J-Hill’s Two Minute Drill

Opinion, Team FYN Sports

What a difference a day makes. By waiting an extra 24 hours for this week’s Two Minute Drill, we were able to witness and discuss one of the NBA’s greatest players going down with a debilitating injury plus all seven rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the five biggest stories from the week that was:Rose Rips ACL, Out for Playoffs – The Chicago Bulls saw its title hopes dim considerably yesterday in the team’s 103-91 victory in Game 1 of its opening playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, as star point guard Derrick Rose torn his ACL in his left knee with just 1:22 left in the game, meaning that the reigning MVP will miss the rest of the playoffs and more than likely the beginning of the 2012-2013 season. The torn ACL just puts an end to a frustrating season for Rose, who missed 27 games this year with various ailments after missing just six games in his first three years in Chicago, and although the team will probably still advance past the first round, it sure seems like a Rose-less Bulls squad won’t be able to bring Chicago its first championship since 1998 when some guy named Michael Jordan led the team to its 6th championship.

NFL Draft Recap – NFL fans around the nation tuned in to ESPN the last three days in order to see which college players their favorite team would select in the draft, and just as usual there are fanbases that are ecstatic about the added pieces to their team’s roster and there are fanbases that are collectively curled up in the fetal position wondering what exactly their team’s head coach and general manager were thinking when they picked players X, Y, and Z. While I will have an article sometime in the next day or so going into full detail on the NFL Draft, three things that have stuck with me since the Indianapolis Colts made Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish Mr. Irrevelant, the last pick of the draft are: 1) Indianapolis seems ready to use the New England strategy in regards to the passing game, as the team looks ready to copy the Patriots’ use of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez by selecting Stanford’s Colby Fleener and Clemson’s Dwayne Allen with their second and third round picks 2) The Detroit Lions may ultimately have the steal of the draft in taking former Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles with the #55 overall pick; although he’s coming off an ACL injury, he played just as well as some of the top receivers taken and has the NCAA record for receptions and 3) the Jacksonville Jaguars must really feel like their special teams was a huge weakness in 2011, as the team passed up players like Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, and Miami running back Lamar Miller to take California punter Bryan Anger in the third round, the highest a punter has been taken in the draft since 1995.

The Elbow Echoed Around the World – The NBA player formerly known as Ron Artest found himself in hot water once again this week, as Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) gave Thunder shooting guard James Harden a vicious elbow to the head following a dunk by Artest, which sent Harden to the ground and World Peace to the locker room after being ejected by the officials. The NBA has handed down the punishment to World Peace for the elbow to Harden, who was diagnosed with a concussion following the incident, suspending him for seven games. I feel like the penalty on Metta World Peace is justified for several reasons, including the fact that he is a repeat offender (does the Malace in the Palace ring a bell?), he blatantly lied about hitting Harden, saying he didn’t mean to make contact with him despite the fact that he drew back and subsequently ran down the court like nothing happened, and that the injury could have potentially derailed Oklahoma City’s chances at going deep in the playoffs. Artest can be one of the best players around when he stays in his head, but all too often the man they now call World Peace finds himself in the middle of a scrap that was started by his own actions.

Saints Spy on Opposing Coaches? – the New Orleans Saints situation seems to have gotten even more serious earlier this week, as on Monday Outside the Lines reported that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had an electronic device that had been re-wired to allow him to listen to opposing coaches. Outside the Line’s sources have said that Loomis used the device in his first three seasons as general manager of the team, a claim that Loomis has said was “1,000 percent false.” Even though it’s not clear if the reports are true or not and the Saints managed to post a 25-23 record during that time that the “magic device” was in play, this could possibly be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and leads to the exits of Loomis and definitely the Saints’ as the “feel good story” some once considered them to be.

Asante Arrives in ATL – The Atlanta Falcons pulled off a steal of a trade earlier this week in order to upgrade their questionable secondary, as the team acquired Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel for nothing more than a 7th round pick. It had been clear for some time that the Eagles and Samuel were nearing a divorce, but because of his contract moving him would give them little to nothing in return. Apparently the team decided that something was better than nothing at all, so they sent Samuel south to Atlanta, where he will play with the likes of Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes. This trade was honestly the best thing Atlanta has done all offseason, as it brings new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan another big piece to work with in the process in rebuilding a Falcons’ defense that has been lackluster for quite some time without breaking the bank to bring him in (the Eagles used the 7th pick the Falcons gave up on Bryce Brown, a running back from Kansas State). Say what you want to about the Falcons’ front office, but there’s no denying the fact that they hit a grand slam with this deal.

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