So before I get to the important stuff, like LenDale coming in for a visit or David Wells making his second visit to the DL because the Red Sox can't find a uniform big enough to fit him, I want to give you a quick recap of how I spent last Thursday. It doesn't have anything to do with sports, but hey, since I'm doing the writing, you're stuck (or, I suppose, you could just scroll down).As you probably figured out, I spent the second half of last week working on some PFP 2006 book-related stuff. I had planned to write up an article on Thursday and then, since Friday was only April 14, do my taxes a day later.
(Quick aside: For as long as I've been required to file a tax return, I've never done it before the 15th. Ever. Some call that lazy. I tend to agree.)
Anyway, the article that I planned to write on Thursday didn't work out that way. The data I was interested in using proved to be pretty much worthless and instead of futzing around with it all night and potentially waste an evening, I decided to do my taxes a day early. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.
So a couple of hours later, I find out that I owe the federal government some money. Strike One. (I was pretty sure we'd be paying this year, but you always hold out hope until the very end. Like I explained to my wife, at least we got to earn the interest on our money instead of the government earning interest on our money before giving it back to us. I'm not sure if that made her feel any better about the fact that she was going to have to write a big fat check.)
Oh yeah, I should mention that I thought I'd lessen the blow of losing money by watching the Red Sox - Blue Jays game. Matt Clement vs. Ted Lilly, game time 7:05 pm. Or so I thought. This is my second year subscribing to MLB Extra Innings, and last year it was great if for no other reason than it would reduce my exposure to those dolts that do the ESPN games. (I'm staring right at you Jeff Brantley and Rick Sutcliffe. And Jon Miller's excluded, of course.) So I go to check the schedule via TiVo and all I see are NHL listings. That's it. No baseball to be found anywhere. So, like any self-respecting maniac, I pick up the phone and call Comcast to ask them what the hell is going on. After a couple of minutes I get a guy on the line who explains to me that there are no MLB games on the schedule and since these channels also share time with the NHL, hockey is the only show in town tonight.
"Okay wiseguy," I say, "if there are no MLB games tonight why are the Red Sox playing at 7:05 PM EST?" This stumps him, and he promises to find out and call me back. A few minutes later, as promised, he give me a ring to inform me that there are in fact baseball games on the dockett, but because MLB/NHL share channels, the NHL games are all that will be shown. To which I respond, "So let me get this straight, there are literally billions of channels on cable, and for some inexplicable reason you guys decided to double up on NHL/MLB games? What kind of sense does that make?"
He had nothing. So let's recap: no article to write because of crappy data, I have to give the government money, and I either have to watch hockey or ... hockey because my cable company has monkeys making programming decisions (and these the aren't smart monkeys either). Not knowing what to do, I decide to ask for my money back. This is usually the ace up my sleeve I like to play when all other options have been exhausted. It also means that I have no leverage and I'd probably be wise to just cut my losses and get on with whatever I was doing. Nope. To simple.
Instead, I tell the guy at the other end of the phone that I'm not paying for an evening's worth MLB Extra Innings if I can't, uh, watch any MLB games. He tries to explain to me that I'm not paying for the games if their not on. It's logic like this that leads to the NHL/MLB sharing channels. I again, v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y explain that I am, in fact, being charged for not watching baseball since I get charged 39 bucks a month for the MLB package. He finally gets it, but then it dawns on him that I'm basically asking for a refund of a dollar and some change. I sense as much and reassure him that this is indeed the case.
So he finally relents, punches a few buttons (for all I know he's just hitting the Ctrl key a bunch of times accomplishing nothing other than getting me off the phone) and tells me my bill for this month will only be $37.50 instead of $39 even. As a parting shot, I tell him that if my bill shows up and it's $39.00 he's the first guy I'm calling. Of course, I didn't catch his name, and I wasn't smart enough to ask for his extension, so that won't happen. Strike Two.
Okay, so I can't watch baseball, and I owe money on my taxes. Now it's 11 pm and I realize that I hadn't gotten the mail (honestly, I get the mail maybe once a week because it primarily consists of people trying to convince me that I should by a $700,000 townhouse 40 miles from DC because it would be "a great investment."). Anyway, I remember Netflix should've delivered some movies and I figure I might as well get them because what's the harm, right? Well, I'll tell you what the harm is: there's a crapload of mail, no movies, and a letter from the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles. I open it up and am greeted with a warm, fuzzy note informing me that on March 31 at 6pm I ran a red light and they have the photo evidence to prove it (which they were kind enough to include in the letter). So I spend the next 10 minutes racking my brain trying to figure out where the hell I was on March 31 at 6 pm and why I would be running a red light. And then it dawns on me: I was going to the pet store after work on a Friday -- by the way, it's never a good idea to travel after work on Friday -- and I vaguely remember trying to squeeze through an intersection before the light turned red. I guess I didn't make it. Seventy-five bucks for cheating.
Seriously, at this point in the evening, all I could do was laugh. I decided it was probably best if I didn't leave the house for fear of getting hit by a stray meteor or something. And for the record, I don't even mind getting the ticket -- at least somebody's paying attention to all the crazy drivers in the area, even if I've now been identified as one of them. Oh yeah, Strike Three.
So what's the lesson in all of this? As best I can figure it's this: Don't take time off from writing about the Heels, Sox or Steelers because only bad things can happen. Okay, I get it, I've learned my lesson, everybody put down the voo doo dolls. So what did I miss?
***
... There's a funny commercial running on NFL Network in the days leading up to the draft. It shows Joey Porter talking about his experiences during the 1999 draft. Porter says the Cowboys told him that they were going to take him #55 overall and the organization even gave him a cell phone in anticipation of The Call on draft day. Porter went on to say that he stocked up on a bunch Cowboys gear for he and his family to sport during Day One. Except the Cowboys didn't pull the trigger and Porter ended up going to the Steelers at #73.
So who did the Cowboys end up taking in the second round? Tackle Solomon Page out of West Virginia. And yes, he's out of the league.
... Speaking of the draft, Mike Prisuta has an interesting article (yes, that Mike Prisuta) on how players go from the field to the booth (or studio). I particularly like Merrill Hoge recounting his time with Myron Cope in the booth:
"... In between came a stint on the Steelers Radio Network, a disaster that provided an invaluable lesson.Now that doesn't sound like Myron.
'It was such a struggle because Myron (Cope) didn't want me in the booth,' said Hoge. 'Eventually we were given a directive, Bill (Hillgrove) would call the play, Myron would provide the color and I would speak when spoken to. A lot of people would have considered that a slap in the face, but to me it was a relief because I didn't know what I was doing.'
Hoge's tenure with the Steelers lasted just one-and-a-half seasons."
***
So what else did I miss? Pittsburgh re-signed James Harrison to a four-year $5.5 million contract. In a sense, this is a perfect deal for both sides. Harrison gets a $1.375 million signing bonus and the Steelers get a former undrafted free agent who's now the first guy off the bench at three of the four linebacker positions (I'm counting Kriewaldt at Farrior's backup since he always aces The Test before every game), not to mention one of the best special-teamers on the roster.Let's recount, in six weeks or so of free agency, Pittsburgh's lost Randle El, Hope and Von Oelhoffen out of a list that included 13 guys. And now they've re-signed Harrison and are in the process of doing the same for Ike Taylor. Not bad. Next up on the to-do list is the draft.
... So while I was busy with other things late last week, you guys didn't really miss a beat. In fact, things seem to run much smoother when I'm not around. Anyway, a couple of things to consider: First, LenDale White and Darnell Bing will be in town this week and like it or not, this means the organization is obviously interested.
I was snooping around the Steeler Nation message board and poster TMC again writes something very interesting:
"One other interesting tidbit, I heard that of the last three drafts, every player taken on the first day had visited with the Steelers. In other words, if he is not visiting, it is very unlikely he will be drafted by us."I have no idea how many teams actually draft Day One guys without bringing them in, but it's still worth noting. So, who have the Steelers brought in so far? Well, thanks to Jim Russell's hard work at SteelCityInsider, here's a partial list (just RBs, WRs, DBs):
Joseph Addai/RB/LSU
LenDale White/RB/USC
Maurice Drew/RB/RS/UCLA
Leon Washington/RB/FSU
Chad Jackson/WR/Florida
Demetrius Williams/WR/Oregon
Brandon Williams/WR/Wisconsin
Jeff Webb/WR/San Diego St.
Ethan Kilmer/WR/ST/Penn Sate
Domenik Hixon/WR/RS/Akron
Jon Alston/OLB/S/Stanford
Jason Allen/CB/Tennessee
Antonio Cromartie/CB/Florida State
T.J. Rushing/CB/RS/Stanford
Donte Whitner/S/Ohio State
Daniel Bullocks/S/Nebraska
Danieal Manning/S/CB/Abilene Christian
Darnell Bing/S/USC
I only put up part of the list because even though this info is available around the internets, Russell actually put in the work to aggregate it. And since SteelCityInsider is a pay site, I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to just reprint it here in it's entirety. And as long as I'm plugging pay sites, my two favorites are SteelCityInsider and NFLDraftScout.com Jim Wexell, Jim Russell Ian Whetstone and Dale Lolley all contribute and it's infinitely more informative than 99.9% of the stuff you read in either the Post-Gazette or Tribune-Review. NFLDraftScout.com has in depth scouting reports on every player on the planet, and data going back to 1999, as well as constant updates, mock drafts, and insider info that hardcore football nerds can only appreciate.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Sporting News. An outfit I've patronized for two years, but after my subscription expires after the draft, that's it. They're late updating their information, and when they do it often sucks. I mean, it's hard to eff up a mock draft because in reality, nobody -- other than the teams actually doing the picking -- knows who's going where. But the Sporting News puts out mock drafts that can only be the result of heaving LSD usage because they're so ridiculous they defy all things rational. For example, with less than three weeks to go until the actual draft, here's the drivel they put out (by the way, if they get even one of the top three picks right I will renew my subscription as punishment. I gotta feeling that my 40 bucks is safe.)
Round 1: Rodrique Wright, DT, TexasI realize that after the third round you're really just guessing -- a hell of a lot more than with the first three picks, but this draft board is actually a lot more sensible in the late rounds than near the top. Using the TMC rule, Wright and Minter are out since, well, they haven't paid a visit to the South Side. And even though the Steelers attended Michael Robinson's Pro Day, he hasn't been in either. Oh-for-three. Solid work TSN. On the other hand, Demetrius Williams and Wali Lundy would be intriguing picks for Pittsburgh except that Williams probably won't be around in the 4th and Lundy should be available much later. (Mayock's a big Williams supporter, and Lundy was at one time considered to be a big-time prospect, but injuries and slow times have seen his stock drop. By the way, Lundy was injured during the 2004 season and was replaced by Alvin Pearman, who basically came out of nowhere and is now a solid RB/RS for the Jags.)
Round 2: DeMario Minter, CB, Georgia
Round 3: Michael Robinson, WR, Penn State
Round 4: Demetrius Williams WR Oregon
Round 4: Wali Lundy, RB, UVa
Round 4: Jason Spitz, C, Louisville
Round 5: Spencer Havner, OLB UCLA
Round 5: Zach Strief, OT, Northwestern
Round 6: Nate Salley, S, Ohio State
Rount 7: Brett Basanez, QB, Northwestern
Spencer Havner is another guy who probably won't be around in the fifth but he's interesting because although he doesn't have all "the measurables" he's a football player. Of course I haven't seen him play, but I'm visualizing a Larry Foote-type guy. Foote had awful workout numbers but he was also the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten. Which apparently accounts for something.
And the other subscription site that blows? The Tribune-Review's Steelers Live Xtra. In a word: Garbage. Look, anytime you have Rocco Demaro writing inane columns and then have the gall to charge people to read it, you've just earned a lifetime achievement CPW. Look, I love Tunch's X's & O's column (it's even interactive), but I still can't justify blowing $29.99 on the rest of that nonsense. So there's my two cents. Spend it wisely.
(/end rant about crappy subscription based websites)
***
Okay, back to an actual draft discussion. By a show of hands (or comments) who wants LenDale White in the first round at #32? And if so, is running back, in your mind, the number one priority with the first round pick? I'm still not a LenDale White supporter at #32 (big surprise, right?), and if he and Joseph Addai both make it to the second round, I think I'd be more supportive of the Steelers trading up to get Addai over White for one simple reason (well, a couple of reasons, but one in particular): Addai is a threat making catches coming out of the backfield. Here's what NFLDraftScout.com says:
"Crisp route runner with such a good feel for zone coverages, that he can also line out wide at receiver...Has natural hands and does a good job of catching away from the frame...Very aggressive cut blocker who is effective at chipping and landing on pass rushers...Has a good work ethic and spends the additional hours in the film room preparing for his next opponent...His low pad level and leg drives makes it very hard for him to be brought down by initial contact."And to further strengthen my case, I actually saw Addai play during college (yeah I know, remarkable). Seriously, the fact that Addai can line up in the slot, is a good receiver, and more importantly, a hard worker, all seem like great reasons to give this guy serious consideration. Again, I'm not sure I want to use a #32 pick on him, but if RB's a done deal at #32, I vote for Addai.
Another thing to consider when having these LenDale White discussions is this: What's the Steelers' offensive gameplan going forward? We know the Bus has been a big part of this team's identity for the better part of a decade, but there's also never been a guy like Roethlisberger playing quarterback. If Pittsburgh decides to open things up a bit more, Addai or Maurice Drew are two guys who would complement that change nicely. (Along with Willie Parker, Duce Staley -- remember how well that guy was used out of the backfield by Philly? -- and Verron Haynes.) White wouldn't fit into these plans since he's not going to do much pass-catching coming out of the backfield. Plus, all of this is moot because he won't be around when Pittsburgh picks anyway. In a perfect world, Donte Whiter will be available at #32, the Steelers can trade up in the 2nd round to grab Addai, and then get Demetrius Williams or maybe an interior lineman in the 3rd round. Wishful thinking? Yep, but that's what the draft's all about.
***
Finally, I know I haven't talk much about the Red Sox, but that'll change this week, and I'll get into the regular season swing of things once the draft stuff calms down. And I'm making a conscious effort to actually watch other games too. And if the Pirates can promise something like this before every contest, I'll even watch them. (Seriously, how awesome is that picture? I'd pay 500 bucks for Pirates tickets if either Jeff Reed or Chris Gardocki wore that outfit under similar circumstances.)
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