Big Move of June 21st

The Bruins making it rain to the tune of 156 000 one dollar bills. Okay, they might not have partied like they were Adam Pac Man Jones and word is the 30L bottle of champagne that cost $100 000 was actually donated by the bar owner in exchange for signatures but this is still an impressive feat. I think the Mavericks bar tab barely reached 100k after their victory so this isn't too shabby for a hockey team without a Mark Cuban type owner. Then again, isn't a basketball team only 12 players or so? I guess the 24 assistants on the bench bring it even with a hockey team though. 

Big Move of June 20th

The Florida Marlins bringing back former manager Jack McKeon to coach the ballclub for the rest of the season. The Marlins were ten games above 500 and just two games behind the Phillies on May 31st for first place in the NL East but a brutal June in which they have won just one game took it's toll on former manager Edwin Rodriguez who resigned this past Sunday. With little time to find a suitable replacement the Marlins turned to their hot tub time machine and hired McKeon, making this the second time the club has hired him in the middle of the season. The first time occurred in 2003 and it worked out quite well for the team as they went on to win the world series that fall in shocking fashion. However, I highly doubt the same will occur this year and the odds are McKeon's return will be as successful as Joe Gibbs comeback with the Washington Redskins. I'm generally not in favour of recycling former coaches or players on any team but in this case that's not even the major issue revolving around this hiring. In fact, that's a minor detail. The glaring issue is that the Marlins just hired a man who was around during the Black Sox scandal... Alright, that's stretching it a bit but McKeon is 80 years old, which will make him the oldest coach in professional sports by quite a few years. I can't see how he'll be able to manage games when they typically start three hours after he's had dinner and around the same time he settles into bed with a nice episode of Columbo! Unless the Marlins start moving games to 12:00pm I don't think this hiring will work out too well.

Big Move of June 19th

Rory McIlroy running away with the U.S. Open to claim his first ever major. In doing so, McIlroy became the second youngest to ever win a major at age 22 and set a record for lowest score under par at the U.S. Open. This was one of the most dominant performances in golf history and ranks up there with Tiger Woods' 12 under 15 stroke win at Pebble Beach in 2000. More importantly, it cast away the choker label Rory was starting to develop after previous collapses in the past year at the British Open and Masters. He got his first major under his belt, which is a huge hurdle (just ask Phil Mickelson) and should propel him to many more. I don't want to make any wild predictions because golf is a crazy game but Rory does have the talent and ability to take a run at Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors or whatever Tiger Woods ends up with if he is able to piece things back together (a big if). He has an incredible and consistent swing along with a good frame that should help him avoid injuries. Add to this that he is still very young and well beyond all golfers within ten years of his age. To be honest, I don't think he has any competitors that could really threaten him except for Phil Mickelson and potentially Tiger Woods and quite frankly those two would still need to play their best to beat Rory head to head. This is an exciting time for golf and his emergence is much needed with the disappearance of Tiger Woods. I am looking forward to watching what else he can accomplish this year and he is without a doubt the favourite heading into the British Open next month.

Co Big Move of the day. The University of Western Ontario calling for donations at 7:30 pm on Fathers day... Really?!!?! Come on guys, lets pull our heads out of our asses! Any other day of the week I wouldn't mind and might have considered giving some money, but it was just rude to pull such a stunt on a Sunday evening let alone Fathers Day. I'm all for giving back and will eventually do so but not at this time. I'd also like to think my University is a bit above Bell, Rogers or Cogeco for annoying solicitations. Nice job UWO... this might prompt me to add an 'ass of the day' column to this blog.

Big Move of June 16

Zach Stewart shining in his major league debut. Stewart threw seven solid innings of two run ball and struck out four while needing only 85 pitches to do so. His location was fantastic all game long and there was not one point in the game where he was not in control or looked as if me might unravel. Unfortunately the Jays offense was not able to deliver him the run support he needed to get a much deserved victory but it was a positive debut nonetheless. I don't want to make too much of one game but Stewart is a highly touted Jays prospect and is known for very good control, which he displayed yesterday. After seeing Drabek and Cecil disappoint this season the Blue Jays are hoping Stewart can step up and help contribute to the AL's second worse starting staff by ERA. For the last five years it seems as if one young pitcher has come up midway through the season and delivered strong results. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Stewart is this year's breakout pitcher for the Jays and if he is able to keep his control he could be quite an effective pitcher who can induce lots of ground balls and eat up innings. If he is successful let's hope he'll avoid regressing or getting injured like Jays pitchers have done in past seasons after strong rookie campaigns, which has proven to be the biggest hurdle for Jays pitchers in recent years. Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Brett Cecil come to mind. To be honest, Ricky Romero has been the only Jay to avoid sophomore jinxes or injuries in the last decade, but what else would you expect from one of the best pitchers in the game!?!?

Big Move of June 15th

The Canucks and the city of Vancouver melting down on hockey's biggest stage. The Canucks showed absolutely no fight last night and let the Bruins walk away with one of the easiest game seven victories in history, which paved the way for riots in the streets shortly after. 'If we win we're legends' was the quote from Ryan Kesler on Tuesday heading into the game. However, he forgot to mention the alternative label for the team if they lost, which is gutless. Aside from Kevin Bieksa no Canuck played with any passion and there just didn't seem to be any urgency in their game even after giving up the first, second and third goals of the game. But what would you expect from a team filled with great regular season players who aren't willing to pay the price in the playoffs? The Sedins being the most glaring example. Ryan Kesler even got in on the action and was a non factor in the game last night and the entire series, registering only one point. In fact, he was barely noticeable from the Nashville series on. To be fair, he was likely playing through a groin injury but Steve Yzerman managed to win a stanley cup on one leg in his mid thirties and so did many other past players who wanted to win badly enough.The only Canuck that played with some consistency in the playoffs was Alex Burrows and that's pretty sad because he's still not much of a factor and softer than a marshmellow. Lastly, Roberto Luongo lived up to his billing as a goalie who doesn't show up for big games or come through in the clutch. It is unfair to blame him entirely for last night's game but he had a legitimate chance to make a save on all three Boston goals he let in and looked a step behind on each one, unlike his counterpart Tim Thomas who was sharp all night and throughout the series. If Luongo could have kept the game scoreless for just a while longer perhaps the Canucks could have gotten the opening goal they desperately needed to ease the pressure that clearly got to them? But then again, the forwards didn't mount too many scoring chances anyways so perhaps the outcome would have been no different if Luongo stood on his head. Regardless, he'll ultimately take the brunt of the loss and his jersey is now as fashionable to wear as wallet chains and LA Gear shoes (especially the ones with the lights). Luongo clearly needs a change of scenery and both him and the fans are no longer enamoured with one another. Vancouver probably has as good a chance to win with Corey Schneider but trading Luongo's contract won't be an easy task. They sure won't get fair market value for him but perhaps the gain will be through subtraction.

I should mention the Bruins in this BMOD because they do deserve a lot of credit. They were definitely the best team (not the most talented) in the playoffs this year and worked extremely well together. Tim Thomas deserves a lot of praise and rightfully won the conn smythe trophy, but Zdeno Chara admirably anchored a defense filled with no names and a bystander (Tomas Kaberle) to help Thomas shine and avoid rebounds. I'd imagine fans in Ottawa are cringing at the fact they let him walk away and chose to resign Wade Redden several years ago.

Finally, how sad was it to see the city of Vancouver make an ass of itself again? The fans in the arena showed a ton of class and probably had the most right to be angry having paid ridiculous amounts of money to attend such a terrible game(upwards of $7800 per ticket). However, it was the small pockets of young punks in the streets around the arena that showed no restraint and thought it would be a great idea to torch cars and vandalize local stores. What's worse is they were basically allowed to do so unimpeded. The Vancouver police and riot squad were the only team softer than the Canucks in Vancouver last night. Canada's greatest and most beautiful city (self proclaimed by Van residents) managed to undo the great impression they left on the world a year ago at the winter olympics and once again show why they're a city undeserving of a stanley cup champion.

Big Move of June 13th

Bobby Lu coming up with the clutchest playoff performance since Patrick Lalime in game 7 of the first round agains the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004. In fact, he was so good that he didn't even have to play the last 49 minutes of the game last night. This has been a very strange series and shown that home ice does matter in hockey afterall as both the Canucks and Bruins have won all three of their games at home to set up the championship game Wednesday night. Luongo has especially displayed the importance of home ice advantage after stopping 95 of 97 shots to win three games in Vancouver while giving up 15 goals on 64 shots in Boston, losing all three games and getting pulled in two games. Not since Steve Webb has the NHL seen a player that personifies Tarzan at home and Jane on the road as much as Luongo has this series. Hopefully the home trend continues one more game for the Canucks but I have a feeling Tim Thomas isn't going to let his first and most likely last opportunity to win the stanley cup Wednesday night. If that happens I'd imagine the Canucks will have a tough decision this offseason and look to trade Luongo in favour of retaining the younger, cheaper and potentially better long term solution in net, Corey Schneider. Philly would be a nice landing spot for Bobby Lu, I don't think they even care anymore when their goalies choke in the playoffs and have just come to accept it like blackflies during the summer in Thunder Bay. But, maybe I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself here. Afterall, I did predict a Canucks sweep in this series and all but handed them the cup after game two.

Big Move of June 12

There's no crying in Basketball!!! Oh wait, I think the quote is baseball... No matter, I'm sure the same rule applies to any professional sport. I don't think much needs to be said about the Mavericks winning the championship. Everyone outside of Miami and especially those in Cleveland became huge Dallas fans in the last few days and rejoiced Sunday night when they disposed of the Mavericks. The icing on the cake was Bosh discharing a salty fluid from his eyes after displaying the softest performance ever in a playoff season. In fact, his performance prompted Philadelphia cream cheese to make him an offer as it's new spokesman for its softest spread eveer. Speaking of Philly, maybe he'll get traded their in the offseason? I can't see him being able to take that city's fans though. But he definitely is on his way out of Miami after blowing a golden opportunity to mooch off Lebron and Wade for championships in the sun. There's just no way the Heat can justify keeping this whiny player earning 16 mil a season who makes Tim Duncan look like 2003 Ron Artest when standing next to him. For 16 million the Heat could add a nice compliment of bench players and role guys who they clearly lacked this season.

Big Move of June 11th

Mike McCoy pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Boston Red sox. If you're not familiar with McCoy then you might be asking why this is such a big deal since plenty of pitchers throw 1-2-3 innings. Well, it just so happens that Mike McCoy is not a pitcher and rather a position player who is used in various spots in the infield or occasionally the outfield. After the Red Sox routed the Jays starting pitcher Brandon Morrow for nine runs and then had their way with Frasor, Dotel and Janssen the Jays turned to McCoy to play the role of the mop up pitcher to end a lost game. Turns out he's not a bad pitcher and did what few Jays pitchers could do on the day by shutting out the Red Sox in the ninth. Word is the Jays are now scouting Air Canada for pitching talent since they'll probably be throwing more strikes than anyone on the Jays roster this summer (with the exception of Romero and Rzypcenski).

Big Move of June 5th

Manny Malhotra returns to the Canucks lineup after suffering a gruesome eye injury that required emergency surgery in March and has kept him out ever since. It was once thought that Malhotra's career was in jeopardy and that he may never see out of his left eye again. Returning to hockey at all was in doubt let alone making a comeback in the stanley cup final. His return to the lineup last night was nothing short of outstanding and provided one of the greatest moments of hockey this season when he took his first shift and faceoff two minutes into the game in front of a standing ovation and crowd chanting his name. Malhotra's return was a huge emotional boost for the Canucks and his presence in the lineup was by no means trivial or to act as a cheerleader. Malhotra is an excellent faceoff man and proved so by winning 86% of his draws last night, which is a very important and often overlooked part of the game, especially in the playoffs.

Co big move of the day, some asslcown who should have been suspended for last night's game scoring the overtime goal to put the Vancouver Canucks up 2-0 and all but lock up the stanley cup. If you think I'm jinxing it or talking too soon consider this statistic, of 34 teams to open the finals with two straight losses on the road only 2 have been able to come back and win the cup. The most recent being the Pittsburgh Penguins beating the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. I'm going to go out and say Boston will not become the third team to do so and I wouldn't be surprised to see Vancouver sweep the Beaners. 

Big Move of June 4th

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal winning their semi-final matches to set up a great final at the French Open this coming Sunday. I struggled finding a big move from yesterday but I suppose this deserved mention. I was pretty pleased to see Federer beat jokeavich, especially since I thought he was starting to move towards the twilight part of his career and edging towards being washed up. Maybe that's a bit ignorant of me to say, I'll be honest I don't know a heck of a lot about tennis but aren't they like running backs and all but done when they hit 30? I just haven't heard his name a lot lately or seen him win any big tournaments. Again, I don't watch much tennis so feel free to correct me if you do. Either way, great final for Sunday and if Federer can beat Nadal on clay at Rolen Garos (not sure if that's how you spell it) I'd imagine it will be considered one of his greatest victories and perhaps complete all there is to accomplish in his career since I don't believe he has beaten Nadal at the French Open. I know he won the French a few years ago to complete the career grand slam but he never faced Nadal because Rafael lost before the championship and was hobbled by a leg injury. To me this would really legitimize the French Open title for Federer and is kind of like how a career is not complete at Michigan if you don't beat Ohio State, or beating USC if you go to Notre Dame, or beating the Steelers if you play for the Ravens... You get the idea.

Big Move of June 2nd

Dirk Nowitzki leading a 15 point comeback against the heat with only six minutes left in game 2 of the NBA finals. I'm not a big fan of basketball and will admit I did not watch any of this game but I can respect the significance and difficulty of this comeback so I'll concede BMOD honours to it. Especially considering it came against the team I hate most in basketball along with everyone outside of Miami. I did watch the highlights and the part of the game I enjoyed most was Dirk making Bosh look like an idiot several times in the last few minutes of the game, including his drive with 3 seconds left to score the winning bucket. Out of the 'Big 3' I'd definitely say Bosh is the most annoying and insignificant player but fills the role of the 'group loser' quite nicely (George in Seinfeld for instance... or was it Elaine? Maybe Turtle from Entourage is the better example). The 'group loser' is essentially that guy who adds nothing and you only notice when he screws up big, like Bosh did last night. Occasionally they have one big day and ride that glory forever (Bosh in game 3 vs. Chicago last series) but for the most part they don't do much. He is paid quite handsomely though to fill this role so I'm sure he has no complaints. However, with the impending NBA lockout, which will surely bring a cutback to players salaries and a lower cap Bosh will likely be banished from Miami next season in order for the team to keep Lebron and Dwayne Wade. I think Milwaukee would be a nice destination and serve him right for the bulls$!# he pulled on Toronto during his last season.  The only drawback to that is he'll incrase his already annoying tweets by 200% in order to try and stay relevant.

In other news. I will have to concede that 'Joey Bats' is the proper nickname for Jose Bautista and I'm all for it after seeing this promotion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lohgU46mRA
Big move by MLB digging up Bobby Bacallieri and Johnny Sacs brothe rin law from the Sopranos to do this promotion.

Big Move of June 1st

Alex Burrows getting pumped up for game 1 by watching the replay of the Mike Tyson/Evander Holyfield fight from 1997. Unfortunately he took a little bit too much from watching this fight and brought Tyson's antics into the arena by trying to bite off Patrice Bergeron's finger while Bergeron gave him a nice facewash.  Burrows is known for bush league antics and cowardly acts when confronted by players much tougher than him (the entire league) so this act really shouldn't come as any surprise. The bite only furthers his title as the most despised player in the NHL amongst players and fans (yes, he's even passed Avery). I have to say that it's really going to suck watching this guy lift the cup over his head in about a week's time. I'm fully behind the Canucks along with the majority of Canadians but Burrows and Ryan Kesler sure do make you want to cheer against this team at times. Maybe Kesler will lighten up when the Canucks win but Burrows will still be annoying to look at and listen to.

Big Move of May 31st

The sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports paving the way for a relocation to Winnipeg. Over 15 years have passed since the Jets left town and now the city of Winnipeg is looking for redemption trying to provie it can support an NHL franchise once again. Funny, didn't Atlanta say the same thing in 1999 when they got a second chance at NHL hockey after it failed? I'll admit that these are two different cities and fan support was not the reason the Jets left in 1996 while fan support was the major reason hockey failed twice in Atlanta. Actually, to be honest, Atlanta is a pretty brutal town for fan support regardless of what sport is being played, unless of course the Falcons are over 500. Hockey had no chance to survive in Atlanta to begin with but Gary Bettman continually showed blind support for the team and was always quick to point out that it is the 4th largest TV market in the U.S. That's a very nice statistic, by that reasoning a team should be put in Beijing or New Delhi because they're two of the biggest cities in the world. Of course a large population will flock to a team and sport they have no history or roots in. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bettman trying to move a team into Asia before he makes the most obvious decision to relocate a team to the GTA, or two for that matter. He's either incredibly dumb or the Maple Leafs have a photo of him punishing a donkey from behind, which are the only two theories I can come up with to explain why he's avoided this money making market. But I digress, today is about Winnipeg and not the dictator that runs the NHL with an iron fist and stubborness. Congratulations Winnipeg, it's great to see another Canadian team join the fold and I think everyone is happy for you... well, except for the wives and families of the Thrasher players who now have to spend the Winter in the Peg as opposed to the country clubs of the south where you can wear shorts and t-shirts in February. Odds are the players will be buying homes close to James Armstrong Richardson airport, otherwise known as the best part of Winnipeg. Why? Because when you're there you know you can leave!

Big Move of May 30th

Jim Tressel resigning from THE Ohio State and by resign I really mean fired but allowed to make the announcement himself and save face. Ohio State has never had very high academic or moral standards for its players (see Maurice Clarett) and Tressel's time on campus didn't see any change in this culture. Most turned a blind eye to the low standards the Buckeyes had for it's players off the field because they compiled a 106-22 record, a national championship title, two other trips to the big game and a 9-1 record against arch rival Michigan under Tressel's watch. However, reports surfaced this offseason about five player's involvement (including overrated qb Tyrell Prior) in a scandal where memorabilia was exchanged for free tattoos from the owner of a local tatoo parlour, who I might add is also being investigated for drug trafficking. Such an exchange is against NCAA rules and the five players were suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season by Ohio State. This was an appropriate action taken by Ohio State and the matter would have likely died there but the scandal picked up legs when it was found that Jim Tressel knew about the inappropriate exchanges his players made with the tattoo parlour. Tressel previously denied knowing of such infractions but emails between him and a whistle blower would prove otherwise. What's worse is that he allowed these players to play in football games and flat out lied to the NCAA by saying he knew nothing about their transgressions. He did this in order to keep the players on the field and give the Buckeyes a chance at winning another national championship. In March of this year Tressel admitted to knowing of his player's involvement with the tatoo parlour and imposed a five game suspension on himself for the upcoming season, matching the suspension handed down to the players involved. The NCAA wouldn't let the matter die there though and are starting to dig deeper into Tressel's years at Ohio State. Other cases where he allowed ineligible players to suit up for football games are beginning to surface and it appears the tattoo parlour scheme is not an isolated incident. This all piled up and led to his firing or 'resignation' today.

So who is to blame? I would say both Tressel and Ohio State. Tressel was the head coach of an administration that continually lowered academic and moral standards in order to keep its players on the field. Ohio State meanwhile let him run the program and never really questioned what was going on as long as they kept winning. In a way you could say Tressel was Tony Soprano and Ohio State Carmella. One was allowed to go about their business and enjoy great financial gain for their shady practices (Tony/Tressel) while the other asked no questions and enjoyed the lavish lifestyle the other provided (Carmella/Ohio State). Sadly, this is the case amongst a lot of schools in the NCAA (Alabama, Auburn, USC etc) and creates an unequal playing field where it is difficult for legitimate schools like Notre Dame to succeed.

Big Move of May 29th

 

Aaron hill hitting his first home run of the season followed by E5 (Edwin Encarnacion) belting his first of the campaign as well. Last season Hill hit 26 home runs while E5 hit 21, therefore not having one home run between their 281 at bats going into Sunday's game had been a huge disappointment thus far. Even more so for E5 because he is only on the roster because of his bat (8 errors in limited action in the field). Luckily, batting practice pitcher Jon Danks was on the hill and served up two meatballs to shake the monkey off Hill and Encarnacion's backs. A big assist also goes to Ricky Ro for giving Encarnacion his bat, which produced his first home run of the season. Sadly, E5 broke it later in the game, which also laid to rest the rumour that it was the reincarnation of Wonderbat. If Hill and Encarnacion can use yesterday's game to propel them back to the power numbers they produced last year the Jays could make a serious run in the American League. Being one game over 500 so far with little production from these two is quite impressive and with the return of Adam Lind in the coming weeks the Jays have potential to be one of the most powerful hitting teams in the American League. If even one of these players can turn their bat around and gain respect from opposing pitchers Bautista will be sure to see more pitches as opposed to the free passes he has seen quite frequently this season.

 

Co BMOD also goes to Jon Danks for chirping Bautista after Bautista missed one of his meatballs to weakly pop out. Bautista slammed his bat and yelled at himself for missing such a great opportunity to make the game 10-2 and Danks did not take too kindly to the gesture. Danks told Bautista to run the bases and not act like such a clown. In response it appears Bautista told Danks to shut his mouth and asked if he would like the batting practice cage placed in front of the mound or if he wanted a calculator to see how much that out lowered his ERA on the season. Some people might agree with Danks and say that Bautista should not be pulling such antics in a 9-2 game but I quite frankly love it. After watching 12 seasons of Vernon Wells' 'woes me, nonchelant' mannerisms I think it's great to see a player with burning desire to hit a home run every time he's at the plate and not settle for mediocrity or a 'I'll get him next time' attitude. This is Bautista's team and his energy rubs off on the rest of the Jays. If he's not happy when he misses a pitch in a 9-2 game then there's going to be some accountability when guys leave runners on in their at bats or ground out weakly to end games like Aaron Hill did last Sunday after a free walk was issued to Bautista.

 

Finally, the all star game is coming up and I encourage everyone to do their civil duty and vote. The Jays don't get a lot of support outside of Toronto (sometimes even little in this city). Let's make sure Bautista starts this game and I would also like to suggest a vote for JP Arencibia who is 2nd in home runs and slugging percentage and 4th in RBI's amongst all AL catchers despite playing only 36 games (8 games less than the average amount amongst starters). All this while being a rookie. He has also played extremely well in the field throwing out the 6th most base runners amongst catchers in the AL.  Attached is the link to the website where you can vote.  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2011/ballot.jsp 

Big Move of May 28th

A Yogi hitting his first ever pure 5 iron from 100 yards out, which carried a little farther than he thought into this beautiful Mercedes parked behind the 18th green at Flamborough Hills golf course. I actually don't know who hit this ball and cannot confirm if it was a 5 iron or if the said person in question has been confirmed as a yogi but whoever it was sure missed the mark. I can sympathize though because I too have taken a little too much club on this par 5 and launched one into the parking lot, thankfully not taking out any vehicles. The funny thing about this predicament is that it occurred at Flamborough Hills, which is a public course (quite a decent one I might add) and rarely sees cars of this calibre. This Mercedes was by far the nicest car in the parking lot and parked next to an 89 Dodge Shadow, some piece of crap cavalier and my (by my I mean my parents) modest 2009 Camry.  I'm no car expert but I'm guessing anything to do with Mercedes isn't cheap and you can't get this repaired at any Apple Autoglass like you could with the aforementioned vehicles parked next to this one. If you look close enough you can actually see the golf ball sitting on the rear dash. I do have to give the person credit though because they did acknowledge their fault from what I understand and did not run off or jump in the lake next to the green. For that I give them a little bit of respect but I'm still questioning the birdie they marked down on their scorecard.

Editor's note: Fore those not familiar with the term Yogi read further and you'll understand. Perhaps you are one?

Yogi- A golfer with substandard golf etiquette and poor playing abilities. The following are typical Yogi traits.

- Does not tuck their golf shirt in
- Has a ball retriever and spends a considerable amount of time trying to fish balls out of the water hazards or woods while holding up groups behind them
- Wears cargo pants with knee high socks
- Marks their golf ball on the green with a tee
- Considers a gimme any ball that comes to rest within 7 feet of the hole
- Puts a carry bag on a pull cart (most likely their own pull cart from home, which they bought from K Mart)
- Uses multi colour balls
- Will try to finish their round in the pitch black dark of the night and claim they pured their last shot and drop a ball by the hole or green because that's where it likely ended up
- Don't wear collared shirts
- Plays from the championship tee blocks because they want to get a true test of golf (despite their 40+ handicap and inability to hit a ball more than 100 yards in the air)
- Will wait for the group ahead to get at least 300 yards in front of them before they will hit their tee shot despite the fact a career drive is in the 220 yard range. They will also wait for the group ahead to get off the green on par 5's so they can 'go for it', even though their well struck drive on that hole travelled much shorter than the distance they are away from the green.
- Putt with the flag stick in
- Take practice swings in the bunker (displacing sand) and then ground the club behind their ball in the bunker
- Line up putts for quadruple bogeys like they were a putt to win the Masters
- Knock out a pyramid of balls on the range in 15 minutes (a pyramid has 204 balls)
- Wear metal spikes
- Consider a 5 hour round a good pace
- Walk across other golfer's lines on the green
- Have a bag full of range balls for 'water holes'
- Sole purpose on the driving range is to hit the range cart picking up golf balls
- Leaves their cigarettes on the putting green
- Roles their pull cart across the putting green

Big Move will return this weekend

Sorry for being tardy with the posts. I've been away a lot lately with no internet access and pretty busy with work. Should be back to 100 percent by this weekend. Don't worry though, big moves don't take breaks, I'm sure there will be a few more until I'm back.

Big Move of May 19th

Word leaking that the Atlanta Thrashers are all but sold to True North sports and the team headed to Winnipeg. It looks like the Peg is finally getting its wish to get their beloved Jets back, although I've actually heard the team might not be able to use that name. I'm happy to see another team head North of the border and think it's great to see the NHL and Gary Bettman finally admit failure in a U.S. market. However, I can't help but question why the NHL is going back to Winnipeg instead of a more profitable market such as the Greater Toronto Area. The population of the GTA is over 5.5 million compared to 1.2 million in the entire province of Manitoba. Average annual income per capita is also significantly higher. This market is completely under served and could support two more teams at the very least, which would generate way more revenue for the league than a team in Winnipeg ever will. If I were Jim Balsillie I'd be making a big offer to Atlanta Spirit (owner of the Thrashers) that trumps that of True North sports. The Thrashers are clearly being sold and allowed to relocate, if an offer significantly larger than True North sports was made then there would be some pressure by Atlanta Spirit to have the NHL accept such a deal. I guess we've been down this road before but in previous situations Balsillie tried to purchase teams the NHL had not given up on. Anyways, this isn't going to happen but I think it's worth a shot and might hold more weight this time around.

Big Move of May 18th

Ben being a little too eager to play Wednesday night, which led to four minor penalties and two Vancouver goals. If you didn't pick up on it already, Ron Maclean is the guest writer for BMOD today. I don't know who should be blamed more for Eager's negative impact on the game for the San Jose Sharks, himself or his coach Todd Mclleland? It's pretty bad when a fourth liner costs your team a game in the regular season let alone the playoffs. The one person who can completely mitigate such a player from changing the outcome of the game is the head coach so I'll put the blame on Mclleland for this loss. I just can't see why he would trot this guy out after his first penalty and he really doesn't have any place on the ice except to get in the odd meaningless fight with the opposing team's equally worthless player. So why have him out in the third period at all? His hit on Sedin was unbelievably dirty and changed the momentum in the game as the Canucks answered back with a power play goal and stormed to 4 more unanswered. I still can't believe Eager only got two minutes for that hit and was not suspended, which only further highlights the NHL's double standard between regular season games and playoff games. If that were game 45 of the regular season Eager would get at least four games for that hit but somehow got nothing. No matter, I can't see him playing much more if Mclelland has any brains. I'm sure Eager will lobby his coach to let him in game 3 though and point to his outstanding meaningless goal in the third. He'd be best served to highlight that statistic instead of the 34 penalty minutes he's compiled over his last 30 minutes of ice time in the last two series combined. By the way, how ridiculous was Eager's trash talking over Luongo after he cut the Canucks' lead to four goals with five minutes left in the third period?!?!? Even his teammates appeared to be disinterested by his antics with a look on their faces that said 'here we go again...where did we find this guy again?'. In a way it reminded me of the scene in Super Troopers where Thorny rolls his eyes when he has to go fish his idiot partner Farva out of a meaningless fight with a teenage cashier at a fast food restaurant.

Big Move of May 17th

Word leaks about Arnold Schwarzenegger's affair with a housekeeper from 2000, which led to the birth of his son John Conner. Arnold and Maria Shriver ended their 25 year marriage last week but no one really knew why and it came as quite a shock considering how good a couple they appeared to be. Well, turns out Arnold couldn't quite keep his ego from the 'pumping iron' days in check and went back to his womanizing ways. If he even ever let go of that of course. But really, is all of this that surprising? To be honest it probably legitimizes his term as governor since marital affairs typically go hand in hand with the job. Being Arnold just made it a given. This has also set his next movie up quite nicely and will be sure to rake in a ton of money. Word is it will be a sequel to True Lies.

Big Move of May 16th

Vin Mazzaro giving up 14 earned runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Cleveland Indians Monday night. This was the worst performance by a pitcher since Rick Vaughan was taken out of the first inning in major league two, which prompted this classic line from his doorman "Mr. Vaughan, didn't you pitch tonight? Oh, I only turned the game on in the second inning.'' In all seriousness though, this was the worst performance by a relief pitcher since world war II and further highlights the reason why kids don't grow up with dreams of becoming the long reliever on a major league team. This position is generally reserved for minor league players with no potential that can come in and hopefully eat up some innings and stop the bleeding in a lost cause game. The only reason they're in the majors is for this reason and because anyone with potential or talent is a starter or a late inning specialist such as the closer or set up man. If you're on the cusp of cracking one of those positions or seen as a prospect you'll be in the minors working on mechanics or gaining experience to enter the major leagues at some point. The long reliever on the other hand doesn't fit any of these labels and has just enough velocity and accuracy to pitch three innings from time to time and hopefully hold the opposing team to 4 or 5 runs during their outing. Essentially the long reliever is cannon fodder in order to save the better relievers on the team for more meaningful games. This doesn't sound like a fun job and often managers have no compassion for such relievers (Ned Yost last night) but in exchange for this the long reliever does get to earn a major league salary. Therefore, it's not all that bad and lots of meddling minor leaguers would kill for this opportunity. Mazzaro had been doing a decent job of this before last night but after this performance the Royals might have to look towards a more proven long reliever such as Brian Tallet. You might be asking why the Royals would bother making a move since it's a meaningless position but managers can't turn the game into a complete mockery and have any Joe Blow tossing 10 run innings. The main reason being that in blowouts most teams just want to get out of the ballpark early and not be there any longer than they have to be. It's kind of like when you walk into a multiple choice exam and realize you didn't study enough. You know you're going to get a terrible mark so instead of grinding it out you'll likely pencil in 'C' for every question and leave early to prepare for other exams you might have a chance of doing well in. The odd time 'C' might just be the correct answer though and you can laugh about pulling a horseshoe out of your ass much similar to the way a manager smirks when the long reliever gets a victory during a wild comeback.

Big Move of May 15th

Joey Bats going deep three times against the Minnesota Twins. Was it even a question what the BMOD would be today? Three home runs in one game is an incredible feat and when you're the top mover on the blog you're going to get face time for sacrifice flies let alone belting three taters. Bautista is on pace for another huge season proving he is not a one year wonder and Alex Anthopolous is a genious for signing him to a long term deal with manageable dollar figures. I would argue that Bautista is the best hitter in baseball right now and as feared a player as Barry Bonds was in his prime. Teams tried to pitch around Bonds with no success and the same is being done with Bautista who leads the league in walks. Despite this Bautista is still averaging a home run every 8.7 at bats and on pace for 65. Everyone seems to be waiting for him to finally come back to the player he was before last season but I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. My only worry is what will happen to him after he enters the home run derby at the all star game this season. That event sure has cursed a few players in the past.

Big move of May 14th

Jorge Posada refusing to play when informed he would bat 9th in the Yankees' lineup. Pretty big move to tell your boss you're not going to work because you don't like the assignment he's given you for the day. In any other job you'd probably be given a box to collect your personal belongings after pulling a stunt like this. However, this is baseball and the union is pretty strong and would have Jorge's back on this one. Actually, speaking of backs he claims he tweaked his latissimus dorsi and that's why he wouldn't play.  Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman refuted that report though so I'm calling bullshit on that excuse too. Generally, managers and GM's will stick up for you if it's a case of an injury keeping you out of the lineup no matter how sketchy it might be (the Yankees are pretty used to this from the David Wells years and his propensity to have headaches and nausea on mornings before his starts). But in this case no one was taking Posada's side. What this all boils down to is a guy with a big ego too proud to bat ninth. He probably pointed out his career numbers with the Yankees and what he's done for the organization, blah blah blah. Of course a 39 year old batting 165 should bat higher based on his past. Who cares about winning today? This move has tainted a respectable career and shown that Posada is a typical spoiled baseball player. Instead of crying about batting ninth he should be on his knees thanking the Yankees for giving him a token 13 million dollar contract for this season. It's disgusting what he makes and unbelievable that it's more than baseball's best player Jose Bautista! For that kind of money I think you could get millions of people doing a lot worse things than strike out four times a game. Hell, I've heard of a guy jumping into the Thames River outside The University of Western Ontario's campus in January for less than 20 bucks (I think, it might have even just been for pride). So to end this rant, go pound sand Posada! You're a joke and will always be remembered that way.

Big Move of Friday the 13th

Rickey Romero doing his best Jason Voohrees impersonation by carving up Twins players all night long. Romero took notice of his two spot drop on the top 25 movers list this past week and made amends for it by pitching an 8 and 2/3 inning gem Friday night. Romero struck out eight Twins' batters and was virtually unhittable all night. This is the kind of performance that fans should expect out of Romero, who is arguably the best left handed starter in the AL East and a top ten pitcher in all of baseball. Even more fitting was that Romero pitched this masterpiece on the day legendary Jays' pitching coach Mel Queen passed away. Queen was in the Jays' organization from 1986 to 2000 and was a big part of Toronto's glory years in the early 90's. He became the team's pitching coach in 1996 and turned Pat Hentgen into a Cy Young winner that same year. He also oversaw Roger Clemens back to back Cy Young years for the Jays and Roy Halladay credits him for turning his career around and launching him into the pitcher he is today. I trust the Jays will find some way to honour him at the Skydome in the near future because he sure deserves it.

Big Move of May 12th

Kyle Lohse impersonating his manager Tony La Rusa. With the real Tony La Rusa out with a bad case of shingles Kyle Lohse donned a La Rusa jersey and his trademark sunglasses to present the Cardinals' lineup card before their 9-1 win over the Cubs on Thursday.  Lohse who is a career 92-100 pitcher with a 4.70 ERA has started the season off on fire with a 4-2 record and a 2.40 ERA. Given this he's probably feeling a little bit bullet proof of late which likely prompted him to pull this stunt. Whatever the reason though it sure made for a good laugh. From behind he looked exactly like La Rusa and it was one of the best impersonations I've seen by a player since Larry Johnson's mockery of Herm Edwards (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imFAR8ypw2c).

Big Move of May 10th

The Detroit Red Wings forcing game 7 after being down 3-0. This will be the eighth time in league history that a team down 0-3 has forced a game 7 with only three being able to win the series (Toronto, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers). The Red Wings will look to pull off the improbable comeback Thursday night and look poised to do so in my opinion. The Red Wings absolutely dominated game six and if it weren't for Antii Niemi the score wouldn't have been close. Every Wings' player has bought into this comeback with the biggest surprise being Todd Bertuzzi who is playing like he did in the pre-Moore years. On the other side, San Jose is a team full of regular season all stars who check out come playoff time (Thornton, Marleau, Heatley). Look for the Red Wings to blow out San Jose in game seven and then head up the coast for what should be the stanley cup final series against the Canucks.

In other news, the Coyotes are staying in the desert for one more year. At least it seems that way. The City of Glendale approved to cover another projected 25 million dollars in losses for the club next season. The hope is that this will buy some time for some idiot to purchase this franchise. As one resident said at the town hall meeting last night ''Ice is for drinks in Phoenix, not hockey''. I couldn't agree more. For the record, I'm also against a team going back to Winnipeg when the Southern Ontario market is ridiculously underserved for professional hockey. There should be two more teams in the GTA area just like there are three in the New York area, which by the way only has one team that consistently sells out (Rangers). I'll save this rant for another day though.

Big Move of May 9th

The Vancouver Canucks advance to their first conference final since 1994. I'm actually surprised it's been seventeen years since the Canucks made a run this deep in the playoffs but I suppose it makes sense considering they had goalies like Dan Cloutier and Corey Hirsch in the pre-Luongo years. Besides making it to the conference finals the win was also huge because it will give the Canucks at least five days to rest after playing every other day since the beginning of the first round. Maybe during that break someone will be able to find the Sedins who have been spotted as much as Pokeroo in these playoffs! If Henrik and Daniel don't pick up their game in the next round the Canucks will not make the finals even with Kesler playing the way he has of late. Speaking of which, how ridiculous is the mancrush Scott Oake and Glenn Healy have on Ryan Kesler?!?!!?  They might have to start putting a parental discretion across the screen before they interview him from now on! By the way, is it just me or does anyonelse seem to think Kesler comes off as a bit of a knob? I haven't really been a fan of him since seeing him talk down about Luongo during the Olympics last year and he just comes off as a moody guy in his interviews.

Big Move of May 8th

The Dallas Mavericks ending the Lakers' dynasty and sending Phil Jackson into retirement. The Mavs' sweep of the Lakers was quite shocking and the first time it has happened in Jackson's entire career. Kobe and company showed little effort in this series and sadly sent Phil out on quite a low. No matter though, he'll go down as the greatest coach in NBA history and has championship rings for every finger and two toes (won one as a player). Should we believe that Phil Jackson is actually done this time and won't pull a Brett Favre? Who knows? I don't follow basketball enough to know but there are already rumours he might go to the Knicks.

Big Move of May 7th

Ragan Smith wins his first Sprint Cup title after never previously earning a top 5 finish in his career. I thought I'd throw some NASCAR onto BMOD because it is the most popular sport in the United States and pretty damn exciting. I never thought much of this sport before attending the Daytona 500 this year but having seen a race live I must say there's a lot more to it than you think. It's also nice being able to take food and a 12 pack of beer into a sporting event instead of paying 22.50 for the hot dog and beer combo at the Rogers Centre or ACC.

In other news, a no-hitter was pitched against the Jays by Justin Verlander. Oh, and the top 25 movers has been updated as it will every Sunday.

Big Move of May 6th

Gregg Zaun calling his first game as a colour commentator for the fan 590. Zaun has been working alongside Jamie Campbell as an analyst in between innings for sportsnet during the mlb playoffs over the last few years. During that time Zaun showed some talent and an awesome slicked backed hair style that is quite suitable for the gig, which prompted sportsnet to utilize him as a regular analyst during Jay’s games this season. On Friday sportsnet took things further and put Zaun in the booth next to legendary Jerry Howarth (best in baseball in my opinion) to be a colour commentator for their radio station, the fan 590. Zaun said it was a proud day for him and he later celebrated it with the rest of the Zaunby nation who were instrumental in getting him to this point.


Who is the Zaunby nation you might ask? It's the small but loyal group of fans who clung on to this borderline major leaguer during his time in Toronto. This group of fans are quite powerful despite their small numbers and love athletes who have little skill but hustle or appear to have a non stop motor because the game is obviously too fast for them and beyond their skill level. Previous Toronto athletes propelled to stardom by the Zaunby nation include Tie Domi and the Junkyard dog Jerome Williams. At the moment this group of fans are rallying behind John McDonald and have made him the most popular Toronto Blue Jay ahead of Jose Bautista and even Ricky Romero. Above all, this group of fans love honest, every day men who they can relate to but in Zaun's case the Zaunby nation has sadly clung on to a fraud and propelled him to undeserved heights.


Why do I make this claim you ask? Well what do you think of Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens? Rafael Palmeiro? Alex Rodriguez? Miguel Tejada? Jose Canseco? Mark McGwire? Sammy Sosa? When their names are mentioned fans generally cringe and call them a name generally preceded by an expletive. The main reason for this is because they appear to have cheated the game by getting heavy into the muscle yayo (steroids) during baseball's dark juice ball years. They were all listed in the Mitchell report, which named major leaguers who used performance enhancing drugs in the two decades leading up to 2007 (when the report was made). So far there hasn't been one player to exonerate themselves after being named in the Mitchell report.  Gregg Zaun just so happens to be another name that appeared on this list.


Players such as Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens would have been stars no matter what and only increased their numbers further from the use of steroids. However, in Zaun's case he needed to take steroids just to crack the big leagues. After batting 188 in 1998 with Florida Zaun went to the Texas Rangers in 1999 where he would post a paltry 244 average in only 43 games. From there he would go to the Royals and hook up with Kirk Radomski who allegedly sold him steroids (this means it happened if you're listed in the Mitchell report). This helped revive Zaun's career and his average would climb to 274 and 320 in 2000 and 2001. Following his stint with the Royals he would go to Houston and Colorado before hooking up with the Jays for five seasons where he would enjoy great success and become a fan favourite. However, if not for Radomski you really have to wonder if Toronto would ever become acquainted with the name Gregg Zaun?


When questioned by the National Post in 2007 Zaun said "if you want to investigate what is going on in the game of baseball right now, fine, but what happened years ago, who cares?" He'd also add 'I have never violated mlb's drug policy or failed any drug tests', which is true but drug tests weren't implemented until 2003. Finally, Zaun would say "For me to be able to recall things that happened six or seven years ago is asking a lot. You're talking about one cheque among thousands that I've written over the last seven years. And I'm supposed to recall why or when, to whom and where. That was nearly impossible for me to figure out." These aren't exactly compelling answers that prove Zaun is innocent and the Mitchell report has been extremely accurate in labelling steroid users in baseball. Where I come from if it smells and walks like a duck then it probably is a duck.


Zaun was a fringe player who needed to take steroids in order to stay in the big leagues. He stuck around long enough to gain enough credibility to be used as an analyst and colour commentator after he retired. I'll admit he's not bad at this job but quite frankly he doesn't deserve it. By taking steroids he took away jobs from honest, hard working minor league players who played the game clean and didn't cheat. I have a serious problem with this and can't understand why so many people, including Rogers Sportsnet have turned a blind eye. He became a fan favourite here because he seemed like a legitimate hard working, honest ball player but the complete opposite appears to be true. In the end he's just minor leaguer who used steroids to propel himself to the next level. Remember this and make sure you chirp him when you walk by his booth in left field at Jays games this summer.

Big Move of May 5th

The Capitals get swept by Tampa Bay and are now listed amongst teams like the San Jose Sharks, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Chargers as perennial playoff chokers. This one still shocks me and cost me $75. I just didn't see the Capitals dropping the series to a Tampa Bay team that needed 7 games to beat a mediocre and depleted Pittsburgh team. The Capitals were well rested and seemed like they finally bought into the kind of defensive hockey needed to go deep in the playoffs. In the end this was a complete mirage and the Caps showed as much effort and determination to win as Jay Cutler did in the NFC championship this past winter.

Big Move of May 3rd

Francisco Liriano's ridiculous no-hitter... and by that I don't mean spectacular. Liriano came into the game with an ERA above 9.00 and didn't exactly have stellar stuff last night either. In fact, he walked 6 batters and only struck out 2. Even worse, of his 123 pitches only 53.7% were for strikes. Those aren't exactly numbers you'd associate with a no-hitter. There have been 248 no-hitters in baseball history so it is quite an achievement to pitch one but I think we'd all agree a lot of them have not been to spectacular and had more to do with luck than skill. The only worse no-hitter I've seen pitched was by AJ Burnett in 2001 against the Padres. In that game Burnett tossed 129 pitches (65 for strikes), walked 9 and only struck out 7. When I see no-hitters like these I can only think back to August of last year when Brandon Morrow came within one out of what might have gone down as the greatest no hitter in history. On that August day he absolutely dominated a strong Tampa Bay Rays lineup with 17 strikeouts and was one out away from the no hitter when a fluke infield single ended his chance to go in the record books. It's so sad that a performance like Morrow's only went into the books as a CGSO whereas Liriano and Burnett go down in history.

Big Move of May 2nd

Bill Parcells signed by the Liberal party to oversee the rebuild of this once great franchise. After struggling to get by with lameduck leaders the last two elections who resembled the NFL equivalent of Eric Mangini and Rod Marinelli the Liberal party had to make a bold move. Bill Parcells brings instant credibility to the party and has had great success with quickly turning around historic NFL franchises such as the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and most recently the Miami Dolphins. At his press conference on Monday Parcells said that the rebuild should take four years and that he is quite confident his new organization will compete for the top prize in 2015. His goal is to find some young talent that can relate with the younger crowd that just aren't filling the stadium like they used to. He even went as far as to say that he'd try to make a play for outspoken Chad Johnson personalities, which the party has typically not endorsed. 'I think this team's old approach has grown old and after hitting rock bottom like we did on Monday night you have to look at any ways to improve things' Parcells said. When asked if he was concerned about the NDP's recent success and if it posed a threat going forward Parcells said 'No, not at all. Politics is no different than the NFL and you occasionally get a small market team that has one big year but really has no staying power. Take the Cleveland Browns in 2007 for example. They exploited a schedule filled with rebuilding teams and then everyone got delusions of them being a contender for years to come. I even think they networks gave them 5 nationally televised games, which was more than anyonelse. In the end though the Browns went out and spent way too much in the offseason and then completely tanked in 2008. You just can't take teams like that seriously over the long haul and didn't they even go bankrupt back in 95? I'd say the NDP will pretty much go the same way.' When later asked about his opinions on the conservatives Parcells said 'The conservatives have staying power like the Pittsburgh Steelers and will always be tough to beat. They don't do anything spectacular or have any flashy players but they know how to pull out tight games and wear you down. My job is to come up with a counter attack and throw a few deep balls by them like the Packers did this past superbowl.' Finally, Parcells concluded his opening press conference with the Liberals by suggesting that contraction might be a good idea down the road and although it hasn't happened in the NFL there is no reason why the approach shouldn't be taken in Canadian politics. He said 'the Bloc Quebecois and Green Party are obvious targets just like the Panthers and Jaguars are in football. They have a cute local following but just don't relate to people on the national stage. Eventually you just have to stop giving them airtime.'

Big Move of May 1st

Navy Seals take down Osama Bin Laden. Again, I don't like going away from the sports moves but this one was absolutely huge. I don't have to comment on it at all, we all know the story leading up to this significant day. I can't imagine what it would be like to be the guy to have Osama in his sights and take him down. I could definitely see him moving into the top 25 movers and perhaps the biggest jump when the new rankings come out this week. It should also be noted that Osama tried using one of his four wives as a human shield, which makes complete sense. Once a coward always a coward. Huge move for the Obama administration too and you really have to wonder how George Bush is feeling today having not been able to accomplish this move during his seven years in office after the 9/11 attacks. Should be a nice feather in Obama's cap come election time next year, which is great because I'd hate to see the Republican's back in power. I heard they don't even play baseball because running the bases require left turns.

In other BMOD news, sorry to have been slacking the past few days. I've been up in Thunder Bay with limited internet access. There should be daily posts for the rest of the week and a decent sized article towards the end I hope, which is the typical format I want to follow (fairly short daily posts and one rant each week).

Big Move of April 29th

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Da'Quan Bowers 51st overall (2nd round) in the NFL draft. This might not seem like a big move and I bet a lot of people are wondering why I would give someone taken 51st overall big move status. I can assure you though that this is a huge move for the Bucs and the fact he dropped out of the top 50 in the draft is still a shocker. I'll give you a little background on Bowers and you'll see why this is an absolute steal for the Bucs.

Bowers was the top high school prospect in 2008 according to ESPN and given the label as the best high school prospect in the five year period between 2005-2009 by Rivals.com (this is the number one source for high school football players). Before he even entered college he was already labelled as the next Reggie White or Bruce Smith. There have been lots of players to be hyped up like this in the past such (Marcus Dupree comes to mind, see ESPN 30 for 30 documentary 'the best running back that never was', just incredible) but Bowers stepped up to these labels right from the get go when he enrolled at Clemson. In his first season Bowers started six games for Clemson, which is pretty impressive for a freshman at this position and only 18 years of age. He accumulated 37 tackles and one sack in that season. The following year in 2009 he continued to improve by making 58 tackles and 3 sacks despite missing several games due to injury and had an incredible performance in the ACC championship game with 11 tackles. 11 tackles is a dominant performance from any position but coming from a defensive end is just ridiculous since they generally only rush the quarterback or control the edge of the line allowing linebackers to make the majority of tackles. Bowers work in 2009 was enough to garner first round attention in that year's draft but he was ineligible having only played two years in college. No matter, he would have his best season in 2010 by absolutely dominating on the line for the Tigers, starting all games, recording 74 tackles (26 for loss) and recording 15.5 sacks. Bowers' incredible performance in 2010 would earn him unanimous first team all American status from the NCAA, All ACC defensive player of the year and the Brian Nagurski trophy, which is an award that has been given out since 1993 to the best defensive player in college football. Past winners include Warren Sapp, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Brian Orakpo and Ndamakung Suh just to name a few. Speaking of Ndamakung Suh, in his final season he recorded 84 tackles, 12 sacks and 23 for loss, which are numbers comparable to Bowers. Suh is a defensive tackle though so maybe this is an unfair comparison but you get the point. Bowers is a unique talent.

With nothing more to prove at Clemson Bowers opted to enter the NFL draft as a 21 year old junior. He was widely considered to be a top 5 pick and many experts and NFL executives had him slotted as the number one overall selection ahead of star Stanford qb Andrew Luck (Luck later decided to remain in school for his senior season).  However, Bowers required surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee after the college season and questions about the long term health of his knee began to surface. The most concerning rumour was that he had a degenerative condition in his right knee, which would likely lead to a very short NFL career. Bowers denied these claims and so did several medical examiners but his stock would start to plummet and the once top 5 draft pick was only projected to be selected in the mid first round.

This past Thursday at the NFL draft Bowers went unselected in the first ten picks and analysts continued to speculate on who would be willing to take a chance on him. The first 20 picks then went by without Bowers’ name being called, which only ramped up the amount of times his name would be dropped on the air by the likes of Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden. With teams such as the Colts, Eagles, Saints and Steelers in need of a pass rusher left to pick it seemed Bowers was a lock to get selected and would be a steal by any team to jump on him. Unbelievably, this did not happen and Bowers slid into the second round where he surely would be taken in the first few slots. Buffalo possessed the second pick on day two and seemed like an obvious candidate to take Bowers and pair him with third overall pick DT Marcell Dareus.  There is a reason why the Bills have not made the playoffs in ten years though and they reminded us of that on Friday by bypassing Bowers for cornerback Aaron Williams of Texas. However, the Bills wouldn’t be the only team left looking stupid by skipping Bowers and he would eventually slide all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the19^th pick of the second round (51^st overall).

As I've already harped on, this is an absolute steal for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Bowers were taken beyond the 15th pick I would have called it a steal. I fully understand that it's a risk to draft a player with questionable knees, especially with the word 'degenerative' mentioned. But you have to take a shot on a talent like Bowers because dominant defensive ends are rare to find and can completely change a game or team. I have not heard of any team or doctor to definitively identify Bowers' knee as a degenerative problem but I do concede there might be more of an issue than Bowers is revealing given his huge slide in the draft. However, medical treatments continue to advance and injuries have become easier to manage. After all, wasn't Drew Brees finished after his major shoulder surgery at the end of the 2005 season? Or how about Willis McGahee who had one of the most gruesome injuries I've ever seen in college? Almost everyone said he wouldn't have a long NFL career. Bowers is only 21 and if the Bucs manage his injury properly (possibly even sitting him out one season) I think he has the potential to become a greater player than Gerald McCoy (last year's 3rd overall pick) or Adrian Clayborn who the Bucs took in this year's first round. Now that is a scary thought! If you're a Bucs fan you've got a lot to be happy about today as they are the clear winner of the 2011 draft thus far.

Big Mock of The Day

I was out last night watching the hockey games when it was suggested to me that a mock draft would be a decent idea for the BMOD blog. At first I thought that was way too much effort but given the fact I have nothing but time on my hands for the next few weeks I have decided to give it a shot. The best thing about mock drafts is you’re going to be way off with your picks but look like an expert if a few of your picks beyond the fifth selection come true.  Therefore it’s win-win in my opinion. So here it is, the first ever Big Mock of the Day, enjoy.

1)      Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton- QB- Auburn

After Cam’s father attempts to sell him off to the highest bidder in the NFL fails (he doesn’t understand the draft concept) Carolina selects the Aubrun Tiger. I’m not a big fan of this selection but I can understand why the Panthers are likely to make this move. Carolina has never had a franchise quarterback (don’t tell me Delhome was) and hit rock bottom last year on offense with just 17 touchdowns. The fans are starting to turn on the franchise and they need a flashy player to help get some butts back in the seats. Hence, why Carolina will draft Newton whose major goal is to become an ‘entertainer and icon’. I don’t know if that translates into wins and touchdowns but it should make for a few interesting seasons. Newton undoubtedly has the most potential of any quarterback in this year’s draft and is a freakish athlete with great speed and a strong arm behind his 6’6 250 lb frame. He was a beast with Auburn last season winning both the Heisman and National Championship (two awards to be stripped from him by 2013). However, he played mostly from the shotgun in a spread offense and only has one season as a starting quarterback under his belt. The real question is if he can play at the NFL level given his lack of experience under centre. Add to this questions about his desire to work hard and study the game once het gets a large signing bonus and you can see why this is a risky pick. I don’t think Newton will go the way of Jamarcus Russell but I would say it’s 50/50 whether he goes the way of Vince Young or Steve McNair (as a football player, I really do like the comparison on the field, they both have similar attributes). If I were Carolina I would be more inclined to pick AJ Green in order to add another weapon on an already talented offense (on paper). This way you can see what Jimmy Claussen can do in year two. I would follow it up by taking a shot on a quarterback in the third round or trade up to the second (Carolina doesn't have a 2nd round pick) which is a theme I like in this year’s draft.

2)      Denver Broncos Select Marcel Darreus – DT- Auburn

Denver had the 31^st ranked run defense and has been terrible in this part of the game for years so it’s no surprise they’ll take Darreus in this spot. Many a fantasy owner have lost their S*#! On this team over the years when their opponent had Ladanian Tomlinson (or any rb for that matter) going up against the Broncos. You basically had to concede over 100 yards and 2 TD’s each week to whoever was running against the Broncos, even if his name was Wally Lundy! Darreus is no Ndamakung Suh but he should be able to instantly move the Broncos up ten spots in the run category with his addition. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Patrick Peterson go this high to form a lockdown on the passing game opposite Champ Bailey. Peterson might be the best player in this draft from what I’ve read. Darrelle Revis like.

3)      Buffalo Bills select Von Miller – LB- Texas A&M

The Bills finally get a pick right and resist the urge to take Blaine Gabbert opting to go for a quarterback in round 2 instead. Von Miller is a beast and absolutely dominated in college. He is a mobile outside linebacker with Clay Matthews type attributes. In his final season at Texas A&M he racked up 10.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses. He will instantly transform the Bills porous run defense and also add a potent pass rush from the outside. If Shawn Merriman can rehab from injury the Bills could have an outstanding linebacking corps next year and strike fear into Tom Brady for once. This is the right pick and not too high to take a linebacker for the Bills. There are plenty of quarterbacks available in this year’s draft and someone outside of Gabbert and Newton will emerge as a franchise player in the later first or second round. Perhaps that franchise player could be Jake Locker who was touted as a top ten prospect last year before deciding to stay in college. I sure would be more comfortable drafting into this qb crap shoot in the later rounds rather than the first. Plus Rory Fitzpatrick (I know it’s Ryan) is a great bridge to a new quarterback in 2012 so there’s no rush for the guy to play right away and can learn the position. I am also big on Ryan Mallet despite his alleged yayo addiction and think he’d be a great fit in Buffalo where there is nothing to do or feed that urge… wait, maybe that would only make it worse. Oh well, take a shot on him if he’s there in round 2.

4)      Cincinnati Bengals select AJ Green – WR – Georgia

The Bengals call Carson Palmer’s bluff to retire if he is not traded and try to appease him by selecting AJ Green who has been compared to Calvin Johnson (Megatron). AJ Green has the talent to be a first overall choice and is thought of as a can’t miss prospect. Chad Johnson (or is it Ochocinco this year?) is only getting older and has seen his skills decline in recent years so this just adds to Cincy’s reasons for selecting Green. Even if the Bengals do cave and trade Palmer or plan for life after him I still wouldn’t take Gabbert or another quarterback in this position. Green is the right pick here and that new signal caller will need someone to throw to for years to come. Green fills that role and like I’ve been harping on all throughout this column, there are solid quarterbacks to be selected in the later rounds. This is a great year to draft a quarterback, there just isn’t that sure-fire number one like Matt Stafford or Sam Bradford of year’s past. Teams will just have to do more homework and get a nice treat selecting their franchise leader after round one. Someone will look like a genius in a year or two.

5)      Arizona Cardinals Select Patrick Peterson – CB – LSU

The Cardinals desperately need a quarterback and it would be tempting to select Blaine Gabbert here but I think they’re going to trade for a proven quarterback rather than develop one. The reason being is that this division is winnable right now and Larry Fitzgerald needs an immediate reason to stay in Arizona (he becomes a free agent at season’s end). I expect the Cardinals to take a run at Kevin Kolb or perhaps Donovan McNabb once teams can trade again. Patrick Peterson is a great pick and perhaps the best athlete in the draft. Peterson and Dominique Rodger-Cromartie will form a great shutdown tandem for years to come.

6)      Cleveland Browns select Julio Jones- WR – Alabama

The Browns get exactly who they had their eyes on after AJ Green came off the board. Julio Jones could become the best WR in this draft class and has great speed and size at 6’3 220 lbs. He was a three year starter in college and helped the Crimson Tide win the national championship in 2010.  The Browns need a playmaker on offense  for Colt McCoy to throw to. In my opinion this is a no brainer.

7)      San Francisco 49ers select Nick Fairley – DT- Auburn

Once again we have a team that appears to be in need of a quarterback but I think Jim Harbough wants to take a chance with what he has in Alex Smith, at least for one season. Because of this I think the 49ers will build upon an up and coming defense and select Nick Fairley who can play with the best of them when he’s motivated (just watch a tape of the national championship).

8)      Tennessee Titans select Blaine Gabbert – QB – Missouri

The Titans cut bait with Vince Young and now need to develop a quarterback. Gabbert is the second best prospect in the draft and good value at the number eight position. He’ll need time to learn a pro style offense (played mostly shotgun in a spread at Missouri) but should be able to given his strong football intelligence. He has a big arm to make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback and will have a lot of motivation after seeing Cam Newton taken first overall.  

9)      Dallas Cowboys select Tyron Smith – OT – USC

The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of an offensive tackle and Tyron smith has the most upside of any in the draft. I could see the Cowboys also selecting Anthony Castonzo from Boston College due to his four year experience at the position compared to Smith’s two years but again, Smith has the most upside and is more athletic. If the Cowboys are feeling real gutsy they could reach for Mark Ingram here and finally obtain a number one running back, which they have not had since Emmitt Smith left. That would be a bit of a stretch at this spot though, perhaps they’ll trade down.

10)  Washington Redskins select Da’Quan Bowers – DE – Clemson

The Redskins are never shy about making a gutsy decision and Bowers sure is that. He also could be the best DE taken in this year’s draft. If it weren’t for a suspect knee (rumour is he might require micro fracture surgery) he would be a top 5 selection and perhaps number one overall (Bowers recorded 15.5 sacks last season as a junior). Half the teams in the league are staying away from him due to the uncertainty regarding his knee but Bowers says the knee is fine and Dr. James Andrews will attest to that. That’s all the Redskins need to hear and they’ll be happy to take Bowers at 10 in what could be the draft’s biggest steal.

11)  Houston Texans select Prince Amukamara – CB – Nebraska

Houston has been in the market for a shutdown corner for years and is sick of not having anyone to go up against Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning. Their wish finally comes true and they jump all over the Prince of… can’t think of anything to rhyme with Bel Air that would make sense.

12)  Minnesota Vikings select Andy Dalton – QB – TCU

It appears Brett Favre has finally retired and I don’t think the Vikings believe Tarvaris Jackson is the answer at QB long term so they will go off the board a bit here and take Andy Dalton. Dalton has shot up draft boards recently because teams love how polished he is after starting four years at TCU. During his time at TCU he was a highly accurate passer who didn’t screw around with the football. This is exactly what the Vikings need since the guy behind centre is mostly going to run a Canadian high school offense by handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson on any down with less than 30 yards to gain. The only knock on Dalton is his hair colour, which has caused many teams to shy away because they question if a red head can get it done (I’m not even joking about this, read Peter King’s columns).

13)  Detroit Lions select Robert Quinn – DE – UNC

The Lions can’t believe Quinn dropped this far and make their selection in approximately thirty seconds. Pairing Quinn (or anybody for that matter) with Ndamakung Suh will give the Lions an incredible pass rush for years to come and might propel them to the top of the NFC North this season (you heard it here first, I love my Bears but I got a feeling about this team). Expect Quinn to make a strong push for rookie of the year since he’ll be free to run through offensive lines while Suh gets double or triple teamed. I’d say less than ten sacks would be disappointing for him.

14)  St. Louis Rams select Mike Pouncey – C/G – Florida

The Rams would absolutely love to get a WR for Sam Bradford to throw to but AJ Green and Julio Jones will be long gone. There aren’t any other WR’s worth reaching for in this draft spot but Bradford could use more protection and Mike Pouncey would be a strong addition. In case you’re wondering, he is the brother of Maurkice Pouncey who had an outstanding rookie season for Pittsburgh. He’ll be motivated to live up to his younger brother.

15)  Miami Dolphins select Mark Ingram- RB – Alabama

Ronnie Brown is getting old and has always been injury prone. Ricky Williams isn’t a spring chicken either (is he even coming back next season). Therefore this pick makes all too much sense especially given the fact Tony Sparano loves to run the ball and has to win now. Ingram won the Heisman in 2010 and was a huge part of Alabama’s national championship and recent dominance, the only reason he isn’t going higher is because of questions about his knee, which some teams think could be a degenerative condition. He claims otherwise (what else would he say?).

16)  Jacksonville Jaguars select Cameron Jordan – DE – Cal

The Jaguars need a pass rusher in a big way and Jordan is the best of what is left on the board. I’m sure they’d be intrigued by the prospect of taking a quarterback here such as Jake Locker but that’s a bit of a reach and there will be a few available in the second round.

17)  New England Patriots select Danny Watkins – G – Baylor

A lot of people will say this is a reach but the Patriots could use some help on the offensive line, which was clearly on display in their playoff loss to the Jets. There are higher rated linemen available but I have a hunch Bill Belichek will go for Watkins given his maturity and makeup. In case you’re not aware, Watkins is from Canada and did not start playing football until the age of 22 when he transferred to a fire fighting college in California. From there he worked his way into Baylor and started two years at left tackle. He’ll turn 27 this coming fall, which means he’s a lot more mature than most players in the draft and will have lots of motivation to play well real fast since he doesn’t have that long a window in the NFL. This is the kind of guy Belichek loves and let’s not underestimate the power of ‘old man strength’ that Watkins possesses at his ripe old age. That’s a big thing and sadly I am still waiting for that to kick in as I just turned 27.

18)  San Diego Chargers select Ryan Kerrigan – DE – Purdue

Once again, a team in need of a DE gets its wish in the first round. There are plenty of solid DE’s in this year’s draft and most are first round talents unlike the abundance of quarterbacks. Kerrigan had 12.5 sacks in his senior season and is a no nonsense player with good character, something the Chargers are big on. San Diego could also use an offensive tackle and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthony Castonzo go here either.

19)  New York Giants select Anthony Castonzo – OT – Boston College

The Giants offensive line is aging and Eli Manning has taken too many hits in the last few years. Castonzo might be the most polished tackle in the draft after starting four years in college and has great size at 6’7’’, 311 lbs, which is also why he might not be around here for the Giants at 19.

20)  Tampa Bay Buccaneers select JJ Watt – DE – Wisconsin

The Bucs got a solid defensive tackle in Gerald Mccoy last year and will look to add to the line and form a better pass rush by taking JJ Watt. The Bucs could use an offensive tackle and I wouldn’t be surprised if they go that route with this pick but their defense was 28^th against the rush last year so getting a Defensive lineman is more of a priority.

21)  Kansas City Chiefs select Gabe Carimi – OT – Wisconsin

Carimi has great size at 6’7’’, 330lbs and should lock down the right side of the Chiefs’ offensive line, which will only help build upon their emerging offense. The secondary is an area of concern but the offensive line appears to be a bigger need.  

22)  Indianapolis Colts select Phil Taylor – DT – Baylor

Same old story in Indy, great offense led by Peyton Manning (although starting to show some decline) and no run defense to get him back on the field. This was apparent from day one when Arian Foster ran for over 200 yards to the early playoff exit at the hands of the Jets.  Taylor has a nice frame to stop the run at 6’3’’ 340 lbs and is the best option at this position left in the first round. However, he does come with baggage having been dismissed from Penn State in 2008 for multiple incidents including an assault charge. That might knock him off the draft board as the Colts generally stay away from guys with character issues but their need to stop the run might cause them to take a chance on him.

23)  Philadelphia Eagles select Jimmy Smith – CB – Colorado

The Eagles were average against the pass last year and could use another dependable corner opposite Asante Samuel. Word is Andy Reid is in love with this guy and I trust his instincts, just look at Mike Vick.

24)  New Orleans Saints select Michael Leshoure – RB – Illinois

New Orleans has a lot of needs on defense but a lack of a running game is a serious issue for the Saints going forward. Pierre Thomas was out most of last season and appears to be injury plagued and who knows if the Saints will bring Reggie Bush back once the NFL returns to work? Beyond those two it’s slim pickings on their roster and Leshoure has bolted up many draft boards. He was very productive on an average Illinois team and possesses a tough running style with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

25)  Seattle Seahawks select Jake Locker – QB – Washington

If another team doesn’t trade up the board to get Locker I can’t see Pete Caroll passing on him at this spot. Locker would have been a top ten pick if he entered last year’s draft and might be the second most athletic quarterback in this year’s draft next to Cam Newton. Caroll saw firsthand what Locker can do while coaching against him in the pac 10 and suffered a shocking defeat to Locker’s huge underdog Huskies in 2009. Matt Hasselback isn’t getting any younger and Charlie Whitehurst is not the messiah for this franchise no matter how much he looks like one. This pick will also appease the Seattle fanbase as Locker is a favourite in the area and played college ball just down the street.

26)  Baltimore Ravens select Brandon Harris – CB – Miam Fl

The Ravens defense is aging and was only 20^th against the pass last season. Harris has the ability to be a dependable three down corner and should mesh well and learn a lot from veteran Ed Reed.

27)  Atlanta Falcons select Akeem Ayers – OLB – UCLA

Ayers is a nice pick at 27 and a three down linebacker who is good in coverage, which is exactly what the Falcons lacked last season. A WR is also a probable selection here but Atlanta appears to get by just fine on offense and exposed badly on defense by Green Bay in their divisional round loss. Kyle Rudolph who is a TE from Notre Dame could also sneak in here to replace the aging Tony Gonzalez in a year or two.

28)  Oakland Raiders select Ryan Mallett – QB – Arkansas

This is actually the Patriots position but I don’t see New England holding on to this pick and they have been known to trade down in past drafts. Some team will trade up to take a quarterback here and I think the Raiders will do so. Mallett has off field issues and supposedly likes to indulge in the yayo, which makes this a bit of risky and high pick at 28. This is also why it makes complete sense for Al Davis to select him here. He can also throw the ball further than any other QB in the draft so maybe he can make something out of Derius Heyward Bey who complains no one throws the ball deep enough for him to catch it.

29)  Chicago Bears select Nate Solder – OT – Colorado

If you watched any Chicago Bears’ games last year you can understand why they’ll be using this pick on a lineman. Even if Solder is not around at 29 they will make a reach for someone that’s over 300 lbs and has played a college game at tackle. The Bears have hit rock bottom on the offensive line and Cutler got sacked more times than Pauly Shore on television. In fact, Cutler got so upset he decided to quit on the team at halftime of the NFC championship game and said he wouldn’t come back until they found someone to protect him. Maybe the Bears will call up his fiancée Kristin Cavallari to watch his back this season? She sure showed a lot more toughness on ‘The Hills’ than Cutler did in that NFC championship game… at least that’s what I’ve heard… I’ve never actually watched the show.  Over/Under that relationship goes further than Week 12? I’m taking under.

30)  New York Jets select Jonathan Baldwin – WR – Pittsburgh

The Jets have Santonio Holmes locked up for next season but may be without Braylon Edwards who is set to become a free agent when the league resumes. Baldwin is the third best WR in the draft and could become a very good number two receiver in the NFL, which is what the Jets will most likely lack come fall. Let’s be honest though, this team is winning the super bowl next year anyway and could draft a backup punter because they’re so perfect. So it really doesn’t matter who they draft. At least, that’s what Rex Ryan believes.

31)  Pittsburgh Steelers select Aaron Williams – CB – Texas

The Steelers’ secondary got exposed badly in the super bowl and will draft the best corner left in the draft at this point. A guard could also be targeted with this pick.

32)  Green Bay Packers select Cameron Heyward – DE – Ohio State

Heyward could easily go as high as the 20^th spot in this draft and the Packers will jump at him if he is still around at 32. He should do well with BJ Raji lined up next to him and is good at stopping the run, which is vital in the NFC North.