Alex Jensen (The voice of the St. Mary’s Gaels) and Brett Thomas come to us live from Chef Burger in Pleasant Hill, CA. The former Diablo Valley College pitcher and catcher break down the Warriors’ and Sharks’ Western Conference Finals (both tied at 1-1)
Steph scored 15 straight points in less than two minutes on Wednesday. (photo by Christian Petersen)
(photo by Thearon W. Henderson)
BORW @the_real_borw
Didn’t the Thunder just win a series down 0-1 last week?! Is DubNation not seasoned enough yet to understand the high and lows of a playoff run? My favorite moment of last year’s ‘ship run was being down 1-2 in Cleveland and starting game 4 with a small ball lineup (the birth of the “death lineup”) and immediately going down 0-7 to start the game. That very low sinking feeling in your gut, almost like losing a loved one to a slow death, still resonates with me today. The Dubs would call a quick timeout, then immediately answer back with a 31-17 run to end the first quarter. The rest of the series was a symphonic score of basketball nirvana. The lowest of lows make the highest of highs that much better. “There’s a reason we celebrate with champagne after we win” said Steve Kerr recently. Buckle in and enjoy the ride.
Chris Norton
Glad to hear the Dubs and Staff saying what we’re all thinking: Blowing a Lead, at home, while limiting Durant, is VERY uncharacteristic of this mature team that has seen and been through a lot together over the last 2 seasons. Certainly enough to see what was happening, slow down, and get better shots in a closely contested 4th quarter. Bottom line for me: They are still the better team, but they gifted Game 1 to OKC, and that might be enough to stretch the series to 6 or 7. It’s like letting a lesser team hang around with a chance to win. Only this time, that team hanging around is a real threat to end the Dubs’ season. Let’s see some poise and maturity from Shaun and Klay tonight, get Draymond on that train, and take care of business in Game 2.
Robbie Repass (@ReelWorldLive)
No clue how the Warriors lost game one between Kevin Durant’s poor shooting night and Russell Westbrook’s inefficient possessions in the fourth quarter. The Thunder were bailed out by major performances by the supporting cast that should not be sustainable. The streakiness of both Westbrook and Durant combined with inconsistency from the rest of the squad should favor Golden State to regain control of the series through their unbelievable depth and versatility. Adjustments will be made and I expect a big statement win in Game Two from Golden State. But I’ve been wrong before...
Connor Buestad (connor@section925.com)
Wow. How effing huge is Game 2 now? Throw the record books out (and the 73 wins for that matter), this series has "dogfight" written all over it...Dubs favored by 8.5 for tonight's battle. I think that's a bit high, personally... Interesting emotion from Draymond yelling at Klay after that corner missed three. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but still... No way Billy Donovan out coaches Steve Kerr, right? Or could he be drawing on his back-to-back ship runs with Joakim and the Gators?... KD is so long, can someone tell me with certainty who should be guarding him? Mix different looks against him?... One thing I like about hoops is that there are no pitching matchups to worry about like baseball, just Splash Bros vs. KD and Westbrook over and over. Color me worried... I think Westbrook has proven himself as a less-than-stellar outside shooter, but his speed is absolutely devastating. Almost seems to be getting faster as of late... Did I mention KD’s length?... I’ll stop. Starting to sound like Sir Charles... Dubs win Game 2 in OT, Roaracle caves in onto itself, Boobie Dixon is somehow in the building with a Strength in Numbers shirt tied around his head.
Josh Hunsucker (@jphunsucker)
Bad omens surrounded Game 1 from pre-game to the final horn. I still feel sick to my stomach. Did I fail the Warriors because I could not find my 2015 championship socks, which a co-worker of mine has determined control the fate of the team? Was it that AT&T continues to consistently drop internet coverage only on my house from the hours of 3-7 and I was relegated to watching the majority of the game on my phone. Was it that my wife kicked me out of the house to order and pick up dinner because our kids are sick with 5 minutes left in the game and I had to sullenly listen to Tim Roy and Tom Tolbert while trailing the live call with TNT stream on my phone? I don’t know but on some cosmic level I can’t help but feel somewhat irrationally responsible.
Maybe it’s just me but I’m feeling somewhere in between down 2-1 to Memphis and down 2-1 to Cleveland in last years playoffs trending towards the despair and fear I had going into Game 4 in Cleveland. BUT...I’m compartmentalizing all of that and looking at the series this way:
1. KD and Westbrook collectively shot 3/13, 2/7, 3/3 (2’s, 3’s, FT) in the fourth quarter for 12 points. We can (and have to) sustain their 4th quarter swoons. This is who OKC has been all season, the Warriors have to be better and capitalize on their opportunities.
2. Steph and Klay collectively shot 1/10 (2’s and 3’s) in the fourth quarter and Steph played sloppy all night. They have to do better.
3. The Warriors are at their worst when they anticipate the anticipation. What I mean by that is the Warriors, at their offensive worst, anticipate reads and make a decision prior to reaching the decision point. At their best, the Warriors get into offensive sets that will evolve into a playing where a player will have to make a correct decision. They can anticipate where the decisions will lead them but they don’t predetermine the outcome before getting to the decision point. Steph and Draymond are the main violators and Steph has particularly bad on Monday. Case in point, Steph likes to throw a hook pass on screen-and-roll's to the screener when defenses double him. To make that play effective he has to actually make the read that the play will be open. On Monday he assumed that the screener should be open and had at least two turnovers on those types of plays. If we stop thinking that we know what the read is, and just see the read and adjust, those turnovers will turn into points.
4. Our bench will be better. Livingston hasn’t played well since his early exit in Game 4 of the Western Semis. Festus got killed by Steven Adams. Iggy and the Blur were ineffective to boost the bench scoring.
We control the outcomes of each of these things. We have to do better, we can do better. Now it’s time to prove it. I have my socks on, so I’m chipping in.
STANCE.
Patty Marleau goes top shelf to light the lamp on Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne. (photo by Ezra Shaw)
By Charles A. Turner Jr. | @ChuckTBeats
The San Jose Sharks have punched their ticket for the NHL Western Conference Finals by beating the Nashville Predators 5-0. The Sharks dominated from the opening puck drop with a Joe Pavelski goal at the 10:58 mark of the 1st period during a power play thanks to assists by Patrick Marleau & Joe Thorton. Joel Ward followed up with the second goal after assists from Melker Karlsson & Marc-Edouard Valasic lead to a nice between-the-legs shot on goalie Pekka Rinne at 3:09 of the 1st period.
After intermission, the Sharks wasted no time scoring their third goal after Logan Couture converted an unassisted goal after only 36 seconds of the second period. Both teams played strong defense for the rest of the 2nd period but a power play at the end of the period lead to an opportunity that the Sharks capitalized on early in the 3rd. Veteran Joe Thornton scored the Sharks' fourth goal after a Logan Couture assist. The Sharks continued to overwhelm the Predators in the third and Patrick Marleau scored their fifth and final goal of the game at 16:06 of the 3rd period following Logan Couture & Joonas Donski assists.
In addition to the Sharks' dominance, another highlight of the game would have to be Pekka Rinne’s meltdown following the fifth goal. Rinne, obviously frustrated with his play, took his anger out on his hockey stick by smashing it into the side of the goal until it broke, then tossed it to the side in anger. Predators’ coach, Peter Laviolette, substituted Rinne out of the game following this incident for goalie Carter Hutton who finished the game without being scored on.
This is the Sharks first time back in the Conference Finals since the 2011 playoffs and the franchise’s fourth time in the Conference Finals. They lost the 2011 Conference finals 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks. Only five players from the 2011 playoff team are still on the current Sharks roster.
San Jose will now go on to face the St. Louis Blues, who had the second best record in the Western Conference this year and the third best record in the NHL. The Sharks played the Blues three times during the regular season with the Sharks winning two out of the three games, both wins were in St. Louis while the loss came at home in San Jose. The St. Louis Blues will be the home team in this series as the Sharks look to take home ice advantage away from the Blues with their strong road play. Game 1 is set for Sunday at 5pm on NBC Sports Network.
Section925 baseball insider Jon Zuber sits down with Tripper to discuss the first quarter of the Major League Baseball season and where the A's and Giants stand after 35 games. Zuber also shares more insightful tales from his years as a professional ballplayer.
Steph missed his first nine 3-point attempts on the night. (photo by Steve Dykes)
Dey Dey
(Via TheRinger.com's e-mail newsletter)
By Jonathan Tjarks
Despite the hurdles that the charmed Warriors have faced early in these playoffs, Draymond Green’s star continues to rise. In the five games against the Rockets and Blazers since Stephen Curry’s knee injury, Green has had the highest plus-minus of any Warrior, plus-107 in 186 minutes. As a team, Golden State’s point differential in that span is only plus-71. Green has averaged 22 points, 10.6 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and a steal a game on 48.7 percent shooting and 48.5 percent from 3. From a statistical perspective, it has been the best stretch of his career. Klay Thompson has emerged as the team’s top scorer in Curry’s absence, but Green is the system keeping the Warriors afloat.
Without Curry, Green’s role in initiating the offense expands. Instead of being the roll man, he’s now the primary ball handler in the pick-and-roll, dribbling around screens and either pulling up for the jumper or hitting the cutter. He’s just as effective in the post, where he has long been one of the best passing big men in the league.
Green is also looking for his shot more, even coming off screens and launching 3s as if he were a secret Splash Brother. He went 8-for-12 from behind the arc in their Game 3 loss to the Blazers on Saturday, a remarkable feat for a guy who couldn’t buy a 3 when he first came into the league. Green has gone from shooting 20.9 percent as a rookie to 38.8 percent from 3 this season, a staggering improvement comparable only to Kawhi Leonard’s transformation from a 25 percent 3-point shooter in college to a pro who boasts a 39 percent career mark.
That isn’t the only time Green and Leonard should be spoken of in the same breath — they are 1A and 1B as far as the best two-way players in the league. That kind of impact is felt at a foundational level. The Warriors’ fabled Lineup of Death cannot exist without Green. He can defend like a big man in the post and at the rim, and he can defend like a guard in the pick-and-roll and on the perimeter. On offense, giving him the ball with four shooters around him means you’re almost always giving up an open shot. That’s how the Warriors outscore their opponents by a point every two minutes when Draymond is on the floor — and he’s played 77 percent of the possible 384 minutes so far.
The Blazers don’t have an answer for him, nor does the rest of the league. The Warriors may have lost Saturday because of a dazzling offensive showcase from the Blazers, but their long-term prospects remain bright. Draymond is playing at an MVP level, excelling at everything there is to do on a basketball court. These playoffs have shown that Green isn’t bound to Curry’s gravity when it comes to taking control of the game.
An A's fan lends a helping hand at Camden Yards over the weekend. (photo by Patrick Semansky)
By Connor Buestad | connor@section925.com
Missy "The Missile" Franklin won four gold medals at the London Olympics at the ripe age of 17. Since then, Franklin spent two years at CAL before turning pro to focus on the Rio Olympics. She plans on still finishing her Berkeley degree after spending time on Bob Costas' couch this summer.
Alexander Massialas (R) of the United States in the bronze medal match in 2012.(photo by Hannah Johnston)
Alexander Massialas, a San Francisco native and Stanford student, is the favorite to win the gold in Men's Foil Fencing.
Marti Malloy of the United States celebrates winning the bronze medal in 2012. (photo by Julian Finney)
San Jose State product Marti Malloy will try to improve on the Bronze medal she won in Judo back in 2012.
John Mann poses with his USA polo cap earlier this year. (photo by Sean Haffey)
John Mann led the 2006 CAL Bears to a national championship. In 2012, Mann scored three goals at the London Olympics. The U.S. finished eighth that year.
Danny Barrett makes a pass on Team USA. (photo by Hannah Peters)
Danny Barrett was a four-time All-American at CAL. Before starring in Berkeley, Barrett attended Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco. Rio de Janeiro will be his first Olympic Games.
Alex Morgan controls the ball in a match versus UC Davis during her college days. (photo via the Daily Cal)
Alex Morgan played soccer at CAL for four years from 2007 to 2010. Today, she is a superstar on the Women's National Team, both as a player and as a spokesperson for women's athletics in general. Stanford alum Kelley O' Hara and Santa Clara alum Julie Johnston will also play with Morgan in Rio.
Montano at the 2012 London Olympics (photo by Josh Haner)
The girl who runs with a flower in her hair, Alysia Montano, is hoping to appear in her second Olympics this August in Rio. She did her college running in Berkeley, and Section925 wrote a feature story on her before she ran in London back in 2012. Montano finished fifth in the London Games. Sadly, it has been reported that two of the four women that finished ahead of her in that race were reportedly on performance enhancing drugs. Montano has had a baby girl since then and will look to qualify for Brazil in the coming months.
Katie Ledecky smiles after a race in 2015. (photo by Clive Rose)
19-year-old Katie Ledecky is a swimming star in the making. Her coming out party is expected to unfold in Brazil in August. In September, she'll enroll at Stanford and swim on The Farm.
Back-to-back-to-gold?
Will Steph's playoff injuries allow the Splash Brothers to chase gold together in Brazil this summer? We can all agree it would be a joy to watch.
The goal that could have been. (Photo by Mark Humphrey)
For this week's edition of "The Battery," Brett Thomas, Alex Jensen and Scott Tully dive into the Warriors' and Sharks' playoff drama, local NFL and much more.
The future.
By Connor Buestad | connor@section925.com
On May 1st, Demetris Robertson shocked the college football world by signing with the California Golden Bears. Living deep in the heart of Georgia, the Savannah Christian High senior figured to be a lock to stay in the SEC and play for the Bulldogs. That, or head to South Bend and play for Notre Dame, or any of the other 28 schools that extended offers to the star wideout.
For a time, Robertson was committed to Alabama, but he never went as far as to sign with the Crimson Tide. Instead, Robertson opened up his recruitment and let the Golden Bears in. Now two months after national signing day, Robertson was the last 5-star recruit to sign with a college for the 2016 season.
At 6-feet, 175 pounds, Robertson is scary athletic. Multiple outlets have pegged him as the best wide receiver in the nation for his age. Moreover, his natural physicality leads some people to speculate he could also play some defense in college.
Wherever Sonny Dykes decides to line up Robertson for the Bears, there figures to be some added electricity in Strawberry Canyon come next fall.
“I am excited to take my talents to the University of California, Berkeley,” Robertson said at a press conference in Atlanta. “The first reason is that the education was a big part of my decision. I wanted to keep that foundation. When I went there, it felt like home. Me and the coaching staff have a great relationship. That’s where I felt were the best of all things for me.”
BOOM!!!!!! Want to officially welcome @d_rob4 to the Cal Family. Told you Cal is here to stay! pic.twitter.com/R77OGQag7b
— Coach Jacob Peeler (@PeelsJP) May 1, 2016
VIDEO: Check out loads of exclusive film of new #Cal Bears commit Demetris Robertson @d_rob4 #GoBears https://t.co/tgzbvXcv9X
— Rivals.com (@Rivals) May 2, 2016
(photo by Ezra Shaw)
(photos by Christian Petersen)
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
Technically speaking, Devin 'The Dream' Haney isn't allowed to fight in a professional boxing match until he is a legal adult. However, still only 17-years-old, Haney has managed to fight five times already (he's undefeated).
Raised in Oakland, Haney fought his first four fights in Mexico, where apparently, there's no age rules. On April 9th, Haney fought for the first time on U.S. soil under a special permit from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Haney's first fight in America was no slouch. Held at the MGM Grand as part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley undercard, Haney fought and beat 25-year-old Rafael Vazquez of Puerto Rico. Young Devin won 40-36 on all three scorecards, showing his raw speed and flash throughout.
To avoid distractions, Haney has since moved out of Oakland and into new digs in Las Vegas where he trains with the infamous Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Full video of the Haney-Vazquez bout is below. See for yourself how bright The Dream's future really is.
Captain Joe Pavelski celebrates his game-winning goal in Game 2 at the Shark Tank (photo by Tony Avelar)
By AP
The Nashville Predators frustrated Joe Pavelski and San Jose’s top line for much of the night, forcing turnovers, blocking shots and limiting chances.
That all changed with one big shift late in the game that put the Sharks in control of their second-round series.
Pavelski scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:40 left in regulation and Martin Jones stopped 37 shots to lead San Jose to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night and a 2-0 series lead.
“I don’t think it was our line’s best game, by any means,” Pavelski said. “Our last shift, you take a look, there’s three minutes left, it’s tied, you hope for a chance.”
He got one and San Jose’s captain delivered just as he always seems to do in the biggest moments.
Joe Thornton started the sequence by sending a cross-ice pass to Matt Nieto, whose initial shot was stopped by Pekka Rinne. But Pavelski knocked the rebound in for his sixth goal of the playoffs to give the Sharks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“Those guys, I’m sure they’d be the first to tell you, they didn’t spent a lot of time in the offensive zone tonight like we’re used to,” Sharks forward Logan Couture said. “But, when we needed a big goal, those guys stepped up and they did it for us.”
Couture added a power-play goal and Thornton scored an empty-net goal that proved crucial when Ryan Johansen scored with 3.6 seconds left for the Predators.
Mattias Ekholm tied the game earlier in the third and Johansen scored late for Nashville, but the Predators head home from California in much worse shape than they did in the first round when they won the first two games in Anaheim on the way to taking the series in seven games. Pekka Rinne made 22 saves.
“I think we were better team out there tonight,” Ekholm said. “We were just as good as they were tonight. They got a lucky bounce in the end and scored the game winner.”
Game 3 is Tuesday night. San Jose won the most road games in the NHL this season and all three in Los Angeles in the first round.
Rinne had helped keep Nashville in the game long enough to get the equalizer midway through the third. With San Jose leading 1-0, Rinne robbed Nick Spaling with a pad save on a 2-on-1 with San Jose short-handed.
A few minutes later, Ekholm got the equalizer when his shot from the high slot got past a screened Jones to make it 1-1.
The Sharks scored first following an odd penalty late in the second period. Nashville defenseman Roman Josi tried to rush off the ice after a bad line change to avoid a too many men penalty, but jumped into the Sharks bench because he couldn’t reach his own in time.
“I was trying to change, right when I was changing, the puck came up to our bench and came up to me,” Josi said. “I tried to get off, but it was too late.”
That move shocked the San Jose players but didn’t avoid the penalty and the Sharks made Nashville pay for the mistake. Early on the ensuing power play, Brent Burns fired a point shot on net that Rinne stopped with his pads. But Couture jumped on the rebound and knocked it in with 1:24 left for his third goal of the series.
Burns and the rest of the Sharks had struggled to get shots on net before that with Nashville blocking five shots by Burns before he finally got one to Rinne off a deflection by Pavelski.
Even when they did manage to get shots through the defense, Rinne was there to stop them. His best sequence came early in the second period when Joonas Donskoi slid a pass to Couture, whose shot from the slot was stopped by Rinne. Donskoi got the rebound and appeared to have an empty net to shoot at but Rinne slid over to make another save.
The power-play goal by Couture was San Jose’s third in its first five chances with the man advantage this series as special teams have played a major role in the Sharks’ success the past two games
San Jose even killed a penalty for too many men in the ice shortly before Couture’s goal as Nashville fell to 2-for-31 on the power play this postseason.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel)
By Charlie Wheary
Seeing as how Thursday was a national holiday, The NFL Draft, I figured I’d give you a quick snapshot of what transpired. Starting with my man Jared out of UC Berkeley…
You stole my heart last August, Jared and you’ll be stealing it for years to come in the NFC West. His only alleged knock was small hands, small hands?! This kid has all the intangibles, first and foremost humility. He’s got a bazooka for an arm, Einstein intellect, and he can run. I’m still crying the Niners didn’t somehow trade up.
Carson Wentz is a wild card. I like my quarterbacks facing NFL prototypes and you’re not going to find that in Fargo, North Dakota. Having said that, he may be able to make the transition, but I’m just not sold. Who’s ever even been to North Dakota? Hasn’t Canada annexed them already? You sort of look left at Mount Rushmore and say, good luck up there guys. Down here we call them buffalo, not bison.
Joey Bosa at three blew my mind! Did you see him at the combine? I nicknamed him Joey Slowsa. Terrible motor, played around an entire NFL team, beat my Oregon Ducks to a pulp, so I’m not biased at all. Still, a complete stretch at 3. Good luck in all your future endeavors, San Diego.
Thank you Dallas! You glorious morons, for bucking the one rule of the NFL draft: You never, ever, ever take a running back in the first round. Everyone had Ezekiel Elliot on their board, and I get it, let’s collectively assemble and make dumb decisions. It’s like a Donald Trump party! Sorry, I had to go there. Loved the ‘Boys giving in and grabbing a running back, it made my day.
Best player and future Hall of Famer: Jalen Ramsey. He gets gifted to JAX at no. 5. Far and away the most polished and best player of this draft. The kid flies to the ball and makes plays. Take it to the bank, you’ll be seeing him in Honolulu for years to come. Love this pick, he’s my favorite behind Goff.
Ronnie Stanley at no. 6 surprised me. Obviously because of the Tunsil fiasco. I think this a safety pick for the Ravens. I’m not sure how much Tunsil smoking something out of a gas mask hurt his chances, but I’m not sold on Stanley. Slow off the ball and no motivation scares me.
BOOOOYA San Francisco!!! The Niners never draft a single one of my favorites; finally they changed course. Deforest Buckner is going to absolutely terrorize Goff, Carson Palmer, and Russell Wilson for years. Duck fans loved this guy from the get-go, and for good reason. Trent Baalke, you done well good sir.
Like Jack Conklin a lot at no. 8 to Tennessee. I preferred him over Stanley and Tunsil. The most pro-ready and experienced OT. And no headaches whatsoever.
Leaonard Floyd is probably the guy I’d most want to share a foxhole with. 6′ 6″, 244 lbs, and runs a 4.65 forty. Pure athlete and should fit in perfectly on the banks of Lake Michigan.
Not sure about the G-Men taking Eli Apple. I guess Apple in the Big Apple makes sense? Big stretch, when he was a late first rounder at best. My sister Deidre may strike me down, but are you kidding me Giants?!! Bad pick.
Now for a quality pick, that New York should have made, Tampa swoops in and grabs Vernon Hargreaves III. Gamer, pure gamer. You get a 4.4 guy to wreak havoc on Cam Newton, Drew Bress, and Matt Ryan. Big need and Tampa filled it.
Not gonna lie, I have absolutely no idea about Sheldon Rankins going to New Orleans at 14. Uhh he went to Louisville. That’s a city in Kentucky and I hear they have good BBQ. Moving along.
Steal of the draft. Laremy Tunsil was the #1 pick of the NFL draft one month ago. This pick reminds me of Randy Moss years ago falling to the Vikings because he inhaled something of questionable influence. That’s not a character concern in my eyes. He’s gonna be a stud in the league.
Karl Joseph is tiny. He runs a 4.55 40, which lineman can run. And he played in an abysmal Big-12. Gotta love those Raiders! Have fun with that one, wait aren’t you guys moving to Vegas? Bad pick.
Corey Coleman to Cleveland is a wild card in my eyes. He’s a burner but he’s also only 5’ 11″, which makes me nervous. If I’m drafting receiver this early, I want speed and height. But it’s Cleveland, they never really pay attention to logic.
Love Taylor Decker to Detroit. He’s gigantic, huge wingspan, and now a little comfort for Matt Stafford. I think he could kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands. Great pick.
Another bizarre pick goes to Atlanta at 17. Keanu Neal? With all the corners and safeties still on the board you’re gonna draft a Keanu? I can’t stop saying, ‘Utah…gimme 2!’
Colts as they always do, identify a need, adjust accordingly, and draft correctly. Ryan Kelly is the best center out there and the Colts pulled the trigger. They’re like the Anti-Raiders, they just do it right, year in year out.
Shaq Lawson, besides having one heck of a name, is up there on my list of quality picks. He’ll fit in perfectly in Buffalo, not just because Rex Ryan’s son plays for Clemson where he scouted him for a year.
Another Buckeye? Unreal the pro talent Ohio State had this last year. I’m not sold on Darron Lee though, but apparently the New York Jets are. Little undersized and slow off the ball. But what do I know, they killed Oregon in the natty a year ago.
Will Fuller is an interesting pick at 21 for Houston. I like his hands and speed but not sure how you grab him with Doctson and Treadwell still on the board. Should complement Deandre Hopkins, but it’s a stretch for me.
Which brings us to my favorite receiver of the draft. Josh Doctson crushed it at TCU consistently week in and week out. Best route runner, big hands, perfect guy for Washington. Desean may have a little company in the capital.
Laquon Treadwell to Minnesota was a given. Teddy Bridgewater needs a little help on the edge and this is the guy to do it. I’m a little nervous about the knee injury against Auburn a year ago, but he seems good to go.
William Jackson III seems ready to go for Cincinatti, I just didn’t see much of him playing at Houston. Another guy I’ve heard nothing but good things about, but know nothing.
The Pittsburgh Steelers grabbing Artie Burns at 25 was a steal. Besides football, he ran track, the hurdles mind you. Pure speed and complete athlete. The knock is he’s got raw talent, but you can figure that out pretty quick in the Steel City. You can’t teach speed.
The Broncos trading up for Paxton Lynch made sense, but again, I don’t dig quarterbacks from small schools. Memphis did play some quality opponents, but it’s not the Pac-12 over SEC. Good BBQ, mediocre competition.
Not to sure how Myles Jack is still on the board especially with the Packers drafting his teammate Kenny Clark at 27. I think this is another safe, no worries pick. I hate that style of drafting, but the Packers always know what they’re doing.
I’m still shaking my head at the Niners trading up to take a guard who they could have nabbed in the third round. Remember all those kind words from earlier Trent Baalke, off the table!!! Moronic trade and just a friendly reminder how much we despise the Niner’s front office.
I love Nkemdiche more than you know, and it is going to be painful having to gameplan his attack for my Niners. Absolute stud, hall of fame game. Arizona just got a blank check from the rest of the NFC to book the conference.
Vernon Butler sounds like he should be a waiter at a steakhouse. I’m not sure about his game, being a Louisiana Tech guy. But do the Panthers really need any more help?That team is vengeful after that Super Bowl loss.
Seattle trades down and grabs the better guard that San Francisco passed on. Germain Ifedi is 74 feet tall and 19,000 pounds of pure anger. Just google a picture of him, it looks like he’d punt you 200 yards if he wanted to, nice work on passing on him SF. SMH, SMH, SMH, Baalke!!!
So that’s your first round sports fans. More fun tomorrow!
Roll Tide.
A Bay Area native, Charlie Wheary owns and operates the blog "The Rolling Tide." Wheary is best known for playing wideout for Kenny Dorsey in high school, circa 2000.
In this edition of "The Battery," St. Mary's basketball announcer Alex Jensen joins host Brett Thomas to discuss the Warriors' response to injury, the Sharks' triumph over L.A., and all the questions surrounding Thursday's NFL Draft.
