I have to admit that not being forced to cover the NFL draft is liberating.  If you watched the entire day of coverage (twelve hours of it) you either haven't had a date in several years (real women only, no blow-up dolls) or live in your mother's basement.  The TV coverage of the draft is among the most unexciting, inane, mind numbing programming available.

Couple stumbling, bumbling, fumbling Chris Berman with Mel Kiper Jr., (who looks and acts like one of those car salesman that you catch on TV at 2am) and it is Annoying City USA. Honestly, I watched from time to time (sans sound most of the time) to see how the teams I was interested were doing, but it's a lot easier and less frustrating to follow the draft on the Internet.

That said, here's the crack analysis (or the analysis on crack):

• Brady Quinn turning into Aaron Rodgers did not surprise me.  What surprised me in that Miami passed him up for Ted Ginn Jr. I like Ginn, but not that much.  I thought he'd be a mid to late first rounder, not a top ten pick.  Cam Cameron, here's two words to consider here: Willie Gault.  

Cleveland, at least, had the courage of their convictions and traded up to get Quinn.  The ESPN guys had some really dumb comments like "If Aaron Rodgers hadn't fallen to the Packers two years ago, you'd be seeing Brady Quinn as Brett Favre's replacement."  Brilliant, boys, just brilliant.  And, if Al Gore got elected n 2000, everything would be running off of windmills. 

Speaking of the Packers, Ted Thompson, who I have always said knows what he is doing the way that Dr. Frankenstein knew what he was doing, made a curious pick at 16 when he selected Justin Herell of Tennessee rather than Dwayne Bowe or Harell's Tennessee teammate Robert Meachem.  Thompson says he doesn't draft by need, but if Marshawn Lynch were still there at 16, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

The Bears also made some head scratching choices.  I'm sure Greg Olsen is a fine tight end, but not drafting the best linebacker available (to replace Lance Briggs) or the best defensive tackle available (to replace Tank Johnson after Roger Goodell gets done with him) seemed sort of strange.  The Bears could have used the 31st pick to select Penn State LB Paul Poslusney, Michigan DT Alan Branch or Michigan State linebacker David Harris.  Then, if they had kept their pick at 37, they could have drafted ASU TE Zach Miller, who is similar  to (okay, maybe not as fast) as Olsen. Olsen, by the way, is represented by Snake Boy.  In addition to Olsen, the Bears picked up defensive end Dan Basuin at 62 (who is a smaller, slower version of last year's rookie sensation Mark Anderson)  Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe at 93 (mighty mite) and Michael Okwo, (an undersized linebacker) at 94

The definition of insanity is to try the same thing over and over again expecting different results.  Matt Millen is it's poster child.

Here's professional analysis on the first round.  And a little more.  And a little more.  Okay, now you can go make up your own mind.

Lightning Round:

• With Jim Thome on the DL, the White Sox offense resembled freshly cooked pasta.  And, here's the curious thing.  To replace Thome, the Sox recalled outfielder Ryan Sweeny.  You already have a glut of outfielders (Ozuna, Erstad, Dye, Machowiak, Anderson) why do you need another one?  Wouldn't the best answer been third base star in waiting Josh Fields, especially since Joe Crede is going to walk after this year?  Getting  Fields some ABs without having to play the field would be helpful to the future, more helpful than brining up another guy for a crowded field.  And oh yeah.  If you are Brian Anderson, you are not too happy right now.  Rubber game this afternoon at Cell Phone Stadium.
• Lost in all the excitement that is Mel Kiper Jr's genius, was the chase for Lord Stanley's cup.  Now, that was exciting.  The Red Wings, who came out at the beginning of the game like someone drained all the blood out of them, got it together, scored with a minute and a half left and beat the Sharks 3-2.  The Devils-Sens game was even better.  Trailing by a goal in the third period, Ottawa literally went end to end for ten minutes and finally, with 26.4 seconds left, Dany Heatley banged one home to tie the game at two.  Jamie Langenbruner untied it for good less than two minutes into the second overtime for the 3-2 win.  Martin Brodeur, sans the last minute goal by Heatley, was unreal.  Today, it's Buffalo (with Lindy Ruff and a lighter wallet) and the Rangers  while Vancouver entertains Anaheim.
• Bravo to the Dallas Stars for keeping their coach, Dave Tippett.  Now they need to fire the trainers.
  
• Nice to see the Tigers are melting down.  And it's only April.
• Weird game between the Orioles and the Indians where the umps actually put a third inning run on the board in the sixth inning.  The Indians are playing the game under protest and I think they have a good case.  The question is do you replay the game from the point where the run scored (third) or the inning where the run went up (sixth).  The final was 7-4, so the run had little to do with the outcome of the game. 
  
• Also lost in all of this hockey, football, baseball activity, is one of NASCAR's best races: Talladega.  With it's thirty-one degree banks and restricter plates, this is the place to go if you like ten car pileups.  Jeffy is on the pole and given how close the last few weeks have been, this could be a terrific race today.
• Even comic strip legends have to deal with people who think way too much.  You know, pointy headed bosses in suits.