Solid St Patrick's Day

It was a beautiful sunny day in Cleveland which made for a great St Patty's day. Not only was there the usual drunken fun around town, but the NCAA Tournament started and like always, did not disappoint.

My bracket took a hit but it usually does anyways. Now I can just root for fun upsets and Morehead State to go all the way. I was so happy that Morehead became a trending topic on Twitter last night. This is why we watch basketball.

OSU kicks it off today in Cleveland which is gonna be another great day for the city. Four games many of them close teams should be a great time. This is becoming a great weekend.

Its Almost St Patty's Day!

I would like one person to tell me why tomorrow will not be the best day of the year! And don't give me the shit about the day the Tribe wins the World Series because we all know that will be like 75 years from now. But seriously, not only is it St Patrick's Day, but its the start of the NCAA tournament (see my latest post).

Downtown Cleveland will be absolutely rocking all day long. That's where I'm gonna be all day. Here is a great guide to the best places to be thanks to Cleveland.com. So I hope you all have a great Thursday. It will be one for the ages.

PS: check out the comment on the Cleveland.com link by @earnyourown. What a bitch. He can call all the people he wants amateurs but he just sounds like a damn party pooper. Everything on that list sounds like a damn good time so do us all a benefit @earnyourown and stay the hell away from the people trying to have fun.

 See you all tomorrow!

Good First Night For The NIT

Hopefully you'll filled out your NIT brackets. It was a decent opening round for Northeast Ohio Universities. Both Cleveland State and Kent State won their first round games on Tuesday night.

Cleveland St, a two seed did not blowout seven seed Vermont. They won 63-60 mostly due to the play of senior Norris Cole. Cole dropped 27 points and is now the 3rd all-time leading scorer for the Vikings. If only they could have beaten Butler in the regular season we could be wishing for another Viking upset in the NCAA tournament. But nonetheless the Vikings should make a nice run in the NIT. PS: at least one Cleveland basketball team is winning and playing with some heart. The Vikings now play the College of Charleston

Kent State's win was defiantly more of an upset. A seven seed taking on the recently bubble bursted St Mary's, not many people thought Kent had a chance. Down most of the game, a late comeback and winning shot was led by MAC player of the year Justin Greene. St Mary's missed their game winning chance advancing the Golden Flashes to the next round of the NIT. The Flashes are now matched up against six seeded Fairfield. Kent should be able to win this one and advance to the Elite Eight of the NIT. I guess its better than nothing.

My NCAA Preview

As many others will also believe, I personally think that the members of the selection committee were on crack. Not only did they screw up on adding VCU and leaving out Va Tech, but the seeding was completely ass backwards. For one, I'm not sure how you give Kentucky a 4 seed after winning the SEC and give Florida a 2 seed after losing to them. That to me is mind boggling. Also not sure how Michigan received an 8 seed. They at best were an 11. Texas is a very dangerous 4 seed after many thought they could be a 2.

OSU, for being the #1 overall seed, has no easy bracket. From the looks of it, Pitt clearly has the easiest run to the Final Four. OSU on the other hand, could have a pesky match up in just the second round.That team is Villanova. Ya I know I'm about to hear about how they have lost just about all their games down the stretch. But this team knows how to play in March. They were recently in the Final Four and you can't sleep on them. OSU has played shaky this year in some games they should have easily won like games with Northwestern. All I am saying is don't sleep on the Wildcats. Aside from Nova, OSU has to worry about a UK team that just won the SEC and is playing very well and a Syracuse team that is also very dangerous in March. If they play well, I think they can make it to the Final Four but they defiantly have to try harder than some other #1 seeds.

Here are my Final Four picks:

EAST - Ohio State
WEST- Duke
SOUTHWEST- Notre Dame
SOUTHEAST - Pitt

Side note, hit me up on Twitter at @ClevelandsRocks if you are interested in doing a combo Women's bracket and NIT bracket. Normal scoring and only rule is you can't pick UConn.

Player Ban?

As the turmoil between the NFL owners and the NFLPA continues, news broke the other day that the NFLPA would impose a boycott on the upcoming NFL Draft. This would mean the usual 15 or so players that attend the draft would not be allowed/ recommended to be there. However, the NFLPA came out today and said they would not put a boycott on the draft.

My opinion is the the Players Association was testing the waters for this idea. Obviously this would be a dumb idea for public relations where it seems like most of the people are on the side of the players. A Sports Nation poll showed that 72% of Americans thought this was a bad idea. 

As much as Joe Thomas looked like a complete bad ass passing up the draft to go fishing with his father, the lack of players at the draft would defiantly be a damper to the first night. Plus, we would miss the always comical player who is expected to go early then sit and wait in the green room forever. The Brady Quinn face was priceless as he had to endure constant cameras on his face for 22 picks. This is why the draft is awesome and I really hope the players are allowed to attend.

Bishop Richard Lenin Disappoints Many Irish/Cleveland Drunks

A good article was posted courtesy of Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer) interviewing Cleveland locals/personalities about St. Patty's Day, which is of course the best holiday of the year, narrowly edging the NFL Draft. Anyways the  article polls the people about four things: 1) favorite Irish pub; 2) favorite Irish drink; 3) favorite Irish band; 4) favorite Irish joke. Lets go through the Bishop's answers: 1) "Bishop is not a drinker."  2) "Bishop is not a drinker." 3) Someone I've never heard of. 4) A prayer. I mean c'mon! This is Cleveland, here! Not the Vatican City! Not a drinker?! Hey I'm not pressuring people to drink, but who hasn't gotten a little buzz of the blood of Christ on the 3 or 4 Sundays they go to mass? I mean, everyone's a drinker on St. Patty's Day! I know the Bishop has come under fire in the past for having to close down certain historical parishes around the city, and I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not on this one though. Not on my holiday. Let this be a lesson to the 7-10 people who are reading this, don't insult the Irish this Thursday, I expect to see everyone 100% inebriated at the parade.

Thank God Its March

So the NFL is in a lockout. We now have to wait for a long drawn out legal process that will likely take forever. The odds that actual NFL time will be missed are greatly increased now, unfortunately. But forget that shit, we got March Madness coming. Thank God it is march or I'm not sure what I would do. Its not even the actual tournament and the last two days were crazy as hell.

Here's what went down in JUST the conference tournaments.

Wisconsin and Penn St. looked like they were playing a damn CYO game. I mean seriously? This is Division 1 basketball for Christ sake.  Its weird to see Wisconsin shit down their leg after beating OSU. They looked so dominant, then once they got national attention, ran away and left their offense in Madison.

We saw Jimmer Fredette get his mother fucking swag on... again. Then, only to get his ass beat the next day. I feel bad for this man. He drops a record 52 points on Friday just to get blown out by San Diego State the next day. I mean, he still dropped 30 but, gotta suck for the man. The worst part is he can even get plastered or, well, you know. I'm proposing a Free Jimmer campaign but he's out of there in a few weeks. Side note: I can only assume Jimmer in the real world is like Miley Cyrus turning 18. We can only wait and see.

We saw Kemba Walker bust his nut over the entire Big East. This man had to be pissed the Big East Player of the Year was given to some white guy from Notre Dame.
Lets see:
Five games in five days. Check
Four of them ranked teams: Check
Broke a man's ankle so bad he should just sit the next few out. Check
Single handily won the toughest conference in the country's championship. Check
Not a bad weekend Kemba. Party like your not Jimmer Fredette. Another side note: Wouldn't mind Cavs drafting him with the Clip's pick. The man can play.

Hopefully other people out there checked into ESPN3.com for the Harvard vs Princeton game. I'm just kidding. But seriously this game was crazy. These smart kids know how to have good rivalries. Not only were they playing on Yale's court, which I can only assume is a huge slap in the face, but it was a barn burner. Also, did you see the signs in the stands? They were about Presidential campaigns in the early 1900's. Respect. Princeton won on a crazy heart-braking buzzer beater which could, for the first time ever, could get the Ivy League two teams in the tourney.

Does it get any more thug than the MAC Championship game? The answer is HELL NO! Akron vs Kent St. in Cleveland was a sight to see. What good game doesn't end with a game winning shot and coaches fighting in a scuffle? Akron won but the fans in Cleveland were the real winners with the fight at the end.

And what has to be the best part of the weekend and the weeks to come. Gus Fucking Johnson. This man bleeds college basketball and always seems to find the best games. ESPN's Bill Simmons has the Gus Johnson rule which basically means he will always have a good game. It was true with the Arizona vs Washington game in the PAC 10 final. Just a preview of what is to come. I cant wait.

Here are my pre-selection Sunday #1 seeds. Since I am by no means an expert, do not strictly follow these picks.

OSU: Unless they completely crap the bed against a team that recently won with a score in the 30's, the Buckeyes should have the number one overall seed.

Kansas: Strong win over Texas to win the Big 12. At worse will be the second #1 seed.

Winner of Duke/UNC game. Ya its cheating. Big whoop. Im not picking winners yet just seeds. And the winner of this I think will earn the 3rd number one seed. If it's UNC it may be the 4th but still deserving of a top seed.

Pitt: I know they lost but they still have a crazy good resume and there has to be someone from the Big East at a top seed.

My #2 Seeds:
Loser of Duke/UNC
Notre Dame
San Diego State
Texas

Post-Combine Top 10 NFL Mock Draft

Combine wrapped up earlier this week, so here's my tentative top ten for next months draft.

1. Carolina Panthers: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

Bowers gives Ron Rivera desperately needed defensive line help. Look for Bowers to solidify himself after a solid pro day since he didn't workout in the Combine.

Keep an eye on: One of the quarterbacks (Newton, Gabbert)

2. Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DL, Roll Tide

Transforming to the 4-3, John Fox is going to need some new personnel on the defensive line. Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers will make the transition from OLB to DE, but the interior needs to be reworked. Dareus had a great combine and leapfrogged Nick Fairley on many teams boards according to the experts.

Keep an eye on: Da'Quan Bowers


3. Buffalo Bills: Patrick Peterson, CB, Bayou Bengals

I'll be honest and admit I am not comfortable projecting anything the Buffalo Bills do. This is the same front office who invested a top 10 pick on CJ Spiller, a running back, which happened to be the strongest position group on the team. Peterson is too much of a talent, however. He was incredible at the Combine and should go in the top 5 or 6 picks.

Keep an eye on: Newton/Gabbert

4. Cincinnati Bengals: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

I'm torn on this pick as well. It's going to come down to the status of Carson Palmer. If he's serious about retiring and refuses to play by the time the draft rolls around, the Bengals would be stupid not to pick a quaterback. I don't like Newton as much as some as a pro prospect, but Mike Brown will fall in love with the size and speed of a physical specimen like Newton if it comes down to a QB. If not, keep an eye on AJ Green.

Keep an eye on: AJ Green, WR, UGA


5. Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

Von Miller has emerged as an unbelievable prospect. The way people speak of him, he reminds me a little of Aaron Curry coming out of college, except I think Von Miller's going to be good. The Cards need help at OLB, arguably the most important position in the 3-4 defense that they employ. Joey Porter just isn't the same player he was 8 years ago and Miller has the potential to be a dynamic pass-rusher off the edge for Ken Whisenhunt.

Keep an eye on: Newton/Gabbert

6.  Cleveland Browns: Robert Quinn, DE, UNC

I think Fairley is a real option at this point, but the Browns have Rubin at DT and literally no one at defensive end. Matt Roth may be able to slide down but he's never played line in the pros and hasn't been all that happy during his stay in Cleveland. If Quinn can put on a show during his pro day look for him to make some noise. Without a pass rush it's hard to do anything on defense, and in the 4-3 it starts with the ends.

Keep an eye on: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

7. San Francisco 49ers: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Mizzou

I think 2 things about this pick: 1. SF is desperate for a QB and 2. Jim Harbaugh knows QBs. Because of this I think he'll be excited that Gabbert is the one to fall to 7 instead of Newton (in this mock at least). No, he's not the prospect Andrew Luck is but Harbaugh helped develop Luck into what he is today. He can do the same with Gabbert.

Keep an eye on: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

Tennessee had it good when they had Albert Haynesworth (at least when he actually felt like playing). Fairley gives the Titans a good player with a high ceiling to try to fill the void. QB is a massive question mark, however, but if both QBs are good look for Tennessee to take the best player available.

Keep an eye on: Newton/Gabbert

9. Dallas Cowboys: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

The Cowboys secondary is nothing to rave about. Michael Jenkins has talent, but chooses not to use it much of the time. Terrance Newman isn't getting any younger, and Prince Amukamara is shooting up draft boards after an outstanding Combine performance. A team that has this much talent really needs to focus on not only getting good players, but getting players that can build chemistry and Amukamara can do that. The 'Boys are a great example of a team with a bunch of "me's" and a lot of talent but no chemistry.

Keep an eye on: Tyron Smith, T, USC   

10. Washington Redskins: AJ Green, WR, UGA

This is a classic Daniel Snyder pick. Huge name. Green is an awesome talent and come draft time, I really don't think he'll last this long. However, in this scenario, the  Redskins find Green falling all the way into their lap. Snyder tends to be attracted to big names and media attention so this is an easy call to make.

Keep an eye on: Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal

Please Don't Sign Gholston

Remember that one time Vernon Gholston got a sack? Oh ya, that’s right it was when he was still in college. As we discussed earlier, the Browns are lucky that AJ Hawk re-signed with the Packers. Now that the Jets have released Vernon Gholston, I’m hearing from many Browns fans that we should acquire him. NOOOOOO. He is just one more OSU player to not live up to expectations in the NFL.

In his three year professional career, he has recorded only 42 tackles and 0 sacks. ZERO!  Not even a half of one. Did I mention that he is in the same division as the Buffalo Bills? And he couldn’t even sack one of them!

Now don’t give me that crap about how he switched positions in the 3-4 defense. Would he magically be better going to back to the 4-3 after not playing that in four years? If he wants to sign with the Browns for dirt cheap then go right ahead. But if the Browns offer him an expensive multi-year deal I’m going to start to watch soccer.  

Browns Avoid Disaster, AJ Hawk is Most Likely Headed Back to GB

I've seen all over the internet about how the Browns need to look into AJ Hawk if he gets released by the Packers. Lo and behold, he gets cut on Wednesday and Ohio State homers everywhere are clamoring for the Browns to pick him up. Luckily, GB is more than likely resigning him today at a reduced rate. Lets be honest here people. Put down your glass of scarlet kool-aid. AJ Hawk is an incredibly medicore NFL linebacker. There's a reason the Pack wanted to restructure his contract. He's the third best linebacker on their team yet he was one of the highest paid players on the team. This isn't the Big 10 anymore, its the NFL and while AJ Hawk is a suitable player, he's not the stud that Ohio St fans seem to still think he is. And neither is Bobby Carpenter. Or Mike Doss. Or Ted Ginn. Or Troy Smith. Or Anthony Gonzalez. Or any other player Jim Tressel coached that's in the NFL right now. Except Chris Gamble or Will Smith. They're the only two. The point is, Ohio St players do a great job of disappointing in the NFL. There aren't any Youngstown State's or Ohio U's (represent) in the NFL.

Carson Palmer says he'll never play for the Bungles again

Good news or bad news for Browns fans: according to a report, Carson Palmer says he refuses to play for Cincy, saying he has $80 million saved up in the bank and doesn't have to play football for money. I'm a Carson Palmer supporter because he plays like a practice squad quarterback on occasion yet Bungle fans still have a tendency to think he is a top tier quarterback. If the Bengals and Palmer cut ties, do you view it as a plus or a minus from the perspective of a Browns fan?

Baron Davis vs Peter Grffin

Sorry this took a while but seriously... Baron Davis looks just like this except the fat, white, Irish part. Oh thats right, he will be fat in about a month. And who knows, he may be Irish, who am I to judge?

VS

Jamison Is Done

And the Cavalier's season is officially down the drain. Just kidding, that happened on July 7th. But to make things worse power forward Antawn Jamison has undergone surgery on a broken pinky finger. Thats right folks, you know your down when you break a pinky and have to sit out the rest of the season. Projected to be out 5-7 weeks, there is little chance and almost no point for him to come back for the last few games.

Hopefully someone on our bench can step up to fill the gap of ugly tear drop floaters left by the injured Jamison. 

Green Is NOT The Option

The Cleveland Browns have many holes to fill, one major hole being wide receiver. As we sit with the 6^th pick in the upcoming draft, there are many ways in which the Browns can go. This year, there is a ton of talent up top and the Browns can get a talented player at almost any position.  One of those prospects is Georgia receive AJ Green. Green is currently 4^th on ESPN’s big board and many experts are comparing him to Calvin Johnson. He is freakishly athletic and has great hands. He is almost a lock to be an immediate threat to opposing defenses with his big play ability and speed. With all that being said, it seems like the Browns have the perfect answer with the 6^th pick. WRONG!

I will tell you why AJ Green is NOT the best option with the 6^th pick.  Since the 2000 draft, there have been 17 WR’s taken in the top ten of the first round. Of those 17 players, and ten years, there has been only 14 Pro Bowls combined. 10 of those 14 are from Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald.  Most of them have been very expensive busts. For example, there is Peter Warrick, Travis Taylor, David Terrell, Charles Rodgers, Troy Williamson, Reggie Williams, and Mike Williams. Also on the list are Braylon and Plaxico who are talented but seem to cause more problems then stats. Out of the whole list I would say there are about 8-9 busts, 2-3 decent players, and then Andre, Calvin, and Larry.

Now lets do some math. Of those 17 players, the chances that we end up with one of those last three players named is only 17%. The chance that we end up with at least a decent player is only about 35%. And the chance that we get a so-called bust is slightly more than 50%. Are you feeling lucky? Because I sure as hell am not feeling that lucky. And remember, at one point in the draft process, every one of those players on that list were called “sure-things” by also so-called expert Mel Kiper.

Lets just say for fun that the Browns are lucky. Just imagine that Green actually ends up being a productive receiver like Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson. Now take a look at their respective teams. What have the Texans done? Agreed they are well ahead of the Browns but is that all because of Johnson? No, they have drafted early with defense and then more defense. Plus, they have not made it all the way yet. Now look at the Lions. They are a much better team to compare to the Browns. Both are small market teams who have been down for some years and are consistently in the top ten of drafts. Now the Lions are notorious for drafting WR’s in the top ten by taking Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams in three consecutive drafts. Notice them list from above? Anyways, in 2007 they drafted Calvin Johnson and in the four years have won a total of 15 games. What did the Lions do in 2010 to make it seem like they are actually rebuilding? They drafted defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.

Is AJ Green really going to make an immediate impact? Probably a little. Is he really going to help the Browns rebuild things? Probably not. The Browns need a pass rushing defensive lineman and this draft has a million of them. Not to mention, the better teams of late have been able to find top receivers in the second and third rounds. With Titus Young and possibly Jonathan Baldwin available in the second, why not go D-line first? We know that’s what we really need to really help.