I have been actively avoiding reading and talking about the NFL as much as possible during the nonsense that has been the labor debate and lockout, as I’m sure many of you have too. Thanks to the mainstream media’s obsession with all things football, it makes doing so very difficult; but I promise I’ve given it my best effort.

I am lifting the football embargo tonight, however, because I love the draft.

In fact, I love all drafts. Whether it’s the NFL or NBA draft, my own fantasy draft, or just doing re-drafts on video games for shits and giggles, drafting is just fun. So even though the NFL owners and players continue to be blinded by greed while refusing to exhibit the scruples and prudence necessary to get a deal done and resume business as usual…I am granting the league a reprieve for the next three days.

Bring on the draft!

Here is the basic info:

• NFL Draft First Round: Thursday, April 28th
• NFL Draft First Round Start Time: 8:00 ET
• NFL Draft First Round TV: ESPN and NFL Network
• NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3: Friday, April 29th starting at 6:00 ET on NFL Network
• NFL Draft Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 30th starting at 12:00 ET on NFL Network

And for those of you who are not content to simply be Kipered, McShayed, and Mayocked during the draft tonight, join the MSF team and the guys from Rumors and Rants as we live blog the first round.

Oh, and I am all ready to bash Carolina if they take Cam Newton #1, so the fireworks should begin pretty quickly.

Below you will find the magic live blog applet, where commentary will being appearing around 7:30 ET tonight. So join us. It will be fun. I may even style my hair like Mel Kiper for the festivities.

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So once the games start, head on over here and join us for the most riveting, irreverent, humorous and occasionally insightful basketball commentary you will find anywhere. At least, that’s the plan.

To set the stage, here is the TV schedule for tonight, plus links to our previews of the four games to be played tonight.

Sweet 16 Games on Friday, March 25th

Southwest Region:

• 7:27 ET: #1 Kansas v #12 Richmond on TBS
• 9:57 ET: #10 Florida State v #11 VCU on TBS
• Southwest Regional games will be played in San Antonio at the Alamo Dome.
• The announcers will be Marv Albert and Steve Kerr with Craig Sager
  

East Region:

• 7:15 ET: #2 North Carolina v #11 Marquette on CBS
• 9:45 ET: #1 Ohio State v #4 Kentucky on CBS
• East Regional games will be played in Newark at the Prudential Center.
  
• The announcers will be Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg with Tracy Wolfson

I might be a little bit late tonight, depending on traffic, but everything will kick off right around 7:00 ET. Should be a fun night of basketball!

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So once the games start, head on over here and join us for the most riveting, irreverent, humorous and occasionally insightful basketball commentary you will find anywhere. I promise. (But I haven’t signed a letter of intent, so don’t hold me to it!)

To set the stage, here is the TV schedule for tonight, plus links to our previews of the four games to be played tonight.

Southeast Region:

• 7:27 ET: #2 Florida v #3 BYU on TBS
• 9:57 ET: #4 Wisconsin v #8 Butler on TBS
• Southeast Regional games will be played in New Orleans at New Orleans Arena.
  
• The announcers will be Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, and Reggie Miller with Marty Snider
  

West Region:

• 7:15 ET: #2 San Diego State v #3 UCONN on CBS
• 9:45 ET: #1 Duke v #5 Arizona on CBS
• West Regional games will be played in Anaheim in the Honda Center.
  
• The announcers will be Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery with Leslie Visser

Not sure when the other dudes are showing up, but I’ll probably be here around 7:00 ET to start the chatting festivities. See you then.

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Just bookmark this link and enter your email address below to be sent a reminder before the game starts. Then plop down on the couch with your laptop and enjoy the game with us, sending in comments whenever you feel like adding to the conversation.
[tags]chicago white sox, tampa bay rays, mlb, mlb playoffs, baseball, live blog[/tags]

Top of the 1st: Great start for John Danks. Faces the minimum and gets a strikeout of Joe Mauer to end it. Huge play by Juan Uribe to be in the right spot for the line drive and double up Denard Span.

Does anyone else think that these announcers are horrible? Ron Darling said that Joe Mauer “hits .450 in batting practice.” Umm, I hope he hits a little better than .450 in BP.

Bottom of the 1st: Orlando Cabrera gets doubled off on Dewayne Wise groudball. Mr. World Series MVP up next!

Questionable call for strike 2 on Jermaine, then a good rip on the 1-2 pitch, but fouled back.

Another good rip by JD on 2-2, but fouled left. He is jacking one this game. No doubt.

Jermaine Dye grounds out. 0-0 after one.

Prediction: Jermaine Dye is going yard his next time up.

Top of the 2nd:

John Danks strikes out Justin Morneau to start it off!

Danks is looking good. Throwing strikes, getting ahead in counts. Ron Darling just said he looks like “Mark Buehrle Lite.” Two out.

Flyout ends it. Danks has faced the minimum through two.

Bottom of the 2nd:

Thome’s up. 33 HRs on the year, tied for 5th in the league. Jim put together a pretty nice season after a slow start.

Full count to Thome. He walks. Here comes The Captain! Let’s go Konerko. First and third ‘em.

Apparently Harold Baines is ill, no specifics but not coaching first tonight.

Paulie gives it a ride, but caught at the warning track.

Here comes Griffey. Hit a nice shot foul down the right field line, then struck out. We need to get to Blackburn.

Time for the Cuban Missile. 3-1 count. Let’s go Alexei. Reel him in. Alexei walks.

Now my pick to click, A.J. Pierzynski (ask KVB…he picked Konerko.) And A.J. grounds out. Thome and Alexei stranded. Still 0-0.

Top of the 3rd:

Harold Reynolds wants to “hug” Ron Darling.

Nice play by Alexei to get out number one. John Danks stays sharp.

These announcers should really stop making jokes. They aren’t funny…just distracting. I miss Hawk and DJ.

Good point though made about Danks being on three days’ rest. The White Sox bullpen has not shown the ability to get the Twins, or anyone, out lately. We need Danks to get us to the 6th or 7th so we can go Thorton-Linebrink-Jenks. If Boone Logan sees the mound, I’m turning off the TV. Luckily Ozzie doesn’t like him anyway.

Nick Punto is battling. Making Danks throw a lot of pitches. Good at bat, and not surprising from the fundamentally sound Twins. Punto walks.

Danks almost picks Punto off first. He’s doing a good job of holding the runners close.

Gomez pops out to Cabrera. Two down. Danks needs a quick inning in the 4th. He’s at 47 pitches with Span up now.

Ground out to Paulie. 0-0.

Bottom of the 3rd:

A scary stat thrown up Ernie Johnson in between innings. Mauer and Morneau have pretty much crushed John Danks. Guess what? I don’t care. Danks is stepping up tonight, and he has the law of averages on his side. He’ll strike them both out again.

Good point by Harold Reynolds: neither team is advancing runners tonight. If this is a game of manufactured runs, the Sox are at a disadvantage. But maybe we can bring back small ball for a night. I’d rather see us jack some homers.

Uribe and Cabrera both ground out. 2 down, Wise up. He fouls out. 0-0 after 3.

Top of the 4th:

Just did a little research and realized that my live blogging strategy is pretty outdated. I promise I’ll use the new livechat widgets I just found next time. If anyone is reading this, please leave a comment just so I know.

Fly out by Alexi Casilla on the first pitch. That’s exactly what we need Danks. Quick inning.

I just realized I set myself for some embarrassment if no one leaves a comment. Oh well. Go Sox!

Mauer up. Strike him out…or plunk him right on the sideburn.

Danks has good control tonight. Painting the corners and staying ahead of hitters. Harold Reynolds is impressed. I think he wants to hug Danks…maybe squeeze his tush.

Gas…he gone! Take your stats and shove ‘em Ernie Johnson. Danks is dealing tonight.

John Danks gets out of it only throwing 9 pitches. Huge inning, sitting Mauer and Morneau down. 4 innings, 3 Ks, 2 walks on the night so far, and he’s at 59 pitches. In contrast, Blackburn has thrown 40 pitches through 3 innings. We need to make him work, and then tee of on him.

Bottom of the 4th:

Jermaine Dye is up. When he hits a home run, remember what I said in the 1st inning.

Good pitch to hit on the first pitch, fouled off. Dye singles sharply to left. Good point by Harold Reynolds regarding the play by Delmon Young to hold Dye to a single, keeping DP in order with Thome up.

Thome is fouling a lot of pitches off tonight. I’m beginning to think he may hit out one out tonight also. He has that look.

If someone told you that Nick Blackburn and Joe Mauer were brothers, or gay lovers, would you disagree with them? I wouldn’t.

Bad call against Thome on a full count. He did not go around. You got a gift there Twinkies.

The crowd was just chanting PAULIE! PAULIE! I think Dick Stockton thought they were booing. I’m thinking this is his first game on the South Side.

And the blazing speed of Paul Konerko keeps him out of an inning-ending DP. (Not really…high throw by Casilla at third.)

I have a feeling Griffey may hit one out tonight too. Based on my feelings, we should score 10-12 runs tonight. So far though? Nada. 0-0 as Griffey fouls out. Blackburn and Danks are dealing tonight. Anyone who said this game would be high scoring is an idiot. (That would be me.)

Top of the 5th:

Damnit! They just placed the “This is Budweiser” commercial! That song will now be stuck in my head for the next week.

Budweiser!

This is beer!

(Fun game: Sing this to the tune of the “This is Budweiser” song: “He is Cud-dyer. He is Cud-dyer. He is Cuuuud-dyyyer. He is queer.)

And just as I type that Cuddyer hits a double. Touche Cuddyer. You win this time.

That broke up Danks’ no-hitter, fyi.

Great job by Danks to come right back and get up 0-2 to Delmon Young.

Delmon Young flies out.

Wow. Ken Griffey Jr has a rag arm. KVB throws like his sister, and he could have gotten closer that Griffey.

Great shot of Ozzie in the dugout, with Buehrle throwing seeds on him. I looooove Mark Buehrle.

Runner on third, 1 out. Danks up 0-2 on Brendan Harris.

2-2 now. A couple of nice pitches by Danks. Good eye by Harris.

I TAKE IT BACK GRIFFEY!!!!

Short fly ball to Griffey in center and he throws out Cuddyer. (Eat it Cuddyer! You douche!) And a great job by my pick to click A.J. Pierzynski coming up with the ball and making the tag. 0-0, going into the bottom of the 5th. Danks is DEALING!

Bottom of the 5th:

Alexei leads off with a weak grounder. One out. AJ up.

Great defensive play…then go-ahead home run??? Come on AJ!

Ouch. AJ strikes out. Didn’t like the call, but it looked like a strike to me. Not sure what AJ’s approach was there, but he gets the benefit of the doubt after his play last inning.

Nice shot of the announcers. Ron Darling looks confused.

Uribe pops out. 0-0 after five.

Top of the 6th:

Soft flyout to begin the 6th. Looked like Danks might have hung a curveball and gotten away with one there. Ozzie and Don Cooper need to monitor him now. He could be tiring. But damn he’s pitching well!

Another quick out. Danks is around 75 pitches. A quick inning here would be huge. Anything that delays us having to go to the bullpen.

Danks walks Span. Come on Danks. Strike out Casilla and give us one more strong inning.

Danks is really paying a lot of attention to the runners, which is good. My concern: can all of the throws to first tire his arm? Am I too concerned about Danks’ arm?

Ron Darling is almost as bad as Tim McCarver at stating the obvious and offering pretty much no value as an announcer. I am, however, warming to Harold Reynolds. He obviously gets lots of good tidbits from the players and offers solid analysis from a former player’s perspective.

2-2 for Danks. The pitch count is getting up there. Get this guy Danks. Sideburns is up next.

Nice job by Harold Reynolds predicting the SB attempt if Danks went to the high leg kick. Ron Darling’s head is spinning.

Gas! He gone! 0-0.

Bottom of the 6th.

What a start by Danks. He’s given up one hit, struck out four, held the runners on, and he’s sitting at 87 pitches. The White Sox could not have asked for anything more. He has been phenomenal tonight.

All right, this is where we get to Blackburn. Orlando Cabrera leading off.

Wow. Nice play by Justin Morneau on a line drive by Orlando Cabrera. Here comes Dewayne Wise.

He chops a grounder to Morneau. Two away. As good as Danks is pitching, Blackburn is throwing just as well.

JD pops out. 0-0.

Top of the 7th:

Sideburns-Canada-Cudddd-dyyyyyer due up for the Twins.

Third time around the order, Danks’ pitch count (off 3 days’ rest) is getting up there, and all three of these guys have hit Danks ridiculously well in the past. What’s my point?

When Danks goes 1-2-3 in the 7th, it will be HUGELY impressive. Let’s go Danks!

Wow. Danks is in Mauer’s head. And Mauer is leading the league in batting! He just tried to bunt, but a great play by AJ to get him out. Beautiful.

Quickly 0-2 on Morneau. And he grounds out to Cabrera. What did I say about impressive???

Only Cuddyer left and Danks is quickly out of the 7th.

This is Cuddd-dyyyyyer. He is out! 0-0! JOHN FREAKING DANKS!

Bottom of the 7th:

Huge chance for Jim Thome to take one more step to ending the Thome Curse here.

Blackburn has only thrown 75 pitches so far.

Haha…the Tigers finished below the YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD!!! YES!!!!

Couldn’t even finish the sentence I was typing making fun of the Tigers. Way to go Jim Thome!!! The curse may very well be dead!

Let’s go Paulie. Give Danks and the bullpen some cushion.

(By the way, I was going to say that the Tigers finished below the Royals. Way to suck Detroit.)

Cal Ripken apparently predicted that Thome would hit a home run. I wonder how many days in a row he has made a home run prediction?

Paulie grounds out. Griffey up.

Wouldn’t it be great if Thome and Griffey, with more than 1100 homers between them, and very few for the White Sox, went back to back? Well…double for Griffey. Pinch runner in.

Alexei is being intentionally walked so that AJ can hit a 3-run homer. I love it!

Gardenhire is going to the bullpen…and probably a little more confident than Ozzie would be if he had to do the same thing. Luckily, Danks got us through 7 so we can go Linebrink-Jenks. Or hell, I’d just leave Danks out there for one more inning, see if he can get through it quick. He’s at 93 pitches. He can go 10-15 more, right?

I’ll trust Ozzie to make the decision. But forget Linebrink. If you take out Danks, go right to Jenks.

Some new lefty is in for the Twins. One run given up through 9 innings. It’s about to be four when AJ’s done with him.

Haha… Harold Reynolds just completely contradicted Ron Darling. He’s more like Ron Burgundy.

AJ grounds out, but moves the runners over. 2 out, Uribe up, Brian Anderson (pinch running for Griffey) on third, Alexei on 2nd.

Uribe hits it hard, but right to the left fielder. 1-0 Sox!!!!

Top of the 8th:

Will it be Danks or Jenks???

(BTW…no comments so far. I’m assuming that means no viewers. It’s a good thing I love writing about the White Sox and don’t care!)

Danks is still in. Induces a flyout to JD in right.

Danks seems to be getting stronger as he goes.

Winner of this game plays TB on Thursday. Nice, I thought it was tomorrow. A day to rest for our pitchers is HUGE.

Single in the hole between 3B and SS. 1 out, runner on first.

Pinch runner in for the Twins. Some turd named Tolbert. Pick him off Danks.

Punto is 1-12 off Danks. About to be 1-13. I think Nick Punto is the only player coming in who wasn’t hitting well off of Danks. Nice stop by AJ on a ball in the dirt there. AJ is playing flawless D behind the plate.

Another good point by Harold Reynolds that confused the hell out of Ron Darling, about the Twins working Danks and getting him out of rhythm.

But…

Danks induces a double play!!!! 1-0 after 7-1/2. Danks has pitched 8 innings, no runs, 2 hits, struck out 4, and threw 103 pitches. Jenks will be on for the save!

Bottom of the 8th:

I would be completely confident if we didn’t score an insurance run. But…it’d be nice to give Bobby another run or two. Either way, this game is over. We’re playing in October.

Cabrera leads off.

1 out as O.C. grounds out. Dewayne Wise up. I’m predicting a JD homer when he gets up next, so get aboard and make it a 2-run shot Wise.

Ron Burgundy and Dick Stockton just made the cliched joke about Cuban Missile Crisis, regarding Alexei. Way to be original.

Here comes a Jermaine Dye home run.

He’ll have to do it off of Joe Nathan. Screw Joe Nathan. You’re the World Series MVP Jermaine Dye. Take him deep!

Career, JD is 2-10 against Nathan and only one of those stayed in the park. I think it’s time to make it 2 home runs Jermaine.

Took a fastball for strike one.

Base knock for Jermaine Dye! Thome up!

Thome is 1-5 lifetime against Nathan. About to be 2-6. 2-1 count.

Come on Thome. Sitting in the cat bird’s seat. 3-1.

Thome pops out. It’s Jenks time!

Top of the 9th:

This game is over. Bobby Jenks is not blowing a save in his own house.

Miller High Life commercial just came on. One of my five favorite ad campaigns ever. “I need to smell me a hot dog or something. Just to know I’m alive!”

They are showing Bobby’s blown save in Minnesota last week. As if that could happen outside of the Metrodome.

Bobby just hit 99 on the gun. He is on fire tonight.

He gone! 1 out!

Denard Span up. Minnesota’s season down.

Two out! Grounder to Swisher at first.

BRIAN ANDERSON!  DIVING CATCH!  SOX WIN THE AL CENTRAL!!!!!!

[tags]chicago white sox, minnesota twins, mlb, live blog, baseball, mlb playoffs[/tags]