This article has been submitted by Alex Snyder. Matt Douglas should have a follow-up Mock later today.

A lot of changes from my earlier mock up shows how the combine can change a lot of things. The one thing that is certain is the Dolphins are drafting OT Jake Long with the first pick. After that, the top-10 is anyone’s guess; here’s mine:

1) Dolphins - OT Jake Long , Michigan
As stated, the Dolphins will take J-Long at #1 and have already made him the highest paid O-lineman in NFL (5 yr, 57.75M). Huge investment from the Fish, but I think it’s a good one. He was the safest pick among the top-5 besides maybe Dorsey, but he’s going to be a really solid T for a long time and there aint nothing wrong with that. Parcells loves to run off the right tackle and Long will likely be their RT. This team will again struggle massively, however, if they don’t get a QB.
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This article has been submitted by Alex Snyder, who I dunk on constantly.

Here are the five most underrated NBA players, according to me, the most reliable source you know.

1) Jose Calderon - Those who follow the Raptors, like myself, know just how good this guy is. The U.S. public? Not so much. He should have been an all-star this year for sure. There was a part of the season when Ford was out that Calderon was playing like a top-5 PG in the game. He’s cooled off a bit but that’s mostly because of TJ getting more minutes. I pray that the Raps sign him to a nice little extension in the off-season because right now they’re one rebounding, defensive big man away from being a legitimate championship threat with that core.

2) David West - This guy might actually be #1. He’s a big part of his team’s great success this year with his 20-and-9 average. No one in their right mind would have taken the Hornets to finish in the top half of the Western Conference at the start of the season. Chris Paul has just a tiny bit to do with it too, as he’s blossomed into, in my opinion, the best PG on the planet.
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With the Toronto Blue Jays opening spring training today (1 PM vs. Detroit), we thought it would be a good time to start our spring training coverage here at The ODC. Today you get a double dose of Blue Jay preview, starting with this piece, submitted by A-Rod Snyder.

This is going to be the year that defines Blue Jays’ GM J.P. Ricciardi. He’s signed through 2010 but Jays fans are sick of missing out on the playoffs year after year. The Jays made a few nice additions this offseason with Scott Rolen, David Eckstein and even Shannon Stewart to a lesser degree. They gave up Troy Glaus in the Rolen deal, which is great news for Jays fans like myself. As big a Jays fan as I am, I’m also a realist. The last three years or so, when fellow Jays enthusiasts were telling me that it was the Jays’ year, I would tell them the reality of being in the AL East is that aint gonna happen, unless EVERYTHING goes right for them. This year I think we’re in the same boat. This year they do have their best team, in my opinion, in the last few years but still need everything to go right. By go right I mean Halladay to stay healthy all year and be in typical Cy Young form. They need AJ Burnett to finally go a FULL season healthy and pitch to his potential. The Jays need Marcum to pitch like he did last year as well as Dustin McGowan. They also need Rolen to stay healthy and produce all year, and staying healthy isn’t his cup of tea. Lastly, the Jays need Vernon to hit like Vernon again and their bullpen to pitch as well as it did last year. If ALL of these things happen this year and Boston’s starting pitchers get hurt, they have a good shot at winning the AL East. Here’s a quick overview of the Jays situation heading into the season at each position.
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This article has been submitted by Alex “don’t call me Al” Snyder.

The question on everyone’s mind with the trade deadline is approaching is, are there going to be any blockbuster trades come February 26th? Usually it seems we never see a superstar ever getting traded, only role players. This year, however, should be different. There are going to be a few big names getting dealt. Some teams are looking for that little (or big) piece to put them over the top and make them a legitimate contender. Some teams are looking to deal players they know they can’t re-sign and some are just trying to rebuild. Here are some pretty high profile players who have been discussed in a possible trade and their teams’ concerns.
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This article has been submitted by Lazy Al Snyder.

Who are the best Blue Jays of all time? Using the requirement that only players who played for three years or more can be included, I developed the following list. The Jays don’t have the richest history, but they can put out a pretty impressive team. Who would manage? Well, I think that’s an obvious CITO, and here’s his squad:

The Lineup
C – Ernie Whitt – was never great, but was good for many years
1B – Carlos Delgado – the deepest Jays position, but Carlos is on top
2B – Roberto Alomar – the best player to play in Toronto, bar none
SS – Tony Fernandez – amazing defensively, plus a pretty solid stick at the plate
3B – Kelly Gruber – I never really liked the guy, but he was their top player for half a decade
OF – Joe Carter – well, we all know about Joe
OF – Jesse Barfield – an absolute cannon arm in RF, he had a stellar bat to go with it
OF – George Bell – was their best hitter for many years and the only MVP in team history
DH – Fred McGriff – I used to love this cat, he hit the first home run in SkyDome history
Honorable Mention: Devon White, John Olderud, Vernon Wells, Lloyd Moseby

The Pitchers
SP – Dave Steib – the best pitcher in the team’s history, he is the leader in most stat categories
SP – Jimmy Key – my favorite pitcher back in the day, he has the best ERA all-time for the Jays
SP – Roy Halladay – most wins in a season ever for a Jay, and probably the best long stretch with the team
RP – Tom Henke – The Terminator was lights out for years
Honorable Mention: Duane Ward

Not a bad squad, and I didn’t develop a bench, but you get the idea – the Jays history is rich with good players, though nothing spectacular.

This article has been submitted by Lazy Al Snyder.

This article has been submitted my animal enthusiast Alex Snyder.

Looking forward to next college season, here’s a list of ten guys who will be household names come this time next year (if you’re a college football fan, of course). I also wanted to point out that, while not a freshman, my boy Noel Devine will be doing HUGE things running the ball for the WVU Mountaineers.
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Note: To try and quench your football thirst on SuperBowl Sunday, I thought The ODC could take a different route and, while everyone else focuses on the SuperBowl, we focus on providing a little hope and something of interest to fans outside of New York and New England. Plus, everyone loves Mock Drafts, and no sports topic is better for debate. So today, we bring you two NFL mock-ups. This one is from Alex Snyder, who is celebrating his birthday today. Happy birthday Al!

Hey, with the Super Bowl today, what better time then to look forward to next year? Here’s my early look at who I think will go where come draft time. This first mock will be done on the assumption of their being no trades. Personally, I would trade my pick if I were the Dolphins because they need help at so many positions. Anyways here ya go, my ODC debut……..
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