Sports Frog

All of us at the Frog have taken the week off from work and have been granted full back stage access to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. We're also very thankful to be staying at the Marriott Courtside, courtesy of the NFL. I've had two cups of hazelnut coffee already this saturday, connected with my daughter via web cam, and just have to say that this is truly a great experience. I've also been told that next year, the NFL will be taking the top 20 from the swamp as well. Notable news:

• Matt Ryan has decided not to throw at the Combine. What you hiding, Matty?

  "I want to give teams an accurate reflection of how I throw the ball," he said. "I want to throw to guys I know."

  I really liked Ryan in college, but quarterbacking in the NFL is played more in the head than it is in the body. Anyone not able to excel in uncontrolled circumstances should worry that team and its fans.
• The top three running back prospects, McFadden, Mendenhall, and Stewart, will all run at the Combine. Watch for yourself as McFadden's stock drops out of the top 20 and into the waiting arms of Jerry Jones.
• A coin flip has decided the rest of the top 10 for the 2008 NFL draft. There was a three way tie for the third spot, but that is now property of the Altanta Falcons. The Raiders will pick 4th and the Chiefs 5th.
• The competition committee is considering reseeding teams after each round of the playoffs, instead of using the current system which preseeds everyone before the first round and then keeps those matchups throughout the tournament. UPDATE: This is entirely wrong. I read the story incorrectly this morning. What they are considering is granting the top 6 teams a playoff berth, no matter the division champs. Don't tell my mom I was wrong and don't tell the NHL they're thinking about this.

A lot of media sites are covering the combine these days, but none are doing the quantity of work that espn's hashmarks is doing. Their quality is right at the top too.

For rankings, the days of Mel Kiper are long gone. So if you're looking for the best rankings from a media source, check out Mike Mayock's top 20 rankings

That's it for now, I'm off to my workout with John Locke.