Are you kidding me?  What is it with this team?  As soon as “Meat” took that intereception into the end zone, I knew we were in for a circus.  In what has become a typical Auburn football game, the Tigers prevailed, downing a tough Mississippi State Bulldog squad 41-34.  A few quick thoughts before I head out for the day:

- The defensive line looked 300% better.  Still not where they need to be, but it was great to see Eguae, Lemonier and especially Dee Ford making big plays.  The talent is obvious, and it’s only a matter of time before this unit grows into a force.  Before I forget, Craig Sanders, bravo.

- The secondary is pitiful.  Kudos to Ryan White for the game saving tackle.  Neiko Thorpe, I am so done with you.  His tackling angles are the worst I have ever seen.  No exaggeration.  

- Darren Bates.  I still don’t like you, but I’ll concede you made one or two positive plays today.  Learn how to shed a block on an option.

- Speaking of shedding blocks on options, I’m looking at you T-bell.  T’Sharvan Bell may be an excellent cover corner, but it’s about high time the coaches called him soft again.  He’s getting blown back by receivers, and Chris Relf took advantage of that on more than a couple occasions.

- Barret Trotter.  Well done all around.  Awful, Delhomme-ish (even worse, Brandon Cox-ish) pick six.  You think maybe this kid trusts Emory Blake?

-Emory Blake.  You, sir, are smooth.

- Philip Lutzenkirchen.  Why does he not have 7 receptions every week?

- Jared Cooper.  You are so damn slow, but thank you for improving to the point of not being a liability this week.

- Did Slade get hurt?  A.J. Greene saw a lot of snaps, and he looked pretty decent.

- Dismukes is going to be better than Pugh.

- Parkey is a monster.  Wes Byrum was great, but this kid has so much more pure talent kicking a football.

- Michael Dyer.  He’s simply the best.  Next year: Dyer, O-mac, Mason, Blakely, Grant, Yeldon, Robinson.  Are you kidding me?

- I have a lot more to say, but that’s enough for now.  The defending national champion Auburn Tigers are 2-0.  They demand respect, and will not be easily taken down.   

Not everything last Saturday was as migraine inducing as the defense.  In fact, most of the offense and special teams looked very good.  I’ll go ahead and start with what was, to me, possibly the brightest spot of the game, Barret Trotter.  He’s obviously far from proven after one game against an admittedly weak secondary, but he looked very much the part of a composed leader.  Trotter, in his first career start, made the throws he needed to all game long.  More importantly, he never made any crippling mistakes.  One turnover almost certainly would have cost Auburn the football game.  This weekend will demand much more out of the junior, and it will be interesting to see if he remains as calm and collected as he was against the Aggies.  I think my favorite part of Barret’s performance on Saturday was seeing him chew out the defensive line on the sidelines.  I noticed him in their face on at least two occasions, and that’s what I like to see out of a team leader.  His chewing out of Ford and Eguae looked to have actually had an effect before Utah State’s final drive.  It was on that drive the D-line looked the most dangerous.  So, a tip of the cap to the new Auburn field general.

On to the mediocre: the highly anticipated, vaunted running back duo.  Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb struggled to gain any traction all day long, and ended up with only 103 yards on 23 carries combined.  Not what the fan base was hoping for from a position of great strength.  I found it difficult to really grade their performances, because they never had much running room.  All day long, they ran into either a blown up line, or O-Mac would find himself trying to wriggle free of multiple defenders while getting to the edge.  Utah State sold out against the run, and did a pretty good job shutting it down.  Auburn had no problem giving up on the ground game and going to the air, but I don’t think that will be the case this weekend.  Look for Gus to devote a good deal more effort in attempt to get his backfield going.

A large reason the running backs were struggling, of course, was the play of the offensive line.  Just like the opposite side of the ball, the O-line struggled to assert themselves all day long.  USU consistently controlled the line of scrimmage, and there were often defenders meeting Dyer and McCaleb in the backfield.  As basically everyone associated with the program has been stressing all week, this is a line that needs to play much, much tougher.  Coach Grimes, at least, seems to have identified many of the primary glitches, and will hopefully have them ironed out by Saturday.  I’m not sure I’m thrilled to see Slade and Cooper getting another start, but I can certainly understand the wisdom behind the decision.  Give this line a chance to gel, much like Ziemba, Isom, Pugh, and Berry did a few years ago.  Although I would like to see the team work in Westerman and Robinson, if Grimes thinks Slade and Cooper are the best options, I’ll begrudgingly accept it.  While this current iteration of the line struggled to make holes last weekend, they did do a very good job guarding the pocket.  For the most part, Trotter was able to throw comfortably to his receivers.  There were some breakdowns, but the pass blocking looked a hell of a lot better than the run blocking.  I’m excited to see how this unit progresses from game one to two.  They absolutely must have a better performance against an SEC-quality defensive line from Starkville.

Another bright spot was the performance of the wide receivers.  Trooper told us he was going to play at least seven of them.  He really only played four.  But those four got the job done.  Emory Blake looks to be comfortable stepping into the #1 role, and should have a great year.  Q Carr didn’t catch a pass, but he threw a few decent blocks, and didn’t screw up.  I’ll credit him with that.  In one of the day’s most pleasant surprises, Travante Stallworth looked fantastic as the slot receiver.  He is certainly not the blocker Kodi Burns was, but he made multiple huge plays, and juked a Utah State defender into the next county.  That kid might never recover.  If Stallworth can remain healthy, he may prove to be a much more potent weapon than anyone expected.  And finally, playing healthy in his first game, Trovon Reed flashed just a bit of his potential.  Malzahn ran a series almost exclusively comprised of screen passes out to Trovon at the hashes.  He caught them all, and moved the chains a couple of times.  I’ll be excited to see how Gus continues to work him into the offense.

So, obviously, the offense wasn’t near as bad as the defense, but they also have a lot of work to do if this team expects to compete on a weekly basis.  We really have no choice but to hold our breaths and pray this coaching staff can work some miracles with the youngest team in the SEC.  

Oh, and the Special Teams.  They were great.  First and foremost, no coverage breakdowns.  That was great to see.  Tre Mason showed us the practice rumors had some basis in fact, taking a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown, looking genuinely dangerous in the process.  I’m excited about him, and wish he could have gotten some carries out of the backfield.  Obviously, the circumstances of the game prevented that.  Quan Bray also looked good returning kicks, but never had a chance to flash any razzle dazzle.  In the punt return department, Trovon Reed seems like one of those guys born for the role, and I have confidence he will be miles ahead of where Carr was a season ago.  Parkey was a beast on kickoffs, blasting more than one through the end zone.  Can’t wait to see him kick some field goals.  And, finally, Steven Clark looked like a perfectly competent punter.  This unit, for at least one week, looked to be in very good hands. 

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything on this blog.  This is mostly because I am now the owner of a real, live, full time job, thus I have less time to think from the couch.  I thought about writing about the Indians slow descent into mediocrity, or the Ubaldo trade, but the inspiration just wasn’t there.  My Auburn Tigers, however, have shaken me from my writing hibernation.  If you watched the game on Saturday, you can probably imagine why.  A lot of things can be said about the game.  Not a whole lot of them are good from an Auburn perspective.  I’ll start out with the obvious: the defense was atrocious.

As a whole, the defense was about as bad as you could possibly imagine it against a WAC offense being lead by a true freshman Quarterback name Chuckie.  Auburn should never be getting torched by a kid from Utah named Chuckie, I don’t care what the circumstances are.  Anyways, as anyone who’s ever watched a football game could see, the problems all started up front.  It didn’t particularly matter who was in the game.  Corey Lemonier appeared to make no progress in the offseason, and looked nothing like the future all-american many expect him to be.  Kenneth Carter was generally invisible and, when he wasn’t, could be found standing around with his hands on his hips, watching the play unfold.  Carter has a long way to go before beeing deemed an SEC-quality defensive tackle.  Jeffrey Whitaker was, at least, not embarrassing.  Although he was far from a bright spot.  Nosa Eguae had a couple moments, but was also lost at times.  He played nowhere near the level the coaching staff expects, and needs from him.  He was not a leader, he was not disruptive, and he was in the wrong place far too often.  Jamar Travis looked like, well, Jamar Travis.  Angelo Blackson is huge, but plays soft.  Gabe Wright supposedly played alright, but I wasn’t even quite certain he played a down until I reviewed the game film.  Is that all?  Nope, there was one bright spot!  Dee Ford looked quick around the edge, and appears to be the most disruptive speed rusher on the roster.  I say reward him with ample playing time come Saturday.  So, all in all, the defensive line was porous, was not disruptive, and was consistently manhandled by a WAC offensive line.  I realize these kids are young, but they are going to have to toughen up extremely (and I mean extremely) fast if they expect to compete with Mississippi State - let alone LSU, Alabama, etc…  If I were coach Pelton, I’d start Nosa, Whitaker, Blackson and Lemonier, with Ford rotating in early and often.

On to the linebackers, who were very nearly as abhorrent as the defensive linemen.  Now, a lot of their struggles have to do with the line’s numerous breakdowns.  That needs to be kept in mind when reviewing their performance.  Alright, have you let that soak in?  Good.  The linebackers still sucked, plain and simple.  I know Jake Holland was starting his first game in the middle.  I also know it’s not good when your middle linebacker is constantly making plays eight yards downfield, and the majority of his tackles look like he’s going for a piggyback ride.  Holland was always one step behind, and while his 11 tackles look good in the box score, they didn’t look good on the field.  He will need to learn to play instinctively and assert himself quickly or he will find life in the SEC very difficult.  I have faith he can do this, and to be fair, he did show flashes of ability last week.  Those just need to be more consistent.  Jonathan Evans is earning a lot of praise, and he probably should be.  14 tackles, 7 solo, is nothing to scoff at.  I still wouldn’t say he stepped up and took control of the game, because he didn’t.  But at least he was a safety net, because lord knows Darren Bates and Neiko Thorpe weren’t.  More on Thorpe in a minute, but first, Bates.  Sweet Bearded Jesus, is this kid lost when it comes to tackling.  Awful angles and a lowered shoulder pad at the last moment are not going to earn you many tackles playing Division I college football.  Also, for a former safety, he covers the flats about as well as a peg-legged Frenchman in a blindfold.  I’m not sure what’s going on with him, or what the hell he did this offseason, but he appears to have regressed.  Eltoro Freeman should see the majority of his snaps as we go forward, with someone like Justin Garrett seeing more snaps in passing situations.  Who else was there?  Harris Gaston didn’t look awful while he was out there, but he did look a bit slow.  This corps needs to really pin their ears back and get ready to scrap hard when the Bulldogs hit the plains.

The secondary gets no free passes here.  Neiko Thorpe still sucks.  Nothing has changed.  Demetruce McNeal was just as useless.  Both of their tackling numbers are inflated because, invariably, your safeties are going to record an unusually high number of assists when the opposing team runs 3,000 (no, seriously though, 84!) plays.  I’m not even sure I can grade the cornerbacks because Roof seemed to insist that they not participate in the contest.  How he has the patience to play these kids 8 yards off the line and watch screen after screen after slant after screen go underneath them is beyond me.  I’d be putting these kids on the line and jamming the receivers as often as possible.  I would hope T’Sharvan Bell and Chris Davis are competent enough athletes to be able to handle jamming Utah State’s receivers.  Apparently Ted Roof does not agree.  But, really, I feel it’s almost impossible to judge this unit because the scheme had them so far out of position to make an impact.  This is a secondary that should have been pressing, jamming, blitzing and doing everything else to put pressure on a quarterback making his first career start in an extremely hostile environment.  Roof dared Chuckie to maintain his composure dinking and dunking the ball all day long.  The 18 year old had no problem accepting that dare and, frankly, made Roof look like a fool all day long.  Not good.  

I think I forgot about Craig Sanders earlier.  All I remember out of him was refusing to wrap up in the backfield when he had a chance to blow up a play.  You’re better than that, Craig.  And Jawara White.  Nothing much to say about him.  He played!  In the end, I feel bad chastising this defense to such an extent.  I honestly think most of the blame lies in the coaching staff.  These kids were not ready, they were hopelessly lost, and they played finesse defense.  It’s time to see what the staff can do with this mess in one short week.  I expect this unit to look a hell of a lot better this weekend.  If they don’t, Auburn is going to come crashing down to earth in a hurry.

I’ll cover the offense/special teams tomorrow because damn that was depressing.

Designated Hitter:  Travis Hafner has looked much like the Pronk of old when he’s been in the lineup this season.  The team has been much more successful when he’s been available, and the lineup is much more dangerous with Hafner in the middle of it.  He leads the team in pretty much every offensive rate stat (.934 OPS, .528 SLG, .406 OBP).  So that’s great.  The problem is, he hasn’t been able to play often enough, so while those rate stats are great, they add up to only 8 home runs and 35 RBI.  If Hafner was able to play everyday, those numbers would obviously be quite a bit higher.  If Pronk can stay in the lineup everyday in the second half, it will be a huge bonus for the Indians offense.

Left Field: With Grady Sizemore spending so much time on the DL, Michael Brantley has played as many games in center as he has in left, but for the purposes of this article, I’ll list him as the team’s primary left fielder.  It’s been, overall, a very successful first half for Michael, as he’s established himself as a viable major league starter at the age of 24.  While he’s encountered some extended slumps, he’s proven that he is capable of growing into a valuable top of the lineup guy with decent pop and above average speed.  Brantley’s first half line (.268/.329/.381) isn’t eye popping, but it is much more encouraging than what he showed at the major league level last season.  What Brantley needs to focus on for the remainder of the season is avoiding those extended slumps, and reaching base more efficiently.  He has a decent eye (32 BBs), but I’m sure the organization would like to see a higher on-base percentage from him.  I have faith that, in time, the consistency will come with Brantley.

Center Field: Grady Sizemore has, in between DL stints, been the Indians primary center fielder.  He started off extremely hot, blasting 12 XBH in 45 April ABs, good for a 1.251 OPS.  Then, he cooled off to the point of borderline worthlessness, hitting .143 in May, and .196 in June with 13 XBH in 141 ABs.  Pretty amazing.  It’s been a bit better in July, but Sizemore still hasn’t come anywhere close to regaining the form that once had him labelled as the most exciting young player in the game.  Another alarming stat, Grady has 0 steals on the season, and has looked lost on multiple occasions in the outfield, something that almost never used to happen.  I’m not sure what the future holds for Sizemore, but watching him over the past couple months has been predominantly sad and frustrating.  The break can only do good things for him.

Right Field: Shin-Soo Choo, what can I say about you?  Choo, one of my favorites, had been scuffling all season until getting hit by a pitch, which broke a bone in his hand.  Now, I’m not going to say Choo was about to get hot, but the injury seemed to come at a horrible time, and this season appears like it may be a total loss for Shin-Soo.  He was way, way off his career norms (.853 career OPS, .687 in 2011), and will have to be absolutely torrid off the DL to pull anything positive out of his 2011 campaign.  Hopefully the Indians are still competing when he does return, so he has a chance to redeem his first half performance.  Looking at the long term, I still believe Choo is easily the best bet going forward in right field.  Along the same lines, I believe Sizemore should still be viewed as the center fielder of the foreseeable future, but the next year and a half will go a long way in determining the franchise’s long term plans.

The Reserves: Travis Buck, Austin Kearns and Shelley Duncan have been the primary outfield reserves for Cleveland this season.  None of them have been particularly impressive.  Kearns has been pretty much God awful.  My favorite of the group is Buck, as he has shown flashes of usefulness.  In fact, if you factor out an 0-23 skid (0-24?), he hasn’t looked all that bad, with a line of .256/.295/.679.  More optimistically, over the past 28 days (basically since Choo’s injury) Buck has put up a line of .306/.324/.769.  Nothing amazing, but not too terrible from a reserve player.  If Buck can avoid injuries, there’s a chance the Indians decide to hang onto him going forward.

Austin Kearns.  Other than his extremely clutch three-run blast against the Yankees, he has literally done squat this season.  I don’t even want to post the stats, as they are too depressing.  I’m sure Austin is a great guy, but I question how long the Indians can afford to put up with his nonexistent bat.  It’s not like he’s contributing anything else.  He’s an average fielder, he has terrible speed, he looks a little bit like a clown.  Not what you want out of a major league outfielder.  Someone needs to explain to me why he’s still on the roster and Ezequiel Carrera is still in AAA.  

Shelley Duncan has split his time between first base, the corner outfield spots, and Columbus.  I’m not sure he’s worth much more than replacement value roster fodder, but when Duncan does connect with a baseball, he can send it a long, long ways.  I, for one, will not soon forget his mammoth blast off Jo-Jo Reyes in Toronto.  It would, however, be nice to see Duncan hit more than 3 home runs in the second half, if he sticks around.  

Beyond the guys currently on the roster, and Carrera in Columbus, the Indians don’t really have a lot of talent near the majors, which I suppose is why they have kept Kearns around for as long as they have.  Hopefully some of the kids with some upside - I’m talking about names like Donnie Webb, Tim Fedroff, Jordan Henry, Tyler Holt, LeVon Washington and Bryson Myles - put up big numbers this summer, and push themselves through a system desperately searching for impact players in the outfield. 

It’s tough to gauge how exactly to feel about the 2011 Cleveland Indians.  On one hand, fans should be happy the team is only half a game out of first at the break, considering most viewed the Tribe as a bottom feeder coming into the season.  On the other hand, the Indians shot out to a 30-15 start, looking genuinely excellent throughout that stretch, before morphing into almost a completely different team since.  The extended excellence could be attributed to great pitching from the rotation, and especially the bullpen.  It could also be attributed to the lineup consistently coming up with big hits with runners in scoring position.  Through the end of May, Cleveland led the AL in hitting with runners in scoring position.  Since then, they have been last in the AL in the same situations.  It becomes extremely difficult to win games when your team continually fails to produce in run scoring situations.  That has been the most frustrating thing about this baseball team.  I can’t ever remember seeing such a bipolar performance from a professional team in my life.  So I suppose my feelings towards the team are much like they were heading into that early season showdown with Kansas City for first place; cautiously optimistic.  There are plenty of things to be encouraged about, but just as many causes for alarm.  I’ll break down the team’s first half position by position.

Catcher: Carlos Santana has been the Indians primary catcher this season, and looks like he will eventually fulfill his immense potential.  While things haven’t all gone well for Carlos this season, he has had flashes of brilliance, both at and behind the plate.  Once he learns how to adjust to off-speed pitches, he should be an absolute monster.  For now, he is essentially a rookie learning on the job, and a .363 OBP paired with a .781 OPS only indicates good things for his future.  Carlos’ OBP is good for second on the team, behind only Travis Hafner.  

Backing up Carlos, and filling in on the days he starts at first base, is Lou Marson.  After an absolutely disastrous rookie campaign in 2010, Marson has looked much more comfortable this season as a backup.  While he will never light the world on fire with his bat, his defensive prowess makes him a perfectly viable - even valuable - backup catcher in the Major Leagues.  Lou has thrown out 18 of 37 potential base stealers this season, good for 49%, 2nd in the American League.  

Keeping in mind that Santana and Marson are both only 25 years old, and there are more catching prospects coming up the pipeline (Chun Chen, Alex Lavisky, Jake Lowery), the future of the position looks to be in very good hands.  

First Base: 2011 has been widely viewed as a make or break season for once uber-prospect Matt LaPorta.  So far the results have been typical LaPorta.  In a word, meh.  He hasn’t been good, he hasn’t been bad.  At times he’s looked fantastic, a day later he’s looked completely lost.  This is why people get frustrated with Matt LaPorta.  If he can figure out how to find some consistency down the stretch, he could find himself playing first base in Cleveland for a very long time.  If not, well, the franchise has to start looking at other options.  A .724 OPS just isn’t going to cut it for a starting first baseman on a contending AL team, now matter how impressive Matt looks on any given night.  Furthermore, defensively, LaPorta is a bit of an enigma.  He seems to have the ability to make all of the plays, but lacks the mental make-up to do so on a consistent basis.  The next few months will be crucial in Matt’s development and future outlook.

Beyond LaPorta, the organization has high hopes for Nick Weglarz.  Nick has yet to get on track in 2011 after struggling through various injuries over the past year.  If he can get healthy, and regain his former levels of production, the towering Canadian slugger could be an option in the near future.  Another former top prospect, (and #1 pick) Beau Mills, has been making waves recently after struggling through the past two years.  If he continues to hit in Akron, he could soon find himself back in the Indians long term plans.  Don’t hold your breath.

Deeper in the organization lies Jesus Aguilar.  The 21 year old Venezuelan has 16 home runs and 22 doubles for Kinston already this season.  Although he’s a long ways off, Aguilar could be someone to keep an eye on.  Hopefully the Tribe can find themselves a productive everyday first baseman before Aguilar arrives.

Second Base:  So far this season, second base has essentially been a black hole of depression.  Orlando Cabrera has had his moments, but overall, he is simply a liability at the plate (.279 OBP, .330 SLG, oof) and lacks range in the field.  His glove is not so bad, however, that the team is willing to replace him with Cord Phelps, who looked like a butcher in his limited time at second this season.  With Phelps back in AAA, top prospect Jason Kipnis should get the next shot at locking down the job.  Kipnis certainly has the bat, but, like Phelps, might not possess the glove to take over full time, yet.  

So where do the Indians turn if Grandpabrera continues to suck the life out of the position?  Probably Jason Donald, who appears to be healthy and hitting in Columbus, especially since Valbuena’s call up.  Donald’s future may lie as a utility man, but, for now, he may be the team’s best bet at second.  Donald may not have been excellent at the plate in Cleveland last year, but he was better than Cabrera. 

Shortstop: Who knew Asdrubal Cabrera would come this far, this fast?  A year ago, he was a fairly light hitting shortstop with the ability to flash some leather.  Now, he’s the starting SS in the All-Star game, leads the squad with 14 HRs, and has become almost a nightly staple on the highlight reels.  He has also blossomed into a leader on a young team, all at the age of 25.  Many of us knew Cabrera would become an extremely valuable shortstop, but I don’t think many of us thought it would happen his quickly.  Droobs also has 12 steals to go along with his bat (.489 SLG, .836 OPS) and remarkable defense.

Since Cabrera has missed only one game this season, there has been no need for a backup shortstop.  If there was one on the roster, I suppose it would be Orlando Cabrera.  If Asdrubal were to go down at any point with an injury, I’d imagine Jason Donald would be given the job, either at shortstop, or at second with Orlando sliding over to short.  Let’s all hope and pray that doesn’t happen.

Third Base:  Jack Hannahan got off to a great start (.829 OPS in April) but has fallen off dramatically since (.494 in May, .591 in June).  The disappearance of his bat, and a stagnant offense in general, forced the Indians to call up top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall earlier than they probably would have liked.  Lonnie has looked alright so far, but the sample size is extremely limited.  In any event, Hannahan should be much more useful off the bench, as he fields at a gold glove level at third.  He will continue to spell Lonnie off the bench in the late innings, and possibly more often if Chisenhall stuggles to acclimate to Major League pitching.  In any event, unless something drastic happens, Chisenhall looks to be the future at third for the foreseeable future.

As the clock ticked under the final minute - as the Miami Heat rolled over like a dead fish - I sat in my neighbor’s basement, catching game 6 with four lifelong sports fans.  All of them rooting against the Heat, one of them a native of Northern Ohio, that same one my father.  And as those last seconds ticked off the clock, as it became apparent that, yes, LeBron was going to lose this series, it began to sink in how much this loss meant.  How much it meant on a number of levels.  It meant something to casual NBA fans, who were either crushed that on Monday morning the “Heat Index” would simply read ‘frigid’, or ecstatic that a team covered as obnoxiously extensively as Miami would finally be dead and buried. It meant something to hardcore, lifelong sports fans, who were proud to see Dallas defeat a group of preening divas who apparently thought the NBA title was entitled to them.  As Dan Gilbert tweeted after the game, “there are no shortcuts.”  It takes hard work to win titles, and those who have been watching sports for their entire lives know this, it is inherent, a cardinal rule.  Which is why the Miami loss vindicated them, and their long held beliefs.  It meant something to the national media, who were foaming at the mouth to rake LeBron, Wade, Bosh and Spoelstra over the coals as soon as they failed.  But, most of all (beyond true Maverick fans), it meant something to those of us from Cleveland.  The folks who invested our hearts and souls in LeBron for years.  Those of us who defended him against all comers.  Those of us who proclaimed him the king, our basketball savior, the comic book hero who would rescue Cleveland from it’s seemingly perpetual series of heartbreak and failure; of epic losses and bewildering defeats.  LeBron was the kid from Cleveland who would end all of that.  Then, of course, came “The Decision”, and just like that, he was gone.  ’Bron went to Miami, and Cleveland was right back where it belonged, in sports hell. 

Throughout the regular season, as a depleted Cavaliers roster full of kids - largely devoid of NBA talent - lost their way, the Miami Heat seemed to feed off of their failure.  This is ridiculous, I realize, but it felt that way.  When the Heat came into Cleveland, and LeBron put up one of his best games of the season, in front of perhaps the most hostile crowd in NBA history, it sent the Heat on their way as it simultaneously sent the Cavaliers into a tailspin they would never recover from.  As that game progressed it seemed LeBron and his teammates began to embrace their role as villains.  They became comfortable with being hated, being booed, being reviled.  It is because of this that when they crushed the Bulls, advancing into the Finals, I had begun to prepare myself for the inevitable.  LeBron James was going to deliver a title to the bogus, fair-weather fans in Miami, while those who had once so lovingly embraced him back in Cleveland watched on in despair; only one year after being betrayed by the man they had labelled the chosen one.  But then a funny thing happened, a big goofy German came along and - in the words of Mo Williams - “Dallas healed my HEART”.  And it was true, Mo, Dallas did heal our hearts.

Sure, LeBron James may go on to win some titles.  But, at least for today, I don’t care about all of that.  I just know that watching the Miami Heat saunter into the Finals, strut out to a 2-1 lead, then proceed to crash and burn was glorious.  And, like I said, I think - second to Dallas fans - this one meant the most to the Clevelanders.  And it was at that moment on Sunday night, when Miami gave up, when Dirk mysteriously vanished from the court, when the clock finally struck zero, that I did realize how much it did mean to us.  And, while I consider myself a Clevelander, I was only born there.  Never have I lived there.  And, really, I haven’t spent a whole lot of time there.  So when my dad - who did spend much of his life in Northern Ohio - gleefully danced across the room, laughing deliriously, throwing me a high five, I realized how deep-seeded the animosity toward LeBron was.  How much Cleveland, as a community, as a family, was rooting for him to fail.  And afterwards, when LeBron made some incredibly pretentious, wholly unnecessary, and frankly offensive comments it made it even more clear why that is.  LeBron James just doesn’t care.  He doesn’t care about me, he doesn’t care about you, he doesn’t care about his teammates, and he apparently doesn’t care about winning.  He cares about himself, his brand, and money.  

So, thank you, Dirk Nowitzki, for not allowing the False King and his subjects dance their way to a title.  Thank you, Jason Terry, for stepping up and making huge shots.  Thank you, JJ Barea, for doing whatever it is you do that somehow enables you to score in the NBA.  Thank you, Tyson Chandler, for caring so much.  Thank you, Jason Kidd, for sticking around forever.  Thank you, DeShawn Stevenson, for being so crazy.  Thank you, Brian Cardinal, for giving hope to out of shape white guys everywhere.  Also thanks to you, Shawn Marion, Ian Mahimni, Brendan Haywood, Peja Stojakovic, you all did admirably.  Thank you, Mark Cuban, for assembling this group.  And, once again, thank you, Dirk, for never giving up, because this year you won a title for two cities.  And someday, hopefully, I will be able to dance around deliriously and celebrate a true Cleveland title with my father.  But on Sunday night, for at least one night, celebrating with the Mavericks just felt right. 

The NBA Finals begin tonight and, for the next couple weeks or so, I’m officially a full fledged Dirk Nowitzki fan.  As should be obvious at this point, I’m a huge fan of all things Cleveland, so seeing LeBron win a ring only one year removed from ditching my Cavs would sting an awful lot.  To be honest, I want the Heat to get swept, embarrassed, dismantled and destroyed.  I want Bron to look around in confusion as his title run falls to pieces.  I want Dwayne Wade and his reckless drives to the basket to be rendered useless as he continually batters himself into Tyson Chandler to no avail.  I want Dirk to score 40 points on Chris Bosh every night.  I want to see Eric Spoelstra cry, and I want to see Mark Cuban dance.  Realistically, of course, things will not go so terribly for Miami, but I do sincerely believe that Dallas is capable of winning this series.  And I think the key for Dallas, as it was for Chicago, will be controlling the boards.

The Battle for the Glass

Looking back at the Bulls series, the Maverick’s primary goal should be to duplicate the success Chicago had rebounding the basketball in game one.  In that game, the Bulls out-rebounded Miami 45-33 and, more importantly, pulled down 19 offensive rebounds.  Unsurprisingly, they also won this game going away, and was of course their only win in the series.  The remainder of the series was much closer on the glass, with neither team enjoying a significant advantage.  Dallas may not have a rebounder of Noah’s ilk on their roster, but the trio of Tyson Chandler, Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion should have a chance to give them a significant advantage.  Jason Kidd could also be a key factor here, as he remains one of the best rebounding guards in the league.  If the Mavericks can manage to consistently bully Miami down low, they will put themselves in much better positions to win games.

The Role Players

If Dallas plans to win this thing, they’ll likely have to accept that Wade and LeBron are going to get their points.  And that’s fine, as long as they can ensure that those points aren’t coming too efficiently.  If the Miami stars are forced to work hard for their baskets, it will obviously have a prevailing effect on the rest of the Heat players.  The harder the big three have to work for their points, the more shots they’re going to have to take.  And the more shots those three have to take, the less opportunity that leaves for players like James Jones, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Mike Bibby or Mario Chalmers to get hot.  If there is one thing any Miami opponent can’t afford, it’s to let one of the Heat role players to get on a roll.  If any of them manage to get hot, it gives Miami an enormous upper hand in that particular game.  Dallas’ role players are really pretty similar.  On a game-by-game basis, they will be hoping for some extra production from Peja Stojakovic, JJ Berea, DeShawn Stevenson, or Tyson Chandler.  Personally, I think Berea could be a huge factor off the bench, simply because I’m not completely sure Miami will even take him seriously.  

The Past

Since the 2006 Finals, as has been well documented leading into tonight, Dallas has defeated Miami 10 consecutive times, including a two game sweep this regular season.  So Dallas has clearly been playing for revenge since Dwayne Wade slowly bled them to death with drive after reckless drive to the lane, resulting in free throw after monotonous free throw in the ‘06 Finals.  Also, as we all know, Dirk is searching for his first ring, and has to realize this might be his final legitimate chance to win it.  The good thing is, he’s playing the best basketball of his career right now, and he’s got some good help in Jason Kidd and Jason Terry.  On the other side, LeBron James is obviously searching for his first ring, and a sense of vindication for abandoning his hometown for the flashy lights of South Beach.  If he’s able to pull it off, he’ll essentially be able to tell all his haters (including myself) to shut the hell up, and there won’t be much we can say back to him.  It will be sickening, and I’m not sure I have the stomach for it.  This is why I am praying for Dirk to keep it up, and find some way to bring a title home to Dallas.  

Prediction

In my head, I probably honestly see Miami winning this series in 6 games.  In my heart, however, I see Dallas winning in 7, so that’s what I’m going with.  This will be an emotional series for a lot of Clevelanders, and it will be emotional for me, no matter the result.  In any event, I’m hoping for an electric postseason to at least come to an exciting conclusion.  So, what the hell, I’ll officially go with Dallas in 7.

The first thing I have to say is wow, what an unusual movie.  Generally, I’m not very drawn to movies that feature one character or location throughout the entire film.  But I must say, in this case, I was impressed.  Danny Boyle, now famous for Slumdog Millionaire, has directed another critically acclaimed film.  He manages to create an extremely claustrophobic film that truly manages to keep the viewer engaged for the entire duration.  I know many potential viewers are probably thinking, “but how can a movie that takes place in one spot, for such an extended period of time, not be boring?”  Well, it isn’t boring in the least.  James Franco, acting in a very unique role for him, does great justice to the situation Aron Ralston found himself in.  127 Hours is a real life nightmare brought to the big screen with style and aplomb.  

Pros:  It’s never boring.  The movie seriously never slows down, and keeps the level of interest high at all times.  In between the scenes Boyle shows us refreshing Franco’s most recent escape plan, he delivers the viewer a series of flashbacks that help flesh out who Aron Ralston is, and give a much needed dose of depth to the movie.  The real strength of the movie, however, is the scenes that do depict the horrible situation in which Ralston found himself.  Faced with a scenario that would have overwhelmed probably 99% of other people, Ralston somehow musters the strength and courage to overcome nearly impossible odds.  Furthermore, Franco does an outstanding job portraying the slow decay of Ralston’s mental stamina.  He’s always believable, and does a particularly good job in the scenes where he is filming himself with a handheld Camcorder.  It is Franco’s quality acting that allows the film to remain believable, and really feel extremely real.  Finally, the climactic amputation scene could be the most intense scene you will see in the movies this year…or any year.

Cons:  Speaking of that climactic amputation scene, my goodness is it not for the squeamish.  If you have anything even remotely resembling a weak stomach, you’re really going to want to prepare yourself for this scene.  Or simply avert your eyes.  Obviously, this isn’t included in the film for shock value, which almost makes it even harder to stomach.  This isn’t “just a movie” like in films such as Hostel and The Human Centipede.  It’s incredible to think that a real human being was forced to sever their own arm, after being stuck in the same position for multiple days, with only the crudest of instruments.  For some viewers, that may not just be an incredible though, it may be too much to handle.  So, this con isn’t so much a complaint as a warning to those who already know they aren’t willing or able to handle such a grotesque scene.  Personally, my only real complaint with the movie was the lack of a true backstory.  Boyle chooses to use hazy flashbacks via Ralston’s steadily declining psychological state to build character depth, and that’s fine.  It also allows Boyle to keep the film at a reasonable runtime of 94 minutes.  I, however, would have liked to have seen a bit more build up before the meat of the film.  Even without the lack of any substantial prologue, the movie holds up very well, preventing this from being more than a minor complaint.    

Bottom Line:  Overall, another outstanding movie from Boyle.  This will not be a film that it’s viewers will soon forget.  The climax is as intense and affecting as any you’re likely to see, and it really stays with you.  However, it is certainly not for everyone, as it is extremely claustrophobic and heavy.  Verdict: 4 of 5 Stars for an extremely heavy film accurately depicting an incredible story of survival.

After reviewing The Social Network a few weeks ago, I decided I’d continue on with watching the rest of the Oscar Nominees from this past year.  Last week, I viewed The King’s Speech, which I though was - while a bit slow - a pretty excellent film.  Colin Firth was impressive in yet another British period piece, and the rest of the UK cast was very, very good as well.  Say what you will about the Brits, but they can certainly act.  Moving along, this week I decided to go with Black Swan, which I was pretty excited about going in because I really enjoy most Aronofsky films, and I adore Natalie Portman.  I’ll preface the review of the film with the fact that I believe Aronosky is truly a master of building tension, and delivering tough, gritty films that feel awfully real, no matter how outlandish the subject matter may be.  In the past, he’s managed to scare the living hell out of us (and seriously discourage the use of narcotics) with Requiem for a Dream, revive Mickey Rourke’s career with The Wrestler, and even manage to make a number terrifying with Pi.  His only feature film I didn’t truly enjoy was The Fountain, but only because it was probably too ambitious, and is a bit of a jumbled mess.  But by no means was it a bad movie.  So, needless to say, I was looking forward to see what the director could manage to do with Ballet as the primary subject matter.  Unsurprisingly, he managed to make the Ballet world as creepy, tense and downright frightening as anyone could possibly imagine it.  Ever.  I was sucked in through the entire film, despite the fact I could absolutely not have any less interest in Ballet as a craft or subculture.  He’s able to do this by instilling a serious amount of mental instability in his protagonist, who has a seriously warped sense of reality.  The result in nothing short of stunning, and the film is a resounding success - as evidenced by its massive collection of award nominations, and Portman snagging Best Actress.  

Pros:  The movie, with a reasonable duration of 108 minutes, grabs you immediately and never lets go.  The sense of paranoia and strangeness is extremely pervasive, and Portman does an outstanding job ramping up the tension.  The movie is genuinely uncomfortable at times, and as ridiculous as some of it may be, Portman never allows you to doubt Nina’s skewed view of reality.  Her performance is as close to flawless as any in recent memory.  The only performance of the past year I can really say I enjoyed more was Jeff Bridges in True Grit.  Another positive is the movie never slows down or drags on.  There is no wasted film, no throwaway scenes or lines, and the tension builds consistently throughout, culminating in a truly goose-bump arousing climax.  I must also give credit to Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, (who will always be French acrobat/master thief Francois Toulour in my heart) Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder (who I can’t remember seeing since she was pretending to find Keanu interesting in A Scanner Darkly - which is a very interesting and unique movie, for anyone who’s interested).  Kunis handles her role extremely well, and it was nice to see her act convincingly in a film as dark and heavy as this one.  She also delivers, far and away, the best line of the movie, “Was I good?”  Cassel is perfect as the perverted French General Manager of the Ballet Company.  And I can’t imagine Hershey - or anyone else - playing a creepy, overbearing mother as well as she did.  Ryder also delivers as the washed-up, past her prime Ballerina who is beautifully haggard and inebriated at all times.    

Cons: I don’t know any Paranoid Schizophrenics, but I highly doubt competition for top billing in the Ballet world has ever driven anyone so far over the edge as Nina Sayers in Black Swan.  It’s a minor quibble, because the movie thrives on it’s detachment from reality, and I wasn’t asking for, or expecting, the most realistic movie of all time here.  It excels at what it’s attempting to accomplish, and does exactly what it sets out to do.  I really can’t think of any major flaws in this film, other than some of the images and themes may be a bit too unsettling for some viewers.  

Bottom Line:  This film has outstanding direction, superb acting and creates an extremely engaging world of paranoia and disorder.  This is easily the best performance for Portman since Goya’s Ghosts, and is almost certainly the best of her career.  Her potential is unlimited, which allows me to forgive her recent transgressions into popcorn fluff like No Strings Attached, Your Highness, and Thor.  I can understand an actress wanting to take on some lighter material after tackling the role of Nina Sayers.  Furthermore, this film is yet another trophy in Aronofsky’s mantel, and extends his run of incredible success.  Machine Man will likely be one of my most anticipated films of 2012, if it hits theaters in time.  Verdict: 5 Stars out of 5.  

This fall, the Auburn fans voted DJ Khaled’s “All I do is Win” in as the tunnel music for the football team’s field entrance.  Despite the awfulness of the song, it caught on, and became a sensation.  Some would even give this song a piece of the credit for the Tiger’s sensational undefeated season.  Either way, the fact that ESPN chose this as the intro song for the 2011 NFL draft is all to perfect.  In moments- nay, as I’m typing - Cameron Newton will become the #1 overall selection in the NFL draft.  War Eagle!  Let’s get to it:

#1 Carolina Panthers (B+): Cameron Newton, QB/ Auburn. Well, it’s official!  Mr. Newton is headed to Carolina.  He has never had any trouble rising above the naysayers and haters before, and there will be plenty more after this selection.  It’s been a hell of a year for Cam, achieving pretty much everything a college football player can possibly accomplish.  Now it’s time for him to put his nose to the grindstone and prove he can become a viable starting Quarterback in the NFL.  

#2 Denver Broncos (C-): Von Miller, OLB/ Texas A&M.  Von Miller is a great prospect and a phenomenal athlete.  There is no doubting that.  There is, however, reason to doubt his effectiveness in Denver’s 4-3 Defense.  He seems to be in the mold of a player like Brian Orakpo.  That is, a terror rushing off the edge of a 3-4 Defense.  Great player, maybe not a great pick for Denver, especially at #2 overall.

#3 Buffalo Bills (B): Marcel Dareus, DT/ Alabama.  I will not argue that Marcel Dareus is a great football player.  And he’s been highly touted for a long time.  And I have very little doubt Marcel will quickly develop into a dependable interior lineman in the NFL.  I do, however, question his value this high in the draft.  While he is a very good football player, I just don’t see him as the explosive player many envision him as. 

#4 Cincinnati Bengals (A+): AJ Green, WR/ Georgia.  Well, Damn!  I was really holding out hope Green would fall to the Browns at #6.  Green is probably the best receiver I have ever seen play, with incredible hands and absolutely uncanny body control.  I have little to no doubt the Bengals have drafted their #1 Wideout for a long, long time.

#5 Arizona Cardinals (A-): Patrick Peterson, CB/ LSU.  Great pick here.  Peterson could pretty easily be considered the best athlete in the draft.  He’s got insane raw ability, and isn’t exactly raw in his coverage skills.  He’s also not afraid to deliver a blow.  The Cardinals have themselves a keeper in Peterson.

#6 Atlanta Falcons via Cleveland (C): Julio Jones, WR/ Alabama.  Huge package to give up for Jones, I love the trade for Cleveland.  For Atlanta, while the price may have been steep, they picked up a good player.  Jones is a dependable worker bee, who will not shy away from contact.  He isn’t the explosive athlete you’d picture in a WR taken this high, and he doesn’t have the greatest hands, but he makes up for it in size and toughness.  Playing opposite of Roddy White should benefit him greatly. 

#7 San Francisco 49ers (C): Aldon Smith, DE/ Missouri.  Who would have thought Smith would be the first Missouri Tiger off the board?  I think this might be a bit of a reach for Smith, considering the other Defensive Ends available in this draft.  But Smith has a solid track record, and while a bit of an injury risk, he is less of a risk than other blue chip ends like De’Quan Bowers.  And with Isaac Sopoaga slated to start for the 49ers at DE, Aldon will have a chance to contribute immediately.  

#8 Tennessee Titans (D-): Jake Locker, QB/ Washington.  I’ve seen Jake Locker play Quarterback.  Usually late at night on Fox Sports, but I’ve seen it happen.  In my eyes, this guy simply is not a good QB.  I don’t understand the hype, or what the scouts see in him.  Sure, he’s tough as nails and he may be a strong leader, but it takes a lot more than that to win in the league.  I’ll personally be shocked if he becomes an average starter at any point.  Maybe most of the problem was that he was playing at Washington.  That’s what I’d be hoping if I was a Titans fan.

#9 Dallas Cowboys (B-): Tyron Smith, OT/ Southern Cal. I don’t trust this guy.  Not sure why he was playing RT instead of LT at USC.  Also not sure why he never seemed to develop or improve while a Trojan.  That being said, he is built in the perfect mold of a professional left tackle.  If Dallas can polish him up, they’ll have a great pick here.  But still, something about him just doesn’t add up.

#10 Jacksonville Jaguars via Washington (C-): Blaine Gabbert, QB/ Missouri.  Oh, Blaine Gabbert.  I don’t think this kid belongs anywhere near the 1st round.  I just don’t understand the hype, or what anyone sees in him.  He’s not a leader.  He’s not tough.  He can’t throw downfield.  He struggles on 3rd down.  He’s not a particularly good athlete.  If Gabbert ever leads an NFL team into the playoffs, I will be stunned.

#11  Houston Texans (B): JJ Watt, DE/ Wisconsin.  Can the former Scout Teamer become an impact player in the NFL?  I have my doubts.  However, this kid might have the best work ethic in the entire draft, and it’s pretty amazing how far he’s come in the past few years.  If he can adjust to, and handle, NFL competition, this could be an excellent pick.

#12 Minnesota Vikings (F): Christian Ponder, QB/ Florida State.  I thought this selection was a joke.  Locker at #8 was bad enough.  Christian Ponder at #12 overall?  Pure lunacy.  How many QB competitions did this kid have to win at FSU?  Didn’t he lose the job to some kid named Xavier Lee once?  Or was that still Drew Weatherford?  Does it make a difference, really?  Look, Ponder may not be hopeless, but the Vikings are certainly betting against the odds here.  

#13 Detroit Lions (A): Nick Fairley, DT/ Auburn.  I understand the concerns with Nick.  He was a JUCO who enrolled at Auburn without a position.  He played sporadically for a year before bursting onto the scene and becoming one of the most dominant interior lineman in recent SEC history.   

#14 St. Louis Rams (D): Robert Quinn, DE/ North Carolina.  I give this pick a ‘D’ on principle alone.  The Rams have drafted enough D-linemen over the past few years to know they shouldn’t be drafting defensive linemen.  I firmly believe the organization should have done everything within their power to acquire a weapon for Bradford as early as possible.  To compound the problem, Quinn missed an entire year of football due to suspension, and has a potentially hindering brain tumor.  Quinn has extreme talent, but I don’t think it justifies this pick.  I just don’t like it.

#15 Miami Dolphins (B+): Mike Pouncey, C/ Florida.  Pouncey may have gotten off to a terrible start in his final season in the Swamp, but he came around in the long run, becoming one of the best linemen in the conference, as many expected he would be.  If he can come close to duplicating his brother’s success as a rookie, this will be an excellent pick for the Dolphins.  

#16 Washington Redskins via Jaguars (B+): Ryan Kerrigan, DE/ Purdue.  I love Kerrigan, and think he will be a terror lined up opposite Orakpo.  The Redskins really have no excuse no to be blitzing on every play next season.  However, I don’t think picking up another elite edge rusher should have been their top priority.  That’s the only thing keeping this pick from being an ‘A’.

#17 New England Patriots via Raiders (A): Nate Solder, OT/ Colorado.  The only knock on Nate is his lack of polish.  With that in mind, look at what the Patriots have managed to do essentially coaching up linemen off of the street over the past few years.  Solder is the perfect lineman for the Patriots.  I have no doubt the Pats will quickly develop him into one of the premier Tackles in the league.   

#18 San Diego Chargers (B): Corey Liuget, DT/ Illinois.  Good, safe pick.  Liuget has all the tools to step in and be an immediate contributor at any spot along the Chargers line.  Expect to see him on the field early and often, with the potential for early production.

#19 New York Giants (A): Prince Amukamara, CB/ Nebraska.  There just seems to be something about Prince that instills confidence.  For me, I believe it’s the silky smooth manner in which he plays his position.  His only knock is his inability to deliver a big blow, but there are plenty of premier corners in the NFL who aren’t laying any lumber.  I really think the Giants got a great one here. 

#20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B-): Adrian Clayborn, DT/ Iowa.  I really like Adrian Clayborn, but I’m not convinced he possesses the all-around talent to justify his status as a first rounder.  Tampa Bay, however, is in need of a sack specialist, and if there is one thing Clayborn is good at, it is punishing quarterbacks.  Solid pick that fills a positional need.

#21 Cleveland Browns via Chiefs (C-): Phil Taylor, DT/ Baylor.  I had never even heard of Taylor before this pick, which break my heart.  Of course my Browns draft the first player I know literally nothing about.  I’ve come to learn he’s a run stopping nose tackle.  So, essentially, he’s replacing Shaun Rogers.  I can only hope he can stay on the field in Cleveland more than Shaun ever did.  

#22 Indianapolis Colts (A): Anthony Castonzo, OT/ Boston College.  This is another one of those picks that just feels right.  Perhaps there’s a reason why teams like the Colts and Patriots are consistently excellent in a league lauded for its parity.  

#23 Philadelphia Eagles (C): Danny Watkins, OT/ Baylor.  Another big kid from Baylor I’ve never heard of.  Guess I should have tried to catch some more Bears football this past season.  Either way, this is a developmental pick, and I won’t say much more than, meh. 

#24 New Orleans Saints (A): Cameron Jordan DE/ Cal.  Excellent value here, but why wouldn’t they draft Mark Ingram.  The Saints need a running back in the worst way, and Ingram is the best in the draft.  With that said, Jordan is a beast.  He probably won’t rack up tons of sacks or huge numbers, but he will definitely make a difference along the Saints front seven.  Many pundits had Jordan projected as a top 15 pick.

#25 Seattle Seahawks (D): James Carpenter OG/ Alabama.  Way too early for a somewhat uninspiring utility lineman from Alabama.  My bias against the Tide really doesn’t change the fact that this pick is pretty stupid with Derek Sherrod’s name still on the board.  Especially if a versatile backup is the position being filled.  Strange. 

#26 Kansas City Chiefs (B+): Jon Baldwin WR/ Pittsburgh.  Baldwin’s name would probably be much more recognizable if he wasn’t being thrown to by Pitt QBs for his entire college career.  If Baldwin settles in with the Chiefs, he could easily develop into an extremely dangerous downfield threat to compliment Dwayne Bowe.  Very raw, but this kid’s potential is through the roof.

#27 Baltimore Ravens (A+): Jimmy Smith CB/ Colorado.  While clearly a grade A talent, the kid is clearly a thug.  The Raven’s Defense is also a collection of hoodlums and thugs.  He will fit in perfectly.  I wonder if they drink 40’s and Hennessy out of paper bags at half-time?  Is Vontez Burfict available in this draft?  Someday that kid will replace Ray Lewis.    

#28 New Orleans Saints (B+): Mark Ingram RB/ Alabama.  This bumps the Saints previous selection up to an ‘A’.  Excellent value all around.  Ingram may have injury concerns, but I don’t think they’re serious enough to completely discount a former Heisman winning running back.  I can easily see Ingram becoming a tough, grind it out, 25 carry per game back.  If he’s supported by Reggie Bush in New Orleans, they could have a very dangerous backfield.

#29 Chicago Bears (A): Gabe Carimi OT/ Wisconsin.  This guy seems like he was born to be an offensive lineman for Wisconsin, and now the Chicago Bears.  Gabe should feel right at home from day one on a perpetually gritty, road grading Bear’s offensive line.

#30 New York Jets (D): Muhammad Wilkerson DT/ Temple.  Only the Jets would have the nerve to draft a kid from Temple in the first round of the NFL draft in front of those nutty fans always in attendance.  Kiper seems to like him, but who cares?  Going from Temple to the NFL must be like going from 

#31 Pittsburgh Steelers (A): Cameron Heyward DE/ Ohio State.  He’s got a great pedigree, he’s got a great motor, and he’s a monster.  How do the Steelers always manage to end up with players like this at the tail end of the first round?  I’d be shocked if this kid doesn’t step up and produce for the Steelers in the near future.

#32 Green Bay Packers (C+): Derek Sherrod OT/ Mississippi State.  I never once envisioned Sherrod as a first round draft pick.  He’s a very nice, very useful offensive lineman.  But he doesn’t possess the upside most teams look for in their first selection.  The good thing for the Packers is Derek is very versatile, and should be able to slide along the line wherever they should need to plug him in.  So, overall, a decent pick with little upside for the defending champs.