Getting drafty

This week's top 10, compiled while fighting the urge to kick in the TV after the Bears passed on Mike Williams:

- 10. Slip-slidin' away. Nine teams had the chance to take Williams, the USC wide receiver who had to sit out last season after a failed bid to enter the NFL draft after his freshman year, and didn't.

More than a couple of those teams will be sorry they passed, because to my way of thinking Williams was the best can't-miss prospect among the skill positions.

And now that Detroit has taken three wide receivers in the first round the last three years, the clock is officially ticking on Joey Harrington as the Lions QB. He has until, oh, about the end of the first drive of the first day of practice of training camp to prove he is the man to lead Detroit out of the cellar.

- 9. At least they got their choice in on time. Minnesota might be one of those teams to end up regretting not drafting Williams, but just getting their selection to the podium in the allotted 15 minutes has to be considered a victory for the Vikings.

- 8. NBA playoff prediction I. TV ratings for this year's playoffs will plummet, and if Shaq and the Heat make an early exit, they will crater. Basketball fans will still watch, but with the decided lack of superstar power - the kind of players that cross over into mainstream public consciousness - casual fans will be AWOL.

- 7. No pressure to repeat. How deflating must it be to be a North Carolina basketball fan right now? The top seven scorers are all leaving, either having used up their eligibility or entering the NBA draft. Any delusions of starting a UNC dynasty didn't even last a month.

- 6. QB of the future? A talking head said a few weeks ago that whoever the Niners did not take between Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers could slide all the way down to the end of the first round - none of the teams after San Francisco have a pressing need for a quarterback, or have needs at other positions MORE pressing.

So I didn't find it too surprising when Rodgers was still available at 24 for the Packers, who now have their replacement for Brett Favre, without having to throw him into the fire right away.

- 5. Changing channels. Does anyone understand why ESPN would pay $1.1 billion a year for "Monday Night Football" when NBC is getting the Sunday night package - and the flexible scheduling long-coveted by ABC for "MNF" - for $600 million? Especially when the NFL said after the deals are done that the league views Sunday night as its showcase in prime time?

Shouldn't the prime time showcase garner the most money?

ESPN overpaid badly for "MNF" and doesn't even get a Super Bowl. You have to wonder who at ESPN and corporate daddy Disney signed off on this.

- 4. NBA playoff prediction II. I think the most entertaining finals matchup would be Phoenix-Miami (unless the Nets pull of a first-round upset, then the "rejuvenated" Vince Carter might be fun to watch).

The most important thing I hope to see is the up-and-down style of the Suns and Seattle not get shut down by mugging defenses because the referees suddenly forgot how to call a game.

- 3. Steroid speculation. After Nomar Garciaparra tore his groin apart during the incredibly difficult act of leaving the batter's box last week, many people have started to wonder aloud if perhaps steroid use is at the root of the cause.

Wouldn't this have been the type of thing to wonder about a few years ago when Nomar suddenly bulked up?

- 2. Vegas, baby. Vegas. Reports are circulating that the NBA is considering holding the 2007 All-Star game in Las Vegas.

This would be done on the condition that none of the Las Vegas casinos accept bets on the game.

This is of course an empty gesture. Online casinos provide ample opportunity to place bets. But the casinos will gladly agree to the demand because it is the first step to bringing in a major league franchise to Sin City.

(By the way, if you're looking for action on an all-star game, you have officially crossed the line and become a degenerate gambler.)

- 1. One year later. It's been just over a year since former NFL player Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. One of the panelists on ESPN's "Around the Horn" suggested that the NFL, since its draft will always fall around the time of the anniversary, should prominently display Tillman's Arizona Cardinals jersey as a reminder to these soon-to-be millionaires of what else they can do if they want to hold out.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Andrew Hinkelman is a sports writer for The Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached at hink@dailyinterlake.com