“A small star shaped symbol (*) is used in writing and printing as a reference mark or to indicate omission, doubtful matter, etc.” That is the Dictionary.com definition of the word asterisk.

If you ask Tedy Bruschi  it means a lot more than that coming from NFL players or coaches. When asked about the comments made by John Harbaugh he seemed to get a little ruffled.

Spygate was brought back into the conversation thanks to the Saints and their recent allegations. There is no denying that the Patriots cheated and won a lot of games while cheating. As mentioned by Bruschi they were punished. They had to live with it, deal with it, and move on.

Sounds like he is more than ready to move on with it. He stuttered and stumbled through the questions on NFL Live. He was very defensive. It doesn’t bother him when “some slappy on some social media site says anything”. I guess that everyone outside the NFL is “some slappy”. He goes on to say that he doesn’t mind defending himself when it come from someone “respectable”. Guess that means he doesn’t respect the opinion of you or I.

Do we need the respect of someone who played on a football team that cheated on it’s way to the Lombardy Trophy. I know I don’t. It’s not like he cured a disease, ended world hunger, or won the Nobel Peace Prize. I understand that he has to defend himself and the Patriots. I’m sure they worked hard. I’m also sure anyone in the NFL has worked pretty hard to get there.

His defense of the cheating broke down to the Patriots proved their point by winning games after they were caught. They won games since but not the one that matters. Even if they do win another NFL championship, the questions about the others will still be there. When kids ask their parents and grandparents about the Patriots championships during the 2000’s, anyone who isn’t a Patriots fan will bring up spygate. No asterisk will be needed.

Colin Cowherd said it well when talking about Carmelo Anthony this morning. If you have to ask, you already have a problem. If you have to ask your wife if she is going to cheat on you in Vegas. You have a problem. If you have to ask your kid if he is going to do heroin while you’re away. You have a problem. So when both slappy and respectable people ask every year if the Patriots deserve an asterisk. There is a problem.

1) Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford – Luck was always the pick.  Hopefully the Colts build around Luck the way they did around the man he replaces, Peyton Manning.  Luck is the closest thing to can’t miss we’ve seen in a while.

2) Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III – QB – Baylor – Redskins fans finally get the franchise QB they’ve been longing for.  Griffin gives them reason to be excited.

3) Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil – LT – USC – This pick is very much in the air and Minnesota wouldn’t feel bad about Morris Claiborne at this spot either.  Kalil has pro bowl potential, the tape and his bloodlines say so.  Don’t be surprised to see this pick traded.

4) Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson – RB – Alabama – Richardson does it all really well.  Like, really well.  Cleveland finally adds a weapon on offense.  The rare exception to taking a running back this high.

5) Tampa Bay Bucs – Morris Claiborne – CB – LSU – Tampa would gladly take any of the 3 guys we’ve just covered.  Claiborne is legit and fits in with how Tampa plays.  Claiborne will step right in and succeed.

6) St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon – WR – Oklahoma St. – And with the delivery of the card, Sam Bradford does cartwheels in a fit of joy.  Blackmon is impressive and isn’t done getting better just yet.

7) Jacksonville Jaguars – Stephon Gilmore – CB – South Carolina – Jacksonville wants to move down badly and will do so if at all possible.  This franchise has also shown that it will take whomever they want whenever they want (cough, cough… Tyson Alualu…).  Gilmore is a fast riser, though the numbers and the tape back the fact that he may not be much of a reach at this point.

8 – Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill – QB – Texas A & M – Is this the right move for Miami?  Only time will tell.  In my opinion Miami would be better off drafting help on the defensive line but Tannehill is intriguing and Miami could offer exactly what he needs to succeed… time.  With David Garrard and Matt Moore on board the Dolphins can afford to let Tannehill sit and learn.  I feel this is way too early for Tannehill to go but Miami is desperate to get “their guy” and just like Christian Ponder and Jake Locker last year Tannehill goes much earlier than expected.

9) Carolina Panthers – Luke Kuechly – LB – Boston College – Isn’t this a bit early for a middle linebacker?  No.  No.  No.  Kuechly is the real deal.  The game just comes to him and he will step in right away and never look back.  Carolina gets a bigger, faster version of franchise favorite Sam Mills.

10) Buffalo Bills – Riley Reiff – OT – Iowa – The Bills seem to be hot after Kalil, at least that is what the rumors say.  Or wait, is it Mark Barron?  The Bills need to fix their offensive line, badly.  Reiff helps them do that and he doesn’t cost the Bills anything extra.

11) Kansas City Chiefs – Melvin Ingram – DE/OLB – South Carolina – I feel that KC will take Tannehill if he falls to them but in this scenario take the best pass rusher on the board.  Ingram would be a nice fit across from Tamba Hali.

12) Seattle Seahawks – Fletcher Cox – DT – Mississippi St. – One of this years fast risers but potentially one of the most dominant defensive players in this draft.  Seattle considers o-line but bolsters the other side of the ball.  They won’t be disappointed.

13) Arizona Cardinals – David DeCastro – OG – Stanford – Larry Fitzgerald wants Michael Floyd but if Kevin Kolb or John Skelton are ever going to succeed the Cards need to protect better.  DeCastro is mean and nasty, everything a QB wants in his linemen.  Ryan Williams and Beanie Wells also smile at this pick.

14) Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron – S – Alabama – Without a doubt Barron is the best safety in the draft.  The Cowboys continue to rebuild their secondary.

15) Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Brockers – DT – LSU – Brockers is raw and young but the Eagles need help up the middle and hope he can learn on the fly.

16) NY Jets – Chandler Jones – DE – Syracuse – Jones is another of this years risers but the tape shows he has potential to be a force rushing the passer in Rex Ryan’s scheme.  Boom or bust, sounds about right for the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

17) Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick – CB – Alabama – At one point Kirkpatrick was a top ten guy and has that type of potential.  The Bengals would love to pair him with Leon Hall.

18) San Diego Chargers – Whitney Mercilus – DE/OLB – Illinois – The Chargers would love to improve the offensive line but can’t help themselves when it comes to finding the next Shawne Merriman.  Larry English hasn’t panned out so the Chargers give it another shot with the edge rusher from the Illini.

19) Chicago Bears – Michael Floyd – WR – Notre Dame – Floyd could be long gone by this point but if he is available the Bears will pounce. With Brandon Marshall and Floyd on board Jay Cutler is now the happiest guy in Chicago… until he remembers the Bears still need to improve the o-line.

20) Tennessee Titans – Dontari Poe – DT – Memphis – Lots of potential, little tape to show that he will ever reach it but 345 pound men who cover ground as quickly as he does will always be given a chance.  Poe is boom or bust and the Titans decide to roll the dice.

21) Cincinnati Bengals – Courtney Upshaw – DE/OLB – Alabama – The Bengals add some speed off the edge to go with their new toy in the secondary.  Mike Zimmer is having a good day.

22) Cleveland Browns – Cordy Glenn – OG/OT – Georgia – Glenn could play right tackle or step right in and blow open holes with pro bowler Joe Thomas for fellow noob Trent Richardson.  Cleveland suddenly looks quite a bit better, just wait until they add QB Brandon Weeden at the top of round 2.

23) Detroit Lions – Quinton Coples – DE – North Carolina – Remember when Nick Fairley fell to Detroit last year.  Well another stud d-lineman falls to the Lions in this years draft and Detroit shouldn’t let him get by them.  Don’t be surprised to see an o-lineman here but if Coples is there I don’t see how the Lions pass.

24) Pittsburgh Steelers – Donta Hightower – Alabama – Hightower is a tackling machine.  Only Kuechly surpasses him when it comes to naturally and fluidly succeeding at the defensive aspects of their postion.  A natural for Pittsburgh defense.

25) Denver Broncos – Doug Martin – RB – Boise St. – Willis McGahee was great last year but the tread on the tires is probably getting a little worn so the Broncos add a kid made for John Fox’s offense.  Martin is solid, if not spectacular at all aspects of the position.

26) Houston Texans – Kendall Wright – WR – Baylor – The Texans would like to go o-line but Wright just seems right.  A Texas guy who would be a great compliment to Andre Johnson, the Houston fans have to love it.

27) New England Patriots - Janoris Jenkins – CB – North Alabama – Leave it to Belichick to get the highest rated corner in the draft at the end of round one.  Jenkins has his off the field issues and that is why he is available this late but  Belichick understands the risk and will probably smile about this move in a year or two.

28) Green Bay Packers – Shea McCellin – DE/OLB – Boise St. – Clay Matthews finally has some help on the other side of the field as McCellin should provide immediate help as a situational pass rusher.

29) Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz – C – Wisconsin – Not a flashy pick but Konz can start immediately at Guard and eventually slide over and replace Matt Birk when he decides to hang up his cleats.

30) San Francisco 49ers - Amini Silatolu – OG/OT – Midwestern St. – A small school riser has piqued the Niners interest.  Silatolu can play anywhere on the line and could push to start at guard out of the gate.

31) New England Patriots – Harrison Smith – S – Notre Dame – This pick will most likely be traded and New England will once again enter next years draft with two first rounders.  Smith could be the pick in the second for the Pats.

32) NY Giants – Jonathan Martin – OT – Stanford – Great value at this point.  The Giants take the best available player.

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Roger Goodell has reshaped the landscape of professional football since he became commissioner of the NFL in September, 2006. From his new NFL Personal Conduct Policy that he rolled out in 2007 to the most recent 1-year suspension given to Saints’ Head Coach Sean Payton, Goodell has never been afraid of making the unpopular decisions to better the game and keep the players safe.

Even if you disagree with Goodell’s extravagant, often harsh, suspensions and fines for illegal hits, you still have to admit that he does it in the best interest of player safety. The massive fines handed out over the past couple years were not implemented for Roger’s well-being, but were made to protect the employees of his business. Making players pay hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to the charity of their choice for launching themselves at defenseless players or using their helmet as a weapon does not lead to popularity. And, good luck appealing any fines or suspensions; Goodell rarely wavers. The NFL and Roger Goodell have laid out the rules and punishments very clearly and have remained steadfast in holding their employees accountable.

Sean Payton’s suspension turned a lot of heads. 1 year, without pay, away from the league. 7.5 million dollars will not be taxed and deposited into Payton’s bank account. For the actions of a coach that worked under him, Payton was held accountable. People need to be held accountable for their actions. If Sean Payton didn’t want the 1-year suspension, he shouldn’t have knowingly allowed the coaches under him to break the rules. Payton was in charge. It’s one of the perks of being the man at the top. However unpopular, Goodell’s decision to ban Payton from the league was a difficult decision. He’s not afraid to make difficult decisions. That’s why he’s still in the Big Chair.

Tim Tebow has probably read the story of Job. But just in case you haven’t, I will give you a quick rundown. Job was a very blessed man. He had a large family, livestock, was wealthy, praised God for his blessings, and avoided evil. Then Satan shows up before God and tells him that Job is only good because God has blessed him with so many things. God allows Satan to torment Job, to test his faith. In the end, Job doesn’t give in to the torment or listen to the bad advice of his friends and is blessed with more than he had before.

I’m not saying Tebow has it as bad as Job, but there are plenty of similarities. Tebow won championships at the high school and collegiate level. He broke records at both levels. At the end of his college career he was the SEC career leader in passing efficiency (2nd NCAA), completion percentage, and touchdown to interception ratio. He was humble and praised God for all that he had accomplished. After his final year at the University of Florida, he was drafted 25th overall by the Broncos. He publicly praised God for his blessings.

Then the Broncos start taking away his blessings. Head coach, Josh McDaniels, was fired before the end of his second season. McDaniel’s was one of the big reasons Denver drafted Tebow. The Broncos then got rid of Brandon Marshall and Peyton Hillis right before Tebow was drafted. In Tebow’s second year, Denver made John Elway Executive Vice President of Football Operations and John Fox the head coach. They also made offensive line, receiver, and  quarterback coach changes. Not long into the 2011 season, Denver traded their best receiver, Brandon Lloyd. All these changes and the lockout didn’t make things easy for the young quarterback.

After going 7-4, in the 2011 regular season, Tebow won his first playoff game. In that game’ he threw for a career high 316 yards and two touchdowns. He set the franchise record for quarterback rating in a playoff game and the NFL playoff record for yards per completion. For all of his hard work, the Broncos rewarded him by trading him to the dysfunctional New York Jets. Or have they?

The Jets, who often make more headlines off the field than on, have three quarterbacks on their roster. Including starter, Mark Sanchez, who they just gave a three year, $40.5 million contract extension and Backup Drew Stanton, who just got a $500,000 signing bonus. That doesn’t seem to be the problem with the trade. The recapture language in Tebow’s contract is causing the problem.  With a little more patience, his tormenting in Denver should be over soon. However, it could just be the second round of testing Tebow’s desire to play quarterback in the NFL.

According to Adam Shefter, the language in the Tebow trade to the Jets has the Jets second guessing. In the trade, the Jets would get Tebow and a 7th rounder and the Broncos would receive a 4th and a 6th round pick in the 2012 draft. Apparently, the Broncos agreed to cover $5 million of Tebow’s contract. Here’s the catch: the Jets would have to pay that back to Denver. This slipped past the Jets and New York may not be willing to do so.

The trade will probably go through. The teams will come to some sort of middle-ground and the Jets will still obtain Timmy Rah Rah. My guess is a $2.5 million split of the 5 million. Both teams would feel foolish if this trade almost went down and then went down in flames. Expect this deal to be finalized by tomorrow.

A couple of quick predictions about players moving to other teams and moving from the college to the professional level.

• Peyton Manning won’t be playing for the Redskins, Dolphins or Colts, next season. He will also win more games than Luck and RG3 combined.
• Speaking of Luck and RG3. Griffin will have a better career than Luck. RG3 is smarter, a better athlete and will have better conditions for winning, in Washington.
• Randy Moss will be a starter next year.
• Rajon Rondo will be a Celtic longer than anyone currently on the team. That includes Doc Rivers. If you can’t build around a guy that has four triple-doubles this season, you shouldn’t be controlling a team in the NBA. He joined Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamber as the only players to ever have 20 assists and 17 rebounds.
• Dwight Howard’s days in Orlando are numbered. If they mess this up, like they did with Shaq, they will deserve to be a losing franchise again. I think he will be a Laker. He has already copied  Shaq in everything except production.

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Tiger Woods shot a 62 in the final round of the Honda Classic to finish 2nd behind Rory McIlroy. Tiger gained 7 strokes on McIlroy on the final day, only to fall short by 2 strokes. McIlroy took the #1-golfer-in-the-World spot.

• Gregg Williams and the New Orleans Saints “bounties” are a major story today. I personally don’t care and am not interested in all of the analysis by former players and coaches. Defensive players are for it. Offensive skill players are against it. Plain and simple. Don’t need to hear 24 hours of ESPN coverage about it.
• We’re less than a week away from having a bracket. This week’s Conference Championships will start to shape the bracket. 4 more tickets will be punched tonight. You can catch all 4 championship games on ESPN and ESPN2.
• The Lakers topped the Heat at home, yesterday, 93-83. Kobe had 33 points on 23 shots. LeBron scored 25 points from 26 shots to go with 13 rebounds.
• The Celtics edged the Knicks 115-111 in overtime. Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists for his 2nd triple-double this week.
• The Bulls beat the Sixers 96-91 to build on their league-best record.
• Denny Hamlin won the Sprint Cup race in Phoenix yesterday, over 7 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Next up; Las Vegas
• Deron Williams scored 57 on the Bobcats. My little sister could score 57 on Charlotte. Impress me, not. Fan favorite, Kris Humphries, had a double-double.
• Beast Mode agreed to a 4-year deal with the Seahawks.
• #1 Kentucky crushed Florida yesterday afternoon, 74-59. Florida can shoot the 3. Kentucky could beat the Charlotte Bobcats.
• Virginia edged Maryland in overtime, 75-72.
• Virginia Tech was embarrassed by N.C. State, 70-58. The Hokies missed 9 free-throws and turned the ball over for countless Wolfpack breakaway lay-ups.
• Spring Baseball is underway. Most teams are in action today in Arizona an Florida.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 45 points to lead Oklahoma City over the Philadelphia 76ers, 92-88, to hold onto the best record in basketball. ‘Twas a low scoring affair for a Thunder team that tops 100 on a daily basis.

• Tiger Woods tees off at 12:30 today in the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Florida.
• Kobe Bryant, sporting a mask to protect his busted nose, scored 31 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, and added 8 assists in a 104-85 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers are now 15-2 in the STAPLES Center.
• The Boston Celtics, openly shopping Rajon Rondo, beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-96 behind Rondo’s triple-double.
• Jeremy Lin had a double-double last night in the Knicks’ victory over the Cavaliers. Carmelo added 22 points.
• Major League Baseball is close to approving a 10-team playoff. It would go into effect this season.
• Clint Dempsey scored the game’s only goal as the United States upset Italy for the first time in soccer history.
• Cincinnati upset #7 Marquette 72-61. Jaquon Parker scored 28 for the Bearcats.
• The Thunder and Magic are matched up tonight at 8:00 on TNT.
• The Steelers are planning to release Hines Ward.
• Stephen A. Smith’s Big Word of the Day: Rhetoric (n) – the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

The West won the All-Star game. Dwayne Wade broke Kobe’s nose. Kobe called LeBron out for not shooting the basketball. 300 points were scored.

RG3 ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard-dash. Dude is handsome, intelligent, fast, has a cannon for an arm, and doesn’t have a neck beard. Griffin/Luck could be the best quarterback combo ever to be drafted the same year.

#15 Wisconsin beat #9 Ohio State 63-60, yesterday, in Columbus.

Unranked Miami beat #16 Florida State yesterday. The ACC sucks. Duke, included.

The only Baltimore/Washington area team actually trying to win, the Nationals, signed Ryan Zimmerman to a 6-year, 100 million dollar contract.

#18 Notre Dame and #8 Georgetown play tonight for 3rd place in the Big East.

Ryan Braun, in his press conference, claimed that the person transporting his urine had “5 FedEx Locations” near the stadium where he could have dropped the sample off after he “left the stadium at 5:00.” One location closed at 4. One location closed at 5. Liar.

The Daytona 500 will race under the lights, tonight, after being postponed for the second time.

When asked about trade rumors swirling around his name, Andrew Bynum responded, “There’s a bank in every city.” What a great answer.

Tiger Woods will take the course this Thursday in the Honda Classic.

Rory McIlroy is close to taking the #1 golfer spot.

Stephen A. Smith’s Big Word of the Day: Incredulous (Adj) – Unwilling or unable to believe something