Forced jake plummer 10 sports moments often overlooked

I'll get to the Eagles and UVA selections later, but let's just get a little draft roundup (part I) before the jokes get stale...

- I didn't particularly like the Anthony Fasano pick by the Cowboys, especially in light of fantasy considerations. Which are my only considerations when you consider that "No Fun League" is the most accurate possible nickname for this particular organization. How else do you explain people wondering if sooper-genious Norm Chow can get uber-freak Vince Young to square-peg it in circle junction next year instead of creating awesome, and more importantly, watchable paradigms in the NFL. Seriously, I don't think Mario Williams is a particularly awful pick, but we're on the verge of Knicks/Heat in the mid-90's.

Anyways, about Fasano, there's only, like, five or six tight ends worth taking and Jason Witten's one of them. Now they've got a 2nd-round pick coming in at the same position. This is going to fuck up someone's day. Likely mine.

- Other than Marcus Vick not getting a sniff of interest from the NFL, nothing brings me greater pleasure than "you have to consider Jason Campbell as being part of this class." Word...how's that workin' out?

- Speaking of which, eventually, Arthur Blank's gonna be awarded an honorary degree at Virginia Tech, since the Atlanta Falcons and Home Depot are apparently the only people Hokies are qualified to work for. And by the way, I think an honorary VT degree gets you a free Biggie Fries at the local Wendy's. Anyhoo, did you know D.J. Shockley is going to be competing with Bryan Fuckin' Randall for the #3 spot? True story!

And speaking of true stories, I've always said that I don't have opinions, I state facts. Well, that's particularly true in terms of Blacksburg. So many times, people have told me, "I was driving through there, and you weren't kidding." Well, on my way up to Foxfield, Yahoo! gave us the scenic route of going up I-81, and sometime around 1:30, the missus and I decided we couldn't hold out any longer for an Arby's to pop up. So, we saw the exit for Blacksburg, and I figure we might as well stop there since I know people in that area like to eat. Lo and behold, the first two eating establishments you see off the exit are Shoney's and Denny's. We finally get to the Wendy's and having seen the "Now Hiring" sign on the outdoor placard, I got to use the "I guess they do have a Career Services" joke. So, we go in and try to ignore the troglodytes going about their business, and all of a sudden, Megan feels hesitant to tell me that one of the mouth-breathers working there is currently using his break to suck his thumb. As opposed to the other woman on break who decides the best way to inspire consumer confidence is to smoke inside your own eating establishment. Dear lord.

- I feel for Eric Shelton; not only is he coming off a year-long knee injury, but as evidenced by the selection of DeAngelo Williams, he's also dead. The going line on DeShaun Foster is that he can't stay healthy, but that always seems to be football-speak for "we think he's got shit luck." Really, I'm not sure how many Flintstones chewables make a difference when you're in the grasp of a tackle that's about to snap your ACL. Although I think Williams is better than Chris Perry, this has all the feel of that pick, where a team that needs a little something to get them over the hump hedges their bets instead of filling a need. Such as say, wide receiver. I checked that schedule, boys- you ain't playing the Bears sixteen times. All things told, this is yet another RB black hole where I'll probably end up with one of them as my starter.

- There can't be a worse team to be a fan of than the Buffalo Bills. And I'm not just talking about the four Supe losses in a row, which never sounds as bad as it actually is. All offseason, there was talk about how Marv Levy might as well take over as head coach, which isn't a particularly bad idea when you've got Dick Jauron as your main guy. But hey, at least he was GM...until he morphed into Junior Soprano on Saturday. I realize that they made a pretty good argument as to why they needed to draft eighteen safeties, but is there a more faceless team in the NFL than the Bills? I didn't even recognize Whitner and McCargo, probably because once I get to the later parts of the first-round mock draft, my eyes kinda glaze over. Mostly, I'm just pissed about them passing on Leinart. Well, I'm a little torn...particularly if they keep Losman up in there, thus continuing the train wreck that is "J.P. Losman: Starting NFL QB"...which is the only way the Bills become entertaining. But then again, who wouldn't want to see a guy who was called too "Hollywood" subjected to a life in Buffalo? Okay, Philly's been called the city with the worst groupies (at least in terms of the NBA), but does anyone think that Jeremy Bloom is gonna suffer all that much? Matt Leinart wasn't meant to play in any game where the temperature's less than 75. T'anks fer nothin', Buffalo!

- Speaking of teams that passed on Leinart, you gotta love the Lions. Only in Matt Millen's mind can a Kitna/McCown/Orlovsky depth chart not render QB a "need position." Yes, it would probably look like poor form for him to not only draft an offensive player, but one who plays the same position as their #1 from 2002. But come on- even Akili Smith and David Klingler didn't shellshock the Bengals out of taking Carson Palmer. The best guess here is that Leinart maybe was a little too "Hollywood" for Millen, who really wishes that Homer Simpson hadn't beaten him to the "has the whole world gone gay?!?!" quote.

- And speaking of QB's, let's get to our boy-boy Jay Cutler. I usually don't bother reading Skip Bayless, but since procrastination is the order of the day during finals season, I'll take what I can get. You see, it's easy to write a Skip Bayless article, just so long as you go against what you perceive as conventional wisdom and assume it's truth without backing any of it up. Exactly how does he figure Manny Lawson will be a better player than Mario Williams? The best part of this article is how he says Mike Shanahan won a Super Bowl on April 29, 2006, a curious statement about a guy who's won something like one playoff game post-Elway. The reason they've won a Super Bowl already is that they drafted Jay Cutler. I'm not saying that he'll be a bad pro or anything; it's just that the logic is flawed. He says that the Broncos were denied a shot at the Seahawks this year because Jake Plummer, a QB whose stellar play got them homefield advantage during the playoffs, turned the ball over too much against the Steelers. It's understood that Plummer takes plenty of risks and he'll probably never change his stripes. So how is it that by taking the draft's most notorious gunslinger, someone whose college career was spent playing from behind at nearly all points, everything's different now? Cutler may not start this year, but I guarantee you that when Brett Favre retires, Jay's gonna helm the mantle for a few years when it comes to throwing baffling INT's into double coverage while announcers chalk it up to boys being boys or whatever.

The better move was getting Javon Walker, a process which shows how fucking counterintuitive the NFL has become. Let me get this straight: there's only one team out there who doesn't think Javon Walker constitutes anything more than the 37th-best player in the 2006 NFL Draft? No one else wanted their 2nd-round draft pick to magically turn into a Pro Bowl WR with only three years of meaningful playing time? I understand that he's coming off an injury and acquiring WR's via trade or free agency can be risky. History is littered with Andre Risons who never become the man in their new digs. It was pretty inevitable that the saddest acquisition of the offseason would happen to the Bills, as they took Worthless Price back in when Eric Moulds became a guaranteed fantasy bust by going to the Texans.

Well, what about drafting WR's? Yeah, that always works out. When compared to a current Pro Bowler who may not even be in his prime yet, doesn't picking any receiver constitute a "limited ceiling, unlimited basement" situation? Fucking No Fun League.

Today on SonsoftheSportsGuy, our pal "BostonSucksMyBalls" mocked the overexposure of the Buckner play in the '86 World Series. His reasoning is, the game was tied, even if Buckner makes the play, they go to the 11th (and that's making the assumption Buckner beats Mets' speedster Mookie Wilson to the bag, which is unlikely). However, the debate turned to moments that have, for some reason or another, been overlooked by the mass media. 10. Chris Chambliss wins 1976 Pennant for the Yankees-I don't like the Yankees. Never have, never will. However, this play is one of TWO walk-off LCS homers (the other one was one that was beaten into our collective heads during the '04 ALCS, the Aaron Boone homer to win the '03 ALCS). This was the culmination of a great series between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. Game 5 was a classic, that saw a brawl between Graig Nettles and George Brett break out at home plate, a dramatic game-tying 3-run shot from Brett in the top of the 8th, but the most dramatic came in the bottom of the ninth, as Chambliss led off with a solo shot to win the game for the Yanks. In the celebration following, Chambliss was nearly torn apart circling the bases. 9. Jim O'Brien wins Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts-Contrary to popular belief, Adam Vinatieri WASN'T the first player to win a Super Bowl with a late field goal. In 1971, the Baltimore Colts faced the perennial bridesmaid Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. The game was not exactly super, as the teams combined for 11 turnovers, none more important than Craig Morton's pass being intercepted by Mike Curtis (off the outstetched fingertips of Dan Reeves) late in the game to set the stage for O'Brien's game-winning field goal with 4 seconds left. 8. Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Red Sox 8-3 to win 1948 American League Title-This, until 1978, was the ONLY one-game playoff in American League history. Both teams came into the game 96-58, with the Red Sox sweeping a pair from the Yankees to get here, while the Indians lost two straight to the Tigers. However, in a move that baffled everyone, Boston skipper Joe McCarthy started journeyman Denny Galehouse, who was roughed up by the Cleveland offense. Cleveland went on to win the World Series in 6 over the Boston Braves, their last World Series title. 7. Loyola-Chicago stuns Cincinnati to win 1963 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship-One of the forgotten classics of the NCAA Tournament, Cincinnati came into the game the 2-time defending national champion, looking for their third straight. Loyola was a heavy underdog coming into the game, but George Ireland's squad held tough, and a Vic Rouse basket with time running down handed the Ramblers the first (and only) title to a Chicago or Illinois basketball team. Lost in this is the fact that Loyola was one of the few teams that actually started more than 2 black players in a single game. Still, social ramifications aside, this is a game that has fallen through the cracks of history. 6. San Francisco Giants win 1962 National League Pennant over the L.A. Dodgers in 3-game playoff-Although the 1951 playoff between these two franchises gets most of the love, these two did move the rivalry to the West Coast, and in 1962, put on a classic pennant race for the California fans. It all came down to the third game of a 3-game playoff at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Like the 1951 series, the Dodgers went into the 9th inning holding the lead. And like the 1951 series, the Dodgers gave up 4 runs to the Giants in the 9th, scoring on 4 walks, 2 hits, and one error to clinch the pennant 6-4 in Chavez Ravine. 5. Broncos defeat Raiders 20-17 in 1977 AFC Championship Game with help from controversial call-The 1977 Denver Broncos were a solid, if not spectacular team with a great defense known as the "Orange Crush." They won the AFC West that year over the defending World Champion Oakland Raiders, who then defeated the Baltimore Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoffs to meet the Broncos (who defeated Pittsburgh 34-21 in the other divisional playoff) in the AFC Title game. With the Broncos nursing a 7-3 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Broncos recovered a fumble at the Oakland 17 and drove down to the 2. On the next play, Jack Tatum hit Rob Lytle, knocking the ball loose and giving Oakland the ball. However, the refs ruled the play dead before the fumble, and Denver scored to take a 14-3 lead. The Raiders never recovered, and Denver held on for a 20-17 win and its first AFC Title. 4. Avery Johnson hits late jumper to give Spurs first world title over the Knicks-In many ways, the 1999 NBA season is forgettable. It saw a lockout that nearly forced the cancellation of the season 5 years before the NHL did the same thing. It also saw scoring go down and the end of the Bulls dynasty. The playoffs were a little better, but the Knicks, the 8-seed from the East, won the Eastern Conference Finals over Indiana in 6 games, 2 of which had controversial refereeing from Dick Bavetta (ok, that was cheap, but I still hate the Knicks for that season. I loved those late '90s Pacers). They met the Spurs, who steamrolled the T-Wolves, Lakers, and Trail Blazers in a combined 12 games. The Spurs took the first two in San Antonio, then split the next two in Madison Square Garden. Game 5, much like its predecessors, was ugly. Late in the game, the Knicks clung to a 77-76 lead. With 2.1 seconds left, Avery Johnson launched a 20-footer from the right wing and nailed it, giving the Spurs their first title. This series also saw the explosion of Tim Duncan on the basketball scene, as he averaged 27.4 points and 14 rebounds a game.3. Lew Burdette shuts out Yanks on 2 days rest to clinch 1957 World Title for Braves-The 1957 season was the coming out party for the Milwaukee Braves, who had fallen just short of the Brooklyn Dodgers in '56. The Braves featured a solid pitching corps of Bob Buhl, Warren Spahn, and Lew Burdette. Buhl struggled in the Series, going 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in only 3.2 innings of work. However, Spahn was solid, and Burdette was amazing, going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.67 in the Series. His best performance was his last, Game 7 at Yankee Stadium. After shutting the Yanks out 1-0 in Game 5 at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Burdette was even more masterful, holding the Yanks to 7 hits in a 5-0 win, giving the Braves their first World Title since 1914, when they were located in Boston. 2. Mike Scott no-hits Giants to clinch 1986 NL West Crown for the Houston Astros-In 1986, Mike Scott, and his newfangled pitch, the split-fingered fastball, were taking over baseball. Along with 39-year-old Nolan Ryan, the Astros stunned baseball analysts by storming to a lead in the NL West, and on September 25, Mike Scott took the mound against the Giants with a chance to clinch the title for the Astros and set up an NLCS against the New York Mets. Scott was literally unhittable that night, as, for the first time in baseball history, a division or pennant was won thanks to a no-hitter. Scott pitched all nine-innings, walking 2, hitting 1, and striking out 13 in giving the Astros their first division crown since 1980. 1. Bill Mazeroski hits walk-off homer in Game 7 to win 1960 World Series for the Pirates-The 1960 World Series looked, on paper, like a mismatch. The out-of-nowhere Pirates, led by Don Hoak and Dick Groat, would take on the mighty New York Yankees, who had won 15 straight going into the playoffs. The first game, however, showed this series would be a little different, as the Pirates stunned the Yanks 6-4. The next two games, however, showed the world that the Yanks would not be easily deterred, as the Bombers destroyed the Pirates 16-3 and 10-0. However, the Pirates won the next two, 3-2 and 5-2, setting up a possible clincher in Game 6. However, Whitey Ford and the Yankee offense would have none of that, as they both dominated the Pirates en route to a 12-0 win, setting up the decisive game 7. The game started off well for the Bucs, as a 2-run Rocky Nelson homer and a 2-RBI single by Bill Virdon gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead. However, Moose Skowron and Yogi Berra hit homers in the 5th and sixth, staking the Yanks to a 5-4 lead. It got worse for the Pirates in the 8th, as a 2-out, 2-run double by Clete Boyer gave the Yanks a 7-4 lead. The bottom of the 8th, however, would prove to be disastrous for the Yanks. Gino Cimoli got a single to lead off the inning, then Virdon hit a sure double play ball to shortstop Tony Kubek. However, the ball hit a pebble, hitting Kubek in the throat and giving the Pirates men on first and second. Kubek was replaced by Joe DeMaestri. Dick Groat followed that up with an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-5. Bob Skinner followed with a sacrifice bunt to put men on second and third, then Rocky Nelson hit a short fly to right, giving the Pirates 2 outs and a man on 3rd. The next batter, Roberto Clemente, would prove to be the most important play of the game. He hit a slow roller to Skowron, but pitcher Jim Coates did not cover the bag, and Clemente beat Skowron to the bag, allowing Virdon to score and Groat to advance to 2nd. The next batter, former Yankee Hal Smith hit a 3-run shot to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead. The Yanks, however, refused to die, getting singles from Bobby Richardson, ex-Pirate Dale Long, and Mickey Mantle (all sandwiched around a Roger Maris foul-out) to cut the lead to 9-8 and put runners on the corners. Yogi Berra then hit a rocket down the first base line that Rocky Nelson grabbed and tagged first for the out. However, in the confusion, Mickey Mantle was able to get back to 1st, allowing pinch-runner Gil McDougald to score the game-tying run. That tie would last all of 2 pitches, as Bill Mazeroski hit the first, and to date, only walk-off World Series Game 7 homer in history. For the Series, the Yanks outscored the Pirates 55-27, outhit them 91-60, and still lost the Series. Sadly, this moment seems to be overlooked for moments like Kirk Gibson's homer, Carlton Fisk's homer, Reggie Jackson's 3-homer game, and even Joe Carter's walk-off homer (although his is overlooked), and ESPECIALLY the Bobby Thomson homer. 'This list is not out to antagonize anybody, it's to show that from time to time, moments that are great are overlooked, while other great moments are beaten into the ground.

Forced Jake Plummer