In the On Deck Circle

Things are a bit slow this time of year when it comes to Irish Football. We're in the lull between Signing Day and the start of spring practice. Let's be honest: it's too early to dive into next year's recruiting cycle (it's like taking on a pair of Chipotle burritos immediately following Thanksgiving Dinner...let me enjoy my food/recruiting coma for a few months) while the arguments and debates over field turf and jumbtrons have been bludgeoned to death (far less entertaining than discussing the merits of Miller Lite, though the conversations are typically on the same intellectual plane).

I tried to come up with something that could occupy some time and provide some entertainment for readers over the next few weeks. The result of this brainstorm? An Irish Fantasy Draft.

Let me lay out the concept:

* Get a handful of guys from the Irish blogosphere to partake in a draft consisting of all the players who suited up for the Irish since the 1990 regular season.

* Each "owner" will have to assemble a team with starters on each side of the ball, specialists, and a handful of subs. We've settled on 28 players so that each owner has the flexibility to have a couple extra wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, whatever based upon their chosen strategy.

* The format for the drafting is the classic fantasy football snake format (the order of picking reverses for each round).

* Upon completion have the readers vote on the best team.

Throughout the entire draft I plan on posting round-by-round results with each owner's brief instant analysis of their selection as well as a more in-depth breakdown of my pick. Upon completion every owner will essentially give their take on how their team turned out, why they assembled it in the way they did, and why their squad is clearly a juggernaut that would destroy the other teams in this project.

Six websites have signed up to participate in the draft. They are:

1. WeNeverGraduate...Oh, YOU DIDN'T KNOW???

2. Subway Domer...The creator and leader of the IBG is ready to rumble.

3. Domer Law...Wacko's a lawyer and ready to press charges on anyone who doesn't think his team's the best.

4. UHND...Frank's been running his site since Nagano. He's a seasoned vet who may use Ifky's basement as his war room.

5. Irish Illustrated...Pete Sampson is ready to remind everyone why he gets PAID and we don't.

6. Her Loyal Sons...domer_mq's taking a break from judging the cue card contest to get involved.

We're still hammering out minor details (Domer_mq says he could have a ticker for picks that would be placed on the participating sites so people could follow throughout the week...Do you hear that? A TICKER!), but my hope is that we'll be up and running over the next week.

Stay Tuned. To hold you over, let's enjoy some of the most entertaining moments in the history of the televised NFL Draft. I'll give you a hint: they all come right after the commissioner utters the words, "The Jets are on the clock."