WTF?!?! 3: Texas Tech Football Coach Mike Leach

ESPN.com reported here that Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was not too happy with the Cleveland Browns. Leach blames the Mangenius for WR Michael Crabtree falling to number 10 in the NFL Draft this past weekend. He claims that Mangini found flaws in Crabtree's character and that's why we didn't draft him with the 5th pick. Whatever man. We didn't make any promises about taking people. Why doesn't leach get angry at the Oakland Raiders? After all, they not only were looking for a wide out, they took one- Darrius Heyward-Bey...WHILE Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, AND Michael Crabtree were still on the board. Do you have beef with THEM Mike Leach? Don't get me wrong: Crabtree is an excellent player, and he might just become the next Jerry Rice for the Niners, but the Mangini and Kokinis decided to not pick him. It's not like the picked a different player at the #5 spot-they traded it to the Jets. And then traded down again and again and again. So I'm sorry that Mangini called him a diva, maybe he overreacted. But he didn't blacklist Crabtree, he was still taken in the top 10. Don't you have better things to do with your time Mike Leach, like I don't know, maybe trying to get back to the number one spot in the Big 12 WITHOUT your stars (undrafted) Graham Harrell and (apparent diva) Michael Crabtree? I think so...

The Browns and Draft Day

What will be of the Cleveland Browns come draft day? Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, almost certain of who each team will pick, have yet to be able to put their fingers on who the Browns will ultimately select. One second it's B.J. Raji from Boston College. Five seconds later, it's Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, Texas' Brian Orakpo, or even USC's Mark Sanchez. Enough already. In Willie's World, this is what the Browns should do:

-Trade Braylon Edwards: "Ball-Dropping" Braylon Edwards is just awful. I'm sorry. When the Browns showed some signs of greatness in 2007, he scored 17 touchdowns. The former Wolverine's total career amount of touchdowns equals 28. He did nothing for us last season, with the exception of drop passes. Any what do you know? TEAMS WANT HIM! Good riddance to bad rubbish. Send him to the Giants, who are looking for a replacement that won't shoot himself like a dumbass, and get a first round pick out of it. Don't be greedy and ask for another player like Mathias Kiwanuka, who Giants GM Jerry Reese said would be a "dealbreaker". Even though ESPN's draft gurus have us taking Crabtree in the draft, there are plenty of quality wide-outs still on the market. With the Giants' pick, you could eventually take UNC's Hakeem Nicks. If they want to trade the pick, what about free agent WR Marvin Harrison or gun toting Plaxico Burress? What about trade demanding Chad Ocho Cinco in Cincy or Arizona's Anquan Boldin? COME ON ALREADY!

-Make Brady Quinn the starting QB: This team needs to start over, and Brady Quinn should be the one taking the snaps for the Browns this year. After getting nowhere with Derek Anderson last season, it's time for a change. We didn't trade our pick for the following year to steal Brady Quinn at 22, and let his talent sit on the bench. Which brings me to:

-Trade Derek Anderson: This a move that should have been done by last year's front office, which might be why they are no longer on the Browns' payroll. Anderson had a pro-bowl season in 2007, and for lack of a better term, sucked a big one last year. Get him outta here. Seriously. If the Seahawks were willing to take Charlie Frye off our hands after he ruined the first game of the season for us in exchange for a later round pick, Anderson should at least be able to get us a 2nd or a 3rd rounder, right?

Here is how I think the Browns' draft should look, assuming none of the above actually takes place):

Pick 1 (1st round, 5th pick): Texas DE Brian Orakpo

Pick 2 (2nd round, 36th pick): Ohio State ILB James Laurinaitis)

Pick 3 (2nd round, 50th pick): Pittsburgh RB LeSean McCoy

Pick 4 (4th round, 104th pick): LSU  DT Ricky Jean-Francois (ESPN has him going late in the third round, but I think he'll drop)

Pick 5 (6th round, 177th pick): Ohio State OT Alex Boone

This is how the front office should do things this year---according to me. And that's the bottom line-because stone cold said so...Go Brownies!

Least Favorite Pro Sports Player 5: Front Office Edition: MLB Commish Bud Selig

Bud Selig. I hate the man. There really isn't much to say about Bud Selig. Man up, and deal with the steroid issues in the MLB. Everyone already knows about them, and we all think you're a joke anyway. Your tenure will be tarnished by your failure to not address these pertinent issues plaguing the game. Son of a B!

Duke of Hazard

ESPN.com reported (here) that Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes was benched and fined $500 for being late to their game against the Florida Marlins on Saturday. The 24 year old Duke is set to make $415,500 this year, and he can more than cover the fine. But if the Nationals are waiting for a check from Dukes, they'll have to wait a long time. The Great Falls Little League will be paying the fine. Dukes was present to sign autographs and look at all the teams in the league. He spoke for a few minutes before heading over to his own game. But since this was not a Nationals' sponsored event, his GM and Manager were not happy with his lack of punctuality. GFLL President Jim Mraz (any relation to this guy?) had this to say on the matter: "The point is, this guy gave back to our community, and now he's in a hard spot. We need to help him. It's not a question of whether this guy can afford the 500 bucks. We're just trying to send a message to our kids: He was here for us. Now we've got to be there for him...ou're a little stunned. Like, 'Whoa, wait a minute.' Here's the game of baseball -- it's got steroids hanging over it, all these issues... Needless to say the Nats kind of need help with what they're doing. I could see if he was out trying to do something small or private, but he just came into my community and gave us a shot in the arm." I agree 100%. Dukes, who was remorseful about being tardy, was doing a nice thing. Even if it wasn't a team sponsored thing, how many times do you see MLB players or players from any sport for that matter go out and encourage kids in their communities ON THEIR OWN? Dukes was paid $500 for his appearance, but I don't think he did it for the money. Shame on you Washington Nationals-maybe if your players did more of these charitable appearances, you'd win a few games. I'm not sure how that would work, but hey, it's worth a shot. 

It Takes More Than An Elbow To Crack A Brazilian Nut...

Sorry, Ray Allen. You can say what you want to say about the play, but the NBA Disciplinary Committee has decided that you were wrong for elbowing Anderson Verajao in the "man-zone." Enjoy the game tonight on the bench with Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe.

Beckett to the Bench

Josh Beckett finally got what was coming to him. After nearly plunking Bobby Abreu of the Anaheim Angels on Sunday night- A six game suspension. After taking his sweet time to throw the ball, after checking the runner on second base, Beckett hurled the ball as Abreu and the umpire called. Usually, the pitcher will lob the ball to the catcher if he has already started his windup. Not this time. Beckett threw straight for his noggin. Words were exchanged and the benches cleared. After watching the video of the incident (if you haven't seen it, you can see it here and make your own decision), I was surprised to see that Beckett was not ejected from the game. To make matters more peculiar, 4 members of the Angels were ejected, and subsequently fined, including LA's skipper Mike Scioscia and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who was also suspended for one game. The two players slapped with fines were Torii Hunter and Justin Speier. 

But come on-this was no mistake. I believe Beckett intended to throw the ball there. Josh Beckett is one of the best pitchers in baseball right now, and his control and stamina are better than most pitchers. As I mentioned before, Beckett took an excessive amount of time to throw the ball, about 15 seconds. The Angels are still grieving over the death of a player, Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a car crash, and were still a bit testy. But if you're looking for any sympathy from me for Josh Beckett, you're not going to find it. I'm sorry. I don't usually sympathize with head-hunters, except for maybe this one 

WTF?!?! 2/Least Favorite Pro Players 5: Manny Ramirez

Is this another case of Manny just being Manny? This morning, ESPN.com reported here that one of my least favorite players in the MLB would like to return to Cleveland before he retired. These comments from Manny made my jaw drop and scream "No F-ing Way", probably because even though in Mannyland this homecoming seems like it could happen, it can't and it won't. And besides, would we really even want Manny back in a tribe uni? He's a great player-when he wants to be. People talk about his time with the Dodgers last season and how he played so well with them. Did you see the way he played with the Red Sox at the beginning of last season? Appalling. He wasn't trying. He wasn't running out ground balls. He just didn't care about playing in Boston anymore, or the disease that we call "Manny Being Manny". Let me tell you why this is NOT going to happen in one word: money. Ramirez can opt out of his contract next year and become a free agent, and get his hopes up to be Cleveland bound. Manny Ramirez, while being one of the greatest hitters the game has seen, is also one of the greediest players the game of baseball has ever seen. In the offseason, the Dodgers offered him fat deal after fat deal, and Manny turned them all down. Finally, he signed with them. This year, Ramirez is set to make $20 Million. That salary is more than twice as much as Travis Hafner's, more than 5 times Grady Sizemore's, and 10 times the amount that Jhonny Peralta will make this season. The Indians are a small market team, and GM Mark Shapiro (Sha-PIE-ro) has said time and time again that they cannot necessarily make big deals like other teams in the league. The highest paid player on the Indians right now is Jake Westbrook. You know, that pitcher who has been on the Indians for years and is ALWAYS on the DL? Yeah, that one. Westbrook will make $10 Million, still ten million less than Ramirez will make. I want to know what people were smoking when they signed Westbrook to any deal over $2 Million. Come one-WTF?!?!

According to USA Today, Ramirez said "I would like to play for Cleveland one more time, to go back where I started," Ramirez told USA Today. "I have so many good memories there, why not? "I think to go back where you started is everyone's dream." Well Manny, until you demand a little less money than what is pretty much half of the Cleveland Indians payroll, keep dreaming. But let's dream for a second. Manny could opt out, and maybe he'll pull a grinch move and his heart will grow three sizes and he won't want to be overpaid, Jim Thome will re-sign with the Indians after he will become a free agent, we'll bring back Kenny Lofton for a 4th time, and maybe we could get a hold of Charlie Nagy and/or Chad Ogea. While it is true that I'd love to see the boys back in town, there's a better chance that I'll become an Olympic Pole Vaulter for the USA in 2012 than this so-called reunion come to fruition. So until then, Manny will keep being Manny, and we still won't care about him. Maybe he'll want to play, and maybe he won't. All I know is right now he's making a boat load of cash with the Los Angeles Dodgers that the Cleveland Indians will NOT be willing to shell out. 

Least Favorite Pro Sports Player 4- Albert Belle

So the past three times I ranted about players I hated, they were NBA stars. It's time to spread the love. Albert Belle-Here's to you. In case you forgot, Albert Belle was that fat ass who played for the Tribe in the 90's, and helped us get to the World Series in '95. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't bad when he was on the Indians. In 1995, Belle banged out 50 homers and 50 doubles, a unique feat that no one else has accomplished. But in 1996, Belle opted for greener pastures. And by greener pastures I mean that he wanted a fat contract that the Tribe would no have been stupid enough to give him. So where does he sign? He signed with division -rival Chicago White Sox. He plays a few seasons there, and here's the kicker. In his contract, Belle had a clause that he could opt for a new contract with Chicago to make him one of the three highest paid players in the MLB. He complained when the Sox wouldn't give him a new deal, making him a free agent. He was then signed by the Baltimore Orioles, who made him the then highest paid player with a 5 year $65 Million contract. Big mistake. He only played two seasons. When Fat Albert retired, the media went nuts. Belle was notorious for his profanity-filled tirades about not talking to the media. So what did they have to say about him? ESPN's Buster Olney wrote "It was a taken in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts... The Indians billed him $10,000 a year for the damage he caused in clubhouses on the road and at home, and tolerated his behavior only because he was an awesome slugger... He slurped coffee constantly and seemed to be on a perpetual caffeinated frenzy. Few escaped his anger: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet...launching plates into the shower... after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitor's clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton's boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat, and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was 'Mr. Freeze.' " 
New York Daily News columnist Bill Madden wrote:
"Sorry, there'll be no words of sympathy here for Albert Belle. He was a surly jerk before he got hurt and now he's a hurt surly jerk....He was no credit to the game. Belle's boorish behavior should be remembered by every member of the Baseball Writers' Association when it comes time to consider him for the Hall of Fame."
In response to this, The New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte observed:
"Madden is basically saying, 'He was not nice to me, so let's screw him.' Sportswriters anoint heroes in basically the same way you have crushes in junior high school... you've got someone like Albert Belle, who is somehow basically ungrateful for this enormous opportunity to play this game. If he's going to appear to us as a surly asshole, then we'll cover him that way. And then, of course, he's not gonna talk to us anymore—it's self-fulfilling."

So why don't I like Big Al? He's a shmuck. He's greedy, he doesn't care about anyone else, and he is a bad person. He's also a creeper. Don't believe me? Just ask the escort that he was arrested for stalking in 2006. Not bad enough? How about the fact that Belle went to jail for 90 days and has 5 years of supervised probation for placing a GPS tracking device on her car and obtained her phone records? Sorry Albert, you aren't on my list of faves. 

There's Always Next Year...

Wow. This year has been pretty upsetting for the Washington Wizards and their fans. The team who kept getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Cavs will not even taste the sweetness of the postseason this year. To make it even worse, they're in last place in the east, and the only team worse than them this season is Sacramento Queens. I've been joking with a friend of mine about how the only good thing for the Sacramento Queens this year will be the draft where they might get Blake Griffin, assuming they get the first pick in the draft. But that lead my thoughts in the direction of the "what-if's." What if Miley Cyrus decides that she doesn't want to be Hannah Montana anymore? What if Passover food was the food we ate year round? What if LeBron went to the Clippers?! Crazy things to think about, I know...but let's talk What-If's Wizards style. What if Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood, and Caron Butler all stay healthy next season? What if Antawn Jamison re-signs with Washington? What if the Wizards hire Flip Saunders as their new head coach? But WHAT IF the Wizards get the first round draft pick? Let's break it down. Staying off the injured list is a key factor for any team in any sport. Agent Zero is the X-Factor behind the Washington Wizards' success, and it is evident when he isn't playing, they aren't winning. And by the time that he did start playing, it was too late for him to dig himself out of the hole that players like DeShawn Stevenson, Andre Blatche, and Darius Songaila dug with heavy construction machinery.  But when he has played, he looked good. He's still the dominant force that he always has been, and next year, if he and the other players can all stay healthy, the Wizards will thrive. Switching gears, let's talk about Jamison. Right at the trade deadline, there were some rumors floating around about Jamison going to a number of different places. And even though he'll be sure to get offers from many other teams, if the Wiz make him an offer, I'm pretty sure he'll stay. Antawn Jamison has been verbal about his frustration with the team this year, and who could blame him? The Wizards are sure to be back in playoff contention next year, and he will likely be a part of that postseason push. Once again, let's change it up. ESPN.com reported hya that they are talking to Flip Saunders about coaching next season. First of all, I'm not sure Eddie Jordan should've been fired this year. He's a good coach, and his team wasn't winning because he was lacking some of the team's vital members. But whatever-they fired his ass, and I'm sure he'll have a new job by the time the next season starts, and I'm going to say that he'll be going to the Sacramento Queens. Saunders coached the Minnesota Timberwolves for 9 1/2 seasons, making the playoffs eight times, but only once did they get out of the first round. He then spent three years at the helm of the Detroit Pistons, and got them to the Eastern Conference Finals all three seasons, but lost in each one. Flip is a great coach with playoff experience, and I think the Wizards would be smart to give him a deal. If Rick Carlisle and Mike Dumb-levy still miraculously have jobs, I'm certain that Flip will get a little somethin-somethin his summer, probably from Washington. Now for the main event: The Draft. Don't count out the Wizards in terms of getting the first pick in the draft. Nobody expected the Bulls to get the first round draft pick last year, and they had a very slim chance of it actually happening. But you know what? It did. If the Wizards can get their hands on Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, or Ricky Rubio, they'll be stacked. Griffin is without a doubt, the best player in the draft pool this year, and any team would be lucky to get him. Thabeet has a cool name, and played very well at UConn this year. He was a total rebounding and blocking machine, but his numbers wee so inflated because of the style of basketball that Jim Calhoun has his Huskies play. Many scouts insist that his numbers will severely drop when he goes pro, but I'm not so convinced of this. I don't know much about Ricky Rubio, but I like the alliteration in his name. Everything I've heard about him is good and I'm sure he'll be great. 

So fear not Wizards fans: there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, it's a lot to do and to work on, but these are all things that are definitely not impossible to achieve. Just wait 'til next year Wizards fans, and before you know it, you'll be getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Cavs for the fourth time in five years. Yep, just wait 'til next year...

Mazel Tovs

Mazel tov to the newly inducted class of the National Basketball Association Hall of Fame!

WTF?!?! 1: BJ Mullens Declares for the NBA Draft

BJ Mullens is now the 5th Ohio State Buckeye to leave after his freshman year. Of those four before him, he is by far the worst. Oden, when healthy and not in foul trouble, is a beast. Conley is playing well. Daequan Cook is playing great ball in Miami alongside D-Wade. Koufos isn't getting so many minutes of play in Utah, but is developing nicely. Remember another member of Ohio State athletics who thought he was good enough to go pro after one year? Remember what happened to him? Tragic. BUT EVEN IN THAT CASE, he had the skills to back it up. News flash: Mullens does not. All year, I had been looking at stuff they had on the NBA draft on ESPN.com, and they constantly had BJ Mullens going in their top 15. I'd get a nice chuckle every time I read it, because I knew that Mullens wasn't that good and he was going to stay anyway. I mean come on, the guy started 2 of the 33 games that the Bucks played. B(ig)J(oke) Mullens apparently had his mind made up after the Buckeyes lost to Siena in the NCAA Tournament. I was reading the comments on the article posted on Cleveland.com of Mullens' decision to go pro. Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks he isn't ready. One guy even said that Ohio State should bill him for a year's tuition (not a bad idea in my mind). People make comments about how  Greg Oden is a huge flop. Wait until they see BJ Mullens--if they even get to. He's got D-League written all over him, IF SOMEONE EVEN DRAFTS HIM! Rumors have speculated that Mullens' wishes to turn pro now may have something to do with his childhood poverty, which was so great that at one point he even lived in a homeless shelter. Coach Thad Matta said that it would be to his advantage to stay in school to ensure a better spot to be picked in the draft (and  a fatter contract too). At this juncture, I can only hope that Evan Turner, David Lighty, and Jon Diebler don't turn pro. But if they did, I'd pick them higher than I'd pick Mullens. The only playing time that BJ Mullens will get in the next few years will be the times that I play NBA Live and put him in just for shits and giggles, assuming a team actually drafts him. BJ Mullens---WTF?!?!