Todd McGenius

Here are the comments of Todd McShay from the 2007 NFL Draft.

Best pick: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU. Calvin Johnson was the top prospect in this year's class but Russell was the best pick for the Raiders at No. 1 overall. They won't regret finally addressing their need for a franchise quarterback.

Continues:

JaMarcus Russell was a no-brainer because he has the chance to be a franchise quarterback.

I saved it because I knew this guy was a grade "A" shmuck.

Russell cut.

Johan

Without satellite radio I'm forced to skip between the two sports radio stations in New York, and unfortunately one of them is 1050 ESPN Radio. I have nothing against the station as I'm a fan of Colin Cowherd and Mike and Mike, as far as national shows go, but locally, nearly unlistenable.

There are two guys in particular who take the "nearly" out of the equation, and they are Brandon Tierney and Jody "Mac" Mcdonald. They're horrendous. But that's not why I'm writing.

Yesterday they were discussing Johan Santana's pitiful performance against the Phillies on Sunday night. Experts wonder whether Santana has "lost it", and whether or not he's still a "top tier" pitcher. It was suggested by Tierney he "might be in the Top 15" in baseball, but clearly not the Top 8. He may be right, I don't know.

The two men then wondered whether the Yankees' Phil Hughes is currently better than Santana, since he's currently outperforming him. It's a ridiculous question, but they continued with the reasoning. He has better stats, he's younger, and has more upside. All this might be true, but you're comparing apples to oranges.

Let me just say this right now: there's no fucking way I take Hughes over Johan Fucking Santana right now, I don't care what their stats look like, or that Santana isn't the same after surgery. Don't care. Santana in a big spot versus Hughes in a big spot? Hughes on top of the Mets rotation versus Santana? Please. Stop it.

There's another argument they were making that the Yankees, namely General Manager Brian Cashman was "smart" for not signing Santana, and then gettign CC Sabathia down the road, since Sabathia is also performing better. ESPN's Michael Kay also suggested Sabathia was better because he's younger, when he said, "Santana is 31 years old, and Sabathia is gonna be, uhhh...he just doesn't have the wear..."

Almost.

In wrapping this all up in a tight little box for the baseball nerds of the world I'll sum up the entire argument.

The Yankees weren't geniuses for not signing Santana because Santana was every bit as awesome as Sabathia LAST year. If Santana had been with them they'd STILL have won the World Series. If he had been with them in 2008, like he was the Mets, maybe they make it then too! The Yankees biggest problem in 2008 was a lack of pitching. Just because they signed Sabathia and Kevin Brown a year later means nothing. It's a different, and quite frankly, a stupid argument against Santana. The Yankees ever-filled wallet always buys what it wants. It's not "genius" in any way. I could run the effing Yankees, and probably manage them too. I know as much about baseball Xs and Os as I do about growing weed, which ain't a lot.

As for the Mets, they're just unlucky. They signed Santana in 2008 because they believed their big seasons were going to be 2008 and 2009, following two pretty good seasons, one where pitcher Tom Glavie completely ass-raped them at the end of the year. Santana should have been the catalyst to get this team over the top, but he wasn't because the last 2 seasons the Mets were struck by injuries, many of them occurring from injuries sustained as they tripped and landed on their own faces.

But when speaking specifically about Santana, he was signed to a 6-year deal, but everyone had to realize the BEST two years of that deal were going to be the first 2, and then as time went on he would slow down, as most pitchers do. 2 years ago a guy like Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs was unstoppable. Now he's in the bullpen. That's pitching in baseball. Because the Mets screwed up so bad in Santana's first 2 they essentially lost their value on him. Now he's merely a good pitcher, a top of the rotation guy, but quite possibly not the ace you signed. To blame him for deteriorating is ridiculous.

The Mets need OTHER pitchers to step up and help Santana because previously no one did, and he was awesome. Unfortunately, you missed the awesome. Now you're paying the rest of his 6 year deal for "very good."

To expect anything more is to have unrealistic expectations.

From the Shit Pile

I love this one paragraph from the AP today regarding the Virginia Lacrosse player who murdered a girl he had relations with:

Huguely attended the Landon School, a private school in Bethesda, Md. It is the same prep school that at least one of the Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a team party in 2006 attended. The charges later were dismissed.

As if that school prepares kids for higher education, lacrosse, and of course, rape and murder.

When you're having a bad day just think about that kid sitting in a cell.

Awesome

For first time in 63 years a New Jersey Governor doesn't reappoint a sitting judge, and replaces him with his own choice.

Surely his selection will be a person of the people.

Once again showing that he means to shake up Trenton, Gov. Christopher J. Christie declined on Monday to reappoint a sitting justice to the New Jersey Supreme Court, instead appointing someone who he said would show the restraint that was missing from the court.

The justice, John E. Wallace Jr., became the first one to seek reappointment and be refused by a New Jersey governor since the current State Constitution was adopted 63 years ago.

Justice Wallace’s departure also means that for the first time in 16 years, the court will not have a black justice. If confirmed by the State Senate, Mr. Christie’s appointment of Anne M. Patterson, a Morris County lawyer, will give the court its first female majority.

Speaking to reporters in Trenton, Mr. Christie had only kind words for Justice Wallace, but he described the historically liberal court as “out of control” over the last three decades, usurping the roles of the governor and the Legislature in setting social and tax policies.

However, she has spent her career representing the little people, and by that I mean Robert J. Reynolds Tobacco, DuPont, etc. A career of protecting corporate interests against citizens.

Seriously awesome.

For the record, when pressed about the supposed liberal decisions made by Justice Wallace, Governor Christie could not reference one.

Dez Bryant

I'm disgusted that the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, made a comment about a certain player's mother, and since it isn't true, they dug up information about her to make themselves look better.

Quite possibly one of the trashiest things I've seen in sports.

Tillman / Basilone

I was fortunate enough to see The Tillman Story last night as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. Like so many others, Pat Tillman means a lot to me for many reasons. His heroism was so obvious, but even beyond that I always knew he was special well before he passed. There was something about him which stood out more than any other football player, which for me was never more evident than against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. He seemed to transcend everyone else.

The film is excellent, and I am hopeful everyone goes to see it when it's released in mid-August.

It is an absolute travesty what this country has done to his name, and the way our government tried to use his likeness and image for their own purposes of war. The irony is more than thick.

I've also been watching the HBO Series "The Pacific", and tonight's episode featured John Basilone, a name known to so many for his heroism. Basilone is the hero the US Government tried to recreate in Tillman, but unfortunately the narrative never stuck for Tillman, since the stories we heard about him in war, relating to his final moments, were completely false.

The sad part about it all is Tillman, in many ways, was as heroic, if not more so than Basilone because he gave up so much to defend the country. Few people in this world would do what Tillman did, and for that most everyone who knew the story recognized what he had done. There didn't need to be a fake story, conjured up so we could have our new John Basilone.

But after all, this is the US Military under George W. Bush. For them to have not glorified Tillman wouldn't have even made sense! I would have been shocked has they not. Of course, they did.

I'm truly hopeful everyone sees this film because I think the Tillman's have given up so much in searching for the truth, that only when it is finally acknowledged will they most likely be able to rest and grieve.

When wars were just the military gave us John Basilone, but when unjust, they gave us a mythical Pat Tillman.

The real thing was more than expected; more than anyone could ever ask for; more than enough.

Radio

Doing another radio program today at 1460 WIFI at 4 PM.