Some Late Eveing Thoughts

Some thoughts to entertain you with while watching an incredibly entertaining National Championship Game, despite the pedestrian 14-7 score with 1:30 left in the third.

1) Mathew Stafford of Georgia has already declared for the NFL Draft. Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and maybe Colt McCoy could be right behind. He might be the least heralded of the group, but mark my words that Mathew Stafford will be hands down the best pro of the group. I promise you that. The guy is real good.

2) I, like the rest of the world, love the Baldelli/Smoltz signing for the Sox. What rubs me the wrong way however is Baldelli taking Nomar's #5. Listen, nobody dogged Nomar more than me in his last days in Boston - specifically the 2003 playoffs - but still, Nomar was an Icon during his hey-day. If you are asking me to name the biggest and most beloved Sox stars since 1990 in terms of skill/impact on the team/impact on the fan base at large, my list would like this:

1) Pedro
2) Nomar
3) Manny
4) Big Papi
5) Mo Vaughn

That list is kind of unfair to big Mo just because he was playing on mostly average teams but if you were a Red Sox fan in 1996 you were going to the park to see Big Mo and that was about it. But you know what, that was just fine. Of course I am a bit biased because if you are asking me my favorite Red Sox of all time, Mo is number two on the list behind Manny.

3) As mentioned the other day, Bobby Abreu is currently the odd man out of the mix in the game of corner outfielder musical chairs. Where will he end up? I don't think the Red Sox mainly because I'm not sure how he would swallow the idea of going to a team where he would not be a guaranteed starter, but man, I still think he would help. If I had to put my money on it though, I say he winds up in LA after Manny and Boras continue to overplay their hand with them and the Dodgers cut bait with him and get Abreu on a very attractive 1 year, $8M offer.

4) I promise you this is not sour grapes because if you read ANYTHING I wrote about the guy prior to him signing with the Yaniees you would know that I was never that enamored with him. So with that I say, the more I see and hear, the more I become convinced that Mark Teixeira could very well be the biggest prick in baseball.

5) Predictions for NFL Games this weekend:

SD over Pittsburgh 17-13
NYG over Philly 24-9
TN over Baltimore 17-6
Carolina over Arizona 38-27

6) Only BC could follow up a road victory over an undefeated, juggernaut team like UNC by losing to Harvard.

7) Florida's Percy Harvin is tailor made for what the NFL has become. He's not going to be an every down back, but he will be a top of the line third down back/return man. That probably is not analysis but I am guessing most of the readers of this blog aren't big NCAA football watchers so I wanted to throw it out there. The guy will be a menace.

8) I love how Vlade Divac made his way into a Subway ad. That kills me. Do you know what might kill you? I loved watching Vlade play. There is something about big men that can pass that I've always had a soft spot for. For my money, Divac and Aryvdus Sibonas were the two best I've seen. Shaq too, which is a totally underrated part of his game.