Birds of a Feather...

In each person’s life there are seemingly inconsequential moments, that alter the course of that person’s life and may ultimately serve as a precursor to who that person is. Depending on what side of the nature v. nurture argument you fall on, you may not agree that one’s character can be altered by these experiences but they can certainly alter the course of one’s life. Foremost, the relationships we have with people are what pushes us; knowing that we can alter the lives of loved ones, for better or for worse, is a significant driver in our lives. Those aforementioned moments often decide whose lives we affect and who affects ours.

One of those moments came for me during my sophomore year in college. I first started to play ultimate in high school, my friends and I would go down to the local park and play an extremely unorganized version of the sport. There was no out of bounds, no real end zones, and I’m pretty sure we never kept score. Nevertheless, it was an introduction. The next fall I went to college at CU and my RA mentioned he was thinking about getting a dorm team together. Not knowing what to expect, I said I would play with the disclaimer that I could not throw, but was pretty good at chasing the Frisbee down. It just so happened that our dorm fields were the same ones that the club team practiced on. Every day we would go out to “practice” and would see those guys throwing not only backhands, but forehands and sometimes even the unthinkable hammer. There were numerous times that I wanted to walk over to see what those guys were all about but intimidation got the best of me. Those guys were good and I was an intramural player with no semblance of throwing skill.

Well it turns out that our team was pretty good… well, relatively good. We had another guy in our hall that would eventually play a year on Mamabird along with me (the Burb, who needs no introduction). We took the intramural title and felt pretty good about ourselves. I had a lot of fun playing with those guys but I was always itching for just a little bit more. The next year, one of my high school buddies (who was a year younger than I) and I decided to go down to the field and throw for a bit. We were out there probably 30 minutes before a bunch of guys started showing up. Turns out the ultimate team was having their first practice of the season. Just before they went to run, a guy asked if we wanted to practice with them. I looked at my friend and we said, “Why not?”. Why not. I could have easily decided to go back to my apartment or continue throwing on a different part of the field, but the simple act of saying those two words in a questioning manner forced me to make an impulsive decision that would forever alter the course of my life. I guarantee I would have never had the courage to approach them on my own. The next 2 hours were truly a lesson in humility but I stuck it out and even came back the next day, and the next, and so on.

I was always a competitive person and tried my hand at a number of sports during my childhood. I was always good at some facet of each sport but never had all the necessary tools to succeed. I learned I was too small and shy to play football, my baseball career was highlighted by great defensive plays but I could not put bat to ball, I could rebound well in basketball but was a streaky shooter at best, and I was a flexible, gritty wrestler without any strength to speak of. In Ultimate, I found a sport that I loved and could excel at, but by far the greatest outcome has been the people with whom I have shared both triumph and defeat. Mamabird was a huge part of this and I know I would not be the same man without having worked and played with those men.

Last weekend, the newest installment of Mamabird (University of Colorado ultimate team) travelled to Columbus, OH to compete in College Nationals. That tournament also marked the first time since I began playing ultimate that I have not travelled to College Nationals. It was a gut-wrenching experience for me, partly because I felt like some invisible bond was broken by my absence. I was now relying on others to keep me updated. Mamabird made it to the finals, losing 15-11 to the same Carleton team that defeated Mamabird in my first year on the team, by the exact same score. Mac and Kibbles, who played with me in my last season on Bird (their first), saw their careers end with a finals appearance every other year, all losses. They should be proud, this year's team certainly made us alumni proud. I have been on teams that were decimated by the loss of multiple play makers, as they were before this year; it is not an easy thing to overcome but they certainly did. From all accounts they played hard and played with class and have left the program in good standing. My last two links to the team are gone, things have come full circle for me.

In the time since my first year on the team, Mamabird has made the semis 7 times, the finals 5 times, and has won 1 championship. I would have liked for that last number to be higher but can I really complain about the success that this program has had? I can't, because I know the culture of this team and I remember the hours worked and the tears shed in reaching for that crown. One night during my first year on the team, I was driving with a senior member of the team and I was overcome with emotion and very nervous at the thought of the impending tournament. "Why?" he asked. I replied that it was, "my only shot to win a championship." What a crazy thing for a freshman to say, I know. We did not win that year, and I wept. We didn't win the next year, and I wept. In fact, I wept every time my season ended, even the one time our season did not end in a loss. What I came to realize since making that statement is that it's not about having that medal around your neck; it's about the path and your relationship to the people that help you along that path.

-JA

Nuggets/Lakers Game 4 Twitter Diary

You may have noticed the Quick Hitters we started posting on the left side of the page. I basically started a Twitter account so I could post small stuff that I couldn't turn into a real post. Well, I've found that it's a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I decided to post a running diary (to steal a phrase from Bill Simmons) of sorts with the Twitter Updates I threw out during Game 4.

• It's good to know Melo is still getting no calls. I should have a significant amount of rage built up by halftime.
• Poor shooting by both teams so far. The only jumpshot Denver has made was Kenyon's bank.
• Nene is eating up the boards. Another non-call on Melo. 0-7. WHOA! DJones with a windmill. While mid-air, I had visions of him bricking it.
• Chris Anderson flying ALL OVER THE PLACE. Hitting the floor, blocking shots, trying to wash Gasol's hair...
• I defy you to name one thing that Sasha Vuja-chick is good at, besides being a greasy Euro and getting under people's skin.
• J.R. Smith must have been watching old Magic Johnson videos. He's made 3 highlight reel passes already.
• That's not to say all "Euros" are greasy. In fact, Argentina may have more grease-balls per capita... allegedly.
• J.R. tries to snack tray Kobe and commits the foul. Van Gundy glosses him "Smitty", I'm sure J.R. is down with that name.
• Melo is clearly hurt. They've played well without him but they can't expect to win a series with him out.
• What a sight. Birdman sauntering to the scoreboard, casually chewing gum. He definitely has a little Captain in him.
• Balkman has seen the court and the Nuggets aren't down or up by +20. This is what happens when Melo is out.
• Nuggets up 7 at half without Melo. They aren't shooting well but are winning this game with their legs. Less jumpshots, more drives.
• 3 straight missed 3s by the Nugs has the Lakers within 3 right out of the gates. Melo is back but doesn't look right.
• J.R. Smith is currently being triaged courtside. Meanwhile, Odom tries to throw an oop to Gasol. Forgot about Gasol's 2-inch vertical.
• Tough going out there. The court is flooded with Kobe's tears. Nuggets up 70-59.
• Melo slips on the tears and flying burritos Ariza. It's getting testy with players flying all over the floor. Kobe bout to get T'd up.
• Martin is playing out of his head. 13 pts, 13 boards. Birdman follows up a Martin miss with a dunk!
• Karl can expect to pencil somebody else in the lineup for Dahntay in Game 5. He will be suspended for that Kobe trip.
• Denver up 11 after 3. They need to play well in the 4th after the Game 3 debacle.
• Billups... AND 1 baby! Andrew Bynum strikes again. Twisted his ankle when he came down. Not good.
• Billups is unconscious at the moment. He drains an arching 3 in Ariza's face after a good J.R. steal.
• SMITH CLIMBS THE LADDER! Nene hits him with a nice feed and he throws one down.
• Luke Walton draws a tech. Daddy's gonna take the keys to the your Lexus for that one.
• Now Mark Jackson is calling him "Smitty."
• J.R. picked up one of the weakest technicals I've seen. We'll call it even after the D Jones trip.
• Flagrant on Bynum. He goes with the 2 handed chop technique on Anderson. It's either that, or bag and balls to the face.
• The chick in the Biz Markie Heineken comm clearly only knows the words to that part of the song.
• Classic case of softly mumbling until the part she knows comes on, then she starts bringing the heat.
• Luke Walton must be wearing the "heavy socks" tonight.
• The line on Walton: 0 pts, 6 fouls, 2 ill-advised tattoos, 1 kickin' jheri curl.
• I smell a riot cooking. Game 3 all over again with the technicals.
• Melo about to foul out again. The Lakers are running a press, fouling, and otherwise using all of Kobe's Cordillera moves. Too soon?
• The officials are blowing whistles like they're trying to fill a quota. It is almost the end of the month.
• 105-93 Nuggets with 2:51 remaining. I am optimistic that the Nuggets might win this one.
• J.R. with 2 straight 3s. Let's get thirty, Smitty!J.R. with 2 straight 3s. Let's get thirty, Smitty!
• Garbage time, benching starters. Nuggets get a steal, miss 2 layups, get 2 offensive boards, and D Jones gets fouled on another layup miss.
• 120-99. D Jones throws one down over some stiff. Petro with the steal, then he runs the court like Tyus Edney only to airball a finger roll.
• Nuggets win big. Shades of the Rockets series except the Nuggets haven't been blown out yet and they could have swept with some breaks.

George Karl didn't exactly give J.R. a ringing endorsement, he basically called Smith a pain in the ass. Let's hope J.R. doesn't get upset about this because he really did have a good game. Yeah, he made a couple of bonehead plays but he hustles on every play and easily creates more opportunities than he kills. His shot selection was good tonight and he took it to the rack early and often, creating opportunities for teammates, and causing the L.A. bigs to commit fouls.

Kenyon, Nene, and Birdman killed L.A. on the boards all night. It's amazing what they can do when not in foul trouble.

Game 5 on Wednesday. Big one for the Nuggets as it would be nice to avoid a Game 7 in L.A.

-PSon

Halladay to Peavy: “Grow a pair”

Hey Jake, this is your buddy Roy Halladay. Remember? We met at the all-star game a few times. You were iceing your elbow and drinking Mai-Tais in the lockeroom after pregame warm-ups while I squat-thrusted 500 lb dumbbells. I don’t know if you noticed, but I did over 500 reps. Why? Because I am a man.

I heard your team tried to trade you to the White Sox yesterday. But you turned it down with your no-trade clause because of your long-held aversion to playing in the American League. Why is that Jake? Are you afraid your meager pitching skills won’t hold up in a man’s league. Is your ERA dependant on getting that free out every 8 batters? Or are you that in love with a Padres team that lost 100 games last year and is desperately trying to rebuild. Why won’t you let them rebuild? Your contract is clearly the millstone holding back their efforts.

Why won’t you let your team move on? I think I know why. Fear.

I felt fear once. I was camping with my family in Manitoba (that’s where I vacation, because I live in fucking Canada because I play for the Blue Jays). We were setting up camp when a 800 pound grizzly bear wandered into our camp. I could tell he was trouble because he had a manic, starved look in his eye. Before he could grasp my wife in his swarthy mandibles, I was able to wrestle the poor bear to the ground and submit it. By hand. That bear is now my family pet. I even take him on the plane for road games. I don’t even have a cage and he cleans up his own poo. His name is Harold and he fetches the paper. Why? Because I am a man.

You’ve built a reputation over the years as one of baseballs most dominant pitchers. Unfortunately this whole trade debacle is like a hurricane bearing down on the desperate house of cards your career is. You’ve always pitched half your games at Petco Park. BY FAR the friendliest park to pitchers. You’ve also feasted on the pathetic excuse for offense of the National League, especially the NL West. And now that you have the opportunity to go to a big man’s league, play for a team with a team trying to win and play in the third biggest media market in the country, what do you do?

You retreat to your beachside villa. You sit your wife and children down and say, “You know what guys? Daddy isn’t a ‘competitor’. He’d rather prosper at the expense of his teammates’ development, continue padding his career stats and never transcend his own talent. The status quo is quite all right for your old man. I’m sort of a pussy like that.”

Sure. You’ve got a nice life. I understand that. What you don’t have is WILL. That’s what separates the greats from footnotes in history. I live in Canada. DO you have any idea how much that sucks? I also pitch in the AL East. That means, roughly every five days, I wake up and have to think “All right, game day, how am I going to pitch to one of the three most dominant offenses in the history of baseball”. Every couple starts I face the Red Sox, the Yankees, or this new Rays team. Do you know what that’s like? Can you imagine what my career numbers would be like if I pitched in Petco vs the Giants? I had to stare down Ortiz and Manny, in Fenway, when you could still see the needles poking out of their asses! This whole time, the Blue Jays have been on the cusp of being a solid team. Hell, for a couple years we could have won any other division in baseball. But against the two biggest payrolls in the history of sports, we couldn’t keep up. But do I complain? Do I bitch? Do I demand a trade to a “contender”? No. I go out every five days. And I pitch my heart out. I pitch like it’s the last game of my career. I pitch like my family is on the line. And I pitch great. I’m like Walter Fucking Johnson. I pitch complete games in my sleep. When was your last complete game? Never? Fuck you. Grow a pair.

- Roy

P.S. Go Nuggies (because i am from Colorado)

Trains, Planes, or Automobiles... Better Have My Donuts

Watching the Cavs game tonight reminded me of Delonte West's correspondent piece on Rome Is Burning. Check it:



-PSon

All Ears: Thoughts on Game 1 of Lakers/Nuggets

• Carmelo looks like he's ready for the big time. He came out in Game 1 and made a statement. He looks like somebody who wants to earn a championship.
  
• Dahntay Jones is the new Reggie Evans, except he has some semblance of ball skills. Reggie Evans needed to be fined every time he put the ball on the court. Jones can actually handle the ball somewhat; in his mind, this gives him free reign to drive the ball to the hole out of control and turn it over. Play hard defense and make plays when they present themselves.
• J.R. Smith damn near gave me a heart attack when he limped off the court after the last play. Straight from his Twitter account: The knee feels good thanx peeps
• L.A. decided they would rather have take their chances with Ariza on Melo than putting Kobe on him. Kobe had the task of guarding Chauncey and did a pretty good job on him. Chauncey still got his assists and put a couple of clutch 3s down in the 4th quarter. Will L.A. allow Melo to torch them again? Ariza proved to be adept at fouling Melo but that's about it.
• Nene did a great job against Gasol. Pau likes human contact about as much as he likes putting water on his hair.
  
• L.A. killed Denver on the offensive boards. If Denver wants to win in L.A., they'll need to be more aggressive on the glass.
• MAKE YOUR FREE EFFING THROWS! Chauncey Billups, Denver's best free throw shooter missed 3 early in the game. That alone was greater than the margin of defeat.
• For the love of god, why was Andre Carter passing the ball in on the biggest possession of the game? Of course L.A. is going to have their longest guy mark him, especially after Denver trots out their shortest player. It also didn't help that AC waited too long to make the pass and let Ariza catch up to Billups and steal the ball from out in front of him.
• The officials let a lot of stuff go. Their was a ton of physical play in this game by both teams, especially when Melo and Kobe were posting up on each other.
• Andrew Bynum is a stiff.
• How far has Adam Morrison fallen? A couple of years ago, he almost won college player of the year and now he's warming the bench for Shannon Brown and D.J. Mbenga.
  
• The Nuggets had a number of people guarding Kobe last night. Melo and AC probably fared the best. I still like Dahntay starting because he can concentrate on playing his defensive game without having to do anything on offense. If somebody is going to pick up early fouls on Kobe, it should be him.
• It does hurt to lose that game when Denver easily could have won it but the silver lining is that they did not play their best game and still almost beat the Lakers in their house (I know the Lakers didn't play their best either). L.A. had to win, Denver didn't. Denver has been all but unbeatable at home and after witnessing the Lakers in Houston, I am confident that Denver only needs to win 1 game of the final 3 in L.A. to take this series.

Predictions: J.R. will go for 30+ in 1 game this series, if Denver loses the next game they will win games 3 through 6, Lamar Odom will get ejected from at least 1 game this series, Kobe will go for 50+ in 1 game this series, and Denver will win 2 games by more than 10 points in this series.

-PSon

Rogaine unveils ad for new sideburn products; Brady Anderson named spokesman

-PSon

Good job… now on to the constructive criticism.

Here is installment number 3 in (we hope) a 5 part series chronicling Popes' (guest poster and Nuggets Fan) journey to the NBA Finals.

Wednesday night the Nuggets beat the Mavs to advance to the Western Conference Finals. I think a round of hearty back-slaps, high-fives, and hugs are in order, so get to it.

My impressions from the series are as follows…

-I like Dirk Nowitzki. He has gone through some trying times in this series and through it all, he has conducted himself professionally. He hasn’t complained about the officiating, he hasn’t complained about the Nuggets and their aggressive D. He has commented on both issues frankly and honestly. His play in the series (horrible footwork notwithstanding) has been incredible.

- I am indifferent about the rest of the Mavs. Jason Terry was mediocre. Dampier isn’t worth discussing. J Kidd played well but he's showing his age. Bass was good but still, eh. The rest of them, meh.

-The Nuggets need to play more consistently to beat the Lakers. I know Denver beat the Mavs by double digits in 3 games this series, but I can’t shake the feeling that too many of the points we scored were streaky. I want to see less of JR banking in 3’s and more of JR taking it to the hole and tossing up an easy alley-oop to K-Mart. I want to see less of Melo draining a 3 with 2 seconds left on the shot clock and more ball movement from him out the inevitable double team so that the Nugs aren’t stuck in that situation. I’m not complaining about the Nugs performance, I’m just sayin’.

-George Karl needs to manage his players and their playing time, he just might need to get creative. Against the Lakers, George needs to pay attention to line-ups and respond accordingly. Please George, take some cues from Houston. I’m not fully briefed on the Lakers just yet but I do know we have some mis-matches and those need to be exploited. I know Derek Fisher can’t match up with Chauncey, JR, or Dahntay Jones. I think the Lakers are going to have a tough time matching up with Melo. On our side, we need to keep a good defender on Kobe at all times. We need to combat their lanky athleticism with some of our own.

-I repeat that advice if Houston wins out, amended to include the Rockets strengths.

-Melo is growing up. I think a lot of his growth happened this past summer at the Olympics but Chauncey has also had a lot to do with it. Last night after the game, Melo acknowledged that Chauncey was a leader, almost going so far as to imply C-Bill was leading the Nuggets. I think that is growth right there. Melo is aware of his own leadership limitations and he is mature enough to let Chauncey do his thing. That might seem simple but I think that a big step for Melo, a guy who has been the leader of the Nuggets since he came on board.

-JR Smith might be growing up. He looked off an open 3 last night and passed the ball.

Good job so far Nuggets, there is still work to be done.

Popes

Through Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mavs fan J.J. Barea (15) given chance to run with favorite team

Profile on Jose Juan:

Favorite Team: Dallas Mavericks
Favorite Movie: Willow
Favorite Food: Pizza and Ice Cream
Favorite Band: Jonas Brothers
Favorite Restaurant: Chuck E. Cheese
Perfect Saturday Night: Movie night with friends, lot of candy, trying to stay up all night.
Secret Crush: Hannah Montana
Person You Look Up To: Everyone

-PSon

The World According to Bobby Jenks

"The first pimple I ever got was on my back from using steroids, and it's made me the highest paid baseball player in the history of the world! Let's celebrate!"

"I think it's pretty simple...I had hoes in several different area codes"

"Yeah, I enjoy the firm touch of a strong man from time to time. Who doesn't?"

"Sorry?"

"I will not be ready to leave the game until I get revenge on the Green Bay Packers"

"Ha Ha Ha. There is no God. That was my hand, and it was not an accident."

"That dude stepped to my boy, so I stepped on his head. Enjoyed it too. Ooooooo yeah!"

6 Reasons Why Mavs Fans Should Stop Crying

This has already been tackled in depth through every media form and outlet imaginable but I have a few points to make (none of which are probably new to you):

1. Antoine Wright did a piss-poor job of fouling. Generally if you want to intentionally foul someone, you should wrap them up and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER THROW YOUR HANDS UP LIKE YOU WOULD IF YOU WERE NOT TRYING TO FOUL.
2. Nobody started bitching until the shot went down. If you watch the replay, the entire Dallas bench watches the ball go in, then they started arguing that there should have been a foul.
3. Melo doesn't get calls like most super stars do. Why start now?
4. Wright slapped the ball out of Carmelo's hands. If Carmelo loses the ball out of bounds, it's the Nuggets who are upset there was no foul call.
5. Yeah the Mavs had a foul to give. It was still the Nuggets' ball with around 5 seconds left. Sure, they could have messed up the inbound, missed the shot, only made a 2, etc... Nobody knows what would have happened but Mavs Fan likes to think the game was over if that foul is called.
   
6. Melo still had to make the shot.
   

If you get the chance, check out this Outside The Lines piece on Chauncey Billups. Chauncey made it big in Detroit, winning a championship and cultivating a reputation as "Mr. Big Shot". The Prodigal Son returned to lead a spastic Denver team to the 2nd Round (and beyond?) for the first time in 15 years. You couldn't ask for a better story, unless... nah, better not.

-PSon

Alex Rodriguez returns; mercilessly wings batted ball at innocent fans in bleacher area

-PSon

Rockets/Lakers - Where Amazing Happens

I was inspired to post this night by the glorious whistle-fest currently going on in L.A. If you like cowardly cheap shots and unbalanced athletes threatening the life of superstars, you should have watched this game. Here is a recap:

1. Luis Scola and Lamar Odom get tangled up and start jawing. Luke Walton sticks up for his buddy and gets in Scola's face, probably saying something to the effect of, "You can't win. You know that, don't you? It doesn't matter if you whip us, you'll still be where you were before, at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones at the top with all the breaks. It doesn't matter. Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs. It doesn't matter." Technical fouls all around.
   
2. Derek Fisher lays a crack-back block on Luis Scola. That's not even legal in the NFL. Flagrant 2, he has been ejected. It was a cowardly hit and L.A. fans shouldn't expect him to be playing in Game 3. He leaves the court smiling; Laker fans take a time out from their tall mocha latte and Blackberrys to cheer him as he walks away.
3. Kobe Bryant throws a nice little elbow to Ron Artest's neck. Artest is called for the foul... and the meltdown is on. Artest first walks over and gets in the refs face, Technical #1. Artest then walks over to Kobe and gives him a little love tap. I'm no lip-reading expert but it looks like he says, "Hit me in the throat again, other trucker." Kobe puts on his best smile, you know, the one that makes me want to kick him in the face. Artest is pulled away from Kobe and makes some sort of throat slashing gesture, Technical #2. Kobe is not shown but I'm guessing he is no longer smiling. We know that Artest means business. 5 different teammates and a coach try to get Artest to leave. Detroit/Indiana II is avoided, Artest has left the building. TNT needs locker room cams.
4. Kobe makes a shot and gets T'd up for politely letting Shane Battier know that he can't guard him and probably shouldn't be trying so hard. Battier grins as Joey Crawford calls the technical.
   
5. The Lakers pull away. Series tied at 1-1. Predictions? Derek Fisher will not play in Game 3. Artest will do something very stupid at some point in the series. I'm not liking Kobe's chances of escaping this series unharmed.
   
6. The Lakers have assembled a murder's row of hateable players. Bryant, Vuja-chick, Odom, Gasol, Fisher, Farmar, Walton, Phil Jackson...
   

Final tally: 6 technicals, 1 Flagrant 2, 2 players ejected, 1 life threatened. This is going to be a fun series.

-PSon (biased blogger)

Draft Thoughts

Loser Jet Fans – Death, taxes, and drunken Jet fans sobbing on National TV. This year, ESPN cameras were able to catch two Jet fans looking so outraged by the Mark Sanchez selection, one of them was almost in tears. Presumably they were amped for the Kellen Clemens era in New York. That's right people, you know you're watching the NFL Draft when you see a shot of two guys who came straight from the jersey shore (you'll know by the wife beaters under their Namath jersey and rings on their forehead from crushing beer cans); one will be immediately outraged by the pick, the other will await the first guy's reaction.

Darrius Heyward-Bey – His reaction to hearing his name called was indescribable. His family was going crazy around him while he just stared out in shock. Heyward-Bey was the 3^rd or 4^th best wide receiver on Kiper and McShay’s boards but the Oakland Raiders selected him at pick 7, 3 picks before Michael Crabtree who was considered the best receiver in the draft and a possible top 5 pick. According to ESPN, Heyward-Bey’s weaknesses are “pass catching” and “route running”. Thankfully for him, one of those will be eliminated since JaMarcus Russell’s biggest weaknesses are “pass throwing” and “decision making”. I can’t imagine there is a worse feeling than being drafted, then hearing analysts say you have “bust written all over you” for the next 15 minutes.

Michael Crabtree – The only thing worse than being drafted by the Raiders is having the Raiders pass you up for an inferior player at your position. Crabtree’s face was somewhere in between being relieved and being slapped full on in the face. Luckily for Oakland fans, they won’t have to drive far to see the guy they should have picked tearing it up in San Francisco. Crabtree’s suit looked like it came straight out of Craig Sager’s collection.

Aaron Curry – Great pickup for Seattle. Curry looked genuinely happy to have been selected by an NFL team and was the only guy other than Michael Oher to weep after being selected. It's refreshing to see this kind of appreciation from high draft picks.

Beanie Wells – Great pickup for the Cardinals and great situation for Beanie. He dropped a little further than a lot of people had him but he goes to a team that was a few minutes from winning a title, that also doesn’t have a real playmaker at running back.

Percy Harvin – Text I got from a friend (who is a Vikings fan) following this pick: “the Vikings love stoners.” Thankfully for them, that’s not all he is. Harvin gives them another playmaker and should take much of the offensive burden away from Adrian Peterson. His arrival should also serve to open things up a little more for Bernard Berrian down the field. Listen, when you have Sage Rosenfels, you gotta let him sling the ball around.

Knowshon Moreno - Moreno was a widely criticized pick, not for reasons relating to talent or value, but because of need. Denver’s inability to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone last year led many people to believe that they would use their 2 first round picks as well as most of their other picks on defense. The worst thing that could have happened in my mind is that they would use both picks to trade up for an offensive player. In Moreno, the Broncos get a very strong, versatile back in the mold of Marshawn Lynch. It should be noted that Moreno only played 2 years of college ball which means he took a minimal number of hits and he will be surrounded by other runners and won’t be expected to carry the ball 40 times a game. This bodes well for his longevity. Here’s the analysis from NFL.com:

Positives: Tight-skinned athlete with good overall musculature. Good quickness to the hole. Reads the defense and anticipates where the hole, including cutback lanes, will appear. Exceptional lateral quickness and elusiveness in tight quarters. Very rarely tackled by the first defender. Good acceleration past the initial wave of defense and into the secondary. Good spin and stiff arm, and has phenomenal leaping ability to jump over tacklers. Attacks the line of scrimmage and is a tougher interior runner than given credit for. Can drop his shoulders and has good leg drive. Runs through a lot of tackles due to his competitive drive and toughness. Keeps his legs churning and will spin away from tackles. Soft hands for the reception. Natural receiver who poses intriguing possibilities to be split out wide. Good quickness and effort as a route-runner; isn't just a threat on dump-offs in the flat or screens. Provides a pop in pass protection. Extreme competitor who can put the team on his shoulders. Wants the ball with the game on the line.

Negatives: Questionable top-end speed. Lacks the prototype size and bulk some teams are looking for in a bell-cow runner.

I was not necessarily happy when this choice came down but I also was not completely upset as Moreno is a game changing running back who despite being only a sophomore last year, was on a lot of preseason Heisman lists. I am one of the people who didn’t think the Broncos needed a running back, after all they still have Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torain leftover from last year and they signed free agents Correll Buckhalter, Lamont Jordan, and J.J. Arrington. I think this was a case of McDaniels wanting to grab the highest guy on his board. I think he probably wanted to use at least one of his picks on a D lineman but the guy he targeted (possibly 9^th pick B.J. Raji or 11^th pick Aaron Maybin) was taken. Perhaps he knew that one of either Brian Orakpo (who I hoped they would take at 12) or Robert Ayers would be available at 18 so he took the chance to draft a franchise caliber running back. While Peyton Hillis played well last year, don’t kid yourself into thinking he is a franchise guy. McDaniels has an excellent stable of running backs and he has a perfect player for every conceivable situation, much like what he had in New England. It cannot be overstated how important it is to consistently be able to throw fresh running backs at a tiring defense. Not to put a positive spin on things but the Kyle Orton played reasonably well last year behind a poor line, worse receivers, and a very good, pass catching, rookie running back. With the addition of Moreno, the Broncos now have a good line, better receivers, and a very good, pass catching rookie running back.

It should be noted that Moreno has already garnered some good will in Denver; he personally contacted Darrent Williams' mother to ask if he can sport the late CBs old number (27) as his college number (24) is property of one Champ Bailey. Darrent's mother agreed on the condition that Moreno spend some time each month at the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center. Way to show some character.

Denver's Draft - The Broncos addressed some defensive needs by using the 18th pick on a DE/LB hybrid, Robert Ayers as well as grabbing 2 DBs in the 2nd round and a third DB in the 4th round. Ayers is a good pickup as the Broncos will be running a 3-4 defense this year. They can slot him in at outside linebacker or play him on the line. Alphonso Smith and Darcel McBath (the two 2nd round picks) are both ball hawking corners who should help improve Denver's poor turnover differential. Besides Moreno, Alphonso Smith is the Broncos draft pick I'm most excited about. Also worth noting is WR Kenny McKinley and QB Tom Brandstater. McKinley is a polished route runner who could pay dividends in the future and Brandstater might be the steal of the draft, as a tall, athletic QB that Josh McDaniels can possibly groom into a franchise player.

-PSon

With KG out, Boston forced to rely on cast of Higher Learning for quality minutes

-PSon

Selena Roberts writing follow-up to A-Rod book

-PSon

This all makes me feel like a newcomer.

Here's the second installment in a series of Popes' guest posts, chronicling his journey through Nugget fandom, the NBA playoffs, and life.


Nuggets finished their dismantling of the Hornets Wednesday night. I watched the game, banquet beer in hand, with a smile on my face. The Nuggets never lost their composure during the shoddy officiating early on, Melo consistently took it to the hole and passed out of double teams, Dahntay Jones played his way into a blossoming man-crush, and Chauncey smiled and the whole world smiled back.

I don’t even know what to say, I haven’t been a fan for nearly long enough to really appreciate this win. I loved every second of the win.

I stayed high on the play of the Nugs for quite some time after Game 2. I was convinced the Nuggets were invincible when they played to their potential. I was ready to have my team take on the world.

Not much changed over the next 3 games, the Nuggets had a misstep in Game 3 and then doled out the beat down of the half-century in Game 4. Game 5 was a foregone conclusion, I knew they were going to win. They had the mental edge, they had the physical edge, they could draw on the reservoir of belief that they had almost doubled up the Hornets. An NBA franchise getting doubled up, yikes.

And they won, just as I knew they would and in much the same fashion as previous games. So I celebrated for a while, let the feelings of my team’s success sink in. And then faster than I thought, I returned to practicality, to an almost regular season like approach to the next series.

I’m educating myself on the Mav’s so I know all the names to yell at the screen/court when I’m watching. I’m figuring out who the best match-ups will be so I can criticize Karl when he doesn’t play it the way I want. I’m heading into this series knowing that we’ve got to win and I want to know how we can do it.

Perhaps it is because I’ve only been following this team for a couple years that I am refocusing on their next series so quickly. Or maybe it’s because I think the Nuggets can make some real noise in this year Playoff’s and the first round isn’t nearly enough of a ruckus. Whatever the reason, the next game is Sunday and I can’t wait.

-Popes

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: NBA Edition

These guys do. While neither of them are especially skilled, they are both extremely important role players and part of the reason the Nuggets have advanced to the second round for the first time in the Carmelo Anthony era. Chris Anderson rejoined the Nuggets (after spending some time with the Hornets) following a NBA mandated suspension for substance abuse while Dahntay Jones has bounced around the league since coming out of Duke. The Nuggets signed both to minimum contracts and both are showing their mettle in the playoffs; Anderson with his brand of energetic, high flying basketball and Jones with lockdown D and Rodman-esque psychological warfare.

In a league full of overpaid athletes (contract year wonders), it's refreshing to watch these two relish their roles and step up on the big stage. Jones in particular saw sporadic playing time throughout the year but was always the first guy off the bench to congratulate his teammates after a big play.

Here's what Denver's payroll looks like:

Denver still has 2 players on their payroll that weren't on their roster this season, Juwan Howard and Antonio McDyess (McDyess was part of the Chauncey Billups deal). Both Anderson and Jones earned less than McDyess, Steven Hunter (the guy in a suit on the bench and the 6th highest paid guy on the team), and bench-riders Renaldo Balkman and Johan Petro.

There are only 2 players on Denver's roster that make less than Dahntay and Chris (Jason Hart and rookie Sonny Weems). Along with Anthony Carter and Jason Hart, Anderson and Jones' contracts are up after this season (the terms of J.R. Smith's 3 year deal are not listed). Thankfully for the Nuggets, there are many franchises with empty wallets so there won't be many willing to throw ridiculous jack at guys with limited skill sets. Here's to hoping the Nuggets show a little love to Anderson and Jones; a little loyalty from both would be nice as well, considering the Nuggets gave them a chance this season.

-PSon