Campaign Blog: News & Updates

A fairly unspectacular NFL draft this past weekend. But there's one tidbit worth bragging about. I noticed there were no receivers drafted in the first round (one tight end, however). Second round? Ten receivers picked. The first of which? Donnie Avery from the University of Houston.

Nice!

UPDATE: One storyline from the NFL draft that deserves some kudos:

The Bengals have replaced the Oakland Raiders as the bad boys of the NFL. During a stretch in 2006, eight Cincinnati players were arrested a total of 12 times.

On Sept. 20, 2006, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell visited the Bengals and spoke about the responsibility that comes with being pro football players.

Five days later, linebacker Odell Thurman, the team's leading tackler in 2005, was arrested by Cincinnati police for DUI. It was Thurman's third violation of the league's substance-abuse policy and it led to a year-long suspension.

The Bengals have tried to clean up their image. Wide receiver Chris Henry, a constant off-field problem, was waived after being arrested for the fifth time earlier this month.

However, they suffered another public relations nightmare when wide receiver Chad Johnson wanted to be traded and said he wouldn't attend any team functions.

The Washington Redskins reportedly offered two first-round draft picks for Johnson but the Bengals refused.

Enter Lynch, who besides having 354 tackles and 25 interceptions in his career at Appalachian State, helped start bible study on his team.

He's also married to evangelist Billy Graham's granddaughter, Sissy.

"They are trying to turn things around so I was kind of expecting they'd take me," Lynch said. "Talk is cheap. Live right and everything will be good."

Tis the season to mull over all of the fallacies of NFL teams on draft day. ESPN puts out a monster list of 50 draft busts. And since I hate lists so much, I thought I'd take my own try at it.

My own biases are as follows - draft busts of the 60s and 70s are not my forte. I like the game and all, but I'm not that masterful of an historian to go back that far (Advantage Jerry Tagge, it would seem). Secondly, I think there ought to be an emphasis on higher draft picks. The list below tends to be a bit more forgiving of guys drafted in the second half of the first round at the expense of the guys picked in, say, the top 10. The ESPN list struck me as remarkably thin on #1/#2 picks at the expense of harping on guys drafted much lower. Third, as a UH grad, it pains me deeply to enumerate such an ignoble list that simply must include the hallowed names of Ware & Klingler. Just so's ya know. Oh, and this is probably a more QB-centric list than most others out there.

1. Tony Mandarich (#2-Packers, 1989) ... to me, he'll always be the sin qua non of bad picks. Even if he had performed abley as a professional, the sad fact of the matter is that the three picks after him were Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders.

2. Art Schlister (#4-Colts, 1982) ... Pete Rose wannabe

3. Russell Erxleben (#11-Saints, 1979) ... he may just be the dumbest human being to ever play sports. But there's also something to be said for a team that drafts a kicker in the first round.

4. Ricky Williams (#5-Saints, 1999) ... Not so much for Ricky's failings as a pro, but for the Saints' poor judgment in trading all of their picks for one player. If he played at a Campbell-esque peak for a full decade he wouldn't have been worth that pricetag.

5. Todd Marinovich (#24-Raiders, 1991) ... Ryan Leaf, before there was a Ryan Leaf. This also serves as the outlier for my "top draft picks > lower draft picks" concept.

6. Ryan Leaf (#2-Chargers, 1998) ... He is what he is. And the funny thing is I can still recall every single instance when I was told in no uncertain terms that Leaf was a better QB than Peyton Manning. Cade McNown could well be lumped into this ranking as well. Both are products of high-profile success at an early age having detrimental impacts on otherwise talented player. Certainly, the list could be much longer, but I'm trying to limit the list to top draft picks.

7. Ki-Jana Thomas, Akili Smith, David Klingler, Akili Smith (#1-#3-#6-Bengals) ... Sometimes, you really have to ask yourself if it's totally the players' fault that they're a bust.

8. Lawrence Phillips (#6-Rams, 1996) ... what really need be said of the NBA-ization of the NFL? Debatable whether to include Maurice Clarett and Rae Carruth (and a host of others) in here. For now, one poster child will do.

9. David Carr, Tim Couch (#1-Texans, #1-Browns) ... both were drafted into expansion situations. My own sense is that Couch's record as a pro is more tied to that fact than Carr's ... who was just simply not quite the QB many of us hoped he'd be.

10. Jeff George (#1-Colts, 1990) ... sometimes being a bust isn't as simple as putting up poor stats.

11. Andre Ware, Heath Shuler, Kelly Stouffer, Todd Blackledge (#7-#3-#6-#7) ... and sometimes it just is.

Hon. Mention: Tom Cousineau (#1-Bills, 1979) ... drafted first overall, signed for double to a CFL team instead; eventually got back to the NFL, but not enough of a star to warrant the #1 pick. His NFL rights were traded from the Bills to the Browns in exchange for the 14th overall pick in the 1983 draft. That pick was used to select QB Jim Kelly (who would also go on to sign with another league for a few years). No Super Bowls with Kelly, but the team did as well as you could do otherwise.

ESPN does a bit more thorough job of listing WRs ... I think that position is almost always hit or miss, so I guess I'm much more forgiving of those players who don't measure up. As far as additional RBs I might add to a lengthier list, I think the curse of Penn State warrants some mention. Ki-Jana Carter is already listed above, but Blair Thomas and Curtis Enis are still notable in my mind.

well, technically it began this past weekend.

» Chron: Matsui makes debut with Astros (Joseph Duarte)

And in true Astros '08 fashion ...

Matsui made his long-awaited debut for the Astros, going 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in the Astros' 11-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Minute Maid Park.

He should fit right in.

Seriously, though, I need to check on a good game to catch the team even though this is clearly not a season to be overly excited about the Astros. But as a former second-baseman, checking out the new guy on 2nd is one of the few joys I still find in today's homer-driven game. I don't think there's any expectation that Matsui will finish in the ranks of Biggio or Joe Morgan, but that didn't make Billy Doran any less enjoyable to watch.

ADD-ON: Oh, and I did manage to watch a televised game over the weekend (not the same). While Matsui is still working out some kinks, I have to say that watching Michael Bourn steal bases could be another minor reason for enthusiasm. Small ball returns!!! Partially, anyway.

» Chron: Texans look to build on team image in NFL Draft (John McClain)

"Build on"??? The article sounds more like they're trying to reinvent.

I hate to be a total pessimist about the home team, but cheering on the Texans has about all the merits of cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first two seasons in the league. When a guy named Sage Rosenfeld outperforms the guy you brought in to be the improvement over David Carr, you've seriously got a lot to wrap your mind around in order to grasp the futility of this endeavor.

With the 18th pick, my guess is that the player we pick up may not be a household name as collegiate left tackles and defensive ends sometime seem to be less than well-known. I'm a little biased by the way the 90s Oilers were built with O-line draft picks, but it looks like this team will be built with D-line picks.

Ah well ... at least we've got John Jenkins-style football to look forward to in 2009. Maybe.

First things first, the Matsui era at second base should be happening around the middle of this month. Time to start looking for a game to get to.

Secondly, McTaggart looks at the first round of the new pitching lineup for the Astros:

Roy Oswalt: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Brandon Backe: 5.0, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
W. Rodriguez: 5.0, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 B, 6 K
Shawn Chacon: 6.0, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Chris Sampson: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0, 1 K

I think it'd be asking way too much for guys to go 7-8 innings in the first week. So in light of that, the pitching should probably be viewed as slightly better than I feared. And for the bottom three guys, well above what's expected. Still, it's a long season. And in spite of that first round of pitching, the team is still 2-3 and our best hitter is batting .263. Ouch!

I hate to start the baseball season as a pessimist. The reality of the situation is that baseball isn't the same game it was in the 70s and 80s when I was a fan. But seeing a starting five like this (umm, past the Oswalt & Backe combo, that is) does little to lift my spirits:

Astros starting five
Roy Oswalt: 14-7, 3.18 ERA, 212.0 IP
Brandon Backe: 3-1, 3.77 ERA, 28 2/3 IP
Wandy Rodriguez: 9-13, 4.58 ERA, 182 2/3 IP
Shawn Chacon: 5-4, 3.94 ERA, 96 IP
Chris Sampson: 7-8, 4.59 ERA, 121 2/3 IP

The name of the game is that Minute Maid is once more TenRun Field. First team to 10 wins. On the plus side, Jose Cruz, Jr. made the cut. So there's a tie to history (sorry to see Lance Neikro didn't make it) and a role player to root for. I'll also be interested in seeing Matsui at second base. But beyond that, about all there is to truly hope for is that the time or two I make it to a game, it ends up as a pitcher's duel.

UTEP football gets an early preview. It's still hard for me to fathom how the team did so well statistically despite their 4-8 record. But they do play in the C-USA, so I guess that's all the explanation needed. Still, it'd be great to see the team make some improvements in the Trevor Vittatoe era.

Such are the things that make me happy ...

» Chron: Memphis grabs Final Four spot at Texas' expense

Outstanding! I'm curious about the game attendance figure, though. 32,798. I'm assuming that something like a dozen of them were Memphis fans. My own familiarity is that it's not uncommon for the final game to have a low number since two schools' alumni/students have already headed home. But still, this was essentially a home game for UT. Maybe what's really troubling me about this is that there's just not more UT fans that are moping about today from this loss.

I'm not as overly concerned about the attendance that might otherwise be a concern. Essentially, the Regionals are a trial run for a Final Four. And I've got to think there's no problem filling Reliant up for a Final Four.

» NYT: Beagle Is Top Hound at Westminster Dog Show (Richard Sandomir)

Bias aside, my heartiest congratulations go to Beagle lovers everywhere. Uno has won Best in Group among the hounds and now moves on to the Best in Show judging.

Now, my bias is rather clear here ... I love Basset Hounds and engage in the annual embarrassing feat of rooting them on in the spirit of my own past hounds: Claude, Beau, & Bucky. But the hound group seems to be the neglected stepchild of winners at Westminster (I'm not entirely accepting of the Afghan Hound as a peer, mind you). So if there's a chance that a beagle may change that, I'm all aboard the bandwagon.

Now if I can just be witness to seeing the first Basset Hound to win Best in Show ...

» WFAA: Trinity coach leaves team to fight in Iraq

If I live to blog about only one story involving women's soccer, this is the one. Just a great writeup of Trinity coach Kurt Clawson as he prepares to ship out to Iraq.

The girls soccer team at Euless Trinity High School has mantra: "We fight for our coach, he fights for our country."

...

Trinity is a program on the rise. A year ago, the Lady Trojans won their first playoff game in 15 years. If they are going to continue to rise, they will have to do it without their head coach, Kurt Clawson.

Since 2005, Clawson has been in the Army National Guard and he was recently called up for active duty. He will have six weeks of training in Oklahoma, then five months of intelligence training in Arizona. By the time the next school year is beginning, Clawson will be on his way to Iraq.

Yeah, so I now loathe the entire Manning seed.

• Tom Brady - born in 1977
• "American Girl" - charts for Tom Petty in 1977

Not sure what to make of watching Tom Petty on the Super Bowl. It could be worse - I could be subjected to one more flavor of the week band for a pointless PR moment. At least with Petty, you get the added pleasure of seeing Texas-native Mike Campbell on guitar.

As for the game itself ... I'm loving this. A solid defensive game. First team to ten wins.

Something on the lighter side of things on this Super Bowl eve ...

» NYT: Just Fine as Tackles, but They Can't Pass (Melena Ryzik)

"Puppy Bowl IV," a three-hour extravaganza in which a cast of 46 dogs frolics, chases, pants, sniffs, rolls, tail wags and occasionally picks up a ball (or, more likely, a chew toy) on a set resembling a football field, will be broadcast at 3 p.m. on Sunday, with repeats to follow.

I'm not going to lie ... the video has me sold on potential Picture-in-Picture action as I root on the Patriots to finish the season perfectly.

I'll keep my prediction simple ... Pats by 10

South Carolina ... Obama wins, probably big (ie - over 10pts). My sense is that with one early win, Obama can possibly count on some increased gravitation with southern black voters. Maybe that's a national trend as well, but southern blacks, in particular, have been a critical cog of Clinton's support. She can afford to lose some and still put together a winning coalition. But I don't see a way to systematically lose them en masse and hang on. It remains to be seen whether South Carolina is a one-off event on this count ... or if it's the canary in the mine. My sense is that it's somewhere between - Hillary manages to split them in some states, not so much on others. That helps translate to the notion that this race could be a marathon between the two. Team Sunshine will finish third in the state of his birth. That's definitely a bad sign leading up to the vote in his home state.

For the GOP, it's obviously McCain v Huckabee here. But how Fourth-Place-Fred and Mitt Romney play as spoilers strike me as equally important. I don't want to venture a prediction here. Obviously, partisan that I am, I'd prefer to see Fred win here and really drag out the question mark that is the Republican nomination. But if forced, I'll go with a slim McCain win. What the heck. I'd love to be wrong and see a Huck win, fwiw.

Nevada ... Easy call first. Romney wins for the GOP. Again, the happier outcome would be to see a Ron Paul shocker here. Sorta ties into his support among prostitutes all too well. But everyone knows that real people (as opposed to technorati search results) don't support Ron Paul for President ;-)

For the Dem side, I think the polling has been just a ton of garbage. It seems to me that the result will come down to how much of a hedge Hillary's early organization holds on against Obama's momentum. Based on hope, I'll take a Hillary win on any count. But I think we're going into this one blind. If I wake up and see Obama wins by 20, I don't think I'd count it a surprise given that the biggest union in the state can literally caucus while clocked out for a lunch break at their place of employment.

The more important picks are easier for me: Patriots v Packers in the Super Bowl. Anything else would be a letdown. Well, granted the notion of the Patriots playing the younger Manning would have some interesting story lines. I just think it's meant to be that Brett Favre goes down in a noble effort that has us all on the edge of our seats as to whether the only man who can beat the Patriots has more gray hair than myself.

Back to Presidential politics, though. I'll confess this much: I totally bought into the notion that Obama left Iowa with something like 101% of all the momentum in the free world. I anticipated a double-digit loss for Hillary in NH in the late-betting office pool. Obviously, I'm pleased as punch to be wrong on that one.

Now, I say that because I also picked Hillary to win every dang primary and caucus there is. Who knows, maybe I'll only be off by one or two when it's all said and done. But I do think the race has fundamentally changed with Iowa. The two races you see here are too minor to be so much as a microcosm for what it means by Super Tuesday.

David Corn think that Tsunami Tuesday does Obama in. I'm not convinced. In several of the larger states, Obama's rise charts like a hockey stick. The races have tightened and California has a history of being a wildcard in primary politics. If southern blacks break for Obama like they are in SC, there's a lot of states for him to pick up on that alone. I'll have to revisit my Feb. 5 picks as they're closer on the calendar. But right now, I don't know which position warrants the most optimism.

UPDATE: Oh, and just so I don't self-inflict another screed about how not giving John Edwards any run means I somehow opposed everything "progressive" ... dude's on a Coast to Coast tour. And he only visits one coastal city. How progressive!!!

» It's quite a day for photo blogs. Kuff (via Juanita) offers a very Princess Bride type of moment for Tom DeLay's "irrevocable residency" in Virginia. Once more, it's worth pointing out that that word doesn't mean what he thinks it means. Then again, who could blame Tommie for moving back? I'm sure he's represented better in the 22nd by Nick Lampson.

Elsewhere, Muse offers her qualifications for Harris County District Attorney. I'm suddenly feeling qualified myself. Maybe I'll form a "Screwballs and Nuts" Party and run myself. I like to think that I'm starting off with a 47,000 vote head start.

» Some brief NFL talk since I'm actually blogging before the big games this weekend. I'm watching the HBO team basically come to the conclusion that Dallas doesn't have a shot against the Giants. But part of their premise is that Dallas will be TO-less. Not quite the case. We'll see how healthy he is, though. I'll be pulling for the Giants (sorry Wade!), but they're a bit more of an unproven entity at this point. My pick is on boosterism alone: Giants by 3.

My personal favorite Super Bowl option would be for New England to play Green Bay. But the Seahawks-Packers game will be two teams looking at each other in the mirror. I guess my pick here comes down to which factor I think is more important - Favre or Holmgren. Generally, I'd say the coach is more important. This one should be entertaining if nothing else. I'm only rooting for the Packers to get my Super Bowl choice. Otherwise, I'd probably be a slight Seahawks fan out of the NFC. I'll go on record as offering a high-scoring outcome something like 38-31, Pack. Slight case of boosterism involved in that calculation.

Over in the AFC, it strikes me as interesting to see how difficult the Patriots path to the Super Bowl has really become. The Jaguars aren't going to be a pushover. At least ... they shouldn't. I'll have to pick up the second half of this one at church tonight. Obviously, I'm pulling for perfection this year. Patriots 28-21 ... the Jags should keep the clock under good control to be close at the end.

Bolts & Colts? Oddly, the easiest game of the weekend. Now watch the Bolts prove me wrong by winning. I'll go along with the thought that the real Super Bowl is going to be between the Patriots and Colts. It's tough to not see that coming down in the AFC Championship Game. Tough, but not impossible to see another matchup. For now: Colts, 42-14. I think they enter the AFCCG with more momentum ... but come up short.

» Someone answer for me what taking down two paintings from the State Capitol has to do with dissing someone at a party.

» Trend of the future? ... or just an indication of how deep the subprime mortgage crisis is really hitting the stand-up comedian circuit? I dunno. I worked at IKEA for the first several years here in town. That was enough for me.

And this must be what blog-tailgating is like.

All of the writers at the hometown paper are picking the good guys. But more importantly, Tim McMahon is calling the game 28-10 Trinity. Here's hoping they're all correct. Randy Jennings also notes that Trinity is staying overnight in San An, rather than bus in on gameday. Apparently, that might be one of the things to blame for the team's loss in Odessa.

This StartleGram report captures Coach Lineweaver, once again, putting me in an 80s frame of mind:

"We're kind of prisoners to our success. There's some great offenses in the spread and I admire what they do. Sometimes it's not how fancy you get, it's just doing whatever you do and doing it well. Coach [John] Reddell, when he was here years ago, would say, 'It's not the plays, it's the attitude that you run.' So our kids are running our stuff with a good attitude."

Reddell was the coach back in my days as a student. Maybe I was just more fond of him since he didn't cut me from the baseball team my sophomore year, as Lineweaver did. I swear - I think I'm almost over it now.

Another StartleGram article covers the sendoff the team got, while the Football Review revives the standard "Lineweaver is retiring" rumors that go along with his trips to the championship game. From the DMN, Ted Madden has the video.

The New Braunfels paper puts in an egregious - and easy reviewable - error in their report:

It's been 15 years since Judson and Euless Trinity last met in a state final.

Um, we actually won our first championship in 2005 against ... Converse Judson. The column centers on the writers conversation with Clint Rutledge, the QB of the 1992 team that beat us in the Championship game.

That's it for now ... kickoff @ 2pm.

UPDATE ... Good guys win. Two outta three ain't bad.

DMN highlights Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver. Great reading. The inclusion of principle Andy Cargile and the Phil Collins reference have me in very much of an 80s mindset all of a sudden.

Kickoff at 2pm. Fox Sports Net has the video. Audio & Prepcast are also out there if you've got nothing better to do over the final pre-Christmas weekend.

Is it just me or does the shadow of the Judson coach seem to make his voice and demeanor come across as ... well, as something like a pirate? Regardless, I can't help but think there's going to be a teen movie made someday where the character of football coach is based on this interview.

Trinity (the good guys) and Judson (not the good guys) go at it Saturday for the State Championship. Expect the usual amount of subtle attention paid to such matters on this fair blog.

» DMN: Trinity gets its kicks, tops Plano in 2OT (Todd Wills)
» DMN: Defense wins it for Trinity (Keith Whitmire)

Just plain ... WOW!!!

Euless Trinity kicker Pery Negreiros says he makes his field goals "most of the time" in practice, with the pressure of either his team's huge offensive or defensive linemen having to run if he misses.

It was Negreiros who did all the running Saturday night.

The senior kicker made two field goals in overtime, the second a 23-yarder in the second overtime that sent him sprinting into the arms of his teammates, setting off a wild celebration after Trinity's dramatic 30-27 victory over Plano in a 5A Division I state semifinal game before 30,000 drained fans at Texas Stadium.

Trinity will face Converse Judson (11-4) in Saturday's state championship game.

"It was just like we do in practice, pressure kicks," said Negreiros, who had made one of two field goals in regulation. "Coach [Steve Lineweaver] said even though I missed the first one, you'll make the next one, and I did."

After both teams had settled for field goals in the first overtime, Trinity (14-1) finally got control of a game it pretty much had won before running back Samir Walker fumbled at his own 29-yard line with a 24-21 lead and 42 seconds left in regulation.

I picked up the game early in the 4th quarter, watching the animated Prepcast display as if it were the real deal. I kept trying to brace myself in moments of impending doom that it was at least the type of fun, close, exciting game that you normally kill to see ... or acted out by avatars. And yet, there I was crestfallen to read of Samir Baker's late fumble that opened the door for Plano to win it in the closing minutes of regulation. The OT version didn't really make me feel much better as I was a temporary victim of ulcers just thinking about how cruel overtime had been to us against LD Bell back in the early 80s, where we lost a playoff game on penetrations - easily the foulest concept ever dreamed up at UIL HQ.

But this time around, we win a huge game. I was a bit reluctant to chalk this up as anything quite as big as last season's "Game of the Century" against Southlake Carroll. True, Plano has a great team this season and the Trojans have put together another incredible season. But last season, you genuinely had a sense that the two best team in the state were Trinity and Southlake. Trinity and Plano are great teams, but I think it's tougher to rank the Top 5, if not the entire Top 10 this season. Just as the kids at North Shore who lost a shocker to Converse Judson. Gotta admit, Judson snuck up on me. I wasn't really impressed with who they had to beat to get to North Shore, but there can't be any doubting a team that knocks them off. Besides, we should be familiar with Judson since it's the third time we'll meet in the finals. We'll see what destiny provides for next week. 2pm Texas Time. Alamodome.

The runup to the Trinity-Plano game is that Trinity DL Mao Leota gets some press run in the DMN. More than learning of Leota's grandma jumping onto the field to join in on the haka, I was surprised to see the college offers limited to Hawaii, Utah, Fresno State. From the sound of Leota's background, it's conceivable that grades might be one limiting factor. But another is the odd size: a relatively short 6'1, but a hefty 280. Sure he's quick, and that's a plus. But is there really that much of a shortage of D-1 schools desirous of taller defensive linemen for pass pressure? All that said, it'd be interesting to see him flourish in Hawaii under June Jones. I mean, unless some Texas schools reconsider him. Hmmm ... paging Coach Sumlin!!! The weather appears perfect for some football in Texas Stadium. Look for the game to be exciting. I'll be at church, tracking the game at Prepcast.

The runup to the Bitter Bowl (aka Patriots v Jets), is that snow might (or might not) put the clamps on a big, massive, vengeful rout by the Patriots. I hope not. I also hope to get this game via audio online. Might just give it a half to see what comes of it. If the Patriots have over 40 by halftime, I'm blocking that time out to focus on the trainwreck. Otherwise, work always beckons.

The NYT offers their dismal view of the Hooded One. Meanwhile, the BoGlobe focuses on that other camera incident that not many seem to talk about. This is what I find so interesting about those who came out in a rush to judge Belichick. Supposedly, it was that he just violated the rule of law - per the NFL law, that is. Rember? "The rules are clear" we were lectured. Well, unless it was another team, it seems. Funny how clarity gets lost to the unobjective.

Oh yeah .. and UH has another football game in a couple of weeks. I realize it may be asking too much of the Chron to flood the zone on a third-tier bowl game and that the coaching situation has eclipsed it in terms of immediate relevance. But there has to be a great story brewing down on Cullen about the way the staff is gearing up for it - Coaching by Duct Tape? - I'm just hoping that the players are seeing this as a unique opportunity. Some of us have been hoping for a bowl win forever and if this is the team that ends our losing streak, it could be one of those legends that lasts a while in Cougar lore - right up there with Danny Davis' "Think Cotton" t-shirt.