Athlete Talk Mock Draft 1.0

By: Jimbo Brown 

1. Tampa Bay: Jameis Winston, QB,  Florida State-- They need a quarterback and he's #1 on the board. Take EM!
2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT/DE, USC-- They will pass on a QB right now and get the best player in the draft.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, UF--I'm a gator and the Jags need a game changer to come off the edge. He will give them a Jamie Collins type hybrid player.
4. Oakland Raiders: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska-- HE will join a talented front seven with Justin Tuck and Khalil Mack. Immediate impact because those two can demand double teams at any time. 
5. Washington Redskins: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri-- With Brian Orakpo entering free agency, they will need a pass rusher to step in and Shane was very productive for multiple years in the SEC.
6. New York Jets: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson-- With Revis and Cro returning back to New Tork, a dynamic pass rusher will make them a force in the AFC East.
7. Chicago Bears: Alvin "Bud" Dupre, DE, Kentucky-- With a great resume as a Wildcat, he will bring that toughness and talent of the SEC to the bears. Who need to add more pieces to a depleted defense.
8. Atlants Falcons: Lando Collins, SS, Alabama-- An All-American wit the Rolling Tide. He was a playmaker throughout his career; know for big hits and causing mayhem. 
9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers' OT' Miami-- I'm  not going to lie I got a text message telling me that Flowers will be drafted by the giants. He will be a great addition because they need to protect Eli to have any chance in the NFC East.
10. St. Louis Rams: Kevin White, WR, WVU-- Another West V receiver that has the size, speed and ability to be a #1 receiver. The have a good possession receivers and White will be the deep threat to make the defense "Kiss the Baby"  Chad Johnson voice.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama--Coop will be reunited with the doctor Teddy B and be the playmaker to compliment Adrian Peteson. He will get immediate separation due to his crisp routes.
12. Cleveland Browns: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon-- Even though I got a feeling that Chip is going to make a way to get Marcus, Cleveland needs a back-up plan incase Johnny doesn't be fully rehabilitated. Marcus will be a project but they have a good defense to protect him earl in his career.
13. New Orleans Saints: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota-- With the departure of pro bowler Jimmy Graham, you have to get first round potential to replace em. 
14. Miami Dolphins: Devante Parker, WR, Louisville--With Mike Wallace not living up to his potential and the lost of productive veterans. He will be a vertical threat early in his career. He is arguably the best receiver in the draft if he was healthy throughout his career.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Eddie Goldman, DT, FSU-- With the lost of Justin Smith , they need a good interior d-linemen. Goldman is a run-stopper and can put pressure on the quarterback. 
16. Houston Texans: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas-- You add this talent with Watt and Clowney and be one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL. 
17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin-- Ryan Matthews leaves to Philly, so this is a excellent replacement. Melvin is the best running back in this drive. He does have fumbling issues.  
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma-- A big receiver that KC need to be more effective on offensive. He has some red flags but he will be a red zone threat early similar to Mike Evans this past season.
19. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL, FSU-- Lets protect whoever is the starting QB next season , whether its Mariota or Manziel. Erving is a great talent who protected Winston for two years and looked good doing it. 
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Wayans, CB, MSU-- A long, fast lock down corner who has an incredibly high ceiling. This will allow the Eagles to push Thurmond into the inside and like Maxwell and Wayans handle the outside. 
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford-- A former five-star recruit who has major potential, he had some lapses during his career but with the right coaching he will be a great professional.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: P.J. Williams, CB, FSU-- A 2-year starter at Florida State, who is talented enough to upgrade the Steelers secondary who desperately need corners. It will be interesting to see P.J's game translate to the next level.
23. Detroit Lions: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington-- Sometimes you have to take the best available. 
24. Arizona Cardinals: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU-- With his lanky build, he brings strength and agility to this team. In this pass happy league he will fit i. 
25. Carolina Panther: DJ Humpries, OT, UF-- An outstanding player for the Gators. He will be a starting RT but needs to be groomed into a LT. 
26. Baltimore Ravens: Todd Gurley, RB, UGA-- Even though they need a corner back and maybe a interior d-linemen, I believe you have to take the best available prospect. Especially when healthy fits the culture that's already in Baltimore.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon-- He will bring size and athleticism to a Cowboys defensive that will have to get better now that DeMarco is gone now. 
28. Denver Broncos: Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma--With the lost of Knighton they will need first-round talent to fill his shoes. 
29. Indianapolis Colts: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA-- A fast linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. He is alittle undersized but can make big plays all over the field. His big brother being in the NFL already, he have someone to show him how to represent himself on and off the field.
30. Green Bay Packers: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington-- Former safety with the Huskies, he will transition into the NFL perfectly. He has the skill set to be that hybrid safety that can play in the box and cover RB's and TE's.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Jaelen Strong, WR, ASU-- He will add to the recievers corp they already have. HE is big, fast strong and will win on most 50/50 balls.
32. New England Patriots: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest-- Will be an immediate starter due to the lost of Darelle Revis. He has the talent to survive in the AFC East. 

Norland Men’s Basketball:4 State Champions in a Row

By: Candy Man 

In high school sports, they call it boys’ basketball. But at Norland, they’re men amongst boys on the basketball team. They just made history in the state & Dade County, becoming the 1^st basketball team in the county to win 4 straight state championships after beating Gainesville to a score of 53-46 in the Class 6A final. They also become only the 6^th school ever in the whole state to win 4 straight. Head coach, Lawton Williams III, has kept the success going since his first state title with the school in 2006.  With that, they join Miami High as one of the most successful programs in Dade County.

Junior center & All-American, Dewan Huell, was the key for the Vikings this season. He carried his team in the final, scoring 18 points along with 8 boards & 6 blocks. Other key contributors are David Jean-Baptiste & Tyrik Waite. There’s a good chance Norland could be right back in the mix next year as they only have one senior on the team. Huell is one of the best players in the nation and will be the main factor in deciding if they can make it five straight. They were doubted before the beginning of this season. Critics said they were too young & inexperienced after they lost so many of their players from last years’ state title team. Coach Williams still worked his magic with a team full of underclassmen. Pretty much the whole team is returning next year. With more depth & experience, Norland should be able to make it 5 straight titles.   

Also, shout out to Browad’s Blanche Ely basketball team and head coach Melvin Randall. They finished the season undefeated (28-0) and won their 3^rd state title in the past 4 seasons, beating Kissimmee Osceola in the Class 7A final.

Best Point Guard in the NBA?

By: Candy Man 

Russell Westbrook is making his case as the best point guard in the league. He’s had to carry his team with Kevin Durant in & out of the lineup and he has been very productive doing so. People are wondering whether Westbrook might be more valuable to his team than Durant. There are also questions if he could possibly have more success if he was the leading man on his own squad. Just take a look at his numbers from this month alone & you can see why Westbrook’s name has been gaining momentum around the league…he’s been averaging about 30 points, 10 assists & 8 rebounds and has been putting up monster stats with Durant out of the lineup. The most explosive playmaker in the NBA, he’s also been more efficient, posting those numbers while only playing under 30 minutes on some nights. I’m calling it now that Westbrook will win an MVP trophy in the next few seasons.

Other names that are brought up in the best point guard conversation are Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving & John Wall. Paul has been considered the best point guard because he is the prototypical guard with a pass-first, shoot-second mentality. He puts up high assist numbers and gets his teammates involved in the game, while being one of the most efficient players in the league. The only knock against Paul is that he hasn’t gotten deep into the playoffs. His teams have been disappointing in the playoffs, coming in with high expectations but consistently getting knocked out in the first & second rounds. He has cost the Clippers late in games with dumb mistakes & turnovers and he should be more aggressive in scoring as I feel he could score more than 20 a night if he really wanted to. Steph Curry, the best 3-point shooter in the game today, probably has taken the best PG title from Paul this season. He’s elevated his game and improved on much criticized areas such as defense & passing. Curry is the most exciting player in the NBA to watch and is deadly from anywhere on the court. From pulling up for the 3 to swerving through traffic down the lane with his fancy ball handling, he can get any shot he wants and hit it with pinpoint accuracy. John Wall is one of the best finishers in the league and is having a career season. He leads the NBA in assists with over 10 a game and he’s been the key piece to the Wizards getting back into the playoffs. Kyrie Irving is another point guard with a shoot first mentality. He’s not much of a facilitator, isn’t impressive on defense but is a lethal scorer and probably has the best handles out of anybody. With LeBron James & a better supporting cast, he has the potential to be a more all-around guard in the next couple years.

The talent at the point guard position is probably the deepest it has ever been. In addition to the first five, you also have Damian Lillard, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, Goran Dragic, Tony Parker, Kemba Walker, Brandon Knight, & Eric Bledsoe. In my opinion, Lillard has the potential to be the biggest star out of all those I just named. He’s still young (3^rd year in the league) and is far from reaching his prime. If this was a list of the top 5 offensive point guards, he would definitely be in there without a question. He’s one of the most clutch players in the NBA, hitting big shots for the Trailblazers late in games. The man hit one of the best buzzer-beaters I’ve ever seen when he sent Houston home last year in the 1^st round of the playoffs. This season, he’s averaging over 21 points, 6 assists & 4 rebounds a game.

The way Stephen Curry & Russell Westbrook are playing, they’ll be considered for the MVP trophy at the end of the season. Steph most likely is going down as the best 3 point shooter ever along with Ray Allen & Reggie Miller. It seems like Westbrook has gotten even better & more explosive since his torn meniscus injury in the 2013 playoffs and arthroscopic surgery last year. I feel like Westbrook is the player Derrick Rose was supposed to be before his knee injuries. With Steph & Westbrook in my top 2, the rest of my top 5 in no order would be Paul, Kyrie & Wall with Dame not too far behind them at 6th.

Highlights of NBA All-Star Weekend

By: CandyMan

Last weekend was one of the better weekends for the NBA All-Star weekend in recent history. Every event was fun, engaging & competitive. The weekend started with the celebrity game where Kevin Hart won his 4^th straight MVP. There were more deserving candidates though, as his East team lost to the West 57-51. Mo’ne Davis probably had the play of the night after driving down the lane with Hart in her face and hitting him with a spin move that opened up an easy layup for her. Next, there was a new format in the Rising Stars Challenge. Freshmen & sophomores from the USA & international countries would compete against each other. The World team beat the U.S. 121-112 as Andrew Wiggins (from Canada) scored 22 points and won MVP. Victor Oladipo & Zach Lavine were the leading scorers for team USA with 22 points each.

Saturday night started off with the first ever fashion show in which JR Smith, who just got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, finished in first place. The Shooting Stars competition got off to a fast start with all 4 teams finishing und^rd straight Shooting Stars win. Next up was the Skills Challenge with a new tournament format where 8 players competed against each other 2 by 2 side by side. Patrick Beverly won the event after struggling with the chest pass in the last 2 rounds, but came from behind & hit his first 3 point shots with ease against Jeff Teague in the semifinals and Brandon Knight in the final round. 

er a minute. But only 2 could advance into the second round, Team Westbrook (Russell Westbrook, Penny Hardaway, Tamika Catchings) & Team Bosh (Chris Bosh, Dominique Wilkins, Swin Cash). Team Westbrook couldn’t make their half-court shot after using up the whole minute & thirty seconds. Team Bosh came out on top after a half-court shot from Wilkins with just under a minute. It was their 3

The 3-point contest itself was an All-Star roster and ended up meeting expectations as one of the best 3-points competitions ever. The roster included James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews, Marco Belinelli (last year’s winner) & JJ Redick. Matthews scored 22 points in the 1^st round but it still wasn’t enough to get into the 2^nd round as Curry, Thompson & Irving all scored more. Curry finished with the title after scoring 27 points and hitting 13 straight shots at one point. Many consider Curry to be the best 3 point shooter in the game and he solidified that status with this win. The final event of the night was the dunk contest. Everybody knew Zach Lavine was going to win and he did just that. He had two perfect score dunks in the first round that brought the whole crowd on their feet. Honestly, they were his best dunks of the night and there was no competition. The Greek Freak was hyped up coming into the event but failed to finish a dunk which basically knocked him out. Victor Oladipo had an impressive first dunk and advanced to the 2^nd round but couldn’t keep up with Lavine.

Now on to the main event on Sunday night. A few stars missed the game due to injury including Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis & Blake Griffin (all starters for the West). DeMarcus Cousins & Damian Lillard got to play in the game at last, after being snubbed when the initial roster was announced. It was the usual All-Star game: fast-paced, little defense, plenty of turnovers, many 3-pointers and a lot of highlight plays. The West’s stacked roster beat the East 163-158. Westbrook was very explosive from the start and scored 41 points for the West and won MVP. LeBron James scored 30 points for the East and finished 2 points shy of tying Kobe for most career points in an All-Star game. The West is 4-1 against the East in the last 5 All-Star games.

The Bigger Picture: Jackson Robinson West striped of Little League World Series Title

By: Jimbo Brown 

Life has shown us that if you are in a position of power (race, money, title) you are somewhat above the rest of society. You are more than likely will go through life without any major hiccups. Growing up in the 90’s when most of the MLB stars were using PED’s while the people in charge turned the blind eye. Alex Rodriguez, arguably one of the greatest Yankee players admitted to the DEA that he used Performance Enhancement Drugs for a two-year period. Even though the MLB has since tightened their polices, the actions of the 90’s probably played a part in A-Rod decision making. Kids easily can see that if you are in a position of power the rules of life are beneath you. This got me to thinking about the Jackie Robinson West little leaguers.

If your not familiar with the situation, an all black team of little league baseball players from the inner city of Chicago had some players out of their region on the team. This was against the rules of the Little League World Series and had their 2 championship titles vacated. The players of Jackie Robinson West will be hurt because they are not the Little League World Series Champions. The memories created can never be destroyed. I believe the committee did make a impact on the future athletes of the world. 

I believe that this can be an example for future generations to learn from. With great success it can be great failure. The adults in the situation failed the kids. The committee could have slapped them on the wrist and punish them for the next year, instead extreme measures was took and the title was striped from the team. We may prevent the next Josh Gordon or Johnny Manziel from happening once they get success. 

#AthleteTalk Recaps National Signing Day

By: Candy Man

National Signing Day came & went and Dade County sent athletes to schools all over the country. Two of the biggest football programs in Miami, Booker T. & Central, had about 30 players altogether sign with schools yesterday. Both schools are coming off three straight state championships & have sent big time athletes to college & the NFL over the years. Booker T. had 2 players sign with Miami, running back Mark Walton & linebacker James King, joining Chad Thomas & Demetrius Jackson from last year’s class. Devonaire Clarington & Davante Davis, a Homestead transfer, both signed with Texas. The 3 other Homestead transfers that played big roles for the T last season committed to FIU (Maurice Alexander), Florida (Antonio Calloway), and FAU (Ocie Rose). Two other key players that had productive seasons, Terry Jefferson signed with FAMU & Vaquan Smalls signed with Samford. Central already have 2 of their best players from this class attending Florida State, receiver Da’Vante Phillips & defensive back Calvin Brewton, continuing the Central to FSU pipeline. Fermin Silva & Anthony Jones both enrolled early at FIU. Marshall University, where former Rockets Rakeem Cato & Tommy Shuler have broken multiple records, is getting Marquis Couch & Jason Jean. Keivonnis Davis will be joining the Gators & Dade County’s leading rusher signed with Jacksonville State. I’ve seen Miller play in person & I’m surprised because he has the talent to play for a major D1 team & should’ve got more offers. 

Some of the best high school football is played in South Florida & that is illustrated on National Signing Day every year, with high schools all over Dade & Broward sending athletes to college on football scholarships.

·      NORLAND…Carlton Davis – Auburn, Rayshad Jackson – Florida, D’Andre Smart – Kent State, William Gordon – Alcorn State

·      KILLIAN…Jaquan Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine – Miami, James Bowe – Massachusetts

·      NORTHWESTERN…DeAndre Baker – Georgia, Khalid McGee – South Florida, Samuel Dervil – South Carolina State, David Vincent – Mississippi Valley State, Xavier Bailey – Florida A&M

·      CAROL CITY…Rashad Fenton – South Carolina

·      EDISON…Robert Knowles – Miami

·      GULLIVER PREP…Dominic Sheppard – Virginia, George Grimwade – Samford, Antonyo Sotolongo – Bowling Green, Jowan Watson - Georgetown

·      ST. THOMAS AQUINAS…Jordan Scarlett, Richerd Desir-Jones – Miami, Damon Arnette – Ohio State, Colin Byrne, Samuel Clausman – Syracuse, Chris Hart, Tyson Cisrow – Utah, Devante Peete – Louisville, Brandon Boyce – Duke, Rashard Causey – Central Florida, Wyatt Ray – Boston College, Jawaun Harris - Rutgers

·      MIRAMAR…Tyrek Cole, Jovon Durante – West Virginia, Kahlil Lewis – Cincinnati, Leeward Brown – Tulane, Jeffrey Hill – Northern Illinois

·      AMERICAN HERITAGE…Torrance Gibson – Ohio State, Tarvarus McFadden – Florida State, Christian Irving – Wyoming, Anthony Flory – Appalachian State, Janarvis Pough – Bowling Green

·      MONARCH…Calvin Ridley, Shawn Burgess-Becker – Alabama, Ronnie Hoggins – South Florida

·      HALLANDALE…Sh’mar Kilby-Lane – Florida State, Juwan Taylor – Georgia, Taj McGowan – Central Florida, Malik Henderson – Pittsburgh, Dana Levine – Temple, Richie Cooper – Akron

Alabama, Florida State, USC, Clemson & Tennessee all finished with top 5 recruiting classes according to Rivals & ESPN, with Alab

ama having the #1 class in the ESPN rankings & USC with the #1 class in the Rivals rankings. Florida State, by far, ended up with the best class in the state. They signed 5 5* athletes that should be able to come in & contribute right away. Florida had a horrible class a month ago but new head coach Jm McElwain & his coaching staff had a great National Signing Day & finished with a top 25 recruiting class. Headlined by Martez Ivey & Cece Jefferson, they also stole a few recruits from Miami including Jordan Scarlett, Jordan Cronkite & Antonio Callaway. Miami had a good class and ended up finishing a few spots behind Florida in the rankings. Mark Walton, Jaquan Johnson, Bar Milo & Scott Patchan are some of the key players they signed but UM also lost a lot of potential players with about 15 decommitments.

Things I learn during the 2014-2015 season

By: Jimbo Brown

Tom Brady is the best ever

• After winning his 4th Super Bowl, Tom Brady, has cemented his spot as one of the all-time greats. Tom is the poster child for the NFL since the start of his career. First, he was a 6th round pick who was the 2nd a string quarterback behind the legendary Drew Bledsoe. Once throw into the starting he began to show levels of greatness by winning 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. While losing twice to Eli Manning in the big game, Tom still lead his team to the first undefeated regular season since the 72 dolphins. He had his down points during his career with the knee injury and recent deflate gate scandal. When the clock reached zero this past Sunday and the New England Patriots was world champions again, Tom had put the exclamation mark on his profound career. 

2014 Wide Receiver Class on track to the best ever

• The 2014 draft class was deep with receivers. There was so many receivers that talent like Allen Hurns went undrafted after setting records at the University of Miami. Rookie receivers has shined all over the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins and Brandon Cooks all high draft picks had good start to their careers. Even the overlooked guys have contributed to the success: Allen Hurns, Jon Brown and Chris Matthews late Super Bowl efforts. I can’t wait to see how do these guys careers pan out. If they stay hungry and work hard everyday, we will see many great moments. 

Running Backs = Super Bowl

• The road to the Super Bowl is hard and difficult for even the best teams in the league. Those two teams this year was preseason favorites: New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Even thought they have two different cultures, they are built on some of the same principles. Both teams came into the playoffs at full stride. The teams are highlighted by their defensive powers. Richard Sherman and Darrell Revis are arguably the two  best cornerbacks in the NFL. With talent at each level of the defense these two teams are offensive coordinators nightmare. Both teams had a strong running game. Seattle put the offensive success in the hands of Marshawn #BeastMode Lynch. On the other hand, the Patriots put their running in the hands of a cast of running backs. Legarette Blount become the main gut once things didn’t work out in Pittsburgh and he went back to his former team.