Detroit Lions Strike Gold In Draft

Die hard fans of the Detroit Lions know that more often than not, draft day is depressing. During the Matt Millen era, the Lions always found a way to use a high pick on a wide receiver which would all inevitably bust (I'm looking at you Charles Rogers and Mike Williams). It wasn't just the WR that dissapointed, remember QB Joey Harrington. These memories make me shudder. So it's with great pleasure that I can say that Detroit finally had a draft to remember. There were other winners over the past three days of drafting, but perhaps none made an impact on the level of the Lions. Hey, it's my blog so I can be biased. Here's a look at their picks and a little bonus analysis on why the pick was so smart.

NHL Ice Capades

You couldn't have asked for a more exciting 1st round of the NHL playoffs. Even though there was chalk for 6 out of the 8 series, there were still plenty of thrillers along the way. We've had at least one overtime game for the past 10 days. An incredible half of the series went the distance to 7 games. If this is a sign of things to come, we're in store for a phenomenal rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let's take a look at the upcoming conference semifinal match ups.

NFL Draft Daze

The NFL has a quest to dominate the sports landscape 365 days a year. Even mid-way through the off-season football is on the front page and at the top of the rundown. The biggest event between the Super Bowl and Week 1 is the NFL draft. Typically it's treated like a national holiday, but this year the fanfare has seemed eerily subdued. So what's the deal?

Baseball Breakouts & Busts

There's a fine line during a new Major League Baseball season. It gets to a certain point where you have to take some players and teams seriously, whether it be those excelling or struggling. Sometimes they are teams that are underachieving, or players coming out of nowhere to become new stars. The question becomes, where is the cutoff point. How do you decide who's a contender or a pretender. With the regular season already a month in, now is as good of a time as any to take a look at the breakouts and busts in the MLB.

Breakout Team: Cleveland Indians- This team used to be a staple atop the AL Central standings, but over the past couple of seasons, you'd be more likely to find them looking up at their divisional foes. Last year, they finished in 4th place and had the 6th worst record in all of baseball. This season has seen new hope for the Tribe. At 13-8, the Indians are alone in 1st and hold the 2nd best mark in the American League. I think this team is in it for the long haul. With a healthy Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner turning back the clock and raking, the offense has been clicking for the first time in years. The pitching staff is no joke either. Young hurlers Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson have figured it out and have provided consistency at the top of the rotation. With Central foes Chicago and Minnesota both struggling, Cleveland is primed to make a strong run at the divisional title.

What's Wrong With Golf?

The Professional Golf Association is in dire straits. Popularity and ratings have plummeted and the dip shows no sign of slowing. So what's the problem with pro golf? Here are some reasons for the drop and how the PGA can get back on solid ground.

Top Five Active TV Shows

If you haven't already guessed, I'm a TV fanatic. My DVR is constantly over 80% full. I'm always looking for new shows to get hooked on and right now there's plenty of gold across the cable landscape. I've decided to make my first list on Upstate Unmuted on my top five favorite current television shows. The rules? Any program is eligible as long as it's still airing new episodes. That nixes some of my retired fav's like Lost, Arrested Development, and 24. I've also limited this to scripted weekly shows that have been on for at least two seasons. So no reality like Survivor, Top Chef, or The Amazing Race. Alright, let's get to the rankings.

5.) Friday Night Lights (NBC)- Critically acclaimed, but never quite got the audience it deserved. Friday Night Lights is about to end a fantastic five year run when the final season wraps up this year. A football show that mostly takes place off the field, FNL is drama at its finest. At the center of the program is head coach Eric Taylor  and his wife Tami who represent the perfect (yet imperfect) TV family. Despite a huge turnover in the cast through the years, this show always seems to find incredibly interesting characters to surround the Taylors. Sad to see this show go.

NBA Playoffs: Wild, Wild West

I've already shared my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs from the Eastern Conference thus far, so let's move on to the West. Unlike the East, the West has been much more competitive. Three out of the four match ups have seen both teams take at least one game.

Western Conference

(1) Spurs tied with Grizzlies 1-1- The Grizz purposely tanked their last two games so that they wouldn't have to play the Lakers. So far, that's looked relatively smart. Memphis has been on par with San Antonio through two games despite not having their best player in the regular season, Rudy Gay. The big X-factor for the Spurs is the play of Manu Ginobili who missed game one. If he can stay healthy, then the Spurs have a solid shot. As much as I love how the Grizz are playing right now, San Antonio has way too much post-season experience. Prediction: Spurs in 7.

(2) Lakers tied with Hornets 1-1- Few critics foresaw New Orleans having a shot in this series after the Lakers won all four heads-up meetings in the regular season, but the Hornets have looked better than advertised. The most compelling dual in Round 1 has definitely been Kobe Bryan vs. Chris Paul.CP3 has played like a man possessed on both ends of the court and has ultimately outperformed the Black Mamba through two games. Not only is he scoring at an impressive clip, he's also facilitating his teammates better than anyone in the game. Even with Paul playing out of his mind, I just don't think his team mates can hang with the Lakers deep bench. Prediction: Lakers in 6.

NBA Playoffs: Beasts of the East

With unlimited time on my hands, I've had the pleasure of catching at least a part of every NBA playoff game that's been aired so far. The first round isn't even over yet (the marathon post-season lasts until June!) but there are still a number of important things that can be taken away from each series.

Eastern Conference

(1) Bulls lead (8) Pacers 3-0- Indiana has been much more resourceful than anyone could have guessed. Unfortunately for the 8-seed, Chicago has eeked out wins in all three meetings. Captain Obvious here, it's been all about Derek Rose. The future-MVP has been brilliant all series long. Even with an off-day in Game 3, he still managed to come up huge with some clutch late shots. Despite a great fight by the Pacers, this thing is over. Prediction: Bulls in 5.

Broadcasting Myths Busted

During my time on TV, I've found that the public has some perceptions about broadcasters that are removed from reality. They see Stuart Scott on Sportscenter and Katie Couric on the CBS Nightly News and assume that they represent the image of the majority. Here are three of the top myths debunked.

Boston Rob = Best Survivor Ever

I know what you're thinking. Survivor? That show's still on?! Well not only is it still the gold standard in reality TV after a decade, but the 22nd season has re-introduced those that do watch to Rob Mariano for the fourth time. For fans of the show, you have to respect the man they call Boston Rob as not only the best Survivor contestant ever, but as one of the greatest reality stars in the history of television.

9/11 NFL Matchups: Fair or Foul?

The NFL released their full regular season schedule yesterday and (lockout pending) there are a number of very intriguing match ups on the docket. The first Sunday of the season is set for September 11, the 10 year anniversary of the infamous 9/11 attacks. Noticeably absent from the Week 1 schedule is a face off between the two New York teams, the Jets and Giants. The G-Men will play the Washington Redskins while the J-E-T-S start it up with the Dallas Cowboys. The blogosphere is up in arms about the lack of a Big Apple Battle. Here's why I don't fault the NFL's decision.

Behind the Desk

Welcome to Episode 1 of Upstate Unmuted. A little background. My name is Andy Adamson and I'm a five year sportscasting vet. The last three of those years were spent as a television sports anchor in upstate New York in Binghamton and Rochester. I've done it all in the world of sports broadcasting at five different TV stations. Between anchoring, hosting, editing, filming, writing, and producing, I've become pretty well rounded at my craft. I've been lucky enough to interview the likes of Steve Yzerman and Jeff Gordon and cover Nascar races, professional golf events, NFL training camps. Hopefully I'll get the chance to continue living the dream in the future.