President Obama has now been the President for 100 days. President Bush was President for almost 3,000 days.

3,000 > 100.

For whatever reason, ‘we’ have made this benchmark a ‘big’ deal in the media and around the water cooler. Assessing the efficiency of a new administration this early on in the process isn’t just difficult, it is down right silly.

Americans love grades and testing like I wrote a few posts back (What is Smart?). We grade the NFL Draft results, beauty pageants, restaurants, hotels, music, yada yada yada. But grading without enough of a sample size will provide deviations too extreme to be considered remotely accurate, so what’s the point of even doing it?

It is like predicting the #1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft (Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma by the way). Jimmy Carter looked like Lincoln 100 days in and Bill Clinton would have been a lame-duck President if we went by his 100 day checkup. And we know how differently we view them now.

I can’t grade 100 days but I remain confident in the new administration. I am glad there is a push toward transparency, I am glad stem cell restrictions have been lifted, I am glad the government is working actively to alleviate the economic slide, and I am glad there is a new sense of optimism in the way America goes about its international diplomacy.

As our President said 100 days ago, “Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

So I will give the only grade one can reasonably give at this point- Incomplete. There is a lot of work to do in this “new era of responsibility” but I think Obama will have eight years to lead that effort. But in the meantime, can the 24/7 news cycle please focus on real news and not gimmick Hallmark type grading benchmarks?

***(Reader warning: Sorry little long, might want to print it)***

The 2009 NFL draft takes place this Saturday. Since the NFL is far and away the top sporting league in America and the absence of football news over the past few months leaves fans hanging, the NFL Draft is always a big deal. Big enough of a deal that millions of idiots like me devote time trying to predict what teams are going to take what players. God Bless America.

A couple of notes on the draft as a whole:

• This draft isn’t as sexy as many past drafts. There isn’t a Barry Sanders or a Peyton Manning or a Reggie Bush in this draft. There are a lot of good players, there are very few, if any, great players.
• As many as seven teams in the top 10 are trying to trade down. The NFL’s dirty little secret that needs to be addressed in the next CBA will be the issue of insane salaries for top draft picks. Paying unproven commodities the outrageous money these kids command isn’t good business. There is a reason why the Patriots always trade down and the Raiders and Browns trade up. No coincidence.
• The economy is affecting team’s decisions. I have read across the board that teams aren’t going to take the best player available, they are going to draft by the best value from a player depending on the ability to sign the player. This is going to hurt new contracts and potential holdouts. Count on this being a big story this weekend.
• I think we could see some really fun trades play out. The NFL has traditionally been a really anti-trade league but that is changing. We saw the Cassel and Cutler blockbusters this offseason, that just rarely happened before in the NFL. I think we might see guys like Brady Quinn, Jason Campbell, Braylon Edwards, or other big names moved around.

Okay here we go, the Detroit Lions are on the clock!

1) Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford, QB Georgia

Why it makes sense: The Lions insist that they will not draft anyone unless a deal is in place. Stafford and the Lions are currently in negotiations and one will think they will strike a deal sometime tomorrow night. Stafford gives the Lions hope of a new future. A potential franchise QB that could save the team and give the city of Detroit a boost they need. Ton of experience, played against great competition in the SEC, HUGE arm, and a 38 Wonderlic test. He has already told people he’ll be the #1 pick and Detroit needs a sexy pick to appease fans after going 0-16 last year. Stafford is the guy.

Why it doesn’t: When teams rebuild, QB isn’t the best position to start. Only about 30% of 1st round QB’s work out successfully. The safer, and cheaper pick, would be one of the OT’s or LB Aaron Curry. Stafford comes with the probable price tag of $75 million with $40 million guaranteed. That isn’t an easy pill to swallow with a 30% probability of success.

2) St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith, OT Baylor

Why it makes sense: The Rams need a bookend tackle to replace Orlando Pace and Smith fits the bill. The Rams are on the brink of a complete organizational overhaul and LT is the best place to start rebuilding. He can step in and start right away.

Why it doesn’t: The Rams could go with Sanchez to learn under aging QB Marc Bulger or address the defensive side of the ball with LB Aaron Curry. Or they could decide they like OT Eugene Monroe better and go with him. There are lots of needs and the Rams may decide O-Line can be addressed later or through free agency.

3) Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry, LB Wake Forest

Why it makes sense: Curry is widely considered the best pure player in the draft. He will be easy to sign and can anchor Scott Pioli’s new defense.

Why it doesn’t: Non-rush linebackers are very rarely drafted this high. I think I might be alone on this, but if Curry isn’t the pick here, I think he may fall out of the top 7. The media loves him but I’m not sold on his value this high. I think DT BJ Raji might be the pick or Eugene Monroe or maybe they go after Crabtree to give Cassel a new downfield weapon. I think Curry is the safe pick, but I don’t think it is the best pick for this team. Expect Scott Pioli to field trade offers for those teams looking to move up to take Sanchez.

4) Seattle Seahawks – Eugene Monroe, OT Virginia

Why it makes sense: I had a lot of difficulty with this pick. Many people think Seattle will take Sanchez here but I think they are just building trade bait hype to scare teams. I think Seattle knows they have too many other needs besides QB right now and landing a line anchor like Monroe would be too good to pass up.

Why it doesn’t: I fully expect Seattle to field serious offers to try to move out of this place for someone to come up and get Sanchez. Then again, the pick could be Sanchez and I’m just off-base, he could learn under Hasselbeck but I think this team can win without blowing up the whole team to rebuild. Sanchez will be very costly at #4, they don’t need that hassle.

5) Cleveland Browns – Bryan Orakpo, DE/LB Texas

Why it makes sense: Orakpo was called “the best player in the draft” by ESPN’s Michael Smith and has freakish athletic talent. While there are a ton of rumors and questions around the Browns’ offense, the defense needs to be improved before the team can win anything. Orakpo can be a little Demarcus Ware for the Browns.

Why it doesn’t: There are tons of rumors around Cleveland. If they trade Brady Quinn to the Broncos (Like I think is secretly going to happen), then they will probably take Sanchez. If they trade Braylon Edwards, like they want to, I think the pick will probably have to be Crabtree. But if neither of those deals goes down, the Browns should go with Orakpo.

6) Cincinnati Bengals – Andre Smith, OT Alabama

Why it makes sense: The Bengals went after Tank Johnson this offseason so let’s assume they won’t go with Raji. While they lost Housh to Free Agency, WR isn’t the biggest concern, and there are holes everywhere else. So what do you do? Like I always say, if there is a great OT available, take him. Plus his character issues fit well with the Bengals, no?

Why it doesn’t: The player that was once considered the best player in this draft, Smith has been a poster child for dysfunction. Trouble with an agent made him miss the Sugar Bowl. Showed up out of shape at the combine, left early, and fired his agent last week. Red flags everywhere. Cincinnati could go with Crabtree to replace Housh as well. Someone could theoretically try to swoop in here if Sanchez is still available.

7) Oakland Raiders – Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

Why it makes sense: Oakland would be thrilled if Crabtree falls into their lap. He provides Al Davis with the flashy type of player he loves, gives Jamarcus Russell a viable target, and stimulates Raider nation with a sexy pick. The fan base needs something to root for.

Why it doesn’t: Knowing Jacksonville picks next, teams might make a last ditch effort for Sanchez if he is still around. Oakland might also have other WR’s higher than Crabtree (Maclin or Heyward-Bey). And Crabtree will likely come more expensive than those other WR’s available. And knowing Al Davis, they might end up picking a Venezuelan futbol striker to shore up the kickoff game. Who knows with this team.

8 ) Jacksonville Jaguars – Mark Sanchez, QB USC

Why it makes sense: If Sanchez falls to 8, Jack Del Rio is going to pull the trigger. I don’t think any real football fan believes David Garrard is a franchise QB. I like the guy, but let’s be honest with each other.

Why it doesn’t: Sanchez is going to be very expensive and like I said above, QB’s in the first round are rarely successful. He only had one year at USC (think Akili Smith) and playing at USC is always a red flag for NFL teams. Jacksonville has a lot of holes, so addressing other needs with a Raji or Everette Brown or Aaron Maybin also makes a lot of sense for the Jags.

9) Green Bay Packers – BJ Raji, DT Boston College

Why it makes sense: If Raji falls to 9, he could be one of the steals of the draft. Clearly the best DT in the draft, Green Bay would have a tough time passing on him at this point. There were false rumors of a positive test for weed that sort of hurt him but proved to be nothing. The guy is a stud in the Vince Wilfork mode.

Why it doesn’t: Green Bay might worry about Raji’s character but they shouldn’t. There are other holes. Everette Brown could be the pick, maybe even OT Michael Oher, or a WR for Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay is a well run tight-lipped organization. Tough to predict.

10) San Francisco 49ers – Michael Oher, OT Ole Miss

Why it makes sense: The 49ers are another team with a ton of flaws on both sides of the ball. And like I said above, a team that is in terrible shape should address OT first. Since there are four really good OT’s in this draft, San Francisco takes Oher while he is still there. If they are going to improve, they need protection and solid run blocking.

Why it doesn’t: Oher is rising on many draft boards but he still might be a bit of a reach at number 10. I think San Francisco could go with a WR or a secondary player but there aren’t any with enough value at this 10 spot. The strength of the 49ers is the front 7 on defense, so while there are a ton of great DE/LB prospects still on the board, I think SF goes in a different direction.

11) Buffalo Bills -Aaron Maybin, DE Penn State

Why it makes sense: Since all four of the tackles are gone, Buffalo is forced to pick on the other side of the line. The Bills pass rush was anemic last year. Maybin is a guy who can step right in and start and be a difference maker on defense. This could also allow Buffalo to trade or release Kelsay, Schobel, or Denney to clear cap space. Penn State defenders are notoriously gritty and solid NFL players, Poz and Maybin could be quite a Nittany Lions duo.

Why it doesn’t: If one of the four tackles are still available, I believe Buffalo will take them. The only exception would be if Orakpo is still available where I believe Buffalo would take him in about four seconds. Some are saying Oklahoma TE Brandon Pettigrew here. While I like Pettigrew ALOT, he is just too much of a stretch at #11.

12) Denver Broncos – Tyson Jackson, DE LSU

Why it makes sense: Jackson is shooting up every draft board with his pure athletic build and pass rushing instincts. The Broncos clearly need to upgrade a flaky defense and Jackson is a great fit.

Why it doesn’t: I don’t believe Josh McDaniels is happy with Kyle Orton being his starting QB so we might see a trade for Quinn, Campbell, or a play at Sanchez if possible. Denver could also address their aging secondary with a Malcolm Jenkins or a Vontae Davis.

13) Washington Redskins, Everette Brown DE Florida State

Why it makes sense: Washington loves the flashy picks but Brown is good value here and can help a weak front for the Redskins immediately. He has the flexibility to be an OLB in pass coverage or a great third down pass rusher.

Why it doesn’t: I don’t expect Washington to pick Brown because it just isn’t how they tick. I think we may see a Campbell trade by making a move for Sanchez or something else. Either way, I don’t think the Redskins will stay in this position so Brown being a Redskin is probably not going to happen.

14) New Orleans Saints – Clay Matthews, LB USC

Why it makes sense: The Saints are rumored to be taking a running back but I think it is a smokescreen. Jonathan Vilma didn’t exactly work out last year and the defense needs help. Matthews had an unbelievable pro day at USC and was great at the combine. It may be a bit of a surprise that he goes before the other two USC linebackers but I think he is the safest pick here.

Why it doesn’t: Unless I’m wrong, the Saints may actually go RB with a Moreno or Well but I doubt it. I guess CB remains a possibility with equal value available in Jenkins, Davis, and others. Or they go with one of the other linebackers Maualuga or Cushing.

15) Houston Texans – Malcolm Jenkins, CB Ohio State

Why it makes sense: If Jenkins is available at 15, it would be very difficult to pass on him for a team that struggled in pass coverage last year. Jenkins is a highly decorated college player with loads of experience in a big time conference. The speedster could probably step right in and help Houston limit the big play threat.

Why it doesn’t: Houston may be tempted to go linebacker instead of secondary. There are also running back and wide receiver value at #15 that could help an offense in need of a spark besides Andre Johnson.

16) San Diego Chargers – Jeremy Maclin, WR Missouri

Why it makes sense: The Chargers are pretty solid as a team without any glaring needs. They had a dissapointing season last year but are definitely built to win now. Maclin provides NFL speed as  big play threat for emerging superstar QB Philip Rivers and gives the lackluster WR core a much needed boost.

Why it doesn’t: San Diego could literally draft any position or anyone with this pick and I wouldn’t be surprised. The remaining two USC linebacks will be tempting. I don’t see them taking a RB as they reportedly might after resigning Michael Turner and LT this offseason. There is only so much money that can be tied up with one position.

17) New York Jets – Josh Freeman, QB Kansas State

Why it makes sense: New coach Rex Ryan will be very tempted to land a potential franchise QB with his new team. Freeman is an interesting draft story with people valuing him all over the place. #17 might be considered a bit of a reach but everything out of Jet land is that Kellen Clemens isn’t going to be the long-term solution and Freeman provides a ton of upside.

Why it doesn’t: First round QB’s are always a gamble. The Jets could address WR here or LB or even running back with Thomas Jones holding out. If Freeman is the pick, I would expect heavy boos from the Jets fans in attendance at the draft.

18) Denver Broncos – Brian Cushing, LB USC

Why it makes sense: With Cushing and Jackson the Broncos defense just got a whole lot better. McDaniels comes from the Belicheck mold, he takes character guys with good Wonderlic’s that play with grit and hustle. I’m not sure how well Cushing will transition to the speed of the pro game but the pick makes too much sense not to place him here.

Why it doesn’t: Maualuga remains an option but I don’t think McDaniels wants to deal with the potential headache. They may again think about going with Vontae Davis or Darius Butler but Cushing seems like a great fit here. I guess the option is open to take Wells or Moreno to be a RB but Denver signed a bunch of RB’s this offseason to compete for the job. There are bigger holes on the D side.

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Robert Ayers, DE Tennessee

Why it makes sense: Tampa’s defense absolutely collapsed at the end of last season. Ayers is a guy who is valued as high as #7 in some mocks to out of the first round in others. You can make the argument he is the most prototypical DE in the draft and Tampa will have a tough time ignoring his value at #19.

Why it doesn’t: They have a new coach and a new GM. No one really knows how they operate so anything is a possibility. WR is an option, RB could be hit on, I think Ayers is maybe the best player available so I’ll throw him there.

20) Detroit Lions – William Beatty, OT Connecticut

Why it makes sense: Since they are going to dump about $75 million into Stafford, they had better make sure he stays healthy. Choosing not to go O-Line with the #1 pick makes this pick an easy match. If one of the other four OT’s is around, I expect they’d go with them but Beatty has amazing size and strength and is rising on many draft boards. Dollars to doughnuts Buffalo will take him at #28 if he is still available.

Why it doesn’t: Playing at Connecticut doesn’t bring out the greatest competition. He manhandled much smaller DE’s in college so that is a concern. Detroit shouldn’t really be thinking about another position but the franchise that went 0-16 last year has made a lot of draft day errors over the years so who knows.

21) Philadelphia Eagles – Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia

Why it makes sense: Philly has been known to be targeting Moreno and will take him in about 15 seconds if he falls into their lap at #21. He is a very gifted runner who can transition into the starting RB spot as Westbrook winds down his fabulous career.

Why it doesn’t: Philly may like Beanie Wells more but probably not. If Moreno is available at #21, he will be the pick. If not, they may look to Vontae Davis, Darius Butler, or Brandon Pettigrew.

22) Minnesota Vikings – Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR Maryland

Why it makes sense: Bey is exactly the speedy type of big play threat that Minnesota needs to stretch the field to make room for Mr. Everything Adrian Peterson.

Why it doesn’t: I really have to think WR is the position here. There are other WR options but I just think Heyward-Bey is the best one available.

23) New England Patriots – Darius Butler, CB Connecticut

Why it makes sense: Bill Bellicheck personally went to the Connecticut Pro Day to see Butler and the hoodie doesn’t go to pro days without intent, especially Connecticut’s pro day. The Patriots have a rapidly aging secondary that struggled at times last year.

Why it doesn’t: New England is always a threat to trade down so don’t dismiss that possibility. Beanie Wells is still available and Jerry Peria would be very tempting here as well. Whatever they do with this pick will probably be right. No one, besides maybe the Colts, gets draft day right as often as the Patriots do.

24) Atlanta Falcons – Jerry Peria, DT Mississippi

Why it makes sense: I thought Atlanta would take TE Brandon Pettigrew with this pick but they traded for Tony Gonzalez about ten minutes ago. So Peria is arguably the best player left and Atlanta doesn’t need to worry about their offense with Matty Ice at the helm, so picking up an anchor in the middle of the defense will go a long way in improving Atlanta’s team.

Why it doesn’t: Maybe Matty Ice wants some more weapons at WR or RB with the talent still available at those positions. Ultimately, the Falcons have more to worry about than weapons right now and Peria could be the steal of the draft at #24.

25) Miami Dolphins -Hakeem Nicks, WR North Carolina

Why it makes sense: This is another pick that I really struggled with. Bill Parcells is a tough nut to crack when it comes to evaluating talent. He usually makes the safe pick after a ton of due diligence (And he asks more questions than anyone in football). So Nicks is the kind of guy Parcells would typically not draft but I think his explosiveness is needed in the ever improving AFC East.

Why it doesn’t: Brandon Pettigrew has to be an option. Maybe a different WR. Maualuga is still out there. Vontae Davis has a ton of talent but is the kind of guy Parcells avoids. Again like I said, Bill Parcells is tough to predict, the Nicks guess is exactly that, no more than a guess.

26) Baltimore Ravens – Ray Maualuga, LB USC

Why it makes sense: Baltimore just won’t be able to bypass Ray after losing Bart Scott and with Ray Lewis aging quickly. Ray’s a flashy linebacker with a ton of upside. I don’t necessarily believe he will fall this far in the draft but this is my assessment of him. He goes for the big play too often, isn’t as fundamentally strong in tackling, and could be a potential headache for an organization.

Why it doesn’t: The Ravens could definitely go WR to help give promising young QB Joe Flacco more help in his development. Beanie Wells or Donald Brown could be an option with the rumors that Willis McGahee is being shopped around and or released.

27) Indianapolis Colts – Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, RB Ohio State

Why it makes sense: Joseph Addai is coming off a very down year and the Colts just let Dominic Rhodes walk to Buffalo. There aren’t a ton of holes on this team but RB is an area that needs to be addressed.

Why it doesn’t: The Colts may go O-Line or WR to replace Marvin Harrison. Whatever they do, I’m sure they’ll do it right. Bill Polian has to be regarded as one of, if not the, best executives in all of football.

28) Buffalo Bills – Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma

Why it makes sense: If Pettigrew somehow slides all the way to Buffalo at #28, I will sing and dance through the streets. The guy who they thought about taking at #11 is still there. Atlanta was a team that might have taken him but the addition of Tony Gonzalez signals they’re looking elsewhere. I am really, really high on Pettigrew as he is an excellent blocker with big size and underrated as a pass catching option. Trent Edwards straight gets a chubby if Pettigrew drops this far.

Why it doesn’t: Assuming he is still available, he will undoubtedly be the pick. This of course leaves the OT position still unfilled. If Beatty is still around he will be an option as could Eben Britton from Arizona.

29) New York Giants – Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers

Why it makes sense: Assuming the deal for Braylon Edwards is off the table, and it sounds like it is, the Giants will need to address the WR position after cutting Plaxico Burress. Without Burress the Giants were noticably worse during the end of the season. Britt is my top WR available and thus has to be the pick.

Why it doesn’t: If they do swing the trade for Edwards, this pick will go to Cleveland. Who then will have to think about addressing offensive line with someone like Eben Britton or a WR like Britt or Percy Harvin to replace Braylon “Drops” Edwards.

30) Tennessee Titans – Sean Smith, CB Utah

Why it makes sense: Smith is an extremely physically gifted corner with big size and excellent coverage instincts. Tennessee can only improve by taking him at #30.

Why it doesn’t: There are some quiet concerns for the Titans. QB will need to be addressed, a WR addition would be welcomed, and Eben Britton remains an attractive option for any team at this point.

31) Arizona Cardinals – Ziggy Hood, DT Missouri

Why it makes sense: The Cardinals need to improve their defense if they have any hopes of returning to the Super Bowl. Hood is a great player who is excellent in run defense and has the strength to get his fair share of sacks.

Why it doesn’t: The Cardinals may want to address RB as Donald Brown is still available or corner with Vontae Davis still lingering around.

32) Pittsburgh Steelers – Vontae Davis, CB Illinois

Why it makes sense: If Vontae really slips this far Pittsburgh will be forced to take him. After losing Bryant McFadden, CB is arguably the team’s biggest need. The assumption is that Pittsburgh will take either C’s Max Unger or Alex Mack with this pick but Davis would be a nice gift to a team that hardly needs any gifts.

Why it doesn’t: Davis has potential character issues but Mike “Money” Tomlin would easily extinguish those flames. Expect one of the two centers with this pick if Davis is off the board.

And there you have it! I’m not sure how draft day will play out because that is what makes it fun. Hope I was able to let you know more about some of the prospects available and where your team may be looking come Saturday.

LET’S GO BUFFALO!

When are humans going to learn that they can’t predict the future? It is barely into 2009 and I am already hearing about December 21, 2012.

In the simplest explanation; It comes from the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar that was most notably used by the Mayan civilization. The Long Count’s starting date was August 11, 3114 BCE in the Gregorian calendar. The Long Count’s starting date is repeated for the first time after 5125 solar years. Therefore the Long Count calendar’s present cycle will end on December 21, 2012.

Some are taking this to be the apocolypse. Some think it just signals a shifting world lifestyle. Some think the Long Count’s calendar isn’t accurate. And some just think nothing at all will happen. Count me as one of them.

Humans are always looking for answers in an uncertain world. We desperately try to cling to anything real, but those kind of tangibles are very rare on Earth. So people convince themselves that the unknown is “real”. It is easier to “know” than to always live with the acceptance of not knowing. We want to be “sure” and we so desperately want answers.

Personally I hate not knowing things either. I get incredibly frustrated. If I don’t know a word or a TV show or a historical event, I immediately look it up on my phone, I don’t garner an expertise on the topic, but at least I know! But I can accept that the world’s biggest mysteries are exactly that, mysteries. We just don’t know. Accept it.

Here’s what we actually know. Humans have a finite amount of time on this planet. Everyone that has lived here as this species has died. Death is unavoidable.

So with that actually tangible reality (humans accept death), we try to attach other tangibles to death. Religion, afterlife, reincarnation, spirits, etc. We want to know what happens when we die – but we simply don’t know. Sure you can have your beliefs and you can believe people who have “come back from the dead” or you can believe people that “can communicate with the other side”, but those are intangibles. Give me data, give me research. Give me something tangible that I can hold onto.

I can’t cling to unknown notions with a ferocious acceptance. It just isn’t how I tick.

So when I hear people talk about the coming Mayan prophecy that the world is going to end, I kind of laugh it off. As I opened with, when are humans going to learn they can’t predict the future?

So just like how the end of the world was going to happen in 2000, and before that in 1999, and 1991, and 1975, an 1666, and in the year 1000, and yada yada yada, we again are dealt with those humans incapable of accepting the unknown. We want answers and rationalize many occurrences as “proof” or “signs”. People don’t like living in the unknown, it bothers them and it does not seem fair. But it is what is is.

But if the end of the Mayan present great cycle does indeed bring on the apocalypse, wouldn’t it be at least a little cool? This might sound a little strange but since I can remember I always thought seeing the end of the world would be awesome.

I think part of the stigma, or the fear for some, of death is not only the unknown of what happens next, but that life goes on without us. Not seeing your family’s smiling faces and missing out on great human achievements in society, those are the things that bother me about death. I want to be a part of human’s greatest moments.

So if the entire world were to end at once, there wouldn’t be life to miss afterwards, and wouldn’t seeing the end of the world be just about the most amazing thing a human could experience?

Anyway, I’m officially taking bets that nothing happens and the world goes on. $20 anyone?

When it comes right down to it, Jason Peters didn’t want to be a Buffalo Bill.

The franchise that signed the overweight, nonathletic, and undrafted Tight End out of Arkansas in 2004 traded the disgruntled left tackle to the Philadelphia Eagles for this year’s 28th overall pick, a 4th round pick this year, and a conditional pick in next year’s draft (believed to be a 6th rounder).

Let me preface this justification with the acknowledgment that having Jason Peters on the Bills would have made Buffalo a better team this year. He is an extremely athletic player for his position and I do think he has great potential. But I am glad Buffalo made the trade and I am also happy with the compensation.

Here is why:

Despite Buffalo not only signing him as un drafted free agent. Despite showing him the utmost patience in teaching him a new position. Despite rewarding his play with a switch to the coveted left tackle position. Despite giving him a huge 5 year $15 million extension. Despite starting him immediately after an ugly and lengthy holdout last summer.

Jason Peters showed no allegiance or loyalty to the organization that created his livelihood. Without the Buffalo Bills, Jason Peters would be working for UPS right now.

Peters made a scene out of himself with his dumb holdout last year. I wrote that I was proud of new GM Russ Brandon for his defiant stance with a player under contract. So Peters eventually came to the team, one day before the season started, and hurt his team on and off the field. He came into the season out of shape, out of sync, and without the skills that led him to the Pro Bowl the previous year.

Once Buffalo was eliminated from playoff contention, he got ‘injured’ and missed the last two games of the year. He led the league in sacks allowed, was called for a holding penalty every fifteen effin plays, was noticeably worse in run blocking, and gave every indication that he was prepared to holdout again this summer without a new contract (Apparently making almost $4 million per year wasn’t enough for Mr. Peters).

So I love the trade. Not only do we get three picks in the deal, we swing a potential $50 million in cap savings by shipping the most overrated offensive line commodity int he NFL. Philly gave Peters a six year extension worth $60 million with $25 million guaranteed. His contract was up next year and there was no way he would have resigned with Buffalo. So why not just pay him? The Bills simply weren’t going to make Peters the highest paid offensive lineman in football, because he isn’t even close to the best. He is probably only the fifth or sixth best lineman in the AFC East!

So the #11 pick may be an OT (If Andre Smith is still around), Langston Walker played VERY well at LT last year filling in for Peters so he is an option, or the Bills could use later picks to fill the new need. The cap savings is also prudent because in the next few years Buffalo is going to have lock up Marshawn, Trent, Poz, and a handful of other young stars.

Unfortunate but necessary. So long Peters, you were hardly worth any of our time.

smart (smärt) adj. smart·er, smart·est

quick or prompt in action, as persons.

having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability: a smart student.

shrewd or sharp, as a person in dealing with others or as in business dealings: a smart businessman.

Slang Intelligence; expertise

I have this question with people sometimes, usually after a few cocktails. What is ‘smart’?

Is it knowledge? IQ Score? Grades? Salary? SAT Scores? Vocabulary? Creativity? Rationality? Awareness? Wit? Patience? People skills? Is it a combination of many aspects? And maybe more importantly, is it necessary in order to be successful?

I gravitate toward people that fascinate me. When I sense someone is really sharp, I pay attention, and I’m usually impressed. Then I tell them how much they interest me. This probably isn’t the best social strategy but the amount of people that have said ‘Thanks’ outweighs the fear of admitting admiration.

But is the notion of a universal objective intelligence scale even possible?

Humans have been measuring each other’s intelligence for a long time. In China during the Xi Zhou dynasty (1046 to 771 BCE), candidates for official positions were formally tested on a range of criteria including the “six skills”: arithmetic, archery, horsemanship, music, writing and the performance of rituals and ceremonies.

Searching for genius in 1884, Englishman Francis Galton set up an “anthropometric laboratory” and measured, among other things, the reaction times, eyesight, color sensitivity and steadiness of hand of more than 9,000 men and women as he looked for links between their physical and mental characteristics. He failed to develop a working intelligence test.

Intelligence testing has proved contentious ever since.

In the United States, where more than nine million men had to take IQ and ability tests during WWII, the enthusiasm for testing is still everywhere. IQ tests for children, Regents for NYS High Schoolers, the SAT for college applicants, Wonderlic tests for NFL prospects, psycho­metric testing by companies – all designed with the goal of identifying individual talent, but often the bigger question has been justifying the accuracy of these tests. Variations between the sexes and ethnic groups have led to inevitable arguments about bias and inequality and power: who gets to define intelligence? Who designs the tests?

The general standard, the IQ, is essentially bullshit. I have never taken an IQ test and don’t care to. There is a huge gap between what IQ tests can measure and what we want to them to show. Yet in the absence of anything better than IQ tests, people continue to see something in these IQ scores that, while not meaningless, do not hold “the answer”. Once someone gets a ‘good’ score, they remember it forever, cling to it with the utmost superiority complex, and probably will refuse to ever take another test because they’re already “smart”.

To paraphrase Malcolm Gladwell, intelligence tends to help people be successful the way height tends to help people play basketball. The more you have is useful but not absolute. There are many talented short basketball players and many successful people who aren’t too bright. Case in point, do a search for Chris Langan or Rick Rosner and look how they’re living their lives.

I’ve met some of the dumbest geniuses and some of the smartest “dumb” people. The truth is a great IQ test score doesn’t make you intelligent; it makes you someone who performs really well on IQ tests.

Intelligence has also been defined as the ability to recognize relationships between things and manipulate those relationships advantageously. So is being an opportunist and someone with great people skills make you ‘smart’? I think that’d be a fair argument.

I’d take being an outgoing person who has pretty solid intelligence, excellent communication skills, tons of friends and acquaintances, and having good common sense over a pompous genius who thinks they are so intelligent that they can’t communicate with such heathens as someone that doesn’t understand quantum physics. This is not to say all “geniuses” are like that. But those that define themselves as a “genius” typically do. A real genius would realize how much knowledge they don’t actually have, and realize there is so much to learn even from people that aren’t scoring 160 on an IQ test.

There isn’t an answer to the question, because if there was, someone a helluva lot smarter than myself would have come up with it. But we do agree as a society that ‘smart’ is a desired quality and being perceived as ‘intelligent’ is usually an attribute we attain for.

I think intelligence is, most simply, the ability to think quickly. To be consistently semi-correct on the first go-around. To trust your rationality and instinct quickly. Also with that, I think ‘smart’ calls for being constantly aware of the surroundings of your environment. Where are you? What people are here? What actions can I have in this situation to be most favorable? What do these people want to hear? What are these persons pasts? What do they expect me to say? Should I say what they want or say what I think?

Often people don’t pay attention to their environment and it shows. And sometimes people think slowly, you can see it on their face. Do they get a joke quick? Do they look up or down a lot needlessly?

I know this isn’t ‘smart’ but I think it is two of the more showing signs. If anyone has any thoughts on ‘smart’ or ‘intelligence’ leave a comment or send me an email, I’d love to further this conversation.

“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” -Ernest Hemingway

Are you reading this in internet explorer? It wouldn’t be a complete surprise, Internet Explorer still owns ~70% of browser market share. My question for you is, “Why?”

There are several alternatives to IE that not only boast more features and productivity tools, but better security and functionality.

Firefox

It’s fast, secure, comes with some spectacular addons and themes, features a really intuitive ‘smart bar’, and best of all, remains free with constant developer updates.

Download Here. Firefox Tips and Tricks

Google Chrome

Google’s new browser offers the most secure online experience, a stripped down interface for maximum speeds, incognito private browsing mode, and the best address/search bar that any browser can offer.

If you’re not into browser extensions or addons, Chrome might be the best browser for you.

Download Chrome Here.

Flock

Flock is built upon the open-sourced Firefox but adds a load of features for the internet intensive user. It builds in a blog editor and support for the whole crap load of web 2.0 sites that teh internets luvz. Built into the interface is media support for MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. Notably, when logging in once to any of the supported social services, Flock can track updates from friends: profiles, uploaded photos, and more right in the browser.

I haven’t actually used Flock but the list of sexy features keeps tempting me to give it a run.

Download Flock.

Opera

Opera has lost a lot of momentum with the increased focus on Firefox and Google pushing Chrome so dilligently, but Opera is a rock solid show of stability that offers great security and speed for non-intensive internet users. In particularly, Opera seems to run much faster than other browsers on older machines for whatever reason.

Download Opera Here.

Apple Safari

If you have a Mac and run OSX, odds are you’re comfortable with Safari and use it as your default browser. It is a strong option that just get better with the new beta release just pushed out. Unfortunately it is still a bit buggy and slow on older computers, but knowing Apple, the demand for browser perfection is just beginning. Promising options like CoverFlow for internet bookmarks is just the start. Fortunately for PC users, Apple has made Safari available for Windows.

Download Safari Here.

For more comparison of the ‘Browser Battle’, check out this article from Maximum PC.

So if you’re at home, definitely give one of these great browsers a test run. I think you’ll find yourself asking why you didn’t shelve IE much earlier. If you’re at work, see what you can do to get rid of IE in the workplace. Get a hold of your boss or someone in IT and let them know IE is inferior in almost every capacity.

If you’re the boss overseeing these decisions, what in the hell is wrong with your judgement?

In the summer of 2008, Time Warner Cable began testing a bandwidth cap of 40 GB per month in Beaumont, TX. If testing was successful, they would bring the cap to additional cities. Despite raising prices of its internet service within the last year, Time Warner Cable announced in February 2009 that they would expand its bandwidth caps and overage fees into four additional markets by the end of the year. On April 1st, those cities to have metered billing were announced. In addition to Beaumont, Texas, the cities would be Rochester, NY, Austin and San Antonio, TX, and Greensboro, NC.

Aw hell naw.

TWC CEO Glenn Britt tells BusinessWeek, “We need a viable model to be able to support the infrastructure of the broadband business. We made a mistake early on by not defining our business based on the consumption dimension.”

To do that, TWC has been testing plans with 5, 10, 20, or 40GB of data transfer per month, with prices ranging from $30 to $55 a month. Compared to other ISPs, this seems like an abysmal deal, since AT&T’s DSL has no official cap and Comcast offers 250GB per month (Which they were heavily criticized for!), generous by comparison.

40GB/month = 5 HD movies off iTunes. This is corporate greed and insanity at its finest.

So instead of paying for your internet like you pay for cable or trash collection, you will be charged based on usage, like electricity. That’s like charging people extra for cable because they watch too much TV. The reason that Time Warner is choosing these mid-level markets for advanced testing of their bandwidth caps is because they have a monopoly on high speed internet service in these areas, where Verizon FIOS and Comcast are unavailable (And please don’t try to tell me that Frontier’s max 1.5m/s is competition).

Will we be charged less for using less bandwidth? Of course not!

Here’s the problem: Most people won’t even come close to exceeding these bandwidth caps (~90% don’t use 5GB per month). The great majority of people who pay for internet are older. They check email, occasionally browse the web, check their bank accounts, maybe peruse Facebook, and that is about it. But these internet users are declining.

This bandwidth cap is going to hurt the younger generation who is increasingly tech savvy. If you use iTunes, YouTube, Hulu, xBox Live, PS3 Online, NetFlix, torrents, VoIP (Like Vonage or Skype) or stream any TV shows, this is going to hurt you.

The initial 5GB cap can be exceeded easily in a weekend. The maximum 40GB cap is so absurdly low, almost anyone who uses the online services I mentioned above will surpass the cap. And since that price got jacked up to $55, and every GB over fee is $1, TWC Road Runner customers are going to be looking at a possible double priced bill if this cap goes forth as planned starting this summer.

Britt’s rationale for the change—infrastructure is expensive—is tough to understand. Cable’s physical plant has been in the ground for years; even hybrid fiber-coax systems have been widely deployed for some time. Internet access simply runs across the existing network, and one of cable’s big advantages over DSL is that speeds can be upgraded cheaply by swapping in new DOCSIS headend gear, with DOCSIS 3.0 the current standard. Compared to what Verizon is doing with fiber and AT&T with its quasi-fiber U-Verse, cable Internet is a bargain (well, for the operators).

So why is Time Warner making this move?

1- People are cutting their cable subscriptions in wake of the recession and increasingly available content online.

People can watch all of their favorite shows on the station’s website, Hulu, or buy them on iTunes. They don’t have to watch the 6 o’clock news to get local news and they don’t have to watch Anderson Cooper 360º to get their national news. Off topic, but I guarantee Fox News has the highest ratings because their target audience (Republicans) don’t use the internet well and rely on TV still. Oo burn.

So what Time Warner sees from a business model is decreasing revenue from cable subscriptions. They also see sites like Hulu and YouTube increasing their revenue through advertising. So Time Warner says to their dumbass selves, “If we are providing the connection for these people to watch shows, and they are the ones increasing profit, we’ll just bridge the gap and charge more.”

It is fair in logic, but internet usage and net neutrality is specifically designed to prevent against this type of monopoly.

2- A very few people are using an insane amount of data

Pirates, or just really lonely torrenters, can easily burn through over a TB of traffic in a month. These extreme of the extreme users (We’re talking less than half a percent) do hurt everyone else and should be stopped. But a 5GB cap, or even a 40GB cap, are both so insanely low that consumer revolt is upon us.

It’s certainly understandable that ISPs would want to curtail abusive users but I don’t use a TB a month, but I sure as hell use a lot more than 5GB!

I would love to simply jump off the Road Runner service, that I recently got and love, but there is no fair alternative in our market.

So it is time to fight back.

Visit http://stoptwc.info/ for more information on the topic. File a complaint with the New York Attorney General on how Time Warner is attempting to block competition for sites such as Hulu, Youtube, iTunes, and other online services by forcing users to limit their usage of these sites with arbitrary bandwidth caps. Email your complaint to realideas@twcable.com. This email address was set up so TWC has a single place to check for everything related to the new tier policy. Call Customer Service 585-756-5000 or 1-800-756-7956 - Level 3 support number: 1-585-756-1119 - Colleen Bernard at TWC Customer Care: 585-756-1202

If they’re going to actually implement these caps, we need to demand a cap closer to 200GB or 250GB a month which is offered by a comparable rival (Comcast). That way they can weed out the data hogs and not hurt the common internet user.

The Lonely Island, or TLI, is a comedy group comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg, AKA “The Dudes”. They all met in middle school in Berkeley, CA before relocating to New York City where they currently work. They did various shorts and even landed a deal for a television pilot on Fox called Awesometown before finally catching the attention of comedic overlord Lorne Michaels, who promptly brought the group to Saturday Night Live.

All of these videos are probably NSFW, so if your job sucks either wait till you get home or pop in the headphones for a few minutes.

Uncertain if Michaels would approve of a wacky pre-recorded skit on the show, TLI borrowed a video camera and filmed a fake lettuce commercial starring Samberg and Will Forte, a fellow SNL cast member. They presented the finished product to Michaels in December 2005, who liked the short and agreed to air it. It was first of what would be come a regular feature of the program, called SNL Digital Shorts.

Once on the show, they wrote ‘Lazy Sunday’, only the third Digital Short, which was similiar to the group’s past writing and work but with better production quality. The video quickly became one of the internet’s most viral hits ever and probably spurred NBC/Universal to finally keep their content private by launching the uber successful Hulu.com.

Incredibad is The Lonely Island’s debut album, released on February 10, and is currently the #1 album on iTunes. Think about buying it, this new blend of creative humor really deserves critic and consumer accolades.

When Facebook raised $240 million from Microsoft in 2007, and another $235 million in debt and equity in 2008, everyone thought they had plenty of cash to get through their big growth phase. With that kind of cash, the company could hire as many people as it needed to and not worry about profitability or going public or putting themselves available for an acquisition.

Facebook’s CFO, Gideon Yu, was fired this week. Facebook justified it by saying, “We have retained Spencer Stuart to lead our search for a new CFO and will be looking for someone with public company experience.” Weird, quite weird actually, because Yu is considered something of a Silicon Valley rock star for his help in selling YouTube to Google, experience with maybe the biggest VC firm Sequoia Capital, and oh, the position of Senior Vice President of Finance at Yahoo – very much a public company.

When things don’t seem right on this planet, they usually aren’t.

Less than two years ago Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the Wall Street Journal, “I consider it kind of a coup that we were able to recruit him (Yu) here…He’s just excellent.”

There’s no doubt that Facebook is growing at a breathtaking pace. A year ago, according to Comscore, they had just 74 million unique monthly visitors and 35 billion page views. Today those numbers have grown by 118% and 74%, respectively, to 161 million unique visitors and 61 billion page views per month.

There are, by Facebook’s account, ~200 million people using Facebook. For whatever reason, that number is probably much lower than the truth. By some estimates the number is more like 250M and as high as 300M. Why would an internet site downplay usage statistics? That is unheard of, and counter logical, in an advertising driven business vehicle. Maybe Facebook doesn’t want to expose their mounting financial tension?

The company is likely spending well over a $1 million per month on electricity alone. Bandwidth is likely another $500,000 or more per month on top of that. The company has earmarked $100 million to buy 50,000 servers this year and next. To keep up with the obscene growth and new user content, they must be constantly buying more storage systems. At up to $2 million each, that adds up quickly. Throw another $15 million per year in office and datacenter rent payments. And with 750 employees and growing, Facebook is spending at least another $10 million per month on payroll. It costs a couple of hundred million dollars a year just to keep the lights on at Facebook.

Compare that with revenues, that while increasing, simply can’t sustain this rapid growth. eMarketer estimates $265M in revenue for Facebook in 2008. The company is still losing money – lots of it. The problem with the growth of Facebook is the monetization model. It is very hard at the current system to monetize any international user activity. And most of Facebook’s growth has come from overseas.

A year ago, according to Comscore, Facebook had 31M US visitors, about 42% of the total. Today, U.S. visitors have grown to just 41M. 19Mn live in Africa and the Middle East. 26M are in Asia. Europe, with 48M Facebook users, has a larger share than the US! Another 16M are in Latin America. Just one in four Facebook users come from the U.S. today.

So there is skyrocketing costs, stagnant revenue numbers, and dwindling cash – What to do?

They will have to find more investment capital through another round but will have serious trouble finding investor’s at the valuation Microsoft’s investment had at $15B. Truth be told, they will probably not be able to find investor’s at their own internal valuation of $3.7B. Which may explain why Yu was fired.

Gideon Yu was in Dubai this week exploring fundraising options. If you know anything about Dubai and their insane development, you can understand why he was there. Despite Facebook publically claiming they are not interested in raising capital at this time, I’m sure the trip wasn’t a personal vacation. U.S. investors just aren’t interested, or aren’t able, to invest at the valuation Facebook expects, even at the $3.7B – not in this economy.

Yu came back to America empty handed and for whatever reason, was let go right after. So the markets in the West, and in Dubai, are not willing to invest in the Facebook, in spite of their remarkable success.

So they can continue their capital quest, sell, or go public.

If for some reason the company manages to convince people that they are a sustainable company with growing prospects for profits, they will probably get their necessary funding, but at a highly reduced valuation.

Or Facebook fails to convince the market, and does not manage to build enough monetization in the site. Value continues its decline, and the company is forced to sell to a larger company. With the heavy user activity and trusty social graph, it would be a very apetizing acquistion target. Think Microsoft as the likely parent. Or maybe Google. Or go even sexier, even Apple.

Or they go public. Zuckerberg is a bit of a control freak, most successful entrepreneurs are, that is fair. My point is that I can’t see him really relinquishing control of the company. The best way to continue operations would be to go public. Yu’s departure and the subsequent job search wording (“looking for public company experience”) is a surefire sign that Facebook is preparing to float on the stock market.

In normal times, this wouldn’t be much of a surprise. After all, companies funded by venture capital usually follow one of two strategies to keep their investors happy: sell for big money to another company, or launch on the stock market and instantly make their FU money.

But after several torrid months, both the Dow and the Nasdaq are currently trading down around 30% from last summer – and, if you’re looking for historical precedents, it took at least three years (and arguably many more) for the markets to recover after the 1929 crash, and as I’ve said before, I think this crisis is worse in many ways due to the complexity of the global economy.

Whatever it would be worth on the open market is definitely not going to be as close to where everyone thought it was, and probably much less than the $3.7B benchmark Facebook believes.

One thing is for sure, Facebook is going to have to react to their financial position quickly, and whatever happens, Facebook as we have always known it is going to have to change.