Some NFL Draft First Round Trivia

I did something like this on Twitter a couple of years ago and quickly realized how fast time passed when trying to get the tweets out.  This isn't an analysis of how well the teams did in this draft.  Instead, this will feature past draft selections when teams had their picks in this year's order and who they picked. 

1. The Indianapolis Colts, to no one's surprise, chose QB Andrew Luck from Stanford with the first pick in the draft.  As everybody knows, in 1998, they also had the first pick in the draft, agonizing over whether to select future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.  Good thing they picked The Sheriff, because Leaf is now a fugitive.  Luck is no Manning, but as long as they're not expecting another Sheriff, Luck should be alright.  Now Indy has had the first pick in the draft before.  In fact, the Colts have had the first pick in the draft seven times since 1955 and, including Luck, drafted five quarterbacks:  George Shaw (1955), John Elway (1983), Jeff George (1990), Peyton Manning (1998), and Luck.  The Colts have gone 1-2 in drafting quality quarterbacks with the first pick (you can't count Elway, since he never played for Indy), so they either chose HoF'ers or busts.  Although the Colts picked some busts like Shaw, George, and Steve Emtman (1992), they did make an excellent choice in 1967 with DE Bubba Smith.
2. The Washington Redskins traded to get to and used the second pick to choose QB Robert Griffin III from Baylor.  This is the fourth time the Skins had the second pick in the draft.  The last time was in 2000, when they drafted LB Courtney Brown.  The first time they had this pick, they chose QB Riley Smith from Alabama in 1936.  He only played a few seasons.  Washington's best pick at this position in the draft, although not for them, was in 1961, when they drafted QB Norm Snead out of Wake Forest.  Snead only played a few seasons for the Skins, but started in Philadelphia for seven seasons.  His career ended in 1976 after moving on in 1971 to Minnesota, New York Giants, and San Francisco.
3. The Cleveland Browns also traded to choose RB Trent Richardson from Alabama with the third pick.  The Browns have had the third pick in the draft five times.  The last time, they picked starting T Joe Thomas in 2007.  The first time they had this pick was in 1970, when they picked QB Mike Phipps.  Although he wasn't a bust, Phipps didn't bring the glory the Browns craved.  Cleveland also used this pick to choose LB Chip Banks in 1982, DT Gerard Warren in 2001, and WR Braylon Edwards in 2005.
4. The Minnesota Vikings traded down to pick T Matt Kalil from USC.  Minnesota only had the fourth pick in the draft one other time.  They chose Hall of Famer DE Chris Doleman from Pitt in 1985.  Is this a sign of things to come for the Viking Nation?
5. In this flurry of trading up and down, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded to the fifth pick to choose WR Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State.  This is the first time the Jags had this pick.  Blackmon should be the kind of go to receiver Blaine Gabbert and Maurice Jones-Drew need.  If Jacksonville can get a good TE and defensive help, they should improve greatly this coming season.
6. The Dallas Cowboys traded for this pick to choose DB Morris Claiborne from LSU.  In all those famous trades owner Jerry Jones made since his arrival, the Cowboys never had the sixth pick in the draft during his time with the team.  In fact, they've only had this pick once before and made the most of it.  In 1963, Dallas chose LB great Lee Roy Jordan out of Alabama.  He played from 1963-76 and is on the Cowboys' Ring of Honor.
7. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished this flurry of trades by trading to choose S Mark Barron out of Alabama, who should prove to be a great pick.  The Bucs have had this pick twice before, but neither worked out well.  In 1991, they used this pick to choose T Charles McRae from Tennessee, who played until 1996.  The more infamous of the two was in 1981, when Tampa Bay chose LB Hugh Green from Pitt.  He was supposed to be one of the most dominating linebackers, along with HoF'er Lawrence Taylor, chosen with the second pick of that draft.  Green only played a few non-dominating years and went to the Miami Dolphins, finishing his career there in 1991.
8. Speaking of, the Miami Dolphins got the eighth pick in the draft by their record and not by trade.  They chose QB Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M.  The Fins have had this pick only once before and they chose well.  In 1968, they used the eighth pick to choose HoF'er RB Larry Csonka out of Syracuse.  He played with Miami until 1974, when he left to play for the World League.  He returned in 1976 and played with the New York Giants until 1978, and finished his career in 1979 with the Dolphins.
9. The Carolina Panthers acquired this pick by no trade of their own.  They used this pick to choose LB Luke Kuechly from Boston College.  This is Carolina's first time with this pick.
10. The Buffalo Bills chose CB Stephon Gilmore from South Carolina.  As with Carolina and Jacksonville, this is Buffalo's first time with this pick.  Back in the AFL days, the tenth pick was in the second round, but the Bills never had that pick either.
11. With this pick, the Kansas City Chiefs chose DT Dontari Poe from Memphis.  The Chiefs have had this pick three previous times.  Their last time was in 1982, when they chose WR Anthony Hancock from Tennessee.  He played all five of his seasons with KC.  In 1980, Kansas City chose G Brad Budde from USC he played with the Chiefs until 1986.  The first time was one of those old AFL second round picks.  When they were the Dallas Texans, they chose split end Bill Miller from Miami (FL).  Miller only played two seasons with the Texans/Bills and spent the rest of his career with the Oakland Raiders, ending in 1967.
12. The Philadelphia Eagles traded to get this pick.  They chose DT  Fletcher Cox from Mississippi State.  Philly had the twelfth pick twice before, both times second round picks.  The last time Philly had this pick was in 1943, when the combined franchises Eagles/Steelers chose DE Lamar Davis.  However, Davis never played for Philly.  In 1946, he played in the AAFC with the Miami Seahawks and played his next and final three seasons with the Baltimore Colts.  The first time Philly had this pick was in 1938, when they chose FB Dick Riffle from Albright.  He played his entire career with the Eagles until 1942.
13. The Arizona Cardinals used this pick to select WR Michael Floyd from Notre Dame.  They had this pick four other times.  The Cards last had the 13th pick in 1968, when they were the St. Louis Cardinals.  They chose RB MacArthur Lane from Utah State.  Lane had a respectable career, playing until 1978 with the Cards, Packers, and Chiefs.  The first time they had this pick, the Chicago Cardinals chose QB Paul Christman with this pick in 1943.
14. The St. Louis Rams traded down and selected DT Michael Brockers from LSU.  Including this year, St. Louis has had the 14th pick seven times.  The Rams last had the 14th pick, of all times, last year, when they picked DE Robert Quinn from North Carolina.  They first had the pick in 1941 in the second round and the Cleveland Rams picked T Abe Shires from Tennessee. Shires actually played only one season, in 1945 for the Philadelphia Eagles.  The most notable 14th pick was in 1957, when the Rams picked LB and future head coach Jack Pardee from Texas A&M.  Pardee played with the Rams from 1957-70 and ended his career with the Washington Redskins from 1970-72.  He went on to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears (1975-77), Washington Redskins (1978-80), San Diego Chargers (1981), and Houston Oilers (1990-94).
15. To finish this NFC West threesome, the Seattle Seahawks made a trade to get this pick.  They selected LB Bruce Irvin from West Virginia.  Seattle has had the 15th pick three other times and fared pretty well with it.  The Seahawks last had the pick in 1998, when they drafted LB Anthony Simmons from Clemson.  Simmons played his entire career with Seattle from 1998-2004.  Their previous two 15th picks were T Andy Heck from Notre Dame, who played with Seattle from 1989-93, Chicago from 1994-98, and Washington from 1999-2000.  The first time they had this pick, they chose RB John L. Williams from Florida in 1986.  Like Heck, Williams had a respectable NFL career, playing with the Seahawks from 1986-93 and Pittsburgh from 1994-95.
16. The New York Jets chose DE Quinton Coples from North Carolina.  They had this pick two other times and chose well.  The Jets last had the 16th pick in 2001 and selected WR Santana Moss from Miami (FL).  Moss played with the Jets from 2001-04 and then went to Washington, where he still is today.  New York first had the 16th pick in 1995 and chose DE Hugh Douglas from Central State.  Douglas ended up playing for three teams; the Jets from 1995-97, Philadelphia 1998-2002, 2004, and Jacksonville in 2003.  Maybe the third time will also be a charm.
17. After trading with Oakland, the Cincinnati Bengals selected CB Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama.  Cincy had the 17th pick three other times.  The last time was in 2005, when they chose draft bust LB David Pollock from Georgia.  The Bengals made a better choice in 1998 when they chose LB Brian Simmons from North Carolina.  Simmons played from 1998-2007, all but his final season with the Bengals.  The first time they had this pick, they chose DE Jason Buck from BYU, who played from 1987-93 with Cincy and Washington.
18. The San Diego Chargers selected DE Melvin Ingram from South Carolina.  San Diego had this pick three other times, including two consecutive times in the AFL.  The Chargers last had this pick last year and chose DT Corey Liuguet from Illinois.  In 1968, they chose DB Jim Hill from Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Hill played four seasons with the Chargers before moving on to Green Bay (1972-74), and Cleveland (1975).  In 1969, San Diego chose LB Bob Babich from Miami (OH), who also played four seasons with the team.  He played the rest of his career for the Cleveland Browns from 1973-78.
19. The Chicago Bears chose LB Shea McClellin from Boise State.  Throughout their storied history, the Bears only had the 19th pick one other time and chose well.  In 1980, Chicago selected LB Otis Wilson, who played with the Bears fro 1980-87 and the Raiders in 1989.  Maybe McClellin can make Bears history repeat itself.
20. The Tennessee Titans used the 20th pick to select WR Kendall Wright from Baylor.  This is the second time the Titans had this pick.  The first time was in 1987, when they were the Houston Oilers, and selected WR Haywood Jeffires from North Carolina State.  Jeffires played with the Oilers from 1987-95 and the New Orleasn Saints in 1996.  Will Wright be the Titans' second consecutive good selection with the 20th pick?
21. The New England Patriots traded to get this pick and select DE Chandler Jones from Syracuse.  The Pats have had the 21st pick five other times, including three in the Belichick era and two still in the league; 2006 RB Lawrence Maroney from Minnesota, 2004 DT Vince Wilfork from Miami (FL), and 2002 TE Daniel Graham from Colorado.  New England first had this pick in the AFL era in 1967.  They selected DB John Charles from Purdue, who played with the Pats from 1967-69, before moving on to Minnesota in 1970 and Houston from 1971-74.  Their other 21st pick was DB Tim Fox from Ohio State, who played with the team from 1976-81 and then went to San Diego (1982-84) and the Rams (1985-86).
22. The Cleveland Browns make their second selection in the first round and choose QB Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma State.  The Browns have had the 22nd pick four other times, all but one were busts.  The last one was in 2007 when the Cleveland drafted QB Brady Quinn from Notre Dame.  Their first time with this pick was a total bust, DB Gerry Bussell from Georgia Tech, whom the Browns drafted in 1965 and that was his only season.  Cleveland had one good selection with this pick when they chose CB Hanford Dixon from Southern Miss in 1981.  Dixon played his entire career with the Browns from 1981-89.
23. The Detroit Lions selected OT Riley Reiff from Iowa.  The Lions only had this pick two other times.  The last had this pick in 1996 and chose RG/C Jeff Hartings from Penn State, who had a respectable NFL career.  He played RG with Detroit from 1996-2000 and C with Pittsburgh from 2001-06.  The first time they had this pick, it was in the second round and the Lions didn't choose as well, selecting T Dan LaRose from Missouri in 1961.  LaRose played with the team for three seasons and then had one year stints in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Denver.
24. Speaking of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they chose G David DeCastro from Stanford.  The Steelers had this pick three other times.  The first time Pittsburgh chose 24th, they did well, selecting CB J.T. Thomas, from Florida State, who played on all four Super Bowl champion teams of that era.  He played from 1973-82, all but the last year with the Steelers.  He finished his career in Denver.  The last time they had the pick was in 1997, when they chose Chad Scott from Maryland.  He played with Pittsburgh from 1997-2004.  He finished his career in New England from 2005-06.
25. Speaking of the New England Patriots, they traded once again and selected LB Dont'a Hightower from Alabama.  The Pats had this pick three other times.  The last two times they had this pick, they had it in consecutive years, and selected less than stellar players.  In 1979, they chose S Rick Sanford from South Carolina, who played from 1979-84 with the team and 1985 with Seattle.  In 1980, they gambled and selected RB Vagas Ferguson from Notre Dame.  Ferguson played three seasons with the Pats before fading from the NFL in 1983 with the Houston Oilers and Cleveland.  However, the first time New England had this pick, they did make a stellar selection.  In 1977, the Pats chose WR Stanley Morgan from Tennessee.  Morgan played for New England from 1977-89 and finished his career in Indianapolis in 1990.
26. The Houston Texans chose DE Whitney Mercilus from Illinois.  In their young history, the Texans had this pick once before.  In 2008, they selected T Duane Brown from Virginia Tech.  He is still with the team.  Mercilus may prove to be just as reliable.
27. The Cincinnati Bengals, through a series of trades, got this pick and selected G Kevin Zeitler from Wisconsin.  This is the first time the Bengals have ever had this pick.
28. The Green Bay Packers chose DE Nick Perry from USC.  The Packers had this pick four other times in their storied history.  The first time, the pick was in the third round in 1952 and they chose DB Bobby Dillon, who played his entire career with the team from 1952-59.  The last time they had this pick, they chose well, selecting DE Ezra Johnson from Morris Brown in 1977.  He played with Green Bay from 1977-87, and moved on to Indianapolis (1988-89) and finished with the Houston Oilers (1990-91).
29. The Minnesota Vikings traded to get this pick and chose S Harrison Smith from Notre Dame.  Minnesota had this pick three other times.  The last time they had this pick was in 1999, when they picked DT Dimitrious Underwood Michigan State, who never played a down for the Vikings.  He played the 2000-01 season with Dallas.  The previous time wasn't any better.  In 1974, the Vikes picked WR John Holland from Tennessee State.  He only played his rookie season before moving on to Buffalo, where he played his final three seasons.  However, the first time they had this pick, Minnesota made a Hall of Fame selection.  In their inaugural season in 1961, the Vikings used the 29th pick, which was in the second round, to choose QB Fran Tarkenton from Georgia.  He played with Minnesota from 1961-78, with a stint in the New York Giants from 1967-71.
30. The San Francisco 49er used the 30th pick to select WR A.J. Jenkins from Illinois.  Although they had the 29th pick several times in their history, this is the first time the Niners ever had the 30th pick.
31. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a trade to get this pick and chose RB Doug Martin from Boise State.  This the first time the Bucs ever had this pick.
32. The New York Giants chose RB David Wilson from Virginia Tech with the last pick in the first round.  The Giants have had this pick four other times, ranging from it being in the first round to the fourth round.  They last had this pick in 2006, when the picked DE Mathias Kiwanuka from Boston College.  He is still with the team.  The Giants first had this pick in the fourth round in 1944, when they chose T Herb Kane from East Central (OK), but he only played two season.  New York's best pick in this slot, other than Kiwanuka, was in 1977, when the Giants selected WR Johnny Perkins from  Abilene Christian.  He played his entire career with the Giants from 1977-83.

   There you have it.  As you can see, even back then, the draft is still one big crapshoot.  Teams hope to pick future Hall of Famers.  Sometimes they do and sometimes those picks ended up being huge busts.  The draft is a time of hope and lets hope this draft produces some great NFL players.

   Have a great weekend!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to the last installment of the Last Place Update for the 2012 NBA season.  Well, they did it!  After clinching the 2012 Kings of the Cellar title, they tied the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst all time record after 66 games at 7-59.  However, the Sixers still hold the all-time record for futility at 9-73, so maybe this shortened season is a blessing for Charlotte.  Now after going 0-23, it would be ironic that Charlotte got the 14th pick in the draft lottery.

   The 20-46 Washington Wizards are this year's bridesmaids, with the 21-45 New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers each a game behind.  The Wizards finished the season with a 6 game winning streak and the Hornets went 8-5 in their last 13 games.  Unlike the Bobcats and Cavaliers, it appears the Hornets and Wizards may be on their way to not being mentioned in the 2013 Last Place Updates.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The once playoff bound Rockets had a late season collapse and fell from contention by losing to teams they should have beaten, including the Hornets.  After going 8-3, Houston went 3-7 in the last 10 games of the season, getting eliminated from the playoffs.  The Cavs had a collapse of their own, going 5-22 since March 13.

Next Losses

That will have to wait until next season.  Until then...

Have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.  The 7-56 Charlotte Bobcats had an 0-fer week and have clinched the title of 2012 NBA Kings of the Cellar.  They also have three more chances to get two wins before the season ends.  They need to win all three games to beat the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers win total of 9.  Obviously, due to the lockout shortened season, the Bobcats were no real threat to Philly's record of futility and the Update did forget that little fact up to now.  I regret the error.  At this point in the '73 season, the Sixers were 5-58, having just won its first game in over a month.  After 66 games, the Sixers were 7-59.  If Charlotte loses out, they will tie that record of futility.  Hence, the Bobcats need 3 wins to beat the '73 Sixers overall win total and 1 win to beat their 66 game win total.

   The 17-46 Washington Wizards trail the Bobcats by 10 games.  The Wizards and the 20-44 New Orleans Hornets have been doing some winning as of late.  The Wizards are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have won 3 straight.  The Hornets are 6- 4 in their last 10 games and are 5-2 in their last 7 games.  The 21-43 Sacramento Kings are just off the radar, but could overtake the Hornets this week.

   This week's honorable mention goes, yet again, the the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Minnesota Timberwolves.  They are 1-9 in their last 10 games and have gone 5-20 since March 9.  They ended their losing streak against Detroit.  They have one game left and it's at home against Denver.

Next Losses

   Again, Charlotte had an 0-fer since the last update.  In this final week of the regular season, they travel to Washington DC to take on the Wizards tonight and then go south to Orlando to take on the Magic on Tuesday.  They finish their season on Wednesday at home against the New York Knicks.  If they play NBA level basketball, Charlotte could pull off wins against the Wizards and the Magic.  However, they'll probably have another 0-fer and tie the '73 Sixers for worst record after 66 games.

  Washington went 3-0 since the last update.  Way to go Wizards!  They'll try to extend their winning streak against the Bobcats at home tonight.  On Wednesday, they travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers.  They finish their season at home against the Miami Heat.  The Wizards should win one, if not two games.

  The Hornets went 2-2 since the last update.  This week, they finish the season on the road.  They go to Golden State to play the Warriors on Tuesday and their season ends in Houston when they face the Rockets on Thursday.  This one's a tough call.  New Orleans could go 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2.  They should go 1-1.

Other Thoughts

   News has come out the General Manager Mickey Loomis of the New Orleans Saints could eavesdrop on opposing coaches and has been doing this for three years.  If this is true, this would dwarf Spygate.  If Loomis did listen in, a question comes to mind.  Did Sean Payton know?  If he did, how much did he know?  U.S. Attorney Jim Letten is investigating this matter and he's a straight shooter.  If there's dirt, he'll find it and prosecute.  If there's no dirt, then Loomis will be cleared, at least of criminal charges.  Definitely a sad day for the Who Dat Nation.

   Congrats to Phil Humber of the Chicago White Sox for pitching a perfect game.  At least it wasn't against the Braves.  The New York Mets have not had a no-hitter in 8,057 games (including postseason) and counting.

   If there was a Last Place Update for MLB this week, the 3-12 Kansas City Royals would lead the Chicago Cubs by a half a game and the San Diego Padres by a game.  Baseball's Last Place Updates are coming soon.

   Have a great week!!

Today in 1960 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants

April 20, 1960 - Today in 1960, undefeated pitchers commenced a duel at the brand new Candlestick Park in this storied rivalry between 2-0 Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers and 1-0 Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants.

   The only score in the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Don Blasingame stood at the plate.  There were runners at the corner, with Willie Kirkland on third and McCormick on first from a bunt.  Kirkland hit a line drive RBI single to right field. 

   McCormick had a no-hitter going into the top of the sixth, but leadoff batter Maury got the first hit for the Dodgers.  He reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Drysdale, but that would be as far as the Dodgers would get to scoring for the rest of the game.

   The San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0.   Both pitchers pitched a complete game and McCormick pitched a two hit shutout, going to 2-0.  Drysdale fell to 2-1.

   Both teams went to 5-2, tied for first in the National League.


Trivia

• There were 5 Hall of Famers playing or managing in this game:  Don Drysdale and manager Walter Alston for the Dodgers, and Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda for the Giants.
• This was Bill Rigney's fifth season managing the Giants.  He would get fired later in the season after going 33-25 and get replaced by Tom Sheehan.  Rigney would manage the LA/California Angels from 1961-69, the Minnesota Twins from 1970-72, and a final one year stint with the Giants in 1976.
• This was Alston's seventh season managing the Dodgers.  He managed the Dodgers from 1954-76.  Alston led the team to four World Series titles and seven NL Pennants.  The Dodgers were defending World Series Champions that season.
• Both managers were with their teams before their moves from Brooklyn and New York.
• Alston only had one official at bat in his only season in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals.  He struck out.
• Rigney played for the New York Giants from 1946-53.
• The only two players who got hits off of McCormick in the game were Maury Wills and Gil Hodges.  Both players went on to become managers.
• Gil Hodges went on to manage the Washington Senators from 1963-67 and the New York Mets from 1968-71.  He led the Miracle Mets to its first World Series Championship in 1969 and died after the 1971 season.
• Maury Wills went on the manage the Seattle Mariners from the second half of the 1980 season to the first half of the 1981 season.  His career record is 26-56.
• Joey Amalfitano of the Giants went on to manage the Chicago Cubs from 1979-81.
• This was Giants catcher Neil Wilson's only season in the majors.  He only played in six games and never got a hit.  Wilson was in for starting catcher Bob Schmidt.

Game stats can be found at Baseball-Reference.com on the box score page Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants - April 20, 1960.

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.  The 7-53 Charlotte Bobcats are making their move by losing 17 straight to succeed the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers as the worst team in NBA history.  Again, that Philly team had a 9-73 record.  The Bobcats lead the 15-46 Washington Wizards by by 7.5 games.  The Wizards lead the 19-42 New Orleans Hornets by 4 games.

   This week's honorable mention goes once again to the Kings of the Cellar defending champion 25-37 Minnesota Timberwolves.  The Timberwolves lost 10 games in a row and are 4-18 since March 9.  Although Philly has gone 3-7 in their last ten games, Minnesota is giving Charlotte some competition with how many games they can lose in a row.

Next Losses

   Charlotte had an 0-fer since the last update, going 0-8.  The Bobcats have a 3 game home stand, hosting the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, and the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.  Unless they pull off an upset somewhere, with their best chance against Sacramento, they'll have yet another 0-fer this week.

  Washington had a respectable 3-3 run since the last update.  This week, they play the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Wednesday and go to Miami to play the Heat on Saturday.  The Wizards have a shot at a 1-1 run, but could also have an 0-fer.

   What is going on with my New Orleans Hornets?  They're sporting a 4 game winning streak and went 5-2 since the last update.  Way to go Hornets!  This week, the Bees go to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Wednesday and the host the Houston Rockets on Thursday.  On Sunday, the Hornets go to Los Angeles to play former Hornet Chris Paul and the Clippers.  New Orleans has a tough stretch this week and could have an 0-fer. 


Other Thoughts

   Congrats to new Hornets owner Tom Benson.  Hopefully he can set the same kind of winning environment he did when he first took over the New Orleans Saints.

   Speaking of Benson, why is Drew Brees still not signed? 

   If the MLB Last Place Update started today, the 3-8 San Diego Padres would lead several 3-7 teams.

Have a great weekend!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update on this Good Friday!  With Chicago, Oklahoma City, and Miami securing playoff berths, the 7-45 Charlotte Bobcats secured its lead the 12-43 Washington Wizards by 3.5 games for Kings of the Cellar.  The Wizards lead my 14-40 New Orleans Hornets by a game and a half.  Charlotte is still in the running to break the '73 Philadelphia 76ers 9-73 record of futility.  Although the Bobcats should avoid that level of infamy, the team has not won two games in a row all season.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Minnesota Timberwolves.  The team has lost 4 straight and is 3-7 in their last 10 games.  Minnesota is also 4-12 in its last 16 games.  The Timberwolves beat Golden State for the mention.  Even though Golden State is 3-11 in its last 14 games, Minnesota lost a head to head matchup to the Warriors 97-94 on Wednesday, thus earning them the mention. 

Next Losses

  Charlotte went 0-4 this week.  The Bobcats have five chances to get a win or another 0-fer.  The Bobcats og to Milwaukee to play the Bucks tonight and host the next two games.  Charlotte hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and the  Cellar's second place team, Washington, on Monday.  On Tuesday, the Bobcats go to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers and finish the week at home against the Detroit Pistons.  Charlotte not only has a chance for a win, but the team has two.  If the team can rise to the occasion, the Bobcats could beat Washington and/or Cleveland.  If not, then Charlotte is doomed to another 0-fer.

   Washington went 1-4 this week.  The Wizards go on the road to face the New Jersey Nets tonight and for a showdown with the current Kings of the Cellar, Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.  Then Washington hosts the struggling Orlando Magic and finish the week in New York to face the Knicks.  Unlike Charlotte, Washington has a chance to have a good week.  The Wizards should beat the Bobcats.  Also, Washington has a chance to beat the Magic and the Nets to possibly earn a 3-1 record next week.

   New Orleans went 1-2 this week.  The Hornets go to San Antonio tonight to play the Spurs and then they're home the rest of the week.  The Hornets host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.  This could be an 0-fer the the Bees this week.  However, the team gets itself together, they could get maybe a win against Minnesota and should beat Sacramento at home.  New Orleans will most likely be 1-3 next week.

Other Thoughts

Baseball season is here.  However, as long as I'm working on (hopefully) the final edits for my first novel, there is no time for daily entries.  That's too bad, because yesterday would have been a good opportunity for an entry.  In 1993, Greg Maddux got his first win with the Atlanta Braves against his former team, the Chicago Cubs. 

   The MLB Last Place Updates will probably start sometime in May.

   Have a great weekend!!!

The NCAA Final Four Championship Game

First of all, congratulations to the Kentucky Wildcats for beating the Kansas Jayhawks and winning its eighth national championship.  Congratulations to Anthony Davis for earning the MOP award.  Although he only scored 6 points, he had 16 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 blocks, and 3 steals. 

   It was a rainy entrance for the fans, with many getting soaked as they arrived.  I was in the nosebleed section and worked the game.  Here's a view.

   Although it was close early, as most fans saw, Kentucky kicked it into high gear and never looked back.  Kansas made a game of it at the end and has nothing to be ashamed of.  We had a monitor where we were, but it only started to show the score and time left when there was three minutes left in the game.  There is a plethora of game analyses, most of them very good, so the rest of this entry will focus on the evening and my picks.

   The Kentucky and Kansas fans were well behaved and friendly.  No one in my section acted or did anything really stupid.  Then again, the event was alcohol free. 

   Now, let's talk about The Fray singing the national anthem.  The guitarist played the same four chords over and over again throughout the tune.  The third chord clashed with the singer's pitch, making it hard to listen to, so we were subject to fingernails on the chalkboard dissonance every four measures.  Here's a flash for the band.  Just play it right and make it classy.


   Okay, it's time to face the music.  Although I picked Kentucky to win it all on a few of my brackets, my highest scoring bracket up to Saturday's games was my Upset Special, where I picked Ohio State to win the championship over Kansas.  That was a 99% score.  Alas, that kind of victory was not to be.  My best score was 1260, which is 88%.  My only correct Final Four picks in that bracket were Kentucky and Louisville, obviously with Kentucky winning.  Unfortunately for that bracket, North Carolina was eliminated by Kansas in the Elite 8.  My best bracket came in 771,041st place. 

   Oh well.  Maybe next year.

   Have a great day!!