2013 Mock NFL Draft Picks

I know I haven't posted all this week but I thought today would be the best day to post because of the NFL Draft later on tonight. I wanted to let you all read my mock draft. I tweeted some of my predictions earlier in the week and they have changed. My first round Mock Draft below.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher (OT, Central Michigan) 
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
3. Oakland Raiders: Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon)
4. Philadelphia Eagles: Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah)
5. Detroit Lions: Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida)
6. Cleveland Browns: Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama)
7. Arizona Cardinals: Lane Johnson (OT, Oklahoma)
8. Buffalo Bills: Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee) 
9. New York Jets: Chance Warmack (OL, Alabama)
10. Tennessee Titans: Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia)
11. San Diego Chargers: Luke Joeckel (OT, Texas A&M)
12. Miami Dolphins: Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State University)
13. New York Jets (Via Tampa Bay Bucs): Jonathan Cooper (OL, UNC)
14. Carolina Panthers: Ezekiel Ansah (DE, BYU)
15. New Orleans Saints: Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU)
16. St. Louis Rams:  Kenny Vaccaro (S, Texas)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alec Ogeltree (LB,Georgia)
18. Dallas Cowboys: Matt Elam (S, Florida)
19. New York Giants: Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame)
20. Chicago Bears: Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas St.)
21. Cincinnati Bengals: DJ Fluker (OT, Alabama)
22. St. Louis Rams (Via Washington Redskins): Jesse Williams (DT, Alabama)
23. Minnesota Vikings: Jamar Taylor (CB, Boise St.)
24. Indianapolis Colts: DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson)
25. Minnesota Vikings (Via Seattle Seahawks): Keenan Allen (WR, California) 
26. Green Bay Packers: Datone Jones (DE, UCLA)
27. Houston Texans: Kevin Minter (LB, LSU)
28. Denver Broncos: Jonathan Cyperien (Florida International)
29. New England Patriots: Jarvis Jones (LB, UGA)
30. Atlanta Falcons: Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State)
31. San Francisco 49ers: Desmond Trufant (CB, Washington)
32. Baltimore Ravens: Manti T'eo (ILB, Notre Dame)
    
    There you have it friends. My first round draft board. We'll see at 8'o clock to see which picks are correct and those that aren't. And yes, NO RUNNING BACK WILL GO IN THE FIRST ROUND. Eddie Lacy of Alabama will go early to middle second round though.

Questions or Comments?
Tweet Me: @NeilShelat6

Email Me: nshelat6@gmail.com

Predictions for the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs

The Western Conference playoffs start today and while there is a distinct separation between the elite and the pretenders, there is no doubt that the first round will be physical and might be filled with a few surprises. My prediction for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs below.

• 1) Oklahoma City Thunder versus 8) Houston Rockets: James Harden is returning to OKC as the leader of Houston Rockets is a story in and of itself but I wouldn't count the Rockets out. They are a team that can score a lot of points and I just have a feeling that James Harden's homecoming will allow him to blow past the OKC defense. Then again, they turn the ball over like crazy because of point guard Jeremy Lin and with Russell Westbrook following him around on the court, there will be a lot of turnovers. The Thunder on the other hand are a complete team with Kevin Durant leading the charge. Their bench can out perform almost anyone other team. The only thing I worry about is Russell Westbrook. If he can take fewer shots than the Durant the Thunder will breeze through the first round.
  Prediction: Thunder win series 4-1

• 2) San Antonio Spurs versus 7) Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers looked like they weren't even going to make the playoffs last week when they lost Kobe Bryant to a torn Achilles Tendon, but then Dwight Howard took charge and led the Lakers to the 7th seed to play a team they've had success against. The Spurs were dominate most of the season behind a rejuvenated Tim Duncan but last half injuries to Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker might cost the Spurs a couple games in the series. Although I think the Spurs will win the series, the Lakers will likely show the NBA that they have what it takes to win without Kobe leading the charge. Dwight Howard was brought in for the future Lakers squad, and by beating an elite team like the Sours two or three times in the playoffs will show that next season, they will be ready for anything.
  Prediction: Spurs win series 4-2

• 3) Denver Nuggets versus 6) Golden State Warriors: I honestly thought that the Warriors could pull the upset in this series but then I saw that the nuggets had a 20+ game home winning streak this season. The Nuggets are probably one of the only teams in the league that go 9 players deep, with their amazing starting five and the best backup center in the league in JaVale McGee. Ty Lawson will have the daunting task of guarding superstar in the making, Steph Curry for the Warriors and his great perimeter shooting. But since the second half of the regular season began, the Warriors' defense pretty much fell apart. Both teams score a lot of points but because of Denver's depth the Warriors won't stand much of a chance.
  Prediction: Nuggets win series 4-2

• 4) Los Angeles Clippers versus 5) Memphis Grizzles: A repeat of last year, this is going to be the best series of all the playoffs. The Clippers had the best season in their franchise history behind the best point guard in the league Chris Paul and the high flying dunks from Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers have issues off the bench with lack of production and that's what going to hurt them in the long run. The Grizzles are the most underrated team in the playoffs and yet, they are considered to be contenders. They are large in size, athletic, and again, have an underrated point guard in Mike Conley. This series will go to 7 games again and the team with the most physical play will win the series. I honestly don't know who will pull out the series win but I have a gut feeling the Grizzles will toughen it out and move on to the second round.
  Prediction: Grizzles win series 4-3

Questions or Comments?
Tweet Me: @NeilShelat6
Email Me: nshelat6@gmail.com

Predictions for the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs

Question of the Day: What do you make of the upcoming schedule's for your favorite teams?

The first round of the NBA playoffs start this Saturday, and while they will be incredibly long (and sometimes boring) many teams repeated their appearances from last. Like always, there are superstar teams such as the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to contend for the title while teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers are expected for first round exits. My predictions for all four Eastern Conference face-off's below.

Eastern Conference:

• 1) Miami Heat versus 8) Milwaukee Bucks: There is no question that the Heat are favorites to win the title again behind the Big 3. LeBron James had yet another MVP caliber season and will likely continue his dominance in the opening round against Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. The Heat are too talented of a team to even see a good fight against the Bucks. Their size and athleticism will allow for the Heat to control the series to a very quick sweep.
  Prediction: Heat win series 4-0

• 2) New York Knicks versus 7) Boston Celtics: Newly adorned scoring champion Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks are in cruise control right now. With J.R. Smith being the an incredible sixth man, and a somehow still underrated center in Tyson Chandler the Knicks will have a challenge in playing the Boston Celtics. Sure the Celts were incredibly inconsistent this season but if Jeff Green and Avery Bradley play up to their expectations then this series could get interesting. Kevin Garnett will hope to cool Carmelo down a bit with his trash talk, I'm sure but the Knicks need to make a statement about what they can do in the playoffs and they will do so. The Knicks will lose twice in Boston but ultimately the Knicks will dominate behind the arch and use a great swarming defense to force turnovers.
  Prediction: Knicks win series 4-2

• 3) Indiana Pacers versus 6) Atlanta Hawks: I may be a Hawks fan but let's face it; the Pacers are second best team to the Heat in the East. Paul George and David West lead a Pacer team that have bugged teams with their swarming defense. If center Roy Hibbert can get things going I can see the Pacers playing the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. In what seems to be his last season with the Hawks, Josh Smith will look to not be inconsistent as he has been this season, but if Al Horford picks up his slack and Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague can play the perimeter to their advantage, the Hawks might have a puncher's shot to winning the series. The Pacers have a superstar in the making in Paul George. Seeing him let the Hawks beat the Pacers in Phillips Arena but even then it will be a narrow win.
  Prediction: Pacers win series 4-1
  

• 4) Brooklyn Nets versus 5) Chicago Bulls: To me, the match up of the 4th and 5th seed are going to be the most interesting. The Nets are a newly renovated team that want to live up to their preseason hype when they added Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson to help out Brook Lopez and superstar point guard, Deron Williams. The Bulls on the other hand went from a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference to a team riddled with injuries, especially the one to point guard Derrick Rose. Had Rose been back from his torn ACL in time for the playoffs, I would have given the Bulls the upper hand in what will be a very physical defensive match up in the paint, but I can't see them passing the Nets without an elite guard to go against Williams.
  Prediction: Nets win series 4-3

Questions or Comments?
Tweet Me: @NeilShelat6

Email Me: nshelat6@gmail.com

The Boston Marathon

Question of the Day: Should athletes who are arrested for a DUI be suspended from there respective sports?

The Boston Marathon has been a tradition in the city of Boston, Massachusetts since 1896. Held on "Patriots Day," the third Monday of every April, the Boston Marathon is considered a state holiday. About 20,000 participants run 26.2 miles through Greater Boston in front of about 500,000 spectators. 
The record for fastest Boston Marathon ever run was in 2011 when Geoffery Mutai of Kenya ran the historic race in only 2 hours 3 minutes and 2 seconds. 

Yesterday, tragedy struck at the Boston Marathon. Almost 2 hours after the winners had crossed the finish line, two explosions went off near Copley Square killing at least 3 and injuring 175 others. Inside pressure cookers filled with nails, and other sharp objects the bombs were set off about 600 feet of each other. Being called a terror attack, the city of Boston had it's heart broken. 

On the 66th anniversary of the day that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, the city of Boston can and will overcome just as Robinson did. Although different circumstances, by banding together and dealing with the bombings as a city. Having always been a sports town, it is up to the Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox to bring the joy back to Bean Town. 

Sports are the only thing that bring people together in harmony and peace. They bring joy to billions of people world wide, and while losses can be heartbreaking, fans will never lose their love for their favorite sport. Sports are a way for people to escape from their everyday lives. Sports give people a reason to scream, to cry, and rejoice all in the span of 3 hours. Whether they watch in the comfort of their homes or at the stadiums sports give fans the idea that when their team wins, the world is a great place to be. 

It's not going to be an easy task to overcome the bombings for the city of Boston. For the city of Boston yesterday was more than a tradition or a holiday, it was their soul. It is now up to the other sports team to rally out for their city and let the people of Boston know that it is not a time to lose hope in humanity or to give up, because they haven't given up on the people of Boston. They will go out every single night, as one team and win for their city.

My thoughts and prayers are with the city of Boston as they go through this awful tragedy. 

Questions or Comments?
Tweet me: @NeilShelat6
Email me: nshelat6@gmail.com

An Anatomical Look Into Kobe Bryant's Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Question of the Day: Will the Lakers make the playoffs with Kobe out?

As my sophomore year in college comes to end, the amount of homework, tests, and quizzes increases. It has a direct effect on everything I do, especially writing. I apologize for not writing as frequently as before, but the next three weeks will be consists of less writing and more school related activities. I promise to write every single day during my break.

Studying to be a physical therapist has allowed me to acquire a vast knowledge of the muscles and tendons that are effected in every day life. I know I have a lot more to learn but I feel like I can apply my knowledge to the injuries that athletes get throughout their career.

Kobe Bryant has led the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 championships since he arrived in the NBA in 1996. But, last night Kobe might have sustained a career ending injury, by tearing his Achilles tendon. For those of you who don't know what that is, the Achilles tendon is a large tendon on the back (posterior) of your leg from the middle of one's calf (gastrocnemius) and attaches into the heel (calcaneus). It is the thickest and longest tendon in your body  The A.T. allows one's foot to flex and extend and can receive stress applied to the body. 

As you can see, the white colored tendon in the picture above, originates in the calf muscle (Gastrocnemius) and
inserts in to the heel (calcaneus). (Photo from 321gomd.com)

A prominent landmark on the body, when ruptured (torn completely apart) the Achilles tendon can snap louder than that of a bullet shot out of a gun. It is close to impossible for a person to walk after rupturing their Achilles tendon, and requires, in many cases, open surgery where the surgeon will stitch together the tendon, or in some extreme cases (Kobe's case) the surgeon will take another muscle and essentially wrap it around the torn tendon increasing it's strength while it is being rehabilitated. 

Due to the surgery and the intense rehabilitation process Kobe will be out 6-9 months. Even for his remarkable athleticism  Kobe's age will allow for the rehabbing process to incredibly slow but with the proper work he should be back for the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season. Rehabbing exercises are mainly strengthening exercises that start about a month after surgery. Simple exercises such as ankle rolls and stretches are pivotal in rehab because in order to be as explosive as he once was, Kobe will need to be comfortable with putting a lot pressure on his tendon. The potentially heartbreaking part of Kobe's injury though is that at 34 years old, the muscle will take a longer time to heal properly. As the body ages muscles become weaker and take much longer to repair itself. Because of the severity of this injury I would not be surprised if Kobe losses a lot of the talent and success he had in years past. 

A picture of a ruptured left Achilles tendon. As you can see the left foot is completely straight,
whereas the right is slightly flexed. 

Rupturing one's Achilles tendon is an incredibly serious injury that can have lasting effects even after a successful surgery. As bad as I want to see Kobe overcome this injury, his retirement may be coming a lot faster than he and the rest of the world expected. The Lakers must plan for his ending now, while they can by looking in the upcoming draft. Drafting a shooting guard in the first round or trading for one is now a necessity for the team. 

Questions or Comments?
Tweet me: @NeilShelat6
Email me: nshelat6@gmail.com

Richard Sherman and His Adderall

Question of the Day: Will the Lakers grab the 8th seed in the Western Conference or will the Jazz beat them out?

I think Richard Sherman is the best defensive back in the NFL. He is physical down field, and covers the receiver with his agility and size to overpower. The problem is though, Sherman may be a pesky defender but he is probably one of the biggest loud mouths in sports since Dennis Rodman. 

Sherman had his break out season last year with the Seattle Seahawks with 64 combined tackles, 8 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. But with his new found success and stardom, his knack for media attention seemed to increase as his play got better. Sherman started asking for a trouble when he decided to call out other defensive backs in the league, such as Darrelle Revis, calling him "Irrelevant." A few weeks prior, Sherman was convicted by the league to have taken PEDs but won the appeal on the case. The worst thing he has done though was not even regarding the game that he plays. Sherman was asked to be on the popular ESPN debate show, First Take to address some questions that controversial writer, Skip Bayless had when Sherman verbally attacked Bayless saying; "I am better at life than you." Here is the video:

As you can see, Dick Sherman maybe "defending" his reputation against criticism from Skip, but he does in the wrong way. He didn't answer any questions that were asked to him by Skip. He was rude and egotistical in every single way possible. 

Today, Sherman made more news stating that 50% of NFL players use Adderall and that the NFL has to allow the drug. For me, I don't really know when Sherman became a viable source to speak on behalf of half of the NFL and make a claim about illegal substances in the NFL. Adderall is a drug used for people with ADHD and narcolepsy but athletes have been said to use to remain focused in games. Sherman believes that if there is widespread use of the drugs, then the NFL will be forced to lift it's ban. 

"Are you not entertained?!"

If the NFL does lift it's ban on Adderall because of it's increased use around the league, why is it hard for me believe that Sherman would not use the drug? Even if it helps players with their mental stability during the game, Sherman fought incredibly hard for the appeal to go through; for him to use Adderall would be hypocritical and would hurt the reputation he cares so much about. With that said, there are two parts that every person should see in Richard Sherman. The incredibly athletic football player with attitude and more potential than any other corner back, or Richard Sherman, the self centered 25 year old who makes his opinion known to the world by any means necessary? 

Questions or Comments?
Tweet me: @NeilShelat6
Email me: nshelat6@gmail.com

Week in Review: Baseball's Opening Week

The 2013 baseball season is in full swing, and after Opening Week there are a lot of things to be excited for. There were a lot more stories in the first week of the baseball season but these are the ones that really stuck with me. My week in review looks at the most important stories from Opening week in baseball. 

• When the Atlanta Braves added the Upton brothers to their outfield, they knew that they had the potential to do big things for not only the team but for the entire city of Atlanta. The Braves ended the first week of action 5-1 but none more exciting than the win on Saturday. Down 5-4 to the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the 9th inning, B.J. Upton hit his first home run of the season to straightaway center field to tie the game. Two batters later his younger brother did the same exact thing, only to win the game for the Braves. It was the first time in history that a pair of brothers to hit home runs in the same inning to not only tie the game up, but to win the game as well. 

                                           B.J. Upton ties the game in the ninth with a solo homer and brother Justin beats the Cubs with a walk off shot.

• I like to think that Phillies can still be a threat in the National League. But the fact is, unless Roy Halladay is pitching only 4 to 5 innings while giving up 6 runs, the Phillies will fall out of contention faster than Marlins did when they let go of all there star players over the summer. Halladay is the glue that cements the once dominant Philly rotation and without him to his former CY Young level, they stand no chance against the beasts of the NL East in the Braves and Nationals. There are signs of life in Doc's pitching. Last Wednesday, the veteran struck out 10 batters in a little over 4 innings of work. If he somehow learns to bring his fastball velocity up again, he can lead the Phillies to be contenders again. 

• The biggest surprise of the week to me was definitely the Colorado Rockies and their torrid start to the season. There is no doubt that they have an incredibly talented lineup with Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Toluwitzki, and Dexter Fowler leading the charge but I never thought their pitching would be as good as it has been when it relies on the offense. Like the Braves, the Rockies are a team that has potential to lead the Majors in statistical offensive categories. If their pitching shows signs of life like it did last week, they could make some noise in the National League West division.  A 5-1 record is no joke to start the season, I expect them to cool down but I could be wrong, especially with the way the offense is looking.

• I expected the Houston Astros to suck. But not as bad as they were the first week of the season. Not only did they strikeout a record amount of times in the season opening series against their cross state rivals, the Texas Rangers but playing their next series in the week against the Oakland Athletics was no fun either. This is going to be a very long season for the Astros. For a team that earns less all together than Alex Rodriguez does in one whole year, the Astros deserve credit for doing what they do for as little as they get paid. The Astros move from the NL to the AL was going to be a tough one, but this team is getting manhandled every almost every single night, and it's really sad to see.

I know that there were a lot of stories in the Opening Week of the 2013 baseball season so let me hear yours. 

Questions or Comments?
Tweet me: @NeilShelat6

Email me: nshelat6@gmail.com