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Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings didn't need it, but here is a campaign video pushing the young guard for 2010 Rookie of the Year.

Evans made his case mostly on the court, averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his rookie season, something previously accomplished three times: Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James. They all turned out to be pretty good players.

Tyreke Evans attacks the rim. (Getty Images)

It's become an event in and of itself. NFL Draft Day, where every college football player is elevated to the Second Coming, with NFL teams laying at their mangers frankincense and myrrh. Thursday night, 7:30PM on ESPN, the NFL Draft will give you hope renewed for the upcoming football season, no matter who root for.

It can be a glorious moment for your team. The dawn of a new era. The awakening of stones...

It can also be an agonizing affair for teams and their fans. The Jets, before recent years, have made some all-time blunders in the draft, famously picking Ken O'Brien over Dan Marino, and passing on Warren Sapp (despite the pleas of their fans) for Kyle Brady. Who's Kyle Brady? Exactly.

We've read up, and we're thinking 2010's first five picks go down like so:

1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB (Oklahoma)

All reports say this is a done deal. The big, talented quarterback overcame shoulder surgery that shortened his senior year at Oklahoma, to shoot back up the draft board. He won the Heisman Trophy in his junior year, throwing a gaudy 50 TDs to only 8 interceptions, and would have been the first pick last year had he not decided to finish school. At 6'4" 225 lbs, he is the prototype franchise QB, and has all the tools to become great. It's just a shame that he has to play for the Rams.

2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT (Nebraska)

He won pretty much every defensive award in college football last year, even nabbing the 2009 AP Player of the Year award - becoming the first defensive player to win the honor. The Lions desperately need an impact player on their defensive line, and when they look at Suh, they must put up one index finger and mouth quietly to themselves: "The One." Not only that, turns out he's a hell of a guy. Upon signing his first NFL contract, Suh has promised to donate $2 million to his alma mater's strength and conditioning program and $600,000 to endow a scholarship at Nebraska's College of Engineering.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT (Oklahoma)

They're looking for the next Warren Sapp and they think McCoy fits the bill. He's as talented (some think more) than the decorated Suh, but either way, the Bucs will take whichever of the two is available at this spot without as much as a stutter. 

4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT (Oklahoma State)

Washington just acquired a premier signal caller in Donovan McNabb, and now have to get down to the business of keeping him upright. Okung may have been the choice here even without the McNabb trade (the other option was taking Notre Dame QB prospect Jimmy Clausen), but with the former Eagles QB now in the fold, Okung is a foregone conclusion here.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Berry, FS (Tennessee)

Tennessee represent! The Chiefs could go in a couple directions with this pick, but Safety is quickly becoming a glamour position in the NFL, and Eric Berry is the class of this incoming crop. Scott Pioli helped build a championship defense in New England, so he saw first hand the value of center fielders like Lawyer Milloy and Rodney Harrison. Some have the Chiefs going Offensive Tackle here, but there's no way they pass on a talent like Berry. He might turn out to be the best player in this draft.

So! Bradford, Suh, McCoy, Okung, Berry. That's our board. Who you got?? It's Draft Day baby!

 (Photos: Getty Images)

(Photos: AFP / Getty Images)

The debate is already raging in message boards around the interweb. Whose goal was better? Danny Rose's volley or Maicon's juggle trick? The Brazilian defenseman helped his Inter Milan club defeat Juventus with a stunning display of skill and control, juggling the ball three times, before cracking a sparkling strike past one of the world's premier goalkeepers.

On the flip side, it's another lowlight in what has been a brutal season for Juventus. All but out of Champions League contention, fans have shown their displeasure by slapping players and egging the team bus, even resorting to demanding their ticket money back.

The sign reads: "I have more points on my driver's license than Juve in the championship."

Luckily, he saved 15% on his car insurance by switching to Geiko. 

(Photos: Getty Images)

It's a shot that is making its rounds, even here in the US. It was ESPN's Top Play Wednesday night, and soccer doesn't often crack the list in our little corner of the globe. But more so than that, what the shot meant to Danny Rose of Tottenham......

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Phil Mickelson pulled away from the field late Sunday at the Masters to win his third green jacket since winning his first major here in 2004. The one they call "Lefty" (for his left-handed golf swing -- he does everything else right-handed) played inspired golf, and gave the world a sports moment for the ages. Last May, his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer, prompting Mickelson to suspend his golfing schedule to be with his family. Then, two months later, cruel fate struck again: this time, his mother was diagnosed with the same affliction.

One can only hope that a day like Sunday might provide a modicum of comfort for Mickelson and his family, as they navigate such a trying time. “She’s an incredible woman, she’s an incredible mother and she’s an inspiration to me this last year,” he said.

Amy hadn't made it out to the course all week, often too weak from recovery to get out of bed. Yet, when Phil raised his arms in victory, sure enough, there she was. “To have her here and share this moment and share the joy of winning on 18, and to share this with my kids, is something that we’ll look back on the rest of our lives.”

Phil Mickelson with wife Amy, after winning the 2010 Masters. Dry eyes nowhere to be found.

A couple of highlights from this week: the backend of back-to-back eagles on 13 and 14 of his third round, second shot from the fairway.

As good as that shot was, this next one may have trumped it. It was the 13th hole on the final day, with his first shot landing behind two trees. It is a microcosm of Lefty's explosive game -- the gunslinger, awash in talent... Laying up was never an option, Mickelson would say later: “I mean, a great shot is when you pull it off,” he said. “A smart shot is when you don’t have the guts to try it.” The riverboat gambler, this time, came up aces.

"Wow" translates in any language.

Arms raised in celebration. Phil's too.

Mickelson hugs caddie and longtime friend Jim 'Bones' Mackay on the 18th green. “Bones has been through this thing with us the past year,” Mickelson said. “As good a friend as you can possibly imagine through this. He’s been there, he has been there in Houston in our surgeries and has been there as a support. You couldn’t have a better friend in the world.”

Lefty tees off.

All photos by Getty Images.

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