Since there's nothing else to talk about, a few NFL Draft thoughts

There are few things in sports I find more annoying than the two week period between the conference title games and the Super Bowl. I've never understood the point of it. The NFL probably thinks the two weeks boosts anticipation for the fans, but really, all it does is burn everyone out on the same story lines. Factor in that this baseball offseason has been awfully slow - we're about 24ish days before the start of Spring Training, and guys like Orlando Hudson, Manny Ramirez, Brian Fuentes, and Jon Garland remain unsigned - and that the Bulls are bad/uninteresting (and in the midst of a few days off), and I feel like there really isn't much for me to write about.

Which means one thing: NFL Draft! The NFL Draft has always been one of my favorite things in the world, mostly because when I was growing up, the Bears were consistently atrocious, so the draft provided the lone beacon of hope. But my nerd-dom has started to slow down a bit the last couple years, and, to be honest, I'm not sure how much I really know about this class. It initially strikes me as weak as shit, but who knows. I'm the same guy who thought Matt Ryan would suck.

The truly immortal Mel Kiper Jr. (my sixth favorite ESPN personality, apparently) has been all over SportsCenter this morning breaking down his first mock draft- and it is Senior Bowl week - so this seems like as good a time as any for me to get a few draft thoughts out of the way.

 - The Bears have the 18th pick this year. Here's what the big boys are saying:

a) Kiper: DE Tyson Jackson - LSU

b) Scott Wright - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey - Maryland

c) SI - WR Jeremy Maclin - Mizzou

d) Walter Football - DE Michael Johnson - Georgia Tech

- I've sort of gone back and forth on this, but now I think I'm firmly in the camp that the Bears need to for offense, unless someone ridiculous drops to them. Since Jerry Angelo is as good as any GM in the league at finding solid defensive players in the mid-rounds, there really doesn't seem to be much point to spending the first round pick, and all the money that goes along with it, on a defender. Get a wide receiver, an offensive lineman, hell, maybe even a quarterback. But go for offense. The Bears need more skill (obviously) on that side of the ball, and the first round of the draft is the best place to get it.

- I haven't really read to much about any of the prospects yet, but so far I think I like a couple of lesser known receivers more than the top dogs. Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, and Heyward-Bey are the three guys most will think the Bears will target, but I sort of like Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina and Rutgers' Kenny Britts more. Maclin, Harvin, and H-B are all burners; I feel like an all-around or possession guy would probably be more beneficial for Orton.

- I would take two current college quarterbacks - Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford - over Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. Maybe that's a good thing for the Bears. They probably won't grab a quarterback early in this draft, but if Orton sucks next year (which would probably mean the team would suck, too) at least there a couple studs they could have a shot at in 2010.

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Here's the long awaited video of AJ Daulerio getting hit in the face by a cookie sheet. I thought that was something you might be interested in. But, honestly, as far as videos of people getting hit in the face go, we have a video from our Florida trip that can top it. If that goes up on YouTube, maybe I'll post it here.

Two updates.

a) This info comes straight out of the 'no duh' department. Though I'm not much a video gamer any more - outside of an occasional NBA 2k9 battle - sports video games for sure laid the groundwork for my future sports fandom when I was younger. It's really the easiest way possible to learn rosters and strategies. That study just seems like a no brainer to me.

b) While most white people like assists, ever since the days of MJ and Shawn Kemp, I have been a fervent supporter of the dunk. This video makes me incredibly happy. From Ball Don't Lie:
 

- I may as well throw a bone to Zach and his new star columnist, though this link may interest only Stompy.

- Matty Ice's latest top ten list is straight off the hook, yo. Never question the captain.