Draft Room

I wrote this shortly before the fantasy draft.  My post-draft thoughts are in italics.

I have a very clear idea of what I want to draft each round.  I practiced it in a mock draft and was pretty successful.  The positions I want each round are:
1 - RB (I know I'm taking CJ)
2/3 - QB & WR
Rivers & Wayne
4/5 - WR & RB
Ryan Grant & Boldin
6/7 - QB & TE
Eli and Vernon Davis
8/9 - RB & WR
85 and Jonathan Stewart
10/11 - DEF & RB
Green Bay and Kyle Orton - I noticed that solid QB options were flying away, so I knew it was time to get #3
12/13 - WR & QB
Malcom Floyd and Felix Jones (because I took the QB in the previous round)
14/15 - WR & K
Kenny Britt, Matt Forte, and Kicker - forgot there were 16 rounds

I came up with this plan to address each position in the optimal timeframe.  I want to have a top-tier player at RB, QB, and WR, so I think it makes most sense to take one in each of the first three rounds.  I don't think a round 4 QB will be too different from a round 6/7, so that is why I am fine with waiting to find my second string QB.  The only reason why I would divert from this strategy is if there is someone too tempting left on the board (like Ryan Mathews in round 2/3). 
Interestingly enough, Ryan Mathews was there!!  It was a hard decision and I took a minute to make up my mind.  In the end, taking a rookie RB was too risky to forfeit a solid QB and WR with years of strong results.  I am really happy with how the strategy worked out.  It was a lot safer than being tempted by who was the "best available" and screwing myself in the end at one position.  I ended up picking a lot of the "safer" players than newer starters.   
As for the QB selection timing, the round 4 QBs were Flacco and Cutler while the round 6/7 QBs were Matt Ryan, Kevin Kolb, Eli (the one I got), and McNabb.  Point proven. 

Players I like for their potential increased value (I'm not going to say "upside"!): Terrell Owens, Steve Breaston, Matt Moore, Chad Henne, Jerome Harrison, Cedric Benson, Chris Cooley
...and I didn't get any of them.  Breaston, Moore, and Harrison are even Free Agents!  I wish I would have gotten Benson - I was three picks too late.  I am thinking about making a move to pick up a free agent or two, but I think it's best to wait until closer to the start of the season.  I want to see who ends up starting in a number of slots.    

Players I am probably over-valuing: Jahvid Best, Carson Palmer, Austin Collie, Kellen Winslow
Collie and Winslow are also available post-draft.  I am hopeful for Jahvid, but I am very concerned about our O-line's ability to open a crack. 

Players I don't like: Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene, Steven Jackson, Hines Ward, Brandon Marshall
Interesting that four of these six players went to two teams (and also appear on Mike's worst pick list).  In retrospect, the only one I think that went at the right time was SJax.  The others were taken too early. 

Chicago White Sox

Our White Sox experience started off horribly.  We waited in traffic for 30 minutes after getting off the highway to park.  About a block before we got to the lot, the police officer closed the street and started re-routing people around... to the place where we got off the highway.  We were directed to a lot in a small college across the highway that was a mile away from the stadium.  The fee?? $23.  I forked the money over and tried to forget about it.

U.S. Cellular is a stadium that is not sure whether it is old school or new.  It features ivy covered walls in centerfield and a traditional monochromatic lightbulb scoreboard in left that are reminiscent of its crosstown rival.  They play organ music, except it usually involves modern pop songs like "Poker Face".  My favorite feature was the most detailed "around the league" LED scoreboard I've ever seen.  It displays players on base as well as the current pitchers and batters for every game around the league.  They do a great job with giving fans interesting "did you know" stats during the game.

The first thing that I associate with U.S. Cellular Field are the 1970s fair-ride-pinwheels on the top of its scoreboard.  I don't know the history or significance of the pinwheels, but I don't like them.  The dimensions of the stadium make it feel very large.  The steep upper deck is positioned very close to the field, creating great views from the cheap seats (which we retreated to in attempt to get out of the sun).  The scaffolding behind the outfield seats closes in the ballpark and intensifies the crowd volume. 

For lunch, I had the "Chicago dog". It starts out with mustard and onions (no surprise). Next there is the brightest green relish ever.  Then some tomatoes (kind of like "unprocessed ketchup" - I do without). Then a pickle (often comes on the side, but let's pile it on top). And then whole hot peppers (for some spice). Then celery salt (no idea). The White Sox version was pretty good, but the concessions lines are horrible. Stacey was gone for at least an inning and a half (I honestly started to get worried). When I got my Chicago dog, it seemed like the person made every attempt to take their sweet ass time.

The game itself was great.  The Tigers and White Sox went back and forth and it was a high scoring game.  They didn't really do any kind of promotions, but there was a random Blue Angel flyover between innings around the 7th or 8th.  They shot off some fireworks after home run shots (keep in mind it was a day game).  I liked the experience, but I am glad the Tiger's parking and concessions aren't that bad.

Washington Nationals

The first unique aspect of Nationals Stadium that I noticed while walking to it was the centerfield entrance.  That is the main concourse of the stadium since it is the closest to the metro and faces the city.  The traditional home plate entrance has a facade that reminds me of the old Yankee Stadium.  The path leading up to it has a list of important years to the team (that I ignored).  This is all a complete waste because nobody uses this entrance.  I took this picture 10 minutes before the game began. 

The most impressive feature of the inside of the stadium is the large video scoreboard.  The Nationals website boasts that it is a 4,500 square foot HD screen.  The rest of the stadium, however, is fairly boring.  The design is "prototypical 21st century ballpark".  The background scenery includes the parking garage and a few nondescript buildings.  The placement is a curious decision because they would have a great view of the capital if the stadium would have been rotated 10-20 degrees counterclockwise.  Another overlooked feature is the centerfield lawn (the spot where Zimmerman's walk-off home run landed).  The lawn and the gap to the right of it look out of place.  The park as a whole seems fairly "cookie cutter".

The prices for tickets and food at the Nationals Stadium were high compared to other parks, but is understandable compared to the rest of D.C.  The biggest surprise from the entertainment department were the fireworks blasted off at the beginning of the game and after the win.  It was a great way to stir up excitement for the game.  Although, that energy was killed immediately by the boring, slow, out of place music between innings.  Outside of the logical "Oversized Head Presidents Race", they offered little else in terms of entertainment and promotions.  Overall, the ballpark and the stadium atmosphere was decent, but forgettable.