Kage and the Seidkick NFL Mock Draft 2015

Once again, my best friend, Kevin Gregus, and I do a weekly podcast (you can find that podcast on the right side of this blog or on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kage-and-the-seidkick/id635443276?mt=2).  Last year, we decided that a fun exercise would be to do a mock draft for the NFL where we alternate picks and then discuss our mock draft on the podcast.  Here is the second annual edition of the mock draft for your enjoyment and keep your eye out for the connecting podcast next week where we will discuss our mock and how it matched up with the actual draft.

The Rules

The rules are simple: Kage had the first pick last year, so I'll take the first pick this year.

In addition to the basic premise, we set guidelines for making our picks.  We are picking as we think the teams should and not as we think they will. This is a "if we were the GMs, this is our thinking" mock draft, not a "this is who we think that particular GM will pick" mock draft. That rule is simply because it's more fun to think of what a smart GM would do rather than to try to guess what moronic move the Browns will make this year.

Without further ado, our second annual mock draft!

Coolest Alums of Each Tourney School - 2015 Edition

In 2013, my friend and podcast partner, Kevin Gregus, shared an article with me that he found on SI.com where they listed and ranked the 68 schools in that year's NCAA tournament based on their "coolest" alum (Find the article here).  A great idea, but terribly executed in my opinion.  First, there was no criteria explained for the "coolness" factor.  Second, and more annoying to me, was the fact that it credits schools with alumni who attended for one semester.  So I set out to provide a better list, with more concrete parameters.  Due to the reactions I received from those who read the original post, I decided that this should become an annual post.

Beginning in 2014, I decided to make a tweak to my process by bringing in voters, so that it doesn't seem repetitive to me and the blog post doesn't seem repetitive to my readers. This year's voters are Kevin Gregus, a 27 year old engineer from Maryland by way of Chicago, Illinois; Don Grein, a 40 year old attorney and former biochemist from Dayton, Ohio by way of Cincinnati; and Steven Jez, a 25 year old marine JAG from Camp Lejeune, NC by way of Dayton, Ohio.  We will rank the alums for each school, combining our rankings to determine the coolest alum for a school. Then we will rank the coolest alums, combining our rankings to determine the rankings for which school has the coolest alum.  With all that being said, remember, this list is subjective. I'm a certain kind of nerd, Kevin is another kind of nerd, the others nerds as well. Our idea of cool will differ from yours and from each others.  Anyways, no more disclaimers, let's get down to business!

Rules:

• Coolness factor: To be cool, I must see your name and have an emotional reaction.  In more vulgar, animalistic terms, I need a stirring in my loins.  So, while Gerald Ford is influential and a great American, there is little there that gets me excited.  I also decided early on that this list would not enjoy the likes of athletes unless there was no other choice.  So Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan and others of the like will not be gracing this blog post.
• Alumnus factor: You CANNOT have dropped out to pursue a career.  My reasoning is simple.  If somebody came up to me and told me they went to Michigan for one semester, I would not consider them a fellow Wolverine.  I'd consider them someone who knows how great Ann Arbor and Michigan is, but they do not share that common bond of putting in the work to get the degree I received.  This eliminates the Madonna (Michigan), Anthony Kiedis (UCLA) and Charles Lindbergh (Wisconsin) types from consideration, but it's necessary.  A graduate degree, on the other hand, will count.  You spent a decent amount of time and left with a degree. You can claim that school and they can claim you.  Any other close calls, I will decide upon and explain if necessary.

That's the two rules that will shape this list.  Without further ado, it's list time!