If Vick lied once, how can the commissioner believe him now?

A Masquerade: Since Michael Vick lied to Roger Goodell's face at the start of the dog-fighting scandal that sent him to prison - he vehemently denied any involvement - how does the commissioner expect to know if the NFL's most high-profile jailbird is genuinely remorseful? He's posturing if he says he can. Almost anything we hear from Vick or Goodell about Vick's alleged rehabilitation is simply lip service - public relations contrivances - nothing more.

Futurewatch If the Redskins don't get a chance to draft Mark Sanchez after bringing him in for an interview, what do they tell Jason Campbell? Is there a nice way of saying, "We're stuck with you"?

Add Skins Campbell on the Sanchez draft mania, "Out of the 32 teams in the league, it seems like he's going to 28 of them." Yeah, seems that way.

Idle thought With all the talk of upsides, impact players and franchise quarterbacks, one historical fact helps put the draft in perspective: Tom Brady wasn't picked until the sixth round.

Tick, tick, tick Later today, we'll hear about NFL teams that are "on the clock." Big deal. When you think about it, aren't we all on the clock?

Painless way With the availability of the Internet, I don't know why anybody would want to sit for hours in front of the TV watching a draft that consists mostly of deadly-dull, wasted time as teams "on the clock" ponder their moves. Just wait a couple hours, click on the Web and you're up to speed.

Wisdom Playing golf this weekend? If so, remember the immortal words of the late Dean Martin: "If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt."

Wondering Considering the power numbers he continues to put up, is there a less heralded superstar in any major sport than the Cardinals' Albert Pujols? Compared with other sports, baseball does a poor job promoting its biggest talents.

Under the radar Very quietly, Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis is off to a great start at the plate; he went into Friday's game with a .387 batting average and a league-leading 19 RBIs.

Local connection Diminutive guard Jose Juan Barea, playing major minutes in the playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks, is an alumnus of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Going forth Having nothing left to prove in college, turning pro after his junior season is the right move for Davidson's Stephen Curry. He will add a little intrigue to an otherwise boring draft class.

Import Predicted to be selected ahead of Curry and every other available guard is 18-year-old phenom Ricky Rubio, who has been a starter in Europe's best pro league since he was 16 and who played the point for Spain's Olympic team.

New era Jeremy Tyler, the 6-foot-11 high school junior from San Diego who said he's skipping his senior year to play basketball in Europe, noted that "nowadays, people look to college for more off-the-court stuff versus being in the gym and getting better." Off-the-court stuff? I guess he's referring to classes, books, exams - the annoying little distractions that get in the way of an athlete's development. From the mouth of babes.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com