Prince Amukamara to New York Football Giants: 2011 NFL Draft Scouting Profile | Bleacher Report

The savvy fans at Radio City Music Hall chanted “We want Prince” when it was time for the Giants to pick. Oops, wrong Prince.

This is the right Prince for the Giants. Amukamara falls to them at #19.

A good pick, a top 5 talent at the 19 spot. Even with Ingram and Castonzo available, I can't argue with this one. Good value pick. They should get a solid player with the 2nd rounder and then the scouting staff and GM's really earn their money in the later rounds.



Prince Amukamara to New York Football Giants: 2011 NFL Draft Scouting Profile | Bleacher Report:

"While Patrick Peterson has gotten much of the spotlight, Prince Amukamara has also quietly still been considered an elite corner prospect in his own right. He is expected to have an immediate impact in the NFL.

6'1' and 206 pounds, Amukamara is as physical a corner as you'll see. He loves to press and jam at the line and re-routes very well. He is a very good athlete who has fantastic coverage instincts. He factors equally in zone coverage as well and when the ball is in flight, Amukamara will go get it like he is the receiver.

He's very quick to read and react to the run and will support his front seven by coming off the island and sticking his nose in the box. He will be able to stay in the league for many years as he has the ability to play corner and become a safety down the road in his career.

Prince fell a tad here, but he lands with G-Men who will surely love him in NYC. Jerry Reese, Marc Ross and Tom Coughlin get a big physical corner, which is coveted by the Giants in their scheme, that will cover and play the run in the NFC East.

Pick Grade: A- "

Local reastion from the New York Post:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/nebraska_prince_slips_to_big_blue_8wRAMW6yrVHbg7ilZMR1AP

The Giants could not believe their luck.
They did not go into the first round of the NFL Draft last night thinking cornerback, but they sure changed their minds when their selection came around at No. 19 and sitting there, shockingly, was Prince Amukamara, the highly-regarded cornerback from Nebraska. It was widely believed Amukamara would be gone well before the Giants’ turn came up and, even though the position was not a glaring need, it was simply too much value to pass up.
And so, with the top running back in the draft, Mark Ingram of Alabama, still on the board, and a quality left tackle, Anthony Castonzo of Boston College, also available, the Giants trusted their draft board and happily took Amukamara.

The top brass is happy.

“[We were] really surprised he was there when we picked,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “We thought he’d get picked a lot higher than that. It happens like that sometimes in the draft, a guy can fall right in your lap.”
Coach Tom Coughlin said Amukamara was “clearly the highest-rated player we could take on the board,” meaning it wasn’t an especially difficult decision.
“Where he was ranked, there wasn’t any question that this player should be on the New York Giants,” Coughlin said.

The fans are happy.

The savvy fans at Radio City Music Hall chanted “We want Prince” when it was time for the Giants to pick, even though there was barely any buzz about him coming to the Giants in the weeks leading up to the draft. Most draft experts had Amukamara (pronounced “ah-moo-kuh-mare-uh”) in the top dozen prospects.

2011 NFL draft: Carolina Panthers make Cam Newton top pick - ESPN

Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the first overall pick of the NFL draft Thursday night. (Jason DeCrow, Associated Press)

Wish him all the best. I just have two simple questions.

Does anyone with a working brain (and people who work for the NCAA or are apologists for the college football machine are excluded obviously) believe that (S)cam Newton's dad did not know that (S)cam was drafted #1 yesterday?

OK. If that's the case, how on earth can you not believe that Daddy had his hand out on (S)cam's behalf and not have knowledge of that important event?

Anyone employed by the NCAA rules enforcement area feel free to comment.


2011 NFL draft: Carolina Panthers make Cam Newton top pick - ESPN:

"NEW YORK -- Cam Newton provided one of the few predictable moments, so far, in a bizarre NFL offseason.

While the league's labor dispute played out in the courts, the Heisman Trophy winner was selected No. 1, as expected, in Thursday night's NFL draft, taken by the Carolina Panthers."

Strict Constructionism and the Strike Zone...and the Culture of the Game

And the debate goes on.

STRICT CONSTRUCTIONISM

Strict Constructionism and the Strike Zone:

"Other baseball philosophers scoff at Bork's suggestion.  'Umpires understand the value of consistency,' they say.  'This business about umpires calling eyeball-high pitches strikes is baloney.  Just because an umpire isn't a strict constructionist doesn't mean that he'll call a strike whenever the urge hits him.  Umpires are constrained by peer pressure, by fear of ridicule, and by their own love for the integrity of the game.  When the strike zone was lowered in the sixties, it wasn't lowered because the umpires said, 'Hey, just for kicks, let's lower the strike zone!' It was lowered in response to various demands of the game and, primarily, the demands of the fans.  Baseball was better for the change, which took place more gradually and with less disruption than it ever could have had we depended upon rules committees to revise the strike zone downward an inch or two a year.'"

Some debates never end. Perhaps the debate over strict constructionism and the strike zone is one of those. The wisest observation on the whole subject may have been made by a crusty old manager. When asked who was right-the umpires of the 1960's that took it upon themselves to lower the strike zone, or the umpires of the 1980's that raised it again, the manager said "they both were." He explained, "the strike zone got lowered when it needed to be, then umpires like Bork came along to make the rule match the strike zone--like it should.

What is being discussed here is the "culture of the game". What the players, coaches and indeed fans expect from umpires. Remember, at one time umpires sat amongst the fans and at times solicited the feedback of fans in making calls. Reduces umpires to weather vanes, IMO.

CULTURE OF THE GAME

When a hitter has a 3-0 count, the umpire becomes much less likely to call a fourth ball, expanding the strike zone considerably. Conversely, when a hitter is facing a 0-2 count, his strike zone will shrink


Scorecasting Tackles Sports’ Biggest Myths | Playbook:

"Wired.com: You guys show that refs are biased toward the home team and you show with PitchFX that umpires adjust their strike zone depending on the situation, so do you think we should just get rid of umpires in baseball?


Wertheim: That’s a good question. PitchFX calls it accurately; it’s unambiguous, so from a fairness perspective it’s hard to argue against it. But as fans we like whistle swallowing. I don’t think fans overall are opposed to games being called differently at different times. We found that a player like Albert Pujols gets very few called third strikes, but also very few ball fours because the umpire internalizes that fans want to see him put the ball in play — you want him to strike out swinging, you want him to hit a home run, but you don’t want a judgment call. So, in some ways, whistle swallowing is following what fans want.

From a fairness perspective, if you have the capacity to call balls and strikes pretty flawlessly, it’s hard to argue against that. But I think we want more from our officials from a robotic ball and strike. I think we like to have our officials to have sensitivity to the rhythms of the game."

Marlins Considering Run At Mark DeRosa: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Of course, no sooner was this trade rumor fading from hot to lukewarm, we receive word that the G-man put DeRosa on the DL. This potential deal would make sense, get a few lower level prospects from a prospect-rich organization. Sandoval resurgence takes away some of the need to have DeRosa around as insurance at 3B. Can't cash the insurance policy from the DL.

Aaron Rowand may be the next up to be shopped around. G-men will likely have to eat most, it not all, of the huge salary.. Same deal with a DeRosa move.

After those two contract moves the next up for trade should be Nate Schierholz, who appears to be odd-man out in the OF and the Travis Ishakawa. I still think these guys have Pirates or Royals written all over them.

Zito's injury and Bumgarner's weak start take the Giants starting staff from LHP-heavy to LHP-light in the span of a couple of weeks. Kind of makes the case for Runzler to get a few starts over Vogelsgong, but what do I know?




Marlins Considering Run At Mark DeRosa: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

"12:44pm: The Marlins 'have begun weighing the merits of making a run at' Giants infielder Mark DeRosa, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  DeRosa could be a solution for the Fish at third base for the remainder of the season, after which his contract is up.

DeRosa, 36, is hitting well in a small 20 plate appearance sample this season.  With a crowded outfield and no openings at second base or the infield corners, the Giants may consider DeRosa expendable.  Not only could they get a useful player back, but they could also clear a portion of DeRosa's $6MM salary.  An extra $2-3MM would be helpful to the Giants, who may have limited payroll flexibility in the 2011-12 offseason unless they move some salary.

The Marlins considered giving the third base job to top prospect Matt Dominguez out of Spring Training, but instead sent him to Triple-A on March 24th.  Eight days later Dominguez fractured his elbow.  As a whole, Greg Dobbs, Donnie Murphy, Emilio Bonifacio, and Wes Helms are hitting .286/.353/.416 on the season while manning third base for the Marlins."

Trader Dan's Market Views: FOMC gives Precious Metals Bulls reasons for cheer

Even when things go entirely your way on a day like today (Thanks Uncle Ben), it does have all the makings of a Pyrrhic victory. If being on the right side means that -- as that old scag-bag Charlie Munger says, "Even if it works, you're a jerk" -- then I guess I'm a jerk. So be it.

Given what seems to be going on at the House of Buffett lately maybe it takes one to know one. Sliding Sokol out the door on the day of Bernank's presser is a work of PR genius. You guys are really slick over there.

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/and-so-billionaires-turn-each-other-sokols-lawyer-accuses-buffett-lying

From Trader Dan Norcini's blog in words much more eloquent than I can manage to muster at the moment, but whose sentiment I echo 100%.



Trader Dan's Market Views: FOMC gives Precious Metals Bulls reasons for cheer:

"Thanks Ben and thanks to all the Fed governors whose foolish, inept, and short-sighted idiocy has set this nation on a path that will make the IMF prediction of its sliding into second place behind China, indeed come to pass. No nation ever kept its place of economic ascendancy by deliberately killing its own currency. An economically strong nation, with a solid manufacturing sector, the rule of law, an ethic of thrift, low taxes, reasonable regulation, etc, will by default have a strong currency.

The plight of the Dollar is now a commentary on the decline of our beloved nation. It speaks with a more pure voice than any analyst could ever aspire to and what it is crying is disheartening to an extreme for those with ears to hear it.

History has the advantage of being relatively objective in its analysis as it is removed from the passions of the era. It is with that in mind that I can confidently say it will render a harsh and severe criticism of those who led our nation and its monetary policy during this period as they presided over its decline."

YOU GO UNCLE BEN, YOU GO.... Your plan has been working so well.

Brilliant video: Liberal college students eager to redistribute income, but not their hard-earned GPA

BRILLIANT INDEED!!! So sad for the parents whose hard-earned dollars are being wasted sending kids to these so-called institutions of higher learning. Can you say REFUND? The kids clearly cannot think logically or independently.

Some of these kids get the old RCA Victor dog look on their faces when confronted with the contradiction in their mind-set. Or they are wondering why this was not covered in the latest version of the liberal talking points bulletin on class warfare or income distribution.

What's mine is mine and what's yours in mine too, I guess. The definition of greed. This is rich on so many levels.

How many in DC think EXACTLY along these lines?

H/T to The Conservative Manifesto blog:
http://theconservativemanifesto.blogspot.com/2011/04/brilliant-video-liberal-college.html

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011

Brilliant video: Liberal college students eager to redistribute income, but not their hard-earned GPA

Liberals, of course, hate the analogy.

But huge props to the College Republicans at the University of California-Merced for putting this rabid inconsistency on display for all to see.

Petition to Redistribute GPA Scores

Many students believe that it is moral to confiscate money from hard-working Americans and entrepreneurs and give it to those who didn't earn it, yet don't support the same philosophy when it is applied to their GPA scores.

Slimmed-down Sandoval finding his stride at plate

Slimmed-down Sandoval finding his stride at plate:
(04-25) 13:42 PDT San Francisco (AP) --

Pablo Sandoval spent the offseason rebuilding his body and confidence, and the San Francisco slugger is showing results.

No longer the stressed-out, pressing third baseman he was a year ago for the Giants, Sandoval is nearly 40 pounds lighter and has a spring in his step once again.

And more importantly for the struggling World Series champions, he's got some serious pop in his bat. Sandoval's five home runs are his most ever in April and he is hitting .319 nearly a month into his third full big league season."

Basketball officiating from the referee’s point of view

This illustration shows the “over-the-back” situation, illegal in the NBA while legal in the NCAA and high school—unless the person in front is displaced by a push. Illustration by Dickson Tsai.

Excellent article from a basketball perspective describing the divergence between fans and referees in terms of "knowledge of the game". Also, when the author makes the following observation -- "All the referees at the high school level, for instance, pass an examination, but some just cannot execute their knowledge on the court." -- he is describing what I refer to as the "culture of the game". Applying the rules knowledge in such a way that the game works the way it is supposed to work, the way the participants (players, coaches) expect it to work.

Good article.


Basketball officiating from the referee’s point of view:

What fans overlook

This illustration shows the “over-the-back” situation, illegal in the NBA while legal in the NCAA and high school—unless the person in front is displaced by a push. Illustration by Dickson Tsai. Some fans, understandably, have trouble understanding that the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), NCAA, and NBA all play by different rules. Apply NBA rules to a high school game (with the NFHS rules that the Central Coast Section, or CCS, uses), and you’ll be left puzzled, dumbfounded even.

Each level has a different style of play, thus a different set of rules is necessary in order to keep everything fair, although it’s granted that at the professional level (NBA), entertainment value is sometimes more important than fairness.

The rule difference that annoys high school and college referees the most is the notion of “over the back.” The assumed rule is that when rebounding, a player cannot reach over someone in front to snag the rebound. This rule only applies in the NBA; “over the back” is only a foul in the NCAA and high school if a person is pushed from behind.

The tough parts of the job

The real difficulty in the job comes not in learning the rules, but being fluent enough with them so that calls become reactions. All the referees at the high school level, for instance, pass an examination, but some just cannot execute their knowledge on the court.Here, the essential belongings of high school officials are shown—the classic pinstripes jersey, the NFHS Officials' Manual, and the NFHS Basketball Rules by Topic. Illustration by Dickson Tsai."

The Greatest Play In Baseball - Rick Monday Saves U.S. Flag - 35 Years Ago

Photo by Jim Roark
Rick Monday grabbing the American flag away from two protesters.

Today, I have little doubt that Rick Monday would be portrayed as the criminal. Denying these miscreants their constitutionally protected right to free speech. Those idiots are lucky they weren't stomped into the ground. I'll bet if Lasorda's fat behind got to them first, it might have been a happier ending for the two offenders.

HAPPY 35TH ANNIVERSARY, RICK MONDAY!!

Rick Monday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American flag incident

Rick Monday grabbing the American flag away from two protesters.

The two most famous moments of Monday's career were both associated with the Dodgers. In the first, on April 25, 1976, during a game at Dodger Stadium, two protesters, William Thomas and his 11-year-old son, ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to an American flag they had brought with them. Monday, then playing with the Cubs, noticed they had placed the flag on the ground and were fumbling with matches and lighter fluid; he then dashed over and grabbed the flag from the ground to thunderous cheers. He handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, after which the ballpark police officers arrested the two intruders. When he came up to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the big message board behind the left-field bleachers in the stadium flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY... YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY..." He later said, "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it."

[2] On August 25, 2008, Monday was presented with an American flag flown over Valley Forge National Historical Park in honor of his 1976 rescue.[3]

At the end of the season, the Cubs traded Monday to the Dodgers in a five-player deal with two players (one of whom was Bill Buckner) going to the Cubs.

At the September 2nd, 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers game, Rick Monday was presented with a Peace One Earth medallion by Patricia Kennedy, founder of the non-profit organization Step Up 4 Vets, for his actions on April 25, 1976 and his military service with the Marine Corps.[4]

The Greatest Play In Baseball - Rick Monday Saves U.S. Flag

Uploaded by giramino on Jun 10, 2008
On April 25, 1976 at Dodger Stadium, Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs, grabbed and secured the American flag from two individuals as they were attempting to burn our flag in the middle of the playing field. It was an outstanding display of American Patriotism. Due to the numerous references to 'allah' and insistence that their chairs be faced in a certain direction while being questioned, the two, a father and his son, were described to be muslims by several security personnel including an off duty police officer in attendance at the game who went down to the security room soon after the incident. Others claim that the two, William Errol Thomas and his brother, later corrected to be Thomas and his 11 year old son (not identified due to his age) were war protesters. Others claimed Thomas escaped from a mental institution, others said that his wife was being held illegally and against her will in a mental institution and various other claims. Regardless, it's probably safe to say that what they attempted to do was a disgrace to our American Flag and every American citizen. Aside from public ridicule, Thomas incurred minimal legal actions for his actions. He was fined $60 for trespassing and placed on probation for a year. No formal charges were filed against his 11 year old son who was treated as a juvenile offender. Something that was also confusing was obtaining the flag burner's real name. Security personnel at the stadium said that his name was William Errol Morris. However, the police report and court records all list him as William Errol Thomas, Aka William Errol Morris (Criminal courts building record Case# 31-543367 Thomas, William Errol, Jr. Violation Sec. 602, P.C. one year probation and ordered not to enter Dodger Stadium during probationary period.) His attorney in the public-defender's office said that Thomas was American Indian, a transient living out of the back of his car. DMV yielded no information nor did the registrar of voters or Veterans Administration. The Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix had no information nor were there any military records.

On the Farm: Giants' Under-the-Radar Minor League Breakout Candidate

From MLBDepthCharts.com Report:


On the Farm: Giants' Under-the-Radar Minor League Breakout Candidate

San Francisco Giants
Chris Lofton, OF 2010 stats: .268 BA, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, 22 BB, 41 K, 15 SB in 52 games (Short-Season)

Most multi-sport athletes bask in the option of choosing their path to bigger and better things. The San Francisco Giants are glad that Lofton chose them. A 9th round draft choice out of Jones County Community College in the 2010 draft, Lofton opted to sign with the Giants despite signing a letter of intent to play cornerback for the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Lofton is a superior athlete and the Giants envision him utilizing his explosive speed in center field and on the base paths. He was drafted with a questionable bat but surprised at Short-Season Salem-Keizer with a .268 average, 2 HRs and 15 SBs. The Giants rated recent 1st round draft choice Gary Brown and Lofton as the best athletes in their system heading into the 2011 season. Lofton’s lefty bat and defensive skills give him the chance to become a paramount center fielder. A possible assignment to Lo-A Augusta should test the young speedster in 2011.

According to Baseball America's Prospect Watch:

Looking at guys who are flying above the radar, Brandon Belt and Thomas Neal seem to be finding AAA pitching to their liking in the early going.

AAA Belt, Brandon LF 2-4 (2B), .429 BA
AAA Neal, Thomas CF 3-5 (2B), .342 BA