Pros vs. Joes Recap: Shawn Kemp leads gassed-out Pros to defeat

Welcome back to another season of Pros vs. Joes coverage here on Small White Ball – the only blog we know of to actually bring you regular recaps and analysis of the action in full gritty detail. Why? Uhhhh…why not?

There has been a lot of change this season as stalwart host Petros Papadakis is out and the duo of Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer and former NY Giants defensive menace Michael Strahan is in.

Additional changes: the name (Pros vs. Joes: All Stars) and the format. Now, three men compete in one sport as a team instead of against each other. If they beat the Pros, they each split (I think) $10,000 and advance (I think) to the next round. I’m not sure what was so bad about the old format as it had something for everyone, but I digress.

Let’s get to it!

Title: Shawn Kemp Crashes The Boards
Pros: Ron Harper, Eddie Jones, Shawn Kemp
Joes: Deshun Jackson, Danny Jones, Mark Reece

– There are also new graphics, which takes away from the grittiness of the old stuff. It almost looks too generic.

– For a guy that supposedly gained a ton of weight, Kemp doesn’t look too bad. Fatherhood 18 times over will do that to a guy, I guess.

– Deshun is already talking a ton of sh*t to the Pros. This is going to end badly for him.

– First up is Crash the Boards where the goal is to rebound and then outlet to a teammate. Best 3-of-5 wins it and early on, it’s obvious that you can foul as these guys are all over each other. 

– Danny is up first against Kemp. Danny is a big dude, but Kemp is pushing him all
over the place.

– It must be cold in the gym as Eddie Jones has long sleeves on Not Ray Allen-like long sleeves mind you, but a
somewhat loose long sleeve shirt. Interesting.

– They are already having the new announce duo play specific roles: Glazer going for Joes and Strahan going
for Pros.

– Harper trash-talking: “You’re playing one of the best of all time.” Huh?

– Next up is the half court challenge where it’s 2 Joes vs. 3 Pros and the goal is to inbound the ball and cross half court with it. Since the Pros seemingly would have an advantage, I’m not sure why they would have the advantage but whatever.

– I love how the angle is that the Joes have been wronged by not being Pros, otherwise known as the ‘I never got the chance’ defense. Dude, you did have a chance coming up through high school or college and you weren’t good enough to be scouted. You didn’t have the opportunity to play against the best? Tough: it’s called life.

– The Pros showed their age and get smoked in the half court challenge 3-0. Deshun is talking a TON of sh*t now, specifically calling out Harper for
putting his hands on his shorts and leaning over in a show of tiredness.

– Next is the sharpshooter event which is kinda like Rock and Jock where you just shoot from all over
the place and rack up points. Deshun can’t back it up his smack talk and Jones leads to an 11-8 victory. Deshun had a chance to tie it up twice with a 3-pointer and missed both times. Awesome.

– I’ll put this out there: I don’t get this misspelling Snickers campaign. There is stuff all over

the place on this show and it seems, well, awkward?

– To finish off the show, we get five minutes of 3-on-3 with the Joes have a few points advantage because of their early victory.

– Kemp draws up a play, which is just a triangle somewhere around the hoop. Ok!

– The Pros get fired up before the game with a “Bust that ass on 3…1..2..3!” Surprisingly, no one farted much to my chagrin.

– Kemp after a block: “You all know what I do for a living, right?” Actually, we don’t. Desk clerk at a hotel? Janitor? Flower shop owner? I know you’re not a pro ball player anymore if that’s what you thought.

– Apparently, fouls can be called as Jones does a Vlade Divac-style acting job and gets a call. Even in a
fake competition, we see the foreign influence on the game.

– No one will drive inside for the Joes…just tossing up 3’s as they are scared of the block.

– Glazer and Strahan are giving commentary which is mediocre at best, complete with Strahan using a telestrater. Still have Petros’ cell on speed dial, Spike?

– Kemp missed three layup attempts and finally hits one. He has considerably curbed his trash-talking since earlier. He does eventually throw up a no-look prayer that hits, but they call
traveling.

– To help show the difference in experience, a graphic shows the three Pros have a combined 43,000 points in the NBA while the Joes have a combined eight years in college. Now that is funny sh*t.

– Joe Danny is outhustling everyone, outrebounding Kemp and hits a big putback to tie up the game 9-9. The Pros looks gassed and it’s true: age is the great equalizer in situations like this.

– Harper shockingly misses a free throw and it’s the Joes ball to win the game. But Harper pulls him
the shooter down before the shot in a ‘wily veteran’ move. You can’t teach instincts and even in a game like this, Harper hasn’t let his dull.

– We’re now in OT and the Pros are running out of steam but the Joes can’t shoot at all to take advantage. Eventually, they get up 12-9 after Danny hits a big free throw.

– Kemp says something intelligible as it becomes clear the
Pros have lost interest. Minutes later, the Joes win as Harper misses a long 3 to tie the game.

– I’m confused: is it $10k for each of the Joes for winning or do they split $10k? Let’s not overcomplicate things here, guys. What is going on?

– And of course, Deshun begins talking shit again to Harper who is laid out on the floor after the loss. Big surprise.

More next week!

Josh Nason is the publisher and main writer for New England sports and media blog Small White Ball and has been a Pros vs. Joes fan since the start. He can be reached at josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

2009 New England Patriots Draft Preview: The Offense

The landscape of the NFL is continuing to feel the effects of Bill Belichick. With the branches of the ‘Belichick Tree’ growing longer and producing new arms every year, so does the perceived need for similar “Patriots-type” players.

More NFL teams have transitioned to a base 3-4 defense in the last ten years and many others use hybrid style concepts directly taken from the Belichick handbook.  Now, this is not to say that Belichick is the founder or creator of such defense, but it is rather to say that his success as the New England Patriots head coach has led to copycats. It has also lead to his assistants taking over other NFL franchises and bringing with them the concepts learned in Foxboro, MA.

The Patriots are easily the hardest team in the NFL to mock draft for. Belichick and the Foxboro brain trust are notorious for stumping even the finest of draft prognosticators.  While Mel Kiper Jr. is left scratching his head, the Patriots fill their draft with players that fit a very specific mold.  This pre-determined set of values has changed from year to year, but one thing is evident with Belichick – he doesn’t care what round players are “supposed” to be drafted in.

The NFL Draft makes for a fantastic and interesting time of year.  War rooms are loaded with draft gurus and team personnel. Fans sit at home watching as their clock ticks down from the 15-minute mark as ESPN talking heads banter about potential picks, best available players and team needs.  Mel Kiper Jr. is there. So is Todd McShay. Chris Berman is yelling needlessly, Chris Mortensen is breaking news and the Patriots are a solid three hours from being on the clock.

In 2009, the Patriots have the 23^rd pick in Round 1.  What are they going to do?  I have no idea.  To sit here and pretend I know is pretentious and foolish anyway.  A lot of folks say outside linebacker, while others say cornerback.  But if New England drafted quarterback Josh Freeman, would you be surprised?  Okay, sure. Maybe for a minute but then you’d remember no one knows what the heck they are doing in Foxboro and usually it works out ok.  (Yes I know Chad Jackson was a bust and Laurence Maroney is soft).

My guess is that someone is going to slide (ala Vince Wilfork – 2003) and the Pats might use one of their 11 picks to move up a few slots and grab the guy.  It could be Clay Matthews Jr. from USC, Penn State’s Aaron Maybin or Ohio State’s Malcom Jenkins.

With the recent signings of cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Shaun Springs (seen right), I think you can even make a case that the Patriots will be going a route you don’t expect and maybe even disagree with.  In 2006, New England selected LG Logan Mankins.  Everyone scratched their heads.  Mel Kiper Jr. rambled on about his big board and how Mankins was actually the 3rd or 4th best available guard.  Turns out Mankins is pretty good and the Patriots don’t particularly care how the general public rates college prospects.

So what I offer here today is an extensive look at players in the 2009 NFL draft who appear to be “Patriot-type” players – a hard nosed, intelligent player who is passionate about the game of football.  Usually these guys are multi-dimensional, productive, and have a strong skill set.  They are coachable, charitable, and are willing to make sacrifice.

The Patriots have 10 draft picks in within the top 100 picks this year which means it has the chance to be a fruitful draft for them.  It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see New England move around the draft by trading players and picks.  Currently with three 2nd round picks, I would fully expect that Belichick flips one of those into a 1^st rounder for 2010. New England has the 34^th, 47^th, and 58 pick in Round 2 and if past performance is any indication, one of those will be moved.

I am not going to predict what round New England will take one of the profiled players because pre-draft rankings do not hold water here. For example, CB Terrence Wheatley was listed as a 4^th or 5^th round guy in the 2008 draft.  New England took him in the second.

What I will tell you is why I think the player fits the mold, a little about who the player is, and what round I’ve seen them projected for.

Today, the offense.

 

Rhett Bomar – QB – Sam Houston State

New England held a private workout with Bomar (seen left) recently to assess his potential as a developmental quarterback. Bomar’s arm strength is impressive in both private workouts and film. His mobility is excellent, especially outside the pocket where he drawn comparisons to John Elway and Brett Favre. 

Bomar has the tools to be the top senior quarterback drafted but does have some off-field controversy surrounding him as he was dismissed from the Oklahoma University football program after accepting payment from a local car dealership for work he did not complete.  Bomar is projected in the 3^rd to 4^th rounds.

 

Pat White – QB/WR – West Virginia

First, I want to get Pat White out of the way because I’m just not buying it but I feel obligated to put him in here because Kiper Jr. hyped him to New England due to his ability to possibly run the “Wildcat” offense.  New England brought White in for a private workout and he was there to run pass routes and show what he could do as a wide receiver.  I think there are better targets to be had for New England in Rounds 2 and 3 where White is slated to go.

Conredge Collins – FB – Pitt

A widely-overlooked fact is the Patriots did not re-sign FB Heath Evans this offseason. While that may provide to be a minimal point to a lot of fans, the fullback did play a specific role in the Patriots offense.  Granted, New England does not line up and play smashmouth every down, but there are times when they do and need to.  Could they be looking for an Evans replacement in the draft?  I wouldn’t be surprised if they did and if so, it would be a mid-to-late round pick.

One guy who jumps off the board as a Patriots type of guy is Collins, one of the best fullbacks in the country.  He is the son of former Patriot Tony Collins who played in Foxboro during the 1980s.  Collins is a mean, tough blocker who can punish defenders, catch the ball and even return kicks.  Sound like a Patriot to you? He projects as a 5^th or 6^th round guy on Day 2 on the NFL Draft.

Frank Summers – FB – UNLV

This UNLV product is the other fullback I think has a shot to end up in New England.  He was a productive ball carrier for the Runnin’ Rebels, amassing over 900 rushing yards last year.  The Steelers and Colts are known to have worked Summers out at the UNLV Pro Day as he was not invited to the NFL Combine. He still impressed scouts with his preparedness and his ability to bench press 440 pounds and may end up as a late-round pick or as a street free agent.

Jarrett Dillard – WR – Rice

Dillard is a little overlooked because of his size at 5’10” and 190 lbs, so he doesn’t possess the physical attributes that draft gurus like to point to.  His 40 time was OK at 4.52, but the production doesn’t lie.  Dillard broke the NCAA record for consecutive games with a TD catch in a season when he caught a 1-yard toss from Joel Armstrong in the New Orleans Bowl.

That gave him TD catches in all 13 games that year and 15 straight overall (second-longest overall streak in NCAA history. At one point, he had shared the NCAA season mark of 12 straight games with Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.) Dillard also helped lead Rice to their first Bowl win in 45 years. By most accounts, he is projected somewhere in Rounds 3-4.

On Wednesday, we hit up the defense.

Darryl Johnston is the New England Patriots beat writer for New England-based sports blog Small White Ball.

Breaking News: Manny Ramirez Turns Down L.A. Dodgers' Latest Offer

I mean, this is just strange, right? News broke around 11:45 pm EST that Manny Ramirez and agent Scott Boras rejected the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-year, $45 million offer Thursday – an offer that at this point seemed more generous than anything.

In case you don’t know, teams are in spring training actually playing games and looking ahead to starting the regular season in just over a month’s time. Translation: it makes no sense why this isn’t done yet.

What exactly are Ramirez and Boras waiting for? An injury to a key Yankee? Someone to find $50 million and an extra season under their couch cushions? The Red Sox to come running back? It seems pretty obvious there isn’t a hot market for the future Hall-of-Famer or else he would have been inked by now, so turning down yet another deal like this seems foolish.

He’s 36 years old and if motivated to mash, has a few good years left in him. But what has transpired over the last 12 months is both sad and a blueprint for future stars on the right and wrong way to do business. Had Boras not been involved, the chances are pretty high that Ramirez would still be entrenched in Fenway Park for the next two seasons at $20 million per.

Instead, the ManBor combo is looking for a larger pot of gold when a perfectly acceptable one has been right in front of them for quite some time.

Josh Nason founded the New England and media centric sports blog
Small White Ball in 2007. He can be reached at josh [at] smallwhiteball
[dot-com].