About Us
The Blue Workhorse is an independent sports blog encompassing the four major professional leagues in North America as well as NCAA athletics.
Thus far (just over three months), it has been viewed in over 85 countries and has been translated into eleven languages other than our native American (English). It is the collaborative work effort of five sports enthusiasts, who first met while attending Maryville College together.
Combined we have:
- 83 years in sports (average of over 16 years)
- 20 high school varsity letters (baseball, basketball, football, tennis)
- 15 collegiate varsity letters in baseball
- 7 rings (4 for collegiate conference championship & 3 high school state championships)
- 4 collegiate varsity letters in football
- 3 current athletic coaches (2 collegiate baseball; high school football)
- 2 journalists
- 1 aspiring MLB umpire
If you have any questions, comments, tips, complaints, constructive criticism or are interested in advertising, please feel free to e-mail editor Shotgun Spratling (shotgun3524 AT yahoo.com).
THE BW STAFF:
Shotgun Spratling (owner, CEO, writer, editor, etc.) - Shotgun Spratling is an absolute sports nut. He enjoys watching almost every sport live or on television (even non-traditional American sports like soccer, hockey, and lacrosse). He was a 3-sport letterman in high school playing baseball, basketball, and football. In college, he was a 4-year letterman for Maryville College’s baseball program concluding his collegiate career by inducing the ground ball that ended the 2007 Great South Athletic Conference and gave the Maryville Scots the GSAC championship.
Shotgun loves watching and playing baseball but when playing he prefers the intense atmosphere of the basketball court when the raucous opposing fans are practically breathing on the back of his neck. He graduated in December ‘07 with a degree in English w/ Teacher’s Licensure & Writing/Communications. He has worked with the Princeton Devil Rays minor league baseball team, written sports for the Blount Today, DailyDorm.com, Highland Echo, the Maryville College web site, and been quoted on MLB.com.
Favorite Teams: Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay (no longer Devil) Rays, Georgia Bulldogs athletics, Florida State Seminoles football, North Carolina Tar Heels basketball
Favorite Players: Alonzo Mourning, Frank Thomas, Chipper Jones, Ilya Kovalchuk, Drew Bledsoe, Micah Owings, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Hines Ward, Tyree Hayes
DRang (writer): Derek Rang is our resident fantasy expert. In our own competitive leagues, tournament brackets, and bowl pick ‘ems, Rang has never finished outside of the top 3 in any of our competitions (much to the despise of the rest of us). His analysis is typically spot on, so much that it sometimes borders on eerie. Like each of us, Rang has been involved in sports throughout the entirety of his life. In high school, he was a member of the back-to-back-to-back state champion Maryville Rebels, starting at linebacker his final two years.
Rang also played baseball where he was twice named as an All-District and All-County selection. He continued as a two-sport athlete at Maryville College for two years. After previously being named to the GSAC All-Freshman team, Rang decided to concentrate on football his junior year. He also was an All-Conference linebacker his senior season. He graduated in May ‘07 with a degree in Mathematics w/ Teacher Licensure, which he has put to use as a high school math teacher and an assistant varsity football coach.
Favorite Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Illinois Fighting Illini athletics, Chicago Bears
Rosenblogger (writer): To Be Updated
Heisman (writer): To Be Updated
Junior Valentine (writer): To Be Updated
The Pete (writer): To Be Updated
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