The Blue Workhorse

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wait and prepare to walk across the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on NFL Draft Day? Ever wanted to hear your name called by the NFL Commissioner? Well, Yardbarker is going to give you as close to that experience as 99% of us will ever get to being on the stage.

As the next wave of NFL players prepare to enter the league today, Yardbarker.com is presenting a new and unique angle with their draft coverage. Yardbarker is bringing you the draft through the eyes of the athletes themselves. For example, you will be able to sit beside Keith Rivers and Darren McFadden, both YardBarkers themselves, as their futures are determined.

While perusing ESPN’s web site earlier this week I came across what should wrap up the award for the most ludicrous piece of legislation for this legislative calendar.

Now, many of you are probably rummaging through the remnants of news blips you have heard while flipping back and forth between sporting events trying to remember anything you can about the political process. Most of you probably can only conjure up the lyrics of School House Rock’ “Bill on Capitol Hill.” Anyway, the article referred to a bill sponsored by some of our seemingly bored Congressmen in the House of Representatives.

Representatives Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Georgia) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) have introduced a resolution that would force the Justice Department’s Anti-Trust Division to investigate the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) as an illegitimate enterprise because of restrictions on free trade.

I got an e-mail earlier today suggesting I check out YouMail and their voicemail greetings. I was skeptical at first, but since we recently got some love from SicEmDawgs.com, DawgSports.com, and on a message board at DawgRun.com, I figured I’d at least check out YouMail.

I’m not a big technological person when it comes to my cell phone since it really only works when it wants anyways, but I was impressed by the personalized team NCAA messages the site is promoting for March Madnes.

Six-foot-six-inch Terrelle Pryor, also 235 pounds, helped lead his team to the Pennsylvania Class AA state basketball championship by pouring in 23 points and 8 rebounds in a 76-72 overtime victory over Strawberry Mansion and all everyone wants to talk about is…football?

That’s because Pryor is also led his team to state championship in football. It doesn’t hurt that he is the consensus #1 football player in the nation as a 6-foot-6 quarterback with great arm strength to go along with the quickness and agility he has displayed on the hardwood.

Herschel Walker is probably the most revered football player in the state of Georgia, but it was shocking to almost everyone when he revealed in January that he has dealt with multiple personality disorder, or dissociative identity disorder as it is more commonly referred to today. Even those close to him, including his father, Willis; his college football coach, UGA legend Vince Dooley’ and good friend Frank Roz, who played at Georgia with Walker, were surprised.

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:

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.