Dallas Cowboys 2010 NFL Draft Summary

With the 8th overall pick in the in the 1998 NFL Draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones passed on a wide receiver with humongous potential, but also was known for needing an attitude adjustment.

Later that season, that same wide receiver set the record for most receiving touchdowns by a rookie in a single season with seventeen. Who is this player? Randy Moss, ladys and gentleman. Jerry Jones was worried about Moss' potential 'character issues', and opted instead to draft LB/DE Greg Ellis instead of the highly talented Moss.

Twelve years later, Jerry Jones finally had the chance to redeem himself. With the 23th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, Jones selected WR Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State University.

Jerry Jones lucked out here. Dez Bryant was a top 10 talent in this years 2010 NFL Draft. The only reason teams were weary of drafting him is because of his 'character issues' which I believe have been blown out of proportion.

Bryant only played in three games of college football last season before being indefinitely suspended by the NCAA because he "failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU." The former NFL player referenced by the NCAA is former Dallas Cowboys great Deion Sanders, who described the situation by saying "Working with kids is what I do."

According to the NCAA, Bryant had illegal contact with Sanders and failed to tell them about it and as a result Bryant was suspended indefinitely. Before this incident, Bryant was often to late to practices and even games themselves while playing at Oklahoma State, according to a source from a Yahoo Sports story written back in February (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-bryantrisk022810)

When the term 'character issues' is used, I think of Pacman Jones or Ben Roethlisberger. Pacman was involved in a shooting outside of a club. Roethlisberger has twice been accused of sexual assault. What is Bryant guilty of? Being goofy and a little undisciplined - AT BEST.

Bryant may be undisciplined, unorganized, or just plain goofy, but describing him as having "character issues" is an unfair stigma to tie to his name. There was no question though that Jones would draft Bryant when the Cowboys moved up in the draft. No way was Jones again passing on a tremendously talented wide receiver who may suffer from being goofy and unorganized. I applaud Jones for the selection, Dez Bryant is going to be a top notch receiver and future NFL Pro Bowler for the next decade and beyond.

In the second round, the Cowboys drafted ILB Sean Lee from Penn State University. Penn State is notorious for being a NFL linebacker producing factory, so you usually can't go wrong when you select a Penn State linebacker. Lee reminds me much of former Nittany Lion linebacker Paul Posluzny. Like Posluzny, Lee is undersized for the ILB position at only (6'2, 238 pounds). Lee also does not possess great speed either, but he makes up for it with his natural football instincts, an intangible that is valued at the NFL level. Lee plays bigger than he is and is a very solid tackler. Lee could find himself starting for the Cowboys sooner rather than later, as current Cowboys RILB Keith Brooking is 34 years old and could be heading into his last season in the NFL. Very wise and safe selection by Jerry Jones.

After the selection of Bryant in the first round and Lee in the second, Dallas only had four more picks in the rest of the draft. With those picks, Dallas drafted CB/S Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (don't ask how its pronounced)from lesser known Indiana (PA). Owusu-Ansah is a raw talent as he lacks natural football instincts and a high football IQ, but has a great combination of size and speed and could eventually develop into a dependable starter for the 'Boys.

Dallas also selected Fighting Irish OT Sam Young in the 6th round as the Cowboys lacked youth in the trenches as four of the Cowboys current starting five offensive lineman are thirty years of age or older. Being the first ever true freshman to start on the offensive line for Notre Dame during opening weekend, Young has one hell of a pedigree and combined with his strength and size (6'7, 316 pounds), he should be able to have a long and respectable career in the NFL.

With their last two selections, Dallas selected CB Jamar Wall from Texas Tech and DT Sean Lissemore from William & Mary. Both selections make sense as the NFL has become a pass first league over the past few years. In order to combat that, adding depth and talent to both the cornerback and defensive tackle positions can never hurt, especially considering Dallas will see quarterbacks Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb a combined 6 times next season.

Its no secret: The Cowboys have one goal in mind, and that is to win Superbowl XLV in Arlington. Tony Romo has proven he is among the elite quarterbacks in the league, and the addition of WR Dez Bryant only makes the Cowboys offense that much more dangerous.

Dallas Cowboys 2010 NFL Draft Grade: B

Oakland Raiders 2010 NFL Draft Summary

By Zach Mentz

As a dedicated Oakland Raiders fan since age 10 (only eight years ago), the NFL Draft has never been 'fun' to watch growing up.

In 2003, it was Tyler Brayton. In 2004, it was Robert Gallery. In 2005, it was Fabian Washington. In 2006, it was Michael Huff. In 2007, it was Jamarcus Russel. In 2009, Darrius Heyward-Bey.

What two things do all of these names have in common? First off, they are all former first round draft selections by the Oakland Raiders. Secondly, none of them ever reached their potential in the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders are notorious for making AWFUL choices when it comes to the NFL Draft. So when the 2010 NFL Draft began on Thursday night, I was worried to say the least. My only question was, "Who is Oakland going to waste their picks on this year?"

Well, dare I say it, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the Raiders draft selections. Rolando McClain at #8 overall was a bit of a reach as it is rare that inside linebackers go that high, but McClain is a hell of a talent. We only reached by about 5-7 picks, rather than the usual 3 rounds too soon (Heyward-Bey).

McClain is not known for his speed, but he makes up for his lack of speed with his inital instincts, allowing him to cover more ground and make more plays. I originally wasn't pleased with Oakland selecting McClain just because I was hoping they would take Clausen instead. After I settled down and thought about it, I realize I am actually pretty pleased with this pick.

The selections of DT Lamarr Houston from Texas is a solid selection as well. Again, the Raiders passed on Clausen here, but it is obvious that Oakland is focused on shoring up the defense and stopping opponents on the ground. McClain and Houston are nice building blocks and should help improve a defense that was 29th against the run last season.

With the 69th overall pick, Oakland selected OT Edwin Veldheer from the lesser known Hillsdale College (Division II). Veldheer is an athletic freak, so this seems like a typical Al Davis selection. Veldheer is a 6'8, 312 pound animal who runs a 5.05 forty yard dash. There are concerns about Veldheer because he certainly did not play against top flight competition at the Division II level, but he has a ton of potential.

In the fourth round, Al Davis made another typical selection by drafting OT Bruce Campbell from Maryland. There were rumors before the draft that Oakland would select Campbell with the 8th overall pick, but instead, Oakland DIDN'T reach for him, and ended up getting the best player available in the fourth round. There is no doubt that Campbell has a ton of pro potential, so he is definitely worth a fourth round draft pick, especially if he can develop into an elite NFL tackle.

Other draft picks of note for Oakland: WR Jacoby Ford out of Clemson is basically just a repeat of Johnnie Lee Higgins, a current Raiders receiver. Has great speed but has inconsistent hands and while he runs great straight away, he has trouble changing directions. Oakland spent its last four picks in the draft on all defensive players. CB Walter McFadden from Auburn, ILB Travis Goethel from Arizona State, CB Jeremy Ware from Michigan State and S Stevie Brown from Michigan. Its obvious Oakland is trying to shore up its rather porous defense, and with the addition of two cornerbacks and a safety via the draft, this could imply that Oakland plans on trading Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

Usually after I watch Oaklands draft selections, I have nightmares that night. However, this year I was actually pleased with how the Raiders fared. Oakland addressed their obvious issues on defense by spending six total picks on defense, including stud Roland McClain, who I am liking more and more every day. They also brought in two offensive tackles to protect the newly acquired Jason Campbell, who may actually succeed behind a decent offensive line, something he did not have in Washington. I do wish Oakland addressed the need for a franchise quarterback in the draft thought and did not pass on Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy in the second round.

Oakland Raiders 2010 NFL Draft Grade: B+

The State of the Lakers: Can they repeat?

The Los Angeles Lakers finished the regular season with a record of 57-25. Los Angeles finished with the third best record in the NBA, and clinched the first seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Smooth sailing ahead for Los Angeles, right?

Wrong. The Los Angeles Lakers are not playing like they are the NBA’s defending champions. Instead, they are playing like its 2005, when the Lakers finished with a lowly 34-48 record. Having lost seven of their last eleven games, the Lakers have a lot of issues heading in to the 2010 NBA playoffs.

The NBA’s western conference is as talented and as deep as its ever been, with every playoff team in the West finishing with at least 50 wins during the the regular season. Before the Lakers can worry about their first round opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers must first worry about themselves.

The Lakers have their fair share of problems to deal with heading into the playoffs.

Kobe Bryant is a still banged up and missed five of the Lakers final six games in the regular season. Even when Bryant has played, he has been off his game as of late. In the three games Kobe has played in during the month of April, Bryant has only made 30% of his shots, well below his season average of 46%.

Starting center Andrew Bynum hasn't played since March 19th due to injury but the Lakers do expect to work him back into the lineup as the playoffs progress.

The off-season 'swap' with of Forward Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest hasn't worked out in the Lakers favor either. Artest has been inconsistent all season for Los Angeles, and is only averaging eleven points and four rebounds per game.

And on top of it all, the Lakers are slated to play one of the NBA's youngest and talented teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are led by 21 year old Kevin Durant, who set the record this season for being the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in points per game. While the Thunder may lack experience, they certainly don't lack playmakers as PG Russell Westbrook and Forward Jeff Green both average over 15 ppg to add on to Durants average of 30.1 points per game. The Lakers are still the favorites in the series, but when only seven games seperates the top seed and the bottom seed in the Western Conference, how much of an 'upset' would it be if the Thunder won the series against the NBAs defending champions?

The last time the Lakers and Thunder played was on March 26th. The game was played in Oklahoma City and Kevin Durant scored 26 points to lead the Thunder to an impressive 91-75 win over the Lakers, who at the time were on a seven game winning streak.

While the Lakers did finish 3-1 against the Thunder during the regular season, it looks as if Oklahoma City is peaking at the right time while Los Angeles is sliding.

Life for the NBA's defending champions is rough right now. The one question is: Can the Los Angeles Lakers turn it around?

The obvious answer, to me, is yes. After all, the Lakers still do have the best coach in the history of basketball in Phil Jackson and arguably the best player in the world in Kobe Bryant. Not to mention, the Lakers will have homecourt advantage all throughout the Western Conference playoffs as well.

Kobe Bryant is too good and too hungry for another title to let his recent shooting slump continue into the playoffs. Andrew Bynum will be back sooner rather than later and will gradually be worked back in to the Lakers lineup. When healthy, the combination of Bynum and Gasol could be the best frontcourt duo in the NBA.

So while life in Los Angeles may seem gloomy right now with the Lakers current slump, look on the bright side and remember that this is still the same Lakers team (minus Trevor Ariza, add Ron Artest) that won the 2009 NBA championship. Lakers fans, you can breathe a little easier now and remember, "The night is darkest just before the dawn, and the dawn is coming."

Inside the life of a Fairport Manleader

By Zach Mentz

(A bit of a 'spoof' story I wrote for my senior column in my high school newspaper. A little less serious than my usual stories! Thought I would mix it up!)

What is a manleader? What is a Fairport Manleader? What does it all mean? Manleading, as defined by Websters Dictionary: Bro Edition is “the act of performing and entertaining crowds with stunning movements and elegant grace in order to excite high school student bodies all over the world.” Manleading was also defined by Rochesters own Democrat and Chronicle as “a group of boys who pump up the student body at pep rallies and games.” In a nutshell, yes, that is what the Fairport Manleaders do.
Manleading was invented at the fine institution of Fairport High School only a few years ago. Being a Fairport Manleader is something that is respected around the globe. For instance, while on a cross country trip to the state of Washington, I ran in to Bill Gates at one of the twenty thousand Starbucks in the Seattle area and he said “It’s an honor to meet you, bro.” He gave me a bro hug and slapped me up before we parted ways, but like I said before, being a Fairport Manleader isn’t just a persona I put on, it’s a lifestyle.
Anyways, back to my story. Let me explain to you what it takes to be a Fairport Manleader. First off, everyone wants to be one, whether they admit it or not. Secondly, being a Fairport Manleader isn’t just a stroll in the park. It requires hard work, dedication, enthusiasm, and a true bro spirit. Practices during the week can run pretty late, as some nights we were even practicing until past ten o’clock at night. One night, I even skipped my own court hearing just to go to practice. (I am being sued by
Being a Fairport Manleader is an honor. I was asked by team co-captain Terry O’Neill back in September of 2009. As soon as he asked me, it was like Taylor Swift asking you to marry her; of course you are going to say yes! The Fairport Manleaders performed at the homecoming pep rally earlier in the school year, at the staff basketball game, and most recently at the Brotherhood-Sisterhood week assembly. “Each performance was a perfect display of elegance” said history teacher Kevin “Cash Money” Sax.
After our most recent performance at the Brotherhood-Sisterhood week assembly, Principal Chris “Sweet Feet” Salinas said “It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch the manleaders do their thang’. They truly are the most talented group of performers the world has ever seen.”
Due to our notorious popularity and dedicated fan base, videos of our performances have even been posted on Youtube.com. We have been asked to perform in numerous Las Vegas casinos and we have even been asked to replace the Blue Man Group performance on the senior trip to Boston, but unfortunately we have had to decline offer after offer due to contract disputes.
All in all, being a Fairport Manleader is serious business. Manleading is not just for any average joe. Being a manleader is a lifestyle that you have to live by day in and day out. Their was an emptiness in my heart before I was a Fairport Manleader, and ever since I joined the squad, that emptiness has been filled. Being a Fairport Manleader is something I know I was born to do, and without Fairport Manleading, who knows where my life would be.