within 3 picks - 10 (Dorsey, Gholston, Matt Ryan, Mckelvin, Sedrick Ellis, K. Rivers, J. Stewart, Jeff Otah, Mendenhall and Antoine Cason)

Within 10 picks - 5 (B. Albert, Sam Baker, Gosder Cherilus, Mike Jenkins and Derrick Harvey)

Total Score: 130, somebody had to finish last, though you weren't far behind


And the winner running away with the championship trophy is:
Mike Mayock - 166
Scott Wright - 139
Rick Gosselin - 136
Mel Kiper Jr. - 133
Jeff Risdon - 130

I'll chime in with my thoughts on the draft later, but for now this took a while.

Male genitalia is ruining movies!

So I'm out tonight going to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall excited for the movie, and though I did enjoy the movie as Judd Apatow has struck comedic gold yet again. The one thing that bothered me though was that I had to see the star of the movie Jason Segel's dick about 5 times!

It was about a split second each time it was shown but it was something that was unexpected. You literally could have billed the cast as Jason Segel, Kristen Bell as Sarah Marshall, Mila Kunis, Bill Hader...and INTRODUCING Jason Segel's PENIS!!!

Just judging from the movies I've seen from 2007 to now here are the following movies that have had nudity: Grindhouse, Walk Hard, Into the Wild, the Heartbreak Kid, Knocked up, 300, The Simpsons Movie (albeit brief) and the aforementioned Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

What's the problem with this list? There's 8 movies up there with nudity in them and 4 of them have a scene where you see a dick in them (FGM, Into the Wild, Walk Hard for about a minute, and you get to see Bart Simpsons weiner) There should never be a 1:1 ratio for male to female nudity in the movies (and I'm not even counting when you see a hung over Seth Rogen's ass in Knocked up)

I'm by no means a homophobe but I'm sure most would agree that the male body is disgusting, particularly when staring at a shriveled up weiner that is attractive to NOBODY! And in FGM Walk Hard and Into the Wild that's all it is shriveled up weiner shown to depict the male body in its normal form, but it's not art it's repulsive!

But women's bodies on the other hand, they have gorgeous figures and there bodies aren't shown off near as much as they used to in movies (nudity wise). And I'm not even saying to show a boob or ass just to show it but they hardly even have any real passionate and intense love scenes in movies anymore. Atonement I'm sure had some scenes like that in there but that movie bored me for the most part (mind you i was half paying attention while focusing on a video game, it's not like I'm unable to appreciate movies like that)

The main reason Judd Apatow and his people added it in his movies (he was apart of FGM and Walk Hard) is for shock value, the same reason he and Seth Rogen wrote in the penis montage in the movie Superbad. I can understand it for shock value but show it once and get it over with, after that it just gets awkward and by the end of the scene it just got annoying. I do give them credit for not just using shock value but making it funny but at what point does it become stale and overplayed?

Judd Apatow on one movie website said he will try to get a penis in every one of his movies, and the last 2 he's came out with he's yet to disappoint, so look out for when the Pineapple Express comes out James Franco and/or Seth Rogen's penis's are comin' to a theatre near you.

He also jokingly added this in the inerview he gave (that can be read here: http://www.movieweb.com/news/10/27310.php ) "That will be my Oscar montage. When I am seventy, and I get an Oscar for my humanitarian work, my on-screen montage will be a clip reel featuring all of the different parts of the human body that I wasn't afraid to show."

One last snippet from the interview that Apatow said, "I think it is funny that anybody is embarrassed by anything having to do with the naked human body. It just really makes me laugh. These are such conservative times. That Janet Jackson showing her nipple made people flip out is crazy to me. Like anybody would be emotionally crippled by the sight of a nipple. When we make these movies, if it is appropriate, it really makes me laugh to go far in that direction. It is my personal flipping of the bird to that type of fear and shame. We shouldn't be afraid of the human form."

And to this I completely agree, this nation as a whole has always been interested in sex because to us it will always be taboo. But sex sells and good looks can get you far especially in the entertainment industry but when a situation like a Janet Jackson incident happens or someone says something inappopriate we almost seem to lose the right of free speech we revert back to conservatism and everything is blown way out proportion like the Imus situation. And as for Janet we didn't even see her nipple. And that one nipple changed FCC regulations forever and ruined Howard Stern's career on regular radio, it's not like he just sprung up overnight he'd been doing the same schtick for over 25 years.

So to wrap this up it's time to put a stop to penises in movies unless it's guaranteed comedic gold because we all know boobs are a million times better then weiners. And as we are getting rid of the male genitalia it's time to start a movement to bring back more female nudity because a beautiful female that wasn't afraid to show off her body never hurt anybody (unless you got a case of blue balls)