Guess what, ladies and gentleman?  I'm going to start the earliest draft article in preparation for the 2007 NFL Draft!  I had some free time on my hands so I decided to take a closer look at measureables.

The best QB prospect at this very minute is Brady Quinn of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Why, you may ask is Quinn the best pro prospect since Carson Palmer?  Could it be his above-average arm strength?  How about his decent mobility or his ND pedigree?  Maybe, but what's really driving the scouts crazy is Quinn's 6'4, 227 lb. stature.  While you will find taller QBs, this is something that is always looked at.  The typical NFL OL probably stands around 6'4+ in some cases which is pretty much, the most important group of 300+ pound behemoths in America. 

Now what about the QB Quinn is most likely to finish behind in the Heisman Trophy race?  Troy Smith of Ohio State may just be the one who disproves the "prototypical size" theory.  I for one, am buying his pro stock at the very minute of a late 1st round to mid-2nd round draft slot.  Before the Ohio State alumnis and fans start jumping on me, let me tell you this.  He is "listed" as 6'1, 215 but grumblings from the draft world indicate him possibly listing as low as 5'11.  That feature may alone just cost him a first-round pick but there are plenty of other reasons why we may not see Mr. Smith land that high.  Smith's main weakness, after his size, is him throwing the deep ball into coverage.  It's been seen this year that Ted Ginn Jr. is one of the most electrifying players in college football as of right now.  But there have been times that Ginn has had to SLOW down to catch one of Smith's attempted deep-balls.  His accuracy is possibly better than Quinn right now from short range but as you get deeper, the edge goes to Quinn.  Also, there is some talk of him having greater talent around him than most of the other QBs.  We'll let time tell on this one.

Overall, I'm also on the Brady Quinn bandwagon in terms of his NFL potential.  Now this year, Smith is by far the better collegiate player but let's see him beat USC and he'll get some good hype.  My earlybird sleeper?  Kevin Kolb out of Houston in the Conference-USA divison.

When I woke up this morning, I heard that Terrell Owens was taken to the hospital following an "adverse" reaction to pain medications he has taken.  It was 6:15 in the morning but I brushed it off as something minor and actually a small dose of karma.  I was thinking about the beatdown I was going to give my fantasy football opponent this week as both Shaun Alexander and possibly Owens would be out.  But then, I heard the rumors.

In a Philadelphia suburb, Owens is hated more than Osama bin Laden.  Basically he's referred to as "him" but with the move to the Cowboys, he's even more of an enemy as ever.  Then I heard about that the reaction may have been a failed attempt at suicide.  I don't like Owens as what he's perceived to be but this was something to be taken seriously.  Of course there were smirks of joy from Eagles fans but this actually made me feel rather uncomfortable for the rest of my day. 

Suicide happens all of the time and then people went on the rant as "Oh, how depressing his life must be, making all of that money and living in great mansions".  But you really have to wonder, how much abuse can one person take?  Owens is still a human being and while he's built like Hercules, he does indeed have emotions other than deserting his teammates.  I would say that a vast majority of even the most casual of NFL viewers consider him a jerk, a cancer, a loser and a horrible person.  Then you have to add the constant media speculation of a possible rift between Owens and Bill Parcells with every move he makes documented by the Cowboys front office.  Throw in the latest injury and the constant rehabilitation, you would have to wonder if we are witnessing a self-implosion? 

I will admit that now I have taken a huge sigh of relief seeing Owens doing some "light" practice work and talking to the media.  He did not stay long in the hospital long enough to be considered suicidal but there are other questions that remain unanswered.

Yes, I am not an Owens supporter or lobbyist.  But when you look at it all, he's just a human.

It was a typical summer's day in New Jersey and the weather was harsh due to the aftermath of Tropical Depression Ernesto when I went online.  But what made this day unusual to the typical outsider was that I was just finishing five hours on the computer for my fantasy sports teams.  I would go from my fantasy football teams, to my fantasy baseball teams to even the fantasy golf team; I knew I needed some help.  After all, how many 15-year olds waste their time inside when they should be outside?  Wait, just ignore that question completely. 

The NFL is a complex business, as we all know and their fans (including myself) are amongst the most passionate in American Sports.  But the evolution of fantasy football has taken passion to a whole new level.  How many Eagles fans have Terrell Owens on their fantasy football team?  How many Patriots fans have Peyton Manning or Marvin Harrison?  Though I'm geared towards winning all the time, I have to set up benchmarks.  I have never drafted a New England Patriot player in ANY of my leagues nor a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.  If I have to choose between Daniel Graham or Ben Utecht?  I go with the former Gopher WR who (keep track on this) just emerged as the #2 in Indy, overtaking Bryan Fletcher.  Another silent ground rule of mine is what if my fantasy team is running on the team that is opposing my favorite team?  Well in that scenario, I would have to bite the bullet and root against my fantasy team.  Also, always draft at least ONE player from your fantasy team (yes, even you SF fans) just to keep yourself sane.

I'm an addict on sports as I have mostly followed the NFL, MLB, NASCAR and NHL since I was around 3 years old but fantasy sports has improved my appreciation even more.  Anyone notice that Brooks Bollinger trade to Minnesota?  Yeah, that Brooks Bollinger, it's a shame when you closely follow the situation of a player of his caliber.  This is why I am ashamed of myself as I start getting paranoid and thinking "Tavaris Jackson is on my team in my keeper league?!?!?!?!?!?!" will the two-year deal given to Bollinger affect that in anyway?  Pathetic, isn't it?

This is the best part of most fantasy sports owners.  We know that we are in a sense, geeky or nerdy though we keep that to ourselves, and we know that we should probably spend time finding other hobbies.  But I've also slightly improved myself as a human being on the planet Earth.  I learn to feel more sympathetic towards people who get hurt during my HS baseball games.  I also have improved my knuckleball as I get more attentive to the tiniest details in my mechanics and have even learned to forgive people for about a wekk.

Well, all I have to say is that while fantasy sports is what we would call a "cool geek", it is still something that is fun and eats away time with your girlfriend's parents (believe me).

Comments, like always, Appreciated.

Perhaps the most important NFL storyline, the "race" to succeed Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner, has taken a backseat to headlines of Reggie Bush, rookie holdouts and fantasy football.  While there have been no political ads, mudslinging or catchy campaign slogans; Make no mistake this is one fierce election. 

Now it's time for some fantasizing and "What If? thoughts", I will take one day as the glorious life of the NFL commish.  I will make rule changes which could make the NFL not only exciting but better towards the players.  In this article, I will take the role as "COMMISH FOR A DAY!"

Rule 1, Franchising Rookies?-There has only been one major headline this offseason and that was the holdout of Reggie Bush and the continuing saga of the Matt Leinart and Broderick Bunkley holdouts.  This rule will make signings better for owners, fans but maybe not for the agents and playears.  We all know about how the "franchise tag" system works but plese correct me if I'm wrong or misguided but is a possible $58 million contract to an unproven commodity a great idea?  I know contracts prorate from year-to-year but this will limit holdouts and make the rookies pay for their absences.  As soon as you are drafted, you are given an automatic 3-year deal based on the salaries of the 5 lowest paid starting QBs from the previous NFL season.  Now that leaves the team inclined to either extend the deal (if wanted) or keep it and give the rookies a salary.  If the rookies don't like it?  They can hold out and get fined like a normal player to up to $15,000. 

Rule 2, Schedule Extension-Maybe that title is a little misleading but here's my take.  This Saturday we will see the first preseason game (The Hall of Fame game) between the Philadelphia Eagles-Oakland Raiders.  My idea would be to have all camps open between July 18th to July 21st and postpone the season by one week.  That way when players enter the preseason and regular season, they may be in better shape which could lead to less injuries.  Now that means a team like the Indianapolis Colts who started camp late, could save up to two weeks for players.  If you had an offseason surgery, you would have more time to recover fully as well.  Wishful thinking perhaps but I believe that would be great for the fans and teams. 

Rule 3, Blood Testing-After the Olympics, the NFL is most likely the sport that the players would want to use some "enhancements" to gain an upper edge.  Now while that enhancement may be small or Anna-Nicole Smith big (if you catch my drift), players will be tested as soon the week BEFORE they report to training camp.  That way by the time you report, the test results would be in.  It would make for a cleaner league and perhaps less drug-related arrests in the offseason.  Also, hopefully most NFL players will realize what they are under the 'scope and stop taking illegal drugs IF THEY DO take them that is.

Rule 4, Down in the Farm-Sometimes you may be too "raw" or not good enough to make the NFL, but the dream shouldn't continue in Canada.  I propose a minor-league affliate system (shared by two clubs each) for players on the practice squad or early preseason cuts.  It would coincide with the NFL season and that way teams can develop their Joey Hawkins and Ed Nelson-type (former NCAA basketball players turned TE) players and give them some playing time.  Also you can send backups down and bring up players all year which would frustrate some but make dreams come true.  Everyone likes a rags-to-riches stories and the NFLRL (NFL Rookie League) would help. 

That ends my tenure as NFL Commissioner, as always I will end my articles the same way they are always ended.

Comments (and Suggestions this time) Appreciated.

As I continue the four-part "Ode to Simmons" articles, I will now highlight the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation.  This will be the hardest part of this whole article as is there anyone good on the Phillies rotation?  Probably not but still the show must go on and let's start the comparisions.

SP-Jon Lieber:  Well what would you call a middle-aged SP who gives up HRs as many times as the Jason McElwain story has been retold on ESPN?  Jon Lieber is that man (though case could be made for Lidle) and while he's battled injuries throughout the season, he's not the ace that was destined to be this year.  Lieber has a fastball tapping around 90, a decent breaking ball and a knack for giving up a LOT of HRs.  A comparision is impossible to find almost, but hey, I think I got it:  John Burkett

SP-Brett Myers:  The Philadelphia Phillies best starting pitcher is without a doubt, Brett Myers.  While he's domestic abuse charge is the most known thing about him, let's not forget that he does have a sub-4 ERA which is lower than most of the bullpen.  Myers has a great fastball but an even better curveball and a slider, to my knowledge.  Myers has come a long way after his first two seasons in which he struggled heavily.  But with pitching coach Rich Dubee, it appears that he's turned the corner for good.  The Comparision was hard this time around, but I settled for:  Derek Lowe

SP-Cory Lidle:  I guess I have to give Lidle credit here, he's lasted the entire season so far in the rotation.  Nothing great, yet nothing poor; Lidle doesn't have dominating stuff, yet can still get you out.  Granted, pitching about 6 innings per start is not really worth a "Wow!" factor but his 4.91 ERA does not get him off the hook in my eyes.  Lidle is also being discussed as trade bait, and while he's not like him now, this guy was similar to him (without the success) in BOS:  Bronson Arroyo pre-2004

SP-Cole Hamels:   I still like what I see out of Hamels as he's still adjusting to the major leagues.  It takes time for some people and I would rather see him gain confidence up here, then lose it at Scranton.  He's showcased his dominant change-up and good fastball but still needs to learn how to pitch a curveball to a major league hitter.  He can be great, but let's not give him the title of the "Next Christy Matthewson" quite yet, he's still got a way to go.  The Comparision:  Inconclusive

The other members of the rotation are also inconclusive as we don't know what Randy Wolf will be like it when he returns on the 30th.  Madson is dreadfully inconsistent and Mathieson needed more than two starts to find out what he's really worth.

Part 4-The Bullpen/The End