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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

The Writer's Life 10/13 - Big Red

Major college football has suffered two shocks this week. USC fired head coach Steve Sarkisian, who appears to have a drinking problem. Sarkisian, 41, was a successful QB at BYU, but unimpressive in his three years in the Canadian Football League. He worked his way up the coaching ranks, revived the program at Washington, then moved on to USC, which hoped he would return it to its past glory. Last year the Trojans went 9-4. Experts believed they would be among the contenders for the national championship in 2015, but the team has started 3-2, both losses considered upsets. Good luck, sir.
Steve Spurrier, 71, has resigned as head coach of South Carolina, which is 2-4 this season. He has had a storied career, an All-America QB and Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. He played ten years in the NFL, largely as a backup and punter. His pro career is characterized as disappointing. He threw 40 touchdown passes but had 60 interceptions. He coached the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits for three years, compiling a record of 35-21. He was hired by Duke, which has always struggled on the gridiron, and had back to back winning seasons, including a tie for the ACC title, a rarity for the Blue Devils. At Florida he was phenomenally successful, winning the SEC title six times, and a national championship. He failed as an NFL coach, going only 12-20 at the helm of the Redskins. Although he was unable to elevate South Carolina to serious contender on the national level, he led the school to its most successful stretch of football ever, going 86-49. I hate to see a coach run out on a struggling team, but there’s no denying that Spurrier was an elite leader. The son of a minister, his personality rubbed many the wrong way, but winning and class are not always synonymous, and he wasn’t the creep that other legendary head coaches were. Well done, sir. (Facts on both men from Wiki)

NFL: Great win for the Bengals vs. Seattle, but I still don’t see them as a serious challenger to New England. I know the odds are astronomical, but the Patriots have another shot at a perfect season. The only team that seems to have a chance at beating them is the Packers, and they are not scheduled to meet the Pats in the regular season… It’s fun to see the Giants relevant, but they would have to find the magic they had on their last two Super Bowl runs to contend. They are a team that might go south very quickly… Detroit -- it’s a good thing players make a lot of money because it can’t any fun playing for the Lions right now. Are even the Dolphins in such disarray?

The rain held off, enabling a full session of the floating book shop. My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated. A middle aged guy who sports a goatee and passes just about every day stopped and gave me a long run down on his real estate activities in Philadelphia. It was interesting at first, but he went on so long I was wishing he would leave. The highlight of the day was Big Red, the term of endearment I've given a tall woman who works in the beauty shop across the street. She is a striking presence, her body as sleek as an Olympian's, her long locks beautiful. From afar, one would guess she is 30. Up close, it is obvious that she is at least 40 and perhaps as old as 50. She appears to be a heavy smoker. Hair-cutting and styling must pay well. She drives a brand new red Mercedes sports car. Maybe her husband's rich or in the Russian mob. Today, for the first time, she smiled. Shy as ever, I was unable to maintain eye contact. I think I was blushing, my thoughts totally dishonorable. Big Red was also one of the nicknames of Lafayette H.S. football. I'd love to tackle her.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f
 

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