Winners and Losers of the NFL Draft First Round

            The first round of the NFL Draft has come and gone, with many trades occurring and lots of fanfare going about. Which teams won the night and which teams flubbed badly?

Winner: San Francisco 49ers: John Lynch made some impressive trades in the first round, fleecing the Bears by gaining more picks in exchange for their No. 2 pick (Which ended up being Mitch Trubisky) and making another with Seattle. The 49ers established an identity of wanting to build on defense, picking DE Solomon Thomas from Stanford and LB Reuben Foster from Alabama.
Winner? Cleveland Browns: I'd say that the Browns are winners here, considering that they made like the 49ers and gathered picks (Three in the first round!!). However, it's hard to call Cleveland winners here considering their recent misfortunes with first round draft picks. Still, picking DE Myles Garrett from Texas A&M, versatile LB Jabril Peppers from Michigan, and TE David Njoku from Miami seems like a good draft since at least one of these picks can't possibly be a miss.
Winner: New York Jets: While the Jets do need a quarterback, they also need a playmaking safety and that's what they got with Jamal Adams from LSU. Named by some pundits as the best player in the draft, Adams carries a lot of range, great 1-on-1 tackling ability, and spectacular coverage skills. Besides, not all great quarterback wind up being taken in the first round (See Russell Wilson and Tom Brady) and the Jets don't have a solid history of drafting 1st round quarterbacks.
Loser: Chicago Bears: 

I love to kiss tittiess

— Mitchell Trubisky (@Mtrubisky10) December 28, 2011

Hell yeah, Go Packers

— Mitchell Trubisky (@Mtrubisky10) January 11, 2015

This is your "Quarterback of the Future" that you took a sizable mortgage on, Bears fans.
Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars did get a good third-down running back in Leonard Fournette, but it won't mean a thing if he has blockers opening up holes for him. Granted, there were no solid offensive linemen to be had in this draft. But it's imperative that Jacksonville rectifies this mistake through free agency in the future.
Loser: Green Bay Packers: Could trading out of the first round when you had a chance to get local boy and brother of JJ, T.J. Watt, come back to haunt the Packers? Considering that the Packers look to be faltering defensively, it looks like a possibility. However, the Pack usually find ways around such issues in order to make themselves a playoff team year in and year out.

Photo Courtesy of NYJetFuel.com

NHL First-Round Awards

            One round of exciting Stanley Cup Playoff action is in the books as the "Elite 8" has been determined. Who's surprising, who disappointed, and who's the favorite?

Biggest Surprise: The Nashville Predators rode a hot goaltender and great puck possession past the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division semifinal. If Rinne can get shutouts the way he did in the first two games of that series, the Preds could be on their way to their first Western Conference final. Speaking of the Blackhawks...
Biggest Disappointment: There were no "Chelsea Dagger's" to be heard this postseason at the United Center as the 'Hawks went goalless at home. Not enough from players like Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane as Chicago was sent home packing in the first round for a second straight year. Is there a need for a major shake-up in the Windy City?
Best Effort: Mike Babcock often gets knocked for not being "a player's coach", but Babs nearly had his young Toronto Maple Leafs upset the best regular season team in the Washington Capitals. Hockey wunderkind Auston Matthews had four goals in that series while players like James van Riemsdyk played hard, giving Toronto fans reason to believe that a Cup will be arriving in the future.
Favorite To Win It All: The Pittsburgh Penguins could be the first team to repeat since the late-90's Detroit Red Wings. They're also getting scoring from more than Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Players like Jake Guentzel (5 goals) and Bryan Rust (4 goals) have contributed nicely for the Pens.
Darkhorse To Win It All: Connor McDavid isn't the only solid offensive player on the Edmonton Oilers. Players like Milan Lucic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl can also create offense for Edmonton, giving opposing teams fits on the back check.

Photo Courtesy of Epoole88

Why The Cubs Should Go After Shohei Otani

            It's rumored that one of Japan's biggest baseball superstars, Shohei Otani, could be on his way to MLB as soon as next season. Although he suffered a setback with a groin injury that sidelined him for six weeks, he will still be a hot commodity if he comes over from Japan. It's also rumored that the New York Yankees, who are no strangers to signing Japanese superstars, are in front for the Otani sweepstakes. But here's why Theo Epstein and crew should get on top of signing Otani to the Cubs' rotation and stop the Yankees from signing yet another Japanese superstar.

1. Otani is (Or Looks to be) the Real Deal: Armed with a 100-MPH fastball, Otani is capable of blowing hitters away with ease. His career WHIP is 1.06, his SO9 is 10.3, and his last three seasons saw his ERA go below 3. His RAvg has also continued to drop since his rookie season, going as low as 2.12 last year. 
2. Believe It Or Not, the Cubs' Rotation Isn't Stellar Right Now: While the Cubs have a team ERA of 3.60, which isn't bad, pitchers like Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, and Brett Anderson have struggled so far this season. Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have been solid for the season, but both are getting older. How great would the Cubs be if they got a pitcher who was not only solid, but young at the ripe age of 22?
3. Otani Would Fit In Well In the National League: Otani doesn't just pitch. He also plays the outfield and can hit the ball. Last season, Otani batted .322 with 22 home runs and 67 RBIs in 104 games. He also had an OPS of 1.004, a Slugging Percentage of .588, and an OBP of .416. Adding Otani could also benefit the Cubs' lineup and make the North Siders even more lethal at the plate.

Photo Courtesy of Scout.com

Poundin' The Poetry

            Here's a new segment called, "Poundin' The Poetry". It's where I try to flex my poetic muscles and try to write. Berate me all you want if some of this doesn't look to rhyme. I honestly don't care at this point.

Tin cans, you're my only friend,
The reason why my life doesn't end.
Tin cans, you're my only friend,
The reason why I don't break, but bend.
Stuck in a 9-5 job that don't pay rich,
Stuck married to a bitch.
Should I end it all?
If I try to, will I have the gall?
That's where you come in,
Jack, Jim Beam, Miller, and Heineken.
Make me forget my issues and woes,
Make me forget my feelings that are low.
Tin cans, you're my only friend,
The reason why my life doesn't end.
Tin cans, you're my only friend,
The reason why I ignore the ties that don't mend.

...

            How I feel right now.

When A Meme Saves A Life

            Memes are a staple of internet lore, often concocted from the randomness and pleasure from its users. But memes aren't used for saving lives as much as they are for mere amusement. That was the case for Stefan Karl Stefansson, the Icelandic actor who played Robbie Rotten in the show, Lazy Town. Stefansson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016, which led to a GoFundMe page being created by Lazy Town creator Mark Valenti. The campaign received attention due to YouTube user SilvaGunner uploading a song, leading to the popularity of the internet meme, "We Are Number One". The campaign surpassed its $100,000 goal and Stefansson thanked contributors with a livestream version of the song. Here's a bit of the greatness that is "We Are Number One."

Best Memories of the Joe

            Yesterday, the Joe Louis Arena hosted its final NHL as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-1 (Riley Sheahan finally scored this season!!). The Joe has been the host of countless memories, mostly involving the sport of hockey. While the Joe might make visitors retch from the smell of alcohol and sweat, it's often seen by Detroiters as their own 'swamp'. Here's a salute to one of sports' most genuine arenas.

WATCH THIS: Tyler Myers Breaks the Glass

           If you're a sports fan, you'd want to get seats closest to the action. Just be careful not to agitate players of the opposing team. That's what this Flyers fan did as Tyler Myers continuously fired pucks at the glass until one of his shots broke the glass.

Blending Buddy

            Here's another edition of "Blending Buddy", where I show you what helped me lose 30 pounds in the span of four months. This edition's concoction is called, "The Dave Walters Special". It consists of the following ingredients:

• A handful of blueberries
• One banana 
• Cup of milk

            Basic and easy for beginners of a juice fast to try, the "Dave Walters Special" is a great way to introduce someone new into the concept of juicing. While there may not be any vegetables in the drink, there are a couple fruits that'll help kickstart your day.

Photo courtesy of FitBrain

On The Playlist

            Here's another edition of "On the Playlist", where I show you everything that's bumpin' on my playlist!! Check it out!!