Miles

So, we need to rectify this.  CBS Sportsline is running one of those voter polls on mascots.  They have Miles pitted against “Raiders Fans”.  And the Raiders Fans are winning.  So go here and make things right.  Now, I know I shouldn’t care about these things, because like most polls, they are made by people that aren’t properly informed.  It’s basically a big team popularity contest.  The fact that Steely McBeam is beating Pat Patriot should tell that story.  But, I don’t want to be embarrassed either.  Some people out there might think that “Raider Fans” are better at mascot-ting than me, and we all know that’s not true.  So, in true election year fashion…get out the vote people!

First I have to apologize.  I’m really trying to get a new blog entry at least once a week.  Clearly, that hasn’t happened.  But I’m committed to making it work.  So, I always have a hard time thinking of something to blog about.  To me most of what I do seems so regular, that I don’t think it’s blog-worthy.  But I forget that you people aren’t living the life of a Professional Mascot, so it’s different.  Like, I would love to hear about how you poured over some spreadsheet, or forgot to put a cover on your TPS report, or plumbed up a bathroom wall.  Anyway, so I’ll tell you about my appearance today. 

Every month I make a visit to one of our partners’(HealthONE) facility.  This month it was Presbyterian/St. Lukes.  Guided by my trusty escort Angie, we made our way through the maze that is the different floors and departments of the Hospital.  We usually just head toward the floors where the kids are, but today we stopped off at the NICU.  That’s where the really sick little babies are.  And when I say little….wow I mean little.  Some of these babies are the size of a burrito.  I like that analogy, because burrito literally means, “little donkey.”  Anyway, so I visited some little babies that didn’t even know I was there, but I’m pretty sure the moms and dads appreciated a little levity(look it up) and it’s cool to know that Miles is their first autograph.  Not to mention all the nurses that take care of the babies, they’re Broncos fans too!

Then it was off to our regular stops.  Unfortunately, I get to know some of these kids because I see them every month or so.  That is to say, it’s unfortunate that their stay in the hospital is so long that i see them more than once.  It’s always a little bittersweet when I find out that someone has gone home.  I’m glad they are getting better, but I miss visiting with them as well.  There’s a great little guy that I usually see that I always have a lot of fun with, but today he wasn’t there.  Good for you! 

So my last stop is usually the cafeteria.  This is great because you get a mix of patients, family, doctors and nurses there.  The kitchen staff are big fans of Miles too!  This week is Hospital week, so they had a Jazz Band playing while people ate.  I got to cut a rug a little bit as I signed some autographs as people dined.  I hope I was able to put a smile on some people’s faces on a gloomy day.

Miles

#00

It’s Ridin’ Miles!  I have arisen from my hibernation and there is still snow on the ground!  So I decided to go riding.  I invited 5 of my friends along and Colorado Ski Country USA and Loveland picked up the tab.  Aly, Austin, Brendon, Kyle, and Lindsay.  Here we are in all of our glory.

There’s a couple of brothers and sisters in there too!

So we went to Loveland Saturday, and there was a lot of powder waiting for us.  Too much in a couple spots, we had to dig a couple people out!  We got it all sorted out and had a ton of fun.  Can you imagine a string of kids and adults carving down the mountain, all led by a horse?  I’m sure you can’t imagine it, so here’s some pics to help you wrap your brain around it.

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So after some patient waiting, my friend Blitz from the Seahawks has delivered on his promise.  He volunteered to take all of our photos and make a slideshow out of them.  I think he did a bang up job!  Good to know if the mascot gig goes south, he could do the same and work in Hollywood or something.  Thanks Blitz!

Enjoy the show!

Download Pro Bowl 2008 Mascots

Well, “just” is kind of a stretch, but I’ve got an update from the Pro Bowl.  It took a while for the film to arrive via steamship, then the processing of the film, and finally the printing of the photos but that’s the way things are (in 1920).  The truth is, it’s hard to get motivated in the offseason.  But I vow to do a better job.

Now…Pro Bowl.  Every time I tell people I’m going to the Pro Bowl they always say, “Wow, must be nice!”  But you can never really get it into people’s heads that I’m there to work.  It’s not like they pay for my ticket and hotel room and just say, “Enjoy Hawaii!” It’s nice to be working in Hawaii but, it’s still work.  I really don’t envy people who hate their jobs, because mine is so awesome.

Now, while in Hawaii we visited a couple military bases, some hospitals, the NFL Experience, the Special Olympics, did the Block Party, Ohana (Family in Hawaiian) Day, Pregame Party and, of course, the game.  Obviously I didn’t list all the events, but just a sample to give you guys an idea of what goes on.  There were 12 of us over there and we split up to cover the events, so we didn’t all attend all of the events.

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I’m not talking about the Golden Globes, or even postseason NFL honors (although I’ll talk about that too!) What I’m talking about is Forbes Horse of the Year! OK it’s not Horse of the Year, but they did make a list of the Top 10 Sports Mascots, and guess who’s on that list…Yes, the Philly Phanatic (He’s #1). Your favorite horse is on there too!

Check out the list and corresponding article here. They even mention the blog!

There’s a few questionable picks on the list. Only because a few aren’t even official team mascots. One is not even alive, it’s a stuffed doll. The NFL is represented by Rowdy (Cowboys) Sourdough Sam (49ers) and myself. They explain in the article that they use an equation called an index that takes into account of bunch of stuff I’m not quite sure I understand. Basically they ask people about sports mascots. If they know their names, their teams, how popular they are, how much they like them, etc. Then they take their responses and put them through this equation. Long story short is, across the nation people recognize the Broncos team and me and they like us!

How do you think the other mascots measure up?

Miles

#00

P.S.

I forgot to talk about the postseason honors. I will be attending the Pro Bowl this year. There will be more info on this later, and possibly some blog entries from the Islands. Stay tuned…

I had a great day yesterday.  I don’t know about you guys, but that’s what the season is all about.  It actually started on Sunday night when I was kind of a co-host for Raw Sports on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain.  I got to kick it with Oren and Ryan and the rest of the staff.  I had a great time and I think they did too. 

Then comes Monday.  We were giving our shirts, and beanies, and wiggle sticks.  There were spotlights and paratroopers and flames and, of course, ME!  That’s the way a Monday night game should go.  Everyone was pumped up and loud.  People were cheering the whole game.  Dare I say that was the epitome of a Denver Broncos home win! 

After we scored the first touchdown I crowd surfed in the southeast stands and I’ve never made it up the crowd so fast.  You could tell people were just pumped.  The team just kept plugging away, scoring points and getting stops. 

So let’s all be thankful for a great win.  Don’t forget to be thankful for your family and friends this week, and let’s carry this momentum into Chicago so we can come out of there with a win and be doubly thankful!

Miles

#00

So it might seem that after that Green Bay game that I have gone into hiding.  Not the case.  Actually I’ve been pretty busy with appearances.  Last weekend I went up to the Minnesota Vikings game to do their mascot halftime game.  So I was there to witness two NFL records.  Adrian Peterson rushing for 296 yards and Antonio Cromartie returning a field goal for 109 yards.  Now our game wasn’t that exciting.  I played outside linebacker on defense and racked up two tackles for losses and was in on a couple others.  On offense I played center, and am happy to report no botched exchanges.  The kids won (it seems like they always do) but as always, it was fun. 

Miles

#00

We fought hard, and gave our all, but in the end it wasn’t enough.  The kids from the Boys and Girls Club were a worthy opponent, and we were up to the challenge.  I believe if we had more time, we would be victorious. 

It was nice to hear people cheer for Dinger.  I don’t think Dinger gets enough love.  The whole state LOVES Rocky, and for good reason, and I don’t think I’ve ever been in another venue and not get love from the fans, but Dinger usually is greeted with crickets, or even sometimes some boos.  But Sunday when he was announced, the stands exploded.  Finally!  Of course all of us here are wishing the Rockies and Dinger good luck. 

Now, the game.  I don’t think people realize how slippery these little kids can be.  Twice I had the ball carrier all but wrapped up and just like that, he’s gone.  I don’t know if they grease ‘em down or what, but there is a clear advantage to being small.  They can change direction so quick and are hard to grab onto.  But on our end, there’s an advantage to being big.  First of all, it takes about half a dozen of them to bring us down.  Second, they are short and easy to hurdle. 

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So Monday we picked up our deflated egos and hauled them to Rifle.  Here, the Broncos faithful restored them with hearty handshakes, gleaming smiles and enthusiasm for the team that lost 41-3 the day before. 

I really was not very excited to make the trip after what happened on Sunday.  I figured the few people that did show up would just want to talk about how horribly the team played.  You know what?  About 600 people showed up and I’m not lying when I tell you that not one, NOT ONE person mentioned the game.  They were just happy to get to see everyone and cheered us on for the next game. 

Man, I wish we could play the next game in Rifle, because I’m a little dissappointed how quickly people throw in the towel.  I understand being frustrated, believe me I know, but when I looked up to an empty crowd before the beginning of the fourth quarter last week … I was speechless (pun intended).  How do such rabid fans that describe themselves as die-hards just pack up and leave? 

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