Friday, April 29, 2011

Draft Drama

Was there something big on TV last night? I heard there was a big wedding. Did I watch? Hell no. I only care about Princes and Princesses if they wield magic swords. I did hear that the Princess had a lot of knuckle fat when the Prince slipped the ring on her finger.

No, I'm not kidding. That's what they said on the radio this morning.

Last night I was busy flipping back and forth between the NFL Draft, and the Atlanta Hawks closing out the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoffs. Both were dramatic scenarios.

Yes. I am a D&D nerd who loves video games, fantasy novels, Star Wars, and all things dorky, but I also love sports and I'm not ashamed of any of it.

There is a great story behind the Hawks. A sports writer for the Orlando Sentinel, Mike Bianchi, lambasted the team for their alleged mental weakness, and basically said they would never be able to stand up to the Magic. The Hawks have traditionally struggled against Orlando in the playoffs in recent years. The story is that this writer, who is apparently about 4'10" was in the locker room last night before the game, and a fight nearly broke out.

I don't really care about that. I'm just glad the Hawks were able to motivate themselves to get past their nemesis. Now they're off to Chicago.

The NFL Draft is also interesting. I know most of my friends and readers are women writers, so I'll try not to bore you with all the details. I do think the draft makes for some great stories though. There are so many disparate characters involved, and so many cogs and wheels spinning, and it can be really interesting to see the last minute deals taking place.

This year was quite different because of the labor situation, but it was lots of fun watching NFL commissioner Roger Goodell get nearly booed off the stage.

Here's what happened with my three teams:

The Atlanta Falcons made an aggressive trade up to get Alabama Wide Receiver Julio Jones. I like Jones and think he will be a great player in the NFL, but my personal opinion is that we gave up too much to get him.

The Minnesota Vikings took Florida State Quarter Back Christian Ponder with the twelfth pick. They did not have to make any trades, as last year's dismal record earned us that pick. I get that we need a QB, but I was really hoping that Jake Locker would be there, and am disappointed we couldn't get a player I already knew and loved. I don't know much about Ponder.

The Seattle Seahawks drafted Alabama Guard James Carpenter with the twenty fifth pick. This one has me stumped. No one drafts guards in the first round.

Anyway, here endeth my sports rant. I've got to get to writing (for real). Please have a wonderful weekend!

34 comments:

ShaunaKelleyWrites said...

Someone asked me last night if I was going to get up at 4 a.m. and watch the royal wedding...

My response: "I wouldn't get up at 4 a.m. for my own wedding. Hells to the no."

Hopefully no one will mention my nuckle fat if I ever tie the knot.

Unknown said...

One of my friend's is excited about Ponder just for the play on words that his name gives for the title of her football season movie.
(She's never actually made a football season movie but her title a couple years ago was Best Friends for Favre)

Emily White said...

I didn't get up at 4 am, but I did get up at my regular time of 6:30 to watch the wedding! I'm such a girly-girl, so when you combine weddings with royalty, I just have to catch some of it! Oh, and there were horses. Pretty, pretty horses. :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

I didn't watch the wedding either. I don't watch much TV unless it's a fantasy series. I don't have time and prefer to read. And try to get some writing done. Hope you're productive this weekend. Mine's busy but I'm going to squeeze in some writing.

Charmaine Clancy said...

Also had no interest in the wedding, did find it interesting though the way you moved from that to sport :)
Wagging Tales - Blog for Writers

Shain Brown said...

Say what you want, yes, I watched the wedding and I cant argue with the ring statement. I was waiting for him rip off her knuckle in order to get the ring on. He was persistent.

I'm not a big team sports fan on occasion I enjoy college football, Star Wars is alright and if there is magic being wielded just let me know and I'm there.

I'm glad you enjoyed your evening.

Sherrie Petersen said...

I had no idea the wedding was last night. Who gets married on a Thursday night? My husband watched the NFL Draft, too. And we watched the Idol results. British weddings? Meh.

Creepy Query Girl said...

well, the wedding was on my time and I just happened to be at home sitting in front of the tv when they said their 'I Do's'. Where's your imagination MAtt!!??LOL Here I was watching the whole ceremony and the carraiges and the choral singers and thinking its so neat when you get to witness a reanactment of a piece of history dating back hundreds of years all the while seeing modern day history take place right before your eyes. The crowd was incredible and I can't imagine how it must have felt to step out onto the balcony and see a million people at your feet. Intense. Even without dragons and swords;)

Stina said...

Considering it was on at 3 am my time, I decided to skip on it and will watch the highlights instead. Besides, my attention span isn't all that long. So I wouldn't have made it through the entire wedding either way. ;)

Erik said...

Hawks--after relocating to Atlanta 6 yrs ago, they're my second favorite team. Nice job against the Magic. Now they have to figure out who's gonna guard Rose.

Draft--agreed. It will be nice to take some attention away from Roddy, but we gave up too much.

Wedding--didn't watch, but felt obligated to give him some unsolicited marriage advice on my blog.

Sarah Ahiers said...

is it weird that i think you're more nerdy for watching the draft than for liking D&D?

vic caswell said...

i knew the wedding was coming... just didn't realize it happened already. i don't think i would've watched any of it if i had... that kate lady is beautiful though, and it's very rude for them to make fun of her fingers.

i saw a little of the draft with my hubs last night. it was funny because he really cared about what was happening... but he's such a sweetie, he discussed the merits of the draftees handsomeness with me instead of going on about sports stuff i don't understand. my hubby has really bad taste in men though. hee hee hee! what a riot!

Michael G-G said...

My English fam. all celebrated and had a ball. But I'm good for nothing at 1 a.m.

Glad you mentioned the Seahawks!

Your post today has inspired my new novel: The Princess's Knuckle. In it, a D&D-loving princess meets a 4 foot ten prince at a celebratory party for the Atlanta Hawks. One shot of vodka leads to another and they find themselves at the NFL draft, where the incessant booing so incenses the princess that she clocks the commissioner with her magic knuckle."

Okay, I admit the hook still needs work. It probably would have been better if I'd stayed up to watch the wedding instead.

Have a wonderful weekend yourself.

Old Kitty said...

Awww that's so mean to say about the ring moment!! :-(

Anyway!! Erm.. are we talking basketball or american football?!?! Or baseball? Or Quidditch????

Ahem.

Take care
x

Hektor Karl said...

When I heard the rumors of the Falcons trading up for a WR, I thought for sure it was just typical sports-radio nonsense.

I was pretty shocked the Falcons gave up that much, especially to draft a WR (and the second WR on the board, no less). WRs have a pretty high bust rate, and they don't usually have a huge impact their rookie year.

The Vikings seemed to reach for Ponder, but it makes sense to take the QB if your scouts like him. I didn't see much of FSU, so I don't have strong opinions on him.

My reaction to the Seahawks pick was similar to yours.

Also thought the Saints overpaid in their trade trying to keep up with the Falcons -- should be an interesting season (if we have one).

Amanda Bonilla said...

I watched the draft last night. The best part? When Mark Ingram cried after the reporter read him a letter from his dad. I love when those big guys cry! ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I love my sports, but last night I watched CSI. And caught the end of Idol. What can I say?

Christina Lee said...

Knuckle fat *snert* (ridiculous)!

I only came in the room for the Browns and then walked out :-)

Author Joshua Hoyt said...

I'm with you on this one for sure. May the dorkness be with you :)

Sarah said...

I have pretty much ignored all of those events, but then again, I am oblivious to most things (although I'm a Patriots fan, so I pay more attention to that than royal affairs in the UK). Have a great weekend, Matt!

Jess said...

My team got the 26-year-old firefighter dude (Go Eagles!).

Talli Roland said...

Aw, you missed the fab wedding! Thankfully I am in London so I didn't need to get up early or anything.

Marsha Sigman said...

No way I am getting up at 4:am for a wedding unless they DO have magic swords. But I watched a video this morning. That James Middleton creeps me out.

I did catch a few seconds of the draft as I walked back into the room after a bathroom break to see that my son had dared change the channel from Vampire Diaries to that.

With all the screaming, I didn't actually hear anything though. But once I stopped he was nice enough to give me an update.

Suzie F. said...

I didn't plan to watch the wedding at all. When I took a sneak peek and they were exchanging rings, I got sucked in until I was running out the door with the kids.

The Draft? Too early to focus on football (though I'm sure my hubby has been listening). It's still hockey season around here. Go Bruins!

JE said...

No on the draft. No on the wedding. Just no. TV? What's that? *snicker*

~JD

IanBontems said...

I'm with you on that one Matthew, I think the Falcons reached a bit for JJ, too.

Quite happy with my Redskins (I know, stop laughing!), trading back and selecting Kerrigan. Kinda nervous though, because we need a QB and they were flying out the door yesterday. I'm still puzzled why we let Gabbert slide when we had him at #10.

As for the wedding? I'm not proud, but I kinda watched it - just tired from furniture moving meant I couldn't be bothered to get up from the couch and my wife and girls were hiding the remote.

I couldn't help feel that if the Air Force flyby was on dragons instead of jets it would have been far cooler.

Anonymous said...

I don't make it a habit to watch Royalty, but you couldn't avoid it if you had the TV on. My husband actually loves UK pomp, so we watched, and it was quite moving at times.

There was one particular piece of ceremonial speech on marriage that I loved: 'Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:
“Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon,
Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”'

I wish the Royals well simply because all humans should have love and happiness in their lives.

Actually, without their history, there would be no such thing as fantasy Kings and Queens wielding swords and magic, so in a way, I'm grateful.

I don't watch sports much at all, so I'm just dorky without any sports coolness!

Angela Ackerman said...

Haha, Becca was just telling me the other day how for her hubby, the NFL draft is his 'Holy Week' and she can't pass in front of the TV without taking her life in her own hands. :)

Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

Aurora Smith said...

HAHA. I didnt get up becuase I knew it would be played over and over and over and over again.

and I agree, I like princes with swords.

Unknown said...

I prefer my princes and princesses with swords as well. I do love me some football and basketball so I was watching the Hawks and the draft as well. Have to say it...Poor Hawks, coming here to Chicago to get trounced by my Bulls. Should be a good series, though. :)

I loved Goodell getting booed. Made for some interesting draft TV. My Bears did a solid with Carimi from Wisconsin and all right with Paea from Oregon State, but Conte from California is probably a big waste.

LTM said...

knuckle fat? Seriously? They said that? Actually, I knew when I saw him having trouble getting the ring on there were going to be comments, but honestly. The girl's a stick.

And I just skimmed the rest of that. Seems like you were talking about baseball? ;p <3

Lindsay said...

I'm so glad I didn't have to get up at some unearthly hour to watch the wedding ;) I caught bits of it on the TV during the day, but recorded it to watch later.

ali cross said...

LOL, I was NOT expecting the foray into sports type drafts!

And hey, I'm a D&D nerd myself. Huzzah!

Slamdunk said...

Hooray for you Matthew--I needed an NFL draft break after all of the royal coverage.

I agree that the Falcons gave up to much and think they were really hindered by only being able to deal draft picks with the lockout.

The drafting of Ponder at where he was taken was sure a mystery. I am always an advocate of value and when you can trade down and still get your guy, then it was a success. In translation, the Vikings could have dealt their pick and not picked Ponder until the late first or early second--he would have certainly still been there.