Odds and Sods

Liverpool and Chelsea are often blamed for sucking the essence and style out of football, and no player embodies that more than Dirk Kuyt.  His work-rate is tremendous., his vitamins are in order, and he covers great ground.  At the same time, he has the finesse of a demented walrus and is as pleasing to the eye as a swarthy Barbara Bush.  He is…effective. 

It was Kuyt who jack-knifed a bobbler through the rugbyman’s five-hole to put the Reds 1-0 up, the lone puncture in this dreary affair.  The margin held for much of the match.  The result would have placed Liverpool in a commanding position for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, but it was not to be.

In the 95^th minute, John Arne Riise inexplicably executed a diving header, straight into the back of his own net, saving Chelsea from themselves.  It was a moment of pure madness.  A magic night at Anfield.

Riise’s gaff gives Chelsea the conch for the return fixture, a precious away goal that, with Chelsea’s defensive record at home may prove decisive.

But, do not count out Liverpool.  They are prone to fits of craziness, but often that works to their advantage.  If Chelsea merely come out to hold, Liverpool can easily weasel back into it.

In a move destined to send Todd McShay into a Tizzy, the Miami Dolphins have signed Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to a five-year $57.5 million contract, with $30 million guaranteed.  The Dolphins will take Long with the #1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Long, a 6’7” 313lb left tackle, was a consensus All-American during his final two seasons at Michigan.

As with most Parcells personnel decisions, it was spot on. 

The ideal situation for Miami would have been to trade out of the #1 overall position for a package of picks, but that move was not feasible in the absence of a can’t miss prospect.

Long was the best fit for Miami out of the potential #1 pick candidates.  Glenn Dorsey does not fit ideally in a three-man defensive line.   McFadden has tantalizing talent, but Miami already has a running back in Ronnie Brown and do not have the infrastructure around him to maximize his value.  Matt Ryan is a reach in a weak quarterback class, and not worth much without an offensive line to protect him.

Teams win football games at the line of scrimmage, and the most important position on the line is left tackle.  Left tackles don’t look or sell like quarterbacks, but they are paid like them, a testament to their importance.

Jake Long is physically imposing and has a record of dominance.  He can improve and anchor Miami’s offensive line for the next decade.  His impact will be immediate.

Long will not stun with stats or sell oodles of tickets, but he will make the Dolphins better.  For a team that went 1-15 last season, that is all that matters.