Friday, December 16, 2022

Hello Again!

 Hello everybody!

It's been a while since I posted here...again. As John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." My day job has been taking up all of my writing and voice-over time.

Since my last post, my New Orleans Saints play like they're still in the 1970's minus a great quarterback. They would even be an honorable mention if I did a Last Place Update. Why isn't Jameis Winston playing? Andy Dalton is a stable quarterback, but Winston can make things happen. Yes, sometimes those things are called interceptions, but it's time to give him another look.

But that's not why I'm posting. I'm a fan of JG9 on YouTube. He posts NFL trivia and brings depth to the trivia he discusses. In a livestream, he said he will be doing MLB trivia videos. I'm hoping to have the time to post more Today In baseball trivia posts. There are more great old school games than I can count. Going back 100 years and more, there are great games upon great games to present. I'm looking forward to these videos.

Maybe it's time to post more entries. Or maybe it's time to voice the results and game trivia. Since he is doing those videos and my voice over objective lie elsewhere, I hope his channel is successful. JG9 shows respect to the NFL of the past, long before he was born. History shows he'll show the same respect here.

Congrats to the World Champion Houston Astros. Ten years ago, they were winning Kings of the Cellar championships and now they're winning it all. Hats off to them!

And hats off to you for keeping up with my work! Thank you for your support!

 Until next time...

 


Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Some Week 2021 Week 2 Series Trivia

 What a week! It started with a great game between the Cowboys and Bucs and ended with another great game between the Ravens and Raiders. I really  enjoyed the Saints' beatdown of Green Bay, though I hoped they would preserve the shutout. But remember, the season is only one game old There are no conclusions to draw at this time. Now that Week 1 is in the books, let's take a look at Week 2.

New York Giants vs Washington: The Giants lead the series 105-69-4 and have won their last 5 meetings dating back to 2018. The Giants also lead the series at Washington 48-39-2. The postseason series is tied 1-1. Ironically, both games were shutouts, but not the last time each team has shut out the other. They first met in a Divisional Playoff game in 1943, where Washington blanked the Giants 28-0. Their last postseason meeting was in the 1986 NFC Championship game, when the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants won 17-0. The overtime series is 2-2-1, with the Giants winning the last one 41-35 in 2019. The last time the Giants shut out Washington was 36-0 in 2005. The last time New York shut out the Team was 27-0 in 1979. Their last tie was the overtime tie, 7-7 in 1997.

Cincinnati vs Chicago: The Bengals lead the series 6-5, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. The Bears trail the series at home 2-4 and are 1-2 at Soldier Field since 1992. They have never met in the postseason. Cincy leads the overtime series 2-0, last beating the Bears 31-28 in 1992. The last time Chicago shut out the Bengals was 24-0 in 2001. Cincy has never shut out the Bears.

Houston vs Cleveland: The Texans lead the series 7-4 and are 5-1 against Cleveland since 2008. The Browns lead the series at home 3-2, but are 1-2 there since 2008. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Rams vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 23-20-2, but the series is 2-2 since 2013. Indy leads the series at home 14-6-2, but again, the series there is tied at 2-2 since 1986. Though the series started in 1953, they have never met in the postseason. They have also never gone to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series, a Rams beatdown of the then Baltimore Colts 48-0. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1967.

Buffalo vs Miami: The Dolphins lead the series 61-52-1, but the Bills are 7-1 since 2017. Miami also leads the series at home 35-21-1 but are 2-3 there since 2016. Buffalo leads the postseason series 3-1, their last meeting a 24-14 Dolphins win in the 1999 AFC Wildcard round. The Bills are 2-1 in overtime, losing their last overtime game 34-31 in 2016. The last time Buffalo shut out the Dolphins was 19-0 in 2013. The last time Miami shut out the Bills was 28-0 in 1985. Their only tie was 14-14 in 1968.

New England vs New York Jets: The Patriots lead the series 69-54-1 and have won the last 10 meetings. The Jets trail the series at home 32-29 and are 2-6 there since 2013. New England leads the postseason series 2-1, but the Jets won their last meeting in the 2011 AFC Divisional Round 28-21. New York is 4-2 when games in the series go to overtime, winning the last two times. The last time New England just out the Jets was 33-0 in 2019. The last time New York shut out the Patriots was 6-0 in 1993. Their only tie was 24-24 in 1966.

San Francisco vs Philadelphia: The Niners lead the series 19-14-1, but the series is 2-2 since 2011. San Francisca leads the series in Philadelphia 10-5-1 and is 3-1 there since 2005. They met only once in the postseason, a 14-0 Niners win in 1996. This is also the last time San Francisco shut out the Eagles. They are 1-1 going into overtime.The Niners won the last overtime game 31-28 in 2003. Philly has never shut out the Niners. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1956.

Las Vegas vs Pittsburgh: The Raiders lead the series 16-13 and is 3-1 since 2012. Pittsburgh leads the series at home 8-5 and is 4-1 there since 2003. The postseason series it tied 3-3 and is one of the greatest postseason rivalries out there. The Raiders won the last two postseason meetings dating back to the 1976 AFC Championship game. They never went to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series. In 1974, the then Oakland Raiders blanked the Steelers 17-0.

New Orleans vs Carolina: The Saints lead the series 28-25 and is 9-2 against Carolina since 2016. New Orleans also leads the series at Carolina 14-12, winning the last four meetings. The Saints lead the postseason series 1-0, winning at home in the NFC Wildcard game 31-26 in 2018. Carolina leads the overtime series 1-0, winning 23-20 in 2003. The last time Carolina shut out the Saints was 13-0 in 1997. New Orleans has never shut out the Panthers.

Denver vs Jacksonville: The Jaguars lead the series 7-6 and is 4-2 against the Broncos since 2007. Jacksonville leads the series at home 3-2, but trails Denver 2-1 since 2005. The postseason series is tied 1-1, with the Broncos winning in the 1997 Wild Card game 42-17. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Minnesota vs Arizona: The Vikings lead the series 17-11 and is 5-1 against the Cardinals since 2010. This is also their first ever meeting in September. Arizona leads the series at home 7-6 and is 3-1 there since 2003. Minnesota leads the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Divisional Round. The Vikings won their last postseason meeting 41-21 in 1998. Minnesota won their only overtime game 30-24 in 1995. The only time Minnesota shut out the Cardinals was 28-0 in 1991. Arizona has never shut out the Vikings.

Atlanta vs Tampa Bay: The Falcons lead the series 28-27, but Tampa Bay is 3-1 in the series since 2019. The Bucs lead the series at home 15-14, but is 2-4 there since 2015. They never met in the postseason. The Falcons lead the overtime series 3-2, winning the last time 28-22 in 2019. The last time Tampa Bay shut out the Falcons was 27-0 in 2004. The last time Atlanta shut out the Bucs was 17-0 in their first ever meeting in 1977.

Dallas vs Los Angeles Chargers: The Cowboys lead the series 6-5 and is 4-1 since 2003. Los Angeles trails the series at home 2-4 and is 2-3 there since 1983. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other. They first met in 1972 when Dallas won 34-28.

Tennessee vs Seattle: The Seahawks lead the series 10-7 and is 6-2 since 1994. Seattle also leads the series at home 7-2, but the series is tied 1-1 since 2010. Their only postseason meeting was in the AFC Wildcard game in the strike shortened season of 1987. Houston won in overtime 23-20. They are 1-1 in overtime, with the Seahawks winning the last time 13-10 in 1990. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Kansas City vs Baltimore: The Chiefs lead the series 7-4, but Baltimore won their last four meetings dating back to 2015. Kansas City also leads the series at home 5-1, winning their last two games there. The Ravens won their only postseason meeting in the 2010 AFC Wildcard game 30-7. Their only game that went to overtime was in 2018, when the Chiefs won 27-24. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Detroit vs Green Bay: The Packers lead the series 104-72-7, winning their last four meetings.Green Bay also leads the series at home 61-27-4, but the series is 2-2 there since 2017. The Packers also lead the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Wildcard Round. Green Bay won their last postseason meeting 16-12 in 1994. The overtime series is 2-2, the last time being a 16-13 Packer win in 2005. The last time Detroit shut out the Packers was 31-0 in 2018. The last time Green Bay shut out the Lions 26-0 in 2009. There were shutouts early in the series, including when the Lions had another team name. In 1933, Green Bay shut out the then Portsmouth Spartans 17-0. In their first meeting as the Detroit Lions, they shut out the Packers 3-0 in 1934. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1973.


Here are some historical scores on this week's matchups on September 19:
 
1982  New York Jets 31 - New England 7 
1982  Houston Oilers 23 - Seattle 21 
1999  Detroit 23 - Green Bay 15
2004  Jacksonville 7 - Denver 6
2010  New York Jets 28 - New England 14

Have a great day!!

Monday, September 6, 2021

Some 2021 Week 1 NFL Series Trivia

 It's been a while since I posted anything. After living through Hurricane Ida, it feels good to have the time (at least for now) to post again. Let's rock & roll!

Dallas vs Tampa Bay: The Cowboys lead the series 15-4, including the postseason. Dallas won the last two games dating back to 2016. The series is tied in Tampa Bay with the Bucs winning 10-6 in 2015. Dallas leads the postseason series 2-0. Their last playoff game was in the 1982 Wild Card, a 30-17 Cowboys win. The Cowboys lead the overtime series 1-0, when they won 27-24 in 1983. The last time Dallas shut out the Bucs was 16-0 in 2003. Tampa Bay has never shut out the Cowboys. 

Philadelphia vs Atlanta: Philadelphia leads the series 20-15-1, with the Falcons winning three of the last four meetings. Atlanta leads the series at home 9-8, winning the last three meetings there since 2011. The Eagles lead the postseason series 3-1, the last one was a 15-10 Divisional Round win from the 2017 season. There is only one overtime game in the series, a 23-17 win for the Eagles in 1985. The last time Philly shut out the Falcons was 16-0 in 1986. Atlanta has never shut out the Eagles. In fact, the only time the Falcons ever held Philly to a single digit score was a 27-3 win in 1969. Their only tie was 13-13 in 1970.

Pittsburgh vs Buffalo: The Steelers are 16-11 in the series, but Buffalo won the last two meeting dating back to 2019. The Bills lead the series 8-6 at home, but the Steelers are 4-2 there since 1999. Pittsburgh leads the postseason series 2-1, winning their last meeting in the 1995 Divisional Round 40-21. They only went to overtime once, in 2010, and the Steelers won 19-16. The last time Pittsburgh shut out the Bills was 23-0 in 1993. The last time Buffalo shut out the Steelers was 13-0 in 1982.

Minnesota vs Cincinnati: The Vikings lead the series 7-6, but they are 3-3 since 1995. Cincy leads the series at home 6-1 and are 3-0 there since 1995. They never met in the postseason or went to overtime. The last time Cincinnati shut out the Vikings was 14-0 in 1980. Minnesota never shut out the Bengals.

San Francisco vs Detroit: The 49ers lead the series 38-28-1, going 10-1 since 1996. Detroit leads the series at home 18-14 and is 5-3 there since 1984. The postseason series is tied 1-1. They last met in the postseason in 1983, when the Niners won 24-23. They never went to overtime. The last time San Francisco shut out the Lions was 49-0 in 1961. The last time Detroit shut out the 49ers was 24-0 in 1960. Their only tie was 20-20 in 1961.

Arizona vs Tennessee: The Cardinals lead the series 7-4, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. Surprisingly, Arizona leads the series at the Titans/Houston Oilers 4-2, winning two of the last three meetings dating back to 1994. They never met in the postseason. They went to overtime once, with the Cardinals winning 37-34 in 2013. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1970, the St. Louis Cardinals spanked the Houston Oilers 44-0.

Seattle vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 7-5, going 2-2 since 2005. Indy leads the series at home 3-1, going 2-0 since 2009. They never met in the postseason, even when Seattle was in the AFC. They also never went to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Washington: The Team leads the series 7-4, but the Chargers are 4-1 since 2001. Washington leads the series at home 5-1 with the last two games since 2005 going to overtime. They never met in the postseason. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to Washington in 2013, 30-24. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1973, Washington dominated the San Diego Chargers 38-0.

New York Jets vs Carolina: The Panthers lead the series 4-3, with Carolina going 3-1 since 2005. Carolina leads the series at home, 3-1. They have never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs Houston: The Texans lead the series 25-13, going 12-2 since 2014. Houston also leads the series at home 14-5, going 3-0 since 2018. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to the Texans 43-47 in 2012. They never met in the postseason. The last time Houston shut out the Jaguars was 21-0 in 2004.The last time Jacksonville shut out the Texans was 27-0 in 2003.

Cleveland vs Kansas City: The Chiefs lead the series 14-11-2, including the postseason, winning the last four games since 2013. Kansas City leads the series 10-3-1 at home and is 6-1 at Arrowhead since 1988. They met in the postseason for the first time last season. As most fans know, the Chiefs won that game in the Divisional Round 22-17. They only went to overtime once. In 2006, the Browns won 31-28. There is only one shutout in the series. Kansas City blanked Cleveland 34-0 in 1990. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1989.

Miami vs. New England: The Dolphins lead the series 57-54, including the postseason, but the Patriots are 6-5 against the Fins since 2016. New England leads the series at home 37-18, going 11-1 there since 2009. The Patriots lead the postseason series 2-1, the last time in 1997 in the Wildcard Round, when they won 17-3. Miami leads the overtime series 4-3, but New England won their last one 19-13 in 2003. The last time New England shut out the Dolphins was 43-0 in 2019. The last time Miami shut out the Patriots was 21-0 in 2006.

Green Bay vs New Orleans: The Packers lead the series 17-9, but New Orleans is 4-3 since 2006. The Saints also trail in the series at home 6-7, but are 3-1 since 2002. For the upcoming game, the Saints are at home in Jacksonville, FL. In another bit of trivia, the first win the Saints ever had in the Superdome was in 1975, edging the Packers 20-19. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other, but New Orleans has never held Green Bay to less than 10 points.

Denver vs New York Giants: New York leads the series 7-6, but the series is 2-2 since 2005. The Giants also lead the series at home 5-2, but the Broncos won their last visit at Giants Stadium, which was the Manning Bowl, in 2013, 41-23. They met in the postseason once, with the Giants winning Super Bowl XXI, 39-20. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Chicago vs Los Angeles Rams: The Bears lead the series 54-38-3 and are 6-3 versus the Rams since 2006. Los Angeles leads the series at home 24-23-1 and are 3-1 there since 2013. They are 1-1 in the postseason, their last meeting being a 24-0 spanking by the Bears over the Rams in the NFC Championship game in 1985. This was also the last time Chicago shut out the Rams. They never went to overtime. The last time Los Angeles shut out the Bears was 26-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1972.

Baltimore vs Las Vegas: The Ravens lead the series 9-3, but the series in 2-2 since 2015. The Raiders trail the series at home 2-3, but they are 1-1 since 2015. Baltimore won their only meeting in the postseason, a 16-3 win in the 2000 AFC Championship game. The never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Here are a couple of historical scores of this week's games played on September 12:

2005 Atlanta 14 - Philadelphia 10
2011 New England 38 - Miami 24

I will write posts as long as time allows. At some point, I will narrate these and add the audio.

Have a great day!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Today In... The Social Distancing Edition

It's been too long since I posted here and thanks to the Corona virus, it's a great time to take this blog out of mothballs for a bit. Today, we will check out a few historical games in the NBA on St. Patrick's Day. Let's have some fun.

Today in:

1954 - The Syracuse Nationals (now Philadelphia 76ers) edged the Boston Celtics 96-95 in their first game of the NBA Playoffs. Hall of Famer Bob Cousy led all scorers with 32 points for the Celtics. Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes led Syracuse with 20. Other Hall of Famers in this game were Earl Lloyd for Syracuse, and Ed Macauley, Bill Sharman, Chuck Cooper, and Don Barksdale for Boston. The Nationals would go on to sweep the Celtics 4-0 in the round-robin competition and go on to lose to the Minneapolis Lakers in the NBA Finals.

1962 - NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson scored 33 points and led the Cincinnati Royals to a decisive victory over the Detroit Pistons 129-107. Don Ohl and Gene Shue each scored 18 points in for the Pistons while Bob Boozer scored 26 for Cincy. Detroit finished the season in 3rd place in the Western Division with a 37-43 record while the Royals finished in 2nd place in the Western Division with a 43-37 record. Both teams made the playoffs and faced each other in the Western Semi-finals. The Pistons won the series 3-1 and went on to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Division Finals 4-2.

1975 - In an ABA game on this day, the New York Nets beat the Indiana Pacers 124-116. Hall of Famer George McGinnis led all scorers with 34 for the Pacers while Larry Kenon led the Nets in scoring with 32 points. Hall of Famer Dr. J, Julius Erving scored 24 for the Nets. Indiana went on to finish in 3rd place in the ABA Western Division with a 45-39 record and went on to play in the ABA Finals. They lost to the Kentucky Colonels 4-1. New York finished at 58-26, 2nd in the ABA Eastern Division and lost in the Semi-Finals round to the Spirits of St. Louis 4-1. Neither the Spirits of St. Louis nor the 1974-75 ABA Champion Kentucky Colonels survived the merger with the NBA in 1976.

1986 - Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars led the Detroit Pistons into the Salt Palace Arena against Hall of Famers Adrian Dantley and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz. In a nail-biter, the Jazz squeaked past the Pistons 107-106. Thomas led all scorers with 32 points. Bill Laimbeer had 26. Dantley led the Jazz with 35 points. A side note, Hall of Famer, John Stockton, played as a reserve for Utah. It was his second season in the NBA. The Jazz improved to 34-35 and the Pistons fell to 40-29. Each team made the playoffs with Detroit losing in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks 3-1 and Utah also losing in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks 3-1.

1993 - In another nail-biter, Hall of Famer, The Admiral, David Robinson led the San Antonio Spurs over Hall of Famer, James Worthy, and the Los Angeles Lakers 101-100. Robinson led all scorers with 29 and Hall of Famer, Vlade Divac, led the Lakers with 23. The Lakers fell to 33-29 and the Spurs improved to 39-22. Both teams made the playoffs and both were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in succeeding rounds. The Lakers were eliminated 3-2 in the first round and the Spurs were eliminated in the SemipFinals 4-2.

2007 -The Golden State Warriors invaded the Key Arena to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), 99-98. Hall of Famer Ray Allen of the Supersonics led all scorers with 25. Jason Richardson led the Warriors with 23. Golden State improved to 32-36 and Seattle fell to 25-40. The SuperSonics finished the season at 31-51 and missed the playoffs. Golden State finished at 42-40 and made the playoffs and lost to the Jazz in the Western Semi-Finals 4-1.

2013 - The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) and held on to win 97-95. Derrick Williams led all scorers with 28 for the Timberwolves. Greivis Vasquez led New Orleans with 24. Minnesota improved to 23-41 and New Orleans fell to 22-45. Neither team made the playoffs that season.

If you want the complete stats to all of these games and more, go to Basketball Reference.com

Have a great St. Patrick's Day!!!

Friday, August 3, 2018

Today in 1974 - Key To the Sea Championship

August 3, 1974 - On this day, ten corps competed for the Key To the Sea Championship in Toledo, Ohio. Each link is either to the corps' website or their DCX page.

Here are the results:

  1. Anaheim Kingsmen - 85.55
  2. Madison Scouts - 84.70
  3. Blue Devils - 81.05
  4. De La Salle Oaklands - 79.55
  5. Phantom Regiment - 76.50
  6. The Cavaliers - 75.35
  7. Black Knights - 74.35
  8. Royal Crusaders - 72.50
  9. Beverly Cardinals - 69.80
  10. Regiment Militaire - 68.30


Notables

  • Of the ten corps competing, only four are still in existence: Madison Scouts, Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, and The Cavaliers.
  • Of the four remaining corps, they are all still Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championship Finalists. The Cavaliers last missed making Finals in 1978. The Madison Scouts missed Finals several times, including 2007, 2009, and 2016.
  • Every corps competing in this contest made the DCI Top 25 that season.
  • The top six competitors made DCI Finals that year.
  • The Madison Scouts went on to win DCI Prelims, but finished 2nd in Finals.
  • This year would mark the Blue Devils' and Phantom Regiment's first appearance at DCI Finals.
  • The Anaheim Kingsmen placed 2nd in Prelims and 3rd in Finals that year. They last competed in 1986.
  • This De La Salle Oaklands placed 6th in Prelims and 7th in Finals. They were the first Canadian corps to make DCI Finals. 
  • After the 1974 season, they merged with the Etobicoke Crusaders to become the Oakland Crusaders. The Oakland Crusaders made DCI Finals in 1975 (6th) and 1976 (8th). They missed making Finals in 1977 (15th) but had the top percussion score at DCI Prelims.
  • The De La Salle Oaklands were the oldest corps there, forming in 1910. They (Oakland Crusaders) last competed in 1995.
  • The Black Knights last competed in 1989. Their only DCI Finals appearance was in 1973 (10th).
  • The Royal Crusaders last competed in 1980. They're listed in 1998, but there are no scores. Their only DCI Finals appearance was in 1975 (9th).
  • The Beverly Cardinals competed for only two season in the DCI era, 1974 and 1975. They placed 23 and 29th respectively at the DCI World Championships.
  • Regiment Militaire was the first merger of the Bleu Raeders and Stardusters. They went on to tie the Royal Crusaders for 17th place at DCI Prelims. After the season, the merger failed and the Bleu Raeders and Stardusters went on to compete as individual corps until 1981, when they merged for the second and last time, to form the Louisiana Southernaires. The Louisiana Southernaires went on to win the 1981 DCI Class A Championship, but would be inactive by 1983.

To see the results of this and more about each corps from the 1974 season, go to the Drum Corps Xperience website. To learn more about the drum and bugle corps activity, go to Drum Corps International for junior corps and Drum Corps Associates for all-age corps.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Brain Freeze


When I began the first draft of The Curse in May 2010, I had done only a little research on the craft of writing. All I wanted to do was to get the story out of my head. When I finished, the feeling was indescribable. When I came down from that high, reality kicked in. That first draft went from an awesome book ready to publish to leaving a lot to be desired. Well, it proved the axiom that all first drafts suck. Thankfully, I chose to work on the second draft and wait until the final product was ready.

Since then, I've done a ton of research as well as learn from other writers and editors. I used that information to edit the hell out of my backlist, including the last re-edit I finished this year. In fact, I spent so much time trying to learn all aspects of the writing and self-publishing process, along with re-editing my published and unpublished books that I realized it's been almost four years since I wrote a story from beginning to end. On a positive note, thanks to those efforts, I'm finally happy with my backlist. No more re-editing. It's time to get the three books on the Upcoming Books page published. On a side note, I'm halfway finished with the blurb to Justice.

Over the past couple of months, I've re-edited Justice and Second Chance, and my ideal reader has them now. While she beta reads them, for once, I have the time to write new stories. There are two I want to write, but there's a problem.

I have brain freeze.

It isn't an official writing condition. It's a term I came up with to describe what I've been going through lately. Now brain freeze isn't writer's block. I know the stories I want to write and have plenty to say with them. But the routines and disciplines I developed in the editing process are now interfering with the creative process. Instead of letting the story flow, I'm committing the indie author bad habit of editing while writing, among other things, such as word counts for each chapter. None of that should matter when writing a first draft. If I had a deadline, I'd be in real trouble.

But how do you overcome brain freeze?

This took some time, but I figured it out. For all you going through it, too, the way to beat brain freeze comes from within. As Yoda once said, "Unlearn what you have learned." For me, it means go back to the basics. In other words, turn off your inner editor and let your story flow no matter what. That's what later drafts are for. It doesn't mean you shouldn't use what you've learned. Save it for later. Your first draft is going to suck anyway. It's vital that you finish your story. Then you can edit.

For example, a few days ago, I started the first draft of a continuation of a story I thought had ended, the sequel to Second Chance. I went through brain freeze while writing the first chapter. It got to the point where I was ready to give up on the project. If I can't even finish Chapter 1, what good would the book be? Last night, I found my answer: To hell with Chapter 1. Move on to Chapter 2.

And the story flowed. Chapter 2 took over three hours to write, but it helped beat my brain freeze. My inner editor now says to juxtapose Chapters 1 and 2, and it's right. I can do that before moving on to Chapter 3. I'm only doing this bit of editing, because it gives me more to work with in order to finish the original Chapter 1. More story can now come out.

Are the two chapters high quality work? My inner editor is screaming, "No!" More description of the people and area are needed, and that's fine. They can go in the second or later drafts.

As with writer's block, brain freeze is a temporary condition. For those of you who are suffering from brain freeze, the solutions are similar. Just write. Write the first draft and don't worry about it being good. Don't worry about editing, word counts per chapter, proper grammar, or whatever else.

It's time to start writing and get that story out. 



You can find this and other writing blog entries here.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Some 2018 NFL Draft Trivia

It's been too long since my last sports post. There is a ton of stuff out there about the players and what kind of future they have, as well as a plethora of stats.

This post is a bit different. The trivia here involves the teams at their pick location as well as the university where the player selected came from. In Cleveland's case, they had the first pick in the draft before and other Oklahoma Sooners have been picked with the first selection. The players previously chosen will only have listed the year they were drafted. When featuring the university players chosen with a pick, the year and team who drafted them will be listed. Also, if a team trades a pick away, then it will be treated as if that team never had that pick. Hence, the team having the pick is the team who made the pick

This post will only cover the first round. Now let's have some fun.

1. Cleveland Browns - QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma  - This is the fourth time the Browns have had the first overall pick and the third where they picked a quarterback. Their previous three first overall picks were busts, QB Bobby Garrett (1954), QB Tim Couch (1999), and DE Courtney Brown (2000). Mayfield is the fourth Oklahoma Sooner to be picked first overall. The other three are Hall of Famer DE Lee Roy Selmon (1976 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers), RB Billy Sims (1980 - Detroit Lions), and QB Sam Bradford (2010 - St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams).
2. New York Giants - RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State  - This is the third time the Giants have had this pick, The first, HB Skippy Minisi (1948) played for only one season. They fared better with the second one, Hall of Famer LB Lawrence Taylor (1981). Barkley is the third Nittany Lion selected second overall. The other two were first round bust RB Blair Thomas (1990 - New York Jets) and LB LaVar Arrington (2000 - Washington Redskins).
3. New York Jets - QB Sam Darnold, USC - This is the fourth time the Jets had this pick. The first is DB and future LSU head coach Jerry Stovall (1963), but he chose the NFL and played nine season for the St. Louis Cardinals. The next two fared better, RB Matt Snell (1964), and RB Freeman McNeil (1981). Both were solid performers for the team. Darnold is the third Trojan picked third overall. The other two were AFC Central foes fared well in their careers, Hall of Famer T Anthony Munoz (1980 - Cincinnati Bengals) and LB Chip Banks (1982 - Cleveland Browns).
4. Cleveland Browns - RB Denzel Ward, Ohio State - This is only the second time they had this pick. The first is WR/P Gary Collins (1962), who played ten seasons with the team. Ward is the fourth Buckeye to be selected with this pick. The others are T Chris Ward (1978 - New York Jets), QB Art Schlichter (1982 - Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts), and current Dallas Cowboy RB Ezekiel Elliott (2016).
5. Denver Broncos - DE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State - This the third time the Broncos have had this pick. They drafted DB Kermit Alexander (1963), but he chose the NFL to play for the San Francisco 49ers. However, they fared better the second time, drafting TE Riley Odoms in 1972. He played 11 seasons with the team. Chubb is the first Wolfpack alum to be picked with this selection.
6. Indianapolis Colts - G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame - This is the second time the Colts have had this pick. The first time was from they were still in Baltimore, selecting LB Barry Krauss in 1979. He played ten seasons for the Colts and a season for the Miami Dolphins. Nelson is the seventh Golden Domer to be selected with this pick. The others were C Frank  Szymanski (1945 - Detroit Lions), G Jerry Groom (1951 - Chicago Cardinals), T Frank Varrichione (1955 - Pittsburgh Steelers), FB Nick Pietrosante (1959 - Detroit Lions), Hall of Fame WR Tim Brown (1988 - Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders), and current Baltimore Raven T Ronnie Stanley (2016).
7. Buffalo Bills - QB Josh Allen, Wyoming - This is the second time Buffalo had this pick. They selected TE Paul Seymour (1973), who played five seasons with the team. Allen is the first Wyoming alum to be selected with this pick.
8. Chicago Bears - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia - This is the sixth time the Bears have had this pick. Their other selections had average careers. They are E Les McDonald (1937), WR/TE Jim Dooley (1952), DT Wally Chambers (1973) T Dennis Lick (1976), and WR David Terrell (2001). Smith is the second Bulldog selected with this pick. The first was draft bust G Royce Smith (1972 - New Orleans Saints).
9. San Francisco 49ers - T Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame - This is the sixth time the Niners have had this pick. The others had respectable or better NFL careers. They were Hall of Fame RB Hugh McIlhenny (1952), DT Charlie Krueger (1959), RB Bernie Casey (1961), DE Cedric Hardman (1970), and RB Wilbur Jackson (1974). McGlinchey is the fifth Notre Dame alum who was selected with this pick. Three of them were drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles: E John Yonakor (1946), QB Frank Tripucka (1949), and draft bust FB Neil Worden. The fourth was DT Mike Fanning (1975 - Los Angeles Rams).
10. Arizona Cardinals - QB Josh Rosen, UCLA - This is the sixth time the Cards have had this pick. They are T Bill Fischer (1949), LB Jerry Tubbs (1957), LB Eric Hill (1989), LB Jamir Miller (1994), and QB Matt Leinart (2006). Rosen is the fourth Bruin selected with this pick. The others, including the aforementioned Jamir Miller, are 49ers: DT Bill Sandifer (1974) and J.J. Stokes (1995).
11. Miami Dolphins - S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama - This is the second time they had this pick. The other played defense as well, DE Bill Stanfill (1969). Fitzpatrick is the second Bama alum selected with this pick. The other is current Los Angeles Charger T D.J. Fluker (2013).
12. Tampa Bay - DT Vita Vea, Washington - This is the fourth time the Bucs have had this pick. The other three were selected in consecutive years. They are Hall of Fame DT Warren Sapp (1995), DE Regan Upshaw (1996), and RB Warrick Dunn (1997). Vea is second Huskie to be selected with this pick. The first is current Cleveland DT Danny Shelton (2015).
13. Washington Redskins - DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama - This is the third time the Skins have had this pick. The others selected here were draft bust RB Ray McDonald and current Tennessee Titan LB Brian Orakpo. Payne is the first Bama alum to be selected with this pick.
14. New Orleans Saints - DE Marcus Davenport, Texas - San Antonio - This is the third time the Saints have had this pick. The previous two picks have had productive careers. They selected DE Renaldo Turnbull (1990) and current Saint and last year's Super Bowl Champion with the Eagles, DB Malcolm Jenkins (2009). Davenport is the first Roadrunner selected with this pick.
15. Oakland Raiders - T Kolton Miller, UCLA - This is the third time the Raiders have had this pick. They did okay with the first one, Marc Wilson (1980) but the second was a bust, T John Clay (1987). Miller is the first Bruin to be selected with this pick.
16. Buffalo Bills - LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fifth time the Bills have had this pick. Two of them played on the Super Bowl teams and one is a current player. The Super Bowl players are G Jim Ritcher (1980) and DB James Williams (1990). RB Ronnie Harmon played in a Super Bowl, but it was for the San Diego Chargers. The current player selected with this pick is now Oakland Raiders QB E.J. Manuel. Edmunds is the first Hokie selected with this pick.
17. Los Angeles Chargers - S Derwin James, Florida State - This is the first time the Chargers have had this pick. James is the second Seminole select the other is longtime Oakland Raider and now current Seattle Seahawk player K Sebastian Janikowski (2000).
18. Green Bay Packers - CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville - As long as the Packers have been around, this is only the second time they had this pick. The first was DE/LB Tony Bennett (1990). Alexander is the second Cardinal selected with this pick. The first is current Jacksonville Jaguar player S Calvin Pryor (2014 - New York Jets).
19. Dallas Cowboys - LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State - This is the first time the Cowboys have had this pick. However, this is the second time a Boise State alum has been selected with this pick. The first is current free agent DE Shea McClellan (2012 - Chicago Bears).
20. Detroit Lions - C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas - This is the sixth time the Lions have had this pick. The previous ones are draft bust TE David Lewis (1984), DT Luther Ellis (1995), DB Terry Fair (1998), draft bust T Stockar McDougle (2000), and TE Brandon Pettigrew (2009). Ragnow is the third Razorback to be selected with this pick. The other two are RB Gary Anderson (1983 - San Diego Chargers) and Denver Bronco great S Steve Atwater (1989).
21. Cincinnati Bengals - C Billy Price, Ohio State - This is the fifth time the Bengals have had this pick. Three of those picks are current NFL players and two are still on the roster. The first was WR Tim McGee (1986). TE Jermaine Gresham (2010) just finished his third season with the Arizona Cardinals. The current players are TE Tyler Eifert (2013) and T Cedric Ogbuehi (2015). Price is the third Buckeye selected with this pick. The other two, who had respectable careers, are RB Robert Smith (1993 - Minnesota Vikings) and DB Nate Clements (2001 - Buffalo Bills).
22. Tennessee Titans - LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama - This is the second time the Titans have had this pick. The first was when they were the Houston Oilers, picking RB Lorenzo White (1988), a good selection. Evans is the first Crimson Tide alum selected with this pick.
23. New England Patriots - T Isaiah Wynn, Georgia - This is the third time the Patriots have had this pick and they chose well. The first two are T Bruce Armstrong (1987) and DB Ty Law (1995). Wynn is the first Bulldog alum selected with this pick.
24. Carolina Panthers - WR D.J. Moore, Maryland - This is the first time Carolina has had this pick. Moore is the second Terrapin selected with this pick. The first was DB Chad Scott (1997 - Pittsburgh Steelers).
25.  Baltimore Ravens - TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina - This is the first time the Ravens have had this pick. Hurst is the second Gamecock to be selected with this pick. The first was DB Rick Sanford (1979 - New England Patriots).
26. Atlanta Falcons - WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama - This is the second time the Falcons have had this pick. The first time, they selected DB Devin Bush (1995). Ridley is the first Bama alum selected with this pick.
27. Seattle Seahawks - RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State - This is the first time the Seahawks have had this pick. Penny is also the first San Diego State alum to selected with this pick.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers - S Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fourth time the Steelers have had this pick. Each previous pick was an offensive player and each was the pick of the Super Bowl Champion. They are the late TE Bennie Cunningham (1976), RB Greg Hawthorne (1979) and QB Mark Malone (1980). Like his brother twelve picks ago, Edmunds is the first Hokie to be selected with this pick.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Taven Bryan, Florida - This is the second time the Jags have had this pick. They swung and missed with draft bust WR R. Jay Soward (2000). Bryan is the second Gator to be selected with this pick. This first is current Los Angeles Ram DT Dominique Easley (2014 - New England).
30. Minnesota Vikings - CB Mike Hughes, Central Florida - This is the third time the Vikings have had this pick, but the first time with it being in the first round. The first two players were second round picks and both were cornerbacks. They are CB Willie Teal (1980) and Isaac Holt (1985). Hughes is the first Central Florida alum selected with this pick.
31. New England Patriots - RB Sony Michel, Georgia - This is the second time the Pats have had this pick. The first time, they drafted LB Chris Slade (1993). Michel is the first Bulldog to be selected with this pick.
32. Baltimore Ravens - QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville - This is the second time the Ravens have had this pick. They first selected current Raven S Matt Elam 2013). Jackson is the second Louisville alum and second Cardinal QB selected with this pick. The first is current Minnesota Viking QB Teddy Bridgewater (2014).

And that's it. As the cliche` goes, the draft is one big crapshoot. These teams may have selected great franchise players, solid players, or awful draft busts. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope this draft produces a group great players.

Have a great day!!!