The American Samoan's Are Taking Over The NFL

After Monday nights ridiculous performance by New England Patriots safety, Patrick Chung, it got me to thinking. You see more and more of the NFL's best from different parts of the world. Chung, who was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft played his college ball at Oregon. Monday night Chung helped the Pats do something that has never been done in the history of the NFL. The Patriots scored a record 6 different ways, talk about a team effort. Chung was born in Kingston, Jamaica from Chinese Jamaican descent, his father being half-Chinese Jamaican, half-Afro-Jamaican and mother Afro-Jamaican. It made me think about all of the super stars in the game today that are not from the States.

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch a 60 Minutes exclusive on CBS. The story highlighted American Samoa, an island in the distant South Pacific that is an unincorporated territory of the United States. The island has just over 65,000 people and out of that there are more than 30 players in the NFL right now and over 200 playing college football. Let's put this in perspective real quick, in the last 5 years alone the island has sent 10 NFL lineman to the NFL. You can usually spot a player of Samoan descent by the long wavy hair flowing out of their helmets. A kid born of Samoan descent is 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than any other kid in America. That's a staggering statistic, if there were more of them they would probably take over the NFL.

Well, what makes these kids so good at football? The facilities are no Southlake Carrol and most schools don't even have real fields, mostly dirt and rocks cover these players fields. But that doesn't stop these kids, they are warriors by birth and are raised to be the best with what they are given. They are given chores and follow their parents orders. The Samoa island is rich in farming and that's how they eat and how a lot of people make their living. So from day one,the boys are put to work as if they are men. Something that has disappeared in the U.S.

During the interview with 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley asked a couple of the boys what their size was. One 16-year-old player told Pelley he's 6 feet 5 inches tall. Another, 17 years old, said he's 6 foot 4 and a half. And the craziest part about it is that they are monsters, they all have muscles and don't even lift weights! Why? Because they cannot afford the weights and their equipment wouldn't even pass inspection with the FWISD.

For almost all of the people on the island the only way to get to America and get and education and make a living is to play football.

The most notable stars from Samoan heritage are 2-time Super Bowl Champion Troy Polamalu, Seahawks All-Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu, all-time great Junior Seau, Steelers All-Pro Kimo von Oelhoffen, and former USC stand-out and now Bengal linebacker, Rey Maualuga. Not too shabby.

I thought this was a very inspiring story and really felt the need to write about it. Not only does football give these boys a chance to compete and stay focused but it also gives them the opportunity to get a college education and help provide for their families for the rest of their lives.

An already poverty stricken island, the American Samoans were devastated when they were hit with a tsunami that killed dozens and ruined most cash crops. The NFL and the NFL Players Association stepped in and are contributing $50,000 to help victims of the tsunami that struck American Samoa in September.


Facts provided by CBSnews.com and footballisland.com

JETS Have Issues But Also Have Resilience

The New York Jets have been surrounded with controversy since last February when the team signed a plethora of all-pro players to enhance their AFC Championship runner-up squad. Then came May and it was the hold-out of star corner back Darrelle Revis, who missed all off-season work outs and all of pre-season until he was finally signed a week before the first game against the rival Ravens. There was also all of the hype surrounding HBO's "Hard Knocks." And don't forget the f-bomb dropping head coach Rex Ryan. Who was criticized by everyone including his own mother for his dirty mouth on national television. I thought that was all blown way out of proportion but it was still an issue, none the less. Not to be out done, there is the sexual harassment case which is still pending with Ines Sainz. Sainz claims that she was "cat called" and made fun of when at Jets practice and in the locker room to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Jets finally got what the doctor ordered in week 2 when they got the big win they needed over Tom Brady and the all-mighty Patriots. This is what is so great about sports, no matter what is going on and all the things that can disrupt an organization. As long as you win, nothing else matters, the rest just simply takes care of itself and the slate is wiped clean. Or so you think...

Most NFL teams go to work on Monday, watch film, get treatment and grab a lift. Then they are given Tuesday as their day off. So Braylon Edwards apparently went out on Monday night and had a good time, so good that he was pulled over at 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning because the tint on his Range Rover was too dark. It was then that the police officer smelled alcohol. Edwards was given a breathalyzer and blew twice the legal limit, .16 to be exact, dude can drink! 5:15 a.m. and he was still wasted, pretty impressive. Just a day after having a touchdown catch and a 2-point conversion against the Pats, Edwards was locked up in an NYC jail for a DWI.

You gotta feel for General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Head Coach Rex Ryan. The two have had issue after issue unfold right before them. They have lost two of their best defensive lineman for the season in DT Kris Jenkins and DE Ropati Pitoitua. Oh and did I mention, that Darrelle Revis guy that just got $32 million in guaranteed cash missed the second half with a tight hamstring and could miss up to 2 weeks?? Sweet.

The Jets looked good Sunday, they looked really good and played even better defensively in the second half without Revis. They are also hoping to get back their stud linebacker, Calvin Pace in the next 2 weeks, who has missed time with a broken right foot. Also wide receiver Santonio Holmes will be back in action after he is done serving a 4 game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy for testing positive for marijuana.

I believe the Jets are still a Super Bowl front runner, without a doubt. With leadership coming from players like LaDainian Tomlinson, Nick Mangold, and Bart Scott. This team will not allow outside distractions to make them fold and coach Rex Ryan will make sure of it.

It will be interesting to see what they do with Braylon Edwards and what the league will do as well. The team can fine him and can even suspend him if they choose to do so. But under the collective bargaining agreement the NFL cannot do anything to Edwards unless he was already listed in the leagues substance abuse policy, which is confidential.

There is no doubt that Edwards is in the dog house but there is still good news. If the Jets can overcome this and get a win over the Dolphins on Sunday night all will be forgotten....this is sports remember? Winning is everything.

TCU All-American Jeremy Kerley "Most Versatile Player In The Nation?"

TCU's stud all-purpose back,Jeremy Kerley has been recognized for the second time in just three games by the Paul Hornung Award for "Most Versatile Performances of The Week." Kerley, who was on the pre-season watch list has proven to the nation why he belongs at the top of the list. Week in and week out Kerley provides play making ability at multiple positions. There is not a doubt in my mind that he is deserving of this award and will continue to show the nation why.

Paul Hornung was the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback with Notre Dame, he went on to play running back for the legendary Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers and was a first ballot Hall of Famer. The award is given to the player who shows the most versatility on the football field.

Kerley totaled 202 all-purpose yards in the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs'
45-10 win over Baylor. Kerley also tied a career-high with six receptions for 69 yards and two
touchdowns, and had four punt returns for 84 yards and four carries for 49
yards. Not too shabby if you ask me. Kerley, who is from Hutto,Texas near Austin has shown Frog fans since his arrival how special he is, now he is finally getting the attention he deserves from sports writers and critics all over the nation.

Look for Kerley to only boast bigger and better numbers from this point on with the remaining bulk of the schedule being teams from the Mountain West. Although I think the Mountain West is a much better conference than people give it credit, there is not a lot of speed beside an athletic Utah team.

Portis Was Only Being Honest

"You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her." These were Washington Redskins Clinton Portis' comments Tuesday when asked about female reporters in NFL locker rooms. Portis, who is known for his outlandish actions is feeling the wrath today and the NFL has made a statement saying that the comments made by Portis have no place in the NFL. Portis apologized and that will more than likely be the end of that, at least as far as the NFL takes it.

I honestly have no problem with Portis comments, this seems more like the media are taking his words out of context and painting them in a bad light. With the JETS recent issues with TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz (Click Here for Photos of Sainz)and the on going investigation. It wasn't the smartest thing to go into but judging by the way Portis spoke to the radio, I'm not so sure he even knew about the current harassment investigation within the JETS organization.

At the end of the day, Portis was asked what he thought about women in a locker room and he was perfectly honest. I mean why do you think any and every gym around the nation has a men's and a women's side? Privacy issues aren't the only reason, I will tell you that much. The media is quick to run with the bulls when an athlete does wrong or makes a mistake and they will usually stay on any number of topics until the cows come home. When they feel they are taken advantage of, they use it to their ability to make even more media, only this time it is purely in an attempt to publicize Ines Sainz and TV Azteca. Did you see what Ines was wearing out on the field and in the locker room!? Give me a break, if she didn't want attention from the players then don't wear all white and portray yourself as a sex symbol.

Ines walked into the locker room with a bunch of jacked naked dudes, wearing an all white, skin tight, outfit with her platinum blond hair. Surely she knew what to expect.

Mariotti Must Be Confused

Talk about your all-time back fires. Jay Mariotti, who is predominately known for his appearances on ESPN's Around the Horn was arrested in Los Angeles at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday the 21st.

Mariotti is one of the loudest mouths in sports journalism. He is known for his wild rants and calling people such as Michael Vick and Tiger Woods out for their actions. Looks like all that smack talking finally came back around his way.

An unnamed source that was picking his girlfriend up at an apartment building just down the street from Mariottis managed to get the inside scoop. The source said the two were yelling back and forth in the street in front of their apartment. Mariotti was boxing the woman out and trying to make her avoid getting in the apartment. When she finally got around him and got into the lobby he chased her down and they had a physical altercation in the lobby of the apartment.

Apparently, the apartment is glass and it is easy to see right in. This is when the on looker saw Mariotti throwing papers and ripping things off the wall, he then grabbed his girlfriends hair and launched her into the elevator. The source said he had enough and called police.

The source had this to say. "She punched her code to get into the lobby of her building...and when she did that he fired the door open and followed her in..and that's when it began. Lucky for me her lobby was a giant glass one so i could continue to see everything that was going on when they went inside."

Mariotti has always come across to me as a smart mouth fire cracker. The guy has a temper that escalates as soon as someone else has something to say that he doesn't agree with. Knowing ESPN and the way they have handled scandal in the past. The "mouse ears" will surely have none of this and you can bet that you wont be seeing any of Mariotti on ESPN again.

Mariotti is due in court September 17th. Around the Horn is not filming this week but will start new episodes next week.

Former TCU Stand-Out Ryan Christian Takes Kick Back-Record 110 Yards

http://argonauts.ca/video/index/id/13397

Upsetting Rumor Swirls in Cleveland

Coming off a devastating second round loss to the Celtics, LeBron James has been the main attention of sports media. James, who is a free agent this off season has the choice to go to any team he would like. James didn't need any more media attention but that is exactly what he is getting, this time for all the wrong reasons.

Rumors have been swirling of a possible relationship with guard Delonte West, 26, of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James' mother, Gloria James, 42. West and James are teammates and have played together on the Cavs for 3 years. The source is not very credible so we cannot jump to conclusions but it seems to be fairly solid.

According to a website called Terez Owens, West and LeBron's mother have allegedly been having an affair for a while, and LeBron found out about it all before game 4 of the second round series against Boston. A game in which James was 7-18 FG, 22 points, 9 Reb, and 8 assists. Not too shabby but the Cavs did lose by 10 at home, where they lost only 6 games during the entire regular season.

Game 5, James was 3-14 FG and had just 15 points. Not what you would expect from the MVP of the league in a crucial playoff game. Is there a reason for that? Is there any truth to what is being said about Delonte West and Gloria James. It is honestly too early to tell but one thing is for sure. News like this can make it very tough for James to concentrate and do his thing but also will ruin a teams chemistry.

This would also explain how James went from "Beast Mode" in the first 3 games of the series to a passive, stoic player we saw in the demise of the Cavs championship run. James has been so focused all season and during the playoffs, it was weird to watch him turn into the player we have never seen on the court before. This is a team that had the most wins in the NBA this season and had the determined MVP in James to carry them all the way. That team fell apart and everyone is questioning how.

This could be a very good reason for the demise of the Cavs in the second round. No major sports networks are reporting this story but it is very intriguing and could have seriously blown the Cavs chances on getting LeBron James back now that he is a free agent.

Delonte West was arrested earlier this year for carrying multiple concealed weapons, so he sounds like a pretty good dude. The kind of dude who would go behind your back and holla at your mom. Upsetting news, let’s just hope it is false.

Brian Cushing Holds On

Houston Texans linebacker, Brian Cushing, has remained the NFL's defensive rookie of the year after a revote by the AP. The revote gave Cushing 18 votes by 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league, the first time around he had 39.

Cushing was busted for using something called (HCG). Human chorionic gonadotropin is a banned substance but it is not a steroid. According to www.steroid.com, "HCG is not a steroid, but a naturally occurring peptide hormone, produced by the embryo in the early stages of pregnancy..." Meaning it's original purpose is for women. But it has a different effect on men. Cushing is smart and has probably been juicing his whole life. Trust me, Cushing knows exactly what he is putting in his body and this stuff helped.

HCG helps bring back naturally produced testosterone. When a steroid user stops using, their body stops making testosterone naturally so in turn you lose your gains very quickly. Well HCG brings 'em right back!

Even with the positive test I still agree that Cushing was the best defensive rookie in the league and should have kept the award. As we know by now the steroid era is far from over, in all sports. What are we going to do, go back and strip Shawne Merriman of all his accolades because of his positive test in 2006? The guys who make these decisions sometimes get caught and when they do their entire career will be questioned forever.

Cushing has been suspended by the NFL for the first 4 games of the season, without pay.

Dez Bryant's Minicamp a Success

Dez Bryant, a top 10 talent in the 2010 NFL Draft managed to fall all the way to the 24th pick in the first round. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys took full advantage and made a trade with the New England Patriots to move up 3 spots to grab the "Playmaker 2." Is it too early to talk Bryant up to the level of one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game? I mean he missed nearly his entire senior season at Oklahoma State because he lied to the NCAA about his involvement with former Cowboy and NFL Network personality, Deion Sanders.

Say what you want about Bryant but the kid is a stud and has the potential to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Jerry Jones was not about to pass up on another potential Randy Moss type impact player and have that haunt him for years to come.

Bryant showed up to Cowboy's rookie minicamp and was a little out of shape. Taking knees, breathing hard and ended up rolling his ankle and limping around the last hour of practice. The injury is not serious but did keep Bryant out of sprints after practice. The most impressive part of this was that even though he was not in the best shape, he still pushed through every drill and gave it 100 percent. That shows a lot of grit and shows the type of leader that he is.

Many people have given Bryant a bad wrap and say that he can slack and be complacent but that was not evident what so ever during the 3 days of practice last weekend. Coach Wade Phillips was even quoted as saying, "In 33 years there's not very many that I can say look that talented at their position for a three-day period." Strong statement coming from a guy like Phillips who has seen a lot of ball in his day.

There has been talk of Bryant returning punts and kick-offs on special teams, sure would be exciting to see him and Kevin Ogletree back deep. Expect big things out of Bryant in his rookie season and for him to have an immediate impact. It will also be interesting to see how Jason Garrett fits Bryant into the Cowboys scheme with Miles Austin, Jason Witten, and Roy Williams.

Former NFL Legend Arrested

One of the best players to ever play the game and a guy who really did revolutionize the way defense is played in the NFL. Has yet again made a terrible decision. Taylor was arrested early Thursday morning at a Rockland Hotel in N.Y. Taylor is accused of beating and raping a 16-year-old prostitute.

The girl is apparently a runaway and somehow got wrapped up with a pimp trying to make ends meet in the Bronx, heard that before? After the girl left the hotel room where she was sent to meet with Taylor, she called her uncle, who then called police and she was taken to the hospital for examinations and injuries sustained from punches to the face.

Taylor,51, will be arraigned Thursday on third degree rape charge,which involves having intercourse with a minor. 51 years old and Taylor is still running around like a low life. Get it together man, at some point you have to grow up, especially with all of the drug problems and run-ins with the law he has had throughout his life.

Taylor won 2 Super Bowls with the New York Giants in '87 and '91. Taylor was also inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999. It is so tragic to see professional athlete after professional athlete screw up and feel they are entitled to get away with any and everything. It could have something to do with the drugs and alcohol but Taylor has said he has been clean for sometime now. I find that hard to believe. Who in their right mind would pay for a prostitute, realize she was probably too young, and then continue to beat the crap out of her?

This has been an issue for years and will continue on to be a prominent issue in our sports nation. Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Vick, Tank Johnson, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Rae Carruth. The list goes on and on. It also gives sports a bad wrap because nobody ever hears about Drew Brees and Reggie Bush in New Orleans rebuilding houses and giving back millions of dollars to a city that was in ruins at one point and still is in others. That's not front page news, Lawrence Taylor beating and raping a minor is though.

The NFL is going through some very difficult times right now. I guarantee you one thing, none of these incidents in the past few months will make any difference when the NFL season rolls around. You can count on another "top dog" year,with ratings through the roof like always.

OUCH! HAHA

Taser's?? Really?

At the Cardinals Phillies game Monday night in Philadelphia, a fan was apprehended by a police officer for running onto the field during the 8th inning. Only it was not your normal tackle job, this officer felt the need to zap a 17-year-old teenager with a stun gun. Dropping the poor kid instantly.

Obviously it is totally idiotic to jump a fence at a professional sporting event and run around like a chicken with your head cut-off but then again this kid is 17 and is probably about to graduate high school. How did you act in high school? Ever feel that need to get one last, "Hoo Rah!"

This is not the first time this has happened but honestly, why not just tackle the kid like everyone else? It's not like Usain Bolt was running around out there. Do we really need to resort to zapping him with a thousand volts like Alan and Phil in the 2009 film, The Hangover?

The Cardinals won the game over the Phil's 6-3. The highlight of the night was definitely the little guy getting blasted with the gun. None the less, funny stuff. VIDEO IN 2010 ARCHIVE TO LEFT-

JAZZ 103 LAKERS 111

This team is just too good. Led by Kobe Bryant's 30 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 15 rebounds to dismantle the Jazz and put themselves one step closer to moving on to the next round. Just when everyone thought the Lakers were a possible let down just a week ago after getting blown out in game 4 against Oklahoma City, they have bounced back with a vengeance. The Lakers are now up 2-0 on the Jazz in this 7 game series. In franchise history, the Lakers are 40-1 all-time when leading 2-0 in a 7 game series.

In my mind there really is no stopping this team. TEAM, yes that's what I said. Not only do they have arguably the best player in the game leading the way with 4 titles to his name. A coach with zen type skills on the bench. They also have a top 15 NBA player in Pau Gasol, a dominate big man in Andrew Bynum, a dominate defensive player in Ron Artest, one of the best 6th men in the league in Lamar Odom and role players like Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown.

To think that the Lakers do not have what it takes to win the title you have got to be out of your mind. This team is about to win the series in 5 games against a very good Jazz squad and now that the Nuggets and Mavericks are out, I really don't see anyone in the West stopping the Lake show from getting to the finals.

University of Virginia Lacrosse Player Murdered

Tragedy strikes again. Yet another love gone wrong. So many times we see people let their emotions get the best of them. Is it lack of self control, carelessness, abusive behavior, obsession, or is it just a combination of it all? Creeping into your head by another form of being; in order to destroy yourself and others? Some call it Satan, others call is weakness, and even some call it nature versus nurture. The person you are and the person you were raised to be.

A University of Virginia lacrosse player was charged with the murder of a female member of the lacrosse team at the same University. George Huguely,22, has been charged with the death of Yeardley Love,22. Both were set to graduate in just weeks and both were part of a Virginia men's and women's lacrosse team that were tops in the nation and set for the national tournament.

Although the two did not live in the same apartment complex, sources say that the two did have a relationship throughout college and that it had been off and on. Investigators said that Love's roommate walked in on her passed out on the ground, she originally thought she had alcohol poisoning and called the police. When they arrived they realized there was much more to this than just alcohol.

Toxicology reports can take weeks but initial reports say that, Love had bruising and head trauma. There were no weapons found in Huguely's apartment and he was being held at the Albemarie-Charlottesville Regional Jail in Virginia on Monday.

On Love's death, former head coach in high school, Mary Bartel,said, "Yeardley was the core of the personality of the team. She was our laughter, a good soul. She always found an appropriate way to lighten things up."

Relationships and love are a very powerful thing and I'm not totally sure what their exact relationship status was or how in depth the two were. But this is just one of many cases that happens everyday. Whether it be Steve McNair and his mistress or Chris Henry, losing his life flying out of the back of a truck because of a dispute with his fiance. It is all the same, whether you are a public figure or not. Life is a struggle everyday and some people cannot fight that struggle and are overcome by it. Some people are strong enough to deal with the abuse of heart break, while others use it as obsession and end up ruining their lives and most importantly, ruining the lives of others.

I contacted the University of Virginia, they are not available for comment. I also spoke with former women's field hockey star Erin Hayes. Hayes said,"He called police saying she had alcohol poising and the bruising is possibly related to lacrosse."

So there is a lot more work to be done in this case but it is still so upsetting to see two lives turned upside down.

Ironically, Huguely went to the same Prep High School as the Duke Lacrosse players who were acquitted in the rape case of two female prostitutes. Any chance, these guys feel a little entitlement and think they can get away with whatever. Whatever the case is, and at this point details are vague but none the less, what a tragedy. Another "LOVE" gone wrong.

Real Sports Talk with Andy Burrell

NFC WEST

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS- A++

In Pete Carroll's first draft as head coach of the Seahawks he and the front office did some serious damage. Before we get into what they did in the draft, let us not forget what they did by trading for two RB's that will have an immediate impact and will now give Matt Hasselbeck some one to hand the ball to. They picked up LenDale White and Leon Washington. On draft day somehow Russell Okung fell down to pick 6 and that's where the Seahawks started. Not only will Okung watch Hasselbeck's backside but he is the kind of tackle that can run and make plays down field, which will open up huge holes for the 2 new RB's. With their second pick sitting at #14 in the first, the Seahawks grabbed the second best DB in the 2010 draft, Earl Thomas. Thomas, who will be teamed up with Jordan "Babs" Babineaux in the backfield, which makes for a scary duo for any offense. Golden Tate was the next weapon taken. Now Tate is not the down field threat of the other receivers taken before him but the kid can run after the catch and is a beast. He loves to play the game and against USC last year he dominated Taylor Mays and made him look like me playing deep safety, he will contribute on special teams also.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS- A

With 2 high picks in the first round(11 and 17) the 49ers took serious advantage and made a ridiculous improvement on the offensive line. They took OT Anthony Davis out of Rutgers first. Davis has had questions about his weight and "want to" on the field. Davis has only been playing ball since his senior year of high school and with his size he has a serious upside. With the next pick they took G Mike Iupati. Iupati is a beast and is perfect for the 49ers hard hitting style and run game with Mr.Frank Gore. Somehow Taylor Mays fell all the way to the middle of the 2nd round and the 49ers scooped him there. Mays is what my buddies and I call a "Freak." He destroyed all pre-draft workouts and possesses the skills to be an NFL elite safety. He does struggle in coverage and has been compared to Roy Williams, which I think is just silly. They are different players, but at #49 in the second round anyone would have been crazy to not take Mays.

ARIZONA CARDINALS- B+

The Cardinals have had a tough off-season losing many key players on defense but they did a great job of picking up the slack in this draft. With the first pick they got big Dan Williams, DT out of Tennessee. This will be an immediate impact to their d-line. With the second pick they got speedster LB Daryl Washington out of TCU. With the loss of Karlos Dansby, Washington will more than likely start immediately. Washington has a knack for the game and loves to play it. He is always around the ball and has speed that not many NFL linebackers posses. He needs to work hard to put on some good weight to help avoid injury in a long NFL season.

ST. LOUIS RAMS- C+

Obviously the Rams nabbed a franchise quarterback with Sam Bradford and had many picks after that. With their second pick they got a OT to watch Bradford's back, Rodger Saffold. The Rams have a lot of needs and will need more needs next year also. It's a project in the making but I did like the 7th round pick of George Selvie, who I believe will be out to show people he is more than just a 7th round pick.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS- A

The Buc's needed to do something big in this draft to improve a team that has many many needs. What did they do? Just that, they drafted a duo of defensive tackles that can start tomorrow in the NFL. Obviously they took big Gerald McCoy out of Oklahoma with the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Then with their next selection, the 3rd pick in the second round, the Buc's grabbed DT Brian Price from UCLA, who many thought would be gone in the 1st. These 2 guys are going to be buddy buddy come Sunday's. Especially since the Buc's are going back to their Tampa 2 defense. For those of you that don't understand the Tampa 2, it is a defensive scheme built on speed and explosiveness, especially on the DL. They also added 2 weapons for QB Josh Freeman with Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. This is going to be a much better team in 2010.

CAROLINA PANTHERS- A

This team needed a lot and with no first round pick it was not looking too shabby. But with a lot of luck and some nice moves in late rounds the Carolina Panthers really did have one of the best drafts in the NFC. Because of Clausen's "head case" perception and the fact he never won and showed terrible leadership skills he managed to fall not just out of the top 10 but all the way to the 2nd round. Honestly he could not have ended up in a better place. He has the opportunity to be a franchise QB and also has a lot of competition around him to help him grow and learn. With Matt Moore the starter for now, he will also have to battle with the Panthers 6 round pick Tony Pike. The more I watch Clausen, the more I like him. He has a hose of an arm and on an X's and O's is the smartest player out of the draft behind only safety Eric Berry. The Panthers also picked up 3 DB's in the late rounds that will add much needed depth. One of my personal favorite wide outs in the entire draft was Brandon LaFell, I watched this guy his entire career and broke him down on film. He didn't have the senior season he wanted but he has shown in the past he can be a big time player. As long as he works hard and gets better he shows a lot of promise for this Carolina team.

ATLANTA FALCONS- C-

The Falcons upgraded big time at the linebacker position by drafting Sean Witherspoon out of Missouri. Witherspoon has great speed and athleticism and that is exactly what is needed out of the weak side backer in the Tampa 2 scheme as talked about earlier with the Bucs.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS- C

With such a low draft pick after coming off a Super Bowl win the Saints couldn't do much. They still managed to grab a play making corner in Patrick Robinson. The Saints used their 2009 pick to get CB Malcolm Jenkins but with the addition of Robinson, the Saints will have added depth to the secondary and even have options of moving either of these two dynamic DB's to safety.

NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA VIKINGS- A

The Vikings are all about taking the best player available on the board, regardless of their needs at that time. They drafted CB Chris Cook out of Virginia with their first pick in the 2nd round. Cook is a good player and could end up starting this year depending on what DB Cedric Griffin will be doing week one. That is playing corner or safety. I am a big fan of Toby Gerhart, I played against him at TCU and although we always shut him down, he never stopped running and if not for politics in the SEC, Gerhart should have been the Heisman Trophey winner. Come on, did you see what he did all year and especially in the last 3 games?? Guy is a beast and the Viking's are going to have a great one-two punch with Peterson still taking most of the load.

DETROIT LIONS- C+

Most people have the Lions at a lot better grade than this. I understand you got the most dominating player in the draft and yes he is almost bullet proof to have a great career but after that, I'm just not feeling it. RB Jahvid Best is a beast and is a hell of a play maker and will make immediate impact but they already have Aaron Brown who is the same kind of player and didn't get nearly enough touches last year...ok ok I'm a little bias with the purple blood but honestly have you seen Brown run the ball?

GREEN BAY PACKERS- C-

The Packers did add depth at the Tackle position with the acquisition of Bryan Bulaga and Marshall Newhouse but didn't do much after that. They had one of the worst secondaries in the league last year, as we all saw in that playoff shootout against the Cardinals. They added SS Morgan Burnett out of Georgia Tech. Burnett has instincts and has the speed and range to cover all over the field, look for him to start week 1. Where the Packers blew it was not taking one CB, they should have taken 2 in my mind, hints the C-.

CHICAGO BEARS- C

With their first pick not coming until the 3rd round, its tough to get a guy that will come in and make that immediate impact a 1st or 2nd round guy can. I still gave them a C because FS Major Wright was somehow still on the board in the 3rd round and I think this kid will play and start for this stingy Chicago defense. Another guy Chicago stole was considered at least a 3rd round pick just a couple months ago, QB Dan LeFevour. He was never really under center in college and didn't play a lot of competition, not too mention his pro day killed him. He showed a lack of prototypical NFL arm strength. I still think LeFevour could be a solid QB in 2 years.

NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS- A

I have to give the Cowsheep an A grade purely on the wheeling and dealing of Jerry Jones. Jones found a way to move up and get a high powered play maker in Dez Bryant. Yes, people are questioning his off the field issues but he will have mentors around him in the organization. Plus the way the kid plays on the field, I think he has enough pride to represent his home state and America's team and not do something stupid. In a similar ploy by Jerry, he moved up to get LB Sean Lee in the 2nd. Lee can have an immediate impact on this Cowboy's defense. Along with a very under rated CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah out of Indiana. Not too many people mentioned his name in pre-draft talk, not because they cannot pronounce it but because he is under rated. He has great feet and toughness that will help out in nickel packages, giving Newman rest and making plays on special teams in the return game.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES- C+

Yes the Eagles had 13 players taken in the draft but not many of them are starters or immediate impact type guys. With 13 picks it is positive because young guys are energetic and love to play the game, so this will help the locker room. DE Brandon Grahm was first pick taken and I believe there were better defensive lineman and better players period, to be taken. Might be biting my tongue later because the guy has a great first step and a motor but doesn't Jerry Hughes also have the same assets and he was taken 31st by the Colts. I did like the Eagles late round picks of QB Mike Kafka, DE Rickey Sapp, and WR Riley Cooper.

NEW YORK GIANTS- C

The Giants used their first round pick to get one of the most athletic guys in the entire draft in DE Jason Pierre-Paul. The kid has shown huge potential to be a beast and the Giants have added even more depth to an already stacked DL. I just felt they should of used their second round pick to grab a linebacker because they have some serious holes to fill there.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS- B

With the addition of six-time Pro Bowl selection Donovan McNabb the Redskins used their 4th pick overall to grab big Trent Williams. Williams will protect McNabb and help in the run game, which has been suspect since Portis had his last 1,000 yard season years ago. Some had Okung going before Williams but Williams is a little more athletic and the Skins believe he is a better fit.

NFL Draft Breakdown

In the next few blogs I have done a lot of research to break down each conference in the NFC and AFC. I have graded each teams draft as well as give some insight as to why I believe the grades are the way they are.

Pre-Draft I had thoughts that it would not be as high powered as most but I have changed my mind since then. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think, thanks.

Jazz 102 Nuggets 116

After Carmelo Anthony blasted teammates following Denver's game 4 loss, the team decided to show up Wednesday night and helped Anthony pull away from the Jazz for an explosive win and a lights out shooting performance. Still, the Nuggets are down 3-2 in the series and in Utah Jazz history the franchise has never lost a series with a 3-1 lead.

The difference in the 2 games last night is staggering. We all know the Western Conference is better than the East but last night just proved that for everyone to see on national television.

Both the Jazz and Nuggets could sweep the Bucks and Hawks with their stars on the bench.

Despite the loss, D. Will showed up again for the Jazz, continuing his great playoff's with 34 points and 10 assists. Unless Carmelo gets the same help from J.R. Smith, who had the hot hand from outside and Kenyon Martin, who had 18 points in last nights game. Martin's most points in a playoff game since 2005, you can bet the Jazz will wrap this series up in game 6.

Bucks 91 Hawks 87

A little old with the new, the Milwaukee Bucks have an eclectic group of older and younger players that helped them squeeze by the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night. The Hawks had dominated the entire game and looked strong, that is until the Bucks went on a 14-0 run. With 20 year-old Brandon Jennings 25 points leading the way. The Bucks have the edge in the series at 3-2 after the big-time win in Atlanta. The Hawks struggled from the field all night and Joe Johnson had only 13 points and 6th man of the year, Jamal Crawford finished just 4 of 18.

Back To It

I'm back in action world, ready to give you the real sports talk I know you have been missing. By the way, have you checked out espn3.com? Wow, it is legit, you can stream live sports any time of the day. Pretty cool stuff.

Well the last 7 months have been pretty wild. I have been working as a personal assistant. Not just any body's assistant but Michael "Playmaker" Irvin's assistant. It was a 24-7 gig that involved simple things such as taking his clothes to and from the cleaners to negotiating with his agent and accountant. To not so easy things, like taking 3 am calls to change flights, making sure all flight and travel arrangements were set and pleasing Mr. Irvin 24-7.

To sum up the job, I was the middle man for everyone trying to get at Michael. I grew up so much in the last 7 months, it was really an unbelievable experience. I cannot tell you how much I learned and not just from a television and radio aspect. Although it was amazing to learn from one of the best in the business. Where I learned the most would have to be from just an overall "world aspect" if you will. I had to learn to manage time, money, children, etc. I learned to work with people from all walks of life on the daily. I learned to relate to people in a way that would put me in a position to be liked and also respected.

Not many people have an opportunity like I did. I was able to travel to LA for the finale of Dancing With The Stars, I broke down film at NFL Network studios in Burbank,California, I was sidelines at the Pro Bowl. The list goes on and on. The number one thing I learned while working for Michael is that you have to take every day and use it as if it where your last. That's how Michael approaches every day. The man really doesn't sleep, he gets up at 5 am and takes his boys to the gym to get them a workout before school, then when they go to school he goes back to the gym for more. While at the gym, Michael starts making calls and lining up the day. Most people are still asleep or just getting the coffee going while Michael is studying film and notes to get him ready for the next step.

There is always something to be done and there is always a way that you can get better than the next guy. I am so grateful that I had a chance to see first hand how a beaming personality gets through life. I feel like I have what it takes to be this kind of personality, I mean I already have the personality..I just have to find a way to get my foot in the door. I honestly believe it is only a matter of time now before I am on television and entertaining viewers. I am ready for the next level and I will hustle everyday to get to that point and will not stop when I get there.

I will be updated my blog again and will keep you posted on the shake downs around the sports world. Giving you my unique perspective on all sports news. NFL draft is on the horizon and will be the first time that it is on prime time. It will be very interesting to see how it shakes out. I will also bring you my mock draft. Looking forward to catching up-