A Mile High Salute

From the Rocky Mountain News…

Running back Mike Bell said he will practice this week and be ready to play Sunday despite suffering a fracture to his right middle finger.

Bell was wearing a splint on the finger, but he said he planned to just tape the finger to one of his other fingers against the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s how he finished the game in St. Louis as well after suffering the injury during the first quarter.

“It was a fracture, the bone came out, the fingernail came out, but (the finger) looked like it went back in place,” Shanahan said. “He should be able to go.”

“It’s fine now; it was pretty bad during the game,” Bell said. “It will be all right. I can play. . . . Just tape my fingers together and just play.”

Bell said he suffered the injury on the first-quarter fumble by Plummer. Bell tried to block Rams defensive end Leonard Little up high and was pushed aside by Little.

“I don’t know exactly when during that play,” Bell said. “I don’t know if it was the hit, if he stepped on me or when I was trying to recover the fumble.”

Bell finished with 58 yards on 10 carries. The Broncos gave Bell the ball on their only touchdown play of the game.

He scored on a 1-yard leap just before halftime.

“It felt good that (Shanahan) had enough confidence to give it to me on a goal-line situation with my finger and stuff,” Bell said. “It just felt good, helping the team.”

Taken from ebay’s original list for the barrel, it appears the barrel didn’t sell. Starting price was $40,000.00…

“This auction is for a one of a kind barrel worn by the Denver Broncos Barrel Man, Tim McKernan, during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, including Super Bowl XXXII and the Super Bowl Victory Parade. This is the 18th of 22 barrels worn by the Barrel Man - the Broncos #1 fan. Two of his barrels are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The auction also includes an autographed double Bobble Head doll of the Barrel Man. Both the Barrel Man and the barrel bobble! (say that fast three times)

The barrel is autographed by over 50 Bronco players including quarterback John Elway, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, Jason Elam, Bubby Brister, Keith Traylor, and more!!!

The barrel has an indentation on its side received when the Barrel Man was being hoisted up onto a Hummer during the celebration following SuperBowl XXXII

This rare item has been appraised between $40,000 and $75,000+ by various collectors.

The Barrel Man is donating 10% of the proceeds from this auction to the Jubilee House in Gunnison, Colorado. The Jubilee House is a domestic violence and sexual assault emergency shelter serving a large rural area in Colorado.”

View the sale on ebay here.