My 2007 NFL Mock Draft

Pick and NFL Team	Player Chosen	Why (Before the Actual Draft)
#1 Oakland Raiders	QB JaMarcus Russell – LSU Actual: QB JaMarcus Russell – LSU	The Raiders are desperate for a QB, for their pervious signee – QB Aaron Brooks, an ex- Saint, faltered and are in need for a franchise player that would turn their team around. Al Davis loves him.
#2 Detroit Lions	OL Joe Thomas – University of Wisconsin Actual: WR Calvin Johnson – Georgia Tech University	If the Lions do NOT trade this pick (which is very unlikely) they would likely bolster their offensive line by signing this premiere offensive lineman
#3 Cleveland Browns	RB Adrian Peterson – University of Oklahoma Actual: OL Joe Thomas – University of Wisconsin	The Browns, although they signed Jamal Lewis, need a RB for the future, and this would be the best choice for the Browns. (Sorry Brady Quinn)
#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR Calvin Johnson – Georgia Tech University Actual: DE Gaines Adams – Clemson University	The Bucs are salivating over this deal, that is if he falls this far. They would most likely complete a draft-day trade with the Lions in order to guarantee their pick of Johnson
#5 Arizona Cardinals	DE Gaines Adams – Clemson University Actual: OT Levi Brown – Penn State University	If they do not shore up their offensive line via trade to get Joe Thomas, their next plan would be getting Adams, the best DE in the draft
#6 Washington Redskins	DT Amobi Okoye – University of Louisville Actual: S LaRon Landry – LSU	If the Redskins do not trade this pick to another team in need of a talented player, they would get a rising superstar, improving their dreadful D-line in 2006
#7 Minnesota Vikings	QB Brady Quinn – University of Notre Dame Actual: RB Adrian Peterson – University of Oklahoma	The Vikings would appreciate it if Quinn drops this far in the draft, since they have an aging superstar (Brad Johnson) and Tavaris Jackson is only a rookie last season
#8 Atlanta Falcons	S LaRon Landry – LSU Actual: Jamaal Anderson – University of Arkansas	The Falcons need to fill this hole in the defensive secondary, and they would be ecstatic if he falls this far
#9 Miami Dolphins	OT Levi Brown – Penn State University Actual: WR Ted Ginn Jr. – Ohio State University	The Dolphins have been eying Brown for a while, and if they don’t get Quinn in a draft-day deal, then they’ll go with Brown
#10 Houston Texans	CB Leon Hall – Michigan University Actual: DT Amobi Okoye – University of Louisville	The Texans need to improve a terrible defense last year, and he will be a great fit for this young franchise
#11 San Francisco 49ers	DT Alan Branch – University of Michigan Actual: MLB Patrick Willis – University of Mississippi	Branch would improve a defensive line that would do much better next year
#12 Buffalo Bills	MLB Patrick Willis – University of Mississippi Actual: RB Marshawn Lynch – University of California	After losing London Fletcher-Baker to the Redskins and Takeo Spikes to the Eagles, the Bills have no choice but to sign this tackling machine
#13 St. Louis Rams	DE Anthony Spencer – University of Purdue Actual: DE Adam Carriker – University of Nebraska	Since vets La Roi’ Glover and Leonard Little are getting old, he would be a young reserve for this franchise
#14 Carolina Panthers	TE Greg Olsen – University of Miami Actual: Trade with N.Y. Jets à CB Darelle Revis – University of Pittsburgh	Olsen would make a great pass catcher that already has two all-star WR’s – Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson
#15 Pittsburgh Steelers	LB Paul Posluszny – Penn State University Actual: OLB Lawrence Timmons – Florida State University	Paul would be an excellent fit for the Steelers, who lost talented all-star Jerry Porter to the Dolphins.
#16 Green Bay Packers	RB Marshawn Lynch – University of California Actual: DT Justin Harrell – University of Tennessee	In desperate need of a RB after losing all-star Ahman Green to free agency, they would gladly take this player
#17 Jacksonville Jaguars	WR Ted Ginn Jr. – Ohio State University Actual: Trade with Denver Broncos à DE Jarvis Moss – University of Florida	Without a standout WR, the Jaguars desperately need one, and Ginn would fit that description perfectly
#18 Cincinnati Bengals	CB Darelle Revis – University of Pittsburgh Actual: CB Leon Hall – Michigan University	Since the Bengals are weak at corner because Tory James ditched the Bengals for the Pats, Revis would go here.
#19 Tennessee Titans	CB Aaron Ross – Texas University Actual: S Michael Griffin – University of Texas	Losing “Pacman” Jones for the entire season hurts the team. Ross would fit the hole left by Jones
#20 New York Giants	OLB Lawrence Timmons – Florida State University Actual: CB Aaron Ross – Texas University	Releasing controversial LB LaVar Arrington resulted in a hole in the linebacker position. Thus, the Giants would improve the LB spot by signing Timmons
#21 Denver Broncos	DE Jarvis Moss – University of Florida Actual: Trade with Jaguars à S Reggie Nelson – University of Florida	The pass rush for Denver was abysmal last year, so Moss would be the replacing Trevor Pryce
#22 Dallas Cowboys	WR Robert Meachem – University of Tennessee Actual: Trade with Browns à QB Brady Quinn – University of Notre Dame	An aging WR tandem – T.O. and Terry Glenn are in their 30’s – would need help, so Meachem would move to the slot position
#23 Kansas City Chiefs	WR Dwayne Bowe – Louisiana State University Actual: WR Dwayne Bowe – Louisiana State University	The Chiefs are in desperate need for a top-notch WR, for their best pass catcher was Eddie Kennison. Bowe would be this impact player
#24 New England Patriots (From Seattle)	S Michael Griffin – University of Texas Actual: FS Brandon Merriweather – University of Miami	All-Pro Safety is coming off consecutive injury-prone seasons, so Griffin will replace him in due time
#25 New York Jets	DE Adam Carriker – University of Nebraska Actual: Trade with Panthers à LB Jon Beason – University of Miami	Carriker would join the Jets’ 3-4 defensive scheme, should the Jets choose this him
#26 Philadelphia Eagles	S Reggie Nelson – University of Florida Actual: Trade with Cowboys --> DE Anthony Spencer – University of Purdue	With Michael Lewis gone and ballhawk Brian Dawkins turning older by the day, Nelson is a young playmaking safety who also could play CB for the Eagles secondary.
#27 New Orleans Saints	CB Chris Houston – University of Arkansas Actual: WR Robert Meachem – University of Tennessee	To improve their secondary, one that gave up too many deep passes last year – such as the long bombs WR’s Chad Johnson and Donte’ Stallworth caught – Houston would bring his excellent cornerback skills to their terrible secondary
#28 New England Patriots	LB Jon Beason – University of Miami Actual: Trade with 49ers --> OT Joe Staley – Central Michigan University	With their second pick in the first round, the Pats would choose UMiami LB Jon Beason to improve their already talented defense
#29 Baltimore Ravens	OT Joe Staley – Central Michigan University Actual: OG Ben Grubbs – University of Auburn	Joe Staley, a player whose stock is rising quickly, would be snagged by the Ravens, whose offensive line has been decimated – Ogden is old and Mughelli is released
#30 San Diego Chargers	WR Dwayne Jarrett – University of Southern California Actual: WR Craig Davis – LSU	Jarrett would give the Chargers the deep-threat player they have been lacking for a while
#31 Chicago	OG Justin Blalock – University of Texas Actual: TE Greg Olsen – University of Miami	The Bears need to get reserve players for their aging offensive line, so OG Justin Blalock would provide just that.
#32 Indianapolis Colts	LB David Harris – University of Michigan Actual: WR Anthony Gonzalez – Ohio State University	The Colts’ needs range from RB to LB in the draft, after losing essential players Dominic Rhodes and Cato June in free agency. Any player in the following positions would fit for the last pick of the first round: RB, LB, CB, WR

Nicknames

Over the years, there has been a variety of nicknames conjured in the sports world - from "He Hate Me" (WR Rod Smart) to "The Refrigerator" (Lineman William Perry) - nicknames are unique to every person.

In the NFL, there was the great Water Payton, known only to fans as "Sweetness". Then there was "Prime Time" cornerback Deion Sanders, for performing his best at night, "The Bus" Jerome Bettis, for driving over other players, and "The Freak" Jevon Kearse, for his rare athleticism and his style of play.

Also, there are broad nicknames that not only surround players, but entire franchises. For twenty years, from 1980 to 2000, there was the New Orleans Saints, who were known as the "'Aints" until they won their first playoff game in 2000 against the St. Louis Rams. The Dallas Cowboys proudly proclaim themselves as "America's Team", while the Oakland Raiders' Stadium is the "Black Hole." Similarly, parts of the Cleveland Browns stadium is called "The dawg pound". The Green Bay Packers fans are "Cheeseheads", since Wisconsin is home to the largest producer of cheese. Their stadium is infamously known as the "Frozen tundra" since the stadium was home to the coldest NFL game on record in 1967.

Entire teams, or even parts of a team deserve great nicknames. There was the "Fun Bunch" - a group of Redskins WR's and TE's during the early 1980's. Also during that same time, the offensive line coach for the Redskins, Joe Bugel, came up with a nickname for the team's offensive line - "The Hogs". The St. Louis Rams were known as the "Greatest Show on Turf" during their glory years to their historic Super Bowl run in 2000. The 1970's Minnesota Vikings' defensive line was known as the "Purple people eaters" since they would gobble up the opposing team's QB. Similarly, the Steelers' defensive line is infamously known as the "Steel Curtain".

In the MLB, there was the "Sultan of Swat" - the great Babe Ruth, "The Big Unit" Randy Johnson, "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, "The Wizard of Oz" Ozzie Smith, "The Rocket" Roger Clemens, "A-Rod" Alex Rodriguez, "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson, and "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas.


In the NBA, there are tons of NBA nicknames for every superstar.

There was "Air Jordan" which became "MJ" and "Air Canada" which became "Air Carter" or "VC" for Vince Carter.

Other nicknames include the great "Magic" Johnson, who earned his nickname from the magic he does on the basketball court.
"The Iceman" George Gervin got his nickname for his cool composure on the basketball court.
"The Admiral" David Robinson, received his from being in the military after graduating from high school.
"The Doctor" Julius Erving would prescribe new types of dunks during each game.
Gary Payton was known as "the glove" for his ball-swiping steals that seemed almost regular. "Round Mound of Rebound" Charles Barkley got his from his rebounding skills night in and night out.
Then there was "Stevie Franchise" for Steve Francis, who technically is not a franchise player for any team, whether it is Orlando, Houston or even New York.
"The Answer" Allen Iverson, who would constantly answer everyone's questions.
Karl Malone was known as "The Mailman" for his deliveries during each game.
There was the self-proclaimed "Agent Zero" for Gilbert Arenas
"Human Highlight Reel" Dominique Wilkins, for every dunk he made deserved to be a highlight "T-Mac", short for Tracy McGrady, "'Melo", short for Carmelo Anthony's first name, "C-Webb", short for Chris Webber, "J-Rich" Jason Richardson
"The King" LeBron James
"KG" or "The Big Ticket" for Kevin Garnett, who always receives a huge crowd wherever he goes
"Air Gordon" Ben Gordon, on the big shots he hits during games just like MJ
"Big Ben" Ben Wallace, for his resemblance to the clock tower in London
"Big Shot Bob" Robert Horry, on his clutch shots during the NBA playoffs
"The Diesel" Shaquille O'Neal, for his size and bullish way he dunks a basketball, his teammate "The Flash" Dwayne Wade, for the comic book hero who was as fast as a speeding bullet, and "The Matrix" Shawn Marion, my favorite player overall, who received his nickname from another NBA legend, Kennny "the Jet" Smith, who is currently a TNT basketball analyst.

From "The Black Hole" to "The Rocket", nicknames can come from anywhere and can encompass anything, from an individual player on a baseball team to a stadium filled with rowdy football fans.

March Madness '07!

This has been a crazy, yet predictable NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament this March. There has been a lot learned this year, such as rooting for the teams that start with "V" - Vanderbilt, Vegas (UNLV), Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth (VCU), and Virginia. Nearly all of the games were predictable, for it was easy for a person to get every pick right in the NCAA tourney brackets.

In the first round of the tourney, there were some upsets, ranging from ninth-ranked Purdue defeating eighth-ranked Arizona, to the biggest upset - VCU beating Duke - once an almighty powerhouse in the tourney. The only other upset was Xavier (#9) defeating BYU (#8). Although 11th-ranked Winthrop beat 6th-ranked Notre Dame, Winthrop was considered the better team - by far. An astonishing victory was Vandy's clobbering of the University of George Washington, by 33 points!!! Surprisingly there was only three first-round upsets out of the 32 total games played in the first round. :O <-- A surprised smiley. In the second round, there was four upsets total - UNLV surprisingly trouncing 2nd-ranked Wisconsin, one of three big upsets in the entire tournament - USC beating Texas, Vandy shocking 3rd-ranked Washington State, and Tennessee defeating 4th-ranked UVa. The third huge upset in the entire tourney was USC shockingly defeating Texas, since Texas was led by AP player of the year and a freshman - Kevin Durant. Many people predicted Texas to reach the sweet sixteen, or even the elite eight, against UNC (The other crucial upset was VCU's victory over Duke). The only staggering defeats from the sweet sixteen forward was 2nd-ranked UCLA defeating #1 Kansas and #2 Georgetown defeating #1 UNC - both games taking place in the elite eight. Amazingly, the tourney will end with a January basketball and the BCS National Championship game rematch of Ohio State University against the returning champion, the veteran Florida Gators. I, like many other basketball fanatics, made my own predictions of the NCAA tournament. In the first round, i had Arizona defeating Purdue and Georgia Tech defeating UNLV in the Midwest region. In the West region, i predicted Illinois defeating VT (Virginia Tech), Duke defeating VCU and Gonzaga defeating Indiana. In the East region, i had Arkansas defeating USC - like many sports commentators predicted - and both GW and Oral Roberts shocking Vandy and Washington State. All of these picks in the first round were wrong - 75% of my picks were correct. In the second round, there was only half as many mistakes made. I foolishly predicted Michigan State to beat top-ranked UNC and was surprised by the results of the other four games that i missed - UNLV defeating Wisconsin, USC defeating Texas, and Vandy defeating Washington State (in double overtime!).

From this point onto the National Championship game, all but one of the games i predicted are correct. The only game i missed was the Memphis-Texas A&M match. I thought Acie Law IV would dominate and shock this underrated Memphis team. Boy, was i wrong! I luckily foresaw the final four teams - Georgetown, OSU, Florida and UCLA, and even the National Championship game, between OSU and Florida. I was shocked (in a good way) that i foresaw this Championship matchup.

What a tourney this has been in March!