Column: Hallelujah, draft day means end of crock drafts; Loughdmouthings: hoops, football, more
We’re amid one of the longest, most mind-numbing, intellectually simple, brain-killiing periods in sports.
Along with predicting bowls and the NCAA Tournament, the months leading up to the NFL Draft take 1.4 years, and offer evidence that this planet can be taken over by aliens with little effort.
If. Maybe. Perhaps. Could. Might. Suppose. Possible. Feasably. Perchance. Conceivably. Imaginable. Potentially. There, every bleepin’ draft conversation or story the last three months.
The only comparisons of simpletonness and nincomtwittness come with bracketology and bowl pairings in September and anything and everything involved in the sadness that is “coverage” by college websites – can’t much call them “media websites” any more – on recruiting.
Consider that there have been hundreds of - *massive cringing* - mock drafts over the last few months.
They just can’t be any more irrelevant, a waste of brain power, such as brain power exists for that faction.
There’s no point, no accountability.
Three months of rambling, blathering, hyperbolic idiocy, of the same conversations daily and weekly based on not a single bit of information, or new information.
It’s like breaking down or predicting lottery numbers.
“Yeah, it’s been awhile since 32 and 40 have been picked, with another number between 12 and 19.
“But I think the next one will have a cluster of numbers in the 30s and 40s.”
At some damn point, this vague guessing will be somewhat accurate and not mean a damn thing. It’s just bleeping staggering.
Know this: coaches are not honest with the media. Nope. They’re not trying to score brownie points with the media by sharing background information. They’ll use the media, for sure, to push an opposite narrative.
And the increasingly gullible, desperate, click-hungry and airheaded media oblige, in pat because of a constituency that has a large faction of increasingly, well, never mind.
It’s all so damn simple, no need for this abstract non-debate covering months. Teams have needs. We all know the needs. But we don’t have access to the interviews, tests, meetings, dinners, more meetings, rankings among staff members after each round of information gathering, and we don’t see their list of preferred players by round, nor their options and potential trades.
There’s nothing new for days or weeks, and these airheads breathlessly “break it down” on a regular basis, with nothing different from the last time they did such breaking.
So absurd is it, that consider: these people just make bleep up. Every change, every trade – that’s so stupid, it’s almost funny, “media” peple just making up trades – is just people making crap up for no legit reason.
Of course there will be trades. So what? It’s not like the fake trades have much merit. And over the course of hundreds of crock drafts, yeah, one or two may come to fruition. That’s not a sign if media competences or insight.
“See, I told you that trade would happen.”
Yeah, and your batting average on trades is still .042, so congrats, Einstein.
It’s exhausting and depressing that so many people spent time involved in debates with no point, over and over and over.
“Let’s talk about something in which we are uninformed, and will lead to absolutely no conclusion in any form or fashion. And, hey, let’s do it again four days from now.”
For friggin’ months.
So, to the draft, and the Falcons.
Under 75-90 percent of any circumstances, pick an offensive lineman. Can’t ever have enough. Everrrrrr. More on that philosophy another time.
Then a defensive lineman or linebacker. Basically, if a player has an L in his position, i.e. OL, DL, LB, in that order, that’s a priority, almost regardless.
Should the Falcons be wise enough to call, I’d go with these obvious top candidates: OT Joe Alt of Notre Dame, DE Dallas Turner of Notre Dame, DE Jared Verse of Florida State, and that’s just a cursory glance at possibilities.
Every team has the list. No, they’re not sharing. And yes, we will find out when the tell us, the point when all the time-wasting you-learned-nothing-from-it irrelevance comes to an end. Then the legitimate analysis can begin, because, well, we actually know something.
Catching up: Women’s hoops
On the resume is a few women’s Final Fours, a number of regionals, all sorts of girls high school state championship events, features galore, etc. You know, the job, in Louisiana, West Virginia, and Georgia.
Covering female sports, for those capable of open-mindedness and all that stuff, is more enjoyable in most ways than covering guys. Nicer, smarter, more appreciative, more emotional about the games, more unselfish as teammates.
Yeah, it kind of means more.
To see this recent surge of attention and money and coverage of women’s sports, the explosion the lat few years in women’s college hoops? Wasn’t sure I’d be around for it.
Quite certain I never predicted that the women’s Final Four would outdraw the men on TV. Very certain.
Absolutely certain that I wouldn’t have some of the conversations I’ve had about women’s basketball with some of the people I’ve had those conversations with.
Stunned, and gratified.
The new blood up top has been needed. Up in hoops Heaven, Pat Summitt may be prouder of Dawn Staley’s accomplishments – on the court and as a remarkable stateswoman for the game and its people – than anything that’s happened in Knoxville in a long time.
Plus, she’s happy anytime Geno isn’t on top.
A high-five to Iowa’s Lisa Bluder for allowing Caitlin Clark to be Caitlin Clark, on the court and off, and let’s thank God Clark was able to handle all of that.
Huge high five to Iowa’s players, able to handle all of that. Nice to see players like each other and be about winning, no matter how it happens.
For all the stereotypes, can you imagine male college players giving up all that attention without getting whiny and petty? Not too often.
Included in this progression is, of course, some weak media/”media” coverage, some exaggeration and hyperbole amongst some players/coaches/teams – some more colorful than others – and some of the crap.
Here’s hoping Paige Bueckers comes out of her shell a little bit as she takes over atop the player mountain. Here’s hoping media doesn’t re-hide simply because nobody’s shooting 30-footers or their mouths off.
And here’s hoping for some sudden rivalries to continue and new ones to emerge.
Loughdmouthings
The catching up for a couple weeks begins.
Catching up: Big thumbs up to Mercer’s football hire of Mike Jacobs.
Offensive lineman. In the Big Ten. Broad experience in Division II, Big Ten, Pac-12. Worst season as a head coach – excluding 2020 – is 8-3. Five postseasons in eight seasons as a head coach.
And having followed Drew Cronic at Lenoir-Rhyne, is likely to have a lot of similarities on offense, cutting down on transition issues with personnel. …
Catching up: Thank you, Chicago Bulls fans for the reminder that classlessness and stupidity is increasing, with your booing of late GM Jerry Krause at a ring of honor ceremony recently while his widow sat on the court.
“We didn’t know she was there.”
Doesn’t make dumb any less dumb.
Yo, morons, he was the GM of your city’s only major-sport championships for a stretch, and of one of major pro sports’ best runs in history.
Y’all, and Michael Jordan, need to grow up and get over yourselves a little bit.
People need to remember a few things:
Just because you like somebody doesn’t mean they’re competent. Just because you like somebody doesn’t mean their a good person. Just because you don’t like somebody doesn’t mean they’re not good at their job.
And there’s always more to situations than what outsiders know. Always. Especially when outsiders don’t seek knowledge or information or context. …
Catching up: It’s time for Atlanta to realize that the time to move on from Trae Young as arrived. Nothing against him, but the fit is no more. He in no way lifts the Hawks, or makes them better.
We’ll debate that draft-day trade another time – I worked up stats a year or two ago that indicated Dallas won it, and that’s unlikely to have changed – but Young does not make the Hawks a contender.
And teams that want to win do what it takes to try to win. Stunning trades can be part of the equation.
And, updating: The Hawks are 2-0 without Young, winning by 17 and 27.
Never got the talk about dumping DeJounte Murray. Never get this trade deadline jettisoning for teams not going anywhere this year. Why is that? Don’t NBA teams like to, ya know, build?
Dumping Murray, who they just got, would have been idiotic. So there’s still a chance.
His play should open the door to look at a trade for Young. Nothing against him, but, well, the Hawks aren’t progressing, and yes, the quote-unquote top player will be a target for why.
He has nice numbers, no doubt, but is Young making the Hawks a winner, and players better? Doesn’t really seem that way. …
A reminder for folks, that you’re welcome to grab a rule book, spend a few weeks getting in shape, get your eyes checked, and give some officiating a try. …
It’s an old adage that if you’re in a public relations gig and want to bury something in the news cycle, Friday is when you do it.
Friday, March 15, afternoon, Mercer announces a new men’s basketball coach.
Friday, March 22, amid the NCAA Tournament, afternoon, Mercer announces a new women’s basketball coach.
Friday, April 12, 5 p.m,, glorious weather, Mercer has the public introduction of the new men’s coach, on the floor of Hawkins Arena, and then has the reception on the grass at OrthoGeorgia Park on a windy Friday after an event at 5 p.m.
*Facepalm*
Subtract the family of the new head coach, his new assistants and their families, the as-of-now returning players, and Mercer staff, most of whom didn’t have to negotiate traffic at 4:30 on a Friday, and there were maybe 20 civilians on hand, 28 days after the hiring.
No matter the party line, it wasn’t the crowd it should’ve been. And there were loads of leftovers from the “reception”.
Friday, April 26, noon. Five full weeks after being hired, Mercer has the public introduction of its new women’s coach.
At least there was no combo introduction for both head coaches, which detracts from the amount of overall coverage, and from the women’s side.
Now, though, Michelle Clark-Heard’s public introduction is set for more than a month after her hiring.
On a Friday. *Sigh* But in the morning. Much wiser.
Meanwhile, John Calipari quit at Kentucky officially on a Tuesday and was callin’ the hogs in Arkansas less than 48 hours later. …
From Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Tweet of the Week comes from former NFL player Ross Tucker, who lampooned the ridiculousness of the NFL media speculation heading into the draft: “BREAKING: Just found out there’s a team open to trading down YET looking to trade up BUT don’t be surprised if they just stand pat and make a pick.”