When Conor McGregor tapped out last night I was devastated.
To give myself credit I have certainly become a better sports fan since the days crying like a baby over the Patriots losing in the Super Bowl, twice. But seeing Conor fall like he did Saturday was still not easy to watch.
I thought it was just because I like his personality. And I do. I love watching him promote fights. I love watching him call his opponents out on their weaknesses and then back it all up in the octagon.
I also love his fight style. He moves like no other fighter I have ever watched in my years of watching MMA. He’s a special talent and I’m lucky to be able to watch him in his prime years of fighting. I look forward to watching his fights for years to come.
As I went to bed last night though I began to realize the real reason I was upset at the loss and the real reason I look up to Conor as much as I do goes well beyond the sport of MMA and beyond his antics at press conferences. It goes beyond sports itself. As weird as it sounds, Conor means more to me than all that.
I have always been very proud of my Irish heritage. It’s probably my favorite thing about myself. The Irish are a reserved and proud people and I am honored to come from a line of people who worked their asses off to make it in this country when no one wanted them here. A person’s heritage is not always an important part of their life but it is for me, I’m proud to trace my family to Ireland.
I have also struggled my whole life with self-confidence. It’s actually something I have started working on a lot recently. As I have begun work for MLB.com and spend time in major league clubhouses I find myself at times thinking I don’t belong there, that I’m not good enough to be doing what I’m doing. It’s a feeling I’ve had basically my whole life, that I’m just not good enough.
It goes back a long way and I have recently come to a lot of realizations about where it all comes from but it’s still something I deal with on a daily basis.
And it’s for that reason I love Conor.
Conor is more than the face of a fighting nation. He is more than an inspiration to the citizens of a country whose people have suffered quietly for generations. Conor is the embodiment of the person I want to be. He has the confidence I only wish I can have. He believes in himself in a way I can only hope to believe in myself. Even in defeat last night he showed confidence in his abilities and belief he can still take on the world, and win.
But he not only believes in himself, he does it like no other person from Ireland has ever done it before. He does not do it quietly; he lets everyone know how much he believes in his abilities.
Conor went from a plumbing job in Ireland, living off social welfare, to becoming one of greatest fighters in the world and did that because he believed in himself to quit that job and pursue a dream. He is the perfect example of where hard work and confidence can land you.
I admire him for that. I can only hope to one day be able to look at myself in the mirror the way Conor does and believe 100% in my abilities as a student, as a reporter, as a writer, as a friend and as a person.
Conor inspires me to believe in myself as a proud Irishman and to work hard everyday to get where I want to be. And I will always love him for that reason.
Whether he beats a world champion in 13 seconds, or gets choked out by another proud fighter from Stockon, CA, I’ll always be grateful for the inspiration he gives me.
As silly as I know this sounds Conor is more than an incredible athlete, more than a world-class fight promoter, he’s a hero.
So thank you Conor. Thank you for continuing to set the bar this Irishman can look to and hope one day to achieve. In victory or in defeat, I will always be grateful for that.
After a few trades to start of the 4th round, the Patriots came on the clock with the 5th pick (102nd overall). A lot of people speculated prior to the pick that the Patriots were planning on double-dipping into the wide receiver pool after picking Aaron Dobson in round 1. There were some great names still on the board at the time, Quinton Patton being one of them who I absolutely loved. Instead, however, the Patriots went with Josh Boyce out of Texas Christian.
Most scouting reports praised him for his football smarts, saying his called all the signals for the Rutgers’ defensive unit. Aside from even the Rutgers connection, this screams a Belichick pick. He’s a team captain and a smart player that can line up a defense, everything Bill loves in his linebackers.
With the 52nd pick, the Patriots selected a player that was probably not on many people’s radars (although Pete Prisco did have the Patriots taking him in the first round) with Jamie Collins from Southern Mississippi. Collins is a 6’4” 240 pound linebacker that projects outside in the Patriots’ defense. Not only did Collins have double-digit sacks in 2012 on a team that did not win any games, he also led his conference (Conference USA) in tackles for loss with 20. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Globe, there has been a lot of talk that Southern Mississippi tanked it last year after coach Larry Fedora left for UNC. When you consider that, Collins’ numbers are pretty impressive.
Next up for the Patriots was pick #59 and it was time for the team to recognize a position of big need, wide receiver. More specifically, a big receiver. Enter Aaron Dobson from Marshall. Dobson didn’t have mind-blowing numbers in his final season for the Thundering Herd when he was hindered by injury, but he does have some of the best hands that I have seen on film. The play that will be talked about the most is the catch against East Carolina. There are a very select few amount of people that can make a one-handed, back-handed grab like Dobson did in that game.
Next, at pick #83 in the 3rd round, came the only player that I had mentioned as a potential target for the Patriots, Logan Ryan of Rutgers. As I mentioned in my latest mock draft, Ryan took over Devin McCourty’s spot when the Patriots drafted him in the first round in 2010. With that, Ryan seems ready to come in to the system and fit right in.
This might be one of the most curious picks in the history of the Patriots. While there was some thought last year that Wilson could have been had later, there was also a little bit of talk that he was rising late on draft boards. Harmon was not. No one knew who he was. He could have easily been had after the draft as a free agent. If Harmon was really the best player available on the Patriots’ board, then there is a major problem with the Patriots’ board.
Round 2, Pick 57 – Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor The Patriots are not very deep at wide receiver. Newcomers Danny Amendola and Donald Jones are really their top targets at the position and that should make Patriots’ fans uncomfortable. The Patriots have not been good at picking receivers in the draft (see Chad Jackson) and they have been even worse at developing them after selecting them (see Taylor Price). They need someone to make big plays on offense for Brady, they need someone who will be able to create a rapport with Brady, and I truly believe that Williams is the best man for the job. I absolutely loved this guy on film. He has all the measurables you want in a receiver and he just looks great on the field. He was the deep threat for the Bears for the last couple years and he looks to continue to be that in the NFL. He is physical player who isn’t afraid to go up over the defender and make the tough catch. He runs different routes on the outside too; slants, button hooks, out and in routes make him a versatile weapon that could be dangerous in the Patriots’ offense. He is also a pretty decent red zone threat. I really like Williams, and if he is available at this spot, the Patriots should not hesitate to pounce on him.
Round 3, Pick 83 – DJ Swearinger, DB, South Carolina Adrian Wilson seems to be the kind of player that may not be suited to play three downs anymore. Swearinger is a well-rounded player that could be a staple of the Patriots’ secondary for years to come. 
When the Patriots selected Ryan Mallett out of Arkansas in the third round of the 2011 draft I, like many others, believed he was the heir apparent to Tom Brady. But as one of my favorite sayings go, conditions on the ground have changed. Brady is still playing at a high level, and keeping Mallett on the bench for much longer is not just bad for Mallett himself, but it is bad for the team.
Round 1, Pick 29 – Datone Jones, DE, UCLA Last year the Patriots surprised a lot of people and moved up twice in the first round to get two solid defenders that are poised to be anchors in that defense for the foreseeable future. The defense was improved with those additions as both players made an immediate impact from week 1 (although injuries did slow down Chandler Jones later on in the season). Pass rush is still an issue in New England though, so enter Datone Jones of UCLA. Jones has that size that Bill Belichick likes in his pass rushing defensive linemen and has the versatility that is so valued in Foxboro. Jones has a good burst and can absolutely get after the passer. What makes Jones a logical selection here is his ability to also play the run. Bill would much rather pick a player in the first round who can play on first, second and third down, Jones can do that. He can play with his hand in the dirt and can probably even stand up and play a little bit of linebacker if necessary. The Patriots have a solid contributor on the other side of Chandler Jones with veteran Rob Ninkovich, but the addition of Datone Jones would make that defensive line something to be excited for if you’re a Patriots’ fan. That would make a base 4-man front consisting of Chandler Jones, Tommy Kelly, Vince Wilfork, and Datone Jones Of course Belichick is always liable to trade down, especially this year where he doesn’t have many mid-round picks.
Round 2, Pick 59 – Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor The Patriots are not very deep at wide receiver. Newcomers Danny Amendola and Donald Jones are really their top targets at the position and that should make Patriots’ fans uncomfortable. The Patriots have not been good at picking receivers in the draft (see Chad Jackson) and they have been even worse at developing them after selecting them (see Taylor Price). They need someone to make big plays on offense for Brady, they need someone who will be able to create a rapport with Brady, and I truly believe that Williams is the best man for the job. I absolutely loved this guy on film. He has all the measurables you want in a receiver and he just looks great on the field. He was the deep threat for the Bears for the last couple years and he looks to continue to be that in the NFL. He is physical player who isn’tafraid to go up over the defender and make the tough catch. He runs different routes on the outside too; slants, button hooks, out and in routes make him a versatile weapon that could be dangerous in the Patriots’ offense. He is also a pretty decent red zone threat. I really like Williams, and if he is available at this spot, the Patriots should not hesitate to pounce on him.
Round 3, Pick 89 – Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU The secondary in Foxboro is shaping up to be very interesting for the coming season. They locked up Aqib Talib for at least one more year, Alfonzo Dennard missed out on jail time (at least time that will force him to miss any games or camp), and I absolutely love the signing of Adrian Wilson at safety. Then comes the player formerly known as the honey badger. Mathieu is a bit of small player and needs to be used correctly if he is going to be successful in the NFL. What Mathieu is though, is a big time playmaker; and you can’t have too many of those on your defense. Getting him at this point of the draft also presents some solid value. Mathieu also has a bit of that versatility factor as he is a pretty prolific punt returner, and while that job is pretty much locked up in Foxboro by Julian Edelman, he tends to get hurt too often.
Round 7, Pick 226 –Joseph Fauria, TE, UCLA Fauria is the nephew of former Patriot Christian Fauria so there is that connection. Tight end is not necessarily a position of need for the Patriots, but with some of the stories of both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in danger of missing a significant portion of training camp, some bodies may be needed. Fauria made some big plays for the Bruins this season and might even have the opportunity to make the team if he really shines in camp.
Round 7, pick 235 – Keelan Johnson, DB, ASU Yes, I am a Sun Devil. But safety is still a need position and Johnson is a more than solid player who could be available here. Johnson is a natural leader, and a hard-nosed player on the field. At this point you are throwing darts at the board anyway, and Johnson is a very good player who could make the team or at the very least get a job on the practice squad.
Slane's Song 