POTpourri

• WTF turns someone into a murderous terrorist thug? 
• Jason Collins becomes first active U.S. major sports star to come out as gay. 
• The NFL releases their 2013-2014 schedule. 
• RIP Pat Summerall & Richie Havens.
• U.S. Congress sends Sandy Hill a big F-you.   
• Rachel Bilson is looking quite nice these days!
• Just how many jobs will the Keystone Pipeline create again?
• How do you thing the Founding Fathers would feel about the Tea Party? 
• Do we really want far right wing ideologues owning part of the MSM?  
• What is wrong with you Chris Pine?  Do you really think you can do better? 
• The Minnesota Vikings officially revealed their new uniforms.  Nothing drastic. 
• Is Seventh Woods the next big thing?  He's good. 
• Gwyneth Paltrow named People Magazine's "Most Beautiful Woman in the World".
• The NRA isn't making it easier to track criminals.  Who are they really helping? 
• Our exaggerated fear of the debt is creating a permanent class of jobless Americans.
• Count me as a fan of Patton Oswalt. 
• Is JP Morgan mostly a criminal enterprise?  
• Be careful of the Cinnamon Challenge.   
• Eric Decker & Jessie James get E! Network reality show.  
• The 10 Hardest Drugs to kick.  

John Clayton ESPN Commercial

This ESPN commercial is hilarious!

Minnesota Vikings Draft - Day 3

The Vikings had an interesting draft.  Their first day was fantastic, I can see them getting 3 immediate starters out of it.  They then sat out day 2.  Day 3 was not bad, they added a couple solid LB's (from Linebacker U), they added some much needed depth along the OL, they got the best Punter in the draft and they got an underrated defensive lineman.  Still, I would have liked to see them add another WR to their depleted WR corps, I would have liked to have seen them pick a young QB they could develop (as I'm not sold on any of the QB's currently on the roster) and I'm really not sure how pressing the need for another Punter was.

Arizona Cardinals Draft - Day 3

I like what the Arizona Cardinals did on day 3 of the 2013 NFL Draft.  They got another pass rushing DE, they picked up another big athletic OL to fit their new zone blocking scheme, they got a couple of nice looking RB's who will push Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams for playing time, they also added a highly productive WR (with 4.3 speed in the 40) and an athletic TE.  I was a little surprised that they didn't grab a QB somewhere along the line but I guess they want to see what they have first and then they can readjust down the line if need be.  There is still lots of work to be done and it's probably too early to grade it but I think Steve Keim did a nice job in his first draft as a GM. 

Arizona Cardinals Draft - Day 2

The Cardinals went to LSU for 2 defensive picks on day 2 of the NFL Draft yesterday.  Before doing so, they first traded the number 38 overall pick (round 2) to the Chargers for the Chargers 2nd and 4th round picks.  Then they selected LB Kevin Minter at number 45 overall (round 2) and CB Tyrann Mathieu at number #69 overall (round 3).  Minter is a little bit undersized but he's a tackling machine, he had 130 tackles, 15 TFL and 4 sacks, he was clearly the best defensive player on one of the best defensive teams in college football last year.  With Paris Lennon's status still up in the air and with Darryl Washington facing a four game suspension, this was a solid pick.  Mathieu is a boom or bust pick.  If he's straightened out his off field issues he could be a real find in round 3, if he relapses into his previous problems he won't be around for long.  The Cardinals apparently believe they have a strong support group in place to help him succeed, I hope they are right, who doesn't like a comeback story.  I keep thinking back to the "Honey Badger" days and can't help but think it was a gamble worth taking.

Vikings Draft Cordarrelle Patterson

In a shrewd bit of maneuvering the Vikings were able to trade back into round number one of the NFL Draft yesterday to select Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson at number 29 overall.  They appear to have paid a steep price to make the move but upon closer examination it does seem to fall in line with the draft value charts.  I like the trade, they had 11 picks, they're were not about to bring in 11 rookies, plus they desperately needed another WR, why not be bold at that point?  Patterson was nice value too, he seemed to be projected to go in the teens, they got him at number 29 overall.  Patterson can also return kickoffs and punts so that's even more added value.  Check out this Sport Science piece on him, it's pretty impressive.  The Vikings had quite the haul on day one of the draft, they got great value on all 3 picks.  The Vikings have now had 5 number one draft picks in the past 2 years, that bodes well for the future. 

Vikings Draft Xavier Rhodes

The Vikings used their second number one draft pick of the 2013 NFL Draft on Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes yesterday.  After losing Antoine Winfield to the Seahawks I thought it was likely that they'd target a CB with one of those first round picks.  Rhodes, like Sharrif Floyd before him, fell right into the Vikings laps, most had projected him to be selected somewhere in the teens, to get him at 25 is nice value.  They also wanted to get a big CB so that they'd have a better match up with the likes of Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall and Rhodes fits the bill their too.  I like this pick too!  Keep them coming Vikes!

Cardinals Draft Jonathan Cooper

The Arizona Cardinals drafted North Carolina OG Jonathan Cooper with their first round draft pick yesterday.   Even with the top 3 OT's already picked, the Cardinals had to get OL help.  They had their choice of Jonathan Cooper and Chance Warmack.  I like them both, I think they will both be long time starters, but if choosing between the two, I think Cooper was the right call.  Cooper was a team captain and he started 40+ games at North Carolina, he clearly outperformed Warmack at the Scouting Combine and he doesn't have the injury red flags that Warmack has.  Arians likes to pound the rock between the tackles, having a road grader like Cooper paving the way will help immensely.  Nice start to the draft Cards! 

Vikings Draft Sharrif Floyd

The Minnesota Vikings used their first of what turned out to be three number one draft picks in the 2013 NFL Draft on Florida DT Sharrif Floyd yesterday.  Considering that he was being projected as a top 5 pick by most draft experts you've got to believe that the Vikings were thrilled to have him fall into their laps at number 23 overall.  I love the pick, the Vikings have made no secret of their desire to add another good young interior defensive lineman for quite some time now, and they got a good one in Floyd, he can just be so disruptive.  Nice job Vikes!

TPSG 2012-13 NBA Post Season Awards

Here are the TPSG picks for the NBA Post Season honors:


MVP - LeBron James - Heat - His best year ever, and that's saying something.
Rookie of the Year - Damien Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers - Easily the best rookie. 
Sixth Man - J.R. Smith - Knicks - Jamal Crawford is a distant second. 
Coach of the Year - Mike Woodson - Knicks - Knicks exceeded my expectations by a long shot.  George Karl is a close second in my book. 
Comeback Player of the Year - Ricky Rubio - Timberwolves - he came back nicely from devastating knee injury.  He improved greatly as the season progressed.
Most Improved Player - O.J. Mayo - Mavericks - He played much better in Dallas. 
Defensive Player of the Year - Marc Gasol - Grizzlies - A dominant force in the middle.

First Team All NBA
LeBron James - Miami Heat
Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City Thunder
Carmello Anthony - New York Knicks
Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
Dwight Howard - Los Angeles Lakers

Second Team All NBA  
Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
James Harden - Houston Rockets
Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs

2013 TPSG NFL Mock Draft 6.0

The NFL Draft is tomorrow, it's time to unveil my final 2013 NFL Mock Draft. This one will also take into account the recent trade of Darrell Revis to Tampa Bay, so here goes, version 6.0:

1. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joekel - OT - Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan
3. Oakland Raiders - Sharrif Floyd - DT - Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Dion Jordan - DE - Oregon 
5. Detroit Lions - Ezekiel Ansah - DE - BYU
6. Cleveland Browns - Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals - Lane Johnson - OT - Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills - Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia
9. New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU
10. Tennessee Titans - Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina
11. San Diego Chargers - Chance Warmack - OG - Alabama
12. Miami Dolphins - Xavier Rhodes - CB - Florida State
13. New York Jets - Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia
14. Carolina Panthers - Star Lotulelei - DT - Utah
15. New Orleans Saints - Jarvis Jones - OLB - Georgia
16. St Louis Rams - Cordarelle Patterson - WR - Tennessee
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kenny Vaccarro - S - Texas
18. Dallas Cowboys - Sheldon Richardson - DT - Missouri
19. New York Giants - Bjoern Werner - DE - Florida State
20. Chicago Bears - Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia
21. Cincinnati Bengals - D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama
22. St Louis Rams - Eric Reid - DB - LSU
23. Minnesota Vikings - Desmond Trufant - CB - Washington
24. Indianapolis Colts - Datone Jones - DE - UCLA
25. Minnesota Vikings - Manti Te'o - LB - Notre Dame
26. Green Bay Packers - Eddie Lacey - RB - Alabama
27. Houston Texans - DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Clemson
28. Denver Broncos - Damontre Moore - DE - Texas A&M
29. New England Patriots - D.J. Hayden - CB - Houston
30. Atlanta Falcons - Tyler Eifert - TE - Notre Dame
31. San Francisco 49ers - Sylvester Williams - DT - North Carolina
32. Baltimore Ravens - Kevin Minter - LB - LSU

Mixed Magazine

Mixed Magazine is growing on me.  Give it a look.

AZ Tidbits

• Medicinal marijuana looks to be quite a job creator in Arizona. 
• Pat's Run does a really nice job of honoring Pat Tillman's legacy.  
• The Phoenix Suns fire General Manager Lance Blanks. Charles Barkley as replacement?
• Have you been to Lake Havasu for Spring Break?   
• Jeff Flake votes against background checks and braces for the fallout.
• Would the proposed immigration bill be a windfall for the Arizona economy?
• UA's Grant Jerrett declares for the NBA Draft.  Really.  
• The Cardinals are still without a training camp home.  Flagstaff was fine! 
• Maya Day & Nightclub set to open in Old Town Scottsdale. 
• I have definitely got to get to Havasu Blue Falls someday. 
• Arizona State Senator Al Melvin announces run for Arizona Governor. 
• Is Mike Brown in the Phoenix Suns future plans? 
• Why didn't I attend Arizona State University again?  Or the University of Arizona? 
• Joe Arpaio recall efforts stalling.  Sign the petition.   
• The Goldwater Institute continues to stick their nose where it's not welcome.  
• What are the Arizona Cardinals going to do come draft day? 
• Arizona's Benson Henderson retains his UFC Lightweight Championship. 
• Is that a drone you see in the Arizona sky? 
• Brittney Griner is gay?  I would have never guessed it. 
• Is Scottsdale is going country?  It looks like it. 

Boston Strong

Sing it Neil Diamond!  We are all Boston!  You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!

Hidden Hotel Room Fee's

I was just online checking out hotel rates in Las Vegas and one thing that really irritates me is that all of the hotels list rates that do not include their mandatory hotel fee's.  If these fee's are mandatory WTF don't they just include them as part of the price they are charging?  Why the need for the deception?  Being charged for items I never use is bad enough but it also seems criminal that many places wait until check in to spring these added costs onto you.  Even worse, the Caesars/Harrah's properties are now charging these fee's too, there is pretty much now no escaping them when visiting Las Vegas.  I think we are long past due for the FTC to take a harder line against this deceptive practice.