The New York Giants are playing against the Seattle Seahawks at this moment. Eli Manning just inspired me to write these words.
Eli just threw two awesome throws to rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. on the latest scoring drive that put the Giants ahead of the Rain Barons 14 to 7. Yes, it is raining in Seattle today. If Marshawn Lynch runs another one like he just did, the score will be tied soon.
It was March 2003. Spring Break was going on in Indiana. My dear wife, Carrie, and I were in Mississippi visiting relatives. On the way down we stopped in Oxford. It was Spring Football time on the campus of Ole Miss. That Saturday the Rebels were holding a closed scrimmage at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium a week or so before they played the annual spring Grove Bowl. Those two passes Eli just threw to Odell Beckam, Jr. reminded me of the last two passes he threw at the 2003 scrimmage that day. Those passes we to receiver Chris Collins.
Thanks to a very kind Walker Jones, one of the football staff members, my name was on a very short list on a piece of paper that was on clipboard held by an official Rebelperson. Proof of my existence allowed me into Vaught-Hemmingway that day to pretty well have the run of the place. There was still grass on the field. I stood on it. An artificial surface would be on there for the season’s first home game in September. They opened the season in late August in Nashville against Vandy. The Rebs won 24-21 and it must have been 100 degrees that day.
To see Coach David Cutcliffe in action that day at practice was a great thing to behold. There is a reason why his Duke Blue Devils are 8-1 right now…him. His Rebels won 10 games in 2003. They have not done so since. The Rebs have a chance to get there this year.
As I said, those two passes Eli just threw looked oh so familiar. He is still as cool as the other side of the pillow. He throws a sweet ball.
GRANNY
I sat with Granny yesterday and today. We watched football. We didn’t talk that much. She had an inclination to dose off now and again as we watched. Every now and then she put some verbal punctuation on a few phrases. When we started watching LSU play Alabama she was quick to perk up and let me know they were playing in “BATON ROUGE!” She still likes to talk about Louisiana.
Last night I did get her to laugh pretty good at a couple of stories I told. I have been doing most of the talking between us. Though that is not a shock to most of you, our speaks have been much more one-sided than usual. Believe me, I will take what I can get!
My favorite moment with Granny last night was during a commercial as we were watching football. I think it was a car commercial. She hadn’t made a move or said anything for twenty minutes or more. During this car commercial, the Billy Idol rendition of the song “Mony Mony” started playing. Granny began tapping her foot against her foot stool keeping good time. I thought the only thing I could think…Wow. What an awesome and very telling moment.
College Football Picks this week…UGLY.
6 winners and 4 losers. My biggest loser was Iowa. What’s with these teams I gave so much love to at the beginning of the year vis a vis South Carolina and Iowa in particular.
The season total thus far: 83 winners 27 losers.
Have a great week.
Speaking the rights.
The Giants just took the lead at the end of the half…17-14.
Danny Johnson