Lions Ready To Roll Out Welcome Matt For Stafford

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, the likely No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

The Detroit Lions have been on the clock with the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft for the last four months. Tomorrow afternoon at Radio City Music Hall, new head coach Jim Schwartz and the Lions will have a new face of their franchise, and all indications are that it will be University of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, projected by many to be the best player in the draft.

The Lions are also considering Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry with the top pick, but Stafford is arguably the most pro-ready of the three prospects, and he would give the Lions something they have not had since Bobby Layne graced their huddle half a century ago: a franchise quarterback.

It is common knowledge that if a team has a chance to draft a franchise quarterback, they usually do not pass up the opportunity. However, if they do, it can set the team back several years, just as a blown draft pick on a potential franchise QB can be. (See Alex Smith and Tim Couch as Exhibit A in this category)

Should Stafford go to the Lions at No. 1, expect the St. Louis Rams, on the clock at No. 2, to select Jason Smith as the replacement for Orlando Pace, who signed with the Bears after twelve seasons in the Gateway City. Kansas City is expected to take Aaron Curry with the No. 3 selection, and the Seahawks follow them at No. 4; with their pick likely to be either Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree or USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is now more of a possibility after Seattle signed free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Browns and new head coach Eric Mangini round out the top five in the draft order.

The 2009 NFL draft can be seen on ESPN starting tomorrow and continuing Sunday. Coverage starts tomorrow at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

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Drury Is Captain Clutch As Rangers Take 3-1 Lead

Rangers captain Chris Drury gives Blueshirts and their fans reason to celebrate, as his game-winning goal puts New York up 3-1 against Capitals. (Photo courtesy of NHL.com)

Throughout the season, since becoming the 25th player in his illustrious franchise's history to wear the letter "C" on his jersey, Chris Drury had been criticized for failing to produce in situations where he was needed most. Yet last night, the man that is known to some as "Captain Invisible" put the critics to rest, at least for the time being.

After missing the first game of the Rangers' best-of-seven series against Washington with a wrist injury that almost caused him to miss last night's fourth game, Drury delivered a performance that conjured memories of a former captain on Broadway, scoring the game-winning goal in the second period as the Blueshirts defeated the Capitals 2-1, setting up a potential series-clinching Game 5 tomorrow night in the nation's capital. "We should go in thinking we're down 3-1," said an ecstatic Drury after the game. "We need to be a desperate team." Teammate Brandon Dubinsky called Drury a "warrior" that "went out there and made a huge play."

The Rangers were anything but desperate last night, killing off all six of Washington's power plays during the game, not to mention another stellar performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 38 saves last night, now giving him a grand total of 142 for the series. "That's why they pay me the big bucks," quipped the netminder after another outing that demonstrated his status as the team's most valuable player this season.

Lundqvist may not have shut out the Caps as he did in Saturday's Game 2, but he has been nothing short of brilliant against Washington's high-powered offense led by Alexander Ovechkin, who picked up his first goal of the series in the third period last night, but has yet to advance past the first round of the playoffs in his career.

Two days after calling out his best players, head coach John Tortorella now has a reason to smile, and could be headed to the second round as early as tomorrow night, where the Boston Bruins would be waiting for him and the Rangers after sweeping Montreal to end their Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup.

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Henrik The Magnificent Keeps Rangers Alive

Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist to thank for their series lead against Washington, as the goalie has been absolutely brilliant in net for Blueshirts. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)

The New York Rangers may have been shut out last night as the Washington Capitals cut the Blueshirts' 2-0 series lead in half, but the primary reason why Broadway is alive and well once again is the 27-year-old Swedish import that currently graces the net for a team that has been historically rich with accomplished netminders, from Eddie Giacomin to Mike Richter.

Henrik Lundqvist has been taking matters into his own hands all season, saving not just shots, but games too, for the seventh-seeded Rangers, who host the Capitals tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden for the fourth game in their best-of-seven series, one that the Rangers currently lead two games to one.

Lundqvist was at his best Saturday afternoon while dueling with 20-year-old Capitals goalie Simeon Varlamov, who was making his first career playoff start and just his seventh career professional appearance in goal. However, the reigning Olympic gold medalist Lundqvist got the better of Washington that day, stopping all 35 shots Washington took as Ryan Callahan's first-period tally held up as the lone score in a 1-0 Ranger win.

However, 36 saves last night wasn't enough for King Henrik and the other Blueshirts as Washington took advantage of defensive miscues to score four against Lundqvist, despite only five shots from the NHL's regular-season goal leader, Alexander Ovechkin. Last night was a harrowing reminder that one man cannot do it all himself, and Rangers coach John Tortorella made sure to rehash it in his postgame press conference, as he stated that the team was "chasing its tail all night long," and that they "can't be watching the puck."

Tomorrow night at the Garden could go a long way in determining the winner of this series one way or another, as the Rangers look to go up 3-1, and Washington attempts to return home with a tie, thereby making the series a de facto best-of-three.

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Who Will Make A Bold Statement With Anquan?

Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin could have a new home on draft day, as many teams are lining up to be his suitor. (Photo courtesy of USA Today)

With the NFL draft fast approaching, (it's this Saturday and Sunday) many teams are reaching out to one another regarding potential trade offers, with some having already been completed. For instance, the Bears picked up Jay Cutler last month, and the Giants have been in pursuit of Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards. The Edwards move is particularly relevant because if the Giants cannot get the Michigan product, they have also been rumored to target a certain disgruntled person in Arizona that apparently could be heading to the city where the old Browns headed for thirteen years ago instead.

A report in the Baltimore Sun indicated that the Ravens are interested in Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin, but only if Arizona will take a player on top of either a first or second-round draft pick. The Cardinals have reportedly asked for No. 1 and No. 3 picks in exchange for the 28-year-old Pro Bowler, and Baltimore has clearly stated they will not pull the trigger on a trade involving multiple draft picks, since the Ravens only have six selections this weekend. Baltimore's salary cap is also a concern, and the team is interested in using its remaining cap room to extend Terrell Suggs' contract.

Other than the Giants, other teams interested in Boldin include the Jets and Eagles, and Philly may be willing to trade its other first-round pick to do it. The Eagles already traded the pick they got from Carolina on draft day last year when the Panthers selected offensive tackle Jeff Otah to the Bills to get fellow tackle Jason Peters.

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Scottie Doesn't Know

Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds takes game-winning shot against Pittsburgh in East regional final. Reynolds has declared for the NBA draft, but will not sign with an agent, leaving the door open to return to the Main Line for his senior season. (Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

After leading his team to the Final Four this past season, it looks like Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds could be a surefire NBA prospect. Therefore, it came as no surprise to fans of 'Nova Nation and basketball fans across the country when Reynolds announced that he is declaring for the NBA draft earlier today, according to ESPN.com. However, Reynolds has yet to sign with an agent and does not plan to; which means that he could very well come back to the Main Line for his senior season, one where he may see more time at shooting guard to accommodate Corey Fisher's move into Jay Wright's starting lineup to run the point for the Wildcats.

A Villanova press release quoted Wright as saying that this move by Reynolds would "give him a better understanding of what it takes to play at that level." Reynolds averaged 15.2 points per game last season as the point guard in the Wildcats' backcourt, and his return, should he come back, would bolster an already deep Villanova team that is the likely favorite in the Big East next season, with Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Syracuse losing the likes of DeJuan Blair, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jonny Flynn, respectively; all of whom have declared for the draft as well.

However, if Reynolds were to defect, his spot in the lineup would open the door for already stellar reserve Corey Stokes to see more playing time, along with a top 10 recruiting class that includes McDonald's All-American guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. Whichever road Reynolds does choose to follow, it will undoubtedly be a win-win situation for whoever acquires his services for the 2009-10 basketball season.

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A Farewell To The Voice Of God

Legendary Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, who passed away Monday at the age of 73. (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)

It's been a rough week in the sports world. Less than 24 hours removed from the retirement of John Madden and just a few days after the tragic death of former Tigers pitcher Mark Fidrych, sports fans are still recovering from yet another hard blow that took place Monday afternoon, as a legendary announcer known to his fans as the "Voice of God" took on a higher position as a play-by-play announcer for the Lord.

While preparing for a game Monday night, iconic Phillies play-by-play man Harry Kalas fatally collapsed before the Phillies took the field against the Washington Nationals. He was 73. Said Phillies president David Montgomery when addressing the media about Kalas' passing, "We have lost our voice today. He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization." Such a contribution was felt for 37 years, as Kalas assumed the play-by-play duties in the City of Brotherly Love in 1971 after serving as the voice of the Houston Astros for the previous six years. Kalas also called games for the Philadelphia Eagles and Westwood One, not to mention his work on NFL Films voiceovers and the recent Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials starring, among others, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, one of the greatest players in Phillies history, mourned the broadcaster by recalling how Kalas would refer to him as Michael Jack Schmidt. "He gave me my name, my sports name," said Schmidt. "Every time I hear it, his smile will resonate." Schmidt also praised Kalas by saying he would eventually "go down as one of the top two or three to ever grace a microphone." For someone perceived in broadcasting circles as one of the lords of his profession, such a divine honor would be only too appropriate.

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Madden Lowers The "Boom!" On A Great Career

John Madden, pictured here with Al Michaels, retires after over three decades as a color commentator for NFL coverage on four different networks. (Photo courtesy of Digital Sports Daily)

We all knew this day was coming, but even the most rabid of football fans did not want to acknowledge it. Yesterday, after a career that included 30 years of color commentary for four networks, countless Super Bowl assignments, not to mention revolutionizing the broadcasting and video game industries after starting out as a head coach of the Oakland Raiders, 73-year-old John Madden has decided to call it a career.

"You know, at some point, you have to do this," said Madden on the decision to hang up the microphone and headset. Madden's world-famous bus, which he used to travel to and from games after suffering a bout of claustrophobia while flying to one of the first games he covered in 1979, finally pulling into the parking lot for the final time. "I got to that point." Madden will be succeeded on NBC's Sunday Night Football telecasts by Cris Collinsworth, who will now work alongside play-by-play man Al Michaels, who saluted his former partner yesterday by saying that there has "never been anyone like him," and that he was the "gold standard for analysts for almost three decades."

Madden spent most of his career paired with the great Pat Summerall, who worked as the top play-by-play man for CBS and Fox. "I don't think he had any other hobbies," said Summerall of his partner's love for football. "He was the hardest worker and he never lost that passion for the game." Madden's ability to break down football so that the common man can understand it has no doubt instilled the same passion in fans, and hopefully the fire will never burn out.

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