The Blue Workhorse

According to MediaTakeOut.com, which claims to be “The Most Visited Black Website In The World,” ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback and current inmate Michael Vick a.ka. Ron Mexico isn’t finding life in prison to be as peachy as Georgia is.
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Vick is currently serving a 23-month prison stint stemming from his conviction on dogfighting conspiracy charges. It’s unfortunate that Vick is going through hell in prison — unfortunate, for all the Falcons’ teammates, coaches, and fans that he screwed over, but I bet all of those dogs that Vick harmed were never able to pay for protection in the ‘hell’ that was his kennels.

Many sports teams have fan traditions that can be seen as fun, funny, or just goofy. Some traditions are universal in all stadiums (such as the wave), some are sport specific (throwing hats on the ice after a hat trick in hockey), and some traditions are only performed in individual stadiums (throwing back a home run hit by an opposing team and singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Wrigley Field) or by the fans of individual teams (the New York Jets chanting “J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets”).

While it may look foolish when one person stands and waves a towel or a foam tomahawk, 30000, 50000 or even 100000 rabid fans yelling and waving a piece of sports paraphernalia becomes an imposing spectacle for an opposing fan or team member.

With the recent passing of Pittsburgh Steelers famed broadcaster Myron Cope, who was perhaps most famously known for his creation of the “Terrible Towel” waved frequently by the Steelers’ fans, we’re decided to honor Cope and his “Terrible Towel” with a list of the top 9 (we’re anti-top 5 and top 10) paraphernalia traditions in sports:

Young whiz Scott Kazmir was shut down Tuesday afternoon after experiencing pain in his left elbow after his final warm-up pitch before a scrimmage. While it is not uncommon for a pitcher to precautiously shut down an early spring training session, if this injury turns into something serious, it could have an immediate impact on your fantasy drafts.

The left-handed Kazmir has posted stellar numbers since coming to Tampa Bay as part of the Victor Zambrano trade (sorry to remind you, Mets fans). In his short career, Kazmir has struckout an astonishing 617 batters in only 570.2 innings worked.

Despite pitching in the slugging AL East, his career ERA is an impressive 3.64, and last season, he posted career highs in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts while pitching for the last-place Rays: 13 W, 206.2 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and an AL-high 239 K’s, which was only one behind major league leader Jake Peavy’s 240.

The Royal Court dancers, as the Kings’ dancers are named, got themselves into some hot water a couple of weeks ago and could possibly face disciplinary actions after some photos of the dancers were taken from PhotoBucket galleries and began making their rounds on blogs such as Don Chavez and WithLeather. Many of the photos are sexually suggestive and some have the dancers drinking in their uniforms. While all of the photos can be found here and here at WithLeather, below is one of the tame photos from those found:

It’s always tough to watch your favorite team lose a player with as much talent as Hossa possesses (similar to the Falcons losing Deion Sanders, the Braves splitting with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, or the Hawks and Dominique Wilkins parting ways).

Despite my disappointment, I think the Thrashers actually got the better end of this deal. Instead of Hossa being lost to free agency later this summer in exchange for nothing (which may still happen to Pittsburgh), Atlanta got back Christensen and three first round picks (Armstrong in ‘01, Esposito last season, and the pick in the next draft).

Unlike the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year and Pro Bowl MVP out of the University of Oklahoma, who has repeatedly shown he is “a bright, articulate and classy young man as well as a terrific football player,” questions about McFadden’s character are starting to become as numerous as the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’

McFadden is currently battling a paternity suit, and according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, McFadden “told a team during an interview Saturday night that he has two children on the way.” Add in two altercations outside of night clubs (one in July 2006 and the other last month) as well as allegations (that were later retracted) that agent Mike Conley Sr. helped him purchase a Cadillac Escalade, and McFadden’s character has become something that is being questioned by NFL coaches and front office members alike.

There is often a Cinderella-type story at the NFL’s Combine every year that gets an unlikely invite and makes a few waves. Mel Kiper gives the guy his own feature on Draft Day, he gets selected on the second day of the draft, and maybe makes it as a semi-successful professional backup.

This year, however, the Cinderella story, Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco may end up being a steal in the draft. The 6-foot-6 inch (and 3/8ths) fellow-who-is-quite-tall is also 236 pounds, and according to FanHouse’s Michael David Smith, Flacco says he plans to run his 40-yard dash somewhere between 4.6-4.7 seconds.

College football’s other season started off slowly, but is now coming on strong in the first full month since the end of the January Bowl Championship Series concluded.

No…not off season workouts and preparations before spring practice, not recruiting for the future of the program. No. This season involves DUI, underage consumption, public intoxication, firearm possession, and armed robbery.