What happened was I took a look at Monday’s New York Times and read Greg Bishop’s inspiring report on Dwight Lowery, the cornerback from San Jose State the Jets drafted on Sunday.

Dwight Lowery – Photo: Michael Conroy/AP

It’s easy to get numbed by the sheer numbers of football players and stats and opinions that roll over past as you watch the draft. Running backs and quarterbacks and linebackers merge one into the other. And, of course, the analysts are paid to pass judgment in a matter of minutes.

Bishop’s story brought back the underlying human story – the real story – of NFL football. Dwight Lowery’s mom is a single mom. More and more, that’s the story of young athletes, young Americans. Just 18 with a kid, Tracy Rivers ended up working two sometimes three jobs. Lowery’s younger sister, Aujanae, was born with a defective heart.

Lowery was the best of brothers, making sure he was there for Aujanae when his mom had to go off and work. And all the while working hard at football at Cabrillo College, and becoming good enough to attract the notice of Dick Tomey at San Jose. Thanks to his mom Lowery has a deepseated understanding of, and commitment to hard work.

Dwight Lowery makes the tackle – Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Bishop spoke to Tomey:

I’m not sure I’ve ever been around a player who meant so much,” Tomey said in a telephone interview. “From the minute he stepped on the field for us, he changed the attitude. He brought a sense of purpose that was lacking.

Lowery, it turns out, had a habit of writing notes to his Mom while she was out working. One of those she kept said: “Watch out for me in the 2008 draft.”

In the same issue of the Times, you can find Mike Ogle’s piece, “Giants See Potential and Take a Chance.” It’s the story of Mario Manningham – the Michigan wide receiver the New York Giants took with their last pick of the third round. A lot of teams, while appreciating Manningham’s talents decided to pass, considering his Manningham’s past a potential problem.

Last April Manningham was detained, though not convicted, of possession of Vicodin and has admitted smoking pot.

“The past is the past,” Manningham said after the Giants picked him.

Mario Manningham – Photo: Tony Ding/AP

The Giants know something about the difference between the past and the present, and the past and the future. They won a similar gamble last year when they took the running back Ahmad Bradshaw from Marshall. If you remember, Bradshaw had left Virginia after being caught drinking under the age and resisting arrest. Bradshaw’s past turned into a sparkling present when his determined running helped the G-men to the Super Bowl.

Ahmad Bradshaw

So this year New Yorkers – green and blue – will have a chance to closely watch the human drama that is football. A humble workingclass hero hoping to find his way into the Jets secondary; and a flawed human who hopes to be on the receiving end of an Eli Manning bomb. This is the kind of football New Yorkers love.

Football for the underdog.

For every fortunate guy or gal relaxing up in the luxury boxes, there are a thousand of us sitting in the cold and rain and snow. We have a bit of Dwight Lowery in us and if truth be told, we have a bit of Mario Manningham in us.

So I thank both Greg Bishop and Mike Ogle for reminding me about what’s important.

And for one day, I don’t care about the paper ratings. I’m rooting for two different guys who have made it to the NFL, to play the game I love. The real winners today! And I am hoping with all my heart that both the Jets and the Giants made the right choice.

So the time for mock drafts has come and gone. Rip’em up. Jake Long did indeed get picked by the Dolphins.

Kudos to Don Banks for giving the Rams Chris Long, the 272 lb DE from Virginia. Several folks who had him going first to Miami made the quick switch. But some had Glenn Dorsey headed to St. Louis. Long is a great player and made 79 tackles last year.

At #3 the Atlanta Falcons decided to put Michael Vick behind them and take a gamble that QB Matt Ryan (6’ 4 ¾, 228 lbs.) is the man to lead them back to respectability. Prisco and Judge over at CBS Sportsline had the pick right.

Jets fans were clearly bummed to watch the explosive Arkansas RB Darren McFadden end up going #4 to the Oakland Raiders, desperately hoping he’d slip to #6. Runner-up to the Heisman, McFadden is a bit more than 6’ 1” and 211.

The Chiefs were glad to get Glenn Dorsey, DT from LSU at #5, possibly hoping which his impressive mix of power and agility he can stop a Darren McFadden run.

The New York crowd which spent much of the 10 minutes before their chanting Ver-non Gholston got their wishes. The 6’ 3” 266 lb DE from Ohio State has also played LB.

The question for the Patriots was with the loss of Samuel, Wilson would they go for defense. There was also the possibility the Patriots were looking to trade down. When it came their turn, they dealt the pick plus a 5th round pick to the New Orleans Saints who took Sedrick Ellis, the DT from USC. In return they pick #10 and gain a 3rd round pick.

The Ravens caught the trade fever and gave their #8 pick to Jacksonville who jumped up from 26 to snag Derrick Harvey the 6’4” DE from Florida hoping to juice up their pass rush. It was an expensive gamble for the Jaguars who gave up 2 3rd round picks and a 4th round pick.

Keith Rivers, the durable and reliable OLB from USC went #9 to the Bengals. The Patriots at #10 took Jerod Mayo the ILB from Tennessee. Those of you who can still think back to some of the mock drafts, might remember Bob Glauber of Newsday thinking that Mayo could have slipped down to #31 to the Giants. One of the great things about Mayo is that he is extremely versatile and can play several positions.

Well let’s jump ahead to the Redskins. Mock-drafters had a host of ideas about who would be available by at #21 and who the Skins would take. Well the Skins pulled off a trade with the Falcons who took Sam Baker, the OT from USC. That didn’t work out all that well for the mock-drafters.

The Music Hall was jumping when it was announced that the Packers had traded the 30th pick to the Jets and New Yorkers were picking back-to-back. The Jets took tight end Dustin Keller from Purdue.

So what about the Super Bowl champs at #31. They did what many mock-drafters thought they did – they went to replace Gibril Wilson with Kenny Phillips, the safety from Miami. He’s 6’2” and 212.

Check your local paper and fill in the gaps.

For all the fun and the speculation of mock-drafts, there’s nothing like the unpredictability of trades and the gambling that is the real deal. Next time, we’ll do some analysis of how the teams did. At least, how they did on paper.

Because don’t forget, a few weeks into last season people were saying that Eli Manning was an over-rated bust and the Giants gave up much too much to draft him. Sometimes it just takes some time to fully learn the pro game and become the kind of player the scouts predicted.

Who is this year’s Eli Manning?

Haven’t you been checking the mock drafts, hoping to figure out who’s picking the players you’ve watched in college. Trying to get some inside dope on what your favorite team is thinking. Who they’re hoping to get?

Let’s take a short look at the mock drafts. And let’s check back after the picking is done and see who got it right and who fumbled.

First off, let’s make it a bit easier this year. Everybody gets two picks right. The Dolphins go with Jake Long, the tackle from Michigan. And crafty mock-drafters know that the Patriot get zip with pick #31, forfeiting the pick for that sneaky thing they did with video.

Now here’s where when the going gets tough, the tough get going.


For #2, Don Banks over at SI.com has Chris Long, DE from Virginia going to the Rams, figuring him to make their pass rush better on the outside, and passing on Glenn Dorsey. Bob Glauber, Newsday.com, acknowledging that Chris Long is possibility, goes with the DT from LSU arguing that Dorsey‘s “superb inside force can help a Rams’ defense that has been brutal against the run for years.”

For a long time I have had Darren McFadden here, but after looking at the Raiders depth chart, it would be hard to imagine the Raiders invest in another running back, even if the owner is Al Davis. Rumor has it that Al Davis is a big fan of Gholston, and Gholston would be the ideal pass rusher opposite Derrick Burgess.

Alder at about.com puts it this way: “rumor has it the Raiders are in love with Gholston, who would give the Raiders a pair of legitimate pass rushers when paired with Derrick Burgess.”


Now let’s took a look at mad world of mockdrafting by concentrating on a single pick and the large variety of choices. The Washington Redskins, one of the great NFL franchises, picks at #21. Of course, by #21 all kinds of wacky things have happened, and teams have a variety of backup plans. The mockdrafters, not surprisingly are all over the place with DEs, a DT, some WRs and a CB.
Newnfldraft is going with WR Limas Sweed.


Sports New SW has a different WR, James Hardy. The War Room Report thinks it will be DE Philip Merling, while Draft Tek has another DE, Phillip Merling. How about DT Kentwan Balmer, according to Draft Prospects? Confusing enough for you? Hang on a bit! Several drafters have the Skins taking DE Derrick Harvey, then add a batch of other WRs: Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas, and DeSean Jackson.


One last look at the game. What about the Super Bowl Champs who lost Gibril Wilson, Reggie Torbor and Kawika Mitchell to free agency? What do the champs do with the last pick of the first round according to the pundits?


Glauber imagines Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee still on the board with the G-men gratefully scooping him up. Nfldraftcountdown gives the Giants Kenny Phillips, the safety from Miami, noting “Kenny Phillips did not have the type of big junior year most were expecting but he is still an excellent prospect with all the tools you look for.” Walterfootball also thinks Phillips will end up in the Meadowlands as does Michael Abromowitz. Calling Phillips “the next in a great line of safeties from Miami.”


James Alder has his own idea about what the Giants will be doing. He says it’s Keith Rivers, OLB USC who can be “an upgrade in talent and add some much-needed athleticism to the linebacking unit.”
And then just in case you think you’ve got it figured out, draftking weighs in with Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College:

The Giants have a few needs, such as defensive tackle and OLB, but offensive tackle is a spot that, if not a need, could use depth added to it. While not particularly strong against speed rushers, Cherilus is a smart, strong player who is especially skilled at run blocking.

At CBS Sportsline, Prisco has NY taking Jerod Mayo, the ILB from Tennessee; while Judge goes with Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas.


I don’t know about you, but I’m completely confused.


It’s time to put the mock drafts down and get ready for the real thing.

Now it’s no longer about whether or not Shockey’s decision to train in Florida will prevent the normal bonding between the receiver and quarterback Eli Manning – now the press is speculating about whether it’s time for the Giants to get rid of Shockey altogether.

Shockey & Manning – Photo: Cataffo/NY Daily News

All this has been escalated with the surprisingly quick development of Kevin Boss, the rookie who stepped in with great poise when Shockey went down last year with a broken leg.


And sadly Shockey, who in some ways shared the “heart and soul” label with Michael Strahan, had to watch the miraculous transformation of the G-Men from mediocre to magical from the sidelines.


But this is just one more example of how differently the press and players think about the game. Not only the New York sportswriters – perhaps the most critical sportswriters in the Western world – but ESPN ran with the story.


One pundit told us that in fact he Giants turned down a proposal to give up Shockey for the New Orleans Saints’ safety Roman Harper and a second-round pick. The story also included the gossipy tidbit that the ex-backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck had recently revealed that Shockey was a distraction for Eli Manning. Why Hasselbeck – the husband of “The View’s” Elizabeth H. – was telling us this wasn’t really explained?

Shockey scores!

Eli, on the other hand, used every interview opportunity to reiterate how much he looked forward to reconnecting with the bruising and relentless Shockey. Manning clearly contradicted Hasselbeck.


“When I have talked to him I said I am excited about this season and what we can become as a team and our connection. I don’t think we have reached our potential in the tandem that we can become. The thing I am excited about is I see room for improvement in all areas.”


Before his injury, often double-teamed, Shockey pulled down 57 receptions for 3 touchdowns and 619 yards.


When he was asked if Shockey wants to remain a Giant, the quarterback replied, “I hope so. I hope he understands we would like him back. He is a tremendous player and he helps our offense and our team out when he is out there.”

The intensity of Jeremy Shockey

Center Shaun O’Hara added his own perspective: “I don’t see any reason why anybody would think anything different. Jeremy Shockey is a huge part of this team – not only is he a physical factor but he is a part of our emotional team. Whether you like it or not, some of the things he does, he gets guys fired up and I’d much rather play with Jeremy Shockey than against us.”

Giants’ fans have to be excited by the commitment Eli Manning and the team have brought to the offseason. The Giants clearly are not resting on their Super Bowl accomplishments.


As Tom Canavan reports for the AP:

For the past two weeks, players have been working up a sweat during the team’s offseason conditioning program and exchanging stories about the wild two months that followed the Giants’ remarkable 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in the NFL title game.

‘There are a lot of NFL players that go through their whole career and never experience it,’ center Shaun O’Hara said. ‘I think winning the Super Bowl is something every player and coach should have the opportunity to go through. The reality is they don’t. I think you have to cherish it for what it is, relish the moment as a great memory, but you can’t dwell on it.’”

Manning & O’Hara after failed 4th down

Canavan recounts the story of when Manning and O’Hara met the great Yankee catcher Yogi Berra. Berra congratulated the two on their Super Bowl championship.

“Manning then asked Berra how many World Series he won with the New York Yankees.
‘10,’ Berra said.

‘Eli turned to me and said: ‘We have nine more to go,”‘ O’Hara said. “When you think of it in those terms, it’s pretty amazing.”

Manning knows there’s a lot more he can do this year. Paul Schwartz of the NY Post spoke to him:
“I’d like to add 10 more yards to my throw, to my deep ball,” Manning said.

He’s putting more of an emphasis on strengthening his legs, which he figures will add distance to his throws and prevent injuries during the season. Judging from his words and actions, Manning is under no illusion that his impressive string of playoff starts, culminating with his out-dueling of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, means he has finally arrived as a complete NFL quarterback.

“It’s satisfying, but I still work extremely hard in what I’m doing. I’m not content with where I am in my play,” Manning said. “I played well through the playoff run, but I’d like to do that over 16 regular-season games and into the playoffs rather than wait until the last four.”

Whether or not they can pull it off, these Giants are not satisfied. And if their intentions are matched by results, football fans will get their money’s worth each time the Giants are on the field. I’m betting they’re in the running.

Did you watch the football combine on the NFL network? Have you been checking the sports pages to see who has signed your favorite free agent? Have you been watching the Jets spend like they’re printing money?

It wasn’t so long ago that Eli Manning squirmed away from the Patriots and found David Tyree, who made one of the greatest grabs ever, in perhaps the most exciting Super Bowl we’ve ever seen.

David Tyree’s magical grab – Photo: How/Getty

How about a quick review: The Cowboys then the Packers beat the Giants to start off the season and with the fans and media just about ready to bail on Tom Coughlin and the Jints, Eli & Company pull out the 3rd game at the Redskins. All the while the Patriots were steamrolling the Jets, Chargers and Bills.

On Week 17 the Patriots outlast the Giants in Giants Stadium 38 to 35. But that victory for the Patriots was really a win for the Giants, who despite all the hype and talk about should the starters start, won back the love of their fans and began to believe they could go all the way.

Eli – jubilant & victorious

Well the New England Patriots re-signed LB Tedy Bruschi, C Lonie Paxton, S Ray Ventrone, DL Mike Wright and WRs Jabar Gaffney, Randy Moss, and Kelley Washington. And they signed CBs Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders, and S Tank Williams. Some of the important players they lost: Asante Samuel to Philadelphia, Donte Stallworth and Eugene Wilson.

The New York Giants have been relatively quiet: they signed QB David Carr, LB Danny Clark and S Sammy Knight. And they re-signed RB Derrick Ward. Some of the players they lost: Kawika Mitchell, Reggie Torbor, Gibril Wilson, and William Joseph.

Next step: the 2008 NFL Draft. April 26-27. The buzz is the Giants with the last pick in the first round will go for a linebacker. The Patriots have the 7th pick overall and some think they’ll be shopping the pick.

Who do you think your team will go for?

Are you ready for football?