THE NFL DRAFT

In case it hasn't been already apparent: I like sports. This might be a product of my brother watching SportsCenter every Saturday morning when we could've been watching cartoons (my suggestion), but who can say? One thing's for sure, and that's that one of my favorite sporting events is just a month and a half away, though you'd be hard pressed to find anyone performing live sporting in the entire 10+ hour telecast, much less sweating for that matter (outside of the green room and Drew Rosenhaus). While some football fans might say that the Super Bowl is their favorite day of the sport, mine is probably the day that everyone imagines themselves in the next Super Bowl, all based on the hopes acquired from their newly drafted college players. It's like Christmas for every team in the league!

And if the draft truly is Christmas, no team has traditionally had better holiday spirit than the Redskins, who know it's better to give than receive. It's truly heartwarming to see them give up three first-round picks just to move up four spots in the first round! You can always look forward to an exciting draft though, even when the second pick is guaranteed and the first pick has been telegraphed since sometime around mid-October. But while Andrew Luck (above left) will almost certainly go to the Colts and Heisman-winner Robert Griffin III (above center) will find himself in Washington, waiting three years until the 'Skins will pick in round one again, the rest is up for proverbial grabs. Even though the Rams moved out of their near-mountaintop spot for a pot of potential gold, they're still in prime position to draft the top prospect at wide receiver, Justin Blackmon (third stocking).

Not all football talk these days is about collegiate blue-chippers, however, as this Peyton Manning guy has been released and is available to be had by the team that appeases him the most. Recent news says he's "narrowed his list" to the Broncos, Cardinals, Dolphins and Titans, which is odd given the news that he just "expanded his list" to include the Broncos and Cardinals. What a media! The leading destination per that ESPN channel is Denver, mostly because it is the most blatherable situation to pad their plethora of sports jibberjabber. "Where would that Tebow guy go!" they say. Dunno, shrug, I just hope the Jaguars don't trade for him! I'm excited to see how this all ends up though, in this sister to baseball's "Hot Stove League." Since that name was given to symbolize people gathering in the winter around a hot surface to talk baseball and stay warm (in no particular order), I feel I will bestow an equally seasonal title to football's equivalent. Given that free agency and the lead-up to the draft fall during Lent, when I usually give up sweets and find alternative (if not ironic) foods on which to snack whilst I discuss the sport's goings-on, I present to you the now-coined MATZO BREAD LEAGUE. It'll catch.