Quick aside- does anyone else miss the days of surprises? As in, when you would watch the draft and not know who was going to be taken first? Or major awards (like the MVP or even the Heisman) would be given away on a certain day, instead of like weeks before that? Seriously, the speed at which the hype machine drives our sports culture is sickening to me. I am tired of hearing about how great so-and-so is, or how this guy is the favorite for the Heisman because he racked up record numbers against a FCS school in August.
You want to know why I don't like Lebron James? Or Tiger Woods? Or Michael Jordan? It's because they are all that we hear/heard about in their respective sports! I'm tired of hearing about how great these guys are- blech! Let's move on!
Actually, this ties in very nicely to the draft. The draft is the perfect demonstration of the mismanagement of hype versus substance, because people start talking about this thing right after the college season is done, and who is the likely top pick, and who is too fat, too slow, too tight-hipped, too many slow-twitch muscle fibers, and anointing Hall of Famers during Pro-day workouts instead of on the field- it's enough to make your head spin and then vomit.
Take the top of the 2006 draft. Everybody was drinking the Reggie Bush kool-aid, and thought that the Houston Texans needed to take Reggie Bush or else they would be making the biggest mistake since the Portland Trailblazers passed on Michael Jordan and drafted Sam Bowie.
The Texans defied conventional logic, and selected Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State. You couldn't find anyone who defended the pick. Everybody was grilling the Texans for making the stupidest decision in the history of stupid decisions, and everyone was so sure that it was going to come back and bite them square in the ass.
The verdict?
Well, to be fair, three years is not really a fair amount of time to determine whether or not a draft choice is successful or not. However, it is a heck of a lot more fair than trying to determine that same choice on the day that you made it. Our sports culture wants results, wants those results now, and doesn't really care how we get them. I mean, people grade the draft picks for crying out loud. Would you want to work at a job that administered performance reviews on the day you got hired? Didn't think so.
So how does Super Mario compare to Reggie Bush? Well, Bush had arguably a better rookie season- he helped lead the Saints to the NFC championship game, accumulating over 1,500 all-purpose yards and scoring 9 total touchdowns (although I don't believe he scored any touchdowns until week 10- I could be wrong though). Williams managed a meager 4.5 sacks. Slam dunk, right?
Well, I would say a resounding no! Let me just throw some numbers out there- the last two seasons, Williams has totaled 26 sacks and six forced fumbles. He has appeared in the last two Pro Bowls. He was part of a Texans team that went from 6-10 his rookie season to 8-8 the last couple (including 2007, when all the other teams in their division had at least ten wins and made the playoffs). Bush? He has had flashed of brilliance (3 punt return touchdowns last year for example), but has not come close to duplicating those rookie numbers. Teamwise, the Saints went from 10-6 to 7-9 to 8-8.
Now the thing to keep in mind is that people thought Bush was going to be the next Michael Jordan...and he hasn't been terrible. But his numbers? Not worthy of a number 2 pick- the guy has never averaged over 4 yards per carry! This is why I hate hype.
So with that extremely long/yet not really random and actually totally tied-in aside, here are my thoughts on the Detroit Lions draft- at least the first two rounds.
1st round, 1st pick- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia.
I'm not completely sold on this guy- plus, he's going to get thrown to the wolves, because the same offensive line that could not protect the quarterback and open holes for the running game that we had last year is basically in tact for 2009. Throwing a rookie QB in that situation is a good way to ruin their confidence and their careers, a la David Carr in Houston. Also, what about Drew Stanton? Did he even get a shot? Why didn't he play last year, when it was obvious that we were terrible? That would have been a perfect opportunity to find out whether or not he was any good. By drafting Stafford, we basically threw away a second round pick from a couple years ago (not that all those first round picks on wide receivers weren't thrown away) without even giving him a chance to show his stuff.
To me, Stafford is a sexy choice for the fans. Think about it- we're coming off of an 0-16 year, Detroit's economy is in the shitter, and fans aren't going to line up to buy tickets if we draft a tackle or a linebacker- even if those are areas that we seriously need to address. In my opinion, all this Stafford pick does is buy the Lions a couple seasons of grace from the fans while selling enough tickets to keep the team financially feasible.
1st round, 20th pick- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
I have mixed feelings about this pick. There is part of me that thinks that a TE is even more of a wasted pick than the QB at number one. A TE? Really? What, there weren't any good punters available? I mean, of all the needs that we have, was TE really one of them? No, seriously, I'm asking- I have no idea if we needed a TE or not.
But there is part of me that thinks that the Lions were trying to send me a birthday present. The TE position basically happened when the football position a mommy WR and a daddy OL got together and had babies. So it's like the Lions were like, 'Jason we hear your cries for help, and we are acknowledging them. See, our TE is half offensive lineman. But we also realize that you have a sense of humor. So he is half wide receiver as well'. I'm a little disconcerted that I hold that much sway in the Lions draft war room- but I appreciate the gesture!
2nd round, 1st pick (33rd overall)- Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan
What The F-bomb? Seriously? With James the Animal and Rey the Hair still available, we choose a safety? From the MAC? I take it all the elite towel boys were already drafted? This is the point where I officially gave up on the Detroit Lions season and the Schwartz regime. Hopefully day two is more productive.
Hey. Hey you! Draft my son from The Ohio State University, or I will shove my spiked shoulder pad through your face! Or, I will lick your face to death with my large tongue!
I officially declare man-love on Rey Malnutrition..Malcontent...Maladapted....what's his last name again?
Pics
Rey- http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2009/03/rey-maualuga.jpg
Legion of Doom- http://z.hubpages.com/u/324578_f260.jpg
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