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With Alonzo Mourning’s career coming to a close, we decided to take a look back at the 1992 NBA Draft class.

The First Round

1. Shaquille O’Neal - He’s a surefire Hall of Famer some day.
2. Alonzo Mourning - A dominant defensive center despite being undersized.
3. Christian Laettner - There was really now way he could have lived up to his college hype.
4. Jimmy Jackson - Could have been a prolific scorer had he found a home.
5. LaPhonso Ellis - Would have been an All-Star if his knees weren’t damaged.
6. Tom Gugliotta - Good role player who made one All-Star team.
7. Walt Williams - Extreme versatile and entertaining. Just couldn’t play defense.
8. Todd Day - Dominant college scorer couldn’t do the same in the NBA.
9. Clarence Weatherspoon - “Baby Barkley” just wasn’t nearly as dominating.
10. Adam Keefe - His fundamentals kept him in the NBA for 9 years.
11. Robert Horry - This guy just collects NBA championship rings.
12. Harold Miner - “Baby Jordan” was good for marketing. That was about it.
13. Bryant Stith - Decent role player.
14. Malik Sealy - Team leader who lost his life because of a drunk driver.
15. Anthony Peeler - He was a hired shooter for a few teams.
16. Randy Woods - Yet another bad draft choice by the Los Angeles Clippers.
17. Doug Christie - Michael Jordan respected his defensive abilities. Enough said.
18. Tracy Murray -Best remembered for punching teammate, Rod Strickland.
19. Don MacLean - Was a much better college player.
20. Hubert Davis - Had a few good years as a New York Knicks reserve.
21. Jon Barry - Fundamentally sound bench player.
22. Oliver Miller - Will always be remembered for his weight problems.
23. Lee Mayberry - Simply a bench player. Nothing special.
24. Latrell Sprewell - Steal of the draft.
25. Elmore Spencer - The second bad pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992.
26. Dave Johnson - He did absolutely nothing in the NBA.
27. Byron Houston - He was a 6′5″ power forward. Didn’t stand a chance.

The Second Round

Round 2 of the 1991 NBA Draft saw a few players who ended up making it in the league.

PJ Brown (#29) became a valuable defender and rebounder in the league. Sean Rooks (#30) and Matt Geiger (#42) were serviceable centers. Brent Price (#31) was able to shoot the ball well. Popeye Jones (#41) was a fan favorite in Dallas.

In a weak free agent market for high quality pitchers, the Seattle Mariners look desperate to bolster their rotation by signing Carlos Silva to a deal worth somewhere around 10 million a year for four years. Silva can be considered mediocre to slightly above average at best and is not worth that kind of money. Last year Silva went 13-14, yes a losing record, had 89 strikeouts, and 4.19 ERA. He is not a fast ball throwing, strikeout pitcher but more of a sinker and defense guy.  Once again the Mariners have wasted money on pitching. Mark Prior or Erik Bedard are much better potentials.

Sean Taylor, who died on November 27, 2007, was voted on Tuesday to the NFC Pro Bowl team.

Well Deserved

While it’s quite sentimental for Sean Taylor to be honored after his death, he wasn’t voted in solely because of sympathy. He was voted to the Pro Bowl based on his play this season.

Sean Taylor was a Pro Bowler last year, and he was virtually a lock to make the team again this year prior to his death. He had shown remarkable improvements both on the field and off the field. Teammates and coaches heaped praises upon Sean Taylor for maturing both as as a player, a team leader and most importantly as a man.

“It is well deserved. If he would have been able to finish the season, he would have been in there. It just shows the respect everybody around the league had for him and what a great player he was.”

- Washington Redskins offensive lineman Casey Rabach

Tight end Chris Cooley is currently the only other Washington Redskins player that has been voted to the NFC Pro Bowl team

Dallas Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, the player selected as the reserve safety, is expected to replace Sean Taylor in the starting lineup at free safety. Minnesota Vikings safety Darren Sharper is the starting strong safety. Another defensive back will be named to the team within the next few weeks.

10 Man Tribute

In the game following Sean Taylor’s untimely death, the Washington Redskins honored their fallen teammate by sending out 10 defenders on the first play of the game.

There are talks that both the NFC squad and the AFC squad will send out 10 players on each side of the ball on the first play as well at the Pro Bowl. Since it’s an exhibition game, both teams will be allowed to do that.

The players will definitely do their own tribute for Sean Taylor at the Pro Bowl game. You can also expect the league to do some sort of tribute as well.

Closing Thoughts

Had a couple of idiots not taken Sean Taylor’s life, we would have love to write on this website about him being voted to the Pro Bowl game every year for the rest of his career.

The LA Dodgers have acquired one of Japan’s better pitchers in 32 year old Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda was one of the highly sought after players in the off season and brings a strong pitching game much like Daisuke Matsuzaka. Kuroda’s has a 3.69 career ERA and 103-89 record and his 2006 ERA of 1.85 was outstanding in a hitting league. The deal for Kuroda was worth $35.3 million for 3 years and includes a $7.3 million signing bonus. The move should help the Dodgers pitching staff who already have Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, and Chad Billingsley.

The Michigan Wolverines have been looking for a coach and Rich Rodriguez has been selected. Rodriguez brings a winning record from West Virginia and has made two BCS bowl appearances in the last 3 years. His vaunted spread offense has made the Mountaineers a dominant force in the Big East conference. However, it probably will be as easy in the Big Ten where there are great teams and teams that are improving quickly like Illinois. Rodriguez brings a spread offense that requires speed and talent but with highlight of playing for Michigan, it should be hard to recruit some talented players.  The bad thing about Rodriguez coming to Michigan is timing as he leaves players he recruited in West Virginia without a coach in 2008 Fiesta Bowl.

QB
Brett Favre- Brett has broken too many records and has done to well this year to be named starter
Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle’s change to a passing attack has made Hasselback look very good
Tony Romo - has had a good season with some off games but still one of the better QBs

RB
Adrian Peterson - one of the few rookies to be named starter, Peterson has torn up opponent defenses in a rookie season comparable to greats like Jim Brown
Marion Barber - he might not be a starter on his team but the way he runs he can be a starter on any team in the league; runs strong and likes to take and give hits
Bryan Westbrook - one of the best running and pass catching runningbacks in the league year after year

WR
Terrell Owens - Owens returns to a Pro Bowl with good numbers this year and if Romo were more consistent he would have numbers equal to Moss
Larry Fitzgerald - another decent season for the receiver but his numbers are down mostly do to the Arizona offense and injuries
Donald Driver - his TD numbers are down this year but still a great receiver
Torry Holt - his numbers are still good with over 1000 yards receiving and at least 7 TDs

TE
Jason Witten - has been a great surprise as an underrated TE in the league with over 1000 yards receiving and 7 TDs so far
Chris Cooley - another big target who has amassed 7 TDs and over 700 yards

OT
Flozell Adams - incredible blocking talent but has lots of false starts
Walter Jones - Seattle’s premiere OT good at run and pass blocking
Chris Samuels - one of the reasons Portis does well

OG
Leonard Davis - another great guard from the Dallas line
Steve Hutchinson- one of the reasons Brady does not get sacked often
Shawn Andrews

C
Andre Gurode - has an outstanding season again at center
Matt Birk

DE
Aaron Kampman - having another great season with 12 sacks already
Patrick Kerney - has been an outstanding pick-up for Seattle with 13.5 sacks
Osi Umenyiora - continues to improve on an inconsistent Giants D with 12 sacks

DT
Kevin Williams
Pat Williams
Tommie Harris

OLB
Julian Peterson - Peterson and Kerney are tackling monsters for Seattle and he already has 9 sacks
DeMarcus Ware - comes fast, hard, and can drop back as well; Ware already has 75 tackles and 11 sacks
Lance Briggs - Chicago’s defense has lots it’s tough D aura but Briggs still holds the D line

ILB
Lofa Tatupu - has been a great year for Tatupu and Seattle’s D as he already has 101 tackles, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions
Patrick Willis - another rookie to join the Pro Bowl, Willis is a hard hitting, tackling machine with 142 tackles already

CB
Al Harris - has proved himself to be a good cover corner but the AFC corners are definitely better
Marcus Trufant - great cover corner with 77 tackles and 7 interceptions so far
Terence Newman - has had a decent year covering receivers with 4 interceptions

FS
Sean Taylor - everyone who voted has honored this great player who was having a great year through 9 games with 5 interceptions already
Ken Hamlin - has been doing well but Dallas with 5 interceptions but still allowing some huge plays through the air

SS
Darren Sharper - Sharper has great numbers this year with 4 interceptions and 51 tackles in a Minnesota defense that has started weaker in the secondary but has come up with some defensive TDs

Special Teams
Andy Lee - punter
Nick Folk - has been the kicker the Cowboys have been looking for making 22 out of 26 field goal attempts
Devin Hester - once again the best punt and kickoff returner in the league who just seems to have that 5th gear like Deion Sanders; Hester already has 2 kickoff retuns for TDs and 3 punt returns for TDs and is one of the reason Chicago is even has a chance of winning some games
Brendon Ayanbadejo - special teamer

QB
Tom Brady - with his record setting year of course he goes to Pro Bowl as a started
Peyton Manning - him and Tom Brady area always neck and neck in the AFC
Ben Roethlisberger - having great year under Mike Tomlin with a better passing attack

RB
LaDainian Tomlinson - last years starter is the same with the talented Tomlinson who has great numbers once again
Joseph Addai - Indianapolis runningback shows he can carry the team as well
Willie Parker - fast Willie Parker shows speed that can get him tons of yardage in the Pittsburgh running attack

WR
Randy Moss - having his greatest year since Minnesota and with Tom Brady has QB is there any question why he wouldn’t be
Reggie Wayne - with Harrison out, Wayne has shown he is just as talented and the numbers definitely show it
Braylon Edwards - having outstanding year and shows he is one of the leagues best

TE
Antonio Gates - one of the best tight ends in the league who can jump, catch, and run routes better than many receivers
Tony Gonzalez - his umbers are down but still one of the AFC’s best

OT
Matt Light - veteran for Patriots team
Jason Peters
Jonathan Ogden - one of the games best at tackle

OG
Alan Faneca - great veteran player for several years
Logan Mankins - one of the reasons Brady does not get sacked often
Kris Dielman

C
Jeff Saturday - protects Manning from center and produces holes for running game
Dan Koppen

DE
Jared Allen - another stellure year for Allen in a better KC defense
Kyle Vanden Bosch
Jason Taylor - only good thing on a terrible Miami team with Zack Thomas hurt

DT
Albert Haynesworth - having one of his best seasons and is why Tennessee is great against the run
Vince Wilfork - part of that outstanding front for Pats D
Jamal Williams

OLB
James Harrison - is key to that hard hitting Pittsburgh D but Pitt always seems to produce great linebackers
Mike Vrabel - man can do it all by force fumbles. sacking the quarterback, intercepting passes, and even catching touchdowns
Shawne Merriman - hard hitting and still full of energy

ILB
DeMeco Ryans - better performance has increased Houston’s D
Ray Lewis - in a weaker Ravens D, Lewis still stands tall even with broken body parts

CB
Champ Bailey - one of the leagues best cover corner who can cover the run as well
Asante Samuel - great cover corner
Antonio Cromartie - record breaking year with return for touchdowns and interceptions

FS
Ed Reed - one of the leagues best free safety who can cover the pass

SS
Bob Sanders - Sanders does it all by covering the pass, being a hard hitting, and stopping the run; watch a Indianapolis game and hear is name called out almost every play
Troy Polamalu - another top strong safety who does it all; stops the run and covers receivers

Special Teams
Shane Lechler - great punter who is hard to block and hard to return hit punts for TDs
Rob Bironas - accurate kicker with huge numbers and record 8 field goals in one game
Josh Cribbs - has done a good job for the Browns with great timing on returns for TDs
Kassim Osgood - this guy shows 100% effort in stopping return men and downing punts

The NFL has suspended Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams for one game after he did his trademark “horse collar” tackle again.

Bad Habits

Roy Williams’ victim this time was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Of course, the term “victim” might seem a bit dramatic since Donovan McNabb wasn’t injured by the play. Fortunately for him, he was able to avoid injury by getting his legs out from under him.

Nonetheless, Roy Williams really should work harder at dropping his “bad habit”.

That’s the term that Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips used to describe the tackle. Thus far, the coach has done a tremendous job of hiding his true feelings about the situation to the media. He’s saying all of the generic things that coaches are accustomed to saying. Wade Phillips isn’t arguing against the league’s decision at all. He’s also saying all of the right things in regards to trying to help Roy Williams break his “bad habit”.

Everyone in this world has at least one bad habit. Roy Williams’ bad habit has already costed him $37,500 so far this season in league fines. He’s also going to lose another $35,000 in salary for missing the Dallas Cowboys’ next game.

No Excuse

There are people out there who are defending Roy Williams and his tackling methods, but when you actually look at the big picture, there’s really no excuse for him.

Roy Williams is a fine tackler. He’s actually one of the best tackling defensive backs in the league. We know that he wants to make a defensive impact on every play (which is also why he gets burnt so often on passing plays). However, it’s better for him to give up a few yards as opposed to giving up several thousands of dollars and risking harm to opposing players.

Step back a bit and analyze this. If Donovan McNabb had landed wrongly and suffered a career ending injury, how much did those extra few yards really mean to Roy Williams? If you look past the sports aspect of things (such as wins and stats) and see things from a wider scope, you’ll realize that Roy Williams is risking someone’s ability to make a living. Granted, there’s going to be a handful of people who will point out that players take that risk every time they step on the field, but this is an unnecessary additional risk. It’s simply not needed.

There’s a reason why the league has taken steps in trying to prevent these type of tackles from happening. They’re not singling out Roy Williams and the Dallas Cowboys simply for the hell of it.

Closing Thoughts

This is an unnecessary part of Roy Williams’ game. It’d be nice for everyone if this story never has to be written again.

At just 29 years of age, it looks like Jermaine O’Neal may have already past his prime.

Jermaine O’Neal has seen a decline in his stats over the past few seasons.

Declining Stats

Since the 2004 season, his scoring average has declined quite rapidly. Right now, he’s averaging 15. 7 points a game. That’s down from 24.3 points that he averaged in 2004. The Indiana Pacers have relied on several players to carry the scoring load this year. Five players are averaging double digits in points (six if you count Ike Diogu, who has only played 3 games this season).

Prior to this season, Jermaine O’Neal has averaged 9.8 rebounds a game as an Indiana Pacer. This year, he’s only pulling down 7.4 rebounds a game. Right now, Jermaine O’Neal isn’t even in the top 35 in rebounding. New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd is pulling down more rebounds than he is.

Jermaine O’Neal came to the Indiana Pacers in 2000. From the moment he joined the team, he was able to average at least 2.0 blocks a game. This year, he’s averaging 1.6 blocks a game.

Another declining stat for Jermaine O’Neal is his minutes. After spending years languishing on the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jermaine O’Neal became a starter for the Indiana Pacers. He’s always averaged over 30 minutes a game for the team. This year, he’s coming dangerously close to averaging below 30 minutes a game.

Trade Rumors

Many believe that Jermaine O’Neal has been greatly affected by his motivation. Some believe that he’s lost quite a bit of his motivation because he doesn’t want to be with the Indiana Pacers any more.

Jermaine O’Neal has been with the Indiana Pacers for the better part of a decade now. The team has yet to win an NBA championship, and the veteran big man might feel like his window of opportunity is closing.

There’s constantly trade rumors involving him. In fact, whenever another superstar is rumored to be traded, Jermaine O’Neal and the Indiana Pacers inevitably become involved in trade rumors.

Even the simplest of things get blown out of proportion with Jermaine ONeal now a days. He recently made comments that endorsed Isiah Thomas, the head coach of the New York Knicks. A lot of people misconstrued his comments as a public declaration that he wished to be traded to New York. Granted, he probably wouldn’t be opposed to going to New York, but that’s another story for another time.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully, something gets resolved soon. Jermaine O’Neal is a great guy, and it’d be nice to see him being a dominant player again. Doesn’t matter if that means sending him away or finding him players that will make him happy. Just get something done.

The six player trade that happened between the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves got a lot of attention from the fans.

We all know how well Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics are doing. Let’s take a look at how the players that were sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves are doing.

For those that have already forgotten, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked up Sebastian Talfair, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, and a first round draft pick (top 3 protected). Let’s break down how they’ve done since the trade.

• Sebastian Telfair - He’s had an up and down season thus far for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sebastian Telfair is averaging 9.4 points and 5.4 assists a game. Out of the 21 games that he’s played so far, he’s started 12 games, mainly because of injuries to the backcourt. Inconsistency has been the theme for this year, but he does appear to be focusing more on the passing aspects of the game lately. He’s still young (only 22 years old), so the Minnesota Timberwolves can afford to wait for him to develop into a key backcourt contributor.
• Gerald Green - The 21 year old is having trouble getting on the court. He has yet to start a game. He’s only played in 10 games this year, and he’s averaging a paltry 8.1 minutes a game. Gerald Green’s numbers are pretty pathetic right now. It’s been a frustrating season thus far for Gerald Green, and it’s clear to see. Right now, he’s not seeing eye to eye with coach Randy Wittman.
• Ryan Gomes - The Minnesota Timberwolves used Ryan Gomes as a starter earlier in the season. Lately, though, his minutes have become inconsistent. That’s fine, though, because Ryan Gomes is more of a bench player anyways. His energy and hustle off the bench will come in handy. With Ryan Gomes, it’s not about stats.
• Al Jefferson - This has been the gem of the trade. Al Jefferson has continued his improvement and is now a legitimate All-Star player. He’s turned himself into a 20/10 player (20.1 points and 11.5 rebounds to be exact). The best part for the Minnesota Timberwolves is that Al Jefferson is still a few weeks away from turning 23. Fans aren’t going to forget about Kevin Garnett by any means, but having a young productive big man like Al Jefferson helps to ease the pain.
• Theo Ratliff - The veteran center is going to be missing quite a bit of the season because of knee surgery. His value to the team, though, is that he has a big expiring contract worth $11.6 million. Wouldn’t be surprised if management decided to just keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.
• 2009 First Round Draft Pick - The Minnesota Timberwolves get this pick as long as it’s not the first three pick in the draft. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett have meshed together a lot faster and a lot better than most people expected them to. If they keep things up, there’s really very little chance that the Minnesota Timberwolves won’t be getting an additional draft pick in 2008.

Right now, Kevin Garnett is helping the Boston Celtics remain on top of the league. He’s averaging 18.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. The five guys that the Boston Celtics traded for him are producing 48.9 points, 23.5 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. Well, to be fair, that’s five guys combined.

Nonetheless, the trade doesn’t look that bad for the Minnesota Timberwolves when you really break it down.