Knucklehead of the Week
Robert Nkemdiche is a defensive lineman who will get drafted by an NFL team. Maybe it’ll be Carolina. I hope so, because Nkemdiche wants a panther. As a pet. He says they’re “like cats.” Yes, cats that might eat you if they feel like it. The former Ole Miss star, once thought to be a top-five pick, no longer is regarded so highly. Some of his off-field antics, such as falling out of a hotel window while reportedly high on synthetic marijuana, have hurt his standing. Maybe Arizona will select Nkemdiche. A cardinal would make a nice pet.
When Nick Mangold retires from football, the big guy has a future as a professional heckler. Did you see his display at the Rangers-Penguins hockey game? Outstanding. The people who paid big money to sit right behind Mangold may not have liked it, though.
The Cleveland Browns look like a bunch of geniuses. How often do you read that sentence? The Browns traded the No. 2 pick in this week's NFL draft for the eighth pick and a boat load of other picks. They have six of the top 100 this year! Even if they whiff on half of them — which is possible — they'll be a lot better.
Staying at No. 2 made no sense because there is no clear-cut franchise quarterback available. And even teams that think they’ve drafted one sometimes are disappointed. Exhibit A: Robert Griffin III was the No. 2 pick in 2012.
It annoys me when athletes and coaches cover their mouths when they talk during games. Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco took this trend to a new level last week during a visit to the mound to calm talented rookie Robert Stephenson. Mesoraco put his catcher's mitt to his face. Thing is, he was wearing a mask. All this to keep people from seeing him say, "Calm down, kid. I'll take you to Skyline if you get this last out."
I guess it's a good thing that UD gunner Charles Cooke has a high opinion of his basketball skills. Cooke is exploring his NBA draft potential and, wisely, not hiring an agent. That will allow him to return to the Flyers lineup next season after the big boys point out all the airballs he jacked up during the last month of the season. Cooke is good, but I would advise him to get a degree.
Trending up: Josh Norman, Tony Stewart, Amile Jefferson. It didn't take long for one of the NFL's top cornerbacks to sign a lucrative free-agent deal after Carolina dumped him. Norman agreed to joins the Redskins for $75 million over five years, making him the highest-paid player at his position. A whopping $51.1 million is guaranteed. That's significant because football contracts aren't completely guaranteed.
Trending down: Andrew Shaw, Chris Colabello, Troy Bacon. The Blackhawks forward went ballistic after drawing a penalty in Game 4 of his team's playoff series against the Blues. Shaw went to the penalty box giving officials a double-barrel bird salute and then made a fool of himself by going on a profanity-laced tirade that included a homophobic slur. Shaw apologized and will undergo sensitivity training.
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