On the road to the draft / On the road to recovery

NFL Combine wraps up today.
Huge and humble LSU QB Jamarcus Russell impressed a lot of coaches, whereas the favorite QB coming in, Brady Quinn, may have lost a little ground when he declined to work out for the combine. But Quinn is an amazing QB, and I hardly think he will not be snapped up quickly by the NFL. He's talented and increbily confident, not mention he's in amazing shape.

When he stepped on the scale to be weighed wearing just his workout shorts, the male announcers were falling over themselves to admire his physique. "Just look at that body!" They reported. (Hey, they said it first.)



Brett Favre finally has the ankle surgery that he's been putting off for four years!

The bone spur removal procedure went well and the Packers believe Favre will be ready for the post-draft veteran mini camp May 18th.

Funny to think of Iron Man Favre procrastinating surgery for four years. After 257 consecutive starts, broken thumb, concussions and three hundred pound lineman smashing him to the turf, what's he got to be afraid of?

The only thing I can think of is the fear that, at the age of 37, he wouldn't be able to make a full recovery. He'd gotten used to playing with the pain, but surgery was the unknown. My helmet's off to him for his belated bravery.

NFL Network Coverage of Scouting Combine Starts Today!

February 22-28:

The top 300 NFL football prospects from colleges across the nation strut their stuff to try and earn a spot in the NFL draft. Live press conferences, all the physical drills and even player interviews will be broadcast this year.

Not only do the athletes have to be faster than the wind and bench press their guts out, they have to take The Wonderlic Test, an Intelligence test the NFL has been administering for about thirty years. ESPN's Jeff Merron provides some sample questions, if you're game. I admit, I got three wrong.

NFL prospects score about average. Chemists and doctors a bit higher, but when's the last time you saw a Chemist somersault into the end zone?

For the complete listing of NFL combine coverage, go to NFL Network TV schedule.

Survive the Offseason - Tip #1

1. Watch Friday Night Lights on NBC, Wednesdays at 8pm.

For those not familiar, it's based on the book by H.G. Bissinger, and chronicles the small Texas town of Dillon and its passion for high school football. The hopes and dreams of the players are intertwined with the town itself.

The TV series opened with the star quarterback taking a hit that put him in a wheelchair. While certainly guilty of pulling emotional strings with its audience, this device has worked to shake much of the usual teenage artifice from the characters, and how they relate to each other.

Breaking records, but not our hearts..?

Brett Favre means more to the Packers team and fans with each passing year, but I hope he's not coming back just to break John Elway's victory record or complete more touchdown passes than Dan Marino. He has to know he is beyond records and into legend already.

I'm thrilled that I don't have to see him go yet,

but I really won’t be able to stand it if I have to see him fail.


CONGRATS TO THE COLTS!

Debating Super Bowl commercials is not usually my thing, but I have to speak up against this one, disguised as an interview...

In the post game show with Deion Sanders, rookie Kelvin Hayden said a Tiki Barber "Cadillac" commerical inspired his dream that he was going to run an interception in for a score! If I'm not mistaken, this is product placement! I know he wasn't voted MVP, but does Hayden get a free Escalade for saying that?

How Close did You get to the "Big Game?"... PLUS Snacks!

I am basking in the feeling of "one more meaningful game," and I don't care how many times I hear about Bears and Colts carrying the dreams of their families and communities!

Peyton Manning, after nine years in the league, college, high school, and back to the previous generation. Rex Grossman’s father played college ball, and grandfather played in the NFL - for the Colts, no less!

That’s not to say the parents, much less the public, hasn’t realized their own share of dreams, but the closest I ever got to my “big game’ was high school basketball, and you might have nicknamed me the "Archie Manning" of point guards.

http://www.porktenderloinsandwich.com/

If you're a Colts fan looking to serve some authentic Indianapolis food at your SB party, look no further than the Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.

The pictures alone are enough to give me indigestion, but the natives swear by it.

Did you know a pro football player burns through about 4,000 calories during a game? Thanks, L.A. Times Health section, for reminding me that my guacamole dreams far out"weigh" my caloric couch reality.

Who scored more points this year,
the Colts or the Bears?

Answer: they both scored an EQUAL 427 points!