NFL Week 3

Sorry I'm late with this post. I've been out of town taking my dad to the doctor (everything's fine). I saw Sunday's games in the hotel room. It seemed to me that Big Ben still looked flat. I hope it's not an effect of the motorcycle accident in June. The Giants looked awful. Talk about a bloodbath. They have got to be more consistent. It seems that the Pats have finally hit critical mass at free agency - too many good players have left. We'll see how they are as the season progresses.

The Saints are for real. Either that or Michael Vick had a genital herpes outbreak last night (Fox Sports Net reported Vick settling out of court for giving a girl genital herpes without telling her first).

Poem in The Sword Review

My poem "The Sands of Kentucky" is now up at The Sword Review. To read it go to http://www.theswordreview.com/item.php?sub_id=713

MNF Week 2 Steelers vs. Jags

Normally I think the world of Bill Cowher as a couch. However, last night, what was he thinking, letting Big Ben play with a 104 degree fever? It was obvious to me that Charlie Batch should have been the starter in the second half. Ben even looked sick out there.

This is not to take anything away from the Jags. They are a force, especially the big D. The defense was won their games for them so far. Leftwich was right in his interview after the game - the offense has to step it up if they want to win championships.

NFL Week 2

If you missed it, Eli Manning came of age yesterday. He reminded me of a young Brett Favre with that come-from-behind victory.

The Jets made a big mistake in getting rid of John Abraham. They could have won that game with a better defense. Pennington is playing great, but he can't win games by himself. The rest of the team has to step up.

Even after TO broke his finger, the Cowboys were able to win. The Skins are in big trouble. They looked bad on both sides of the ball.

Four Poems in Ultraverse

Three of my untitled scifaiku and my poem "Omega Centauri" are in the latest issue of Ultraverse. You can read them at http://www.ultraverse.us/2006_09/v3i5_poetry_newman.shtml

RIP Charles L. Grant

I read yesterday on the HWA message board that Charles L. Grant passed away from a heart attack. He had finally come home from a 2 1/2 year hospital stay. He was watching TV with his wife, Kathy and brother, Jack. He died when they left for the kitchen to get snacks. The blessing was that he died at home like he wanted.

I know how comforting that is. My mom died at home like she wanted after suffering from emphysema for about 15 years. She was homebound for six years. We were able to keep her out of a nursing home.

Condolence cards can be sent to:

Kathy Ptacek
P. O. Box 97
Newton, NJ 07860

NFL Monday Night Week 1

Well, the Vikes are better than I thought. I was surprised they beat the Skins at home. That was a great game, unlike the second of the double-header.

I believe the Raider fans wear the masks for the same reason the Bengal fans used to - to hide their faces.

NFL: Week One

My prayers go out to Trent Green. I hope he makes a full recovery. That game showed me how good the Bengals really are this season.

The only Cowboy that played well was TO. Talk about money well spent. I think Bledsoe is past his prime. They really need to look for a new QB. This is the first Jags game I can remember that the Marshall clip wasn't shown. I know better than to think anyone read this blog and was influenced. Still, Leftwich is tough. That headbutt to his chest only cost them fifteen yards. It certainly didn't knock him out of the game. It'll take more than that.

With the Jags' performance, I think they can beat the Colts. The Colts had no running game and couldn't even stop Tiki Barber. The Giants' defense lost the game for them. Had they gotten those three Peyton Manning picks, the Giants would have won big.

9/11

Today's the fifth anniversary of the terror attacks. I had hoped to never see anything like that in my lifetime. I was working in an office when my boss told me the news. I had no access to radio or TV. It was business there as usual and I wasn't dismissed early. A sign of things to come, I suppose. The attacks really tore me up. I had worked as a telemarketer a few months earlier (I was laid off due to lack of business). I called people to renew free magazine subscriptions. I had called the World Trade Towers many times for the renewal of "Institutional Investors Magazine". I spoke to several secretaries who took the mag again. I always wondered how many of them died that day. I still do...

Top 10 College Women 2006

I just read Glamour Magazine's list of the top 10 college women of 2006. Imagine my surprise when I saw Elizabeth A. Scoville of the University of Kentucky making the list. It was the first time I knew about it. You would think something like that would be all over my local Kentucky newspaper. What an honor, especially for Kentucky's flagship university! So why is it so hush hush? Someone really dropped the ball here.

NFL: Steelers vs. Dolphins

The Dolphins were sooo close to winning. If only Culpepper hadn't thrown those two picks. But then, that's the sign of a backup quarterback. Seems like they'll have to keep looking for a replacement for Marino. If only the Vikings had kept Randy Moss...

I honestly didn't think the Steelers could win without Roethlisburger and the loss due to free agency. Goes to show what good coaching can do. Batch was a good starter at Detroit. I still don't understand why they dumped him. Then again, I don't understand why they would hire Joe Cullen after Mississippi fired him after an alcohol incident (source: Fox Sports News). I wonder if Cullen will be nude on the sidelines. It might increase ticket sales. The past performance of the team sure won't.

Afterburn SF Is a Paying Market Again

Afterburn SF is again offering $10 or a free ad for original short stories. Go to http://afterburnsf.com/Submit for more details.

On to football comments. WVU should beat Louisville. UL RB Michael Bush is out for the season with a broken leg. Not only that, but they let a poor Kentucky team score 28 points. Marshall could only score ten against WVU and they are a much better team than the Wildcats.

College Football: WVU vs. Marshall

What a bloodbath! Coach N. was right. Marshall is mediocre. I don't think they'll have a winning season this year. Makes you wonder how long Coach Snyder will last.

Slaton will play on Sundays. Mark my words. He was awesome. WVU looked like a top ten team. They can easily keep up with Notre Dame who barely beat Georgia Tech.

Best of Aferburn SF and Down in the Cellar

My short story "The Reunion" was selected for inclusion in the editor's choice isssue of The Best of Afterburn SF. It is posted again in the September issue.

My poems "Cliques" and "After the Apocalypse" are now up in the new ezine Down in the Cellar. Check them out at http://www.downinthecellar.com/poetry-01.php