1. After watching this weekend’s NFL draft, what was your favorite player/team matchup?

Maks

Mike Jenkins and the Cowboys, because that is the only selection I was unfortunate enough to watch. I like the fit because — um, let’s see — Jenkins has a good motor, a high ceiling and a high football IQ.

Honsen

I absolutely loved that the Oakland Raiders drafted Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The Raiders might’ve had other pressing needs, considering the four other running backs on their roster, but Oakland was not going to be able to fill other needs with no picks in the second and third rounds, and there was no one else in the draft as potentially dynamic as McFadden.

Zach

Jake Long is the best player in the draft and was rightly taken first overall. He has a lot to live up to as the fifth offensive lineman in history to go No.1. However, I think that he will definitely help Bill Parcells resurrect a struggling Dolphin franchise (1-15 last year). Overall, I think that the Chiefs had the best draft. They addressed a lot of needs plugging Glenn Dorsey in at defensive tackle, and they added a lot of value with all of their picks. If they can get any production from their quarterback, Brodie Croyle, they can make a competitive run for the wildcard.

Christian

I liked St. Louis’ seventh round selection of David Vobora, a linebacker out of Idaho. Gee, imagine that. Someone from Idaho taking home the honor of “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player selected in the draft. His ESPN profile says that he’s “stiff in the hips,” so he should fit in well for the Rams, who are well known for having stiff-hipped players. Whatever that means.

1. The Mariners have had a couple of rough games lately. What do you think it’s going to take from here on out if they still want to stay in playoff contention?

Maks

It’s going to take a lot more than the Mariners are going to get: relief pitching, more team speed and anyone not named Jose Vidro, Brad Wilkerson or Richie Sexon.

Honsen

Twenty-six games into a 162-game season, the M’s sub-.500 play thus far is no reason to panic … yet. That said, could someone in the front office find a decent left-handed specialist and someone who can hit? Word on the street is that some guy named Bonds is still available.

Zach

Three words: better middle relief. Their starters have given them strong outings and leads, which have been blown by their middle relief. Nothing is more demoralizing than squandering a lead through bad relief pitching. They also need to score more runs. This means more production from designated hitters and right field. They can use these problems as an opportunity to bring up their minor league star Jeff Clement to replace a struggling Jose Vidro, who is currently under the Mendoza line and batting .195.

Christian

Well, if they could trade Jose Vidro, Brad Wilkerson and Richie Sexson for three players who aren’t rotting corpses, that may help. Seriously, how long has Brad Wilkerson been dead?

3People say this is one of the most exciting NBA playoffs in a while. What has been the biggest surprise so far this postseason?

Maks

The biggest surprise, other than the fact that an NBA player (Josh Howard) smokes pot, is Atlanta. The Sixers are a close second. Embarrassing the Celtics in two-straight games is an outstanding achievement, no matter how you look at it. Kevin Garnett says goodbye and Joe Johnson says hello, hello, hello.

Honsen

Did anyone think that the Atlanta Hawks would still be in the playoffs by now, much less playing in a 2-2 series? The Philadelphia 76ers are almost equally as surprising. Also, the Western Conference playoffs are surprisingly lopsided with all the hype coming into it. The Lakers just swept the Nuggets, and three other teams lead their series 3-1.

Zach

The biggest surprise to me is that the Celtics aren’t already in the second round. Their dominant play in the regular season led me to believe that they would sweep the Atlanta Hawks (37-45) and go on to the NBA finals. Instead, they are tied 2-2. If Atlanta wins this series it will be a huge upset, bigger even than Golden State beating Dallas last year.

Christian

I’m mostly surprised that nobody has asked DeShawn Stevenson to shave his beard yet. That guy is insane, and the beard’s not helping.

4After watching the Husky spring football game, should fans expect better things this fall?

Maks

It’s not really possible to gauge how a team will do based on a spring football game, but rest assured, there are definitely some things to look forward to next year: Jake Locker’s progression, the new Husky defense under Ed Donatell, the young Husky receiving core and beating the crap out of Paul Wulff and his beloved Cougars, to name a few.

Honsen

The game ended with a 10-7 score, so that brings hope for the defense that seemed to hemorrhage points during the fourth quarter last season. The outlook for the upcoming season should be much clearer after the opening game against Oregon.

Zach

We should definitely expect better from our defense. This was easy enough to see from the low score, but by watching the game you could tell that they were playing with intensity because they were hitting hard. On top of that, Jake Locker was passing much more accurately than last year, with 13 for 17 passes. If he can improve his accuracy, he can become that much more deadly. Unfortunately, some of the receivers dropped open passes. Hopefully, they will get this worked out by the time the season starts. Lastly, our schedule is a lot easier this year, which means any improvements will likely have greater impact.

Christian

Here’s the thing about spring games: They’re meaningless. Tyrone Willingham isn’t going to open up the playbook for all the world to see in late April, and he’s not going to reveal his plans for how he’s going to use certain players or what schemes he’s going to use on defense. That said, it doesn’t matter whether fans should expect better things — they’re going to. Why, I’d bet $100,000 on it, as a matter of fact.