A week from today (May 14^th) the Florida Atlantic University fiscal year will end, which means that all coaches who are on year to year deals and who have not been renewed for 08-09 will be out of a job. Atop that list is FAU basketball assistant coach Mike Balado, a South Florida basketball lifer who has served the last three years in that role. Full disclosure, Balado is very close friend of mine and has a very good chance of being out of a job, at least for the time being, in a week.  

I never truly realized the life of a basketball coach until today, when I spent the majority of my day on campus talking to three former Rex Walters (now the Head Coach of San Francisco) assistant coaches, Balado, Wendell Moore and Jeff Guin. All three were in the office trying their best to conduct business as usual, that is if you consider not knowing who your boss is and not knowing where you will work in eight days as usual.

Let’s be real here, FAU is not the biggest program in the country, it’s not even the biggest program in South Florida but its one with a lot of potential. It’s one that has drawn former NBA names Sidney Green and Walters to it’s head coaching post and one that has lured a former North Carolina head man in Matt Doherty to seek out its employment. It’s also one that has never truly seen extended continuity. When Doherty came in three plus years ago he brought a new found credibility and he brought a great staff with him. Walters was his lead assistant and became the obvious choice to replace him when he left for South Methodist University. Doherty also brought in a kid, who was recommended by former Miami-Dade Head Coach Butch Estes. A kid who was born and raised in South Florida and who spoke fluent English and Spanish and who, oh by the way, had countless High School and AAU contacts.  The kid then, has grown to become a fantastic coach now, Mike Balado.

Having spent the last three seasons as the voice of FAU basketball, I have seen first hand the ins and outs of the program and have learned a lot about college basketball. I have seen two tremendous coaches who benefited from the program just like the program has benefited from them but unfortunately neither looked at FAU as a destination job, one in which they wanted to be at for an extended period of time. That’s what FAU needs, they need a coach who can walk in and take over the program and never want to leave it. There is something to be said about loyalty, Balado has it. FAU is his dream job, he wants to be here and only here. He told the president of the University to double whatever buyout figure they wanted to put in the contract of their new Head Coach if he got the job.  He is not looking to FAU as a stepping stone to go somewhere else, he is looking at a campus in Boca Raton, at a roster he recruited, as his past, present and future. We have all heard the FAU mantra of winning the press conference (sorry no media covers the team unless they win), needing a guy with experience (they know more than Pat Riley who hired Erik Spoelstra at 37 years old as a first year HC?) etc etc, its time to change the ways.  Hopefully he will get a chance to become an Owl for a long time, something nobody else has ever wanted to do or seems to want to do.

It is amazing that Roger Clemens spent time this weekend admitting to the Houston Chronicle that in fact he did make mistakes in his personal life.

"I know that many people want to know what I have to say about the recent articles in the media," Clemens said in the statement. "Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry. I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans. Like everyone, I have flaws. I have sometimes made choices which have not been right."

What an ego maniac. So let's get this straight, Clemens is ok admitting to hurting his wife and kids by cheating on her and is ok with that being made public but refuses to admit fault in baseball? He cares more about his legacy as a pitcher than he does as a man.

Ricky Williams would be the longest tenured Dolphin. Williams has been on the roster since he was acquired from New Orleans on March 8th, 2002.

- Jason Taylor will NEVER play another game for the Miami Dolphins.

- Pat Riley will NOT replace Erik Spoelstra as head coach of the Miami Heat at any point during Riley's tenure as team President.

Hold me to both of those!!!

From  the Dolphins media relations:

HEY NINETEEN:  With nine draft picks this year and ten a year ago, the Dolphins now have drafted a total of 19 players over the last two years.  It marks their most draft picks over a two-year span since 1997-98 when they totaled 24 over this time, including 14 in 1997 and 10 in 1998.

HOLD THE SUGAR: Of the 252 players taken in this year’s draft, 35 were from the Southeastern Conference, none of whom were taken by the Dolphins.  It is the second straight year in which they have not drafted a player from the SEC.  This follows a 16-year stretch (1991-2006) in which they selected at least one player from an SEC school.

EARLY BIRD:  With the Dolphins signing Jake Long on April 22, it is the fifth-earliest signing of the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft since 1970.  The four earliest signings of the draft’s top selection occurred within a five-year period; Irving Fryar in 1984 (by New England on April 10, draft on May 1), Bruce Smith in 1985 (by Buffalo on February 22, draft on April 30), Vinny Testaverde in 1987 (by Tampa Bay on April 2, draft on April 28), Aundray Bruce in 1988 (by Atlanta on April 6, draft on April 24).     

TACKLE IS TOPS:  Jake Long became just the second offensive lineman to be taken with the top pick in the NFL Draft since 1970, joining Ohio State T Orlando Pace, who was selected by the Rams in the top spot in 1997.  Since the common draft started in 1967, Long is the third offensive lineman taken with the No. 1 selection, as USC T Ron Yary was picked at that spot by the Minnesota Vikings in 1968.

O-LINEMEN LEAD WAY WITH FINS: Jake Long is the eighth offensive lineman the Dolphins have tabbed in the first round and the second in the last five years (T Vernon Carey in 2004).  Overall, the Dolphins now have taken an offensive lineman with their top pick in the draft ten times.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS:  With the selections of Jake Long, Shawn Murphy and Donald Thomas, the Dolphins now have taken 96 offensive linemen in the draft, the most of any position in team history.  In addition, they have picked at least one in each of their 43 drafts.

THE WOLVERINE WAY:  Jake Long and Chad Henne are the sixth and seventh players the Dolphins have drafted from the University of Michigan.  Of the seven, three have been offensive tackles.  Henne is the first quarterback.  It also is the second straight year the Dolphins have drafted two players from the same school.  Last year they took a pair of players from the University of Hawaii in C Samson Satele (2b) and FB Reagan Mauia (6a).

TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME:  Jake Long becomes the second player with the surname of ‘Long’ to be drafted by the Dolphins.  In 1980, the team took South Dakota linebacker Ben Long in the 10^th round.

HANG TEN:  Jake Long and Chad Henne are the sixth and seventh players from the Big Ten Conference to be selected by the Dolphins in the last five drafts (2004-08).  Long is the second in a row from the Big Ten the Dolphins have tabbed in the first round, joining Ohio State WR Ted Ginn, Jr. last year.

HOLD THAT TIGER:  Phillip Merling is sixth player the Dolphins have drafted from Clemson and the first since 1998 when they tabbed DE Lorenzo Bromell in the third round and G Jim Bundren in the seventh round.

RUN ON LINEMEN:  Since 2005, the Dolphins now have drafted seven defensive linemen, including two in the second round (DE Matt Roth in 2005).  With the selections of Phillip Merling, Kendall Langford and Lionel Dotson, the Dolphins now have drafted a total of 92 defensive linemen in their history.  In addition, it is just the fourth time in 43 drafts that the Dolphins have selected two defensive linemen within the first three rounds.  In 1969, they took DE Bill Stanfill in the first round and DT Bob Heinz in the second round as their top two picks that year.  In 1977, they picked DE A.J. Duhe in the first round and DT Bob Baumhower in the second round, also their top two selections.  In 1983, they tabbed DT Mike Charles in the second round and DE Charles Benson in the third round, as their second and third picks of the draft.  It is the first time since 1997 that the Dolphins took three defensive linemen in the same draft.  That year they tabbed DE Jason Taylor (3a), DT Barron Tanner (5a) and DE Nicholas Lopez (5b).

IN THE TRENCHES:  With the selection of T Jake Long in the first round and DE Phillip Merling in the second round, it is the first time in 43 drafts that the Dolphins have taken an offensive and defensive lineman with their top two picks.  The six total linemen that the Dolphins took (3 offensive, 3 defensive) are the most that they have taken in a draft since 1980 when they also took six linemen (4 offense, 2 defense) in a 12-round draft.

CONSECUTIVE QUARTERBACKS:  With the selection of QB John Beck last year and QB Chad Henne this year, it is the first time the Dolphins have taken quarterbacks in consecutive drafts since 1988, when they tabbed Florida’s Kerwin Bell in the seventh round, one year after taking Ohio State’s Jim Karsatos in the 12^th round.  That actually represented the third straight year in which the team drafted a quarterback, as it also picked LSU’s Jeff Wickersham in the 10^th round in 1986.

HANGING WITH CHAD:  The selection of Chad Henne in the 58^th spot marks the sixth-highest spot in which the Dolphins have drafted a quarterback of the 26 total that they now have taken.  The only ones who were taken higher were Rick Norton (2^nd overall, 1966), Bob Griese (4^th overall, 1967), Dan Marino (27^th overall, 1983), John Beck (40^th overall, 2007) and Guy Benjamin (51^st overall, 1978). 

PIRATED:  DE Kendall Langford is just the second player the Dolphins have drafted from Hampton University, joining DT Corey Swinson, who was selected in the seventh round in 1995.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK:  G Shawn Murphy, the Dolphins’ fourth-round draft choice, is the son of former Major League Baseball outfielder Dale Murphy, who played 18 years in MLB (1976-93), including stints with Atlanta (1976-90), Philadelphia (1990-92) and Colorado (1993).   Murphy credited his father with having helped all of his sons as they made it to the professional world.  “He prepared all of his kids well, no matter what profession they enter. He’s given me advice these last few months leading up to the chance of me becoming a professional athlete. He’s been a great guide and a great mentor. He’s always there. He’s never forceful or pushed any of us in any direction, but he’s always there. He’s been a great comfort and a great help these last few months.”

AGGIES WHO BECAME DOLPHINS:  G Shawn Murphy is just the second player the Dolphins have drafted from Utah State, joining running back Ron Holmes, who was taken in the 15^th round in 1976.

O-LINEMEN TABBED EARLY:  With the selection of T Jake Long in the first round and G Shawn Murphy in the fourth round, it marks the first time since 1993 that the Dolphins have drafted two offensive linemen within the first four rounds.

ROCKET MAN: Jalen Parmele is the second player the Dolphins have drafted from the University of Toledo, joining cornerback Curtis Johnson, who was selected in the fourth round in 1970.

BACKING IT UP:  The selections of Jalen Parmele and Lex Hilliard brings the total number of running backs or fullbacks the Dolphins have drafted over the last two years to four.  That is the same number that the team drafted in the seven previous seasons (2000-06).

HUSKY HYPE:  G Donald Thomas is the first player the Dolphins have ever drafted from the University of Connecticut.

MR. THOMAS:  Donald Thomas is the fourth player with the surname of ‘Thomas’ to be drafted by the Dolphins.  He joins CB Norris Thomas (9^th round, 1976), CB Rodney Thomas (5^th round, 1988) and LB Zach Thomas (5^th round, 1996).

GRIZZLED:  RB Lex Hilliard is the first player the Dolphins have ever drafted from the University of Montana.

DESERT STORM:  DT Lionel Dotson is the fourth player from the University of Arizona ever drafted by the Dolphins and the first since they took LB Brant Boyer in the sixth round in 1994.  It is the second time in three years that the Dolphins drafted a player from an Arizona school, having selected Arizona State WR Derek Hagan in the third round in 2006.

Draft Weekend Trades

Saturday, April 26, 2008

• Fourth-round draft choice (100^th overall) to Dallas in exchange for LB Akin Ayodele and TE Anthony Fasano
• RB Lorenzo Booker to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2008 fourth-round draft choice (115^th overall).

Sunday, April 27, 2008

• Fourth-round draft choice (64^th overall) to Detroit for a fourth-round draft choice (66^th overall) and a sixth-round draft choice (176^th overall).
• Fourth-round draft choice acquired from Philadelphia (115^th overall) and seventh-round draft choice (208^th overall) to Chicago for fourth-round draft choice (110^th overall).

Let’s start with the Phins.

-         They drafted three players who many people graded out as first round talents.

o       We have spoken about Jake Long at nausea, Phllip Merling, a Defensive End / Tackle out of Clemson, would have been a first rounder if not for a sports hernia issue. Merling is someone that can play the end on the defensive line in a 3-4 scheme. With the 57^th pick Miami drafted Michigan QB Chad Henne, someone I said on the air should have been their 32^nd pick so needless to say getting him 25 spots later was a steal.

-         I found it interesting that Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland basically said that Lorenzo Booker didn’t really fit their system which is why they moved him to Philly for a 4^th round pick (115). How much different is Booker as a RB as Ted Ginn Jr. is as a WR?

-         I cannot fathom that Jacksonville thinks Derrick Harvey is worth four picks but Jason Taylor is not worth one?

Other draft thoughts:

-         I never thought I would say this but big ups to KC. Glen Dorsey at five, Brandon Albert, who they almost took at five,  at 15 and Brandon Flowers from Delray in the 2^nd round.

-         If Atlanta would have taken Dorsey three, they could have grabbed Henne / Brian Brohm at 21 where they went to get USC OT Sam Baker or in the 2^nd round where they got Curtis Lofton out of Oklahoma (37).

-         Baltimore seemingly did the same thing as the Falcons. B-More traded out of eight down to 26 with Jacksonville and then traded back up with Houston to get Deleware QB Joe Flacco at 18. With no QB’s taken in the 1^st round after Flacco, the Ravens could have drafted Flacco at 26.

-         Why do the Titans refuse to take a WR?

-         I am usually a fan of “name” guys but I don’t love what the Redskins did today. Washington already has Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle –El on their roster and they took 2 WR’s (Devin Thomas from Michigan State and Malcom Kelly from Oklahoma)??

-         Now that the UM streak is alive (14 years in a row with a 1^st rounder), I was thinking about who could continue it in 2009? DT – Antonio Dixon? RB – Javarris James? DE – Eric Moncur? Looks like the streak may end

-         Pizza Hut now has pasta.