Monday's Sports Quiz

Since last week's 1st quiz was pretty difficult I decided to lower my standards this week. These questions are fairly easy, so don't think for a second that I am being hard on all of you. Here's The Nutz Sports Quiz #2...

1) Who did the Detroit Tigers defeat in the 1984 World Series?

2) How many times did Don Mattingly win the American League Batting Title?

3) Hasheem Thabeet became the 6th UCONN Husky to win the Big East Player of the Year Award, who were the other 5?

4) There are 2 active NBA players with multiple NBA MVP Awards, who are they?

5) In the 2004 NFL Draft the San Diego Chargers traded #1 overall pick Eli Manning to the New York Giants for their draft pick, Phillip Rivers. What pick was Rivers drafted by the Giants?

Answers

1) Who are the only players with 10+ NBA Championships?

Bill Russell was the easy choice. Russell ended his career with 11 championships. The other was a little more difficult. Sam Jones who also played for the Celtics finished his career with 10 titles.

2) What pick was Tim Lincecum in the 2006 MLB Draft?

Lincecum was selected 10 overall in the 2006 Draft. Notable players selected before Lincecum were: Evan Longoria (3), Brandon Morrow (5), and Clayton Kershaw (7).

3) Out of his 99 rushing touchdowns, how many touchdowns over 50 yards did Barry Sanders have in his career?

Sanders finished his career with 15 rushing touchdowns over 50 yards which is a NFL record.

4) Out of the 12 players on the 1992 Dream Team roster, how many never won a NBA Championship?

6 players: Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Charles Barkley

5) Which team has the most losses in Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament history?

Kentucky...they have the most games played in the NCAA Tournament as a program but also have the most losses (45).

Thanks for playing more questions coming tomorrow. It was a tough first quiz, here's the grades:

Toe: 0/5

Pitbull: 1/5

Random Thoughts Today

Yea I'm a slacker! Been really slacking on my "Best Draft Picks by Your Team" blog. But I do I an excuse. I have been pretty busy, trying to better my situation in the F.L.A. Lots of goings on in the world of sports, here is a brief recap of what has been going on in the world of Deez.

Yep, your boy is trying to buy a house! My own house. Like...it'll be all mine! I have to take advantage of the rates and the cost of homes. All of you in the north really have no idea how much i can get a good home for right now. I'm talking homes for 95,000 that were built in the last 10 years. Plus, with the 8000 dollar tax credit for 1st time home owners, I'd be an idiot not to try to buy right now. In addition, I forgot to mention that my parents are living in the Sunshine State now (if I haven't mentioned that before). So I have been really going hard at homes right now; short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, and regular sales. Hopefully sometime in the next two months I will have my house, but I am trying to be as patient as possible.

What a hockey game last night, huh? It took me one period to try to find something else on the tube being that the game was over before it even started. The Penguins were dominate from the start and didn't allow Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals any room to come back in the game. Thanks NHL for wasting my time, again you lose and us fans that try to be casual fans win. NHL Hockey is for the hockey lovers and that's not for me.

The Celtics are looking to close out the series against the Magic tonight, something that I certainly didn't think was possible with 10 seconds left in game 4. The Magic have really choked their way into this situation in my opinion. But, the southern hicks that are die hard fans say, "Man...their playing in the 'O' tonight, it's do or die man, their ain't no way the Magic are goin down tonight man, ain't no chance!" Ok, well if they do at least they can shut it until football season because southern hicks could give two shits about baseball unless of course a Florida team is in the playoffs.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but I am a new subscriber to Sporting News magazine and I absolutely love it. This newest addition though bothered me a little. This week they published the biggest rivalries in each of the 50 states. In state rivals no matter the sport, high school, college, or professional. Awesome idea right! Just wait til all of you Connecticut folks here who they think is your biggest in-state rival. Are you ready for this. Bridgeport vs. Hartford AHL hockey! Come on! First of all this rivalry has only gone on for 8 years. Secondly, I know for a fact that you could find a high school rivalry ten times better than this one. What a joke! Connecticut colleges need to start stepping up there game. I realize I live in a much bigger state now, but come on AHL hockey owns the states best rivalry. I think that's worse than Kansas' rivalry, which is two community college basketball programs that date back to 1929.

That's all I have, have a great rest of the week!

Well, the Time Has Finally Come!

I am going to watch a NHL Hockey game tonight.

Like, actually watch it. Like, in about 10 minutes the game is going to start and I am going to watch a hockey game on television. Am I wrong?

I am still confused about the rules in hockey, but I have found myself this week wondering, "Who won the Pittsburgh/Washington game?". And now, tonight, is game 7! I don't think I could have picked a better day to watch a hockey game again. Two of the best players in the game are facing each other in a win and advance game. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Captials and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins are arguably the best in the game. If there is ever a time for the NHL to get that "casual fan", tonight is the night. And I am going to admit to all of my readers (about 4), that I am going to watch an NHL Hockey game tonight. The game is about to start so I am going to search for a pic to post with the blog and sit my ass down with a bottle of wine and watch some ice hockey!

Monday's Sports Quiz

I have been getting great sports questions from my buddy Jeremy lately that baffles me. Especially when I don't know the answer. I can't ask him anything about MLB baseball because he knows the answer right away. Blows my mind! Today let's see how my readers can do. You might have to check these on the Internet but at least try to answer them on your own. Winner gets a free tour of my new home whenever that happens. Good Luck!

1) Who are the only players with 10+ NBA Championships?

2) What pick was Tim Lincecum in the 2006 MLB Draft?

3) Out of his 99 rushing touchdowns, how many touchdowns over 50 yards did Barry Sanders have in his career?

4) Out of the 12 players on the 1992 Dream Team roster, how many never won a NBA Championship?

5) Which team has the most losses in Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament history?

The Future Phenom?

This week's back page of ESPN The Magazine, Rick Reilly came through with another excellent story. Pat Verditte is a 23-year-old pitcher for the Charleston Riverdogs, the single-A club for the Yankees. But, he is not your ordinary pitcher. Verditte throws lefty and righty. Above is an 8 minute video of this kid facing a switch batter in a game. It's pretty funny. After this game there was a new rule which most minor league umpires call the: "Verditte rule". This rule now states that at the start of the at-bat the pitcher must declare his throwing arm, which then the batter can pick his side, and allowing both players to switch only once during the at-bat. This kid throw about 90 mph righty, and has 4 pitches from both arms. Last season he earned 23 saves with a 0.83 ERA. Why is he still in A-ball concerns me. But, after Riley's article this week and could turn some heads and start pushing this kid up a couple of levels. An absolute great story!

TPC hourly posts.......(yeah, I'm bored)

3:00....

It seemed like the players out on the course were playing well prior to NBC turning on the cameras. The wind is starting to pick up, but come on!!! It's been an ugly first hour. Ben Crane looks strong except for that missed birdie at 3. Woods and Cejka are playing the worst golf I've seen since my outing last week. If they keep it up it will be Crane or Poulter or maybe Stenson in the end. Another (cough, cough) great weekend for Mickelson. Way to go Phil!!

4:23....

Sorry, caught alittle Golf nap. Henrik Stenson now leads...Cejka is going to be an Amateur after this round. Tiger isn't much better. I'm rooting for Woody Austin right now who barely made the cut.

5:06....

The Americans are falling. It looks like Stenson has the poise to win after the birdie on 13. Shane Battier has more 3's right now than Tiger has fairways hit. With 7 holes left its going to take a miracle for Tiger to take this. Neighbor Jim Furyk finished strong at 6 under. I don't think that is enough though. Cejka is starting to turn it around on the back 9. Maybe I can write about John Mallinger next hour.

6:08....
Henrik stays dry he'll win it. I think if Tiger didn't fall out of the gate, Stenson wouldn't be so comfortable right now. I'm not a big fan of Kevin Na. Every miss hit is not his fault "I can't believe it went that far", "I can't believe it broke that much"....Kevin, you put in a great weekend, but your not that good. He's about as annoying as these little black bugs mating everywhere!

6:23....

Sweden prevails.

Another Steamy Sunday at TPC

Being in the neighborhood I feel like it's an obligation of mine to write about The Players Championship. German Alex Cejka looks to hold a 5 shot lead heading into Sunday. The question is will he hold it being in the final pairing with Tiger Woods on Sunday? I'm not too sure he will. Yesterday, he was able to contain his lead and play solid golf with few watching him and most of the spectators were following Tiger. Today, with Tiger he will have most of the gallery on him. And with Tiger showing glimpses of being back to his old self it's going to be an extremely hot Sunday afternoon for him. With the 90 degree temperature and the dry course a round in the red is going to be hard to come by. With that said Cejka will need to keep his pace, keep chomping on his gum, and shoot an even par round today to win the championship. If he drops one look for a playoff round with Tiger. Which we all can figure out what will happen then. They only other player I see possibly being there at the end is Ian Poulter with his solid mid-range game that you need for this course. Poulter could stick around, but he is also one of those players that when things go bad they really go bad. So if he is not around the top of the leaderboard Sunday he'll probably shoot about a 79. Another player that could be there at the end if the leaderboard really struggles today is Kenny Perry at 4 under starting the day. So enjoy your Sunday watching the beautiful North Florida weather and the roars at 17. It should be an exciting finish Sunday.

Guess Who's Goin' Dancing in March?

The NCAA Selection Committee had a selection show on Monday night, May 4. No, it wasn't televised. No, it had nothing to do with #1 seeds. And no, the final selections not invited didn't get to enter another tournament. Nope, this selection committee had the honor of drawing the first names out of the big box on who wins the rights to get not only discounted tickets for the first weekend games at the sites of the NCAA Tournament in March, but be able to have the choice of the "best available" seats listed before tickets go on sale in June. And guess whos name was chosen for the 1st round (both sessions) and 2nd round games in Jacksonville, Florida for the 2010 NCAA Tournament? YES, IT WAS YOURS TRULY!!!

I can not believe my luck! Tuesday morning I was notified of being selected via email. I thought that I was still asleep. I only put my name in the big box about a month and a half ago for shits and giggles, not even thinking I was really going to win. Then Sunday, May 3 came and I told my father and brother, "Hey those tickets are being drawn for the tournament tomorrow.". So the tickets were able to be purchased at 10:00 am today (which is bullshit, some people do work for a living). I went online first thing when I got home and immediately checked the "best available tickets". Most of the best ones were already gone. By the time I researched 6 more times for other locations, the best available seats had changed again. So for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament bracket located in Jacksonville, my brother (i hope) and myself will be attending 6 games for a grand total of...$216 dollars a ticket! Are you f'n kidding me? Oh, yea...I forgot to mention that we will be 6 rows from the court to the left of one of the baskets. FOR SIX GAMES OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!

Sorry to be so excited about this, but this has always been one of those sporting events I have always wanted to attend. Being such a huge college basketball fan, all my buddies down here know how great of a thing this is for me. And I am sure that my buddies up north will definitely feel the same, probably with a little hate involved though. I am so thrilled I have no idea what to do right now. Well, first things first...I am going to finish off my coronas while looking at the best teams for college basketball next season. R U Serious, the NCAA Tournament?

Don't forget...

It's Cinco De Mayo!!!

Weekend Wrap Up

What a weekend it was in the sports world! One of the best that I can remember. A couple of game 7s, boxing, The Kentucky Derby, and lots of Major League Baseball. Let's take a look at my view from the weekend that was.

One of the most exciting horse races I have ever seen happened on Saturday night at Churchill Downs. Mine that Bird, the 50-1 shot, went from last to first. Riding the rail with such grace and speed on the muddy track and became the longest shot to win the Kentucky Derby since 1913. In 2007, Mind that Bird was purchased for $9,500 and slipped into the field of 19 horses last minute. It truly was a site to see this awesome horse make a run for the roses. It was really something out of the movie Seabiscuit after the victory making a victory trot in front of the gallery. I don't believe that this colt has a chance in the Preakness, but we will have to see for sure.

There were a few game 7s in the NBA playoffs this past weekend. One series was the strangest series I have ever seen, the other was the best 1st round series I have ever seen. The Miami Heat/Atlanta Hawks series was as strange of a series that you will ever see. Not one game out of 7 games was a close one. They weren't even fun games to watch, with Atlanta pulling out the game 7 and advancing to the 2nd round. Now in the other series it was quite the opposite. The Celtics and Bulls played in one of the best 7 game series in the history of the NBA Playoffs. Seven total overtimes in the first 6 games and the Celts were determined not to make it a close one in game 7 by eliminating a very good and very young Bulls squad. Next up for the injury ridden Boston team is Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

Is there anyone out there that believes like I do that Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters of all time. Let's not take anything away from what kind of boxer you believe Ricky Hatton is or was on Saturday night. I really can't remember a boxer of my lifetime with the speed, the drive, and the power that a boxer of his caliber has. I firmly believe when Mayweather wins his next fight he is going to have to carefully decide if he really wants to fight boxing's best pound for pound man in Pacquiao. Because honestly, I really don't think that he wants to get in the ring with that man.

In case you guys were wondering, the NHL's best players are squaring off in the playoffs right now. With the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby facing the Washington Capitols and Alex Ovechkin. If there ever was a time to start watching this sport, now is the time and this is the series!

Carl Crawford might be on the verge for more historical feats this season after converting on 6 stolen bases against the Red Sox yesterday. He is currently 17 for 17 this season with the Rays having played in only 26 games so far. Is 100 steals a possibility? I think yes!

Way Too Easy

Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters of my generation. Another unbelievable performance last night!

Random Thoughts Today

I gotta say first that I am sorry for the lack of posts this past week. Tomorrow's post will give a illustration why. Since I have to work early in the a.m. tomorrow I have some extra time to give you my thoughts for the week. I hope that all my readers from the great state of Connecticut are enjoy some early heat. Here's a couple of thoughts before a very entertaining sports weekend.

You know what sucks about Ray Allen? He is my favorite UCONN Husky of All-Time. But unfortunately I am not alone, and that's what sucks. I got a chance to meet Ray at a UCONN practice my senior year in high school. He signed a couple of things for me and was really a down to earth guy and fool around with all of us during his free time. From that point on I can not root for the guy. He does everything right. Works hard on both ends of the courts, shoots the rock like nobody I have ever seen, and is down right a good dude. He is one of the few players in the NBA since the departure of Michael Jordan that I check on and see how he has been doing. And when he became a Celtic, I thought...this is awesome! Allen put on a show for the ages last night against the Bulls. He hit for 51 points in a defeat, the largest point total for a player on a losing team since...his Airness' 63. As much as I needed my sleep last night, I couldn't shut the tv off because I was waiting for how Ray was going to awe me again. So like I said, I hate that I like Ray Allen, because the rest of Husky nation feels the same, but I guess I really can't be mad at that.

Josh Beckett really hasn't been the same since his suspension. Granted, the Tampa Bay Rays have own the Red Sox the last two years but something is definitely up with Beckett. He sucks! He can't get batters chasing those pitches he was so successful with during his career. I personally think that he might be all done, he might be approaching the point in his career where it starts to fall apart. Almost like somebody that played for the Sox and lost whatever he had and went elsewhere. Another Roger Clemens anyone?

I have seen Role Models, The Wrestler, Doubt, and Seven Pounds the last two weeks. And I can honestly say that I don't think that I have gone through a stretch of movies like this where I have enjoy each one. I received Frost/Nixon yesterday on my Netflix and am about to pop it into the dvd player. I really recommend all of these films to all of you, even though I have heard mixed reviews about Will Smith's latest movie, I still think that it is a must see.

My fantasy baseball teams are driving me crazy and it's only the start of May.

This weekend is loaded with must see sports tv. And besides the Game 7 game between the Bulls and Celtics, the Kentucky Derby will be taking over Saturday. This weekend marks the anniversary of the "Night Train" in Las Vegas. I wish I could remember a little more of that weekend but I am always reminded by my boy Jon Fid on how awesome I was. Enjoy the weekend!

Grading the Draft

This was probably one of the most entertaining and unpredictable drafts that I can remember. I only missed maybe a hour and a half of the entire draft by going to play a round of 18 Sunday morning. So it was needless to say I was very into the happens of the 2009 NFL Draft. Grading teams for the draft is funny because you really don't get a sense if the teams drafted well for at least a couple of seasons. So instead of grading teams, here's a small list of my winners and losers from the Draft and a little look on my thoughts on how the Washington Redskins did. Hope that you feel your teams did well, because if you didn't it could be a long 4 months until the season.

WINNERS

Green Bay - It was hard to miss in the 1st round being so deep, but grabbing B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews as instant starters was key to their draft.

Buffalo - The Bills did everything they were suppose to do in this draft as far as addressing their needs.

NY Giants - Unfortunately the Giants did an excellent job, grabbing players late in the draft that could have immediate impact.

San Francisco - Not only did they land a monster in Michael Crabtree, but they acquired a 1st rounder next year for the 43rd and 111th choices.

Philadelphia - I really didn't understand the pick of Jeremy Maclin, because he is not a possession receiver, but the Eagles are definitely loaded on the offensive side of the ball next year.

LOSERS

Oakland - Darrius Heyward-Bey?

Kansas City - If they really think that Tyson Jackson is going to be a stud fine. But, was he really worth the 3rd overall pick or could you tried to trade out and get more, because you need it.

Cleveland - They certainly didn't make out in the Sanchez trade. And I am quite confident that they didn't do their homework or their computers weren't working. Because they had to be a better reason for deciding not to pick for 2 + hours.

Dallas - Their draft consisted of nothing more than special teams players.

Carolina - They basically gave away their 1st round pick next year for a d-back from a mid-major and a special teams returner...nice!

Washington's Draft

I kept looking over to my brother as the DEs started to slip in the top 10. Then, Brian Orakpo was really falling. Then, the Broncos take Knowshon Moreno...THANK YOU! WOW! Orakpo is going to be a stud. Obviously if you saw my Big Board I was really high on this kid from the start. And I think that he will be a force playing along side with Albert Haynesworth. And with Andre Carter on the other side of the d-line, I don't want to jinx anything but...forget it. Let's just say it has been a while since the Redskins had a "real" pass rush since the 80s - early 90s. They didn't hold a round 2 pick because of the trade for Jason Taylor (thanks for nothing). In round three they drafted a cornerback from Maryland in Kevin Barnes. I like the pick after the loss of Shaun Springs, but this kid is no ordinary DB. He stands at six feet and his reach is outstanding. They didn't draft any offensive linemen, this is something that really bothered me. But, I can't get to worked up they didn't do anything too stupid and they came away from the draft with all their draft picks for next year. If their linebackers they drafted in the 5th and 6th rounds can compete for a back up position, I think that the Skins had a very good draft considering they were without a 2nd and 4th round pick.

The Most Exciting Play in Baseball

With two outs, Ellsbury not only caught me off guard but the Yankees as well.

Deez' Mock Draft

I will continue the best draft picks by your team next week. But, before I head to Jacksonville this weekend for a much needed break. I will be posting you my mock draft for the 1st round. After much debate, and listening to countless hours of analysts, I have decided what team is doing what. Last year I did pretty well, this year I am looking for 50% correct. I can't wait for the draft, and this year I don't even have to rush out of work. Let's take a look at who I think will be going where, with a little overview on why. P.s. keep in mind that trades are always possible and my predictions are for the teams not the pick.

Deez' 2009 Mock Draft

1. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford/QB/Georgia

If they think that Stafford is a franchise QB then they have to go with him.

2. St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith/OT/Baylor

The Rams couldn't be happier seeing this man in a Rams jersey after Orlando Pace.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - Aaron Curry/OLB/Wake Forrest

Scouts say he is the best player in this years draft. Chiefs need a lot of help.

4. Seattle Seahawks - Mark Sanchez/QB/USC

After thinking that Sanchez is going to fall in this draft, it makes perfect sense here at 4.

5. Cleveland Browns - Brian Orakpo/DE/Texas

I don't know what the Browns will do here, but they should take Orakpo but they prob. won't.

6. Cincinnati Bengals - Eugene Monroe/OT/Virginia

This kid is a can't miss for the Bengals. Even though Andre Smith certainly acts like a Bengal.

7. Oakland Raiders - Michael Crabtree/WR/Texas Tech

They are all about the big names of the draft, Crabtree in my opinion has the biggest.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - B.J. Raji/DT/Boston College

The Jags would have loved to see Crabtree here, but they will settle for a DT or trade the pick.

9. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Maybin/DE/Penn State

This makes sense. The Pack will be looking to add somebody to start right away with this pick.

10. San Francisco 49ers - Jeremy Maclin/WR/Missouri

The Niners will love seeing a playmaker like Maclin fall to ten for them. Instant offense!

11. Buffalo Bills - Tyson Jackson/DE/LSU

The Bills are in definite need of a pass rushing DE. They have to go with this position and BA.

12. Denver Broncos - Robert Ayers/DE/Tennessee

With all the DEs going fast they have to take one here. But, I really don't think that they will stay here.

13. Washington Redskins - Andre Smith/OT/Alabama

Here's the thing...I want them to go with a DE, real bad. But if this mammoth is on the board they need someone to fill in for aging Jon Jansen. I really am expecting fireworks on late Saturday afternoon with Dan Synder tearing up the phone lines. But, if I am them, and this player is on the board, this really is a no-brainer.

14. New Orleans Saints - Chris Wells/RB/Ohio State

The only way this doesn't happen in my opinion is if somebody jumps up to get him b4 the Saints do.

15. Houston Texans - Brian Cushing/OLB/USC

I don't know if any of you have seen USC's linebackers last year. But, Cushing was the one that stood out.

16. San Diego Chargers - Rey Maualuga/ILB/USC

I am getting queasy just thinking about him and Merriman playing the 'skins week 17.

17. New York Jets - Josh Freeman/QB/Kansas State

Jets fans won't be very happy as usual with their pick, but where else did you want them to go.

18. Denver (from Chicago) - Clay Matthews/OLB/USC

Like I said, I don't believe that they will pick at either spot, but this addresses both needs.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Everette Brown/DE/Florida State

I really believe that this could end up being the steal of the draft. This kid is crazy good!

20. Detroit Lions - Michael Oher/OT/Mississippi

The Lions did what they were suppose to, grab a QB and OT with their first round picks.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Knowshon Moreno/RB/Georgia

I was trying to find a way out of the Eagles drafting him but I can't. Only if they pull a "Stevey" again.

22. Minnesota Vikings - Eben Britton/OT/Arizona

This is going to be an interesting draft for the Vikings, what they will do first is key.

23. New England Patroits - James Laurinaitis/ILB/Ohio State

After addressing their cornerback need during free agency, linebacker is the smart play.

24. Atlanta Falcons - Larry English/DE/Northern Illinois

I thought that they might go elsewhere, but with Tony Gonzalez coming to town I changed my mind.

25. Miami Dolphins - Darrius Heyward-Bey/WR/Maryland

My Dolphin readers should be extremely happy with this playmaking speedster from the ACC.

26. Baltimore Ravens - Hakeem Nicks/WR/North Carolina

They won't be happy missing out on Heyward-Bey, but Nicks is a nice replacement.

27. Indianapolis Colts - Kenny Britt/WR/Rutgers

The WR draft class is so deep that the Colts will just be happy one of them will still be on the board.

28. Philadelphia (from Carolina) - Brandon Pettigrew/TE/Oklahoma State

The NFC East just got that much tougher with this pick. I hate the Pitbull and all Eagle fans if this happens!

29. New York Giants - Jared Cook/TE/South Carolina

The G-men really get screwed here, as the big wide outs are gone, and the Eagles steal Pettigrew from them.

30. Tennessee Titans - Percy Harvin/WR/Florida

The Titans are going to build their offense with speed, short passes from Collins to Harvin sound nice.

31. Arizona Cardinals - LaSean McCoy/RB/Pittsburgh

NFL experts are saying that Hightower doesn't look like the answer, McCoy could very well be.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers - Vontae Davis/CB/Illinois

I thought Dr. Z was crazy when I saw his picks, but when the Steelers see this guy on the board, he will be gone!

The Best NFL Draft Pick by Your Team

ESPN Insider had a great idea leading up to the draft. Team by team they put the top 10 draft choices in the history of the franchise. One thing that I didn't like was that they put draft picks like John Elway on the top 10 for the Colts or Brett Favre for the Falcons. Starting today up until the Draft next Saturday here at The Nutz, I will be listing the best picks by a franchise in their history. But it'll be a little more insightful. My criteria is as follows: value at pick, value for the franchise as a whole, overall success by the player, and what he meant to the team during his career. I will go division by division. Hope you enjoy and if you think that I am wrong in anyway...you know what you can do!

AFC West

Denver Broncos- Terrell Davis 1995 Rd. 6 Pick 196

No player that makes this list will have such a short impact with a team and still be worth the best player ever drafted by it's franchise. Davis won the hearts in Colorado very quickly after being drafted so late in the '95 draft. With only seven years under his belt in Denver he is still the team all-time leading rusher. What won me over for T.D., was John Elway had a problem in Super Bowls until he arrived. And Davis was a major force on the Broncos offense for both of their championship teams having won Super Bowl MVP in one of them. Never ever getting enough credit Davis is one of those running backs that we will always look back and say that he had "What could have been" careers.

Kansas City Chiefs- Tony Gonzalez 1997 Rd. 1 Pick 13

The best tight end the game has ever seen, and to think he wasn't a half bad basketball player in college as well. With the team on the decline the last couple of years the team can not afford to get rid of this guy after all he has done for the franchise, let alone the seats he puts in the stands. Gonzalez, still looking for a chance to play in the Super Bowl, is the all-time tight end leader in single season catches (102), career touchdowns (76), and yards (10,940). This ten-time Pro-Bowler is the Kansas City Chiefs and I really can't imagine him in another jersey.

Oakland Raiders- Marcus Allen 1982 Rd. 1 Pick 10

I still don't know how he fell to 10 in the draft after what he did in college. Playing ten years for the silver and black, Allen is best remembered for his heroics in Super Bowl XVIII. He ran for 191 yards, caught 2 passes for 18 yards, and scored 2 touchdowns in the Raiders 38-9 victory over my Washington Redskins. He went to 6 Pro-Bowls, was the rookie of the year, won NFL MVP in 1985, and was a two-time All-Pro selection. One of the lowest things owner Al Davis has done was run this man out of town, something that should have never been done to a guy that brought winning in the NFL to the west coast.

San Diego Chargers- Junior Seau 1990 Rd. 1 Pick 5

No player in the NFL at any point in my life was really the face of a franchise like Seau was. Seau was the San Diego Chargers! His dancing and fist pumping after great plays also stood out negatively, but the Chargers fans loved it and him for it. For the entire 90s he led his team in tackling, and was a major part of the Chargers getting to the Super Bowl in 1994. Especially for his 16 recorded tackles in the AFC Championship game. He was a great man in the California area to have. Having started the Seau Foundation, that deals with raising money for drug awareness, abused kids, and college scholarships.

The Best NFL Draft Pick by Your Team

ESPN Insider had a great idea leading up to the draft. Team by team they put the top 10 draft choices in the history of the franchise. One thing that I didn't like was that they put draft picks like John Elway on the top 10 for the Colts or Brett Favre for the Falcons. Starting today up until the Draft next Saturday here at The Nutz, I will be listing the best picks by a franchise in their history. But it'll be a little more insightful. My criteria is as follows: value at pick, value for the franchise as a whole, overall success by the player, and what he meant to the team during his career. I will go division by division. Hope you enjoy and if you think that I am wrong in anyway...you know what you can do!

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens- Ray Lewis 1996 Rd. 1 Pick 26

Say what you want about the character of this linebacker, he is one of the best the game's ever seen. He was the fifth linebacker taken in the '96 Draft, but proved his worth even though scouts thought his size was too small. When Baltimore got a NFL team back to their city they were in need of a man that can carry the team on his back, and Lewis was most certainly the amn for the job. 10 Pro-Bowl selections along with being a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner. Not to mention Super Bowl MVP in their win against the G-men in 2000.

Cincinnati Bengals- Anthony Munoz 1980 Rd. 1 Pick 3

Though him being selected this high led to much debate, Munoz proved to be the right choice for the Bengals, something that certainly lacks in Bengals draft history. Standing at 6'6'', Munoz was an absolute beast on the line, giving his quarterbacks time to throw and running backs room to run. Despite his history of being hurt, he only missed 3 games in his 12 years with Cincinnati. Finished his career as an 11-time Pro-Bowl selection, 10 All-Pro nominations, a member of both All-Decade team of the 1980s and the 75th Anniversity All-Time team.

Cleveland Browns- Jim Brown 1957 Rd. 1 Pick 6

Arguably one of the best running backs in league history, Brown rushed for over 12,000 yards and had 126 touchdowns in a 9-year career with the Browns that ended before he turned the age of 30. Every season he played, Brown was voted into the Pro Bowl, and is the only rusher in NFL history to average over 100 yards a game for his career. He led this old franchise to a NFL Championship in 1964, was a 3-time NFL MVP, and of course was a member of the 75th Anniversity All-Time team.

Pittsburgh Steeler- Terry Bradshaw 1970 Rd. 1 Pick 1

This was the toughest of all the picks thus far. But, this man quarterback his Steeler team to 4 Super Bowl Championships in which two of them resulted in him being the MVP. Having Franco Harris in the backfield, and the "Steel Curtain" defense helped a lot don't get me wrong, but Bradshaw still had to play well for them to win. His threat of the deep pass always opened thing up for other plays. This 3-time Pro- Bowler also won the NFL MVP award in 1978 and in 1999, he was ranked number 44 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Not to mention that Bradshaw's post season record is an astonishing 14-5.

April 20th

On this day 23 years ago, Michael Jordan went to the Garden and put on a show for the ages. You gotta love the background music!

My 1st College Baseball Game of 2009

Yesterday my father, brother and I headed to Gainesville to catch a couple of top 25 teams face each in an SEC battle on the diamond. #16 ranked Ole Miss came to the Sunshine State and face a #25 Gator team that desperately needed a victory yesterday. McKenthan Stadium was ranked in the top 10 a year ago as one of the best looking baseball complexes in college baseball. So being a huge fan of good looking baseball fields, I was glad to see it again. But I really want to add, and to finally put this into my blog.

I hate Florida Gator fans!

The chats, the complaining, I hate it. They are sooooo spoiled it's disgusting. The entire game I kept hoping that Tim Tebow will get caught with marijuana soon, just so I can throw that in Gator fans' faces. I like Tebow too. But, honestly, Gator fans might be worse than UCONN fans. Coming from me, that says alot! Back to the game.

With the weekend series split so far, and the Gators heading road games against Georgia and LSU soon, winning this 3-game series would boost this teams chances with a field of 64 bid. The Rebels from Ole Miss were ranked 9th in my pre season picks, and they looked sharp yesterday. The 1st inning looked liked signs of disaster, when the Rebels All-American closer/turned starting pitcher Scott Bittle couldn't find the plate, walking in two runs in the opening inning. But, after that he certainly settled down by pitching six innings with 8 strikeouts and allowing only more more earned run after the terrible first frame. For the Gators, starting pitcher Alex Panteliodis (3-5), was pitching too poorly, but was pulled after walking the first batter in the 5th and only allowed 3 earned. The thing that confused us baseball fans in the stands was why he was pulled? Because the next two pitchers used were awful. Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan was making some questionable moves throughout the game, which meant to me that he was really in a panic about winning this game. Also, the Gators All-American centerfielder Matt den Dekker had a tough series. He went 0-5 yesterday with 3 strikeouts, as a lead off hitter, finishing 0-11 for the weekend series. The other lead off hitter for the Rebels on the other hand was unbelievable! Centerfielder, Jordan Henry was the epitome of what a lead off man should be. He got on base all 5 times yesterday. Was patient as patient can get, walking 4 times and hits a high bouncing infield single in his final at-bat. He also stole 3 bases! The Rebels ultimately won the game 5-3 after 8 innings, with the help of catcher Kyle Henson 2-run homer. The reason for the 8 innings is that the SEC rules state if a game lasts longer than 3:30 on a Sunday they have to end the game at the top of the next inning for traveling purposes for the road team. The Rebels are now 28-11 and 11-7 in the SEC while the Gators dropped to 26-14 and 10-8. The Gators are in trouble now. Like I said earlier they have some serious road series coming, and the field of 64 is slimming by the day. As for the Rebels the bulk of their tough games are already over, so expect them to keep climbing up the top 25 board while the Gators will surely drop out when the polls come out today.

Here's a look at the current top 25 as of April 13th in USA Today.