Trey Anastasio Band will be performing 2 sets at the 6th Annual DelFest on Friday, May 24th (the festival runs 5/23-5/26) at Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD.
As we wrote in March, the city of Chicago unveiled plans two months ago to close over 50 schools, mostly in the poorest areas. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan has sparked fierce protests, with thousands of protesters hitting the streets last weekend to oppose the school closures –arguing that they would put children at risk by … [more]The post Chicago’s Choice: Cl […]
Yesterday, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) aggressively questioned Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about efforts to break up so-called “too big to fail” banks. She noted that under the previous Treasury Secretary, the administration failed to support a Senate amendment to break up these banks. She then probed Lew about if he would support such efforts. LEW: … [m […]
As Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has said, the nation’s biggest banks have essentially gained “too big for trial” status, and the federal government has failed to prosecute any executive at a Big Bank for financial fraud. While Wall Street has escaped prosecutions, thousands of Americans have been arrested in the course of protests against the … [more]The […]
The Phillies announced that Chase Utley, who felt a burning sensation on his right side when taking swings during batting practice Monday in Miami, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with what they have called a "very mild" Grade 1 strained oblique. He is eligible to be activated June 5.
The Phillie Phanatic was greeted with cheers and danced with students as part of a Phillies pep rally at Seaview Elementary School. The celebration was to honor third-grader Ethan Levine, who won the New Jersey Education Association's "Educators who inspire me" essay contest with a submission about his language arts teacher, Tracey Meister.
The only offseason question between the Phillies and Nationals seemed to be how far behind the Phils would be in the National League East standings when they played the Nats for the first time in May. It turns out that just one game separates them in the standings 47 games in.
Rodger Saffold hadn’t played any position but left tackle since his freshman year as a member of the Bedford High football team just outside of Cleveland. As a ninth grader playing for the Bearcat...
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford was sitting on his back patio at his home on the north side of Oklahoma City with a friend Monday afternoon when the all too familiar sounds of a tornado siren began...
Ray Ray Armstrong spent the better part of the past year searching. Searching for a place to play football. Searching for the right fit. Searching for an opportunity, any opportunity that would al...
“I spoke with Jake this morning. He was involved in a car accident in the Czech Republic. Although his car did suffer damage, there were no injuries. Jake is fine.”
VOORHEES, N.J. – Matt Read didn’t get a medal. There were no celebratory pictures. There was no hero’s welcome home. No, if nothing else, from a hockey perspective, his first experience of international hockey competition ended in frustration a...
On Monday evening, the party was still going on in Stockholm from the night before. Winning the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships means that much in Sweden – perhaps even more so since it was the host of the 2013 event. ...
A new era of Maryland baseball is upon us. The Terps joined forces with 522 Productions to produce a short film to showcase the new attitude. 522 spent three days on the field, in the weight room and behind the scenes with the goal of capturing key elements of the team's daily preparation for success. In conjunction with the release, the team will utili […]
As the regular season comes to a close this Saturday, this week's Maryland Men's Lacrosse Blog is taking care of some housekeeping with some odds and ends, including Senior Day, the upcoming NCAA Tournament, Terps in professional lacrosse, information on Maryland Men's Lacrosse Summer Camps, Tournaments and Clinics, and more. Let's take a […]
Last week, we played the in the ACC Championships in Cary, NC. We left a day before our first round. It was nice to go to North Carolina last week, because it was cold and rainy in College Park and much warmer in Cary. After we arrived at the Tennis Center in Cary, we practiced for a couple of hours and then went to the hotel. As usual, we had team dinner […]
A new era of Maryland baseball is upon us. The Terps joined forces with 522 Productions to produce a short film to showcase the new attitude. 522 spent three days on the field, in the weight room and behind the scenes with the goal of capturing key elements of the team's daily preparation for success. In conjunction with the release, the team will utili […]
As the regular season comes to a close this Saturday, this week's Maryland Men's Lacrosse Blog is taking care of some housekeeping with some odds and ends, including Senior Day, the upcoming NCAA Tournament, Terps in professional lacrosse, information on Maryland Men's Lacrosse Summer Camps, Tournaments and Clinics, and more. Let's take a […]
Last week, we played the in the ACC Championships in Cary, NC. We left a day before our first round. It was nice to go to North Carolina last week, because it was cold and rainy in College Park and much warmer in Cary. After we arrived at the Tennis Center in Cary, we practiced for a couple of hours and then went to the hotel. As usual, we had team dinner […]
A week and a half ago, Organizing for Action delivered 1.4 million petitions to House and Senate leadership on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Our message to our leaders in Congress was clear: We’re not backing down on preventing gun violence. To that end, we’re taking this fight back to the states and focusing on several key members of the House of Representatives, asking them to support expanded background checks, and demonstrating the broad support for this measure in their own Congressional district. Anyone who can act on preventing future gun violence must.
Please join with Organizing for Action South Jersey this (Thursday) afternoon, May 23rd as we meet up at Jon Runyan‘s Mt. Laurel office and deliver the thousands of petition signatures from his constituents demanding expanded background checks for gun sales.
Thus far, all the focus has been on the Senate, their failed vote on the GVP legislation and a push to re-introduce this bill sometime in the near future. What we now also need to focus on the House and a new bill that has been introduced there that mirrors the Senate bill. It’s important for Congressman Runyan to hear his constituents. He needs to realize that they and roughly 90% of our country support universal background checks. Please add your voice and your presence to this effort and join us for this exciting event. It’s important for you, it’s important for the country, and it is most important for the most vulnerable among us – our children.
Time:
Today, Thursday, May 23, 2013 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Location:
Rep. Runyan’s Mt. Laurel District Office (Mount Laurel, NJ)
4167 Church Road
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
The Climb Begins! Brian Block and several members of his large group have arrived at Broad Peak base camp and begin the initial stage of the long climb to the 8051m/26,414′ summit.
There She Is. The team is nearly finished with the approach trek to Broad Peak and K2 and finally reach the camp at Concordia. Concordia is a hub of sorts in the region as it sits at the confluence of the Baltoro Glacier and Godwin-Austen Glacier, between the base camps of several 8000m and 7000m peaks including K2 (8611m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Broad Peak (8051) and Gasherbrum II (8034m). That’s right, from Concordia you can gaze upon four 8000m peaks in the immediate vicinity while stradelling two of the world’s largest glaciers! Speaking of viewing peaks, from their brief visit at Concordia, the team is able to get a rare, cloudless and unobstructed view of their objectives, K2 and Broad Peak. It’s an amazing sight and the weather is so astonishingly perfect, they wish they were up on K2′s summit ridge NOW! Jon Miller Total Running Time: 23:59
An Almost Unabridged Expedition Experience. The Rest of Everest is a video podcast created by documentary filmmaker Jon Miller of TreeLine Productions in Colorado. It is “the rest” of the footage from the groundbreaking expedition documentary “Everest: The Other Side” which engrossed thousands of viewers when it premiered on Dish Network™ Pay-Per-View in May of 2005. The film documents the 2003 expedition to the Northeast Ridge route in Tibet, and coincides with the 50th anniversary climbing season. The story revolves around 23-year old climber Ben Clark and the fulfillment of his dream to become one of the youngest climbers to ever summit Everest. Although the film was very well received, there was so much of the story left to be told. Miller returned from Everest with over 80 hours of tape from the 60 day expedition. The final cut of the film totaled just 84 minutes. Average that out and it appears that only one minute of every hour filmed made it into the finished version In September 2007, the final episode from the 2003 expedition was released. The podcast began as a way to expand upon the story told in the film but has grown into an entity all it’s own. Since launching the podcast in 2006, Jon has returned to Everest three times to film more content specifically for the show and has recently returned from filming the East Face of Everest in April and May of 2010. Jon has now documented all three sides of the World’s highest mountain on video including special stereoscopic 3D material that will be released in the future with Season 5. Many episodes of the show also cover an entire expedition to Annapurna IV which Ben Clark and his climbing partners Josh Butson and Tim Clarke attempted in 2008. That “Beyond Everest” series brought the podcast back to its mountaineering roots. The Rest of Everest is far more than a look into the alien world of high-altitude mountaineering. It is a look at the places, cultures, people, travelers and mountaineers that call the Everest region and the Himalayas home. Watch a few episodes and you’ll discover that the world portrayed in this series is hardly alien at all. You’ve probably seen some of what it’s like to visit and climb Mount Everest. Well, this is the rest. This is The Rest of Everest.
Now’s your chance to enjoy an incredible bike ride, meet some amazing people, and support 350.org all in one go!Climate Ride is happening this September 21-25, and it’s not too late to sign up.
Climate Ride is a 300-mile bicycle journey to raise money for groups working to solve the climate crisis, including 350.org.
The ride connects New York and Washington, DC. Along the way, you’ll pass through green rolling countryside, historic towns, Pennsylvania‘s Amish Country, the beautiful Delaware River Valley, and more, before arriving to a rally and hero’s welcome on the steps of the Capitol.
Not bad, right? The ride is also fully supported by the awesome Climate Ride team (they even carry your gear). Along the way you get to hear from a series of great speakers on topics related to sustainability, and hang out with a bunch of other cool folks dedicated to fighting climate change.
When I did Climate Ride, I’d never done a long ride before. I didn’t know if I could do it, but in the end, riding on country roads with the sun beating down, I was reminded what a sweet planet this is, and how much I’d love my kids and their grandchildren to be able to enjoy it in the same way I can.
To participate in Climate Ride, you’ll have to do a bit of fundraising — but that’s part of the fun, too. The donations you raise will support 350.org’s divestment campaign, our continued fight against the Keystone XL pipeline, and our global work to train the next generation of climate leaders.
I hope you’ll consider riding for us this year. It’s really an experience not to be missed.
Fundamentally though…and on paper….We (Terps) will be lucky to not get shut out at every game….look at this schedule after this last season we have in the ACC this year…..Regardless, now is the time to order your season tickets and secure the best seats available for this historic new era of Maryland Football. Lock-in your price for two years including this exciting 2014 Big Ten schedule. ORDER NOW: http://ow.ly/l5Klc
Sept. 27 – at Indiana
Oct. 4 – OHIO STATE
Oct. 18 – IOWA
Oct. 25 – at Wisconsin
Nov. 1 – at Penn State
Nov. 15 – MICHIGAN STATE
Nov. 22 – at Michigan
Nov. 29 – RUTGERS
At the conclusion of last month’s NFL Draft, the Rams had just 59 players committed to their roster.
With roster limits set at 90, that meant the Rams had plenty of open spots to go out into the pool of undrafted free agents and add talent.
According to coach Jeff Fisher, there was some method to the madness as he cited that some of their top targets might be more inclined to sign with the Rams given the availability of potential roster spots as opposed to other places.
“Fortunately for us when this is all said and done today, if you’re choosing between club A and club B and club A has three linebackers and club B has six, you’re going to choose the Rams because you’re going to get an opportunity to come to camp and compete,” Fisher said on the draft’s final day. “We’re banking that we’ll have some success later on this afternoon in that area.”
Over the course of the past couple of weeks, the Rams have had plenty of success in that regard; adding 22 undrafted rookie free agents from all over the country to the mix. Those 22 undrafted rookies will join the seven drafted players as well as a whopping total of 27 undrafted free agents here on a tryout basis for this weekend’s rookie minicamp.
The 22 undrafted free agents signed by the Rams at some point in the time since the draft ended are receivers CJ Akins (Angelo State) and Emory Blake (Auburn), safeties Cody Davis (Texas Tech) and Cannon Smith (Memphis), linebackers Ray Ray Armstrong (Miami), Darren Bates (Auburn), Phillip Steward (Houston) and Jonathan Stewart (Texas A&M), kicker Brett Baer (Louisiana-Lafayette), offensive linemen Braden Brown (BYU) and Kevin Saia (Louisiana Tech), running back Benny Cunningham (Middle Tennessee State), fullback Eric Stevens (California), defensive tackles Garrett Goebel (Ohio State) and Al Lupuaho (Utah State), long snapper Jorgen Hus (Regina (Canada)), tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (Auburn), defensive ends Gerald Rivers (Mississippi) and Ruben Washington (Oklahoma) and cornerbacks Robert Steeples (Memphis), Drew Thomas (UTEP) and Darren Woodard (UTEP).
Each of those players will get an opportunity to make a first impression this weekend and their addition to the roster brings the total in place to 81. That leaves nine spots, some of which could be filled with players from the tryout group.
In the past, the undrafted free agent class used to be viewed as nothing more than camp bodies but the Rams have put more of an emphasis on getting better talent through that avenue in recent seasons.
At various points in the season, that group only expanded with the additions of tight end Cory Harkey and linebacker Sammy Brown, both of whom spent time on the roster in camp.
While the hope is that those players can develop into valuable contributors in some way or another, on a young roster such as the Rams, they often tend to show up on special teams right away as noted by general manager Les Snead when discussing the importance of supplementing the roster via undrafted free agency.
“Just like every year, I’ve told this story a couple times this week – Coach Fisher calls a fake punt out of our end zone from a college free agent punter (Hekker) to a college free agent gunner (McLeod) and we get a big play – those guys are college free agents and there’s going to be a guy out there that’s going to surprise you,” Snead said. “They usually have the makeup, the intangibles, or something to come in.”
Over-The-Shoulder Boulder-Holder. Before leaving Askole for the beginning of the approach trek to Broad Peak and K2 the team turn their gear over to a large community of porters for transport up the Baltoro. Much like in Nepal for Everest climbs, mountaineering teams depend heavily on porters to carry the endless supplies up to base camp for climbs on K2 as well as Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and several other popular peaks in the vicinity. However, before materials can be carried they must be divided up into 25Kg loads and only then are they given to porters. In the past the distribution of loads to porters in Askole has been a free=for-all which was inefficient and occasionally resulted in fights between porters. Now, the expedition materials are kept out of the hands of the porters until each man is handed, one by one, their 25Kg load. After the supplies distributed, Brian and the rest of the team head out on the 10 mile hike up to their first trekking camp, Jhula (3100m). The next day they trek up to Paiyu Camp (3407m) where they get to spend a rest day and enjoy the camp’s laundry facilities! Jon Miller Total Running Time: 32:44 – Watch anytime at S2e TV!
They weigh at least 1,000 pounds, have legs that are supported by ankles the size of a human’s, and are forced to run around dirt tracks at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their backs.(1) Racehorses are the victims of a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with drug abuse, injuries, and race fixing, and many horses’ careers end in slaughterhouses. A New York Daily Newsreporter remarked, “The thoroughbred race horse is a genetic mistake. It runs too fast, its frame is too large, and its legs are far too small. As long as mankind demands that it run at high speeds under stressful conditions, horses will die at racetracks.”(2)
The Starting Gate
Racehorses can cost millions of dollars and are often purchased by syndicates, which may be composed of thousands of members.(3,4) There are also trainers, handlers, veterinarians, and jockeys involved, so a horse is rarely able to develop any kind of bond with one person or with other horses. Racehorses travel from country to country, state to state, and racetrack to racetrack, so few horses are able to call one place “home.” Most do not end up in the well-publicized races but are instead trucked, shipped, or flown to the thousands of other races that take place all across the country every year.
Racing to the Grave
Horses begin training or are already racing when their skeletal systems are still growing and are unprepared to handle the pressures of running on a hard track at high speeds.5 Improved medical treatment and technological advancements have done little to remedy the plight of the racehorse. Between 700 and 800 racehorses are injured and die every year, with a national average of about two breakdowns for every 1,000 starts.(6) Strained tendons or hairline fractures can be tough for veterinarians to diagnose, and the damage may go from minor to irreversible at the next race or workout. Horses do not handle surgery well, as they tend to be disoriented when coming out of anesthesia, and they may fight casts or slings, possibly causing further injury. Many are euthanized in order to save the owners further veterinary fees and other expenses for horses who will never race again.
PETA recently exposed the horse-racing industry’s “breezes” for 2-year-old horses in training—shows in which auction companies show off young horses to potential buyers by pushing them to run a furlong (one-eighth of a mile) at faster speeds than they would ever run in actual races. Video footage shows horses who panic and bolt and suffer fatal breakdowns and career-ending injuries. An equine veterinarian told The Wall Street Journal that the exercises can be “dangerous because they are market driven.” The veterinarian added, “You have a large number of participants in the horse industry … that essentially invest in [racehorses] like stocks.”(7)
Given the huge investment that owning a horse requires, reported one Kentucky newspaper, “simply sending one to pasture, injured or not, is not an option all owners are willing to consider.”(8) Care for a single horse can cost as much as $50,000 per year.(9) When popular racehorse Barbaro suffered a shattered ankle at the beginning of the 2006 Preakness, his owners spared no expense for his medical needs, but as The New York Times reported, “[M]any in the business have noted that had Barbaro not been the winner of the Kentucky Derby, he might have been destroyed after being injured.”(10) Compare Barbaro’s story to that of Magic Man, who stepped into an uneven section of a track and broke both front legs during a race at Saratoga Race Course. His owner had bought him for $900,000, yet the horse hadn’t earned any money yet and—unproven on the track—wasn’t worth much as a stud, so he was euthanized.(11) Eight Belles suffered a similar fate when she broke both her front ankles after crossing the finish line in the 2008 Kentucky Derby.(12)
Drugs and Deception
Many racehorses become addicted to drugs when their trainers and even veterinarians give them drugs to keep them on the track when they shouldn’t be racing. “Finding an American racehorse trained on the traditional hay, oats, and water probably would be impossible,” commented one reporter.(13)
“There are trainers pumping horses full of illegal drugs every day,” says a former Churchill Downs public relations director.(14) “With so much money on the line, people will do anything to make their horses run faster.” Which drugs are legal varies from state to state, with Kentucky holding the reputation as the most lenient state.(15) The New York Sunexplained that because “thoroughbreds are bred for flashy speed and to look good in the sales ring … the animal itself has become more fragile” and that “to keep the horses going,” they’re all given Lasix (which controls bleeding in the lungs), phenylbutazone (an anti-inflammatory), and cortiscosteroids (for pain and inflammation).(16) Those drugs, although legal, can also mask pain or make a horse run faster. Labs cannot detect all the illegal drugs out there, of which there “could be thousands,” says the executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.(17)
Rick Dutrow, the trainer of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, openly admits to giving his horses Winstrol, a steroid that is illegal for equine use in 10 states, although not in the three that host the Triple Crown. Before it was banned in Pennsylvania, nearly 1,000 horses were tested for steroids and more than 60 percent tested positive. Big Brown’s veterinarian concedes that “without steroids, they’d lose some horses that can’t keep up the pace and race every three weeks or every month.”(18) Dutrow was suspended for 10 years in 2011 by the New York racing board for repeated drug violations, although a stay was issued while he appealed the board’s decision, allowing him to continue to work with horses.(19)
Even the ‘Winners’ Lose
Few racehorses are retired to pastures for pampering and visits from caring individuals.
An insurance scandal cost the life of Alydar, who came in second in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown and fathered many fast horses. After being retired from racing in order to serve as a stud at a Kentucky farm, Alydar was originally believed to have shattered his leg by kicking a stall door and was euthanized when he wasn’t able to maintain a splint.(20) Ten years later, an FBI investigation revealed that his leg was deliberately broken when it was tied by a rope to a pickup truck.(21)
One Colorado State University study found that of 1,348 horses sent to slaughter, 58 were known to be former racehorses.(22) PETA rescued a thoroughbred named Coming Home, who is the granddaughter of a Kentucky Derby winner, just after she had been sold at auction for $200 to a meat buyer.
Ferdinand, a Derby winner and Horse of the Year in 1987, was retired to Claiborne Farms and then changed hands at least twice before being “disposed of” in Japan; a reporter covering the story concluded, “No one can say for sure when and where Ferdinand met his end, but it would seem clear he met it in a slaughterhouse.”(23) Exceller, a million-dollar racehorse who was inducted into the National Racing Museum’s Hall of Fame, was killed at a Swedish slaughterhouse.(24) During an undercover investigation inside Japan’s largest horse slaughterhouse in Kumamoto, PETA capturedvideo footage of a thoroughbred’s last tragic minutes.
Although there are currently no equine slaughterhouses in the U.S., Congress has approved funding for inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should any equine slaughterhouses open, paving the way for horse slaughter in the U.S. to resume.(25) In the meantime, there is still a multimillion-dollar horsemeat export industry that sends tens of thousands of horses every year to Canada, Mexico, and Japan for slaughter.(26,27)
Most horses who are sent to those facilities are forced to endure days of transport in cramped trailers.(28) Usually, there is no access to water or food, and injuries are common: A University of California– Davis study of 306 horses destined for slaughter found that 60 of them sustained injuries during transport.(29) While veterinarians recommend that horses be offloaded for food and water every four hours while traveling, the USDA allows horses to be shipped for 28 hours without a break.(30) Horses are subject to the same method of slaughter as cows, but since horses are generally not accustomed to being herded, they tend to thrash about in order to avoid the pneumatic gun that is supposed to render them unconscious before their throats are cut.(31)
What You Can Do
Please sign the petition asking the Jockey Club to adopt the Thoroughbred 360 Lifecycle Fund, a PETA proposal aimed at helping racehorses who face slaughter. PETA is asking that horse owners and breeders be required to pay a $360 fee for every new foal registration, ownership transfer, or stallion or broodmare registration. This fund could generate more than $20 million every year to help retire racehorses rather than slaughtering them.
In a commentary on the racing industry, a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News remarked, “It is not something they talk about much in their advertising, but horses die in this sport all the time—every day, every single day.”(32) Help phase out this exploitative “sport”: Refuse to patronize existing tracks, work to ensure that racing regulations are reformed and enforced, lobby against the construction of new tracks, and educate your friends and family members about the tragic lives that racehorses lead.
References
1) Ted Miller, “Six Recent Horse Deaths at Emerald Downs Spark Concern,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer 8 May 2001.
2) Bill Finley, “Sadly, No Way to Stop Deaths,” New York Daily News 10 Jun. 1993.
3) Sherry Ross, “Fans Are Buying In,” New York Daily News 1 Jun. 2003.
4) “The Odds Are You’ll Lose: Owning a Racehorse,” Financial Times 1 Feb. 2003.
5) Glenn Robertson Smith, “Why Racehorses Are Cracking Up,” The Age (Australia) 15 Nov. 2002.
6) Bill Toland, “Horse Racing Has Grim Underside,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 10 Jun. 2006.
7) Dionne Searcey, “Not So Fast: Critics Decry Horse-Auction Exercise,” The Wall Street Journal 9 Sept. 2011.
8) Tim Reynolds, “Technology Can’t Prevent Horse Injuries,” The Lexington Herald-Leader 30 Aug. 2001.
9) Andrew Beyer, “A Beyer’s Guide for Racehorses,” The Washington Post 3 Jun. 2003.
10) William C. Rhoden, “An Unknown Filly Dies, and the Crowd Just Shrugs,” The New York Times25 May 2006.
11) Rhoden.
12) Associated Press, “Runner-Up Eight Belles Breaks Front Ankles, Euthanized on Track,” 3 May 2008.
13) John Scheinman, “Horses, Drugs Are Racing’s Daily Double; No Uniform Policy in Industry,”The Washington Post 27 Apr. 2003.
14) Alex Straus, “Dark Horses,” Maxim May 2002.
15) Janet Patton, “HBPA Proposes Uniform Policy on Drugs in Racing; Horsemen’s Group Targets Maze of State Rules,” The Lexington Herald-Leader 17 Oct. 2001.
16) Max Watman, “So Far, So Good for Barbaro,” The New York Sun 21 May 2006.
17) Scheinman.
18) Bill Finley, “In Horse Racing, Test of Beefed-Up Champions,” The New York Times 2 Jun. 2008.
19) David Grening, “Aqueduct: Dutrow on a Roll With 10-Year Ban on Hold,” Daily Racing Form 22 Nov. 2011.
20) Skip Hollandsworth, “The Killing of Alydar,” Texas Monthly Jun. 2001.
21) Straus.
22) K. McGee et al., “Characterizations of Horses at Auctions and in Slaughter Plants,” Colorado State University Department of Animal Sciences, 2001.
23) “Derby Winner Ferdinand Believed to Have Been Slaughtered in Japan,” Thoroughbred Times26 Jul. 2003.
24) Allen G. Breed, “Neglect, Slaughter Await Many Former Racehorses,” Associated Press, 25 Nov. 1999.
25) Rene Lynch, “Horse Slaughter Poised to Resume in U.S.—With PETA’s Approval?” Los Angeles Times 1 Dec. 2011.
26) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Horsemeat Slaughtered/Prod Animals (Head),” 2009.
27) Gerard Shields, “Landrieu Bill Backs Horses. Senate Bill Would Ban Consumption Slaughter,”The Advocate 9 Jul. 2007.
28) Todd J. Gillman, “Judge Won’t Stop Horse Meat Processing,” The Dallas Morning News 15 Mar. 2006.
29) C.L. Stull, “Responses of Horses to Trailer Design, Duration, and Floor Area During Commercial Transportation to Slaughter,” Journal of Animal Science 77 (1999): 2925-33.
30) Josh Harkinson, “Horse Flesh: Texas Struggles With What to Do With Its Overabundance of Equus caballus, While Europeans Wait With Open Mouths,” Houston Press 13 Apr. 2006.
31) Kris Axtman, “Horse-Meat Sales Stir Texas Controversy,” The Christian Science Monitor 28 Apr. 2003.
32) Rich Hofmann, “Racing Brings Up the Rear in Safety,” Philadelphia Daily News 23 May 2006.
Top Picks Analysis: The Rams got two potential impact players in the first round, trading up to get slot star Austin and moving down to snare one of the best coverage linebackers you will ever see in Ogletree. McDonald fills another need at safety and Bailey, Austin’s teammate at West Virginia, should be able to help Sam Bradford outside the numbers.
Best Value Pick: Jones ranks as one of the soundest prospects in the entire process. Whether he was at guard, tackle or center at Alabama, Jones proved to be dependable against the very top-tier of competition at the college level and his versatility shouldn’t be underestimated as he prepares to take the next step.
Questionable Calls: As talented as Ogletree is, there is a lot of baggage with him. He was once arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft stemming from a a stolen scooter helmet and compounded that by getting pinched for a DUI in Arizona just days before the combine.
Summary: The Rams added some serious weaponry for Bradford by snaring the Mountaineers duo of Austin and Bailey, a solid three-down linebacking prospect in Ogletree and a big-hitting safety to replace Quintin Mikell (McDonald). Meanwhile, Jones was an absolute steal in Round 4.
FINAL GRADE: A
Undrafted rookie free agent signings: Henderson State LB Robbie Aldridge; Miami S Ray Ray Armstrong; Louisiana Lafayette K Brett Baer; BYU OT Braden Brown; Middle Tennessee State RB Benny Cunningham; Texas Tech S Cody Davis; Georgia MLB Michael Gillard; Georgia DT Garrett Gilliard; Auburn TE Philip Lutzenkirchen; Ole Miss DE Gerald Rivers; Georgia LB Christian Robinson; Louisiana Tech OG Kevin Saiai; Memphis CB Robert Steeples; California FB Eric Stevens; Houston LB Philip Steward; Texas A&M CB Darren Woodard
Kicking this thing off with a trade. Philadelphia leading off now. Have to think this is for a QB.
The Eagles do indeed go QB. They end the long nightmare for USC QB Matt Barkley.
Kansas City is now on the clock. The Chiefs actually seemed like a good fit for Barkley. But they can go any number of ways.
Chiefs make their pick. It’s Alabama LB Nico Johnson. Tough, smart player. Was impressed with him at the Senior Bowl. Makes a lot of sense for Kansas City.
Oakland up next.
Tampa Bay traded up as well. They go with DT Akeem Spence from Illinois.
Jacksonville up next.
The Jaguars get a returner with some dynamic ability in Ace Sanders. Nice pick for them. Rams had interest there but obviously that interest waned after added Tavon Austin.
Patriots go with TCU WR Josh Boyce.
Arizona goes with DE Alex Okafor. Many thought he’d be a possible second rounder so maybe a good value there.
Brian Schwenke to Tennessee is a nice pick. Really solid Senior Bowl. Tennessee really loading up to run the ball again with Chris Johnson. Sign Levitre and draft Warmack and Schwenke, solid.
Carolina drafted a big guard from Valdosta State. I can’t spell his name.
Green Bay grabs David Bakhtiari.
Interesting move here as the Giants move up for Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib. Lots of New York love going on with the Giants and the Cuse.
Pittsburgh is up. Rams are two picks away.
The Steelers make a very Steelers pick and grab Syracuse S Shamarko Thomas. Athletic, physical player who paid a pre-draft visit to St. Louis.
Oakland is on the clock.
The Raiders just took Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson.
Rams are on the clock.
The Rams find an intelligent, instinctual replacement for Robert Turner with Alabama’s Barrett Jones. Jones played all over the line for the Crimson Tide and is a nice addition at this point in the draft. He’s not the most athletic or the strongest anchor around but he finds ways to get it done. Expect him to step in as an interior swing man along the lines of the role Turner filled last year.
Tavon Austin just stopped by the office. #HumbleBrag Some more picks went off the board.
Thoughts on Jones?
Bears go with Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene. Nice value for them there and a good scheme fit in Chicago.
Just got off conference call with Barrett Jones. Impressive young man with a degree and a masters in accounting. He says he’s most comfortable at center. Will have plenty more on him later on.
A lot of interesting picks here recently. Phillip Thomas off the board and some of the top remaining DEs available.
Packers have doubled down at RB by grabbing UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin. Nice to pair with Eddie Lacy for them. Given Green Bay’s 10 picks today, they can do just about whatever we want.
And San Francisco makes the inevitable pick we all expected them to make: Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina. Risk involved sure but very talented player. If he can stay healthy, it’s a potentially great long term selection.
Detroit with a nice value in South Carolina DE Devin Taylor.
Kansas City makes a nice pick with Sanders Commings from Georgia. Liked his versatility.
Seattle moves up to add to its depth at DT with Alabama’s Jesse Williams. Williams slipped because of knee issues. Good get for them.
Seahawks again, go with CB Tharold Simon of LSU.
Rams almost back on the clock. Still some options at a variety of positions. BPA most likely.
The Rams get some depth at cornerback with Miami’s Brandon McGee. Needed depth at that position with few bodies on the roster.
Rams have two picks in the sixth to cap their day coming later. Going on a hiatus until later to do conference call with him.
Keep an eye out for some activity here shortly.
The Rams have put a bow on their draft class by making a move back into the fifth round. They cut a deal with Houston to get back and get their running back.
Stacy is 5’9, 210 pounds with a physical style that allowed him to rush for 1,1141 yards and 10 touchdowns last year for the Commodores.
Much more to come in a little bit on Stacy but barring something shocking, it appears the Rams have completed their 2013 draft class. Waiting on final details of the trade.
The current haul: WR Tavon Austin, LB Alec Ogletree, S T.J. McDonald, WR Stedman Bailey, OL Barrett Jones, CB Brandon McGee and RB Zac Stacy.
That is also the final haul as the Rams gave up both sixth round picks in exchange for Houston’s fifth.
It’s unlikely they’d trade a pick next year to get back into this draft so it seems likely the Rams are done drafting for this year. They can begin turning attention to the race that is the undrafted free agent derby right after the draft is over.
Time to make the donuts. Thanks for reading all week.
The key to Barrett Jones lengthy career at Alabama has been versatility. Alabama head coach Nick Saban has compared the four year starter to NFL great Bruce Matthews, who famously played all five offensive line positions in the NFL. Jones, too, played all five offensive line positions during his four years starting at Alabama. The medical redshirt was made necessary by an injury to his right shoulder three games into his first year on campus. He then started all 14 contests at right guard as a redshirt freshman for Nick Saban’s first BCS champion Tide squad in 2009. For his redshirt sophomore season, Jones earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-SEC mention from league media for his play as a sophomore. He started 11 games that year, missing the final two regular season contests with a high ankle sprain. He earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-SEC mention from league media for his play as a sophomore. He started 11 games that year, missing the final two regular season contests with a high ankle sprain.
Jones made the rare switch from right guard to left tackle in 2011 to replace James Carpenter, a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks. He handled the transition so well (while also playing left guard, right tackle and center at times) for the Bowl Championship Series champions that he received the Outland Trophy as the nations best interior lineman as well as the SECs Jacob Blocking Trophy, given to the leagues best lineman. He also possesses the intelligence and high character NFL offensive line coaches desire in their prospects, finishing his degree in accounting in just three years, and won the Wuerffel Trophy for his play on the field and work in the academic and community service worlds.
His final year on campus featured another move, this time to the center position. He capped the year off with another consensus selection to the All-American and All-SEC teams, as well as winning the Rimington Trophy (awarded to the nations top center), despite a Lisfranc injury limiting his mobility over the second half of the season.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Possesses NFL size for an interior player. Solid pass protector whether playing inside or outside, plays with a wide base, mirrors and anchors effectively by keeping his feet moving and extends his arms to stay engaged. Good hip extension in the run game. Gets correct angle to create running lane when blocking on the move, can also create space inside by moving his man out of the hole using his hands and bulk. Able to seal the tackle and then work to linebackers close to the line on combo blocks. Can reach the 3-technique defensive tackle from the center spot. Fits on second-level blocks very well in the run game. Very good football and general intelligence. Great awareness of late blitzers and twist stunts, and he gives excellent effort to reach free rushers so his quarterback stays upright.
WEAKNESSES
Limited athlete who will be at his best on the inside at the next level. Tends to stop his feet and lunge at pass rushers on the edge. Top-heavy, upright runner on pulls without great foot speed. Gets to the second level well, but can struggle tracking and adjusting to moving targets. Quicker linebackers and defensive backs jump around his lunges if he is unable to get his hands on their numbers. Inconsistent firing out of his stance and staying low on short-yardage plays. Hand placement improved in his senior season, but he has soft hands with a limp punch. Doesnt play with a mean streak. Can get complacent and will fight for initial position, but doesnt finish blocks and allows his man to disengage too often. Prone to making his initial block and then ball-watching instead of finding a second target. Has a lengthy injury history (but shows the toughness to play through them) and will need to check out medically.
NFL COMPARISON
Daryn Colledge
BOTTOM LINE
2012 Rimington and 2011 Outland Trophy winner has played every spot on the line while helping the Tide win three BCS championships in the last four years. Has spent most of his time on the interior, which is where he projects best in the NFL. While not the strongest or most athletic lineman, Jones versatility, intelligence and high character should get him penciled in at guard or center for the next decade in the NFL.
McGee was a high school All-American at Miami’s Plantation High School, playing quarterback as a junior before becoming the two-way threat at cornerback and receiver for his final season. He played in 10 games on special teams and as a reserve cornerback as a true freshman (two tackles). McGee played a bit more on defense as a sophomore, earning one start (opener against Florida A&M) and being credited with 15 tackles and two pass breakups on the year. He cracked the starting lineup for all 12 games in 2011, intercepting his first pass (against South Florida) and breaking up two others. In his senior season, as Miami’s top corner, McGee had a very inconsistent season, but still managed to pick off two passes and break up seven others.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Typical Miami cornerback with quick feet and good straight-line speed. Quickness evident waiting for receiver to make his move off the line, can stick with hitch routes effectively. Fluid hips help him transition well, flips open quickly to keep up down the sideline. Good recovery speed and is effective in trail over the middle. Competitiveness, and body control to knock away passes around the receiver without interfering. Shows violent hands to rip off receiver blocks in the run game, sticks his nose into tackles, wrapping when possible, on the edge and adds himself to piles. Plays boundary and field sides.
WEAKNESSES
Has only adequate size for an outside corner. Will struggle to turn his head to find the ball at times. Leans back in his pedal too often, losing some traction when needing to plant to trail, or getting knocked out of position by contact. Needs to flatten his blitz angles, ball gets underneath him.
NFL COMPARISON
Jason McCourty
BOTTOM LINE
The next Miami cornerback with great speed to pique the interest of NFL scouts, McGee also presents enough size to stand up to NFL receivers on the outside. However, McGee had an up-and-down senior season, and was challenged and successfully beaten on numerous occasions. He was able to rebound his stock with a strong week of practices at the East-West Shrine Game.
A pivotal part of James Franklin’s growth of the Vanderbilt program, Stacy was one of the most consistent runners in the country throughout his career. His best accomplishments might actually be off the field, as Stacy majored in Special Education and frequently volunteers with local charities to do his part of community service. The senior did hit some rough patches as a freshman and sophomore, failing to finish those two seasons due to injuries, an ankle issue in 2009 and a head injury in 2010.
A three sport athlete in high school (baseball, basketball), Stacy immediately contributed to the Commodores as a freshman, starting four games and rushing for 478 yards and three touchdowns on 107 carries. He added another 72 receiving yards on seven receptions. Stacy missed two games that season and was limited in another two. As a sophomore, he rushed for 331 yards and three touchdowns on 66 carries, with another 32 yards on nine receptions. Stacy missed the final three games of the season. During his junior year in 2011, Stacy finally earned a full-time starting role and it paid off for the Commodores, rushing for 1,193 yards and 14 touchdowns on 201 carries. He added 106 receiving yards on 20 catches. Finally, as a senior, Stacy took 207 carries for 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added 10 catches for 205 yards.
Kicking this thing off with a trade. Philadelphia leading off now. Have to think this is for a QB.
The Eagles do indeed go QB. They end the long nightmare for USC QB Matt Barkley.
Kansas City is now on the clock. The Chiefs actually seemed like a good fit for Barkley. But they can go any number of ways.
Chiefs make their pick. It’s Alabama LB Nico Johnson. Tough, smart player. Was impressed with him at the Senior Bowl. Makes a lot of sense for Kansas City.
Oakland up next.
Tampa Bay traded up as well. They go with DT Akeem Spence from Illinois.
Jacksonville up next.
The Jaguars get a returner with some dynamic ability in Ace Sanders. Nice pick for them. Rams had interest there but obviously that interest waned after added Tavon Austin.
Patriots go with TCU WR Josh Boyce.
Arizona goes with DE Alex Okafor. Many thought he’d be a possible second rounder so maybe a good value there.
Brian Schwenke to Tennessee is a nice pick. Really solid Senior Bowl. Tennessee really loading up to run the ball again with Chris Johnson. Sign Levitre and draft Warmack and Schwenke, solid.
Carolina drafted a big guard from Valdosta State. I can’t spell his name.
Interesting move here as the Giants move up for Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib. Lots of New York love going on with the Giants and the Cuse.
Pittsburgh is up. Rams are two picks away.
The Steelers make a very Steelers pick and grab Syracuse S Shamarko Thomas. Athletic, physical player who paid a pre-draft visit to St. Louis.
Oakland is on the clock.
The Raiders just took Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson.
Rams are on the clock.
The Rams find an intelligent, instinctual replacement for Robert Turner with Alabama’s Barrett Jones. Jones played all over the line for the Crimson Tide and is a nice addition at this point in the draft. He’s not the most athletic or the strongest anchor around but he finds ways to get it done. Expect him to step in as an interior swing man along the lines of the role Turner filled last year.
Tavon Austin just stopped by the office. #HumbleBrag Some more picks went off the board.
Thoughts on Jones?
Bears go with Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene. Nice value for them there and a good scheme fit in Chicago.
Just got off conference call with Barrett Jones. Impressive young man with a degree and a masters in accounting. He says he’s most comfortable at center. Will have plenty more on him later on.
A lot of interesting picks here recently. Phillip Thomas off the board and some of the top remaining DEs available.
Packers have doubled down at RB by grabbing UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin. Nice to pair with Eddie Lacy for them. Given Green Bay’s 10 picks today, they can do just about whatever we want.
And San Francisco makes the inevitable pick we all expected them to make: Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina. Risk involved sure but very talented player. If he can stay healthy, it’s a potentially great long term selection.
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5 Responses to “NFL Draft: Running Blog – Day Three”
By James on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyI know a lot of people disagreed with me, but I’m glad no top picks were used on RB. We have speed at every offensive skill position and I’m high on Pead and Richardson. Hope the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounders go to LB, S, and OL. Thanks for the great coverage!
By Teron on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyThis is the best draft the rams have had in years! Getting Barrett Jones was key. Would like to see a S, LB, or RB next. Kasheem Greene, Bacarri Rambo, Joseph Randle, and Marcus Lattimore come to mind.
By James on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyVery happy with Jones. Wanted to get a replacement for Turner and that has been done. Wonder if he can compete for the LG spot as well. OL done, hoping for more depth at LB, with a S and RB in round 6. What is happening to LB Greene, thought he was a great LB.
The key to Barrett Jones lengthy career at Alabama has been versatility. Alabama head coach Nick Saban has compared the four year starter to NFL great Bruce Matthews, who famously played all five offensive line positions in the NFL. Jones, too, played all five offensive line positions during his four years starting at Alabama. The medical redshirt was made necessary by an injury to his right shoulder three games into his first year on campus. He then started all 14 contests at right guard as a redshirt freshman for Nick Saban’s first BCS champion Tide squad in 2009. For his redshirt sophomore season, Jones earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-SEC mention from league media for his play as a sophomore. He started 11 games that year, missing the final two regular season contests with a high ankle sprain. He earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-SEC mention from league media for his play as a sophomore. He started 11 games that year, missing the final two regular season contests with a high ankle sprain.
Jones made the rare switch from right guard to left tackle in 2011 to replace James Carpenter, a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks. He handled the transition so well (while also playing left guard, right tackle and center at times) for the Bowl Championship Series champions that he received the Outland Trophy as the nations best interior lineman as well as the SECs Jacob Blocking Trophy, given to the leagues best lineman. He also possesses the intelligence and high character NFL offensive line coaches desire in their prospects, finishing his degree in accounting in just three years, and won the Wuerffel Trophy for his play on the field and work in the academic and community service worlds.
His final year on campus featured another move, this time to the center position. He capped the year off with another consensus selection to the All-American and All-SEC teams, as well as winning the Rimington Trophy (awarded to the nations top center), despite a Lisfranc injury limiting his mobility over the second half of the season.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Possesses NFL size for an interior player. Solid pass protector whether playing inside or outside, plays with a wide base, mirrors and anchors effectively by keeping his feet moving and extends his arms to stay engaged. Good hip extension in the run game. Gets correct angle to create running lane when blocking on the move, can also create space inside by moving his man out of the hole using his hands and bulk. Able to seal the tackle and then work to linebackers close to the line on combo blocks. Can reach the 3-technique defensive tackle from the center spot. Fits on second-level blocks very well in the run game. Very good football and general intelligence. Great awareness of late blitzers and twist stunts, and he gives excellent effort to reach free rushers so his quarterback stays upright.
WEAKNESSES
Limited athlete who will be at his best on the inside at the next level. Tends to stop his feet and lunge at pass rushers on the edge. Top-heavy, upright runner on pulls without great foot speed. Gets to the second level well, but can struggle tracking and adjusting to moving targets. Quicker linebackers and defensive backs jump around his lunges if he is unable to get his hands on their numbers. Inconsistent firing out of his stance and staying low on short-yardage plays. Hand placement improved in his senior season, but he has soft hands with a limp punch. Doesnt play with a mean streak. Can get complacent and will fight for initial position, but doesnt finish blocks and allows his man to disengage too often. Prone to making his initial block and then ball-watching instead of finding a second target. Has a lengthy injury history (but shows the toughness to play through them) and will need to check out medically.
NFL COMPARISON
Daryn Colledge
BOTTOM LINE
2012 Rimington and 2011 Outland Trophy winner has played every spot on the line while helping the Tide win three BCS championships in the last four years. Has spent most of his time on the interior, which is where he projects best in the NFL. While not the strongest or most athletic lineman, Jones versatility, intelligence and high character should get him penciled in at guard or center for the next decade in the NFL.
Nick Wagoner on April 27, 2013 - - Greetings once again from the ContinuityX Training Center. We are preparing for the third and final day to get underway here shortly. Rounds four through seven take place today with plenty of good players still available.
NFL Draft: Running Blog – Day Two 71st Pick (9 Pick/Third Round (From Bills)) = T.J. MCDONALD; 92nd Pick (30th Pick/Third Round (From Bills)) = STEDMAN BAILEY
I am pretty certain Mantai’s fake girlfriend was from SD. And, the chargers picked him up in 2nd round…Now..they can be close….I wish the Rams would trade up to get lacey…Lacy’s Gone late in the 2nd…I guess its time to concentrate on getting us a free safety…
Rams Running Blog:
Don’t expect as much action tonight from the Rams as they only hold picks No. 71 and 92 tonight, both third round choices.
It doesn’t seem as though they are inclined to move up for a second rounder but if we’ve learned anything in the year plus of the Fisher/Snead regime it’s that they aren’t afraid to make moves so we can’t rule anything out at this point.
Jacksonville will kick us off here shortly with the first pick tonight. I’m expecting many receivers, quarterbacks and cornerbacks in this second round.
The Jags go with the best safety on the board, Johnathan Cyprien of Florida International. Nice pickup at the top of the second round for Jacksonville. Must believe they can still get a quarterback they like later on.
The 49ers are on the clock.
Strike, that Tennessee is on the clock. Niners start grabbing picks for next year in a trade.
Rumor has it Titans looking for a local receiver.
Indeed, Tennessee goes with impressive physical specimen at WR Justin Hunter of Tennessee. Nice pick for them in this spot and a nice complement for Kendall Wright.
Wonder if that means end of Kenny Britt in Tennessee?
Philadelphia is up next. They could go any number of ways. Will this be a QB?
Guess not. Eagles opt for Stanford TE Zach Ertz. Another pick to bolster the offense in Philly.
Detroit is now up. Lots of good corners there for them. Menelik Watson would also make a lot of sense.
Lions go corner: Mississippi State’s Darius Slay goes. A little surprised he goes before Johnthan Banks but you have to think not having that extra “A” in his name hurt his stock a bit.
Bengals are up. Many think this will be an RB, perhaps Eddie Lacy. But indications are that it’s going to be a surprise pick that is an RB but isn’t Lacy.
San Diego has moved up to Arizona’s spot. Interesting here. Wonder which way they are leaning?
The Chargers end the Manti Te’o watch and grab the ILB. He makes sense for the scheme. Te’o and Fluker a decent start for the Chargers. Te’o will probably enjoy being back in the nice weather. And though I am clearly not above stupid humor (see the Banks joke earlier), I’m gonna pass on any Te’o jokes here. Let’s keep it classy, Rams fans.
Bengals have agreed to a long term contract with OT Andre Smith.
Jets are on the clock.
And there it is: West Virginia QB Geno Smith goes to the Jets. Mark Sanchez’s days may be numbered.
Niners on the clock. Have to think they’ll go with a D-lineman here.
It’s Tank Carradine for San Francisco. Nice pickup for them.
Buffalo now on the clock. A receiver or an offensive lineman makes sense for them. Good wideouts still out there. I expect many more of them to go here shortly.
It’s USC WR Robert Woods for the Bills. Another really nice pickup. Keenan Allen’s tumble continues.
The Dolphins have traded WR Davone Bess to the Browns. Solid slot receiver to Cleveland. Miami out of room with Brandon Gibson, Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline in the mix.
Oakland is up next. I’m not even going to bother to guess what the Raiders are going to do. D-line would make sense.
The Raiders take my guy, Florida State OT Menelik Watson. Really nice get for them at this stage in the draft. His upside is off the charts.
Tampa is up next. They need some offensive help but the value seems to lie on the defensive side of the ball right now.
And Banks goes to Tampa. Good player, good size. Rams liked him, despite the missing A in his name. A bit surprised the Bucs added another corner, though.
Next up is Carolina. They could use a play maker. Keenan Allen would make some sense?
Guess not, doubling down at DT. Panthers just really bolstered the D-line with Purdue’s Kawann Short to go with first-rounder Star Lotulelei.
Arizona is up next. Quarterback for them, perhaps?
Cardinals add a nice piece to their defense. LSU ILB Kevin Minter was one of my favorite inside ‘backers in this draft. Nice get for them.
Buffalo up now, they need linebacker help. Arthur Brown is still out there. Let’s see where they go.
Bills do go with an LB. It’s Oregon’s Kiko Alonso.
Dallas goes with San Diego State’s TE Gavin Escobar. I guess I don’t really understand the strategy.
Pittsburgh is up. They could go running back. Is this where Lacy goes? Some really good players still available in this draft.
Wow. An RB to the Steelers but it’s actually Michigan State’s Le’veon Bell not Lacy. Curious to see where Lacy eventually lands. Was told one concern with Lacy is that he gets nicked up a bit too often.
Giants up next.
No surprise here, the Giants take a defensive lineman, this time it’s Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins. Congrats to them on a nice pick and on getting a Johnathan that spells his name the proper way.
All in good fun. I have nothing against Johnthan Banks. Good player.
Chicago is up next.
The Bears go with Florida ILB Jonathan Bostic. Brown continues to drop.
Washington is up next.
Redskins needed help in the secondary and they get it. North Carolina State CB David Amerson goes there. Interesting choice. Amerson was once considered a top pick. But he had a rough year in 2012.
New England back on the clock with one of the picks acquired from Minnesota last night.
Bess signs extension with Browns.
Patriots go with LB Jamie Collins. Great athlete. Killed it at the combine.
The Bengals are back on the clock.
Cincy goes with SMU DE Margus Hunt. One of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Mountain of a man. Interesting fit in their scheme, though. He strikes me more as a 5-technique type.
Miami picking again here.
Told that there are medical concerns with Lacy and that’s why he is falling.
Boise State CB Jamar Taylor goes to the Dolphins. Solid pickup.
Niners make a deal with Green Bay to move up.
Quick break. Back in a bit.
OK, we are back. Some players who could have been of interest for the Rams off the board: CB Robert Alford, RB Montee Ball and S D.J Swearinger.
Still a lot available as we head to the third round in terms of safeties, offensive linemen and running backs.
Where will Lacy’s drop end?
And there it is. Lacy to Green Bay. Not sure the extent of whatever medical issues he had but if it’s not too serious, that’s a nice value and a good fit.
Seattle is up next.
Seahawks opt for RB Christine Michael from Texas A&M.
What a run on running backs there near end of the second.
So now we head to the third. Here’s a quick rundown on what is left:
Safety: Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas, J.J. Wilcox and more. Guard: Larry Warford RB: Johnathan Franklin, Marcus Lattimore, Mike Gillislee
Let’s see how it plays out.
Chiefs go with Cincy TE Travis Kelce to start off the third round. We are eight picks away from the Rams.
Jacksonville up next.
The Jags go with CB Dwayne Gratz from UConn.
The Lions are up and they just got a mauler for their O-line. It’s UK guard Larry Warford. That’s a really nice pick for them.
Oakland is up next.
The Raiders go with UConn LB Sio Moore.
Philadelphia is on the board next. Could they finally go with a QB here?
Sorry, not Logan Ryan. It’s LSU DT Bennie Logan.
Cleveland is up.
The Browns go with CB Leon McFadden.
CBs flying off the board. But Rams still have their pick of safeties should they want it.
Rams are two picks away.
Sorry, not trying to tip picks. I’ll wait until they show on TV before updating blog. Getting ahead of myself. Apologies.
Arizona is up next.
Wow, Cardinals go for it and grab LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu. They took the risk. We’ll see how it goes. No question about his talent, though.
Tennessee is up. They go with CB Blidi-Wreh-Wilson.
Rams get their safety. They go with USC FS T.J. McDonald.
McDonald is the son of former 49ers DB Tim McDonald.
McDonald started 36 games for the Trojans. He has the versatility to play either safety spot and finished 2012 with 122 tackles, two interceptions and a sack. He had eight interceptions in his career.
Coach Jeff Fisher takes a safety from USC. Not a shock there. McDonald likely projects as more of a big, powerful box safety rather than a cover guy at free safety. We’ll hear how the Rams view him in a bit.
The Jets get an offensive lineman in Brian Winters. Solid addition for their interior.
Tampa Bay goes with the first QB of the third round. It’s….NC State’s Mike Glennon.
Dallas is up next.
The Cowboys grabbed Baylor WR Terrance Williams.
New Orleans up next and they go with a local product, OT Terron Armstead. The Arkansas Pine-Bluff product is from nearby Cahokia (Ill.) .
-San Diego is up next.
Chargers end the fall for Cal WR Keenan Allen. Injury issues and more pushed him down. But could be a nice pickup if he’s healthy.
Going to sign off for a bit. I’ll be back when the Rams get closer to being on the clock again. Lots of ways they can go with their other pick here.
Rams are coming up soon. Indianapolis is up at 86. Rams set to go at 92.
Some names to consider: Franklin, Lattimore, B. Jones, perhaps another safety, maybe a center field type like P. Thomas or Rambo. So many ways they can go. BPA makes a lot of sense here.
OK. San Francisco is up at No. 88 after another trade. Lots of moving by the Niners. Not a surprise.
Niners go with pass rusher Corey Lemonier. Another weapon for their defense.
Rams are three away. Honestly, no real guess here. Just so many ways they can go.
The Texans go with monster O tackle Brennan Williams.
That makes me think, there are still some monster Williamses left, especially at DT. Brandon and Jesse.
Rams are two picks away. Denver and New England up next.
Broncos go with CB Kayvon Webster.
Reminder: at this point in the draft, every board looks quite different. No such thing as a reach or a steal. It’s all about how individual teams view players.
New England up next.
The Patriots go with S Duron Harmon.
Rams back up. They could go RB, WR, OG, another safety even. Lots of options.
Rams double down on wide receiver, adding another West Virginia WR in Stedman Bailey.
Doubled down on wideouts for the second consecutive year, but this time both Mountaineers. Bailey had some ridiculous numbers last year for the Mountaineers, and in his career really. He posted an insane 25 touchdown catches last year to go with 114 catches and 1622 yards.
For his career, Bailey had 210 catches for 3,218 yards and 41 scores.
Miami moves up for talented Utah State CB Will Davis.
We are four picks away from the end of the third round and the evening.
But alas, I must head to the conference call with Mr. Bailey so that will do it for this blog tonight. We’ll have more on McDonald and Bailey later. Thanks for following along. Back at it again tomorrow.
Well, it’s pretty safe to say that was an eventful first day for the Rams. For the second year in a row, the Rams made two first-round trades and made no picks at their original drafting spot.
Last year, those moves yielded something big in the form of DT Michael Brockers. This year, it meant something fast in the form of WR Tavon Austin and LBAlec Ogletree.
Austin fills a void of play makers with his speed and ability to change the game from so many different spots on the field. He’s a slot receiver first but by no means foremost. He’ll be used in many ways and OC Brian Schottenheimer is fired up about the possibilities.
Ogletree brings an influx of speed and athleticism to the linebacker crew that continues to make an already talented Rams defense even better. He’ll be the WIL ‘backer from day one with Jo-Lonn Dunbar sliding over. Want an idea of how the Rams view him? Coach Jeff Fisher spent the 30th pick on an outside linebacker with similar traits in 2000 while at Tennessee. That LB was Keith Bulluck, who went on to become one of the best OLBs in the league and one of Fisher’s favorites. Ogletree will be an immediate nuisance to teams looking to run the read option, upgrade the Rams in coverage (he was once a safety) and provide even more punch to the pass rush when asked to blitz.
Austin and Ogletree will be introduced to the St. Louis media today at 3:30 p.m.
With those needs checked off and players in the shopping cart, the Rams enter day two with a much different look than this time a year ago. Last year, they had four second-day picks, including three in the second round. Now, after the trades of last night, they don’t hold a second round pick but do have an improved spot in the third round and an additional pick later in said round. The Rams have pick No. 71 and pick No. 92 tonight.
Now, there will be a lot of talk about whether the Rams will move back into the second round to go get someone. It seems somewhat unlikely that it happens but let’s face it, with GM Les Snead and Fisher pulling the trigger, there’s no doubt that anything is possible.
It was hard enough to try to project how the first round would play out with the Rams in the middle of the round, well, it’s downright impossible since there’s a whole round plus before the Rams are scheduled to make a selection tonight.
With that in mind, here’s a general list of players that are available that will likely go in the second round tonight. This is in no order but just a guess at guys we can likely count on being gone before the Rams draft again. Look for a run on quarterbacks and, especially, cornerbacks this evening. Could be a good night for linebackers as well.
QB: Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib RB: Eddie Lacy WR: Keenan Allen, Justin Hunter, Robert Woods TE: Zach Ertz OL: Larry Warford, Menelik Watson, Terron Armstead DL: Margus Hunt, Tank Carradine, Johnathan Hankins, Kawann Short LB: Manti Te’o, Khaseem Greene, Arthur Brown, Kevin Minter CB: Robert Alford, Johnthan Banks, Jamar Taylor, Darius Slay S: Jonathan Cyprien That’s 24 players. Of course, that’s by no means a definitive list. There are plenty of others that could go and some of those mentioned will almost certainly slip. But that’s a rough estimate of some guys that likely will go in round 2 or at least before the Rams are scheduled to pick again.
Turning to the Rams, they still have some needs at safety and for a bigger running back. They also could very well be in the market to add another offensive lineman (specifically someone who could be a guard/center) or even a cornerback (they only have four on the roster right now). And Snead has not been shy about doubling down on positions in the past so it’s never out of the question they could add more at receiver or even linebacker at some point, though that seems more likely tomorrow.
Here’s a list of some of the names that are still available for those positions of need heading into tonight: Safeties: Cyprien, D.J. Swearinger, Shamarko Thomas, J.J. Wilcox, Baccari Rambo, Shawn Williams, T.J. McDonald, Phillip Thomas, Duke Williams Running Backs: Lacy, Montee Ball, Le’veon Bell, Giovani Bernard, Johnathan Franklin, Mike Gillislee, Christine Michael, Andre Ellington, Marcus Lattimore Interior OL: Warford, Dallas Thomas, Brian Winters, Barrett Jones, Brian Schwenke, Hugh Thornton Cornerback: Alford, Banks, Slay, Taylor, B.W. Webb, Sanders Commings, David Amerson, Logan Ryan, Dwayne Gratz, Tyrann Mathieu And that’s just a small sample of a handful of spots the Rams could look to address. They’re going to stick to finding the best players they can so it’d be silly to rule them out from taking any position save for DE, QB, K, P and 3-4 OLBs as we head into day two.
We’ll be back with snippets from the Austin and Ogletree press conference as well as the running blog tonight to keep you updated throughout. If we know nothing else, it’s worth noting that you should probably not leave the couch much because you just never know what Snead and Fisher have up their sleeve. Thanks for reading.
Thanks to the man…Nick Wagner…..for the great information here…hes the best….
By Jeremy Waters on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyMarcus Lattimore is worth the risk. He has had some injuries, but with Pead & Richardson as insurance, Lattimore lives up to his college greatness, he would be a total steal!
By Derrick on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyI’d say I’m disappointed about Lacy getting picked, but that would be a lie. Now we can focus on what we actually need, a safety (or two).
By jordan on Apr 27, 2013 | Replywould love to see thomas and warford pick in the 3rd round
By stevens7777 on Apr 27, 2013 | Replyanyone know where we can find details of these trades?
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyHe (Nick) is giving us the pix before it shows on the NFL Draft board and on the TV…
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyNO…No dont stop doing what you are doing..please…I did not mean it that way…And, I thought it was cool..please…I ent to delete here and you cant…I have you pinged over to sunset daily…its great..please..thanks….do not hold back…besides..i had no clue you read this in real time…
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyWelp…66.5 rating for what that is worth..i think that could be lowest score on board…is that vaccaro guy gone? I forget…
“You’re talking about the offpsring of a famous father with NFL pedigree. This guy will take your head off. When he’s in the box and tackling he’ll be an absolutely physical presence. The only negative is he has some stiffness, which a lot of tall defensive backs have. But I love his physicality.” — Mike Mayock
6’2″HEIGHT
33 1/8″ARM LENGTH
219LBS.WEIGHT
9 1/4″HANDS
OVERVIEW
McDonald has spent his football life trying to live up to the name his father made for himself as an All-American safety at USC in the mid-1980s and 13-year NFL veteran who won a Super Bowl as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. T.J. (stands for Tim, Jr.) has never shied away from that pressure, however, earning his own accolades over the past couple of seasons. McDonalds brother, Tevin, is a true sophomore safety who enrolled at crosstown rival UCLA instead of following his dad and brother as Trojans. The high school All-American (Tim, Sr. was his head coach at Edison High in Fresno) didnt get a chance to star because of the teams deep secondary his true freshman year, but he did play in every game as a reserve and on special teams. The departure of Taylor Mays, however, gave McDonald a chance to fill the leadership and production void as a sophomore. League coaches named him second-team All-Pac-10 in 2010 after he led USC with 89 tackles while also posting three interceptions and four pass breakups. McDonald missed the teams season finale against UCLA with a right shoulder injury. Multiple media outlets named McDonald to their All-American teams after he started 11 of 12 games in his junior year, missing the first half of the Colorado game for a big hit against to defenseless Stanford receiver Chris Owusu the previous week. The 2011 first-team all-conference pick had 67 tackles and three interceptions on the year, and his second career blocked punt helped the team beat Oregon in Eugene. McDonald and the Trojans entered the season with National Championship expectations, but stumbled to a six-loss season with the defense playing particularly bad football down the stretch. McDonald moved into more of a hybrid linebacker/safety role for USC, setting a career high in tackles (112) and tackles for loss (6.5). He also recorded a sack, deflected five passes, and nabbed two interceptions on his way to second-team All-Conference honors.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
NFL bloodlines with pro size and length who has played deep and in the box. Hits like a missile in the middle of the field, uses his shoulder to bring real power into the back or midsection of receivers with closing speed and tenacity. Solid ball skills, looks high and wide passes into his hands and can get down to get his hands under low throws. Physical presence around the line, sticks his head into short-yardage plays and uses his length to stay off lineman blocks and to wrap up running backs in traffic and receivers in the flat. Attacks the alley aggressively when coming downhill from two-high coverages. Does a good job fighting through blocks and making tackles on screens. Tries to lay the kill shot on wide receivers over the middle, but generally a good form tackler against running backs. Height and size come in handy on jump ball situations. Will be a factor on special teams, both using his length on the kick block team and as a strong tackler on coverage units.
WEAKNESSES
Will be pegged as a pure in-the-box safety. Protected in coverage by being used extensively as a Robber his senior season. Linear, high-cut player who is tall in his back pedals. Displays stiff hips, average change-of-direction ability and burst. His height and average short-area quickness become an issue when trying to break down quickly to make tackles in space, can be eluded in the open field by quicker receivers and running backs. Also lacks flexibility to turn-and-run with better receivers and tight ends. Does not have the range to get to the sideline, even sometimes to the hash, in single-high looks. Stares into the backfield, gets frozen and fooled by play action, loses receivers behind him, and takes time to recover after a false step.
NFL COMPARISON
Bernard Pollard
BOTTOM LINE
The son of NFL Pro Bowl safety Tim McDonald and brother of UCLA safety Tevin earned All-American recognition for his big hits and hands in coverage (six interceptions in 2010-2011). However, his lack of agility and instincts could limit his ability to be a reliable starting contributor in a league that is becoming more wide-open. He will probably be best served as a sub-package defender who plays near the line of scrimmage.
“He’s a natural route runner with great hands. I feel he was an underrated player with the presence of Tavon Austin. I really like the kid.” — Mike Mayock
5’10″HEIGHT
32 3/4″ARM LENGTH
193LBS.WEIGHT
9 7/8″HANDS
OVERVIEW
Bailey starred at Miramar High, where he was teammates with Geno Smith, and was coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell. Bailey caught 68 passes for 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. He was a Florida Class 6A first team all-state selection as a senior and second team as a junior. Bailey redshirted his first year on campus. In 2010, as a redshirt freshman, he played in all 13 games, and recorded nine starts. He caught 24 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. In 2011, Bailey hauled in 72 passes for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big East second-team by the conference’s coaches. Bailey had his biggest season yet in 2012. Bailey caught 113 passes for 1,627 yards and 25 touchdowns. He set a school record for consecutive 100-yard receiving games (five), against Maryland, LSU, Bowling Green, UConn and Syracuse. Bailey became one of three players to finish with more than 100 yards receiving at Maryland, the first time three players netted at least 100 yards on catches in WVU history and the first time since 1998 WVU had multiple 100-yard receivers. Bailey was named as a second-team AP All-American.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Extremely productive. Showcases tremendous physicality in his routes. Uses his hands and body to create separation. Excellent body control. Very reliable target, volume catcher. Soft hands, can make plays off of his frame. Smart receiver who is adept at finds holes and picking up the first down. Tracks the football well over his shoulder and adjusts his body in order to make difficult catches. Competitive.
WEAKNESSES
Lacks ideal size, both in terms of height and bulk. Not an overly explosive athlete. Doesn’t change directions with suddenness. Likely won’t run a blazing 40 yard dash. Often times most of the attention of the defense was given to teammate and fellow wide receiver Tavon Austin.
NFL COMPARISON
Greg Jennings
BOTTOM LINE
Bailey lacks the ideal size and speed of an outside receiver. However, what Bailey lacks in terms of measurables, he makes up for with reliable hands, physicality, and superb body control. He will likely be selected on the second day.
I am pretty certain Mantai’s fake girlfriend was from SD. And, the chargers picked him up in 2nd round…Now..they can be close….I wish the Rams would trade up to get lacey…Lacy’s Gone late in the 2nd…I guess its time to concentrate on getting us a free safety…
Rams Running Blog:
Don’t expect as much action tonight from the Rams as they only hold picks No. 71 and 92 tonight, both third round choices.
It doesn’t seem as though they are inclined to move up for a second rounder but if we’ve learned anything in the year plus of the Fisher/Snead regime it’s that they aren’t afraid to make moves so we can’t rule anything out at this point.
Jacksonville will kick us off here shortly with the first pick tonight. I’m expecting many receivers, quarterbacks and cornerbacks in this second round.
The Jags go with the best safety on the board, Johnathan Cyprien of Florida International. Nice pickup at the top of the second round for Jacksonville. Must believe they can still get a quarterback they like later on.
The 49ers are on the clock.
Strike, that Tennessee is on the clock. Niners start grabbing picks for next year in a trade.
Rumor has it Titans looking for a local receiver.
Indeed, Tennessee goes with impressive physical specimen at WR Justin Hunter of Tennessee. Nice pick for them in this spot and a nice complement for Kendall Wright.
Wonder if that means end of Kenny Britt in Tennessee?
Philadelphia is up next. They could go any number of ways. Will this be a QB?
Guess not. Eagles opt for Stanford TE Zach Ertz. Another pick to bolster the offense in Philly.
Detroit is now up. Lots of good corners there for them. Menelik Watson would also make a lot of sense.
Lions go corner: Mississippi State’s Darius Slay goes. A little surprised he goes before Johnthan Banks but you have to think not having that extra “A” in his name hurt his stock a bit.
Bengals are up. Many think this will be an RB, perhaps Eddie Lacy. But indications are that it’s going to be a surprise pick that is an RB but isn’t Lacy.
San Diego has moved up to Arizona’s spot. Interesting here. Wonder which way they are leaning?
The Chargers end the Manti Te’o watch and grab the ILB. He makes sense for the scheme. Te’o and Fluker a decent start for the Chargers. Te’o will probably enjoy being back in the nice weather. And though I am clearly not above stupid humor (see the Banks joke earlier), I’m gonna pass on any Te’o jokes here. Let’s keep it classy, Rams fans.
Bengals have agreed to a long term contract with OT Andre Smith.
Jets are on the clock.
And there it is: West Virginia QB Geno Smith goes to the Jets. Mark Sanchez’s days may be numbered.
Niners on the clock. Have to think they’ll go with a D-lineman here.
It’s Tank Carradine for San Francisco. Nice pickup for them.
Buffalo now on the clock. A receiver or an offensive lineman makes sense for them. Good wideouts still out there. I expect many more of them to go here shortly.
It’s USC WR Robert Woods for the Bills. Another really nice pickup. Keenan Allen’s tumble continues.
The Dolphins have traded WR Davone Bess to the Browns. Solid slot receiver to Cleveland. Miami out of room with Brandon Gibson, Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline in the mix.
Oakland is up next. I’m not even going to bother to guess what the Raiders are going to do. D-line would make sense.
The Raiders take my guy, Florida State OT Menelik Watson. Really nice get for them at this stage in the draft. His upside is off the charts.
Tampa is up next. They need some offensive help but the value seems to lie on the defensive side of the ball right now.
And Banks goes to Tampa. Good player, good size. Rams liked him, despite the missing A in his name. A bit surprised the Bucs added another corner, though.
Next up is Carolina. They could use a play maker. Keenan Allen would make some sense?
Guess not, doubling down at DT. Panthers just really bolstered the D-line with Purdue’s Kawann Short to go with first-rounder Star Lotulelei.
Arizona is up next. Quarterback for them, perhaps?
Cardinals add a nice piece to their defense. LSU ILB Kevin Minter was one of my favorite inside ‘backers in this draft. Nice get for them.
Buffalo up now, they need linebacker help. Arthur Brown is still out there. Let’s see where they go.
Bills do go with an LB. It’s Oregon’s Kiko Alonso.
Dallas goes with San Diego State’s TE Gavin Escobar. I guess I don’t really understand the strategy.
Pittsburgh is up. They could go running back. Is this where Lacy goes? Some really good players still available in this draft.
Wow. An RB to the Steelers but it’s actually Michigan State’s Le’veon Bell not Lacy. Curious to see where Lacy eventually lands. Was told one concern with Lacy is that he gets nicked up a bit too often.
Giants up next.
No surprise here, the Giants take a defensive lineman, this time it’s Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins. Congrats to them on a nice pick and on getting a Johnathan that spells his name the proper way.
All in good fun. I have nothing against Johnthan Banks. Good player.
Chicago is up next.
The Bears go with Florida ILB Jonathan Bostic. Brown continues to drop.
Washington is up next.
Redskins needed help in the secondary and they get it. North Carolina State CB David Amerson goes there. Interesting choice. Amerson was once considered a top pick. But he had a rough year in 2012.
New England back on the clock with one of the picks acquired from Minnesota last night.
Bess signs extension with Browns.
Patriots go with LB Jamie Collins. Great athlete. Killed it at the combine.
The Bengals are back on the clock.
Cincy goes with SMU DE Margus Hunt. One of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Mountain of a man. Interesting fit in their scheme, though. He strikes me more as a 5-technique type.
Miami picking again here.
Told that there are medical concerns with Lacy and that’s why he is falling.
Boise State CB Jamar Taylor goes to the Dolphins. Solid pickup.
Niners make a deal with Green Bay to move up.
Quick break. Back in a bit.
OK, we are back. Some players who could have been of interest for the Rams off the board: CB Robert Alford, RB Montee Ball and S D.J Swearinger.
Still a lot available as we head to the third round in terms of safeties, offensive linemen and running backs.
Where will Lacy’s drop end?
And there it is. Lacy to Green Bay. Not sure the extent of whatever medical issues he had but if it’s not too serious, that’s a nice value and a good fit.
Seattle is up next.
Seahawks opt for RB Christine Michael from Texas A&M.
What a run on running backs there near end of the second.
So now we head to the third. Here’s a quick rundown on what is left:
Safety: Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas, J.J. Wilcox and more.
Guard: Larry Warford
RB: Johnathan Franklin, Marcus Lattimore, Mike Gillislee
Let’s see how it plays out.
Chiefs go with Cincy TE Travis Kelce to start off the third round. We are eight picks away from the Rams.
Jacksonville up next.
The Jags go with CB Dwayne Gratz from UConn.
The Lions are up and they just got a mauler for their O-line. It’s UK guard Larry Warford. That’s a really nice pick for them.
Oakland is up next.
The Raiders go with UConn LB Sio Moore.
Philadelphia is on the board next. Could they finally go with a QB here?
Sorry, not Logan Ryan. It’s LSU DT Bennie Logan.
Cleveland is up.
The Browns go with CB Leon McFadden.
CBs flying off the board. But Rams still have their pick of safeties should they want it.
Rams are two picks away.
Sorry, not trying to tip picks. I’ll wait until they show on TV before updating blog. Getting ahead of myself. Apologies.
Arizona is up next.
Wow, Cardinals go for it and grab LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu. They took the risk. We’ll see how it goes. No question about his talent, though.
Tennessee is up. They go with CB Blidi-Wreh-Wilson.
Rams get their safety. They go with USC FS T.J. McDonald.
McDonald is the son of former 49ers DB Tim McDonald.
McDonald started 36 games for the Trojans. He has the versatility to play either safety spot and finished 2012 with 122 tackles, two interceptions and a sack. He had eight interceptions in his career.
Coach Jeff Fisher takes a safety from USC. Not a shock there. McDonald likely projects as more of a big, powerful box safety rather than a cover guy at free safety. We’ll hear how the Rams view him in a bit.
The Jets get an offensive lineman in Brian Winters. Solid addition for their interior.
Tampa Bay goes with the first QB of the third round. It’s….NC State’s Mike Glennon.
Dallas is up next.
The Cowboys grabbed Baylor WR Terrance Williams.
New Orleans up next and they go with a local product, OT Terron Armstead. The Arkansas Pine-Bluff product is from nearby Cahokia (Ill.) .
-San Diego is up next.
Chargers end the fall for Cal WR Keenan Allen. Injury issues and more pushed him down. But could be a nice pickup if he’s healthy.
Going to sign off for a bit. I’ll be back when the Rams get closer to being on the clock again. Lots of ways they can go with their other pick here.
Rams are coming up soon. Indianapolis is up at 86. Rams set to go at 92.
Some names to consider: Franklin, Lattimore, B. Jones, perhaps another safety, maybe a center field type like P. Thomas or Rambo. So many ways they can go. BPA makes a lot of sense here.
OK. San Francisco is up at No. 88 after another trade. Lots of moving by the Niners. Not a surprise.
Niners go with pass rusher Corey Lemonier. Another weapon for their defense.
Rams are three away. Honestly, no real guess here. Just so many ways they can go.
The Texans go with monster O tackle Brennan Williams.
That makes me think, there are still some monster Williamses left, especially at DT. Brandon and Jesse.
Rams are two picks away. Denver and New England up next.
Broncos go with CB Kayvon Webster.
Reminder: at this point in the draft, every board looks quite different. No such thing as a reach or a steal. It’s all about how individual teams view players.
New England up next.
The Patriots go with S Duron Harmon.
Rams back up. They could go RB, WR, OG, another safety even. Lots of options.
Rams double down on wide receiver, adding another West Virginia WR in Stedman Bailey.
Doubled down on wideouts for the second consecutive year, but this time both Mountaineers. Bailey had some ridiculous numbers last year for the Mountaineers, and in his career really. He posted an insane 25 touchdown catches last year to go with 114 catches and 1622 yards.
For his career, Bailey had 210 catches for 3,218 yards and 41 scores.
Miami moves up for talented Utah State CB Will Davis.
We are four picks away from the end of the third round and the evening.
But alas, I must head to the conference call with Mr. Bailey so that will do it for this blog tonight. We’ll have more on McDonald and Bailey later. Thanks for following along. Back at it again tomorrow.
Well, it’s pretty safe to say that was an eventful first day for the Rams. For the second year in a row, the Rams made two first-round trades and made no picks at their original drafting spot.
Last year, those moves yielded something big in the form of DT Michael Brockers. This year, it meant something fast in the form of WR Tavon Austin and LBAlec Ogletree.
Austin fills a void of play makers with his speed and ability to change the game from so many different spots on the field. He’s a slot receiver first but by no means foremost. He’ll be used in many ways and OC Brian Schottenheimer is fired up about the possibilities.
Ogletree brings an influx of speed and athleticism to the linebacker crew that continues to make an already talented Rams defense even better. He’ll be the WIL ‘backer from day one with Jo-Lonn Dunbar sliding over. Want an idea of how the Rams view him? Coach Jeff Fisher spent the 30th pick on an outside linebacker with similar traits in 2000 while at Tennessee. That LB was Keith Bulluck, who went on to become one of the best OLBs in the league and one of Fisher’s favorites. Ogletree will be an immediate nuisance to teams looking to run the read option, upgrade the Rams in coverage (he was once a safety) and provide even more punch to the pass rush when asked to blitz.
Austin and Ogletree will be introduced to the St. Louis media today at 3:30 p.m.
With those needs checked off and players in the shopping cart, the Rams enter day two with a much different look than this time a year ago. Last year, they had four second-day picks, including three in the second round. Now, after the trades of last night, they don’t hold a second round pick but do have an improved spot in the third round and an additional pick later in said round. The Rams have pick No. 71 and pick No. 92 tonight.
Now, there will be a lot of talk about whether the Rams will move back into the second round to go get someone. It seems somewhat unlikely that it happens but let’s face it, with GM Les Snead and Fisher pulling the trigger, there’s no doubt that anything is possible.
It was hard enough to try to project how the first round would play out with the Rams in the middle of the round, well, it’s downright impossible since there’s a whole round plus before the Rams are scheduled to make a selection tonight.
With that in mind, here’s a general list of players that are available that will likely go in the second round tonight. This is in no order but just a guess at guys we can likely count on being gone before the Rams draft again. Look for a run on quarterbacks and, especially, cornerbacks this evening. Could be a good night for linebackers as well.
QB: Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib
RB: Eddie Lacy
WR: Keenan Allen, Justin Hunter, Robert Woods
TE: Zach Ertz OL: Larry Warford, Menelik Watson, Terron Armstead
DL: Margus Hunt, Tank Carradine, Johnathan Hankins, Kawann Short
LB: Manti Te’o, Khaseem Greene, Arthur Brown, Kevin Minter
CB: Robert Alford, Johnthan Banks, Jamar Taylor, Darius Slay
S: Jonathan Cyprien
That’s 24 players. Of course, that’s by no means a definitive list. There are plenty of others that could go and some of those mentioned will almost certainly slip. But that’s a rough estimate of some guys that likely will go in round 2 or at least before the Rams are scheduled to pick again.
Turning to the Rams, they still have some needs at safety and for a bigger running back. They also could very well be in the market to add another offensive lineman (specifically someone who could be a guard/center) or even a cornerback (they only have four on the roster right now). And Snead has not been shy about doubling down on positions in the past so it’s never out of the question they could add more at receiver or even linebacker at some point, though that seems more likely tomorrow.
Here’s a list of some of the names that are still available for those positions of need heading into tonight:
Safeties: Cyprien, D.J. Swearinger, Shamarko Thomas, J.J. Wilcox, Baccari Rambo, Shawn Williams, T.J. McDonald, Phillip Thomas, Duke Williams Running Backs: Lacy, Montee Ball, Le’veon Bell, Giovani Bernard, Johnathan Franklin, Mike Gillislee, Christine Michael, Andre Ellington, Marcus Lattimore
Interior OL: Warford, Dallas Thomas, Brian Winters, Barrett Jones, Brian Schwenke, Hugh Thornton
Cornerback: Alford, Banks, Slay, Taylor, B.W. Webb, Sanders Commings, David Amerson, Logan Ryan, Dwayne Gratz, Tyrann Mathieu
And that’s just a small sample of a handful of spots the Rams could look to address. They’re going to stick to finding the best players they can so it’d be silly to rule them out from taking any position save for DE, QB, K, P and 3-4 OLBs as we head into day two.
We’ll be back with snippets from the Austin and Ogletree press conference as well as the running blog tonight to keep you updated throughout. If we know nothing else, it’s worth noting that you should probably not leave the couch much because you just never know what Snead and Fisher have up their sleeve. Thanks for reading.
Thanks to the man…Nick Wagner…..for the great information here…hes the best….
By Jeremy Waters on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyMarcus Lattimore is worth the risk. He has had some injuries, but with Pead & Richardson as insurance, Lattimore lives up to his college greatness, he would be a total steal!
By Derrick on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyI’d say I’m disappointed about Lacy getting picked, but that would be a lie. Now we can focus on what we actually need, a safety (or two).
By jordan on Apr 27, 2013 | Replywould love to see thomas and warford pick in the 3rd round
By stevens7777 on Apr 27, 2013 | Replyanyone know where we can find details of these trades?
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyHe (Nick) is giving us the pix before it shows on the NFL Draft board and on the TV…
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyNO…No dont stop doing what you are doing..please…I did not mean it that way…And, I thought it was cool..please…I ent to delete here and you cant…I have you pinged over to sunset daily…its great..please..thanks….do not hold back…besides..i had no clue you read this in real time…
By Sunset Daily on Apr 27, 2013 | ReplyWelp…66.5 rating for what that is worth..i think that could be lowest score on board…is that vaccaro guy gone? I forget…
“You’re talking about the offpsring of a famous father with NFL pedigree. This guy will take your head off. When he’s in the box and tackling he’ll be an absolutely physical presence. The only negative is he has some stiffness, which a lot of tall defensive backs have. But I love his physicality.” — Mike Mayock
6’2″HEIGHT
33 1/8″ARM LENGTH
219LBS.WEIGHT
9 1/4″HANDS
OVERVIEW
McDonald has spent his football life trying to live up to the name his father made for himself as an All-American safety at USC in the mid-1980s and 13-year NFL veteran who won a Super Bowl as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. T.J. (stands for Tim, Jr.) has never shied away from that pressure, however, earning his own accolades over the past couple of seasons. McDonalds brother, Tevin, is a true sophomore safety who enrolled at crosstown rival UCLA instead of following his dad and brother as Trojans.
The high school All-American (Tim, Sr. was his head coach at Edison High in Fresno) didnt get a chance to star because of the teams deep secondary his true freshman year, but he did play in every game as a reserve and on special teams. The departure of Taylor Mays, however, gave McDonald a chance to fill the leadership and production void as a sophomore. League coaches named him second-team All-Pac-10 in 2010 after he led USC with 89 tackles while also posting three interceptions and four pass breakups. McDonald missed the teams season finale against UCLA with a right shoulder injury. Multiple media outlets named McDonald to their All-American teams after he started 11 of 12 games in his junior year, missing the first half of the Colorado game for a big hit against to defenseless Stanford receiver Chris Owusu the previous week. The 2011 first-team all-conference pick had 67 tackles and three interceptions on the year, and his second career blocked punt helped the team beat Oregon in Eugene. McDonald and the Trojans entered the season with National Championship expectations, but stumbled to a six-loss season with the defense playing particularly bad football down the stretch. McDonald moved into more of a hybrid linebacker/safety role for USC, setting a career high in tackles (112) and tackles for loss (6.5). He also recorded a sack, deflected five passes, and nabbed two interceptions on his way to second-team All-Conference honors.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
NFL bloodlines with pro size and length who has played deep and in the box. Hits like a missile in the middle of the field, uses his shoulder to bring real power into the back or midsection of receivers with closing speed and tenacity. Solid ball skills, looks high and wide passes into his hands and can get down to get his hands under low throws. Physical presence around the line, sticks his head into short-yardage plays and uses his length to stay off lineman blocks and to wrap up running backs in traffic and receivers in the flat. Attacks the alley aggressively when coming downhill from two-high coverages. Does a good job fighting through blocks and making tackles on screens. Tries to lay the kill shot on wide receivers over the middle, but generally a good form tackler against running backs. Height and size come in handy on jump ball situations. Will be a factor on special teams, both using his length on the kick block team and as a strong tackler on coverage units.
WEAKNESSES
Will be pegged as a pure in-the-box safety. Protected in coverage by being used extensively as a Robber his senior season. Linear, high-cut player who is tall in his back pedals. Displays stiff hips, average change-of-direction ability and burst. His height and average short-area quickness become an issue when trying to break down quickly to make tackles in space, can be eluded in the open field by quicker receivers and running backs. Also lacks flexibility to turn-and-run with better receivers and tight ends. Does not have the range to get to the sideline, even sometimes to the hash, in single-high looks. Stares into the backfield, gets frozen and fooled by play action, loses receivers behind him, and takes time to recover after a false step.
NFL COMPARISON
Bernard Pollard
BOTTOM LINE
The son of NFL Pro Bowl safety Tim McDonald and brother of UCLA safety Tevin earned All-American recognition for his big hits and hands in coverage (six interceptions in 2010-2011). However, his lack of agility and instincts could limit his ability to be a reliable starting contributor in a league that is becoming more wide-open. He will probably be best served as a sub-package defender who plays near the line of scrimmage.
“He’s a natural route runner with great hands. I feel he was an underrated player with the presence of Tavon Austin. I really like the kid.” — Mike Mayock
5’10″HEIGHT
32 3/4″ARM LENGTH
193LBS.WEIGHT
9 7/8″HANDS
OVERVIEW
Bailey starred at Miramar High, where he was teammates with Geno Smith, and was coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell. Bailey caught 68 passes for 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. He was a Florida Class 6A first team all-state selection as a senior and second team as a junior.
Bailey redshirted his first year on campus. In 2010, as a redshirt freshman, he played in all 13 games, and recorded nine starts. He caught 24 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. In 2011, Bailey hauled in 72 passes for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big East second-team by the conference’s coaches. Bailey had his biggest season yet in 2012. Bailey caught 113 passes for 1,627 yards and 25 touchdowns. He set a school record for consecutive 100-yard receiving games (five), against Maryland, LSU, Bowling Green, UConn and Syracuse. Bailey became one of three players to finish with more than 100 yards receiving at Maryland, the first time three players netted at least 100 yards on catches in WVU history and the first time since 1998 WVU had multiple 100-yard receivers. Bailey was named as a second-team AP All-American.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Extremely productive. Showcases tremendous physicality in his routes. Uses his hands and body to create separation. Excellent body control. Very reliable target, volume catcher. Soft hands, can make plays off of his frame. Smart receiver who is adept at finds holes and picking up the first down. Tracks the football well over his shoulder and adjusts his body in order to make difficult catches. Competitive.
WEAKNESSES
Lacks ideal size, both in terms of height and bulk. Not an overly explosive athlete. Doesn’t change directions with suddenness. Likely won’t run a blazing 40 yard dash. Often times most of the attention of the defense was given to teammate and fellow wide receiver Tavon Austin.
NFL COMPARISON
Greg Jennings
BOTTOM LINE
Bailey lacks the ideal size and speed of an outside receiver. However, what Bailey lacks in terms of measurables, he makes up for with reliable hands, physicality, and superb body control. He will likely be selected on the second day.
NOTES: So far, All Lineman have been picked (4 Pix done as of now), One Defensive Lineman that has not only never played a full game in college, he is a total few plays in and few plays out type of a player but anyway, and then its been allOffensive Lineman picked again, to this pick….Lions are up and it looks like Barry Saunders is doing the announcing of that pick. Of course he talks about himself getting played on the cover of Maddens Video Game…they take another Defensive End….(From Ghana too)….10 more picks to the Rams pick….Browns are up now and another DE…Its been all Lineman picked so far this year…The Cards are up now….New regime in az…and another lineman…all seven pix have been lineman…and what is going with the rams..They are talking about a trade up…I dont know whats going on but the bills are up and they are talking trade….ill lay off the notes and let the running blog do the play X play…everything is happening fast and furious….I just don’t wanna lose out on tayvon…I think that rams are trading up to the 8th pick which is a bold move…..Looks like we will have three First Round Picks…..Oh..actually it was an even trade for the 16th and so the rams giot the guy I wanted…I am very happy eight now…but we have to wait to the 22nd pick…VERY PSYCHED…I think we need another receiver and then we can go for a free safety..or visa versa depending what remains on the board…here go the jets now….I assume the Ram team exec’s must have thought the jets would take Auston…I was surprised by this trade but I think the jets coach made no bones about saying they were going for youth and for speed..which must have equaled to Tayvon Austin to the Ram Exec’s and Fisher….Good Job…Very..very..psyched…Jets have a 13th pick too…I also caNOT help to think that Buffalo conveniently allowed the trade for Austin to help keep him out of the AFC East (Jets)….Trade Details are now below and we are at a commercial break…..3 Bama layers were picked so far in the first round….Something to think about now: If the Rams were still at 16, the options right now would include Alec Ogletree, Jarvis Jones, all WRs not named Austin and all safeties not named Vaccaro. Seems like Austin move makes even more sense in light of that….rams are up again in a second…i say to take another wr…i have this feeling they’ll take a free safety or maybe even a lb..manto toa could go anytime soon….lets tune back in…see ya…actually Nick is saying they could move down a few with a trade…i don’t like it and yep…ATL is making the trade with the Rams…ATL is at 30 so they no doubt feel they can whomever they were gonna get here at the 30 spot…this should also make up a pick in a deeper round because we will get two for the one…Now they are talking about MN trading back up and into the first round as a way to get manti…they are looking at giving up a few latter rounds for him…we shall see…commercial now before denver is up..then NE and thats who the Vikes are looking to trade up with and then the high flying rams are finally back up at 30..and this is the way I see it now…I say we need to still go for Patterson..hes from TN and he could start day one or near start…but then there is Kenny Vacarro whom I want as the FS pick but I was also thinking 2nd round..and then there is Eddie Lacy which is he is here..The Rams should jump on his ass…hes another starter too but denver could take him too..and then there is ogletree and yes…denver takes sylvester williams so that leaves lacey still ready for the taking…I am rethinking because i think I want them to take him now….lets tune back in…NE is up and then the Rams….And the Rams are on the clock. All signs pointing to Ogletree…I think I may want lacey although either or is perfect…But the vikes just took the other WR i wanted the rams to pick in this first round….and they pick ogeltree…very athletic pick..that should do us right…alrighty…first round done for us rams…two more picks for the league to be done and if you would have told me I would have had to wait up this long, I would not have believed it..anyway…very..very exciting…cant wait for season this year…well after summer of course….don’t wanna be rushing the year away by any means….psyched for a long spring and a very long summer leading into the next season…see you all in the super bowl although Ill recap the picks every day….Overall btw…no manti..alex smith is still up and only one RB was picked in the entire first round…3 bama players and lots of lineman picked…both offensive and D too….i am outta here..GREAT Day! Lots of players left though…could feasibly pile on with some diamonds in the rough..I am stopping for real….
Running Blog By Pick(s):
And the first pick is Central Michigan OTEric Fisher. What a rise for him. At the Senior Bowl there was discussion he could be there for the Rams at No. 16. It was clear after that he was going way beyond that.
Jacksonville is on the clock. This will be interesting here. Many think they’ll got tackle also and take Joeckel but this pick is much more of a wild card. Could go with a pass rusher, maybe even a QB.
Joeckel it is. Two picks, two offensive tackles.
Intrigue starts now with Oakland. You just never know which way the Raiders are going to go.
We have the first trade. Miami has moved up. Have to assume this is for yet another OT, in this case Lane Johnson.
Not Johnson. It’s Oregon DE Dion Jordan. Not many saw that one coming. Many people believe he’s the best defensive player in the draft. Very interesting.
Next up is Philly. Johnson now makes sense there unless they want to go with a DT.
From the blog earlier, we discussed the value of picks and it’s obvious the price hasn’t gone off the charts. Oakland got a second round pick to move down nine spots. That’s the same price the Cowboys paid the Rams to move up eight spots last year. Doesn’t require a big move this year.
Johnson to Philadelphia. No surprise there. They get an athletic LT who can fit into their uptempo offense.
And with that, the biggest run on offensive tackles in the top 5 of the draft is now complete.
Next up is Detroit. Have to think the choice comes down to DE Ezekiel Ansah or CB Dee Milliner. Ansah played for the Lions staff at the Senior Bowl and apparently liked him.
Ansah it is. Great story, makes sense for them. And Jim Schwartz loves him some defensive linemen.
Possible trade alert coming next. This Cleveland pick is awfully interesting. They could move down but they could also go any number of ways with their pick.
Not a huge surprise there though thought they may move back.
Arizona up now. With the tackles gone it could be time for the first guard to go in the top 10 since Chris Naeole in 1997.
It is indeed a guard. North Carolina G Jonathan Cooper is off the board. Excellent athlete, going to be tough to deal with for the next decade or so for the Rams.
Bills are on the clock. This could be a hot point for the Rams if they indeed want to make a move up. The cost of moving up earlier was a second round pick. Keep an eye out here.
The move has been made. The Rams have made a trade to move up. Have to think this is for WR Tavon Austin.
Indeed, the Rams have landed their much-coveted weapon. Was told he was the highest rated player on the Rams board. The offense and special teams just got much better.
Much more to come on Austin and the trade soon.
- Here are the details on the trade with Buffalo:The Rams receive: Pick No. 8 (Austin), and move up in the third round to Buffalo’s spot there.
The Bills receive: Pick No. 16, Pick No. 46, the Rams’ third round pick and the Rams’ seventh round pick.
So the Rams will get an earlier pick in round three and surrender their second and seventh rounders.
The Jets are up next and sick to their stomach to see Austin in St. Louis.
New York replaces Darrelle Revis with Alabama CB Dee Milliner.
Tennessee is up next. Sharrif Floyd or their choice of DTs or potentially Chance Warmack. You know Mike Munchak loves him some nasty guards.
Titans opt for the guard and land Warmack. Both guards off the board in the top 10. No surprise there.
Here’s a better look at the Rams’ trade with Buffalo:Rams get: Picks No. 8 and No. 71
Bills get: Picks No. 16, 46, 78 and 222
San Diego is now on the clock. They can’t be thrilled about their options here. Maybe D.J. Fluker. They need OL help.
Fluker it is. Wow. Nice run for the Bama guys here.
And the offensive linemen are pretty much all gone. Good news for Florida State’s Menelik Watson, who could now go much sooner than anticipated.
Oakland is back on the board and could get the guy many had them pegged for with the 3rd pick in Sharrif Floyd. That would be a nice coup for them since they got a second rounder to make the move.
If you want a potential surprise, keep an eye out for Houston CB D.J. Hayden.
Oakland goes with Hayden. The fall for Floyd continues. It will be interesting to see how the DTs go now.
Austin on conference call now. Back in a bit.
Jets go with Sheldon Richardson from Mizzou. The first DT in this draft is Richardson. Interesting scheme fit but a stud player.
Carolina is up.
Panthers go for Utah DT Star Lotulelei. Floyd’s drop continues.
New Orleans is now up. Jarvis Jones would make sense, Floyd would make sense. But the Saints are always hard to peg. Even Texas S Kenny Vaccaro wouldn’t surprise.
The Saints opt for Vaccaro.
Something to think about now: If the Rams were still at 16, the options right now would include Alec Ogletree, Jarvis Jones, all WRs not named Austin and all safeties not named Vaccaro. Seems like Austin move makes even more sense in light of that.
Buffalo is up now and all signs point to a QB, likely Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib.
The Bills do go QB but throw a curveball. It’s Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. The league knows something. It’s why he was invited to New York. Dots connected.
Pittsburgh up next. Jarvis Jones makes a ton of sense there but they could go WR as well.
Jarvis Jones it is. That’s a quinessential Steelers pick.
San Francisco has made its move. Up to 18 in a swap with Dallas. Who is this for? Notre Dame TE Tyler Eifert, maybe?
San Francisco has made its move. Up to 18 in a swap with Dallas. Who is this for? Notre Dame TE Tyler Eifert, maybe?
Niners go with LSU S Eric Reid. A little surprising but another player invited to New York by the NFL. They get a replacement for DaShon Goldson.
The Giants are up. They could go OL, DL or maybe LB here.
They go with offensive line but not Watson. It’s Syracuse OL Justin Pugh. Mild surprise by NFL Network’s Mike Mayock was apparently clued in.
Up next is Chicago. Is this where Manti Te’o lands? It could very well be.
Eifert would also make sense for Chicago. Throwing it out there but Eifert falls to 22, could the Rams find a trade partner in Atlanta?
Wow. Another OL. But it’s Kyle Long. Wow. What a story. Congrats to Chris’ brother. Good for him.
Cincinnati is up next. Eddie Lacy has been rumored there but who knows which way anyone is going to go in this draft at this point?
Bengals throw a wrench in that plan, take Eifert here.
Rams are on the clock. Look for a move down.
Rams make a trade. Manipulating this thing. Trade with Atlanta. Details to follow.
Here’s the breakdown of the trade:Rams get: Pick No. 30, No. 92 and No. 198.Falcons get: Pick No. 22.
I believe there is a future 7th that will go to Atlanta as well but we’ll confirm later.
Atlanta goes with Washington CB Desmond Trufant.
Minnesota grabs Floyd. Finally. Nice value there for them.
Indianapolis grabs DE Bjoern Werner.
Minnesota takes CB Xavier Rhodes of Florida State.
Lotsof options coming here for the Rams. One would think a team looking for one of these QBs might want to get to the Rams’ spot to do it. Rams could theoretically acquire another third rounder to do it depending on how far they’d have to move.
If they stay, there are still some intriguing options. Guys like Ogletree, Cyprien, Lacy on the board. Plus other safeties and OLBs.
Green Bay takes UCLA DE Datone Jones, a nice fit as a 5-technique for them.
Houston is up. Probably going to take a WR. Lots of choices though.
The Texans go with Clemson WR DeAndre Hopkins.
Denver is up next. They could go with a DT. Sylvester Williams would make sense. A DE like Tank Carradine would make sense too.
The Broncos bolster their D-line with Williams.
The Patriots are up next, could look to trade down. Chatter that Minnesota wants to move up with New England to score Te’o.
FYI, the seventh rounder that goes to Atlanta from the Rams in the 2015 draft is the one the Rams acquired from New England last year in exchange for WR Greg Salas.
Vikings do indeed move up. It’s Te’o time.
Rams on the clock. Lots of possibilities here. Ogletree would make sense so would someone like Cyprien or Elam. OR, another trade down, perhaps to a team in need of a QB.
Minnesota not going Te’o. It’s Cordarrelle Patterson.
And the Rams are on the clock. All signs pointing to Ogletree.
It’s official, the Rams have selected LB Alec Ogletree of Georgia. The LB corps just added a dynamic athlete and for the second year in a row, the team gets a top 10 talent much later than the top 10. Like Janoris Jenkins a year ago, Ogletree fell because of some off the field issues. But his talent is undeniable. Dunbar, Laurinaitis and Ogletree is quite formidable.
Dallas goes with Wisconsin C Travis Frederick.
Baltimore on the clock to end the first round. Safety or LB possible.
Ravens go with Florida S Matt Elam.
And with that, the running blog is done running for tonight. Time to do some writing and attend some press conferences. Thanks for following along. Back tomorrow night with more.
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15 Responses to “NFL Draft: Running Blog”
By Jeremy Waters on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyIf we can get Marcus Lattimore in the 2nd or 3rd that would be a steal!
By Mkid4719 on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyTavon Austin is not a number 1 WR. Please let someone else overvalue him and draft him in the top 10
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyNick I look forward to following the Blog. I wish I was at Dave & Busters draft party.
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Reply our offense is now really fast and can score in the blink of an eye.
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyNick Great job on the Posting. I would like to know what the datails of the move for Austin cost us.
By Joe Domingo on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyYes! They had to get Austin because the Jets wanted him and the Rams jumped one spot ahead. What a move! Yes!
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyOak must have known something anyone else did because floyd is still there
By Jeremy Waters on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyLes Snead, Jeff Fisher, Kevin Demoff, and of course Stan Kroenke deserve credit for getting the Rams back on track! Young and talented, this team has a bright future ahead!
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Replyhope we trade down now and take cyprsien or lacey
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyAll I can say is great patnership by the Bills and Rams. I believe EJ and Matt Barkley will turn out to be the best QB’S in this draft. Ej can throw a bullet in that wind and we needed a speed guy like Austin.
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyI like Lacey, but I just don’t believe we need an RB early. Pead/Richardson combo is going to be a very solid RB combo this season.
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyI don’t see the Eifert pick, but I do see the Falcon trade as a great move.
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Replycould also see the texans to trade up and draft patterson before min can at 23.
By Tim on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyWhat did the Rams get for the 22 pick???
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Replyhope we still trade down into the second
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Replycould the rams draft patterson with the 30th pick?
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyKeep doing what you do LS/JF. Things are looking great! By the way, keep it up NW. Your doing great on this blog. Your the man
By OCRAMMAN on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyIs it true we don’t have a second round draft pick as a result of the Austin trade???
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyI could see Patterson at 30, but I could also see Ogletree. Personally, in his 2nd yr. as GM. Who knows what he will do and this is a good thing at this time.
By jordan on Apr 26, 2013 | Replymaybe we will trade up in day 2 to get lacy
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyI think all options will work out. I personally believe the best option is to trade down if it is there.
By OCRAMMAN on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyI know Safety is a priority but I’d love to see Robert Woods get picked. He’s the most underated receiver in the draft because Kiffin fell so in love with Marquis Lee this year. He would be an unbelievable compliment to Austin on the other side. He’s a much better receiver than patterson IMO. Much more polished and a huge upside.
By Ramprint on Apr 26, 2013 | ReplyGreat Moves by the LS so far. GO Rams.
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Rams Select WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia
Overview
The Mountaineers have had a dangerous spread offense since Rich Rodriguez led the team, but have moved from a run-based system (ranked third in the FBS in rushing in 2007) to a pass-based spread (ranked sixth nationally in passing in 2011, 10th in 2012). A huge part of the offensive success the Mountaineers have enjoyed over the last two seasons is due to the talent of Austin. A small but quick and elusive playmaker, Austin’s role and impact grew seemingly by the week during his senior season, as he went from a slot returner and returner to a fully fledged Swiss-Army knife, including lining up in the backfield and taking handoffs, The two-time Maryland high school player of the year set all kinds of state career and single-season records, a large share of which (34 touchdowns, 2,660 rushing yards — that’s 12.2 yards a carry) as a senior. WVU coaches couldn’t wait to get him on the field, playing him in all 13 games and starting him in four. He caught 15 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown while racking up 476 kick return yards (including taking the opening kickoff against Connecticut 98 yards for a score). Big East coaches named him second-team all-conference in 2010 as he became a larger part of the passing game (58-787, 8 TD) and rushing attack (15-159, TD), but kicked him up to first team as a receiver (101-1,186, 8 TD) and returner (36 attempts for 938 yards, two TD on kickoffs; 19-268 on punts, ranked sixth in the FBS with a 14.1 yard average) after an excellent junior season. He led the FBS in all-purpose yards once his 182 rushing yards (one TD) were added in, and finished 2011 with 390 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in the team’s 70-33 blowout win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Austin burst into Heisman contention during his senior season with a 572 all-purpose yard (second most in FBS history) performance against Oklahoma on national television. Austin’s full repertoire was on display, as he caught 4 passes for 82 yards, rushed 21 times for 344 yards and two touchdowns, and 146 kick return yards. His senior season saw him total career highs in y.f.s. (1932), all receiving categories (112-1289-12 TDs), and rushing (72-643-3 TDs), as well as 978 return yards and two touchdowns. His dominating play saw him finish eighth in Heisman voting, win the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player), and garner a first-team All-America as an All-Purpose player.
Analysis
Strengths
Slot receiver possessing elite acceleration with the ball in his hands, takes advantage of available lanes to explode for big gains. Shows excellent vision both as a runner out of the backfield, as a returner, and as a receiver with the ball in his hands. Almost unstoppable at continue on for additional yardage. Not a frail receiver; plays tough, has some upper-body thickness, and bounces up quickly from hits. Varies the speed of his route, lulls defenders to sleep and takes off to create space on out routes or over the middle. Tough to grab after the catch in zone coverage. Flashes the hands to adjust to wide or high passes, as well as tracking balls over his shoulder. Also goes down to grab low throws. Displays excellent balance to tightrope the sideline. Often used on fly sweeps, using his elite quickness and acceleration to cut inside or get the corner for big plays. Finds space as a kickoff returner to use his speed, will head straight upfield and can spin off tackles in the open field to maximize the return. Can make the first man miss on punt returns and has the vision to slalom between players to the sideline or up the middle. Very difficult to track down from behind. Wins at every level of the field despite his size, and has been somewhat underutilized deep. Improved as a blocker, and will body up on bigger players.
NFL.com
Rams Select Alec Ogletree With the 30th pick in 1st Round
Overview
The twin brother of teammate (and fullback) Alexander Ogletree, Alec has made a splash during his time in the starting lineup for the Bulldogs with his big hits and momentum changing turnovers. However, Ogletree is less reliable off the field, as he was suspended for the first four games of the 2012 season for a violation of team rules. He will be considered one of the best athletes at his position, and that derives from Ogletree’s history at the safety position, where he played as a freshman, even making five starts in 2010. Heading into his sophomore season, Ogletree continued to grow, and the coaching staff asked him to move to inside linebacker. That was until he suffered a broken right foot in the season opener against Boise State and missed the following six games. He returned to the field against Florida and went on to earn the team’s David Jacobs Award as a player who, by example, portrays courage, spirit, character and determination.
At safety as a freshman, Ogletree recorded 34 total tackles, one of which went for a loss. Despite missing almost seven full games in 2011, Ogletree recorded 52 total tackles from his inside linebacker spot, including 7.5 for loss, three of which were sacks. He added two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. During his final season in Athens, Ogletree accounted for 111 total tackles, 11.5 going for a loss with three sacks. He showed more comfort in coverage with five pass breakups, including his first interception. Ogletree also scored on a blocked field goal attempt against Alabama in the SEC championship.
Analysis
Strengths
Has excellent speed for the position, can turn on the jets to chase plays down form behind. Beats blocks with hand quickness, plays the position like a safety with a chance to build a frame like a linebacker. That helps undercut blocks to make tackles for loss from behind. Can really hit when he wants to. Attacks blockers with authority. Best at closing on the edge, when running back looks to bounce outside or the quarterback scrambles out of the pocket. Flashes plays where he looks possessed, like nothing will stop him. Stick to running backs out of the backfield in coverage, even with a slip he has enough closing speed to be reliable in coverage. Attacks the football when tackling in the hopes of creating a fumble. Outstanding straight-line speed. Plays loose.
Get Ready to Jump! Now in Skardu, Brian and the rest of the 2010 Broad Peak and K2 team pack up and drive the rough road to Askole. This final inhabited town is the drop-off point for the approach trek into Base Camp. The road to Askole is rough and forbidding. It is maintained by hand and has man…View every episode at S2e TV.
The Rest of Everest
An Almost Unabridged Expedition Experience. The Rest of Everest is a video podcast created by documentary filmmaker Jon Miller of TreeLine Productio…
Flyers Pay Tribute to the City of Boston Tonight vs. Bruins
The Flyers host the Boston Bruins tonight in their 46th game of the season (7:30pm, CSN, 97.5 The Fanatic). The Flyers will be looking for their second win of the year over the Bruins in Philadelphia after topping them 3-1 at the Wells Fargo Center on March 30th. Aside from the on-ice matchup, the Flyers will be staging several efforts to assist the city of Boston in the aftermath of last week’s tragedy at the Boston Marathon.
1. OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
The Flyers are looking to make it five in-a-row as they come into today’s game with a four-game winning streak where they have scored an average of 4.5 goals-per-game and five goals in each of their last three contests… Of their 18 goals scored, 16 have come at even strength… The Jets come into today have dropped their last five games, three of which against Atlantic Division opponents… In their last five, Winnipeg has been held to two goals or less, posting an average of 1.2 goals-per-game during that stretch… This is the third and final meeting of the year against the Jets with the Flyers winning the first two games.
2. BETWEEN THE PIPES
Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec has appeared in 35 of the Jets’ 39 games this season and was second in the NHL in shots against (981) and saves (885)… He also ranked third in minutes played, at 2,002:10, while Ilya Bryzgalov is second in the NHL in minutes played with 2,019:25… Bryz is the only goalie in the NHL responsible for all of his team’s wins this season and has started 35 of the Flyers’ 37 games… Pavelec owns a 5-3-1 career record against the Flyers (3.65 GAA & .898 save %) while Bryzgalov is 5-1-1 all-time against Winnipeg (2.69 GAA & .900 save %).
3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER
The Flyers have scored half of their goals in the series on the power play, going 40 percent (4-for-10), while going perfect on the penalty kill at 7-for-7… In the season series, Jakub Voracek leads the Flyers with five points, all assists… The Jets have limited their opponents to less than 30 shots in each of their last 15 home games… The Flyers have an 8-4-1 against the Southeast Division, while the Jets have a 6-6-1 record against the Atlantic Division.
4. Player to watch FLYERS: Brayden Schenn – (C) #10
Schenn has posted at least a point in three of his last four games, including a goal in the Flyers’ last game, a 5-3 win at Toronto, for total of a goal and two assists… Against the Jets, Schenn has three goals and four points in the first two games of the season series.
5. Player to watch JETS: Andrew Ladd – (LW) #16
The Jets captain leads the team in scoring with 33 points and is tied for the team in goals with 14… In 17 games on home ice, Ladd has recorded 16 points (8g-8a)… In two games of the season series, Ladd has two goals and over his career, Ladd has 10 goals and 13 points in 18 games against the Flyers.
QUOTABLE
“We’re having a lot more fun around the locker room again. It’s fun to be here, going to work and we’re prepared to work and it’s been fun.” - Brayden Schenn
Last 10: Philadelphia 5-3-2; Winnipeg 3-7-0
Season series: This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Flyers will look for a season sweep after winning 3-2 in Winnipeg on Feb. 12 and 5-3 in Philadelphia on Feb. 23.
Big story: Can the Flyers take another big step in their push for a spot in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Or will the Jets be able to snap their five-game losing streak and climb back into the conference’s top eight?
Team Scope:
Flyers: The Flyers already are missing three regular defensemen due to injury – Braydon Coburn (shoulder), Andrej Meszaros (shoulder) and Nicklas Grossmann (upper-body injury). They could be down a fourth if Kimmo Timonen can’t play Wednesday.
Timonen left the Flyers’ game Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third period with what the team is calling an undisclosed injury. He is listed as a game-time decision.
The 38-year-old is second among the team’s defenseman with an average ice time of 21:24 per game. He’s also tied for fifth in scoring among NHL blueliners with 24 points.
Jets: Dustin Byfuglien’s return to forward will end at two games, as Winnipeg coach Claude Noel told reporters Friday that Byfuglien will return to defense against the Flyers on Saturday.
Byfuglien was shifted to forward in the third period of the Jets’ game Tuesday against the New York Islanders, and started up front Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, but the move failed to do what Noel hoped it would — spark an offense that has produced just six goals in the team’s current five-game losing streak.
“It’s not like we don’t know what’s going on,” Noel told the Winnipeg Free Press after the loss to the Canadiens on Thursday. “I don’t think you can expect to lose five straight games and expect that things aren’t going to change. We know that if we continue down this road, it isn’t good. That’s why there’s urgency. We’re running out of games; we know that.”
Who’s hot: After going 15 straight without a point, Flyers center Sean Couturier has points in four straight, with a goal and four assists in that span.
Injury report: The Flyers will be missing forwards Danny Briere (concussion), Maxime Talbot (leg), Zac Rinaldo (high ankle sprain) and Jody Shelley (hip), as well as Coburn and Meszaros. Grossmann and Timonen are questionable. … The Jets are playing without forwards Jim Slater (upper body), James Wright (upper body), Anthony Peluso (hand) and Nik Antropov (lower body), as well as defenseman Zach Redmond (leg).
MoJo’s guide to the national pastime’s deepest pockets and reviled personas.
In early February, a US Patent and Trademark Office court in Washington, DC, confirmed what baseball fans had suspected for more than a century: The New York Yankees are evil. After an internet startup, Evil Empire Inc., had attempted to trademark the phrase “Baseball’s Evil Empire,” the Yankees filed an injunction, and the panel of judges agreed. As the court put it, “The record shows that there is only one Evil Empire in baseball and it is the New York Yankees.” If only it were true. The ranks of Major League Baseball owners include some of the richest men—and they are almost exclusively white males—in the country, as likely to open their wallets for a super-PAC as they are a top-shelf free agent. Viewed in the context of the competition, with its anti-discrimination settlements and SEC investigations, the Yankees are, like their Opening Day roster, fairly pedestrian.
So where does your team’s ownership rank? We took a stab at it, analyzing each franchise by its level of political activity (based on campaign donations and office-seeking) and relative degree of evil—copyrighted or not. Read below the matrix for the full breakdown.
Baltimore Orioles: Peter Angelos made his big break in 1992, when his law firm scored $100 million from a class-action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers. Henceforth, he made bank by (mostly) sticking up for the little guy—taking on more asbestos companies, the lead paint industry, and a diet pill manufacturer. But he also uses his money and influence to get what he wants. Angelos agreed to take the lead in a massive suit by the states against tobacco giant Philip Morris only after demanding 25 percent of the winnings—far greater than any other attorney received. (He eventually settled for half that.) Angelos and his wife gave $1.8 million to Democrat candidates and PACs last fall.
Boston Red Sox: John Henry, the team’s majority owner, purchased the franchise in 2002 with the earnings from hiscommodities futures trading company. Hedge funds, of course, have produced some of the worst excesses in an industry notorious for them, while arguably producing little of merit for society. But there are probably worse ways to make your money than what Slate’s Matt Yglesias calls ”a scam where one class of rich people rips off another class of rich people.” When minority partner Phillip Morse (who founded a medical device company) chartered his private jet to the CIA, he never expected that it might end up being used for something nefarious—like the rendition of terror suspects to countries with less humane methods of interrogation. ”I was glad to have the business, actually,” he told the Boston Globe. “I hope it was all for a real good purpose.” But Morse wanted to make one thing clear in his interview with the Globe: “When it’s chartered, it never has the logo of the Red Sox on it.” Henry gave almost $1 million to Democrats candidate between 1992 and 2004, but nothing in 2012.
Chicago White Sox:Jerry Reinsdorf made his fortune as a real estate developer who specialized in building tax shelters. One of the league’s most anti-union owners, he was charged with colluding with fellow owners to drive down player salaries in the 1980s. He gives millions to charter schools, but takes even more out of the city’s coffers thanks to a sweetheart deal that allows him to pay just 25 percent of the standard property tax rate for the United Center (home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, which he also owns). Reinsdorf also threatened to move the White Sox unless the city and state agreed to build it a new $125 million stadium on the South Side. In March, he teamed up with a former Secret Service director, a top aide to Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, and a private prison lobbyist to launch SRB2K LLC, billed as a “global security firm.” (We’re guessing they’ll come up with a better name.) Whatever happens, though, he’s probably better than Charles Comiskey.
Cleveland Indians: The worst thing about lawyer Larry Dolan is actually his nephew, James, the widely derided owner of the New York Knicks. One thing Larry hasn’t done: change that awful logo.
Detroit Tigers: Little Caesar’s founder Mike Ilitch can’t compete with the team’s former pizza-mogul owner, Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan, who built his own quasi-theocratic township in central Florida. Ilitch and his wife, Marian, gave $184,000 to federal candidates in 2012, mostly to Republicans.
An official labor report alleged that Astros owner Jim Crane told subordinates, “Once you hire blacks, you can never fire them.”
Houston Astros: Jim Crane’s company, Eagle Global Logistics, was forced to pay the federal government more than $4.3 million to settle charges of war profiteering related to contracts in Iraq. In 2001, Eagle paid a $9 million settlement after an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation found rampant racial and gender discrimination at the company. (Among other things, the agency’s report included an allegation that Crane had told subordinates, “Once you hire blacks, you can never fire them.”) Crane gave $45,800 to political causes in 2012, most of it to the Obama Victory Fund—which may explain why he went golfing with the prez and Tiger Woods in February.
Kansas City Royals: In 1992, when he was still president and CEO of Walmart, David Glass was confronted by NBC’s Dateline with evidence of child labor at a T-shirt factory in Bangladesh. His response: “You and I might, perhaps, define children differently.” As Glass explained, looks can be deceiving—Asians are short. Then he ended the interview. Meanwhile, as the Royals’ owner he’s pocketed profits without making any discernible investment in the on-field product. He also once revoked press credentials of reporters who asked critical questions.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: They say your first billion is always the hardest. Arte Moreno made his hawking roadside billboards. Staunch Republicans, the Morenos gave $100,000 to the Romney Victory Fund in 2012. Moreno’s worst move as an owner was his insistence on giving his team its clunky new, multi-city moniker. But in his defense, nothing says “don’t be evil” like lowering the price of beer.
Minnesota Twins: Jim Pohlad, a Minneapolis banker, hasn’t had much time to prove himself after inheriting the franchise from his late father, Carl—who was infamous for volunteering to kill off the team in exchange for $150 million from Major League Baseball. That is, until Hennepin County ponied up $350 million for a new stadium. In 2012, the Pohlad clan doled out $644,000 to political causes and candidates, almost all of it to Democrats.
New York Yankees: The Steinbrenner brothers’ father, shipping magnate George, was banned from baseball twice—once for paying a gambler to spy on his own player, and once for attempting to cover up illegal donations to Richard Nixon’s 1972 reelection campaign. Current Yanks owners Hal and Hank haven’t given anything to candidates. They did, however, manage to copyright the expression “Evil Empire.”
The Bronx Bombers pay their respects to the Sith Lord.
Oakland Athletics: Lewis Wolff, a real estate magnate and hotel developer, bought the A’s in 2005 and has talked openly about moving the team more or less ever since. But his biggest crime may have been shutting down the upper deck of the mostly-empty O.co Coliseum, which had become a refuge for fans wishing to smoke pot during the middle innings. He gave just $2,500 to federal candidates in the 2012 cycle; now politicians know how the A’s fans feel.
Seattle Mariners: Hiroshi Yamauchi is the former president and chairman of Nintendo, and the man responsible for introducing the world to Pokémon—even though he can’t stand video games. Or even baseball: He has been the owner of the Mariners for the last two decades, but has never once been to a game. It’s time to seriously consider the idea that Yamauchi, whom profiles describe without fail as “autocratic,” is actually just a bot. His fellow owners are a bit more active, though. You may know minority owner Wayne Perry as the president of the Boy Scouts of America, which is still weighing whether it should keep discriminating against gay children. Last year, Perry and co-owner Robert Glaser gave six figures to Republican and Democratic super-PACs, respectively.
Tampa Bay Rays: Goldman Sachs alum Stuart Sternberg took controlling interest of the club in 2005. He had left Goldman in 2002, two years after it had acquired his firm, Spear, Leeds & Kellogg—and six years before Goldman helped bring down the global economy. SLK was no angel either. Prior to its acquisition by Goldman, it had been fined $1 million by the National Association of Securities Dealers for delaying paperwork in order “to secure a competitive advantage, protect its interests and maximize its profits or minimize its losses.” But by the standards of 21st-century Wall Street, the Rays’ Goldman-stocked front office—ably chronicled in Jonah Keri’s The Extra 2%—looks more George Bailey than Bernie Madoff. Sternberg’s only political gift in 2012, a grand total of $1,000, went to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
Texas Rangers: Compared with one of its previous owners, George W. Bush, who went on to invade two countries and enter the United States into an intractable War on Terror, the Rangers’ current front office is downright tame. Principal owner Ray Davis made his billion on gas pipelines; in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita his company, Energy Transfer, paid the federal government $10 million to settle an allegation of price manipulation (the company did not admit to any wrongdoing). Bob Simpson, Davis’ co-chair, sold his fracking giant XTO to Exxon Mobil for $41 billion. Former hurler Nolan Ryan, who also has a stake in the team, was instrumental in getting Ron Paul elected to the House in 1996.
Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays are one of only two Major League teams owned entirely by corporations. In this case, it’s the Canadian telecom giant Rogers Communications, which is prohibited by law from contributing to American political campaigns. We don’t really have anything to add to that. NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks: Ken Kendrick made headlines back in April 2010 when he announced that he had purchased one of the rarest and most expensive baseball cards ever produced—a 1909 Honus Wagner—for $2.8 million. Soon thereafter, he was back in the news: Arizona legislators passed the state’s draconian anti-immigration law, SB 1070, and activists were calling for boycotts of the Diamondbacks and the 2011 All-Star Game at Chase Field. Why? While Kendrick claimed to oppose the bill, theRepublican donor also reportedly held a private fundraiser for an SB 1070 proponent, state Sen. Jonathan Paton, in his private box at Chase Field.
Liberty Media chair John Malone, according to Wired, was “widely considered the Darth Vader of the infobahn.”
Atlanta Braves: Liberty Media started as a spin-off of cable giant Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI). Its chairman, John Malone, currently owns more land than any other American—2.1 million acres. (Interestingly enough, America’s No. 2 landowner is none other than former Braves owner Ted Turner.) Malone, according to a 1994 Wired profile, was “widely considered the Darth Vader of the infobahn” because of his insatiable push to conquer the industry. His Wall Street nickname is marginally more favorable: “swamp alligator.”
Chicago Cubs: Remember the plan hatched last year by Cubs family patriarch Joe Ricketts to defeat the “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln” (a.k.a. Barack Obama)? ‘Nuff said. The Ricketts family, which owns the team through a trust, spent almost $14 million on elections last year. Most of it went to Republicans, but daughter Laura, an Obama bundler, gave more than $575,000 to Democrats. (She also launched a super-PAC to support LGBT candidates.) Pete Ricketts, one of Joe’s three sons, is a Republican National Committeeman from Nebraska and former US Senate candidate; he may run again next year.
Cincinnati Reds: Robert Castellini took over his family’s business and turned it into one of the nation’s largest fruit, vegetable, and flower distributors. Profiles of the septuagenarian invariably mention how, when he was starting out, his workdays would start at the crack of dawn (hard work!) and how he promised Reds fans a World Series when he bought the team in 2006 (passionate and driven!). In 2011 and 2012, he gave more than $100,000 to Republican candidates and committees, including $30,800 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Colorado Rockies: From the family that brought you factory farms and coked-up cattle! Charlie and Dick Monfort helped run the eponymous Big Ag empire until 1987. That’s when family patriarch Kenneth Monfort sold out to ConAgra, and the Monfort boys became ConAgra execs. Kenneth made his fortune by busting the union that served his workforce and replacing union workers with immigrant laborers—many of them undocumented. (At one point, the company’s annual employee turnover rate hit 400 percent.) Also represented in the Rockies’ ownership group is former GOP senate candidate Pete Coors, purveyor of super cold beer and brother to Joe Coors Jr., who once predicted that Armageddon would arrive in 2000. Here’s Pete explaining how poor people caused the financial crisis:
Los Angeles Dodgers: Lead owner Mark Walter’s financial house, Guggenheim Partners, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission over his ties to former junk bond trader Michael Milken. Walter and co-owner Magic Johnson (yes, him) teamed up to give six figures to the Obama Victory Fund. The families of Dallas investor Bobby Patton ($93,800) and Todd Boehly ($169,000) gave big to both Democrats and Republicans. The most offensive thing about this ownership group was probably The Magic Hour.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a major foe of the Marlins Park fiasco, called it “the gift that keeps giving.”
Miami Marlins: Jeffrey Loria, the millionaire art dealer and Charlie Brown-as-philosophy author, is widely considered the worst baseball owner of his generation. The Marlins’ boom-and-bust cycles were already diminishing the team’s shaky South Florida fanbase when along came the Miró-inspired Marlins Park. Built last year with $474 million in public financing, the deal, which will end up costing Miami-Dade County $1.1 billion, has made Loria the second least popular person in South Florida (behind Fidel Castro), according to one 2012 poll. Carlos Gimenez, who parlayed his opposition to the stadium deal into a successful run for Miami-Dade mayor, described Marlins Park to Sports Illustrated‘s S.L. Price as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
Milwaukee Brewers: By all accounts, Mark Attanasio is a laid-back, baseball-savvy guy who also happens to run an investment company that manages some $11 billion in assets. Commissioner (and former Brewers owner) Bud Selig had this to say about him in the New York Times: “Mark is quiet, thoughtful—he has a personality that really fits Milwaukee, even though he’s not from here. He has the same passion I have for the game, and he lives and dies with each pitch, which I can understand completely.” But Selig is terrible, so never mind. Attanasio didn’t give to any candidates in 2012, but his co-owners chipped in about $1 million.
New York Mets: Sterling Equities cofounder Fred Wilpon famously was a major mark for Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme: At one time, according to The New Yorker‘s Jeffrey Toobin, Madoff had 480 accounts from Sterling employees or clients. By the time the scam fell apart in December 2008, Wilpon and his partners had invested some $550 million. On top of that, the Mets’ stadium sold its naming rights to Citigroup in 2006 for $400 million, shortly after the bank had received $45 billion in TARP money. As if all that weren’t enough, an Amway meeting space/recruiting center recently moved into Citi Field.
“I just believe the organization needs an image that’s not directly tied to wins and losses,” said Phillies owner David Montgomery.
Philadelphia Phillies: David Montgomery worked his way up through the ranks in the Phillies organization, even working as the team’s scoreboard operator in the early ’70s. But his long tenure hasn’t exactly made the mild-mannered “Gentleman Dave” a fan favorite, probably because he’s said things like this: “I just believe the organization needs an image that’s not directly tied to wins and losses.” The ownership group’s $200,000-plus in 2012 contributions came mostly from pipe-tobacco magnates John and Leigh Middleton.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Nutting family has had an ownership stake in the Pirates since the mid-’90s, and a majority share since 2007. During that time, the team hasn’t had a single winning season. Robert Nutting apparently has been content to collect handsome profits without reinvesting in better personnel—although the Pirates did manage to secure $228 million in public funding for PNC Park. Nutting’s contribution to the general collapse of society has been negligible, however. He runs a four-star resort in West Virginia and a chain of small newspapers.
San Diego Padres: Last year, Southern California beer distributor Ron Fowler headed up an ownership group that included the son and four grandsons of former big-league owner Walter O’Malley, the guy who moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
San Francisco Giants: Charles B. Johnson, a mutual-funds baron and the 211th-richest person in the world according to Forbes, spent some $200,000 to try to defeat California’s Proposition 30, the sales and income tax increase that included elements of the state’s millionaire’s tax initiative. (Prop. 30 passed in November.) Other political expenditures: $50,000 for Prop. 32, which would have kept unions and corporations from using automatic payroll deductions to bankroll political activity, and $200,000 for Karl Rove’s American Crossroads.
St. Louis Cardinals: In the early 1990s, William DeWitt Jr. helped put together an ownership group—including George W. Bush—that would go on to buy the Texas Rangers. Years later, he would buy the Cardinals from Anheuser-Busch and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help elect (and reelect) his former partner.
Washington Nationals: “Nobody tells Ted Lerner what to do,” former business magazine publisher Bill Regardie told the Washington Post. “Ted Lerner is not used to being told what to do. In the last 30 years, no one has told this man to do anything.” One of the things Nationals’ owner Lerner hasn’t done, whether told to or not, was to pay for a doctor or certified athletic trainer at the team’s Dominican academy, even after teen prospect Yewri Guillén died of a brain infection in 2011.
1. STREAKING LATELY
The Flyers come into tonight’s game on their first three-game winning streak of the season… During that streak they have out-scored their opponent 13-8… The Flyers have also picked up at least a point in the standings in six of their last eight games, going 4-2-2 in that span… The Maple Leafs come into tonight’s game also riding a three-game winning streak in which they have out-scored opponents, 13-5… The Leafs have gone unbeaten in regulation in their last eight games, going 5-0-3 in that span… The Leafs currently sit the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Flyers are 11th and just four points out of the seventh spot in the East.
2. TONIGHT’S MATCH UP
This is the third and final game of the year between the Flyers and Maple Leafs with Toronto winning the first two meetings… Toronto is looking to sweep the Flyers for the first time since 2006-07 and a win in regulation would be the first sweep since the 1993-94 season (0-2-0)… The Flyers own a 5-2-0 record in their last seven games at Toronto… Four different Flyers have scored in the season series thus far, while Jakub Voracek (1g-1a) and Kimmo Timonen (2a) lead the Flyers against Toronto… Nazem Kadri has four points, all assists, in two games of the season series this year against the Flyers… Of the combined 13 goals in the season series, only one goal has come on special teams with the Flyers scoring on the power play.
3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER
The Maple Leafs rank tied for third in the NHL in regulation/overtime wins (20) – only Pittsburgh (25) & Chicago (22) have more this season… The Leafs penalty kill is 73-for-80 (91.3 percent) over the last 25 games (2/7 to 3/30) and currently sits tied for fourth in the NHL (85.7 percent), while the Flyers power-play is second overall in the NHL at 24.3 percent… Toronto has the fourth-most 5-on-5 goals in the NHL with 80… The Flyers are playing the second half of their ninth set of back-to-back games this year – they own a 4-4-0 record and have won the last two games in that circumstance.
4. Player to watch FLYERS: Wayne Simmonds – (RW) #17
Simmonds recorded a goal in last night’s win over Montreal giving him points in four of his last five games with five points (2g-3a) in that stretch… Simmonds has one goal in the two-game season series so far, and overall, has four goals and six points in nine career games against the Maple Leafs.
5. Player to watch TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Joffrey Lupul – (LW) #19
Since returning from injury, Lupul has been the NHL’s hottest player, posting at least a goal in six straight games for a total of eight goals, including three consecutive game-winning goals, and adding five assists during that stretch for 13 points… He recorded a four-point effort (1g-3a) in the Leafs last game, a 4-0 win at Ottawa… Against the Flyers, Lupul has five points (2g-3a) in six career games.
QUOTABLE
“We have to find a way to get two points every night and the past two games is a good example of our character by coming from behind.” - Sean Couturier
Last 10: Philadelphia 5-3-2; Toronto 5-2-3
Season series: This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Leafs won their first two games, most recently 4-2 in Philadelphia on Feb. 25.
Big story: Can the Flyers continue their strong recent play and surge into contention for a playoff spot? Or will the Maple Leafs, now past the turmoil of the trade deadline, continue to solidify their postseason spot?
Team Scope:
Flyers: The Flyers certainly felt good after winning their season-best third straight game, a come-from-behind 5-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
However, they know they have to win a lot more than three games if they want to climb into the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s a good sign [but] it doesn’t matter how many games you win in a row,” forward Simon Gagne said. “Every game from now on is going to be really big for us. … It doesn’t matter if you win one in a row, two in a row, three in a row — every game from now on is going to be big for us.”
Maple Leafs: While most of the headlines Wednesday surrounded the Maple Leafs’ purported chase for a goaltender, general manager Dave Nonis added a piece he felt was just as important — stay-at-home defenseman Ryan O’Byrne from the Colorado Avalanche.
The 6-foot-5, 234-pound O’Byrne has just four points in 34 games, but was second on the Avalanche with 76 hits and fourth with 49 blocked shots.
“He’s a defensive defenseman,” Nonis told the Toronto Star. “We feel he can play with good players. He can play with John-Michael Liles, with a Jake Gardiner, a Mike Kostka. Those are the most likely pairings.”
Who’s hot: Flyers captain Claude Giroux has three goals and seven assists in the past seven games. … The last time Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri was on the ice, he had his first NHL hat trick, plus an assist, in Toronto’s 4-0 win at the Ottawa Senators on March 30.
When the Braves were recruiting free agent B.J. Upton over the winter, they knew they had some competition from within their own division for the athletic 28-year-old outfielder.
“He flew in from Philadelphia to meet with us, so that was my first clue. I didn’t think he was visiting family members,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said with a laugh early in Spring Training. “We looked at B.J. as the best option for us. I don’t know if they had him that high on their list … but we felt if he went there they would have gotten the top guy on our list.”
The issue of who will ultimately get the last laugh will begin to be decided Monday at Atlanta‘s Turner Field when the Phillies meet the Braves on Opening Night. The Braves not only accomplished their goal with a 5-year, $75.25 million contract, but later made a deal with the D-backs to get Justin Upton.
The City of Brotherly Love vs. the Upton brothers, beginning at 7:05 p.m ET. It will be the first of 19 divisional scrums between the two teams, including the final three games back in Atlanta, that could go a long way toward deciding if either team will continuing into the postseason.
After wild cards were added to the playoffs for the first time in 1995, the Braves or Phillies won the division 16 of the first 17 years. Now, both will be hoping to unseat the Nationals. And both will be without their starting catchers when the season opens. The Braves don’t expect to have Brian McCann, who is recovering from October shoulder surgery, until the middle of April. Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies was suspended the first 25 games of the season for using a banned stimulant.
“I think the fact that they’re one of the big rivals in our division and the history of the last 20 years kind of speaks for itself. With our team and theirs, that’s definitely a very good conversation piece. I think people are watching for those match-ups in that series,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
But that’s just about the extent of their common interest.
“They are going to be a team we battle all year, so to open with them and end with them, it’s going to be a pretty significant series to see where we stand and set the tone for where we are in the division,” said Phillies Opening Night starter Cole Hamels.
The Phillies are entering the season with the lowest expectations since 2007, which is also the last time they came into Spring Training as anything other than the defending National League East champion. Manuel understands how getting off to a good start could help his team regain its swagger.
“You see when teams come out of the gate good, that can definitely carry over,” Manuel said. “That’s momentum if you get off good early. Say you sweep the first series and then real quick you get eight or 10 games over .500? Oh, yeah, that can get you going.”
The Braves, on the other hand, are a team that’s widely viewed as capable of running down the Nationals.
“On paper, I definitely put us just as good [as the Nationals],” backup catcher Gerald Laird said. “They may have some strengths, and we have some strengths on our side. But for the most part, we are two competitively balanced teams. Some people might be picking them to win the division, but Atlanta won 94 games last year, and we’ve improved. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be anybody’s race.”
Medlen pointed out that, in the end, it will all be about results.
“I’m a big believer in playing the game,” he said. “I don’t like talking about potential. It’s like talking about prospects. Cool, you throw hard, but you don’t know anything about pitching. You just don’t know anything until you play the game. I don’t like talking about rosters or who looks good on paper. I just like playing the game and trying to beat whoever we are playing.”
Hamels takes the same approach.
“When the time comes and we have to step between the lines, we have to play the very best baseball we can for 173 games. We have to look at it that way. If we don’t take that sort of approach then we’re selling ourselves short. That’s the attitude that we’re getting. You can feel it in the clubhouse. You can see the work ethic. This is something that we want to do. We want to win 173 games, and that’s what we are going to play for,” he said.
Phillies: Hamels to make first season-opening start
Hamels will be making his first career Opening Night start. He was 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA against Atlanta last season and said there’s a sense of urgency to win as the nucleus of the team gets older.
“You don’t want to see it, but you understand the game of baseball is a very small window. And you have to do very well for that period of time that you have,” Hamels said. “So you have to give it everything you can while you can because it’s going to be taken away really fast and you don’t want to regret anything.
“I think that’s kind of the idea behind what we have to do. We have to perfect everything we can. We have to play as hard as we possibly can. Because it’s going to disappear fast and I don’t want it to disappear. That’s why I still signed [a 6-year, $144 million extension] because I firmly believe we have a great team and we can win the World Series, and the organization wants to see that and the fans want to see that, and I think that’s the ingredients that you need to succeed. We have to push the limits.”
Braves: Veteran Hudson gets Opening Night nod
Fredi Gonzalez decided to use 37-year-old Tim Hudson in the opener even through right-hander Kris Medlen was 9-0 with an 0.97 ERA in his last 13 starts of 2012.
“Why not give it to the veteran guy?” the manager said.
Hudson will be starting his sixth opener.
“For this club, there are a lot of expectations coming into this year, and it’s nice to be able to get started with me on the mound and hopefully getting us in the right column with a W,” he said.
Worth noting:
• Atlanta went 12-6 against the Phillies in 2012.
• With Chipper Jones retired, the Braves will start the season with a platoon of Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson at third base.
• The Phillies are encouraged by the way second baseman Chase Utley’s knees held up during spring training and a strong Grapefruit League by onetime top prospect Domonic Brown.
The BEST Phillie Phanatic Dance Party ever! So much fun to watch so many fans groove with the Phanatic! Special thanks to Please Touch Museum, 98.1 WOGL, Comcast SportsNet and Citizens Bank for helping to host the event! http://atmlb.com/13wBL0O
OK. The team (Rams) have covered both needs at both lines (D and Offense). Believe it or not after this last few months, we are now stacked on the D Line….and, now, we are set on the Offensive line. However, I think now, we should pick up a veteran running back (like maybe Reggie Bush). and that would leave us with the great need for receivers. It would be ideal to get a blockbuster or top rated one but I just don’t see it this year. I do see them picking up a couple of great college players and the same goes probably for RB. But again, I would like to offset that youth with veterans in each of those positions and then I think the team for the year….will be set…Regardless, they finally closed with long after i leaked it a few weeks ago…i thought the deal went bad but again its done:
- After a visit to St. Louis that lasted the better part of three days followed by a weekend of reflection to make a decision, offensive tackle Jake Long’s verdict came in late Sunday night as he agreed to terms on a four-year contract with the Rams.
The four-time Pro Bowl LT arrived in St. Louis early last week as the Rams made it quite clear he was one of their top free-agent priorities. Upon arrival, he went through a rigorous physical to have some past injuries checked but came out of it with no further red flags from the Rams end.
After a couple of nights of negotiations and a couple of dinners out in St. Louis with Rams executives and coaches, Long departed St. Louis to head back to Miami on Friday afternoon. While a free agent leaving the first city he visits is often considered a bad sign, it turned out to be a chance for Long to reflect on his options and make a decision.
Ultimately, Long opted to leave the team that spent the first pick on him in the 2008 NFL Draft to go to the team that selected right after Miami that same year and might have taken him had he made it past Miami. The Rams now have the first two picks from that draft in the fold as Jake Long joins end Chris Long as franchise cornerstones.
Long went to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons with the Dolphins, quickly establishing himself as one of the game’s dominant offensive tackles. He’s been hit by injuries a bit in the past two seasons but has only missed six games in his five-year career.
For the Rams, it’s expected that Long will immediately plug into the left tackle position as the starter with Rodger Saffold sliding over to the right side. Coach Jeff Fisher said last week that he had already discussed the possible move with Saffold and that Saffold was “fine” with the move.
Although Long had spent his first five seasons in Miami, he does have some ties to the Rams. His younger brother Joe spent training camp with the Rams last season. Joe Long is now a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization after finishing up last year on their practice squad.
Signing Long away from Miami is the second victory against the Dolphins for a key free agent this offseason. Last week, the Rams beat Miami out for the services of TE Jared Cook.
More to come on the addition of Long tomorrow and in the coming days. Thanks for reading.
Animals used by Ringling and other circuses are separated from families, brutally trained to perform unnatural tricks, chained, confined to small cages and pens, and dragged around the country by train or truck for months on end. Help us put an end to this cruelty by informing the public that animals do not belong in the circus.
To: Jacques Rogge and the International Olympic Committee
We respectfully ask that you do NOT consider Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid, until the Japanese Government agrees to end the brutal Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt, by making it illegal to hunt Dolphins in Japan. If Tokyo wants the honour of being an Olympic Host City, Japan must be held accountable… …
Terrified Dolphins Huddled Together Moments Before Slaughter
This is Japan’s 5th Olympic bid, since their 1964 Olympics. They are very eager to be selected as Host City again to boost their economy after the devastating tsunami & Fukushima nuclear disaster. By challenging Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic bid, it’s a demonstration that the world is condemning the actions of this hunt and offers support to people within Japan who also strive to end this practice once and for all.
Japanese Government grant permits to the Taiji Fishermen’s Union to hunt 2,800 dolphins from September to April for slaughter & to supply the captivity trade. While this is not illegal in Japan, the hunt has been condemned internationally as barbaric. Despite claims that the killing is swift & humane there is extensive evidence to prove otherwise. In this daily hunt, babies are torn from their mothers, many dolphins witness the slaughter of their entire families before either being taken captive or killed. The manner in which they are killed (a spear to the spinal cord which takes up to 7 minutes to die in agony) is unspeakable and inhumane. The hunt continues, hidden under tarpaulins in an attempt to conceal the slaughter, they clearly know what they are doing is wrong. Many Japanese people are becoming aware & condemning it, but most are afraid to speak out. All pleas to stop the killings are ignored by the people who have the power to stop it.
The dolphin hunt is a lucrative business for the Taiji fishermen, the big money is in the captive trade supplying marine shows, with prime specimens selling for ¥800,000 in Japan, but much more abroad. Captives are initially held in cove sea pens, while buyers are found, starved & traumatised, many die waiting. Those not selected for captivity are slaughtered for human consumption, despite health warnings regarding the excessively high mercury content. This meat sells for around $22 per kilo. Many alternatives have been put forth including turning the otherwise beautiful town of Taiji into a tourist attraction for whale and dolphin watching that allows the fishermen to continue to be employed, but they are repeatedly rejected in the name of “tradition”
If the IOC Evaluation Commission does not challenge this atrocity under their Mandate for Environmental responsibility during their visit to Tokyo on the 4th of March 2013 & the selection process continues, it will be perceived that by ignoring this, the IOC are actually endorsing the hunt. If Tokyo’s bid is announced as the winning bid on the 7th of September 2013. Japan will continue to hunt these very social, amazingly intelligent animals, with large brains, closest in structure to the human brain, capable of higher brain functions & emotions like humans, will eventually be driven to extinction.
The International Olympic Committee have the opportunity to make real changes in Taiji Japan, we MUST ensure that they listen to the concerned masses, NOT the people who profit from this shameful tradition. To clarify, at no point do I condone boycotting Japan, nor do I incite hatred, violence or negativity towards Japanese citizens.
Please join one of our GLOBAL events on 29.06.13
1. MR. ONE THOUSAND Kimmo Timonen will be playing his 1,000th game in the NHL tonight, becoming the 281st player in NHL history to accomplish that feat, which is approximately four percent of all NHL players in history… He is the first Flyer to reach that mark since Derian Hatcher did it on Apr. 7, 2007 and sixth defenseman to reach that mark with the Flyers… It is also Timonen’s 38th birthday today, he is the only player in NHL history to play his 1,000th game on his birthday… Timonen is only the second Finnish NHL defenseman to reach the 1,000 game mark (Teppo Numminen – 1372 gp)… Of his 999 games, he has played 426 as a Flyer.
2. WRAPPING UP THE SERIES
This is the third and final meeting of the season against the Lightning… The team’s split the first two meetings with each team winning on home ice… The Flyers took the most recent meeting with a 2-1 victory on Feb. 5… The Flyers have lost their last three games playing down in Tampa… The Lightning come into today having won two of their last three games, while the Flyers have also won two of their last three and look for their second straight win… The Flyers have the 6th best power-play in the NHL, but have failed to score on the man-advantage against Tampa Bay this year, going 0-for-8.
3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER
The Lightning have the 2nd most power offense in the NHL, recording 3.3 goals-per-game, 92 goals in total and 39 goals in the third period… The Flyers have a 7-3-1 record against teams from the Southeast Division, while the Lightning own a 2-9-0 record against the Atlantic Division… Steven Stamkos leads the NHL with 20 goals and ranks third in points (39)… Jake Voracek has points in 10 of his last 14 games, recording 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in that stretch.
4. Player to watch FLYERS: Max Talbot – (C) #25
Talbot recorded the Flyers lone goal in their 2-1 shootout victory against the Devils, and has posted three points in the last five games for the Flyers, including a shorthanded tally in the Flyers’ 3-2 win over Buffalo… He ranks second on the team, by one second, in shorthanded time-on-ice per-game (3:29)… In two games against Tampa Bay this season, Talbot has two assists… In his career, Talbot has nine points (3g-6a) in 26 games against the Lightning.
5. Player to watch LIGHTNING: Martin St. Louis – (RW) #26
St. Louis leads the Lightning with 30 assists, which also ranks 2nd in the NHL, and second on the squad with 37 points, which ranks 4th in the League… He has recorded at least a point in eight of his last nine games, including four multi-point games, where he has posted 10 assists and 13 points during that span… In 28 games, St. Louis has gone just six games where he has failed to score a point… St. Louis has four assists in two games against the Flyers this season, while owning 56 points, including 42 assists in 42 games in his career against the Flyers.
QUOTABLE
“This is huge. These are points we can’t blow away; we can’t say ‘oh we’ll get it next game’. We need every point in every possible game.” - Scott Hartnell
Last 10: Philadelphia 5-5-0; Tampa Bay 3-7-0
Season series: This is the third and final game this season. Each club earned a win at home in the two previous meetings.
Big story: The race for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference is beginning to take shape, with the Lightning and Flyers both trying to get into the top eight in the standings. Each team has won two of its last three games, but there is still plenty of ground to be made up. Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season, will try for his 200th career goal Monday.
Team Scope:
Flyers: Philadelphia makes a stop in Tampa to begin a brief two-game road trip and will try to end a three-game road losing streak. The Flyers haven’t made much movement in the East standings this month with just a 3-4-0 record thus far. They hope to get things going at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Flyers are 1-3-0 in their past four games.
On Monday, Philadelphia will hope to duplicate its effort from Friday when it played a very disciplined game that led to a 2-1 shootout victory at home against the New Jersey Devils. The team was patient and focused and got a regulation goal from Max Talbot and the shootout winner from Claude Giroux.
“The most important part I think is we waited for our chances. We didn’t force anything for no reason. It paid off for us in the shootout,” forward Danny Briere told the team’s official website.
Lightning: Coming off a solid 4-1 win against the Southeast rival Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Lightning will try for just their second win in the last seven home games. But if Tampa Bay can get secondary scoring Monday similar to what it received Saturday, then its chances for a win will be much greater. Rookie forwards Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat both scored their first career NHL goals against the Hurricanes.
“I’m pleased with the result,” Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher told the team’s official website after the game. “We’ve played this way in 14 of our last 16 games, but we just didn’t get the result. So, I was pleased tonight.”
Who’s hot: For the Flyers, Talbot has goals in two of his last three games. … Martin St. Louis has a goal and six assists over his last five games for the Lightning.
Injury report: Luke Schenn returned to the Flyers lineup Friday after sitting out the game Wednesday with the flu. The Flyers will be without forwards Tye McGinn (orbital) and Jody Shelley (hip). … Tom Pyatt returned to the Lightning lineup Saturday after missing one game with an upper-body injury. Captain and forward Vincent Lecavalier (lower body) and forward Benoit Pouliot (shoulder) are on injured reserve.
You’ve heard the story for years: Spring arrives, and the ice floes on Canada’s Eastern Coast are littered with the bodies of baby seals—slaughtered in the largest commercial massacre of marine mammals on the planet. But this year, it’s different because our campaign to save the seals has been working.
I know because as you read this, the Canadian government is lobbying hard to overturn the European Union’s (EU) ban on seal-fur imports. It’s no wonder: PETA‘s campaign has just about destroyed the global market for seal products.
The EU has banned the sale of seal products, and the worldwide demand for seal fur is plummeting. As a result of an international campaign by PETA, Russia—which had been importing 95 percent of Canadian seal pelts—will not allow the importation of any harp-seal products! PETA and Canada’s own Pamela Anderson met with Russian officials in New York to counter Canadian efforts to reopen that market, and we believe that it will remain shut.
The Canadian government is also trying to get China to import seal fur, so PETA Asia has organized thousands of people in mainland China and Taiwan to e-mail the Canadian ambassador in those countries. Chinese celebrities are retweeting PETA Asia’s action alerts, and the group has enlisted popular Chinese TV stars to appear in campaign ads. Canada won’t find a solution in China!
The fur industry is pulling out all the stops to remove the ban on seal products in Europe. It’s lobbying the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that the ban discriminates against Canadian products. It’s a crude attempt to bypass public opinion and political will.
We also arranged for an appeal by Anderson to the WTO to maintain the bans, which generated international headlines, as did our supporter in a seal costume and activists from PETA affiliates who gathered outside last month’s WTO meeting.
If the industry wins, many more seals will die. This is a fight that we must not lose, which is where you come in.
We need your help to stage headline-grabbing protests, to campaign against designers and retailers that sell fur, to hold meetings with trade representatives from various countries to counter Canadian lobbying, and to apply direct pressure on the Canadian government.
The Canadian government reportedly will be spending millions to try to overturn the EU ban. We need your support today to work together to stop the seal killers’ latest efforts.
Hundreds of thousands of seals used to be killed each year, but as PETA continues to hammer away at foreign markets, the number has dwindled to a fraction of what it once was. Our tactics work, and that’s why the fur industry is running scared.
Just a few weeks ago, a planned slaughter of hundreds of young grey seals on Canada’s Hay Island was canceled for the second year in a row, and local media noted that “[g]overnments around the world have been closing their borders to seal products.” Now we need to stop the big harp-seal slaughter.
The current challenge before the WTO is just the last gasp of an industry that’s trying to hold onto a horrific massacre that the majority of Canadian citizens want to see ended now.
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