Phil Jackson’s Hall of Fame Career

Phil Jackson is about to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. J.A. Adande takes a look at his unique style of coaching.

Phil Jackson enters the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, and to understand how he coached his way there, it might help to familiarize yourself with the concept of “antimatter” — that is, to realize that the opposite of something is still something, not nothing. That way, it makes sense that some of his best coaching moves come from not coaching, that the best way for players to appreciate him is to not play for him.

For a man with such an immense ego, the irony is Jackson has derived so much success by taking himself out of the equation. He realizes coaching isn’t about getting the players to do what you want, it’s about getting them to want to do what’s right. He always put the game above himself, placed his trust in the players more than his ways.

Opposing coaches might wonder why he doesn’t make an adjustment while they run the same play successfully against him time after time. Fans get agitated when the other team runs off 10 consecutive points and Jackson steadfastly refuses to call a timeout, sitting as motionless as if he were modeling for a Buddha sculpture. Jackson always believed that during times of duress, if the players discovered their own solutions they would benefit in the long run. He was right.

What is the essence of coaching? Getting the most out of your players and putting them in position to win. You won’t find a coach or manager who did that on a more consistent basis than Phil Jackson.

Jackson’s big number is the record nine NBA championships he shares with Red Auerbach, but here’s the telltale stat: Only once has Jackson lost a playoff series in which his team had home-court advantage. That means that nearly every time they were supposed to win, they did. A grand record of 35-1 when starting at home. His squads almost always maxed out, even these past two Lakers first-round departures, who traveled just as far as they were built to go.

Sure he’s had great players, most notably Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago and Shaq and Kobe in L.A. But Auerbach coached 10 future Hall of Famers in Boston, so he wasn’t exactly doing it with scrubs. And if the best talent always guaranteed the best results, Marty Schottenheimer would still be coaching the San Diego Chargers. Why didn’t the 1991 Portland Trail Blazers or the 2002 Sacramento Kings win championships? Oh, that’s right, Rick Adelman was coaching them.

Another sign of Jackson’s success: the way his critics keep turning into allies.

[...]

When players see the alternative usually involves more stress and less winning, they realize they’re better off with Jackson. That’s why these days you’ll hear Bryant praise Jackson for “his understanding of the game, his understanding of unit cohesiveness, his patience. I think all of those things, the little intricacies of the game that he’s really picked up, that a lot of coaches and players don’t really understand, he’s mastered. It’s separated him from the pack, in my opinion.”

Jackson can do X’s and O’s. But he isn’t the best at it. And it’s not what he does best. Sometimes less is more.

[...]

The goal of Buddhism is nirvana, a state of being that’s devoid of wants and fears, the extinction of the individual consciousness. There’s that notion of nothing again. For Jackson, it might be more of a means than an end. He might not have reached nirvana, but he has made it to Springfield, Mass. He’s the “Seinfeld” of the sidelines, turning the concept of nothing into success.

It’s been an amazing thing to watch. He’s simply unparalleled in modern professional sports, with its free agency, massive league expansion, and culture of individuality. Nobody has come close to getting this much of out teams since the era when great coaches could stockpile talent and keep the same stars together for a decade or more.

Smoltz Flirts With No-Hitter as Braves Rout Nats

John Smoltz took a no-hitter into the 8th inning as the Atlanta Braves blew out the Washington Nationals as they try to keep their slim playoff chances alive.

For one glorious night, John Smoltz put aside frustrations and disappointments of this Braves season and nearly accomplished something he’d never done before. The 40-year-old Braves ace shook off a head cold and came within six outs of his first no-hitter, the bid thwarted when Ronnie Belliard singled to start the eighth inning of a 7-1 win against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field.

“It had a chance to be a magical night,” said Smoltz, who left to a standing ovation immediately after the clean hit to right field. “It really felt like it. Unfortunately, I just ran out of gas.”

He finished with 10 strikeouts and two walks, threw 70 strikes in 109 pitches, and left with a 7-0 lead. Smoltz (13-7) was charged with a run when Belliard came around to score on Ryan Church’s double against reliever Peter Moylan.

“There’s nothing left to say about John,” said Nationals manager Manny Acta, whose team had a five-game winning streak snapped. “He’s John Smoltz. That’s who he is. He just toyed with us. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

The only pitcher in major league history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, Smoltz knows he’s probably running out of chances to join the no-hit club, but one would never know from the way he dominated on Friday. “Doesn’t surprise anyone in here, does it?” Braves manager Bobby Cox said of the performance by Smoltz, who has recovered from a sore shoulder to post 11 quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer) in 12 games.

Chipper Jones went 3-for-4 with a double and a three-run homer for the Braves, who’ve won three of four games to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. They remained in third place in the National League East, 7-1/2 games behind New York and 1-1/2 behind Philadelphia. But the Braves leap-frogged two teams (Chicago and Milwaukee) into fifth place in the wild-card standings, 4-1/2 games behind wild-card leader San Diego after the Padres lost Friday at Colorado.

“He pitched awesome,” said Jones, whose 15-season tenure with the Braves is second only to Smoltz’s 20. “I don’t think he’s finished [with no-hit bids].”

Smoltz had his third 10-strikeout game of the season and 43rd of his career, including five strikeouts in the first two innings. It caused his pitch count to climb faster than in most other starts this season.

“I told Bobby, ‘Soon as I give up a hit, I’m [coming out],’ ” Smoltz said. “I don’t say that very often … I was gassed. Not from anything other than not feeling good. But it was a big game. I’m not disappointed at all.”

Smoltz has one complete-game one-hitter, against Cincinnati on April 30, 1999. It’s been 17 years since he came within two outs of a no-hitter at Philadelphia.

There have been 14 no-hitters in franchise history, but only three since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966. The only no-hitter at Turner Field was Randy Johnson’s perfect game for Arizona against the Braves on May 18. 2004. The last Braves no-hitter was Kent Mercker’s in 1994 at Los Angeles. It’s been 24 years since the only solo no-hitter by a Braves pitcher in Atlanta — Phil Niekro’s 1973 masterpiece against San Diego.

Smoltz is definitely a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But, as sweet as a no-hitter would have been, the important thing at this point is just to keep winning games.

Photos: MIKKI K. HARRIS/AJC

Terry Glenn Knee Injury Serious, Could Miss Season

Terry Glenn rushed back from knee surgery and has now suffered a serious setback that could end his season.

Dallas Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn will miss Sunday’s opener against the New York Giants — and possibly a lot more.

Glenn, 33, told ESPN’s Ed Werder on Friday that he has torn cartilage that will require surgery and is deliberating two options: Having season-ending knee surgery, or having a procedure to remove the damaged tissue so that he can potentially return in three to four weeks. The latter option, however, would not be a permanent solution and could expose him to the risk of severely hurting the knee again.

“I want to play this year, and I really feel I have chance so I’m really leaning toward taking the [damaged] piece out and trying to play this year even though I’m risking the rest of my career by doing that,” Glenn said Friday night. “I think that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not sure, but I’ve played 12 years and don’t have a lot of years left. I want to win now, and I think we have a chance to win now. My Super Bowl chances are running out, so that’s what I will probably do. But I know there’s a great percentage risk that I could do that, ruin my knee, never play again and have to limp the rest of my life.”

Glenn missed all four preseason games after micro-fracture surgery Aug. 1 to remove a cyst from the back of his right kneecap. Coach Wade Phillips said the latest injury came in practice two days ago and “was not related to the original injury,” but Glenn disputed that. “Anybody saying this injury is not related to the other injury — BS,” he said. “This would never have happened if I hadn’t been hurt already.”

However, Glenn said that he doesn’t hold the team’s medical or training staffs responsible for the injury.
“I don’t blame anybody for this but myself,” he said. “It didn’t feel the way it should have felt, but the pressure and the hype of the season starting really got to me, and I was told I could not injure my knee further by going out and just running on it. I wanted to win the game for my teammates because that means a lot to me. But it wasn’t ready and now I’ve injured it even more.”

Cowboys players say they have not been told the severity of Glenn’s knee injury, but they expect his absence to be lengthy. Quarterback Tony Romo was attempting to contact Glenn after Friday’s practice. “This is a very big loss for us,” Romo told ESPN. “You can’t replace Terry Glenn. He has special abilities and you’re just not going to be able to replace him. But I have a lot of confidence in our young receivers. I’ve been throwing to them all summer. I really think Sam Hurd will step to the plate.”

Truly a shame. And Glenn’s almost certainly right that this is an aggravation of the existing injury rather than a new one.

Football is a brutal game and the pressure to play hurt is strong. One would think, though, that trainers and coaching staffs would take a go-slow approach to recovery. The number of elite players rushed back too soon only to set themselves back is astonishing.

The Cowboys are expected to be a playoff team and they could have absorbed the loss of Glenn for two or three games until he was near 100 percent. They need him for the stretch drive.

Yanks edge Royals in nailbiter

The Yanks edged the Royals in a 3-2 nailbiter. Arod and Posada jumped on Meche early with two solo shots in the 2nd, only for KC to come right back with two of their in the bottom half against Ian Kennedy.

Both pitchers escaped jams and had to pitch to an extremely inconsistent strike zone (remember that 3-2 pitch to Gathright in the 1st inning? It was called a ball yet there were numerous pitches worse than that called strikes). There was also Robbie Cano being called out on a 3-2 inside changeup that was clearly a ball. Just absolutely ridiculous. Marty Foster is a horrible umpire that shouldn’t be anywhere near the postseason.

Kennedy escaped trouble in the first two innings but settled down after that, pitching to just two over the minimum in innings three through five.

Bobby Abreu had the clutch hit of the night, scoring Jeter from first one a double to left center (off a lefty no less).

But perhaps the biggest story was one fan in attendance, Joba Chamberlain’s father Harlan. He had polio as a kid and is wheelchair bound. Joba grew up in Nebraska (not too far from KC) so Harlan and the Chamberlain family drove up to attend the game. Joba nearly gave up the lead on a deep fly ball (off the bat of Billy Butler) which would have been heartbreaking, but it stayed in park and Damon made a nice running catch on the warning track.

The unsung hero was Kyle Farnsworth, who pitched a perfect two-strikeout inning and got the win. Mo pitched a dominant 9th – a weak groundout, an infield popup and a strikeout.

Rick Ankiel Used HGH

Rick Ankiel has been the feel-good story of the summer. Now, it looks like he’s just another cheater.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel, who punctuated a storybook comeback from pitching travails by homering twice with 7 RBIs Thursday, joined the list of athletes linked to a Florida-based steroids investigation.

The New York Daily News reported Friday that Ankiel received a 12-month supply of human growth hormone in 2004 from a Florida pharmacy that was part of a national illegal prescription drug-distribution operation, citing records its reporters saw. That Orlando outfit, Signature Pharmacy, has been implicated in a steroids investigation run by Albany County (N.Y.) District Attorney P. David Soares, which has resulted in 22 indictments and several Florida clinic raids.

Sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney on Friday that Major League Baseball has formally requested a meeting with Ankiel.

Hours after the report was made public, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site that steroids were shipped to the address of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus in 2003 and 2004.
“We will certainly look into this with both players,” MLB spokesman Rich Levin said Friday.

Ankiel’s HGH prescriptions, including Saizen and Genotropin, were signed by Florida physician William Gogan, who provided them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called The Health and Rejuvenation Center, or THARC, the Daily News reported. The drugs were shipped to the 28-year-old Ankiel at the clinic’s address, the paper said. The pitcher-turned-outfielder lives close by in Jupiter.

Another great sports story ruined.

UPDATE (Sept. 7): Ankiel admits using HGH but says it was legit:

Rick Ankiel says any drugs he received in 2004 were prescribed by a licensed physician to help him recover from reconstructive elbow surgery.

Ankiel, whose comeback is one of the great stories of this season, initially acknowledged human growth hormone was among those medications during a brief session with reporters Friday, then refused to list his various prescriptions.

“I’m not going to go into the list of what my doctors have prescribed for me,” the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder said when asked specifically whether he had taken HGH as part of his recovery. “I’ve been through a lot emotionally and physically. There are doctor and patient privileges, and I hope you guys respect those privileges.”

The privilege merely means the doctor has to respect the patient’s confidentiality, not that the patient has the right to keep it a secret. Given the sensitivity of performance enhancing drugs, one would think Ankiel would have come clean with MLB officials from the beginning and gotten their input into how this would fit in with League policies. I have no problem with leagues granting waivers for legitimate medical use of these drugs; indeed, they probably should do so. But this sort of thing needs to be out in the open and carefully monitored.

Former MLB pitcher Bill Henry dead at 83 alive at 79

From Sports Illustrated-

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Bill Henry, who pitched in the majors for more than 15 seasons, has died. He was 83.

Henry died Aug. 27 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, two days after he suffered a heart attack, his stepdaughter Debbie Lee said.

Born William Rodman Henry in Alice, Texas, the left-hander made his major-league debut in 1952 with the Boston Red Sox. Henry later pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants before ending his career in 1969 with the Houston Astros.

Henry had a career record of 46-50 and pitched in two 1961 World Series games with the Reds.

Since I was born in 1961, my memories of Henry come from playing past seasons with the baseball games made by Strat-O-Matic. Bill Henry, a left-handed relief pitcher, wasn’t really one of those one out lefty relief specialists we see today. In Henry’s most productive years, from 59-62 he averaged over an inning per relief appearance. Even two innings per game in 1959. For 1961, he was the Reds number two man coming out of the bullpen when they went to the World Series. Henry and Jim Brosnan saving the same amount of games(16), but with Brosnan having the heavier inning work load of the two.

What did Mark Twain once say, the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. That applies to Bill Henry. From today’s Miami Herald.

They lived 961 miles apart and never met.

One was a retired salesman living in Central Florida. The other, a big-league ballplayer who pitched in the 1961 World Series before settling down outside Houston.

All they shared was a common name, a square jawline and an affection for baseball.

But for 20 years, Bill C. Henry the salesman purported to be Bill R. Henry the baseball player. His wife and friends believed him — they had no reason not to — and the guy he pretended to be was none the wiser.

Until last week, when the 83-year-old former salesman died of a heart attack in Lakeland. Newspapers across the country ran obituaries announcing the death of the left-handed pitcher, recounting highlights of his 16-season career.

But that Bill Henry is still very much alive.

”I’ve been right here this whole time,” Henry, 79, said Thursday night from his home in Deer Park, Texas. “It was kind of a shock to hear people say they thought I was dead.”

A baseball historian read an obituary for the Lakeland man and noticed the birth dates and hometowns listed were different than what was on his Bill Henry memorabilia. The historian called Henry in Texas, who confirmed he was still living.

I’m glad you’re still alive Bill. People impersonating former major league relief pitchers. Welcome to Florida! The rules are certainly different here.

Braves Rally to Beat Phillies, Save Season?

When I heard that the Braves were down seven runs late in yesterday’s game against the Phillies, I figured their season was over. I still think the playoffs are improbable, but an amazing rally at least gives them some room for hope.

With their faint playoff hopes flickering, the Braves’ bloops started falling for hits. The team that has claimed it couldn’t get a break for months got several in the last two innings Wednesday during an unusual, improbable 9-8 come-from-behind win against the Philadelphia Phillies, capped by Matt Diaz’s game-ending, three-run double with two out in the ninth.

The Braves overcame an 8-2 deficit by scoring four runs in a bloop-filled eighth and three runs in the ninth on a two-out rally when things looked just about hopeless. They turned a sparse crowd at Turner Field into a surprise party with a Braves pileup at midfield after Yunel Escobar slid home with the winning run and pointed to the sky, pumping his arm.

“We’re a pretty streaky team, and hopefully this starts a good streak,” said Diaz, who had a broken-bat, bases-loaded infield single in the eighth inning, then cleared the bases in the ninth with an opposite-field hit off the glove of right fielder Chris Roberson as he raced into the corner. “Matty being Matty,” said outfielder Willie Harris, whose home run and two RBIs helped the Braves win the series 2-1.

They’re still in third place in the NL East, 7-1/2 behind New York and 2-1/2 games behind Philadelphia, and five teams were ahead of them in the wild-card race.

When Tim Hudson gave up 11 hits and five runs in the first five innings, the Braves appeared headed for their 14th loss in 20 games and eighth in 10 home games. “Just one of those games where you’re thinking, ‘Here we go again,’ ” Jones said. They got two runs in the sixth inning on a homer from Harris and an RBI double by Jones, before stranding two runners in the inning.

Then a funny thing happened on the way to another disheartening, opportunities-wasted loss. The baseball gods turned the game upside down in the eighth and shook it. “We hit some balls hard that were caught,” Harris said, “and we hit some balls soft that weren’t caught, that went for base hits. Hopefully this a turning point for us. We’re not rolling over.”

Manager Bobby Cox said, “We had a lot of bloops. Just one of them gets caught, and we’re done. They all fell.”

Diaz said some Braves couldn’t help but laugh during the eighth inning, when they got three consecutive one-out bloop singles by Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and Scott Thorman, after Jones’ leadoff double.
Francoeur drove in a run, then another scored on a wild pitch by closer Brett Myers. The Phillies still had an 8-4 lead, and McCann left with a contusion of his left ankle (he said it’s not serious).

“Crazy, crazy game,” Jones said. “We had no business winning this game, as lousy as we played through six innings. But you keep swinging the bats, and sometimes good things happen.”

Not often enough lately. But Braves fans can keep their hopes alive for a little while longer.

Hughes and Joba combine to shut down Seattle

Phil Hughes pitched his best home game of the year (where previously he had stunk): 6 ip, 5 h, 2 er, 2 bb, 6 k, 97 pitches (61 for strikes), and perhaps most encouragingly 6 groundouts to 4 flyouts. His fastball ranged from 87 to 94 mph, he had average command of a nasty curve and below average command of a slider and changeup. Despite that, he was able to throw all of them for strikes (at times) and got burned by just one bad inning (the 2nd): he had 2 outs and had Guillen down 0-2 before throwing four straight balls. He then fell behind 2-0 on Ibanez and grooved a fastball that was crushed for a HR. Outside of those six straight balls, Hughes was downright dominant (even dealing with a very inconsistent strike zone). Not wanting to stretch him too far (and pulling on a high note), he was pulled after 97 pitches and K to the final batter. A turning point may have been in the 4th when Ibanez led off with what appeared to be a clear double down the right field line – Shelley Duncan fielded it quickly a fired an absolute bullet to nail him at 2nd. Shelley had a huge grin following the play, and it’s awesome to see that kind of joy and enthusiasm from players (that you often only see from rookies).

Joba pitched the top of the 7th, utterly dominating the three batters he faced: two weak groundouts and a shallow pop out.

At that point, the Yanks were down 2-1 only thanks to a solo shot from Jose Molina (who had crushed the previous pitch foul – perhaps from catching him all those years in Anaheim he knew how to hit him). Seattle’s bullpen is very good, so I hoped the Yanks would score a quick run (preferably a HR) off Washburn before their relievers were called into action. Arod delivered with a solo HR (can a guy have more big hits than he’s had this year?). Robbie Cano reached on an error, forcing Washburn out of the game. But the vaunted relief core tanked, allowing seven more runs that inning including another HR by Arod, becoming the first Yankee to homer twice in one inning since 1977! Joba wasn’t used for the 8th, but his scoreless 7th was enough to give Joba his first major league win!

In Seattle’s defense, the umps blew two calls against them. Ichiro was called out stealing 2nd, but replays showed Jeter never tagged him. Later, Ichiro was again called out but replays showed he beat Jeter’s throw. Tough night for him. And someone please tell John McLaren to stop changing pitchers – it was insufferable watching that shit (thank god for DVR).

An off day tomorrow (fitting because it’s the start of football season), and Ian Kennedy goes friday in Kansas City.

2007 Giants preview

2006 Recap
The 2006 season ended in disappointment as the G-Men lost in the wildcard round (to Philadelphia) on a last second field goal. Tiki Barber had a great game that night (28 touches, 152 total yds), but the Giants D couldn’t stop the Eagles rushing attack, especially on the last drive when they marched down the field to make an easy field goal.

Tiki retired after the season to pursue a television career (which is making headlines of its own).

The Giants had a fairly uneventful offseason. No major splashes in the free agent market or in the draft. Steve Spagnuolo was promoted from Eagles linebacker coach to Giants defensive coordinator. Michael Strahan threatened to retire, but then showed up Monday (possibly in a bid to simply skip training camp). Will Demps is out for the year with an elbow injury, and Mathias Kiwanuka was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker.

Key losses
RB Tiki Barber
K Jay Feely
S Will Demps
LT Luke Petitgout

Tiki will be missed the most of these four players. He carried the Giant offense at times last year, and accounted for over 40 % of their offense the last three years. Brandon Jacobs has been an excellent backup, but now he’s the star – will he be able to carry the ball 20+ times a game when he’s never carried it more than 11 in a single game yet? I think the answer is yes. He’s a big, strong guy (6’4″, 265 lbs., which is as big as some defensive ends and bigger than most linebackers), and with the depth the Giants have at RB (Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw, Reuben Droughns), he won’t have to carry as much of the load as was initially feared after Tiki’s retirement.

I won’t cry over losing Jay Feely. He was a good but not great kicker that often missed in important, close games. Lawrence Tynes won the kicking job – he has made 78.2 % of field goals in his career, a decent percentage (and just a hair under Feely’s career of 79.6 %).

Will Demps was one of the big free agent acquisitions heading into last year, but had a disappointing first year with the Jints after coming over from Baltimore. James Butler, however, played very well in limited time so I don’t mind him becoming the starting free safety in 2007.

Losing Luke Petitgout might have a bigger impact any other loss, even Tiki. When he was healthy, he was a very solid left tackle (a premium position in the NFL), and his injury in the Chicago game last year was essentially the turning point of the whole season – they were winning that game and could’ve gone 7-2, but with Luke out Eli was mauled the rest of the game; the Jints lost and they finished the season going just 2-6.

Key additions
CB Aaron Ross
WR Steve Smith
LB Kawika Mitchell
RB Ahmad Bradshaw

Aaron Ross was selected with the 20th overall pick in the April draft. He was a top CB out of U-Texas and secondary help is what the Giants needed (and still need) desperately. I like what I’ve seen from him in the preseason despite getting picked on – he’s made some nice tackles, has shown good speed and change-of-direction ability, and despite allowing some long catches has been in good position (but the throws were perfect). He should be the starting nickelback, and could take over starting by mid-season (he also returns punts). The only downside is that he’ll turn 25 this month, quite old for a rookie CB.

Steve Smith (out of USC) was selected in the 2nd round and has excelled in camp and in the preseason (8 catches, 78 yds, 1 TD). He has probably taken the #3 WR spot over Sinorice Moss. Along with Shockey, Plax, Toomer, Moss and Mix, the Giants (could) have a one of the best passing attacks in football (a lot of which still rests on Eli).

LB Kawika Mitchell was the only impact free agent that rookie GM Jerry Reese signed. He’s 27 and to this point played his entire career with the Chiefs where he amassed 302 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections and 3 picks. Reese signed him to a nice, low risk contract (one year, $1 million). He’ll be the starting weak side linebacker.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw could turn into the steal of the 2007 draft. He was taken in the 7th round out of Marshall and has excelled in the preseason – 26 carries for 177 yards (6.8 per carry), 4 catches for 31 yards. He looks like a bigger version of Tiki: quick, agile, a little small – and he’s the starting kick returner. The offense for the 2007 Giants should be very strong, which brings me to…

Keys to the season
Eli’s progression
This will be Eli’s 4th season in the league, and if the team is going anywhere he needs to step up from his previous three. If the preseason is any indication (69% completion rate, 3 TD, 0 INT, 107 rating), he’s going to have a breakout year. QB coach Chris Palmer came over from Dallas where he finished molding Tony Romo into (seemingly) a very solid QB.

Steve Spagnuolo’s new D
The new defensive coordinator that came over from Philly has brought a blitzing, attacking defense that is part of the reason Mathias Kiwanuka moved from DE to OLB. His kind of style is high-risk/high-reward. It will be susceptible to screen passes, draws and hot routes, and if the blitzers do not get to the QB, it will leave the weak secondary very exposed. If they can get to the passer, it will hide a lot of problems with the DBs. If nothing else, it will be exciting to watch.

Predictions
Because of the weak NFC East, the Giants actually have a decent shot at the division title. They’ll win anywhere from six to nine games. This may sound horrible, but I would rather have the team suck badly than be simply mediocre (which is probably what will happen) – I’d rather draft Darren McFadden (or another top player) and get a new head coach in here than continue plugging along as just another mediocre NFL team. Final prediction: 8-8 (wildcard team), Eli has a very good year (QB rating over 90), but the secondary kills them too often to win consistently.

sources: NFL.com, Wikipedia, ESPN