Here is a video clip on youtube of the controversial calls from the Broncos-Patriots playoff game (found on the Sports Guy’s recent Best of YouTube article).  It has the pass interference call on Asante Samuel in the endzone as well as Champ Bailey’s touchback after his interception return.  I still remember screaming TOUCHBACK at the tv as soon as Ben Watson hit him.

Oh and another great clip that sports guy linked to from You Tube shows highlights of the New York Jet’s first round draft picks.  As Simmons says “The best part is when Rozelle announces one of the picks and says, “Fullback …” followed by one lone voice screaming, “Nooooooooooooo!”"

The Patriots have traded WR Bethel Johnson to New Orleans for DL Johnathon Sullivan. This trade makes a lot of sense. Bethel Johnson was regressing and was probably not going to make much of a contribution right now (if he didn’t get cut). Johnathon Sullivan is one of the players I thought the Patriots might pick in the first round of the 2003 draft (NO picked him first, the Pats got Ty Warren).  He has been struggling in New Orleans and supposedly does not put in the effort.  Basically both teams are trading disappointing 2003 draft picks who are not showing the right attitude.

I wonder what will happen with both of these players.  While most people seem to think that draft picks becoming busts is mostly about the player, meaning the scouting was bad, I think it also has to do with the coaching.  I wonder if players like Rick Mirer or Ryan Leaf wouldn’t have performed better if they were under the tutelage of a Charlie Weis or Bill Belichick.  The Patriots coaching staff is some of the best at teaching a young player and the core guys on the team couldn’t be better for developing a good team-first attitude.  I wonder if Sullivan’s troubles might have been because he was on a poorly run Saints team.  If he improves, then we got something for a player we would have cut anyway, if he doesn’t, then we don’t lose anything.  Good trade.

Mike Reiss posted in his blog an article from Cleveland about how the Browns nearly picked Ellis Hobbs over QB Charlie Frye in the 3rd round:

“We ranked 150 players on our board,” Savage said. “Charlie was our 45th-ranked player. People say, ‘Is that a second-round grade?’ We just let players fall off the board and said, ‘If he’s still there when the players ahead of him are gone, we’ll take him.’

“There was one name ahead of Charlie Frye when it was our turn in the third round.‘’

The name was Ellis Hobbs. …
“We’re sitting there talking about it,” Savage aid, “and I’m like … ‘OK, Ellis Hobbs is … probably gonna be a nickel corner. He might be a starting corner at some point, but … he’s 5-foot-9, 180-some pounds, and he’s he only guy standing between Charlie Frye and the Cleveland Browns.

“ ‘Guys, there’s no way we pass up Charlie Frye, who potentially might be our quarterback in a year or two, because this kid … has got grit, moxie, mobility. He’s got just enough arm. Let’s do it.’ ”

The reason I find this interesting is that from what I’ve read from Belichick’s comments about the draft, this would never happen in the Patriots’ war room. If you are going to pick Frye over Hobbs, then Frye should be rated over Hobbs. It sounds like Belichick, Pioli, and the staff evaluate all these possible decisions and know when they get there who they will draft out of who’s available so that there is no need for discussions like this in the war room. There’s no reason to save a discussion like “Ellis Hobbs or Charlie Frye” until you’re on the clock when you could have done it weeks in advance. This kind of preparation is just another reason why the Patriots are so good.