ACC DRAFT PREVIEW

ACC DRAFT PREVIEW-By William Queen for Football Reporters Online


ACC DRAFT PREVIEW

Georgia tech

Wide receiver DeMaryius Thomas is a big play receiver if there ever was one. Averaging more than 25 YPC in 2010, Thomas takes advantage of every ball thrown his way. Unfortunately, Georgia Tech runs a triple-option offense, where the receiver is more of a blocker, so his 3.28 receptions per game is tough to judge. But no matter, NFL scouts are getting very good vibes from this kid; he’ll be taken sometime in the late first round.

During his college career, running back Jonathan Dwyer found himself living a running backs dream; the triple option. The Yellow Jackets made there living on the ground the entire time Dwyer was at Georgia Tech, so it’s safe to say that he never had to fight for carries. However, providing the fact that there’s no A-back position in the NFL, Dwyer is one of the toughest backs to project. Tallying 2,790 yards and 26 touchdowns in his last two seasons, there’s no question that he can run the ball, but a primary running back position will be a huge change for Dwyer. Personally, I think he won’t be taken till the mid-second round, but he’ll be an immediate contributor in a running back rotation.

Now switching to the other side of the ball, the Yellow Jackets will be without their two largest defensive forces, Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett. Defensive end Derrick Morgan isn’t the top rated defensive end in this year’s draft for nothing. His ACC-leading 12.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 2009 is only a side attraction for his impressive skill set. Morgan gets great leverage on the line and is always in the right position to make a play. He has great athletic ability that is complimented by an unbelievable motor and should be a great asset to any team in need of a 4-3 defensive end. Because of his speed and quickness, he may also be converted to a 3-4 outside linebacker. He should be the selected in the top half of the first-round; you can’t go wrong with this pick.

Safety Morgan Burnett gave Georgia Tech’s defense some fire to it 2009. His big-play ability and quick, athletic play, Burnett can make a quarterback think twice about a throw. His aggressiveness in the box doesn’t quite match up to his 6’1” 210 pound frame, but he still manages to bring the ball-carrier to the ground. Burnett never makes mistakes. His big-hits may not work so well on NFL ball carriers, but Burnett’s well worth a high second round selection based on his game-speed and instincts alone.

North Carolina

Defensive tackle Marvin Austin has steadily developed into a top-notch player during his time at North Carolina. He played all through his whole career at UNC and has plenty of playing experience coming into the draft. Austin is a huge space eater. He may have only had 4 sacks in 2009, but his play goes further than just his stats. He gets plenty of penetration and finds a way past the offensive line and into the play. Austin always seems to be in on the play and looks like he’ll be getting a call from a team sometime in the first round.

Numero dos in UNC’s defensive tackle montage, Cam Thomas is a force to be reckon with. Six foot three inches tall and 331 pounds, Thomas is as big as they come. Accumulating only 23 tackles as a senior, he doesn’t make very many plays, but he eats up tons of space on the offensive line and gives his teammates a chance at the ball. His pass rush collapses the pocket at ease and his lower body strength gives him very good potential in the NFL. He’ll probably land himself in the 2nd round sometime.

Cornerback Charles Brown has a very great potential in the NFL as well. Another underclassmen deciding to declare, Brown is about as close to the total package as you can get; a classic shut-down corner. He was the leader of the UNC secondary in 2009, accumulating 66 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. It’s tough to find any predictions on where Brown will fall in the Draft, but somewhere in the top 3 rounds for sure.

Elite Tarheel linebacker Quan Sturdivant will be greatly missed in the ACC. He racked up more solo tackles than just about any other linebacker in the nation. Sturdivant is a very fast, physical linebacker that’s not afraid to hit you straight up. A real football player. One of the best players tackling in the open field. Wasn’t expected to declare as a junior, but will most likely get drafted in the 2nd round anyways. Can play middle linebacker in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.

It seems as if UNC’s whole defense is leaving to the NFL. Safety Deunta Williams is leaving the Tarheels as a very established player. Racking up 138 tackles and 12 interceptions during his 3-year collegiate career, Williams has plenty to be proud of. He has great speed and a huge dedication to studying the game; watches more film than most quarterbacks. Displays very impressive hands for a defensive back; should go in the mid second round.

Outside linebacker Bruce Carter and defensive lineman Aleric Mullins and E.J. Wilson will also find their way early on in the NFL Draft.

NC State

The Wolfpack have just a few impressive prospects entering this year’s NFL Draft, the best being linebacker Nate Irving. Irving only started 12 games throughout his college career, but, averaging 8.7 tackles per game, took advantage of his playing time. Unfortunately, he was part of a bad car wreck in the summer of 2009, breaking his leg, collapsing a lung, and ultimately losing a third of his season. Due to a lack of playing time, it’s safe to say that Irving flew under the radar and should be a surprisingly good pick for a team in the early-to-mid 4th round.

I did a double-take when I saw quarterback Russell Wilson on this year’s NFL Draft prospect list. Wilson is a rare talent at quarterback and can turn a broken play into a touchdown by using his feet; the only problem is that he’s coming out as a sophomore. For a quarterback, declaring for the draft prematurely is often frowned upon. Quarterback is the most logistic position in football and, because of that, experience is wanted in a quarterback that is headed to the NFL. However, in situations like these, you ought to think that he’s taking the gig early just for the money. Hey, I don’t blame him, you get paid big bucks in the NFL. But since he’s coming out as a sophomore, he’s not only hurting Wolfpack fans across the state of North Carolina, but he’s setting him self up to be sitting on the bench for most of his early career.

Wide receiver Owen Spencer and defensive end Willie Young are also good value picks in the mid rounds; they will be missed in Raleigh.

Virginia Tech

Defensive end Jason Worilds will be the first guy off the board coming from the Hookies. His power and explosiveness surprises offensive lineman at the snap and he can really beat you into the back field. Worilds put up extremely good numbers in his first year as a starter in 2008 (18.5 TFL and 8 sacks), but didn’t live up to his standards in 2009 (11TFL and 4.5 sacks). Even though his senior season wasn’t as great, he still earned the respect of many when he played with a shoulder injury through the year. He may be a suitable outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, so his versatility should bump him up into the 2nd round.

Safety Kam Chancellor made his way into the 3rd round with his impressive performance on the bench press at the combine. Yet, even 22 reps at 225 pounds doesn’t accurately represent the strength and effort he exemplifies on the football field. He plays with tons of power and delivers huge hits on whoever is near the ball. Lots of ACC receivers ate dirt because of this guy. Even though he had six interceptions in 2009, he doesn’t exactly have the best hands, always manages to knock it down though. Chancellor’s excitement will surely be missed by Hookies fans.

Offensive lineman Sergio Render and Ed Wang should make there way into a new home sometime in the 4/5th round.

Boston College

Linebacker Mark Herzlich is one of the best stories in this year’s draft. He was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and, instead of letting it interfere with his life, he’s made a near full recovery and continues to make plays on the football field. Herzlich runs right through blockers and always makes the tackle in the backfield. Racking up 110 tackles in 2010, it’s clear that he plays very smart and never lets the ball carrier get the best of him. Reeling in 6 interceptions last season, he’s also shown exceptional coverage skills as well. Herzlich has the potential to be an immediate starter at the next level. He’s a first round lock.

Running back Montel Harris was one of, if not the biggest, offensive tool in Boston College’s offense. Harris exploded as a sophomore, running the ball for 1,457 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a result, his NFL Draft stock went flying through the roof and Harris decided to declare. Though most players are encouraged to stay in school and finish their degree, I think that he made the right decision. Many teams are looking for a rotation back such as Harris. Harris hit’s the hole hard and speeds through the front seven. He makes quick cuts and has no trouble making defenders miss. A good comparison, yet a bit of an exaggeration, would be Knoshon Marino. I see Harris going in the early-mid 3rd round, a good pick up.

Boston College is losing practically their whole offensive line in this year’s draft. Starting offensive tackles Anthony Castonzo and Rich Lapham are both predicted to go either in the 2nd or 3rd round. And starting center Matt Tennant and starting guard Thomas Claiborne are also predicted to depart in the 3rd round. All four leaving in the same year will cripple Boston College’s offense greatly in 2010. Now I know why running back Montel Harris is leaving; he doesn’t wanna get killed!

Miami

Offensive tackle Jason Fox has what it takes to make it in the NFL. Though I think he’ll only go in the 3rd round, Fox has plenty of potential. He possesses great footwork and displays great leverage when blocking. He uses his lateral quickness to make sure the defensive end doesn’t get around him. A great zone blocker. Has had a few injuries during his career, but has always manned up and played through them. Fox is a very tough player that gets the job done. He may not be as strong or imposing as you want your left tackle to be, but, as I said before, he gets the job done.

Tight end Jimmy Graham is an ex-basketball player that decided to try football in his senior year of college. Well it’s obvious now that that decision was a good one; he’s now looking at a potential NFL career. Graham doesn’t have very great technique, but that should be fixed by simply playing more football. He has great speed and physical features and runs his routes very well. He’s able to use his size to overpower to smaller defenders when the ball’s in the air. Graham’s also a solid blocker and, like I said earlier, more experience is key to his development. Very coachable. A good comparison would be San Diego Chargers Pro-Bowl tight end Antonio Gates; both are former college basketball players and if Graham turns out anything like Gates, then he has a heck of a career ahead of him.

Two Hurricane running backs have a crack at the NFL this Thursday; Graig Cooper and Javarris James. Cooper never ran for more than 850 yards in any given season, but his natural athletic ability is too much to pass up. While Javarris James is more of a power runner and will serve as more of a one-cut runner and goal-line back in the NFL. Both should get drafted in the later round of the Draft.

Miami is also losing linebacker Darryl Sharpton in the NFL Draft. Sharpton will most likely be drafted in the 5th round do to his explosiveness and power at the point of attack. Offensive guard Orlando Franklin also has a shot in the NFL due to his monstrous 6’7”, 320lb frame and raw abilities.

Virginia

Competitive cornerback Chris Cook has a good chance to be drafted high in this year’s NFL Draft. He tallied 40 tackles and 4 interceptions in 2009, setting him towards the top of this year’s cornerback class. Cook is a true competitor. He is very tough and provides great help with run support. Lacks the elite lateral quickness and change of direction that you look for in a starting corner, but has good straight line speed; he ran a 4.46 40-yard-dash at the combine. Due to his instincts and competitiveness, he’ll probably be drafted in the late 2nd round.

Virginia’s second departing corner, Ras-I Dowling will be going approximately the same time as Cook. Tight end Joe Torchia and offensive tackle Will Barker will also be drafted towards the middle of the draft.

Florida State

Myron “Academic Heisman” Rolle has finally entered the NFL draft. Perhaps one of the smartest people to ever play football, Rolle skipped his senior season to be a Rhode Scholar and study in Oxford. Not only is this guy smart, but he’s built to play football. He has prototype speed and size for a safety and never gets tricked by a quarterback. Because of him missing his senior season, there isn’t much game film to judge him by. But when he did play, Rolle was considered on of the top safety’s in the NCAA. He’ll probably be selected in the late 2nd round because of his lack of recent football experience.

Cornerback Patrick Robinson is making his way into the NFL spotlight. He’s one of those players that can go either way; he may be a big-time player or may be a big-time bust. Either way, he’ll get drafted high. Robinson has tremendous speed and leaping ability. Will challenge every ball thrown his way. He has great football instincts and easily sheds blocks to get to the ball carrier. However, Robinson relies on his athleticism a little too much when he plays, which is why I said he has a potential to be a bust.

Linebacker Dekoda Watson is one of the most imitating players in this year’s draft. He is built perfectly for the linebacker position and, despite his huge physique, he’s still an amazing athlete. Watson shows amazing quickness and keeps moving through the whole play; he doesn’t waste time taking on blockers. A tremendous rusher coming off the edge and plays with the intensity and leadership that you look for in a starter. Despite all this, he’ll probably only be drafted in the 4th round. A big sleeper at his position.

Florida State has two offensive lineman going in the mid rounds of the draft; center Ryan McMahon and offensive guard Rodney Hudson. McMahon is a very reliable player that will endure the whole NFL experience very well and will go in the 4th round. While Hudson is a very agile player that takes pride in footwork and should go in the 2nd round.

Clemson

The man himself, Clemson’s very own ,C. J. Spiller is entering the NFL Draft after a very successful four-year collegiate career. In senior season, Spiller racked up 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, 4 receiving touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and 5 touchdowns as a return specialist; this guy lights the scoreboard up. He is such a scoring threat, that it is impossible for NFL teams to ignore him. Spiller does have a slight injury problem with his toe and hamstrings, but he played through it all last season and managed to put up those numbers I mentioned before. He makes his cuts extremely fast and is as good as they get in the open field. Spiller runs through every arm-tackle and can explode in between the tackles and into the secondary. So much versatility, so many possibilities, he’ll most likely get selected in the mid 1st round.

Wide receiver Jacoby Ford was easily overshadowed by CJ Spiller through his career at Clemson. Yet, he still put up great numbers. Reeling in 56 balls for 779 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2009, Ford was primarily a big-play receiver. If this were any other receiver, they may not be in the 2nd-3rd round conversation. However, because of his sub 4.40 forty speed, Ford is looking at an early draft selection. He can catch the ball well in traffic and is dangerous on short screen passes. Reminds me of a less celebrated version of Percy Harvin. Ford will probably stick himself in the late 2nd round because of his speed.

Offensive guard Thomas Austin and defensive end Ricky Sapp are preparing for this year’s draft as well. Austin is a very powerful blocker who uses leverage and never gets pushed around. He doesn’t let defenders make plays and is a very durable player. He’ll probably go in the 4th round. Sapp is more of a 3-4 outside linebacker than a defensive end. His speed and coverage skills sets him apart from most d-lineman and should get some good looks because of his versatility. When he does rush, he gets into the back field in a hurry; should be drafted in the 3rd round.

Maryland

Offensive tackle Bruce Campbell has a heck of an NFL career ahead of him. He has the size, strength, speed, and awareness to be a successful left tackle in the NFL. His length allows him to slow down the pass rush and his quickness helps him to get in the right places and be a really effective blocker in the open field. He can really open up a screen play with his raw power. I can see this guy contributing to some big plays at the next level. However, Campbell is more of a prototype and may need some time to learn so that he doesn’t get outsmarted by NFL defensive lineman. No matter, he’s bound to find his way somewhere in the 1st round.

One of my “ACC Rising Stars”, running back DaRel Scott will be in this year’s draft. Scott broke out as one of the ACC’s best backs in 2008. Yet, do to injury, he only rushed for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2009. He missed about half of his season due to injury and flew under the radar as a junior, making himself one of the biggest sleeper running backs. Once Scott gets the ball, he picks a hole and explodes through it. He breaks every arm tackle and doesn’t slow down when he makes cuts. A very north-south runner. Scott will probably go sometime in the 3rd round.

Defensive back Antwine Perez and linebacker Alex Wujciak will also be selected in the mid rounds of the Draft.

Duke

During his time at Duke, quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was the ring leader of the football program. The Blue Devil’s football program has slowly been on a rise as far as winning is concerned; give it up for the man behind the plan. Lewis nearly led Duke to a bowl game by throwing for 3,300 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 2010. He’s the type of quarterback that will do anything to help his team win. He delivers quick, accurate throws to his best receivers. Rarely makes mistakes and can really work his way around in the backfield in order to find an open receiver. Despite all this, he’s not very high on many draft boards; most have him going in the 7th round. I think he’s one of the biggest sleeper at quarterback in this year’s draft, he’ll surprise many of people a few years down the road.

Defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase is the classic big-boy defensive tackle. He has some injury and endurance issues, but, when he’s at his best, he can really do some damage. Only 37 tackles (7.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks) in 2009, Oghobasse didn’t live up to expectations due to foot injuries. Yet, he’s still looking like he’s going to be a second-day selection. He has enough upper-body strength to bull rush effectively and has the versatility and smarts to learn any position on the defensive line. Oghobaase should be a solid back up in the beginning of his career and may have chances to move up.

Wake Forest

Field general Riley Skinner is one of many risky picks at quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft. His low release and 6’1” height makes things tough to be successful as an NFL quarterback. But hey, six foot tall Drew Brees just won the Super Bowl; there shouldn’t be a problem. Short or not, Skinner can play. He’s known for his intense study of the game and perfection of pre-play reads and calls. Skinner threw for 3160 yards and 25 touchdowns while maintaining a 66% completion percentage in 2009. He has tremendous accuracy and creates time in the pocket using his feet. Tends to squeez the ball into tight spaces and that may hurt him at the next level. Most likely a late round selection and should be a solid back up for the time being.

Cornerback Brandon Ghee will make a living in the 3rd round in this year’s draft. Ghee is a very well-rounded corner who has great coverage skills as well as run support. He only had one interception during his whole career as a Deacon, mostly because teams don’t throw his way, but still racked up 56 tackles in 2009. Ghee helped out his draft stock tremendously with his performance in the NFL Combine. He was a top performer in the 40-yard dash (4.45) and ranked among the top performers in the broad jump, 3-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and 60-yard shuttle. Ghee should be an early 3rd round selection.

Defensive tackle Boo Robinson is another player that will make his way into the NFL sometime in the 4th round. Robinson had to be double teamed in college and may get some 1-on-1 situations in the NFL. He outsmarts every offensive lineman he goes up against and has a huge upside. His size offers versatility as a 3-4 nose tackle.

Volcano in Iceland: Heathrow Airport reopens

While the Volcano in Iceland remains active and harmful to Iceland and the World's economy, Britain has decided to reopen Heathrow Airport. According to The Washington Post, Britain backed off on its own no-fly rule and allowed flight operations to resume.

The problems caused by the eruption of the volcano in Iceland have caused an estimated 300,000 flights to be cancelled and almost a billion in economic damage. New York City, alone, has suffered over $250 million in economic damage.

The British Civil Aviation Authority maintains that test flights of planes in low levels of ash were successful. But given the known dangers of such flight attempts, and the varying skills of pilots in what is an unusual situation, it would seem to tempt fate to invite flights while the airspace is far from clear of volcanic ash.

While the British CAA has been accused by some of overreacting to the volcano in Iceland, reopening due to economic and family pressure, not discounting such issues, is dangerous if as it appears, CAA officials aren't clearly sure of the level of safety in the European airspace.

The decision to reopen Heathrow at this time is a risky one. We can only pray to God that it was the right one.

Stay tuned.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums breaks tie; money for campaigns and IRV

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums made a rare visit to the Oakland City Council tonight, Tuesday, and for the purpose of breaking a tie vote on an alternative created by Councilmember Jean Quan to a resolution that if passed would have taken money from the Oakland public campaign financing program and put it into a plan for educating voters on the new Instant Run-Off Voting system.

Quan's alternative split money $100,000 for campaigns, and $100,000 for IRV education. The current City of Oakland program provides just over $200,000 for public campaign financing. In other words, the city helps you by providing matching funds.

The Mayor stepped forward after a lively but brutally nasty two-minute statement by Oakland's number one gadfly Sanjiv Handa. Sanjiv accused the City of Oakland and its City Council of being "greedy" because incumbent councilmembers running for reelection didn't want to have competition. While this space agrees with Sanjiv in principle, Handa's anger, with him almost shaking at the podium, was unnecessary.

After saying that he was a proponent of public financing "going way back to the 60s," and giving the signal that he was going to cast a vote against the amendment, he voted for it, making no one happy, as such votes tend to do.

Dellums tie-breaker decreased public campaign financing assistance by $100,000. After Mayor Dellums pointed out that the City of Oakland did not have to get into the business of edcuating voters because non-profit organizations were doing it, Dellums essentially voted against his own principles and logic.

Stay tuned.

2010 NFL Draft has Zennie and Small Luxury Hotels of The World

Sam Bradford 

The 2010 NFL Draft is Thursday night, and as I wrote in the previous blog post, I'm making the trip thanks to The Inn at Irving Place, part of The Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand. The Inn's located in the middle of Manhattan and just two minutes or so from Radio City Music Hall where the NFL Draft will commence on Thursday night

It's a partnership to pay attention to for bloggers because it has nothing to do with what I blog or video-blog about NFL players. At a time when media's broken and businesses are trying to figure out how New Media can help them, this is a great example to follow. But my post is more about the NFL Draft than that, so let's press on. I'll have blog posts about New York life from my experience during the NFL Draft, so be alert for them!

The 2010 NFL Draft marks my sixth consecutive trip to New York City to join my good friend and media partner Bill Chachkes. Again, the venue's Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Manhattan. But while the Draft itself is Thursday and at night for the first time, Draft-related events have already started.

For example there's the "NFL Play 60" event that's held Tuesday and Wednesday this year. "NFL Play 60" is a five-hour gathering in Central Park that features the college football players invited to be at the draft, local kids, and the media. The kids and the players - and the media, though I didn't see anyone do it - go through football related drills. This year, I'm going to dress to catch a football or three. In 2009, I was wearing cocktail attire to Central Park. Nuts.

As to what parties I'm going to attend, that's still up in the air, but not like the movie of the same name. The problem with the NFL Draft, and it's a good one, is that you have to space out time not just to blog but to compress and upload videos. The idea of using a cellphone camcorder and uploading on the spot from an event just doesn't sit well with me from a quality perspective. So time has to be made to produce content from the event. I also plan to just stick around The Inn at Irving Place and do more NFL Draft research.

As to the Draft, while many expect Sam Bradford to be taken #1 by the St. Louis Rams, but I'm of the view the Rams can't afford his $50 million signing bonus. It's a recession. The NFL's been hit hard by it just like everyone else. I can't see the Rams looking all that in the face and picking Bradford. The Rams will either trade the pick and move down or pick a defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy.

To me, Bradford'a great quarterback, but Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is better by a bit. Jimmy has an incredible competitive fire and essentially ran the New England Patriots offense under Charlie Weis, when he coached the Fighting Irish. Clausen's read to come in, start, and win now.

The two best running backs are C.J. Spiller and Jahvid Best, of Clemsson and Cal respectively. While Spiller's ranked higher, it's not by much, and were it not for the injury issue many would have Best at the top. Still, Spiller's speed is just plain scary.

But I root for Jahvid Best. He's done a lot for Cal and I look forward to meeting him. GO BEARS!

We also can't overlook Stanford's Toby Gerhart. He should go late in the 1st round or early in the 2nd round. He's that good. The next Jim Brown.

As to speed, while Notre Dame's Golden Tate has it, I'd take Florida State's Dez Bryant over Tate. Bryant's so call character issue is way overblown. He may have, OK, did, lie about his association with Deion Sanders, but that doesn't mean he's going to rob a bank. Bryant would be the perfect receiver for the Oakland Raiders.

If they take him.

Stay tuned.

Oakland uptown beating shows young black male problem

The terrible death of 59-year-old Tiansheng Yu one again sheds light on a problem that has plagued Oakland for some time, yet many don't want to talk openly about it. This space has, and will continue to do so.

The City of Oakland has a problem with young black men who just walk around picking people who they think are welcome targets for violence.

I blogged about this problem many times. In the case of the "mugging over at Wayne Avenue in 2007,"a man who lived on the 300 block of Wayne Avenue in Adams Point was mugged at gunpoint. Someone in the area two black men do the crime in what was described as an "underlit driveway."

In 2006, a young woman walked around China Hill, Haddon Hill, and Grand Lake posting a letter called Muggings on Athol.

The letter, as I wrote then in Oakland Focus, stated a painful fact: that whites are the targets of assault and theft crimes committed by African Americans in the area. She wrote:

We are faced with two decisions: 1) Either move out of Oakland , or 2) Stay and fight back. We've chosen to try option #2 and have contacted the police, the mayor's office, Pat Kernigan's office, and are now contacting the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council of the Oakland Police Department to formally organize a Neighborhood Watch Program. We want to try and combat this before we resign ourselves to abandoning Oakland.

All of this happens while I have walked as a black man in Oakland without incident. Not once. The problem isn't just one of race but of fear. A friend of mine who's blonde, white, and female had a job in downtown Oakland where she walked home at midnight for year. But when someone tried to talk to her, rather than react in fear, she held her head up and said hello to them. She never, in six years of this practice, had a problem.

The point is, the kids attack because they think they can get away with it. They think the person's scared and will not face them or fight back. Or they think the person will not talk to them. The best way to combat this is to simply be aware and not afraid. But mostly aware. Awake to the fact that a young black man might just hit you from the side.

We have to get back to the days when we told kids what we expected from them without fear. That's the time I grew up in. So, today, I don't expect to be called the N-word. I don't care to hear someone call me "OG"; I'm not anyone's Original Gangster.

There are a lot of us as black men in Oakland who feel this way. But what has to happen is others who aren't black have to take up the same behavior as we do. It's your town too.

Stay tuned.

Toby Gerhart is the NFL's 21st Century Jim Brown

See > nfl, nfl draft, toby gerhart, 2010 nfl draft, jim brown , small luxury hotels, new york city

Thoughts on Stanford's Running Back who-should-have-won-The-Heisman Toby Gerhart before this blogger leaves Georgia for the 2010 NFL Draft in New York City (thanks to The Inn at Irving Place, part of The Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand), and in the wake of my good friend Yahoo! Sports Mike Silver's post called Race factors into evaluation of Gerhart.

The fact that Toby Gerhart is a generational cultural test has been the case since he started running through and around people in 2009. You have to see Toby Gerhart in person to appreciate that he really is that fast.

While the Stanford Offensive Line at times gave Toby truck-sized holes to run through, there were more occasions when Gerhart just plain knocked people over. Toby Gerhart is the NFL's 21st Century Jim Brown.  Just watch:



Now the problem is some people insist on comparing Toby to a white running back because he's white. It's racist, not because of the comparison but because it's a put down of white running backs: it's a code-name for "slow."

Racism is to put a person down because of their skin color and that's what some NFL personnel evaluators are doing to Toby Gerhart. In effect, they're taking money out of his pocket that he'll have to win back with tough play in the league.

Because of such perceptions, Gerhart will be selected in lower rounds of the NFL Draft when he really should be taken in the 2nd round at the worst and the low 1st round at the best.   This is a player who ran for 1,857 yards and 27 touchdowns in the Pac-10.  Think about it.

Consider the racist evaluations as some gave Gerhart as told to Mike Silver:

One team I interviewed with asked me about being a white running back. They asked if it made me feel entitled, or like I felt I was a poster child for white running backs. I said, 'No, I'm just out there playing ball. I don't think about that.' I didn't really know what to say."

That revelation alone is enough to make the blood boil. If someone said that to a black college player, they would be rightly branded racist. It's amazing someone thought they could get away with treating Toby Gerhart that way.

But the NFL's problem is that some people in it stereotype others, thus Stanford's Toby Gerhart can't be a fast powerful running back who happens to be white, any more than Florida State Cornerback Myron Rolle can be a smart Rhodes Scholar player who happens to be black.

Geez.

Racism prevents the proper evaluation of college football players for the NFL. Remember this blog and Silver's article when you watch the NFL Draft Thursday night.

Stay tuned.

NFL Draft update: Dr. Bill Chackhes on the wide receivers

In this second installment of the NFL Draft view from Dr. Bill Chackhes - the first was on the quarterbacks - Bill focuses on the top NFL Draft Wide Receivers available from his perspective.

1. Golden Tate - Notre Dame
2. Dez Bryant - Oklahoma State
3. Stephen Williams - Toledo
4. Brandon LaFell - LSU
5. Freddie Barnes - Bowling Green

Like many, Golden Tate moved ahead of Dez Bryant in Bill's view. In the Gridiron Draft Guide, Bill reports that Tate is not "a pure pattern runner." Chachkes says he compares favorably to the Carolina Panthers' legendary receiver Steve Smith. While he doesn't expect Tate to be the first receiver taken in the NFL Draft, Bill thinks in terms of "overall skill set" he should be.

When this blogger thinks of Golden Tate, he sees a receiver who can just plain get downfield in a hurry. I've watched a lot of Notre Dame games; Golden Tate was always able to separate and catch the deep ball. He plays bigger than his 5-11 size. But is he better than Dez Bryant? That's another great debate; I'd have to say no.

Stay tuned.

NFL Draft update: Dr. Bill Chackhes on the quarterbacks

In this NFL Draft update, Dr. Bill Chackhes of Football Writers Online and Zennie62.com will present his take on the best quarterbacks in the 2010 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday night. His views are gained from his publication, The Gridiron Draft Guide.

For those who's never heard of Bill, he's the modern day equivalent of the late Joel Buschbaum. Buschbaum was a self-made college personnel scouting expert, who almost single-handedly built the publication Pro Football Weekly into star status. Like Buschbaum, Chackhes is obsessed with football scouting and reporting. Bill has attended every NFL Draft over the past 3 decades and 25 years as a member of the media.

Here's how Bill rates the quarterbacks:

1A) Colt McCoy - Texas
1B) Sam Bradford - Oklahoma
2) Tony Pike - Cincinnati
3) Dan Lefevour - Central Michigan
4) John Skelton - Fordham University
5) Ryan Perriloux- Jacksonville State
6) Jimmy Clausen - Notre Dame

Why Colt McCoy? Bill says that he's a consistent winner. His ball position in throwing is "excellent." He has Bradford behind McCoy for several reasons related to how Bradford doesn't move in the pocket.

Bill's take on Jimmy Clausen, who's rated sixth, has to do with his throwing motion. Bill complains that Clausen lifts his foot up after he throws consistently. Where I take issue with Bill is that this was done before the Notre Dame Pro Day where Jimmy really improved in a lot of areas. Personally, I think Clausen's now the best quarterback available, followed by Sam Bradford, then Colt McCoy.

Stay tuned.

Volcano eruption in Iceland: 64,000 flights cancelled

The latest news in the Volcano eruption in Iceland reports that according to Russia Today, 64,000 european and International flights were cancelled since the Volcano called Eyjafjallajoekull (Aside: someone tweeted that whoever named this volcano must have fallen asleep on the keyboard!) erupted April 14th.

Now, even with the news of the flight cancellations and reports of new eruptions, some airline official are convinced that they can resume normal service after conducting successful test flights. They say that with the exception of Iceland, European air space is safe. This while the new eruption is reported to have sent a new ash cloud toward Britain.

This effort is being pushed by the British Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis, who said "I wish to establish, as a matter of urgency, whether some safe flight paths can be identified and opened up to flights."

The urgency is due to the Worldwide economic loss, estimated at growing to a potential one percent to two percent of European Gross Domestic Product.

But this blogger thinks the economic loss is one the World should bear if it means saving lives. The weather is unpredictable enough as it is with the existence of the giant ash clouds. All it takes is one fatal air flight to prove that it's dangerous, but why temp such a possible fate?

Stay tuned.

Will.I.Am (@iamwill) visits @twitter

Will.I.Am (@iamwill) Visits @twitter, originally uploaded by @Twitter.

Will.I.Am (@iamwill) of The Black Eyed Peas visits @twitter and from this photo uploaded on April Fool's day, he's having a great time. There's another cool group photo, but this picture is cooler.

What I wonder is if the woman is standing on something and leaning over him or has climbed onto Will.I.Am's body to take the photo?

I also wonder if Will.I.Am ever took his glasses off. Whatever the case, he'd love to work there:

:) Im tweeting from twitter :) people are excited to come to work...if I wasn't doing music I wouldn't mind working here
11:59 AM Apr 1st via UberTwitter

One thing's for certain: this @iamwill is the real one. Hey Will, follow back, dude!

Rebecca Kaplan: why she's running for Mayor of Oakland - Susan Mernit

Susan Mernit, Oakland Local Founder and Executive Editor, was kind enough to post her interview with Oakland's At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan at Zennie62.com and reposted here below at SFGate.com, and at Oakland Focus. The Rebecca Kaplan interview's a to-the-point discussion of her reasons behind her decision to run. (A bit of disclosure: Rebecca Kaplan's communications director is a blogger and editor at Oakland Local.)

Before the text is presented, this blogger has to make one observation: Councilmember Kaplan said she's thought "for months" about running for Mayor. Given that she's barely two years into her time as Councilmember, it seems safe to say Kaplan was not happy being Oakland's At Large elected official and wanted to be Mayor of Oakland as far back as after the first year of her term. But that's this blogger's observation: I yield the floor to Susan Mernit:

When Rebecca Kaplan announced last week she had formed a committee to explore entering the Oakland 2010 mayoral race, few people were surprised. Kaplan, 39, is a freshman on the Oakland City Council, yet her active partnerships with other council members to sponsor bills and ordinances, and her consistent visibility at non-profit and business events around the city, suggested Kaplan never fully left campaign mode.

Oakland Local met with Kaplan on Wednesday, April 14, soon after she announced this first step toward candidacy, to understand more about why she is running and what special skills and perspectives she might bring to the race, should she decide to enter.

Oakland Local: What made you decide to take this next step in entering this race? What do you think you could do in this job that others might not?

Kaplan: When I was considering whether to take this next step, I asked myself what I thought was needed to stabilize the city and address the issues, and then whether I was the best person to actually make that happen. So many people who consider entering this kind of race think first about whether they can form a committee and raise the money—and I agree that is important—but I wanted to think through the magnitude of what actually needs to be done and what actually can be done; for me, that had to come before the pragmatic questions about raising money. I’ve given it thought, and I am clear with myself that I can do this—I have been thinking about it for months.

Oakland Local: What are the issues you see yourself addressing?

Kaplan: There are two areas that I look at systemically around how Oakland needs improvement—one is around internal systems and how government is organized; this is very much what I think of as the role of the executive branch and the changes it has the power to bring about. Specifically I think there is a huge streamlining that needs to go on in Oakland city government that will go a long way toward bringing in new business, generating new revenue, staffing more efficiently, addressing the budget deficit. Some examples of this center around using technology and personnel much more efficiently that we are doing right now—to make Oakland city government more efficient to operate—and also benefit community members and business people at the same time.

Oakland Local : Can you give some examples of what you mean?

Kaplan: Sure. There are a lot of systems we have that could be moved to the Web and happen a lot faster and more efficiently, especially around permitting and licensing. For example, we want to stop blight in the city and this is a huge issue. We have a lot of foreclosed properties that belong to out-of-town banks, and we want to make those owners as accountable as a homeowner would be—but we don’t have the systems to effectively take in and prioritize large numbers of blight complaints. If we could set up more Web-based systems to allow the public to report blighted properties, we could do a lot in terms of enforcing blight codes, imposing fines on entities that are responsible for multiple blighted properties and collecting revenues around this program. It would help everyone all around.

We can think in similar ways about information technology and tech infrastructure and how we use city staffers. Right now, we have people who literally retype data from one system to enter it into another, because we have incompatible computer systems. By fixing this technology problem, we would reduce numerous hours of wasted staff time, and reduce costs and redeploy staff to areas where they are really needed.

I think about business permits and licensing and how we should let our local businesses pay their fees and licenses online, reducing wasted time both for our businesspeople and for city staff to process paperwork.

Oakland Local: How about the other aspect you mentioned?

Kaplan: The other aspect is really about ensuring we have economic growth in the city, and that we support public safety in a way that improves the quality of life and reduces crime, and that we address ways to reduce costs head-on, even though it’s hard.

On one hand, we need to not tax very small businesses, so that they can flourish and have an opportunity to grow before they have to start paying the city (plus, for very small businesses, it can cost Oakland more to collect the fees and taxes than the amount collected); on the other hand, we need to work really hard to attract new businesses to Oakland that can make significant contributions to the city’s tax base—and create new jobs. The small business tax threshold is currently $2,500 –but it should be more like $25,000.

At the same time, we need to support the Police Chief in making Oakland safer through effective deployment of police, and we need to create opportunities for change that can turn the whole economic crisis around. My background has taught me to value strategic planning, and it seems to me that Oakland needs to take a much broader, systemic look at how to do things more effectively and create new opportunities.

Oakland Local: What do you mean?

Kaplan: For example, Oakland needs to begin more actively recruiting new businesses to support new job generation. We need to identify aspects of this that fit well with Oakland, and aggressively target new businesses and woo them to bring them here. We have been working to bring in big stores like Costco and Target, and we need to step that up, including focusing on identified needs. Some areas of Oakland totally lack a grocery store and drug store. Attracting these businesses will serve the needs in the community while also creating numerous jobs.

Another example for economic opportunity: we have lots of industrial space in Oakland that would be a great fit for food manufacturing and preparation. We need to bring those kinds of businesses, that once were here, back to Oakland, and we need to start more commercial kitchens, and an effective mobile food truck permit program, and other expansions of the food-related industries, that will help small businesses—and create new jobs. Also, we need to do more to make life easier for local businesses, including providing clear information, and improving our zoning.

Oakland Local: Where does zoning fit in?

Kaplan: Updating our zoning is essential because it controls what types of uses, including what types of businesses, can be located in which locations. Zoning also influences how difficult it will be to open a particular type of business, in terms of whether or not it needs a “Conditional Use Permit” or other such requirements. I began to work on this issue when we recently re-zoned the Central Business District, to make it easier to open bakeries, bike shops, and more. We need to bring this approach citywide.

Oakland Local: Okay, where does crime and public safety fit into all this? When we asked OL community members what they wanted you to talk about, this was #1.

Kaplan: Public safety is #1 in the city, I agree. So many other things can’t happen if these issues aren’t addressed. Public safety is intertwined with economic revitalization. We are fortunate, to have a good Police Chief in Anthony Batts, and we should give him the support he needs to help provide public safety in Oakland. We need to provide police officers to every “beat” in Oakland (as the voters were promised in “Measure Y”). This is important for several reasons— A visible police presence can prevent and deter crime, and this should be provided in all areas of Oakland. The officers and the community members can get to know one another and build trust, and improve communications so that officers are able to gather evidence they need to prevent or solve crimes.

Oakland Local: So where will these beat police come from? Do you think the OPD should hire more officers, or what? This was another question from an OL community member.

Kaplan: There are two main methods to make sure we have enough police on the beat. One method is to make better use of the personnel we have, and to hire beyond that. For example, right now civilian complaints and internal affairs investigations are handled by police officers, where such tasks would be better handled by civilians, which would then free up those police officers to do more vital police work. (This will require dealing properly with the Court oversight as well).

There are other roles in the police department which could potentially be performed by non-sworn personnel, thus freeing up more police officers for redeployment. In addition, we need to provide adequate staff for 9-1-1 dispatch, to provide timely response to public safety calls, and for investigations, to make sure crimes can be solved.

Oakland Local:How about the budget deficit? That’s an issue for anyone coming in as mayor—how would you address that?

Kaplan: Well, there’s a lot to that one, but one thing we need to think about is both restructuring city government and making cuts strategically. We have a window of opportunity there—much of Oakland’s city government staff will be retiring in the next few years—so that means we have an opportunity to redefine jobs, change and consolidate positions, and to hire people with new skills.

Oakland Local: Are you saying that you want both to cut via attrition and to streamline staffing as one way to address making cuts?

Kaplan: Yes. We need to review all the roles in city government, and redefine the jobs, where we are duplicating efforts, and where changed circumstances mean we have some tasks we no longer need, while other new tasks are needed. We also need to look at where the organization makes no sense, and improve the organizational systems to make our planning and implementation more effective. Right now, taxis are under public safety and parking is under Finance, and “transportation” is in neither. This makes our transportation planning much less effective and it makes our parking policies less sensible than they would be if the various transportation issues were looked at together.

Oakland Local: Where else do you see a need for focus and growth?

Kaplan: One great opportunity is in “Transit Oriented Development” which means developing communities where people can safely and easily access housing, shops, jobs and more by transit, walking and biking. These types of improvements, such as fixing sidewalks, pedestrian lighting and safe crosswalks, and providing new infill development near transit, can bring jobs, economic investment, and improve quality of life in the area.

And interestingly, there’s a lot of funding coming available soon that Oakland can bring in to make this happen. Senator Barbara Boxer is working on an energy bill which includes funds for Transit Oriented Development, and so does the new Federal Transportation bill expected out around December. California’s SB 375, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas 

emissions, will also be implemented to support this type of development. We have an opportunity to get funding to support these kinds of initiatives, because we have numerous transit hubs and routes in our city, making us eligible for these funds, and they will mean a lot for Oakland’s revitalized future.

Oakland Local: What makes you the person to do all this? What could you bring to the race—and to being Mayor—that would make you effective? Some people say you are too young—39—and too inexperienced to be Mayor—what’s your response to that?

Kaplan: I’ll be 40 by the fall, but perhaps being young is an advantage. I certainly am not short in experience—I have been a staffer in government, I served for many years on the Board of AC Transit, in an elected seat which includes all of Oakland, and I have a strong record of making things happen. But most importantly, I am willing to innovate and bring a fresh point of view. We can’t solve Oakland’s problems by just looking at things the way we always have, we need to plan strategically for a different future and then execute well My vision—and my training—give me the means to rethink what Oakland needs to do, and to work with a broad coalition of organizations around the city to make the change we need happen.

Oakland Local: So what’s next? Who is your team?

Kaplan: Our next steps include holding a reception and fundraiser on May 12th at the Cathedral Building in Uptown Oakland, located at 1615 Broadway Ave., from 5:30 — 7:30p. We now have Kamika Dunlap as Communications Director (note: Kamika has written for Oakland Local), Molly Cohen providing Administrative coordination, and Lisa Williams doing development and fundraising.

Rebecca Kaplan’s campaign Web site: http://www.KaplanforOakland.org

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Kaplan/12695133780

Get involved: What do you want to ask candidates in the race about the issues and where they stand?

Oakland Local will conduct interviews with all candidates and prospective candidates in the coming weeks. If you would like to be involved in interviews and/or have suggestions for questions you’d like answered, e-mail editor@oaklandlocal.com.

Stay tuned for more news from Oakland and around the World.

NFL Draft update: Conte Cuttino, Tebow and Buffalo, Raiders OT?

The 75th NFL Draft is Thursday night and as happens with the fast approaching date, rumors are flying around television, Internet, and phone lines. Here's a taste of the talk via this NFL Draft update: news about Conte Cuttino, Tim Tebow, and The Philadelphia Eagles.

If you remember my blog post on Stony Brook University Running Back Conte Cuttino, the 4.4 quick speedster overlooked by a number of draft experts, a source close told me that Cuttino's being looked at closest by the teams in the East: the New York Jets, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and the Philadelphia Eagles. No, not the Buffalo Bills on the list. As to where Cuttino may go, he looks to be taken in the 3rd round, but with leaks about the condition of Cal Running Back Jahvid Best, Cuttino could move to as high as the 2nd round.

There's a hot rumor that the Buffalo Bills are sold on Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow, so much that they're willing to trade into the 1st round to get him.

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable said Offensive Tackle's a priority for the Raiders. Many expect the Raiders to take Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell. But that may be a smokescreen because Bruce Campbell did not perform well on the intelligence test called The Wonderlic, the 50-question document that's more cultural test than real I.Q. exam, but NFL teams place so much value in.

Bruce Campbell placed below the average score for offensive tackles in the 2010 NFL Draft, posting an 18 versus an average of just over 20 for all. So, hold a star by what Cable tells you; it's not certain.

Another hot rumor by ESPN's Adam Schefter is the Eagles are looking to move up to the 12th pick in the first round of the Draft. But what they will do is another guess. The Eagles have 11 picks in all for the 2010 Draft, which gives them currency to deal.

Stay tuned.