Gruden Gushes Over Quarterbacks - The Cover Two

I know, the title of this post is like saying the sky is blue, but former Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden recently did an interview with the Tampa Tribune where he discussed all of the quarterbacks coming in to this year’s draft.

Gruden says Newton is the best player in the country.

Gruden did this interview because, like last year, he’s working out all of the quarterbacks coming into the NFL this season. First, he had to discuss the most talked about quarterback in this draft class, Cam Newton.

“I think Cam Newton’s the best player in the country. I agree with the Heisman Trophy people that gave him the award.  He’s got everything I’m looking for.”

Warren Moon should appreciate those comments. Looks like Gruden is the only non-racist analyst of Newton. Gruden went on to tell Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune about the rest of the quarterbacks in this draft.

“There are three juniors, Newton, [Blaine] Gabbert and [Ryan] Mallett, who, if they had stayed in school, may be a little more polished, but these are physically talented people.  I think Andy Dalton and Jake Locker have some real upside as well.”

Gruden has never met a quarterback a player he didn’t like, so take these comments with a grain of salt. Newton is expected to go in the first round, and some analysts have him going as early as number one overall to the Carolina Panthers.

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NFL Draft 2011: Green Bay Packers Top Five Biggest Draft Needs - Bleacher Report

Yes, it's that time of year again folks. Draft time.

With the NFL Draft just weeks away it's about time to start breaking it down.

And is there really any place better to start than in Green Bay? 

Even the defending Super Bowl champions aren't perfect.

So let's take a look at five areas where the Green Bay Packers are lacking.

5. Offensive Tackle

As soon as Ted Thompson made Bryan Bulaga a Packer last year it became clear that he would one day be protecting Aaron Rodgers' blind side.

But what was also clear was the fact that Chad Clifton is now 34 years old and won't be around forever. And no, T.J Lang is not the answer.

Even if they don't address it this year, the Packers better grab another offensive tackle in the near future, or else Aaron Rodgers could be in trouble.

4. Cornerback

I know it sounds insane with the amount of talent the Packers have at cornerback, but it wouldn't hurt to add one more.

Tramon Williams and Sam Shields should be one of the best corner combos in the league for years to come, but Charles Woodson is starting to reach his twilight years.

And if last year's Super Bowl is any indication, the Packers are lacking in depth behind their big three in the secondary. This isn't a need that should be addressed in round one, but if Ted Thompson sees a corner he likes late in the draft, he should take him.

3. Kick Return Specialist

With kickoffs being moved to the 35-yard line this is suddenly a smaller need, but it's still a lead nonetheless.

It seemed every time they surrendered a touchdown, the Packers trotted out a different man to run back the kick. And quite frankly, none of them really worked.

Green Bay needs to find a respectable kick returner.

2. Outside Linebacker

Did you know that Frank Zombo and Erik Walden combined for seven sacks last season?

Did you know that 97 percent of football fans have no idea who either one of them are?

Clay Matthews is a beast. He requires the attention of literally half an offensive line.

So could you imagine just how dominant our pass rush would be if we put somebody opposite Matthews who was capable of actually beating offensive lineman? It would be historically good.

So if the Packers think they've found that player they MUST get him.

1. Defensive End

With Cullen Jenkins likely testing free agency and Jonny Jolly absolutely, positively having no chance of ever playing for the Packers again, what was once a deep position on the Packers is suddenly the thinnest on the team.

We know Ryan Pickett will play one end position, but at the age of 31 it would be a near miracle to get 16 games out of this 340 pounder with an already heavy injury history.

And who does Green Bay expect to play the other defensive end position? Mike Neal? He's already coming off a season-ending injury and nobody knows what to expect from him. CJ Wilson? He wasn't bad last season, but it would be a stretch to call him a starter at this point. Justin Harrel? Ha ha ha.

It's clear the Packers need to address this early in the draft. Even if they can't find a starter, they need another big body to rotate in and out. 

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Top 8 Week Theme and Guest Performers

Finalist Pia Toscano was eliminated Thursday night on American Idol after she received the fewest of America's votes. On Wednesday's performance show, the Top 9 performed the songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Toscano, 22, from Howard Beach, NY, sang "River Deep, Mountain High." Thursday night's episode featured performances by punk legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Iggy Pop and Season 4 Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis.

On Wednesday, April 13 at 8/7c the Top 8 finalists - Casey Abrams, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, and Haley Reinhart - return to the Idol stage to perform songs from the movies.

Tune in the following night, Thursday, April 14 at 8/7c, ... read more

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2011 NFL Draft: Why the Raiders Should Not Draft a Quarterback - Bleacher Report

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Prior to the 2010 season, Al Davis made comparisions of newly acquired Jason Campbell to two-time Super Bowl Champion Jim Plunkett.

"I see this young Jason Campbell as a football player like I saw Jim Plunkett. He has everything."

Raider Nation could not help but think, "We have heard that one before."

Campbell did not help Davis out much on his description of the Auburn product. The Raiders were blown out in their season opener against Tennessee and after a sub-par performance the following week, Campbell was benched behind thunderous boos from the Raider Nation in McAfee Coliseum.

Six quarters.

That was all the chance Tom Cable and the Raider Nation gave Campbell in Oakland before benching him.

Kind of harsh for a guy who has had almost a different offensive coordinator every season of his collegiate and professional career. 

Campbell has the tools to be a winner and with a consistent environment and some help, he can win.

In fact, he did win in his first year with the silver and black going 7-5 as a starter. That's right. In 12 starts, he won more games than any Raider team in the previous seven seasons.

Who gives the Raiders the best chance at winning in 2011?

Who gives the Raiders the best chance at winning in 2011?

• Jason Campbell

• Bruce Gradkowski

• Other

• No chance of winning

• Total votes: 0

But six quarters? Seriously?

What did you expect from a team that had won a total of 29 games in seven years? The fact that he won seven games is a miracle in itself.

Yes, Campbell had help. This Raiders team was full of talent.

Yes, Darren McFadden had a breakthrough year.

Yes, Jacoby Ford had some huge plays.

Yes, the defense played well at times.

But imagine if Oakland patched up that flat tire of an offensive line.

Imagine if the Raiders landed a reliable receiver for Campbell to target every Sunday (A wide receiver has not lead the team in receiving yards since 2007).

Imagine if Campbell got more than one season to settle in.

Reports have recently surfaced about the team meeting with Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick and who would be surprised if Davis made a move to snag him?

If Oakland goes after Kaepernick or another early round quarterback, the silver and black are bailing out again on Jason Campbell and his chances of bringing back a winning tradition to this once storied franchise. 

The quarterback position is in good hands for the Raiders. Jason Campbell can win and will win this year.

As long as he isn't run out of town after the first six quarters...

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Happy Birthday, Vanessa Olivarez!

Season 2's Vanessa Olivarez was the hair colorist with bright magenta hair from Atlanta, Georgia. After surviving Hollywood Week, Vanessa sang "Out Here On My Own" by Irene Cara during the semifinals round, and it launched her into the Top 12. During Season 2's Top 12 Motown week, Vanessa performed The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Although she didn't receive enough votes to continue on in the competition, she still found success after the show.

After her run on American Idol, Vanessa went to Toronto, Canada to record music and star as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. When she returned back to the United States shortly thereafter, Vanessa joined a musical group called Butterfly Stitch, and they released an EP and live album. In 2006, Vanessa co-wrote the song "Sugarland" for the popular group Sugarland.

Last year, Vanessa (now with long brown hair) started the country duo named Granville Automatic. She'll celebrate her birthday this evening with a performance on Thacker Mountain Radio in Oxford, MS.

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

View photos of the Season 2 contestants performing on American Idol.

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Ryan Seacrest's New Location for THE VOICE

The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) has selected The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as its newest site for the construction of THE VOICE, an interactive closed circuit broadcast multi-media center. THE VOICE provides young patients within The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia community with an outlet to engage in activities related to radio, TV and new media, ranging from broadcasting like a disc jockey and playing their favorite songs to watching live artists perform and interviewing celebrities.

"Throughout my 20-year career in the entertainment business, I've toured many hospitals and have consistently been amazed by the courage of children and their families in light of the hardships they face," said Ryan Seacrest, who recently launched the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill and injured children through unique programs that utilize multimedia and interactive platforms to enlighten, entertain and educate.

Seacrest continues, "Recognized as one of the best children's hospitals in the country, I am thrilled to bring our program to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Not only is The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia leading pediatric clinical and research innovation, it is a national leader in developing techniques to support the patient's emotional well-being. THE VOICE will be a new addition to their existing Child-Life programs and will provide a lively form of interactive entertainment."

"The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is proud to be the recipient of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation's THE VOICE broadcast media center," said Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., chief executive officer of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "THE VOICE will offer a creative outlet for our patients to learn ... read more

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Idol Alumni Concert and Music News

UPCOMING MUSIC

Season 6 finalist Phil Stacey released his third studio album Faith last week. The album is available exclusively through Conquer Entertainment and marketamerica.

Another Season 6 fianlist, Chris Sligh, covered Katy Perry's "Firework" on the soundtrack to Soul Surfer, the Bethany Hamilton biopic starring Season 4 champ Carrie Underwood. In her feature film debut, Carrie plays Sarah Hill, a friend and youth group leader to the injured surfer.

Season 7's American Idol, David Cook, will release his first single, "The Last Goodbye," from his currently untitled second studio album on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

Season 8's Anoop Desai plans to release two additional albums this year on top of Zero.0, which will be released on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 via iTunes. He plans to write, produce, and perform all his material.

SWEET CHARITY

Season 2's top girl, Kimberley Locke, will perform the national anthem at the EIF (... read more

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Chart Movers and Shakers

The Idols are tearing up the Billboard and music sales chats this week. From Idol winners to a current judge, here's what happened in the week of Idol music.

Billboard Chart News

American Idol Kelly Clarkson's song featuring Jason Aldean, "Don't You Wanna Stay," and Chris Daughtry's song "September" hold the #1 and #2 spots on this week's American Idol airplay chart. "Don't You Wanna Stay" is also the #2 hit on USA TODAY's Country chart, while "September" maintains the #2 spot it has held on the Hot AC chart for several weeks.

Season 3 stars found success on the charts this week. Jennifer Hudson's "Where You At" and Fantasia's "I Wanna Be Your Man" are on the Urban AC chart.JHud's "Where You At" is also on the Urban chart.

Season 5 Top 9 finalist Mandisa's first single, "Stronger," from her forthcoming album What If We Were Real, hits the Idol airplay Top 20 this week, and climbs to #6 on the Christian AC chart. Season 7 finalist Jason Castro's "You Are" and Season 6 finalist Chris Sligh's "One" are also in the Christian ... read more

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Jennifer Hudson Tour News and Chart Achievements

Season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson announced her upcoming Summer 2011 "I Remember Me Tour" last week. Details are still to come, but here is a preliminary schedule:

6/19	San Diego, CA	Humphrey's
6/22	Los Angeles, CA	Greek Theater
7/02	Atlanta, GA	Chastain Park
7/16	Chicago, IL	Ravinia

Jennifer's sophomore album, I Remember Me, debuted last week at #2 on The Top 200 and R&B Albums Charts, selling 165,000 units. Jennifer Hudson sold 24,000 copies of her single, "Where You At," this past week for a total of 65,000. She performed "Where You At" on a variety of talk shows, late night shows, and she returned to the American Idol stage.

Watch our post-show interview with Jennifer.

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Naima Adedapo's Idol Experience

Naima Adedapo came a long way in the competition. When we met her during Milwaukee auditions, she was cleaning toilets at SummerFest. This summer, Naima will be one of the 11 Idol stars traveling across the nation with the American Idols LIVE! 2011 Tour. The morning after her elimination, Naima opened up about some of her favorite things: singing, shopping, and dancing!

When Ryan Seacrest revealed that Thia Megia and Naima received the fewest votes, all 11 finalists were very emotional, and so was Naima. "I had my moment when I couldn't hold it together saying, 'see you later'...You get emotionally attached to these people because you're living in such close quarters. You start to learn their stories. You start to learn their personalities and you get attached, and so it hurts to see people go, but we will reunite," Naima revealed.

What will Naima miss the most about the Idol experience? "Shopping!" Naima exclaimed. "I think that was like one of the biggest, best parts for me. I mean, performing is everything, but when you get to shop and you get to do the accessories and the shoes and the-oh my God! I get such a kick out of that...That was my release time, actually. It was really awesome to be able to kind of co-create things with ... read more

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Super gesture | Philadelphia Daily News | 2011-04-05 - Philadelphia Daily News

WHEN HE PLAYED in the NFL, a lot of kids idolized William "Refrigerator" Perry.

Now, it's his turn to look up to a youngster.

On Saturday, 10-year-old Cliff Forrest, of Pittsburgh, returned the Super Bowl XX ring Perry had won as a member of the 1985 Bears.

That was the game in which the Fridge, a defensive tackle, switched over to the offense and scored on a 1-yard run to help lift the Bears to a 46-10 win over the Patriots.

Forrest had dipped into his college fund to buy the ring for $8,500 at a memorabilia counter at Mickey Mantle's restaurant in New York City.

But when he read up on Perry, he knew what he had to do.

"I Googled Mr. Perry and saw that he had a disease [Guillain-Barre syndrome] and had to sell [the ring] because of rough times," Forrest told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He only played in one Super Bowl. I thought he would want it more than I did."

So Forrest flew to Chicago with his family and personally handed the ring to the Fridge, who was doing an autograph signing.

Like everyone, Forrest's mom, Tracy was touched by her son's gesture.

"My son said he knew [Perry] had problems," Tracy told ESPNChicago.com. "I myself have MS, and my son Googled and saw Perry also had an autoimmune disease.

"He said Perry lost the ring through hard times, and that he only had one ring. He said, 'I want him to have the ring back.' That's pretty special for a 10-year-old to want to do that."

Perry, who played 24 games with the Eagles (1993-94) after a 9-year career with the Bears, was reportedly stunned by the boy's generosity.

While Cliff Forrest didn't want or expect anything in return, the 48-year-old Fridge graciously provided the youngster with two autographed Bears jerseys and some cards.

"It was exciting," Cliff said. "He looked really happy. He said, 'Thanks.' "

- Tom Mahon

Send email to highandinside@phillynews.com

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Thia Megia Talks About Her Time on AI

American Idol's youngest contestant ever, Thia Megia, handled her elimination with maturity and grace. The morning after her elimination, she hopped on a press call to talk about everything from Idol school to who she wants to collaborate with.

Was Thia surprised she was eliminated? "Actually, I really didn't know what to expect at all," Thia replied. "Since everyone else is just so incredible, you just kind of prepare yourself for whatever happens. I didn't really know what to feel at all, to be honest, but I'm happy for Paul. I'm happy for the both of us because I know that we're all going to be going on tour and from all the exposure that we've gotten from the show, it's just been incredible and knowing that millions of people voted for you is such wicked flattery."

What's it like juggling school and the competition? "We usually do about three or four of school every day, so I thought that we didn't really get enough rehearsal time. But I guess it was sort of an advantage for us because being minors, it was like an escape for all of us from all the stress... It was cool to actually have that time to bond with the other minors, especially me and Lauren Alaina."

Thia doesn't have just one favorite moment from her Idol experience-she has many! "I enjoyed every bit of the competition. I guess that was what made it really hard to say goodbye last night, because you think about every single thing that you've experienced on the show...but it's really not the end of the competition. We're all going to see each other in a couple weeks ... read more

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Happy Birthday, Aaron Kelly!

Season 9 finalist Aaron Kelly turned 18 on April 2^nd! It was a big birthday for Aaron-he got his driver's license!

Aaron's fans, The Twangers, put together a cute video wishing their Idol a very happy 18^th birthday. Aaron is currently in third place out of 14 on J-14.com's Rising Star Awards (Season 8 American Idol Kris Allen came in first!).

It's amazing to think that Aaron's Idol journey started when he won the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios and advanced to the front of the audition Season 9 audition line in Orlando. The teen made it all the way to fifth place when he was eliminated during Frank Sinatra Week. On the Idols LIVE! 2010 Tour, Aaron took on country hits by his idol, Rascal Flatts, as well as Keith Urban and Marc Cohen.

Currently, Aaron is working on his debut album in Nashville. He has shows coming up May 22^nd in Bloomsburg, PA and four shows in Nashville from June 8 - 10.

Happy 18^th Birthday, Aaron!

Aaron grew up before our eyes on the Idol stage. View photos of his transformation.

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Anthony Fedorov Opens Up About His Experience in Japan

Last month, Season 4's Anthony Fedorov was in Tokyo, Japan starring as Joseph in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Unfortunately, he was there when the devastating earthquake rocked the nation. In this exclusive interview, Anthony had only great things to say about Japan and its people.

Now that Anthony is back in the United States and better rested, he has reflected back on his time in Japan. "I've been able to put everything into perspective," Anthony said. "You see how small you actually are against Mother Nature. It was a pretty crazy experience to go through. It was my first earthquake. When we felt it we were in the theater watching a matinee of the Japanese production of Beauty and the Beast. The audience began to chatter amongst themselves, and the Japanese are so polite and respectful during performances so we knew something was wrong. We were sitting right under the balcony-I was with two of my cast mates-and during "Be Our Guest" the theater started to shake. It was pretty nerve-wracking. We went outside and waited for 20 minutes but there were aftershocks which prevented the show from continuing. We then found out our show was canceled for the evening, and eventually it was cancelled going forward. There was damage to the roof of our theater and it was unsafe for the audience. This was the first performance of Joseph in Tokyo, so it was a bit of a historical run, although it turned out to be a short run. The show was in English but there were ... read more

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Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler's Performance and News

The 46^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards happened last night in Las Vegas. There were many show highlights, but everyone is buzzing around the water cooler about one very special duet. American Idol judge Steven Tyler joined American Idol champion Carrie Underwood on the award show stage for a duet of Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" and Steven Tyler's "Walk This Way." The duo had a blast with the up-beat songs, and Carrie nailed the fast-paced lyrics of the Aerosmith song. The Checotah, OK native even added some sparkly scarves to her microphone, much like Steven typically does.

Steven Tyler and Aerosmith will release a new album entitled, Tough Love: Best of the Ballads, on Tuesday, May 10, 2011. The album features 12 popular singles from their 30-year-plus career.

Carrie is in the middle of many diverse projects these days. She will appear on Randy Travis' upcoming duets album, Anniversary Celebration, which will be released on June 7, 2011. The album celebrates the 25th anniversary of Travis' country-music career.The two collaborated a couple years ago on the song "I Told You So," and it earned them the 2009 Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals." View photos of their duet on a Season 8 Idol results show.

Also, Carrie announced she is working on a duet called "Remember Me" ... read more

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