I watched the draft on Sunday for hours and I don’t know why. That is some ridiculous programming. They were clinging for any and everything to talk about toward the end and I got so sick of Herm Edwards saying “right now, the special teams coach is taking control of the draft room trying to get his guys and the scouts are sticking up for their players because they’ve been watching some of these kids for 2 whole years and they need to sign someone”. He said that same line each hour for 4 hours that I watched. “Herm, what is going on in the draft room right now?”. Herm “Right now, the special teams coach…..blah blah blah”. Meanwhile the screen is flashing the name of a guy that Mel Kiper feels should’ve gone sooner or later and then it hits me…if Mel knows his crap why doesn’t some team just pay him to be their guy. I don’t know how much he makes but you’d think by now that some team should hire the guy. He’s the Vitale of the draft and it gets annoying after 7 hours.

In the end each team gets a draft grade. We don’t even know how these players are going to turn out yet they are already graded as either a pass or fail. That’s wrong. Each draft should be graded 3 years later. Instead of giving the Raiders their usual draft grade of F we should at least give them 3 years to prove that the guy running that ship needs to get out of the business. Mark Sanchez gets all this hype and he’s only started 16 college games in his life so we really don’t know how he’s going to turn out so let’s not grade the Jets with an A yet because this guy might flop like Cade McNown. (The Bears got an A for that draft).

I say they do 3 rounds in day 1 and 4 rounds in day 2 but don’t televise day 2 or at least just televise rounds 4-5 and let 6 and 7 go. Trey Wingo was out of material and Jaws was freaking out about some QB from Central Washington that had an arm that made Danny Wuerffel’s look like a cannon. Meanwhile Chris Mortenson was in the mix and not offering up anything that we are used to. Let Mort work the phones, not analyze the choices. Why have McShay and Kiper? Is it in Kiper’s contract that he is the man and the other guy (McShay) has to hide out at a secret location where his opinion isn’t as prominent?

Sad to admit, I loved it. I loved watching these kids walk up on stage and see their lives change for the better hopefully. I love seeing the pride in the family members as the players get selected. I wish them all the best as they start this journey in life.

I’m anxious to watch the train wreck LIONS tomorrow their selection. We hear all kinds of things like they are negotiating with Matt Stafford and other picks but in the end they should take the guy who wants to be there. If that’s Stafford then great just pick the guy already but if not then trade the pick.

Here’s my theory: Teams with high picks like this actually handicap themselves because they pay out the nose for these risky guys. Stafford is a great prospect but not a proven commodity yet he’ll get 20 plus million guaranteed. If he busts, which is actually likely, then the Lions are set to be terrible for a few more seasons. The commish really needs to come in and address this and fix the situation because it’s out of control. How can Detroit ever get better when they have to pay this much money to no namers? The Lions should smartly trade out of the first pick and acquire more picks and more players who’ll make less money. One guy won’t fix this team yet they’ll have to pay as much as a few players just to sign him. Doesn’t make sense.

The commish needs to take a long look at how basketball does their thing and just copy them. Bracket each player into a slot and get the process over with. We won’t have holdouts or pissed off veterans. We’ll have a system that makes sense and gives each team more money for free agency where they can actually improve themselves.

As it sits now I’m just waiting for Barnum and Bailey to come out and hire the LIONS and see how they run the circus there.

Dear Greg,

I can honestly say that you were one of my least favorite college basketball players in recent memory. It didn’t help you were with Duke and that you were an overrated basketball player coming out of high school. It didn’t help that in my opinion you were no better than a mid major point guard who just happened to be playing at Duke. I got my vindication during your senior year when you came off the bench and even that was generous from Coach K.

However, I can’t say how impressed I am at the attitude about trying to play football again. Not a day goes by that i don’t think about my time as a Qb and wishing I could play it again. There is nothing like those 5 seconds leading up to every snap of the ball so I have zero blame for you trying to play again. I wish you nothing but the best in that regard. I’m hoping that you get a chance to play because it takes some serious guts to be the most hated player in every college ‘road’ arena in basketball and take that to football where those crowds are 4-5 times larger.

How many of us wish we were good enough to play college basketball and when that is done be taken seriously as a football player at a high major school? I know I’m jealous of that. I know I’ve been jealous all along. I hope it makes me a man to admit that I’m jealous because in Greg Paulus I see everything I could’ve been as a basketball player and an athlete and I fell short.

I turn on Espn the other day and I catch myself watching Alabama playing a spring game against itself and I caught myself really being fixated on it and wondering what I was doing.

I love college football but this was April and I was sitting there for 30 minutes straight watching and wondering where this came from. I’ve always known that the Spring Games happened but I never knew that they were followed like this. The stadiums are packed in some cases just to watch a glorified scrimmage. How did this happen?

I don’t know how but I know it is genius of the people at the schools to do this. The excitement that is generated and created from these events can really spark a program. I took one look at the Alabama game and immediately knew what separated the SEC from the rest of the country and that the rest of the country is far behind. The place was loud, the fans were excited, there was tailgating. You go to one of these games out west and you won’t see half that excitement. Sure, you have your loyal followers but not 100k of them. I loved it and it made me impatient for late August to get here.

4 months to go until the real deal and that’s why Spring Ball is so great. It breaks up the year for all of us football fans who can’t wait for the season to get started. Illinois has their spring game this saturday and I’ll be keeping close watch on how that goes.

What is up with this? The Dallas Cowboys have 6 scheduled tv games next year and it’s killing me. Why is this? Is Dallas America’s Team? Not anymore. Not anymore at all. Teams that are America’s team are good, like the Yankees. They are always followed and are a threat every year. Dallas hasn’t won a playoff game forever. 6 games?

I remember hating Dallas growing up because they were good and they were America’s team growing up. They had Staubach at Qb and Dorsett and they seemed to always win. They were like Duke to me now. The problem is that I can’t hate them anymore because they aren’t that good. I’m excited to see the new stadium but that’s about it.

Who does Dallas have that is really worth watching this much? Tony Romo is an above average Qb. Marion Barber is a decent back. The defense is good, but again what is the attraction nowadays. Give me a Steeler/Ravens game anyday or a Bears/Packers even. Don’t get me wrong i don’t want to watch Detroit/Chiefs play ever but I for sure don’t want to watch Dallas play 6 times this season considering I HAVE to watch Denver play each week anyway. Is the NFL trying to force all of us into DirectTv where we have options? Maybe so.

An NFL Conspiracy?

I loved Harry Kalas. His name was comical, but his voice was as distinguishable as my father’s when he was upset at me. Harry Kalas passed away at the age of 73 today and I’m very sad.

I’m a baseball purist and I have a thing for the old time announcers. I loved Harry Caray of course and I loved Jack Buck and I loved Harry Kalas. Why am i talking about a baseball announcer in a football blog you might be asking?

Harry was the great NFL films announcer who took over after John Facenda died of cancer in the mid 80’s. Facenda captivated me with his talk of Vince Lombardi and the frozen tundra of Lambeau field. I can do a spot on impression of that guy and I’m proud of it. When Harry came along he took over as the voice during football’s real growth into mainstream america. Football is now the most popular sport in the country and Harry has something to do with that for sure. His career was solidified when he became the voice of campbell’s chunky soup. I’m kidding of course, but that did help put his voice in more homes in America.

I wasn’t a Philly fan or I’d have better stories, but the sad thing for me is that the voices of my youth are starting to disappear and I pray I can cling to the memories that they helped create for me. Let me apologize to Harry and his family for their loss and to all the fans who will now miss a friendly and familiar voice who gave us a great excuse to stay home instead of go to the game.

I got asked this question the other day and i decided to research this a little bit. People need to understand that scholarships are not 4 year deals but basically 1 year renewable contracts that the University has the option on. If a player acts up it is technically within the right of the University to decide to renew the scholarship or not. In football there are more athletic scholarships given than any other sport by far.

Look at the rosters of these schools: 70 players are allowed to dress for each football game. 70 kids. Basketball dresses 12. Baseball doesn’t dress that many but baseball scholarships are tough to come by because in college those teams don’t produce a ton of revenue. Since football generates the most money they have the ability to sign the most kids.

It’s all about percentages however when we look at the big picture. Getting a football scholarship is just as tough as any other sport because more kids play football than any other high school sport. Each team has loads of players so Univerisities have loads of players to choose from. If you are a good football player you many not be able to find someone whether it be Divsion I or II to pay for your education. What I’m saying is it is the same for all sports due to the amount of athletes competing at the high school level.

NO. Of course he isn’t the answer for the Bears. They have nobody to throw the ball to and the offensive coordinator is way too conservative to take advantage of Cutler’s strengths. Seriously, the Bears did good by getting Cutler but they won’t see the immediate returns unless they get 1-2 receivers who can catch the ball.

Who can they get? Go over Plaxico and take the risk on him. Go after Torry Holt and give him another try. Go after Jerry Rice and bring him back for all I care, but do something. Instead they are going to have to be tight end oriented and run oriented and waste one of the best young passers in the game.

I think the price they paid was a bit high and Cutler isn’t a proven winner but he’s a young player with a great arm and has had proven success in the league. I wish him all the best and think he’s the best QB the Bears have potentially had in my entire life. Seriously, I’m 36 and up until now Jim McMahon was the best QB the Bears have had since I’ve been born. Kramer had a great year once. Super Rex qb’d them to a super bowl, but Cutler has a chance to really be the best Bears Qb ever if they will only get him some people to throw the ball to.