Flashback Friday - the 2004 NFL Draft

As we get ready to enter 2014, for kicks let's look back at the first ten picks of the 2004 NFL Draft and see how they turned out:

1. Eli Manning - QB - Mississippi - San Diego Chargers

Photo Credit: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/991769-why-eli-manning-is-the-king-of-mississippi

Manning threw for over 10,000 yards at the University of Mississippi. He finished 3rd in the running for the 2003 Heisman Trophy, and won the 2003 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, 2003 Maxwell Award (best college football player in the U.S.), and 2003 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Honors. Manning's career in the pros started dubiously when he publicly stated that he'd refuse to play for the Chargers if they drafted him. San Diego, as a result, drafted but subsequently traded Manning to the Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers (the 4th pick), a first round pick in 2005 (Shawn Merriman), and a third round pick in 2004 (Nate Kaeding). As a pro, Manning has gone 84-66 as a regular season starter, thrown for over 35,000 yards, won two Super Bowls taking home the MVP both times, and made three Pro Bowls.


2. Robert Gallery - OT - Iowa - Oakland Raiders

Photo Credit: http://bleacherreport.com/articles

Gallery was a unanimous All-American in 2003 and won the Outland Trophy - the award for the best college football interior lineman. Unfortunately, while he played in the NFL for 8 seasons compiling 89 starts, he never truly lived up to the potential everyone saw in him in college. Gallery failed to make a Pro Bowl and announced his retirement from football in August of 2012.


3. Larry Fitzgerald - WR - Pittsburgh - Arizona Cardinals

Photo Credit: http://blog.cochran.com/wordpress/index.php/pitt-panthers-retire-larry-fitzgeralds-jersey/

In just two seasons with the Pitt Panthers, Larry Fitzgerald logged 161 receptions for 2677 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished second in the 2003 Heisman voting to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and won the 2003 Big East Offensive Player of the Year Award, was a 2003 All-American, and took home both the Fred Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards. His pro career has been highly successful as he's wrapping up his 10th year with the Cardinals. He currently has 840 receptions and over 11,000 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns. He's made 7 Pro Bowl teams and helped take Arizona to Super Bow XLIII where he caught 7 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Top Tens - 12/25/13

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football

1. Luis Suárez (Uruguay) - Liverpool - 19
2. Sergio Agüero (Argentina) - Manchester City - 13
3. Daniel Sturridge (England) - Liverpool - 9
3. Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) - Manchester City - 9
5. Wayne Rooney (England) - Manchester Utd - 8
5. Loïc Remy (France) - Newcastle Utd - 8
5. Aaron Ramsey (Wales) - Arsenal - 8
5. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) - Everton - 8
9. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) - Manchester Utd - 7
9. Olivier Giroud (France) - Arsenal - 7
9. Álvaro Negredo (Spain) - Manchester City - 7

SPANISH LA LIGA LEADING SCORERS

Photo Credit: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/88/spain/2013/10/03/4308629

1. Diego Costa (Spain) - Atletico Madrid - 19
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Real Madrid - 18
3. Antoine Griezmann (France) - Real Sociedad - 11
3. Javi Guerra (Spain) - Real Valladolid - 11
5. Pedro (Spain) - Barcelona - 10
6. David Villa (Spain) - Atletico Madrid - 8
6. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - Barcelona - 8
6. Karim Benzema (France) - Real Madrid - 8
6. Alexis Sánchez (Chile) - Barcelona - 8
6. Jonas (Brazil) - Valencia - 8
6. Carlos Vela (Mexico) - Real Sociedad - 8
6. Carlos Bacca (Colombia) - Sevilla FC - 8

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA LEADING SCORERS

Photo Credit: http://www.dw.de

1. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) - Borussia Dortmund - 11
1. Adrián Ramos (Colombia) - Hertha Berlin - 11
3. Mario Mandžukić (Croatia) - Bayern Munich - 10
4. Stefan Kießling (Germany) - Bayer Leverkusen - 9
4. Vedad Ibišević (Bosnia & Herzegovina) - VfB Stuttgart - 9
4. Raffael Araújo (Brazil) - Borussia Monchengladbach - 9
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) - Borussia Dortmund - 9
4. Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Germany) - Hamburg SV - 9
9. 5 tied with 8

Sunday Sports from A to Z - 12/22/13 Edition

A is for Andy Dalton. The Red Rocket threw for 366 yards and 4 touchdown passes as the Cincinnati Bengals routed the Minnesota Vikings 42-14 today. The win clinched a playoff berth for Cincinnati and marked the first time in Bengals history that they've clinched a playoff berth in three consecutive seasons.

Photo Credit: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/12/22

B is for Bowl Games. The Bowl Season kicked off on Saturday with four games. Colorado State scored 18 unanswered points in the final 3 minutes of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl as the Rams rallied to shock Washington State 48-45. Sophomore running back Kapri Bibbs ran for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win, while Washington State's Connor Halliday threw for 410 yards and 6 touchdown passes in a losing effort... 25th ranked USC jumped out to a 35-6 halftime lead over Fresno State and cruised to a 45-20 win in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw for 344 yards and 4 scores to lead the Trojans... The San Diego State Aztecs routed Buffalo 49-24 behind 229 yards and 3 touchdowns from junior running back Adam Muema in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl... Finally, in an interstate showdown at the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, a missed 48 yard field goal with 9 seconds left allowed the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to hang on for a 24-21 win over Tulane. Tulane Senior running back Orleans Darkwa tied a career high with 3 rushing touchdowns in a losing effort.

Photo Credit: http://campusinsiders.com

C is for Champions League Draw. The Champions League draw for the Round of 16 is set with some big-time match-ups now on the slate. Here's a rundown of the eight pairings: Manchester City (England) vs Barcelona (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) vs Paris Saint-Germain (France), AC Milan (Italy) vs Atletico Madrid (Spain), Arsenal (England) vs Bayern Munich (Germany), Zenit St Petersburg (Russia) vs Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Galatasaray (Turkey) vs Chelsea (England), Olympiakos (Greece) vs Manchester United (England), and Schalke 04 (Germany) vs Real Madrid (Spain). Some of the highlights involve Didier Drogba (Galatasaray) taking on his former club Chelsea and German star Mesut Özil (Arsenal) getting matched up with the German Champions Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich knocked out Arsenal in the first round of last year's tournament en route to the title. 

Photo Credit: http://www.eastbengaltherealpower.com

Top Tens - 12/18/13

MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 13030 points
2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 12260 points
3. David Ferrer (Spain) - 5800 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 5790 points
5. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 5255 points
6. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 4205 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 4180 points
8. Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) - 3730 points
9. Richard Gasquet (France) - 3300 points
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 3065 points

WOMEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/australianopen

1. Serena Williams (USA) - 13260 points
2. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) - 8046 points
3. Li Na (China) - 6045 points
4. Maria Sharapova (Russia) - 5891 points
5. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) - 5875 points
6. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) - 4775 points
7. Sara Errani (Italy) - 4435 points
8. Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 4170 points
9. Angelique Kerber (Germany) - 3965 points
10. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) - 3520 points

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football

1. Luis Suárez (Uruguay) - Liverpool - 17
2. Sergio Agüero (Argentina) - Manchester City - 13
3. Daniel Sturridge (England) - Liverpool - 9
4. Wayne Rooney (England) - Manchester Utd - 8
4. Loïc Remy (France) - Newcastle Utd - 8
4. Aaron Ramsey (Wales) - Arsenal - 8
4. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) - Everton - 8
4. Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) - Manchester City - 8
9. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) - Manchester Utd - 7
9. Olivier Giroud (France) - Arsenal - 7
9. Álvaro Negredo (Spain) - Manchester City - 7

Sunday Sports from A to Z, 12/15/13 Edition

A is for Asiata. With injuries to running backs Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart, the Minnesota Vikings were forced to turn to Matt Asiata in their tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles today. Asiata, undrafted out of Utah, entered the day with 3 carries in his CAREER, and none of those coming in 2013. The result? THIRTY carries for 51 yards (not that impressive), but hold on... THREE touchdowns. He also added 3 catches for 15 yards. I know Asiata isn't going to make anyone forget about Adrian Peterson, but Peterson hasn't rushed for 3 scores in a game since October of 2011.

Photo Credit: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/12/15

B is for Ballon d'Or. The three finalists for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award have been announced by FIFA: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), France's Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich) and Argentina's Lionel Messi (Barcelona). Messi has won the award every year since its inception in 2010 but, thanks in large part to a torn thigh muscle, is considered to be out of the running meaning Ronaldo and Ribéry are the two front runners. While Ronaldo is no surprise having been the award's runner-up the past two years, the 30 year old Ribéry is a bit of an aberration. A staple with Bayern Munich since 2007, the French winger helped lead Bayern to wins in the Champions League, and DFB Pokal (German Tournament) as well as first place in the Bundesliga this past year. The winner will be announced in January at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.

Photo Credit: http://www.uefa.org/uefa-best-player-award/news

C is for Club World Cup. We're down to the Final Four in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup: Guangzhou Evergrande (China), Bayern Munich (Germany), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), and Atlético Mineiro (Brazil). Raja Casablanca, the host club for this year's tournament, has pulled off a pair of upsets so far, knocking off OFC Champions Auckland City (New Zealand), and CONCACAF Champions Monterey (Mexico) by identical 2-1 margins. Guangzhou Evergrande punched their ticket to the semis by defeating Egyptian club, and the African champs, Al-Ahly 2-0. Monterey and Al-Ahly will now face one another for 5th place while the semifinal match-ups will feature Bayern Munich and Guangzhou Evergrande, and Atlético Mineiro and Raja Casablanca. Since the rebirth of the Championship back in 2005, only one country from outside of South America or Europe has reached the finals: TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo back in 2010.

Photo Credit: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article

Top Tens - 12/11/13

FIFA MEN'S RANKINGS (11/28/13)

Photo Credit: http://thebadassitudeblog.com

1. SPAIN
2. GERMANY
3. ARGENTINA
4. COLOMBIA
5. PORTUGAL
6. URUGUAY
7. ITALY
8. SWITZERLAND
9. NETHERLANDS
10. BRAZIL

FIFA WOMEN'S RANKINGS (8/2/13)

Photo Credit: http://intrepidmg.wordpress.com/2012/08/17

1. USA
2. GERMANY
3. JAPAN 
4. BRAZIL
5. SWEDEN
6. FRANCE
7. CANADA
8. AUSTRALIA
9. KOREA DPR
10. NORWAY

MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 13030 points
2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 12260 points
3. David Ferrer (Spain) - 5800 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 5790 points
5. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 5255 points
6. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 4205 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 4180 points
8. Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) - 3730 points
9. Richard Gasquet (France) - 3300 points
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 3065 points

Sports From A to Z, 12/8/13

A is for And we're back! After about a year and a half away from the blogging game, the blog is back.  If you know me, you know how it is with me and sports. Just can't stay away. Gonna try and do a piece every Sunday, we'll see how it goes.

B is for the Brooklyn Nets. Thought to be a legitimate challenger to the Miami Heat in the NBA's Eastern Conference with a core of Kevin Garnett (15 All-Star Games, 1 MVP), Joe Johnson (6 All-Star Games), Paul Pierce (10 All-Star Games), Deron Williams (3 All-Star Games), and Brook Lopez (1 All-Star Game), the Nets dealt the Heat their first loss of the season back on November 1st, 101-100. Since that time though? Just 5 wins in 18 games and with a record of 6-14, they sit tied for 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Of their projected starting five, only Johnson has appeared in every game with Williams missing 11, Lopez 7, Pierce 5 and Garnett 2. On top of that Garnett's averaged a career low 6.5 points per game while shooting just 36% from the field. Their only saving grace? The East is so weak this season that the 8th place Bulls are just 8-10, a mere 3 games up on the Nets.

Photo Credit: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports

C is for Cano. Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a 10 year, $240M contract as the AL West just keeps loading up on star power. The 31 year old second baseman has enjoyed 4 straight all-star seasons, and in the past five years has never hit less than .302 while adding at least 25 homers, 85 runs batted in, and 41 doubles. Seattle used 5 different second basemen in 2013 (Nick Franklin, Dustin Ackley, Robert Andino, Carlos Triunfel and Brad Miller), but none of them can compete with Cano in terms of numbers. In fact, the five of them combined to hit fewer homers (24) than Cano did last season (27). Still, 10 year contracts are a dangerous thing as evidenced to those previously given to Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols. That said, it's a definite upgrade for the Mariners right now.

Photo Credit: http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb