Last night, while DVRing the debate, the stars aligned to allow yours truly to snake Ray Rice as the 6^th pick of the draft.  6^th!  Although I had to change draft strategies on the fly, I am thrilled with the opportunity to own Ray-Ray through the 2012 election.   Interestingly, four game-tested QBs were selected in the first 13 picks, as a significant percentage of the owners did not want to be saddled with an inexperienced leader at the reigns.  Does that perhaps portend the proclivities of the populace?

However, the more intriguing development was the way Jamaal Charles (touted by the media as a top five selection) plummeted all the way to pick #11.  He was the fantasy equivalent of Newt Gingrich – chock full of spin and promise but ultimately dropping off of the radar when the doubts started to surface.  The media can try to establish the market, but a discerning and involved public understands far more than the pabulum that it is fed.   As I watched the post-mortem on the debate, I was positively disgusted at the manner in which a purportedly unbiased media portrayed each candidate as hero or villain depending on the particular leanings of each pundit.  Make no mistake, the media control the message far better and far more effectively than any campaign manager.  The media has the forum and the capacity to bombard the airways with any sound bite, whether favorable or devastating to a candidate, relative to any subject matter.  The only way that a voter can make a truly informed decision is through an individualized analysis, and honestly, who has the time to rifle through the interwebs to fact-check every candidate?  No one.  And that’s exactly what the media counts on.

So open up wide, America.  CNN, NBC and FOX will keep feeding you their agendas and you can just keep swallowing or, maybe, just maybe, you will come to the voting booths on November 6, 2012 with a well-researched portfolio of facts, data and trend analysis where you can formulate your own decisions about the leadership of this great country.

NFL Season Ticket holders are being assured that they will receive 1% on their money if any games are not played.  Wow, that’s reassuring.  If we have to miss an entire year of football, my $3500 investment in my team will be worth 35 dollars (Not even enough to buy a replica Randy Moss Titans jersey).  This, of course, assumes that they calculate the whopping NOI on the full year not just on the four months timeframe that the NFL games should have been played.   In that case, I will be seeing just shy of 12 dollars.

That’s OK – I’m just lucky to have the privilege of being an NFL Season ticket holder whether  or not the NFL is actually open for business.  I realize that I am a small speck on the NFL landscape, so I assume Roger is planning to call all the Corporate Season Ticket Holders first.  You know, the guys who really pay the debt service on all these new Stadiums.  The Patriots, for example, have a rather innocuous club section called the Fidelity Investment Clubhouse.  I’d love to be on the phone for that call:  “Hi Mister Johnson.  This is Roger Goodell. Don’t worry about your $2 million dollar annual investment at our Stadium.  We will guarantee your money with a 1% return……Oh, Sir, I dont know anything about your Magellen Fund’s return.  I’m just a Lawyer running the biggest entertainment business in the country.”

All I know is that when Goodell calls, I’m going to thank him for all he is doing and ask him if it is okay to renew my Fantasy league by June 25th.  I will don’t want to lose my $40 early renewal discount because Roger’s goal is, after all, a full NFL Season.  Thanks Roger, and please don’t call me after 9pm.

Digging deeper, players like Eric Berry, Mark Sanchez, AJ Hawk, Sean Taylor, Quentin Jammer and workhorse Jamal Lewis all emerged from the 5-hole over the last 12 years, whereas Purple Drank Russell, Alex Smith, David Carr, Tim Couch (interestingly all QBs) and the very mediocre Courtney Brown were all #1 picks over the last 12 years.   So Carolina, as you weigh the “can’t miss” hype about QBs Gabbert and Newton, The Bench Jockeys suggest you either:

• a) Do the right thing and pick Marcell Dareus;
• b) Trade down a little with Buffalo (3) or Arizona (5), save some cash and take Von Miller or Patrick Peterson; or
• c) Trade down a bit more, fleece desperate Tennessee (8) or Minnesota (12) and build for the future with additional picks.

Fast Fact:  Over the last 15 years (1996 – 2010), it is not surprising that the Lions have had the most top 5 picks with 6 selections; however, the Cardinals will move into a tie with Detroit if Arizona hangs onto their 5^th pick in this year’s draft.  Poor Larry Fitz; he has to be praying the Cards make a run at McNabb.

Chad made his first real mark in the NFL when he replaced Vinny Testaverde in 2002 and led the then 1 – 4 New York Jets to the post-season.  Pennington was limited to seven starts in 2003 as a result of broken hand suffered in the 4^th game of the pre-season.  (Attention NFL Owners:  Why would any team plays its starting QB in the 4^th pre-season game?)  Pennington’s shoulder woes began in 2004 when he injured his rotator cuff, but declined to have it surgically repaired – taking one for the team instead in an effort to keep the J-E-T-S in playoff contention.  2005 was a wash-out as a result of a re-injury to the shoulder during a game in September.  The “Golden Boy” won Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2006 (Jets), stunk up the joint in 2007 and was named Comeback Player of the Year again in 2008 (Dolphins).  Three games into the 2009 campaign, Pennington injured the same shoulder on which he had two previous surgeries, cutting short his season.  Most recently, against the Titans, Pennington who was given an opportunity to lead the Fins again when the other Chad (Henne) floundered, injured the same shoulder on the 2^nd play of the game, effectively ending his 2010 season.

Pennington’s doctors will likely leave a fork in him during the surgical repair of his knee, because Chad is done.