The Blue Workhorse

Have Yao Ming and Miley Cyrus ever met each other? I don’t know. Is that relevant for this article? Not really.

What matters is that Yao Ming is 27 years old. Roger Clemens was 28 years old.

Miley Cyrus is 15 years old, so was Mindy McCready. Cyrus sings country music, so did McCready.

Are you disgusted yet? If the thought of the 7-foot-6, square-headed Chinese basketball player cavorting with the diminutive smiling face of the youngest generation’s #1 star doesn’t disturb you just because of the logistics of their two diverse body types and appearances, the thought of their age gap should be enough to make you shudder.

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 troublesome players have repeatedly been given second chances in the league, Pollack won’t be getting that second opportunity. So, while Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones appears to be poised to be reinstated into the NFL, Michael Vick is being allowed to keep money from the Atlanta Falcons, and several of his Cincinnati Bengals teammates have been suspended (some on multiple occasions), it appears David Pollack, who was drafted as much for his upstanding character as for his football talents, is going to be forced to retire due to a broken neck after playing only 16 career games.

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.

The Atlanta Falcons have released Joey Harrington, the third overall pick from the 2002 draft who starred at the University of Oregon prior to learning that football isn’t easy. Coming off a season in which he threw for 2,215 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 12 games (including 10 starts), Harrington will be forced to seek for a new team for the fourth consecutive off-season.

Harrington and #1 overall pick David Carr are the posterboys for what is likely one of the poorest quarterback classes in NFL Draft history. Along with Harrington and Carr, Patrick Ramsey also fits the bill as a first round draft bust from the 2002 draft class.

The writing was on the wall…but I didn’t want to read what had been written.

On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons signed free agent running back Michael Turner to a six year contract worth a reported $34.5 million dollars, and with young, electric back Jerious Norwood under contract for the next two seasons for less than a million dollars total, it became painstakingly evident.

On Monday, it became official — next season Warrick Dunn will not be in a Falcons’ uniform.

While there are only a few days where there is significant player movement, the impact these few days have on a franchise is magnanimous. If an owner and/or general manager aren’t able to woo any talented free agents, the franchise is likely to struggle.

With so much at stake for franchises, several players across the league pursued new contracts, and possibly new homes, all whilst teams tried to lure in talent to fill as much necessities as possible before the April 26-27 draft. Since Thursday, several players have made a move on the market including CB Asante Samuels (Eagles), DE Justin Smith (49ers), RB Michael Turner (Falcons), TE Alge Crumpler (Titans), OL Alan Faneca (Jets), and wide receivers Donte Stallworth (Browns), Issac Bruce (49ers), Bernard Berrian (Vikings) and Jerry Porter (Jaguars).

“Sex, drugs and high rollers. A former prostitute said all three were in play during wild sex parties at an exclusive Denver social club.” (CBS4 in Denver)

Once again, professional athletes are being linked as clients in a sex scandal (see Gold Club), but this time they are even paying for the services.