By Rick Morris
It's on like radon! NBA free agency is upon us at midnight EDT on July 1. While this crop of players pales in comparison to the Lebron/Wade/Bosh/'Melo/etc. group that could become available next summer, it's no disgrace to be overshadowed by what could be the greatest crop on the market in history. The players who sign contracts in the days ahead could still end up tipping the balance of power for the coming season. Here are the positions of note, from the strongest to the weakest:
Small Forwards: What a group! Hedo Bird, Lamar Odom, Al Harrington and Bad Mamma-Jamma Artest can all be big difference-makers in this league. Marvin Williams may never live up to the billing, but he can definitely be a necessary secondary part on a championship team. Trevor Ariza is only scratching the surface of what he can do. Shawn Marion is regressing faster than the level of public sympathy for Joe Jackson right about now. Linas Kleiza will probably never be much more than he is right now. Josh Childress may be coming back from Europe, although the Hawks retain some qualified rights to him.
Point Guards: Dear Romey, Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby are as good as it gets, Sincerely 2001. Raymond Felton probably has the best long-range potential of any of the quarterbacks hitting the market, but he's got more of a "really nice" upside rather than "really bitchin.'" Shouldn't preclude a "really bitchin'" payday, though, given the other choices. Andre Miller is hanging in well for his age, but getting up there in age, Nate Robinson is a poor man's Van Exel, Ramon Sessions will get overpaid for being a good role player and Jarrett Jack/CJ Watson "are what they are." Oh, and Steph Marbury is still nuts.
Power Forward: David Lee and his likely contract will be too rich for the Knicks, so he'll be moving on for big money. Charlie Villanueva is leaving Milwaukee, so he'll end up in a much better situation, potentially Cleveland. Old Sheed, Big Baby, Leon Powe, Drew Gooden, Hakim Warrick and Brandon Bass round out a mediocre group.
Shooting Guards: Kobe's not going anywhere, so let's not even seriously include him with the potentials here. On a thin market, Ben Gordon is in the right place at the right time as somebody who still (at least defensively) computes as a "tweener" is going to get paid solely on his sweet scoring ability. It's way downhill from there. AI better PRACTICE (WE TALKIN' ABOUT PRACTICE) his humility, because he'll be taking what he can get even in a down market. The immortal Marquis Daniels, great-in-small-bursts Flip Murray, one-dimensional Eddie House, late-blooming Dahntay Jones and tragically-named Von Wafer round out the position.
Centers: Sideshow Bob Varejao and his soulmate Birdman Anderson headline an awful group. Antonio McDyess and (not the cop-slapper) Zaza comprise the next tier. From there, it's strictly role players at best: Marcin Gortat, Eddy Curry and Rasho Nesterovic. Yikes!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
NHL free agency preview
By Rick Morris
NHL free agency begins at Noon EST on July 1 and a circus will ensue as per usual. Courtesy of HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009, here is our preview of what lies ahead.
Coming a year after a thin 2008 free agent crop, the 2009 group will be welcomed by GMs across the league who dream of drastically upgrading their rosters with one great summer. “Nossa”-yelling know-nothings aside, it is clear how much last summer’s marquee free agent Marian Hossa brought to the Detroit Red Wings for at least most of their impressive season. This year, he is joined by a much deeper class of unrestricted free agents examining the possibilities on the market. The jockeying should be very interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which the one involving a lower salary cap than many teams might have anticipated last year at this time. Here is how the different positions rate, from best to worst in terms of potential impact players:
Right Wing: This year, Hossa is one of more than a few great options for teams seeking scoring punch from the right wing. Since there is a good chance that he is staying in Detroit, the plethora of top-notch stars really benefits the rest of the league. How about these names: Marian Gaborik, Martin Havlat, Brian Gionta and Daniel Sedin? There’s also some some other decent options who could be envisioned to fill spots on a #2 line under certain circumstances: Nik Antropov, Alexei Kovalev, Petr Sykora and Bill Guerin. There’s also some decent depth players out there like Mikael Samuelsson and David Moss. No question, this position is the deepest and the best this summer.
Defense: Jay Bouwmeester is a rare bird, a high-upside youngster just coming into his own hitting the market at a prime point in his career. Scott Niedermayer is a legit Hall-of-Famer with some gas left in the tank, but he isn’t judged to be very likely to leave Anaheim. The pool of defensemen worthy of skating on a #1 or #2 combo doesn’t stop there: Jordan Leopold, Mike Komisarek, Mattias Ohlund and Rob Blake.
Center: This position and left wing are fairly interchangeable; while there are fewer impact players available here, they should deliver more punch. Henrik Sedin may well end up with his twin bro somewhere once again, and what a great opportunity that would be for a team with sufficient cap room. Mats Sundin proved last year that he was willing to leave Toronto for the right situation and if he decides to keep playing, there are many situations that might stack up nicely for him. Saku Koivu is hard to envision anywhere but Montreal — but as Sundin proved last summer, nothing is forever.
Left Wing: The two most coveted players at this position will be Mike Cammalleri and Erik Cole. Alex Tanguay, intriguing youngster Tomas Kopecky and the venerable Keith Tkachuk will also be judged to have some value.
Goalie: When the two best players available are ones that their own teams have figured that they can live without, that pretty much says it all. Nikolai Khabibulin and Manny Fernandez both still have some good play ahead of themselves, but they are going to benefit greatly from a market that will be insanely distorted in terms of supply and demand. The “Bulin Wall” looks likely to come up a huge financial winner in free agency just like he did last time.
NHL free agency begins at Noon EST on July 1 and a circus will ensue as per usual. Courtesy of HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009, here is our preview of what lies ahead.
Coming a year after a thin 2008 free agent crop, the 2009 group will be welcomed by GMs across the league who dream of drastically upgrading their rosters with one great summer. “Nossa”-yelling know-nothings aside, it is clear how much last summer’s marquee free agent Marian Hossa brought to the Detroit Red Wings for at least most of their impressive season. This year, he is joined by a much deeper class of unrestricted free agents examining the possibilities on the market. The jockeying should be very interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which the one involving a lower salary cap than many teams might have anticipated last year at this time. Here is how the different positions rate, from best to worst in terms of potential impact players:
Right Wing: This year, Hossa is one of more than a few great options for teams seeking scoring punch from the right wing. Since there is a good chance that he is staying in Detroit, the plethora of top-notch stars really benefits the rest of the league. How about these names: Marian Gaborik, Martin Havlat, Brian Gionta and Daniel Sedin? There’s also some some other decent options who could be envisioned to fill spots on a #2 line under certain circumstances: Nik Antropov, Alexei Kovalev, Petr Sykora and Bill Guerin. There’s also some decent depth players out there like Mikael Samuelsson and David Moss. No question, this position is the deepest and the best this summer.
Defense: Jay Bouwmeester is a rare bird, a high-upside youngster just coming into his own hitting the market at a prime point in his career. Scott Niedermayer is a legit Hall-of-Famer with some gas left in the tank, but he isn’t judged to be very likely to leave Anaheim. The pool of defensemen worthy of skating on a #1 or #2 combo doesn’t stop there: Jordan Leopold, Mike Komisarek, Mattias Ohlund and Rob Blake.
Center: This position and left wing are fairly interchangeable; while there are fewer impact players available here, they should deliver more punch. Henrik Sedin may well end up with his twin bro somewhere once again, and what a great opportunity that would be for a team with sufficient cap room. Mats Sundin proved last year that he was willing to leave Toronto for the right situation and if he decides to keep playing, there are many situations that might stack up nicely for him. Saku Koivu is hard to envision anywhere but Montreal — but as Sundin proved last summer, nothing is forever.
Left Wing: The two most coveted players at this position will be Mike Cammalleri and Erik Cole. Alex Tanguay, intriguing youngster Tomas Kopecky and the venerable Keith Tkachuk will also be judged to have some value.
Goalie: When the two best players available are ones that their own teams have figured that they can live without, that pretty much says it all. Nikolai Khabibulin and Manny Fernandez both still have some good play ahead of themselves, but they are going to benefit greatly from a market that will be insanely distorted in terms of supply and demand. The “Bulin Wall” looks likely to come up a huge financial winner in free agency just like he did last time.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue XXVI
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
RIP Ed McMahon/Farrah Fawcett/Michael Jackson
By Rick Morris
Assuming that no other celebrities pass from the scene in the next few days, we have rarely if ever seen a better example of the "deaths in threes" theory -- nor a more eclectic triad -- than what happened this week with Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. In one of the all-time examples of "jumping the gun," The FDH New York Bureau emailed me right after Farrah's demise proclaming the celebrity threesome to be Farrah, Ed and former pro wrestler and announcer Billy Red Lyons. If only that had held up for Jacko's sake!
Taking them in the order they passed away ...
Ed McMahon is best remembered for his time on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but he actually had lead and supporting roles in many prominent TV programs over the years. Speaking more directly to his worth as a person, however, were his roles in support of the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon and his long tenure in the military helping to defend this country (including World War II and the Korean War). In recent years, health and financial woes had been battering him at various times.
Here is an obituary video produced by the Associated Press.
Farrah Fawcett had a long career in Hollywood, but was fated to always be best known for her breakout performance on Charlie's Angels back in '76-77 when she was THE female on everyone's lips. In my early, early youth, I remember a relative who almost never owned any trendy T-shirts who wore a Farrah Fawcett T-shirt. It was as if there was no free will involved in the process; everyone just bought in because they were so much into the image she created.
Tiring almost immediately of that image, though, she set out to try to escape it. She would have mixed success in this regard, as she came to be regarded as an underrated actress, although she clearly aspired to more than that. Late in life, however, she found what might have been her most important role as an advocate for patients' rights when she was victimized by jerks at the UCLA Medical Center who leaked her health information to the National Enquirer. The State of California passed a law protecting the rights of others in the same situation when she personally spearheaded the movement. She fought through her bouts with cancer very bravely and was an example of courage to others in that regard.
For a look at Farrah at the height of her fame, here is a TV feature with Telly Savalas in 1978 narrating about the phenomenon.
Michael Jackson may have been the most famous man in the world. Comparisons were often made creatively to Elvis (not least of which because he at one point married Elvis' daughter!) and now, sadly, will be made in terms of how their personal sagas ended.
Because the "backlash culture" has become a staple of the Internet, it has already become fashionable to decry the vast coverage of his death because of his personal misdeeds. Indeed, radio host Mike Gallagher was in full shock-jock mode on Friday calling him a monster and a child molester. In so doing, he unknowingly revealed his ignorance of the Christian truths he was claiming to defend, as the notion that MJ may have passed without "settling his spiritual tab" would only be a subject of sadness and sympathy to any true Christian. It is worth noting as well -- not as a means of defending anything he may have done with any of the boys who stayed with him, because any of those deeds surely would be the most vile ones possible -- that he was severely scarred by what could only be termed severe abusiveness by his father when he was young. As studies have shown, child abuse breeds further child abuse as the cycle repeats itself with the victim becoming the perpetrator -- a notion worth remembering in terms of trying to reconcile our feelings about this man even slightly.
And as much of a cliche as it is, it really is true that we have to separate the man from the music when sorting out our feelings on his passing. He really was a genius, creating some of the most durable melodies in history and in some ways helping to create the bridge of black culture to the rest of society -- first with the Jackson 5 in the early '70s and later with the monster crossover success of Thriller that is credited with singlehandedly integrating MTV in its early days. So it's possible to feel sadness over this event without feeling a pathetic kinship to someone we never personally knew; it's possible to feel some loss because his music is inevitably intertwined with so many memories in our lives. Personally, I liked his music better before he moved away from more organic-sounding instrumental backing in the late '80s, but everyone has their preferences.
Here are my five favorite tunes from him over the years: Wanna Be Starting Something, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, ABC (Jackson 5) and the criminally underrated PYT and Torture (Jacksons).
Hopefully as time goes by, it will be easier to remember the man for what he achieved creatively rather than the circus his life had become over the past two decades.
The one common thread between Ed, Farrah and Michael was undoubtedly that they were American originals. We're not going to see anybody exactly like them anytime ever again! RIP to three legends with a capital "L."
Assuming that no other celebrities pass from the scene in the next few days, we have rarely if ever seen a better example of the "deaths in threes" theory -- nor a more eclectic triad -- than what happened this week with Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. In one of the all-time examples of "jumping the gun," The FDH New York Bureau emailed me right after Farrah's demise proclaming the celebrity threesome to be Farrah, Ed and former pro wrestler and announcer Billy Red Lyons. If only that had held up for Jacko's sake!
Taking them in the order they passed away ...
Ed McMahon is best remembered for his time on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but he actually had lead and supporting roles in many prominent TV programs over the years. Speaking more directly to his worth as a person, however, were his roles in support of the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon and his long tenure in the military helping to defend this country (including World War II and the Korean War). In recent years, health and financial woes had been battering him at various times.
Here is an obituary video produced by the Associated Press.
Farrah Fawcett had a long career in Hollywood, but was fated to always be best known for her breakout performance on Charlie's Angels back in '76-77 when she was THE female on everyone's lips. In my early, early youth, I remember a relative who almost never owned any trendy T-shirts who wore a Farrah Fawcett T-shirt. It was as if there was no free will involved in the process; everyone just bought in because they were so much into the image she created.
Tiring almost immediately of that image, though, she set out to try to escape it. She would have mixed success in this regard, as she came to be regarded as an underrated actress, although she clearly aspired to more than that. Late in life, however, she found what might have been her most important role as an advocate for patients' rights when she was victimized by jerks at the UCLA Medical Center who leaked her health information to the National Enquirer. The State of California passed a law protecting the rights of others in the same situation when she personally spearheaded the movement. She fought through her bouts with cancer very bravely and was an example of courage to others in that regard.
For a look at Farrah at the height of her fame, here is a TV feature with Telly Savalas in 1978 narrating about the phenomenon.
Michael Jackson may have been the most famous man in the world. Comparisons were often made creatively to Elvis (not least of which because he at one point married Elvis' daughter!) and now, sadly, will be made in terms of how their personal sagas ended.
Because the "backlash culture" has become a staple of the Internet, it has already become fashionable to decry the vast coverage of his death because of his personal misdeeds. Indeed, radio host Mike Gallagher was in full shock-jock mode on Friday calling him a monster and a child molester. In so doing, he unknowingly revealed his ignorance of the Christian truths he was claiming to defend, as the notion that MJ may have passed without "settling his spiritual tab" would only be a subject of sadness and sympathy to any true Christian. It is worth noting as well -- not as a means of defending anything he may have done with any of the boys who stayed with him, because any of those deeds surely would be the most vile ones possible -- that he was severely scarred by what could only be termed severe abusiveness by his father when he was young. As studies have shown, child abuse breeds further child abuse as the cycle repeats itself with the victim becoming the perpetrator -- a notion worth remembering in terms of trying to reconcile our feelings about this man even slightly.
And as much of a cliche as it is, it really is true that we have to separate the man from the music when sorting out our feelings on his passing. He really was a genius, creating some of the most durable melodies in history and in some ways helping to create the bridge of black culture to the rest of society -- first with the Jackson 5 in the early '70s and later with the monster crossover success of Thriller that is credited with singlehandedly integrating MTV in its early days. So it's possible to feel sadness over this event without feeling a pathetic kinship to someone we never personally knew; it's possible to feel some loss because his music is inevitably intertwined with so many memories in our lives. Personally, I liked his music better before he moved away from more organic-sounding instrumental backing in the late '80s, but everyone has their preferences.
Here are my five favorite tunes from him over the years: Wanna Be Starting Something, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, ABC (Jackson 5) and the criminally underrated PYT and Torture (Jacksons).
Hopefully as time goes by, it will be easier to remember the man for what he achieved creatively rather than the circus his life had become over the past two decades.
The one common thread between Ed, Farrah and Michael was undoubtedly that they were American originals. We're not going to see anybody exactly like them anytime ever again! RIP to three legends with a capital "L."
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Blockbuster
By Samantha Jones
Wednesday evening, I was FINALLY able to see the new Transformers sequel. It had been out for almost a whole 24 hours and I hadn’t seen it yet.
Disturbing, I know.
After the complete gloriousness of the first Transformers movie, I was chomping at the bit to see the next one. I watched every trailer posted, read every article I could get my hands on, and scoured websites for spoilers. I had to know if it was going to live up to the first one.
I was not disappointed.
First, let’s have a talk about Shia LeBeouf. I remember watching this kid on “Even Stevens” where he was the annoying little brother. Oh, how far you have come, Shia. He’s gone from the Disney Channel, to being one of the hottest things in Hollywood. Every time I mention Transformers (and it comes up a lot) to any woman I know, the first words out of their mouth are, “Oh my God, Shia is soooo hot!” While I do agree that the man is cute as hell, the fact that he’s a fantastic actor overshadows the importance of looks. He’s got great comedic timing and, from what I’ve heard, does as many of his own stunts as possible. The way his career is building, I believe that he’s the next Harrison Ford. He’s done the Jack Ryan style movies (Eagle Eye), my generation’s version of Star Wars (Transformers – all we need is one more to make a tremendous trilogy!), and Indiana Jones. Just you wait. He’s the next Indiana Jones, I promise.
Next, CG. Now, I have to admit, I had a headache by the end of this movie. The CG is flawless, unlike a certain X-Men movie that came out earlier this year, but in some of the battles, there are so many intricate moving parts on the robots that it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on. I was sitting at the back of the theatre where it’s usually easier to see it all, but it still caused some eye strain. This is definitely one of those movies that you’ll want to see at least twice, just to catch everything. There is so much action and so many jaw-dropping moments, it’ll make your head spin.
The old cast comes back (minus John Voight, Rachael Taylor, and Anthony Anderson), and you get to see a bit more of each character. Sam Witwicky’s parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) play a bigger role. Julie White’s performance at the beginning is something that I order you not to miss. John Turturro makes a hilarious appearance. Talk about range with this guy. He’s funny as hell but when he needs to be serious – look out. Josh Duhamel (or Dahumamumamel as my husband calls him) returns as Captain Lennox is great for some “Hell yeah! Go good guys!” style fist pumping.
There are a few things that I didn’t like about the movie. There is a scene with the Decepticon Devistator that I find completely uncalled for. I don’t want to give anything away, because it does warrant a cheap laugh. Next, there are two characters, Mudflap and Skids. They do make for some great comic relief. But, if you were expecting to take the kiddies to see this one, you may want to see it first to determine if you want them to hear some of the language these twins use. I thought it was unnecessary that they talk this way.
Lastly, my favorite part – the music. My favorite boys in the music biz, Linkin Park, put together the soundtrack, which could not have made me happier. They made their offering with one of my new favorite songs “New Divide” which is heavily featured throughout the movie in an orchestral form. The soundtrack features other bands such as Green Day, Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Cavo (you MUST check these guys out), and Cheap Trick with a cover of the Transformers theme. The music really amps up the boundless amounts of action. You go buy now!
So, in summation...Go see Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, but leave the brood at home. It’s a great for a date or to see with a bunch of your buddies. This Transformers is all grown up.
Wednesday evening, I was FINALLY able to see the new Transformers sequel. It had been out for almost a whole 24 hours and I hadn’t seen it yet.
Disturbing, I know.
After the complete gloriousness of the first Transformers movie, I was chomping at the bit to see the next one. I watched every trailer posted, read every article I could get my hands on, and scoured websites for spoilers. I had to know if it was going to live up to the first one.
I was not disappointed.
First, let’s have a talk about Shia LeBeouf. I remember watching this kid on “Even Stevens” where he was the annoying little brother. Oh, how far you have come, Shia. He’s gone from the Disney Channel, to being one of the hottest things in Hollywood. Every time I mention Transformers (and it comes up a lot) to any woman I know, the first words out of their mouth are, “Oh my God, Shia is soooo hot!” While I do agree that the man is cute as hell, the fact that he’s a fantastic actor overshadows the importance of looks. He’s got great comedic timing and, from what I’ve heard, does as many of his own stunts as possible. The way his career is building, I believe that he’s the next Harrison Ford. He’s done the Jack Ryan style movies (Eagle Eye), my generation’s version of Star Wars (Transformers – all we need is one more to make a tremendous trilogy!), and Indiana Jones. Just you wait. He’s the next Indiana Jones, I promise.
Next, CG. Now, I have to admit, I had a headache by the end of this movie. The CG is flawless, unlike a certain X-Men movie that came out earlier this year, but in some of the battles, there are so many intricate moving parts on the robots that it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on. I was sitting at the back of the theatre where it’s usually easier to see it all, but it still caused some eye strain. This is definitely one of those movies that you’ll want to see at least twice, just to catch everything. There is so much action and so many jaw-dropping moments, it’ll make your head spin.
The old cast comes back (minus John Voight, Rachael Taylor, and Anthony Anderson), and you get to see a bit more of each character. Sam Witwicky’s parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) play a bigger role. Julie White’s performance at the beginning is something that I order you not to miss. John Turturro makes a hilarious appearance. Talk about range with this guy. He’s funny as hell but when he needs to be serious – look out. Josh Duhamel (or Dahumamumamel as my husband calls him) returns as Captain Lennox is great for some “Hell yeah! Go good guys!” style fist pumping.
There are a few things that I didn’t like about the movie. There is a scene with the Decepticon Devistator that I find completely uncalled for. I don’t want to give anything away, because it does warrant a cheap laugh. Next, there are two characters, Mudflap and Skids. They do make for some great comic relief. But, if you were expecting to take the kiddies to see this one, you may want to see it first to determine if you want them to hear some of the language these twins use. I thought it was unnecessary that they talk this way.
Lastly, my favorite part – the music. My favorite boys in the music biz, Linkin Park, put together the soundtrack, which could not have made me happier. They made their offering with one of my new favorite songs “New Divide” which is heavily featured throughout the movie in an orchestral form. The soundtrack features other bands such as Green Day, Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Cavo (you MUST check these guys out), and Cheap Trick with a cover of the Transformers theme. The music really amps up the boundless amounts of action. You go buy now!
So, in summation...Go see Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, but leave the brood at home. It’s a great for a date or to see with a bunch of your buddies. This Transformers is all grown up.
Friday, June 26, 2009
NHL Entry Draft: videos of top prospects
By Rick Morris
One of our fellow members of The 21st Century Media Alliance, Sportsology, is delivering live NHL Entry Draft coverage this weekend from the scene in Montreal -- text AND audio content, analysis AND interviews! Check it out whenever you can and be sure to be clutching a copy of our jointly-produced HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 when you do! Also, here's the TSN Draft Tracker.
Here are videos of the top stars in tonight's draft:
Matt Duchene
Victor Hedman
Nazim Kadri
Evander Kane
Magnus PaajarviSvensson
Brayden Schenn
Jordan Schroeder
John Tavares
One of our fellow members of The 21st Century Media Alliance, Sportsology, is delivering live NHL Entry Draft coverage this weekend from the scene in Montreal -- text AND audio content, analysis AND interviews! Check it out whenever you can and be sure to be clutching a copy of our jointly-produced HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 when you do! Also, here's the TSN Draft Tracker.
Here are videos of the top stars in tonight's draft:
Matt Duchene
Victor Hedman
Nazim Kadri
Evander Kane
Magnus PaajarviSvensson
Brayden Schenn
Jordan Schroeder
John Tavares
Thursday, June 25, 2009
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XXI - NY/LA deal?
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The LA Lakers are rumored to be moving this pick to the Knicks, but they just picked up combo guard Toney Douglas. He would be a better fit in La La Land given the New York backcourt situation.
Leave it to Danny Ferry after the triumph of the Shaq trade to step on his johnson with a first-round pick like he always does. Christian Eyenga comes over from the third division of a Spanish league and doesn't have the size upgrade needed at SG for the Cavs. Our Senior Editor Jason Jones is similarly upset. Quoting his text message to me just now, "F$%& that Spurs mentality bull$@#$!"
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The LA Lakers are rumored to be moving this pick to the Knicks, but they just picked up combo guard Toney Douglas. He would be a better fit in La La Land given the New York backcourt situation.
Leave it to Danny Ferry after the triumph of the Shaq trade to step on his johnson with a first-round pick like he always does. Christian Eyenga comes over from the third division of a Spanish league and doesn't have the size upgrade needed at SG for the Cavs. Our Senior Editor Jason Jones is similarly upset. Quoting his text message to me just now, "F$%& that Spurs mentality bull$@#$!"
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XX - Bulls take another 4
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Another power forward for the Bulls? Well, they'll have plenty of internal competition now that Taj Gibson is in the mix. We said it before the draft and it bears repeating: while this draft is thin in megastars, there are plenty of guys who will go mid-to-late first round and maybe even in the second round who will be useful rotation players. Gibson should be one of them.
DeMarre Carroll then goes #27 to Memphis, thus delivering some more needed size up front. Neither he nor Tha Beet has a ton of offensive skills, but they can be useful rotation parts. Unfortunately for soccer boy, though, you might want a TWINGE of offense with the second pick overall!
Now at #28, Wayne Ellington goes to Minnesota. Not another point guard? Well, I guess he's going to play center!
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Another power forward for the Bulls? Well, they'll have plenty of internal competition now that Taj Gibson is in the mix. We said it before the draft and it bears repeating: while this draft is thin in megastars, there are plenty of guys who will go mid-to-late first round and maybe even in the second round who will be useful rotation players. Gibson should be one of them.
DeMarre Carroll then goes #27 to Memphis, thus delivering some more needed size up front. Neither he nor Tha Beet has a ton of offensive skills, but they can be useful rotation parts. Unfortunately for soccer boy, though, you might want a TWINGE of offense with the second pick overall!
Now at #28, Wayne Ellington goes to Minnesota. Not another point guard? Well, I guess he's going to play center!
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XIX - Mullens lands in Big D
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Boy, we expected BJ Mullens to fall when he missed going to Detroit at #15, but this was pretty severe for somebody who still potentially has a really nice ceiling - #24 to Dallas. Good team and good situation -- a team with a gaping hole in the pivot since forever -- and it has the makings of a nice "Twin Towers" situation if he can realize any of his potential before Dirk Diggler gets much older. That might be a big "if," though. Ultimately, the Mavs were unlikely to end up with a player with this much room for growth this late in the draft, so much like Philly, they ended up with a good value.
The Thunder with a curveball at #25! Rodrigue Beaubois ends up in Oklahoma City, which should not be a big surprise since GM Sam Presti comes out of the San Antonio tree that prizes the international players. Once he's in the mix, existing PG Westbrook will probably be more of a combo guard, I would suppose.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Boy, we expected BJ Mullens to fall when he missed going to Detroit at #15, but this was pretty severe for somebody who still potentially has a really nice ceiling - #24 to Dallas. Good team and good situation -- a team with a gaping hole in the pivot since forever -- and it has the makings of a nice "Twin Towers" situation if he can realize any of his potential before Dirk Diggler gets much older. That might be a big "if," though. Ultimately, the Mavs were unlikely to end up with a player with this much room for growth this late in the draft, so much like Philly, they ended up with a good value.
The Thunder with a curveball at #25! Rodrigue Beaubois ends up in Oklahoma City, which should not be a big surprise since GM Sam Presti comes out of the San Antonio tree that prizes the international players. Once he's in the mix, existing PG Westbrook will probably be more of a combo guard, I would suppose.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XVIII - Viva Omri!
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Omri Casspi is headed for Sacramento. Well, it's clear that the Kings won't be playing under sharia law this season! With his similarities to Andres Nocioni, it's a curious pick -- although team practices sure will be interesting.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Omri Casspi is headed for Sacramento. Well, it's clear that the Kings won't be playing under sharia law this season! With his similarities to Andres Nocioni, it's a curious pick -- although team practices sure will be interesting.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XVII -
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
What do you get the young team that's got everything? A Euro who won't be contributing at all for quite awhile ... ooohkay. Victor Claver will not be in the picture for awhile. Well, if any team can afford to do that, it would be Portland.
Shaq is now being interviewed on ESPN and started by paying respects to Michael Jackson. I half-expected Lisa Salters to bust out with, "What? The King of Pop is dead? Why didn't anyone tell us?" Shaq struck a fairly humble tone about fitting in with the Cavs, even holding out the potential of coming off the bench. Well, fat chance of them calling his bluff on that willingness!
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
What do you get the young team that's got everything? A Euro who won't be contributing at all for quite awhile ... ooohkay. Victor Claver will not be in the picture for awhile. Well, if any team can afford to do that, it would be Portland.
Shaq is now being interviewed on ESPN and started by paying respects to Michael Jackson. I half-expected Lisa Salters to bust out with, "What? The King of Pop is dead? Why didn't anyone tell us?" Shaq struck a fairly humble tone about fitting in with the Cavs, even holding out the potential of coming off the bench. Well, fat chance of them calling his bluff on that willingness!
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XVI -
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Boy, ESPN's still just refusing to go anywhere near the elephant in the room, the passing of Michael Jackson. How far are they going to take this? If a player gives a shout-out to MJ in one of their insipid little interviews, are they going to cut his mic? Of course it's not sports-related, but in this media culture, some stories are just absolutely bigger than life. We'll be talking about this for years to come and ESPN is pretending it didn't happen in a vain attempt to keep it from overshadowing this horrible draft. Unbelievable.
Back to the draft -- the run on point guards implausibly kept going with the Hornets' selection of Darren Collison. Memo to the Hornets: you're not so loaded that you can afford to use this pick on Chris Paul's backup. They're clearly not any closer to rejoining the tier of super-teams in the West.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Boy, ESPN's still just refusing to go anywhere near the elephant in the room, the passing of Michael Jackson. How far are they going to take this? If a player gives a shout-out to MJ in one of their insipid little interviews, are they going to cut his mic? Of course it's not sports-related, but in this media culture, some stories are just absolutely bigger than life. We'll be talking about this for years to come and ESPN is pretending it didn't happen in a vain attempt to keep it from overshadowing this horrible draft. Unbelievable.
Back to the draft -- the run on point guards implausibly kept going with the Hornets' selection of Darren Collison. Memo to the Hornets: you're not so loaded that you can afford to use this pick on Chris Paul's backup. They're clearly not any closer to rejoining the tier of super-teams in the West.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XV - Minnesota is just crazy
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
How many freaking point guards is Minnesota going to take. Ty Lawson is good enough to go at #18, but who's going to play center on that team? Rubio?
Then Atlanta takes Jeff Teague #19 to play a true point guard on that athletic team. I got that one right in my last mock draft, but only after a tip from Senior Editor Jason Jones.
And the point guards keep going! Eric Maynor goes to Utah. Deron Williams, white courtesy phone! Deron Williams, white courtesy phone!
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
How many freaking point guards is Minnesota going to take. Ty Lawson is good enough to go at #18, but who's going to play center on that team? Rubio?
Then Atlanta takes Jeff Teague #19 to play a true point guard on that athletic team. I got that one right in my last mock draft, but only after a tip from Senior Editor Jason Jones.
And the point guards keep going! Eric Maynor goes to Utah. Deron Williams, white courtesy phone! Deron Williams, white courtesy phone!
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XIV - Philly Jrue a winner
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Sixers just made one of the best picks in the draft thus far. As a team with some near-superstars (Andre I, Elton) but no real megastars, they're up against it in terms of trying to compete with the conference's top teams ... and now somebody with this kind of upside drops into their laps. It's the wrong sport to say it about, but it's a home run pick.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Sixers just made one of the best picks in the draft thus far. As a team with some near-superstars (Andre I, Elton) but no real megastars, they're up against it in terms of trying to compete with the conference's top teams ... and now somebody with this kind of upside drops into their laps. It's the wrong sport to say it about, but it's a home run pick.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XIII - JJ to ChiTown
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Bulls pick up some nice value at #16 with Wake Forest small forward James Johnson, and in so doing, they give themselves some nice depth at the wing positions.
Steve Kerr just said that Phoenix is "in transition." Nice euphamism. Yeah, Mark Sanford's career and Iranian democracy are also "in transition."
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Bulls pick up some nice value at #16 with Wake Forest small forward James Johnson, and in so doing, they give themselves some nice depth at the wing positions.
Steve Kerr just said that Phoenix is "in transition." Nice euphamism. Yeah, Mark Sanford's career and Iranian democracy are also "in transition."
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XII - Beautiful Daye in Detroit
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Pistons could clearly have gone in a number of directions, but versatile forward Austin Daye is the pick at #15. He's got to fill out and keep developing, but he might be ready to be a piece of the puzzle when/if the team is ready to be relevant again.
One wonders how far center BJ Mullens might tumble now. Also, our Senior Editor Jason Jones is more than a little surprised that UCLA PG Jrue Holliday is still on the board. For that matter, so am I.
Somebody give Dick Vitale a saliva test; he said that Curry will be Rookie of the Year. Amazingly, though, he didn't rip Rubio for the crime of being born in another country!
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Pistons could clearly have gone in a number of directions, but versatile forward Austin Daye is the pick at #15. He's got to fill out and keep developing, but he might be ready to be a piece of the puzzle when/if the team is ready to be relevant again.
One wonders how far center BJ Mullens might tumble now. Also, our Senior Editor Jason Jones is more than a little surprised that UCLA PG Jrue Holliday is still on the board. For that matter, so am I.
Somebody give Dick Vitale a saliva test; he said that Curry will be Rookie of the Year. Amazingly, though, he didn't rip Rubio for the crime of being born in another country!
NBA Draft liveblogging Part XI - Pacer reach
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
"Psycho T" goes in the lottery to Indiana! Talk about marking out purely for college production. I know that this is a subpar draft, but don't you have to at least pretend to draft for upside in the lottery? Seems a bit early to go for the "he is what he is" pick.
And just when I wrote off Golden State as joining the cast of the deliberate losers by trading away Jamal Crawford for spare parts, up pops Ric Bucher on my TV screen to say that they're on the verge of trading for Amare. While the Suns would be going further in that pathetic direction with such a trade, the Warriors would end up redeeming themselves -- and then some.
The final lottery pick of the night goes to the aforementioned loser Suns. Earl Clark of Louisville becomes the second of Rick Pitino's Tigers to be picked thus far. Does he have the upside you'd want for a team that will be building around so many young players? Possibly, but he's going to have to continue to grow what is already a fairly versatile game.
For whatever reason, David Stern just introduced Brandon Jennings on stage even though he was picked back at #10. You're late, kid!
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
"Psycho T" goes in the lottery to Indiana! Talk about marking out purely for college production. I know that this is a subpar draft, but don't you have to at least pretend to draft for upside in the lottery? Seems a bit early to go for the "he is what he is" pick.
And just when I wrote off Golden State as joining the cast of the deliberate losers by trading away Jamal Crawford for spare parts, up pops Ric Bucher on my TV screen to say that they're on the verge of trading for Amare. While the Suns would be going further in that pathetic direction with such a trade, the Warriors would end up redeeming themselves -- and then some.
The final lottery pick of the night goes to the aforementioned loser Suns. Earl Clark of Louisville becomes the second of Rick Pitino's Tigers to be picked thus far. Does he have the upside you'd want for a team that will be building around so many young players? Possibly, but he's going to have to continue to grow what is already a fairly versatile game.
For whatever reason, David Stern just introduced Brandon Jennings on stage even though he was picked back at #10. You're late, kid!
NBA Draft liveblogging Part X - hometown Bobcat pick
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Bobcats have had a weird shuffling over the past few years at their wing positions -- you're going to have that when Larry Brown is your coach. So now they've just added one more body to the mix, Gerald Henderson from nearby Duke. That's now 5 of of 12 I've picked right. Not. Too. Shabby!
As tough as Larry Brown can be on some young guys, he's got to respect Gerald's bloodlines, so that should help him deal with life on this very odd team.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The Bobcats have had a weird shuffling over the past few years at their wing positions -- you're going to have that when Larry Brown is your coach. So now they've just added one more body to the mix, Gerald Henderson from nearby Duke. That's now 5 of of 12 I've picked right. Not. Too. Shabby!
As tough as Larry Brown can be on some young guys, he's got to respect Gerald's bloodlines, so that should help him deal with life on this very odd team.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part IX - Nets make a REACH!
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The New Jersey Nets, who are firmly be planting their flag in the pile of "teams who just don't care" with the Vince Carter deal (joining other recent members Milwaukee and Golden State), have now made the biggest reach to date in the first round by taking senior shooting guard Terrence Williams with the 11th pick. Trading down to get value for a player? What's that???
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
The New Jersey Nets, who are firmly be planting their flag in the pile of "teams who just don't care" with the Vince Carter deal (joining other recent members Milwaukee and Golden State), have now made the biggest reach to date in the first round by taking senior shooting guard Terrence Williams with the 11th pick. Trading down to get value for a player? What's that???
NBA Draft liveblogging Part VIII - Jennings goes #10
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Raw Brandon Jennings returns from a year in Europe to go a team that usually bungles its draft picks, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dear Romey,
One's career could never be sidetracked by a year in Europe.
Sincerely,
Danny Ferry
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Raw Brandon Jennings returns from a year in Europe to go a team that usually bungles its draft picks, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dear Romey,
One's career could never be sidetracked by a year in Europe.
Sincerely,
Danny Ferry
NBA Draft liveblogging Part VII - Knick fans will cheer Jordan!
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Jordan Hill takes a stroll down Broadway with the 8th pick in the draft. Cue the MSG press release, "We wish David Lee well in his future endeavors." Knick fans are booing because they're still drinking the Curry-flavored Kool-Aid.
I don't care what anybody says, this broadcast team is just not the same without Steven A. Smith and his cheesy doodles on the set. Rachel Nichols manages to go through an entire interview with Donnie Walsh without asking any insipid Lebron questions. ESPN's gonna horsewhip her for that.
It was funny to see Jeff Van Gundy crack on stupid Knick fans for booing.
The Raptors then pick up a nice value with Demar DeRozan at #9. He's got a nice upside, but Toronto has been the graveyard for potential in the past.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Jordan Hill takes a stroll down Broadway with the 8th pick in the draft. Cue the MSG press release, "We wish David Lee well in his future endeavors." Knick fans are booing because they're still drinking the Curry-flavored Kool-Aid.
I don't care what anybody says, this broadcast team is just not the same without Steven A. Smith and his cheesy doodles on the set. Rachel Nichols manages to go through an entire interview with Donnie Walsh without asking any insipid Lebron questions. ESPN's gonna horsewhip her for that.
It was funny to see Jeff Van Gundy crack on stupid Knick fans for booing.
The Raptors then pick up a nice value with Demar DeRozan at #9. He's got a nice upside, but Toronto has been the graveyard for potential in the past.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part VI
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Stephen Curry goes #7 to Golden State. The only thing funnier than seeing somebody without a real position get overvalued is seeing all the crying Knick fans in the audience. These delusional peons thought that taking "somebody Lebron likes" would help them get some traction with LBJ next summer. If you actually believed that, I guess that's what you get for being that stupid.
Having said that, I liked Curry's dad Dell back in the day with my Cleveland Cavs, so I wish the kid well -- notwithstanding the fact that he's wearing an ugly lavender tie to match David Stern.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Stephen Curry goes #7 to Golden State. The only thing funnier than seeing somebody without a real position get overvalued is seeing all the crying Knick fans in the audience. These delusional peons thought that taking "somebody Lebron likes" would help them get some traction with LBJ next summer. If you actually believed that, I guess that's what you get for being that stupid.
Having said that, I liked Curry's dad Dell back in the day with my Cleveland Cavs, so I wish the kid well -- notwithstanding the fact that he's wearing an ugly lavender tie to match David Stern.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part V - Roooo-bio!
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Ricky Rubio as expected falls no further than #5 to the TWolves. Cue Dick Vitale xenophobic rant in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
Fran Fraschilla loves the pick, which makes sense because he's smart ... Ohio University connections and all.
It's amazing in a way; he was born in Barcelona, which is where the Dream Team dominated in 1992. We heard back then about the international ripples that would come in subsequent years from that global exposure to the game's best; little did we realize that a potential future superstar would be coming from the very same metropolitan area as those Olympic games.
And now Jonny Flynn goes to Minnesota with the sixth pick. Whaaaaaaat??? Two point guards back to back? No doubt they will feed us some garbage about how they can play together, but this is hellaweak. Typical Timberwolves.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Ricky Rubio as expected falls no further than #5 to the TWolves. Cue Dick Vitale xenophobic rant in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
Fran Fraschilla loves the pick, which makes sense because he's smart ... Ohio University connections and all.
It's amazing in a way; he was born in Barcelona, which is where the Dream Team dominated in 1992. We heard back then about the international ripples that would come in subsequent years from that global exposure to the game's best; little did we realize that a potential future superstar would be coming from the very same metropolitan area as those Olympic games.
And now Jonny Flynn goes to Minnesota with the sixth pick. Whaaaaaaat??? Two point guards back to back? No doubt they will feed us some garbage about how they can play together, but this is hellaweak. Typical Timberwolves.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part IV - big curveball
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Wow, combo guard Tyreke Evans #4 to Sacramento over Ricky Rubio; that was a surprise. Good thing he's got some experience at the point, because he won't be forcing the team's legit star to the bench anytime soon.
Rubio still available at #5 ... wow, again. He won't slide past either of the two Minnesota picks up next.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
Wow, combo guard Tyreke Evans #4 to Sacramento over Ricky Rubio; that was a surprise. Good thing he's got some experience at the point, because he won't be forcing the team's legit star to the bench anytime soon.
Rubio still available at #5 ... wow, again. He won't slide past either of the two Minnesota picks up next.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part III - Grizz have Tha Beet
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
And the award for most offensively limited #2 overall pick ever goes to -- the Memphis Grizzlies! (We Got) Tha Beet just pointed out that he has a soccer background and that's a game where you can't use your hands. Well, he carried that mentality over to hoops!
The third pick was actually a pretty darn good one with James Harden going to OK City to fill a need at #2 guard. Our Senior Editor Jason Jones has talked to some folks who find him overrated, but even a poor man's Brandon Roy level would be good for what's left in this draft.
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft. We'll also throw in a link to the CBS Draft Tracker.
And the award for most offensively limited #2 overall pick ever goes to -- the Memphis Grizzlies! (We Got) Tha Beet just pointed out that he has a soccer background and that's a game where you can't use your hands. Well, he carried that mentality over to hoops!
The third pick was actually a pretty darn good one with James Harden going to OK City to fill a need at #2 guard. Our Senior Editor Jason Jones has talked to some folks who find him overrated, but even a poor man's Brandon Roy level would be good for what's left in this draft.
NBA Draft liveblogging Part II - Blake Griffin is #1
By Rick Morris
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft.
Blake Griffin just goes #1 to the "other LA team," so if by chance there are any Clipper fans in the sea of ghouls outside of the UCLA Medical Center tonight, they can at least take solace in that, I guess.
BTW, it's on another channel, so it's off-topic, but why is that jerk Keith Olbermann wearing a vest with his shirt and tie, trying to look all "solemn news guy" for the occasion of Michael Jackson's death? What's that all about? I actually had a a friend suggest I switch to "MJ liveblogging" tonight, but I rejected that out of hand.
Griffin's parents were just interviewed by ESPN. Had that been me holding the mic, I'd have asked them how it feels to have another son whose basketball ceiling is "mooching member of Blake's entourage."
As always tonight, we will lead off an update with a link to HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, our draft guide and the videos we posted of the top players in this draft.
Blake Griffin just goes #1 to the "other LA team," so if by chance there are any Clipper fans in the sea of ghouls outside of the UCLA Medical Center tonight, they can at least take solace in that, I guess.
BTW, it's on another channel, so it's off-topic, but why is that jerk Keith Olbermann wearing a vest with his shirt and tie, trying to look all "solemn news guy" for the occasion of Michael Jackson's death? What's that all about? I actually had a a friend suggest I switch to "MJ liveblogging" tonight, but I rejected that out of hand.
Griffin's parents were just interviewed by ESPN. Had that been me holding the mic, I'd have asked them how it feels to have another son whose basketball ceiling is "mooching member of Blake's entourage."
NBA Draft liveblogging Part I - ESPN in denial
By Rick Morris
With the biggest news story of 2009, the passing of Michael Jackson, having hit the wires in the last hour or two, ESPN is figuratively putting their fingers in their ears and doing the "NEENER NEENER NEENER WE CAN'T HEAR YOU" thing. What a bubble they are in. This draft is already arguably the worst of the modern era and now it is completely overshadowed and they're acting like Iran state media with the whole "nothing to see here" attitude towards anything non-sports on this evening. That's really weak.
David Stern kicks off the proceedings with an ugly lavender tie. He managed to say that the Clippers are on the clock without visibly choking about Blake Griffin going there being a horrible waste for the league, so good for him.
With the biggest news story of 2009, the passing of Michael Jackson, having hit the wires in the last hour or two, ESPN is figuratively putting their fingers in their ears and doing the "NEENER NEENER NEENER WE CAN'T HEAR YOU" thing. What a bubble they are in. This draft is already arguably the worst of the modern era and now it is completely overshadowed and they're acting like Iran state media with the whole "nothing to see here" attitude towards anything non-sports on this evening. That's really weak.
David Stern kicks off the proceedings with an ugly lavender tie. He managed to say that the Clippers are on the clock without visibly choking about Blake Griffin going there being a horrible waste for the league, so good for him.
NBA Draft mock draft - Version 2.0
By Rick Morris
Version 1.0 of my mock draft is in our HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 guide, along with that of our Senior Editor Jason Jones. Here is Version 2.0.
Team
Player
Position
Origin
1
LAC
Blake Griffin
PF
Oklahoma
2
MEM
Hasheem Thabeet
C
UConn
3
OKC
James Harden
SG
Arizona St
4
SAC
Ricky Rubio
PG
Spain
5
MIN
Tyreke Evans
SG
Memphis
6
MIN
Jrue Holliday
PG
UCLA
7
GS
Jordan Hill
PF
Arizona
8
NYK
Stephen Curry
PG
Davidson
9
TOR
DeMar DeRozan
SG
USC
10
MIL
Jonny Flynn
PG
Syracuse
11
NJN
James Johnson
SF
Wake Forest
12
CHA
Gerald Henderson
SG
Duke
13
IND
Brandon Jennings
PG
Euroball
14
PHO
Austin Daye
SF
Gonzaga
15
DET
B.J. Mullens
C
Ohio St
16
CHI
Earl Clark
SF
Louisville
17
PHI
Tyler Hansbrough
PF
UNC
18
MIN
DeJuan Blair
PF
Pittsburgh
19
ATL
Jeff Teague
PG
Wake Forest
20
UTA
Terrence Williams
SG
Louisville
21
NO
Marcus Thornton
SG
LSU
22
POR
Sam Young
SF
Pittsburgh
23
SAC
DaJuan Summers
SF
Georgetown
24
DAL
Ty Lawson
PG
UNC
25
OKC
Chase Budinger
SG
Arizona
26
CHI
Wayne Ellington
SG
UNC
27
MEM
Taj Gibson
PF
USC
28
MIN
Toney Douglas
SG
Florida St
29
LAL
Omri Casspi
SF
Israel
30
CLE
Dionte Christmas
SG
Temple
Version 1.0 of my mock draft is in our HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 guide, along with that of our Senior Editor Jason Jones. Here is Version 2.0.
Team
Player
Position
Origin
1
LAC
Blake Griffin
PF
Oklahoma
2
MEM
Hasheem Thabeet
C
UConn
3
OKC
James Harden
SG
Arizona St
4
SAC
Ricky Rubio
PG
Spain
5
MIN
Tyreke Evans
SG
Memphis
6
MIN
Jrue Holliday
PG
UCLA
7
GS
Jordan Hill
PF
Arizona
8
NYK
Stephen Curry
PG
Davidson
9
TOR
DeMar DeRozan
SG
USC
10
MIL
Jonny Flynn
PG
Syracuse
11
NJN
James Johnson
SF
Wake Forest
12
CHA
Gerald Henderson
SG
Duke
13
IND
Brandon Jennings
PG
Euroball
14
PHO
Austin Daye
SF
Gonzaga
15
DET
B.J. Mullens
C
Ohio St
16
CHI
Earl Clark
SF
Louisville
17
PHI
Tyler Hansbrough
PF
UNC
18
MIN
DeJuan Blair
PF
Pittsburgh
19
ATL
Jeff Teague
PG
Wake Forest
20
UTA
Terrence Williams
SG
Louisville
21
NO
Marcus Thornton
SG
LSU
22
POR
Sam Young
SF
Pittsburgh
23
SAC
DaJuan Summers
SF
Georgetown
24
DAL
Ty Lawson
PG
UNC
25
OKC
Chase Budinger
SG
Arizona
26
CHI
Wayne Ellington
SG
UNC
27
MEM
Taj Gibson
PF
USC
28
MIN
Toney Douglas
SG
Florida St
29
LAL
Omri Casspi
SF
Israel
30
CLE
Dionte Christmas
SG
Temple
NBA Draft: videos of top prospects
By Rick Morris
We kick off our coverage of today's NBA Draft with videos of top prospects in this year's event. Links for these videos are also embedded in the one guide you should not be without for tonight's selection show, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009.
We will be liveblogging the proceedings tonight. In the meantime, enjoy the videos.
Stephen Curry
Demar Derozan
Tyreke Evans
Jonny Flynn
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Jordan Hill
Ricky Rubio
Hasheem Thabeet
We kick off our coverage of today's NBA Draft with videos of top prospects in this year's event. Links for these videos are also embedded in the one guide you should not be without for tonight's selection show, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009.
We will be liveblogging the proceedings tonight. In the meantime, enjoy the videos.
Stephen Curry
Demar Derozan
Tyreke Evans
Jonny Flynn
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Jordan Hill
Ricky Rubio
Hasheem Thabeet
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Panini America signs 5 top NBA prospects
Forwarded by Russ Cohen, posted by Rick Morris
ARLINGTON, Texas and NEW YORK – June 24, 2009 - Panini America, Inc. has signed five of the NBA’s top draft prospects to exclusive trading card agreements, marking its first player endorsement deals since entering into a partnership with the NBA in January, the company announced today at the NBA Store in New York City. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (UNC), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Brandon Jennings (Lottomatica Virtus Roma,Italy), and Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN) will be featured in all 2009-10 Panini NBA card products, and on select packaging and advertisements throughout the year. In addition, exclusive autograph cards from these five players will be prominently featured in Panini America’s first line of NBA products.
Panini’s first release for 2009 will be called Prestige and will be the company’s first set of NBA rookie cards. Prestige will feature the five players in their respective NBA team uniforms* and will release in October 2009.
“Blake, Tyler, Jordan, Brandon, and Hasheem are all special players who we believe will have great careers in the NBA,” said Panini America President Mike Eisenstein. “Rookies are a key part of the trading card business and we’re excited that fans will have the opportunity to receive autographed cards of these great players exclusively in Panini packs. As we look forward to beginning our first year as the NBA’s exclusive trading card partner, it was important for us to build around great basketball players and great people. We feel strongly that these five will make a positive impact both on and off the court.”
In January 2009, the Panini Group announced it will become the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA beginning with the 2009-10 season. The Panini Group purchased the industry’s second-oldest trading card company Donruss in March 2009 and formed the new subsidiary, Panini America, Inc.
*Upon being selected by an NBA team in the 2009 NBA Draft presented by EA Sports.
The Panini Group was established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy and with its subsidiaries throughout Europe and Latin America, it is the world leader in the published Collectibles sector. Panini is also the leading multi-national publisher of comics, children’s magazines and manga in Europe and Latin America. The Panini Group, which approached $1 billion in sales in 2008, has distribution in 100 countries and employs a staff of more than 700.
ARLINGTON, Texas and NEW YORK – June 24, 2009 - Panini America, Inc. has signed five of the NBA’s top draft prospects to exclusive trading card agreements, marking its first player endorsement deals since entering into a partnership with the NBA in January, the company announced today at the NBA Store in New York City. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (UNC), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Brandon Jennings (Lottomatica Virtus Roma,Italy), and Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN) will be featured in all 2009-10 Panini NBA card products, and on select packaging and advertisements throughout the year. In addition, exclusive autograph cards from these five players will be prominently featured in Panini America’s first line of NBA products.
Panini’s first release for 2009 will be called Prestige and will be the company’s first set of NBA rookie cards. Prestige will feature the five players in their respective NBA team uniforms* and will release in October 2009.
“Blake, Tyler, Jordan, Brandon, and Hasheem are all special players who we believe will have great careers in the NBA,” said Panini America President Mike Eisenstein. “Rookies are a key part of the trading card business and we’re excited that fans will have the opportunity to receive autographed cards of these great players exclusively in Panini packs. As we look forward to beginning our first year as the NBA’s exclusive trading card partner, it was important for us to build around great basketball players and great people. We feel strongly that these five will make a positive impact both on and off the court.”
In January 2009, the Panini Group announced it will become the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA beginning with the 2009-10 season. The Panini Group purchased the industry’s second-oldest trading card company Donruss in March 2009 and formed the new subsidiary, Panini America, Inc.
*Upon being selected by an NBA team in the 2009 NBA Draft presented by EA Sports.
The Panini Group was established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy and with its subsidiaries throughout Europe and Latin America, it is the world leader in the published Collectibles sector. Panini is also the leading multi-national publisher of comics, children’s magazines and manga in Europe and Latin America. The Panini Group, which approached $1 billion in sales in 2008, has distribution in 100 countries and employs a staff of more than 700.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
FDH Lounge Show #63: June 24, 2009
By Rick Morris
"Eclectic" is always the key word in THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), and this week's show certainly fits along those lines.
We will defer our Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and our look at This Week in The FDH Lounge until after our first two segments, when we welcome in two very different but great guests. We begin by welcoming in an experienced national broadcaster: Liz Claman from Fox Business Network. She is one of the foundation pieces of this relatively young channel and her varied news/business/writing background marks her as one of the most versatile broadcasters in the industry today. Next, we bring in one of the most widely-read hockey writers in the business: Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. From the recently-concluded season to the NHL Awards to the upcoming draft and next year's Olympics, we won't lack for topics of discussion with the man covering them all.
In Hour Two, we move earlier than usual into THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER as we preview the NHL Entry Draft with our brand-new guide HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009, available for free download. After that, we delve into the NBA Draft with, you guessed it, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, also available for free download. Moving into Hour Three, we take our first in-depth look at the fantasy football landscape this year with our early Top 50 as well as a breakdown of our key fantasy method as applied to football: our Ultimate Quantitative Baseline. It is, quite simply, the ultimate measure of what a player did last year, thus helping you to have an idea of where you are moving him from as you slot his projections to be higher or lower.
In our final half hour, as always, we go to THE GOON SQUAD with another brief overview of the draft as delivered by our Canadian correspondant Kyle O'Rourke. We'll also review the NHL Awards and take our first look ahead to the free agency madness that will commence next week.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
"Eclectic" is always the key word in THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), and this week's show certainly fits along those lines.
We will defer our Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and our look at This Week in The FDH Lounge until after our first two segments, when we welcome in two very different but great guests. We begin by welcoming in an experienced national broadcaster: Liz Claman from Fox Business Network. She is one of the foundation pieces of this relatively young channel and her varied news/business/writing background marks her as one of the most versatile broadcasters in the industry today. Next, we bring in one of the most widely-read hockey writers in the business: Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. From the recently-concluded season to the NHL Awards to the upcoming draft and next year's Olympics, we won't lack for topics of discussion with the man covering them all.
In Hour Two, we move earlier than usual into THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER as we preview the NHL Entry Draft with our brand-new guide HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009, available for free download. After that, we delve into the NBA Draft with, you guessed it, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009, also available for free download. Moving into Hour Three, we take our first in-depth look at the fantasy football landscape this year with our early Top 50 as well as a breakdown of our key fantasy method as applied to football: our Ultimate Quantitative Baseline. It is, quite simply, the ultimate measure of what a player did last year, thus helping you to have an idea of where you are moving him from as you slot his projections to be higher or lower.
In our final half hour, as always, we go to THE GOON SQUAD with another brief overview of the draft as delivered by our Canadian correspondant Kyle O'Rourke. We'll also review the NHL Awards and take our first look ahead to the free agency madness that will commence next week.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Geopolitics roundup
By Rick Morris
We have long covered geopolitics at The FDH Lounge, both in terms of our own analysis and linking to great coverage elsewhere. Here’s our latest roundup of top news and analysis on the Internet:
IRAN
From the Foreign Policy blog: Iran analyst -- Is Mousavi willing to risk "slaughter" in the streets?
From the Foreign Policy blog: Iran - what happens next?
From the Foreign Policy blog: Twitter versus the Iranian regime
From Janes: Election unrest shakes Iran to the core
From the Belmont Club: Who are we dealing with in Iran?
From Pajamas Media: Cracks Begin to Show in the Iranian Regime
From Pajamas Media: So NOW what’s going on in Iran?
From the Los Angeles Times: The evolution of Iran’s revolution
NORTH KOREA
From Real Clear World: North Korea Will Fight over Ships
From Oh My News International: Kim Jong-il’s Heir
From The Economist: Kim family saga -- third and final act
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN/GENERAL WAR ON TERROR
From Janes: Booster shot – The US increases its forces in Afghanistan
Pakistan hotel bombing increases instability
From The Daily Star: The world is moving beyond the Al-Qaeda moment
From the Washington Institute: Defeating al-Qaeda and Neutralizing Its Support Network
From The Long War Journal: Pakistani military facing tougher fight in northwest than reported
From The Long War Journal: Somali security minister assassinated in suicide attack
From The Long War Journal: Pakistani military begins ground phase of South Waziristan offensive
IRAQ
From Janes: Stability concerns fail to slow US pullback from Iraqi cities
EUROPE/RUSSIA
From the Foreign Policy blog: Food For Thought -- Gordon Brown as the EU’s First Full-Time President?
From the Washington Post: Russia, Again Evading History
We have long covered geopolitics at The FDH Lounge, both in terms of our own analysis and linking to great coverage elsewhere. Here’s our latest roundup of top news and analysis on the Internet:
IRAN
From the Foreign Policy blog: Iran analyst -- Is Mousavi willing to risk "slaughter" in the streets?
From the Foreign Policy blog: Iran - what happens next?
From the Foreign Policy blog: Twitter versus the Iranian regime
From Janes: Election unrest shakes Iran to the core
From the Belmont Club: Who are we dealing with in Iran?
From Pajamas Media: Cracks Begin to Show in the Iranian Regime
From Pajamas Media: So NOW what’s going on in Iran?
From the Los Angeles Times: The evolution of Iran’s revolution
NORTH KOREA
From Real Clear World: North Korea Will Fight over Ships
From Oh My News International: Kim Jong-il’s Heir
From The Economist: Kim family saga -- third and final act
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN/GENERAL WAR ON TERROR
From Janes: Booster shot – The US increases its forces in Afghanistan
Pakistan hotel bombing increases instability
From The Daily Star: The world is moving beyond the Al-Qaeda moment
From the Washington Institute: Defeating al-Qaeda and Neutralizing Its Support Network
From The Long War Journal: Pakistani military facing tougher fight in northwest than reported
From The Long War Journal: Somali security minister assassinated in suicide attack
From The Long War Journal: Pakistani military begins ground phase of South Waziristan offensive
IRAQ
From Janes: Stability concerns fail to slow US pullback from Iraqi cities
EUROPE/RUSSIA
From the Foreign Policy blog: Food For Thought -- Gordon Brown as the EU’s First Full-Time President?
From the Washington Post: Russia, Again Evading History
MLB power rankings for mid-June
By Rick Morris
NOTE: Previous rankings are in parentheses.
TOP TIER
1 Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
2 Boston (4)
3 New York Yankees (6)
4 St Louis (2)
5 Los Angeles Angels (23)
6 Philadelphia (7)
7 Detroit (12)
8 Toronto (3)
9 Texas (22)
10 Milwaukee (13)
11 Tampa Bay (16)
12 Chicago Cubs (8)
13 New York Mets (18)
14 Chicago White Sox (14)
15 Minnesota (15)
16 Cincinnati (9)
17 Florida (5)
18 Seattle (10)
19 San Francisco (19)
20 Colorado (29)
21 Atlanta (17)
22 Houston (25)
23 Baltimore (28)
SECOND TIER
24 Arizona (21)
25 Pittsburgh (20)
26 Kansas City (11)
27 Cleveland (27)
28 Oakland (26)
29 San Diego (24)
THIRD TIER
30 Washington (30)
Biggest risers: Los Angeles Angels (18 spots), Texas (13 spots), Colorado (9 spots), Baltimore, Detroit, New York Mets and Tampa Bay (5 spots)
Biggest fallers: Kansas City (15 spots), Florida (12 spots), Seattle (8 spots), Cincinnati (7 spots), Pittsburgh, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Toronto (5 spots)
NOTE: Previous rankings are in parentheses.
TOP TIER
1 Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
2 Boston (4)
3 New York Yankees (6)
4 St Louis (2)
5 Los Angeles Angels (23)
6 Philadelphia (7)
7 Detroit (12)
8 Toronto (3)
9 Texas (22)
10 Milwaukee (13)
11 Tampa Bay (16)
12 Chicago Cubs (8)
13 New York Mets (18)
14 Chicago White Sox (14)
15 Minnesota (15)
16 Cincinnati (9)
17 Florida (5)
18 Seattle (10)
19 San Francisco (19)
20 Colorado (29)
21 Atlanta (17)
22 Houston (25)
23 Baltimore (28)
SECOND TIER
24 Arizona (21)
25 Pittsburgh (20)
26 Kansas City (11)
27 Cleveland (27)
28 Oakland (26)
29 San Diego (24)
THIRD TIER
30 Washington (30)
Biggest risers: Los Angeles Angels (18 spots), Texas (13 spots), Colorado (9 spots), Baltimore, Detroit, New York Mets and Tampa Bay (5 spots)
Biggest fallers: Kansas City (15 spots), Florida (12 spots), Seattle (8 spots), Cincinnati (7 spots), Pittsburgh, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Toronto (5 spots)
Sportsology: NHL Awards coverage
By Rick Morris
Our good friends at Sportsology, fellow members of The 21st Century Media Alliance, sometimes syndicate material to The Lounge (as we do to them). In this instance, we bring you their coverage of the NHL Awards, in the different installments that appeared on the site over the course of the evening.
Live from the NHL Awards red carpet
By Jonathan West with help from Russ Cohen
Las Vegas -- JW is now chatting with two Hall of Famers, Mark Messier and Phil Esposito. We will have audio of the event posted in the next day or so. Messier is excited to be in Vegas. He hasn't been out there for 15 years! Jerry Bruckheimer said that the Vegas economy has to improve and there is a 50/50 chance that an NHL franchise will spring up in Sin City!
There are an estimated 500-plus media members on the Red Carpet and Patrick Kane is making his way down. Commissioner Gary Bettman just flew down, but he isn't talking to the media. Alex Ovechkin is walking the carpet with Vegas show girls and wearing big plumes! Pat Lafontaine said there will be a charity hockey game in Vegas next year!! George Maloof just told JW that he is thinking about letting go of his basketball investments and joining up with Jerry Bruckheimer to bring a hockey team to Vegas!
NHL Awards party
By Jonathan West
OK, so it's about 1:30AM on the West Coast- 7 1/2 hours and four after-parties later, and I broke away from my roving group of Canadians because I promised Russ this NHL Awards recap. And all this dedication in spite of beautiful women upstairs and an open bar is for my compatriots Russ and Shane, who sadly couldn't make it out to the "Desert of Excess."
As a true West Coaster and Vegas local, I can vouch that the Palms Casino Resort was the only place to loosen up a traditionally stiff NHL Awards show and show off the potential of Las Vegas. George Maloof- I say well done in 2009. From an incredible red carpet snaking throughout the casino floor to the intimate Pearl Concert Theater with the highest visual and stage production for any awards show I've seen, the Palms packs a punch and is highly recommended by this resident.
George even said on the red carpet earlier today he might go in with the Jerry Bruckheimer group to bring an NHL team to Vegas!For those of you who didn't watch the Las Vegas NHL Awards '09 on the tele, here is late night brevity in a recap:
^ Glenn Anderson probably said it best when he came out to present the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and confused this gathering for a Russian hockey awards show. Six out of the sixteen awards handed out went to Ovechkin, Malkin, and Datsyuk.
^ Jeremy Roenick seemed not to get enough of being on TV, asking live for a teleprompter do-over while wearing a sequened shirt. I don't remember that much candor pre-season at the NHL '09 launch event...hmmm.
^ Emotional, hug-the-one-you-love moments came early with the award presenter pairing of former Detroit and Russian teammates Igor Larionov and Vladimir Konstantinov- who suffered serious head injuries and paralysis from a limo accident 12 years ago. As he used a walker to get on stage, a huge applause followed.
^ Boston goaltender Tim Thomas meekly and humbly almost came to tears for his win of the Vezina Trophy.I have to again talk about the Russians, who in some ways stole the stiffness out of the show. Poor Evgeni Malkin had trouble with his acceptance speech for the Art Ross Trophy, and Alex Ovechkin showed compassion to "Geno" by instead calling out Pavel Datsyuk's slight grasp of the English language. "Ovie" wasn't through with the jokes, as he referenced the "stick on fire" incident earlier this season when he was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy.
^ And I can't forget to mention the NHL Awards '09 musical entertainment! Second- generation Canadian celebrity Robin Thicke (son of Alan) teamed up with Soul/R&B legend Chaka Kahn? Commercial breaks for the masses on TV meant for us in the seats a medley of Greatest Hits from the "I'm Every Woman" Diva. Delightful...but where was a rocker like Nickelback or BNL?
^ Please excuse me, but da$% East Coast broadcasts really put us Vegas folks out of wack. Red carpet at 3PM, Awards at 4PM, Reception at 6PM, then the night begins? OK...we've been handling it well. Of course me and the boys are playing the angles better than Tim Thomas- everyone thinks I'm a player for some NHL team and my buddy is telling folks about his "Prince Impersonator Gig" on the Strip (uncanny resemblance).It's now 2AM...and I just got a text that reads "Where the hell are u? we are headed to the bowling suite with 12 girls from Calgary". Sorry boys, duty calls.
Our good friends at Sportsology, fellow members of The 21st Century Media Alliance, sometimes syndicate material to The Lounge (as we do to them). In this instance, we bring you their coverage of the NHL Awards, in the different installments that appeared on the site over the course of the evening.
Live from the NHL Awards red carpet
By Jonathan West with help from Russ Cohen
Las Vegas -- JW is now chatting with two Hall of Famers, Mark Messier and Phil Esposito. We will have audio of the event posted in the next day or so. Messier is excited to be in Vegas. He hasn't been out there for 15 years! Jerry Bruckheimer said that the Vegas economy has to improve and there is a 50/50 chance that an NHL franchise will spring up in Sin City!
There are an estimated 500-plus media members on the Red Carpet and Patrick Kane is making his way down. Commissioner Gary Bettman just flew down, but he isn't talking to the media. Alex Ovechkin is walking the carpet with Vegas show girls and wearing big plumes! Pat Lafontaine said there will be a charity hockey game in Vegas next year!! George Maloof just told JW that he is thinking about letting go of his basketball investments and joining up with Jerry Bruckheimer to bring a hockey team to Vegas!
NHL Awards party
By Jonathan West
OK, so it's about 1:30AM on the West Coast- 7 1/2 hours and four after-parties later, and I broke away from my roving group of Canadians because I promised Russ this NHL Awards recap. And all this dedication in spite of beautiful women upstairs and an open bar is for my compatriots Russ and Shane, who sadly couldn't make it out to the "Desert of Excess."
As a true West Coaster and Vegas local, I can vouch that the Palms Casino Resort was the only place to loosen up a traditionally stiff NHL Awards show and show off the potential of Las Vegas. George Maloof- I say well done in 2009. From an incredible red carpet snaking throughout the casino floor to the intimate Pearl Concert Theater with the highest visual and stage production for any awards show I've seen, the Palms packs a punch and is highly recommended by this resident.
George even said on the red carpet earlier today he might go in with the Jerry Bruckheimer group to bring an NHL team to Vegas!For those of you who didn't watch the Las Vegas NHL Awards '09 on the tele, here is late night brevity in a recap:
^ Glenn Anderson probably said it best when he came out to present the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and confused this gathering for a Russian hockey awards show. Six out of the sixteen awards handed out went to Ovechkin, Malkin, and Datsyuk.
^ Jeremy Roenick seemed not to get enough of being on TV, asking live for a teleprompter do-over while wearing a sequened shirt. I don't remember that much candor pre-season at the NHL '09 launch event...hmmm.
^ Emotional, hug-the-one-you-love moments came early with the award presenter pairing of former Detroit and Russian teammates Igor Larionov and Vladimir Konstantinov- who suffered serious head injuries and paralysis from a limo accident 12 years ago. As he used a walker to get on stage, a huge applause followed.
^ Boston goaltender Tim Thomas meekly and humbly almost came to tears for his win of the Vezina Trophy.I have to again talk about the Russians, who in some ways stole the stiffness out of the show. Poor Evgeni Malkin had trouble with his acceptance speech for the Art Ross Trophy, and Alex Ovechkin showed compassion to "Geno" by instead calling out Pavel Datsyuk's slight grasp of the English language. "Ovie" wasn't through with the jokes, as he referenced the "stick on fire" incident earlier this season when he was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy.
^ And I can't forget to mention the NHL Awards '09 musical entertainment! Second- generation Canadian celebrity Robin Thicke (son of Alan) teamed up with Soul/R&B legend Chaka Kahn? Commercial breaks for the masses on TV meant for us in the seats a medley of Greatest Hits from the "I'm Every Woman" Diva. Delightful...but where was a rocker like Nickelback or BNL?
^ Please excuse me, but da$% East Coast broadcasts really put us Vegas folks out of wack. Red carpet at 3PM, Awards at 4PM, Reception at 6PM, then the night begins? OK...we've been handling it well. Of course me and the boys are playing the angles better than Tim Thomas- everyone thinks I'm a player for some NHL team and my buddy is telling folks about his "Prince Impersonator Gig" on the Strip (uncanny resemblance).It's now 2AM...and I just got a text that reads "Where the hell are u? we are headed to the bowling suite with 12 girls from Calgary". Sorry boys, duty calls.
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue XXV
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
NHL Awards picks
By Rick Morris
The NHL Awards Show is always a big favorite in the FDH family, so much so that this year The FDH New York Bureau is out in Las Vegas for the event's first production in the world's most fabulous city. As he is pound-for-pound the finest guest booker walking the earth today, we await with baited breath word on future guests to THE FDH LOUNGE program (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) that will be secured based on this visit!
In the meantime, we have our FDH picks for the awards that were made on THE GOON SQUAD show-within-a-show last night on THE FDH LOUNGE. Goon co-host Kyle O'Rourke and I agreed on all of our selections for the awards.
^ Hart Trophy: Alex Ovechkin
^ Pearson Award: Alex Ovechkin
^ Calder Trophy: Steve Mason
^ Norris Trophy: Mike Green
^ Vezina Trophy: Steve Mason
^ Jack Adams Award: Andy Murray
^ Selke Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk
Side note, as a Red Wings fan it pains me to pick against Pavel for the Hart and Pearson and against Norris Nick for his 7th trophy (he's my favorite current player and I've got an autographed jersey in a glass case for crying out loud!), but I have to make objective picks and these are the ones. Having said that, I'm still rooting for them.
The NHL Awards Show is always a big favorite in the FDH family, so much so that this year The FDH New York Bureau is out in Las Vegas for the event's first production in the world's most fabulous city. As he is pound-for-pound the finest guest booker walking the earth today, we await with baited breath word on future guests to THE FDH LOUNGE program (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) that will be secured based on this visit!
In the meantime, we have our FDH picks for the awards that were made on THE GOON SQUAD show-within-a-show last night on THE FDH LOUNGE. Goon co-host Kyle O'Rourke and I agreed on all of our selections for the awards.
^ Hart Trophy: Alex Ovechkin
^ Pearson Award: Alex Ovechkin
^ Calder Trophy: Steve Mason
^ Norris Trophy: Mike Green
^ Vezina Trophy: Steve Mason
^ Jack Adams Award: Andy Murray
^ Selke Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk
Side note, as a Red Wings fan it pains me to pick against Pavel for the Hart and Pearson and against Norris Nick for his 7th trophy (he's my favorite current player and I've got an autographed jersey in a glass case for crying out loud!), but I have to make objective picks and these are the ones. Having said that, I'm still rooting for them.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
FDH Lounge Show #62: June 17, 2009
By Rick Morris
The 62nd edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT) is the show where “nothing is off-topic,” but this week’s episode could perhaps be known as “bestseller night” with our two authors.
Even before The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and a look at This Week in The FDH Lounge, we welcome in a big-time guest who previously graced our marathon fundraiser show in 2006: none other than Will Leitch! From his days founding and running Deadspin (where he still writes, by the way) to his work with The Sporting News, New York Magazine and other platforms, he has informed opinions on pretty much anything everyone cares about these days. Oh, and did we mention his bestselling book? It’s God Save The Fan and it is tremendous.
Next, we will take a sneak peek at our ginormous project that we are collaborating on with Sportsology and Card Corner Club: HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009. It will be released for free download by the end of the week and we have begun to serialize our guide to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft right here at The FDH Lounge Multimedia Magazine. We’ll preview our coverage in-depth in this segment. Also, remember what we said a few paragraphs ago about HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009? From the timeframe to the collaborative nature to the material, the same holds true for HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009! We’ll preview our coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft in this segment.
Now, our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER show-within-a-show is presented this week in expanded form because of all of the events presently transpiring that require coverage, but it will not all be airing in the first half of Hour Three as per usual. We’ll now go to the fantasy sports coverage with a look at a fascinating counterintuitive piece from the brainiacs (we mean that affectionately!) at Hardball Times. It urges fantasy owners to think beyond our usual mantra of “Buy Low, Sell High.” Do they make any points that we could possibly embrace? We’ll let you know.
Next on The Lounge, in the usual fantasy sports slot at the top of Hour Three, we get a chance to stretch ourselves in terms of content and we always enjoy that opportunity. William Cohan, author of the bestseller House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street, joins us to talk about his timely tome. It covered the collapse of Bear Stearns and what that story had to tell us about the larger calamity in the financial sector that brought low our entire economy. How did we get to the sad state that we are in financially in this country and where do we go from here? William Cohan will help answer those questions and more.
We then go back to fantasy sports for the final time tonight by taking a look at the players who will be counted upon to carry their respective fantasy football squads this fall. The top two rounds aren’t what they used to be – even as recently as two or three years ago – and we’ll help you to navigate this period of increased uncertainty.
Next, in its usual spot in the second half of Hour Three, THE GOON SQUAD wraps up our Stanley Cup Finals coverage. Uber-Wings fan and FDH Lounge Dignitary Rick Morris is sure to be in a foul mood after the outcome of the series! We’ll examine the way the playoffs ended and preview the NHL Awards – and be joined in the process by former STN hockey analyst and current Mahoning Valley Phantoms play-by-play broadcaster Paul Teeple. Surely Teeps the Leafs fan will be teaming up with fellow Leafs and current GOON SQUAD co-host Kyle O’Rourke to rub it in on old Ricky!
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
The 62nd edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT) is the show where “nothing is off-topic,” but this week’s episode could perhaps be known as “bestseller night” with our two authors.
Even before The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and a look at This Week in The FDH Lounge, we welcome in a big-time guest who previously graced our marathon fundraiser show in 2006: none other than Will Leitch! From his days founding and running Deadspin (where he still writes, by the way) to his work with The Sporting News, New York Magazine and other platforms, he has informed opinions on pretty much anything everyone cares about these days. Oh, and did we mention his bestselling book? It’s God Save The Fan and it is tremendous.
Next, we will take a sneak peek at our ginormous project that we are collaborating on with Sportsology and Card Corner Club: HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009. It will be released for free download by the end of the week and we have begun to serialize our guide to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft right here at The FDH Lounge Multimedia Magazine. We’ll preview our coverage in-depth in this segment. Also, remember what we said a few paragraphs ago about HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009? From the timeframe to the collaborative nature to the material, the same holds true for HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009! We’ll preview our coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft in this segment.
Now, our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER show-within-a-show is presented this week in expanded form because of all of the events presently transpiring that require coverage, but it will not all be airing in the first half of Hour Three as per usual. We’ll now go to the fantasy sports coverage with a look at a fascinating counterintuitive piece from the brainiacs (we mean that affectionately!) at Hardball Times. It urges fantasy owners to think beyond our usual mantra of “Buy Low, Sell High.” Do they make any points that we could possibly embrace? We’ll let you know.
Next on The Lounge, in the usual fantasy sports slot at the top of Hour Three, we get a chance to stretch ourselves in terms of content and we always enjoy that opportunity. William Cohan, author of the bestseller House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street, joins us to talk about his timely tome. It covered the collapse of Bear Stearns and what that story had to tell us about the larger calamity in the financial sector that brought low our entire economy. How did we get to the sad state that we are in financially in this country and where do we go from here? William Cohan will help answer those questions and more.
We then go back to fantasy sports for the final time tonight by taking a look at the players who will be counted upon to carry their respective fantasy football squads this fall. The top two rounds aren’t what they used to be – even as recently as two or three years ago – and we’ll help you to navigate this period of increased uncertainty.
Next, in its usual spot in the second half of Hour Three, THE GOON SQUAD wraps up our Stanley Cup Finals coverage. Uber-Wings fan and FDH Lounge Dignitary Rick Morris is sure to be in a foul mood after the outcome of the series! We’ll examine the way the playoffs ended and preview the NHL Awards – and be joined in the process by former STN hockey analyst and current Mahoning Valley Phantoms play-by-play broadcaster Paul Teeple. Surely Teeps the Leafs fan will be teaming up with fellow Leafs and current GOON SQUAD co-host Kyle O’Rourke to rub it in on old Ricky!
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
NBA draft guide: talent overview
By Rick Morris
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
With this segment, we examine what is unfortunately a very poor draft relative to what we have seen in most recent years.
2009 NBA Draft Talent Overview: Griffin Aside, Mighty Bleak Indeed!
In an NBA Draft this depleted in terms of sure-fire stars, it’s almost fitting that the only legitimate one is headed for a SoCal-based team responsible for crushing more hopes and dreams than the Hollywood casting couch.
Oklahoma PF Blake Griffin possesses undeniable franchise-player ability, but his ability to develop further will be seriously challenged by the Clippers’ logjam at forward — as well as the very concept of being drafted by the Clippers themselves. He heads up an average power forward class that will see only one other player designated as a certain lottery pick (Arizona’s Jordan Hill). Two other players trying to shake the damning-with-faint-praise description as “great college players,” UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough and Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, should go in the early part of the non-lottery portion of the proceedings. They do project as excellent rotation players over the long haul and are the only other ones who can rest easy that their names will be called during the first round.
If the marquee player’s position in this bad draft qualifies as the average one in the event, how do the other ones rate? In a nutshell, the backcourt positions are both a tad better, while the other frontcourt positions are either a little worse (small forward) or much, much worse (center).
^ Point Guard: Spain’s Ricky Rubio is the keynote talent here and would likely be tagged as the second overall pick in the draft had a team other than Memphis landed in the spot. Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn and high-schooler-turned-Europro Brandon Jennings bring lottery-quality flash and upside to the position, while tweener Stephen Curry is turning enough heads with his shooting and his bloodlines to be certain of a Top 10 slotting. UCLA”s Jrue Holliday may also sneak into the lottery, despite his rawness. Later in the round, low-ceiling-but-safe Ty Lawson from UNC should end up in a nice situation with a good team, while Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague seems very likely to go in the first round. UCLA’s Darren Collison and VCU’s Eric Maynor also have a chance to be taken before the end of the first round.
^ Shooting Guard: Arizona State’s James Hardin is a lock to be the first “2” taken off the board, somewhere in the top four overall, with USC’s DeMar DeRosan and Memphis’s Tyreke Evans trailing close behind. Duke’s Gerald Henderson could crack the lottery, as could Arizona’s Chase Budinger (less likely), with a host of other shooting guards looking to drop between picks 20-30 (Louisville’s Terrence Williams, LSU’s Marcus Thornton, UNC’s Wayne Ellington, Temple’s Dionte Christmas and Florida State’s Toney Douglas)
^ Shooting Forward: Few if any NBA teams can count on an impact upgrade from this position and it is possible that there will not be a “3” taken with a lottery pick. Wake Forest’s James Johnson could well be the first to go based on potential, with Louisville’s Earl Clark, Gonzaga’s Austin Daye and potentially Pittsburgh’s Sam Young being drafted in that vicinity. Other than Israel’s Omar Casspi, there are no other first round near-locks.
^ Center: The toughest position in terms of finding talent year in and year out is truly a “black hole of suckage” in 2009. UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet will go between picks 2-4 overall and is being compared to Dikembe Mutombo in terms of UPSIDE! ‘Nuff said. Other than him, only Ohio State’s BJ Mullins, an offensively-talented 7-footer coming off of a disappointing freshman year, can count on a first-round selection.
The dropoff from Griffin to the next player, likely Rubio, is severe in terms of projecting numerous certain All-Star selections — which, health permitting, would in a normal year be quite likely for at least a few high lottery picks. There are potentially 8-10 players in this draft capable of pulling intermittent All-Star designations during their career if they go through an immense amount of development. It is scant exaggeration to say that most of the players in the top ten would be going at least five slots lower in a normal year and players beyond the top ten would be going no less than ten slots lower in a normal year. In a league that tries to use the draft process to even out the overall talent distribution, this year’s class won’t even come close to accomplishing that.
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
With this segment, we examine what is unfortunately a very poor draft relative to what we have seen in most recent years.
2009 NBA Draft Talent Overview: Griffin Aside, Mighty Bleak Indeed!
In an NBA Draft this depleted in terms of sure-fire stars, it’s almost fitting that the only legitimate one is headed for a SoCal-based team responsible for crushing more hopes and dreams than the Hollywood casting couch.
Oklahoma PF Blake Griffin possesses undeniable franchise-player ability, but his ability to develop further will be seriously challenged by the Clippers’ logjam at forward — as well as the very concept of being drafted by the Clippers themselves. He heads up an average power forward class that will see only one other player designated as a certain lottery pick (Arizona’s Jordan Hill). Two other players trying to shake the damning-with-faint-praise description as “great college players,” UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough and Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, should go in the early part of the non-lottery portion of the proceedings. They do project as excellent rotation players over the long haul and are the only other ones who can rest easy that their names will be called during the first round.
If the marquee player’s position in this bad draft qualifies as the average one in the event, how do the other ones rate? In a nutshell, the backcourt positions are both a tad better, while the other frontcourt positions are either a little worse (small forward) or much, much worse (center).
^ Point Guard: Spain’s Ricky Rubio is the keynote talent here and would likely be tagged as the second overall pick in the draft had a team other than Memphis landed in the spot. Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn and high-schooler-turned-Europro Brandon Jennings bring lottery-quality flash and upside to the position, while tweener Stephen Curry is turning enough heads with his shooting and his bloodlines to be certain of a Top 10 slotting. UCLA”s Jrue Holliday may also sneak into the lottery, despite his rawness. Later in the round, low-ceiling-but-safe Ty Lawson from UNC should end up in a nice situation with a good team, while Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague seems very likely to go in the first round. UCLA’s Darren Collison and VCU’s Eric Maynor also have a chance to be taken before the end of the first round.
^ Shooting Guard: Arizona State’s James Hardin is a lock to be the first “2” taken off the board, somewhere in the top four overall, with USC’s DeMar DeRosan and Memphis’s Tyreke Evans trailing close behind. Duke’s Gerald Henderson could crack the lottery, as could Arizona’s Chase Budinger (less likely), with a host of other shooting guards looking to drop between picks 20-30 (Louisville’s Terrence Williams, LSU’s Marcus Thornton, UNC’s Wayne Ellington, Temple’s Dionte Christmas and Florida State’s Toney Douglas)
^ Shooting Forward: Few if any NBA teams can count on an impact upgrade from this position and it is possible that there will not be a “3” taken with a lottery pick. Wake Forest’s James Johnson could well be the first to go based on potential, with Louisville’s Earl Clark, Gonzaga’s Austin Daye and potentially Pittsburgh’s Sam Young being drafted in that vicinity. Other than Israel’s Omar Casspi, there are no other first round near-locks.
^ Center: The toughest position in terms of finding talent year in and year out is truly a “black hole of suckage” in 2009. UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet will go between picks 2-4 overall and is being compared to Dikembe Mutombo in terms of UPSIDE! ‘Nuff said. Other than him, only Ohio State’s BJ Mullins, an offensively-talented 7-footer coming off of a disappointing freshman year, can count on a first-round selection.
The dropoff from Griffin to the next player, likely Rubio, is severe in terms of projecting numerous certain All-Star selections — which, health permitting, would in a normal year be quite likely for at least a few high lottery picks. There are potentially 8-10 players in this draft capable of pulling intermittent All-Star designations during their career if they go through an immense amount of development. It is scant exaggeration to say that most of the players in the top ten would be going at least five slots lower in a normal year and players beyond the top ten would be going no less than ten slots lower in a normal year. In a league that tries to use the draft process to even out the overall talent distribution, this year’s class won’t even come close to accomplishing that.
NBA draft guide: team needs
By Rick Morris
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
In this segment, we examine the needs of all teams in the draft. It is important to note that needs are prioritized in order of urgency. Anytime “Swingman” is used as a designation, the team in question has roughly equal needs at SF and SG.
Team
Needs
1
LAC
PF, Swingman
2
MEM
C, PF
3
OKC
SG, C
4
SAC
C, PG, SF
5
WAS
SG, C
6
MIN
PG, C
7
GS
PF, Swingman
8
NYK
SF, C
9
TOR
SG, SF
10
MIL
PG, SG
11
NJN
PF, SF
12
CHA
PF, SG
13
IND
C, PG
14
PHO
SF, C
15
DET
PF, C
16
CHI
C, Swingman
17
PHI
C, PF
18
MIA
PG, SF, C
19
ATL
SF, SG
20
UTA
SF, SG
21
NO
C, SG
22
DAL
C, PG
23
HOU
PF, SF
24
POR
SF
25
SAN
C, Swingman
26
DEN
C, Swingman
27
ORL
SF, SG
28
BOS
C, Swingman
29
LAL
PG, SF
30
CLE
PF, C, SG
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
In this segment, we examine the needs of all teams in the draft. It is important to note that needs are prioritized in order of urgency. Anytime “Swingman” is used as a designation, the team in question has roughly equal needs at SF and SG.
Team
Needs
1
LAC
PF, Swingman
2
MEM
C, PF
3
OKC
SG, C
4
SAC
C, PG, SF
5
WAS
SG, C
6
MIN
PG, C
7
GS
PF, Swingman
8
NYK
SF, C
9
TOR
SG, SF
10
MIL
PG, SG
11
NJN
PF, SF
12
CHA
PF, SG
13
IND
C, PG
14
PHO
SF, C
15
DET
PF, C
16
CHI
C, Swingman
17
PHI
C, PF
18
MIA
PG, SF, C
19
ATL
SF, SG
20
UTA
SF, SG
21
NO
C, SG
22
DAL
C, PG
23
HOU
PF, SF
24
POR
SF
25
SAN
C, Swingman
26
DEN
C, Swingman
27
ORL
SF, SG
28
BOS
C, Swingman
29
LAL
PG, SF
30
CLE
PF, C, SG
NHL draft guide: how to televise the playoffs
By Rick Morris
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
Now, we always spice up our draft guides (even our fantasy-oriented ones) with at least some material outside of the core subject. In so doing, we broaden our appeal beyond the hard-core draftniks who most appreciate our work. This piece suggests an idea that ideally would be right under the noses of the NHL powers-that-be: how to leverage the exciting dynamic of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to most effectively build public support for the game in America.
A modest proposal: hockey playoff TV like it’s never been presented before!
No, this is not another rant about the NHL being televised on a network with the national penetration, or lack thereof, of Versus. That would be another piece for another time if everything there was to say had not already been said 1,000 times — because frankly, there’s another issue related to this one that is of more concern and is potentially more easily addressed.
Ever since leaving the ESPN family in 2005, the NHL has placed the bulk of their playoff games in the first two rounds on a premium subscription package that costs their loyal fans more money — and puts the games behind a firewall that casual fans will not choose to access. It is worth noting that they are alone among the four major sports in North America in this regard (although the NBA does put a few games on NBA TV, currently in less homes than the Test Pattern Channel). Few if any observers would dispute that the NHL is the sport most in need of reaching out to casual fans — and few if any would dispute that the passion and action of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are elements that can accomplish this feat.
Now, this column was inspired by memories of the rare occasions back in the day when ESPN would carry a first-round playoff doubleheader on one channel and ESPN2 would carry the night’s other two games. With staggered start times of 7:00 PM EDT on one network and 7:30 PM EDT on the other, fans could experience the nirvana of skipping between the games at intermission — or commercials — and missing a fairly minimal amount of action.
From there, that format germinated into the idea of how to consolidate the action into a single channel, inasmuch as Versus is the single present cable/satellite channel for NHL action and it cannot be assumed that the league’s next TV contract will include two channels worth of action even if Disney gets back in the game. Wouldn’t the league and the sport benefit from a March Madness-type of presentation with their playoff action? Is this presentation possible? We believe that it is, under the following format.
For first-round action with four games in one night, a pregame show should air from 6-7 PM EDT, setting the table for the night’s action and recapping events of the previous day. The first game would start promptly at 7:00 PM EDT, with the next one dropping the puck at 7:25 PM EDT. This would allow for coverage to move fairly seamlessly between games, albeit with fairly minimal intermission analysis from the studio — but that would be the price paid for the frenetic action. The geography of the local markets would determine which game would take priority for the brief moments when the games overlap — and the network would also be free to utilize the split-screen when urgent sequences are occurring simultaneously. The third game would begin at 9:25 PM EDT, hopefully right on the heels of the first game’s conclusion, although admittedly the second game would still be underway — this concession to having some overlap would be necessary, though, in order to keep the evening’s overall conclusion time within some semblance of reason. The fourth game would start at 9:50 PM EDT and the second half of the evening’s action would progress in the same manner. A studio postgame show would follow the conclusion of the last game and ideally air from about 12:15 AM EDT until 1:00 AM EDT assuming the games are all on schedule.
For first-round action with three games in one night, everything would air in the same fashion except for the third game beginning at 9:50 PM EDT so as to decrease the chances of overlap between the early games and the late one. For first-round or second-round action with two games in one night, the format with the 7:00 PM EDT and 7:25 PM EDT start times could be retained if both games are in the Eastern or Central time zones; otherwise, fairly standard doubleheader coverage would air with start times of 7:00 PM EDT and 9:40 PM EDT.
Ideally, a network would air these games with their own broadcast crew instead of subcontracting out to local affiliates like Versus has done, but if a continuation of that arrangement were deemed necessary to make the finances add up for this package to take place, it would be a trade-off that is easily justified. While a number of parties might end up sacrificing financially in the short-term to make this system possible, the buzz that would be generated and the new and curious viewers enticed would surely make this a winner within a few years. There would not be extended commercial breaks available during the three-game and four-game nights, but sponsorships for the evening could be sold off in a number of creative ways. In short, nothing would bring the unparalleled excitement of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the masses like this idea would. Make it happen, NHL!
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
Now, we always spice up our draft guides (even our fantasy-oriented ones) with at least some material outside of the core subject. In so doing, we broaden our appeal beyond the hard-core draftniks who most appreciate our work. This piece suggests an idea that ideally would be right under the noses of the NHL powers-that-be: how to leverage the exciting dynamic of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to most effectively build public support for the game in America.
A modest proposal: hockey playoff TV like it’s never been presented before!
No, this is not another rant about the NHL being televised on a network with the national penetration, or lack thereof, of Versus. That would be another piece for another time if everything there was to say had not already been said 1,000 times — because frankly, there’s another issue related to this one that is of more concern and is potentially more easily addressed.
Ever since leaving the ESPN family in 2005, the NHL has placed the bulk of their playoff games in the first two rounds on a premium subscription package that costs their loyal fans more money — and puts the games behind a firewall that casual fans will not choose to access. It is worth noting that they are alone among the four major sports in North America in this regard (although the NBA does put a few games on NBA TV, currently in less homes than the Test Pattern Channel). Few if any observers would dispute that the NHL is the sport most in need of reaching out to casual fans — and few if any would dispute that the passion and action of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are elements that can accomplish this feat.
Now, this column was inspired by memories of the rare occasions back in the day when ESPN would carry a first-round playoff doubleheader on one channel and ESPN2 would carry the night’s other two games. With staggered start times of 7:00 PM EDT on one network and 7:30 PM EDT on the other, fans could experience the nirvana of skipping between the games at intermission — or commercials — and missing a fairly minimal amount of action.
From there, that format germinated into the idea of how to consolidate the action into a single channel, inasmuch as Versus is the single present cable/satellite channel for NHL action and it cannot be assumed that the league’s next TV contract will include two channels worth of action even if Disney gets back in the game. Wouldn’t the league and the sport benefit from a March Madness-type of presentation with their playoff action? Is this presentation possible? We believe that it is, under the following format.
For first-round action with four games in one night, a pregame show should air from 6-7 PM EDT, setting the table for the night’s action and recapping events of the previous day. The first game would start promptly at 7:00 PM EDT, with the next one dropping the puck at 7:25 PM EDT. This would allow for coverage to move fairly seamlessly between games, albeit with fairly minimal intermission analysis from the studio — but that would be the price paid for the frenetic action. The geography of the local markets would determine which game would take priority for the brief moments when the games overlap — and the network would also be free to utilize the split-screen when urgent sequences are occurring simultaneously. The third game would begin at 9:25 PM EDT, hopefully right on the heels of the first game’s conclusion, although admittedly the second game would still be underway — this concession to having some overlap would be necessary, though, in order to keep the evening’s overall conclusion time within some semblance of reason. The fourth game would start at 9:50 PM EDT and the second half of the evening’s action would progress in the same manner. A studio postgame show would follow the conclusion of the last game and ideally air from about 12:15 AM EDT until 1:00 AM EDT assuming the games are all on schedule.
For first-round action with three games in one night, everything would air in the same fashion except for the third game beginning at 9:50 PM EDT so as to decrease the chances of overlap between the early games and the late one. For first-round or second-round action with two games in one night, the format with the 7:00 PM EDT and 7:25 PM EDT start times could be retained if both games are in the Eastern or Central time zones; otherwise, fairly standard doubleheader coverage would air with start times of 7:00 PM EDT and 9:40 PM EDT.
Ideally, a network would air these games with their own broadcast crew instead of subcontracting out to local affiliates like Versus has done, but if a continuation of that arrangement were deemed necessary to make the finances add up for this package to take place, it would be a trade-off that is easily justified. While a number of parties might end up sacrificing financially in the short-term to make this system possible, the buzz that would be generated and the new and curious viewers enticed would surely make this a winner within a few years. There would not be extended commercial breaks available during the three-game and four-game nights, but sponsorships for the evening could be sold off in a number of creative ways. In short, nothing would bring the unparalleled excitement of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the masses like this idea would. Make it happen, NHL!
NHL draft guide: draft thoughts and profiles
By Rick Morris
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
This overview of many of the top players in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft also comes courtesy of Russ Cohen at Sportsology. It serves as an excellent high-level analysis of many of the players who will be picked early at next week's event.
Draft Thoughts and Profiles
By Russ Cohen
This draft is pretty loaded, and if you hear otherwise, people just aren’t paying attention. I have interviewed some players that will go anywhere from the first round on down and have scouted others. Here are my thoughts on some of the top picks not in any particular order.
Ryan Ellis – 5-10, 180 - Defense – He has a great shot up the gut. He’s very advanced at all facets of the game. Size be dammed! He has terrific hockey sense. This blueliner will do anything he can to keep the puck in the zone and more. He is a clutch scorer. He was the OHL’s best postseason point producer from the blue line and he won the OHL Defenseman of the Year. He should be a top-ten pick.
Matt Duchene – 5-11, 200 – Center – This youngster has blazing speed, perfect body mechanics and a laser of a shot, but at his size he won’t be able to muscle in goals the same way that Tavares will be able to do. This kid plays in all situations and can outrun OHL defenseman, but let’s see how he does at the next level. He has a pro slapper and he should be a top scorer. He should go third overall.
John Tavares — 6-0, 198 – Center – He looked better than the previous times that I had seen him when he played in the last WJC. Lets face it, he wasn’t challenged enough in the OHL, and maybe getting traded to London helped that a bit, but in this tournament he was an absolute sniper. He was terrific at face-offs, and he scored in the clutch and played a very good two-way game. He was sensational around the net. I think he will be the top pick in this year’s draft and he will be a marketable player for the Islanders unless they make the mistake of trading the pick. Remember this: Luc Robitaille was once criticized for his skating and he is a future Hall of Famer.
Victor Hedman – 6-6, 212 – Defense - He is my choice for the second overall pick. He had a shoulder injury in the ’09 U-20 World Junior Championships, but he showed that he was still a precision passer. He moves extremely well for a big man. He wasn’t an offensive force, but you could see flashes, and he was the most impressive blueliner that I saw hit the ice. He had a cheap-shot punch that didn’t get him a penalty, which shows that he’s already getting the star treatment. I think he will take longer to develop than Tavares and the Canadian is a more marketable player. Generally speaking, teams near the bottom usually need some help in that area.
Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson - 6-1, 201 – Left Wing – He has superior puck control and he attacks the offensive zone with amazing stick skills. He has some very flashy goals because of his great acceleration and drive to the net. He does lack some toughness and he will need that when he plays in the NHL. With that said, I think he will be picked somewhere in the 6-10 range rather than the top-five.
Evander Kane - 6-0, 185 – Left Wing – This was a big year for this kid in the WHL and the World Juniors. He’s a good skater and a good fighter. He has good puck skills and he has terrific on-ice awareness. A very important aspect of his game is the fact that he can win battles in the crease. This winger is an intelligent kid.
Brayden Schenn – 6-0- 195 – Center – His numbers keep going up. Schenn is now synonymous with tough thanks to Luke’s solid first year with the Leafs. This forward is good on both sides of the puck. He will improve his skating and he has good hockey sense. He will play in the crease and lay the big hit. Schenn is an excellent passer and he’s hard to cover. I’ll be surprised if he’s not a top-five pick.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – 6-3, 180- Defense – This blueliner was a plus-44 this year in a men’s league and he’s a plus-55 for his career. That’s impressive no matter how you slice it. Even if his teams were solid, he still excelled and he will be an impressive NHLer after he learns the North American game.
Jared Cowen – 6-5, 220 – Defense – This big defenseman isn’t a great skater but he covers his area well. He can be a shutdown defenseman. He has great reach! I like the fact that he has a shot that he can get on net. The knee injury he suffered this past season shouldn’t hamper his draft position. He’s still a top-ten pick in my eyes.
Nazim Kadri – 6-0, 180 – Center – This talented forward trains with Matt Hackett (the #1 ranked Domestic goaltender). The netminder is faster on land! Kadri is an excellent skater who has terrific moves. He’s got great Memorial Cup experience. He has terrific hockey sense and he’s a very smart player. You notice him on the ice and he’s a player who can make a play in a pinch. His previous broken jaw shouldn’t set him back in this draft.
Scott Glennie – 6-1, 185 – Right Wing - He’s a ‘Pegger and there are a lot of them in the league. He has a solid two-way game. Glennie can win one-on-one battles to get to the net and score and that’s what I like the most about him. His excellent skating makes him a top 20 pick.
Zack Kassian – 6-3-211 – Right Wing – Kassian is very aware of where the puck is and he moves well without the puck. He can lay the smack down with the best of them.
John Moore – 6-3, 190 – Defense – This USHL standout had 28 interviews in 48 hours due to NCAA rules. He’s committed to Colorado College but will the organization that drafts him ask him to play in juniors? It’s the most compelling storyline outside of the draft. He’s a clutch goal scorer, and he possesses good puck skills. The rear guard is an excellent skater and he’s excellent on the power play. He plays a solid two-way game. He’s a good passer and a solid puck mover. Knows where to go on the ice and he’s a real wild card. He should go in the top 15.
Dmitry Kulikov – 6-0. 195 – Defense - He changed his hair style and I like it much better. That could move him up a few slots: ask Colton Gillies. He helped Russia win Bronze in ’09 WJC. He could drop if teams don’t think he will sign right away. He was the 08-09 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the Rookie of the Year, the Best Professional Prospect and Defenseman of the Year by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
David Rundblad – 6-3, 190 – Defense – The Swede is a good passer, a solid skater and he has terrific offensive instincts, plus he’s smooth. He’s got top-20 written all over him.
Jacob Josefson – 6-0, 190 - Center – He’s an excellent skater and he wore a letter in ’09 in the Swedish Elite League. He can take a hit, give a hit and he’s a great puckhandler with a solid shot.
Louis Leblanc – 6-1, 180 – Right Wing – He’s fast and he has an aerodynamic look to him. He’s a decisive player. He stays with the play, gets dirty, looks for his teammates first and can score as well.
Drew Shore – 6-3, 195– C/RW – This U.S. product is a big strong kid, he’s a good skater and a big part of the Gold Medal U-18 squad. He’s going to Denver University and his parents went there as well and are law school grads! Should make the top 20.
Tim Erixon – 6-3, 190 - Defense – Former NHLer Jan Erixon is his dad and he was known for his defense. The younger Erixon can be a terrific defensive stalwart in the league.
Dylan Olsen - 6-2.5, 207 - Defense – He will attend Minnesota-Duluth this fall. There's never been a defenseman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League taken in the first round of the NHL Draft and Dylan has the opportunity to be the first. He is an offensive defenseman.
Landon Ferraro – 5-11, 175 – Center – He’s a bit small, but so was his dad Ray who played 1,258 games in the NHL. Landon is a good skater who possesses great hockey sense and terrific speed. He should be a first-rounder.
Since FDH began co-producing our draft guides with Sportsology and Card Corner Club last year, we have also been serializing the features that will be involved in it. By the end of this week, HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2009 will be available for free download.
This overview of many of the top players in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft also comes courtesy of Russ Cohen at Sportsology. It serves as an excellent high-level analysis of many of the players who will be picked early at next week's event.
Draft Thoughts and Profiles
By Russ Cohen
This draft is pretty loaded, and if you hear otherwise, people just aren’t paying attention. I have interviewed some players that will go anywhere from the first round on down and have scouted others. Here are my thoughts on some of the top picks not in any particular order.
Ryan Ellis – 5-10, 180 - Defense – He has a great shot up the gut. He’s very advanced at all facets of the game. Size be dammed! He has terrific hockey sense. This blueliner will do anything he can to keep the puck in the zone and more. He is a clutch scorer. He was the OHL’s best postseason point producer from the blue line and he won the OHL Defenseman of the Year. He should be a top-ten pick.
Matt Duchene – 5-11, 200 – Center – This youngster has blazing speed, perfect body mechanics and a laser of a shot, but at his size he won’t be able to muscle in goals the same way that Tavares will be able to do. This kid plays in all situations and can outrun OHL defenseman, but let’s see how he does at the next level. He has a pro slapper and he should be a top scorer. He should go third overall.
John Tavares — 6-0, 198 – Center – He looked better than the previous times that I had seen him when he played in the last WJC. Lets face it, he wasn’t challenged enough in the OHL, and maybe getting traded to London helped that a bit, but in this tournament he was an absolute sniper. He was terrific at face-offs, and he scored in the clutch and played a very good two-way game. He was sensational around the net. I think he will be the top pick in this year’s draft and he will be a marketable player for the Islanders unless they make the mistake of trading the pick. Remember this: Luc Robitaille was once criticized for his skating and he is a future Hall of Famer.
Victor Hedman – 6-6, 212 – Defense - He is my choice for the second overall pick. He had a shoulder injury in the ’09 U-20 World Junior Championships, but he showed that he was still a precision passer. He moves extremely well for a big man. He wasn’t an offensive force, but you could see flashes, and he was the most impressive blueliner that I saw hit the ice. He had a cheap-shot punch that didn’t get him a penalty, which shows that he’s already getting the star treatment. I think he will take longer to develop than Tavares and the Canadian is a more marketable player. Generally speaking, teams near the bottom usually need some help in that area.
Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson - 6-1, 201 – Left Wing – He has superior puck control and he attacks the offensive zone with amazing stick skills. He has some very flashy goals because of his great acceleration and drive to the net. He does lack some toughness and he will need that when he plays in the NHL. With that said, I think he will be picked somewhere in the 6-10 range rather than the top-five.
Evander Kane - 6-0, 185 – Left Wing – This was a big year for this kid in the WHL and the World Juniors. He’s a good skater and a good fighter. He has good puck skills and he has terrific on-ice awareness. A very important aspect of his game is the fact that he can win battles in the crease. This winger is an intelligent kid.
Brayden Schenn – 6-0- 195 – Center – His numbers keep going up. Schenn is now synonymous with tough thanks to Luke’s solid first year with the Leafs. This forward is good on both sides of the puck. He will improve his skating and he has good hockey sense. He will play in the crease and lay the big hit. Schenn is an excellent passer and he’s hard to cover. I’ll be surprised if he’s not a top-five pick.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – 6-3, 180- Defense – This blueliner was a plus-44 this year in a men’s league and he’s a plus-55 for his career. That’s impressive no matter how you slice it. Even if his teams were solid, he still excelled and he will be an impressive NHLer after he learns the North American game.
Jared Cowen – 6-5, 220 – Defense – This big defenseman isn’t a great skater but he covers his area well. He can be a shutdown defenseman. He has great reach! I like the fact that he has a shot that he can get on net. The knee injury he suffered this past season shouldn’t hamper his draft position. He’s still a top-ten pick in my eyes.
Nazim Kadri – 6-0, 180 – Center – This talented forward trains with Matt Hackett (the #1 ranked Domestic goaltender). The netminder is faster on land! Kadri is an excellent skater who has terrific moves. He’s got great Memorial Cup experience. He has terrific hockey sense and he’s a very smart player. You notice him on the ice and he’s a player who can make a play in a pinch. His previous broken jaw shouldn’t set him back in this draft.
Scott Glennie – 6-1, 185 – Right Wing - He’s a ‘Pegger and there are a lot of them in the league. He has a solid two-way game. Glennie can win one-on-one battles to get to the net and score and that’s what I like the most about him. His excellent skating makes him a top 20 pick.
Zack Kassian – 6-3-211 – Right Wing – Kassian is very aware of where the puck is and he moves well without the puck. He can lay the smack down with the best of them.
John Moore – 6-3, 190 – Defense – This USHL standout had 28 interviews in 48 hours due to NCAA rules. He’s committed to Colorado College but will the organization that drafts him ask him to play in juniors? It’s the most compelling storyline outside of the draft. He’s a clutch goal scorer, and he possesses good puck skills. The rear guard is an excellent skater and he’s excellent on the power play. He plays a solid two-way game. He’s a good passer and a solid puck mover. Knows where to go on the ice and he’s a real wild card. He should go in the top 15.
Dmitry Kulikov – 6-0. 195 – Defense - He changed his hair style and I like it much better. That could move him up a few slots: ask Colton Gillies. He helped Russia win Bronze in ’09 WJC. He could drop if teams don’t think he will sign right away. He was the 08-09 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the Rookie of the Year, the Best Professional Prospect and Defenseman of the Year by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
David Rundblad – 6-3, 190 – Defense – The Swede is a good passer, a solid skater and he has terrific offensive instincts, plus he’s smooth. He’s got top-20 written all over him.
Jacob Josefson – 6-0, 190 - Center – He’s an excellent skater and he wore a letter in ’09 in the Swedish Elite League. He can take a hit, give a hit and he’s a great puckhandler with a solid shot.
Louis Leblanc – 6-1, 180 – Right Wing – He’s fast and he has an aerodynamic look to him. He’s a decisive player. He stays with the play, gets dirty, looks for his teammates first and can score as well.
Drew Shore – 6-3, 195– C/RW – This U.S. product is a big strong kid, he’s a good skater and a big part of the Gold Medal U-18 squad. He’s going to Denver University and his parents went there as well and are law school grads! Should make the top 20.
Tim Erixon – 6-3, 190 - Defense – Former NHLer Jan Erixon is his dad and he was known for his defense. The younger Erixon can be a terrific defensive stalwart in the league.
Dylan Olsen - 6-2.5, 207 - Defense – He will attend Minnesota-Duluth this fall. There's never been a defenseman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League taken in the first round of the NHL Draft and Dylan has the opportunity to be the first. He is an offensive defenseman.
Landon Ferraro – 5-11, 175 – Center – He’s a bit small, but so was his dad Ray who played 1,258 games in the NHL. Landon is a good skater who possesses great hockey sense and terrific speed. He should be a first-rounder.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue XXIV
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
RIP Mitsuharu Misawa
By Rick Morris
One of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Misawa, passed away last night after collapsing in the ring. Evidently he sufffered a heart ailment.
Now, he worked a very stiff, physically brutal style in Japan that featured a lot of so-called "head dropping." Japanese pro wrestling is a work just like it is everywhere in the world, but nowhere is there a greater emphasis on "looking real." The physical toll involved with this style may very well be responsible in some way.
Misawa was a man who exemplified effort and a sense of dedication to the fans who paid his salary. As a tribute to him, we offer footage of the match that many place on a very, very short list of the greatest of all time: Misawa vs. Kawada: June 3, 1994.
RIP The Great Misawa.
One of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Misawa, passed away last night after collapsing in the ring. Evidently he sufffered a heart ailment.
Now, he worked a very stiff, physically brutal style in Japan that featured a lot of so-called "head dropping." Japanese pro wrestling is a work just like it is everywhere in the world, but nowhere is there a greater emphasis on "looking real." The physical toll involved with this style may very well be responsible in some way.
Misawa was a man who exemplified effort and a sense of dedication to the fans who paid his salary. As a tribute to him, we offer footage of the match that many place on a very, very short list of the greatest of all time: Misawa vs. Kawada: June 3, 1994.
RIP The Great Misawa.
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