I started being a part of RotoWire a little over four (maybe five?) years ago, doing my current basketball column "Under the Radar." Since then, I've been lucky enough to be writing for multiple sports – baseball and football. You can now find me writing the MLB Barometer, "Monday morning thoughts" (during football), and the occasional blog about soccer or whatever's on my mind (does anyone have an octopus I can borrow to pick the Kentucky Derby winner next weekend?)
I love this time of the season. Yes, my Sabres were kicked out of the playoffs but I'm seriously considering buying season tickets given what new owner Terry Pegula has said. A blank check to win the cup, something cheapo Tom Golisano never said? Could Zdeno Chara or Alexander Semin be on the way? It's a great time to be a Sabres fan.
Believe it or not, I've started working on the Rotowire magazine section about tight ends. Curious stat: Vernon Davis had half his receiving yards |STAR|after the catch|STAR|. He's right up there with Jermichael Finley, Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates as to who is the top TE. Totally my opinion.
Yes George St. Pierre won, but if you looked at him and Jake Shields at the end of the five rounds, who would you have thought won? Ralph Macchio (crane kick) was smiling somewhere when Randy Couture got his front tooth knocked out. Kudos for Randy for getting in the ring at the young age of 47.
Ok, got a little sidetracked. I watched today to see the refs screw the Celtics and basically hand Miami Game 1. Throwing out Paul Pierce, really? Speaking of which, WTF is Memphis doing still winning, to quote Charlie Sheen (way overdone, IMO)?
The golf tourney went to a final sudden death round which Bubba won. It played in the Payne kitchen despite the whole family eating Sunday dinner. Sometimes, that needs to happen with sports, the man upstairs understands as long as you say grace.
Let's go with the Buffalo Bills, because of the fan I am (last two games I have been to were Monday nights, losses to Cleveland and Dallas, no joke). Ugh, why couldn't Von Miller fall to number three? I'm fine with getting Marcell Dareus at numero three considering the Bills couldn't stop a Pee-Wee team rushing for over 100 yards. The draft overall, I love that we passed on a QB in a poker "pot odds wager" and went hard on the defense. We can draft a QB next year and make him the poster child of the Bills, (right now I heart Andrew Luck). Ryan Fitzpatrick is at least an interesting #2 QB for next season in fantasy circles.
Let's get to the point of this blog. On Tuesday night I will be drafting an NFL fantasy team after the "brilliant" Chris Liss (who originally hired me to do the basketball column,) asked me to represent the site in an expert, preseason NFL fantasy draft. I, of course with little life being married with children, was all about it. Now I have to go through and figure out ranking players this early and calculate where the new college players figure in.
My point in bringing this up is to ask what you think about the players, if you had to draft today. I've got my own inclinations (love Dez Bryant, down on Arian Foster, Peyton Hillis) and likely have a very different draft card than most. Do you have anyone you're high on and think I should draft? Anyone I should avoid? I'd love to hear it, maybe it "moves the needle" for me; maybe not. I'll post my draft results in a later blog but I'd love to hear any and all opinions.
Final points?!?! Follow me on Twitter @KCPayne26 and let me know what you think about the Kentucky Derby, especially if you have an octopus since I have no clue! I love to answer any and all questions too; at times I come up with some slightly witty banter!