Author: thependulumswings staff

Black Monday Shopping Starts Soon.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Just seven shopping days are left till Christmas.  Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have come and gone.  Like the retail industry, the NFL has labels for its events too.  There is Thursday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Super Bowl Sunday, The Scouting Combines, and Pro Workout Day to name but some.

But there is one day that the NFL doesn’t want labeled nor do they promote it.  There are just 13 days left till beleaguered teams officially start shopping for new head coaches.  Unofficially it’s called Black Monday.  It’s always the Monday after the regular season ends the day prior.  This year it falls on New Year’s Eve.  But, you can’t shop for a new coach till you fire the old coach.

Those owners (Cleveland and Green Bay) that have fired their head coach in season are joined by those that will on 12/31 in the search for who they hope will turn into the next great head coach.  For now they can make a shopping list and their GM’s can check it twice.  On 12/31 we will find out which teams decided to put a lump of coal in their coaches’ socks.  Rest assured some fates are sealed already and the proverbial string is being played out.   Some are hanging by a thread pending season ending meetings.  You can always count on one or two that you didn’t see coming.

Conversely some are quite stable.  Others are safe as they have just begun their stint with their current team.  Rome and the Buffalo Bills weren’t built in a day don’t you know?.  Finally, some are safe due to the frugality of their owners who prefer counting money to winning Super Bowls.

So, who’s in? Who’s out?  We’ll give you our take on all 32 teams and their head coaches over the next four days.  Here, in alphabetical order, are the first eight.

Arizona Cardinals, Steve Wilks – It’s year one for him.  This team is bad.  It really needs to get worse to get better.  Sell the assets and compile the draft picks.  He’s underwhelming.  If we were grading would give him an “I” for incomplete (like many Josh Rosen passes).  But, he’s safe.

Atlanta Falcons, Dan Quinn– This is Quinn’s first HC job.  It started off quite well and has been fading ever since they blew a 28-3 Super Bowl lead to New England after their stellar 2016 season.  Something isn’t right with this team.  That said you could see patient Arthur Blank giving him another year.  Arthur believes in his people to a fault as you may remember.   That said we see him ringing in 2019 jobless.

Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh– The whispers started several weeks back. “It’s time.”  Etc.  But this team is in line for a seventh playoff berth under his tenure.  He’s also 101 games and a Super Bowl here.  This would be a surprise.  He should be back if he wishes and we think he wishes.

Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott– It’s hard to believe that this disorganized organization made a rare playoff appearance last year.  He’s 14-15 with year two almost in the books.  Personnel wise they are in the lower quartile of the league and their front office is in the bottom 10 percent.  No decision(Josh Allen anyone?) would shock anyone coming out of this hot garbage.   Sean stays for one more year.

Carolina Panthers, Ron Rivera–  He’s been to a Super Bowl, been AP Coach of the Year twice, been to four playoff births, and won 57% of the games he has led this team onto the field.  Meanwhile they seem to be limping to the close of 2018.  He’s done well, but we think he’s done in Charlotte.  He could easily be on other team’s short list to fill their vacancy if Carolina goes shopping.  One final note-new ownership in the last 6 months might want a new start as well.

Cleveland Browns, Gregg Williams (interim)–  Five games in as a midseason replacement for terminated Hue Jackson, feisty Gregg Williams is a quite respectable 4-2 in his audition. Cleveland leadership has promised Williams that he will get a fair shot in their replacement search.  The previous sentence used “Cleveland” and “leadership” in the same sentence.  We regret that nonsensical error.   Cleveland leads the NFL in bad hires, bad drafts, and bad ownership.  They have exactly zero playoff appearances since their NFL rebirth in 1999.  Count on a comical search for a new coach with comical results.

Chicago Bears, Matt Nagy– Year one has gone quite well for this first time head coach.  It’s gone so well that he might be Coach of the Year and the Bears might run deep in the playoffs.  The front office has built through the draft in an impressive fashion.  Nagy is obviously quite safe.

Cincinnati Bengals, Marvin Lewis–  Lewis has been at the helm in the Queen City since 2003.  Only Queen Elizabeth and Bill Belicheck, hired in 2000, have more years with their current team.  The comparison between the two should stop there however.  Lewis has been written off by many in years gone by.  With no playoff in sight this year it’s time for him to go bye-bye.  Sometimes it’s just time.  Sometimes its past time.  However, the Bengals are frugal and that’s being kind.  His contract is valid thru the close of 2019.  However, the guess here is that he’s gone.

So far that’s four gone and four not.  In the four-part series we’ll discuss another eight teams tomorrow.

We’ll also check in when the dust settles to review our predictions.  Let us know how you see it as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Please Pass the Cold Turkey.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Well the weather outside is frightful.  It’s winter time.  It’s cold.  And, that also means it’s time for an endless stream of holiday parties and family gatherings.  At this time of the year well-intentioned people can be both trying and exhausting.  But, that doesn’t mean it’s time to not include anyone or ignore them once you are with them.  Simply stated, you shouldn’t “give the cold shoulder.”  Or, should you?  A few hundred years ago maybe you should have.  The origin of the phrase gives dual meanings.

Meaning: A rude way of telling someone he isn’t welcome or to ignore someone
History: Although giving someone the cold shoulder is considered rude today, it was actually regarded as a polite gesture in medieval England. After a feast, the host would let his guests know it was time to leave by giving them a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of beef, mutton, or pork.

Holy cow, who knew?  Cold beef, mutton, or pork doesn’t sound so bad after all.   Of course if you were shown the door for all of the wrong reasons perhaps it was indeed past time to leave.   Did you drink more cold beers than any one human should?  If so a few aspirin in the morning will get you to the next soiree.  But, after too many holiday parties it may be time to, well, dry out some?  If you want to go to the extreme perhaps you “quit cold turkey.”    Cold turkey means that you have dead stopped doing something that you used to do with great regularity.  Why is a sudden behavioral change described that way?

Meaning: To quit something abruptly
History: People believed that during withdrawal, the skin of drug addicts became translucent, hard to the touch, and covered with goose bumps – like the skin of a plucked turkey.
Cold adult beverages, cold shoulders, cold turkey, and cold nights make for a long winter.  ‘Tis the season.

Teófilo-There Was Only One.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Cuba.  What do we know about it?  Well, for one, great “stuff” comes from there.  Cuban sandwiches and awesome cigars are but two examples.  Famous people have too.  The high profile list is too long to list actually.  There are many musicians (Pitbull, Gloria Esteban, Xavier Cugat), loads of actors(Andy Garcia, Desi Arnaz, Jr.), and countless baseball players (Aroldis Chapman, Reynaldo Ordóñez, Yasiel Puig, Jose Canseco) who have left the island to achieve fame and fortune.

But one who chose to stay(or was told to stay) may have become the most famous of all.  Does the name Teófilo Stevenson ring a bell?  Rest assured that when the bell rung Stevenson rung a few bells himself.

Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence was born in 1952 and passed away in 2012 at the age of 60.   He was a Cuban amateur boxer and engineer.  Stevenson is one of only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals.  Impressive.

The British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) once called Stevenson “Cuba’s greatest boxer, and its most famous figure after Fidel Castro.”

It began when his father boxed a bit and Stevenson followed in his footsteps sparring more accomplished fighters when he was but nine. Cuba was all but controlled then by the Soviet Union.  In the state controlled boxing system he quickly rose through the junior and then senior ranks.  In 1970 he turned 18 and was considered Cuba’s best heavyweight.  He weighed in at 225 lbs and stood 6 feet and 5 inches (or 196 centimeters if you prefer).

Stevenson was little known outside of a few on the Moscow controlled island.  That all changed in a flurry and a hurry in 1972 at the Munich Olympics.  Duane Bobick, the USA heavyweight, was fully expected to take home the gold medal continuing the US dominance of that division.  Smokin’ Joe Frazier won gold in 1964, and George Foreman grilled all competitors to do the same in 1968.

Bobick did not get out of the quarterfinals.  Stevenson knocked him down three times in the third and final round. His ferocious display made the boxing world pause and take notice.  In the finals German Peter Hussing, the Munich crowd’s favorite child, got knocked out by the Cuban machine in the second round.  Gold was his and one of several that the Cubans brought back to their island that Olympics.

The 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal was Stevenson’s second gold medal and made him a national hero in Cuba.  At this point the natural next step was to accept $5 million from promoters to debut as a pro vs. one Muhammad Ali.  This dream fight had the promoters salivating.  Communist Cuba vs. Free America.  Challenger v. Champ.  The Bay of Pigs was still quite fresh in minds of many millions.

Stevenson, shockingly, passed.  Or, did Fidel Castro help him to make up his mind to pass?  Professional boxing was banned in Cuba in 1962.  Fidel Castro wanted, according to the socialist phraseology, to fight against the exploitation of man by man. “What is five million compared to the love of eight million Cubans,” Stevenson famously wondered.

The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow was his third consecutive gold medal coronation ball.  That feat is unprecedented to this day in the heavyweight class.  America boycotted Moscow.

In 1984 the Soviet Union counterpunched, boycotting the Summer Games in Los Angeles.  Cuba followed the Soviet lead and stayed home also.  Stevenson was ready for a fourth gold, but a Cold War got in the way of the war he would wage between the ropes.  He retired from boxing after the 1988 Olympics, which Cuba boycotted yet again.

Below are the final Olympic results of Cuban heavyweight boxer Teofilo Stevenson:

Munich 1972

Montreal 1976

  • Round of 32: bye
  • Round of 16: Defeated Mamadou Drame (Senegal) KO 2
  • Quarterfinal: Defeated Pekka Ruokola (Finland) KO 1
  • Semifinal: Defeated John Tate (United States) KO 1
  • Final: Defeated Mircea Şimon (Romania) TKO 3 (won gold medal)

Moscow 1980

His body of work (the link is worth your time) shows that he won 12 and lost zero Olympic matches.  Eight of the 12 ended in knockouts.  He won three Olympic golds, three World Championships, three World Amateur Championships, and two Pan American Games.   Complete and accurate records beyond that are difficult to discern for obvious reasons.  It is believed that this human machine fought 302 times all as an amateur.

Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence’s story is about what could have been.  But, it’s also a story about what it was.  And, it was very impressive.

 

 

NFL Teams Start Your Engines!

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

That the NFL is a money-making machine is of no surprise.  It’s gross revenues, licensing deals, national and international reach, tv deals, and bottom line profitability make it one of the greatest brands this side of Coca Cola, nike, and Disney.  The reasons are many.  Stadium deals, fan loyalty, merchandise revenues, licenses, and expert marketing are some of the those reasons.  But, the main reason why is that their product is king.   How have they done it?

Ah, the sacred product.  Remember when Coca Cola reinvented the formula for Coke and called it New Coke?  The backlash, whiplash, and tongue lashing that they received was immediate and fierce.  You would have thought Disney took the mouse ears off of Mickey.

Sure, the NFL has moved goal posts and hash marks over the years.  And, it’s changed the rules on what is and is not a catch or is or is not a fumble roughly 43 times and counting.  But, through it all, its team v team product has produced game, division, conference, and Super Bowl champion finishes that hold fan interest the world over. “Maybe next year” is a hope that has real meaning to many millions of fans.

But, how have they done it?  While likely unintended, it’s modeled very similarly to the NASCAR season in a sense.  NASCAR modified their rules years ago to restrict or limit nearly every aspect of the crew chiefs, pit crews, drivers, mechanics, and car and tire manufacturers influence from gaining any real advantage.  The results of NASCAR races and its seasons since have much in common.  Many cars compete in close proximity on the last lap at the same time.  Gone for the most part are days when the leader is miles ahead of the pack.  Similarly, the season long standings remain bunched with many drivers still in contention for being the year-long points leader and capturing all of the money, prizes and adulation that comes with it.

Similarly, in the NFL hope springs eternal.  Each week games go to overtime, or decided on the last play, or in doubt in the last minute.  Upsets (a column for another day) defined by the Vegas lines are the norm too.  Division championships come down to the last weekend.  Playoff seeds remain undetermined often till the last hours of the last regular season weekend. Lots of new teams come from nowhere and run deep in the playoffs.

NASCAR does it with all sorts of engine tweak limits and body restrictions.  How does the NFL accomplish it?

It starts anew every spring in the NFL. First, the better your record was in the previous year the harder your strength of schedule is based on winning percentages of the year prior.  The worse your record was last year the easier you are scheduled in the coming year.

Second, teams draft in the reverse order of their finish from the prior year.  The better you are the later you pick and vice versa.  With each drafted position slotted in a tight window of what teams can pay (afford), the cost to a team drafting the fifth player in a round isn’t much more at all than at team selecting the 25th for example.  Importantly, this draft cap money is a rather small part of the total salary cap.

Third, free agency levels the playing field further.  With each team operating under the exact same salary cap good players who become free agents command more money in the open market.  Great teams have more good to great (real or perceived)players than not so good teams.   Great teams, therefore, cannot afford to keep all of those that made them what they are and soon to be were.

Fourth, teams in bigger markets that generate way more revenue cannot spend proportionately more on payroll than smaller market teams filling needs on their roster.  The salary cap rears it head again.  Point three and this one have huge impacts.  Ask MLB.

Fifth, a few years ago, concerned that some teams were taking the last game or two off to rest starters, the NFL adjusted its scheduling going forward.  Everyone now plays mostly in division contests in the final regular season weeks.  That adjustment insures most divisions are still undecided in December.

So, how is it working?  Quite well.  In the past five seasons, 18 teams have bounced back from a sub-.500 record to qualify for the playoffs. That’s an average of 3.6 per year.  Last year five teams; the Eagles, Saints, Panthers, Rams, and Jaguars each went from positions near or at the bottom of their divisions to postseason berths.

Several more could make the turnaround in 2018.  Last year’s participants are below.

2017-18 NFL Playoff Teams

AFC 

  1. New England Patriots (13-3)
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
  5. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
  6. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

NFC

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
  2. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
  3. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
  4. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
  5. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
  6. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

In 2018 Buffalo is done.  Jacksonville is done.  Atlanta is done.  Carolina has lost five in a row and needs a major tune up.  With three weeks to go Tennessee might need to win out to return.  And, last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles need to win out and might need help from others to even attempt to defend.  That’s six of last year’s twelve out or leaking oil all over the field.

Enter Dallas, Chicago, Seattle from the NFC as possible to probable playoff newcomers.  In the AFC the mad dash is even more mad.  San Diego and Houston look like they will join the party.  At least one of Baltimore, Indianapolis and even Denver can crash it too.

Expect a minimum of six and maybe even seven newcomers to the second season’s hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.

True to years past that’s a lot of NFL teams “swapping paint” on the drive to the finish line.  Plenty teams can see the checkered flag.  But, the traffic is bad and there are lots of new drivers on the road.

What’s in a Name?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Surely you have been told that you must tell the truth or you will suffer the consequences?  But did you know that the first tv game show was named Truth or Consequences?  It aired first as a radio show in 1940 and later was on tv and in syndication until the mid 1960’s.  Oh, and surely you have heard of Hot Springs, New Mexico? No?  Well, if you were born after 1950 you probably have not.  Why?  It’s because Hot Springs, NM officially changed its name to Truth or Consequences, NM in 1950. 

Originally named Hot Springs, the city changed its name to “Truth or Consequences”, the title of the popular program. In March 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the then tv quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program on its 10th anniversary from the first town that renamed itself after the show.  Hot Springs won the honor, officially changing its name on March 31, 1950 (the program broadcast from there the following evening, April 1). Edwards visited the town during the first weekend of May for the next 50 years. This event was called “Fiesta” and included a beauty contest, a parade, and a stage show. The city still celebrates Fiesta each year during the first weekend of May.

Truth or Consequences, NM is far from the only town that has an odd name derived from odd origins.  Why would towns name themselves such a thing?  Below are a few more for you to ponder.  We begin, actually, with a town named Why.

 

Why, Arizona

Why, oh why, is this town called Why? It’s said to be because State Routes 85 and 86 formed a Y-intersection near the area. Since Arizona law required city names to have at least three letters, the founders changed the name from “Y” to “Why”—although if residents hadn’t seen it written down, no one would have known the difference.

No Name, Colorado

This is one of many funny town names that aren’t really names at all. Credit for the town’s unusual name goes to the developers constructing Interstate 70, who left several exits unmarked. When a Colorado Department of Transportation official went out to improve the signs, he wrote “No Name” on Exit 119. The town has had No Name ever since. State officials once tried to rename the area, but locals wouldn’t allow it.

Embarrass, Minnesota

The township gets its name from the French word “embarras,” which means “an obstacle or difficult situation.” When French explorers first traveled through the area, they had trouble getting their canoes down the river, so they named the river (and, eventually, the town) accordingly. See? Nothing to be embarrassed about here.

Hot Coffee, Mississippi

One inn owner, L.J. Davis, advertised that he made the best hot coffee around—and it very well could have been. Davis made the coffee with pure spring water and New Orleans beans, and he used molasses drippings as sweetener. People loved it so much that they named the town after it. 

 

We’ll have five more funky names to ponder soon.  Until then enjoy some Hot Coffee wondering Why No Name would Embarrass itself so.  At least it’s the Truth, hence there are no Consequences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abby Took Down Vegas-The Epilogue

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Year one for Abby’s weekly column is now in the dog house till fall.  However, she will certainly show her head for a bowl game or two along the way when something gets her attention.

College football picking isn’t easy.   The smart money in Vegas (called the Sharps) focuses on a narrow window of analytics and doesn’t stray (Abby doesn’t like strays either).  If the betting line doesn’t meet their tight standards window they punt.

Abby takes a broader view when making her choices.  This can be more difficult.  That’s why it’s important for her to risk various amounts (bones) to weight average the risk.

For her inaugural journey she won 22 bets, lost 23, and tied one against the Vegas lines.  Importantly, she won 59 of 108 bones wagered.  That is a win percentage of 55%.  Each bone is $11 to win $10.  Thus, she finished plus $51 dollars on the year.  It’s won’t shut down The Strip, but it will afford a better grade of dog food than Kibbles & Bits.

Perhaps her hunch bets should have been part of the bones wagered.  The hunch bet finished year one with nine great wins versus only one loss.  I have a hunch that she won’t be able to repeat that best of show performance next year.

 She is wishing some of her favorite mascots a happy holiday and a win in their bowl games.  Abby hopes that you enjoy the early bowl games too.

Woof!

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #10

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.  Today we share a tough one and it’s quickly our 10th.

In the spring semester of eighth grade the PA announcement was music to my ears.   JV and Varsity baseball tryouts would begin that Friday afternoon and continue on that Saturday morning.  His years of hard work with me had reached a pivot point.

The ninth and tenth grade competition would be tough.  I was confident however.   I had been running, hitting, fielding, and pitching for weeks prior.  I was pumped.  Perhaps secretly so was he.

After Friday about a dozen were told thanks but no.  After Saturday’s practice the herd was thinned again, and I was one of 18.  Fifteen would be kept.  So far so good.   Coach had settled me into first base more than anything else.  The competition there wasn’t too strong if you asked me.  As I hopped into the Jetstar 88 for the ride home I wanted to compare myself to others.  He didn’t.   “Did you do your best?”    I said yes.  “That’s all that you can ask of yourself,” he assured me.  “Do your best everyday!”  “That’s what you can control.”

Monday, coach approached after practice.  I got the bad news.   As I hopped in for the drive home my face told the story.  Silence filled the car.  After a few minutes, Boom Boom asked, “Did you do your best?” I didn’t want to hear that at that moment.  “But, I was better than David.”  He didn’t want to hear that at that moment.  He asked again.  I finally mumbled a weak “yes.”  “That’s all anyone can ask son.  Do your best!  And let the chips fall where they may.”

Next spring’s tryout was but 362 days away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe Next Year

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

With only three quarters of the NFL season in the books, one team record is safe yet again.   Know what it is?  Mercury Morris knows.   It’s a record that has been achieved only once since the league started in 1920.   Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka know.  It’s a perfect season.  And, it’s been next to impossible to achieve.

Garo’s pass completion to the wrong team was Washington’s lone score

Head Coach Don Shula guided his 1972 Miami Dolphins to an unblemished 17-0-0 regular and post season won/ loss record.  This feat included an immaculate regular season of 14 wins as well as three playoff wins.  The final victory was a Super Bowl VII win over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.  Through 2018 they remain the only undefeated and untied NFL team since a playoff system began in 1932.

There have only been three undefeated regular season teams in addition to the ’72 Dolphins.   The Chicago Bears did it twice (1934, 1942).  And, the New England Patriots did so in 2007.  The Patriots are the only team to run the regular season table since the league switched to 16 games in 1978.

Each of these three seasons ended shy of the Dolphins mark with a playoff or championship game(yesterday’s version of today’s Super Bowl) loss.  The Patriots were heavy favorites over the New York Football Giants in Super Bowl XLII, but they fell prey to Eli Manning’s fourth quarter heroics.

Perfection, including the playoffs, is indeed hard to achieve.  But even losing just one game in the regular season is rare.  Since 1961, when the NFL expanded to a 14 game season, only 11 teams finished with one loss.  Four won it all in the post season while seven fell shy.

For many years Don Shula and several players from that ’72 team gathered in Miami to pop a few bottles of champagne in the days after the last undefeated team fell to an opponent.   Their longest wait was when 2007 turned into February of 2008 and Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck had their sights set on this ultimate prize.   No doubt the bubbly never tasted better.

A lot of teams have played a lot of years.  It’s amazing that only one, and only one time,  has been perfect from start to finish.

I Have Yet Another Story and a Moral Thereof

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

In the seasons leading up to and in the seasons after Tom Dempsey’s miracle kick there were plenty of other home Saints games that Boom Boom and I attended.  There were seven a year(14 game seasons) in fact, and nine including preseason games.

We went to all of them, and I mean all of them.  And we got there early and always stayed till the (often bitter) end.  And, I mean we got there early.  The gates opened at 10 AM for noon kickoffs.  We were in the car by 9:40 latest.  It wasn’t uncommon for us to arrive by 10:00 AM.  Why?  Well, for one, we beat the traffic.  We got a great parking spot too.  We always parked a mile away in a high school lot.  We always had the first spot closest to the exit.

I never asked why we got there so early, but it sure seemed fine to me.  Once I counted seven fans sitting on their old Tulane Stadium wooden bench seats in the entire 84,000 seat capacity stadium.  Seven.  And that count included the two of us.  Back then you could bring most anything in to the stadium.  We brought sandwiches, a canned soft drink for me, a thermos of coffee, and a flask of what dad called “snake bite medicine.”  There was something calming and exciting at the same time about sitting there, eating an early lunch, and chatting about the upcoming NFL football with dad.

Just about the time the sandwich was gone a few Saints would trickle out of the locker room.  This always included Tom Dempsey or the kickers that competed before and after him.   I would run from where ever our seats were to the end zone.  My goal was to catch one of the warm up field goal attempts that soared into the bench seats one after the other and then throw it back.  There were no nets back then.  I wasn’t alone.  The competition for a youngster was taller and older.  And, the football flew high, far, and fast.  I never caught one.  I did get my fingers on one once.   I actually dislocated a finger in fact.   It looked crooked and hurt much.  Around the stadium I went.   Dad gave it one good pull in spite of my protestations and it was back in place.  I started to ask if the “snake bite medicine” might soothe the pain.  Then I thought it better not to.

On one particular sunny Sunday morning we departed, as always, on time for the game.  I was looking forward to the sandwich, the chat, the opportunity to finally catch a ball, and the kickoff.  Surely this was the week that the Saints would break their losing streak.    After parking and walking we approached the ticket taker at our gate.  Boom Boom rooted around in his coat pocket (a sport coat and a tie were standard attire then) then his pants pockets.  His eyes got bigger with each empty pocket.  “Son, I think I forgot the tickets.”  “What do we do, Daddy?”  “Let’s run back home and get them,” he said.  His voice tone spoke volumes of the disappointment in himself.  “But, we will miss the kickoff,” I selfishly said.  “Maybe not” came the retort.

From the entrance we spun our heels and walked the mile back to the car.   Like salmon we wove our way back home.  Mom, being mom, heard the car and ambled outside worried about our arrival.

“What’s wrong?”  Boom Boom slowed down to a jog while passing her.  It was just long enough to admit that he forgot the tickets.

“Get back in.  Let’s go.”  And off we went.   Traffic had built, but not too badly.  Boom Boom had slipped the attendant a couple of bucks to save our parking spot.

One mile of brisk walk later we were in the stadium and headed to our seats.    We sat down for only a minute or so before we were asked to stand up as Al Hirt blasted the national anthem through his seasoned trumpet.

As the brass horn hit the last notes Boom Boom lamented, “Son, that’s the latest that I’ve ever arrived for any game. We almost missed the Star Spangled Banner.”   “ We made it before kickoff, Dad.”  “You never want to be late for anything,” he said.  Hmm.

By the end of the third quarter the Saints had done plenty enough wrong to insure another loss was well in hand.   We stayed until the final seconds though.   We always did.  Always.

During the game and then on the walk back to the car I thought about asking him why being in our seats before the Anthem was so important.   Then I thought it better not to.

“Thanks for taking me to the game Dad,” I chose instead.   “You bet,” came the quick reply.

So, what’s the moral of the story?  If you’re not early, you’re late.  And, don’t ask why.