Dr. Tyler; Captain America

No, the position of quarterback isn't in a state of decline. If you watch some of the "good" quarterbacks of our day throw the ball, including the Delholmmes or the Tom Brady's, they have one thing in common: They throw the ball on a line and in a tight spiral. They don't necessarily take over games because, quite frankly, defensive and offensive schemes have become suffocating with the addition of the cover 2/rush 4 schemes, but to say the position is declining because 6th rounders come in and lead teams to Super Bowls is off base. What you're seeing there is too much of a focus on measurables or other intangible draft day statistics that cause good players to drop. The biggest attribute, besides a good arm, that a quarterback must have is a good head on his shoulders. Some quarterbacks that have a great ability to work a game have been overlooked recently because they aren't top flight atheletes and can't throw a football through John Madden's head. That's not all there is to playing the game, and people like Warner and Brady have shown that. If you're saying that it doesn't take talent to complete 80% of your passes just because they're 8-15 yard strikes, you're insane; they're still facing much pressure, and a quarterback like Kordell Stewart would never be able to accomplish that. So, no, it's not in decline. If anything is, it's scouting. Schemes have changed the game, but that doesn't mean the quarterbacks are any less talented.

I think the difference between the extreme left and the extreme right is that the moderate right takes the extremes somewhat seriously (but admitting they have wacko opinions sometimes), whereas the left completely ignores the extremes. Nobody on the left takes DemocraticUnderground or whatever seriously. Moveon.org isn't extreme in anything but their rhetoric, though; what they stand for is center-left moderatism, although you'd never know it by their advertisements.

Yeah, losing Clements really does hurt. However, I'm not so sure this Whipple guy we hired isn't just as good. He used to play QB at some level (just like Clements did), and he was an outstanding head coach at the D-II level. Yup, but a lot of that might come from the whole "I'm a zillionare and I don't have to work anymore" mentality. Hopefully, Ben realizes he needs to be a student of the game to succeed; if not, he won't. And the MAC comment is due to the fact that the competition IS still questioned, and when he has a lack of experience in the first place (four years playing QB in his entire life), playing against weak DB competition (a generalization, yes, but probably not too far from the truth) probably precipitated his drop below Rivers. Although I see him as a better pick than Rivers, time will tell as we've been said. I just hope it works out. Also, I wouldn't be too down on Losman. He's got a freakin' cannon, and if Bradshaw can succeed as an NFL quarterback, so can Losman. Maybe. Or maybe he'll be Leaf v.2.0

I agree. And as we all know, most of us saw Ryan Leaf as a can't miss as well. Taking a quarterback in the first round is always a crapshoot, especially one with such little experience at the position. And considering his experience was in the MAC, it's risky as hell. However, I like the fact that they've got two solid, if not unspectacular, quarterbacks in front of him which will allow him to learn the offense and settle down for a year before he even steps on the field. I can't imagine he'd be anything more than a bust if he was asked to step right in and play. And it doesn't hurt to have Hines Ward, Plex Burress, and Antwaan Randle El to gun the ball to. We just have to hope that Duce Staley still has a bit of gas left in the tank to carry the load this year; we can pick a RB with our overall number one pick in the draft next year after we go 3-13.

He's got a gun and he's pretty accurate, so I'd bet he won't be a bust. He won't even see the field for a year and a half, though, so we'll wait and see.

Well, damn. I'd always say that "rating" drafts is a bit futile, since you won't know for a few years... but I like to do it anyway. Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger, QB. Miami (Ohio) -- Is it possible, as BPS says, that he could be the "Big Bust"? Maybe, but considering they got him at 11, they couldn't afford not to take him. For the first time since Bradshaw, we might have our franchise quarterback. A Ricardo Colclough, CB, Tusculum -- Small school CB with great athleticism and good size/speed ratio. Tons of upside, but then again, we lost our fourth round pick for him. Good pick? Sure. He was projected to the first round in a lot of mocks. But giving up a 4th for him was... disappointing. Still, filled a need with a potentially solid player. Probably won't see significant action this season, though. B- Max Starks, OT, Florida -- This intrigues me, because he's in the same mold as Fat Shawn Andrews but he actually isn't a depressive gothic who balloons up to 400 when he gets turned down by his prom date. From what I hear, he doesn't have particularly amazing footwork, and he ran a pretty bad 40. However, any play where a lineman runs 40 yards is probably ill concieved, and he has impressive pass protection skills. Unpolished against the run, though, but then again... the potential people in front of him are Fat Oliver Ross and Todd "Turnstiles" Fordham. Could come in and start right away, and considering he was picked in the middle of the 3rd round, this one could be good. B+ Nathaniel Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech -- Tweener DE/LB who will play OLB in the spot where Jason GilDong used to roam. May not start in year one, particularly because he's never played standing up before. However, he has VERY impressive speed for a LB (4.5, good box and shuttle numbers, too) and is an elite pass rusher. A project, but it could work out in the end. Still, no guarantee that he'll pan out, and that means that he can't get better than a C+ from me. Bo Lacy, OT, Arkansas -- EXCELLENT pick. This guy has a mean streak like crazy, albeit was somewhat overshadowed by Fat Shawn Andrews on the other side. However, considering Fat Shawn Andrews' casts a shadow which is probably at least as large as several buildings, that's not a bad thing. He's a motivated, smart, exceptional run blocker who needs to work a bit on his technique. This is a sixth rounder with first day potential. A Matt Kranchick, TE, Penn State -- Another project. This is a second day full of "project" picks for the Steelers. He's got great speed for a TE and has pretty decent size, too. Apparently, a great pass catcher who didn't really get a chance to start. The consensus amongst the scouting reports I read were that he is an unpolished blocker who was a WR but bulked up to play TE under Paterno. He has good strength and great hands, and could be an asset in a year or two. B Drew Caylor, C, Stanford -- Played center for one year, played most of his HS and college career on defense. Shows good stength but poor technique; great measurables, although he needs to bulk up. Still, he's a huge tweener and yet another project. I'm growing weary of those, but then again, they all have potential. C Eric Taylor, DE, Memphis -- GREAT pick. Fills a significant need (backup NT) as a player who is a big dude who will plug up the middle ala Casey Hampton. Might not be the most incredible prospect ever, but they picked him up in the SEVENTH ROUND! He'll likely make the team and usurp the useless Kendrick Clancy; I wouldn't even be surprised if he contributes in a platoon with Casey. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS -- Lots of projects. -- Good filling of depth for the O-line; if even one of these people pan out, we've got a solid core for our O-line of the future. Starks could be a monster or a pansy, but I'm excited about Lacy's potential. -- I can't wait to get my Big Ben jersey DRAFT GRADE B minus to an A minus. It's too early to tell, especially with so many players who could be studs but haven't played very long/against good competiton. Most won't play this year, but have a great chance of contributing in the next four years. It's a decent draft, or it's a great draft; either way, they picked pretty smart. I'd prefer to have gotten that fourth round pick back, but if Cochlsdfjwhateverthefuck is as good as the Steelers think he is, we won't miss it.

Yeah.

No chance in hell. If they do, they're dumber than I had ever imagined. They could trade down to 8 and still get Rivers. Hell, they could probably trade to 10.

I actually have Xenosaga, but I haven't gotten into it yet (due to the fact that I really don't have a lot of time to play lately) and it hasn't reeled me in yet from the very beginning. But then again, I'm not that far yet, so I'll have to keep going. From the very beginning, I do notice that there are a lot of long scenes, but again, I read books and watch movies too!. There are tons of "long scenes" and stuff in them, and if you add some great gameplay and interactivity to a strong story, I have no problem with that. It's called having an attention span. I don't think it really failed per se, considering that it was still extremely compelling and thought provoking. Was it a bit far fetched, given that (adding MGS2 spoiler, considering I doubt everyone has played the game) the entire thing was a work in which this global governing body is using them all the entire time? Of course, but at least it was interesting. It kept you on the edge of your seat, even if you did sit down afterwards and say "wtf?" I'm not going to sit here and do the same elitist shit to you and say "WELL MAYBE YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT!" that some other games' fanboys like to pull, but I do think people just look for reasons to hate on it. The story was pretty hot, IMO, even if it wasn't what people expected. Not really. He's got Tidus syndrome in that he's a whiny nancyboy who was awkward and the exact opposite of the coldhearted, amazing badass that Snake was. He also had an annoying girlfriend and a teenage angst backstory about him, until you figured out what it was all about; however, by then, I had already grown accustomed to him, because I wasn't so turned off by the whole experience as omg not playing as snake!~ that I could understand where he was coming from and appreciate, if not like, him as a character. And I also understood why he was used, as opposed to Snake, for more than half the game. Was he a letdown as a character? Yes. Did it kill the game for me? No. The game still had, at its time, great graphics and a compelling storyline. Is it the best game ever? No chance in hell, because I've personally played 2 or 3 games that I can say immediately are better than it. But it's still a very solid game, and I believe the MGS storyline to be one of the most in depth in games (that I've played, at least).

As someone who probably qualifies as a "casual gamer", I'd have to say that I enjoy the fact that the FF games after six are cinematic, have good graphics, etc. For all of its flaws (too linear until the very end, generally retarded main character who you just wanted to beat sometimes, come to mind), FFX remains one of my favorite games because of the fact that the cinematics helped me care about the characters. To me, for example, it's hard for me to "identify" with a sprite who looks more like a blue blob than a breathing human being, regardless of whether it has some damned compelling text scrolling above its head or not. The game itself, I didn't find hard until I did the side quests. But I still enjoyed the fuck out of it because of, partially, the cinematics... the battle system definitely, and the wonderful (IMO, anyways) story. The same goes for MGS2, really. Yes, the game's story was a little over the top (although, I had little problem with it; it was open ended enough that you had to think about it, but it wasn't like some 10 second ending that gives you no satisfaction for beating the game), but for Chrissakes, I enjoyed playing the game. I didn't care all that much that Solid Snake wasn't the "main" character throughout the game, because I'm not a retarded fanboy who only likes the "badass!~" Snake. The game's concept (as it has been since the beginning, really) is exceptional, and it was hardly an easy game at the higher difficulty levels. People hate on it still, but they do it to an extent where it gets little credit for what it was, which was an enjoyable game. Also, with the quibbling over the CGI/cinematic aspects of the video games, I have this to say: At least it's not a three second text ending after you beat the game. Did you really feel satisfied back in the day when you beat Super Mario World and saw the 10 second ending? I sure as hell didn't. But when I saw the ending to FFX, I felt it was all worth it; that's what CGI brings to a game. You get immersed into the story more (if you care about it, or take the time to care about it. two different things, actually) and you actually get a payoff when you win the damned thing. Anyway.

Well, I've heard that Tyler DOES have a nice ass --- if one was into asses and all. -=Mike Damn right I do! ... .... Okay, I was about to post a smarmy article about Kerry releasing his full military records to the chagrin of the Bush administration, but I've decided not.

*cough*Steven Jackson > Kevin Jones*cough* And we'll see. Ike dropped to the fourth round because he played all of 8 games at corner in college.

Dude, when you run a freakin' 4.23 40 yard dash, you blaze. Don't play. And he can hit, too.

Bahahaha, are you kidding me? The ONLY team the Steelers will beat this season is the Browns. Actually, I'm being harsh on them, but it pisses me off to see a team piss away potential and hold onto overpriced, soft veterans. I'm ripping Oakland for that because it's exactly what we do. Take Jerome Bettis. He's been the freakin' Tubby Tailback for the past 3 seasons, and Bill Cowher's foolish reliance on his graybeard, broken down pacifier has kept them from developing AMOZ or even Vernon Haynes, who probably will be out of the league in a year or two when he could've possibly been a solid tailback. Then they've got Jason Gildon on the other side, who they lavished with a massive contract when there was no demand for him. What has he done since they signed him again? Leading sack artist in Steelers history? Who gives a shit? He's terrible... and I mean... "Absolutely DREADFUL!" ...in pass coverage, and he's even worse against the run. He pussyfoots around blockers and picks up token sacks that have absolutely no impact on the game. He hardly ever makes solid solo tackles, either. They've got three all-star LB's (Farrior, Porter, Bell) who could start and succeed on any team, but what does it matter when all the opposition does is run it around their supposed "all star team captain" Jason Gildon? And the secondary? Two seasons ago, they lavished both Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington with fat contracts. Both of them will be gone after this year, because Dewayne is a freaking pussy who can't even figure out how to possibly, y'know, GET IN SOMEONE'S FACE. He plays 10 yards off the ball every play and they just run curls right in front of him every time. Chad Scott is perhaps the dumbest corner in the league, considering he manages to bite on every double move a reciever makes. He had potential... at safety. But he's too much of an egoist to actually accept that, and he gets paid far too much to play safety for the Steelers. And speaking of safety, how do you like trading half of your draft for a player and then starting the slowest fucking safety in the NFL over him? Brent Alexander, who makes about as many plays as my fucking dead great grandmother's corpse (and probably runs the 40 just as fast). He was dreadful in 2002, so what do you do? You draft his replacement... and then start him again! Great job, guys! And don't even get me started on the Todd Fordham experiment. Or the fact that Plexico Burress STILL can't catch the ball with his hands. Or the fact that Tommy Maddox is about as mobile in the pocket as, again, my dead great grandmother's corpse (she should try out, now that I think about it). ...with all that being said, though, they could still finish 10-6. Why? Because they've got some solid youngsters (see, Oakland?) in Ike Taylor (who ran a 4.23 40 and is a raw, but talented, cornerback that they picked up in the 4th round last year), Chris Hope, Troy Pola, and Deshea Townsend in the secondary. Because they could, perhaps, draft an offensive tackle who can actually block better than a stationary cone on the field. And because they could, perhaps, add a gamebreaker on offense or another stud corner on defense that would turn them into a solid threat to go all the way. Do I see it happening? Nah. But they could. And that's why we watch.

They're fucking terrible. Don't even get me started.

He'll play, no doubt. He'll simply be a major disappointment, and anyone who expected him to be otherwise is simply fooling themselves. He's an aging fatboy who has played soft in the past 2-3 years, as you said. The thing is, he's got such an ego that he doesn't even appear to see it. He plays pretty damned selfish, too (i.e. taking plays off), If I'm wrong, by all means, call me on it after the season. But I can't see that kind of a pickup making much of a difference. And that's exactly what's wrong with the Raiders' business model; they pick up a ton of overpriced contract 3 players who will, at best, provide them with 3 years of service before breaking down. At worst, they don't even give them 1 year up to what they expected.

Eh. They're still not all that much younger, especially at key positions. If you couldn't guess, I absolutely hate the Raiders' personnel model; they pick up a ridiculous amount of graybeards who used-to-be-something and they overpay them. They get a few diamonds in the rough (Gannon in particular), but come on. You can't expect fat Warren Sapp to make a difference for your team. They're notorious "stopgap" artists, it seems.

Damn good pick. My ideal draft for the Steelers is to trade down, pick up Dunta Robinson in the late teens/early 20's, draft Losman in round 2, and then Colbert in round 3.

...if you mean right now, I won't argue with you. If you mean then, let's fight.

Maybe last year, but the eschrewed more younger talent for fat Warren Sapp and a few other old graybeards this year, if I'm not mistaken.

They're easily the oldest team in football. I meant the history of football. For Chrissakes, they've built their teams entirely through signing washed up veterans. They need another aging, past-his-prime free agent like we need an airborne version of AIDS. And yes, I'm aware they went to the Super Bowl one of those years. They also went 4-12 last year.

If the Raiders pick up Warner, they've got to be the oldest team in history.

With the 75th pick in the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select.... Jeremy LeSueur , Cornerback from the University of Michigan. A big corner with late first round potential... in any draft but this. With a number of good corners still left, Pittsburgh follows their drafting model by taking a tall, big school cornerback to line up across from Deshea Townsend and/or Ike Taylor. LaSueur has adequate speed (4.5ish) and great athleticism to go with his tall, big frame. He's a physical corner who may have problems with the new enforcement of downfield contact, but he's a keeper nonetheless. The Steelers have had a glaring hole in their secondary for at least two years, and this should fix it fairly well. It's not often that you can get first round talent in the third round, but the Steelers manage it here.

I'm here, gimmie a sec.

Oh, I'm sorry --- I'm sure Kerry and the DNC has NO plans of co-ordinating ANYTHING with all of the groups raising money to "beat Bush". Yeah, THAT's the ticket! And I'm sure Clinton's fundraising in 1996 was ALSO completely on-the-level. Heck, for a party that claims to not have tons of rich donors, it does seem that Dems have the bigger problem with campaign finance violations for Presidential races. -=Mike ...You know, if they can't begin to follow the rules, why in the heck do the Dems want to pass these idiotic laws so badly? It's great that you make these allegations with absolutely NO PROOF. That's all. Really. I don't really feel like stooping to your level and doing the same to Bush. It's too early in the campaign season for me to really care; you're just being an incomprehensible partisan boobface for absolutely no reason, and I decided to call you on it for once.