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This year, however, is like no other in Miami history as the Dolphins have the top pick in the draft, meaning they could take whoever they want out of college. There are many fine choices available, making the decision both easy and hard. Which brings me to the election.
As Americans, we have the right to vote for whoever we want to be the next president, once the candidates have been nominated. This race has already been halfway decided as the Republicans will go with Arizona Sen. Jon McCain. The Democrats in the meanwhile are still battling it out between Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham-Clinton. Regardless of one’s affiliation, this is very good for the country and the democratic process — being able to hear differing points of view and formulate one’s own opinion and vote accordingly.
Choosing a president and picking No. 1 in the NFL draft are really quite similar. Let’s just say for a moment that McCain, Obama and Clinton were football players and you had to pick one to be the face of a franchise that has seen better days — the cost of hot dogs are up thanks to a rise in bun demand, the mortgage rate on the stadium has ballooned and your coaches approval ratings are in the toilet with fans clamoring for change.
Here’s your choices:
1.) McCain. McCain is like a 350 lb. offensive lineman or a 300 lb. defensive tackle — he’s reliable and you know what you’re getting. McCain’s not going to make the big plays, he won’t touch the ball that much and you won’t notice him until he makes a mistake that gets the quarterback pulverized, and by then it’s too late. There is no glamour in McCain’s game but he is experienced having played four years of college football in a big-time conference. He has seen it all, it’s just a matter of can he make the next step.
2.) Clinton. Clinton is the type of player you talk yourself out of picking only to kick yourself when she makes the Pro Bowl four years in a row. There’s some baggage with Clinton that might scare off some GMs. “Hill-Rod” looks great on paper and performs well at individual work-outs, but will that translate to the football field? Her father, Bill, played pro football and Clinton spent many a Sunday on the sidelines cheering him on. There is ‘bust’ potential here, but there’s also genuine interest.
3.) Obama. Obama is the romantic pick as New York Jet’s fans cheer “Barack, Barack, Barack” in Radio City Music Hall. Obama can not only be the new face of your franchise but the face of the league. Obama brings enthusiasm, energy and passion — all the things a GM is looking for when drafting No. 1. The buzz around Obama is palpable to that of Reggie Bush and not picking him almost seems like heresy. His workouts have been off the charts, he has nothing negative in his background and he handles himself extremely well publicly. You can almost see Obama jerseys flying off the shelves. Obama, however, left school early and only had one great year in college. The big question is was that one great year a flash or a sign of bigger and better things?
What do you do? Do you take one of these three to build your franchise around? While there are no slam dunks, there is value. Unfortunately, these three are not football players and I feel none of them will make an impact of any kind and will be out of the NFL in four seasons.
If it was me, I would trade the pick and let somebody else take the risk. It looks like another losing season no matter how I look at it.
Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 472=9500, ext. 233, or at eliotduke@hotmail.com.