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2010 NFL Draft Grades: Rounds 3-7

Posted: 28th April 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
This is the lightning round. No pans here. What’s the point? Note how little the talent drops off from Round 2 to Round 3. Teams that frittered away their 3rd rounders are feeling foolish.   Round 3 Ed Dickson—Baltimore He’s a vertical threat tight end with good hands. A real weapon for Joe Flacco. When you add in Ray Rice’s versatility as a pass catcher, Flacco now has check-down options to overthrow at two different ...

2010 NFL Draft Grades: Rounds One and Two

Posted: 28th April 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
NFL fans regard the NFL Draft the way seniors regard nursing home MegaBingo. Both sit mesmerized for days listening to announcements punctuated by long silences, consult and scribble on various prompts, crib sheets, and fetishes to guarantee vigilance, and punctuate the proceedings with random exclamations of joy, flatulence, fatigue, angina, and hopelessness. Occasionally, a large black man in a baseball cap walks in front of ...

Why Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Are Renewing Interest in the NBA

Posted: 31st March 2010 by Barking Carnival in NBA
The Thunder are thundering down the stretch, having just dispatched the execrable 76ers in Philly by 19. My favorite atmospheric disturbance is now 45-28, playoff locked and roster loaded, and firmly in the mix to plant anywhere from a No. 3 to a No. 8 seed in the competitive, fertile West. I just combined phrases evoking meteorology, gunnery, and agriculture, all in the ...

NFL Playoff Overtime Rule Changes: Stop the Insanity

Posted: 24th March 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
A few weeks ago, we explained why it would be a big mistake for the NFL to adopt the goofy proposed overtime rule changes. We didn’t think the proposal would actually pass—certainly the NFL brass would consider it carefully, reject it, and come up with a better solution, right? Wrong. Today, it was announced that the changes have been approved by the owners and will be ...

NFL Overtime: Why The Proposed New Rules Won’t Work

Posted: 15th March 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
The NFL is considering some changes to its sudden death overtime format for the playoffs in an effort to erase the receiving team’s advantage. You know the concern: a team can win the coin toss, move the ball 40 yards, kick a FG, and win the game before the other team even touches the ball. First, it’s fair to note that this is in fact a bit of a problem. In 158 overtime ...

New York Yankees Pitching: Is AJ Burnett Worth $82.5 Million?

Posted: 15th March 2010 by Barking Carnival in MLB
I shave with one of those three blade disposable razors that are popular with the masses. They work pretty well, but they’re expensive to replace. Like girlfriends. So I end up using them more than is recommended to prolong their life. And if you use them this much, they don’t shave as well as they should.     Why am I telling you this? I’ll get ...

Dorkapalooza: Bill Simmons, Bill Belichik, Moneyball, and 4th and 2

Posted: 10th March 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
Better known as Dorkapalooza . The conference was held on March 6, headlined by luminaries like Rockets GM (and ‘00 Sloan School grad) Daryl Morey, author Michael Lewis , Colts GM Bill Polian, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, and ESPN Bah-stahhnophile Bill Simmons. It attracted over 1,000 fans, job seekers, knowledge enthusiasts, sexless dorks, and rationals. Dan Shanoff offers a capable recap . I thought this piece of advice from Shanoff was ...

Texas Exes: Longhorns in the League

Posted: 3rd January 2010 by Barking Carnival in NFL
Holy cow, the hits just keep on coming for former Texas Longhorns in the NFL. Jamaal Charles , who barely saw the field in the first half of this season, shattered the Kansas City ChiefsÆ single-game rushing record today, running up 259 yards on the day, putting him over 1,100 yards for the season. ChiefsÆ LB Derrick Johnson ran back two interceptions for touchdowns in the teamÆs upset of the Broncos, and ...