2012 Miami Dolphins Offseason Needs

After starting out the year a pathetic 0-7, the Miami Dolphins managed to gain a small moral victory by finishing the season with a 6-10 record. The strong finish to the season, however, was just a smoke screen. Head coach Tony Sparano was fired and replaced by Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. The Dolphins don't figure to be going anywhere until owner Stephen Ross put together a team that can contend for a division title and not worry so much about the entertainment aspect of the NFL. Right now, very few players around the league want to play for the Dolphins, and that includes the players under contract. The lack of interest among top free agents puts even more pressure on Miami to draft well this April. Here are some of the Dolphins' big additions and subtractions so far in this young offseason, plus a breakdown of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

Additions:

Nfl 2012

SS Tyrell Johnson

QB David Garrard

CB Richard Marshall

DE/OLB Jamaal Westerman

Subtractions:

QB Chad Henne

CB Will Allen

WR Brandon Marshall

DT Kendall Langford

SS Yeremiah Bell

Top 5 Needs:

1. Quarterback

After losing out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, Miami was unable to lure in free agent Matt Flynn from Green Bay, and saw Tim Tebow get traded to the Jets instead. Miami fans have long been clamoring for a franchise quarterback. David Garrard was added to compete with Matt Moore, but these players are clearly not what the fans want. Miami might just use its first-round pick to draft Ryan Tannehill, but if it decides differently, it could opt for Brandon Weeden in the second round.

2. Wide Receiver

Brandon Marshall was traded away for two third-round picks, and the receiving corps now features Brian Hartline and Davone Bess. Neither Hartline nor Bess is suited to be a No. 1 receiver, and it will only get harder for them, since opposing teams don't have to load up their coverage to contain Marshall. The Dolphins' quarterback play won't get any better soon if they are unable to add some playmakers on the outside.

3. Right Tackle

Starting right tackle Marc Colombo needs to be replaced, or at the very least the team needs to add some depth to an already very thin offensive line. He played atrociously last year, but because of its lack of depth, the team was forced to play him the entire season. If Miami doesn't add a free agent or use one of its picks to prevent Colombo starting in 2012, then it would be blatantly obvious that they are not winning games. The fans are already getting deeply frustrated with the team's lack of success, and if it is unable to bring forth the best team possible, then we might see more fans lose interest in a team that is already becoming quite unpopular.

4. Defensive End/Outside Linebacker

If the Dolphins are unable to come to terms with Cameron Wake, then this will become an even bigger need. If the team has doubts at all about a deal getting worked out, then it should address this need more than once in the draft. Even if the Dolphins are able to sign Wake by the start of the season, it still needs to find another player who is capable of taking down the quarterback. Wake needs some help this year, as the lack of another pass rusher allowed opposing defenses to shift all their attention to him. Should Miami pass on Tannehill, look for it to lock up the best defensive end/outside linebacker available.

5. Safety

While adding another safety isn't a glaring need, adding another player at this position would certainly be an improvement. The Dolphins were able to pry Tyrell Johnson away from Minnesota and they have a few players more than capable of turning their careers around. The Dolphins could decide to go after another free agent if they feel that Johnson and Chris Clemons are better off in a reserve role.

2012 Miami Dolphins Offseason Needs

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2010 Tax Year

2010 was a crazy, tumultuous for tax law complete with a white knuckle final law that passed at the last-minute. For a super-nerdy accountant guy like me this was more drama then Super Bowl and the finale of my wife's favorite soap opera combined. Now that the dust has settled, and you're doing end-of-year tax planning or preparing to file 2010 tax numbers, the question is "Tyler, what really changed with all these laws and how does it affect me as an entrepreneur." Great question, let's investigate.

Basically, there were three big tax acts in 2010: the HIRE Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. The last of these, we'll call it the Tax Relief Act, basically kept in place all of the so-called Bush Tax Cuts through 2012. The second, we'll call it Patient Protection, will primarily promise higher taxes for some taxpayers in future years, and the first, the HIRE Act has some sweet short-term discounts to encourage hiring.

Super Bowl 2012

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 in brief

This act was passed primarily to continue most of the tax cuts put in place during the Bush Administration until 2012, an election year.

• Income Tax Rates - 2009 individual income tax rates will be continued for 2010 and through 2012 for all taxpayers.
• Capital Gains Tax Rates - 2009 rates on capital gains and qualified dividends will be extended through 2012.
• Payroll rebate - 2% Social Security rebate for employees - The employee's share of Social Security taxes will reduce from 6.2% of wages to 4.2% for 2011. Self-employment tax will decrease to 10.4%. The best part of the deal is that social security benefits will not be affected by discount, although, at some point in time some taxpayers will have to foot the bill for it.
• What employers have to do - employers "must implement the new rules as soon as possible but no later than January 31," in the words of the IRS. If you don't catch this by the first payroll then you can make an adjustment to the second to compensate.
• What employees have to do - absolutely nothing. It is your employer's responsibility to comply.
• AMT Patch - the exemption amount for the Alternative Minimum Tax is increased to ,450 for individuals, ,450 for married taxpayers filing a return jointly and ,225 for married but filing separately couples.
• Estate Tax - Among the biggest dramas of 2010 has been whether George Steinbrenner's heirs would inherit his estate without owing any estate tax ("death tax" to you tea party types). Well, thanks to this bill I can confidently tell you maybe, but probably not. For 2010 estate managers will have the option of selecting the new regime of a million dollar exclusion with a 35% rate thereafter or of opting under the system that would have a 0% rate but would have denied the "step-up" in basis that inheritors have received under the previous rules. It gets complicated and few of my readers are passing on > million estates in 2010 (unless you plan on dying tomorrow).
• Bonus Depreciation - what's sexier than 50% bonus depreciation? Try 100% bonus depreciation! For select fixed assets placed in service from September 9, 2010 through the end of 2011, 100% of the purchase price of the asset may be depreciated in the year of purchase. For the entrepreneurs with smaller businesses this is important because you can take bonus depreciation even in a loss situation whereas Section 179 cannot put you into a loss. Also, bonus depreciation could be advantageous with the purchase of a vehicle used for business purposes.

HIRE Act

The HIRE Act was only in effect for 2010 and provided employers with an incentive to hire previously unemployed persons by giving them a 100% reduction on the employer portion of the payroll tax of the qualified hiree. Furthermore, if the employee remained hired for 52 consecutive weeks then the employer could be eligible for a credit of up to ,000 per employee. While it is too late to hire a new employee if you hired someone eligible for the credit don't forget to apply for the ,000 credit when they hit 52 weeks!

Tax Planning in 2011

The oldest trick in the book for tax planning is for cash-basis (as opposed to accrual basis) taxpayers, like most of you, to accelerate expenses into the current year through a number of tactics, including accelerated depreciation (like Section 179 or the 100% bonus depreciation available in 2011) or through the purchase of goods and services in the current year that won't be needed or utilized until the subsequent year. Alternatively, the taxpayer could delay the receipt of revenue by not sending out billings until the subsequent year. This is the "kick the can down the road" strategy for taxes; the income will eventually have to be recognized (nerdy accountant speak for saying that taxes will be owed on it) but we would rather that day came later instead of sooner. Well, the problem with this strategy comes in times of increasing taxes, such as we are likely to enter soon. All of the above mentioned laws that provide or extend tax benefits are temporary measures that will expire in 2012, an election year. Most of the political junkies who follow these things would guess that taxes will have to rise in order to keep pace with the gigantic debt the United States is ratcheting up. If this is the case then in 2011 you could actually find yourself in the position of wanting to prepay your taxes by accelerating revenue or deferring expenses.

An additional tax bill that has already been passed into law, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010, will tack on an additional 0.9% Medicare tax for married filing joint taxpayers earning greater than 0,000 and for single taxpayers earning greater than 0,000 for the 2013 tax year by 0.9%. In addition, those same taxpayers will be charged a 3.8% Medicare tax on earnings on investments; which were previously not subject to employment taxes.

In conclusion, 2010 was a year of great uncertainty and apprehension regarding taxes for the productive class. In the end, most tax hikes and any tax reform was pushed further down the road; leaving us with something rather like 2009. Certain tax hikes are already in the books, albeit not taking effect until further down the road, and taxpayers can expect additional uncertainty in 2012 when the current tax rates expire.

2010 Tax Year

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Tyler

Draft Options For The Cleveland Browns In 2012

With the first two picks in the 2012 NFL draft already decided by the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Redskins, the attention turns to the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns with the third and fourth overall picks. At this point in time, there is no way that Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III will be available at either one of these high draft picks, but there will be plenty of other options with potential Pro Bowlers up for grabs.

Even though Luck and Griffin are dominating the conversation in terms of the best quarterbacks in the 2012 NFL draft, one gunslinger has started to emerge as a potential high draft pick. That quarterback is none other than Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M.

Nfl 2012

Over the past couple weeks; Tannehill has really started to make a big impression on NFL scouts with the consensus being that he might be able to hold his own as a starting quarterback in this league. Even though Tannehill might be the third best quarterback, it is still uncertain which team is willing to take a chance on the rookie.

One team that might be willing to use a high draft pick on the potential starter is the Cleveland Browns. There has been talk of the Browns potentially taking USC's Matt Kalil and wanting McCoy to be the main man under center, but there is a decent chance of Cleveland going with Tannehill to either put pressure on McCoy or start over with another rookie like the Carolina Panthers did with Cam Newton last season.

Despite a promising start to the season last year, the Browns fell off once again and need an influx of talent in order to compete in the highly competitive AFC North division with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and the defending division champion Baltimore Ravens.

With that being said, the Browns fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft will be crucial to say the least. Even though the team still has Colt McCoy as their quarterback of the future, the team would almost certainly take Luck or Griffin with the fourth pick if they fell that far. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and that narrows the search for Cleveland.

One intriguing option for the Brown would be tackle Matt Kalil from USC. There has been talk of the Minnesota Vikings snatching Kalil with the third overall pick, but if not the Brown might be interested.

Draft Options For The Cleveland Browns In 2012

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2012 Detroit Lions Offseason Needs

The Detroit Lions finally put an end to their playoff drought with an impressive 10-6 run last year. However, they were completely outclassed by the New Orleans Saints in the opening round of the playoffs. New Orleans routed the Lions, 45-28. The Lions are hoping that they can capitalize on their regular season success last year and truly build something special moving forward. What the Lions need to do is focus on winning the NFC North and get home field in the playoffs. Here are the Lions' big additions and subtractions, plus a breakdown of their biggest needs heading into the draft.

Additions:

Nfl 2012

CB Jacob Lacey

DE Everette Brown

Subtractions:

CB Eric Wright

OLB Bobby Carpenter

Top 5 Needs:

1. Cornerback

Starting corner Eric Wright decided to move on and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason, but his presence won't be missed as he played poorly for the Lions last year. Detroit was able to sign free agent Jacob Lacey, but he really isn't a huge upgrade over Wright. The Lions need to use their first-round draft pick on a player for the secondary, whether it is at corner or safety. The Lions could go after South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore if he falls to them in the first round, or they could gamble on Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama.

2. Strong Safety

In the 2010 NFL draft, Amari Spievey was drafted in the third round with the intention of starting him at strong safety. However, he has been a huge bust, playing horribly in his first two seasons with the Lions. What the Lions want to happen is for Mark Barron to fall to them at No. 23, which could allow them to move Spievey to his more natural position of corner. The safety class is extremely thin this year, so the only option the team has at safety is to draft Barron.

3. Center

The Lions need to finally get rid of center Dominic Raiola, as he is already getting up there in age, and he wasn't any good to begin with.

4. Running Back

The Lions have two solid backs in Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith; however, both have struggled with injuries for quite some time now. Best's best bet on the field is as a specialist who can catch passes out of the backfield. If the Lions are able to add more depth at this position, then they can build an even-stronger offense from an already-dangerous one.

5. Offensive Tackle

If it weren't for the re-signing of Jeff Backus, this would be the Lions' top priority. As it is, the team now has more glaring holes to fill, and this is no longer an immediate need. Backus does turn 35 in September, so if he suffers a serious injury, then this team is screwed. If the Lions want to continue to move closer to a Super Bowl, then they must continue to add players who can protect their starting quarterback, the fragile Matthew Stafford.

2012 Detroit Lions Offseason Needs

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The Super Bowl History

On January 15, 1967 the very first professional American football championship was played at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It was billed as the AFL -NFL 1967 World Championship. Game tickets sold for .00 to .00. The game failed to sell out. Professional football spectators were not quite fanatical at that point in the sport's history, perhaps because they did not fully appreciate the potential of such an event. While the stated purpose was to determine the champion among two competing professional American football leagues, the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL), the Super Bowl has grown to represent so much more. It has become the ultimate symbol of America's resolve to succeed against all odds.

On that faithful January day in 1967 the NFL, represented by its champion the Green Bay Packers, challenged the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs. In a game played by the two best teams on Earth, made up of the best athletes on the planet, and viewed by professional football fans all over the country, Green Bay, led by the legendary Vince Lombardi, beat Hank Stram's Kansas City Chiefs 35 to 10.

Nfl 2012

When Green Bay returned the next year beating the AFL's Los Angeles Raiders 33 to 14, many believed the AFL would never match up. All that changed in 1969 when New York Jets quarterback, Joe Namath, made an off-the-cuff victory guarantee to a rowdy Colts fan during a Super Bowl press conference. In response to the heckling Colts fan, Namath said: "We're gonna win; I guarantee it." Namath's Guarantee created a sensation as news agencies broadcast the story in every major news network in the Country. On January 12, 1969 Joe Namath and his underdog AFL team went out and won the Super Bowl.

In 1970 the two leagues merged into the NFL creating two conferences out of the two former leagues. All former NFL teams, except one, became National Football Conference members and all AFL teams became American Football Conference members. One team was needed to balance the schedule, so the Baltimore Colts switched from the NFC to the AFC. Consequently the great Super Bowl match-up of 1969 cannot be repeated between the Jets and the Colts as both teams are now members of the same conference.

In 1965, prior to the merger, the upstart AFL secured a thirty-six million dollar contract with NBC for broadcast rights, which gave the league financial stability. Many cities across the country, principally in the south and the west had no professional football teams to satisfy the growing demand for the sport. As the AFL grew to satisfy that demand it also grew in prominence and began to compete for the top draft choices from college programs around the country. The two leagues observed an unspoken rule that neither would attempt to sign a player under contract in the other's league. However, when the New York Giants signed place kicker Pete Gogolak, who was under contract with the AFL's Buffalo Bills, AFL commissioner, Al Davis, took off the gloves and the AFL aggressively pursued the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. With attractive salary offers, the AFL managed to lure 7 of the NFL's most promising quarterbacks to the AFL in the 1965 season. Although the AFL later surrendered the contracts, the NFL recognized the threat the AFL posed by plundering their talent pool. Merger talks were conducted without the knowledge of NFL commissioner, Pete Rozelle or the AFL's commissioner, Al Davis. On June 8, 1966, the team owners of both leagues announced they had reached terms for a merger agreement. The actual merger would take four years to complete.

While league officials searched for a sensational name for the annual championship game, the Kansas City Chief's owner, Lamar Hunt, proposed calling it the "Super Bowl". Hunt, who was the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the founders of the American Football League, came up with the name while watching his daughter play with a rubber ball that was a toy sensation in the mid sixties. Whamo marketed the toy as the "Super Ball". Hunt's suggestion was only intended to serve as a temporary name, until a more glorious moniker could be agreed upon. Having failed to find a more desirable or descriptive replacement, the name stuck.

More than 151.6 million viewers tuned in to watch the 44th Super Bowl in 2010. According to Neilson Ratings, the 2010 Super Bowl was the most watched television program of all time. It surpassed the long standing record set by the final episode of the popular television series M*A*S*H, which drew 121.6 million viewers on February 28, 1983. In many ways the Super Bowl has become a contest of numbers. In 2010 thirty seconds of commercial air time sold for 3 million dollars, which is a long way from the ,500 charged by NBC for a 30 second spot during the first Super Bowl. Super Bowl wagers were estimated to exceed 10 billion dollars in 2010. The game was broadcast in 34 languages in 232 countries around the world. The 2010 Super Bowl added and estimated 400 million dollars to Miami's economy as a result of the Colts and Saints challenge for the title. Fans spent an estimated 5.6 billion dollars on Super Bowl related items during the championship. The media, marketing, entertainment and background stories surrounding the Super Bowl have become every bit as sensational as the game itself.

As of 2010 only two cities north of the Mason Dixon Line have ever hosted a Super Bowl; Detroit in 1982 and 2006, and Minneapolis in 1992. That trend is about to change. Dallas will host the Super Bowl in 2011, Indianapolis in 2012, New Orleans in 2013, and New Jersey in 2014. The NFL has also given some consideration to playing a future Super Bowl in London, England.

There are many great stories that make up Super Bowl history. One such story reportedly took place during the very first championship game. According to the Orlando Sentinel, CBS and NBC both covered the first Super Bowl sharing the same televised footage, but each used its own sportscasters. The cameras missed the kick-off for the second half of the game, because sportscaster Charles Jones was busy interviewing Bob Hope. When the head referee ordered a re-kick, a CBS producer directed CBS reporter Pat Summerall to explain the mishap to Vince Lombardi, the Packer's head coach. Pat Summerall, who played as a place kicker for the New York Giants under the legendary coach, refused to go anywhere near him. The story serves as anecdotal evidence of the terrorizing roar so often associated with Vince Lombardi, for whom the Championship Trophy is now named. Sadly, there is no known network coverage of the first Super Bowl. Reportedly, the only known tape was taped over to record a soap opera.

American radio broadcast personality Mark Champion is well known by basket ball fans as the voice of the Detroit Pistons. He is perhaps less well known as the off-screen voice who asks the Super Bowl MVP "You've just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?" Since 1987, Disney has been an important part of the Super Bowl tradition with its "What's Next" advertising campaign. The Walt Disney Company tapes two versions of the commercial, one promoting Disneyland in Anaheim, California and another for Disney World in Orlando, Florida and airs them in the markets geographically relevant to the two theme parks. Former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner credits his wife, Jane Eisner with the whole idea for the long running advertising campaign. In 1986, during Disney's opening celebration for the Star Tours attraction at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Eisner's dined with Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager (no relation to Chuck Yeager), who had just broken aviation history with their non-stop flight around the world in their specially designed Voyager aircraft. Jane Eisner reportedly asked the couple what they planned to do next and they replied "Well, we're going to Disneyland." She later suggested her husband use that as part of an advertising campaign to promote Disney's theme parks. Since 1987 Disney has used what it refers to as the "What's Next" advertising campaign every year (except 2006) to promote its theme parks during the post game celebration of the Super Bowl. The ads have become as much a part of the Super Bowl as the half time entertainment and the much anticipated Super Bowl commercials.

Each year millions of fans from around the world plan their schedules around American Football's greatest event. The show stopping half-time talent, the knee slapping commercials, the galas, the background stories, and the hype are as much a part of the show as the amazing athletes that play and the brilliant strategists who stalk the sidelines. While basketball and baseball are played in other countries around the world, American football remains uniquely American. The Super Bowl is America's Championship Game.

The Super Bowl History

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Clean Energy Is Not for the Weak Spirited

Recently in the downtown Fresno Radisson Hotel, five of us who make our living in clean energy discussed the state of the industry, the economy and the latest happenings in California's sun-drenched San Joaquin Valley.

"We're on the brink," one of our group said. "About to sail down the other side."

Super Bowl 2012

Like a roller coaster? Maybe. While our mood was optimistic -- you have to have a glass-half-full attitude to be in this line of work -- the reality of clean energy is that despite whatever technological advances made and the cost reductions in getting the Earth-friendly energy into the grid, there's always another hurdle, or several.

Modern Times

The latest wrench in the machine (I always think of Charlie Chaplin in "Modern Times" when I conjure that cliche) happens to be geopolitical. Continued Middle East unrest is messing with gas prices. Rather than flock to alternatives, the American public collectively hunkers down like the only available car on the road is an H2 Hummer.

A new study by the Pew Research Center says that while Americans still look favorably upon alternative energy, the sentimental surge in support for increased production of oil, coal and natural gas has increased over the past year. "Moreover, support for allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters, which plummeted during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has recovered to pre-spill levels."

The study found 65 percent favor allowing increased offshore drilling, up from 57 percent a year ago and 44 percent in June 2010, during the Gulf spill.

I mentioned the study's findings at my little meeting in the Radisson, but it failed to phase anybody. This group has built up thick skin from years in the business. Selling clean energy, energy efficiency and clean air isn't for the weak-spirited.

Alternatives for energy security

Recently I did a couple of posts on natural gas. It's a cleaner burning fuel, and what I especially like about it is that the United States has a heck of a lot of it deep underground. I'm personally all for energy independence, and one of the ways to get there is the "all of the above" theory. That means including fossil fuels.

My friend Charles in Texas would beat me over the head with that fact, arguing about the importance of crude oil to super custom choppers, fast cars and jobs -- in about that order.

But I also want to be able to see the Sierra Mountains from my house. Currently, the majestic range is only visible after a drenching rain. There's just too much pollution sequestered in this natural bowl in the center of California.

Some solutions have drawbacks

Natural gas is cleaner than coal, better than diesel (but not clean burning diesel) and it generates comments like this from culled from a story by Adam Lesser in gigaom.com. He quotes Carter Bales at the Wall Street Journal ECO:nomics Conference in Santa Barbara as saying, "Natural gas is half the carbon of coal. When we are burning natural gas, we are cooking ourselves a bit more slowly, but we're clearly cooking ourselves."

Bales founded NewWorld Capital and is an authority on climate change. He points out the obvious in Lesser's piece, saying low cost energy via natural gas is good but may slow development of renewables.

Yet, the nation shouldn't ignore natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing must be done so that escaped gases don't infiltrate and render aquifers useless.

What sells in Berkeley

The bottom line is cost effectiveness. Vinod Khosla, green investor and venture capitalist, was quoted by Eric Wesoff of greentechmedia.com as saying, "Priuses sell well in Berkeley" but do not sell well in Mississippi, "and Mississippi is closer to the rest of the world than Berkeley."

In other words, for green to sell it has to make economic sense not just make you feel warm inside. "Nothing defies the law of economic gravity," Khosla says.

Ken Friesen, a Fresno Pacific University professor and shade-tree green mechanic, pointed this lesson out to those who walked by his homemade plug-in Prius at Fresno Earth Day 2012. On a no-nonsense display, he spelled out the cost between buying a new plug-in from the factory -- about ,000 -- vs. a do-it-yourself version with an aftermarket battery pack and a used car.

The cost for the latter, as I recall -- about ,000, depending on what you get the used Prius for and what kind battery pack used.

Those are market forces at work. Unfortunately, few are as talented as Friesen.

Market theory

The market theory is the same reason I have a VW Bug as my spare cool car. It's cheap and easy to work on and modify. There are a lot of VW enthusiasts. There is a ready supply of old bugs for a decent price and parts are available and cheap.

Apply that to clean energy. When solar panel prices drop to a certain sweet spot and battery prices become approachable to guys like me, expect a whole lot of new applications. Just like an iPhone, provide a platform and innovators will make stuff to put on it.

Nobody really wants to spend lots of money on electricity, just like nobody would prefer spending nearly a gallon per gas. My mechanic was recently talking about when California instituted a 5 cent gas tax way back when he was a teenager (must have been the early 1970s). His boss at the gas station where he worked on Clovis Avenue and Fifth told employees to prepare for the worst.

After all, the tax represented a 20 percent increase in the price of fuel. Turns out nobody firebombed the station. My mechanic survived with a few insults and lectures, nothing a 17-year-old couldn't handle.

Chevelle economics 101

Given the chance, and maybe an affordable electric or plug-in conversion, many motorheads from in my era might jump at the chance to hop up a 1967 SS Chevelle (I just saw a sweet one that reminded me of my old muscle car) so that it could blast by gas stations and just use the 396 cubic inch monster in emergencies. (Now that I try to make sense of how to engineer that, I wonder if it could be done. But I digress.)

So maybe we are on the brink. Leave it to the backyard innovator to make sense of it.

Clean Energy Is Not for the Weak Spirited

Mike Nemeth, project manager of the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization, spent 24 years working as a newspaperman editing and reporting from Alaska to California. The SJVCEO is a nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life through increased use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO is based in Fresno, Calif. and works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley. For more information, go to http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org.

2012 NFL Mock Draft (25-32)

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

To keep Peyton Manning from taking a lot of hits, the Denver Broncos could go and get some help on the offensive line. However, I believe that they will look to improve at defensive tackle. Brodrick Bunkley is unsure if he will resign, and even if he does return, the Broncos still need an interior defensive lineman to put pressure on the quarterback. LSU's Michael Brockers might just be the guy to help boost the defense and really get after opposing pass throwers. His ability to get pressure up the middle will infinitely help Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller to pile on the sacks.

Super Bowl 2012

26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

Watching last year's playoffs, it has become painfully clear that the Houston Texans need someone other than Andre Johnson in the receiving game. Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill might be the answer as well as a steal late in the first round. Although Georgia Tech is obviously known for its running game, the Yellow Jackets did send Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas to the NFL. Hill is a relatively intriguing prospect, as he is virtually an unknown going to the draft. At 6'4" and 215 lbs., he definitely has the body to be a wideout in the NFL. It will all depend on whether or not he can be as good as his Yellow Jacket counterparts. If he does turn out to be as good as them, then the Texans can turn into legit Super Bowl contenders in 2012.

27. New England Patriots: Nick Perry, DE, USC

With two picks in the final six selections of the first round, the New England Patriots could easily trade one of their picks. However, is widely known that the Patriots need to improve their pass rush. Adding Trevor Scott is certainly a step in the right direction, but they did lose Mark Anderson through free agency in the process. Nick Perry can certainly be a good selection for New England. He has the ability to play defensive end in a 4-3 and outside linebacker in a 3-4. He was a force for the Trojans' defense last year and with his combination of ability and size to go along with a number of solid pass rushing moves, he is certainly a great fit for the defending AFC champs.

28. Green Bay Packers: Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

The Green Bay Packers will need to pick up someone who can help with their defensive woes, as they struggled mightily on the defensive end thanks to their inability to get to the quarterback. Green Bay finished with an abysmal 29 sacks last year. The opposing offenses loaded up on Clay Matthews and no one else was able to step up and make a play. Marshall defensive end/outside linebacker Vinny Curry is the player who could make a difference in Green Bay. He racked up 23 sacks in the final two seasons with the Thundering Herd. He still has a lot to learn in order to make a huge impact in the NFL, but he is still more than capable of playing right away.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

While their defense is great enough to get them to the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens need to improve their passing game if they want to take advantage. Lee Evans was a big disappointment for them, and his dropped pass in the AFC Championship Game will haunt Baltimore fans for a long time. The Ravens are still very much capable of coming back to the title game, but Anquan Boldin is not getting any younger and Torrey Smith is really only a deep-threat. Baltimore is in dire need of another wideout whom they can go to in the end zone. While this could be a stretch, South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery could very well be just what Joe Flacco and the offense need. Poor quarterback play ruined his draft stock, but in 2010, he caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns. Picking this late in the draft, the Ravens might not be able to find another player quite as good as Jeffery.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

After getting Randy Moss and Mario Mannigham, it seems as though the San Francisco 49ers have finally addressed their problems at receiver. Now all they need is to address their gaping hole on the right side of the offensive line. Anthony Davis has underwhelmed despite being a first-round selection, and right guard Adam Snyder is just not good enough. Mike Adams could very well be what changes their dynamic on the offensive line. Adams could easily start immediately at right tackle, and Davis would shift inside to right guard. Despite this team relying too much on the running the ball, picking Adams with this pick is certainly going to improve this team's chances.

31. New England Patriots: Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

If New England chooses to keep this pick, the Patriots will likely look to add some more help on the defensive line. Connecticut's Kendall Reyes would be a great fit as a 3-4 defensive end. He is has the size and speed that allows him to be a force against the run, but he also possesses some pass-rush ability. Reyes could also move inside and play defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. Another option for New England if they elect to go for defensive lineman is Penn State's Devon Still. It's hard telling who head coach Bill Belichick will go after, but I'm pretty confident it will be on the defensive side of the ball.

32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

The New York Giants definitely have a lot of holes to fill, so they could use this pick in a number of different ways. They need help on the offensive line and at inside linebacker, but they also need to upgrade at tight end. Jake Ballard, although a solid fill-in last year, isn't really a long term solution. Stanford's Coby Fleener is the highest-rated tight end in the draft this year, and someone who can provide an immediate impact. He is a solid route runner and is smart enough to know how to exploit the middle of the field. Should they decide to pick him, he is certainly a perfect fit for Eli Manning and the Giants' passing attack.

2012 NFL Mock Draft (25-32)

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