Notable Note

My article "Stick and Move" (The Ring, June 2010) was selected as a "Notable" in the Best American Sports Writing 2011, an always-excellent volume.

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmh/bestamerican/sportsbookdetails

2011 NFL Mock Draft

The draft this year is fascinating, as it smells a lot like 2006, when a bunch of hyped top-10 players bottomed out of the league. Mostly, it was because the skills of players like Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart didn't translate well to the NFL. 2011 is a classic "disaster draft," in which teams have high picks and money to burn, but the talent isn't there.

In fact, those great USC teams of the early 2000s have produced very little elite NFL talent. Maybe it was the protective, tolerant environment that Pete Carroll created, maybe it was his great coaching staff that concealed the considerable weaknesses of individual players. It's probably some combination. I'd call this confluence of factors, "the Behemoth Effect."

Anyway, here's my predictions for the first ten picks of the 2011 NFL Draft. The next ten to follow.

1. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers might open the season without both DeAngelo Williams (free agent) and Steve Smith (trade). They're going to have to go through the basement for a couple years in order to get to the penthouse eventually. Smart money is on Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, since new coach Ron Rivera (in previous coaching stop, with the Philadelphia Eagles) has seen what a mobile, versatile quarterback (Donovan McNabb) can do, if complemented by a strong defense.

2. Denver Broncos

Forget the on-field catastrophe of the Broncos, as coached by Josh McDaniels. Look at all those dreadful drafting decisions. Tim Tebow, Richard Quinn, Robert Ayers, Demaryius Thomas, Knowshon Moreno, Alphonso Smith. With four first-round choices, McDaniels came up with with role players and trade bait. Broncos fans must hope John Elway and John Fox can course-correct this franchise and fast. Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is the pick, but I'm still not convinced that Dareus is anything more than a 3-4 starter. He's not a sack artist or a dominator.

3. Buffalo Bills

Call them the Buffalo Blaines. The Bills will take Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, whose stock is inflated at this point. The quarterbacks in this class are underwhelming, but Gabbert completes passes and has mobility. Some years that's all it takes.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

It's a shame that wide receiver Chad Johnson is buried in a franchise with so many problems. On a different team, you could easily see him having a career like Michael Irvin or . Johnson will get a protege in A.J. Green, which might mean a late-career resurgence for him, a la Cris Carter. But not if the Bengals refuse to replace Carson Palmer. Palmer is on the downside, even if he un-retires. Move forward, guys.

5. Arizona Cardinals

Von Miller's name is rushed to the podium. Only one year after Karlos Dansby fled, the Cardinals get an outside linebacker that will make their 3-4 defense hum. Don't be surprised if Miller racks up rookie-of-the-year honors and is considered one of the smartest choices in this draft five years from now.

6. Cleveland Browns

Mike Holmgren made a bizarre choice for head coach this off-season. Of course, when they were hired as head coaches, Sean Payton and Mike McCarthy were met with puzzlement. Then again, maybe Holmgren doesn't want a big personality to compete against. Holmgren likes collecting wide receivers in the draft, but I would guess that Robert Quinn is taken. Visions of legendary UNC pass rushers like Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers will be dancing through their heads.

7. San Francisco 49ers

I think this pick could be traded, as Harbaugh realizes the quarterback and cornerback value in this draft is later. Free agency will be abbreviated, so teams like the 49ers need to address all of their needs with college talent. If Harbaugh keeps the pick, it will be Patrick Peterson, a pick that they won't regret.

8. Tennessee Titans

Even though Nick Fairley seems like a great fit here, the Titans pass. Head coach Mike Munchak knows better than to doom his stint by sinking money and draft picks into unreliable players. Instead, they go with wide receiver Julio Jones. Jones is undervalued; as great as Green was at Georgia, Jones made more plays more consistently. He's not just a possession receiver either.

9. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys could go for . I think Jerry Jones trades down and stumps everyone by taking running back Mark Ingram. Instantly, he solidifies a position that is in disarray. He might just go ahead and take Ingram here. As talented as Felix Jones is, he just might not be the grinder that this offense, explosive but inconsistent, needs.

10. Washington Redskins

The Redskins take offensive tackle Tyron Smith. The biggest problem with this team was not the quarterback play or the black hole at running back. It's a fact that Chris Samuels, a great, under-appreciated player, has never been replaced. On the other hand, the Redskins might take Nick Fairley and just start collecting troubled defensive tackles from the SEC.

NFL: Week Five News

The Patriots Way: New England is 3-1, lifted by great special teams (2 touchdowns, a blocked punt, and a blocked field goal last Monday) and a very diverse group of receivers. But they traded away Randy Moss, who I've always claimed was the closest thing to an "unstoppable" presence in the NFL, for a third- and seventh-round picks. The Patriots Way is part football strategy, part stock market speculation. In this case, Belichick dumped a commodity when its value is overrated, his competitors panic, and the coach sees a long-term/short-term benefit to maximizing other resources.

Impressive Starts: The Jets are also 3-1, and the loss was a one-point game which they might have been able to win had Dustin Keller not made an enormous route-running gaffe. Sanchez has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 8-to-0. Though I was skeptical of the team--too loud, not enough roster depth--they have handily dispatched all three of their division rivals. You also have to applaud the Kansas City Chiefs, who patiently built their team through the draft: Glenn Dorsey, Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas, Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, and Eric Berry look like a strong core that should be able to compete at a high level for the next decade. Among the .500 pack that might make a run includes the Miami Dolphins and the entire NFC West.

Looking Forward to the 2011 Draft: The Buffalo Bills are in pace for the No. 1 overall spot in the draft. Chan Gailey is overmatched as an NFL head coach, though he has coaxed good performances from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Who might they take? Quarterbacks Ryan Mallett or Terrelle Pryor? Linebacker Greg Jones? Bills fans deserve better than speculating on next year's draft in early October.

George Steinbrenner (1930-2010)

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died on July 13. He drove some of the major changes in sports over the last four decades. He meddled with his team’s chemistry, bringing in high-priced players and calling out stars in the press. His Yankees teams won 7 titles between 1973 and 2010, which is remarkable by almost any standard except the one Steinbrenner demanded. Sports franchise owners like Mark Cuban (NBA), Dan Snyder (NFL), and Jerry Jones (NFL) are in the same mold. The following are my favorite six Steinbrenner factoids.

1. Infamously, he fired and hired Billy Martin five times separate times.
2. In 1990, Steinbrenner was banned “for life” from major league baseball by former Commissioner Fay Vincent. The penalty was levied because Steinbrenner had paid almost $50,000 for “dirt” on a former player. The “life” banishment lasted three years.
3. Steinbrenner’s first franchise, the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League, lasted a single season, as did the entire league.
4. While an assistant coach under Woody Hayes at Ohio State, Steinbrenner won a national championship.
5. After buying the Yankees franchise in 1973, for only $8.8 million, Steinbrenner instituted a policy regulating the length of player’s hair. All-Star players like Don Mattingly and David Wells have received fines or even suspensions for “hair offenses.”
6. Actors that have played Steinbrenner include Larry David (on “Seinfeld”) and Oliver Platt (“Bronx is Burning”).

James, Wade, and Bosh Land in Miami

The biggest disappointment for me is that it’s Miami. If you believe in fairness in these things, that city just doesn’t deserve it. Miami’s a notoriously bad sports town. Even when the Marlins were winning World Series, they could hardly sell out. When the University of Miami’s football team or the Miami Dolphins drop in the win column, so does the interest of their fans.

It’s a city that, for better or worse, will ignore you unless you win big. And, if you win big, they ignore you anyway.

The enthusiasm of Cleveland fans has been disproportionate to the success of its franchises. Their title hopes in the 1990s were squashed by Michael Jordan’s Bulls teams. The Cleveland Indians held the MLB sellout record, at 455 games, between 2001, the end of the streak, and 2008, when Boston surpassed them. The Indians have three AL Penants, since winning their last World Series in 1948. When the Cavaliers won the lottery seven years ago, and the Akron-based “chosen one” was available, divine providence seemed to have rewarded their enduring faith.

Unfortunately, fairness has nothing to do with it. Miami freed up the cap space, and Dwayne Wade went out and convinced his Olympic teammates to join him in South Beach. What might define Wade’s career is his willingness to “kiss the ring” of the ringless king. James made a spectacle of his decision, making his decision to abandon Cleveland all the more embarrassing and emphatic. Clearly, James’s ego far outweighs his production to this point, and the chemistry in Miami will depend on whether Bosh and Wade, and the entire Heats organization, are able to placate him.