Steve's First Round Live Blog Spectacular

I have been planning for a few weeks now to give you a glimpse into my living room and my brain as I watch and react to the NFL Draft. I plan to do the same thing during Saints games this fall. As things get going, I will update the post with comments, concerns, and questions. I hope to make sure 90% of the content will be just as interesting to read tomorrow as it is today. I know there is an open thread going at CSC and this is just another option. A way to double your pleasure and a way to have another guest at your draft party. I promise not to double dip a chip, sit in your favorite seat, or harm your children.

7:35 PM EST: The Commissioner comes out to a round of boos, a "WE WANT FOOTBALL," and "LET THEM PLAY." chants. He repeats to the crowd three or four times that he hears them. Eventually, he uses the tragedy at Tuscaloosa to quiet the crowd as to allow for a moment of silence. Mr. Goodell now knows what its like to be Gary Bettman who is booed wherever he goes.

7:50: We are about ten minutes away and I am thinking about all of the Bills fans out there. I think this would be the best case scenario for them:

1. Cam Newton (Carolina)

2. Tron Smith (Denver)

If this were to happen, the Bills would have there choice of the best defensive players on the board. More likely, I would project it out like this:

1. Cam Newton (Carolina)

2. Von Miller (Denver)

In this case I would assume that the Bills would either (from least likely to most) trade back a few spots and select Blaine Gabbert, or stay put and select Patrick Peterson, or stay put and select Marcell Dareus.

This is how I would bet the first five picks will shake out:

1. Cam Newton (Carolina)

2. Von Miller (Denver)

3. Marcell Dareus (Bills)

4. AJ Green (Bengals)

5. Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)

If the draft plays out that way, I would expect the Cardinals to do back-flips and somersaults on their way to turn the PP pick in. 

7:55: Another one of my favorite things to do during the draft is to root against the other three NFC South teams. Tonight, I am rooting hard for the Panthers to pick Cam Newton. I think he has train wreck written all over him. I am terrified of Dareus and would rather not have to worry about him knocking down Drew Brees the way he did to Texas QB Colt McCoy in the 2010 National Championship Game.

What do you guys hope the Panthers do with this pick as a Saints fan?

What channel are you watching on? NFL or ESPN?

Who do you think will face the embarrassment of sitting in the green room all night and not getting picked in the first round? I will throw out three names that I think could face this cruel fate:

1. Randall Cobb (Kentucky)

2. Akeem Ayers (UCLA)

3. Mark ingram (Alabama)

8:00: The Commissioner is again booed and again he seems to hate it. He opens the draft and the Panthers are officially on the clock.

8:06: Cam Newton is officially made the first pick of the 2011 draft. As a Saints fan, I can't wait until he makes his first trip to the SuperDome and Greg Williams confuses him with so many different blitz packages that not even his stolen laptop can compute any understanding for the kid. My first red flag, and the reason that I don't think he will be worthy of the pick, is that I just don't see him as passionate enough. That might not be fair on my part because I don't know the kid personally, but something about the way he represents himself reminds me of Aaron Brooks.

8:09: Bills fans are officially sweating as the Broncos will select a player that a large portion of their fan base has their hearts set on. The Bills have drafted three running backs since the last time they made the playoffs and only C.J. Spiller is still on the team.

8:12: The Broncos make an outstanding pick by selecting Von Miller from Texas A&M. They wasted a first round pick last year when they selected Tim Tebow, but they made no mistake today. Did anyone else feel a chill when ESPN showed him practically sobbing on the phone in the green room? BTW, why do they kill the drama like that by spoiling the pick with the green-room phone call? Does anyone like that? Can't they show it as a highlight?

8:17: ESPN goes to commercial for the first time as the Bills are on the clock. I can feel all of Buffalo take a deep breath and cross their fingers that the old men that run the team don't screw this up. UNCONFIRMED STAT: The Bills draft room is the oldest in the NFL with a combined age of 22,023. Congratulations.

8:20: All of Buffalo exhales as the card is turned in and the Commissioner announces Marcell Dareus is the third pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. This was a great pick and if they sign this kid on time defensive line could be one of the strengths of the team this year. Kyle Williams is a stud at NT and Dareus is going to be a great fit.

8:24: The number one player on Wes Buntings big board is selected at #4 by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals picked Jermaine Gresham last year in the first round and he made a huge impact on the field. On ESPN, Chris Berman mentions that the last four wide receivers picked in the top five have had success in the league (Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Braylon Edwards). If you look at that list it has to make you love the pick even more. The Bengals have some weapons on offense now. Does Carson Palmer have enough left in the tank to take advantage?

8:27: I would think a huge cheer just erupted in the Cardinals draft room. Patrick Peterson is the best player in the draft and would make a great DB tandem with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

8:32: Sure enough, Patrick Peterson is the pick. I went 5-0 with my mini-mock at the beginning of the blog. I don't think that makes me a genesis, but I think it shows that the first five picks of the draft made sense. Cleveland is a team that doesn't make sense. Let's see if this is the first shock. I would think the Browns would take Julio Jones.

8:35: NIGHTMARE. The Falcons have traded into the #6 spot to pick Julio Jones (I presume). Roddey White and Julio Jones could be the best 1-2 punch in the league in a few years. The draft is only 35 minutes old and two of the teams in the Saints division have made large impact selections.

8:37: The Commissioner makes it official that the Falcons have selected WR Julio Jones. The Falcons paid a huge sum for this privilege. ESPN announces that the Falcons get only Julio Jones, and the Browns get the 27th pick in the draft, the Falcons 2nd and 4th in this year's draft and Atlanta's 1st and 4th next year. Do you think he is worth it?

8:41: The 49ers are on the clock. Just to take a guess, if I was a 49er fan, I would want to take Prince Amukamara. I think he is a safer pick than any of the quarterbacks available. Gabbert wouldn't shock me, but I think they will give Alex Smith another chance to play without having to look over his shoulder.

8:44: The 49ers throw the first curve ball by selecting Aldon Smith DE from Missouri. It seems like a bit of a reach to pick a Sophomore with the 7th pick. Aaron Maybin was also a guy selected high by the Bills a few years ago that had limited experience. My question now is how long until we see a QB selected?

8:48: HOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW! WOW! The Titans select Jake Locker with the 8th pick of the 2011 draft. I am happy about this pick for a few reasons. Jake Locker went back to school to graduate and help his team reach a bowl game. After the Nebraska game last fall, Locker's stock started to drop faster than the stock marker in 1929. I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for guys who stay in school. I think it is great for college football and great for the NFL. I am glad he is still going to get paid and I hope he succeeds in the next level.

8:50: I love the pace and intrigue of the draft at this point. The picks are coming in quicker than I can type. This is another chance to see Prince Amukamara come off the board, but I would work on keeping Tony Romo safe and take the OT Tyron Smith from USC.

8:54: The Cowboys make Wes Bunting a happy man as Tyron Smith is the pick by the Cowboys. When I talked to Wes earlier in the week he loved Tyron Smith and he called him a "blue chip left tackle in the NFL." I think that pick makes a lot of sense. Cowboy's fans watched their season swirl down the drain when Tony Romo got jacked up last season against the Giants. Protecting Romo had to be a priority this off-season and the Cowboys jumped at the opportunity to do so the first chance they got.

8:59: The Redskins have made it clear that they hate Donovan McNabb. If they wanted to crystalize the point further they could pick Blaine Gabbert right now.

9:01: Instead, we have another trade. The Jaguars move up to 10 to select Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. I have never been a fan of David Gerrard (who went 8-6 and completed 65% of his passes last season), and I think the Jaguars needed to secure the QB of the future (much like division rival Tennessee did a few minutes ago).

9:05: Just got off the phone with the biggest Jaguars fan I know and he is giddy. He is pumped about the size of Gabbert He is down on Gerrard and ready for the team to move on. What are the terms of the trade?

9:10: JJ Watt is picked by the Texans and he is the first player picked that I don't think I ever watched play in college. 290 pounds and fast, the highlights make him look like a beast.

9:11: Coach Payton said before the draft that he thought five QBs would be selected before the Saints picked and with three off the board by pick eleven that prediction could come true.

9:17: The Vikings pass on whatever trade the ESPN talking head said they were going to make and instead select Christian Ponder. With Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Matt Stafford in place in the NFC North, and Brett Farve in his 36th retirement the Vikings might have felt the pressure of Tavaris Jackson. Wes Bunting had Ponder rated 40 on his big board and this pick seems to be a bit of a reach. I think they could have traded back a bit and still had a chance to draft him

9:21: The Lions need play-makers on defense and they jump on Nick Fairley to play next to Suh. I still have no idea what the terms of the Jacksonville trade are. Help? The Lions were in desperate need of a corner and I am a little surprised they passed on the Prince and Jimmy Smith.

9:27: I am sure that the Rams are disappointed that Julio Jones didn't fall to him, but that was probably wasn't realistic. Instead of getting help for Sam Bradford, the Rams pick Robert Quinn from North Carolina. Last year the Rams picked Bradford who has missed most of his previous season with injury, and Quinn literally missed the entire previous season on suspension. I guess the Rams really value the combine over college games played.

9:36: The Dolphins pass on Mark Ingram and select Mike Pouncey a center from Florida. I might be dreaming but I would love to walk away from this first round with Mark Ingram as a Saint. The Dolphins were one of the rumored teams thinking about Ingram so that is a bullet dodged. Mike Pouncey's brother Maurkice was the big injury we all followed before the Super Bowl. Maurkice's injured ankle was the the talk of media day and the bloodline might have made Mike attractive to some teams.

9:41: The Redskins are on the clock after trading with Jacksonville earlier. ESPN has spoiled the pick as Ryan Kerrigan is hugging his people in the green room. I am a big fan of Kerrigan. He is the kind of guy who just hustles and always seems to be going a million miles an hour. Coach Haslett is going to love this guy.

9:44: With that pick, we are now half way done with the first round. The pick that surprised me the most was Jay Locker to Tennessee. The pick that I liked the most was Marcell Dareus to Buffalo. The player that I am most suprised to still see available is Prince Amukamara. The pick that aggravated me the most as a Saints fan was Julio Jones to Atlanta. Sure, the Falcons gave away a ton to get him, but picks are a crap shoot. If you see a player you think is going to be great, pick him at all costs. Julio Jones is a good player. I hope Tracy Porter is ready.

9:49: The Patriots take their first of 71 picks in this year's draft and pick a guy that Wes Bunting told me had a high amount of bust potential, Nate Solder OT from Colorado. I am not a fan of the Patriots, but they needed a lineman so to me the pick makes sense. They have plenty of picks left to make and I am sure they will improve their team in the next few days.

9:53: The Chargers select Corey Luget and I know well before the Commissioner announces the pick thanks to ESPN's spoiler filled coverage. I would hate to go to a movie with the producers of this telecast. The words "spoiler alert" are not in their vocabulary.

9:56: Three minutes after ESPN lets the cat out of the bag, Roger Goodell confirms that the Chargers picked Luget. That makes the Giants on the clock, and one of the young ladies in the crowd made that her cue to scream over and over again. The screaming is so loud and persistent that I had to mute the television. The Giants could end the slide of Prince but they should go offensive line and I am scared about Ingram here.

10:00: @CSCtweet just said that with all of the defensive talnet available the Saints should move out of this round. I disagree, I think it means the Saints should take Ingram and worry about defense in round two.

10:03: The day before the Royal Wedding the Giants select Prince Henry. No, that's just silly, the GIants select Prince Amukamara.This pick is great value for the Giants. Prince was in the top 10 of just about every single mock draft I have looked at. Giants fans should be very pleased.

10:06: The Bucs are on the clock so it is time to switch gears and concentrate on helping the Bucs pick the biggest bust left on the board. I would love to see them pick a QB here because that would make absolutely no sense. That isn't going to happen so DeQuan Bowers is a guys I think I could deal with. Bowers has knee injuries. So I will cross my fingers for that.

10:10: ESPN has spoiled the pick and the Bucs will select Adrian Clayborn a DE from Iowa. This is the first player selected that I seen as a possible pick that the Saints would make on many draft boards. He also has some injury concerns but the highlights make him look pretty darn nasty. Last season the Bucs picked Gerald McCoy and with him on the inside and Clayborn on the outside the Bucs will have a scary defensive line in the future.

10:17: Interesting, the Browns have traded up form 27 (where they would have picked after trading with Atlanta) to 21 in the first round. I wonder if they want to take DeQuan Bowers? It is possible that they had him rated in the top ten on their draft board. I know he has knee concerns, but I would love to see Bowers in black and gold.

10:18: Well, ESPN made sure to spoil that pick as well and the massive DT Phil Taylor from Baylor is the guy the Browns had to move up and get. It seems a little curious to me, but with all of the flexibility they have after basically taking away all of Atlanta's future draft picks, I guess they wanted to make sure they got the guy they wanted.

10:21: Peyton Hillis the new cover boy of the Madden video game franchise is on hand to announce the Browns pick. He had dinner plans two hours ago but the trade spoiled them. He immediately thanks his lord and savior Jesus Christ who must be exhausted after completing yet another miracle; getting Peyton Hillis on the cover of Madden.

My top 3 Jesus Miracles

1. Bread to Wine

2. Walking on Water

3. Hillis on the Cover of Madden

10:25: ESPN returns from commercial to spoil any drama that might have resulted from not giving away the Colts pick before the Commishoner announced it and show a very excited Anthony Castonzo an OT from Boston College. This pick makes a ton of sense. Anytime you have a player like Peyton Manning on the field you have to make sure he is protected. Castonzo is very excited to have been selected and his energy is contagious. My brother and I just stated waving our t-shirts over our heads and doing the tomahawk chop.

10:28 The Eagles are up next and there is no chance that they will take Mark Ingram. That means he will be there if the Saints want him. At this point, DeQuan Bowers and Mark Ingram are both on the board with one pick before our beloved Saints. @j_bushrod7475 wants Ingram or Cameron Jordan DE from California. I would be happy with any of those players. Jordan is #11 on Wes Bunting's big board and has great value at this point.

10:31: A little break from the draft to salute the troops.

10:34: The Eagles select Danny Watkins an OG from Baylor and the draft is wide open for the Saints.

My ranking of players I want the Saints to draft:

1. Mark Ingram

2. DeQuan Bowers

3. Cameron Jordan

4. Jimmy Smith

5. Cameron Heyward

10:37: To quote Eddie Vedder, "The waiting drove me mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

10:38: Danny Watkins is a really cool guy. He brought a bunch of fireman to the draft with him, and he was also a former hockey player from Canada.

10:39: Jon Guden has loved every single player that has been picked so far. If he doesn't love our pick, I am going to be pissed. The draft has went perfect for Loomis and Peyton. I want Ingram so bad.

10:41: Just to break the tension a tad bit, someone just threw a crumpled up piece of paper at Mel Kiper.

10:42: Cameron Jordan is the pick. I am a little bummed that we didn't get Ingram but this pick probably makes more sense. We need to rush the QB better and this guy seems to carry top ten value to pick 24. I am excited to have him.

10:44: Just for fun, lets trade back into the first round and grab another guy.

11:00: I took a short break to help my brother set up his Yale email on his iPhone. Yea, no big deal just going to Yale. In the meantime Seattle took James Carpenter from Alabama and the Ravens passed. Huh? Passed? ESPN explains that the Ravens passed, the Chiefs rushed in a pick, and then the Ravens picked and now the Patriots are on the clock. All of that has happened but the room is quiet and nothing is being mentioned. Seattle went way off the board and suddenly the draft has just slammed on the breaks.

11:04: Mr. Goodell comes out to say that with the 26th pick the Chiefs select WR from Pitt Jon Baldwin. That should have been the Ravens pick and a few guys in Todd Heap jersey's are looking all around like they just got their wallets plucked on the subway.

11:07: I am not sure where ESPN heard that the Patriots were on the clock, but Goodell trots out to say that Jimmy Smith has been picked by the Ravens a CB from Colorado with some issues off the field.

11:08: THE SAINTS ARE BACK ON THE CLOCK!

11:09: JOY! EXCITED! DANCING! BANGING POTS! WE HAVE 2 HEISMAN TROPHY RUNNING BACKS! DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?

11:11: At 10:44, I posted this: just for fun, lets trade back into the first round and grab another guy.

11:12: We know have proof that Mr. Loomis and Mr. Payton are reading this blog and didn't want me to have to go to sleep without the RB that I wanted.

11:13: Mark Ingram was not cheap. Berman says we gave up a 1 next year (pick 32 I would guess) and our 2nd round pick tomorrow.  Ingram and Jordan both have fathers that played in the NFL. Only Ingram's, is currently incarcerated. 

11:16: This is an epic first round for the Saints. We improved the pass rush and we improved the running game. What else could you want?

11:17: I don't understand why the Patriots didn't pick Mark Ingram? Who is their running back?

11:18: Imagine a backfield with Reggie Bush catching passes on the outside and Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas running on the inside.

11:19: Great moment: Suzy Kolber reads an email to Mark Ingram from his father written in prison. Ingram broke down and showed unbelievable character. I am so pumped about this pick. I am on the moon.

11:26: I have been so excited about the Saints business that I missed a pick. Or maybe a few. Lets get back on track. After the joy of Ingram, the Bears selected Gabe Carimi an OL from Wisconsin at pick 29. The Jets picked Muhammad Wilkerson a DT from Temple at 30, and the Steelers picked Cam Hayward a DT from Ohio St at 31.

11:30: There is only one more pick left and there are a bunch of unhappy football players still in the green room. I give ESPN credit, they have yet to mention that Ryan Williams from VTech, Akeem Ayers from UCLA, Randall Cobb from Kentucky, Mark Herzlich from Boston College, and Rahim Moore from UCLA are all still stewing in the green room.

11:38: The Super Bowl winning Packers end the first round by selecting Derek Sherrod an OT from Mississippi State. He was not in the greenroom.

11:40: There is still a lot of talent left for the second round. Here are my top five players for the top of round two:

1. DeQuan Bowers, DE (Clemson) - His knee must be really jacked for a guy who was talked about as a potential #1 overall pick to not get selected at all in round #1.

2. Ryan Williams, RB (VTECH) - Watching highlights I loved to watch this guy run. I thought he might be a solid running back but when we were able to get Ingram at 28 it meant only one back was going to go in round one.

3. Andy Dalton, QB (TCU) - Wes Bunting said that QB value was in the RD 2-3 range and with Dalton and Mallet and Stanzi still available some of the teams at the top of round two that passed on QB in round one should be very excited with the players still available.

4. Titus Young, WR (TCU) - With only 3 WR's taken in the first round, like QB, there will be some great value in the position tomorrow. Young, Kobb (green room causality), and Leonard Hankerson from Miami will be hot.

5. Kyle Rudolph, TE (Notre Dame) - Kyle is the highest rated (12) player left on Wes Bunting's big board.

12:00: A few interesting notes, stats, and comments from the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft

• This is the latest in the modern era that the first running back in the draft was selected. The Saints made it happen when they delighted me by selecting Mark Ingram at 28.
• Carolina is the fourth team to pick a QB in the first 50 picks in consecutive years in the modern era.
• No homer: I thought the Saints had the best first round. They are the only team to walk away with two impact players. Cameron Jordan was #11 on Bunting's big board and Ingram was #8. I also thought the Lions did well to pick Nick Fairley to pair up with Suh. I also thought the Colts pick made a lot of sense.
• Not Crazy: I thought the C. Ponder pick by the Vikings was a reach. I know what they have is brutal, but we mentioned the value of some of the players still left. 
• 12 defensive lineman in the first round is a new record.
• Reggie Bush is being a big baby on twitter. "it's been real New Orleans." Stop and look at the big picture Reggie. You have been a huge disapointment. You weren't worth 8 million dollars last year (that was a Super Bowl gift) and there is no chance in hell you will get 11 million this year. Restructure your deal, and pretend Ingram is Deuce McAllisrter. Let him bang and get the tough yards. It is only going to help you and make you a better running back. Don't cry.
• Wes Bunting is smarter than me and he says that James Carpenter was the reach of the draft. Take that Seahawks. 
• Both of the Saints first round picks are on twitter. @camjordan97 and Mark_Ingram22

Say goodnight Brees and Brady,

Don's NFL Draft Live Blog Spectacular

With the Sabres season coming to an end before I would've liked, my excitement turns toward Fantasy....I mean, NFL football. Assuming there is a season, the fun starts tonight at Radio City Music Hall. Now that I am a sports expert - Webster's defines expert as a person with a microphone in front of them - people everywhere will be flocking to their computers to read what I have to say. With Lukin (my dog) at my side, and the first lady (she gets to be the first lady because I put a ring on it) of The Sports-Casters begrudgingly in the room, we are ready for the 2011 NFL Draft!!

Keep refreshing this page throughout the night to get up-to-the-minute updates!

8:06 - The NY crowd is full of positive energy, already booing the commissioner and first overall pick Cam Newton. Looks like Steve Smith will have a new QB to watch from the sidelines while he is hurt. And the Panthers look like they have the answer they have been searching for since Jake Delhomme got away. I can't believe I wrote that.

Lukin agrees with the pick. Michelle reminds me of the time she was reading Twitter and asked aloud if the old guy on stage at the Oscars was Cam Newton. It wasn't. (Kirk Douglas)

8:13 - Every "expert" mock draft had Von Miller going to the Bills at number three. So naturally, he'd get drafted by the Broncos a pick ahead. Miller is overwhelmed with happiness and sheds tears of joy. Michelle asks if its because he knows he doesn't have to play for the Bills. She's a negative-nancy. Bills on the clock.

8:19 - Bills upgrade the D and go with Marcell Dareus. I'm happy. Finally a draft where they don't get cute or try to act smarter than the room. Deon Sanders can't wait to spoil this kid's amazing moment by asking him about his dead parents.

Really tho, everything I've heard about him is that he is just as good off the field as on it. The Bills are becoming more and more likable every day.

While typing that, the Bengals selected A.J. Green at #4. Green should at long last help to prove what every fantasy football player already knows, that Carson Palmer is a below average QB. If they don't draft a QB relatively early this year, I'd be surprised.

Lukin is staring at me intently, wondering what brilliant words I am passing along to my throng of fans. Or he wants my food.

8:30 - The Cardinals draft the guy who many think might be the "best" player in the draft, Patrick Peterson.

Before Peterson even hits the stage, the Browns trade their pick to the Falcons. Falcons move from 27 to 6, trading away their 2nd and 4th this year AND their 1st and 4th next year. Wow. They pick Julio Jones to compliment Roddy White. An already effective offense has just become pretty scary. Somewhere, Matty Ice is smiling. Lukin however, is sleeping.

8:57 - My War Room turned into a marketplace temporarily while a lady came over to purchase an item I had on Craigslist. Everyone hoping to buy that bird perch, I apologize, its been sold.

To recap, the 49ers bypass QB and go with DE Aldon Smith. Then, in what might be one of the largest surprises of the draft, Jake Locker goes to the Titans. Before Gabbert. The Cowboys then select OT Tyron Smith.

The Jags make a trade with the Redskins to move ahead. The Redskins give up the 10th pick to move to 16 and also get the Jaguars 2nd round pick. The Jags then draft Blaine Gabbert. Looks like Garrard will have a year or two to audition for the part of clipboard holder with other teams. Meanwhile, Trent Edwards continues to be terrible.

9:08 - The Texans select DE, J.J. Watt. I really have nothing insightful or funny to add to that. I remember reading that this year is very deep at DE.

Small emergency in our War Room as Michelle is temporarily unable to find her phone. She managed to recover said phone and is now probably on Facebook gauging her friends' opinions of the royal wedding and telling everyone how awesome I am.

Turns out she is on Facebook, and is now informing me of other people's thoughts on the draft. I don't remember asking for that. God I hate my War Room.

9:17 - Vikings totally bum out Andre Reed by selecting Christian Ponder, QB from Florida St. I guess the thought that the Bills will be taking a QB in the 2nd round is starting to slip away.

The Lions are on deck. Insert WR draft pick joke here.

The Lions go with Nick Fairley. They might now have the best DTs in the league. I like the pick. If Matthew Stafford can stay healthy, the Lions might be a good football team sooner than later.

Michelle is so miserable, she decides to play piano instead of watching the draft. My War Room now has a musical score.

9:32 - The Rams draft DE Robert Quinn. Like I said earlier, expect to see a lot of ends come of the board in round one. That and QBs. With the run on QBs that has happened already, I wouldn't be surprised to see trades from teams like Buffalo, that might have hoped to see one slip to the second. Mallet is just one name that is still out there.

The Dolphins take Mike Pouncey with the 15th pick. His twin from the Steelers panned out very well. Michelle says she will be happy for him until he gets to the uniform. She then yells "you suck." Classy.

9:42 - Redskins go with DE/LB Ryan Kerrigan. In other news out of Washington, Dan Snyder is losing his mind trying to find things to do with his time while he can't overspend on washed up free agents.

Mike Mayock continues to babble on about 5 position, 3 technique, and other numbers that mean nothing to most people. I feel like he's trying to impress me, and for that I find him annoying. He then goes on to hate on New England's pick of Nate Solder. Clearly, New England has no idea what they are doing.

Michelle shows some signs of life during the commercial break, commenting on how there's no way a guy could get a chainsaw into an airport. I die a little inside. The Chargers then draft DT Corey Liuget.

10:02 - The Giants pick CB Prince Amukamara. I heard an interview with him on some sports talk show. He seems like a really nice kid.

Michelle reads over the blog and tells me she likes the pictures and that they make it look "legit." I feel totally validated. I shouldn't be so sarcastic tho, she said she might get me a Blizzard from DQ. I think she'd do pretty much anything to get out of the living room at this point.

How much longer can this possibly take?

10:08 - In what must be a nice surprise for the young man, the cast of "Coming To America" joins Amukamara on the stage.

The Buccaneers select Adrian Clayborn, another DE. This is followed by a commercial break. I'm pretty sure these are required refractory periods for Mike Mayock. Nothing turns him on more than showing off his knowledge of football related numbers, and not allowing anyone not named Rich Eisen to talk for more than three seconds at a time.

Michelle now realizes she is heavily included in the blog, and starts feeding me terrible lines about commercials. My War Room has turned into open mic night. The truest sign that I love her is filtering her. The 'director's cut' of this blog would be cringe-worthy.

She interestingly wonders aloud if the NFL network purposely sat their panel, White-Black-White-Black-White. She is a big fan of symmetry.

In actual news, the Browns make a trade with the Chiefs to select Phil Taylor. Madden cover-boy, Peyton Hillis announces the pick with the help of Jesus.

10:26 - The Colts select T Anthony Castonzo. Michelle is looking less and less like she will be going to DQ. I'm starting to hate the draft.

10:33 - Michelle is underwhelmed and confused by the troops coming onstage, but then does a 180 and gets totally into it and starts singing "Proud to be an American." She's a patriot that would make Eddie Vedder proud.

The Eagles select Danny Watkins with the 23rd pick. If you missed it the first hundred times it was stated, he's also a fireman.

Steve's Saints are on the clock.

10:39 - In what might be the surprise move of the night, Michelle gets up and heads out to DQ, still singing "Proud to be an American." The draft just got a bit more awesome.

The Saints select Cameron Jordan DE presumably as an answer to the unstoppable Marshawn Lynch. Mike Mayock changes his pants for the tenth time.

10:45 - Inexplicably, Evenflow starts playing at Radio City Music Hall. Not a complaint at all, just a bit odd. It's the first time I noticed music playing since they played Jay-Z after the Giants pick.

The Seahawks are on the clock and have used almost all of their time. Hopefully the remaining 7 teams do the same so I can enjoy this for another hour.

10:51 - Seattle selects T, James Carpenter, then the draft screeches to a halt.

My Pecan Cluster Blizzard arrives, and I am reminded how much I love ice cream my wife.

After much confusion, the Chiefs select WR Jonathan Baldwin. Apparently the Ravens were too busy watching "The Wire" to be bothered to make a pick.

11:08 - The Ravens decide to play along and pick Jimmy Smith. The Saints make a big trade with the Pats to pick RB Mark Ingram. Steve has to like that. Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas probably aren't as excited.

11:14 - I'm so ready for this to be over. Michelle tells me "I get what the '1' means now", referring to the jerseys. I smile and say nothing mean, she did get me a Blizzard.

11:20 - The Bears select T, Gabe Carimi. I have nothing to add. I am a beaten man. The draft is like a road trip. At first it is exciting and fun, and a few hours in you just want it to be over. I've literally been watching large young men get handed new hats and shirts for over three hours. And commented on every one. I should get an award for this.

The Jets select Muhammad Wilkerson after showing how well their fans can spell their team's name in unison. The idiot with the fire hat is nowhere to be found. Hopefully he had a heart attack is having a nice night. Pittsburh selects DT Cam Heyward, and my misery is almost at an end.

11:34 - Michelle and Lukin are both sleeping. Somehow the thrill of the last pick of the first round is lost on them. Green Bay is taking their time. They only had three and a half hours to make a decision. You can't rush these things. Green Bay selects T Derek Sherrod as the panel discusses how good the pace was tonight. Remind me never to carpool, compete in a three legged race, or deliver a package via Mike Mayock and Co.

I need to go to bed. I'm going to try my best to not dream of five technique, war rooms, or value picks. Thanks for reading and please visit www.Sports-Casters.com for more good stuff.

Sit, Lukin Sit. Good Dog.

Game 4: A Picture Essay

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are unbelievable. No other sporting event brings out so many different emotions as each series is a best of seven battle that takes right turns when you expect left and left turns when you expect time to relax in the swimming pool. The playoff are awesome on television, but being at an NHL playoff game is exhilarating. 


Enough generality, the other day, Miss. Caster and I had tickets to game four of the Sabres and Flyers best of seven playoff series. Instead of just going as a spectator, and since greg enjoyed the last one so much, I apped (I just made up that word and it means simply; loading your iPhone with the necessary apps and accessories needed to complete a given task) up my phone and decided pictures would be taken and a picture essay would be written. 

As you can see, I had a beautiful date. A sexy, polish, cute little thing that I have been talking to since 1999. I am not sure how serious it is, but we will see. I give her credit for this, she is a great pal at a Sabres game and a cheap date at Zebbs before the game. I had a delicious half pound burger with mushrooms and some cheese. Miss Caster had a double order of chicken wings (hot), an order of mozzarella sticks, four beers, and a hot fudge sunday. 

Since the lockout ended, and the Sabres have made it a semi-annual tradition to make the NHL Playoffs, the powers that be have organized a big party outside of the arena for folks who dont have a chance to enjoy the atmosphere inside of the arena, In the end, a Buffalo Sabres playoff game is usually attended by 18,690 people on the inside and 5,000-10,000 partying in the plaza. The parties are rain or shine and this year rain and mixed precipitation  is polluting our usually springlike April weather. The Party in the Plaza is a cool event. It is free to come. There are two huge video boards to watch the games on. Beer and food is served at reasonable prices. They often have contests for those who get there early to have a chance to go inside for the game. A band usually entertains the crowd before the game and I heard a rumor that Chad Michael Murray usually attends when he is in town. 

We got to our seats just as the warm up was concluding and I stood up and looked at the large Stanley  Cup Playoffs banner for a few minutes. What do they do with these giant tarps during the regular season? Do the employees get to take turns and hang then from their garages? Do they just roll them up and toss them in the basement like we do with Christmas decorations?

At least ten minutes before the puck dropped the arena was already full and loud. The crowd started the "Let's Go Buffalo" chants before the teams came out and the jumbotron played some really cool videos that got the crowd all fired up. 

When the puck was finally dropped the fans were treated to a great game. Jason Pominville scored a first period goal and the Sabres missed plenty of chances in that period to burry the Flyers. Brad Boyes hit a post, Tyler Myers hit a post, and Flyers fans everywhere figured that ugly lady that used to sing the anthem in their dump of an arena was looking down on them. 

This dumb old hag here took the old Bandits commercials where they promised to "sell you the whole seat but you will only need the edge" way too seriously. She literally made it hard for me to see the game about 90-95 percent of the game. The good news was she made really interesting comments during the game and had a lot of knowledge. No, no that isn't true at all. She just plain sucked. 

Since I said something bad about that old hag sitting in front of me, I wanted to balance it out with a shot that shows how awesome and rocking the crowd was for most of the night. As you entered the arena, a nice man gave you a pom-pom and a program and manny people waived these pom-pom during important moments in the game. We wont get into the little debacle during the 5-minute power play. 

Isn't it awesome to hate that ultra-mega douchebag, Carcillo? After this scrum he and Gerbe got penalties and I loved it. This picture is cool because you can see the scrum still breaking up, 13 being lead to the box, and 13 being led to the box on the jumbotron. 

For most of the third period  the Sabres took their foot off the gas and decided to just try to hold on and win with defense and good goaltending. 

Ryan was awesome all night. He made a great save on 48 point blank and made a few other saves with his feet that I didn't think he could get to. This was one of the rare times that I had the chance to get a clean shot of him without all kinds of orange jerseys in the area. 

For the last minute and a little more of the third period the Flyers played with there net wide open. This strategy allows the Flyers to include an extra scumbag in the play and create a power play like situation. 

Also late in the game, the coach of the Flyers called a timeout so he could make sure his guys knew that if they didn't end up scoring late in the game they should revert back to being scum bags and start a fight so that the Sabres couldn't enjoy the win. 

During the timeout, the jumbotron showed all of the fans outside at the party in the plaza. Well past 10:00 PM at this point, and well below thirty degrees, over 5,000 fans were still in the plaza making noise and cheering on the boys. 

Sure enough, the Flyers couldn't loose with class they had to channel the 70's and make sure they were as big of scum bags now as they were then. Miller looks like he wants to jump in and fight so badly, but he thought better of it. 

Finally, all of the Flyers went into the locker room to cry to the media about the officiating and the Sabres were able to celebrate the victory with each other and their fans. 

Walking out of the HSBC Arena after a playoff game is an experience every Buffalonian should get to be a part of at least once before they die. Fans are screaming, people as banging on the escalators, beautiful women are showing their breasts and making out with strangers, the free pom poms are flying all over the place and the LETS GO BUFFALO chants are loud and out of sync.

I was taking a very cool video of the last thirty seconds of the game when I got a phone call for a number not stored in my phone and not one that I recognized. Not much happened in that last few seconds so this video mostly does its job, but dam that random phone call!

Let's recap: After game 1 and the Sabres 1-0 victory the Philadelphia media made JVR the first star. After game 2, the Philadelphia media made JVR the first star. After game 3, the Buffalo media made N. Zherdev the first star after his 8:00 minutes played and 1 tap in goal performance. Finally, after game four, the Buffalo media came to their senses and made Ryan Miller the first star.


A few notes:

• Make sure you cancel Easter dinner. Do you really want to be eating a piece of lamb as the Sabres are playing a playoff game? Jesus died and came back to life many years ago and the Pope has given all of Buffalo permission to not pay attention to Easter this year. We should all thank the Pope.*
• Someone accused me of sounding drunk on the game four reaction podcast. I wasn't drunk but just to confuse some of you I did talk with three marbles in my mouth. 
• Did you hear that I interviewed Deuce McAllister? Well, I did. Check it out at http://www.sports-casters.com
• Game five is hard to predict.Will Ryan Miller play like he did in games 1 and 4 or soft like he did in games 2 and 3? Can the Sabres generate enough scoring to keep up with the depth of the Flyers? Who in the world wrote the script for the third Fockers movie? 
• It would be nice of the Sabres to win the next two games so they dont play a game 7 on the day that we are scheduled to record a podcast. 
• Wasn't the interview with Rob Pizzo super cool at the end of the game four reaction podcast?
• NBA Jams is on the iPod and it is awesome. I am jonesing to play right now so its time for one of my dogs to say goodnight. 

goodnight brees...

* I made this up. The Pope has not commented on this series. 

The Western Conference

After a few days of thinking about it, I am ready to analyze the Western Conference Playoffs. We don't get to see the West as much as we might like here in the East. I often wish the networks would show the Western teams beyond Chicago and Detroit before the playoffs. We just don't get to see enough of these teams. Let's take a good look into the first round matchups that will go on while many of us are asleep. 

Western Conference

#1 Versus #8

How They Got Here: The Canucks dominated the NHL regular season with world class play by the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler, and Roberto Luongo. You want proof of the domination? Check out the key stat below. Chicago has suffered a bit from the dreaded Championship hangover and lost a number of the players that helped them win the Cup last season. Jon Towes was fantastic down the stretch and the Blackhawks earned the last spot in the playoffs when the Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars. 

Key Player: The Canucks are loaded with key players as mentioned above and the Blackhawks have their own stable of key players. Ryan Kessler has emerged as the best American born player in the NHL. If the Blackhawks focus too much on the Sedin twins, Kessler could be the difference for the Canucks. 

Key Stat: The Canucks are an incredible #1 in goals per game, #1 in goals allowed per game, #1 in power play percentage, and #3 in penalty kill. That is one hell of a season.

Prediction: The Blackhawks have eliminated the Canucks the last two seasons, but that trend should end this spring. I will take the Canucks in 6. 

#2 Versus #7

How They Got Here: The Sharks did what the Sharks do and had one of the best seasons in the West. The Kings spent the season in a group of teams that went up and down in the standings by the week. The Sharks enter the playoffs 7-2-1 in the last 10 and the Kings enter the playoffs 6-4 in their last 10. 

Key Player: The key player in this series is the guy who isn't going to be there, Anze Kopitar. The Kings star player injured his ankle late in the season and wont be a part of this series. That is too bad for the Kings who will now have to lean on their star defensemen Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty. 

Key Stat: In 56 playoff games played for the Sharks, Joe Thornton has only 9 goals. That is a pitiful number for a guy as talented as Thornton. I know he is more of an assist guy than a goal scorer, but he has plenty of ability to score more than 9 goals in 56 playoffs games. Mike Grier for example, has scored 11 playoff goals in a comparable amount of games.

Prediction: If the Kings had Kopitar I would be tempted, but the Sharks should be motivated by the fact that this could be this group's last shot at a Cup. Remember how motivated Ricky Steamboat was at Wrestlemania III when he knew it was his last shot at Savage and the IC Belt? Exactly, Sharks in 6. 

#3 Versus #6

How They Got Here: The Red Wings battled through injuries all season and played hard for coach, Mike Babcock. The Coyotes don't seem to have a soul on earth that wants to own them or a fan in Arizona that wants to go watch them. Despite community apathy and location instability, the Coyotes took advantage of the dry heat and made the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Key Player: Heading into the series, Henrik Zetterberg is DTD with knee issues. If his injury lingers deep into the series, the Red Wings will need a strong series from the Barry Sanders of hockey, Pavel Datsyuk.

Key Stat: Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lindstom finished the season a -2. In his 18 other NHL seasons his previous low was +7. He has put together six seasons of +3o 0r more. I guess at age 40 we can live with a -2 to go with his 62 points

Prediction: I just can invision any scenario that would result in they Coyotes beating the Wings four times out of seven. I will gladly put my money on the Red Wings in 5. 

#4 versus #5

How They Got Here: The Ducks have rode the awesome play of Corey Perry and the ageless Temmu Seleanne to the top half of the Western Conference with 99 points. The Predators also finished with 99 points but had five less wins in regulation or overtime. Pekke Rinne had a Venznia Trophy type season with help from maybe the best defensive pair in hockey, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. 

Key Player: The Anaheim goalie. Give me a second to look up his name because after injuries to Ray Emery and Jonas Hiller I am not sure who is left. The Ducks may choose to go with Julie the Cat or the other fat goalie from the movie. 

Key Stat: 50 goals. Corey Perry was the only NHL player to score 50 this season. Steven Stamkos seemed a likely 50-goal candidate early but seemed to hit a wall in the last third of the season. Perry scored most of his goals late getting 19 goals in the last 14 games of the season.

Prediction: This is a hard series to get a feel of, but since I am not sure who will be in goal for the Ducks I will pick the Predators in 7. 

Enjoy the games, and remember that there will be special NHL Playoff reaction podcasts after every Buffalo Sabres playoff game. Look for them at, http://www.sports-casters.com

Say goodnight Brady & Brees...