Did you know that Floyd Mayweather loves white luxury cars? That sound you hear is me throwing up on myself.

But love him or hate him, Mayweather is a decided favorite (-700) to defeat Miguel Cotto this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

On the third HBO 24/7 episode previewing this Saturday night’s Floyd Mayweather (42-0 26 KO’s) vs Miguel Cotto (37-2 30 KO’s) junior middleweight title bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (8 p.m. on HBO PPV), it was deemed resurrection vs perfection. The fight has been dubbed as a battle of “Ring Kings,” but resurrection vs perfection is a more fitting description.

Miguel Cotto is brimming with confidence after defeating the movie like monster that is Antonio Margarito in December. Cotto’s win gave him redemption over the plaster using cheater, Margarito. The 2008 fight that saw Cotto bloodied and beaten by Margarito’s plaster wraps was the low point of his otherwise successful career (his only other loss is to Manny Pacquiao). Laying the smackdown to Margarito in a decisive 10th-round TKO was necessary, but it also gave Cotto piece of mind to take on the monumental challenge that awaits.

“Nobody is invincible in life,” Cotto said to Sports Illustrated. “I know that because I passed through this point in my life. I’m ready for anything Floyd brings me. The question is, is Floyd ready for anything Miguel can bring to him? I know he’s a hard worker. He has said to everybody he’s a hard worker, but he’s going to have in front of him a hard worker like him. I’m trusting in myself. I know what I have to do to get the victory.”

Cotto is loaded with confidence, and why not? He is a big name in boxing, and worthy of sharing this stage with Mayweather. Plus, it’s Floyd who is moving up to 154 pounds, not the other way around (Cotto’s been fighting at that weight since 2010). Being a 7-1 underdog doesn’t seem to bother him, no matter how dominant Mayweather is.

Say what you will about Floyd, but he looks ready to remain undefeated and start up the “Why won’t Mayweather & Pacquiao make the super fight already?” rumblings all over again. Floyd is not only looking at jail time on June 1, he is also set to face another round of questions from fans, critics, boxing experts & everyone else who knows there’s only one fight that needs to happen.

It’s a shame, really. Mayweather says that he’ll hang up the gloves when he’s 37 (not that we should believe a boxer when he talks retirement, but still), and here we are constantly talking and awaiting a fight that is likely to never happen. We should be reveling in Floyd’s prime, but fans are undoubtedly taking him (and Pacquiao) for granted. Enjoy them while they’re in their primes, because before you know it, they’ll be gone. And when you look around at the bums that masquerade as boxers, you realize the future of the sport is bleak at best.

That’s not a slap in the face to Cotto by any means, but it’s a reality. Imagine if Mike Tyson never went to prison in ’92 and a Tyson-Holyfield fight didn’t happen when both men were in their primes (sorry, but neither man was by the time ’96 rolled around). We’d have all been pissed off, right?

Floyd can’t escape that truth, which is why he ripped into Pacquiao this week… Again. But it’s fight week, and what better way to forget about D Rose depression than to immerse yourself into a fight that should entertain? This fight is coming along at a perfect time for both fighters. Cotto may not be the same fighter he was before the first Margarito fight, but he is a threat to end Floyd’s undefeated record. It’s not happening, however. Mayweather will dissect the slower Cotto & win by a unanimous decision before heading off to the joint. And when he gets out in 90 days, he’ll still be haunted by the Pacquiao questions. Sorry, Floyd, but those haters will never go away until you sign the contract.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Roger Goodell brought the hammer down on the Saints organization. Jonathan Vilma now has plenty of time to figure out a new way to earn extra cash.

Roger Goodell is one bad cat. Ever since he has taken over as NFL commissioner/king bad-ass, he’s made it a point to exploit the liars that parade around in his league. Make no mistake, the severe penalties given to Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, Gregg Williams were because the Taints’ brain trust lied to iron fisted commish. And now the player penalties have been handed down…

• Linebacker Jonathan Vilma of the Saints is suspended without pay for the 2012 NFL season, effective immediately per league policy for season-long suspensions.

• Linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) is suspended without pay for the first three games.

• Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers) is suspended without pay for the first eight games.

• Will Smith of the Saints is suspended without pay for the first four games.

Ouch. So much for the Saints trying to build on last season’s 13-3 regular season. The commish deserves applause here because he’s obviously fully aware that the Saints aren’t the lone wolf in this bounty scandal. It’s like a teacher or principal making an example of a student who cheats on an exam. They know he or she isn’t the only one, but you have to make an example out of the moronic ones that are dumb enough to get caught.

Whatever you do, don’t tell Drew Brees that. That oblivious fuckwad is probably searching for any TV camera right now to demand an explanation. That guy loves the camera, doesn’t he? #DoucheAlert.

Some view Goodell’s actions as too severe. The prime example of that is Reggie Bush. Check out these tweets that hype machine sent out yesterday…

“Man these Suspensions are outrageous! I’m honestly speechless about how all of this has played out. Something needs to be done about this!!”

“I bet you won’t find one NFL Player who agrees with these suspensions”

“You want something less physical go watch basketball or baseball! This is what we do! Period!”

“Next thing you know we’ll be playing two hand touch football! #Lame”

Totally. You tell him, @reggie_bush.

It’s walking imbeciles like Bush that give fans a reason to love Goodell even more. This kind of idiotic thinking by Bush is unquestionably a prevailing thought throughout the league. But hey, nobody said NFL players were brain surgeons.

What Reggie and the other no-minds don’t understand is that it isn’t about pussifying the league. Trust me, the NFL is guilty of that accusation when it comes to breathing on quarterbacks, the ridiculous pass interference rules & the mere mention of taking away kick-offs in general. That is valid, but we’re talking about a sadistic plan to injure players’ brains and ACL’s.

I don’t care about how the NFL was in the 70′s & 80′s, we aren’t in the stone age when it comes to modern medicine. We know and are constantly learning more about just how severe concussions are (see Junior Seau), and the dangers of continuously bruising the brain. The players are bigger, faster, stronger & have more PED’s flowing through their bodies than ever before. The game itself is like walking through a landmine.

So, for uneducated fools like Reggie Bush to question these penalties shows true ignorance. Or, it could be that Bush is using Twitter to grandstand on an issue that he really doesn’t care about. Either way, he’s a penis and needs to be called out.

Roger Goodell isn’t messing around when it comes to bounties, and these penalties should send a league wide message that this kind of demonic planning won’t be tolerated. So, miscreants like Jonathan Vilma and the rest of the cash for knockouts assholes can sit and sulk all they want, because only clowns like Reggie Bush want to hear about how unjustly they’ve been punished.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Amare Stoudemire's quick start last season in New York has been overshadowed by injuries and idiotic decisions like punching a fire extinguisher case after game 2 vs the Heat.

“The Knicks are back.” Do you remember Amare Stoudemire making that insanely bold and completely false proclamation upon signing an insane $100 million contract with New York in July of 2010? It was easy to laugh and brush off the notion that one of the NBA’s most horrifically run organizations was finally out of the doldrums, but Amare at least had the balls to make NYC his basketball home. Unlike LeBron, Bosh & anyone else who grin fucked the Knicks that summer, Amare couldn’t cash James Dolan’s checks soon enough.

Stoudemire was lauded for accepting the challenge that comes with being the face of the Knicks. In reality, nobody else was throwing that kind of loot at him, so it was as much about the money, as resurrecting a stumbling franchise that’s still trying to win a playoff game since 2001 (12 straight losses and counting). As always, follow the money.

But a lot has changed since Amare was run into the ground in the first quarter of last season by Mike D’Antoni. Once Carmelo Anthony was brought to the concrete jungle by Dolan (the moronic Knicks owner), Amare’s standing as the face of the Knicks vanished quicker than his efforts on the defensive end of the floor.

A back injury made him a max spectator instead of a max player for the Knicks’ in last year’s playoffs sweep at the hands of the Celtics (38.2% shooting from the field, 67% from the free throw line & 14.5 points per game).

His numbers were down again this year thanks to his ever decaying body (17.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg & 48 % shooting), but his Knicks moment cam after the Knicks were finished embarrassing themselves in Miami in game 2. Amare punched a glass fire extinguisher case after the game, and could now miss the remainder of the series. You’re supposed to leave blood on the floor, Amare, not in the visiting locker room. Nice work, bro. However, the Twitter apology was a nice touch.

It’s bad enough that the Knicks are again making asses of themselves on the association’s biggest stage, but this is becoming a comedy act. The Knicks switched alpha dogs, styles of play, their coach & who gets the headlines at an alarming rate this year. What that has led to, is total dysfunction that culminated in Amare going all Mike Tyson after a indifferent 9 shot performance in game 2.

With his contract virtually immovable, his knees and back breaking down at a Sam Bowie rate, evidence that the Knicks are better without him & not much wiggle room under the salary cap (Amare has 3 years & nearly $65 million left on his deal), Amare has suddenly become an A-Roid like target for New Yorkers. It’s quite the turnaround from just over a year ago, but that’s how fickle fans and media are in NYC. And because of an asinine quick tempered punch, he deserves fans, media & his teammates to perceive him in a different light. New York can tear you down quicker than they build you up, and Amare’s selfish & immature act is again proving that theory correct.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

If you root for and appreciate Derrick Rose, your heart probably sunk when he crumbled to the U.C. hardwood.

And you can't help but wonder why a devastating injury happened to one of the few good guys in the association.

I’m often criticized for being a combination of cynical, negative and one that always assumes the worst no matter the situation. I’m the ultimate realist (and an elitist depending on how well you know me), and my pure optimist days have long been retired. When you’ve been jaded enough by teams you root for and players you admire repeatedly over the years, it’s virtually impossible to have a positive vibe in the wake of the ruptured ACL in Derrick Rose’s knee.

Why him? How can this happen to one of the few real, genuine, admirable & respectful superstars in the association? Rose is everything that’s right about a league where ego and getting coaches fired reign supreme, and are a right of passage for other stars. How does this happen to a 23 year old kid who lives for the game that he’s so great at? How does karma not attack I don’t know, a 6’8 275 pound flopping drama queen on South Beach? If anyone deserves this fate other than King Flop, it’s his teammate who viciously took down Rajon Rondo in last year’s playoffs that resulted in a dislocated elbow. If a debilitating injury happened to one of them, I’d feel nothing but the urge to throw a party.

A season ending injury to the reigning MVP in the first game of the real season simply isn’t fair. It’s that simple. Did I criticize Rose for some of his comments in the GQ piece? Yes, but make no mistake, I love that kid. He represents this city better than anyone has. He embraces being the king of Chicago and wants nothing more than to bring a 7th championship here. He is one of us and embodies this town in a way that Oprah could only dream of.

When Rose (who had played in 280 out of 286 games since high school before this season) collapsed to the court, it felt like the city tore it’s collective ACL. There isn’t a fan base in sports that loves their superstar like Chicago loves D Rose. This is a civic loss as much if not more than a lost championship opportunity. The happiness and excitement that Rose brings has been ripped from us, and there aren’t enough words to describe how much it sucks.

Who knows if Rose will ever be able to regain the explosiveness, speed, agility & fearless attitude that define his game. If it’s a clean ACL tear, he should return fine physically, but the mental aspect could be the biggest hurdle. What happens the first time Rose goes make an explosive cut on the knee? That will be as mentally draining as any rehabilitation session. The sad realization right now is that we may have witnessed the end of the of the stage where Rose is the most athletic point guard in league history.

As for the team, this now feels like the ’94 Bulls season all over again. The correlations are there. Jordan “retired” abruptly right before training camp, and the Bulls were suddenly the underdog that people wanted to write off. They proceeded to become the feel good story of that season, won 55 games & were one Hue Hollins bullshit call from going to the eastern conference finals. They epitomized team ball, and had depth much like this roster now.

This Bulls team (who is 18-9 without Rose this season) won’t quit, and will still be a bitch for any team to deal with. I still expect them to beat the Sixers in this series, and give Boston or Atlanta all they can handle. This team has pride, heart & an appreciation for each other that few teams in sports do.

But regardless of how this series turns out, the Rose injury is another example of why having eternal optimism will only lead to heartbreak. Expecting and fearing the worst might give off a negative vibe to people, but it’s a hell of a lot better than repeatedly getting kicked in the balls by the merciless sports Gods. Rose doesn’t deserve this fate like some of the divalicious douche juices that the NBA is filled with. This isn’t a death sentence for this team or Rose’s career like Thibs said, but it damn sure feels like one.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

This image of Derrick Rose at the tail end of game 1 vs the Sixers could define Tom Thibodeau's tenure as Bulls coach.

There was 1:22 seconds left in a game that was decided despite a garbage time run by the Sixers. That’s when the Bulls 50-16 season potentially crumbled to the ground like a LeBron James flop. Derrick Rose was left in the game by his maniacal head coach because he had to “close a game out.” That totally makes sense, Thibs. It’s similar to the night when Rose was playing like John Lucas III should vs the Heat when you benched him down the stretch. Oh, wait.

Let’s see here, Jay Cutler is playing his best ball as a Bears quarterback, and has them in prime playoff position at 7-3 when he busts his thumb because one of his numerous shit wide receivers slips and falls to green mud at Soldier Field aka “The Park District.” Then, Johnathan Toews misses 22 games because of a concussion. That was followed up by a series changing hit by Raffi Torres that effectively ended the Blackhawks season.

And just when you thought being a Chicago sports fan wouldn’t kick you square in the balls, D Rose’s knee buckled and the Bulls immediate and long term future drastically changed. Instead of reveling in a game 1 beatdown and march towards a ring, Bulls fans feel worse than they did after losing game 5 to the Heat last spring. Cool.

The diagnosis hasn’t been determined as I write this, but it doesn’t look good. Reports say it’s a torn ACL and MCL, but let’s hope it’s inaccurate. As furious as I am at Thibs for not showing any long term vision with the franchise, I’m as flabbergasted at another star athlete in this town getting injured. This isn’t Mike James tearing a knee, it’s the God damn franchise player still working his way back to 100%. Even before the injury with 1:22 remaining, Rose hadn’t yet regained the explosiveness that made him the youngest MVP in NBA history. a 7th banner will only fly at the U.C. one day if Rose is, well, Rose.

Thibs shouldn’t have been so shortsighted knowing that his star and key to a lucrative contract extension has been broken down.

I don’t care what anyone tries to tell you, Rose SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A GAME WHEN HIS TEAM IS UP 12 WITH 1:10 LEFT. I’ve been questioning Thibs for not saving Rose from himself late in blowout games, and this was his wake up call. Do you remember when Phil Jackson routinely sat Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen late in games so they could rest and ice their knees? I understand it’s the playoffs, but Thibs should have proceeded with caution when you consider the 47 injuries Rose suffered since the season started.

It was the reward after embarrassing a team like the Bulls were doing to the Sixers in game 1 Saturday. But Chicago’s miserable luck struck again and it makes you question why you even bother caring and loving sports in the first place.

There’s a reason Chicago is said to have the most passionate sports fans in the country. We live and die with our teams, and often act irrational, crazy & display shallow minded stupidity. Sans the mindless meatballs, the majority love their teams, and especially, D Rose. Since the injury, Twitter has turned into a get well, D Rose site.

Thibs should feel as sick to his stomach as fans like myself do. It’s a devastating gut punch to the biggest star in this city. And the most die hard fans in all of sports can’t help but ask “why us again?”

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Brock Lesnar's return to the WWE has legitimized the company, and brought another element of intrigue to the reality era.

After the February 27th edition of Monday Night War (the night where The Rock verbally destroyed John Cena), I wrote about how the two mega stars’ personal disdain for each other was as good as reality… http://chicitysportsfan.com/wp/2012/02/as-good-as-reality/. The point of the piece was how the return of The Rock brought an energy, attitude & throwback attitude to the reality era. It was as if the WWE threw out the PG bullshit because The Rock was back, and with it came monster ratings and mainstream viewership. The result was 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, with global gross sales in excess of $67 million.

Fast forward to today, and the WWE is set to descend on Chicago this weekend for it’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. If you’ve ever been to any live WWE event at Allstate Arena, you know the ferocity that the 18,000+ maniacs bring on the regular. The Extreme Rules event is a nod to ECW, as well as a tip of the cap to the Attitude Era. To say that this crowd will be jacked up is in understatement.

This year’s event is headlined by John Cena vs the returning Brock Lesnar in an extreme rules match, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan (who the Chicago crowd will cheer like he’s 80′s Hogan) in a 2 out of 3 falls match & Chicago’s own CM Punk defending the WWE title vs Chris Jericho in a Chicago street fight.

Lesnar’s return not only further legitimizes the WWE, but it has also given the company another shot of reality adrenaline. Since returning the night after WrestleMania, Lesnar has attacked Cena with a vicious F-5, and kicked him in the balls from behind. After years of struggling to find anyone who could touch Cena’s Hogan like indestructibility, Lesnar made Cena seem feeble and weak in a matter of about 6 seconds. Cena was best early in his career and the beginning of his 1st title reign as the underdog. Fans didn’t despise him like they do now, because he wasn’t walking though every challenge without breaking a sweat.

There is big match feel in play here, and it’s because of Lesnar’s presence, as well as Chicago’s hatred for Cena. We’re getting a WrestleMania style main event not even a month after the grand spectacle. I anticipate Lesnar winning, but only after the WWE tries to get Cena over a crowd that will have massive heat on him. I’ll bet you money right now Cena will refuse to give up before the match is ultimately stopped, or Cena passes out like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did vs Bret Hart at ‘Mania 13 in that same building via a Lesnar submission hold.

You can also expect Sheamus to get his pasty ass booed out of the arena on Sunday. The Chicago crowd loves the heels-bad guys. But beyond that, Chi city is a sophisticated wrestling group. They know and appreciate Bryan’s struggle to make it to the WWE after years on the indie circuit, and he will be the decided fan favorite. I don’t know if Vince and the WWE planned on Bryan getting over as much as he did after his 18 second defeat to Sheamus at WrestleMania, but the stage is set for Bryan to capitalize on his immense popularity and regain the World Heavyweight title.

The reality aspect of the Punk-Jericho feud has been another pleasant surprise from the normally ultra conservative WWE. Jericho has been telling the world about the substance abuse problems that has family has suffered through, as well as trying to convert Punk into an alcoholic. The booze storyline has been used before with Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Scott Hall, so it’s not uncommon.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see the straight edge Punk roll with this storyline and even use it against Jericho. Punk set up Y2J to think he was drinking last week on Raw, and demanded the WWE champ take a field sobriety test in the ring. Punk acted hammered, before proving he was playing Jericho. It’s been well played and executed by two of the best in the business. I’ll pick Punk to win in his hometown, but I’d have him lose if I was in charge of writing the outcome. Why not try and start a riot in an already raucous crowd, right?

The WWE is on a high after a record setting WrestleMania, and a suddenly deep and talented roster. But more than anything, Lesnar’s return and the creativity of the writing has brought a lot of the casual fans back because they know they won’t see a standard Cena five moves of doom clean finish in the main event. The WWE is embracing the reality aspect that the Attitude Era fans have been clamoring for. We can thank The Rock, Lesnar, Punk & Jericho for that. And Vince also deserves credit for putting the show first, and not sponsorship deals like those with Mattel. It’s nice to know you still somewhat care about the people that line your pockets, Boss.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Bears GM Phil Emery said that Shea McClellin is a four down player.

And it's that kind of versatility that made McClellin the 19th overall pick.

By no means do I consider myself a draft guru, but the immediate backlash after the Bears took Boise State’s Shea McClellin was kind of mind boggling. New GM Phil Emery has had a fantastic off-season thus far (trading two 3′s for Brandon Marshall, signing Michael Bush & ridding the organization of Mike Martz), so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt on the McClellin pick unlike many in the Twitterverse.

McClellin recorded 20.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss in his 4 years on the blue turf, and brings youth and speed (4.63 40 yard dash) to a defense that is getting long in the tooth. As good as 54, 55, 90 & 33 are, they need an infusion of youth around them to help prolong their ability to remain a top flight defense.

The former Boise baller is 6’3, 260 pounds & has the obvious ability to add muscle as his career progresses. What I like about McClellin (besides the fact that the Patriots and Packers were looking at him), is his versatility. He can play outside, or along the line opposite Julius Peppers.

Emery views McClellin as a 4 down player (although I wouldn’t want him playing a ton of special teams), but too many are down on him initially because he’s white. Yup, I just went there. It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?

You’d think we were on the Venice Beach courts and just picked up Billy Ho to run 5′s. He is a bit of a tweener, but he is explosive, can rush in a two point stance, rush with his hand in the dirt, has good closing speed & can drop in coverage (which is a staple of the Bears defense). And despite only being 260 pounds right now, he can shed blocks and make plays in the backfield.

If you didn’t know McClellin was white and I said the Bears just drafted a 6’3 260 pound pass rusher with the ability to drop in coverage, you’d be thrilled. But the fact that he’s white must mean that he’s high motor stiff. I know most are thinking that, and that’s fine. Me? I’ll reserve judgment until we see him in orange and blue.

Do you remember in my mocking the mock drafts piece where I said how comical it was to give immediate post draft grades? Well, the same rule applies here. Let’s see what this kid has before writing him off because of his skin tone or the competition Boise State played against. Lovie Smith knows what he wants in his defensive players, and Emery deserves the benefit of the doubt right now. If he proves to be Dan Bazuin 2.0, then we can bash Emery. But for now, let’s hold back judgement and let this pick marinate. That’s fair, no?

@Louie_Ruffolo8

I've had enough of the "Hey, where is Trent Richardson going?!" questions. I don't know, bro, probably in the top 5 like he has since September.

The NFL Draft is my unofficial 2nd birthday. I live for it, and normally park my happy ass in front of a TV for 3 days and soak up all of the hype and verbal diarrhea that is spewed by all of the talking heads. The coverage is over the top and most of the players will turn into afterthoughts or trivia questions, but it’s a holiday for NFL fans. Plus, it’s always comical to see just how glutenous Chris Berman has gotten.

But as much as I live for this weekend, I cannot stand the wasted energy that goes into mock drafts. I know the age we live in allows anyone to have a voice, but I can’t go anywhere on the web without seeing someone’s mock draft 12.0 or why they think the Vikings want to trade out of the #3 spot. It’s gotten to the point where I’m convinced that people who do mock drafts all copy off each other after the first two picks. If you do a full 7 round mock, that tells me you don’t get laid much.

The way the coverage has been, we’re pretty much assured of how the top picks will shake out, except for the Rams at #6 (expect Justin Blackmon to go there if Matt Kalil isn’t on the board), and the always clueless Jags at #7 (who cares who they take? They don’t matter).

I would love to be in the war room with teams as they prepare for the draft and purposely drop hints as to the player they’re “targeting” with their pick. The amount of misinformation that’s been thrown out there is at an all-time high, but that doesn’t stop the “experts” from forming an opinion that “team X is leading towards taking player Y.” Totally, because you know what a team in the 20′s is going to do.

That’s almost as annoying as Todd McShay and Mel Kiper arguing again about the ceiling for Ryan Tannehill (who is a bum in training just so you know). Wait, the two know-it-alls are staging another heated argument?! That never happens! Cool, I’ll put it on. Blow me.

Another form of high comedy is when the “mockers” have a player slipping because “they didn’t interview well.” When was this, at the Combine when teams meet with guys for 48 seconds? Or, was it when teams brought player X in for a visit. Were you there? Did he show up hungover or high as shit? And don’t you just think teams might leak something negatively about a player in hopes he falls to them?

Can’t you just imagine Lovie Smith, Phil Emery & the Bears brass sitting in Lake Forest laughing their asses off at the talking head ass-bags on the radio, newspapers, blogs & online sites that are plugging certain players into their 19th pick. It is all so insipidly stupid that I can’t believe people waste energy trying to piece this puzzle together. Not that Emery gives two fucks what I think, but here’s hoping the Bears end up with DE Quinton Coples, DE Chandler Jones, DE Whitney Mercilus or OT Johnathan Martin.

What’s worse is the guy on the internet with “sources” who will say that this team is targeting this player if he gets past that team blah blah blah. Really? How the fuck would you know? Not many had the 49ers taking Aldon Smith at #7 last year, the Titans taking Jake Locker at #8 or the Vikings taking Christian Ponder at #12 last year. Why? Because those teams let out garbage that they were going in other directions.

So go ahead and read a mock draft for the 42nd day in a row. By all means, don’t let me stop you. If you feel compelled, do me one favor… Stay away from the even more mind numbingly idiotic post draft grades. Because you know, it’s always brilliant to place grades on a draft when players haven’t even been fitted for their helmets yet. But by all means, give a team a D because you’re the Bill Walsh of this generation.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

If Antti Niemi is viewed as expendable after winning the Stanley Cup, what is Corey Crawford's worth?

It started out like a game that Blackhawks fans haven’t seen in two seasons. The Hawks were flying all of United Center ice with the ferocity, skill, speed & overall talent that defined the ’10 Stanley Cup champs. They were peppering Coyotes goalie Mike Smith with shots that elicited feelings that Phoenix could not keep up, let alone beat the Hawks. Through the first 20 minutes of game 6, talent was finally showing up.

But the Hawks couldn’t solve Smith in the first 20 minutes, and the momentum quickly turned. It has to be demoralizing to out shoot a team 16-2 and not bury one home. Not jumping on Smith and the Coyotes early in game 6 was as infuriating as Patrick “Invisible Pretty Boy” Sharp no-showing the series.

The final was 4-0, but I had checked out mentally right after the Coyotes jumped to a 1-0 lead after a suspect penalty on Johnathan Toews. By the way, how do you call a questionable penalty of a team’s captain and best player in their elimination game at home? This is the new pussified NHL, but it wouldn’t have mattered.

That’s because it’s hard to make a case for a team deserving to play a game 7 when it goes 1-19 on the power play in the series. The Hawks were swarming more before they got their first man advantage. How is that possible? They were the ultimate one and done on the PP in this series. If they got the puck in the zone for more than 1.8 seconds, it was a miracle.

The Coyotes power play was even worse than the Hawks this season, but they scored 4 goals in 19 chances. And did you know the Hawks didn’t shut a team out all season? That’s right, 88 games and not one 0 on the scoreboard. That’s as embarrassing as the Hawks continued efforts to try and set the record for most shots blocked in a playoff series.

Special teams and Crawford were the doom of this team, as much as the stars not earning their money. I never knew what a Gilbert Brule was, but he had more goals in this series than Patrick Kane and Sharp combined. One of the Hawks’ biggest holes was a second-line center who could play, and Antoine Vermette had as many goals as Hawks first-line center Jonathan Toews.

But as much as Mike Smith is the story of the series, the focus in Chicago should immediately turn to Stan Bowman. He gets a pass for last season because he had to dismantle a championship team that had the Hawks in salary cap hell. But what’s the excuse this season? He had a long off-season that included trading Brian Campbell to free up much needed cap space.

And yet, here are the Hawks with more questions as they head to the summer. That’s quite the indictment on a GM that we’re supposed to trust mainly because of his father’s Cup total and last name.

How can Corey Crawford be brought back as the unquestioned starter after allowing the soft goals he did in games 3 & 4? If the Cup is the measuring stick by which this franchise should be measured, then Crawford isn’t the answer. If he’s your number 2? Fine. But put starting quality goalie at the top of the list.

And what about the defensemen? Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook play so many minutes, it’s hard to judge how good they are. And the second Nick Leddy and Niklas Hjalmarsson find their way on the first one way ticket to anywhere, the better. Add two defensemen who don’t get shots blocked routinely and aren’t afraid of contact to Stanny boy’s list.

If you’ve watched the Hawks at all, you know how badly a second-line center is needed, so work on that too, Stan.

And how good are the Hawks top players? You know how I feel bout GQ Sharp, but can Patrick Kane get his head out of his ass?

You were given a mulligan following the Cup winning season, Stan, but the excuses are gone. The Hawks want to be viewed as a major NHL franchise that expects to hoists Cups in June. If you want to see the image of your players on buses in front of masses again, you better have already started the process of putting a better playoff ready roster together. First round outs don’t legitimize a franchise, and the memory of the Cup won’t last forever. It’s all on you, Stan.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

The Wu-Tang Clan is one of rap's most influential groups. Will they release a new album in 2012? It's unlikely, but they deserve credit for their longevity.

The Wu-Tang Clan is this week’s throwback artist of the week. It remains possible that one of rap’s most influential groups can still bang out their 6th studio album, but it’s not a formality. Even still, their work in the 90′s and early 2000′s with “The Iron Flag” placed them in the elite category. When deciding to feature them this week, I had to sit down and write out as many songs as possible because I didn’t want to leave any of my favorites out. With so many memorable jams in their repertoire, saying they were the C.R.E.A.M. of the crop isn’t a Bill Walton type overstatement.

The RZA, The GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killa, Masta Killah & ‘Ol Dirty Bastard (RIP) were formed in New York City, and in 2008, About.com ranked them as the #1 greatest hip hop group of all-time. So sit back and enjoy so of my personal favorites from the Wu. If I left any out that you feel should be included, let me know. I’ll be more than glad to add it to the list…

I can find Wu songs for days, but those are some of my favorites. Hopefully they bang out their 6th studio album, because the rap game desperately needs a shot of realness.

@Louie_Ruffolo8