Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. We again begin on a somber note. Thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre.
Now to the update...
We again have a tie for this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-12 Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars are in a dead heat to see who gets the first pick in the 2013 draft. If either team loses this week, they will eliminate 4-10 Oakland, Detroit, and Philadelphia from contention. Both of Kansas City's wins are against NFC South teams and all they have left are AFC teams, including a divisional game at Denver. Jacksonville's two wins are against divisional opponents, including Tennessee, who they play in Nashville next week.
This week's honorable mention goes to...what do you mean, not Arizona? That's right, no broken record this week. The Cardinals finally broke their nine game losing streak against the team that is this week's honorable mention, the 4-10 Detroit Lions. Detroit has a six game losing streak, now the longest active losing streak and have been beaten by a touchdown or more in their last three games. The Lions host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. This could be an upset special if Detroit can catch the Falcons after a big win, like Atlanta caught the New York Giants after a big win.
Next Loss...
Jacksonville hosts the New England Patriots, who are coming off a tough loss against the 49ers. Upset Special? Yeah, right. Although two of New England's four losses came on the road, they were also to winning teams. Jacksonville is 0-3 against the AFC East, losing all three games by at least a touchdown. The Jaguars will get spanked in this game and eliminate the Raiders, Lions, and Eagles from Kings of the Cellar contention.
Kansas City hosts the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Indianapolis Colts. The Colts were eliminated from a repeat weeks ago, so does this mean this is an Upset Special? Maybe. The Chiefs won their last home game against the Carolina Panthers, but Indy is a much better team. The Colts are 3-4 on the road, but all three of those wins came against losing teams. Again, is this an Upset Special? Maybe, but probably not. Kansas City hasn't shown they can score a lot of points, so unless their offense shows up, this will be an easy Chiefs loss.
Here are some scores for teams playing each other this week, December 18:
1921 Chicago Cardinals 0 - Chicago Staleys 0
1960 Philadelphia 38 - Washington 28
1960 Los Angeles Chargers 50 - New York Titans 43
1966 Philadelphia 37 - Washington 28
1994 San Diego 21 - New York Jets 6
2000 Tampa Bay 38 - St. Louis 35
2011 Miami 30 - Buffalo 23
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 15 (Part 2)
Here is the rest of this week's NFL series trivia. Again, the series records will include playoff games.
Minnesota vs St. Louis: Minnesota leads the series 23-16-2, but St. Louis is 4-2 against the Vikings since 2000. The Rams lead the series at home 13-9, but the series is tied 3-3 in St. Louis/Los Angeles since 1992. They met seven times in the playoffs, including two NFC Championship games, and the Vikings also lead that series 5-2. They went to overtime three times and that record is 1-1-1. The last time they went to OT was in 1989 and the Vikings won 23-21. Neither team has ever shut out the other. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1976.
Detroit vs Arizona: In another old NFL rivalry that started in 1930, the former Portsmouth Spartans face the former Chicago Cardinals. Detroit leads the series 31-24-5, but the series is tied 3-3 since 2003. The Cardinals lead the series at home 14-13-2 and is 5-1 in Arizona since 1993, which includes when they were the Phoenix Cardinals. They never met in the postseason. Their only overtime game was in 2002, when Arizona won 23-20. The last time Detroit shut out Arizona was 20-0 in 1969, when the Cardinals were in St. Louis. The last time Arizona shut out Detroit was 7-0 in 1942, when the Cardinals were in Chicago. Their last tie was 14-14 in 1941. Speaking of ties, in the first ever meeting between the Portsmouth Spartans and Chicago Cardinals, they played to a 0-0 tie. The Spartans moved to Detroit in 1934 and became the Lions.
Carolina vs San Diego: Carolina leads the series 3-1, winning their last meeting in 2008, 26-24. The Panthers lead the series in San Diego 2-0. The Chargers got their only win in the series in Charlotte in 2004, 17-6. They have never met in the postseason nor gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Seattle vs Buffalo: Seattle leads the series 6-5, but Buffalo is 3-1 against the Seahawks since 2000. Seattle leads the series 2-1 in Buffalo, but the Bills won their last meeting in Rich Stadium in 2008, 34-10. In their first ever meeting, which was in Seattle's inaugural season of 1977, the Seahawks spanked the Bills 56-17 for their second ever win. They never met in the postseason nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Kansas City vs Oakland: In a rivalry that dates back to the beginning of the AFL, the former Dallas Texans go to Oakland to play the Raiders. Kansas City leads the series 55-50-2, but Oakland is 7-4 against the Chiefs since 2006. The Raiders lead the series at home 25-23-1, but the Chiefs are 8-1 in Oakland since 2003. They met in the postseason twice, the last time, Kansas City won the final AFL Championship in 1970. They went to overtime four times, with the Raiders leading that series 3-1. The last time Kansas City shut out Oakland was 28-0 in 2011. The last time Oakland shut out Kansas City was 24-0 in 2002. Their last tie was 20-20 in 1971.
Pittsburgh vs Dallas: In this rivalry of former Super Bowl opponents, the series is tied 15-15, but Dallas is 5-3 against the Steelers since 1985. The Cowboys lead the series at home 8-5, but the series is tied 2-2 in Dallas since 1982. They met in the postseason three times, all Super Bowls, X, XIII, and XXX. Pittsburgh leads the Super Bowl series 2-1, but Dallas won the last Super Bowl meeting in 1996. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.
San Francisco vs New England: San Francisco leads the series 7-4, but New England won the last three meetings, dating back to 1998. The series is tied 3-3 at New England and the Patriots won the last two meetings in Foxboro. Even though both teams have multiple Super Bowl victories, they never met in the postseason. They have never gone to overtime, nor has either team ever shut out the other.
New York Jets vs Tennessee: The former New York Titans invade Nashville to take on the former Houston Oilers. Tennessee leads the series 22-17-1, but the Jets are 5-1 against the Titans since 1998. Tennessee leads the series at home 16-6, but New York is 3-1 in Nashville since 1998. They met in the postseason once, when the Houston Oilers won 17-10 in the 1991 Wild Card round. They went to overtime twice and that record is 1-1. They last went to overtime in 1980. The Jets won that game 31-28. The last time Tennessee shut out the Jets was 24-0 Houston Oilers win in 1993. The Jets have never shut out the Titans. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1967.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 13:
1964 Dallas 17 - Pittsburgh 14
1964 Houston Oilers 33 - New York Jets 17
1969 Oakland 10 - Kansas City 6
1970 Chicago 35 - Green Bay 17
1987 Kansas City 16 - Los Angeles Raiders 10
1998 Green Bay 26 - Chicago 20
2009 Miami 14 - Jacksonville 10
2009 Green Bay 21 - Chicago 14
Minnesota vs St. Louis: Minnesota leads the series 23-16-2, but St. Louis is 4-2 against the Vikings since 2000. The Rams lead the series at home 13-9, but the series is tied 3-3 in St. Louis/Los Angeles since 1992. They met seven times in the playoffs, including two NFC Championship games, and the Vikings also lead that series 5-2. They went to overtime three times and that record is 1-1-1. The last time they went to OT was in 1989 and the Vikings won 23-21. Neither team has ever shut out the other. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1976.
Detroit vs Arizona: In another old NFL rivalry that started in 1930, the former Portsmouth Spartans face the former Chicago Cardinals. Detroit leads the series 31-24-5, but the series is tied 3-3 since 2003. The Cardinals lead the series at home 14-13-2 and is 5-1 in Arizona since 1993, which includes when they were the Phoenix Cardinals. They never met in the postseason. Their only overtime game was in 2002, when Arizona won 23-20. The last time Detroit shut out Arizona was 20-0 in 1969, when the Cardinals were in St. Louis. The last time Arizona shut out Detroit was 7-0 in 1942, when the Cardinals were in Chicago. Their last tie was 14-14 in 1941. Speaking of ties, in the first ever meeting between the Portsmouth Spartans and Chicago Cardinals, they played to a 0-0 tie. The Spartans moved to Detroit in 1934 and became the Lions.
Carolina vs San Diego: Carolina leads the series 3-1, winning their last meeting in 2008, 26-24. The Panthers lead the series in San Diego 2-0. The Chargers got their only win in the series in Charlotte in 2004, 17-6. They have never met in the postseason nor gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Seattle vs Buffalo: Seattle leads the series 6-5, but Buffalo is 3-1 against the Seahawks since 2000. Seattle leads the series 2-1 in Buffalo, but the Bills won their last meeting in Rich Stadium in 2008, 34-10. In their first ever meeting, which was in Seattle's inaugural season of 1977, the Seahawks spanked the Bills 56-17 for their second ever win. They never met in the postseason nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Kansas City vs Oakland: In a rivalry that dates back to the beginning of the AFL, the former Dallas Texans go to Oakland to play the Raiders. Kansas City leads the series 55-50-2, but Oakland is 7-4 against the Chiefs since 2006. The Raiders lead the series at home 25-23-1, but the Chiefs are 8-1 in Oakland since 2003. They met in the postseason twice, the last time, Kansas City won the final AFL Championship in 1970. They went to overtime four times, with the Raiders leading that series 3-1. The last time Kansas City shut out Oakland was 28-0 in 2011. The last time Oakland shut out Kansas City was 24-0 in 2002. Their last tie was 20-20 in 1971.
Pittsburgh vs Dallas: In this rivalry of former Super Bowl opponents, the series is tied 15-15, but Dallas is 5-3 against the Steelers since 1985. The Cowboys lead the series at home 8-5, but the series is tied 2-2 in Dallas since 1982. They met in the postseason three times, all Super Bowls, X, XIII, and XXX. Pittsburgh leads the Super Bowl series 2-1, but Dallas won the last Super Bowl meeting in 1996. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.
San Francisco vs New England: San Francisco leads the series 7-4, but New England won the last three meetings, dating back to 1998. The series is tied 3-3 at New England and the Patriots won the last two meetings in Foxboro. Even though both teams have multiple Super Bowl victories, they never met in the postseason. They have never gone to overtime, nor has either team ever shut out the other.
New York Jets vs Tennessee: The former New York Titans invade Nashville to take on the former Houston Oilers. Tennessee leads the series 22-17-1, but the Jets are 5-1 against the Titans since 1998. Tennessee leads the series at home 16-6, but New York is 3-1 in Nashville since 1998. They met in the postseason once, when the Houston Oilers won 17-10 in the 1991 Wild Card round. They went to overtime twice and that record is 1-1. They last went to overtime in 1980. The Jets won that game 31-28. The last time Tennessee shut out the Jets was 24-0 Houston Oilers win in 1993. The Jets have never shut out the Titans. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1967.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 13:
1964 Dallas 17 - Pittsburgh 14
1964 Houston Oilers 33 - New York Jets 17
1969 Oakland 10 - Kansas City 6
1970 Chicago 35 - Green Bay 17
1987 Kansas City 16 - Los Angeles Raiders 10
1998 Green Bay 26 - Chicago 20
2009 Miami 14 - Jacksonville 10
2009 Green Bay 21 - Chicago 14
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 15 (Part 1)
Here is the first of two entries for this week's NFL series trivia. The series records will include postseason games.
Cincinnati vs Philadelphia: Cincinnati leads the series 7-3-1, but Philly is 3-2-1 against the Bengals since 1991. The Eagles trail Cincinnati at home 3-4, but is 3-1 at home versus the Bengals since 1991. They went to overtime once, in 2008, their last meeting. That game ended in a 13-13 tie. The only shutout in the series happened in 1975, when Cincinnati won 31-0.
Denver vs Baltimore: Baltimore leads the series 6-3, but the series is tied 2-2 since 2005. The Ravens are 5-0 at home against the Broncos, including their last two meetings in 2009 and 2010. They never went to overtime, but they did meet once in the playoffs. Baltimore won in the 2000 Wild Card round 21-3. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Tampa Bay vs New Orleans: New Orleans leads the series 24-17, but the Bucs are 6-5 against the Saints since 2007. The Saints lead the series at home 13-10, but trail Tampa Bay 4-6 at the Superdome since 2002. They went to overtime twice, the last time in 2009, when the Bucs won 20-17. The OT series is 1-1. They never met in the playoffs nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Indianapolis vs Houston: Indianapolis dominates this series 17-3, but it's tied 2-2 since 2010. Indy leads the series in Houston 7-3, but the Texans beat the Colts the last two times at home. They have never met in the playoffs or gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
New York Giants vs Atlanta: New York leads the series 11-10 and has won the last four meetings. The Falcons trail the series at home 3-9 and is 0-7 against New York in Atlanta since 1981. They met only once in the playoffs, which was a 24-2 New York win in the Wild Card round this past January. They went to overtime three times, with the Giants going 3-0. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Jacksonville vs Miami: Jacksonville leads the series 3-2, but the Dolphins are 2-1 against the Jags since 2003. There was only one game in Miami, which was a 24-10 Jacksonville victory. They met only once in the playoffs. The Jaguars put a 62-7 spanking on Miami in the Wild Card round in 2000. They have never gone to overtime, nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Green Bay vs Chicago: In the NFL's oldest rivalry, Chicago leads the series 92-87-6, but Green Bay is 8-2 against the Bears since 2008. The Bears also lead the series at home 51-43-3, but Green Bay leads the series 6-4 in Chicago since 2003. They met twice in the playoffs, both times a stepping store to a championship. In 1941, the Bears beat the Packers 33-14 to go on and win the NFL Championship. Their last playoff meeting was in 2011, when Green Bay won the NFC Championship 21-14. They went on to win Super Bowl XLV. In all those games, they only met in overtime twice, with that series at 1-1. Chicago won the last OT game in 2008 20-17. The last time Chicago shut out Green Bay was 26-0 in 2005. The last time Green Bay shut out Chicago was 21-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1953.
Washington vs Cleveland: Cleveland leads the series against their former NFL East rivals 33-10-1, but Washington is 5-3 against the Browns since the merger in 1970. The Browns are 17-6 at home verses the Redskins, but Washington is 3-1 in Cleveland since 1975. They never played each other in overtime, nor have they met in the postseason. The only shutout in the series happened in 1951, the Cleveland rolled over Washington 45-0. Their only tie was 30-30 in 1957.
Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 12:
1970 Oakland 20 - Kansas City 6
1971 Kansas City 16 - Oakland 14
1971 Green Bay 31 - Chicago 10
1982 Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Kansas City 16
1993 Detroit 21 - Phoenix Cardinals 14
2004 Indianapolis 23 - Houston 14
Cincinnati vs Philadelphia: Cincinnati leads the series 7-3-1, but Philly is 3-2-1 against the Bengals since 1991. The Eagles trail Cincinnati at home 3-4, but is 3-1 at home versus the Bengals since 1991. They went to overtime once, in 2008, their last meeting. That game ended in a 13-13 tie. The only shutout in the series happened in 1975, when Cincinnati won 31-0.
Denver vs Baltimore: Baltimore leads the series 6-3, but the series is tied 2-2 since 2005. The Ravens are 5-0 at home against the Broncos, including their last two meetings in 2009 and 2010. They never went to overtime, but they did meet once in the playoffs. Baltimore won in the 2000 Wild Card round 21-3. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Tampa Bay vs New Orleans: New Orleans leads the series 24-17, but the Bucs are 6-5 against the Saints since 2007. The Saints lead the series at home 13-10, but trail Tampa Bay 4-6 at the Superdome since 2002. They went to overtime twice, the last time in 2009, when the Bucs won 20-17. The OT series is 1-1. They never met in the playoffs nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Indianapolis vs Houston: Indianapolis dominates this series 17-3, but it's tied 2-2 since 2010. Indy leads the series in Houston 7-3, but the Texans beat the Colts the last two times at home. They have never met in the playoffs or gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
New York Giants vs Atlanta: New York leads the series 11-10 and has won the last four meetings. The Falcons trail the series at home 3-9 and is 0-7 against New York in Atlanta since 1981. They met only once in the playoffs, which was a 24-2 New York win in the Wild Card round this past January. They went to overtime three times, with the Giants going 3-0. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Jacksonville vs Miami: Jacksonville leads the series 3-2, but the Dolphins are 2-1 against the Jags since 2003. There was only one game in Miami, which was a 24-10 Jacksonville victory. They met only once in the playoffs. The Jaguars put a 62-7 spanking on Miami in the Wild Card round in 2000. They have never gone to overtime, nor has either team ever shut out the other.
Green Bay vs Chicago: In the NFL's oldest rivalry, Chicago leads the series 92-87-6, but Green Bay is 8-2 against the Bears since 2008. The Bears also lead the series at home 51-43-3, but Green Bay leads the series 6-4 in Chicago since 2003. They met twice in the playoffs, both times a stepping store to a championship. In 1941, the Bears beat the Packers 33-14 to go on and win the NFL Championship. Their last playoff meeting was in 2011, when Green Bay won the NFC Championship 21-14. They went on to win Super Bowl XLV. In all those games, they only met in overtime twice, with that series at 1-1. Chicago won the last OT game in 2008 20-17. The last time Chicago shut out Green Bay was 26-0 in 2005. The last time Green Bay shut out Chicago was 21-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1953.
Washington vs Cleveland: Cleveland leads the series against their former NFL East rivals 33-10-1, but Washington is 5-3 against the Browns since the merger in 1970. The Browns are 17-6 at home verses the Redskins, but Washington is 3-1 in Cleveland since 1975. They never played each other in overtime, nor have they met in the postseason. The only shutout in the series happened in 1951, the Cleveland rolled over Washington 45-0. Their only tie was 30-30 in 1957.
Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 12:
1970 Oakland 20 - Kansas City 6
1971 Kansas City 16 - Oakland 14
1971 Green Bay 31 - Chicago 10
1982 Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Kansas City 16
1993 Detroit 21 - Phoenix Cardinals 14
2004 Indianapolis 23 - Houston 14
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Last Place Update - Week 14
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Once again, we begin on a somber note, this time with the death of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown, who died in a car accident. His close friend and teammate, nose tackle and former University of Illinois teammate, Josh Brent, was driving. Thoughts and prayers go out to Brown, his friends, family, and the Dallas Cowboys organization. Now to the update.
The 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs share this week's title as Kings of the Cellar. Both teams had recent wins and gallant performances, but both lost this week. Although it's easy to name KC as this week's Kings, the tie will stand. At least they're performing better in recent weeks than honorable mention runners up, the third place 3-10 Oakland Raiders and 4-9 Detroit Lions.
Speaking of, the broken record of honorable mentions is kind of fixed. The Philadelphia Eagles won, getting them off the radar for now. Congrats Philly, on a well earned win. However, the "kind of" part is that this week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-9 Arizona Cardinals, for two reasons. First, that they lost their ninth consecutive game, which is the most in the NFL right now, and second, that they got spanked by the Seattle Seahawks 58-0. This is the worst loss of the season and in Cardinals history. Even though they have the same season record as other teams. this earns them the title as the NFC's worst team this week. The Cards host the also struggling Lions. A win here would get Arizona off the radar and Detroit on it. This one's up in the air.
Next Loss...
Jacksonville goes to Miami to take on the AFC in-state rival Dolphins. Miami is 2-5 since their bye week and is primed for an upset. So is this an Upset Special? Maybe. If the Dolphins show up or if Jacksonville shows signs of Jets lag, then Miami will hand the Jags an easy loss. The bottom line is it's a toss-up, which means the tie goes to a Jacksonville loss.
Kansas City goes to Oakland to take on the Raiders in the AFC West Cellar Bowl. A KC loss would keep them at the bottom of the heap, but a win will at least, get them out and bring the Raiders in. Upset Special? This is one of the great rivalries, so it's possible. However, Oakland beat the Chiefs in Kansas City, so chances are, this is yet again, another easy Chiefs loss.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 11:
1932 Chicago 9 - Green Bay 0
1977 Chicago 21 - Green Bay 10
1977 Tampa Bay 33 - New Orleans 14 (Tampa Bay's first ever win)
1994 Green Bay 41 - Chicago 3
2005 Minnesota 27 - St. Louis 13
2005 Denver 12 - Baltimore 10
The 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs share this week's title as Kings of the Cellar. Both teams had recent wins and gallant performances, but both lost this week. Although it's easy to name KC as this week's Kings, the tie will stand. At least they're performing better in recent weeks than honorable mention runners up, the third place 3-10 Oakland Raiders and 4-9 Detroit Lions.
Speaking of, the broken record of honorable mentions is kind of fixed. The Philadelphia Eagles won, getting them off the radar for now. Congrats Philly, on a well earned win. However, the "kind of" part is that this week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-9 Arizona Cardinals, for two reasons. First, that they lost their ninth consecutive game, which is the most in the NFL right now, and second, that they got spanked by the Seattle Seahawks 58-0. This is the worst loss of the season and in Cardinals history. Even though they have the same season record as other teams. this earns them the title as the NFC's worst team this week. The Cards host the also struggling Lions. A win here would get Arizona off the radar and Detroit on it. This one's up in the air.
Next Loss...
Jacksonville goes to Miami to take on the AFC in-state rival Dolphins. Miami is 2-5 since their bye week and is primed for an upset. So is this an Upset Special? Maybe. If the Dolphins show up or if Jacksonville shows signs of Jets lag, then Miami will hand the Jags an easy loss. The bottom line is it's a toss-up, which means the tie goes to a Jacksonville loss.
Kansas City goes to Oakland to take on the Raiders in the AFC West Cellar Bowl. A KC loss would keep them at the bottom of the heap, but a win will at least, get them out and bring the Raiders in. Upset Special? This is one of the great rivalries, so it's possible. However, Oakland beat the Chiefs in Kansas City, so chances are, this is yet again, another easy Chiefs loss.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 11:
1932 Chicago 9 - Green Bay 0
1977 Chicago 21 - Green Bay 10
1977 Tampa Bay 33 - New Orleans 14 (Tampa Bay's first ever win)
1994 Green Bay 41 - Chicago 3
2005 Minnesota 27 - St. Louis 13
2005 Denver 12 - Baltimore 10
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Acts of 1 - Update
For the past two months, my book The Acts of 1 - A Collection of Short Stories has been available only for the Kindle. Now it's available in paperback format on Createspace and Amazon. Each link takes you directly to the book's page. The price for the paperback copy is $9.99. It is still available for the Kindle at $2.99 and also available for now in the Kindle Owners Lending Library. It will also be available for the Nook next month.
As I stated in October, there are a total of seven stories. Four of them are listed in the description: The Prayer, The Note, A Flash In Time, and The Librarian. There other three stories are A Wish For Sarah, Waiting Room, and The Immortals. There was a recent movie called The Immortals, but this story has absolutely nothing to do with that movie. My story takes place in a drama class in the present at a fictional university. It involves a silent movie once considered lost, but was recently found and restored. There's more to the silent movie than meets the drama professor's eye.
Sales have been modest, but the book is selling better than anticipated. The only disappointing numbers come from the Kindle Owners Lending Library. Thankfully, the feedback on The Acts of 1 has been positive. No one has posted any reviews yet, but that's okay.
So what about this upcoming novel? It's in, what I hope is, the last draft. The name of the novel is The Curse. It takes place in 2010 at the same fictional university as in the short story, The Immortals. In fact, there is a reference in one of the other stories from The Acts of 1 to the two main characters in The Curse. Hopefully the novel will be ready by either the end of this month or sometime next month. Right now, all that's left, other than editing, is the get the cover art and the blurb right. Both still need work.
When it comes time to publish The Curse, I learned to do it in Createspace first and Amazon second. In the publishing process for the paperback copy, there's a link to publish for the Kindle, so the transition will be smooth. I'll post an update when it's done.
Hope you enjoy my stories.
As I stated in October, there are a total of seven stories. Four of them are listed in the description: The Prayer, The Note, A Flash In Time, and The Librarian. There other three stories are A Wish For Sarah, Waiting Room, and The Immortals. There was a recent movie called The Immortals, but this story has absolutely nothing to do with that movie. My story takes place in a drama class in the present at a fictional university. It involves a silent movie once considered lost, but was recently found and restored. There's more to the silent movie than meets the drama professor's eye.
Sales have been modest, but the book is selling better than anticipated. The only disappointing numbers come from the Kindle Owners Lending Library. Thankfully, the feedback on The Acts of 1 has been positive. No one has posted any reviews yet, but that's okay.
So what about this upcoming novel? It's in, what I hope is, the last draft. The name of the novel is The Curse. It takes place in 2010 at the same fictional university as in the short story, The Immortals. In fact, there is a reference in one of the other stories from The Acts of 1 to the two main characters in The Curse. Hopefully the novel will be ready by either the end of this month or sometime next month. Right now, all that's left, other than editing, is the get the cover art and the blurb right. Both still need work.
When it comes time to publish The Curse, I learned to do it in Createspace first and Amazon second. In the publishing process for the paperback copy, there's a link to publish for the Kindle, so the transition will be smooth. I'll post an update when it's done.
Hope you enjoy my stories.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 14
Here is some NFL series trivia for this week.
Denver vs Oakland: Oakland leads the series 60-44-2 (including the postseason), but the Broncos won the last two meetings. Oakland leads the series at home 27-20, but the Denver is 7-3 in Oakland since 2002. Their postseason record is 1-1, the last time in 1994, when the Raiders won 42-24. Denver hasn't swept a season series with Oakland since 2006. They went to overtime eight times. The Raiders lead the overtime series 5-3. In 1985, both games between these two teams went to overtime. The Raiders won both games. The last time Denver shut out Oakland was 27-0 in 1995. The last time Oakland shut out Denver was 24-0 in 1992. Their last tie was 23-23 in 1973.
Chicago vs Minnesota: Minnesota leads the series 52-48-2, Chicago has won six straight games against the Vikings. Minnesota leads the series at home 31-21, but hasn't won at home since 2009. Although it won't happen this year, the last time Minnesota swept a season series with Chicago was 2007. They went to overtime three times. Minnesota leads the OT games 2-1. They met in the postseason once, in 1995, when the Bears won 35-18. The last time Chicago shut out Minnesota was 23-0 in 1986. The last time Minnesota shut out Chicago was 17-0 in 1974. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1967.
San Diego vs Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh leads the series (including playoffs) 22-8 and is 7-1 against the Chargers since 1995. The Steelers are 14-0 at home against San Diego. Pittsburgh is also 15-3 against the Chargers since 1983. San Diego leads the postseason series 2-1, the last time in the Wild Card round in 2009, a 35-34 Steelers victory. The last time Pittsburgh shut out San Diego was 23-0 in 1976. San Diego has never shut out Pittsburgh.
Kansas City vs Cleveland: The series is tied 10-10-2 and is tied 6-6-1 since 1984. However, Cleveland leads the series at home 7-3-1 and is 5-2-1 at the Dawg Pound since 1980.They never met in the postseason. However, they went to overtime twice, which the Browns lead 1-0-1. The only time Kansas City shut out Cleveland was 34-0 in 1990. Cleveland has never shut out Kansas City. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1989.
Dallas vs Cincinnati: Dallas leads the series 6-4 and is 2-1 against the Bengals since 2000. Cincinnati leads the series at home 3-1 and won the last two meetings against the Cowboys at home. They never met in the postseason nor have they ever gone to overtime. Although Cincy once put up 50 points against Dallas, neither team has ever shut out the other.
Philadelphia vs Tampa Bay: Philadelphia leads the series 8-7, but Tampa Bay is 3-1 against the Eagles since 2003, including the playoffs. The Buccaneers lead the series at home 3-2, but the series is tied 2-2 in Tampa Bay since 1988. The postseason series is tied 2-2. Their last postseason game was in 2003, when the Bucs won the NFC Championship 27-10 on their way to winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The last time Tampa Bay shut out Philadelphia was 17-0 in 2003. Philadelphia has never shut out Tampa Bay.
Atlanta vs Carolina: Atlanta leads the series 22-12 and is 8-3 against the Panthers since 2007. The Panthers trail the Falcons at home 7-8 and haven't won in Charlotte since 2009. They never met in the playoffs. Atlanta leads the overtime series 3-0. They last went to OT in 2004, a 34-31 Falcons victory. The last time Atlanta shut out Carolina was 41-0 in 2002. Carolina has never shut out Atlanta.
Jacksonville vs New York Jets: Jacksonville leads the series 6-4, including the playoffs, and is 3-1 against the Jets since 2005. The Jaguars are 3-0 at home against the Jets, last playing in Jacksonville in 2006. They met once in the postseason. They played in the Divisional round in 1999, which the Jags won 34-24 They also met once in overtime, which Jacksonville won 26-20 in 2005. The last time Jacksonville shut out the Jets was 41-0 in 2006. The Jets have never shut out the Jags.
St. Louis vs Buffalo: Buffalo leads the series 6-4 and is 5-1 against the Rams since 1989. The Bills also lead the series at home 4-2 and is 3-1 against the Rams at Rich Stadium since 1989. They never met in the postseason. However, they did meet once in overtime, which the Bills won 10-7 in 1980. The only time the Rams shut out the Bills was in their first ever meeting in 1970, 19-0. Buffalo has never shut out the Rams.
Baltimore vs Washington: Baltimore leads the series 3-1, only losing to the Redskins in 1999. They also lead in Washington 2-1, last meeting there in 2004. They never met in the postseason nor have they ever played each other in overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Tennessee vs Indianapolis: This rivalry was once the Houston Oilers vs the Baltimore Colts, but such is life. Indiy leads the series 21-15, including the playoffs, and is 7-2 against the Titans since 2008. The Colts lead the series at home 13-7 and is 8-1 against Tennessee in Indianapolis since 2003. They met once in the postseason. Tennessee beat the Colts 19-16 in the Divisional round in 2000, on their way to a loss in Super Bowl XXXIV. They played each other in overtime twice, going 1-1. They last met in OT earlier this season, which Indy won 19-13. The only time Indianapolis shut out Tennessee was 23-0 in 2008. Tennessee has never shut out Indianapolis. In another bit of trivia, the series between the Houston Oilers and Baltimore Colts, which ran from 1970-83, is tied 3-3.
Miami vs San Francisco: The 49ers lead the series 6-5, including the playoffs, but Miami won the last two games. San Francisco leads the series at home 3-2 and won the last meeting at Candlestick Park in 2004. They met once in the postseason, in Super Bowl XIX, when San Francisco won the 1984 championship 38-16. They never played each other in overtime. The only time San Francisco shut out Miami was 21-0 in 2001. Miami has never shut out San Francisco.
Arizona vs Seattle: Arizona leads the series 15-12, winning their last two games against the Seahawks, including a 20-16 win in Week 1 this season. The Seahawks lead the series at home 8-6, going 7-2 against Arizona in Seattle since 2003. They never met in the playoffs. The Cardinals are 3-0 in overtime against Seattle, last beating the Seahawks in OT on New Year's day this year. Seattle's only shutout against Arizona was 38-0 in 2003. Arizona has never shut out Seattle.
New Orleans vs New York Giants: New York lead the series 14-12, but New Orleans is 4-1 against the Giants since 2003. New York also leads the series at home 10-4 and is 4-2 against the Saints at Giants Stadium since 1995. They never met in the playoffs or in overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Detroit vs Green Bay: Green Bay leads the series (including playoffs) 92-65-7 and is 22-5 against the Lions since 1999. The Packers lead the series at home 54-24-4, going 21-0 against Detroit at Lambeau Field since 1992. Green Bay is 2-0 against the Lions in the playoffs, the last time, a 16-12 victory in the Wild Card round. They played each other in overtime four time, going 2-2. The last time Green Bay shut out Detroit was 26-0 in 2009. The last time Detroit shut out Green Bay was 34-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13, also in 1973.
Houston vs New England: The Patriots lead the series 2-1, but the Texans won their last meeting in 2010, 34-24. New England is 1-0 at home against Houston. They never met in the playoffs, but they did play one overtime game, which was their first ever meeting in 2003. New England won that game 23-20. Neither team has ever shut out the other.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 6:
1981 Chicago 10 - Minnesota 9
1981 Green Bay 31 - Detroit 17
1987 Chicago 30 - Minnesota 24
1992 San Francisco 27 - Miami 3
1992 Green Bay 38 - Detroit 10
1998 Minnesota 48 - Chicago 22
2009 Indianapolis 27 - Tennessee 17
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Last Place Update - Week 13
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Today's entry begins on a somber note. This past Saturday, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered the mother of his three month old daughter and later committed suicide at the Chiefs' practice facility. Thoughts and prayers go out to Belcher's family, Kasandra Perkins and her family, and the Kansas City Chiefs organization.
Now to the update...
The 2-10 Chiefs played an inspiring game and beat the Carolina Panthers 27-21. Because of that and a Jacksonville loss, making both teams 2-10, the Chiefs are not Kings of the Cellar this week. The Jags' loss breaks the tie, so that honor goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After beating the Tennessee Titans at home, the Jags went to Buffalo and were dominated by the Bills. In both of their wins, Jacksonville kept the opposing teams to less than twenty points. However, in all of their losses, the opposing teams scored more than twenty points.
And the broken record continues. This week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-8 Arizona Cardinals and the 3-9 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams lost games they could have or should have won. Their losing streak is now at eight games. Philly's new starting quarterback, Nick Foles had respectable numbers against the Dallas Cowboys, but it wasn't enough. It appears Philly's weakness is defense and Arizona's weakness is offense. The Eagles go to Tampa Bay to face an improved Buccaneers team. They have a chance for an upset, but it's only a toss-up. The Cardinals go to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Seattle is 5-0 at home. Upset Special? Maybe, but it's doubtful. Chances are, Seattle will avenge their Week 1 loss to the Cardinals.
Next Loss...
Jacksonville hosts the New York Jets. Upset Special? Actually, the Jags have a real chance here. If the Jets continue to have quarterback problems, then Jacksonville could take advantage. The Jets are 2-2 since their bye week and have scored more than twenty points only once in that stretch. If the Jags play like they did against Tennessee, they will win. Otherwise, it's an easy loss.
These are usually fun, but not this one...not today. The Chiefs go to Dawg Pound to face the Cleveland Browns. Upset Special? As much as it should be one, it probably isn't. Kansas City beat a Carolina team that's 3-9 and Cleveland, although 4-8 and 2-1 since their bye week, is clearly playing better than Carolina. If the Chiefs show up with their running game, a good defense, and the same level of intensity, then they could pull off a win in the Dawg Pound. Otherwise, as with the Jags, it's an easy loss.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 4:
1977 Green Bay 10 - Detroit 9
1988 Detroit 30 - Green Bay 14
1988 Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Denver 20
1994 Detroit 34 - Green Bay 31
2005 Carolina 24 - Atlanta 6
2005 Indianapolis 35 - Tennessee 3
Now to the update...
The 2-10 Chiefs played an inspiring game and beat the Carolina Panthers 27-21. Because of that and a Jacksonville loss, making both teams 2-10, the Chiefs are not Kings of the Cellar this week. The Jags' loss breaks the tie, so that honor goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After beating the Tennessee Titans at home, the Jags went to Buffalo and were dominated by the Bills. In both of their wins, Jacksonville kept the opposing teams to less than twenty points. However, in all of their losses, the opposing teams scored more than twenty points.
And the broken record continues. This week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-8 Arizona Cardinals and the 3-9 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams lost games they could have or should have won. Their losing streak is now at eight games. Philly's new starting quarterback, Nick Foles had respectable numbers against the Dallas Cowboys, but it wasn't enough. It appears Philly's weakness is defense and Arizona's weakness is offense. The Eagles go to Tampa Bay to face an improved Buccaneers team. They have a chance for an upset, but it's only a toss-up. The Cardinals go to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Seattle is 5-0 at home. Upset Special? Maybe, but it's doubtful. Chances are, Seattle will avenge their Week 1 loss to the Cardinals.
Next Loss...
Jacksonville hosts the New York Jets. Upset Special? Actually, the Jags have a real chance here. If the Jets continue to have quarterback problems, then Jacksonville could take advantage. The Jets are 2-2 since their bye week and have scored more than twenty points only once in that stretch. If the Jags play like they did against Tennessee, they will win. Otherwise, it's an easy loss.
These are usually fun, but not this one...not today. The Chiefs go to Dawg Pound to face the Cleveland Browns. Upset Special? As much as it should be one, it probably isn't. Kansas City beat a Carolina team that's 3-9 and Cleveland, although 4-8 and 2-1 since their bye week, is clearly playing better than Carolina. If the Chiefs show up with their running game, a good defense, and the same level of intensity, then they could pull off a win in the Dawg Pound. Otherwise, as with the Jags, it's an easy loss.
Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 4:
1977 Green Bay 10 - Detroit 9
1988 Detroit 30 - Green Bay 14
1988 Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Denver 20
1994 Detroit 34 - Green Bay 31
2005 Carolina 24 - Atlanta 6
2005 Indianapolis 35 - Tennessee 3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)