Attendance: What to Know About OU Red/White Game

Oklahoma Sooner Football News and Notes

All Red/White tickets are $10 admission; no live television coverage is available at published time.

Limited Cameras: Only point and click cameras will be permitted in the stadium. Professional detachable long lens cameras and video cameras will NOT be permitted.

Ticket Sales: Some 16 windows, most of which will be cash only, will be open at gates 5 and 7 (north side) beginning at 9:30 a.m. Those are the only points of sale on the day of the game.

Animals: No pets or animals of any kind are allowed in the facilities, with the exception of service animals used by disabled guests.

Lifelong Sooner Fan to Live Dream: Soonersports.com

OU's Spring Game from A to Z: Soonersports.com

Why spring football has taken root: The Oklahoman

Which new starter will have the biggest impact in '08?: The Oklahoman

Clayton's been OU's best on defense; Team still getting healthy: The Oklahoman

Keys to the game: The Oklahoman

Which new starter will have the biggest impact in '08? The Oklahoman

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gnextinc.com/ousoonersblog/2008/04/what-to-know-about-ou-redwhite-game
.html

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Jacksonville Jaguars Draft Scenario: First Round
Cornerback

Cason, on a blitz, making Trent Edwards cry.

Our favorite Jaguars.com writer, Vic Ketchman, was recently on Jaguars' This Week and speculated that the best available player when the Jaguars select at 26 may be a cornerback.  He's clearly a little more optimistic than I am because I'm very much concerned that the BAP will be a running back or linebacker, two positions that are less than critical for the Jaguars in the first round.

I though it might be interesting to examine where exactly the "experts" predict the top five (or so) cornerbacks will end up.  My methodology is not 100% sound because I don't really account for standard deviation other than by removing outliers, but unless my Political Analysis professor drops by, it shouldn't be a problem.  What I did, in essence, was take about thirty mock drafts, 10 of which were "experts", the other twenty chosen at random.  I removed the highest and lowest outliers and averaged the rest.

Now, I know you're saying to yourself "these are Mock Drafts, what does this have to do with anything?".  And I would completely agree, for the most part.  These are merely experiments, but as we get closer and closer to the draft the overall ranking of players comes to a semi-consensus, and it isn't hard to project.  Would I bet my reputation (if I have one) that these players will go at these spots?  In a word, NO.  But it's something to consider as we ponder who we're left to choose from in the first round.

1. Leodis McKelvin, Troy: With very few exceptions (Dominique Rogers-Cromarte) McKelvin is the first cornerback off the board.  Average draft spot is 9th overall, very tight though between 8 and 10th.  I'm going out on a limb and assuming that he will not be available at pick 26.

2. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tenn St: D.R.C, as I'm going to call him, is the clear cut number two cornerback in this analysis.  Only once does he get selected ahead of McKelvin, and even leaving that in as an outlier keeps his average about 12.5.  He's very close to McKelvin, but consistantly the second corner chosen, even going back to back in some drafts.

3. Mike Jenkins, University of South Florida: We've got a bit of a gap here, Jenkins goes at the 19th pick and stays in a very narrow range of 18-22.  I like Mike, were he to be the clear BAP at 26, I'd be ok with taking him.

4. Aqib Talib, Kansas: This is trouble spot in the analysis because it's hard to tell if the recent news about a problem with marijuana.  It might not of effected the mocks enough yet to show anything conclusive, but it's something worth keeping in mind.  He's just behind Mike Jenkins at 21.5, though I'd expect that to fall a bit over the next two weeks.  Then again, Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams and Amobi Okoye all admitted to smoking marijuana and they've done all right.  While I'm disgusted that NFL scouts are releasing what they are told in interviews, I understand that Talib is a little bit more of a character risk for the the Jaguars.  If it means anything, Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino says he's been a "role-model" player for the last two seasons.

5. Antoine Cason, Arizona: My good friend Brian from Buffalo Rumblings absoultely LOVES this guy.  He thinks he could go to the Bills at the 11 spot.  My analysis has him more at about 24, though his deviation is a bit larger (from 6 to 30)

6. Justin King, Penn State: This is a guy that Vic mentioned by name and that he rates higher than D.R.C. on his value board.  Unfortunatly, he only appeared in a few mock drafts in the first round, somewhere between 28 and 30, so I can't really include him in this breakdown.  Though, if there was a choice between Talib and King, I'd go with the standout character at Penn State over someone who might miss time from drug related suspensions.  A bit skittish about hard tackling though.  He's a second round prospect, in my opinion, that would be a blessing at 58 and a massive reach at 26.

If you're interested, an overwhelming amount of these mock drafts (23) had the Jaguars selecting defensive end Lawrence Jackson, University of Southern California  in the first round.  This illustrates the problem with using mock drafts as polls, some of these picks are clearly "need based", with whomever picking for the Jaguars taking the "best DE available" rather than "best player".  The opposite of this are the folks who ignore need completely and have the Jaguars selecting QB Brian Brohm with the 26th pick.

Conclusions?

Based on this data it seems clear that it will by pick 20 it will look like the Jaguars could end up with a cornerback as the BAP, though it's not likely that 6 picks later any will remain on the board.  Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib, and Antoine Cason could all be there between 18 and 24, but if any make it to the Jaguars it'll be Aqib Talib, and the drug issue might make him keep on going past us.  While I trust Vic's judgement about things involving best player available, and while there are a bunch of first round graded cornerbacks, I don't think the Jaguars will have the problem of a BAP corner.  

-Chris

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/story/2008/4/11/213633/027

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SB Nation 1st round Recap and 49ers Looking
Forward

Thanks to the hustle of Mocking the Draft and a few of our editors, we've completed the first round of the 2008 SB Nation Mock Draft.  Head on over to Mocking the Draft to check out a review of the draft.

In the meantime, Matt Miller has put together his list of the 50 best players remaining (in the link above).  I think this will kill our chances of getting Jerod Mayo, for those who wanted him.  However, there are still plenty of talented players left.  The second round starts up tomorrow and if it's like last weekend, we'll see two picks tomorrow and two picks on Sunday, meaning our 8th pick of the second round will be the first one posted this coming Tuesday.

So, with a few days to figure out what we want, I thought I'd throw this thread open for the weekend (barring any breaking news) and get people chatting it up.  Looking at Matt's Top 50 list, I see several names that I would have no problem selecting:

1. Jerod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee
   
2. Shawn Crable, LB, Michigan
   
3. Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
   
4. Quentin Groves, OLB, Auburn
   
5. Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech

I realize other sites could check ours out and steal some of our ideas, but considering it's just a mock, whoop-dee-damn-doo.  Feel free to throw out any ideas you might have for that second round pick.  I know who I would like, but let's see if there is any kind of consensus here.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/story/2008/4/11/205234/875

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In Attendance: What to Know About OU Red/White
Game

Oklahoma Sooner Football News and Notes

All Red/White tickets are $10 admission; no live television coverage is available at published time.

Limited Cameras: Only point and click cameras will be permitted in the stadium. Professional detachable long lens cameras and video cameras will NOT be permitted.

Ticket Sales: Some 16 windows, most of which will be cash only, will be open at gates 5 and 7 (north side) beginning at 9:30 a.m. Those are the only points of sale on the day of the game.

Animals: No pets or animals of any kind are allowed in the facilities, with the exception of service animals used by disabled guests.

Lifelong Sooner Fan to Live Dream: Soonersports.com

OU's Spring Game from A to Z: Soonersports.com

Why spring football has taken root: The Oklahoman

Which new starter will have the biggest impact in '08?: The Oklahoman

Clayton's been OU's best on defense; Team still getting healthy: The Oklahoman

Keys to the game: The Oklahoman

Which new starter will have the biggest impact in '08? The Oklahoman

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gnextinc.com/ousoonersblog/2008/04/what-to-know-about-ou-redwhite-game
.html

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Dallas Cowboys might not need to catch WR in
draft

The Dallas Cowboys need a wide receiver in the draft. And not anywhere in the draft, but early, possibly in the first round. Second round at the latest. They absolutely, positively need a receiver. That's what I've been thinking until...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cowboysfootballblog.com/2008/04/dallas-cowboy-1.html

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So Yer Sayin Theres a Chance

I bet you didn’t know that Lloyd Christmas lives in Mississippi and works as a reporter. You also may not have known that about 50% of the population of northeast Wisconsin (less than I would have originally thought) is still hoping against the reality that Brett Favre really retired. Like maybe this is [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.green-bay-packer.com/2008/04/11/brett-favre-un-retires/

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Kelly Apologizes for Rant at Pro Day

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Former OU WR Kelly apologizes: Former Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly went on a Tyler, Texas, radio station Thursday evening to apologize for publicly ripping the Sooner strength staff after his pro day. "I should've went to the guy I was mad at rather than put it in the media like that," Kelly said, referring to OU strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt. "That was a mistake on my part." Kelly blamed the OU strength staff for changing the testing surface from AstroTurf to field turf the morning of the pro day. Schmidt said it was the more than 35 pro scouts in attendance who asked him to move the testing to field turf. "I can't say I was prepared as I should've been," Kelly said. "I hadn't ever run on that surface as far as my training goes. "But I want to make one thing clear: I'm not blaming anyone for the time that I ran." Kelly told the radio station that he was thinking about his family when he ranted about the OU staff. "This isn't just about me. I don't want my parents to work again in their lifetime," he said. "That can be the difference between running this and running that. I was thinking about my family when I said all of that stuff. "You never saw me say stuff after a game, like, why didn't they throw me the ball, I was open on every play. I never want to portray myself as a guy that complains. The other guys who were training wanted to say the same things I did, but I went out and said it." (More at The Oklahoman)

Malcolm Kelly?s Attitude Is Worse Than His 40 Time: New York Times

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gnextinc.com/ousoonersblog/2008/04/kelly-apologizes-for-rant-at-pro-da
y.html

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Coach Stoops to Kick Off Blood Drive

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Stoops to kick off OU blood drive scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday: The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department and the American Red Cross are partnering again this year to save lives through blood donation with drives scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16. Donation sites are located at the north end of the stadium on the second floor Athletics Department lobby and the Red Cross Bus parked north of the OU bookstore. Times will be 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at both locations on both days. OU head football coach Bob Stoops is scheduled once again this year to be the first donor. All those coming to donate will receive a commemorative OU T-shirt, a $5 Louie's coupon and a coupon from the OU bookstore. All donors are also eligible to win memorabilia donated by the OU Athletics Department. "Each year, the Red Cross asks for our help and we are very happy to lend our support," said Annette Moran, Assistant Director of Athletic Academic Affairs and blood drive coordinator. "You never know when a family member, friend or neighbor might need the 'gift of life.' This is a chance for OU students and faculty to make a difference." This is the fourth year for the OU Athletics Department/Red Cross blood drive. The Red Cross reports increased efforts to educate high school and college students on the importance of becoming lifetime blood donors. To donate blood you must be 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. The Red Cross reminds those coming to donate to bring a photo ID, such as a Red Cross donor card, OU student ID or driver's license. (SoonerSports PR)

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gnextinc.com/ousoonersblog/2008/04/coach-stoops-to-kick-off-blood-driv
e.html

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Colts Players Making Headlines

There are lots of Colts in the news today, and here's a small sampling of what they are up to:

• Peyton Manning was the featured speaker at the Jackson-Madison County Hall of Fame Banquet.  Among the inductees was Manning's former University of Tennessee teammate Trey Teague.  Peyton had this to say about his good friend:It's special to be here this evening. Trey and I are best friends, and it was fun to play with him. I really appreciate his friendship.  Peyton seems to be a regular on the banquet speaking tour, as he said he appears at 8-10 banquets a year.


• Raheem Brock has signed a franchise agreement with Wingstop Restaurants, where he will develop 3 new restaurants in Philadelphia.  Brock said:"I'm excited to bring Wingstop to my hometown and share it with the people here," said Brock. "I love the food and the simple concept of focusing on great wings and sides. The ease of operations makes it an attractive business."Wingstop's national spokesman is former Cowboy Troy Aikman.  It doesn't look like there is a Wingstop in Indiana anywhere, but I'll try to visit to local franchise here in the DC area.  


• Former Colt Offensive Lineman Tarik Glenn spoke at John Brown University Thursday.  He seems to be spreading messages learned from Coach Dungy, and I'm glad to see Tarik do some great things in the community after retirement.


• Everyone in the media has now declared Marvin Harrison's career over, based on a story by NFL.com's Adam Schefter (tip to metalmilitia as well).  The Colts have brought in Mario Manningham and Early Doucet for an interview.  It's great that the Colts are bringing in receivers, but my first thought is that this is a diversion put forth by the brain-trust that is Bill Polian.  Teams bring in many, many different players for interviews, trying to cover all of their bases.  Most of these players will, obviously, not be drafted by that team.  Maybe we should start a story that Peyton's career is winding down as well, since the front page story on Colts.com is on the Quarterback draft class in 2008.  No need to make a mountain out of a mole hill.  If Polian and Dungy both say Harrison will be healthy, he'll be healthy.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/11/103055/630

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I mock your mock with my mock: 4/11/2008

Draft Tek has their new mock draft up, and STILL they have the Colts drafting TE Dustin Keller in the 2nd round, passing up Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, Marcus Howard, and Cliff Avril. In the 3rd round they pass up Marcus Howard AGAIN for RB Kevin Smith. It seems like, just like the last scenario, the Colts are going RB and TE in the first two rounds, but the players they are taking are inferior to the players we suggest in our mock draft.

I know it is a simulation, but the data entered into this simulation is flawed. TE is not a major "need." The only real major "need" is a back-up pass rusher. The Colts have very few holes, and I really don't think they are going to pass up Cliff Avril once and Marcus Howard TWICE knowing that their one need is back-up DE.

And, I'm sorry, if Polian passes up BOTH Forte and CJ in round 2, he better have a good damn reason why (ie, he's got insider info that both were caught partying with Matt Leinart recently).

Anyway, here's my revised Mock Draft (4/11/2008):

2 (59): RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina
3 (93): DE Marcus Howard, Georgia
4 (127): CB Jack Williams, Kent State
5 (161): WR Arman Shields, Richmond
6 (196): OC Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green
6 (201): DT Carlton Powell, Virginia Tech
6 (202): TE Joey Haynos, Maryland
6 (205): DE Titus Brown, Mississippi State
7 (236): QB Dennis Dixon, Oregon

Yes, I think Dixon will be there, and yes I think the Colts will take a QB in rounds 6 or 7. If not Dixon, maybe Tulsa QB Paul Smith.  


Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/11/103012/815

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