Will Everyone Please Stop Acting Like Mark Sanchez is the Second Coming?

ESPN, I'm looking at you. You single-handedly raised Mark Sanchez from a 8th-14th pick in the 2009 draft to a top five pick. This is a man who has started only 16 games in a conference that really isn't all that strong. The PAC-10 is really just USC and 9 also-rans. Now Sanchez in a NY Jet. The Jets gave up a first round pick, a second round pick, and three players to get an unproven rookie quarterback with very little arm strength (comparatively speaking).

Now everyone at ESPN is acting like the Jets made the steal of the draft, and that they had the best draft ever, when they only selected three players. I have nothing against Mark Sanchez, I wish him the best. But to act like he's the greatest football player in the history of history is a bit much, even for Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.

Sanchez started 16 games in the PAC-10. Matthew Stafford (drafted 1st overall, but apparently a dud compared to Sanchez (again, I'm looking at you ESPN)) won 27 games in the SEC. I will repeat that, Stafford WON 27 games in the defense laden SEC. Most PAC-10 teams (outside of USC) don't know what a defense is (until they play USC). The defenses are so good in the SEC, that last season there was a game played between Auburn and Mississippi State, and Auburn won the game 3-2. I'm not kidding.

So let's get off the Mark Sanchez bandwagon for a while. In fact, let's not have player bandwagons at all. Let's wait until these guys get on the field in game situations before we start crying aloud that one is better than the other.

Signed,
A True SEC Fanatic

Formula 1 recapped: McLaren, Bahrain, and Jenson Button

So the politics are done, at least for now. The World Motor Sport Council held an "extraordinary" meeting to discuss the fate of McLaren Mercedes after the "liargate" incident at the Australian Grand Prix. To recap, at the end of the race at Melbourne a safety car was deployed and under the safety car conditions Toyota driver Jarno Trulli went off the track. Lewis Hamilton passed Trulli for third place, but was unsure if this was legal (under the sporting regs it is entirely legal to overtake a car if said car goes off the track). Lewis contacted his team to let them know that he had let trulli back in front, but he wanted to know if third place was his. The team tried to contact Charlie Whiting, race director, but no answer came quickly enough, and the race ended. Afterward, Lewis was asked if the team had told him to let Trulli pass and he said no (semantically this is correct, if you listen to the tapes he said he had let Trulli pass and asked if that was okay, and the team told him to hold position because they were seeking an answer from Charlie). A huge kerfuffle erupted and eventually McLaren employee Dave Ryan was selected as the sacrificial lamb and was fired. The stewards decided that McLaren had lied to them, and therefore disqualified the team's results.

So today McLaren had their meeting with the WMSC to determine a fate that many claimed had already been determined. The team was disqualified from the race in which the infraction was committed. But in F1, and especially when dealing with McLaren, it is a necessity to kick a team while they are down.

Thankfully, though, the WMSC saw reason. They handed out a suspended three race ban, which means that if McLaren screws up again they will be banned for three races, but so long as they fly right and stay within the rules, then the punishment already meted out is all that will stand. Finally, we can put politics behind us and get back to the racing we all enjoy.

Speaking of which, I have to say that I really enjoy the track at Bahrain. It has a decent amount of elevation change, and it is apparently very hard on the brakes. Jenson Button won the race, making it three out of four for Brawn GP. Lewis Hamilton, aforementioned of the council meeting, has found some speed in the MP4-24 Mercedes, posting a fourth place finish, marking three consecutive points finishes for the Brit with the slow car.

Ferrari is still stuck in their own personal doldrums, with Kimi Raikkonen's sixth place finish at Bahrain coming in as the team's first points finish of the season. 2008 Championship runner-up Felipe Massa has only finished in the top ten once (a ninth place finish at Malaysia) and has already retired from 50% of the races this season, a very inauspicious start.

Another team suffering greatly at the moment is BMW Sauber, who looked impressive in pre-season testing, but has yet to put it together on the track. Lead driver Robert Kubica has run all four races, obviously, but his finishes are less than inspired (14, Ret., 13, 18, respectively). Nick Heidfeld has scored the only points for the team this season. Hey, at least they still have more points (4) than Ferrari(3).

Draft Day 2009

I have been accused of looking at Draft day like it was Christmas. But I’m not going to say I’m sorry. I love it. The NFL Draft is one of my favorite days of the year. I get to watch every team in the league pick who they think will be the next face of their franchise. I get to see who trades up, who trades down, and who just stays put.

Watching the prospective players gather in New York, waiting for their name to be called, and then going up on stage to get the jersey and cap… I love it. The New York fans gather, both Giants and Jets (they are geographically closest to the venue), and usually boo rather loudly, regardless of who is picked.

Speaking of the NY Giants, they pick 29th in the first round this year, but rumor is they are looking to trade up so they can get a certain wide receiver. Darius Heyward-Bey is the supposed target, and he is currently projected to go somewhere between 13 and 19.

The Detroit Lions made it official last night, signing Georgia QB Matthew Stafford to a six year deal worth a reported $72 million, $41.7 million of which is guaranteed.

So here’s the Right Wing 2009 Mock Draft Top 10:

1 Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB Georgia
Stafford is a playmaker with an Elway-like arm and poise under pressure. He gives Detroit a franchise QB to build around. And with a weapon like Calvin Johnson, I doubt you’ll hear Stafford complain.

2 St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT Baylor
Smith is one of the better pure athletes in the draft this year, and recently offensive tackles have become regular first round selections. Just last season OT Jake Long went first overall.
Alternate possibility: Aaron Curry

3 Kansas City Chiefs: Tyson Jackson, DE LSU
Jackson’s stock has soared recently, and this originally projected late first rounder has climbed the board steadily. The Chiefs need a strong central piece to their defense, and Jackson could just be it.
Alternate possibilities: Aaron Curry, Jason Smith

4 Seattle Seahawks: Mark Sanchez, QB USC
ESPN has single handedly raised the draft value of Mark Sanchez through their man-crush on any and all things USC. Sanchez started only 16 collegiate games, but is apparently worth a very high first round pick. Seatttle’s choice here now essentially hinges the whole draft. If they go a different route than Sanchez, the fun will start around pick 8.
Alternate possibilities: Michael Crabtree, Aaron Curry

5 Cleveland Browns: Aaron Curry, LB Wake Forest
Curry is probably the best pure athlete in this draft class. He brings speed to a defense, but he’s mostly an inside linebacker, so he’s more of a run stopper than anything.
Alternate possibilities: BJ Raji

6 Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT Alabama
Smith is a logical choice for the Bengals, who need to better protect Carson Palmer. Smith, though, has raised questions about his desire, and a weak showing at the Combine gave cause to pause.
Alternate Possibilities: Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin

7 Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech
Oakland on Draft Day is about like watching a demolition derby, it’s not gonna be pretty, but it will be exciting. The Raiders need a top WR and Crabtree just might be their guy.
Atlernate possibilities: Jeremy Maclin

8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Jeremy Maclin, WR Missouri
Maclin is a double threat at least, as a receiver and kick returner. Jacksonville likely will hope that Mark Sanchez falls to this spot so they can trade the pick, gather more selections later on.
Alternate Possibilities: Eugene Monroe, BJ Raji

9 Green Bay Packers: Michael Oher, OT Ole Miss
The Pack needs to protect Aaron Rodgers, and an SEC O-lineman is as good a choice as any.
Alternate possibilities: Eugene Monroe, BJ Raji

10 San Francisco 49ers: Aaron Maybin, LB Penn State
The 49ers might try going after a QB, but Maybin makes sense here. The Niners will need a strong central figure for their defense.
Alternate Possibilities: Eugene Monroe, BJ Raji

Now obviously we didn’t discuss the possible trades that could take place. A few teams are inquiring about Jacksonville’s eight spot pick, especially Washington and the NY Jets. Both teams are interested in moving up to acquire Mark Sanchez.

The Broncos are a team to watch, as they have the #12 and #18 picks. The Eagles also have two late first round picks, one of which they are projected to use on Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno.

The Atlanta Falcons sit at #24, and were originally projected to select TE Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State. But two days ago the Falcons trade and 2010 2nd Round pick to KC for TE Tony Gonzalez, effectively ending the Pettigrew projection. The Falcons will likely bolster their defense now. LB Clay Matthews (USC) or DT Peria Jerry (Ole Miss) would both be great additions.

Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix-view

Well, I woke up early this morning, after a very fitful night of irregular sleep, I might add, and watched the practice session for this weekend’s Grand Prix in Bahrain. I think that I might like this track, as there seemed to be a decent amount of action, especially for a practice session.

The track, located in the middle of a desert, has a fair amount of elevation change, though obviously nothing like Spa. See, unfortunately I’m jaded. I mean, anyone would be jaded after seeing a race at Spa. Even you despise Formula 1, Spa is one of the most beautiful tracks on Earth. But Bahrain is different from the other tracks we’ve seen so far, with the only remote comparison being Melbourne. Even though Bahrain has an entire desert to cover, it looks to be about a 3.5 mile track squeezed into about four hundred square feet.

The surface is tricky, as winds will often blow a considerable amount of sand onto the track. RBS Williams driver Nico Rosberg, who for the whole season has been consistently fast in Practice (although he’s yet to translate practice speed into race speed), claims that Bahrain is one of his favorite tracks to race at.

Now that the diffuser issue has been settled, the seven teams without the “trick” diffuser of Brawn, Toyota, and Williams will be rushing to redesign their cars to incorporate the design.

Ferrari has denied claims that they are considering scrapping the 2009 campaign to focus on 2010, but they have held a crisis meeting (at least once).

McLaren is sitting on edge at the moment, as their date before the World Motor Sport Council looms (April 29). McLaren’s sponsors have already started asking for leniency, claiming that a stiff penalty will force them from their sponsorship, and will likely ruin the team. Of course, I believe that the team has been punished enough, as they were disqualified from the race in which the infraction occurred. Any further penalty would seem to be an instance of “piling on” by the FIA. Then again, I truly think the FIA has it out for McLaren. As does team Principal Martin Whitmarsh.

McLaren was called before the WMSC for lying to the stewards at Melbourne. Whether you believe that the team should be further penalized or not is irrelevant. The question I think people should be asking is this: Why did it take race director Charlie Whiting so long to get an answer to McLaren? If he had been a little quicker and more forthcoming with the answers the team requested, this incident likely would not have occurred.

As for today’s practice, it was once again Williams, Toyota, and Brawn toward the front. Fernando Alonso, who had claimed that Renault could fight for the title this year, ran at the back for most of the session. The bottom five had some pretty big names in it, and at the end of practice looked like this:

16 Felipe Massa - Ferrari
17 Robert Kubica - BMW Sauber
18 Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari
19 Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes
20 Nick Heidfeld - BMW Sauber

So, what about our prediction for Bahrain? Well, here it is:

1. Jenson Button - Brawn GP

2. Nico Rosberg - Williams

3. Mark Webber - Team Red Bull

Chinese Grand Prix-view

The third round of the Formula 1 season takes place this weekend, as the boys with the fast cars take to Shanghai for the second time in less than half a calendar year, and the second time in the span of 5 races. This track hosted the penultimate race of 2008, and now hosts the third race of 2009.

Sebastian Vettel scored the first ever pole for Red Bull racing, and Fernando Alonso finally found some speed in the zamboni they call the R-29. A Red Bull - Renault front row marks the first time this season that Jenson Button and Brawn have failed to be on pole. And now that the Diffusers have been declared legal, look out for a more level playing field... in about six weeks or so. Ferrari still has to sort out what they're doing wrong, Force India would just like to get some points instead of just reliving the glory days of Spyker F1.

McLaren is praying that the FIA suddenly inherits some common sense. At the start of the season it appeared as though there would only be an 18 car grid, which no one wanted. Now, though, it seems like the FIA is clamoring to have that same 18 car grid. Did McLaren lie? Yes. Have they been penalized? Let's see, you took away all the points they scored at Australia, the race in which they lied... so, yeah, I'd say they have. Anything more is just beating someone while they're down.

Speaking of McLaren, Ron Dennis stepped down from his position with the company. No one was surprised.

BMW Sauber is still trying to figure out what has happened to Robert Kubica. His run-in with Vettel at Melbourne seems to have created a snowball of bad luck for the Polish driver. His car broke down and subsequently caught fire at Sepang. And this morning in Shanghai he failed to get out of Q1, landing him P18 to start. I was hoping that the team would get it together, because I like Kubica. And as for that run-in with Vettel, that was what we call a racing incident, no one should've been fined for it, but Vettel took the fall.

Now, on to Shanghai. This track looks like it came straight from mid-Cold War Soviet Russia. Just watch the video and you'll see what I mean. The imposing columns along the outside of the main-straight grandstands look like abandoned-then-converted missile silos. The trademark hairpin turn at the end of the incredibly long back straight is relatively common in F1. All in all, fun track.

Last year Lewis Hamilton drove one of the more dominant races of the season here, winning the pole and never looking back, the Brit won his fifth Grand Prix of 2008. The cars are radically different, so expect a much different outcome this season.

Our Predicted Podium:

1. Fernando Alonso - ING Renault
2. Jenson Button - Brawn GP
3. Sebastian Vettel - RedBull Racing

Tax Day Tea Parties Revistied

Well, we're now a few days removed from the Tax Day Tea Parties, and the hits just keep a-coming.

CNN was falling over themselves to make teabagging references.

One CNN reporter, Susan Roesgen, went out of her way to confront people at the tea party in Chicago. First, she grew upset over someone comparing Obama to Hitler. Now I don't condone comparing American Presidents to the Nazi leader, but I recognize the First Amendment and free speech, even if I disagree. But you have to remember, this is the same Susan Roesgen who, at an Anit-Bush rally in New Orleans two years ago referred to a Bush-mask with a Hitler mustache and devil horns as a "lookalike." Now she's offended because someone is saying the same thing about the Anointed One. Secondly, she spoke to a man who was there with his two-year-old son, and she continually interrupted the man, even as he tried to make a point. He ranting about him being eligible for a $400 credit, and the state of Lincoln receiving $50 Billion in government stimulus were shrilly driving through the man's own point. (I just wish he would've been quick enough to ask her where she thought the government stimulus money was coming from. Eh, Susan? Any ideas?) She then turned back to the camera and said that it was clear that the rallies were anti-government, and they were anti-CNN, as they were promoted by the conservative (read: EVIL) Fox.

Then Anderson Cooper, who I once respected as a journalist, made snide remarks like "It's tough to talk when you're teabagging." Classy.

Keith Olbermann, whose MSNBC program could lose a rating battle with a show titled "Watching Paint Dry," was all too happy to point out that the Tax Day Tea Parties were the corporate brainchild of Fox News and that only stupid, ignorant, racist Americans attended. Janeane Garofalo, as a guest on his show, called the attendees a bunch of racists rednecks who aren't upset about taxes, but hate the fact that a black man is President. She claimed that none of the rally-goers had any idea what the Boston Tea Party was about. All the while Keith Olbermann blithely agrees with every word she says.

Now I'll admit that there were some rather offensive signs at the rallies, but nothing worse than what was gleefully reported about George W. Bush for the last six years or better. Yet when a majority Conservative movement happens it has to be downplayed, and ridiculed. Did Cavuto exaggerate? I don't doubt he did. Point out one journalist on CNN, MSNBC, or Headline News, who hasn't exaggerated. It's become part of mainstream media these days.

The most reassuring thing to me in all of this is that Fox News, whose coverage of the Tea Parties contained no sexual innuendos, and no snide remarks about the event-goers being racist rednecks, out-rated every other broadcast news source for the day. If you listen to one side, please listen to the other side.

And while we're on the subject of taxes, let me just say how thrilled I am that we don't have this stupid Fair tax idea. I mean, why would I want to be taxed 23% at the point of purchase. A sales tax of 6% is already too much. I'm happier with the government going on and taking 35% out of my check before it ever hits my hands. I don't have to do any work, they do it for me. Now I can go watch American Idol.

And yeah, that last paragraphed reeked of a little thing we call sarcasm.

Tax Day Tea Parties

I'm not exactly sure how to go about this. See, a while back I changed the format of the Right Wing to sports and nostalgic humor, and I dropped politics. But I think this requires mention.

Today is Tax Day. Every April 15th you have to get your taxes in or suffer penalties. Firstly, let me state that if we didn't have such a horrifyingly complex tax structure in this country then these tea parties probably wouldn't happen. Of course, when 10% of Americans are paying 72% of the taxes, and roughly 50% of the nation pays next to no taxes at all, it'll be hard to make a change. But these Tea Parties are the first step.

And There are some bastions of conservatism that claim that the Federal government is attempting to draw attention away from the tea parties. President Obama is reportedly making speeches about how the economy is turning around at a more rapid rate than believed possible. And Homeland Security has reportedly released a report that returning veterans could become radicalized right-wing extremists. Sad.

It is a true grass roots movement happening. 5000 people showed up in Cincinnati. Thousands are expected in Atlanta. Sean Hannity will be hosting his nightly show from the steps of the Georgia Capital building.

People are rising up and saying that enough is enough. Taxpayers are tired of essentially being punished for their success so that the "less fortunate" can be given money instead of earning it. And I know that some people have been through bad situations. But at the same time there are freeloaders out there who make their living off receiving welfare money from the fed.

I hope these Tea Parties get out the right message.

The Music of 1994: 15 Years Later

If that title doesn't make you feel old, then... well, it makes me feel old. This is the music I grew up to. These are the bands that made me want to play guitar. And all of this was fifteen years ago.

1994 was a banner year for the music industry. Changes were occurring that would shape the music scene for years, and some would argue that the repercussions are still being felt.

Let's start in February of 1994, when pseudo-indie punk band Green Day launched the crappy-sounding album Dookie. While some of the more wholesome musical pundits decried the album's vulgar title, others actually listened, and were rather impressed. The record peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, and to this day is the band's highest selling album, with over 15 million copies sold.

Songs like Basketcase, Longview (with it's definitive bass rhythm), Welcome to Paradise, and When I Come Around (which is one of the most memorable songs ever written) set the tone for Green Day's popularity for the next few years, although the indie punk scene immediately labeled the band as a group of sellouts. Apparently these people have never heard of the idea of profitability.

Green Day continued to have success, and they still perform today, but the magic that made Dookie such a fun album just doesn't seem to have returned.

March of '94 saw the release of Superunknown, by Soundgarden. While I can claim that I wasn't really into Soundgarden when they first released this album, I will wholeheartedly agree with those who claim the number one single off the record, Black Hole Sun, is the preeminent anthem of the Summer of '94.

Superunknown debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified 5X Platinum in the United States. Soundgarden doesn't exist anymore, but frontman Chris Cornell has made a good living for himself with solo projects and Audioslave.

In April The Offspring arrived. Although they had already released two albums, Smash brought them into the mainstream. The hard rocking punk grunge sound was seemingly unique among all the other bands of 1994. Singles like Come Out And Play, Self-Esteem, and Gotta Get Away brought the band much lauded playtime on MTV, because you have to remember that MTV still played music in 1994, and not just continual reruns of The Real World, and other assorted crap.

The Offspring brought out a sound that we had all heard before, but they did it in a way that was new and exciting. They made the phrase "la la la" part of music again. Seriously, just click on that link to Self-Esteem and you'll see what I mean.

Smash has since been certified 6X Platinum in the United States, with over 16 million copies sold. The band continues to produce records, and many fans applaud their latest release, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (just look up the songs Trust in You (which uses a Latin phrase Quo modo? (maybe the band is made up of college professors)) and You're Gonna Go Far, Kid and you'll see that the new album really does hearken back to the days of Smash) as a return to the sound that made them famous.

Some time passed in 1994 and as December rolled around the world waited patiently for Britain to offer up some kind of good music. And the Brits delivered. On December 5, 1994, the debut album of grunge band Bush hit the shelves. Sixteen Stone was both accepted and rejected by musical pundits. Some said the band sounded too much like Nirvana or Soundgarden. Others said the band didn't sound enough like Nirvana or Soundgarden.

In my opinion, Bush did everything right as a band. The album was capable of maintaining listener interest without having slower songs that tend to sap the interest right out of the album. Singles like Everything Zen, Little Things (which has one of the best opening guitar riffs I can recall), Comedown, and the wildly popular Glycerine (c'mon, you remember the video of the topless chick standing on the chair in an empty house while Gavin Rossdale sulks in the back room playing guitar? I knew you hadn't forgotten.) pushed the band to the main forefront of music for a brief time, but eventually the negative critics gained a stronger footing.

Bush released several albums after Sixteen Stone, like Razorblade Suitcase, The Science of Things, and Deconstructed, but none enjoyed the real commercial success of their debut foray. The last two albums broke away from the grunge sound that made them famous and began some experimental sounds.

In the fifteen years since these albums hit the store music has changed. Rap/Hip-Hop has become steadily more popular. The Indie scene has also become more popular, which almost feels like a contradiction in terms when you type it out like that.

Soundgarden and Bush no longer exist, although the members of Bush, and more to the point, frontman Gavin Rossdale, have hinted at a possible reunion tour in 2009 or 2010. The Offspring are enjoy commercial success with their newest album, and Green Day is still pumping out songs. These four bands made up the music of 1994. Yeah there were other bands, but none of them caught my attention the way these four did. They are the reason I play guitar today.

Formula 1 Grand Prix Preview: Malaysia

The boys with the fast cars go to Malaysia this weekend. Weather forecasts portend rain, so expect some fun racing.

The grand kerfuffle from Australia is still playing out. McLaren faces further penalization, including the possibility of being excluded from the championship. Driver Lewis Hamilton has been rather effectively cleared once the car audio was released. To me, this whole thing seems a grand lot of confusion that seems to have a very simple answer.

I really think I'd like to see Lewis Hamilton in a Brawn GP car next year. He and Jenson Button would make a rather formidable team. But I guess I have to file that under the heading "Things I'd like to see Happen" along with the resignations of Max "Beat Me With a Swastika" Moseley and Bernie "Fifth Beatle" Ecclestone.

As for the prediction for the Malaysian Grand Prix:

Podium:
1. Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2. Sebastian Vettel, Team Red Bull
3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari

But the Predictions don't really matter. In a Right Wing exclusive, we have obtained the FIA's finishing order for Malaysia. We obviously cannot reveal our source for this information, but let's just say he had a Nazi power symbol bruise on his forehead...
1. Felipe Massa
2. Kimi Raikkonen
3. Jenson Button
4. Rubens Barrichello
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Jarno Trulli
7. Nico Rosberg
8. Robert Kubica
9. Adrian Sutil
10. Giancarlo Fisichella
11. Heikki Kovalainen
12. Timo Glock
13. Kazuki Nakajima@
14. Fernando Alonso#
15. Nelson Piquet Jr.
16. Nick Heidfeld
17. Mark Webber
18. Sebastian Buemi*
19. Sebastian Bourdais*
20. Lewis Hamilton +

@: Kazuki Nakajima was awarded five grid spots out of mercy and kindness
#: Fernando Alonso was docked ten grid spots for his past relation to McLaren
*: Scuderia Toro Rosso was disqualified for their refusal to hire anyone not named Sebastian
+: Lewis Hamilton was disqualified when evidence came to light that in third grade he lied about stealing a crayon