I have been enjoying the offseason quite a bit. However, I'm continually amazed at how excited analysts get over rather routine and cyclical events:
QUESTION (from breathless analyst): "The Browns cut Derek Anderson, where will he end up now?"
ANSWER (from monotone Bucsfandave): On another team's bench. If you can't start for one of the three worst teams in football, who cares?
QUESTION (from excited analyst): "Has Tebow reworked his footwork to be an NFL quarterback?"
ANSWER (from a nonplussed Bucsfandave): "Jamarcus Russell was the first overall pick after Todd McShay sent him a love note after watching, and this is a legitimate quote, 'the best individual workout for a quarterback I've seen in ten years of scouting'. I remember thinking at the time, 'Who cares if he can throw eighty yards from his knees.' And by the way, how long does it take to redo footwork? I can teach seven year olds to throw a baseball properly in three practices, but Tebow works around the clock for a month to fix his throwing motion and it may take years to perfect it?"
As you can see, I've been observing. But I have a lot of thoughts on offseason football and some pop culture happenings in this, the greatest country on earth. Read more after the jump....
+++ Does anyone drink Vitamin Water? All of their flavors have a purpose for choosing that beverage on the bottle, like Energy, or Revive. I've tried every flavor, and I can't tell a difference between reviving and energy and balance or focus. Actually, when I drink focus (Kiwi-strawberry), I can't focus, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Of course, I can't focus even when I drink something else, so there is that.
+++ Are you watching Lost? Okay, I have a problem with this movie/show concept: two people are in love and the guy is unable to have a relationship or dies, and the love interest is immediately pursued or pushed off on a friend or relative. Why does this happen? In the recent episode "Sundown", Sayid deems himself unworthy of his true love Nadia, so he pawns her off on his brother and they marry. Um, I never remember when my brother would break up with a girl, that he would say, you can date my brother, and she did without any questions. Do girls in this day and age, go for that? Only in Hollywood.
+++ The NFL draft is a crapshoot at best. Lots of fans do not want us to draft the "next Gaines Adams", but no one knew that Gaines Adams was the first Gaines Adams. Every round is chock full of great prospects that don't pan out. I will not be terribly upset if we don't get Suh or McCoy because, hey, highly touted Glenn Dorsey has not dominated the NFL from his number five overall status.
+++ People always talk about how great GMs stockpile picks. Why is this great? The New England Patriots built a championship team via several avenues: the draft, free agency, and developing late round picks. Willie McGinist and Teddie Bruschi were great players drafted by the previous regime. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick that developed into a great player. Mike Vrable and Rodney Harrison were brought in via free agency. All contributors, all different sources. The Patriots have thirty six second round picks next month, so every analyst thinks they are awesome. A pick is only as valuable as the player selected. If you draft a guy that stinks, it wasn't a great trade (see Anthony McFarland for the second round pick that became Sabby Piscatelli).
+++ Breaking Bad starts its third season this Sunday. If you aren't watching this show, rent the first two seasons and catch up, because it is a pretty intriguing examination of a desperate man's transformation. Walter White, high school chemistry teacher, learns that he has terminal lung cancer and decides to cook and sell meth to leave some money for his family. If you are at a stage, and with this economic downturn many are, where your life is not quite where you thought it would be, this show offers an interesting glimpse in to the motivations and ramifications of those feelings and the decisions that arise from them. It can be slow and painful at times, but quite rewarding (much like being a Bucs fan).
+++ The goal of drafting is to find great players. If you think the best player is Eric Berry, take him. Don't tell me that he went too high because of positional value. After all, Gaines Adams had great positional value at the number four pick. Would you rather have drafted Troy Polamalu? I know they came out different years, but you get the idea.
+++ Just so this is firmly on record, I was very much against drafting Josh Freeman. Now, I think we have the next Ben Rothlisberger, but without all of the sexual assault allegations. So, obviously, I have no idea what I'm talking about. With that being said, I want us to draft Tim Tebow. Can you imagine how versatile Olson could get with Tebow as a Mike Alstott type with the ability to pass. Again, take all of my recommendations with a grain of salt.
+++ The Significant Other and I are huge fans of Modern Family. I've thought of changing my screen handle to Clive Bixby, but we'll see.
Well, those are my random observations thus far in the period between football games. Feel free to drop some comments on your favorite shows, especially if you can tell me what in the world is happening on Lost.