Odds and Ends
Adding DTN Contributor
Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up, but I've decided to make DTN reader Skin Patrol a front page contributing author to Double-T Nation. I'm extremely happy that Skin Patrol accepted the offer to write for DTN and look forward reading just about anything he writes.
Schedule
I'll be posting a basketball review some time tomorrow, covering the shooting guards, I'm thinking that I'll post these reviews once a week. Also, don't forget to continue to add to the DTN's Best of Lubbock hamburger thread. I'll take all of the nominees and we'll put it to a vote on Friday. And to answer a question, I'll try and round up the top 5 vote-getters later this week.
Texas Tech Football
Peter King Likes Harrell
SI's Peter King (hat-tip the1austin) is a fan of watching games, had this to say about QB Graham Harrell:
"Maclin and Crabtree are top 20 picks but Harrell and Daniel, the guys who throw to them, are 'system guys?' I don't buy it.'' -- Tweet from rodhartwig, who is Rodney Hartwig of Phoenix, on Twitter, referring to undrafted quarterbacks Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and Chase Daniel of Missouri, both of whom went undrafted.Daniel signed as a free-agent with Washington. Harrell had to go to Cleveland's rookie mini-camp over the weekend to essentially try out for a free-agent contract. Man, what a comedown for one of the most exciting players in college football over the last few years.
I raised this point on Twitter (you can follow me here) the other day, then ranted about it on Sirius NFL Radio with co-host Randy Cross. If you're a football scout or GM, how could you watch the Texas-Texas Tech game last fall and not think Harrell belongs in the NFL? He doesn't have the arm of Matthew Stafford, obviously, but neither did Joe Montana, and neither does Drew Brees. But let's compare Stafford and Harrell in a few categories:
Player Stafford Harrell Height 6-2 6-2 Completion % for 2007-08 59% 71% Yards/attempt for 2007-08 8.14 8.09 I'm not measuring arm strength, obviously. But I'm dead serious when I ask this question: If Joe Montana, who was a third-round pick 30 years ago, came out today, how many teams would declare him either undraftable or a free-agent only?
My humble advice (and I mean that; I don't study college tape at all) to those who make their living grading college football players: Watch the games.
Per the FanShot last night, Harrell was released by Cleveland without a contract and Browns head coach Eric Mangini had this to say about Harrell:
"If it doesn't happen this weekend, things can definitely happen in the next couple weeks, next couple months," Mangini said. "I've been a part of that in New York where maybe someone gets banged up or whatever the reason, and one of these kids that didn't get a contract here this weekend, ends up coming back in and getting that next opportunity. That will be my message to the guys that we don't offer, to stay ready. We don't know when we'll be calling but if we do, make sure they come in an maximize that opportunity."
All-Spring Team, Potts Makes the Cut
Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart interestingly had Taylor Potts as his All-Spring first string quarterback, which is just an opportunity for Dienhart to highlight the best players this spring.
Winning = Silence
The Bryan-College Station Eagle's Robert Cessna writes that the best way for TAMU to keep the Captain Mike Leach quiet is to do one thing . . . win:
A&M has had seven players drafted in the third or fourth round since Leach took over at Tech, including McGee and running back Mike Goodson this year. Since 1995, the Aggies have had 51 players drafted, including 31 in the fourth round or higher. Tech has had 25 players drafted since 1995, only 10 in the fourth round or higher -- including a record four this year.Tech, though, is 11-3 against A&M over that span. That just doesn't add up. Either Leach is a heck of coach or A&M didn't get the most out of its talent when the two met, or maybe it's a little of both.
Leach's playful barbs last week brought attention to Tech's domination in the series, just what the Aggies didn't need.
As for the way it was done, that too works in Leach's favor. His ability to rile Aggies makes him a friend with Sooners, Owls, Cougars, Longhorns and Bears, just to name a few. It might even help him in recruiting, because if you didn't notice, the Red Raiders were the more talented team last year.
A&M, which beat Tech from 1990-94, has allowed the Red Raiders to pass them, and the Aggies have to live with it until they can do something about it. That means listening to Leach.
Way Too Early Bowl Projections
CFN is sucking me in my projecting the 2009 bowls with the Red Raiders garnering an Alamo Bowl birth against the Wisconsin Badgers, which basically means that the CFN staff thinks the Red Raiders finish 4th in the Big 12 (hat-tip The Ralphie Report).