Fuzz's Stew

Five out of eight…

If the Gopher basketball team has that record in the last eight games we are tourney bound. Yes, if the no talent ass clowns that Monson recruited win five more games, I think they are in. I’m not piss drunk either right now. It’s a Sunday afternoon and I mean this. It should be noted they would need to win at least one or maybe even two games in the Big Ten tourney. Not a tall task if you win five out of eight because your seed will be higher. I still can’t believe I just wrote that last paragraph but I think it’s possible.

The last eight games look like this: Illinois, at Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, at Purdue, Ohio State, at Indiana and at Illinois.

Four home games and four road games. The four home games have a combined record of 43-50. On the raised home court, they should win these all. No excuse not to with the Barn back to a packed house. The Barn advantage has come back with the college students lit up yelling obscenities at opposing players. They haven’t beaten any really good teams but they haven’t slipped to any team worse than them either. No quality wins but no bad losses either. Illinois, Michigan, Penn State and even Ohio State at home should all be wins. That puts them at 19 wins. Now the road games…


Since they didn’t win one game in the home stretch of Indiana, Michigan State and Wisconsin, they need to a quality win on the road. At Wisconsin is a loss. Bo Ryan is an “unimpressive” 51-3 at home since he took over the job. I don’t see the likes of Spence, Coleman, McKenzie and company winning this game. I know, I know, I should be more optimistic but I’m not. The next road game is at Purdue. This is the game they need to win. Purdue is 10-1 in the conference and will be ranked this week so this would be a good win. They can win this game. If they can’t do that, they need to win at Indiana. Indiana is a lot more talented than we are and a win there would be short of a miracle. The last one is at Illinois who is 10-14 right now and is an easily winnable game. However, if they lose the three before this, this road win won’t matter. They’ll still win the 5/8 but they won’t have one quality win on the whole schedule. That doesn’t get you in.

The question on your mind is probably: Are they good enough to do this? It’s a legit question. Sometimes you feel that you’re watching a junior high team. They’ve looked good against the bad teams, hung with a couple good teams but also have looked really shitty against good teams as well. They haven’t gave us a win that says they belong in March Madness. However, the last two games have told me something---they are getting better. The rotation is down to eight guys and the two freshmen---Hoffarber & Nolen---are playing well. Hoffarber is a smart basketball player with a killer shot and Al Nolen is intriguing. He leads the Big Ten in steals per game and breaks down defenses with his speed. I have to give credit to program killer Monson on these two guys; they are going to be solid.


If you’re into stats, here’s where the stand on a few: Third in the Big Ten in scoring offense and field goal shooting. First in the Big Ten in three point shooting and steals. Those are the good wins and I’m going to refrain in mentioning the bad ones because I’m a homer. They involve free throw shooting and rebounds if you need to know.

So, the five out of eight isn’t as cut & dry as I may have stated early, but they can do this. You win your four home games and one against Wisconsin, Purdue or Indiana and a Big Ten tourney win, we’ll be dancing. That scenario will put them at 21-11. 21 wins with Tubby as your coach puts you in.

How fun would it be to be back in the tourney?

P.S. If this column looks familiar, I wrote one about three weeks ago about the same thing but from the other side saying we were done and had no chance. Yep, I’m flipping it like a bad politician. I don’t care. The play from the dominant center SpenceDog Tollackson has inspired me to switch my position. From banking free throws to creepy, possessed looks into the stands by SpenceDog has turned me. Kidding. To be honest, I wrote the whole damn thing and forgot I did this three weeks ago. That's what turning 27 does to you.

P.S.S. Anyone want to write a “Voices from a Stranger” column this week? Let us know.

Five other college basketball ingredients:

Tell me you guys saw this the other night:

Meet Louisville head coach Colonel Sanders.

Did anyone see the dicey situation between Illinois and Indiana this week? If you don’t know the story, Eric Gordon verbally committed to Illinois but changed his mind to Indiana. Well, the Illinois folks didn’t like that since Eric Gordon is program changer. After watching it I truly believe Illinois should be penalized somehow. It was so ridiculous the punishment Gordon went through. It started with a purposeful hard chest bump at the beginning and Gordon was grabbed, pushed and hit the whole game. I couldn’t believe they were getting away with some of the cheap shots they pulled. Just because a 18 year old kid changed his mind?

Most people know my love for Duke but I still think Kansas is the best team in the land. They only have one loss and have everything you need to win in the playoffs. Good guard play, good rebounding, experience, depth and balance. They have five guys that average over 10 points a game. Collins is at 9.8 so I’m including him. I like them the best heading into the tourney.


Since I’m really good at predictions (wink, wink), I have another one for you. I think Memphis loses once in the next three games. I even have a wager with Q on this who put his hand out faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. Call it a hunch but I feel it.

A few good games to watch this week: Monday- Kansas at Texas. A big game for both teams. Kansas could solidify themselves as a championship threat with a win if people aren’t convinced already and Texas could open people’s eyes as a sleeper in the same category. Wisconsin at Indiana on Wednesday. The cream of the Big Ten going head to head. Expect a 45-42 game. Finally, Pittsburgh at Marquette on Friday. A must win for our home away from home team. A must win!

Out,
Fuzz

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10 random thoughts

Q read my mind. I knew we were lacking on the writing this week and we didn't have anything planned so I put together 10 quick random things. I just wanted to get something up here before the hate mail started pouring in. 10 thoughts on this Thursday afternoon...

I can’t give you a good reason how Spencer Tollackson went 7-7 from the field and perfect from the line in the win over Northwestern. Was he on some sort of drug? Probably. A drug that turned him from a horseshit Big Ten post player to someone who pulls a Bill Walton on us. No idea how this was even possible. Either it was the drugs or Northwestern watched game film and said: “Leave him open.”

Everyone see that Duke win? Ok, moving on...


Santana said in the papers this week: “I have no hard feelings against the Minnesota Twins.” Fuck off Johan. No shit you don’t. You just signed the richest contract for a pitcher in the history of the game and you pretty much forced it to get done on your timeline. If the reports were correct that we offered 5/$100 million and he shot that down, we really had no hope to sign him at all. He wanted out no matter what. Good riddance you fuckwad.

Shaq to the Suns for Marion and Banks. This trade blows my mind. Can Shaq still get from one baseline to the next baseline in under seven minutes? I really have no idea. I think Shaq should race Dick Bavetta like Chuck Barkley did in the All-star game a few years back and if he can’t beat him, the trade is null.


NFL Live was on last night and for some reason this made TKOT very unhappy. Football needs to go away for a while. I always feel that way after a long sports season, especially football. They had David Tryee on. The guy who caught the football on his head. Four days later, they are still rehashing the Superbowl! I love football but please go away. Oh yeah, this didn’t stop us from turning the channel either. We sat through it and bitched the whole time. We’re idiots.

What’s the over/under when Brittney Spears dies? I’m putting it at 14 months before she bites the dust.


Speaking of football, you can bet on the Pro Bowl. Does anyone really do this? Sports gambling in general is a crapshoot, but the flipping Pro Bowl? Come on. How can you justify putting more than five dollars on this game? Off the gambling thought for a second, the Pro Bowl is by far the worst sports all-star game out of the major sports. It’s not even close.

The Wild are first in their division and seem to be playing well. That’s about the extent of my knowledge of the team. If we make playoffs and make a run, you won’t find a bigger fan than me. I’m that guy. Anyone want to write a “Voices from a Stranger” column on them? We would welcome it!


Tim “human promotion” Brewster has a pretty solid class coming in next year in his first full year of recruiting. They are any where from 16 to 25 in rankings from the various websites. We haven’t been that high in about 30 years. Next year, I would like him to do better locally, but he did pull some good kids nationally. MarQueis Gray is the standout recruit. He’s a raw but big QB out of Indiana and looks dynamic of what highlights I’ve seen. The stat that sticks out is that from the years ’02-’07 we had a total of four four-star recruits. Tim has six coming in next year. That’s a hell of an improvement.

Lastly, today is my birthday. Hoorah! Kidding. But Garth Brooks, Ashton Kutcher, Chris Rock, Juwan Howard, Steve Nash, James Spader and if Charles Dickens was still alive, him too--- all share a birthday with me.

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Excuses, excuses

I know, I know; it's been a slow week here at TKOT. We had a lot going on last week with a bunch of new columns and may have tired ourselves out a bit. Kind of like that kid in gym class who sprints the first lap of the mile run and then dies out as everyone, even the fat kids, pass him by.

So here's the deal: it's Fuzz's b-day week, so he gets a pass as far as needing to post multiple articles. Dogg and I have had outrageously busy weeks, thus the lack of production from this site. Have no fear though. There will be at least one new post this weekend and we will be back in the swing of things next week. You'll soon be reading about the recent blockbuster NBA trades, Duke-Carolina, and pitchers and catchers reporting.

In the mean time, go read Deadspin or Gilbert's blog for some entertainment. Or, heaven forbid, get off your computer for once and do something active. Just remember that we are 10 days from the Twins starting and a mere 3 weeks to the day from the first spring training game.

If you really need your fix of TK, feel free to start up a conversation in the comments section and I'm sure others, including the writers, will be happy to join in.

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Voices from a Stranger

You guys know the drill now. This entry comes from someone else besides us three pimps. If you'd like to write a guest column contact us in anyway you know. The email address to the right works also. This entry comes from the fella that gave us our first "Voices from a Stranger" piece. Along the same lines as that one, he's back for another mock draft. This guy is known for his big personality and his salmon colored hoodie that he wears non-stop. Enjoy...


All right, I’m back with another look at the NFL Draft. This is my first full round mock I’ve ever done, so you’ll have to bear with me. Obviously I’m not chewing on game film or scouting these players like the pros so most of what I am going off is what I have read in mock drafts and what I’ve seen as NFL team needs. So I’ll be the first to admit I looked at a ton of mocks to come up with this one, but with that said, I hope I offer a little insight to the draft, my top #5 favorite sports day of the year. It’s up there with opening day baseball, opening NFL Sunday, March Madness and College Football National Championship.

1. Miami – Chirs Long DE Virginia
Well this is not an easy choice at #1 and I could see Miami going several different ways. I originally thought they would go with Jake Long here but now that the Big Tuna is in town it looks like they are going defense. I am not as high on Glenn Dorsey as everyone else seems to be and I think getting a difference maker on the edge who played in a 3-4 in college is going to be too hard to pass up for the old man. With that being said I could see several people trading up to this spot to try to land either Matt Ryan or Darren McFadden.

2. St. Louis Rams – Jake Long OT Michigan
They just gave a pile of money to Marc Bulger so I doubt they go QB here, even though they probably should. They can’t take McFadden with Steven Jackson there so they either trade down and pick up an OT later in a deep OT draft or they take the best one available here. Orlando Pace is 53 years old and they can’t pass up an anchor like Jake Long. This guy’s going to be a stud and I’m a huge fan of drafting OT’s early. They usually work out.

3. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan QB Boston College
The next three teams; Falcons, Raiders and Chiefs will decide draft order by a coin toss. But I’ll use this format as most mocks I’ve read have used this order. I think the Falcons have to go QB. They have to figure Vick is done and done, and Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich are not the answer. I think Ryan is the top QB in this draft and maybe the second best overall prospect behind McFadden. I think he’s a good fit in Atlanta and will give them a solid QB going forward. I don’t know if “Matty Ice” goes this high, but I think it’s a good fit.


4. Oakland Raiders – Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
I know Justin Fargas is a big sleeper in next years’ fantasy drafts, but if I’m Al Davis I’m not putting the future of my franchise in his hands. They signed the big time QB last year, and why not start by surrounding him with a stud RB. Lots of rumors about Jerry Jones trading up to get his boy McFadden but it’s hard to predict trades. I think the Raiders do themselves a favor and keep the pick and take possibly the best player in the draft.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
I’ve seen a lot of mocks having Kansas City taking offensive line and I see that as a real possibility. That would help LJ immediately fantasy wise, but turns out NFL teams don’t draft guys to improve other people’s fantasy value. I know it’s weird but it’s just the way it is. This team is so far from contention they don’t need to draft based on need because the needs are all over the board. They can take the best player available and Dorsey is that. Plus he’s a good foundation to rebuilding a defense.

6. N.Y. Jets – Calais Campbell DE Miami
The Jets could go a variety of directions including QB or RB if for some reason McFadden or Ryan are still there. I could see Brohm or Woodson here if they aren’t sold on Clemens, but I think they go DE, another major need. A lot of mocks have Vernon Gholston going here and I don’t think that’s too outrageous. But every year someone shoots up draft boards and I am predicting that’s Campbell. The dude is 6’8” 280 lbs and might run in the 4.7’s. I think he’s the real deal and if he drops like some predict I hope he ends up in purple. He had a “bad junior year” But if 12.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks is bad, I’ll take him. The guy is a beast.

7. N.E. Patriots – Kenny Phillips S Miami
The damn 18-1 Patriots get the seventh pick in the draft. That’s ridiculous. Conventional wisdom says they trade this pick to stock pile a bunch of lower round picks, but once again we aren’t predicting trades. So I have them taking a stud safety because Harrison is getting old and without HGH how long will he last?

Once again I see Phillips dropping on some boards and this is the #1 guy I would like to see in purple but I don’t think we’ll be that lucky.

8. Baltimore Ravens – Brian Brohm QB Louisville
The Kyle Boller experiment has to be officially over, doesn’t’ it? And I think Brohm is going to be a legit NFL QB. A lot of comparisons of Brohm say he is the next Jim Kelly. I think if the Ravens got that they would blow a load as big as Dogg does when he watches the “Girls Gone Wild” commercials. This team is desperate for a QB and I think they gamble on Brohm or Woodson.

9. Cincinnati Bengals – Sedrick Ellis DT USC
I’ve seen Ellis going as high as #1 to Miami in some mocks so at #9 he has great value. Cinci’s D is bad folks, real fucking bad. They need help, everywhere. I think Ellis starts in a good spot: The middle.

10. New Orleans Saints – Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
There is no way the Saints should be drafting this high. They are too good of a team. But they need help bad in the secondary. I know they weren’t too happy with the Jason Craft signing out of Indy as he got torched real bad on national TV. So I think they need to go CB. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know much about any of the top CB’s in this draft. They project Jenkins, Aqib Talib, and Leodis McKelvin as the top 3 CB’s. Who the hell are those three? I say whoever emerges at the top goes here.

11. Buffalo Bills – Limas Sweed WR Texas
In my opinion this might be the steal of the draft (and he probably won’t go this high, he could go much lower). I think Sweed is a top 5 talent and is going to be a stud receiver in the Braylon Edwards Mold. He’s big strong and fast. I like him a lot and I think he shoots up draft boards as well.


12. Denver Broncos – Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
The Broncos can’t do much of anything on defense lately and I think they need help all over. Gholston is a strong DE that comes off the edge well, but could also play OLB if needed. I think he would be perfect in Denver. There biggest need is probably OL but they like to find smaller quicker guys later in drafts and they do quite well with that. I see them going DL here.

13. Carolina Panthers – Sam Baker OT USC
Another team that needs a lot of help. I think they’d be better off starting to rebuild instead of trying to ride this team to mediocrity, but I’m afraid that’s the direction there headed. I think John Fox wants to win now (and probably has to, to keep his job) so he’ll draft someone who can help them immediately. I think Baker will grade higher than Ryan Clady after the combine and I think he’s the guy here. Clady is big and unpolished, Baker isn’t quite as big but he is smart and polished. Once again I think it’s hard to pass up a big OT in the first round, they usually make you better immediately.

14. Chicago Bears – Andre Woodson QB Kentucky
If the Bears don’t go QB I think that will shock a lot of people. They need some hope there and I think Woodson’s big time arm will give them a little hope. Unless the Bears see something in Rex Grossman that even my little fucking sister can’t see. How can Rex Grossman not be done?


15. Detroit Lions – Ryan Clady OT Boise State
Jon Kitna ran for his life all season. Not that I think Jon Kitna is good but he could probably be better if he had more than a second and a half to make a decision. I think OL is imperative to the Lions this year and whether they address it through free agency or the draft they’ll do something. Clady is a big kid out of Boise State and can play both tackle positions. That’s always a plus.

16. Arizona Cardinals – Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
A lot of people have Jonathon Stewart going here, but this is a fairly decent running back draft in the second to third rounds and I think they’ll wait on a RB. Balmer is projected high and is another hole clogger in the middle. Arizona is loaded on offense but needs to get better on D to get to that next level. I think they’ll gamble on keeping Edge at least one more year and remember they just blew a pick on J.J. “I’m better than Reggie Bush” Arrington. Teams don’t like to admit mistakes that fast and I think they’ll steer from RB with this pick.

17. Minnesota Vikings – Reggie Smith CB/S Oklahoma
This pick was the most fun and probably the hardest for me to make. Wow, this year’s draft is wide open for the Vikings. I know they need a receiver bad, but I don’t think they can afford to take one in the first round and wait 3 years for them to develop and besides Sweed, I wouldn’t want any other receiver here. I think DE is a possibility but our line is decent and getting better. I don’t mind the rotation of Scott, Udeze, James, Edwards and Robison. You could do worst. The linebackers are average but there isn’t a difference maker in this draft at that position. The OL could use some help but it came around nicely at the end of the year. That leaves the secondary and I think that’s the route we go. I would love to see the Miami safety Kenny Phillips fall to us but I doubt that happens.

We could go corner, but I think they like the Winfield, Griffin and McCauley rotation. Although I am sure they try to pick up one more for depth either in free agency or the first three rounds of the draft. With that being said, I am going Reggie Smith out of Oklahoma. He played safety early on in college and then moved to CB this year. He is big and physical and our secondary could use that. Is he the perfect draft pick? No, but I think he’ll be pretty damn good.

18. Houston Texans – Aqib Talib CB Kansas
Texans need help in the secondary. I have no idea who this Talib guy is but if he rates out where they say he is going to I could see the Texans taking him or another top CB here. RB is also a strong possibility unless they fell in love with Ron “I have a Heisman” Dayne this year. But between you and I, I doubt that happened.

19. Philadelphia Eagles – Malcom Kelly WR Oklahoma
Here is the start of a run on receivers this round. It is actually a pretty good receiver draft at the top. There isn’t the top 5 name like usual but a lot of good late first round receivers. Kelly is 6’4”, 217 pounds and fast. I think he fits perfect for the Eagles and could give them the receiver they have missed dearly since T.O. peaced out.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DeSean Jackson WR California
If the Vikings take this guy, I might just quit being an NFL fan. Yes he has blazing speed. Yes he might be a game changer in the Ted Ginn mold. (I don’t think Ginn will change many games at the NFL level though either) But if the Vikes draft a 165 lb blazer, I will be pissed. However, Tampa needs receiving help and return help. I like him to Tampa and think Gruden might take the gamble.

21. Washington Redskins – Mario Manningham WR Michigan
This is another guy like Sweed who could be very good at the next level, he is not ultra big but he plays bigger than the 6’0” that he is. Hell they signed Keenan McCardell last year. When their top two wideouts are 5’3” Santana Moss and 5’2” Randle-El they’re in trouble. I think Manningham gives them that across the middle compliment to the speedy outside receivers and Chris Cooley. I like what Manningham can bring to this team. Plus he has produced. He had 27 receiving TD’s in his three years at Michigan.


22. Dallas Cowboys – Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
This is an overrated secondary. Roy Williams can’t cover the pass and Terrance Newman is overrated as well. Anthony Henry is going to be a safety real soon so why not get depth at Corner? Once again zero clue who this guy is but I think the Cowboys go secondary or RB with this pick.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
The Steelers love maulers in their OL and that’s what this kid is. He would fit right in at RT and help them immediately.

24. Tennessee Titans – Keith Rivers OLB USC
So with Lauranitis staying in school it took this long to get a LB off the board. Rivers is quick and does have Derrick Brooks like tendencies, but he isn’t quite as good. With a great workout he could shoot up the draft board, but I like him to Tennessee here. The Titans also need help at CB since they all but said “no more Pacman.” The surprise is it took them this long to figure out he isn’t good for their team. Maybe the Raiders would be a good fit? Just saying.

25. Seattle Seahawks – Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
Shaun Alexander turns 62 next week and hasn’t ran the same since he got off the ‘roids after the 05 season. I’ve always hated that fucker by the way. I have no reason, just always have. I think the Seahawks realize it’s over with him and would love to land Stewart with this pick. He should be good and with running backs they can make an immediate impact. The guy is big and fast, think Jamal Lewis.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Harvey DE Florida
Lots of mocks have him going to the Vikes but I think he drops a bit. His production was good but not great and he’ll grade out good but not awesome. I think he’d be a good fit on that Jacksonville line and give them a speed rush off the edge that could make them very dangerous.

27. San Diego Chargers – Phillip Merling DE Clemson
This kid is a big kid who could be a force at the next level. He can rush the passer but also help against the run. A great DE/DT type in the 3-4. Let Merriman rush the edge and this kid hold is ground on the end. Would be a good fit for the Chargers.

28. Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones RB Arkansas
Jerry Jones has been very public that he wants McFadden bad. He loves the Razorbacks and I think he loses out on McFadden but he’ll take second best in Felix Jones. Another non starting RB who could go in the first round, almost a Ronnie Brown/Cadillac Williams situation. It will be interesting. A lot of mocks have the Cowboys taking a RB but I think they might be sold on that kid from Wayzata. We’ll see. Big time fantasy implications if they take a RB here.


29. San Francisco 49ers – James Hardy WR Indiana
D-Jack didn’t provide much help and Vernon Davis has disappointed. They need to give Smith something to throw to and Hardy gives them big time talent there. Kid’s been in a little trouble but the queers in San Fran should keep him in check.

30. Green Bay Packers – John Carlson TE Notre Dame
This is definitely a homer pick. I’ll come out and say it right now. You’ll probably see Fred Davis out of USC go ahead of Carlson, but I think Carlson has the tools to be an NFL tight end. The Packers love their big white boys and Carlson would give them another one to love. It would be bittersweet seeing him go to the pack. I love Minnesota players going in round 1 but it would kill me to see him in green and gold.

31. New England Patriots – Forfeited, Dipshits.

32. New York Giants – Dan Connor LB Penn State
The Superbowl champions could use some help on D and I am not crazy over Connor but he’s from linebacker U and projects to be decent at the next level. The Giants are weak at LB and he could fit in nicely there.

Out,
The Bag

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We Know Nothing

What kind of drug-induced illusion made us think that we had any sort of authority to predict the outcome of the Super Bowl? Who knows. There are few things to touch on from tonight's game, however.

I'm at a loss for words on just how improbable the result of this game is to me. And what a strange game it was. Two quick scores on the first two possessions of the game and then nothing until the 4th quarter? Weird. Brady leading his team to a go ahead touchdown late in the game and not having it be the game-winning score? Unreal. The 18-0 Patriots losing to the New York Football Giants on a last second touchdown? Borderline unbelieveable.

You do realize that since the Vikings destroyed the Giants and the G-Men beat New England to win it all, that if the Vikes hadn't blown their chances and gotten into the playoffs that...naw, I won't go there.

Want to know just how bad our picks were? Well, all 3 of us had the Pats (Fuzz and I in blowouts) along with Tom Brady as MVP. Wrong and wrong. None of us thought Bellichick would rock the red cutoff hoodie. And the receiving predictions? Not even close. Wes Welker caught 11 balls to tie a Super Bowl record. Most of the stats we were throwing out for Plax and Moss would have been top 5, if not record breaking, performances all time in the big game. Our bad.



By the way, Plaxico Burress predicted that the Giants would win 23-17. What was that final score again? Not bad. Maybe he should write for TK.

While I'm sure that Eli Manning being the Super Bowl MVP is a sign of the apocalypse, the fact remains that ELI MANNING IS THE MVP OF THE SUPER BOWL. He is now second worst athlete ever to win an MVP award, behind David Eckstein of the St. Louis Cardinals a couple years back. Despite all of this, the fact that he was able to lead his team to the Lombardi Trophy makes me wonder just how good of a quarterback you need to win it all. Maybe, just maybe, you can make a playoff run with a guy like this...



Well, that's it for now. Mock draft coming on Monday, be ready.

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Superbowl!

Here are quick predictions of the upcoming Superbowl so we have them down in print. We caught Dogg at a bad time but he still had time to get something down. Early next week, we have a "Voices from a Stranger" piece coming out with a complete breakdown of the first round of the NFL draft. It's never early enough to get out a mock draft!

Who wins the Superbowl?

Q- The Patriots are going to win in a route. I just can't believe all of the people out there who are trying to convince themselves (and others) that the G-Men have a chance. I know New York has made a nice little run, but this is still the same team that the Vikes absolutely killed. I'm supposed to believe that they're going to hang with the greatest team of all time? Really? I see something along the lines 45-20.

Fuzz- I’m with Q. I see the Patriots bringing out all the stops and piss pounding the Giants. I hope not because I have a bottle of Crown on the game with my pops, where I have the Giants (he got to pick first). In that warm weather, I see them scoring a ton of points and completing the 19-0 season. How funny was that “OK” by Brady when responding to Plaxico’s prediction? That was awesome. I see it being 35-14.

Dogg: New England wins

Who's the MVP?

Dogg: Tom Brady in a hose job decision.

Fuzz: Brady is too easy of a pick, so I’m going with Randy Moss. How funny would that be? They’ll put him on the mic after the game where a gazillion people will be watching and he’s going to say something legendary. I can’t say what exactly but it’s going to be a hot/funny topic on Monday morning. Then he retires.

Q- They'll give it to Brady just because the people who vote on these kinds of things love to sniff his jock. He'll throw for a couple of early touchdowns and that will be enough to get him the award and the debate between him and Montana will be on every talking head sports show on Monday. But the real MVP of the game will be Laurence Maroney. After the Pats get up by 14-20 points early, he's going to pound the ball and help them control the clock and run out the game.

Who has a better game Burress or Moss? Predict stats too please...

Dogg: Moss...it’s the flippin SB and we all know being from MN how this guy plays in the spotlight. (Moss: 8 rec. 177 yds. 3 TD) (Burress: 9 rec. 124 yds.)

Q- Burress will have more catches and yards, but Moss will be the one with the touchdown(s) and the big highlights. I got Plax going 12 for 135 with no scores. Moss will get 5 for 85 and 2 TD's (at least one of which will be over 40 yards).

Fuzz: Since I picked Straight Cash Homey for the MVP, Moss will have the better game. Burress will go about 8 for 104 with a TD. Moss will go 5 for 195 and three TD’s. Moss has been waiting his whole career to get on the big stage and he’s not going to disappoint.

What will Bill Belichick be wearing?

Fuzz: Flip-flops, jogging sweats, a wife beater & bright orange water wings. I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if he comes out of the tunnel with this. He hasn’t moved past his kindergarten wardrobe and nothing would surprise me at this point.

Q- I think he goes high class and goes with the short-sleeve polo that doesn't quite fit. It's the biggest stage in sports and he'll want to look good. Of course if that rain that has been on and off in AZ for the last few days shows up again, then it will be a guaranteed cut-off hoodie.

Dogg: I think he’ll be wearing Khakis and a polo. He’ll change it up just to be different. The guy is the mystery man…and a huge d bag.

How many times will Tom Brady's name be mentioned during the duration of the game?

Q- Wow, do numbers go that high? Who's going to keep track of this? Do the pregame, halftime, and/or post game shows count? I'm going to assume that they don't and I'll go with 113 1/2, though that's probably way too low.

Fuzz: Five hundred thousand. Over/Under on paparazzi videos and pictures showed when play has stopped is 27.

Dogg: Him himself (145), his ankle (121), and Gisele (27).

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Santana Roundtable

By now most of you, our loyal readers, know about the monster trade of Johan Santana to the Mets (contingent on a contract extension) that went down yesterday. An emergency TKOT Roundtable was summoned (much like when the Batman symbol is shown in the sky to let the Dark Knight know that his services are needed). So as soon as it was realistically possible, the three of us and a shocked, virtually speechless Nic Marx convened at a local coffee house to warm up from the sub-zero temperatures and hash out this mega deal. We’re sure you’ve been reading about it all day, but what follows are the only opinions that matter…



Q—Alright boys, with the news of Johan Santana's apparent trade to the Mets announced late yesterday afternoon, I figured it would be a good idea to give everyone the night to vent, analyze, and sleep on the deal. Now that we are all refreshed, I think we can better sort out our thoughts and analyze this trade from all angles. For me, like 99.9% of Twins fans, my initial thought was FUCK! When you see that the best player on your team is dealt and you don’t get a proven, Major League ready player, nor do you get the other team’s best prospect, the reaction isn’t going to be good. Luckily, rather than listen to the devil/homer on my shoulder, the angel/logical mind popped up on the other like a bad television sitcom to help me rationalize the deal.



I thought about the contract demands (including the rumor that Santana turned down a 5 year/$100 million offer), how little leverage we had, and how much more upset I’d be if we lost Johan to free agency and got nothing for him. I wouldn’t say that made me like the deal, but I’m trying to accept it. What was your first reaction when you heard about the deal yesterday?

FUZZ—Well another super duper star is out. If you’re interested in sports franchises trading, this state is perfect for you. Our sports market runs like a fantasy team. We make a move about every six months. This one hits the hardest to me because Santana was the best at his position. Peter Gammons, the hall of fame baseball journalist called Santana the best pitcher in the 21st century. He’s awesome and we all knew it. Now he’s a goner because of the stupid way baseball is set up. We couldn’t pay the guy.



My first reaction to the trade was pure crazy. I had so many feelings that it's hard to put it in one sentence. I thought they blew it completely but more information has leaked. Like I found out this morning that Santana put a Tuesday deadline on the trade to the Twins, which just pisses me off. The Twins are at fault also, since those winter meeting trades were a hell of lot better than this one, but giving them an ultimatum? Fuck you Johan. He told them if this doesn’t happen now, I have a no trade clause that I will stick to the whole season and become a free agent. The players have all the power these days…

NIC—I can't figure out what direction the Twins are taking. They lose two high quality players (I use that term loosely for T. Hunter), but they lock up Morneau and Cuddyer to big long term deals. The players they received for Santana are clearly players of the future, so are we trying to win now, doing just enough to appease fans, or building our team for the new stadium in a couple of year? Personally, I think they are caught trying to do all 3, which probably isn't going to work unless every young player has a career year.

DOGG—My first reaction was positive because at this point I just wanted to deal him for something. The last thing this organization needed was to hold onto him this year, have another .500 type season and lose him to free agency. I don’t follow the minor leagues or prospects for that matter because there are so many of them to begin with and you don’t really know who’s going to pan out and who’s not. This is a situation that we have to let play itself out for 3+ years because the top prospects we got in the deal are young and it’ll take time for them to completely develop or completely flop. Honestly, I think Bill Smith did a great job with this whole situation. I know the Phil Hughes and Cabrera trade from the Yankees was the best offer and he declined but his thinking was perfect in my mind.

He thought the Red Sox and Yankees would fight each other for Johan and in the long run include more guys than anticipated to get the best pitcher in baseball. Why not think that? Both teams have done that with every other major prospect out there so there was no reason to not believe they would act the same for Santana.



Bottom line, he got prospects for Johan so it’ll take time to see how they pan out. In my mind though, we didn’t lose anything except 16 more wins this year which only puts us closer to the postseason but still short. We weren’t going to have him after this year no matter the situation so this was the safe play. Bill Smith should be acknowledged for this move.

Q—I’m with Dogg here. The fact that the guys we got are so young demands that we wait at least a few years before we can accurately analyze the deal we got. But we can talk about the (alleged) deals we didn’t get. We’ve all heard that Hughes-Cabrera-Marquez (NYY), Ellsbury-Lowrie-Masterson (BOS), and Lester-Crisp-Lowrie-Masterson (BOS) were on the table at the winter meetings, but we balked. Now we get no major league ready players and didn't even get the Mets top prospect. People are going to blame Billy Boy for this perceived mistake; did his waiting cost us some major talent?



FUZZ—He kind of blew it. I can’t say 100% that he blew this deal given the circumstances. Looking back, you can say he did because of what we got and what was offered before. However, I wasn’t sold on the deals that were on the table back then either. We’re talking about the best pitcher in the game bar none. Yet, not one guy offered was on Johan’s level. Not one experienced player was offered. It was a bunch of up and comers. I don’t know if I would have pulled the deal either.

Q—That’s what I was thinking too. If we would have taken one of the deals during the winter meetings, everyone would have complained that we didn’t get enough for him and that we traded him too quickly. The more we find out about this, the more it looks like a lose-lose situation.

FUZZ—You know, I’m now starting to shift some of my blame to Santana. Last year we heard that he loves the Twins and all this shit. Never believe that people! We offered him $20 million a year and he declined in a second. He’s asking for $130-$140 million dollars!!!! We can’t pay him that! But, not many other teams could pay him that either. So his contract demands limited the teams we could deal him too. That’s bullshit in my mind. Only like 3-4 teams could handle a contract like his so our leverage went down the shitter once he came out publicly with that demand. Maybe that’s more baseball’s fault. You can look at it that way also. He knows someone will pay that so he went for it. But in the end, he showed no loyalty to the Twins, which he claimed he had.

DOGG—I don’t think it’s a problem at all. We signed the guys that we could absolutely afford and our payroll would’ve been relatively large if we had signed Hunter and/or Johan with Cuddyer and Morneau. We kept the right guys in my mind. Paying Johan $150M, Hunter $90M or Cuddyer and Morneau for $115M combined? I think it was the best scenario by far actually because paying a pitcher that much money is downright stupid and paying an aged CF who is going to be on the downside of his career within a year or two is even more stupid. I of course want the prospects we got in the deal to pan out but don’t think we lose much even if one of them pans out to be an above average MLB player. Johan was gone no matter what and Bill Smith knew that since day one. He was trying to get more from Boston or NY but had to accept this deal after both teams pulled out of the sweepstakes. I think Bill gets an A with the Johan situation.



FUZZ—I think an "A" is a little strong. Johan and agent gave him a Tuesday deadline and he took the best deal. But, the other deals were better at the winter meetings and he rolled the dice hoping he could get more. I said before, I probably would have done the same thing, but I'm not a GM--he is. Instead of taking a good deal (not great) he played a little poker hoping Boston, New York and mystery team would outbid each other for him. That didn't happen. Boston and New York pulled back their offers and he was stuck with the decision he had to make.

You could have called Johan's bluff with him saying he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause during the season, but I wouldn't have done that. That's where I applaud Billy boy. Either trade him now or sign him. Billy had to get him out by Tuesday or the situation would have gotten worse. Johan didn't want to sign here and the Twins waited a little too long. They got an alright deal but I don't know how you can't look back to the better offers back in December for criticism on not pulling those.



DOGG—Do we really know those deals were better at the winter meetings? I agree that the deals looked more pleasing then with Hughes and Cabrera but this Gomez kid could turn into a stud for us. The 3 pitchers we got are question marks but all prospects are question marks. Yeah, it’s great to get the “top prospects” but remember, they are “prospects” for a reason and reason is that they haven’t proved anything at the big league level. I think Hughes is dirty and Cabrera is serviceable already but maybe Billy and our scouting staff saw things they liked more from the Mets prospects? This trade can be re-evaluated in 3 years. The pitchers we claimed should have proven their worth by then and Gomez will hopefully be the “top prospect” we thought we’re getting in the trade.

Q—We keep talking about how everyone has to calm down and wait to see how these young guys pan out. But what about the upcoming season? Are these guys going to have any sort of impact this year? I’d say that Humber has a real shot to be our 5th starter. The only reason for that is he’s 25 already and we need to find out now if he’s going to be legit. We don’t have a few years to decide like we do with Gomez and Guerra. He has to prove himself right away. I’d like to see Gomez get another year of seasoning in AAA, but get called up later in the summer if/when we’re out of the race.

DOGG—I think Gomez should make his debut before the other three players acquired. Hell, I think he should be our opening day CF the way it looks right now. Run him in CF, Cuddy in RF and Delmon in LF. That is going to be a very good outfield in my mind. You got some speed, good arms and youth. Start Gomez, let him take his lumps throughout the year and watch him become a star in next 2-3 years.



FUZZ—The Twins don't have a history of rushing prospects. They usually have to put in time in the minors before they crack the majors. Saying that, I think you have to put Gomez in center immediately. Everyone's favorite coach Gardy wants to put Cuddyer out in center! I don't like that and think Gardy was 14 Bud Diesels down when he said it. Gomez may be out of the Wesley Snipes version of Willie Mays Hayes, where he runs like Mays but hits like shit but you need to put him out there. He's a 5-tool projected player that is our only viable centerfielder at this point.



Q—I just don’t want to rush him and stunt his growth as a player. Like you said Fuzz, we don’t rush our prospects through the minors. The Mets, on the other hand, do all the time. They’ve even been criticized by the media for pushing guys like Lastings Milledge through too quickly. Just because New York gave Gomez some time doesn’t mean that we should. Humber and Mulvey on the other hand, I wouldn’t be upset if they get a shot this year.

DOGG—We get nothing out of Guerra or Humber this year. Guerra sounds like he has the potential to be a legit front of the rotation pitcher but by being so young, there is no way the Twins organization rushes him up this year or even next year. We are the slowest at developing guys from the minors to the majors. We develop them well in my mind but hesitant to pull the trigger early on young players. We’ll get nothing out of Humber ever.

Mulvey will be in our rotation this year. All I know the guy by are his numbers from college and the minors but sounds like a guy Rick Anderson will develop. Get another pitch in the repertoire and he’ll show signs of being a middle of the rotation starter by year’s end.

Bottom line, we got a stud CF, one potential stud young pitcher and one potential pitcher who’ll contribute this year

FUZZ—I think all three pitchers start in the minors this year with the big timer Guerra not seeing the majors for 2-3 years. The middle prospects Humber and Mulvey could be up at any time this year, especially with our young and inexperience staff. Our rotation could be a revolving door.

NIC—Humber will begin the year as our 4th or 5th starter. Gomez will start the season in the minors along with the other 2 guys.

Q—Speaking of pitchers, how does this trade affect Joe Nathan? Is it possible that he gets moved for someone that can play this year? I don’t know what kind of guy we might be looking for considering we have brand new players at 4-5 positions (2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF), but is he going to be with this team long term? He’s already said he wants big money and we’ve committed to two pretty big contracts this winter already—two more than every other off-season.



DOGG—How much can we really get for Nathan? I know he’s a damn good closer but closers are dime a dozen these days. If we can actually get a player or players that we are interested in, then fine. If not, just keep him so we can close down games we have a lead 99% of the time. I’m sure Billy Smith has had enough of this trade crap for about the next 10 years so I see him staying patient for now.

FUZZ—Billy Smith seems like a wheeler and dealer. I wouldn’t be surprised if he packages Nathan with more pitchers for another impact player before spring training. You can find closers in this league especially if your minor league pitching is deep. Ours is, so I expect to move Nathan at some point before he becomes a free agent. We are obviously rebuilding, so I don’t see paying him top dollar worthwhile.

DOGG—I can see why you would move Nathan but lets win the games we’re actually leading going into the 9th. You don’t want to disappoint fans either with moving that many impact players in any given year. Billy has to show that he’s here to win games now and in the future.

Q—Again, my biggest concern is if we could get fair value (whatever that is) for him since teams know we probably aren’t going to pay him and that he may want out. I’m all for keeping him, but is he worth the money considering we might not win a hell of a lot of games over the next 2-3 years? Or am I selling this squad short?

FUZZ—We’ll finish around .500 or just below. Our offense will be better but our pitching will take a giant hit---obviously. Scott Baker is your opening day starter. Say that line to yourself again and tell me if we’re making the playoffs this year.



DOGG—I actually see the Twins having a strong year. I like Harris and Young in the starting lineup with additions Everett and Lamb as well. A lot of new faces but most of which are young which usually means good team chemistry. I have Young having a huge year: .280, 25+, 100+.

Q—I love Delmon Young, but I just think the staff is way too young and inexperienced to win any more than 80-85 games. I do think the offense will be improved and that you won’t see as many “quality losses” as we’ve had in the last few years, though that will also be because we won’t have as many quality starts. Liriano is the key to success this year for sure.

As much as I don’t want to talk about it, how good does this make the Mets? Are they the favorites in the NL?

DOGG—I got Johan going down with a monster arm injury after breaking off a changeup that drops 4 feet. He’s done and Mets miss the playoffs once again.

FUZZ—I can’t predict truthfully how the Mets will do as a whole but Johan is going to be awesome. He’s on the big stage now, which he always wanted. I think the NL Cy Young is a lock for him. I see him winning 25 games this year. I don’t see why he’s not going to be great. He’s the best pitcher in the game going to the National League where lineups are weaker. The Mets have a pretty good offense so he’s Cy Young for sure.



The main point that I’m sick of is in the last 3-4 years, we’ve traded Randy Moss, Kevin Garnett and Johan Santana. Three absolute studs. But since we’re in a mid-market, since some GM’s don’t know what they’re doing and since it just seems like a Minnesota thing, we lose our stars. It blows. Start preparing for an Adrian Peterson departure…

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