Travolta at the Senior Bowl

Last week, we were graced with the presence of marginally notable actor John Travolta (that's assuming you count Grease and Saturday Night Fever, which, unfortunately, have to be counted) as he gave us his top ten prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft. Since then, Mr. Travolta has informed me how much fun he had rating his top picks and that he wanted to do something else related to college football for The Belly of the Beast, as long as he got a chance to plug his film, From Paris With Love, in which he appears as a bald man with immaculately groomed facial hair of the pornstar or strip club owner variety, who also happens to be something close to the world's greatest spy/destroyer of bad guy's shit (at least that's what I gather from the previews on TV). So of course I said yes, I'll find something.

And although college football is pretty much at a lull (minus the recruiting madness, which I am proud to say I have finally avoided with tremendous success), there is still one major event going on before signing day and that is the Senior Bowl. Held in Mobile, Alabama, the Senior Bowl is a mini-NFL combine of sorts. Pro scouts descend upon college football players divided between two teams coached by NFL staffs and complete evaluations of these players, who, at best, have played in two college football games since late November/early December. So lots of stock should rest in these performances.

Given his eye for talent, I told Travolta to head down to the Senior Bowl and give us a report on who he liked and didn't like. This is that report:



"So happy to be back here, guys. As an actor, one of the things I love is the opportunity to sharpen one's craft. In my career, Broken Arrow was the point where I really thought I started to pull everything together. It was a great time for me and I really felt my strengths in acting were showing through. And that's the way I'm approaching my time here on The Belly of the Beast. I've been given my chance to show my knowledge of college football, and now I'm ready to sharpen that knowledge.

When I arrived in Montgomery for the Blue-Gray Football Classic, I could sense a buzz of excitement around town. Young people trying to position themselves for a great future opportunity. It's just electric, that kind of energy. Reminds me of the set of Swordfish. I set out for the practice fields early Monday morning, hoping to catch a few interviews before the practices started. Well, I must have been a little early because there wasn't anyone around. Not even trainers or equipment managers setting up for practice. I found this a little odd considering these practices were heavily attended by pro scouts. So, I sat back and waited for..."

Okay, John, I'm going to cut you off there. It seems that Mr. Travolta went to Montgomery, Alabama instead of Mobile. Montgomery was the host of the Blue-Gray game until 2002 when it was discontinued (it was played in 2003 in Troy, after which it officially ended). The game was usually played between two teams filled with seniors from teams that did not make bowl games, which would explain Mr. Travolta's attraction to the game and the city of Montgomery (if you've never been to Montgomery, its failure matches up nicely with Travolta).

I apologize for the confusion, I should have known Mr. Travolta needed more specific instructions, just like he needed after Pulp Fiction when he should have been told you've peaked, stop making movies. Hopefully, John will make his way to Mobile and we'll get a report on his favorites that we can expect to see not drafted in April. Until then, rejoice, Montgomery! John Travolta is solidifying your below averageness.