Of all of the awesome catches Calvin Johnson has made over the years, this is the best EA Sports could come up with?

A more exciting and athletic wide receiver you will not find. Also, he doesn’t really have a confident look on his face. He’s in the middle of focusing on a ball that we assume is headed his way.

In reality he was probably posing in a photo studio and a ball was not being thrown to him.

On another note, Calvin Johnson is a Madden cover boy who I actually root for. I like his style and his character. Let’s hope he can, once and for all, kill the curse.

Peyton Hillis sure as hell didn’t.

Here are just a few pics of Calvin doin’ his thang. Any one of these pics would have been better than the one they chose.

To see the full size Madden 13 cover featuring Calvin Johnson, scroll down to the bottom.

Seau was a linebacking legend. One of the best of his time. RIP, Mr. Seau.

[Yahoo! Sports]

Minnesota Vikings practice squad RB Caleb King has been accused of beating the living s**t out of a guy for comparing him to Eddie Murphy at a birthday party. I’ve got to give it to King. He doesn’t look like Eddie Murphy at all. If I were Caleb King, I probably would have beat the s**t out of the guy too.

But I’m an asshole.

According to a tweet posted by Paul Blume:

#vikings RB Caleb King attorney just called me. Says King “threw no punches” & “showed amazing restraint” during incident. Promises details.

And the KSTP sports guy, Chris Long, tweeted:

Family says it was Eddie Murphy. Seriously. RT@JohnSharkman: Who was the celebrity whom Caleb King was being compared and teased about?

This weekend is supposed to be about the draft. Fortunately for Goodell these recent embarrassing arrests happened during one of the most exciting drafts in NFL history. No one has seemed to notice or care one bit that two players have been arrested and don’t forget about one even crazier arrest of Vontae and Vernon Davis’ brother.

Of course you can barely call Caleb King a Viking. Practice squad/preseason grunt is probably a more apt description.

One commenter from the Washington Post took King’s side saying:

This story is completely false. Caleb was called a number of racial slurs. The young man who was injured was extremely intoxicated & fell over a chair. Caleb never touched him & the things he is being accused of are complely false. This young man caused his own injuries by being prejudice & by using hateful slurs

The man who was beaten says that King hit him repeatedly in the head and face. The whole story sounds really bad.

From the AP:

The victim was a 22-year-old from Coon Rapids. King is accused of punching him repeatedly and throwing him headfirst to the ground. The man was hospitalized in serious condition with skull and facial fractures, as well as with cuts that required more than 50 stitches to close, Sheriff’s Cmdr. Paul Sommer said.

The man “may have a very serious brain injury,” Sommer said.

“I just was made aware of it today and I don’t have any further comment on it right now,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman said. “We’re still collecting and gathering information, but we are aware of the situation.”

Don’t call me Eddie Murphy, bro.

We all know Vernon Davis gets a little more emotional than most football players.

But no one could have guessed that his 19-year-old brother could be capable of this.

Michael Davis, brother of NFL players Vernon and Vontae Davis, has been arrested in Washington DC (Petworth to be precise). He is accused of severely injuring a 19-year-old woman by hitting her over the head with a hammer.

According to reports, he was seen dropping a backpack that contained a claw hammer while running from the cops.

It seems the woman attacked for no reason. The police also claim Davis is under investigation for three other similar attacks in the neighborhood. One of the three victims, 66-year-old Gary Dederichs, died.

Vernon Davis tweeted last night:

Just got a disturbing call from back home in washington dc. A good day gone bad! Hopefully he wasn’t involved!

When he says “hopefully”, that scares me a little bit. He doesn’t really sound that surprised.

From CBS 4 Denver:

Police heard a cry for help at about 9 p.m. and found the victim on the ground with a serious head injury. Officers said they spotted Davis running away with a duffel bag and inside they found a claw hammer. Officers believed this was the weapon used in the attack on the woman.

So. F**ked. Up.

The picture below is a picture of Davis getting arrested, courtesy of PrinceOfPetworth.com.

All I gotta say is, give me some of that s**t he was smoking — because I want to feel this happy AFTER getting a DWI.

I know none of you guys care about this head stomping loser, but this mugshot is too classic not to share.

This is hands down the best photo from the 2012 NFL Draft.

This could be love.

It’s finally draft week!  Strap in and get your popcorn ready Thursday night, because this thing could get wild.

If you’re like me and believe everything you read on Twitter, every single pick in the first round is on the block, with the exception of Luck and Griffin.

Let’s take a look at our final NFL mock draft of 2012…

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck.  QB, Stanford.  Lost in all the RG3 combine hype was the athleticism of Andrew Luck.  A 4.6 40-yard dash, 36” vertical jump and 10’4” broad jump would have been the talk of the town if it weren’t for the charismatic track star from Baylor.  Luck is the quintessential franchise quarterback prospect and will go off the board first overall.

2. Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III.  QB, Baylor.  The argument that RG3’s upside is enough to warrant a selection over Andrew Luck is a very good one.  In Narnia.  With that said, Griffin’s combine speed and athleticism were unmatched but the tape shows that this kid is so much more.  RG3 can fit the ball in tight spots with a big arm, and is a magician with his feet.  The price was be high…  but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil.  OT, USC.  Kalil dominated the Pac-12 conference this year and at 6’7”, 305 pounds has the build to be a franchise left tackle in the NFL for the next decade.  If the Vikings expect Christian Ponder to produce, they need to protect him… and no better way than to secure this big hog.

4. Cleveland Browns – Morris Claiborne.  CB, LSU.  The Cleveland Browns offense was monumentally bad last year, which is why this pick may come as a surprise to some.  I believe the Browns will go with the best player available on their board, and in this case it is Mo Claiborne.  Pairing Claiborne with Joe Haden gives the Browns a formidable secondary in an ever-evolving pass happy league.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Trent Richardson.  RB, Alabama.  I know the trend is to avoid running backs early… but Richardson is the exception to the rule.  Richardson is powerful and fast.  Possesses an explosive first burst with great vision.  Greg Schiano finds his bell-cow in Richardson, who can step in right away as a 3-down running back and produce.

6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon.  WR, OK State.  Not a bad day for the Rams… drop 4 spots, pick up a hand full of extra picks, and snag the guy you wanted to begin with.  Blackmon is a compact big man, if that makes sense.  He has a thick frame with hands as big as catchers mitts.  Competitive and aggressive, Blackmon will be a nice weapon for Sam Bradford moving forward.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Stephon Gilmore.  CB, South Carolina.  I expect this pick to be traded, but should the Jags stay put look for them to address the corner position with a guy that their General Manager values higher than Mo Claiborne.

8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill.  QB, Texas A&M.  Tannehill is a natural athlete with only 19 college starts under his belt.  With that said, he potential is very intriguing.  Not nearly as “game-ready” as the first two signal callers off the board, but will fit in nicely in South Beach.

9. Carolina Panthers - Fletcher Cox.  DT, Mississippi St.  DT should be the selection, and Cox has risen to the top of this years class.  You just can’t keep Cox down, and nobody goes harder than Cox.  Get it?

10. Buffalo Bills - Michael Floyd.  WR, Notre Dame.  The Bills made a splash with the Mario Williams signing, and will look to Floyd to help bolster the offense.  As a big and physical pass catcher, Floyd will be a fantastic compliment to Stevie Johnson and will contribute from day 1.

11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro.  OG, Stanford.  DeCastro displayed strength, athleticism and smarts at the combine making this an easy pick for Romeo Crennel and his crew.  6’5”, 310 pounds with a mean streak, DeCastro should help Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis right away.

12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly.  LB, BC.  Showed up big time at the combine, and the tape shows this kid is an instinctive player.  Kuechly isn’t a physical freak, but he is a football player and will fill a need in Seattle.

13. Arizona Cardinals - Riley Reiff.  OT, Iowa.  While there are many directions that the Cards can go at 13, I see them taking Rieff, a skilled tackle who will contribute immediately and extensively.  A former tight end, Reiff has athleticism to spare and should be able to keep up with those NFC pass rushers.

14. Dallas Cowboys - Mark Barron.  Safety,  Alabama.  Barron is the best safety in the draft, and fills a need for the Cowboys who’s secondary has been suspect to say the least.

15. Philadelphia Eagles - Quinton Coples.  DE, UNC.  The Iggles will snag the outside pass rusher that they’ve been looking for with this Tarheel athlete.  Coples impressed at the Senior Bowl, and will ride that momentum to a top fifteen selection due to his uncanny ability to get to the quarterback.

16. New York Jets – Melvin Ingram.  DE, South Carolina.  Ingram is a pass rusher, plain and simple.  His aggressive style of play will fit in well with the Jets, and continue to make that defense one of the most feared in the league.

17. Cincinnati Bengals - Dre’ Kirkpatrick.  CB, Alabama.  A 6’ corner with elite speed and character issues falling to number 17?  Sign Marvin Lewis up.  Kirkpatrick may have some off the field problems, but a proven SEC corner is a tough thing to pass on when you need some serious help in the secondary.

18. San Diego Chargers – Cordy Glenn.  OG, Georgia.  Cordy Glenn is a mountain of a man, but deceptively quick.  Protecting Phillip Rivers needs to be priority number 1, and Glenn helps the cause.

19. Chicago Bears - Michael Bockers.  DT, LSU.  Large bodied but deceptively quick, Bockers can plug up the run while also getting to the quarterback.  Even more importantly, Bockers will eat blockers allowing Brian Urlacher to do what he does best.  The Bears offensive line is monumentally bad, but Bockers is too good to pass up at this point.

20. Tennessee Titans - Whitney Mercilus.  DE, Illinois.  The Titans finished next-to-last in the NFL last year in sacks, so Marcilus will be a practical pick.  The kid is big at 6’4”, 270 pounds but has an extremely quick first step and should fit nicely in the Titans scheme.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Lamar Miller.  RB, Miami.  Truth be told, this is my guy.  I am very high on Lamar Miller, and feel the Bengals get an elite Pro-Bowl caliber running back at 21.  Elite straight line speed, Miller will be a big play threat and could be slotted to start right away in Cincinnati if Cedric Benson is no longer around.

22. Cleveland Browns - Mike Adams.  OT, Ohio State.  Despite a poor combine, Mike Adams has the potential to be a dominant offensive lineman in the NFL.  The right side of the Browns line is awful, so snagging this 6’8” 320 pound monster to sure up the right side seems like a no brainer.

23. Detroit Lions - Jonathan Martin.  OT, Stanford.  Though Martin has been free falling post combine, I see the Lions scooping him up at 23 to help protect their young mega-star quarterback.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dont’a Hightower.  LB, Alabama.  The Steelers could address the inside linebacker spot, and Hightower fits the bill.  At 6’4” and 260 pounds, Hightower should be able to hold up against the run, but has the feet and balance to drop into coverage when asked.

25. Denver Broncos - Dontari Poe.  DT, Memphis.  Adding a physical freak like Poe makes the Bronco defense downright scary.  Poe crashed the scene in Indianapolis with one of the most impressive combines in recent years.  With some questions surrounding Penn State DT Devin Still, don’t be surprised to see Poe come off the board before him.

26. Houston Texans - Stephen Hill.  WR, Ga Tech.  Hill showed up big time at the combine, and is rewarded with a first round selection.  The 6’5” wideout with blazing speed gives Matt Schaub a vertical threat to pair with Andre Johnson, which should open up the offense even further.

27. New England Patriots - Devon Still.  DT, Penn State.  Offense isn’t the problem in New England.  Devon Still has the talent to make an impact on day 1, and will fit in nicely with the Patriots defense.  The 6’5” Still brings a big, physically impressive presence to the middle of the Pats’ front seven who should occupy multiple blockers.

28. Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry.  DE, USC.  The Pac-12 leader in sacks gets to move from beautiful Southern California to the frozen tundra.  Lucky dog.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz.  C, Wisconsin.  Konz, the best center in the class, will be asked to block for one of the best running backs in the league, and that is a task he will be up for.

30. San Francisco 49ers - Coby Fleener.  TE, Stanford.  Even with Vernon Davis at the TE position, Fleener should be the pick here.  Fleener stands 6’6” and will add another dimension to this offense.

31. New England Patriots - Andre Branch.  DE, Clemson.  Addressing the defense with both picks in the first round, Branch gives the Pats a versatile defensive player that can play up or down.  Tremendous potential here, and who better to bring it to the surface than the Hoodie.

32. New York Giants - Doug Martin.  RB, Boise State.  We’ve all heard the Ray Rice comparisons, and that has to do with his size.  Martin doesn’t have the home run speed that Lamar Miller has, but will be a fine NFL back and a perfect compliment for the Giants.

Like the picks?  Think I missed one?  Follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss the draft or anything else on your mind.

I may regret saying this given the nature of the team’s past but the Cleveland Browns CANNOT screw up this draft.  Their first three picks are virtually fool-proof, regardless of the direction that they decide to go.  Don’t believe me?  Read on…

Pick four is an ideal spot for the Browns.  They missed out on Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin, but there are four players that the Cleveland brass can select here that instantly makes them noticeably better.  Those players are, in the order of which I would like them to be targeted..

A- Trent Richardson.

B- Justin Blackmon.

C- Matt Kalil

D- Mo Claiborne.

Kalil will likely go off the board to Minnesota at #3, leaving Cleveland three pro-bowl caliber players that even they couldn’t miss on. 

I put Richardson ahead of the other two because of the gap in perceived talent between he and the next best running back.  Richardson is head and shoulders better than the next best runner, while Michael Floyd has the size and the skill set to be mentioned in the same breath as Blackmon.

While I do have the Browns selecting Claiborne in my final mock draft (Coming Soon!), offense should be the pick here.  Reports have surfaced that Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown will be announcing the fourth overall pick, and what a treat it would be to watch the last great Cleveland runner pass the torch to the next great one.

Pick twenty two comes next… or so you may think.  If I am Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren, I am burning up the phones to everyone in the range of pick 9-15 to package pick #22 and some late round ammo that was acquired in the Julio Jones trade to move up and take Michael Floyd.  Pipe dream?  Perhaps.  But worth a shot.

Should Cleveland stay at twenty two, this pick is a virtual can’t-miss as well.  With so many holes to fill, the Browns will have their choice of a hand full of very solid offensive linemen or a duo of high up-side wide outs… two positions that are BEGGING for an upgrade in Cleveland.  Assuming Trent Richardson is the pick at 4, here are the players that I would like the Browns to target:

A- Offensive tackle Riley Reiff or Jonathan Martin

B- Offensive guard Cordy Glenn

C- Wide receiver Stephen Hill or Kendall Wright

Cleveland front office personnel has been quoted as saying that they will not select offensive players with their first three picks.  Unless they draft Mo Claiborne 4th overall, I call bulls**t.

This offense was as pathetic as any I’ve seen in all my years watching football.  Pick 37 addresses whatever offensive need (RB, WR, or OL) that has been missed thus far.  Look for the Browns to target these players to round our their need-trio…

A- Running back David Wilson or Doug Martin

B- Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery or Ruben Randall

C- Offensive tackle Bobby Massie

Three glaring needs.  Three picks in the top 37.  Three new starters.  It almost seems too easy.

If the Cleveland Browns walk away from the 2012 NFL draft unsatisfied, Mike Holmgren has nobody to blame but himself.  This blueprint provides the franchise impact players in three positions of need. 

It would take an absolute fool to screw up this draft.

Either that, or Ryan Tannehill.

Follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss Cleveland football, the draft, or getting me a job in the Browns front office.

We’ve been waiting for this moment for a while. Ever since we posted concept (aka fake) pictures of the new Nike NFL Elite 51 uniforms for the 2012 season our servers have been blowing up.

The wait is over now and the speculation has ended. Nike has released images of the new gear and, while it’s pretty cool, it certainly isn’t the drastic change many had hoped for.

Not to say EVERYONE was hoping for change. Many of our commenters were quite upset at the possibility of their beloved uniforms changing.

Tradition still matters and Nike didn’t stomp on it, to say the least.

In a little bit we’ll be posting pictures of each team individually. The close up pics are pretty nice.

By the way, all of these pictures came from Nike’s American Football Facebook page. We thought it was kind of a pain how they made you click around, so we thought we’d do you a favor and put each team right here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

Tennessee Titans

And Joel Osteen had better look the frank out.

Tim Tebow’s first career as a professional quarterback has been divisive, to say the least. Many despise the never ending attention he receives, and equally as many adore his fearlessness on and off the field. Ya know, just like Jesus.

Is there any doubt about Tebow’s potential success at being a preacher? His combine numbers lead many to speculate that he had no chance of succeeding in the NFL. But if there were a preaching combine- holy sheepdogs Timmy would be the Vernon Davis of it!!

I’m talking about event records for charisma, fortitude, and corniness at a minimum. And epic showings in sacrifice and cheek-turning. For his interview process, I imagine he would gather flock and say something along the lines of  this:

“To the fans of Jesus nation, I’m extremely sorry.

We were hoping for world peace, that was my goal, something that has

Never been done here before.

I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come from this. You will never

See any shepherd in the entire country tend as hard as I will tend

The rest of the year. You will never see someone push his flock as hard as I will

The rest of the year.

You will never see a flock flock harder than we will the rest of the season. God bless.”

Lightning crashes, and Joel Osteen cries. There’s a new pastor in town.

Your reign in Indianapolis has come to an end, and it’s time to figure out where you’re going to play in the upcoming season.  Some of the talking heads have their ideas on where you’ll be lacing them up, but I’m here to tell you why there is only one logical choice.  The Cleveland Browns.

Let’s start by dismissing some of your other potential suitors…

The Washington Redskins- There could not be a more dysfunctional franchise in the NFL.  This team is not close to competing in the NFC, and you’d have to face your little brother twice a year.  On top of that, the only thing the city has going for it are Cherry Blossoms and homeless people.

The Miami Dolphins- I seem to remember another star taking his talents to South Beach.  How’d that work out for him?

The Arizona Cardinals- I spent last summer in Arizona.  Every time I stepped outside, it felt like I was in hell’s sauna.  Probably the most miserable living conditions on the planet.  On top of that, everything about the Cardinals blow.

The New York Jets- No.  Freaking.  Chance.  Peyton Manning is not cut from the Jet cloth.

Now that we’ve discussed where you WON’T end up… let’s talk about why you should be in Cleveland.

In any new city, it’s great to have old friends to help you feel at home.  In Cleveland, the Browns have the cap space (and the need) for you to bring along Reggie Wayne or Pierre’ Garcon!  Reggie Wayne is the perfect guy to mentor Greg Little on how to become a dominant NFL pass catcher.

Peyton Hillis is probably coming back, and has shown to be the dominant running back that you so desperately need.  A bruiser like Hillis will keep defenses honest, allowing you to do what you do best.  He ran for a buck forty against the Ravens last year with SENECA WALLACE under center.

The defense will keep you in every game.  Joe Haden is one of the premier shut down corners in the NFL, and second year phenom’s Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard anchor one of the most exciting up-and-coming defenses in the league.

Joe Thomas will protect your neck.  Literally.  The left side of the Cleveland offensive line is fantastic in both run blocking and pass blocking.  I know he’s not Jeff Saturday, but Alex Mack is one of the most talented young centers in the league.  Worried about the right side?  No problem.

Cleveland has a pair of first round draft picks, along with an early second rounder to get you whatever you want.  Think you’d like throwing to Justin Blackmon?  He’s yours at #4.  Want David DeCastro or Mike Adams to anchor that right side?  Sign him up at #22.  Pick #37 can be your choice!  Pick your weapon!

Finally, the reason Cleveland is your choice is because once you navigate this Cleveland Browns ship to the promise land of a Super Bowl win, nobody on the planet will EVER breath your dopey little brother’s name in the same sentence as yours again when they talk about the greatness of your careers.  If you win in Cleveland, you aren’t only the best Manning… you’re the best ever.  Period…

Just like I’ve been saying for years.

But lesbihonest, Hillis is more of a Hollywood CIA kind of guy.

If you had to choose one Spy movie starring Peyton Hillis, what would it be?

The Hillis Identity

Spy Game

Peyton Hillis: The Spy Who Fumbles The Ball Too Much And Is Constantly Injured 

h/t @mcmcmahon

There were reports that Peyton was in Durham, NC practicing at Duke University, and apparently this is where this horrible video was taken.

I’m sure he wasn’t supposed to be taking this video, so I understand the amateurism. This s**t is probably top secret, so share with caution.

Follow me on twitter, talk some s**t. @sportsasshole

1- Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck.  QB, Stanford.  RG3 was the talk of the combine, but Luck remains the cream of the crop. 

2-  Cleveland Browns – Robert Griffin III.  QB, Baylor.  RG3 is going number 2… the question is to whom.  I say Mike Holmgren and the rest of the Cleveland brass ponies up and finally snags a future signal caller.  Moronic Cleveland fans are pleading with the Browns not to “sell the farm”, as the Browns have too many holes to fill.   To those nay-sayers, in 1985 the Browns traded a pair of first round draft picks, a third round pick, and a sixth round pick for Bernie Kosar.  I don’t see too many Browns fans griping about giving up too much there…

3- Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil.  OT, USC.  Perhaps the best “consolation prize” in history.

4- St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon.  WR, OK State.  The Rams believe in Sam Bradford, and need to put him in a position to win.  Drafting Blackmon here, and acquiring the 22nd pick from the Browns is a great start.

5-  Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mo Claiborne.  CB, LSU.  An absolute steal at pick 5.

6- Washington Redskins -  Riley Reiff.  OT, Iowa.  Probably the least “sexy” pick so far, and also the least likely if Washington fails to land a QB in free agency.

7-  Jacksonville Jaguars -  Jonathan Martin.  OT, Stanford.  The Jags stink.  Like… really stink.  The right side of the line is in serious need of a facelift and Martin helps start the process.

8-  Miami Dolphins -  Quinton Coples.  DE, UNC.  Moving to a 4-3 defense, this pick makes sense.

9-  Carolina Panthers -  Dontari Poe.  DT, Memphis.  See… told you the combine brought up some movers and some shakers.  Combine FREAK Dontari Poe sky-rockets into the first round to help the Panthers and their pitiful defense.

10- Buffalo Bills.  Cortney Upshaw.  DE, Alabama.  Buffalo needs to get to the quarterback, and Upshaw helps the cause.

11- Kansas City Cheifs.  Trent Richardson.  RB, Alabama.  This running back by committee in Kansas City deflates all dynasty fantasy football owners with the #1 overall pick in their rookie draft.

12 -  Seattle Seahawks.  Luke Kuechly. LB, BC.  Another combine warrior goes to Seattle, assuming current ILB David Hawthorne is not resigned to fill a need in the middle of the Seahawk defense.

13 -  Arizona Cardinals.  David DeCastro.  OG, Stanford.  Hopefully DeCastro can fully recover from the groin pull he suffered at the combine when Mike Mayock wouldn’t get off his nuts.

14 -  Dallas Cowboys. Dre Kirkpatrick.  CB, Alabama.  Secondary help is needed, and while Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama is an option, a proven SEC corner is tough to pass up at 14.

15- Philadelphia Eagles.  Devon Still.  DT, Penn State.  Philly stays in state to snag Still, who will help the swiss cheese defense.

16- New York Jets.  Melvin Ingram.  OLB, South Carolina.  The Jets defense seems to have lost it’s swagger, and Ingram does his best to help Sexy Rexy get it back.

17-  Cincinnati Bengals.  Janoris Jenkins.  CB, North Alabama.  Jenkins is a criminal, so he’ll fit right in with the Bengals!

18- San Diego Chargers.  Nick Perry.  DE, USC.  Fantastic combine makes this an easy pick for the Bolts.

19-  Chicago Bears.  Michael Floyd.  WR, ND.  Pick your wide receiver at 19 for ‘da Bears.  Floyd, Alshon Jeffery, and Kendal Wright are all possibilities but I know one Notre Dame/Chicago Bears fan that would cream if this was the pick at 19…

20-  Tennessee Titans.  Whitney Marcilius.  DE, Illinois.  Pass rush needs upgraded significantly, and this is their best option.  Even if his name is Whitney…

21-  Cincinnati Bengals.  Lamar Miller.  RB, The U.  I’m going to go on record as saying that Lamar Miller will be a Pro Bowl running back for the Cincinnati Bengals.  A steal for the Bengals this late.

22- St. Louis Rams.  Fletcher Cox.  DT, Mississippi St.  If this is the Browns still picking and they go with Ryan Tannehill, I may cry.  I’d love to see Cox go off here.  Get it?

23- Detroit Lions.  Mike Adams.  OT, OSU.  A very poor combine showing didn’t help Adams, but still a quality player the can be plugged in from day 1.

24- Pittsburgh Steelers.  Dont’a Hightower.  ILB, Alabama.  The Steelers get younger at the LB position with Hightower, who plays like a Steeler. 

25- Denver Broncos.  Michael Brockers.  DT, LSU.  Tebow will take care of scoring points… now the Broncos just need to keep their competition under half-a-hundred.

26- Houston Texans.  Alshon Jeffery.  WR, South Carolina.  Alshon is a great fit here with the juggernaut Texans offense… though I wouldn’t be shocked to see Alshon bomb like The Situation at the Donald Trump roast.

27-  New England Patriots.  Mark Barron.  S, Alabama.  A Patriot type of football player who belongs in the secondary more than their wide receiver.

28-  Green Bay Packers.  Peter Konz.  C, Wisconsin.  Scott Wells, their current beast of a center, is a free agent and the Pack may not be able to keep him around.  If they can’t, look for Konz to come off the board here.

29-  Baltimore Ravens.  Zach Brown.  LB, UNC.  Another stud defender to plug into the Ravens machine.

30-  San Francisco 49ers.  Kendall Wright.  WR, Baylor.  Despite a poor combine showing, Wright is still an elite wide receiver prospect, and will give Alex Smith another weapon that can stretch the field.

31- New England Patriots.  Andre Branch.  DE, Clemson.  Versatile linebacker than can play down in the 4-3 and up in the 3-4, a great fit for The Hoodie and his Patriots.

32- New York Giants.  David Wilson.  RB, VaTech.  Those horses in the Giant backfield ain’t getting any younger…

Think I missed on any picks?  Have your own predictions for your team?  Leave them in the comments of follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss!

(In case you’re wondering, the answer is yes, because Revis is a punk bitch and I’m quicker than I look).

One scenario that comes up often compares NCAA teams to Professional teams, i.e. ‘The Browns are so bad I think Ohio State would beat them by 30.” (which is probably true most years).

Since there are no ways to definitively answer most of these hypothetical questions, we ask you, the reader, to weigh-in on what you think would happen in the following two scenarios where we match up the NFL and NBA’s best against the best the NCAA has to offer.

Football first, because everyone knows that football is better than pretty much everything else. Our matchup pits the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, reigning NCAA Football Champs and perennial power-house, against the New York Football Giants, the Tom Brady-slaying machine and winners of two of the past 5 Super Bowls. I’d be surprised if a single level-headed person picked ‘Bama to win, and if you did, you can stop reading now (and you should probably go back on your meds.)

Everyone knows that the Giants will win the game – the question is, if they actually played, what would a realistic score look like?

Next is our basketball matchup where we put the Miami Heat up against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Heat are the NBA’s most talked about team, and home to one of the most hated athletes on the planet, Lebron Jones James.

James, who happens to be one of the best players in the game, shares the stage with Chris Bosh, who ironically is one of the most over-hyped players in the game, and all-star Dwayne Wade, a former NBA scoring champion who is still as good as they come.

The Wildcats are insanely good, boasting a 27-1 record so far this year including 13-0 in the prestigious SEC Conference (oops, wrong sport.) Regardless, the ‘Cats are pretty damn good, coming off a Final 4 appearance in 2011 and set to make another one in 2012.

Everyone on the planet, save psychopathic scumbag John Calipari, knows the Heat would make quick work of the Wildcats, but the question remains, “what would the final score likely be?”

I think the matchups would go something like this:

First, the under-sized linemen on ‘Bama would get worked on both sides of the ball. Sure, they have plenty of eventual NFL players on the team, but not enough to overcome the plethora of studs the Giants would use to control the pace of the game at all times.

On offense, The G-men would easily move the ball up and down the field at will, scoring 3 TDs in each quarter on offense, 1 TD/half on defense, and settling for a last second FG after a ‘Bama turnover late in the first half.

Alabama would find it nearly impossible to guard all 3 of the Giants receivers (heck, the Patriots couldn’t even do this) and when Eli wasn’t busy picking apart the Tide’s vastly overmatched secondary, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw would be splitting up about 300 total rushing yards averaging 8 yds per carry.

Bama is never a serious threat to score and Victor Cruz and his 4 TDs take home MVP honors in a 101-3 blowout. Nick Saban retires and retreats into a Syd Barret-like recluse state.

On the hardwood, after a 60 minute long, nationally televised introduction to the Miami Heat, Kentucky is finally allowed to step onto the court and play begins. Six minutes later, they regret the decision to participate in this experiment as the Heat lead 29-0. The crowd erupts when Kentucky finally scores its first field goal, 10 minutes into the game, now trailing 48-3.

Being as soft as he is, Lebron doesn’t start the second quarter of play and the Wildcats climb out of single digits but still can’t close the gap, trailing 98-11 at the half. Wade and James are both unstoppable, and surprisingly even Chris Bosh looks good playing against a bunch of college kids. By the end of the third quarter, the Heat have begun preparations for their post-game 60 minute nationally televised celebratory video in which they will highlight how Lebron “took his talents” to Kentucky.

They say that NBA athletes are the best on the planet, and the Heat show exactly why playing the game at a much faster pace than Kentucky can handle. However, the contest ends with a whimper, as most Miami fans didn’t even show up, and those who did only stayed for 2 quarters anyway.

Calapari tries to recruit Wade, complimenting him on his “baby face” and telling him that his lack of eligibility “won’t be a problem.” Wade says he’ll think it over. The Heat win by a score of 208-21 and proclaim themselves to be the best team in the history of the NBA.

So what’s worse? 208-21 in basketball or 101-3 in football? Think I’m way off? Post your thoughts, play-by-play, or just your final score predictions in the comments section below and send this to your friends to get their takes.

Tweet me your thoughts @donniccolo.

But the main reason America is swept up in LinSanity is because he is an underdog.  You didn’t see him coming.  Neither did I and there’s nothing this country loves more than a good underdog story!

Inspired by Jeremy Lin, here’s a list of my top 10 favorite underdogs of all time…

10 – Appalachian State.  At the end of the 2006 season, Michigan Wolverine’s Jake Long, Mike Hart, and Chad Henne decided to come back to school for one more year.  Their Wolverine squad was touted as favorites to win the Big 10, and contend for a national title.  That pipe-dream lasted about 60 minutes, as FOUR touchdown underdog Appalachian State stunned Michigan 34-32 in potentially the biggest upset in college football history.

9 – Upset.  This race horse may or may not have coined the common phrase after knocking off Man-O-War in Saratoga’s Stanford Memorial race in 1919.  Man-O-War was undefeated in his lifetime, while Upset came to the starting gate as an-almost-unbelievable 100-1 underdog.  Two things were certain after that race…  Man-O-War was no longer undefeated, and anyone who bet on Upset left the track with a smile on their face.

8 – Rocky.  Just LOOK at Ivan Drago and tell me you didn’t think ‘Rock was going to get pounded…  But since movies don’t count on my list, I’ll stay in the ring and go with Buster Douglas.  In the late ’80’s, Mike Tyson was bad.  Not “crazy tattoo faced dude from the Hangover movies” bad… but legitimately “put this guy in prison because he could snap and kill someone” bad.  America was glued to their television every pay per view to see how quickly “Iron Mike” was going to finish the fight.  He was absolutely untouchable.  Until he stepped in the ring with 42-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas.  On February 11, 1990, Buster Douglas knocked Mike Tyson out, changing the landscape of Tyson’s career (and boxing as a whole) forever.

7 - Earlier this week, we heard the very sad news of Gary Carter passing away from brain cancer.  I was very young when “Kid” played, but the more I read about him the more I wish I would have seen him play.  In honor of the fallen Met great, we will add the 1969 New York Mets to the list.  The “Miracle Mets” had never finished better than 9th place (out of 10 teams) in their first seven years of existence, and never even sniffed a winning record.  In 1969, things changed with Cy Young winner Tom Seaver winning 25 games, helping the Mets reach the playoffs and ultimately win their first World Series.  The next time the Mets would reach the promise land?  1986, with the help of Gary Carter.

6 – David Tyree and the New York Giants.  The ’72 Dolphins and Mercury Morris were worried.  The New England Patriots were not only in their town and on their block … they were knocking on the door of an undefeated season.  That was until they squared off with the New York Giants.  Eli Manning connected with David Tyree on what I consider to be the greatest play in Super Bowl history as Peyton’s little brother lead a fourth quarter drive to spoil the Patriots unblemished season.  Pop that champagne, Mercury.  And make an ass out of yourself on SportsCenter while you’re at it…

5 - When Razor Ramone beat Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental belt in a ladder match at Wrestlemania 10, I was shocked…  but again, since we need to stick to actual sports I’ll include Rulon Gardner for the wrestling portion of this list.  In the 2000 summer olympics, Russian heavyweight wrestler Alexander Karelin was known as “the unbeatable”.  Karelin was undefeated in his THIRTEEN YEAR international wrestling career until he stepped on the mat with the roley poley Gardner.  Gardner did the unthinkable as he outlasted Karelin, handing the Russian his first loss since he was a teenager.

4- 1985 Villanova Wildcats.  On paper, Georgetown should have routed Rollie Massimino’s 8th seeded Wildcats in the NCAA championship game.  But that’s why they play the game…  The Wildcats were unconscious, shooting 90% in the second half to stun Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas 66-64.  Think about that for a second…  Villanova shot better than 75% from the field for the ENTIRE game and still only won by a bucket.  That should tell you how good the Georgetown team really was.

3 – Fabricio Werdum.  Fedor Emelianenko was the Michael Jordan of MMA, if Michael would have won a few more titles.  Fedor dominated the heavyweight division like no other fighter in the history of the sport.  Thought to be indestructible, Fedor was riding a ten year unbeaten streak when he stepped in the ring with Werdum, who many considered a tin can and enormous underdog.  One minute into this fight, Werdum proved everyone wrong by tapping out Emelianenko.

2 – Joe Namath and the New York Jets.  Coming into the game as 20 point underdogs, “Broadway Joe” guaranteed a victory before it was cool to guarantee a victory.  Coming through on his promise, the Jets upset the Colts 16-7 at the Orange Bowl in Miami.  Is there a better image than Joe Namath trotting off the field with one hand raised in victory?  Well… maybe one.

1 -  1980 USA Men’s Hockey Team.  You know the story…  now enjoy a little American pride, courtesy of Mr. Al Michaels.  USA!  USA!  USA!

Have someone you want to add to the list?  Leave it in the comments below, or follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss!

-The New York Giants are your Super Bowl champions after upending the Patriots 21-17 in Indianapolis.  All this after the Giants started the season a very mediocre 7-7.  Ahmad Bradshaw fell into the endzone with under a minute to play giving the G-men a four point lead.  With time left on the clock, Tom Brady had the chance to do something magical.  Brady ultimately fell short, as his hail mary pass bounced just out of the reach of tight end Rob Gronkowski.

-I know he’s going to get a pass because he’s Tom Brady and he’s been a premier quarterback for as long as we can remember and your girlfriend pictures him naked when she’s with you… but Tom Brady did not play a very good football game Sunday night.  In fact, there were stretches when he down right stunk.  Look past the stat sheet, book worm.  Watch the game.  In fact, replace the name “Tom Brady” with “Jake Delhomme”, “Colt McCoy”, or “Jay Cutler” and see what happens…

*Jake Delhomme got called for intentional grounding in the end zone on the FIRST PLAY of the Super Bowl!  

*Colt McCoy woefully under threw his tight end, resulting in a Chase Blackburn interception.

*Jay Cutler routinely missed open receivers on the final drive of the Super Bowl.

All of those things happened Sunday night, but because they happened to Tom Brady, people won’t remember it.  Mostly because people are sheep.  Baahhhh….

-For those quick to jump to Brady’s defense… digest this, Lamb Chop; Tom Brady was 0-5 when throwing the ball more than 20 yards.  An oddity?  Or a trend?  In Super Bowl XLII, Brady was 0-8 in passes over 20 yards.  Bahhhhh…. 

-On the other side of the ball, Eli was Eli.  He was consistent, he was accurate, and he was methodical.  He didn’t turn the ball over and kept the New England offense off the field, winning the time of possession battle 37 minutes to 22 minutes.  In the end, Eli looked like he’d been there before.  Probably because he has.  In his two Super Bowl appearances, Eli Manning has engineered not one, but two 4th quarter game winning drives.  Not bad for the goofy looking brother.  Err…goofier looking brother.

-Half time was a debacle.  Some of my favorite tweets from Super Bowl halftime;

*@DownGoesBrown – Seeing this broken down shell of a legend limp around their field is preparing Indy for Peyton Manning next season.

*@FinkDontStink – Lady Gaga’s grandma is killing it out there!

*@Scheiboeski – Worst halftime show I’ve ever seen.

*@JockPost – It looks like Madonna has an inner ear problem.

*@Donniccolo – Apparently the middle aged men who plan the Super Bowl don’t realize that theres no market for middle aged women to sing pop music.

-To be honest, I didn’t watch the halftime show.  I assumed what those tweets confirmed… that Madonna is a washed up bag of prunes that I didn’t care about even when she was in her prime.  I watched the Puppy Bowl.  Here’s what you missed…

Follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss how overrated Tom Brady has become, the Puppy Bowl, or anything else on your mind!

If you were talking to someone and missed the beginning of the play, it might have looked like Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw was hot dogging. Seems logical: It’s not every day you see a running back sit down backwards into the end zone.

What we really saw was a mental meltdown. Bradshaw’s brainfart happened right before our very eyes — on what is possibly the world’s biggest stage.

It was only part of the awesome though. Let’s step back a little.

With just under 4 minutes left, Elisha was about to do what he does best. He calmly drove the offense downfield like we knew he would — milking just the right amount of clock. (whew, that was close).

The sideline shots of Bill Belichick confirmed it. He wore the look of a man who was two steps from death’s door. The worst part: he had to wallow in it, helplessly. At this notion, he took action.

He told the defense to let the Giants score. Let’s think about this. In order to make this call, Belichick had to be absolutely CERTAIN that the Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes would nail the layup. So much for what happened just one game ago.

What was he to do? HOPE that the kicker would miss? That’s not his style — and it CERTAINLY was not how he was going to go down. Not this time. You gotta love it.

At the same time, Tom Coughlin is playing a different game. The Giants needed to drain as much time as possible, while leaving enough time for just one play. Surely he told the team to take a dive before scoring a touchdown.

Enter Ahmad Bradshaw.

He has spent his entire life rushing for the end zone. It’s impossible to imagine how many touchdowns Bradshaw has scored in his life. When he sees the end zone, his natural tendency is to enter it. Makes sense.

He has also spent his entire life dreaming of this moment: scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. His dream was unfolding right before his eyes and the logical part of his brain was telling him to sit down at the 1. We all know what happened next.

After he scored there was a weird pause when everyone on the Giants’ sideline looked at each other like, “Damn, that’s sweet that we’re winning, but I think we just played right into Darth Belichick’s hands.”

At that time the Patriots probably felt like they had new life. Belichick looked a little more spry, but Tom Brady had little left in the tank. Surely they all believed that they had just one more miracle left.

Instead of doing actual research, I will pose the question to you: Does anyone remember any touchdown that was scored in a Super Bowl that the scoring team didn’t actually want to score?

I can’t.

With the Super Bowl being just over a week away, it’s time for all of the know-it-all fans to come out of the woodwork.  Everyone knows at least one person like this; Never really played sports, usually fat, obnoxious, someone who is always referenced as just an acquaintance rather than an actual friend.

Well if you are like me, and enjoy having the power of knowledge over these types of people, here are a few quirky, somewhat stupid, Super Bowl facts that you can shove in their face. Now, if you would rather just tell these people to shut the f**k up, that is your prerogative as well.

Fact 1: 80 percent of all Super Bowl tickets sold go to corporate sponsors of the NFL and of the Super Bowl.

Fact 2: The first four Super Bowls were not actually called “Super Bowl.” The first two went by the title of “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.” Impressive, sure, but not nearly as iconic as “Super Bowl,” a term not used until the third game, between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts. This was the first game between the champions of the AFL and NFL won by a team (the Jets) from the upstart AFL. Their victory was followed a year later by that of the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, a game which many feel cemented the eventual merger between the two leagues.

Fact 3: One out of every 12 people watching the game only does so to see the commercials.

Fact 4: If you wanted to buy a ticket for Super Bowl I, you could have gotten in for only six bucks. The cheapest tickets for recent Super Bowl games have cost hundreds of dollars or more.

Fact 5: The Super Bowl is not good for worker productivity. On the Monday following the Super Bowl, an average of six percent of the workforce calls in sick. Is everyone faking? Not likely. Read Fact 6 for reasons why people just might be telling the truth.

Fact 6: While it might be bad for productivity, the Super Bowl is good for one thing: the antacid business. Typically, antacid sales increase 20 percent the day after the game. Maybe all those people really are sick after all.

Fact 7:There have been hundreds of people throughout the years who have won Super Bowls. And of those players, quite a few have gone on to be coaches. But did you know that out of that group, only three (Mike Ditka, Tom Flores and Tony Dungy) have won the Super Bowl as both player and coach?

Fact 8: While there are certainly teams that have had their fair share of success in the Super Bowl (the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers have all won the Super Bowl five times), those victories are typically spread out over a number of years. The UCLA Bruins won seven NCAA basketball titles in a row, and the Boston Celtics won eight consecutive NBA titles. Don’t expect the same type of dominance in the NFL. In fact, the longest winning “streak” in the Super Bowl is two games.

Fact 9: Since the 1998-1999 season, the losing Super Bowl team has gone on to have a winning record the next season only once. In fact, aside from the 2006-2007 Seattle Seahawks, teams that have lost the Super Bowl since 1998 have seen their average records go from a 13-3 to a lowly 5-11 the next year.

Fact 10: If you feel a little bloated the day after the Super Bowl, it’s understandable. In America, Super Bowl Sunday is second in food consumption behind only Thanksgiving Day. How much food is gobbled down? How about an estimated 14,500 tons of chips, 4,000 tons of popcorn and 8 million pounds of guacamole? Is it any wonder so many people call in sick the next day?

These 10 facts were provided by LifeWhile.

-Brandon Marshall dominated the Pro Bowl, hauling in six balls for 176 yards, and four scores as the AFC thumped the NFC 59-41.  Credit Marshall for showing up.  I understand it’s a meaningless All-Star game, but watching the offensive and defensive line play patty-cake on every snap was pathetic.  There is a fine line between “playing so nobody gets hurt” and “playing like a middle school powder-puff game”.  The Pro Bowl curb stomped that line like Norton in American History X.

-The NHL All-Star game (There’s an NHL all-star game?) took place over the weekend, With Team Charro… err… Team Chara outlasting Team Alfredsson 12-9.  Twenty one goals by seventeen players and I didn’t recognize a single name of anyone that scored.  Somewhere, Gorgon Bombay is shaking his head at the lack of American talent in the NHL.

-The Miami Heat outlasted the Chicago Bulls, no thanks to notorious choke artist Lebron James.  James had 35 points in the outing, but predictably disappeared in the final minute with the game on the line.  Reigning MVP Derrick Rose came to the foul line down 1 with 22 seconds to play, and clanked both freebies saving Lebron from certain scrutiny had the Bulls pulled out the win in one of the more exciting NBA match ups this season.

-When Lebron was in Cleveland, it took him 227 games to knock down his first game winning shot.  It’s taken Kyrie Irving 19 (Credit for that stat goes to @CavsWITNESS on Twitter).  Irving finished the day with 23 points, 4 boards, 6 assists and a steal, capped off by a game winning shot with two ticks left on the clock as the Cavs beat the Celtics 88-87 in Boston.  All hail King Kyrie?

-Novak Djokovic played tennis with Rafael Nadal for nearly six hours over the weekend.  When all was said and done, Djokovic claimed his third Australian Open title. 

-Rashad Evans bored MMA fans to death as he outlasted Phil Davis in the Octagon over the weekend, winning a majority decision and earning a title shot in the light-heavyweight division.  Next up for Evans is Jon Jones, who is currently under investigation for suspicion of being an Avatar.  Or at least he should be.

-Stoners of the world put down their copies of High Times magazine long enough over the weekend to watch Shawn White notch the first perfect score in X-Games History in the SuperPipe.  White, who seemingly borrowed his pants from a 1980’s hooker, continued his dominance in the world of snow boarding winning gold for a fifth consecutive year. 

-Follow me on Twitter @JockPostDT to discuss prostitutes, the NFL, or anything else on your mind!