How can the NCAA miss the boat here in terms of March Madness?  I see the excitement that is generated around the college basketball championships and I want the same for football and so does everyone else.  The events could be held in the biggest and best stadiums in the country to bolster excitement.  Each weekend leading up to the championship game would have it’s own Super Bowl feel to it and the interest and excitement generated would be amazing.  Can you imagine how much attention worldwide that first title game would generate? 

This isn’t a blog about the negatives surrounding the BCS because we all know that is broken and I’m not saying to do away with the bowls.  The bowls can be part of the process.  The sponsors can stay the same, let’s just have our cake and eat it to and finally give the fans what they want. 

I want to see the best teams play and not be given a  month of prep time.  I want to see brackets and seedings and locations.  I want the the entire month of December or January to be all about college football and let us really enjoy it. 

I watch the NCAA basketball tournament and I find it bittersweet because as exciting as this tourney is the football one would be even better.

Everyone does a mock draft and it is time that i give mine.  I have a 92% correct rate over the past 2 years and I’m looking forward to being right again.  I don’t count traded picks against me and this year we will have some trades like normal.  I don’t expecet Miami to draft first but I do expect them to get a lot from this pick.  No player has separated himself as the top player yet and may not by draft time and that leaves a lot of times that aren’t picking first trying to make sure they get their guy.  It will be fun.  Win some money and copy my MOCK draft, I don’t mind…

 1. Miami:  They’ll trade the pick.  If not I expect Jake Long from Michigan.
2. St. Louis:  Chris Long 
3. Atlanta: Matt Ryan
4. Oakland:  Darren McFadden
5. Kansas City: Ryan Clady
6. N.Y. Jets:  Glenn Dorsey
7. New England (from S.F.): Vernon Gholston
8. Baltimore:  Sedrick Ellis
9. Cincinnati:  Leodis McKelvin
10. New Orleans:  Keith Rivers 
11. Buffalo :  Jeff Otah
13. Carolina : Chris Williams
14. Chicago:  Rashard Mendenhall ( my favorite Illini of the past few years) 
15. Detroit:   Dominique Rodgers Cromartie
16. Arizona  :  Aqib Talib
17. Minnesota : Mike Jenkins
18. Houston :  Jonathan Stewart
19. Philadelphia  :  Phillip Merling
20. Tampa Bay :  Malcolm Kelly
21. Washington :  Desean Jackson
22. Dallas (from Cleveland) :  Kentwan Balmer
23. Pittsburgh :  Derrick Harvey
24. Tennessee  :  Calais Campbell
25. Seattle :  Gosder Cherilus
26. Jacksonville :  Branden Albert
27. San Diego :  Antoine cason
28. Dallas :  Dan Connor
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis):   Kenny Phillips
30. Green Bay : Reggie Smith
31. N.Y. Giants : James Hardy

Like most fans who follow college football I was fixated on the Terrelle Pryor recruitment and where he would end up because of the effect it would have on the BIG 10 (11).  Pryor was down to Ohio St., Michigan, Penn ST. and Oregon.  I was rooting for Oregon all the way but I knew they were a serious longshot at best.  Common sense told me Penn St. was kept in the running because they were the state school.  Of the final two I wanted Ohio St.  Why Ohio st you ask?  They are good with or without Pryor but Pryor could’ve really made a name at Michigan with a new coach in a new system.  He chose the safe route and chose a great winning program. 

Pryor isn’t known as a passer at all but at 6*6 can reportedly run a sub 4.4 forty.  He’s a proven winnner and has a strong competitive drive.  He’ll have the chance to sit out this coming season and learn the system.  I don’t think he’ll redshirt because he’s too good for that.  I see them using him in certain situations where they really need a first down and it’s 3rd or 4th and short.  I guess i’m saying like Tim Tebow was used as a Frosh and we saw how that has turned out despite Tebow being a clearly better passer coming out of high school.

This hurts my Illini’s chances of winning the Big Ten but will keep decent QB prospects away from Ohio st for a few years because nobody that is really good will want to sit for a few years behind Pryor. 

I’m happy for the kid and I’m anxious to follow his development.  In college football you have a lot more misses than hits on kids like him and I only hope that he can live up to the fans expectations which is going to be sky high.  Mentally I believe he can take it but you never know how kids will adjust under this type of competition and spotlight.

How would it be to be on the hot seat before the season even starts?  Not fun if you ask me.  Imagine how Lane Kiffin of the Raiders feels.  He’s gone 6-26 over the past two seasons though the team has shown some signs of improvement.  Al Davis is still the owner there and as long as he is at the top the Raiders are going to be fire happy.  They are the opposite of the Steelers who have had 3 coaches now in my lifetime of 35 years. 

I think Kiffin will survive for a bit because of the drafting of Jamarcus Russell.  The kid needs stability and a chance to play in a system or he’ll be ruined.  Kiffin isn’t the guy who gets canned.

The next NFL c0ach is to get canned is Mike Nolan of the 49ers.  This guy can’t do the job in a city with a rich football tradition.  He has had a few years to get Alex Smith better and some help and it hasn’t happened.  Last season was supposed to be when the NINERS took the next step and instead took a step back.  Frank Gore faced 8 man fronts all year and the NINERS couldn’t pass at all.  Smith got hurt and missed most of the season and that was it.  Nolan is on a short leash and I don’t think he’ll make it if the NINERS start slow. 

Another coach who i could see being dumped would be the Jets Eric Mangini.  He is in a high profile job and took the team backward last year also.  He is under the radar right now but if they start slow they may as well dump him especially with all the money that has been thrown around at the free agents they’ve signed.  I see some serious issues with team chemistry and it will cost Mangini his job.  Do you think when he gets fired he can get hired on to Belicheck’s Pats?  Me neither.

I didn’t think it was real when I first heard it.  I thought it was a gut reaction from not getting anyone to go to Green Bay for free agency, but when I saw the press conference I knew he was done.  He went out very well, as a proven winner and with class.  Brett was very honest with his emotions and his assessment of his teams chances of a Super Bowl.  I have a great deal of respect for that.

He’s done and not coming back and I have to accept that.  I’m a guy who respects players who play for one team their entire career because I value loyalty over most any other trait.  Favre is the Cal Ripken of football and is as a sure fire hall of famer as their is or ever has been in that sport.  He epitomized what a football player is.  He played every game despite personal struggles and injuries and wasn’t a complainer, he just did his job and did it better than anyone else ever. 

Favre retires holding most records that mean anything to QB’s but that isn’t what we’ll remember.  We will all remember that opening touchdown against the Pats in his first super bowl.  You remember that touchdown that he threw to Rison and the camera cuts to Favre who had taken off his helmet and was running down the field holding it in excitement.  He always had that excitement and love for football that we all had as little kids.  That always came out in him and I loved seeing that.  I won’t remember the records, just the attitude of trying to throw it through 3 defenders to get to the not open guy.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t but he never changed during his career.

As a Bear fan I won’t miss Favre because Aaron Rodgers is going to fall on his face and may as well just fake an injury and let someone else follow Brett Favre.  Favre won only one Super Bowl but when you think of Favre you think of constant succes and Rodgers will have to beat that and he won’t be able to. 

Just like their will never be another Cal Ripken their will never be another Brett Favre because they just dont’ make them like that anymore.

So far Randy Moss hasn’t signed anywhere and we heard some obscure rumor saying he’d like to play with Daunte Culpepper again somewhere and I don’t know why he’d want to do that.  Culpepper is a good backup Qb at this stage of the game or could possibly start for some teams but those teams aren’t winners.  Moss should be happy playing with Tom Brady and getting to Super Bowls.  So far no deal yet though for Moss.

Some big names have signed elsewhere though:

Asante Samuel- Left the Pats to play for the Eagles and gave the line: “the Eagles are always a good team and have a chance to play in a Super Bowl”.  More than the Pats?  I dont’ think so.  Just say you took your guaranteed money and nobody would blame you.  We all understand at this point.

Alan Faneca:  Left the Steelers to play for the Jets.  Got a great offer and took it.  Great career move though I don’t think the Jets are anything special.  Faneca will help out there but in a losing cause.

Michael Turner:  Left the Chargers to play for the Falcons.  Another great career move for a guy that wants to be a featured back and was stuck behind LT in San Diego.  He goes into a great situation and got a 6 year deal out of it with a ton of guaranteed cash.  I’m happy for Turner.  Could be a pro bowler.

Justin Smith:  Left the Bengals, like a lot of players, to sign with the 49ers.   Smith had a down year or he would’ve had a lot more interest.  The Bengals have stalled in their progess and Smith says he sees the 49ers getting there and about to turn the corner.  We’ll find out soon here.  He’ll either make it or get waived after a season or two.  It has always been strange to me how fast a football player can lose his skills but that’s why it is such a tough sport.  I’m not saying Smith has, it just wouldn’t surprise me.

We’ll cover this more as the week goes on to see where Randy and some of the other 100 plus free agents end up if anywhere.