5 for Friday

1) NFL Draft (Round 1) - Giving more credence to the reason I gave up doing mock drafts. 1 guy gets picked (or doesn't get picked) and it screws the whole order up. I enjoyed splitting up the 1st round and putting it on prime time. As always some interesting picks. Some went the safe route, others swung for the fences. Jacksonville taking Tyson Alualu at 10 (good player, probably could have got him end of the 1st) and Denver going Tebow at 25 will be the 2 most analyzed and followed picks. I'm a Tebow "guy" and I love the fact McDaniels went out on a limb here. It's going to be interesting to follow the Broncos this year, that's for sure.

2) Ben Roethlisberger - I've been holding off on commenting about him until the league imposed their sanctions. 6 game suspension seems about right. After reading the reports about what happened with that girl, man does he come off as a real asshole. I'm sure those of you out there with daughters wouldn't be thrilled if you heard your daughter had met him..... Let's just leave it at that. Actually, let's throw in a photo. Keep drinking like a champion Ben!

3) Bellator Fighting - I've been watching the Thursday night fights on FSW the last 2 weeks and love it! If you're an mma guy, I highly suggest you check it out. In Bellator, they have a competition (or playoff if you will), where they start out with 8 guys in each class and in order to face that division champion, you need to win 3 fights in roughly 3 months (1 fight a month). Quarterfinals, Semi's and final before facing the Champion. None of this fight a couple stiffs and then get a title shot. You have to earn a title fight. The fighters are not guys I'm familiar with, but the fights have been very entertaining and fun to watch. Best of all, it's free. No PPV. Thursday nights on Fox Sports West for those of you on the West Coast. Again, I highly recommend you check it out.

4) Edinson Volquez - He's the Cincinnati Red's pitcher that was suspended earlier this week for testing positive for PEDs (50 game suspension). How quickly can 1 person drop? 2 years ago Volquez was the "wonder boy" when he came to the Reds in the Josh Hamilton trade and had a great year before injuries set him back last year. His explanation for taking the banned substance was it was a fertility drug that he was taking as he and his wife are trying to conceive a child..... Ok. Not many are believing him as evidenced HERE.

5) Angels - I mentioned them last week and how I wasn't too concerned with their start yet they needed to do something fast before they got in to much of a hole. Well they proceeded to sweep the Blue Jays, then took the first 2 games with the Tigers (should have been 3 but that's a whole other write up) before coming up short on their next 2. The Yankee's come to town for a 3 game series this weekend, then we'll evaluate where they stand. Right now, their starting pitching is coming around and so's their hitting. Bullpen is a work in progress but that'll get corrected 1 way or another soon. I'm still saying the Angels will win 95 games this year.

Have a great weekend,

Bill