NFL Draft Is Finally Here

The NHL playoffs have been quite a thrill ride so far. The Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, and Penguins all have commanding 3-1 leads in their series, while the West series are still open to anyone. But as exciting as the NHL playoffs have been, it is time to switch modes to the NFL Draft tonight. Since I am a Redskin fan, this is the team I will talk about.

Well draft day is finally here. We are only a few hours away from the marathon that is the NFL draft. All of us Redskins fans are excited to see what the Redskins will do in the draft with the league-low of 4 draft picks. All I know is with so few picks, they better make them count. We cannot go back and retrieve our draft picks that we traded away. We are stuck with 4 so we have to look to the future and do the best with what we have. There has been all kinds of speculation about who the Skins may draft, from quarterbacks to offensive lineman to defensive lineman. My personal preference is an offensive lineman. Russell Okung and Trent Williams are both solid options. Until we build stability on our offensive line, we will never again have a potent offense like we did with the Hogs in the Joe Gibbs era.

There has been a lot of talk about maybe taking either Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen in the draft. Drafting a quarterback would be a mistake with this team. McNabb will not be around forever, but we already have more than enough quarterbacks. It is time to solidify another position. Let's get some young talent on this team and build our way to a Super Bowl. I think that next year a quarterback could be a good idea because he can learn from McNabb. This year, no way. We need to keep McNabb upright and, more importantly, healthy. If we draft another quarterback, we will just have another year with a bad offensive line and a beat up quarterback, ultimately leading to another weak offense. I wonder if George Allen and Mike Shanahan agree with me and a large portion of the Redskins nation.

Mike Wise believes they will draft an offensive lineman:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/21/AR2010042104786.html?hpid=artslot&sid=ST2010042106112

Is he right?

Well our suspense with the #4 pick finally ends tonight. I just hope it is the right pick.

Reasons Why It's Ok to Grow a Playoff Beard

A good friend of mine sent me this article a couple days ago. It "debunks" every reason to not grow a beard for the NHL playoffs. After watching the Capitals pitiful effort vs the Canadiens last night, perhaps there is no better time than now to grow the playoff beard for good luck.  And maybe this could bring Alex Ovechkin back from the dead!  Where the heck was he for Game 1?  Not even a shot on goal?  That has only happened one other time this year.  He led the league in shots even after missing 10 games. Seriously, Ovechkin and the Capitals need to pick it up if they want to win this series. I guess there are two good things I can take from this game:

1. As horrible as the Capitals played for the 2nd, 3rd, and OT periods, it still took the Canadiens an overtime period to beat them. This shows that the Capitals are that much better than the Canadiens when they play at a high level. If that Capitals can pick it up and play their game, they should be able to bounce back and win this series.

2. The Capitals once again have been reminded they are not invincible and have to play hard if they want to have a shot at the Cup.

San Jose and New Jersey may be able to benefit from some lucky beards as well. Well without further adieu, here's arguments against each reason to NOT grow a playoff beard:
http://www.rockthered.net/2010-articles/april/debunking-every-reason-to-not-grow-a-playoff-beard.html

NHL Playoffs Finally Ready to Begin - A Look at the East

We are now only hours away from the beginning of the NHL playoffs, which are set to kick off Wednesday at 7:00pm Eastern time. The first game is the defending champion, 4th-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins vs the 5th-ranked Ottawa Senators. Following the opening game are the series between New Jersey/Philly, Detroit/Phoenix, and San Jose/Colorado. The Stanley Cup playoffs are sure to be exciting, physical, and fast as they are every year. What is done in the regular season means nothing now. It is all about the Cup.

This begins with the league's top team, the Washington Capitals. They locked up the President's Trophy with more than a week left and clinched the playoffs and the Southeast Division amazingly early in the year. The Capitals have a high-powered offense led by Alex Ovechkin. The only question is if the Caps can play tight enough defense to lead them to the Cup. As a Caps fan, I worry about the sometimes shaky defense and goaltending. Luckily, Theodore is hotter than ever and I hope he can carry the momentum to the playoffs.

Staying with the Eastern Conference, you always have to worry about the Penguins. As much as I hate them, and Sidney Crosby, they are a dangerous force each year. Star player Evgeni Malkin also helped lead the Penguins to the Cup. Some say he was a bigger part in the win than Crosby. Their playoff point totals, as well as the fact that Malkin won the MVP, support this theory. In the finals, Malkin had 8 points to Crosby's 3. This is the Penguins' 3rd year in a row at the #4 seed and what did they do the last 2 years? Only reach the finals, and then win it all last year. I cannot see how the Senators can get past the Penguins.

The Capitals obviously should be able to give them a run for their money, as they did in the 2009 playoffs when they fell short in Game 7. But let's also not forget about the New Jersey Devils, who with the addition of star Ilya Kovalchuk are certainly a force to keep in mind. Kovalchuk will be hungry to win after spending losing seasons with the Thrashers. Martin Brodeur is always solid in net and the Devils also have Zach Parise, another one of the best players in the NHL. If Buffalo's Ryan Miller can play like he did in the Olympics, Buffalo also has a good shot at reaching the finals. They will first have to get past the only hotter goalie in the NHL than Miller, Finnish rookie goaltender Tuukka Rask from the Boston Bruins. This should be a solid series, but I think in the end Buffalo will pull it off.

According to ESPN.com's SportsNation voting as of 04/13/10, the following is the list of the best playoff teams in order:

(#1 Votes) Points # 1 Capitals (15,499) 448,696                       # 2 Blackhawks (3,052) 396,359 # 3 Sharks (2,014) 375,430 # 4 Red Wings (4,568) 346,329 # 5 Penguins (2,589) 339,417 # 6 Devils (772) 306,094 # 7 Canucks (454) 277,586 # 8 Sabres (569) 250,707 # 9 Coyotes (143) 219,423 # 10 Kings (198) 166,529 # 11 Senators (59) 159,296 # 12 Predators (94) 135,606 # 13 Bruins (260) 133,326 # 14 Flyers (488) 117,899 # 15 Avalanche (214) 103,735 # 16 Canadiens (73) 90,222

How accurate are these votes? Only time will tell. Get ready hockey fans; it is going to be a great show.

5 Ways Faceboook Has Changed Dating (For the Worse)

I do not think this article needs any introduction.  We all know that Facebook makes our dating lives more difficult.  So check out the 5 ways Facebook has complicated the dating scene as we know it.  I also enjoyed the Big Bang Theory clip (great show).

5 Ways Facebook Has Changed Dating For the Worse

30 Things Every Man Should Quit by 30

Last weekend, I posted a link to a web site that listed the 30 things every man should have by the time he is 30. Well today I post the 30 things every man should quit by the time he is 30...

http://crushable.com/relationships/30-things-every-man-should-quit-doing-by-age-30/

McNabb, the Face of the Eagles, Now Wears Burgundy and Gold

I never thought I would see the day when Donovan McNabb wore Burgundy and Gold.  The franchise Eagles quarterback, the main face of the Eagles team, is now a Washington Redskin.  I am still trying to get used to this idea.  It is difficult for me to picture McNabb in the Redskins uniform. I am so used to seeing him in green and playing against us.  I can already hear the boos coming from Philadelphia fans when we play the Eagles this year.

I guess I should never be surprised by anything with Dan Snyder as the owner.  If there is a high-profile, veteran free agent player on the market, you know Dan Snyder will check him out and be willing to “show him the money.”  Well Snyder, Mike Shanahan, and company bring in another old high-profile player to the Redskins.  Let us hope that McNabb will play better for us than the likes of Mark Brunell, Shane Matthews, Dana Stubblefield, Bruce Smith, etc.

I have many scattered and mixed feelings on McNabb joining our team.  So I figure the easiest way to explain without going off on random tangents would be to list out the pros and cons on my mind:

PROS
-    First off, the Redskins now have a proven NFL quarterback. While questions about Jason Campbell came up every year, and many QB options were considered, these same questions will not come up with McNabb. He knows how to play the game and will be a good quarterback.
-    The quarterback controversies are over now.  I am hoping this includes the idea that the Redskins may draft a quarterback.  Now they can focus this year’s draft on the team’s biggest problem, its offensive line. This starts with Russell Okung, the offensive tackle from Oklahoma State.
-    This is a nice addition to the Redskins/Eagles rivalry. Won’t it be fun to watch McNabb return to play against, and hopefully beat, the team he built his career with?  And as I mentioned before, it will be great to give the Eagles fans something else to boo about.  
-    Doesn’t it get us Redskins fans a little excited knowing we have a quarterback who knows how to win?  Think about all the games we have watched McNabb light up some poor team. 

CONS
-    I am still trying to determine if McNabb is worth the price we paid.  Giving up a second rounder this year, and a third or fourth in 2011, could be a costly loss for the Redskins.  We need the picks to build up our offensive line and whatever other positions we will need to address in the upcoming seasons.
-    McNabb is getting old.  I do not think he has more than 3 seasons left in him.  After all, how many Brett Favres are out there? The two draft picks could hurt when we need to rebuild the team again in a couple years.
-    McNabb can play, but he will need some type of offensive line to do so.  And we have no offensive line!  Stacking a bunch of old players (McNabb, backup Rex Grossman, Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker) behind a poor offensive line will get us nowhere.  None of those players have the ability to run like they used to.  They will need a solid offensive line and I am not convinced the Redskins will have one in 2010.
-    McNabb is prone to injuries lately.  With the weak offensive line, I do not think he will be able to stay healthy all year.

On another note, I wish Jason Campbell only the best.  I hope he can play well for another team in this league. He has had a raw deal in Washington from the beginning.  First, they played Mark Brunell instead of him.  Since then, there have been so many rumors about different quarterbacks who may take his place including Mark Sanchez, Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford, and Tim Tebow.  Campbell did not even find out about this trade from the team, but from a reporter.  Well Jason, I hope you can move on to greener pastures where if you do not start, you are at least treated fairly.  What we do now know is that the Redskins have finally settled on McNabb as a replacement. As a diehard Skins fan, I just hope it was the right choice.

30 Things Every Man Should Have by 30

As a guy in his mid-twenties, you face a lot of pressure to make key decisions and get your life set for your future.  Being in this age and gender range you have to worry about finding things like a:

1. Good job - If you have not started a "career" yet, it is time to figure out what it is you want to do with your life. Often this is something having to do with your major in college. Personally, I think doing any one thing for 40 hours each week for the rest of my life sounds awful.  This even includes things I enjoy like sports and poker.

2. House - Generally this comes after the good job.  Sometimes this comes after a wife too. But either way, you have to start thinking about where you want to live, how you plan to afford a house, and when you want to eventually buy one.

3. Woman - You can't just date around like you did in your college days. No way my friends. Those days are way past you. If you want to be married at a reasonable age, you have to get your act together.  No more dating girls just because they are hot. No more staying single because you want to see what's out there.  The fun days are over. Now when you date someone, you have to ask yourself the question "Could I see myself marrying this person?" Scary isn't it?

Luckily, not all things that us men need to do in our 20's are as difficult as those big three decisions. Certain aspects in our lives are easier to conquer than the 3, and not as important. To see a great list of these, check out the link below, The 30 Things Every Man Should Have by 30.  Some of these are more key than others:

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-30-things-every-man-should-have-by-30/