My buddy Don "Donnie Brasco'' Banks is always telling me how gullible I am. Brasco likes baseball, and I called him a couple of years ago after seeing Juan Acevedo pitch in a spring-training game and told him, "Juan Acevedo's gonna win 15 games this year.'' He didn't come close.
First, Peter can't let go of the "Donnie Brasco" thing. Seems like once a month he slips that funny in there. More importantly, this perfectly reinforces my impression of Peter's baseball knowledge. Anyway, on to the fuhbawww:
The one thing that would stun me is a cornerback. Bill Belichick, in Cleveland and in New England, has had 14 first-round picks, and only once did he take a cornerback -- Antonio Langham, the just-OK DB from Alabama in 1994, picked way too high at No. 9 overall.
This is my least-favourite bit of draft thinking anywhere, ever. First of all, there are 22 positions; even if you want to eliminate "doubles" (ie. two guards on the field at once) there are at least 14 unique positions. So actually, Bill Belichick has drafted corners at the exact rate one would expect. In any case, it's way more instructive to look at a team's needs and draft strengths; given the Pats need some CB help and McKelvin and Rodgers-Cromartie are expected to go somewhere around their pick, would it really be stunning?
23. Pittsburgh. G/T Branden Albert, Virginia. Might have gotten overrated in the predraft media mayhem; I saw him as high as five in one mock draft. The Steelers have to draft two or three offensive lineman to address a position group that lost its best two players (Jeff Hartings, Alan Faneca) the last two offseasons and isn't as good as its reputation right now.
I don't want to argue too much with all his mock picks, because I don't claim to know anything about the draft. But as Peter says himself...he's at 5 in some mock drafts, including that of ESPN's Todd McShay. Peter, is it, um, possible, that you're behind the times and that teams are legitimately warming to the guy?
And the disappointingly-level-headed thinkathinks:
a. Thank you, writers of The Office, for regaining your sanity and your edge in a great show last week. You realize, of course, that we all want to see Jim and Pam get hitched now. If there's a better character actor on TV than Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), I don't know who he is.
Yeah...I still like last week's better. And I'd take Creed over Kevin. But at least he's not still backing Dwight.
