March 26, 2010

UCI wants Jan Ullrich judged

On February 17 the Swiss Olympic Committee decided against continuing to pursue its doping case against retired former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich.  Because the Swiss Olympic doping statute applies beginning January 1, 2010 to retirees, the Swiss disciplinary committee found that it had no jurisdiction over Ullrich, who held a Swiss racing license.  Now, the International Cycling Union (UCI) is challenging that decision by appealing to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pro Days

March is the time of year when many people in the colder climates of the US dream of spring. If you're an NFL contract advisor March is the time of year when you dream of your recently-signed pro prospect having a great Pro Day. After the NFL combine is completed in late February and early March, NFL scouts turn their attention to the college campuses, where the scouts will congregate in either large or small numbers depending on how talented each school's draft prospects are.



First the scouts are most interested in getting additional testing and times for the players who attended the combine, but did not run or lift or do all of the drills. Next they need times and data for the non-combine attendees. Over the past decade Pro Days have almost become a community event. Sometimes you will see hundreds of spectators gawking at the NFL brass that attend the workout at the big name schools. A school such as the University of Miami (FL) or USC will draw close to 100 scouts, coaches and front office personnel to a pro day. Then you may have a smaller school, with few highly regarded prospects, and there may be only one scout in attendance.

For a schedule of this year's Pro Days see this link.