One of the laws that governs coverage of the Combine is that for every hour of relative tranquility, there is another that oozes chaos. There are lengthy periods in which no players enter the room — and we are in the throes of such a state now, allowing us to quietly munch upon victuals consisting of a ham-and-cheese hoagie, an oatmeal raisin cookie and a Coke.
Invariably, this will be counterbalanced by a period when four or five players hold simultaneous press gatherings, leaving us hard-pressed to cover all of them.
It’s not a matter of poor planning, however. The players are beholden to their schedules, which today consist of medical examinations, interviews with teams and, of course, the infamous Wonderlic test. This leaves us to converse amongst ourselves. Among the discussion topics …
… Basketball, basketball and more basketball, almost entirely of the college variety …
… The need to arrive earlier tomorrow, because the overflow of media has many reporters stationed in auxiliary rooms from which they must file their reports. Fortunately, we are in a coveted spot, in the middle of the room, with our cameras and tripods set up for the afternoon’s press conferences …
… The proliferation of league media here; both Sirius NFL Radio and the NFL Network have makeshift studios established just outside the media room …
… Where to go for dinner. The Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe is the most intriguing option; DenverBroncos.com’s own Kyle Sonneman developed a taste for Turkish food during his stint with the Berlin Thunder of what was once called NFL Europe (better Turkish food than Turkish prisons, I guess).
We also catch up with the Web representatives from the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons, among others. Some of the other team sites on hand include those from the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
So we continue to anticipate an avalanche of offensive linemen and tight ends as the day continues, but for now, we wait, we write, we crop a few photos, we catch up with our compatriots and we dine.
More to come … sometime.
Tags: 2007 Draft, 2007 Scouting Combine