Help Me, Tom Telesco, You're Our Only Hope

The NFL Draft - where every year brings "A New Hope"

It has become a right of Spring.  

The NFL draft comes, and for a few days, we are invested in our football teams once again.  College prospects are broken down, team needs are analyzed, projections are made...

It is a chance for fans to begin to project their hopes and aspirations for the coming season.  The addition of new and exciting college players to their favorite teams roster entices fans to think that maybe, this year could be different.

At the end of each season, there's really one one fanbase that walks away happy.  The fans of the Super Bowl Champions.  Otherwise, it's just varying degrees of misery.

• Perenial contender that continue to fall short (Patriots)
• Teams that have great seasons, but blow it in the playoffs (Broncos or Falcons)
• Teams that have been perennial doormats (Raiders)
• Teams who were contenders, but had dissappointing seasons (NY Giants)

The Draft is a fresh start.  You get your first look at your team's new players.  You see highlight packages of the newly drafted performing at a high level against other college competition.  

If your team drafted someone that you thought would help, you're happy.  If your team drafted someone that was "not on your radar", well, some fans end up "talking themselves into it", while others just want to complain.

On a personal note, I'm excited about the players drafted by the San Diego Chargers this year.  But this isn't really any different from any other year.  Every year, I find myself pulled in.  You convince yourself that if this player could develop, and that player becomes the playmaker he was in college, your team could finally win that elusive Super Bowl.

It's about hope, and dreams, and keeping the fanbase tantalized.

Live Blog: 2013 NFL Draft-Round 3

And here with go with Round 3!

-Impossible for Round 3 to top Round 2...however  Terron Armstead, Offensive Tackle is still out there for my Chargers.  Also, DT John Jenkins, and a couple good corners.  Should be interesting.

63rd Pick.  Chiefs select- TE Travis Kelce from Cincinatti
64th Pick:  Jags select Dwayne Gratz, CB from Connecticut
65th Pick:  Lions (this could be Terron Armstead) - Larry Warford, Guard from Kentucky (I like this pick)
66th Pick:  Raiders - Sio Moore, OLB from Connecticut  (Kiper and McShay love the pick)
67th Pick:  Eagles - Bennie Logan, DT from LSU
68th Pick:  Browns - Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State

- So far in Round 3, I really only know one player selected... Larry Warford.  And yes, there ARE guys I studied up on still out there... Jenkins, Hoyer, Armstead, to name a few...

69th Pick:  Cardinals - Tyronne Matthieu, CB from LSU...and the Honey Badger has a home!
-most of they "where will they go" guys are gone now, except for QB's Matt Barkley, and Ryan Nassib.

70th Pick:  Titans - CB Bidi Wreh-Wilson, from Connecticut (that's 3 Huskies in a short time!)
71st Pick:  Rams - Safety, TJ McDonald from USC
72nd Pick:  Jets - Ryan Winter, Offensive Tackle, Kent State (Surprised he went before Armstead, but glad)
-Lots of good picks sitting there for the chargers...only 3 picks ahead of them.

73rd Pick:  Buccaneers -Mike Glennon, QB from NC State (Taken ahead of Barkley and Nassib?)
74th Pick:  Cowboys - Terrance Williams, WR from Baylor (according to LaCanfora)

It's not possible for the chargers to NOT get a good player here... I'm very curious as to what they'll do.  Good Corner?  Good WR?  Armstead at Offensive Tackle?  Let's see what happens.

75th Pick:  Saints -  reports say, OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine Bluff
-and the pick is... Armstead.  And that was something, with the pick announcement from the paralyzed former player.

76th Pick:  Chargers - WR Keenan Allen from California
- I didn't really study him, but he was projected 2nd round pick.  Some people had him in the first round.

Welcome to the Chargers, Keenan!

Many people said he was the "most complete" WR in the draft.  Sounds like he was just too good to pass up.  Draft profile on NFL.com  I like the selection.

77th Pick:  Dolphins - Dallas Thomas, Offensive Tackle, Tennessee (Could be a Guard)
78th Pick:  Bills - Marquise Goodwin, WR from Texas
79th Pick:  Steelers  - Marcus Wheaton, WR from Oregon State

- What I like about the Chargers pick... the NFL prospect grades on their draft tracker?  Keenan Allen is the highest rated of all of them.  I like it.  Tom Telesco saw or felt the rush on WR's coming, and went and got the best one.

80th Pick:  Cowboys -  JJ Wilcox, Free Safety from Georgia Southern
81st Pick:  Giants - DeMontre Moore, DE from Texas A&M
82nd Pick:  Dophins - traded to Saints - John Jenkins DT from Georgia (Nice Pick!)
83rd Pick:  Patriots - Logan Ryan, CB from Rutgers  (Surprised that Poyer from Oregon State hasn't been taken)
84th Pick:  Bengals - Shawn Williams, Safety from Georgia
85th Pick:  Redskins - Jordan Reed, TE from Florida
86th Pick:  Colts - Hugh Thornton, OG from Illinois
87th Pick:  Seahawks - Jordan Hill, DT from Penn State
88th Pick:  49ers - (from Packers) -Corey Lemonier, DE from Auburn
89th Pick:  Texans - Brennan Williams, OT from North Carolina

Matt Barkley is still on the Board...   Maybe someone trades up into the end of the 3rd?  Cuz none of these teams need a qb.   Ryan Nassib too.  Tough Draft for Nassib.  People had him going at 8 to Buffalo...round 3 almost over, and he's still undrafted.

90th Pick:  Broncos - Kayvon Webster, CB from USF  (they needed another DB to guard Keenan Allen)
91st Pick:  Patriots - Duron Harmon, Safety from Rutgers (that's 2 DB's from Rutgers!)

- Kiper, McShay, Dilfer, and Polian all loving the Mante Te'o pick just now.  Kiper said "could be the best pick of the draft, right now".

92nd Pick:  Rams - Stedman Bailey, WR from West Virginia (joins teammate Taevaun Austin)
93rd Pick:  49ers - TRADE!  to the Dolphins...who could this be for?  Not Barkley?
-and the Dolphins select:  Will Davis, Cornerback from Utah State
94th Pick:  Ravens - Brandon Williams, DT from Missouri Southern
95th Pick:  Texans - Sam Montgomery, DE from LSU
96th Pick:  Chiefs - Knile Davis, RB from Arkansas
97th Pick:  Titans -Zaviar Gooden, OLB Missouri

A few final thoughts before I sign off.  I like the Chargers picks so far.  Te'o and Allan are first round talents taken later in the draft.  Also displayed a good sense of timing.... After Te'o was selected there was a run on ILB's.  After Allan was selected, there was a run on WR's.  This has been really fun, at least I enjoy putting my thoughts down on the internet.

No Live Blog tomorrow!  I'll be attending a track meet tomorrow, and relying on my cell phone to get get updates on the chargers selections.  Hope you enjoyed reading...and thank you for taking the time to do so.

Live Blog: 2013 NFL Draft Round 2

We'll be live blogging once again, tonight.

Although, not in near as much detail as last night.  Mostly, I'll post the picks, and maybe make a comment or two on some of the more interesting selections.  And, as always, I'll be paying special attention to the San Diego Chargers.

Topics of interest tonight:

• West Virginia Quarterback Geno Smith
• Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Teo
• USC Quarterback Matt Barkley

It wil be interesting to see where these players go, and when they will be selected.

For the Chargers, I have my hopes set on one of two Offensive Tackles:  Menelik Watson or Terron Armstead.  So, it's Day 2, Round 2, and I'll be sitting here hoping that one of the tackles fall to the Chargers again.  Weird.  Also curious as to what the team will do in round 3...  I had the Offensive Guard/Center Barret Jones from Alabama in my Mock Draft, but I think that's highly unlikely with the selection of DJ Fluker in Round One.  

If I had to guess on Round 3, for the Chargers at this point... I'd be looking at:  Cornerbacks David Amerson or Darius Slay; Inside Linebackers Kiko Alonzo, or Jon Bostic; or another position of need, which could be Guard, but could also be Outside Lineback (pass rusher) or perhaps Tight End or Wide Receiver.  

It's also possible that the Chargers take a Cornerback like Jordan Poyer in Round 2, basically I have no idea, and I'm grasping at straws.

Stay Tuned tonight... It all gets rolling in about another hour!  

Live Tweeting going on, with the hashtag #DoofusDraft

Mel Kiper was just on the set.... 25 minutes until the draft starts, and he brought out the "tremendous value" slogan.  I love Kiper and his "value pick" selections!

Adam Schefter is tweeting that Jacksonville will make the pick, not trade it, and they are looking at Cornerbacks.

Some great discussion on the "Honey Badger" on espn.  Bill Polian said he'd take him off his board, Trent Dilfer said it would be really hard for someone like that to "turn their life around" when they get all this money, and all they have to do is play football.

Best thing about Round 2...only 7 minutes between picks.
Best thing about Round 3... only 5 minutes between picks.

Just a couple minutes to go, and Jacksonville will be on the clock...

Trey Wingo manning the anchor position tonight for Boomer.  Man, remember the days when Boomer, TJ, and Kiper did all 8 rounds, pretty much by themselves?  Those were the days.

Jacksonville is on the Clock for the first pick of the second round... Pick 33  - Schefter tweeted earlier than Jacksonville is probably picking a corner
With the 33rd pick, the Jaguars select...Safety John Cyprien from Florida International

34th Pick is possibly being traded by the 49ers to the Titans.
-and the Titans select:  Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee

35th Pick is the Eagles:  TE Zach Ertz, from Stanford  (3 picks in, and no Offensive Tackles yet!)
36th Pick is the Lions: (I bet here come a Tackle...because I did that)
Nope!  CB Darius Slay  Mississippi State

37th Pick is the Bengals (thanks to the Raiders for Carson Palmer...how'd that work out, Silver and Black?)
-RB Gio Bernard from North Carolina  (interesting...didn't see him being the first RB)

38th Pick is the Cardinals:  (no clue what they do here)  TRADED to the Chargers!  Woah!
with the 38th Pick, the Chargers take... Who?  Who? Menelik Watson?  Terron Armstead?
-Linebacker Manti Teo!  Holy Smokes...I'm Blown Away!  Blown Away!  Didn't see that coming.

Hope you play as well in SD as you did at ND.

Honestly, I'm going to have a hard time thinking for the next half hour or so, here.
I wonder what they gave up to get him?  They moved up 7 spots.
And Eisen tells me they give up their 4th round pick.  That's it.

39th Pick is the Jets:  Is it Geno time?  And it is!  QB Geno Smith from West Virginia.

Between Teo and Geno being picked back to back... we should just take a five minute break.
(Smoke em if you got em  #Spaceballs)

40th Pick is the 49ers (sheesh, they fleeced the Titans out of next years 3rd):
-Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State.  (Another Pass Rusher SF?  You don't play fair.)
TWEET from "Red Hed Jess":  I wanted to announce the Niners Pick!

41st Pick is the Bills:  Robert Woods, WR, USC  (pretty good player)
42nd Pick is the Raiders:  (If Al was still here, I know they'd screw this up, now I'm not so sure)
-Menelik Watson, Offensive Tackle, Florida State.... that's one of the guys I wanted!
(of course, that has changed drastically with the Teo pick)

43rd Pick is the Buccaneers:  Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
TWEET from Frank Caliendo:  BREAKING: Sources say Chargers drafting Manti Te'o may be part of a very elaborate hoax.
TWEET from Adam Schefter:  With 2nd-round selection of Geno Smith, Jets now have surplus of QBs, leading some sources to say team will consider releasing Mark Sanchez.

44th Pick is the Panthers:  DT Kawaan Short, Purdue
45th Pick is the Cardinals: (from the Chargers)-  LB Kevin Minter, LSU
46th Pick is the Bills:  LB Kiko Alonzo, Oregon
(suddenly a rush on Inside Linebackers...Te'o pick looking good)
47th Pick is the Cowboys:  TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State
48th Pick is the Steelers:  RB Le'Veon Bell from Michigan State (that's 2 before Lacy!  surprising)
49th Pick is the Giants:  DT Johnathan Hankins, from Ohio State
50th Pick is the Bears:  LB Jon Bostic, Florida  (another ILB in the "run" that Te'o started)
51st Pick is the Redskins:  CB David Amerson, NC State

-Been getting alot of the picks before they are announced from Jason LaCanfora's twitter feed, but he totally butchered those Giants and Bears Picks.  Had the RB from UCLA going to both.

-Also, think I'm going to break this into another, seperate post for round 3.  Just getting kinda longish.

52nd Pick is the Patriots:  Outside LB, Jamie Collins from Southern Miss  (Who?  I don't know)  This was one of the picks from the Vikings to trade back into the first round, last night.

53rd Pick is the Bengals:  DE Margus Hunt from SMU (I didn't realize SMU played defense?)
54th Pick is the Dolphins:  CB Jamar Taylor from Boise State (I like this pick)
55th Pick is the Packers:  Traded to the 49ers!
-The San Francisco 49ers select:  TE Vance McDonald from Rice (makes sense, they lost one in FA)

56th Pick is the Seahawks:  Trade to the Ravens!
-And the Baltimore Ravens select:  LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State (another ILB type, I like him)

I gotta admit...my stamina is running out.  I think in the third round, I'll post until the chargers pick, and then wait...and just post the results and thoughts afterwards.  This is exhausting to do for nothing but fun.

57th Pick is the Texans:    Safety, DJ Swearinger from South Carolina  (I bet he's got a potty mouth)
58th Pick is the Broncos:  RB Montee Ball from Wisconsin (another RB before Lacy?  that's strange)
59th Pick is the Patriots:  WR Aaron Dobson from Marshall
60th Pick is the Falcons:  CB Robert Alford from SE Louisiana
-that Pick was announced by Leon Sandcastle!
61st Pick is the Packers:(from the Niners)  RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama (LOVE this pick...good one)
62nd Pick is the Seahawks: (from the Ravens)    Christine Michael RB, from Texas A & M

And that's it for Round 2!  I'm going to have a hard time getting as excited for round 3.  Don't know as many picks, and let's face it, it will be impossible to top the Te'o and Geno picks back to back!

Yowza...I'm already tired.

2013 NFL Draft Live Blog - first round

OK, technically as I am starting this we are an hour away.

It's draft day, baby!

I love the NFL Draft.  I love the trades, the projections, the "experts", the whole thing.

Planning on flipping back and forth between espn and nflnetwork tonight, but I'll probably start with espn, because Chris Berman and I have built a relationship over the years.  It just wouldn't seem like the draft, unless I kick it off with Boomer.

Word on the interwebs, is that Kansas City has decided that they will take Eric Fisher, the Offensive Tackle from Central Michigan.  Of course, they are still saying that they are "shopping" the draft pick, and I guess that's just to be expected anymore.

Lots of intrigue in this year's draft... so many questions... who will be drafted in the top 10?  I've honestly seen 6 to 8 guys listed as the #2 pick to Jacksonville.  San Francisco has a bunch of picks (something like 13), and they don't have alot of needs, won't be surprised if they attempt to "trade up".  Minnesota also has 2 first round picks, and they could be in play for moving up, if there's a player they really like.

I'll be focused on my Chargers of course.  No one has any idea what they will do with the 11th pick.  They desperately need an Offensive Tackle, but the top 3 guys are supposed to go early (maybe in the top 4-5 picks).  Does this make the Chargers a possibility to "move up"?  Possibly.  But this is a team with a lot of needs, and it will be hard for them to give away extra picks to move up a few spots.  Maybe one of the highly touted Guards will still be there at 11.  Who knows?

Also of interest, Quarterback position.  The last few years have seen a run on Quarterbacks being taken early.  In 2012, 4 QB's (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffen, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Wheedon) were taken in the first round.  2011 also saw 4 QB's taken in the first round (Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder).

This year's draft, has no real "super stud" at Quarterback.  West Virginia's Geno Smith is regarded as the top guy, but not by much.  Also in the running for a first round pick, are Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, and EJ Manuel.  But where will they go?  In the top 10 picks... 6 or 7 teams need a Quarterback, but none of the guys previously mentioned are thought of as top 10 picks.

That's what makes the draft so fun.  OK, 50 minutes to go... Going to take a quick break.

Feel free to weigh in on twitter.  We'll be using the hashtag #doofusdraft.

Text from Brother Rich:  Bears are going to take Teo, I can feel it.

I can see that happening.  And not a bad pick for the Bears, either.  He's an interesting guy...one of the top defensive players in the NCAA all season, but then the whole "girlfriend hoax", and a poor performance in both the NCAA Championship and the Draft Combine, and some people are saying he could drop out of the first round.  But I doubt it.

I just filled in Fisher on NFL.com's "Pick the Pick" game.  Don't know if Jags will keep the pick or trade it, so I'm waiting on pick #2.

They're announcing the draft prospects, and having them walk onstage, and my youngest boy (who stayed home sick today), says "Oh my God, how many players does Alabama have?".  Ha.

Early Prediction:  The Chargers move up, either to 2 with Jacksonville or 4 with Philly, and go get their Offensive Tackle.  (Of course, this only assures that they will NOT do either of those things)

Update:  Youngest son just threw up.  Made it in the bucket.  I told him he could go to bed, and he says, "I want to watch the draft with you Dad."  What a trooper.

And We Are Live!  Whoo-hoo!

Comments from the Peanut Gallery:
Dano the Mano - Wouldn't you shit if a qb got picked first.
Stevo - "hilight of the chargers year. All down hill after tonight lol. #patriots

How Long do the Chiefs let the clock run, until they select Fisher?

Commish Goodell gets some cheers, and some boos.  And Joe Namath makes a fool of himself.

The Chiefs are on the clock.

Picture from the SD War Room - Tom Telesco (T2) and Mike McCoy (M2)

First Draft for these guys in charge in SD.

And the Chiefs select:  Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan.

And the Jags are on the clock.  What do they do?  Joekel?  Trade?  We'll see...

From Timmah:  @coacharming Better chance of happening: Chargers getting a tackle in the top ten or youngest kid making it in the bucket again (trooper!)


Jacksonville's pick is in. Gotta be Joeckel. Gotta be Joeckel. and its...Luke Joeckel , Offensive Tackle, Texas A & M


The Raiders on on the clock. No idea what they do here, but it'll probably be defense.

And the Raiders select: NO One! Trade with the Dolphins!

From Timmah: @coacharming Did you see the ESPN graphic on players picked after theirs? Guaranteed all-star in #4! #doofusdraft

And the Dolphins select:  OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

Wow...that was a surprise!  And Lane Johnson is still on the board.

And the Eagles are on the clock.  And they select:  Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

And the top 3 Tackles are gone in the first four picks.  The Chargers will either go Guard or Defense. (probably)

The Lions are on the clock.  Who is the best WR in this year's draft?  I kid, I kid.

5th pick:  The Lions take:  DE, Ziggy Ansah, BYU

6th Pick:  The Browns are on the clock:  What do they do?  They need, pretty much everything but an Offensive Tackle and Running Back.  The Browns select:  Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU

-So they went Pass Rusher.

7th Pick is Arizona... and they could go a number of ways.  I hope it's not a Guard.

I ask the 9 year old and the 10 year old, who the Cardinals are picking?
10 year old - I don't know any of the players
9 year old - Did the Packers really lose Greg Jennings to the Vikings?  Who did they get to replace him?

The 7th Pick is in, and the Cardinals take:  Jonathon Cooper, Guard, North Carolina.

And the Chargers may be screwed out of getting a lineman.

Bills are on the Clock, but Schefter is saying they will trade... let's see.

Trade is confirmed and the Rams are on the clock.  WR?  possible.

With the 8th pick in the NFL draft...the Rams take... Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia.

Man, I'm good at this.

9th Pick is the NYJets... I think they might go with a pass rusher. or corner.
....and it's a Corner.  Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

10th pick is up...and Chance Warmack is still sitting there for the Bolts.  Don't go and screw it up, Titans!

10th pick for Tennessee....my guess is... Maybe Star Lotulelei, DT?  (I hope)
...Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

11th Pick, and I have no idea who the chargers will take.  Maybe a trade down?  I don't know.  I'm depressed.

The Chargers select DJ Fluker... OT, Alabama.

And, my day is officially ruined.  6th best offensive lineman, in a draft with 5 good linemen.

12th Pick belongs to the Raiders... my Guess is Geno Smith.
the pick is in... and it's:  DJ Hayden, CB from Houston.  nearly died on the practice field...now he goes to the Raiders.  So he may actually think he is in hell.

13th pick is the Jets... Maybe they go Tight End?  They could go D-line too?
-and the pick is... Jets take Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

The Panthers have the 14th Pick... no idea what they will do.
DT Star Latulelei, Utah  Good Player.

And at 15 we have, the Saints.  They gotta be thinking defense.
The Saints pick Kenny Vaccaro, Safety, Texas

16th pick, belongs to the Bills, and it's gotta be Geno Smith or Ryan Nassib.
...and the pick will be... EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State.  He's a bit of a surprise, and the first QB taken off the board.

Horrible Peanut weighed in on twitter to say:  1.  He's going to miss Fitzpatrick.  and 2.  The Bill need some new blood.

17th Pick is the Steelers:  Pass Rusher?  Jarvis Jones maybe?
-And I nailed that one Too!  Good Selection.

18th Pick, and the 49ers have traded into the Cowboys selection.  Must be targeting someone?  Who?
-Eric Reid, Safety, LSU.  Makes sense, they lost a starting Safety in free agency.

from Dano the Mano:  So whose gonna pick te'o steelers or Vikings ?? Or will steelers trade for Tebow ??

19th Pick belongs to the Giants, and they just missed out on the top safeties.
-I'm thinking they could go Tight End.  They Go:  Justin Pugh, Tackle, Syracuse.  Kinda surprised by that pick.  Thought that guy would be picked in round 2.

20th pick - is the BEARs... I think it could be Mante Teo.
-Matt Zimmer of the Argus Leader tweets: Dear Bears: Please take Manti Te'o.
-Gruden is talking like it could be the TE from Notre Dame, and so is Kiper.... foreshadowing?
-the pick is Kyle Long, Guard, Oregon.  Weird.  I didn't see that coming...and I really thought they'd do something else there.

21st Pick - Bengals have the pick here...and I'm not sure who they take... I need to look at the board.
-Tyler Eiffert, Tight End, Notre Dame.  Pretty solid pick.

22nd Pick - is the Falcons.  Maybe defensive line?
and the pick is Desmond Trufant, Cornerback, Washington

23rd Pick - The First of two Vikings selections... Corradelle Patterson the WR is just sitting there.
-So is Mante Teo.
-So is Sharif Floyd, the DT.  I'd go Patterson.  But that's me.
-Who do the Vikings pick?... Sharriff Floyd, the DT from Florida.  That guy fell a ton.

24th Selection belongs to the Indianapolis Colts...who could go in any number of directions.  Bjoern Werner DE from Florida State?  makes some sense.  And I nailed it!  This is easily the best job I've ever done in the first round of a draft...and it was supposed to be the hardest one.

Vikings back on the clock with #25, and Patterson is still there...  that would be a pretty good pick.
... and they take CB Xavier Rhodes, from Florida State.

So, three straight picks for the state of Florida, and 2 in a row from Florida State.
-Note from Timmah -  Boomer: The Vikings "first they got the Shariff, now they got the deputy"

26th Pick belongs to the Packers...and although their line stinks, and their defense needs work, Patterson is there, and they lost Brandon Jennings.  Maybe I can answer my sick kid's question tomorrow...
-Packers take DE Datone Jones from UCLA, pass rusher.  OK.  This Patterson kid has to get picked, don't he?

27th pick is the Texans.  They probably will draft someone who can illegally cut block someone while engaged, so they tear their ACL.  I tell you what NFL, if you want to make "player safety" a concern... you better get rid of the "Shanahan Zone Blocking Scheme".  Probably the dirtiest thing allowed in the League.
-WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR from Clemson.  Expect lots of crackback blocks from him over the next several years.

28th Pick belongs to the Broncos.
Since espn have pretty much given the Broncos the AFC Championship already in this coming year, I don't think they need a pick.  Or if they do...maybe it should be a fat, defensive tackle to fall on Manning's knee during training camp.    (Hey I didn't wish injury on his Neck!)
-the consensus seems to be that they want a pass rusher to replace Dumervil, so ... I don't know!  I didn't study many pass rushers.

Also, Shefty is tweeting that Minnesota is approaching NE about trading back into the first to get Mante Teo.

Broncos pick is in, and it is...  DT Sylvester Williams.... just like I said, a big fat guy, to fall on Mannings leg during Training Camp.  Perfect.

29th Pick belongs to the Patriots, lets see if Minnesota gets this trade done.  I heard a rumor of three picks, to get back into the first.  Belichick, just smiles, and laughs, and collects 2nd round picks.

- I wonder if anyone is going to trade back into the first for Geno Smith?  That's gotta be hard, he was projected top 10, and top 20 at the latest.

-Dissappoinment of the draft so far, is that Leon Sandcastle has gone undrafted so far yet.

The TRADE is in... Vikings are in the 29th Pick... Could this be Mante Teo?  Seems like it.
-  The Vikings select WR Cordelle Patterson...so, I think they did this to make me look bad, because I picked them to take him twice, and they didn't...so they pick him when I think it's Teo.
-The Patriots collect a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and a 7th for this.
- Good Lord, the Vikings better get a good player here.  Never make a deal with the Devil.  Do you remember the Randy Moss trade?  That wasn't long ago?  BB doesn't make stupid trades.  He don't.

30th Pick belongs to the Rams.... Who could do alot of things... top guys on the board are:  all pretty much D-linemen.  And the Rams take a Linebacker, Alec Ogletree, from Georgia.

What happened to the guy from KState?  thought Arthur Brown would be picked by now?

31st Pick belongs to the Cowboys.  Maybe Demontre Moore from A & M?  or a cornerback?
Johnthan Banks the Corner from Mississippi State is there.  How about this for a surprise pick... RB Eddie Lacy from Alabama?  Huh?
-The Cowboys select the Offensive Lineman from Wisconsin - Travis Fredrick... Played some Tackle, but will probably play Guard in the NFL.  Man, that's alot of Guards in the first round.

Guards in the First Round - Cooper, Warmack, Fluker may move inside, Long is a Guard, Puegh will probably move inside, and then Frederick.  That's 6 Guards in the first round...there goes the logic that you don't draft Guards in the first round.

32nd and Final, first Round Pick, belongs to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens could go many ways...  Arthur Brown or Domantre Moore?  or a Safety like Cyprien?
-it always seems like the Ravens pick late, and just have a bunch of guys that will fit their system fall into their laps.  It's crazy.
-and the pick is...  Matt Elam, Safety, Florida  -Seems like a good player, but a little "light in the pants" to play Safety in the NFL.

OK, I'll probably be back tomorrow night...but with not nearly as much detail.

Hope you enjoyed the first #Doofusdraft!

Live Blog Tomorrow: The NFL Draft

Stop on by tomorrow night... going to Live blog the NFL Draft.

I plan on updating and publishing the draft page every 15 minutes or so.

Also, will be doing some draft discussion on Twitter.  We'll use the Hashtag #DoofusDraft

Draft will start at 7pm Central time tomorrow night... I'll be posting thoughts and comments from my (limited) cast of characters including:  Brother Rich, Dano the Mano, and Timmah!

I'll of course, be focusing on the Chargers at the 11th pick, but I'm starting to expect a trade, either up or down.

Hope to see you!

The Boston Bombings

One week ago, I sat, as much of the world did, in a state of confusion and disbelief as I watched the news reports coming out of Boston.

So much confusion and so many unanswered questions...
Why did this happen?
Who would do such a thing?
Are they working alone?
Are there more attacks to come?

At the same time, I was captivated by the reports of incredible courage and fortitude displayed by the police, the emergency responders, and even ordinary citizens.  People who went out of their way to help the injured.  Venturing into the fray of madness, not knowing if something else would happen.

More Questions came to mind...
Would I have the courage to do this?
What if I had been there?
Would I have run away, frightened and scared?

I watched the news more last week, than at any other previous time in life, with the exception of 9-11.  I followed breaking stories on twitter (great job by the Boston Globe, btw).  I saw pictures "leaked" of the suspects...that weren't really the suspects.  I read, watched, and listened to every sprinkle of information I could get on the subject.

Thursday night, when the FBI released the photos and video of the Tsarnaev brothers was released (not yet knowing who they were) I was glued.  I exclaimed to my wife "someone knows those guys...something is going to happen".  We went to bed, and I had the television on watching the reports and updates over and over.  Right before she finally made me shut it off and go to sleep, the news broke that there had been a shooting at MIT.

I woke the next day to hear the news that the older brother had died in a shootout, but the younger brother had escaped.  As I returned home after work, I was amazed that he hadn't been caught yet.  I watched news (and yes, followed twitter) as the investigation seemed to fail, and the "lockdown" order was lifted.  And then, so suddenly, they had the suspect surrounded, and were able to capture him.

What does this all mean?

I know some will place blame at the hands of the FBI, who had some information about the older brother a few years back.

I know some will say that it shows how violent and unstable the world has become.

I know some will place blame at our politicians.  And it doesn't matter what their ideology is.

Some may also think this is "just the start" and that other tragic events are sure to follow.

I am not certain what to think.

We certainly live in a dangerous and fascinating time in history.  When people around the world can witness events so tragic live in their own homes.  When people living in South Dakota, Montana, or heck, even Indonesia can follow the pursuit and capture of a criminal suspect in Boston in real time.

The times may be dangerous.  Life may be uncertain.

But this has always been true.  As a child of the Cold War, I remember "The Day After".  I remember growing up under the threat of nuclear holocaust.  The belief that the Soviet Union was evil, and they would not rest until the world ended.

I choose instead, to believe in humanity.  To believe in the people who went charging into the fray, to help the wounded.

There may be many things to fear in this world.  But there is so much more to celebrate.  Take care of your loved ones, and continue to believe in the goodness of man.

The old adage "Count Your Blessings" is a wise and sincere thought in times like these.

I Will Not Be Mocked!

Presenting my 2013 San Diego Chargers Mock Draft.

I'm no "draft expert" like Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay, or Mike Mayock, etc, etc...  I don't break down players on film (except one year, when I watched highlights of Running Backs until my head was spinning...that was the year the Chargers drafted Ryan Mathews).  So, I'm not even an "amateur" talent evaluator.

However, every year as the draft starts getting close, I start frequenting a number of draft sites...and what I do is... I look up player rankings, see where the various sites have various players rated and then compare that with what need the Chargers have.  Then, I try to pay attention to some "Mock Drafts" put out by the "experts" and depending on what they are projecting, I try to fill out the Bolts needs accordingly.

In the 5 or 6 years or so I have been doing this, I have made exactly 2 selections in "My" Mock draft that the Chargers actually selected.  Marcus Gilchrist and Vaughn Martin were those two players, and to be completely honest... I had them going one round later than they were actually selected.

Why waste all this time when the team so rarely selects my picks?  That is a fair question.  What I enjoy about the process is that I get to "know" so many more prospects than I normally would, so when I am watching the draft I can go "Oh I had that guy going in the 5th round....that's surprising he was picked in the 3rd".  It just makes the draft more enjoyable, for me anyway.  This is why I'm the self-proclaimed "Sports Doofus".

The Challenge this year is twofold:
1.  The Chargers have a new General Manager is Tom Telesco, and a new Head Coach in Mike McCoy, so I really have no idea what type of players they are looking for, and when they tend to draft them.
2.  The Chargers draft at 11th in the first round, which makes things difficult.  They need some Offensive Linemen, but most Mock Drafts have the top 5 Offensive Linemen going before the Chargers pick.  However, if a few pass rushers and a Quarterback (Geno Smith) sneak into the top 10, it's possible that the Bolts do get a first round lineman...which will then affect how they pick the rest of the way.

One last caveat, I put this together without any trades whatsoever.  Which is sort of an exercise in futility, because there is usually some movement.

Helpful Sites:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013  The NFL's site...has good player information.
http://walterfootball.com/  A great site for mock drafts, updated weekly with changes.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft  Does a pretty good job ranking prospects, and has good player bios.
http://www.drafttek.com/default.asp  A new site for me this year, I really liked it, lots of good info here.

Round 1 (11) - Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Barring a "trade up" scenario, I don't see the Chargers being able to draft any of the top 3 Offensive Tackles, or the top 2 Guards.  In weighing team needs, against Best Player available...I think Jarvis Jones is the pick.

He's experienced in playing the 3-4, having played it at Georgia, and he fills a big need as both Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes both weren't re-signed.  

Chances this pick are correct:  Slim to none.  No idea what the Chargers will do here.  None.  Bakevious Mingo from LSU is another possiblity here.  Or maybe one of the Guards (Jonathon Cooper, UNC or Chance Warmack, Alabama) falls.  It's very likely that a trade up or down could occur here.


Round 2 (45) -Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

The Chargers fill their hole at Left Tackle in Round 2 with the pick of Terron Armstead.  Although from a smaller school, he impressed at the combine and Senior Bowl.

The downside of Armstead is he may not be ready to start right away.  He may take some time to develop.  But he's the prototypical size and fills a huge need.

Note:  I'd like to see Florida State's Menelik Watson fall to the Bolts here, but with the top 3 picks going top 10, I don't see it happening.


Round 3 (76) - Barrett Jones, OG Alabama

The Chargers fill another need by drafting Barret Jones.  He is best suited to play Guard in the NFL, after playing all 3 line positions (C, G, and T) at Alabama.  He would step in and be an immediate starter.  In addition, Center Nick Hardwick isn't getting any younger, and Jones could move over to Center, if needed.

Jones had a stellar career at Alabama, winning the Rimington Award last year as the top Collegiate Center, and the Outland Trophy as a Junior as the top Offensive Lineman.  Alabama is also known for their dominating Offensive Lines, and Jones was arugably the best player on it.


Round 4 (110) -A.J. Klein, ILB, Iowa State

The Chargers would look to add depth and a potential starter by drafting AJ Klein in the 4th round.  Inside Linebackers Takeo Spikes and Demorrio Williams were released, and they don't really know what they have yet in 3rd year player Jonas Mouton.

Klein is a guy who could come in and compete for a starting position right away, and otherwise would be a great depth player.  He is known as a guy with "high motor" and hard worker.  Co-Defensive MVP of the Big XII as a Junior, would be a very good "Value Pick"  (channeling Mel Kiper).


Round 5 (145) -Terry Hawthorne, CB, Illinois

Cornerbacks Quinten Jammer and Antoine Cason were not re-signed, and although the Chargers signed Derek Cox from Jacksonville, they could use some depth in the secondary.

Hawthorne just kind of "fits the bill" in all the things you are looking for in a later round draft pick.  He has the size, and all the physical tools.  Needs to get into the right system, with the right coaching and could become a solid NFL player.




Round 6 (179) -T.J. Barnes, NT, Georgia Tech

We've officially moved into "let's take a shot in the dark" territory.  You never have a clue what a team is going to do in the later rounds.  The Chargers lost free Agent DT Antonio Garay to the New York Jets, and starting NT Abreyo Franklin to the Colts, so they have a need at DT position.

At 6'6", 369 pounds, Barnes has the prototypical size for the position.  Even if he lacks some talent/skill, that kind of physical presence can't be ignored, and will take up blockers.  Barnes also has experience in playing the NT in a 3-4 defense, as that is what Georgia Tech runs.  He's a good fit.


Round 7 (221) - LaAdrian Waddle, OT, Texas Tech

If round 6 is "Shot in the Dark", round 7 is "Needle in a Haystack".  Impossible to tell what any team will do.  However, the Chargers have so many holes on the Offensive Line, I think that's where they look to add some depth.

Waddle was a three year starter at Texas Tech, and was twice named to the Big XII first team.  He would not be ready to start, but would strictly be a depth signing as he learns a pro offense.  He has the prototypical size for the position and great experience.


So there you go....the San Diego Chargers 2013 "Mock Draft".  All this means, is that there is very, very, very high probability that NONE of these players will actually be selected by the Chargers.

I'll be watching next Thursday night as the 2013 NFL Draft begins, and see if any of my picks come to fruition.

For the Love of Bean

No, not Mr. Bean!  Although he is quite hilarious.

 (Even though Mrs. Coach, and all four versions of the little coach's disagree with me.  They are wrong.  Mr. Bean is genius.)

No, I'm talking about Kobe Bean Bryant.

Note:  I am not discussing Kobe's Sexual Assault case in Colorado.  All I'm looking at is his body of work as a player.  If you can't overlook that, I understand...but philandering athletes is hardly anything new.  And   no one knows exactly what went on in that Colorado hotel room but the two people involved.  But, I digress.

I'm sure that most people have heard that he tore his Achilles Tendon.  But did you know that AFTER he tore his Achilles tendon, he went to the bench, walked back out to the court...shot (and made) 2 free throws, and then walked off the court under his own power!  Watch for yourself.

In this, his 17th season, Kobe Bryant is finally becoming embraced by fans of other teams as he is by Laker fans.  It's about time.

You see, fans of other teams didn't get it, they hated Kobe.  In fact, until LeBron spurned Cleveland to go to Miami, Kobe was far and away the most hated player in the league.  I wish I would have collected a nickel for every time that I heard Kobe was "overrated"...  Or how "the refs bail him out"...  Or how he was a "bad teammate"... or how he was "a jerk".

When the Lakers decided to part ways with Shaquille O'Neal and keep Kobe, the critics howled.  They said it was a mistake.  When Shaq subsequently won a title with the Miami Heat, they howled even louder.  When the Kobe-led Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals... the critics reached a deafening level.  "Kobe never won anything without Shaq".  And the narrative continued to grow.

The fact the Lakers then won 2 straight titles following that, still did little to quiet Bryant's critics.  Sure he had finally won without Shaq, but he was still considered a jerk, and arrogant, and yes even overrated in some circles.

However, over the past two years, there has been a slight "change" in the tone of the story.  Fans of other teams are starting to understand.  They are beginning to see how Kobe brings it every night.  For 17 seasons now, he gives it everything he has.  He has played through multiple injuries, multiple head coaches, in different systems, and yet he still comes ready to rock every night.

Even noted Celtics fan and Laker Hater Bill Simmons has been converted.  In Simmons career he has made 2 things abundantly clear:  1.  He hates the Lakers (and) 2.  He hates Kobe Bryant.  Or at least he did.  You can go over the archives of his columns and his podcasts, but over the past 2 seasons there has been a remarkable shift in tone from the Editor of Grantland.com.

Maybe it's the fact that the other players of Kobe's time have come and gone.  Do you remember Tracy McGrady?  He was drafted a year after Kobe.  Maybe it's because other players near his age are struggling to stay healthy, with injuries hampering them every season. (see Kevin Garnett who has only played 70 games once in the past 5 years).  But Kobe continued to bring it night after night after night (playing all 58 games last 'strike shortened' year, all 82 games the year previous...and 78 games this year), right up until the point that literally couldn't.  The game before he tore his Achilles he played all 48 minutes.

How many guys in the league could even play 48 minutes of average basketball in their 17th season?  Much less to do it at the level that Kobe has.  He's taken over the point guard role at times this season.  Earlier this season it was announced that Kobe would just go ahead and guard the other team's best offensive perimeter player, if that was a quick little point guard, fine.  If it was a slashing, muscular 2 Guard, fine.  If it was a sweet shooting small forward, fine.  Didn't matter.  Put Kobe on him, he'll handle it.

Why do you think the Laker fans started the "MVP" chant when he went to the free throw line?  (and that started back when they had Shaq).  Why when the whole world was against them when they kept Kobe instead of Shaq...why were the Laker fans happy?  Seriously, did you know a Laker fan who said, "We kept the wrong guy".  Because I've never met one, and although I'm sure they exist...they probably don't brag about it.

Now we are finally hearing from the "haters" and the "fans" of other teams an admiration for how hard Kobe plays, and how he brings it every night.  So much so, that he gets the MVP chant in every arena.  (And yes, the Boston Celtics crowd is on there too)  That would have been unthinkable just 4 years ago.  Now, the respect that has been earned year after year, is finally being shown.

The thing about that is, Laker fans aren't surprised.
We already knew.

(BTW, I can't help but get one, small, itsy bitsy, shot at the Celtics on here.)

Celtics fans....Remember this?

Paul Pierce in a Wheel Chair after rolling his ankle in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

(He'd go on to return in this game, and ... play in the rest of the games in the series).

Once again for Clarity.... Paul Pierce after rolling his ankle (and then returned)

OMG, OMG, OMG....Carry Me!

Kobe Bryant after tearing his Achilles, missing the rest of the season, and having surgery the next day.

I got this.

Addicted to Television

Well, Sunday Nights are toast!

I blame HBO.  I mean, it's really their fault.  They started this whole thing.  The Sopranos debuted on HBO in January of 1999, and the world of television has never been the same.  After the Sopranos, there was Six Feet Under, and Deadwood, and Carnivale, and The Wire, and Boardwalk Empire, and True Blood (In No Particular Order), and now... Game of Thrones.  You get the point.
 
It was really quite ingenious.  How many times have you come out of a movie wishing "I'd like to see more of those characters, I really enjoyed them."  I'm pretty certain that the continuous stream of sequels, and series, and trilogies, and Comic Book movies is based on something pretty fundamentally simple.  People enjoy watching characters that they care about, they already have a relationship with them, so that makes it easy...you have a 'built-in audience'.

This all started with Tony and family.

So HBO took the next step.  They developed television series that were much better than what the broadcast networks were putting out.  They had better stories, better actors, higher production value, and more importantly, since they were on a "pay cable" channel, they could go places that broadcast networks couldn't go.  No such thing as too much blood, or nudity, or cursing, or whatever the story needed.

It wasn't long until other networks followed suit.  Showtime has had a few series that have done pretty well, Weeds and Dexter come to mind, and recently Homeland has become a massive hit for them.  Honestly, I haven't watched any of the Showtime series (except a few episodes of Dexter), but I do want to watch Homeland.

Who is Don Draper?

The next big player in the development of great television was a bit of a surprise.  AMC, a channel that was pretty much ignored (unless you were looking to watch an old movie, when nothing else was on television) threw their hat into the ring with Mad Men in 2007.  They hit what you might call a "home run".  Created by former Sopranos writer Matthew Weiner, Mad Men was not your typical network television fodder.  Can you imagine Weiner trying to sell his story of Advertising Executives set in the 1960's, and the protagonist is a philandering, drinking, smoking, arrogant jerk...who may not be who he seems to be.... to CBS or ABC?

While Mad Men was a runaway success, how could little AMC (who most people couldn't find without the Guide), possibly compete against the big boys?  They couldn't do it again.  Until they did.

Breaking Bad burst onto the scene in 2008, and suddenly there was a competitor with Mad Men for "Best Show on Television".  And they both came from the same tiny little cable network.  Breaking Bad again deals with things that would have never been aired on broadcast television.  AMC continued it's success with the development and production of the television series version of the graphic novels "The Walking Dead".  In fact, although not as highly acclaimed as Breaking Bad or Mad Men, the Walking Dead has higher ratings than either of it's forebears, and last season received the highest ratings ever for a cable network television show.
(In the past two weeks, we've been treated to the season finale of The Walking Dead, and the season premiere of Mad Men)

A show about Russian spies set in 1981?  Sounds interesting...

Recently, FX has become a home to some very good television shows, as well.  The Americans is the best new show on television this year.  In fact, The Americans may be the actual best show on TV.... not just best "new show".  The concept is great, the actors are ferocious (Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys are marvelous as undercover spies, struggling in an arranged marriage), and the story... My Gosh, the writing is phenomenal.  In fact, if you haven't watched The Americans yet, Go Watch the First Five Episodes Now!  You won't be disappointed.

Louie makes you laugh, and think.

FX is not a "one hit wonder" however.  Justified, Sons of Anarchy, and American Horror Story each have passionate fan bases.  In addition to these tremendous dramas, FX is the home to some wildly original comedies as well, headlined by 'Louie'.  Comedian Louis C.K. basically gets to do whatever he wants, he's the writer, director, producer, and star of the show.  Although pigeonholing "Louie" as a comedy is almost a disservice.  It's funny yes, but it's also dark, and deep, and waaay more compelling than any sitcom on the broadcast networks.


Speaking of sitcoms, and broadcast networks....that's about the only thing I watch on the "Big Four" anymore.  I'll watch "How I Met Your Mother", "New Girl", "The Mindy Project" (best 'new' comedy on the air this year), and "The Big Bang Theory"... and that's about it.  And to be completely honest, none of those shows are 'rocking my world' as a TV viewer (although "The Mindy Project" is very good...very surprised with that show).  I really only watch HIMYM any more, because I want to find out who the mother is!

I don't think I watch a single "drama" on the "broadcast networks".  They have all been replaced by the cable shows.  Actually, there's too many of them to keep up with already.  I haven't finished "The Wire" yet, I really want to start "Justified", and "Game of Thrones", and "Homeland"...and... it just never ends!

In conclusion, not only am I addicted to television, I don't see this ending at anytime in the near future.

A glimpse inside my mind...

Down with the Blue Devils

Why it's OK to despise Duke.

"Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really, don't like you."  - Plain White T's

It's become a passage of Spring, the NCAA tournament begins and whether Duke does well, or Duke does poorly, the "Haters" come out of the woodwork, and you end up seeing articles like "Why We Hate Duke" and "The 12 biggest reasons everybody hates Duke".  Which usually start or end with the argument that basically, "they're really good".  This is true, but it's still ok to "hate Duke".

Normally, I'm not a "hater".  I'm not into that.  I like to cheer for my team(s), and hope for the best, and then (should they fail) pick another team (maybe one with a good story, or an underdog, or something like that) to cheer for.  I don't usually participate in the "hate" that many do.  Which is perfectly fine by the way.  If you can talk yourself into hating the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre more than life itself, and then turn around and cheer for him when he signs with your team, that's your prerogative.  But that is precisely why I don't do that.  Modern sports (particularly professional sports) lead to people "cheering for the uniforms", the players come and go, the coaches come and go, it really doesn't make much sense to have "hatred" for another pile of laundry.

But Duke is different.  They bring out the disdain in me.  I can't stand them.  This is not an uncommon theme.    There is a book for sale on Amazon.com that is #10 in humor sales (as I write this), that was written over a year ago, titled "Duke Sucks".  It doesn't seem to matter what team's fan base you talk to, either.  Of course North Carolina (Duke's chief rival) fans loathe the Blue Devils, but so do Kentucky fans, and Louisville fans, and UCLA fans, and Michigan State fans, and on and on we go.  

Why is the hatred so widespread?  Well, after scouring the Internet and reading a number of articles, I have a few thoughts.

Duke's fans 

I am not talking about the "Cameron Crazies" here (they get their own section).  I am talking your general, run of the mill, ordinary, 'one guy in the entire office who cheers for Duke' fans.  First of all, at best you are a "bandwagon fan" who chooses to cheer for them because they are good every year.  A very high percentage of Duke fans (I would wager 98-99%) have no affiliation or affinity to the university whatsoever.  They didn't go to school there (Duke has a smaller undergraduate population than my Alma mater, South Dakota State), and they don't know anyone who went to school there, they just cheer for Duke because they are successful.  Or worse, they choose to cheer for Duke to be antagonistic.  

This is priceless, and a great example of why Duke fans are disliked, in general:

1999: Duke alum Jennifer Taylor emails star forward Elton Brand to “express my disgust for your decision to leave the Duke program after only two years,” explaining to Brand that “he will not be considered part of the Duke family, in my mind as well as many others.”

The funniest thing about Duke fans is how "annoyed" they are that they are hated.  They espouse the "Duke is hated because they are good" motto like it's the first "commandment" of being a Duke fan.  You chose to be a fan of a rich, elitist, private school, you're going to have to deal with the consequences.  If you argue that duke is an elitist, rich, school please chew on these facts, directly from the Duke Chronicle.

1. The mean income for U.S. households in 2001 was $58,208, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
2. The mean income for white, Duke freshmen in 2001-2002 was $230,000.

(That's only 4 times the national average).  I could go on, but the fact is you have chosen to cheer for a school whose population is made up of spoiled, rich kids.  Here, read this letter, written by a Duke fan (and former student) about being harassed by cheering for Duke in Miami!  

The Cameron "Crazies"

I know "Dickie V" loves them, and calls them the "best basketball fans in the world", and they are much ballyhooed throughout the college basketball world.  They are beyond ridiculous.  Other teams don't have good fans?  The fact that "Kryzewskiville" is celebrated is a joke.  Those kids are no more standing in line than you and I are.  

In Mike Krzyzewski’s sixth year as head coach, Duke students begin pitching tents in “Krzyzewskiville” before major games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. What started as a simple line has since devolved into a Byzantine three-color classification system with wait lists and line monitors. “At the end of Black Tenting, all remaining Black Tent groups will continue tenting under Blue Tenting rules,” the Krzyzewskiville site explains. Oh, however much fun

The following story got a 'bit' of play during the past season, but not as much as you'd expect.  Some Duke fans chanted "How's your Grandma?" to an NC State player, whose Grandmother had just passed away.  

Also, back in 1988, North Carolina Tar Heel Scott Williams was supposedly greeted with chants of "Orphan!" from the Cameron Crazies.  Williams parents had perished in a tragic murder/suicide the previous summer.  And although many Duke sources deny that this ever happened, I did find this:  
The story about the "orphan" chant was corroborated by several independent sources THE NIGHT OF THE GAME in 1989, including managerial staff, and several people working stats. I heard the story hours after it happened by some people who were upset in the actual sports info dept. - which means it was happening behind our bench. While I have no doubt that Ola Jero was not in a position to hear it, I have no doubt it happened.

Yes, I know it isn't verified, and yes I know it could just be a rumor. However, it's a rumor that still has life 25 years after the fact.  That should tell you something about how the 'Crazies' are perceived, and the "Cameron Crazies" behavior does not lead one to believe them of being "innocent" of such things.

Just a "model" group of Cameron Crazies.

No matter how you slice it, the "Crazies" aren't helping Duke's reputation, and it is quite easy to see why their "antics" and behavior turn people to cheer against the Blue Devils.

Dickie V excluded, for obvious reasons.

What?  Dickie V is biased?  No way!

(An aside on Dickie V, and his fascination with the Dookies.)
What is his deal?  Honestly, one time I was watching an ACC game between Virginia and Maryland (this was back when Maryland was contending, so around 2002, give or take a few years), and in the middle of the 2nd half, of a pretty good game, Dickie V. starts going off about Duke, and how good Duke is, and how great Coach K is, and what a great season they were having in Durham, and how fun the Cameron Crazies are, and I was just like.... Dick, there's another game going on right now, and Duke isn't even in the building?  He did earn the nickname "Dookie V", and I really don't understand why, except for maybe Coach K was the first "reputable" coach to be nice to him?  It's beyond weird.

The Duke Players

Let me go on record...far and away, MOST Duke players are good kids.  They are hard workers, they do well in school, and they are very good (some bordering on great) college basketball players.  However, there is a number of Duke players, who rubbed me the wrong way.  In fact, they rubbed most people the wrong way.  In fact, when Grantland.com held a "Most Hated College Basketball Player of the last 30 years" contest, not only did Christian Laettner (duh?) win, Duke got an entire region to themselves!  Think about that just for a second.  The other three regions were broken down by decades, and then the Duke region.  Clearly there is more than a few Blue Devils who get under people's skin.

Every time you watch the Final Four, or an NCAA tournament game, you see Laettner's historic last second shot, to lift Duke over Kentucky to the Final Four in 1992.  What is not shown, is that earlier in that very game, Laettner actually stomped on the chest of a Kentucky player who had the "audacity" to foul him.  In today's game, he'd have been ejected.  

In addition, as the "National Player of the Year" Laettner was added to the "Dream Team" that summer to play with Magic, Michael, Bird, Barkley, and crew.  You know who else was a college player that year, who didn't get to go, yet was the first overall pick in that summer's draft?  How great would a young and playful Shaq have been with those guys?  We'll never know.  Because career NBA Benchwarmer Laettner needed to go.  It was stupid then, and it's beyond stupid now.

There have been a number of others.  The guy who sits right next to Coach K during the games now?  Assistant Coach Steve Wojciechowski?  Was one of the more hated players (who really wasn't very good) of our era.  Bobby Hurley was a decent college player, who I am convinced has still never committed a foul to this very day.  And I'm not sure if there has been a more overrated college basketball player than Greg Paulus than any other player in history.  It's not that he was terrible, it's just that he was very average at best, but if you turned into a game that Dickie V. was calling it seemed plausible that the next Bob Cousy was on the court, and running the show for the Devils.

This seems to be an ongoing issue with many Duke players.  It's not so much that they are bad, most of them are decent players.  But they are SO HYPED up.  I mean, just this past season... Mason Plumlee was listed as a candidate for Player of the Year award early in the season!  Mason Plumlee?  Really?  Had no one ever watched him play the previous 3 years?  He is what he is.  An above average center in the college game.  Nothing more, nothing less.  To even mention him as a possibility as the National Player of the year is beyond ludicrous.  

This is why the Duke players are hated.  We are so beaten to death with "The Alaskan Assassin" and "Duke hasn't lost with Ryan Kelly starting" that we take pleasure in them losing, and can't wait for them to graduate.

The Hypocrisy of Coach K

Coach Mike Krzyzewski is a fabulous basketball coach.  You won't find me doubting his ability as a teacher of the game, as a strategist, or as a recruiter.  He's one of the best ever, and deserving to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  However, he's a big time college basketball coach, and he operates like one.  Don't get sucked into the "Coach K. Aura".

Coach K- doing what he does best.

Remember this little gem?  "I don't look at myself as a basketball coach, I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball".  Okay.  Do leaders normally "inspire" their charges with profanity laced tirades?  The following quote is from a New York Post reporter in 2005, who sat behind the Duke bench:

Krzyzewski himself was an unfiltered Chris Rock concert for much of the day, but one of his assistants was worse. During one timeout, with the starters sitting on the bench, gulping Gatorade, this was his idea of "coaching" them: "You're a bleep, and you're a bleep, and you're a bleeping bleep-bleeper of a bleeper-bleeper. You bleepers don't bleeping deserve to wear the bleeping colors of Duke University! Bleep! Are you bleeping bleeping me? Bleep all of you. Get out of my bleeping faces."

At which point, he was replaced by Krzyzewski, whose assessment was far more succinct: "You bleeping make me bleeping sick."

I understand that it's big time college sports, and that he's dealing with young men, and not little boys.  But the public image of this man and how he actually behaves is quite different.  Here's a quote from an opposing player (and yes, it's a Carolina guy, so take it for what it's worth).

"I guess the thing that surprised me the most was you don't realize how much he curses and how much he's on the refs all the time," says former UNC guard Bobby Frasor. "I remember someone telling me about [former Duke player] Taylor King during his freshman year and how he thought his name was ‘motherfucker,' because that's how Coach K got his attention. I don't know how true it is. I mean, he's a great coach and I'm not going to deny that at all, but the way he handles his players or acts with the refs and media, sometimes it kind of rubs people the wrong way."

This type of behavior isn't just "on the court", reserved for players and referees.  In fact, I found he actually had a run in with Duke's own school newspaper.
1990: After Duke’s student newspaper gives the Blue Devils a B+ at the halfway point of the season, Coach K invites the paper’s sports staff in for a get-together with the team and his assistant coaches. "I'm not looking for puff pieces or anything like that,” Krzyzewski tells the student journalists, “but you're whacked out and you don't appreciate what the [bleep] is going on and it [bleeps] me off.”

There is more to that story, but what's the point of sharing all the curse words he used on his own school's student journalists for "daring" to give his team a B+?  

What word is coming out of his mouth next?

The point is these aren't isolated incidents.  Three Paths to Glory is a book written by Duke grad Barry Jacobs, chronicles the 1993 season following the teams of UNC, Duke, and NC State.   A March to Madness a book by John Feinstein also follows the Blue Devils through a season(1996-1997).  In each book, you will find that the reports of Coach K's language is not being exaggerated.  It's just who he is.

Never forget either, that Coach Krzyzewski quit coaching the team in 1995 season, citing back pain and exhaustion.  Certainly we can all understand that, as back pain is quite debilitating and can certainly affect someone's job performance.  However, one unusual thing about that...
 Long-time assistant Pete Gaudet takes over in Coach K’s stead, guiding the Blue Devils to a 2-14 ACC record. Contrary to the practice at other schools, these wins and losses stay on Gaudet’s permanent record. “I think I should have been credited with all the losses,” Coach K says in 2007. “It must be difficult for Mike Krzyzewski to influence the Duke athletic department,” Deadspin’s Emma Carmichael wrote earlier this season, “because the losses stayed where they were.”

Poor Coach K, he can't even influence the school (in which he is the highest paid person) to give the losses to him for the season that he quit on his team.  I mean if only they had named the BB court after him or something, maybe he'd have some influence.

Well, at least you can say that he runs a clean program.  Duke has never had improprieties of students getting cash or anything like that, while righteous Coach K has ran the program?

2000: After leaving Duke, former star Corey Maggette admits to accepting thousands of dollars from summer-league coach Myron Piggie. Though such payments would presumably have made Maggette ineligible, the NCAA declines to strip Duke of its Final Four appearance. The Blue Devils, in fact, aren’t punished at all. This undoubtedly confuses John Calipari.

2003: An investigation by the New Orleans Times-Picayune reveals that point guard Chris Duhon's mother “landed a job working for a Duke booster; co-workers say the job opening was never posted and that Harper was overpaid and lacked qualifications.” Again, Duke gets absolutely no heat from the NCAA.

Irony of ironies, that very same year, 2003, Duke named it's "Leadership and Ethics Center" after Coach K. 

Many people have mentioned the lack of success that Duke players have had at the NBA level, and used this as an argument for Coach K's greatness and the prominence of the "Duke Program".  I couldn't disagree more.  Most of these guys are McDonald's All-Americans and highly recruited out of high school, it's not like they all of a sudden lose their ability because they played in the "Duke System".  Personally, I think it has a lot to do with the "success" of Duke.  When they get into the NBA, and they don't have Coach K on the sideline intimidating officials, when they aren't on the team with more talent than 95% of the people they play against, the game isn't easy anymore.  It's not surprising that the Duke players who have had good NBA careers, are the hard workers...the Grant Hills, Shane Battiers, Carlos Boozers of the bunch.  The Laettners, Trajon Langdons, Danny Ferrys, and Chris Collins of the world never live up to their hype.

In Conclusion

It's OK to cheer against Duke.  They are an elitist, snobby, private college.  Their players are (consistently) overrated.  Their fan base is obnoxious and borderline irresponsible.  Their team is led by a cursing, intimidating, control freak who carries himself as some sort of Bastion of the Truth.  He's just a coach,  like every other coach out there, trying to win games.  Believe me, if he wasn't winning, I doubt he'd be as revered.  Winning is a wonderful deodorant.

In fact, just to prove this point:

 in 1984, Mike Krzyzewski told reporters the refs had a double standard when working UNC games. Nine years later, Krzyzewski and Smith faced off in a 1993 game inside the Dean Dome. After an argument with the longtime UNC coach, Coach K stormed back to the bench and, according to John Feinstein's A March to Madness, made the following request to his assistants. "If I even for one minute start to act like [Smith], don't ask a single question. Just get a gun and shoot me."

Then, read this article from Mike Lopresti.

Is he a great coach?  Of Course.  Is he "holier than thou", "better than everyone else"?  Of course not.  

And since he, and his program continue to be exalted and lifted up each and every year, it is perfectly fine to take a little pleasure when they fall short.