As we all know, McCoy went with pick #53 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sure enough, there are the standard cliches:

The Eagles were stunned McCoy, a first-round value in their eyes, was available with the 53rd pick.

Except, that they really weren’t according to Andy Reid.

Opening remarks:

“With the second pick, we took LeSean McCoy; a running back. We had an opportunity to bring him up here with the 30 players that we can bring up before the draft and visit with him. He’s a relatively local kid being from Harrisburg. He went to the same high school as Ricky Watters. We thought he had great quickness, very elusive in the open field, great vision inside the tackles. He catches the ball extremely well and we look forward to bringing him in here to learn this offense. He’s had a taste of it at the college level. He’ll give us a little depth at running back.”

On whether he could fit in as the No. 2 running back:

“We’ll see how it works out. We’ll see how he is and how he picks everything up.”

On whether he expected RB LeSean McCoy to be available this late:

“We were thinking somewhere mid-second round or high-second round. We were just a bit below that obviously. When we got to that point, I didn’t think teams were in need of running backs once we got down there.”

McCoy went within a few spots of where most mock drafts had him going.

Lots of different personal perspectives on McCoy. For Milford Academy, it was another player they had spend a year there and end up being drafted. Shonn Greene, Terrance Knighton, and Vaughn Martin also drafted went to Milford.

Mike McGlynn was drafted by the Eagles last year, he was asked about McCoy.

“(Knowshon) Moreno is up there and some of those other guys, but hey, (McCoy) is up there with pretty much the best of them at making big plays. I think it was a great pick for the Eagles.”

McGlynn is, admittedly, biased. He helped create space for McCoy when the two were teammates at Pittsburgh in 2007. Without an effective passing game, McGlynn said the Panthers put the ball in McCoy’s hands and let the kid’s natural talent take it from there.

“In the open field, he can make you look stupid,” McGlynn added. “He’d pull one move on a guy, and the guy is falling.”

The story also quotes a Delaware TE that played against him in high school.

McCoy used to clash against former University of Delaware tight end Robbie Agnone on the high school gridiron. Agnone’s Redland High School played annually against McCoy’s Bishop McDevitt, the same school that produced former Eagles running back Ricky Watters.

Yes, that would be the same Robbie Agnone that was originally a Panther in that cursed 2004 recruiting class. Agnone  just signed as a rookie free agent with the Washington Redskins.

McCoy’s old HS coach at Bishop-McDevitt is happy to see McCoy going to the Eagles.

“He has everything you need,” he said. “He has great vision. His acceleration out of his cuts is unbelievable. He has great hands and he’s a very good route runner. I’m shocked they didn’t split him out at Pitt because I know they practiced it. It might have been because of quarterback issues, I don’t know. But he can do it, like Westbrook.”

One of the things that McCoy absolutely, positively will have to be able to do is run between the tackles. It is a fair question, whether he can. Westbrook can do it – and when he can’t do it, he has this uncanny leaping ability near the goal line. If he were to get hurt, they would need McCoy to be able to do it, too – unless the thought would be fullback Leonard Weaver inside the 5-yard line.

Anyway, inside running?

“He’s an inside runner,” Weachter said. “I watched him last year and I asked him, ‘Shady, what’s this with bouncing out?’ He said that [Pitt coach Dave] Wannstedt got in his head about some longer runs, so he bounced more of them outside. But he’s an inside runner. You’ll see . . .

“The thing he needs to get better at is pass-protecting. But he is physical. He’s not afraid of contact. And I’ve talked to him about it. If he doesn’t pick it up, he’s not going to see the field and he knows it.”

To be fair, running inside behind Pitt’s O-line has not been a productive decision for most running backs.

The pass blocking is something Reid mentioned McCoy needs to improve. Brian Westbrook echoed those thoughts.

Going into the draft, McCoy critics questioned his blocking abilities.

Westbrook emphasized that the rookie will need to concentrate on that aspect if he wants to get on the field.

“The truth is, especially when I came into the league, and still true now, if you continue to get No. 5 hit,  you ain’t gonna play too much at all anyway. That’s just the bottom line,” he said.

If you examine Westbrook’s comments (or listen to the interview), they shouldn’t be viewed negatively. By all accounts, he’s one of the most-respected and well-liked guys in the locker room.

There should be little doubt that he’ll be a great mentor for McCoy.

McCoy acknowledged that the pass blocking will be something he needs to work at.

On McCoy’s ability to pass block and protect QB Donovan McNabb:

LM: “They definitely stressed [blocking ability] when I came in for my visit. Meeting with [head] coach [Andy] Reid we went over some things and meeting with [running backs] coach [Ted] Williams, that’s probably the biggest thing in my game that I need to improve on is my blocking. I know you can’t go out on the field without protection, so that’s something in my game that I can improve on. I’m a hard worker, I’m a hard worker and I’m going to get it done. I know that’s what I have to do to be able to get on the field. At Pitt I wasn’t really required to do it as much, being there for only two years I haven’t had a chance to do it as much, but here I will get the right coaching to get it done.”

On whether he was required to do mostly cut blocking in college:

LM: “The thing with my team is we had a lot of different ways of getting the ball out. Our passing game wasn’t where it needed to be, we had different schemes, so I did a lot of cut blocking.”

[Emphasis added.]

That’s just a touch of an understatement.

McCoy was happy to stay close to home and seeks advice from a former Eagles running back.

“It’s right down the street,” said McCoy, exaggerating just a bit about the distance between his hometown of Harrisburg and his new home away from home.

Actually, it’s about 100 miles down the street, most of it Pennsylvania Turnpike, but it’s a trip McCoy can’t wait to make after the Eagles used their second pick, 53rd overall, to select the record-setting running back out of Pittsburgh.

The 5-11, 204- pound McCoy was in for an extensive workout with the Eagles prior to the draft, and both sides liked what they took from the experience.

McCoy is an elusive runner who also catches the ball well out of the backfield, which makes head coach Andy Reid and his assistants happy. It’s also a location where McCoy can learn behind a Pro Bowl back in Brian Westbrook, and where another Bishop McDevitt alumnus had a memorable stop. McCoy talks frequently with Ricky Watters, and said the Pro Bowl back of the 1990s talks fondly of his time here.

“I know Ricky really well,” said McCoy. “I call him for advice. He’s kind of been everywhere and done everything that I want to do, both in college and in the pros. Also, Ricky had a nice career in Philadelphia, so I talk to Ricky a lot.”

Of course the close to home thing has a negative part. The  interview with McCoy’s old high school coach had the coach strike the ominous note of how McCoy sometimes has trouble saying “no” to people. Being so close to home — family and old friends — can be a big negative if he doesn’t do a better job of saying no.

Interesting to note that the Eagles first two picks — Maclin and McCoy — have had major surgeries. And that it has affected their outlook on going to the NFL.

For Maclin, it was a knee injury, a torn ACL, an injury described as “grotesque.” For McCoy, it was an ankle injury, a broken ankle, an injury so bad that it made his stoic father cry. Maclin’s happened in July of 2006, before his freshman year at Missouri. McCoy’s happened 10 months earlier in a high school game in Harrisburg.

Both are still 20 years old. They are the NFL’s version of trust-fund babies now, except that there seems to be little sense of entitlement.

They cannot afford entitlement. They know.

In all the years of listening to these guys, have you ever heard a 20-year-old say at his first real NFL press conference, “At my position, as a running back, you only get a certain amount of hits in this game and I always wanted to enjoy my time in the NFL?”

Guys who are 28 say that. Guys who are 32 say that. Kids do not say that on the day after they are drafted, but McCoy said it yesterday. That one sentence explained everything.

…

It is a terrible lesson, one that every football player learns at some point. Rarely, though, does it make such a profound impression on players so young. Yet here the Eagles are, with Maclin (the first-round wide receiver out of Missouri) and McCoy (the second-round running back out of Pittsburgh) both coming out of college after two competitive seasons, both yet to turn 21, both so clearly focused on today because of frightening injuries in the past.

McCoy’s parents said that the tipping point in their son’s decision to leave school early was that broken ankle. Maclin was not as clear, but you could hear the influence of that awful practice field knee injury in his words.

In the NFL Draft, the cliches are standard. Players drafted in the 1st round are generally the “top guy on our board” and/or “the guy we really wanted.” While in the 2nd round, they go to things like “we couldn’t believe he was still available,” or “we graded him as a 1st rounder.” The 7th round is “taking a flier.” All the other rounds are about getting the “sleeper” and “value” picks.

That is the feeling for 49ers fans after getting Scott McKillop in the 5th round.

Our initial reaction after giving McKillop’s credentials the quick eye test was there is nothing particularly impressive about this pick, but that changed after closer inspection and what we had to hear around the building today from Niners insiders and other analysts about what this scrappy guy brings to the table. He was ultra-productive at a big-time college program, and while that doesn’t always translate to NFL success for an inside linebacker, McKillop is a guy who can get to the football and seems to fit in with what the 49ers are trying to accomplish defensively. He’s a sell-out performer who can help on special teams and has potential to eventually be the guy that’s lining up regularly next to Patrick Willis in the middle of San Francisco’s 3-4 defense.

That seems to be the theme. The eventual replacement for Takeo Spikes after a year or so on special teams.

As mentioned in the last blog, he’s a tackling maniac who won’t wow anyone in practice, but he’s nearly 250 pounds and could be the perfect replacement for Takeo Spikes.

The cracker jack 49ers public relations staff just had McKillop on a conference. He sounded earnest and excited. McKillop was a special teams standout for the Panthers before becoming a starter at middle linebacker in their 4-3 defense.

Here’s the transcript from the conference call.

RE: Did you play much special teams at Pitt?

“Yes. Actually my first two years at the University of Pittsburgh I backed up H.B. Blades, who’s at the Washington Redskins now. So that was basically my niche in the team was playing kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return. Actually at Pitt, I’m our backup long-snapper.”
…
RE: This is obviously a 3-4 [defense]. What about the transition there? What do you expect?

“I’m looking forward to the challenge. I think that I’m a very smart player. I think that I can pick up well on new defenses and I’m looking forward to getting there as soon as possible, being a film rat and just trying to study and learn the defense and special teams as well. I’m really excited about that. That was the first thing that opened eyes here at the University of Pittsburgh was special teams: making plays and just trying to get my name recognized for helping out the team.”

RE: Where do you see yourself fitting in here as a rookie?

“I’m looking forward to making the team. Nothing is guaranteed. I’m looking forward to contributing on special teams. I know a lot of people say that they love special teams but I truly do love special teams. I didn’t play at all my first two years and all I was was special teams and that’s where I first made a name for myself. If they need some depth at any linebacker position, I’d be more than willing to help out. But there are a bunch of great linebackers that are already there. I’d just be willing to help them out [by] any means necessary.”

The 49er coach Mike Singletary spoke a bit about the pick.

RE: Earlier in the fifth round, you took [Scott] McKillop. Were you thinking [Nate] Davis possibly there?
“We were hoping he was there. When we did it that way, we looked at the linebacker situation and realized that [McKillop] had some real value as a long snapper as well. Something that we needed. The other thing – he would really help us on special teams. And, he’s a pretty decent linebacker as well. So felt very good about the fact that he was there. So we’re looking at two players that we really didn’t feel would be there at that particular pick.”
…
RE: Does [Scott] McKillop project to be a Ted linebacker? Is that the plan to have him play?

“Ted or Mike, it depends but I think he’s flexible. I think that he’s one of those guys that could do either. I know he’s a very bright guy and when you watch him play, he can play either Ted or Mike. We’ll see how it goes.”

RE: Will he challenge Jeff Ulbrich for a spot on the roster?
“He’s going to challenge everybody. When he comes in there’s competition everywhere I wouldn’t just say ‘Well, he’s going to challenge Jeff Ulbrich.’ We just want the best guys on the field so in my mind everybody out there, whether it’s Jeff Ulbrich or whomever it might be if we brought another linebacker in, it’s just a matter of how the numbers work out. But the competition has to be there and we’ll go from there.”

Good luck to Scott McKillop out in San Francisco.

Okay Eagles and 49ers fans, the Pitt store in its wisdom, has previously marked down the price of Pitt jerseys with the #25 and #40.  So you can grab that college jersey for LeSean McCoy and Scott McKillop (I refuse to link to the gold jerseys). Heck, for McCoy, you can grab on sale youth, infant and toddler jerseys.

There’s no #34 jerseys available for Cardinals fans who like the underdog.

LaRod Stephens-Howling was choked with emotion on Sunday as he spoke to Arizona reporters.

“It’s been a dream all my life,” Stephens-Howling, who is 5 feet 6, said of playing in the NFL. “I’ve been told so many times that I couldn’t do it because of my size. I can’t wait to come in and do whatever I can for the team.”

The Cardinals were intrigued by Stephens-Howling’s special-teams ability, both as a kick returner and in coverage.

Heck, count me among those who sees Chris Wells from Ohio State as injury-prone, so Stephens-Howling might get some opportunities.

They are thrilled in Johnstown about this.

Tony Penna, the athletic director at Johnstown High, was thrilled when he saw the news on television.

“I feel like a little kid,”?Penna said.?“He’s Johnstown’s boy. He belongs to the town. He’s just such a great kid.?I’ve always told people he’s the greatest human being I’ve ever met. He’s deserving of everything that he’s gotten.”

It wasn’t just Stephens-Howling’s athletic exploits that made him such a star at his alma mater.

“The school will be electrified (today). He’s its best diplomat,”?Penna said. “He was such a great example as an athlete at Johnstown. The academic people loved him. The athletic people loved him.?The administration loved him.

“He was the total package.?Besides his ability, he was a better man,”?Penna said.

It’s a common refrain when Stephens-Howling’s name comes up with those who know him.

And LSH returned the affection.

Stephens-Howling has talked at length about how proud he is that his signing with Pitt helped open the door for other local athletes to get noticed.

It worked, as a number of Johnstown-area players ended up with scholarships and almost a half-dozen local players ended up at Pitt.

“It’s just great to see that people are respecting the area,”?Stephens-Howling said. “It’s great for them to see that people here can play football.”

As always, Stephens-Howling was quick to point out that he’s thankful for the support he gets from the people in his hometown.

“I ?really appreciate everything that Johnstown has done,”?he said. “They never let me down. Even when?I was on the back burner at Pitt, they always supported me.”

Another fellow 7th rounder went to Chicago.

He likes Derek Kinder from Pitt. The coaching staff really liked him and he got a strong endorsement from Dave Wannstedt.

And yet, Chicago still drafted him. It might be in no small part because of realizing that Kinder was coming back from a brutal injury.

Kinder has his 2007 season come to an end before it began after his suffered a season-ending knee injury. He made a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall and ran in the 4.4s at his Pro Day.

The Bears people are actually talking up the pick at that point.

The wide receiver’s stock no doubt was affected by a right ACL tear, an injury that caused Kinder to miss the entire 2007 season. The Bears still did their homework, regardless, bringing Kinder in for a visit. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner picked the brain of ex-Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, now Pittsburgh’s head coach.

“Our coaches really liked him,” said general manager Jerry Angelo. “Ron talked to Dave Wannstedt quite a bit. Dave really said tremendous things about him. Knows our system, obviously. That played a part into it.”

The Bears view the 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound Kinder as a big, physical receiver capable of competing for playing time. After a 57-catch, 847-yard season in ’06, Kinder was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.

“I was hoping if I was fortunate enough to get drafted that it would have been Chicago,” Kinder said.

Way to say the right thing. If Kinder hadn’t been drafted, he was probably going to sign as a free agent with Dallas.

Maybe the hiring of a licensed NBA agent is the first step.

[Happy] Walters is the founder of Immortal Entertainment of Santa Monica, Calif., which has subsidiaries such as Immortal Records, Immortal Soundtracks and Immortal Film and Television in addition to Immortal Sports.

He is probably best known for launching the music careers of such acts as Korn, Incubus, Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, Kanye West and House of Pain.

Walters only has a few NBA clients, most notably Mickael Pietrus of the Orlando Magic and Shawne Williams of the Dallas Mavericks. Walters also represents players who play overseas and got to know Blair through another Pitt player, Tyrell Biggs, who signed with Walters first and is attempting to earn a professional contract.

Okay, so it isn’t David Faulk.

When Blair announced, one of the soundbytes was that he was “not Chris Taft.”

No, but he sure didn’t inspire the confidence of his decisionmaking or where his head was in this. It seemed more about celebrity. Talking about local marketing deals. Showing up as the coach of the Steelers basketball team.

The end of the article is more encouraging.

Blair will leave next week for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., to work out with its executive director, David Thorpe. He will be there for most of the month of May as he attempts to get himself into the best shape possible for workouts with teams.

Blair could not be reached for comment, but Sharene Dixon, Blair’s aunt who will be living with him in his new NBA city, said the family chose Walters to represent Blair because they felt Walters was the best fit for Blair.

Dixon, who graduated from Robert Morris University and has a master’s degree in curriculum development and structural design, said she and her husband will be helping Blair adjust to life as a professional basketball player. She will be leaving her teaching job in Virginia to work for her nephew.

I would have been happier if he took off to start training right away (since he was no longer taking classes). It will be curious to read in the coming weeks what he looks like in the workouts. That seems to be the big issue.

Because of his lack of height, Blair has to come in willing to work on getting his body in peak condition and out-working everyone on the boards. If Paul Millsap can thrive, so can Blair.

I do like that his aunt is the one that will be staying with him and helping. Even as an employee of Blair. She is educated, stable and hopefully will make him think beyond just getting paid.

The majority of mock drafts, for whatever they are worth, have lately shown LeSean McCoy slipping behind UConn’s Donald Brown and out of the the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft somewhere into the 2nd. Essentially, the 4th best running back in the draft.

1. Chris Wells, OSU
2. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
3. Donald Brown, UConn
4. LeSean McCoy, Pitt
5. Shonn Greene, Iowa

Questions have arisen regarding his durability and size to be a feature back. Being sick before the combine and limited in what he could do, combined with a less than stellar pro day at Pitt have done damage to his stock.  At this point, a best case scenario would be a team trades up early in the second round to grab him.

So the question becomes whether he made a mistake by going into the NFL Draft this year? Would he have been better served by playing one more season at Pitt?

• DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
• Jahvid Best, Cal
• Kendall Hunter, OK St.
• Noel Devine, WVU

These are some of the juniors this year that would have competed with McCoy as one of the top junior RBs in college for 2009. Odds are McCoy would have still been considered the 3d best or so RB in that group, and at risk of slipping. He might have stayed in the first round, but I really doubt he would have been a top-15 pick.

Running backs have lost some of their elite value in the NFL Draft. Teams are more willing to gamble on later round picks and even go with free agent signees. Some of it is that aside from a handful of elite backs, the difference seems smaller than ever. The other factor is the increased use of running back  committees. Not relying on just one back.

I have a hard time saying McCoy has made a mistake. Given the workload, injuries from high school and limited shelf life makes it a situation where going a little sooner is better than later.

Despite his impressive production, entering the draft as a sophomore (three years removed from high school) was still deemed a risk. But so is another year of taking hits with a heavy workload.

“This game, at our position, you’re only allowed a certain amount of hits and that’s it,” he said. “You’ve got to make sure you take enough hits and get out and go to the pros and do something you’ve always wanted to do since you were a little boy.”

The decision by DeJuan Blair to not just turn pro, but to eliminate the chance of his return has sparked plenty of debate and discussion. Much of it on the subject of, “Why?”

Please, tell me:

Where’s the harm in keeping all of your options?

“I’m guaranteed being a first-round pick,” Blair said at his news conference.

NBA scouts tell me differently.

They say — as of this moment — that Blair should be picked in the bottom half of the first round.

But they also say — quite definitively — that there is no guarantee.

Even those who agree with the mock draft projections, find themselves questioning the decision to go irrevocable.

At the very least, I see Blair making an impact in the League in the Brandon Bass/Leon Powe fashion, an energy rebounder off the bench who’s invariably more valuable to a contender than to a Lottery team.

But listed at 6-6 or 6-7, with a game that’s strictly low-post and under the glass, Blair is a lock to get drafted lower than his talent warrants. It also doesn’t help that he’s got a history of knee surgeries, and he’s struggled to keep his weight under control in the past. Eliminating the possibility of pulling his name out of the draft before teams even get to take his true measurements and test out his knees could come back to bite Blair in the end.

Then again, I can see why going all-in is the smart play. First, there’s the risk of getting injured again if Blair goes back to college. And it’s not like he’s going to grow any taller if he stays at Pitt. If Blair measures out to be 6-6 or even 6-5, another All-American campaign and constant double-doubles won’t make him any more attractive to NBA scouts. By coming out now, Blair at least has youth and potential on his side (he turns 20 this month), and the most recent memories of him are of a relentless warrior who led a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country at one time.

With the NBA season coming to its end, the few teams that can’t make the playoffs start to focus on the draft. That means the local media there is focused on who they might pick.

The problem is that the NBA draft — like the NFL draft — is full of misinformation. What a team says versus what it does are different things.

The Indiana Pacers, for example are likely picking at the end of the lottery. Here’s what they are saying they need — and thus where the speculation goes.

“We need an athletic big who has a little bit of nastiness offensively and defensively within 10 feet of the basket,” O’Brien said before Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. “That would be our top priority.”

Of course, there aren’t a lot of those kinds of players in this draft. Blake Griffin surely will go first. Then there are names like Arizona’s Jordan Hill, Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson and my early favorite, Pitt’s DeJuan Blair.

“We could try to get that player in a number of ways,” O’Brien said. “We’ve got a little bit of money to work with. There are trade possibilities. The problem is, if it’s a rookie, it’s a rookie. To ask a rookie to be that tough, nasty hombre inside, that’s a lot to ask.”

If the power forward the Pacers want isn’t available when they pick, they won’t hesitate to jump on the point guard of the future. How does Ty Lawson of North Carolina sound? Or Memphis’ Tyreke Evans?

Or how about New Jersey?

Nets team president Rod Thorn likely will dial NBA central casting this summer with a simple but awfully hard-to-fill request.

“Get me a moose.”

That will be among the Nets’ chief priorities this offseason — if not the No. 1 quest. In a perfect world, a 25-year-old Charles Oakley would walk into Thorn’s office, solving several major headaches.

“A guy who can defend, a guy who can rebound, a guy who does all the little dirty work out on the floor, sets screens,” Thorn said. “A guy like that is invaluable.”

And a guy like that answers the Nets’ glaring needs — defense and rebounding — as they move forward from a second straight lottery season.

“We need a guy who just cleans up the glass,” said Vince Carter, who sees some of that in Ryan Anderson. “We have a lot of scoring. We have a lot of shooters.”

As DraftExpress observes, “Sounds like DeJuan Blair to us. New Jersey currently is slated to draft 10th or 11th depending on tiebreakers at the moment, unless a shake-up occurs in the lottery.”

All of that means nothing at this point. It’s just chatter and speculation with more than two months before the draft. I keep coming back to what Darrelle Porter said the day before Blair made his announcement.

“I think DeJuan’s confident in his abilities and confident enough to put his name in, so he’ll probably stay in,” Porter said. “It’s hard to tell someone to come back and work on some things when he’s looking at a guaranteed contract. It’s been a goal of his for a long time.

“Now, he’s got a chance to reach his dream.”

He believes in his own abilities. He has always succeeded when people told him he couldn’t. He’s used it as fuel. As motivation. I have no doubt, he is saving every comment he reads saying he’s making a mistake or questioning the decsisions. That is just more for him to motivate.

Like everyone else, I hope it is enough.

If anyone, I mean anyone has any ties to DeJuan Blair. Print this entire article and make him read it (and maybe pass it along to LeSean McCoy).

What happens to many athletes and their money is indeed hard to believe. In this month alone Saints alltime leading rusher Deuce McAllister filed for bankruptcy protection for the Jackson, Miss., car dealership he owns; Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad put his mansion in Charlotte up for sale on eBay a month after news broke that his entertainment company was being sued by Wachovia Bank for overdue credit-card payments; and penniless former NFL running back Travis Henry was jailed for nonpayment of child support.

In a less public way, other athletes from the nation’s three biggest and most profitable leagues—the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball—are suffering from a financial pandemic. Although salaries have risen steadily during the last three decades, reports from a host of sources (athletes, players’ associations, agents and financial advisers) indicate that:

• By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.

• Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.

…

The Wall Street meltdown is only the latest threat to athletes’ financial health. “Athletes have a different set of challenges from, say, entertainers,” says money manager Michael Seymour, the founder of Philadelphia-based UNI Private Wealth Strategies. “There’s a far shorter peak earnings period [in sports] than in any other profession, and in many cases they lack the time and desire to understand and monitor their investments.”

It’s long, but a must read. Flat out, especially for someone like DeJuan Blair.

Look, I have no problem with Blair turning pro, and I happen to agree that he probably would not go much higher in the draft. That said, his decision-making process was unnerving.

Just how Blair came to that determination raised an eyebrow or two, including those of some Pitt officials who were present at his news conference. Blair said he based his decision not on the feedback he received from Panthers coach Jamie Dixon, who has close contacts with general managers and scouts, but by his own investigation on the Internet.

“I’m an Internet freak,” Blair said. “I go on all the draft boards. No one has me going in the second round. That’s almost a guarantee to me.”

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Dixon mentioned how uninformed those Internet sites are when it comes to projecting players in the NBA.

“It’s way too early to talk about a number,” Dixon said. “There are too many factors, unknowns to even consider a number. As we all know, as we’ve seen in the past, they’re largely inaccurate but fun to talk about.”

…

Blair admitted that he did not give much consideration to Dixon’s advice. Blair said his decision largely was based on conversations with his family.

“I turned to my family,” Blair said. “Then my coaches came in. I was really into my family. At the end of the day, I was going to make the decision … I came to my decision that I wanted to turn pro. It’s a dream come true.”

Blair said the highest he has seen his name on a mock draft is No. 8 and the lowest was No. 22. The Post-Gazette yesterday could not find a mock draft in which Blair was projected to go higher than No. 20.

Oh, please. Oh, please. Please do not hire family to handle the money. Please make sure you make an effort to learn about where your money is going. And I repeat, read that damn Sports Illustrated article.

I get that he wants to take care of his family and the economics make it important. At the same time, he has to limit just how far he’s taking care of his family.

The marketing deal, not surprisingly, is starting with stuff locally.

Cook said Blair will maintain a residence in Pittsburgh throughout his NBA career and desires a long-term relationship with the city. Cook said Blair is close to signing a deal with a local car dealership and is discussing other local advertising opportunities.

“It’s all designed to keep his image in Pittsburgh,” Cook said.

“This is my home,” Blair said. “I’ll always be here. I’m going to try and take Pittsburgh over whenever I get done with this basketball stuff.”

If you plan to be in Pittsburgh a good deal of the time, then take advantage of it and keep taking classes. Learn as much as you can about taking care of your own money and where it is going.

And on the plus side, his immediate family will stay close to him, and hopefully keep him grounded.

Blair, who turns 20 on April 22, has the full support of his family. His parents, Greg Sr. and Shari, and an aunt, Sharene Dixon, plan to move to the city of the team that drafts him to help ease his transition.

“When he started at Pitt, I used to say, ‘You’re going the whole four years.’ He changed my mind,” Shari Blair said.

Right now, DeJuan Blair just needs to really work on his conditioning. Nothing helps a draft stock for a guy who has some conditioning questions by demonstrating a determination to be in great shape.

He admits, there is no going back.

Blair signed a marketing and advertising contract with Cook, who will help Blair hire an NBA certified agent later in the process. But by signing a marketing and advertising contract with Cook, Blair is foregoing his final two years of eligibility to turn professional.

As for finding an agent, that will come in time.

“There’s no turning back,” said Blair, who started the news conference by sending his condolences to the three City of Pittsburgh police officers killed in Saturday’s shootings in Stanton Heights.

Blair said he hasn’t signed an agent, “but I will in the next couple weeks.”

“It was more something that I wanted to do more than money and making a big transition for me and my family. It was a real big decision but I had to do what was right for me. Nobody made the decision but me.”

I am naturally more cautious, so I would have preferred that he waited on ending his eligibility. Still, if he’s all-in, then why not. Blair does not seem the type to go halfway. This will give him a chance to really work on skills and with a trainer in the coming months.

Plus, DeJuan Blair actually has charm and enthusiasm that would give him a shot at some marketing opportunities, despite not being a can’t-miss NBA prospect.

I wish him the best.

Darelle Porter called it with the comment that when Blair has his mind made up about the draft, he’s in it to stay.

The press conference for DeJuan Blair is set for 4pm to make it official. Well, actually it seems just to make a statement and take a few questions.

Blair has retained Pittsburgh attorney James Cook, meaning he will forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility.

Cook announced today his representation of Blair in the process. Blair, though, has not decided on a certified NBA agent.

Blair is considered a mid-first round pick.

“DeJuan Blair is Pittsburgh through and through, from the junior program J.O.T.S through Schenley High School to the University of Pittsburgh,” Cook said in a news release.

“We are confident that he will make the city of Pittsburgh proud and enjoy a long NBA career.”

NCAA regs are so much fun. If Atty. Cook was merely an “advisor”  or “family friend,” Blair would not be forgoing his eligibility left. In other words, since the attorney is getting paid for his services, Blair is done. That’s right hire someone to better represent your interests and handle matters relating to the NBA draft, but not an actual agent and you still end your NCAA eligibility.

Well, good luck to DeJuan Blair. You were a fantastic player at Pitt and a great representative of the program and the school.

UPDATE (2:01): A couple people have pointed out the AP article that says Blair retains his eligibility. That would indicate that Atty. Cook is presently in the “advisory” role rather than formally retained. Honestly that makes more sense, even if I don’t think Blair will be back.

I’m not sure which is true at this point.

The press conference for Coach Jamie Dixon being named the Naismith Coach of the Year had some interesting tidbits about the players.

Dixon said Fields won’t participate in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament today through Saturday at Churchland High School because “the groin is still bothering him.”

Young declined the opportunity to participate in the showcase, opting to instead wait until the NBA pre-draft camp in late May at Tim Grover’s Attack Athletics training facility in Chicago.

“He felt that it was best that he not attend,” Dixon said. “He’s looking forward to opportunities in Chicago.”

Dixon said he’s trying to find a spot for senior forward Tyrell Biggs at the Portsmouth Invitational.

I’m a bit surprised that Young isn’t going to Portsmouth. It seems a late decision. It’s not uncommon to skip and since he seems to be a very strong contender to be taken before the end of the 1st round of the draft, the conventional advice is to not do anything to hurt the chances. Still, this seems like an abrupt move.

Seems that most of the questions at the presser was about DeJuan Blair (big shock).

The coach spent most of the rest of his time at the podium inside the Petersen Events Center talking about the draft prospects of his seniors and the decision that Blair has looming. Dixon said he had numerous meetings with Blair and his family the past few days discussing Blair’s intentions of declaring for the NBA draft, but he said Blair was not yet ready to announce his decision.

Darrelle Porter, family friend, former Pitt star, ex-Duquesne head coach and Blair’s old AAU coach is saying that Blair is in and won’t be back.

“I think DeJuan’s confident in his abilities and confident enough to put his name in, so he’ll probably stay in,” Porter said. “It’s hard to tell someone to come back and work on some things when he’s looking at a guaranteed contract. It’s been a goal of his for a long time.

“Now, he’s got a chance to reach his dream.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Dixon would end up spending most of the time at a press conference ostensibly about him receiving an award that he talked about his players. Dixon hardly has been comfortable talking himself up, most times. He often tries to put the credit at the players.

Just realized it’s after midnight.

Yeah, we all know it’s coming.

“You’ll know tomorrow,” Blair said. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon met with Blair and his family Monday, but said today that Blair wasn’t ready to make an announcement. One source close to the Blair family, however, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Blair plans to announce his intentions at a Wednesday news conference.

The good news is that he won’t be hiring an agent.

Andy Katz at ESPN.com continues to pound the doubting angle.

A number of NBA personnel told ESPN.com they are skeptical about whether Blair can make the transition because he plays below the rim.

As much as I want him to stay, I have a hard time buying it. At the same time, it only reinforces why he has to look at going pro now. If the doubts and concerns are there and actually widespread, then coming back for another year gives them a chance to further pick him apart.

As far as Coach Jamie Dixon winning the Naismith Coach of they Year award, he deferred on taking much credit.

“It means we had a lot of good players,” Dixon said in a phone interview about the coaching award. “It’s a reflection of players individually and as a group … The players developed into better players than may thought (they) would become.”

According to ZagsBlog, Basketball Times put out its list of the top-100 coaches and assistants. Coach Dixon was ranked #12, and Tom Herrion was ranked #8 in assistants. There’s nothing on the BT website to see the whole list. It’s just a list, and seems more of a debate sparker than anything actually definitive.

Big thanks to Jonathan Givoney at DraftExpress for giving the heads-up.

DeJuan Blair will officially announce his intentions to enter the NBA draft in a press conference at Pittsburgh tomorrow, a source close to the situation tells DraftExpress. Blair will wait on officially hiring an agent for now, but is not expected to return to Pitt.

Coach Dixon is apparently helping Blair set it up.

Not exactly a shock to anyone. Still, good that he is at least keeping his options open by holding off on hiring an agent.

For the Pitt seniors, it means finding out whether they can make a profession out of playing basketball.

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament finally gets some revelance in a number of years. The elimination of a couple other draft gatherings puts the senior-only tournament back on the map.

The rosters for the 2009 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (official site) were released today, and it appears that we’re looking at the strongest group of NCAA assembled in quite some time. Nine players currently projected to be drafted on our latest mock draft have committed to attend the tournament (scheduled next week from the 8th-11th), while we’re counting between 15-20 seniors who are strong draft candidates on the rosters as well. There are a couple of headliners as well, including Sam Young. Lee Cummard and A.J. Price, three clear-cut candidates to be the first Portsmouth players drafted since Jason Maxiell in 2006.

It’s no surprise that the PIT committee managed to bring together such a talented group of seniors—this currently stands as the one and only place for NBA draft prospects to compete in a five on five setting now that the pre-draft camp has been dramatically scaled back. The tournament is expected to draw as much attention as ever from NBA personnel this time around, for two reasons. One, due to the strength of the senior crop, and two, because of the makeup of this year’s Nike Hoop Summit crop, which doesn’t elicit the same sense as urgency as it did in the past.

Levance Fields and Alex Ruoff also will be at the PIT, as they look to get some Euro love.

Sam Young helped his draft stock in the NCAA Tourney.

Young’s excellent tournament run came to an end in a heart-breaking loss to Villanova. But over the past two weeks he has showed his ability to score from just about anywhere on the floor — he scored 32 points against Oklahoma State, 19 versus Xavier and 28 versus Villanova. He has also proven to be an excellent rebounder and his long-range shooting continues to improve.

If he was 19 years old, he’d be a lock for the lottery. However, Young turned 24 in March and teams worry about his upside. I’d expect Young to land somewhere in the second half of the first round.

Then there is DeJuan Blair. No one is exactly sure if he’s going.

DeJuan Blair is getting heavy pressure from Pitt’s coaching staff to return for another season, but is likely to announce his intentions to enter the NBA draft regardless shortly.

Or staying.

Pitt sophomore DeJuan Blair will have an interesting decision to make. He was co-Big East player of the year and created a lot of buzz this season. But there are reservations about him playing too low below the rim by NBA personnel. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he heeded the advice and returned to Pitt.

There is no reason for DeJuan Blair to at the very least not go through the NBA Draft process. As long as he does not sign with an agent, he can find out what his true situation is.

Chad Ford at ESPN.com has him listed as the 21st best player that is or could be in the draft.

Blair ended his last game at Pittsburgh on a mixed note. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and was 9-for-9 from the field. But for the second straight game he got off to a slow start and showed his limitations at creating his own offense. His lack of size and explosiveness hurts. So does his lack of conditioning. While some NBA executives think his raw talent will help him overcome his physical limitations, a few others keep dredging up the name Robert “Tractor” Traylor. Ouch. If Blair decides to declare, he’s looking at going somewhere between 10 and 20 on draft night.

And at other times, Blair draws comparisons to Wes Unseld and Paul Millsap.

I have to admit, I don’t think he’s going to be any higher in draft potential. If he stays, they will only pick his game apart even further and get more skittish about his size. From DeJuan Blair’s POV, coming back could be worse for him since the issue of Pitt’s point guard situation can definitely affect his opportunities to touch the ball — aside from off of offensive rebounds. Never underestimate how shaky PG can kill an offense that relies heavily on the frontcourt scoring.

Congrats to DeJuan Blair for making the AP All-American 1st team.

The AP honor is the fourth first-team All-American honor for Blair, who also was recognized by Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and the United States Basketball Writers Association earlier this month.

“It’s cool; it’s a beautiful honor,” Blair said last night, two days after the Panthers were knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Villanova. “I don’t think anyone thought this was possible at the beginning of the season. I wasn’t even named [honorable mention] all-Big East.”

Blair finished third in the AP voting with 294 votes behind Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin (335) and North Carolina’s (304). Arizona State’s James Harden and Davidson’s Stephen Curry also were named to the first team.

“That group is an excellent group,” Blair said. “It could have been a lot of people on that list, too. Fortunately, I got that spot. It’s an honor to be on there with them. All of those guys lived up to the hype. I sneaked up there on a lot of people.”

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Blair, who also was named Big East Conference co-player of the year. He also is finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, and was invited to Detroit this weekend for that presentation. He also is a finalist for the Wooden Award as well as the USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Award.

Well-earned and well-deserved. The article indicated something that should surprise no one. That Blair will at least go through the NBA pre-draft process.

I know there is some debate over whether Blair should turn pro or not. I do not, however, think that there is any debate that he should at least go through the process to see where might go in the draft and what he needs to improve.

I know the mock drafts to this point have him as a outside of being a lottery pick, but definitely a 1st round pick.  I also know the mock drafts pre-workouts are of some questionable value. That said, if he comes out of the workouts in a similar spot,  I don’t see how he doesn’t go pro.

As much as I would love for him to return, I fall into the camp that expects him to and thinks he should go pro. Blair benefits from the success of Detroit Piston’s Jason Maxiell not to mention Paul Millsap of the Utah Jazz. The Pistons took the undersized PF late in the first round of the ’05 draft (to the surprise of many who considered him a late 2nd rounder). He has become a vital bench player with energy who gets rebounds and plays inside despite his size.

Would Blair be able to improve on some parts of his game if he returns? Certainly. Of course, Blair has a great work ethic, so I would expect that he would do plenty to improve his game regardless.

The other aspect, is that while he might be able to improve his game with another year, that would not necessarily improve his draft status. This is considered a rather weak draft. I mean, that B.J. Mullens could be considered a first round pick (I know, 7’0″) after showing very little in the way of, um, skill should speak volumes about the draft this year.

Finally, with his past history of knee problems, he needs to consider the future. Given he plays inside, shown that he runs the court real well and his lack of natural height; a knee injury would cripple his future. Forget the NCAA insurance policies. That still doesn’t match the guarantee of a 1st round contract regardless of whether it is lottery or not.

Sorry for deadzone day. I had some major offline issues, including settling matters from a house fire from nearly three-years ago.

I have been dreading this point. When Spring Football would rear it’s head. I have to be honest. I’m just do not think I’m going to have the time for doing much other than link fests. Between all Pitt basketball and FanHouse responsibilities for the NCAA Tournament, it’s either family or football. Considering the wife makes more money than me, I need to stick with family.

Spring practice starts on Thursday. Wonder what the main subjects could be?

Dave Wannstedt has a substantial “to-do” list when Pitt starts spring football practice Thursday.

For openers, the Panthers need to find a replacement for middle linebacker Scott McKillop, the Big East defensive player of the year. And they’re looking for someone to carry the load at running back because LeSean McCoy is NFL bound and LaRod Stephens-Howling is gone.

Then there’s the matter of picking a starter from a three-way competition at quarterback under new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., who replaces Matt Cavanaugh, now coaching quarterbacks for the New York Jets.

I’m not sure how much of a debate at QB. It’s really about the running back depth chart and MLB.

Fifth-year senior Steve Dell, a 6-foot-1, 225-pounder whose career has been hampered by knee problems, is the only returning player with experience at middle linebacker and will take the majority of first-team repetitions.

What gives Wannstedt confidence that Pitt can fill in for McKillop is the return of Adam Gunn, who was granted a sixth season by the NCAA, from a season-ending neck injury and fifth-year senior Shane Murray from a torn ACL. Although both players will be restricted from full-contact scrimmages this spring, they will move inside to add depth and experience.

“I’m kind of excited,” Wannstedt said, “to see how all of these guys compete.”

The same goes for tailback, where Pitt lost both its starter, McCoy, and top backup, LaRod Stephens-Howling. Redshirt sophomore Shariff Harris (6-1, 225) should open camp as the starter, but is expected to be pushed by redshirt freshman Chris Burns and January enrollee Dion Lewis, who complement his power game with their speed and cutback styles.

“I hope we have one guy who comes in and dominates,” Wannstedt said, “but I know we have two or three guys who can play.”

Pitt also has to replace its starter at fullback after the graduation of Conredge Collins, and redshirt sophomore Henry Hynoski is the frontrunner for that position with competition coming from converted tailback Kevin Collier. The Panthers will add incoming freshmen Kevin Adams, Jason Douglas, Raymond Graham and Jason Hendricks to the mix in the fall.

There will be more tomorrow, to be sure, but Pitt had its pro day today.

LeSean McCoy did fine, but nothing to make himself standout from the crowd of running backs.

LaRod Stephens-Howling showed good conditioning and had solid speed, but tweaked his hamstring. That limited his agility drills. He probably won’t get drafted, but he has great chances of catching on for special teams in returns.

In a pot porrui of the rest: Derek Kinder ran fine, Rashaad Duncan is actually going to graduate on time even as he trains and prepares, C.J. Davis is going to get drafted as a  Center, Scott McKillop expects to be a second-day draftee