There's so much that could be said about the draft and the picks teams made, and I'm sure in the months leading up to the start of the NFL season you'll hear about how each team's pick panned out (see Reggie Bush last year) or didn't make the cut (see Tim Couch, 1999) as rosters slim and teams get ready to put together their squads for the season.
In the coming weeks, lots of people will over analyze this weekend's picks ad nauseum, but the truth is that none of the picks matter until we see how they produce on the field. Example: Ben Roethlisberger was the 11th pick of the 2004 draft; Eli Manning was the first. One wears a Super Bowl championship ring, the other lives in his Super Bowl Champion brother's shadows.
There are a number of storylines that will surface from this weekend, the largest being the choices made by the Cleveland Browns and the trade of Randy Moss to the Patriots.If you came anywhere near ESPN yesterday or today, you know about the Brady Quinn's green room fall down the draft boards. A native of Dublin, OH, Quinn grew up idolizing the Browns before going on to play for nearby college football Notre Dame. When he was passed up by Cleveland at No. 3 in favor of Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas, the talk began. Where will he slip to? Miami at 9? Kansas City? It wasn't until the 22nd pick, which Dallas traded to Cleveland in exchange for a first round pick next year, that Cleveland stepped back into the draft ring and selected the Ohio native, Quinn. Oh, what dreams may come.
And despite drafting UNLV cornerback Eric Wright, who comes in with lots of baggage and character questions, the Browns were the prettiest girl in the ballroom by the end of Day 1. Having acquired not only what's projected to be a perennial pro bowl left tackle for the next 15 years, they also got their man, the city's man, the fan's man, in Brady Quinn. Hopefully, Browns fans won't be under the assumption that Quinn will immediately usher in the next Bernie Kosar era in Cleveland. In fact, I question whether he will even start the season as the starter. Romeo Crennel and Charlie Wiess are good friends and former staff mates at New England, and it won't be until current quarterback Charlie Fry slips up that Quinn will steal the spotlight this year. Quinn may be poised and NFL ready, but Fry has been in the system longer and is actually a pretty decent player if he gets some time to throw.
In the end, Cleveland played the first round perfectly and ended up with two top 5 players. There's no doubt Thomas will be able to step in and immediately provide an impact on a fairly terrible offensive line, but when will Quinn develop into the quarterback that he's projected to be, the savior of the Browns franchise? Only time will tell, but Cleveland fans can dream.
More on the draft and the NFL teams in the coming weeks.
Day 1 winners and losers from SI.com's Don Banks.
Raiders dump Moss to New England for fourth-round pick
MUSIC
Two Contests for The Veronicas
We here at Veritas Lux Mea are proud to bring you two contests from The Veronicas. The first, a video contest, is being run by the band's publicity team. The second, the CD/DVD contest, is being run by us, courtesy of course of The Veronicas.
First Contest: The Veronicas VIDEO CONTEST
"We're Not Gonna Take It" Video Contest
Fans of The Veronicas have a chance to make their solo debut by creating their own a capella version of "We're Not Gonna Take It"
How it works:
* Record your cover of "We're Not Gonna Take It"
* Complete the registration form and upload your video
* Check out all eligible entries in our Video Gallery
* The Veronicas will pick the contest winner!
The Prize : One lucky winner gets:
* Their song posted on the Veronica's MySpace page (www.myspace.com/theveronicas)
* A trip to LA for the winner and a friend to see the Veronicas in concert and a private meet and greet
Things you need to know:
* Your video MUST be 30 seconds or less
* The dimensions of the video must be 320x240
* The maximum filesize for your video is 10MB
* Videos must be in one of the following formats: .mpg, .mp4, .mov, .flv, .avi, .wmv
* All entries must be submitted by 11:59:50 EST on June 2, 2007
* Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:
o Talent :: 40%
o Originality, Creativity and Entertainment Value :: 40%
o Overall Appeal :: 20%
More information: WNGTI.com
Second Contest: Veronicas CD/DVD Contest
EXPOSED The Secret Life of The Veronicas DVD/CD
The DVD features a documentary with never before seen footage, live performances plus the videos. The CD features live recordings including all the hit singles.
Two disc (DVD + CD) set packaged in a slimline double CD case. The Veronicas are 20 year old identical twins from Brisbane, Jess and Lisa. This fly-on-the-wall rockumentary covers the girls' wild ride in images and music, including everything from their Brisbane upbringing - their father was a muso, which helped steer them in a rock and roll direction - to their early love of such musicals as Cats, Grease and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There's also hand-held footage of early shopping centre performances with their brother Julian, and candid stories about skipping school to write songs, right on through to their much heralded signing to Warners and recent sell-out tours and hit album. The pandemonium of their fanatical following is brought home this incredible collection. The CD features six tracks recorded live on their 'Revolution Tour' in 2006 including '4Ever', 'Leave Me Alone' and 'Everything I'm Not".
To Enter the Veritas Lux Mea/The Veronicas CD/DVD Giveaway, answer the following question in the comments:
1. Name two musicals that The Veronicas love
2. What is their brother's name?
First person to answer correctly in the comments, not by email, will win their very own copy of Exposed: The Secret Life of The Veronicas.
Featured Artist: Azeda Booth
When Morgan Greenwood and Jordon Hossack began recording Mysterious Body over two years ago, they had no idea their basement tinkerings would become Azeda Booth.
Moving effortlessly through acoustic-based electronic soundscapes, the EP is a perfect piece of experimental pop. Sandwiched between three ambient instrumentals sit two songs at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. "Landscape (With Grass)" pulls listeners through a quiet, creeping lullabye, while the frenetically-paced "Dead Girls" has forced audiences to re-evaluate their definition of pop music. The two tracks also feature the beginnings of HossackÕs strained falsetto vocals, often mistaken for those of a female vocalist.
The decision to release Mysterious Body two years after its creation came as the band expanded to a sextet and began working on new material for their as-yet untitled full length. While more stripped down and electronically influenced than their current sound, the recording is a glimpse into the beginnings of Azeda Booth and a taste of things to come.
Azeda Booth - "Dead Girls"
Azeda Booth at Myspace
Featured Artist: Chris Bathgate
One of the leaders of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti folk scene, Chris writes seminal folk songs that are at once new and old, rock and sometimes not roll, but all seem to reel you in with the intensity of voice, lyricism, and depth.
For those in and around the Ann Arbor vicinity it's difficult to speak about Chris without spiraling towards hyperbole. Now, as the remainder of the globe gets ready for their first glimpse at the talent who has risen to the top among the ever fruitful Michigan music scene, perhaps it's better that we stick with the facts surrounding Chris Bathgate.
Having drawn comparisons to Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, etc., Chris has risen from the ranks of everyday singer/songwriter to a national touring favorite, spending the early part of 2007 on the road with Saturday Looks Good to Me and making his first trip to the SXSW Music Festival. After releasing and selling out of two separate records on his own in 2006, he was recently named the Best Solo Artist in Michigan by Real Detroit Weekly and was approached by YerBird records to provide a track on their upcoming compilation featuring additions from the likes of Hayden, O'Death & Paleo.
Never wanting to rest on his laurels, this year sees him teaming up with Quite Scientific Records (CANADA, The Dead Bodies) to release his third full length, A Cork Tale Wake, and spend the remainder of '07 touring nationally for the first time.
We couldn't be more excited to be a part of exposing Chris to the rest of the world. In an age of too much hype surrounding too little substance, it feels good to have an abundance of ability behind such an anticipated release.
"Best Solo Artist: Make no bones about it, Chris Bathgate writes extremely smart and beautiful indie folk pop.
- Real Detroit Weekly
"Chris Bathgate is one of the stars of yet another Ann Arbor folk generation."
- Metro Times
Chris Bathgate - "A Flash of Light Followed By"
More tracks available here
Vacation, All I ever wanted, Vacation, Had to get away
We're off this coming week until next weekend to get some things in order, jazz up the site, scout out material, dust off the fishin' poles, and enjoy the weather as we spring along into summer-like weather. We hope you spend the week enjoying some of our past material and checking out the plethora of great sites and friends that can be found in our sidebar. They'll take care of ya good 'til we get back next weekend, we promise. Until then....keep the volume at 10.