Big Red's Mock Draft: First Round

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Many of the experts are calling tonight's NBA Draft class one of the weakest in memory. At the top, there are a handful of solid, potential future NBA All-Stars (i.e., Blake Griffin); but the rest of the way down, this is a class chock-full of guys who pretty much did everything except prove they're NBA-ready (B.J. Mullens, Nick Calathes...are you out of your mind?). Plenty of questions are abound overseas about whether Brandon Jennings is worth the gamble, and if Ricky Rubio's posse will put the $8 million pricetag on him as rumored.

Here's how the first ten picks should play out.

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Feel free to differ here, but there have been two consensus no-brainers in the last 12 years: LeBron James and Tim Duncan. Griffin, who has drawn comparisons to Karl Malone and is easily the most hardened and battle-tested player in this draft. Of course, Donald Sterling will find a way to screw this up.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
How the Grizz handle this draft pick will have a domino effect on the rest of the picks. The biggest question is whether Ricky Rubio goes here or not. His management has threatened to stamp him with an $8 million buyout if Memphis picks him; Pau Gasol speaks negatively of his time with Memphis, and keep in mind Pau is as popular as Nadal back home. When Yao Ming was entering the draft, Chinese officials warned the league that there would be complications in getting him overseas if he were taken by Memphis or Milwaukee.

Besides, they already have a solid point guard in Mike Conley, Jr., and a solid nucleus in Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo. Thabeet, the most gifted shot-blocker since Dikembe Mutombo, could be the final piece of this puzzle. For now.

3. Oklahoma City Scumbags - DeMar DeRozan, USC
With Thabeet off the board, the Two-Timers are going to take the best pure scorer available at this position. He's no OJ Mayo, but teaming up alongside Jeff Green and Kevin Durant would create yet another solid nucleus on the verge of breaking through.

4. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio, Spain
If there's a hefty buyout for this dude, expect the Maloof brothers to play ball. They are Vegas high-rollers, after all. This would be a great opportunity for the Spanish point guard "prodigy" to prove his mettle alongside veteran Andres Nocioni, up-and-comer Jason Thompson, and two-guard Kevin Martin, he of the most unorthodox yet efficient jumper in the league. There's alot of raw, scrappy talent in this organization; what Rubio can do to make them better will tell you what kind of future he has in the states.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Tyreke Evans, Memphis
At first glance, yesterday's trade of Mike Miller and Randy Foye to the Wizards seemed perplexing. But looking at it again, it makes plenty of sense. They get the expiring contracts of Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov and Etan "Harlem Renaissance" Thomas, and the Wizards' fifth pick. Look for them to use it to fill their biggest void right now -- point guard. With the talent in the frontcourt (Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Corey Brewer), Evans is a scoring point guard who can cause all sorts of havoc off the dribble.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - DeJuan Blair, Pitt
The girthy big man has drawn all sorts of comparisons, but I think he most closely resembles Glen Davis. Undersized, wide-bodied, and an all-out scrapper who fights for those inches. His clown-suiting of Thabeet this year is still fresh in my mind.

7. Golden State Warriors - James Harden, Arizona St.
We're entering year four of Nellyball Part Deux in Oakland, and nothing's really changed. The Warriors thrive when their guards are playing at a frenetic pace, but the one thing they've lacked since the departure of Matt Barnes is a consistent defensive stopper. Look for Harden to try and fill that role here; also look for Harden's addition to light a match under Anthony Randolph, a guy with limitless potential who is on the verge of an explosive breakout season of Monta Ellis proportions, yet is constantly in Nelly's dog house.

8. New York Knicks - Stephen Curry, Davidson
Mike D'Antoni is salivating over the prospect of coaching this guy. His game screams D'Antoni at jet engine decibels. After three years, we know now that A) this guy can go off for 30 on anybody in the country, B) he can lineup anywhere in the backcourt, and C) he has limits on defense. In D'Antoni's system, there are no limits on defense -- because there is no D required.

9. Toronto Raptors - Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Arguably one of the most exciting players to watch this past college season, he could serve nicely in Toronto's rotation as the second or third guy off the bench, someone you can throw in late in the game and count on for a clutch three or fast-break drive. He'd serve as a much better backup to Jose Calderon than Marcus "Luis Mendoza" Banks.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Ty Lawson, North Carolina
After yesterday's moves, in which they dumped Richard Jefferson's bloated salary unto San Antonio and picked up Amir Johnson (an absolute steal), Bruce Bowen (still a defensive beast) and Kurt Thomas (meh), the Bucks's most pressing need is at the point. Sure, Ramon Sessions fills the bid here over Damon Jones and Luke Ridnour, but he's far from elite. The rankings say to take Jrue Holiday, the unpolished freshman out of UCLA who underachieved in his first season. But Lawson is faster, steadier, and more mature.

Here's how the rest of the first round should play out

11. New Jersey Nets - Jordan Hill, Arizona
Nets need a guy who can finish around the basket.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson, Duke
Strong guard with great range from the perimeter. Like Clippers, the Bobcats will find a way to screw this up.

13. Indiana Pacers - Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Upon which he immediately becomes a fan favorite.

14. Phoenix Suns - Terrence Williams, Louisville
Long, lean and underrated. Suns don't need help at the point, but nice to know this versatile forward can play anywhere on the floor.

15. Detroit Pistons - Brandon Jennings, Italy
Joe Dumars has made a living off gambles like this.

16. Chicago Bulls - Earl Clark, Louisville
6-10 forward can play the three or four; could fill a tweener role a la John Salmons.

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Eric Maynor, VCU
Sixers need a reliable backup to Andre Miller.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Austin Daye, Gonzaga
Sophomore forward adds more raw upside to team already overflowing with it.

19. Atlanta Hawks - B.J. Mullens, Ohio St.
Wouldn't be the first time they've rolled the dice with an unproven one-and-done.

20. Utah Jazz - Darren Collison, UCLA
Combo guard provides depth to a bench that was lacking in the Jazz' first-round exit.

21. New Orleans Hornets - Sam Young, Pitt
Arguably more NBA-ready than Blair, could make an immediate impact.

22. Portland Trail Blazers - Omri Casspi, Israel
Power forward continues Kevin Pritchard's tradition of drafting foreign players.

23. Sacramento Kings - Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Sharp-shooter will be utilized in a system where Kevin Martin is the alpha dog.

24. Dallas Mavericks - James Johnson, Wake Forest
Versatile forward can make an immediate impact.

25. Oklahoma City Scumbags - Chase Budinger, Arizona
There are many questions about his toughness. In a related story, there are questions abound regarding Clay Bennett's ethics.

26. Chicago Bulls - Marcus Thornton, LSU
If Ben Gordon leaves, they're going to need help in the backcourt.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Jrue Holiday, UCLA
With the right coaching, this guy could be around for years.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Brown, Xavier
Wolves pick up yet another athletic swingman.

29. Los Angeles Lakers - Patrick Mills, St. Mary's
Tell me I have Gaels-blinders on, but this kid is going to be a steal for whoever takes him.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Nick Calathes, Florida
Because Danny Ferry would take a soft scrub like this and call himself a "genius" if he ends up averaging 15-20 minutes.

And look for these second-rounders to end up as steals:

Jeff Adrien, UConn
Ahmad Nivins, St. Joseph's
Jermaine Taylor, UCF
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Jack McClinton, Miami
Taj Gibson, USC
DaJuan Summers, Georgetown

Dempsey, defense sends U.S. to Confed Cup Final

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Well, this isn’t the last time I will be wrong — I can assure you of that.

In what will be known as quite possibly the darkest day in Spaniard Soccer history, the United States pulled off the previously thought of improbable upset.

The U.S. scored in the 27th minute on a goal by Jozy Altidore, then came out flat in the second half.

It almost cost them the lead until Clint Dempsey got his 15th international goal in the 73rd minute to give the U.S. a two-nil victory over Spain.

For those of you new to the soccer lingo, that’s 2-0.

The four backs — Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu and Jonathan Spector — absolutely shut down Fernando Torres, David Villa and Xavi.

There was one situation where I thought a goal was all but assured for the Spaniards. In the 53rd minute, midfielder Cesc Fabregas lobbed a ball over Landon Donovan to Xavi inside the 18-yard box. However, Donovan bumped Xavi hard from behind taking him out of the play and referee Jorge Larrionda didn’t even make a movement to bring the whistle to his mouth to call the foul.

Soon after, the U.S. was finally able to get the ball to safety in the neutral zone and finally into its attacking zone for Dempsey’s goal.

The defense/midfield was stupendous for the U.S. and will have to be come Sunday for the final when they will no doubt face Brazil.

A phenomenal showing for the U.S. which has certainly given its fan base something to look forward to: A possible Confederations Cup championship.

LSU National Champions

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

For those of you who missed it, the College World Series concluded last night.

The LSU Tigers defeated the Texas Longhorns, 11-4, for the Tigers’ sixth baseball national title.

The Tigers — who I had ranked No. 1 in the country heading into the postseason, and will (obviously) keep the ranking after the title — scored 51 runs in six games, showing their power bats, while their pitching staff only allowed 26 runs.

Pure national champs, indeed.

Jared Mitchell, who hit a three-run homer in the first inning, won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Mitchell, drafted by the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft earlier this month, was a member of the 2007 football team which won the BCS Championship.

Somehow, Larry Templeton, the head of the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Committee and Mississippi State’s athletic director, seemed to have gotten the national seeds right — I don’t think anyone can argue a 1-3 matchup in the finals.

CWS Recaps
In Game 1, the Longhorns had a 6-4 lead heading into the top of the ninth before Taylor Jungmann blew the save and LSU went on to win, 7-6, in 11 innings.

Jungmann shrugged everything off for Game 2, though, as the freshman tossed a complete-game in Game 2, allowing an unearned run on five hits.

Trailing, 4-2, early in Game 3, Texas’ Kevin Keyes hit a two-run homer on the fourth pitch of the fifth inning for LSU’s Anthony Ranaudo (win; 5-1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 4 Ks). Without missing a beat, however, the Tigers answered with five runs in the top of the sixth before adding a run in the eighth and ninth innings.

Trade Penny?

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

For those of you with the common sense not to have your car stereo's presets on Howie Carr and Dale & Holley, you're missing out on one of the city's biggest much-ado-bout-nothing controversies. And no, I'm not talking about the Rondo and Allen to the Pistons nonsense that has no substance to it.

Every time Brad Penny pitches and isn't brilliant, expect to hear a plethora of table-topped trade scenarios for the head-bopping, Marilyn Manson-loving, Watertown-dating, occasional TMZ casualty from Blackwell, Oklahoma.

With that in mind, take a look at tonight's pitching line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 112 pitches, 68 strikes.

Solid stuff. Not fantastic, not terrible, but enough to get the job done in a no-decision tonight, an 11-3 Red Sox win over the godawful Nationals. That extends the Sox' AL East lead to five games, brings his ERA to a marginal 4.93 and his WHIP to a mundane 1.55.

Meanwhile, the Sox sport the league's best bullpen (a combined 2.84), and two starters waiting in the AAA wings -- John Smoltz and Clay Buccholz -- have made strong cases for a call-up. Smoltz will get the ball Thursday night, and there has been talk of going to a six-man rotation. To which I say...you people are out of your minds. This isn't Japan.

Every time you bring up Smoltz or Buccholz for starting duty, or if you choose to put Smoltz in the bullpen, you have to bring somebody down. Is it the flamethrowing Daniel Bard? Manny Delcarmen? Lefty assassin Takashi Saito? Hideki Okajima? Do you break up a good thing just to appease the wealth of pitching talent on the front end?

Or, do you field trade offers for Brad Penny, seeking out a shortstop more effective than Julio Lugo (which at the moment is a decent-sized pool)?

As long as there is an abundance of starting talent, and a menacing bullpen, Penny's name will continue to surface in trade rumors, no matter how little substance there is to back up the claims. Just know this: Penny, like most power pitchers these days, has a recent history of injuries. He is 31 years old, which means he is coming out of his peak years and must learn to adjust accordingly. Sure, Smoltz still has some heat, but now it's about where he's locating his low-90's fastball that's making all the difference for him.

There are alot worse guys you can have at the bottom of your rotation (this guy would be at the top of the Nats', don't you think?). But keep in mind that this is a guy that could end up on the Disabled List tomorrow, with no rhyme or reason. If and/or when Theo Epstein decides to act on a trade, he must do it swiftly. Don't drag it out, just push the button.

If you're going to do it, do it now before it's too late.

A Dodgers Fan's take on Manny Ramirez

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

First and foremost, I want to let everyone know I am a die hard LA Dodgers fan. In response to what Chad wrote this morning, I'd like to counter a few things as well as bring to light the view from a die hard Dodgers fan. Manny Ramirez has been an absolute beast at bat in his career. What we don't know is if he's been a beast because of long term steroid/PED use or not. I would bet on the fact this isn't the first time he's used an illegal substance to help further his career. You can argue all you want about steroids and PED's not being against the rules for Major League Baseball, but it's a simple fact that steroids were illegal to use in the United States. Therefore it's is, and always has been cheating in my eyes.

I do agree with Chad that everyone in the country will be eagerly awaiting the return of Manny come July 3rd. A good number of people will be watching to see if he can return to his former self, or if he falls on his face without the use of PED's. Most Dodgers fans can't wait because they love him and think he can do no wrong. That's pretty much what I expect from one of the worst group of fans for any Major League team. Yes, I say this despite being a huge LA Fan. Personally, I'd rather just forget about him and move on with the team I have. I know this sounds stupid, but I'd rather take my chances with Juan Pierre and the rest of the Dodgers team than potentially winning it all with Manny in left field. I have real concerns that his return will upset the chemistry of the team. It's not like he's ever done that before. Luckily for the Dodgers organization, Manny still needs to be on his best behavior, play hard and perform as best as he can.

Is he good for the game of baseball? No, he's not. Even before being suspended for 50 games he was bad for the sport. It's not good when a sure fire hall of famer can shoot his way out of Boston. It's not good for baseball when a player says his 14th grandmother has passed away so he can miss parts of spring training, or create a fake injury to miss time because he's mad at an organization. It's also not good for baseball when a player pushes down a 65 year old club attendant and is not reprimanded for it. I say all this and haven't even mentioned the time last season when he protests pinch hitting against the New York Yankees by keeping his bat on his shoulder and takes three straight pitches down the middle.

Manny Ramirez is a no good scumbag who just happens to be the best right handed hitter of his generation and one of the best of all time. My question now is can he still be that hitter without help? Only time will tell.

Are you on Manny's side?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Manny Ramirez is a cheater, but he's still a big draw.

Is that a bad thing?

Granted, getting suspended from Major League Baseball for 50 games for violating the drug policy doesn't help his image --not that that hasn't been wrecked over the years with his lack of hustle, needing days off, faking injuries, etc. -- but there's no arguing that he's one hell of a hitter. 

That's what he is, he's a freak --just like Randy Moss catching touchdowns -- with a bat in his hand.

It's not my problem if you forgive him for all that's he's done with tarnishing his image, but that baseball talent that he has still makes us want to watch.

He can homer at any time, in any count, in a game, plus you get the added bonus of what will Manny do next? Will he hustle out a ground ball? Will he loaf it in the outfield? Will he even show up at the ballpark? It's the great mystery of Manny Being Manny.

Now, even though he's suspended from the Dodgers and isn't eligible to be reinstated until July 3, fans are flocking to the ticket booths in Albuquerque, N.M., in hopes of seeing Manny suit up and play in some minor league games to get ready for his return to the Dodgers.

Those fans probably don't agree with Manny's choices which got him suspended in the first place, but they obviously want to see the talented Manny on the field. 

There's no doubt that Manny can put on a show when he's got his uniform and spikes on and digs into the batter's box.

He's got the star power that makes people want to watch him.

Is he good for the game? That's debatable (post your comments, I'd like to hear what you think!), but he's a box office draw.

There's a reason the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes' tickets for this week's series versus Nashville --where Manny may be suiting up to shake off some of the rust from serving a hefty suspension --are selling faster than hot cakes.

Yes, he's cheated the game, but he doesn't ever get cheated in the batter's box.

What's more important to the fans --being a clean ballplayer or hammering a homer to win a game?

You make the call!

Q&A with Ryan Durand

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(This is the second of several question and answers with Tennessee Titans 7th-round draft pick Ryan Durand. If you have a question for Durand, please email me at cgarner.fanfanaticsports@gmail.com and I'll try to get your question into the next edition).

FFS: Best advice you've ever received?

Durand: Play every down like it's your last because you never know which play will be your last.

FFS: Do you trash talk to opposing players?

Durand: Rarely

FFS: You went to St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School, which mascot do you like better -- Saints or Bernardians?

Durand: Saints

FFS: What are you a fan of?

Durand: Red Sox

FFS: What team did you think was going to draft you?

Durand: Cleveland Browns

FFS: Do you like country music yet?

Durand: Yes, I started listening to it in college

FFS: Favorite video game?

Durand: Metal Gear Solid

FFS: Biggest difference from college to pros?

Durand: You are not on scholarship anymore and do not automatically make the team

FFS: How many people have gotten in contact with you since you were drafted that you hadn't spoken to in years?

Durand: Many have said congrats via facebook

FFS: Who is Tennessee's starting quarterback -- Vince Young or Kerry Collins?

Durand: I don't know, I'm just a lineman

FFS: What gets you fired up to play football?

Durand: Listening to Metallica

FFS: What are the facilities like as a member of the Titans?

Durand: Fantastic, they are top notch

FFS: Have you had a "Welcome to the NFL" moment yet?

Durand: Not yet but I'm sure there will be one

FFS: Do you like signing autographs?

Durand: I do, but I don't think anyone knows who I am ... ha, ha