SBNation.com User Blog: king.nothing

Looking Forward to the "3 Draft Picks"

king.nothing — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:41:23 -0000

So I keep hearing that we have $40 million for free agency and 3 draft picks. The $40 million is set in stone We know what contracts come off the books and when. But what about the 3 draft picks. Well, they might not be as great as you think...

What 3 draft picks do we assume we have? Our 1st, our 2nd, and Golden State's 1st correct? Maybe not. Doing some research on http://www.hoopsworld.com/draft-pick-debt/ I have discovered the following:

Utah Jazz: Receives Golden State’s 2013 first-round pick (top-7 protected in 2013, top-6 protected in 2014, else 2014 and 2016 second-round picks) via Utah (from the Marcus Williams trade on 9/29/09) from the Deron Williams trade on 2/23/11.
-We all knew this trade. We get that 1st round pick unless Golden State has that same "epic fail" they had last year. They would have to be Hornets/Kings bad to keep it, unless the lottery helps them out again.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Receives Utah’s 2013 first-round pick (top-12 protected in 2013, top-9 protected from right to swap in 2014, else 2014 second-round pick) via the Al Jefferson trade on 7/13/10.
-Ladies and gentlemen, top 12 is a lottery team. We are not a lottery team currently. You would have to be right around Dallas range of the standings to keep your own 1st round pick. And that doesn't include if the lottery decides to screw you over and steal your draft pick for Minnesota. But that also means that you miss the playoffs. So now, we only have 2 draft picks.

Utah Jazz: Receives Chicago’s 2013 second-round pick via the Carlos Boozer trade on 7/8/10.
-And there is our 2nd pick. We don't have two 1st and a 2nd that we assumed we would. In reality we have a 1st that we could possibly lose depending on how the Warriors start playing and two 2nd round picks.

So where does this all stack up in the grand scheme of things? Well at the NBA trade deadline, we would drafting as such:
Golden State - 19th pick overall
Utah Jazz - 48th pick overall
Chicago Bulls - 51st pick overall

Knowing that now, how do you feel about the draft? You think you can find decent starters/role players in the 2nd round? Every once in a while you strike gold and catch a Paul Millsap but how often do you find Robert Whaley?

The Sad State of Utah (Jazz)

king.nothing — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:31:08 -0000

Ladies and gentlemen, the times have come that I must finally sit down and write this article. I have had these thoughts since last year, but I hoped this year would help fix things. I was hoping that a locked out preseason was just something to get in the way from development. Sadly to say, we are in a sad state of the Utah Jazz.

First thing I would like to bring to attention is the coaching, or lack thereof. Management made a huge mistake when it handed the reins off to Ty Corbin. Not because of the move. I was alright with the move when it happened. The part that annoyed me was the fact that it wasn’t an interim deal but a long term deal. Earlier this year, around Halloween time, the team exercised the team option to keep Corbin through his contract till the 2013-2014 season. No matter what we do as a team, we are not obligated to pay Ty for those years. Even if we drop him this year, he counts against what we pay coaches. This may hamper having a new coach come in, knowing that he might not be getting as good a money as he could be getting.

Another item of note is our starting lineup. Many times in the past, I have wondered about the starting lineup. As of recently, I have been ok with the thought of Foye in the starting lineup. He gives you 11 points a game. It’s not bad. Especially in an offense that caters to Al Jefferson. What I have a problem with is Marvin Williams in the starting lineup. Marvin just seems like the odd man out in this situation. Hayward is far and beyond the better choice. Going off of ESPN stats it looks like this:

Keep in mind these are averages.

Marvin: 26 min, 8.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1 apg

Hayward: 26 min, 13.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.5 apg

Marvin may be the better option at defending but that brings me to my next point.

Playing time. I feel there is a lack of confidence on the part of Alec Burks, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Jeremy Evans, Kevin Murphy, and to some extent Gordon Hayward. The injuries to Mo and Earl have been a blessing actually. Burks has played some solid minutes. We get to see him run the point. And we have learned what we all assumed, he can play the position well but he needs a proven ball handler like Hayward there to save him when times get tough. Only way he gets better is time on task. When Mo gets back, Burks will find his seat at the end of the bench with Murphy and Evans. Sad but true.

I know many are going to say that Favors and Kanter are getting solid minutes, but I say that you sir (or ma’am) are wrong. Yes Favors is getting some solid time off the bench. But he is playing behind Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Both those guys want their minutes and Ty is willing to pony them up. Kanter on the other hand, is being screwed the most of it all. Jefferson got his 30 minutes that he averages, against Milwaukee. Paul actually got 37 minutes, normally averages around 30, against Milwaukee. Kanter gives you 17 minutes and gives you 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks. How do you reward the kid for a strong performance? You give him 7 minutes two days later against the Bulls. The only reason his minutes per game average stays around 14 is because he plays a lot of garbage time like the Sacrament and Houston game.

The kid was in rhythm. Possibly could have been in a hot streak, and you shut it down before it could get rolling. If you keep messing the young players like this, they will start playing like Carroll and be playing for the rest of the league, using this year to gain a contract for next year.

So how do we fix this? Easy enough, you make some trades. Mo Williams, Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley, Randy Foye, Raja Bell, Marvin Williams, DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap, and Al Jefferson will all become free agents at the end of this year. In my mind, they are all trading pieces. Do you honestly feel that an Al Jefferson led team will take you to the NBA Finals and win it? If that answer is no, then you need to realize that trades need to be made. You send these men out to get your younger players some time. With or without Jefferson and Millsap, this year is a bust. We will not win the NBA Championship. If we rid ourselves of these players we have the option to playing the youth. They get minutes, they get shots, and they get repetition. Most importantly, they get time together to gel as a team. Call this year a wash and let the youth movement begin. It’s not tanking when we are seeing what we have for the future and playing our future now.

Now I am not saying that we go out and trade for whatever. We will not Semi-Pro this and trade a player for a washing machine. I say the stipulation we put down is that if we are trading away our guys, we demand youth in return. A great example would be to demand that if San Antonio wants Al, we want Leonard part of the package. Leonard could be the missing piece to a starting lineup of Burks/Hayward/Leonard/Favors/Kanter. Also, if we are taking on aging players, they must be an All-Star or borderline All-Star player. This includes a Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings. If teams feel they are a few missing pieces away from the playoffs, or looking for a salary dump, they will pony for what we demand.

Overall, what I am trying to say is we need to get a better option at coach. With the new coach, I believe he should extend an offer to Karl Malone to come in and coach our bigs. Also, I feel that Horny and Stockton should be made assistants also. Both could do great work with our point guards and wing players. Also, I believe that we should be giving our youth more time. Start moving out pieces, especially those that you feel will not be here next year, and get the youth movement off the bench onto the court and starting.

Keep in mind these are averages.

Marvin: 26 min, 8.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1 apg

Hayward: 26 min, 13.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.5 apg

Marvin may be the better option at defending but that brings me to my next point.

2012 NFL Awards

king.nothing — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:39:03 -0000

Tomorrow night, the NFL will hold a red carpet event that where they hand out awards. Various awards are up for grabs, and in some cases the award is pretty much a given. With that said, I figured we see how the APC views the NFL Awards and get everybody else view on the 2012 season.

NFL Most Valuable Player Award - Adrian Peterson
-AP went off. 9 yards short of breaking the rushing record. Have to recognize the huge year he had.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year - Calvin Johnson
-NFL tends to not award the same award to same guy who won MVP (See Brees/Rodgers from 2011). So I give this out to Calvin Johnson for breaking Jerry Rice's season record.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year - J.J. Watt
-Watt was full speed all year long, on a team that everybody called crazy for letting Mario Williams go. 20.5 sacks on the season in his second year.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year - Russell Wilson
-Wilson was consistent and didn't have as many turnovers as Luck. Wilson also rushed the ball effectively and did it without getting hurt, like RG3. Also tied Manning's record for touchdown passes by a rookie.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year - Casey Hayward
-Spent most the year either in slot or across Tramon Williams. Rookie DBs are going to be targeted and Casey stepped it up in a huge way.

Comeback Player of the Year - Peyton Manning
-Multiple neck surgeries are huge to come back from. I would like to give it to AP, but Jamaal Charles came back from an ACL injury also and tore it up for the Chiefs (only guy to tear it up for the Chiefs). Plus the fear that a coach and front office might have considering that one bad play might end Manning's career, prior to the season. Came out and played huge.

Coach of the Year - Chuck Pagano/Bruce Arians
-For a team with a rookie QB, a coach that went down with leukemia, and destroying a team to square one in the off-season, Pagano/Arians really worked their asses off to get the Colts from a 2 game winner to a 11 game winner.

Front Office of the Year - John Elway/Denver Broncos
-Walked into Denver, killed off Tebow time there and ushered in the Manning era. Add the fact he wouldn't quit on Moreno, and built a team that was set on protecting Manning and working around Manning, Elway made Denver a team to hate to face in the future.

So lets hear it from you guys. Who do you think wins and why?

NFL Most Valuable Player Award - Adrian Peterson
-AP went off. 9 yards short of breaking the rushing record. Have to recognize the huge year he had.

So lets hear it from you guys. Who do you think wins and why?

The Playoff System for the 2011-2012 Season

king.nothing — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:10:37 -0000

So inspired by Adam’s post on the 16 team playoff, I went to www.whatifsports.com and put his 16 teams through a playoff. Notre Dame and Alabama came out to be playing in the National Championship Game. I decided to take the time to work from 2011-12 season going backwards and show what a playoff system would have done to change the landscape of the NCAA. I am going to try to get back to the 1998 season, when the BCS first showed up, but bear with me as I do have a massive vacation planned for end of Dec. and most of Jan.

So let’s start with the format. My playoffs will consist of 12 teams. Round 1 will be the Mountain West Champions vs. the Big East Champions. The winner plays in the Sugar Bowl against the SEC Champion. The ACC Champion will take on the highest ranked WAC/MAC Champion, with the winner gaining a bid to the Rose Bowl to take on the PAC 12(10) Champion. Conference USA will face the highest ranked Independent and the winner gains a bid to the Cotton Bowl to face the Big 12 Champion. Finally two At-Large schools face off to play the Big 10 Champion in the Outback Bowl. Semi-finals would consist of the Orange and Fiesta Bowls. Outside of the 1st round, every game is played on a neutral field. Higher rank is the host team.

So let’s get started. The 2011 NCAA football season was what put the final nail in the coffin when it came to the playoff system. The finals saw two SEC schools, Alabama and LSU, playing for the National Championship. Alabama’s only loss on the year was to the SEC Champion LSU. Many were disgruntled about the decision because Alabama’s win made them the BCS Champions but they weren’t the champions of their own conference.

ROUND 1
TCU vs. West Virginia
-Winner plays LSU
Clemson vs. Northern Illinois
-Winner plays Oregon
Southern Miss vs. BYU
-Winner plays Oklahoma State
Alabama vs. Stanford
-Winner plays Wisconsin

West Virginia travels to TCU for their first game and defeats them 41-40 in overtime by a blocked field goal. Geno Smith is named MVP by going 26-40, 323 yards and 3 scores. West Virginia’s high power offense now gets to travel to the Sugar Bowl and face LSU.

In the first shocker of the playoffs, Clemson hosts Northern Illinois. After watching Northern Illinois jump out to a 21 point start, Clemson rallies back but falls short. Northern Illinois collects a bid to the Rose Bowl with a 24-16 win over Clemson. Chandler Harnish is named MVP going 11-17, 142 yards and 1 touchdown. He also rushes 22 times for 98 yards and a score.

In the next match, BYU travels to Southern Mississippi and, as usual with Riley Nelson, we got stuck in a big hole. Entering the 4th, we was down 7-26. But Nelson connected with 3 touchdown passes, 2 to Hoffman, and we stormed back to a 29-26 win. The game winner came with :08 left on the clock. Most Valuable Player was Cody Hoffman with 5 catches for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. BYU now travels to the Cotton Bowl to face Oklahoma State.

Just what everybody wanted to see? How would Andrew Luck hold up against an SEC school? Well not too bad, but couldn’t beat Alabama. Until the final 4 minutes, Stanford held their own and then allowed 2 touchdowns by Alabama to lose 34-41. Trent Richardson hit beast mode and won MVP with 25 rushing attempts for 136 yards and 1 touchdown. He also caught 3 balls for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. They now face Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.

QUARTERFINALS
West Virginia vs. LSU
Northern Illinois vs. Oregon
BYU vs. Oklahoma State
Alabama vs. Wisconsin

And we are down to 8 schools now. West Virginia survives a shootout to face the SEC Champion, LSU Tigers. Northern Illinois pulls off an upset of the tournament and gets to face the PAC 12 Champion Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl. BYU climbs back into the tournament to now travel to Dallas and play Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. And Alabama plays 4 minutes longer than Stanford to get Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.

It took the entire 60 minutes and at the end, a last second field goal by LSU allows them to survive to the semi-finals. LSU holds off West Virginia by the score of 27-24. This is after West Virginia came from behind to tie it all up at 24 after being down 10 with 8 minutes left. MVP goes to Spencer Ware with 22 rushing attempts, 77 yards and 2 scores.

With LSU getting the winner, Oregon and Northern Illinois were set to do battle in the Rose Bowl. Northern Illinois jumped out to at 17-0 lead on Oregon but the two headed rushing attack of Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James proved to be too much. Both men combined went almost a full 300 yards. LaMichael James wins MVP honors with 171 yards on 25 attempts for 1 score. Oregon wins 38-10

BYU travels to Dallas and takes on Oklahoma State. BYU’s defense has a huge task of shutting down Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. I would have more faith in this year’s defense but this is 2011’s squad. And sadly, we struggle against Oklahoma State. The game’s MVP is Brandon Weeden as he goes 32-49 for 436 yards with 5 touchdowns. This is after he recovers from 2 first quarter picks. Oklahoma State wins the right to face the Alabama/Wisconsin winner after beating BYU 30-63.

Alabama v Wisconsin has the makings to be legendary. Montee Ball is to be sure of that as he rushes he earns MVP honors on 208 yards on 31 carries and 5 touchdowns. Also he grabbed 3 receptions, taking one to the house. By the way, Wisconsin jumped out to a 27-0 lead, thanks to Montee Ball. Montee Ball scored every touchdown for Wisconsin as Alabama couldn’t keep up with Wisconsin. Wisconsin knocks off the BCS Champion Alabama by the final score of 44-47. If Oklahoma State wants a shoot-out, Wisconsin seems up to the task.

SEMI-FINALS
LSU vs. Oregon
Oklahoma State vs. Wisconsin

4 schools remain, and they are all automatic bid teams. The true BCS Champion of that year struggled with Wisconsin and attempted a comeback and fell short. The playoffs have already proven to put teams to the test, and some teams are showing cracks, while others exploit those weaknesses.

The Orange Bowl this year consists of the LSU Tigers and the Oregon Ducks. Oregon is crazy scary with the offense while LSU has the Heisman candidate in Tyrann Mathieu and 1st round NFL pick Morris Claiborne playing the corner positions. And defense proves to be the difference as LSU puts down the Ducks, 38-17 and earn a right to play in the Championship Game. Spencer Ware earns the MVP by going 131 yards on 23 carries and 2 touchdowns. By the way, the Honey Badger proves his worth with 1 touchdown off an interception. Not too shabby.

And the Fiesta Bowl gets to host Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. Defenses, please exit the field. Montee Ball decides that he is not finished here in the playoffs and tears off another 4 scores. Montee Ball gets 228 yards on 26 attempts for 3 rushes and collects 3 receptions for 46 yards and his 4th score. For those of you not keeping track at home, that is 9 scores in 2 games. Wisconsin wins a wild one, 41-51. How amazing would that be to see.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
LSU vs. Wisconsin

Not going to lie, I didn’t expect this at the start of this. I was thinking of seeing Alabama tear through the At Large spots to make it. I was hoping for BYU to be there to get in. I was hoping for a non-AQ school to make a run. None the less, I love this match up. Montee Ball has 9 scores in 2 games. LSU is averaging to holding schools to 20 points a game. Something has to give. And something does.

Wisconsin does what it does best, jump out to a big lead and beats you down with a running game. The first quarter starts out Wisconsin jumping out to a 7-0 lead thanks to one Montee Ball. LSU finally finds the score board in the 2nd quarter with a field goal, but by then Montee Ball has collected another score and Russell Wilson has found Jeff Duckworth with a touchdown pass. All Wisconsin has to do now is run you down. Montee Ball wins the MVP award, with 32 carries for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wisconsin wins, 10-38.

And there you have it. Wisconsin the NCAA College Football Champions. 2011-2012 had one of the most impressive playoff performances by Montee Ball. His stat line for the entire playoffs was crazy good. 89 rushes for 636 yards. He averaged just over 7 yards a carry! Plus 10 rushing touchdowns and 2 receiving touchdowns.

What might have been!

ROUND 1
TCU vs. West Virginia
-Winner plays LSU
Clemson vs. Northern Illinois
-Winner plays Oregon
Southern Miss vs. BYU
-Winner plays Oklahoma State
Alabama vs. Stanford
-Winner plays Wisconsin

QUARTERFINALS
West Virginia vs. LSU
Northern Illinois vs. Oregon
BYU vs. Oklahoma State
Alabama vs. Wisconsin

SEMI-FINALS
LSU vs. Oregon
Oklahoma State vs. Wisconsin

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
LSU vs. Wisconsin

What might have been!

Game Time Activities

king.nothing — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:12:04 -0000

Anyways this past week I was given a huge gift. My boss at work gave me 2 tickets to see the Denver Broncos play the Cleveland Browns. I am a student of the game. I love the tactics behind it all, the pre snap adjustments, and the player development. So naturally Peyton Manning is one of the players I always look at as a great example of this. Of course I jumped on this chance to see the game.

This will be my first time in Denver for a game and I am curious as to actually what to do for the pregame festivals. I am not a drinker, so take that into account. You guys do like a tailgate? There some resturants to check out? Give me some ideas guys.

Also, congrats on the season so far. Manning has looked everything like the beast he was prior to the surgeries. I was always supportive of him coming back and laughed at analysis saying he can't throw the deep ball. Manning was never famous for the deep ball. Manning is famous for reading a defense and adjusting his guys to it. Manning would always find a way to put his team in a situation to not have to throw the deep ball. Manning has a keen for the short to medium game. Manning is more Football IQ than throwing power, and that has what has made him deadly.

Thanks guys.

Hello all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brett and I am a Packers fan since I was young. I live in Utah, and the Broncos have always been on tv so I have grown to like the team (except when you yanked that title from us). Anyways this past week I was given a huge gift. My boss at work gave me 2 tickets to see the Denver Broncos play the Cleveland Browns. I am a student of the game. I love the tactics behind it all, the pre snap adjustments, and the player development. So naturally Peyton Manning is one of the players I always look at as a great example of this. Of course I jumped on this chance to see the game. This will be my first time in Denver for a game and I am curious as to actually what to do for the pregame festivals. I am not a drinker, so take that into account. You guys do like a tailgate? There some resturants to check out? Give me some ideas guys. Also, congrats on the season so far. Manning has looked everything like the beast he was prior to the surgeries. I was always supportive of him coming back and laughed at analysis saying he can't throw the deep ball. Manning was never famous for the deep ball. Manning is famous for reading a defense and adjusting his guys to it. Manning would always find a way to put his team in a situation to not have to throw the deep ball. Manning has a keen for the short to medium game. Manning is more Football IQ than throwing power, and that has what has made him deadly. Thanks guys.

Team USA Challenge

king.nothing — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:15:55 -0000

The current looking is superstar driven, as you would expect, but is currently ailing. The current roster sports:

LaMarcus Aldridge - F/C - Portland Trail Blazers
Carmelo Anthony - F - New York Knicks
Chauncey Billups - G - Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Bosh - F - Miami Heat
Kobe Bryant - G - Los Angeles Lakers
Tyson Chandler - C - New York Knicks
Anthony Davis - F - University of Kentucky
Kevin Durant - G - Oklahoma City Thunder
Rudy Gay - F - Memphis Grizzlies
Eric Gordon - G - New Orleans Hornets
Blake Griffin - F - Lost Angeles Clippers
James Harden - G - Oklahoma City Thunder
Dwight Howard - F/C - Orlando Magic
Andre Iguodala - G/F - Philadelphia 76ers
LeBron James - F - Miami Heat
Kevin Love - F - Minnesota Timberwolves
Lamar Odom - F - Dallas Mavericks
Chris Paul - G - Los Angeles Clippers
Derrick Rose - G - Chicago Bulls
Dwayne Wade - G - Miami Heat
Russell Westbrook - G - Oklahoma City Thunder
Deron Williams - G - New Jersey Nets

The current looking is superstar driven, as you would expect, but is currently ailing. The current roster sports:

Everybody on that team is battle tested in the NBA, excluding Anthony Davis. Though there seems to be one big problem that has emerged. And that there is a few players that have taken on the injury bug as of late and flamed out against the unstoppable monster. More on that later.

A group of just 11 of these men could destroy competition, but to have 22 is a huge blessing going into the 2012 Olympic Tournament. They will only take 12 players to the tournament, so 10 of these men are going to be sitting home watching. 8 games stand between them and the Gold Medal.

So now it is your turn. Assemble the 12 "best" players to take to the 2012 Olympic. I use the term "best" depending on offensive sets, defensive play, etc. The rules though are:

1) Injured players are ineligible. This includes:
-LaMarcus Aldridge
-Chauncey Billups
-Dwight Howard
-Derrick Rose
-Chris Bosh

2) Take into consideration players left in playoffs
-Would you really want to take Wade, James, Durant, Westbrook and Harden when they just got done beating down each other or would you rather have a more rested team.

3) USA players only.
-Sorry no Kanter. No Manu. No Dirk.

4) Take into consideration the teams/players you will face and potentially will face. Do you bring a less than average guard that can score since you will face up against Tony Parker? This includes:
- Argentina (Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino, Manu Ginobili, )
- France (Joakim Noah, Boris Diaw, Nicolas Batum, Tony Parker)
- Tunisia (No Current NBA Players)
- Australia (Patrick Mills, Matthew Dellavedova)
- Brazil (Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa, Nene, Tiago Splitter)
- China (Yi Jianlian)
- Great Britian (Andrew Lawrence, Luol Deng)
- Spain (Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Rudy Fernandez, Jose Calderon)

5) The final but I feel is the spoiler rule. Out of your team of 12, no more than 8 can come from the current Team USA team. 4 of the players have to be from the NCAA or entering the NBA from the NCAA.

There you go. Post your Team USA following the rules. Also, to add some intrigue to it, assume that this isn't the last year for Coach K but last year was. So assemble who your head coach is and two assistants that are current or former head coaches. Also, if you so desire, tell what your offensive mind set would be and your defensive mind set.

Have fun! I'll post mine in the next few days.

Ranking the #1 Picks

king.nothing — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:44:47 -0000

This year will mark the 8th year that Ted Thompson has taken over as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers. In the past 7 years, Ted Thompson has made 7 First Round Draft Choices. Since the draft will be on in 2 hours and 7 minutes, but who is counting let take this time to rank (in your opinion) his #1 Round picks. They are:

2005: Aaron Rodgers, QB, California
2006: AJ Hawk, LB, Ohio State
2007: Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
2008: No 1st Rounder (But we traded pick away to get Jordy Nelson, rank him in there if you wish)
2009: BJ Raji, DT, Boston College
2009: Clay Matthews, LB, USC
2010: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
2011: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi St.

Mine

#1 Aaron Rodgers - MVP, no doubt has to be at top of this list.
#2 Clay Matthews - Face of the franchise, on the defensive side, for the future.
#3 AJ Hawk - Defensive captain and that alone is reason he is #3. Wasn't worth a 1st Round, but has been solid ever since.
#4 BJ Raji - Love this guy and his intensity. Does better with rushers around him.
#5 Bryan Bulaga - The progress from year 1 to year 2 was a huge jump, especially in short offeason.
#6 Derek Sherrod - One year in and beating out Harrell. Like that was hard.
#7 Justin Harrell - Big...big...big mistake.

When And Why

king.nothing — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:09:19 -0000

With the offseason picking up, time to generate our own discussions.

I live in Utah. Closes teams are the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos. Most of my community is Broncos fans with some Raiders mixed in. A couple Bears, a Rams fan, Jets fan and two Bucs fans. Oh and those Steeler fans. That is my knowledge.

Yet in my family: Dad is Steelers, Mom is Cowboys, other brother is Cowboys, another brother is Saints and last is a Browns fan (go figure). Then there is me, the Packers fan. I am one of the few Packers fan in my community. I have met one other, so I am not alone. The question gets asked to me all the time. When and why are you a Packers fan?

Truth be told, Dec 8, 1996 was the first time I saw the Green and Gold play. They were playing the Broncos. I rooted for them, since all my friends were Broncos fans. Green Bay beat them down 41-6. I remember watching Brett Favre and being drawn to his style of play. Needless to say, they won the Super Bowl that year. I told everybody I was a Packers fan, when really I was a Brett Favre fan.

The following year, we lose to the Broncos in the Super Bowl. I took it rough. I remember taking hell and feeling like crap about it. But I stay true to the team that had #4. As the years went on, I cared less and less about Favre and more about the team. Sadly as they were in some low spots, I started to lose interest in the Packers and football in general. Then one day I got invited to a boss's house to watch Cowboys vs. Packers.

Of course I wear my Brett Favre jersey. Talk a bunch of crap. Yadda, yadda, yadda, Favre gets hurt. Aaron Rodger steps on the field and it was like I was 7 again. Rodgers looked like that young Brett Favre I remember from my youth and I was once again suck back into the Packers. Since then, I have followed the Packers every offseason, preseason, season and post season.

So when and why are you a Packers fan?

With the offseason picking up, time to generate our own discussions.

So when and why are you a Packers fan?

Current Cougars In Playoffs

king.nothing — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:47:14 -0000

So, last night as I watched Alex Smith battle it out with the Saints, I grabbed my phone and sent my buddy a text. Generally I could care less about the two teams. I am a Packers fan, so I watched with the intent of who we would face, if we won. Back to the text, it read: "the 9ers BYU quarterback will always be better than the 9ers Utah quarterback." his respond was, "whatever dude lol how many BYU players are in the playoffs."

That got me thinking, who from BYU is still playing. So I went on a search. Both Saturday games was duds. No Cougars on the 49ers, Saints, Patriots, or Broncos. But today, there is a few to watch out for:

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens
-You all know Pitta. The man was a stud. Team captain, John Mackey Award top 3 finalists in 2009, first team All-American. 62 catches for 829 yards and 8 TD in his Senior year alone. By the way, was a greyshirt walk on. If you don't know Dennis Pitta, check your BYU man card at the door. Exploded onto the scene this year after just being a back up last year.

Vic So'oto, LB, Green Bay Packers
-I would write an entire article on this man, but that is just because he is BYU and Green Bay. Loved watching him in pre-season and clean up minutes at end of games. Green Bay signed him as a non-drafted free agent and everybody over at Acme Packing Company is waiting to see this guy explode. Only disappointment is he plays same side as Clay Matthews, so unless coaches think he could play the other side, look at him as a back up. Though he got some good minutes against the Lions and finished with 2 tackles and a sack.

And thats its. Two Cougars still run wild in the NFL Playoffs. Outside of the Playoffs, there is still some good talent getting to watch. A few that come to mind: John Beck, Max Hall, Austin Collie, Brady Poppinga.

Re-Mocking the Drafts/Ted Thompson

king.nothing — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:31:11 -0000

On a site I go to, www.walterfootball.com, they have mock drafts, celebrity mock drafts (all satire), backward drafts (Green Bay picks #1 instead of #32, which leads to Von Miller), and so on and so forth. One I was just looking over was the Re-Mock Drafts. In a Re-Mock, the writer looks at a past NFL draft (most recent 2006) and re-mocks the entire first round with stars that emerged from that draft if it was to be redone.

One item that stood out to me was the 2005 and 2006 first round picks. Not only the Green Bay Packers but the drafts entirely. It is made up of various players that Ted Thompson has picked in late rounds or undrafted rookies. I will list below:

2005 NFL Re-Mock Draft
#1 San Francisco 49ers: Aaron Rodgers, QB, California
Actual 2005 NFL Draft Pick: Alex Smith, QB
Difference: Same Round, 23 Picks Total

#16 New Orleans Saints: Nick Collins, FS, Bethune-Cookman
Actual 2005 NFL Draft Pick: Jammal Brown, OT
Difference: 1 Round, 35 Picks Total

Had Green Bay selecting Jason Campbell by the way

2006 NFL Re-Mock Draft

#5 Green Bay Packers: Tramon Williams, CB, Louisiana Tech
Actual 2006 NFL Draft Pick: A.J. Hawk, OLB
Difference: Tramon went undrafted

#14 Philadelphia Eagles: Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan
Actual 2006 NFL Draft Pick: Brodrick Bunkley, DT
Difference: 1 Round, 38 Picks Total

#31 Seattle Seahawks: AJ Hawk, OLB, Ohio State
Actual 2006 NFL Draft Pick: Kelly Jennings, CB
Difference: Alright, so not all picks weren't in his favor.

The point I am getting at, is our team is what it is because of Ted Thompson. Just look at the names added each year since being named General Manager.

2005: Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins
-May have been a bad year, but got rid of Sherman to replace with McCarthy and got us under the cap.
2006: AJ Hawk, Daryn Colledge, Greg Jennings, Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson, Ryan Pickett, Charlie Peprah
2007: James Jones, Desmond Bishop, Mason Crosby, John Kuhn
2008: Jordy Nelson, Pat Lee, Jermichael Finley, Josh Sitton, Matt Flynn
2009: BJ Raji, Clay Matthews, TJ Lang, Brad Jones, Evan Dietrich-Smith
2010: Bryan Bulaga, Mike Neal, Morgan Burnett, Andrew Quarless, Marshall Newhouse, James Starks, CJ Wilson, Sam Shields, Frank Zombo, Charlie Peprah

I know we all hear the term, the rich get richer. We will probably hear that term when the Colts select Andrew Luck and have both him and Peyton Manning. Or when the Saints drafted Ingram and signed Sproles. But in the true sense of the meaning of the sentence, we have been getting richer. I know looking from that list, that Ted Thompson is a genius when it comes to finding talent. The year that stands out to me is the 2010 year. Everybody on that list, except Shields and Zombo, were our entire draft and they have stepped into their position and been a solid contributor. I know the book is still out on some, such as Neal and Lee, but if Ted Thompson saw something in them then they are destined to be a legit player in this league.

I look at that list and see starters and players who play back up roles that should be starters. Matt Flynn will be a starter. When Woodson or Tramon can't play, we know that we can trust Sam Shields or Jarrett Bush. When Nick Collins went down, Charlie Peprah has quietly stepped into that roll and played very well.

I would like to close with something inspiring but I can't so I will let this shirt do it for me:

Early Mock Draft/NFL Draft

king.nothing — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:46:37 -0000

So, out of boredom I keep track of Mock Drafts through out the season. Currenlty going into Week 15 our first 3 rounds according to Walter Football is:

Round 1: Fletcher Cox, DE/DT, Mississippi State
Round 2: Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
Round 3: Aaron Henry, S, Wisconsin

Personally, I see us doing the following:

Round 1: Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska
Round 2: Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
Round 3: Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU

So what is your thoughts and feelings on how we should/will be using pick #32 in the NFL Draft?

So, out of boredom I keep track of Mock Drafts through out the season. Currenlty going into Week 15 our first 3 rounds according to Walter Football is:

Round 1: Fletcher Cox, DE/DT, Mississippi State
Round 2: Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
Round 3: Aaron Henry, S, Wisconsin

Personally, I see us doing the following:

Round 1: Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska
Round 2: Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
Round 3: Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU

So what is your thoughts and feelings on how we should/will be using pick #32 in the NFL Draft?

McCarthy Coaching Record

king.nothing — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:17:54 -0000

In just his 6th season as the Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy has posted an 58-32 (.644) regular season record and 5-2 (.714) postseason record. Impressive numbers for a man who just a few seasons ago was in the single digit column for wins.

Yet the most impressive record I have determined in my research was actually when I looked up Tony Dungy. Tony Dungy is the only coach in the history of the league to beat all current 32 teams. I wondered how well Coach McCarthy matched up. As of today, he is 6 wins away from being the second ever coach. The only teams he hasn't beat: Bengals, Texans, Jaguars, Patriots, Titans and Packers. Sad to say, he can't knock off anymore this year.

Here is a copy of each team and the day he beat them for the first time.

Arizona Cardinals – October 29, 2006

Atlanta Falcons – January 15, 2011

Baltimore Ravens – December 7, 2009

Buffalo Bills – September 19, 2010

Carolina Panthers – November 18, 2007

Chicago Bears – December 31, 2006

Cincinnati Bengals – YET TO BEAT

Cleveland Browns – October 25, 209

Dallas Cowboys – November 15, 2009

Denver Broncos – October 29, 2007

Detroit Lions – September 24, 2006

Green Bay Packers – YET TO BEAT

Houston Texans – YET TO BEAT

Indianapolis Colts – October 19, 2008

Jacksonville Jaguars – YET TO BEAT

Kansas City Chiefs – November 4, 2007

New England Patriots – YET TO BEAT

New Orleans Saints – September 8, 2011

New York Giants – September 16, 2007

New York Jets – November 21, 2010

Miami Dolphins – October 22, 2006

Minnesota Vikings – November 12, 2006

Oakland Raiders – December 9, 2007

Philadelphia Eagles – September 9, 2007

Pittsburgh Steelers – February 6, 2011

San Diego Chargers – September 23, 2007

San Francisco 49ers – December 10, 2006

Seattle Seahawks – January 12, 2008

St. Louis Rams – December 16, 2007

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – November 20, 2011

Tennessee Titans – YET TO BEAT

Washington Redskins – October 14, 2007

Thoughts? Reactions?

Arizona Cardinals – October 29, 2006

Atlanta Falcons – January 15, 2011

Baltimore Ravens – December 7, 2009

Buffalo Bills – September 19, 2010

Carolina Panthers – November 18, 2007

Chicago Bears – December 31, 2006

Cincinnati Bengals – YET TO BEAT

Cleveland Browns – October 25, 209

Dallas Cowboys – November 15, 2009

Denver Broncos – October 29, 2007

Detroit Lions – September 24, 2006

Green Bay Packers – YET TO BEAT

Houston Texans – YET TO BEAT

Indianapolis Colts – October 19, 2008

Jacksonville Jaguars – YET TO BEAT

Kansas City Chiefs – November 4, 2007

New England Patriots – YET TO BEAT

New Orleans Saints – September 8, 2011

New York Giants – September 16, 2007

New York Jets – November 21, 2010

Miami Dolphins – October 22, 2006

Minnesota Vikings – November 12, 2006

Oakland Raiders – December 9, 2007

Philadelphia Eagles – September 9, 2007

Pittsburgh Steelers – February 6, 2011

San Diego Chargers – September 23, 2007

San Francisco 49ers – December 10, 2006

Seattle Seahawks – January 12, 2008

St. Louis Rams – December 16, 2007

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – November 20, 2011

Tennessee Titans – YET TO BEAT

Washington Redskins – October 14, 2007

Thoughts? Reactions?

Waived Players

king.nothing — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:41:07 -0000

Below is a list of the players being waived by teams. Any names stand out that you think RSL should jump after?

Complete list of waived players:

COLUMBUS

Santiago Prim
Dejan Rusmir

DALLAS

Edson Edward

HOUSTON

Francisco Navas Cobo
Evan Newton

KANSAS CITY

Jeferson Goncalves
Scott Lorenz
Craig Rocastle
Milos Stojcev

NEW YORK

Alex Horwath
Mychel Jones
Tyler Lassiter
Marcos Paullo
John Rooney
Theodore Schneider

NEW ENGLAND

Alan Koger
Otto Loewy
Andrew Sousa

PHILADELPHIA

Juan Diego Gonzalez
Thorne Holder

SALT LAKE

Tim Melia

TORONTO

Kyle Davies
Matthew Gold
Leandre Griffit
Javier Martina
Demitirius Omphroy
Eddy Viator
Eddy Zavarise

VANCOUVER

Bilal Duckett
Nizar Khalfan
Alexandre Morfaw

Below is a list of the players being waived by teams. Any names stand out that you think RSL should jump after?

Complete list of waived players:

COLUMBUS

Santiago Prim
Dejan Rusmir

DALLAS

Edson Edward

HOUSTON

Francisco Navas Cobo
Evan Newton

KANSAS CITY

Jeferson Goncalves
Scott Lorenz
Craig Rocastle
Milos Stojcev

NEW YORK

Alex Horwath
Mychel Jones
Tyler Lassiter
Marcos Paullo
John Rooney
Theodore Schneider

NEW ENGLAND

Alan Koger
Otto Loewy
Andrew Sousa

PHILADELPHIA

Juan Diego Gonzalez
Thorne Holder

SALT LAKE

Tim Melia

TORONTO

Kyle Davies
Matthew Gold
Leandre Griffit
Javier Martina
Demitirius Omphroy
Eddy Viator
Eddy Zavarise

VANCOUVER

Bilal Duckett
Nizar Khalfan
Alexandre Morfaw

Looking Forward

king.nothing — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:24:55 -0000

I am not sure how many of you feel, but in my mind the NBA season is lost to me. Even if they come back, I probably will have very little interest in it. College sports along with the NFL has kept me distracted enough to not care about the lock out. Yet looking forward to 2012-2013 season has me very excited.

After last season: Fesenko, Elson, Kirilenko, Price and Watson all left the team. If the lock out holds out for the entire season, we lose the contracts of: Okur, Evans and Miles without paying their last year costs. So there would only be six (really 8) men on the roster:

PG: Harris
SG: Bell/Burks
SF: Hayward
PF: Millsap/Favors
C: Jefferson/Kanter

We keep the core of our young team. There is still the 2012 NBA Draft (which has mock drafts already) and the one name I see coming up a lot for our team is Austin Rivers from Duke. Personally I rather take a point guard but if we dealt Bell's contract and rights to another team, it might not be a bad deal.

Or do we trade away some picks and a player for cash and go out after the draft and pick up and established point guard?

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nba/2012/point-guard/

That website shows the free agents after each year. Personally I say we get another established veteran back up to backup Harris such as a Barbosa or Miller that we can get for cheap for a year or two at max. Then the following year, when we lose Harris contract we make a big splash for an established superstar point guard. That year is packed full from names ranging from Baron Davis, Manu Ginobili, Jameer Nelson, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams.

What is your thoughts? If this year is totally lost and the deal is put in place after the season, what moves should the Jazz be making?

Bye Week - Wednesday - Defensive Problems

king.nothing — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:33:47 -0000

Sorry about missing out on yesterday article I was attempting to write. I have moved it back tow Wednesday and omit the Oppoenents of the Past and Future, since it was soley based on the strength of schedule and somebody else has gotten to that. But without futher ado:

Recently we have heard the news that the Green Bay Packers defense isn't what it use to be? The question to be really asking is, what did it use to be? Lets take a look at the stats.

2010 Yards Per Game: 309.1
2011 Yards Per Game: 391.1

2010 Points Per Game: 15
2011 Points Per Game: 20.1

2010 3rd Down Completion: 36%
2011 3rd Down Completion: 43%

2010 Sacks: 47
2011 Sacks: 17

2010 Interceptions: 24
2011 Interceptions: 13

2010 Fumbles/Recovered: 15/8
2011 Fumbles/Recovered: 5/3

As you can see from the numbers, we are allowing almost 90 more yards, 5 more points, and allowing more completions to be hit. But that is over a 16 game schedule compared to a 7 game schedule. The only big difference between this year and last year is the lost of Cullen Jenkins and the lost of Nick Collins.

Cullen Jenkins, in my eyes, was dominate due to the fact that Clay Matthews was on the field. The two just fit together because you always doubled up on one and the other got free. Even if you doubled up on Matthews and had a tackle/guard that could hold Jenkins down, it allowed Walden, Bishop, Hawk, or Zombo to get in the back field. The lack of this additional pass rusher is what has hurt when it comes to 3rd Down Completions and Sacks. But as for him just playing by himself: 17 tackles and 5 sacks in 6 games. In 4 games, the playoffs last year, with Clay Matthews on the opposite side he only managed 4 tackles and .5 sacks. Clay managed 16 tackles and 3.5 sacks. It would be nice to have a dominate pass rusher opposite the Claymaker.

What has hurt 3rd Down Completions, Interceptions, Yards, and Points is the lost of Nick Collins. Collins was one of the most underrated Safeties outside of Green Bay. Collins, just like Woodson, was a ball hawk. Nothing helped out our defense more than to watch those two roam and pick off what they could. The emergence of Morgan Burnett, this year, and Tramon Williams, last year, made this defense hard to pick on a certain man. The lost of Collins is like losing the heart of this defense.

As we look forward to the schedule, the quarterback play seems to only stay at a high level. After the bye we play Rivers, Ponder, Freeman,Stafford (twice), Eli, Palmer, Cassel, Cutler. Oh but it gets better for the defense. The Chargers are only team that ranks in the top 10 of offense. Sunday I will step more in depth of the Quarterbacks we will be looking to face and what to expect from them.

Recently we have heard the news that the Green Bay Packers defense isn't what it use to be? The question to be really asking is, what did it use to be? Lets take a look at the stats.

Bye Week - Monday - Mid Season Awards

king.nothing — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:22:57 -0000

Because I like to write and research about football (mainly the Packers) every day I am going to post an article I have written up relating to the Green Bay Packers. Currently the schedule looks as followed:

Monday - Mid Season Awards
Tuesday - Defensive Problems?
Wednesday - Did We Over Pay For James Jones?
Thursday - Opponents of the Past and Future
Friday - 2012 Free Agents
Saturday - 2012 Draft
Sunday - Quarterbacks of the Future

If you wish to comment, that would be awesome. If not, that is cool. Let me know what you think. Since today is Monday, the topic is the Mid-Season Awards. Not too much I can write on this. The main idea is to get the thoughts of the rest of the APC. So if you all don't mind, fill out the following:

Offensive Player of Mid-Year:
Receiver (WR/TE/RB) of Mid-Year:
Offensive Shocker of Mid-Year:
Offensive Play of Mid-Year:

Defensive Player of Mid-Year:
Defensive Up and Comer:
Defensive Shocker of Mid-Year:
Defensive Play of Mid-Year:

Rookie Of The Year:
Best Game So Far:
Worst Game So Far:
Trap Game Of Future:

Thanks guys. Hope to see all your replies. Currently working on the second topic, on if the defense really have a problem or is everybody just going crazy over nothing.

Worst Contract On Every NBA Team

king.nothing — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:42:15 -0000

Was reading over on Fox Sports and they list the worst contract for every NBA team. The point was if the management could take on contract from their team and tear it up they would. Here is the list, and the numbers next to it is what is left on the contract. I put Utah as the last one and the reason for their contract.

Atlanta: Joe Johnson (five years, $107.3M)

Boston: Jermaine O'Neal (one year, $6.2M)

Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas (four years, $33.4M)

Chicago: Carlos Boozer (four years, $60.6M) Hahahahaha

Cleveland: Baron Davis (two years, $28.8M)

Dallas: Brendan Haywood (four years, $34.9M)

Denver: Al Harrington (four years, $27.5M)

Detroit: Richard Hamilton (two years, $25.3M)

Golden State: Andris Biedrins (three years, $27M)

Houston: Hasheem Thabeet (one year, $5.1M)

Indiana: James Posey (one year, $6.9M)

LA Clippers: Chris Kaman (one year, $12.2M)

LA Lakers: Luke Walton (two years, $11.8M)

Memphis: Rudy Gay (four years, $68.3M)

Miami: Mike Miller (four years, $24M)

Milwaukee: Drew Gooden (four years, $26.3M)

Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (two years, $9M)

New Jersey: Travis Outlaw (four years, $28M)

New Orleans: Emeka Okafor (three years, $40.6M)

New York: Renaldo Balkman (two years, $3.4M)

Oklahoma City: Kendrick Perkins (four years, $32.6M)

Orlando: Gilbert Arenas (three years, $62.4M)

Philadelphia: Elton Brand (two years, $35.2M)

Phoenix: Josh Childress (four years, $27M)

Portland: Brandon Roy (three years, $49.1M)

Sacramento: Francisco Garcia (two years, $11.9M)

San Antonio: Richard Jefferson (three years, $30.5M)

Toronto: Amir Johnson (four years, $25M)

Washington: Rashard Lewis (two years, $45.9M)

Utah: Mehmet Okur (one year, $10.9M)

-For years, Andrei Kirilenko was the most overpaid player on the Jazz. Now that his contract has expired, Okur gets the honor for at least one year. When he signed a two-year, $21 million contract extension in 2009, Okur was a sweet-shooting big man who averaged 17 points the previous season. Now 32, he can still shoot but has broken down physically, and he's expendable with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter on the roster.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/gallery/Worst-contract-on-every-NBA-team-071211

Discuss?

Boston: Jermaine O'Neal (one year, $6.2M)

Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas (four years, $33.4M)

Chicago: Carlos Boozer (four years, $60.6M) Hahahahaha

Cleveland: Baron Davis (two years, $28.8M)

Dallas: Brendan Haywood (four years, $34.9M)

Denver: Al Harrington (four years, $27.5M)

Detroit: Richard Hamilton (two years, $25.3M)

Golden State: Andris Biedrins (three years, $27M)

Houston: Hasheem Thabeet (one year, $5.1M)

Indiana: James Posey (one year, $6.9M)

LA Clippers: Chris Kaman (one year, $12.2M)

LA Lakers: Luke Walton (two years, $11.8M)

Memphis: Rudy Gay (four years, $68.3M)

Miami: Mike Miller (four years, $24M)

Milwaukee: Drew Gooden (four years, $26.3M)

Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (two years, $9M)

New Jersey: Travis Outlaw (four years, $28M)

New Orleans: Emeka Okafor (three years, $40.6M)

New York: Renaldo Balkman (two years, $3.4M)

Oklahoma City: Kendrick Perkins (four years, $32.6M)

Orlando: Gilbert Arenas (three years, $62.4M)

Philadelphia: Elton Brand (two years, $35.2M)

Phoenix: Josh Childress (four years, $27M)

Portland: Brandon Roy (three years, $49.1M)

Sacramento: Francisco Garcia (two years, $11.9M)

San Antonio: Richard Jefferson (three years, $30.5M)

Toronto: Amir Johnson (four years, $25M)

Washington: Rashard Lewis (two years, $45.9M)

Utah: Mehmet Okur (one year, $10.9M)

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/gallery/Worst-contract-on-every-NBA-team-071211

Discuss?

Kyle Orton vs. Green Bay Packers

king.nothing — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:45:53 -0000

Every week I am going to try and get one of these written. Basically it takes the play caller playing center and his stats/history against the Packers. Perfect week to start as the first week is Kyle Orton. First some history on Orton.

Kyle Orton was first drafted in the 2005 NFL Draft in the 4th Round with the 106 pick by the Chicago Bears. 14 QBs were taken that year, with Alex Smith (SF), Aaron Rodgers (GB), Jason Campbell (Wash), Charlie Frye (Cle), Andrew Walter (Oak), and David Greene (Sea) all taken before Orton. Only big name QBs taken after him would be 6th Rounder Derek Anderson to Baltimore, Matt Cassel to New England, and Ryan Fitzpatrick to St. Louis.

After a preseason injury to starter Rex Grossman, Orton stepped into the starting job and started 15 games for the season. During the Bears Week 15 victory, Grossman took over and sat the next week. Since they already had a playoff berth set up, Orton started Week 17. Grossman started the playoffs and lost the first game of the playoffs. The Bears went 10-5 with Orton as the starter that year.

In 2006, Orton was demoted to 3rd string QB behind Grossman and Brian Griese. Orton never played this season.

In 2007, Bears were out of contention for the playoffs that Lovie Smith started Orton over Griese and Grossman. In the final three games of the season, Orton went 2-1 on the season.

To start the 2008 season, Orton signed a one-year extension through 2009 and started a QB battle with Grossman. Orton won the battle and kept a hold of the position till Week 9 when he injured his ankle. Grossman started the next game and looked great, so Orton rushed back to the starting position and finished the season with an average QB rating of 66.9. Lovie Smith felt that Orton was playing well and looked at him to be the starter next year.

Jerry Angelo had other ideas for Orton though, as he was traded to the Denver Broncos along with a 1st and 3rd round pick in 2009 and 1st round pick in 2010 for Jay Cutler and the Broncos 5th round pick in 2009.

In 2009, Orton played probably his best football to date. He led the team on a 6-0 record to start the game including the impressive win against the New England Patriots. Orton would suffer an ankle injury later in the season and was replaced by Chris Simms. Orton finished the season playing in 16 games, starting 15.

2010, Orton was named the starter again with hot shot rookie Tim Tebow nipping at his heels. Orton posted his highest yardage game, 476 against the Colts, and highest touchdown game, 4 against the Chiefs, that year. After an injury, Tebow took over and finished the season.

During the offseason, fans were calling for Tebow to start. New coach John Fox has kept Orton in as the starter. There were trade rumors of Orton to go to the Dolphins but the trade talks died out. As the season goes on, Orton keeps playing in a city where the fans want Tebow to start.

Since we got the history out of the way, now on to the stats of Orton vs. the Packers. Kyle Orton is 3-1 against the Packers but his numbers don’t show the exact story of that. Orton has completed just 49.4% of his passes for 447 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Orton only loss was at Lambeau field.

The first game that Orton played the Packers was December 4th, 2005 in Chicago. Chicago won the game 19-7. The Bears only touchdown in the game came off a Brett Favre interception returned 45 years by Nathan Vasher. Orton finished the game 6/17 with 68 yards and 1 interception.

Orton’s second start against The Packers was over two years later on December 23rd, 2007 in Chicago. Chicago won the game 35-7. Orton would finish the game 9/15 with 104 yards and 1 touchdown.

Orton would start the following season on November 16th, 2008 in Lambeau Field. The Packers would win the game 37-3. This was the first year that Aaron Rodgers took over for the Packers. It was a battle of 2005 NFL Draft picks. Orton would finish the game 13/26 for 133 yards. And because your curious, Rodgers would finish the game 23/30 for 227 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

December 22, 2008 the Packers would travel to Solder Field and lose to Orton and the Bears 20-17 in overtime. Kyle Orton would go 14/27 with 142 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

Overall, Orton posted a 3-1 record against the Packers but his only loss was at Lambeau Field in a blow out against an Aaron Rodgers led Packers. Orton has gone 42/85 for roughly 49% completion total. Orton also averages 111 yards against the Packers in the air. With only 2 touchdowns to 3 interceptions, Orton has a winning record against the Packers but that was with the help of defense, special teams and the running game.

On an interesting note, of the three interceptions the Packers have picked off, two of the players are still on the team. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins both have interceptions against Orton with Mark Roman being the only one left off the team.

Career Stats against Green Bay

42/85

447 Yards

2 Touchdowns

3 Interceptions

If he keeps his average, his stats for Sunday should look like:

10/21

111 Yards

.5 Touchdowns

.75 Interceptions

Rate My Fantasy Team

king.nothing — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:35:04 -0000

Its the NFL season, so you know it is fantasy season. Lets use this thread to take a chance to post our rosters and comment on them. We could discuss different players that we think could have break out seasons, and who to shy away from.

This could give us another look at our rosters to get opinions on weak spots in our rosters and areas we need to look to improve upon.

I will post mine in the first reply. Have fun guys.

This could give us another look at our rosters to get opinions on weak spots in our rosters and areas we need to look to improve upon.

I will post mine in the first reply. Have fun guys.

Turkish League/Mini-Camps

king.nothing — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:58:34 -0000

The NFL Lockout had Player Organized mini-camps, where basically the captains or leaders of the team got together with their players and held practices. It seemed to work out pretty well for some teams (Saints and Jets mostly).

Thinking about this NBA Lockout, we know its going to be a long lockout. Do you see the players having those same mini-camps? Also many are talking of going abroad and playing in oversea leagues. Is this basically going to be their mini-camps?

One crazy idea I heard was about the Turkish League. Hearing the idea first, I didn't approve but thinking about it a while later, I realize I like the idea more and more. Basically Enes Kanter gets together with his old team, Fenerbahçe Ülker and resigns. He talks them into bringing in some of the key components to the Jazz team (Hayward, Harris, Millsap, Favors, etc.) They all get playing time and use to each other style. They be on the road together in a foreign country so they would band together, not knowing the culture.

When the lockout is lifted, the Jazz men come back home and have basically half to full season under their belt together.

Thought?

When the lockout is lifted, the Jazz men come back home and have basically half to full season under their belt together.

Thought?

World Football Challenge

king.nothing — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:00:31 -0000

Looking over the World Football Challenge (WFC) I have come to the conclusion that this does nothing to help improve the reputation of soccer in the United States. I applaud them for bringing in the powerhouse teams such as Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC but they missed the one chance to make this a big success in America.

In America we have the opportunity to see any sport we want, during their season, with easy access. Take the NFL for example. There are 32 teams, and living in a state with no team I can drive 6 hours and watch an NFL team. The ease of seeing a pro football game is there.

Take for example that you are the common American non-soccer fan. Does Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union appeal to you? Probably not, and its not their fault, its the fault of the marketing of the MLS. MLS prides itself on the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls. It is easy to see this looking from the inside, because when the big teams come knocking to play, we send out the Galaxy or Red Bulls.

9 times out of 10 that game is played in Los Angeles or in New York. How easy is that for you to get to see that game? Living where I do, Los Angeles is closer and it is still a drive of at least 12 hours.

Take the United States home matches. They do rotate between stadiums but big matches are always contested in the same few areas (Columbus, Tennessee, New York, Los Angeles, Florida). Only once, to my knowledge, has Rio Tinto hosted a match involving the United States men soccer team.

What I am getting at, is the WFC is a failure in my eyes of improving the value of soccer in America. We have 18 teams in the league currently. Why not take a week where there is no games played on Wednesday and do the World Football Challenge in a different format on that Saturday and Sunday. Bring in 18 different teams such as:

Manchester City
Manchester United
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Juventus
Club America
Guadalajara
Ajax
Saprissa
Adelaide United

All different regions of the world and do a draw. Pull a name of an MLS club and pull a name of a World Challenger. Every team gets a home game against a big club that is well known/well established. Imagine the RioT if Real Salt Lake was pulled against a Manchester United or a Barcelona. The place would sell out. Look back at when Monterrey came to town. I know people who went to the game just because they knew Monterrey was a big deal to be playing our team. Heck, image if Real Salt Lake pulled the name of Monterrey. RSL is looking for revenge, the stories and advertisment just writes itself.

Do points for the MLS and points for the World. I would always have the MLS Cup participants get prime time ESPN view ship. Saturday night would be the MLS runner-up on ESPN playing a big club. Then Sunday night the MLS Cup Champion would be on ESPN with the entire would watching possibly a Real Salt Lake vs. Barcelona.

All in all, they should of used this as an opportunity to improve the soccer culture in America. Games would sell out, ESPN showing off the games would be a huge deal. You could get away from the MLS All Star game and just do a MLS vs. The World weekend event.

Sabo

king.nothing — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:53:49 -0000

I just watched the match highlights from Sabo playing with Costa Rica. Is it just me or has Sabo really lost himself? That last game he missed on two different goals from the spot. Really unheard of.

If your RSL, do you wait this out and see what happens or do you secretly start shopping Sabo around? Personally I put Sabo on the bench when he comes back and bring him off the bench making him earn his minutes back. Once he starts playing again like the old days, we let him start a game or two.

At the end of the season, if Sabo is still playing the same, I say we shop him around. Maybe get some money or some decent strikers for him.

Personally what do you do with him?

I just watched the match highlights from Sabo playing with Costa Rica. Is it just me or has Sabo really lost himself? That last game he missed on two different goals from the spot. Really unheard of.

At the end of the season, if Sabo is still playing the same, I say we shop him around. Maybe get some money or some decent strikers for him.

Personally what do you do with him?

Favre's #4

king.nothing — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:56:18 -0000

ESPN has an article on the Packers set to retire Favre's #4 number. Interesting read, with the link for those interested.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6533357

Here is a quote, that I feel is the best line of the entire article:

Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said Wednesday the team one day will retire Brett Favre's No. 4 jersey, but the team will wait a few years to make sure the quarterback is retired for good this time.

ESPN has an article on the Packers set to retire Favre's #4 number. Interesting read, with the link for those interested.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6533357

Here is a quote, that I feel is the best line of the entire article:

Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said Wednesday the team one day will retire Brett Favre's No. 4 jersey, but the team will wait a few years to make sure the quarterback is retired for good this time.

FOX Sports NFL Mock Draft

king.nothing — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:17:31 -0000

So I was looking over the FOX Sports NFL Mock Draft and not sure I like what I see. Here is a link to the draft: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-mock-draft-seven-round-cam-newton-carolina-panthers-042311 but for those of you who don't want to look, here is the Packers picks.

#32 - Marvin Austin, DT/DE, North Carolina
#64 - Benjamin Ijalana, OT, Villanova
#96 - Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State
#129 - Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska
#131 - Jacquizz Rogers, RB, Oregon State
#163 - Derek Newton, OT, Arkansas State
#197 - Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse
#204 - Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
#235 - Roy Helu, RB, Nebraska

Not sure why we would take a risk on Marvin Austin when somebody like Akeem Ayers is left on the board. Whats your thoughts?

#1 Pick

king.nothing — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:06:37 -0000

I don't know why, but all the reports of the Panthers selecting a QB at #1 kinda annoys me. Patrick Peterson or Marcell Dareus is a better solid pick in my opinon. The Panthers selected Jimmy Clausen last year with their second round pick. After that, they gave him no offensive weapons to really throw to. Steve Smith was the best and he had the worst season of his career. Smith is getting older and slowing down.

If I was the Panthers, I would select Marcell Dareus with the first pick. The rest of the draft would be getting some weapons for Clausen, a solid running back, and restructure the entire defense. After that, I would call up Clausen and tell him that this is his year and he needs to step up or he will be replaced. Make him prove that he was better to get than Colt McCoy. If you bomb again, you have the chance to get Andrew Luck. If you do great, you miss out on the Andrew Luck sweepstakes but you find out how legit Clausen is and what else you need to get him to be a better player.

Where To Go From Here

king.nothing — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:51:15 -0000

With the Jazz not in the playoffs, I find myself finding a hard time watching the playoffs. I usually watch playoffs if the Jazz are in, and by the time they are eliminated I am still somewhat into it. To keep my basketball mind busy, I have focused on what the Jazz need to do in the offseason.

Under Contract To Come Back Next Year
Al Jefferson
Mehmet Okur
Devin Harris
Paul Millsap
Derrick Favors
Raja Bell
Gordon Hayward
Jeremy Evans
CJ Miles (Team Option)

From the list of what we have coming back, you have a starting PG in Harris, SG in Hayward, SF in Millsap, PF in Favors, and C in Jefferson. Personally, I feel that is what the starting lineup needs to be. Bell is coming to the end of his career and is perfect to come off the bench. CJ seems to play better coming off the bench when we need a sixth man. Towards the end of the season, Hayward looked a lot more comfortable playing the 2 instead of the 3.

With the draft coming up, I feel that we should trade away our first pick ONLY if we receive the number one pick. Call me crazy, but there is nobody in this draft that has stood out to me. Irving hasn't proven himself on the college level and nobody is an easy fit for us with that high of a pick. I would offer to possibly trade down and get us a talented big man to back up Jefferson, maybe a Andrew Bynum.

With the next pick, I would personally look at Jimmer Fredette. I know Jimmer isn't that popular due to lack of defense and not being able to be a floor general but he reminds me of a CJ Miles. If you was to bring in Jimmer and CJ as your sixth men, they could potentially kick start the team.

So now I leave it to you, look at who we have left and the draft coming up, who would you pick? Would you trade away? Would you go out and splash big on the free agency market?

Under Contract To Come Back Next Year
Al Jefferson
Mehmet Okur
Devin Harris
Paul Millsap
Derrick Favors
Raja Bell
Gordon Hayward
Jeremy Evans
CJ Miles (Team Option)

So now I leave it to you, look at who we have left and the draft coming up, who would you pick? Would you trade away? Would you go out and splash big on the free agency market?

Crazy Draft Trades

king.nothing — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:00:51 -0000

I have a buddy that is a Bengals fan who shoots me a text the other day that reads: If the Bengals offered you the #4 pick in the draft for your #32 and Matt Flynn, would you give him up?

I don't remember the correct wording, but it went along the lines of damn straight and we would pick up Von Miller on the opposite of Clay Matthews.

Thinking back down, the draft has produced some crazy trades (Campbell to Oakland comes to mind) and we know this year will have its fair share. Whats some crazy trades you could see going down? Which ones wouldn't you mind?

I have a buddy that is a Bengals fan who shoots me a text the other day that reads: If the Bengals offered you the #4 pick in the draft for your #32 and Matt Flynn, would you give him up?

I don't remember the correct wording, but it went along the lines of damn straight and we would pick up Von Miller on the opposite of Clay Matthews.

Owners, Players, CBA, etc.

king.nothing — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:17:38 -0000

As we all know, we are headed for a lock out. It may not even be that long, but a lock out is a lock out. As Green Bay Packer fans, we are use to this. We have always built through the draft then free agency. Most teams make the "big splash" for star players before the draft. This year, it seems, every team will have to follow our game plan.

Looking over it though, would this be a big problem if everybody had the same set up as Green Bay? I'm not saying that I take the owners side or the player side. What I am saying is that Green Bay ownership is the stockholders. Packers elect a team president, Mark Murphy, to represent the shareholders. What if all teams were stockholders and elected a team president to represent shareholders? Would the players have more or less control then they do now? Would we have this fiasco going on?

I am not sure the general discussion about what is going on with any other Packers fans but this is my opinion. I want to see a 16 game schedule. I am not a big fan of the 18 game schedule, especially after seeing Aaron Rodgers go down with a concussion. Injuries will happen, even more now that people are getting bigger and stronger and faster.

Also, I feel that rookies should be on a pay scale. I know that they feel they should be paid, but in return, none of these guys have been tested on the big stage. I say they should be put on a two year deals with team option third year. If you like the guy, you can resign him to how every much you want.

In the 2005 draft, Alex Smith was taken 1st. In the 2006 draft, Vince Young went 3rd and Matt Leinart went 10th. In the 2007 draft, JaMarcus Russell went 1st. Within three years, you had a feeling of how they turned out. Raiders could of saved a lot of money with Russell. Leinart would have left Arizona a long time ago. Three years could of turned out a lot different.

So whats your opinion on the owners, the players, the CBA, and everything else that fell under the umbrella that is now our "lock out destined off season."

Getting rid of Barnett/Hawk

king.nothing — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:48:03 -0000

So, its pretty much a given that Barnett or Hawk both have a nice big contract and it would be nice to get rid of one. I have always been a AJ Hawk supporter so I lean towards Barnett. Checking out ESPN today and found this nice read:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/24707/combine11-another-matthews-in-green-bay

I would love to get Casey on the Packers. If we was able to nab him in the 2nd or 3rd it would be great. All mock drafts I have seen have him not drafted in the first two rounds. But if you was the Green Bay Packers, would you try to offload either Barnett or Hawk and draft Casey, just to save some money?

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/24707/combine11-another-matthews-in-green-bay

Clay Matthews Workout

king.nothing — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 02:33:21 -0000

Below is a link to an article on Fox Sports discussing Matthews MMA workout along with a video. Interesting to read. I knew he was training with MMA to improve his football skills but now I get to see it first hand. Clay should talk the other linebackers into joining him this offseason. Anyways, everybody enjoy and leave your thoughts.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Clay-Matthews-Jay-Glazer-MMA-training-Green-Bay-Packers-011911