Sooner tweets are fun, hopefully informative
Published: 3/9/2010 6:48 PM
Last Modified: 3/9/2010 6:51 PM
NORMAN — This is a blog about Twitter, which means I've either got a mouthful of peanut butter, I've lost my mind and I'm speaking gibberish, or all matter/anti-matter in the universe is about to collide.
Anyone who wanted near real-time updates of their favorite former Sooner football stars during Tuesday's Pro Day at the Everest Training Center should have been following me on Twitter.
Twitter is the online phenomenon which allows someone to post Internet messages — up to 140 characters at a time — that anyone else can follow. I swore as recently as two months ago I'd never be on Twitter, but here I am. I'm following 75 people (mostly either World staffers, sports writers around the nation or Bill Gates), and I am now up to almost 150 followers. Doesn't cost a penny. It's not journalism. It's not social networking. I use it to inform and to stay informed. Pretty cool.
On Tuesday, I tweeted 33 times (OK, 40, but seven were personal replies or the too-cool "re-tweet" function that allows your followers to see something someone else posted that you might want to share). That was 30 tweets from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., all about the Sooners' efforts at Pro Day.
If you want to sign up, go to Twitter.com and search for @johnehoover, or Twitter.com/johnehoover. Or if you can't understand what you just read, simply click on that link to the right that says "johnehoover" or "Twitter". If that doesn't work, better start searching for the "any" key.
Anyway, call if cross-promotion if you want, but in case you missed it, here are today's Pro Day tweets from inside the Everest:
• Heading to Norman for OU pro day. Check out Twitter for updates throughout the day.
• OU measurements: Balogun 6009, 240; Brown 5105, 211; Bryant, 231; Clapp 6016, 249; Clayton 6012, 229; Franks 5112, 194; Granger 6017, 320...
• More OU: Gresham 6053, 259; Hampton 6024, 232; Jackson 6004, 199; McCoy 6040, 298; Simmons 6042, 315; Tennell 6033, 196; Williams 6044, 314
• OU verticals: Balogun 35.0, Clapp 35.5, Jackson 38.0, Simmons 28.0, Brett Bowers 5117, 196, 29.5 vertical
• BTW, first number is height: 5113 would be 5-11 and 3/8ths
• More OU verticals: Bryant 33.0, Tennell 30.0
• Some unofficial 40s: Bryant 4.60, Clapp 4.49, Clayton 4.52, Franks 4.42, Jackson 4.54, Simmons 5.14, Tennell 4.42, Bowers 4.51...unofficial
• 40s: didn't get Balogun, sorry (subject of tomorrow's story)
• OU reporting Franks' time as 4.47 (fastest of the day)...not bad for my little Casio and watching from an angle.
• Handful of guys did broad jump; Clayton had the best at 10-7.
• FYI, McCoy isn't doing any drills, but Trent Williams just did the 20-yard shuttle.
• Official 40s: Balogun 4.72, Bryant 4.66, Clapp 4.64, Clayton 4.57, Franks 4.47, Jackson 4.60, Simmons 5.20, Tennell 4.52.
• Former Sooners at Pro Day: Mark Clayton, Reggie Smith, JD Runnels
• Gerald McCoy is running position workout; just finished running thru a gathering of media and scouts, calmly saying, 'scuse me fellas'
• Standing next to Mean Joe Greene watching him scout Gerald McCoy as GK pounds thru tackling dummies. As good as Pro Day gets right here.
• Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo watched McCoy's drills with an intense squint. On Gerald's last drill, he smiled and shook his head slowly.
• Maybe Spags is worried for Bradford's health if the Rams play Detroit or whoever drafts him. GK did say he was gonna kill Sam ...
• Jermaine Gresham's turn for position drills...he's being worked out by former NFL tight end and ex-OU assistant Jonathan Hayes.
• Mark Clayton seems to be giving pointers to Ryan Broyles...either that or cussing him for breaking his records.
• Gresham looks a bit nervous: five passes thrown, one drop, one bobble. Should settle down soon. Going thru drills w/ Clapp and Tennell.
• Gresham just plowed into Hayes on a rout; Hayes backs out of the way, laughs and says, 'That's a train.' Another scout: 'illegal contact.'
• Gresham nearly ran me over during my last Tweet. I think he was aiming for me. Do u get workers comp for that?
• Gresham nearly ran over Merv Johnson (chatting up a scout) then went after Hayes again. Teams want him physical but this is dangerous.
• Trent Williams and Brian Simmons now doing o-line drills. Gresham on the side with Clapp still working with Hayes.
• Jon Hayes and OU receivers coach Jay Norvell were roommates at Iowa. 'You don't wanna run into Jon,' Norvell says.
• Bob Stoops and Steve Spagnuolo are locked in deep, quiet conversation, presumably about Sam, Gerald or Del Rancho's steak sandwich.
• Other former Sooners here: Lendy Holmes, Teddy Lehman, Lewis Baker...good place to be seen by scouts.
• Gerald McCoy will try to improve his bench (23 reps in Indy) when Sam Bradford has his pro day on March 25.
• DE Auston English (leg) isn't doing anything today but says he'll be among a handful of guys working out with Sam Bradford on March 25.
• Spagnuolo on Gerald McCoy's outgoing personality: 'I had a chance to meet his dad, so I can see where he gets it from.'
• Back in Tulsa...Tomorrow's World details LB Mike Balogun: teams say he's draftable, his lawsuit v. NCAA is pending (prob on draft status)
• Balogun says he didn't play after age 21 and explains the NCAA's error. Says it was 'emotional roller coaster'. Check tulsaworld.com tonite.
— John E. Hoover
Written by
John E. Hoover
Sports Columnist
