Talking Points: Quarterback draft stock

What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:

1

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, we’re seeing the annual parade of stories about quarterbacks whose stock is suddenly rising. We come to offer a word of caution to NFL general managers.

TheBigLead.com searched articles from the past 20 years to find references to such “fast-rising” QBs who eventually were drafted in the first round. They came up with names such as Akili Smith, Patrick Ramsey, Mike McMahon and Tommy Maddox. Don’t remember any of them? Well, that’s all you need to know.

Advice to NFL executives: Unless you have an Andrew Luck or a Robert Griffin III available, don’t take a quarterback in the first round. What a passer did on the field during his college days is a much better indicator of NFL success than his work at the Combine or his Pro Day.

2

The best comeback line of the week goes to Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona. When fellow soccer legend Pelé suggested that 20-year-old Brazilian Neymar is better than Lionel Messi, Maradona retorted:

“Maybe Neymar is the best player in the world, but only if you say that Messi is from a different planet,” Maradona said.

Oh snap!

3

With the Blazers limping to the end of the season, it’s time to endorse Bill Simmons’ proposal for the “Entertaining as Hell Tournament.” The gist: The bottom eight teams in each NBA conference have a single-elimination tournament to determine the No. 8 playoff seed. It’s an idea whose time has come.

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