Counting the Days...

With eight days to go for NaNoWriMo, I have a good idea what story wants to be told. It lost the battle for July's Camp NaNoWriMo, but the story that wants to be told is one I started over three years ago, Return To Origin. The story is inspired by one of my favorite History Channel shows, Ancient Aliens.

I started writing this story soon after finishing the first draft of The Curse. Then I made the worst mistake involving Return To Origin. I stopped less than halfway through to begin editing The Curse. Since then, the writing process has sputtered at best. There were other issues, but they're mostly resolved now. However, that's no excuse to stop writing a novel in favor of editing another one.

In December, I have another decision to make. With four novels somewhere in the editing pipeline, should I participate in the April and July Camp NaNoWriMo? If I had to decide now, the answer would be no. However, it depends on how much time the upcoming edits and revamps take.

Speaking of, I'm currently revamping my novella, Rickshaw, New Mexico. So far, there are some minor rephrases and clarifications that were needed. The challenge will be my novel, The Curse, which is getting an overhaul. The story will remain intact. However, as my two-star reviewer said, it needed another edit. He was right and that's what's happening. After Rickshaw, The Hunted is next, followed by The Acts of 1.


Now for some sports trivia...

• Congrats to the Kansas City Royals for winning Game 1 of the World Series. This is their first World Series game they won in 10,587 days.
  
• Since we're counting days, here's another one. It has been 38,725 days since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series (1908). The days continue.
  
• There are quite a few for football. Here are the teams who never made it to the Super Bowl, with the number of days since their last championship: Detroit Lions - 20,752 days (1957) and the Cleveland Browns - 18,197 (1964). The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars were born in the Super Bowl era, but never played in one.
  
• For one of the Super Bowl contenders, it has been 19,659 days since the Philadelphia Eagles won an NFL championship (1960).
  
• It's also been a long drought for three former AFL champions. The Buffalo Bills last won the AFL title 17,833 days ago (1965). It's been 18,554 days for the 1963 AFL Champion San Diego Chargers. Finally, the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) won their last AFL title 19,296 days ago (1961).
  
• One of the most famous Super Bowl games, Super Bowl III, it has been 16,720 days since the New York Jets won their only championship.

Counting all these days makes one thirsty. So who's drinking the beer in the cellar in the NFL? Why that would be this week's Kings of the Cellar, the 0-6 Oakland Raiders, who are on a 12 game losing streak and haven't won one since November 17 against the Houston Texans. This week's honorable mention goes to my 2-4 New Orleans Saints. This is a talent laden team who has performed like the New Orleans Saints teams of the 1970's. By no means is the season over nor have the Saints collapsed as past teams have. Unless they get their act together, they will be mentioned here again.

Here are historic scores for teams playing each other this week, October 23,

1955  Chicago Cardinals 24 - Philadelphia 24
1983 - Denver 14 - San Diego 6
1988  Minnesota 49 - Tampa Bay 20
1994  Denver 20 - San Diego 15
2011  Atlanta 23 - Detroit 16
2011  Houston 41 - Tennessee 7


Have a great day!!!

Today in 1974 - Pittsburgh Steelers vs Houston Oilers

October 12, 1974 – Today in 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers went to the Astrodome to play the Houston Oilers in a Week 4 game.

Both defenses showed up to produce a scoreless first quarter.  In the second quarter, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson took off on a 47 yard touchdown run to put the Oilers on the board 7-0.  Roy Gerela answered with a 37 yard field goal.  Houston led Pittsburgh at halftime 7-3.

Gerela closed the gap to 7-6 in the third quarter with a 27 yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh took the lead for good with a 9 yard touchdown rush by Preston Pearson.  The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Houston Oilers 13-7.

Dan Pastorini passed 3-6 for 69 yards and Lynn Dickey passed 9-17 79 yards and an interception for the Oilers.  Joe Gilliam passed 17-32 202 yards and 2 interceptions for the Steelers.  Preston Pearson rushed 15-117 yards and a touchdown.  He also had 3 receptions for 42 yards.

Houston went to 1-3 with the loss.  They would finish the season at 7-7.  Pittsburgh improved to 2-1-1.  They would finish the season at 10-3-1, including a 13-10 loss to the Oilers at home.  The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings 16-6.

Notables

• There were 11 Hall of Famers present at the game: Elvin Bethea for the Oilers, and Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Mean Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Mike Webster, and head coach Chuck Noll for the Steelers.
  
• This was Noll’s sixth season as head coach of the Steelers.  He coached the team from 1969-91 and led the team to four Super Bowl wins.
  
• This was Sid Gillman’s second and final season coaching the Oilers.  He coached the Los Angeles Rams from 1955-60 and the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers from 1961-71.  He led the team to an AFL championship in 1963.  He was replaced in 1975 by defensive coordinator Bum Phillips.
  
• Noll was a defensive assistant coach for the Chargers from 1960-65.
  
• Steelers defensive coordinator Bud Carson went on to be the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1989-90.  Chuck Noll played for the Browns from 1953-59.

The Pittsburgh Steelers host the former Houston Oilers, the Tennessee Titans, at home this weekend.

Here are some other scores on this day for teams facing each other this week, on October 6,

1962 – Boston Patriots 43 – New York Titans (Jets) 14

1963 – San Diego Chargers 50 – Denver Broncos 34

1963 – St. Louis Cardinals 56 – Minnesota Vikings 14

1968 – Green Bay Packers 38 – Atlanta Falcons 7

1996 – San Diego Chargers 28 – Denver Broncos 17

2002 – San Diego Chargers 26 – Denver Broncos 9

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Pittsburgh Steelers vs Houston Oilers - October 6, 1974.

Today in 1978 - Houston Oilers vs Cleveland Browns

October 1, 1978 – Today in 1978, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) at the Dawg Pound at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in a Week 5 AFC Central matchup.

The Browns got on the board first on a 41 yard field goal by Don Cockroft.  In the second quarter, Cleveland increased its lead with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Brian Sipe to Dave Logan.  The Browns led 10-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Houston scored on a 41 yard touchdown pass from Dan Pastorini to Rich Caster, but Toni Fritsch missed the extra point.  At the end of the quarter, Cleveland led 10-6.

Rob Carpenter ran 7 yards for a touchdown and put the Oilers ahead 13-10 in the 4^th quarter.  Cockroft tied the game with a 40 yard field goal, but Fritsch put the game away with a 19 yard field goal.  The Houston Oilers beat the Cleveland Browns 16-13.

For the Oilers, Pastorini passed 14-29 215 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.  Ronnie Coleman rushed 19-62 yards and had 4 receptions for 63 yards.  For the Browns, Sipe passed 12-32 106 yards, a touchdown and 3 interceptions.  Clarence R. Scott got an interception for the Browns and Willie Alexander, Robert Brazile, and Mike Reinfeldt each had in interception for the Oilers. 

Both teams went to 3-2.  Cleveland ended the season at 8-8.  Houston ended the season at 10-6 and lost the AFC Championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-5.

Notables

• There were 3 Hall of Famers in this game: Earl Campbell and Elvin Bethea for the Oilers, and Ozzie Newsome for the Browns.
  
• This was Sam Rutigliano’s first season coaching the Browns.  He would coach the team from 1978-84.  He would be replaced in 1984 by defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer.
  
• This was Bum Phillips’ fourth season coaching the Oilers.  He coached the team from 1975-80 and coached the New Orleans Saints from 1981-85.
  
• When Phillips was fired from the Oilers, defensive coordinator Ed Biles was named head coach.  He coached the team from 1981-83.  Phillips was the defensive coordinator of the Oilers in 1974 before he was hired as head coach.
  
• Houston’s defensive line coach was Wade Phillips.  He is now the defensive coordinator of another Houston team, the Texans.

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Houston Oilers vs Cleveland Browns - October 1, 1978.