The New York Times is about as gay as it gets. The front page today includes an article about the upcoming NFL draft. As both the people who read this blog know, I love NFL football and the draft is an oasis of professional football in an otherwise barren mid-spring.

But with world events as they are -- a foundering dunder head as president, a costly war and continuing environmental degradation -- do we really need an article about the NFL draft on the front page? Unless this is an investigative story revealing systemic dirty pool in the NCAA (fuck college football) or an in-depth preview of the Eagles draft day (the Eagles go to the Big Game this year), I say keep that shit on the sports page or just drop it.

Worse yet, the article is about a side show freak who won't even get picked until Sunday at best. Over the last two years he's spent more time defending himself in court than playing football (he still has charges of conspiracy to commit robbery pending against him according to the Times). And his amazing stats when he was on the field (two games mind you), came while playing for a community college team in north western Mississippi.

Times reporter Lee Jenkins may have decided to write the story on Thomas because he can do a front flip. Style over substance wins out again. Perhaps if the NFL doesn't work out for this guy he and former XFL star Rod Smart, AKA: He Hate Me, can go into business selling gimmicks to draft prospects.

But come to think of it, Thomas does weigh 370 pounds and could probably clog an offensive line like... well, like Hoff's dog Pork Chop, also a draft day hopeful. But much like Pork Chop, Thomas' girth probably just indicates that he's a fat body, lacking discipline.

Still, Thomas is a fast 370 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.9 seconds. And he's powerful, 800 pound squats, 475 pound bench press. Who gives a fuck though? You can find lots of guys who look physically gifted and they just can't play football (see people who run track in college). A raw defensive tackle is a little different than a dude who is ultra fast but has a pair of stone hands, but still the point stands.

There's a good chance this guy ends up getting drafted either very late Sunday or sometime next week as an undrafted rookie by a team that has to take an insane gamble because they suck every year and have no long-term strategy (Cleveland, Houston, Detroit...). But let's face it, where he'll really end up is Oakland.
*Warning: If the Eagles draft Thomas I reserve the right to completely reverse from opinion on him.