FanHouse Bobby Carpenter

Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.

Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.

Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.

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Raise your hand if you didn't see this coming. I'm not seeing many hands raised. Ed Werder, resident Cowboy's expert at ESPN, has a rather incredible article on Thursday talking about a potential conflict that is on the verge of consuming us all. I hope you're ready for it. I'm already going to the store to stock up on bread and toilet paper.

Apparently, Terrell Owens, always with a sunny disposition and rosy outlook on life, is growing jealous of the relationship and friendship that is shared by Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, and tight end Jason Witten.

Seriously.

I have to assume this is true, simply because it's so crazy that you couldn't possibly make it up. Plus, it sounds like vintage Owens behavior. Linebacker Bradie James is quoted in Werder's piece as saying he "plays peacemaker" between Owens and Romo, while a second, unnamed player takes it a couple of steps further, comparing this situation to the apocalyptic -- in a football sense -- situations that Owens created in San Francisco and Philadelphia. And we all know how that ended.

When he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Bill Parcells made the call to pick Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter in the first round of the 2006 draft. Parcells loved Carpenter and viewed him as the typical "Parcells guy," just as Carpenter's father, former New York Giants fullback Rob Carpenter, had been a generation before.

However, not many Cowboys fans love Carpenter. You can't exactly call Carpenter a bust, but he's only started one game in his two seasons in Dallas, and he's not expected to start this year, either. He's OK on special teams, but when the best you can say about a player after two years is "OK on special teams," that's disappointing for a first-round pick.

But Parcells still loves Carpenter. The Star-Telegram reports that Parcells attempted to get the Cowboys to trade Carpenter to the Dolphins before the draft. And in a sign that the Cowboys still see some potential in Carpenter, they said no.

I'm skeptical that Carpenter will ever be a good NFL linebacker, but if a football man as astute as Parcells likes him -- and if the Cowboys still want him -- he obviously has potential.

While the US Hockey Hall of Fame doesn't have the same cache and prestige that the one in downtown Toronto, the honor of being inducted in the USHHOF is still something special for those involved.

This year's inductees are John "The Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck, who once led the third-year Florida Panthers to the Cup finals, Bobby Carpenter, a master checking forward who once scored 50 goals in a season, Aaron Broten, a member of the famous Broten clan, and former NCAA coach/builder John MacInnes.

As the Beezer is one of my all-time favorite players, I'm quite happy to see him get this honor. His chances are making the BIG HHOF are a bit iffy, so this might be the best he'll get.

"It's been a great progress, a time of progression, to see USA Hockey grow," Vanbiesbrouck said. "To see it grow in the light of where hockey is said to have started, and that's in Canada, but the presence of USA Hockey is universal. It's around the globe."

"I've had the opportunity with Aaron and Bobby to have played in many World Championships and Canada Cups, and every time we got together – even if we played on different teams – we really united by the bond of being American," he said. "And I think that is something that is constant in my life and I think about it all the time, the freedoms we live under. And so, it's truly a humbling time for me to sit here and to know I'm going into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as an American for my accomplishments."

If Beezer really wanted to contribute to the US HHOF, perhaps he should donate a few hundred to the shrine to get an actual working website.

For a full list of US HHOF inductees, click here.

Missed this for last week, but we're back for week 13. Here's how former Buckeyes fared in NFL action this past weekend:

• Tim Anderson (BUF): 4 tackles
• Nate Clements (BUF): 7 tackles, 2 pass deflections
• Donte Whitner (BUF): 7 tackles, 1 pass deflection
• Simon Fraser (CLE): 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
• Mike Vrable (NE): 7 tackles, 2 INT, 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery
• Mike Nugent (NYJ): 1-1 FG (24), 5-5 PAT
• Santonio Holmes (PIT): 1 reception for 18 yards, 2 returns for 12 yards
• Matt Wilhelm (SD): 5 tackles
• Ben Hartsock (TEN): 1 reception for 16 yards
• Michael Jenkins (ATL): 4 receptions for 43 yards and 1 TD
• Drew Carter (CAR): 1 reception for 5 yards
• Na'il Digs (CAR): 2 tackles, 1 pass deflection
• Chris Gamble (CAR): 3 tackles, 1 pass deflection
• Bobby Carpenter (DAL): 3 tackles
• Terry Glenn (DAL): 4 receptions for 52 yards
• A.J. Hawk (GB): 8 tackles, 1 pass deflection
• Ryan Pickett (GB): 3 tackles, 1 pass deflection
• Will Allen (TB): 2 tackles
• Joey Galloway (TB): 3 receptions for 37 yards

Former Buckeye of the Week is a pretty easy decision this go round. Mike Vrable had an absolutely monster game for the Patriots, participating in three turnovers, while also recording seven tackles and breaking up a couple of passes. Very impressive game, and a very impressive season so far for Mike Vrable.

A little late this week, but here's how former Ohio State Buckeyes did in the NFL for week 11:

• Tim Anderson (BUF): 3 tackles
• Nate Clements (BUF): 4 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 1 INT
• Donte Whitner (BUF): 7 tackles
• Mike Vrable (NE): 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble
• Santonio Holmes (PIT): 5 receptions for 75 yards and 1 TD, 2 returns for 13 yards
• Michael Jenkins (ATL): 3 receptions for 23 yards and 1 TD
• Na'il Diggs (CAR): 2 tackles
• Chris Gamble (CAR): 4 tackles, 3 returns for 13 yards
• Bobby Carpenter (DAL): 1 tackles
• Terry Glenn (DAL): 6 receptions for 78 yards
• A.J. Hawk (GB): 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery
• Ryan Pickett (GB): 5 tackles
• Darrion Scott (MIN): 3 tackles
• Antoine Winfield (MIN): 4 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 1 INT
• Will Smith (NO): 4 tackles, 1 sack
• Will Allen (TB): 3 tackles
• Joey Galloway (TB): 4 receptions for 64 yards and 1 TD
• Shawn Springs (WAS): 7 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 1 INT

Lots of touchdowns for former Buckeye receivers, but the former Buckeye player of the week has to go to Mike Vrable. Vrable had a pretty big game and was instrumental in the Patriots blowout of Green Bay.

Here's how former Ohio State Buckeyes fared in week 10 of NFL action:

• Tim Anderson (BUF): 1 tackle
• Nate Clements (BUF): 5 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble
• Donte Whitner (BUF): 4 tackles
• Simon Fraser (CLE): 1 pass deflection
  
• Dan Wilkinson (MIA): 1 tackle
• Mike Vrabel (NE): 1 tackle
• Mike Nugent (NYJ): 1-1 FG (34), 2-2 PAT
• Santonio Holmes (PIT): 2 receptions for 57 yards
• Matt Wilhelm (SD): 1 tackle
• Michael Jenkins (ATL): 2 receptions for 17 yards and 1 TD
• Na'il Digs (CAR): 5 tackles
• Chris Gamble (CAR): 3 tackles, 3 returns for 20 yards
• Bobby Carpenter (DAL): 1 tackle
• A.J. Hawk (GB): 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
• Ryan Pickett (GB): 3 tackles
• Darrion Scott (MIN): 2 tackles
• Antoine Winfield (MIN): 7 tackles
• Will Smith (NO): 2 tackles
• Joey Galloway (TB): 5 receptions for 87 yards
• Shawn Springs (WAS): 4 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble

Kind of a down week for most former Buckeyes, but A.J. Hawk had a monster game. I think it's clear that he's the former Buckeye Player of the Week.