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| In honor of the Redskins trading a Snyder's ransom to move up in the draft and take Robert Griffin III, we look back through NFL History at five of the biggest trade-up moves for quarterbacks.
5. Mike Phipps, Cleveland Browns .
If you don't have a clear recollection of the Mike Phipps trade, that's probably because it's better remembered as the Paul Warfield trade. In 1970, the Browns traded the best wide receiver in the league to move up to the #3 spot to take Mike Phipps. Good move? Well, you tell me ‒ ever heard a Browns fan long for the days of ol' Mikey Phipps? It wasn't all bad, though. In 1973, the Phipper did lead the league in yardage lost via sacks. It stands as one of the proudest accomplishments in Cleveland Browns history.
4. Eli Manning, New York Giants .
The Giants gave up a lot for Eli in the 2004 draft ‒ a first-round pick, a third, a fifth and Philip Rivers. It wasn't that long ago that most people believed the Chargers got the long end of the stick, but now's a pretty good time to be arguing for Eli, yes? He's coming off his second Super Bowl win, while Philip Rivers was most recently in the headlines for his love of Santorum . Advantage, Giants.
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| When 11th-seeded VCU made its improbable run from the First Four to the Final Four last March, the school responded by selling t-shirts with clever slogans like "There goes my bracket" and "Whatcha talkin' 'bout Bilas?"
The Rams made the NCAA tournament again this year ... and this time they didn't even bother to wait for an opening-round victory before dishing out some bravado.
Readers who opened the Washington Post's special NCAA tournament section on Monday morning were greeted by an ad the VCU public relations department took out that read: "Back to Bust Your Bracket." The 12th-seeded Rams open NCAA tournament play on Thursday in Portland against Wichita State.
VCU certainly showed bracket-busting capabilities again this season despite losing four starters from last year's Final Four team.
The Rams aren't as prolific on offense as they were a year ago when they had versatile forward Jamie Skeen and crafty point guard Joey Rodriguez, but they still force turnovers and score in transition. They overcame a bumpy non-league portion of the season to win 17 of their final 18 games, beating fellow CAA powers George Mason and Drexel on back-to-back nights to win the conference tournament.
Another Final Four would be an incredible long shot considering VCU's half of the South Region alone includes formidable Wichita State, Big East tournament champion Louisville and national title favorite Kentucky. Still after what Shaka Smart's team accomplished last year, it's probably not wise to count the Rams out. |
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The unveiling of fourth-seeded Michigan's opening-round NCAA tournament matchup against 13th-seeded Ohio on Sunday evening inspired one obvious question for Wolverines coach John Beilein when he met with reporters that night.
What would Beilein call the Bobcats?
Perhaps in an effort to irritate their most hated rivals, Beilein and Michigan football coach Brady Hoke have taken to referring to Ohio State as merely "Ohio" since the start of the school year. Asked what he would call the real Ohio this week, Beilein responded , "We're playing Ohio University now, a great university down in Athens, Ohio."
Beilein's response was diplomatic, but Michigan fans have a clever alternative. Already there's a movement for Beilein to refer to his team's opening-round opponent as "The Ohio University," another obvious dig at Ohio State.
The irony of Michigan's draw was not lost on Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who chuckled at the NCAA tournament selection committee's sense of humor.
"That's gonna be really confusing for them," Matta told reporters in Indianapolis , where the Buckeyes gathered for the selection show after their loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. |
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Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says striker Wayne Rooney and midfielder Tom Cleverley will miss England's international friendly with the Netherlands on Wednesday. Rooney has a throat infection that has forced him out of United's last two matches while Cleverley has been struggling with an ankle injury.
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| Butt claims that the Red Devils youngster is a better technical player than he ever was, while Robson hopes he will become "the real top player people think he is going to be" |
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| England youngster makes his first start since October following injury while fellow youngster Paul Pogba makes the bench for United's debut Europa League fixture in Amsterdam. |
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| Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is visiting his Cleveland Browns counterpart to pick up coaching tips amid mounting fan protests as the club battles against relegation from the Premier League. American sports tycoon Randy Lerner, who owns both teams, asked McLeish to go to the NFL team to spend two days shadowing coach Pat Shurmur. |
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| The former Sunderland player hopes to start on Saturday, while Old Trafford midfielder Tom Cleverley hopes to learn from Paul Scholes |
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| Manchester
United midfielder Tom Cleverley will return to action for the
first time since October when the Premier League champions host
bitter rivals Liverpool this weekend, manager Alex Ferguson said
on Friday.
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| Manchester
United's injury problems have improved before this weekend's
Premier League trip to Chelsea with long-term midfield absentees
Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley back in the squad, manager Alex
Ferguson said on Friday.
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