Welcome to the Super Bowl!!!

Not the one that resided on South Beach a few weeks ago.

The “Super Bowl” that takes place in Detroit EVERY SINGLE YEAR….

The NFL Draft. Where hopes & dreams are built up midway through the previous season’s blunders….and subsequently deflated by a franchise’s ability to make a seemingly simple process harder than imaginable. Such is the life of a Detroit Lions fan. Let’s delve into the utterly painful, but endearing process, shall we??

Round 1

Since the Lions have the 2nd overall pick, this pick HAS to net an impact player & starter from DAY ONE. The 2 top rated prospects here are DT Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) & DT Gerald McCoy (Texas). Either of these players would suffice, with Suh having the edge in talent & explosiveness. McCoy isn’t far off. To some, these two are a wash. A sleeper pick in this spot could be OT Russell Okung (Ok St).

An EVEN BETTER scenario could play out, however. QB’s Sam Bradford (Okla) & Jimmy Clausen (ND) are steadily climbing the board in numerous mock drafts. There are 3 teams that are desperate for top flite signal callers (Wash, Sea, Buff). After the NFL Combine, look for trade rumors to heat up, as these teams are itching to possibly move up. The BEST CASE SCENARIO outside of the Lions drafting Suh is for one of these teams to sell the farm (and extra draft picks) to the Lions for the rights to one of these QB’s. The Lions roster is SO devoid of talent. They’d definitely listen.

My Pick: Gerald McCoy. I don’t see St. Louis passing up the consensus best player in the draft (Suh).

Round 2

For Lions fans, this is where the draft gets painful. The fact that there are SO many holes in this roster, do you go for the dreaded “best player available”?? Or do you simply satisfy a need?? Based upon last year, Lions GM Martin Mayhew thankfully satisfied a need & took a playmaker at a position of need (Louis Delmas). The Lions are in desperate need of secondary help & there are pllenty of prospects on the board that would fill them. FS Nate Allen (S Fla) would be a nice pick here, as would CB’s Patrick Robinson (FSU) & Kyle Wilson (Boise St), with Wilson satisfying another specific need at KR, in addition to being a solid corner. It wouldn’t be a Lions draft if I didn’t mention the possibility of GM Martin Mayhew salivating over an offensive player in this slot. That player being RB Jahvid Best. If there is a God…..NO RB here.

My Pick: CB Kyle Wilson

Round 3

It can’t be overstated enough. The Lions have MANY holes to fill. NOT least of which, is the offensive & defensive lines. In today’s NFL, you have to HAVE a QB, protect the QB, and RUSH the opposing QB. The Lions need the best player available on either line. Good news is…there are players available in this round who meet these needs. DT Geno Atkins (Georgia) would be a disruptive force in the middle. G Jon Asamoah would shore up a weak spot in a hurry. G Marshall Newhouse is a freak athlete that would be an instant starter. DE Greg Hardy, although having weight issues at Ole Miss, looks to be a steal here after a promising Senior Bowl appearance. **Disclaimer** Again, I have to alert you to the salivation factor, as WR Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss) will probably be available here. He definitely has speed to burn & will wow people in workouts. Will the ghost of Matt Millen & his penchant for WR’s manifest itself?? Um, bartender???

My Pick: WR Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss).

This is where Detroit area bars start to make money. Until this organization can overcome its desire to make a splash in the draft vs. simply addressing needs, this process will continue to be a painful one. I would humor you with more round by round coverage & picks, but what’s the use?? I’d have MORE luck on the roulette table.

Can I get ten $10 chips, please??

Oh happy day….

Jeffrey R. Bulls
Guest Columnist

By Bobjohnson

Friday I had the chance to attend a wonderful event for Dorian Styles Dawkins. Comedian D.L. Hughley came out to Delta College for an American Heart Association benefit. Dawkins was the 14-yr old son of future Saginaw Hall of Famer, Saginaw High School coach Lou Dawkins and Loomis Academy principal Trish Dawkins. The comedy show Friday was the first part of a two weekend event. On Feb. 6 at the Delta College Pioneers Gym, Columbus Northland and Detroit Country Day will face off at 6pm. At 8pm, East lansing will play Detroit Consortium. Then on Sunday Feb. 7 at noon, Clarkston will face the Academy of Oak Park and at 3pm The MIGHTY Saginaw High Trojans will face the Flint Powers. Tickets for these events will be $10. So come out and show your support for a good cause.

The Minnesota Vikings lost the NFC championship game because of turnovers and Brett Favre’s interception in the waning seconds of regulation. Brett Favre seemed to turn into 2003 interception throwing Brett Favre. He hadn’t really done it all season. But then on third-and-15 in the last few seconds of the game, with his team getting into field-goal range, Favre rolls out right, passes up an easy eight-yard scramble and fires a ball across his body to a covered Sidney Rice and the ball was picked by Tracy Porter. It was a play we’ve all seen a dozen times. He had held back for much of the season, not throwing the ball into quadruple coverage or with his left hand while getting sacked by an entire defensive line. Fumbles hurt the Vikings too. I would have loved to see Peyton vs. Favre- New great vs. Old great! I really hope that Favre retires after this!

Bobjohnson’s Blog.

Jason Richardson has been moved from his starting position to coming off the bench. J-Rich is taking this well according to his comments to the Arizona Press, “I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve never come off the bench my whole career. If that’s something they want me to do, I’m willing to do it. I’m the type of guy that just wants to win. I’m a professional. I’m always coming to do my job and play hard.”
I’m glad J-Rich is does not have any A.I. in his blood.
J-Rich is being replaced by Leandro Barbosa. Coach Alvin Gentry says that he is trying to get Barbosa going. Bobjohnson has a different opinion. I smell a trade coming. I think the Sun’s are going to trade J-Rich and get maximum value for him.
I would love to see him come home and play for Detroit. We need talent like him really bad at this moment and I would have an excuse to get a press pass to the Palace!
Let me know what you think of all of this, Sports Fans!

By Bobjohnson

Allen Iverson was asked whether he is willing to accept coming off the bench in Memphis:
“Nah, I won’t accept it. Bench came into the play when I came to Detroit. You never heard about Allen Iverson coming off the bench ever in my whole career. It was never something people even thought in their head until I came to Detroit. Now, it’s the big topic. I’d be crazy to just out of my mouth say, ‘I’d be comfortable with being a guy coming off the bench.’ That’s never a role I ever had.”
“I don’t look at it as a negative. On a basketball team, you need guys to come off the bench. That’s what makes up a whole team. You don’t play with five starters. But my whole thing is, if that makes us a better team, with me coming off the bench, then that’s something I would obviously do — if it results in wins. But I don’t know anybody in the world that would feel like me coming off the bench is the right thing to do if that’s not making the team better. It’s just an issue because it’s me.
“Everybody in the world knows I don’t want to come off the bench. So that’s why it’s an issue. It’s a conversation because people know that’s not what I want to do. It’s a media thing. I don’t think it has anything to do with basketball. Anybody in their right mind, to me, honestly knows that on this team or the teams I’ve been on, that I deserve to start.”

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2009/10/allen_iverson_speaks_out_again.html

Bobjohnson (oneword) has one word for you Allen Iverson: JERK!