The Novel Road

Differential Apartheid: A New Strain of Racism - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 15:10:00 +0000

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

Differential Apartheid is the result of what has been left undone. Hoped for changes are often left for the passage of time to solve, or finish. A point is made, a vision shown broad, or upheaval inspired, and left to humanity to assimilate through a hoped for natural and innate reason. This is where everything we experience tends to come off the rails.

In a perfect world, a seeming reasonable idea is considered, deemed worthy, and assimilated into our consciousness as the right thing to do from a given point forward. Yet, the vast possibilities for what's considered to be true - or absolute - is NEVER a given from one person to the next. Fanning out from the individual, micro-social levels of importance causes dilution. Growing from this point, mix in broad populations, and the levels assigned to what can be jammed onto the list of basic everyday concerns we each have at a given moment in time. Here - from the moment of heard cries for change, to the dilution point as time passes - is where it gets tricky when it comes to a change in innate philosophical ideals...

I guess this may be a good place to remind you of what I mentioned about me in Part 1, and that's my all too evident lack of intellectual credentials. I have none, excepting my earnest will to learn and understand. I try to think about things with a 360 degree view. I try (and no doubt fail miserably on more than one occasion) to put myself in the shoes of everyone as closely as I can reasonably expect to achieve. Stop laughing at how naive this may sound! At least give me some credit for going the extra mile (and loads of Advil) to consider things beyond my personal world. In truth, it doesn't always come out the way I'd envisioned. The odd thing is, I've been labeled both liberal and conservative, and more than a few of my friend think I'm an alien. Maybe it makes me fun at parties...?

Getting back to interpreting innate ideals, we should slide a bit toward the most simplistic model and consider the different ways anyone from a given State or region may find an issue worthy of their time to consider? Simply put, can something be thoroughly implemented if its not universally embraced? I honestly don't know the answer to this query if not limited to a single defined subject or narrative. Can it be expected or implied that historical tenets weigh less from State to State, region to region? I know I may seem to be tracking away from the base subject of this article, yet the core of Differential Apartheid is acknowledging how things are viewed, and not by just demographics...

One of the greatest documents ever written begins with the words: "We, the People..." Amazing words to begin, then it kind of slid off the table and crashed to the floor in Article 1, Section 2, clause 3:

" Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons."

The Constitution had been battered back and forth for years before final ratification, and I'd bet the only words from the very first draft that weren't severely changed were "We, the people.." It devolved as time passed, and individual needs and ideals filtered in. By the time the Constitution was finalized in its original form, the general populous had most likely moved on, trusting it would be handle...

Time and tide changes and shifts, but one thing I hold to be a general truth is that the attention span of most people is rather short. In the blink of an eye, the most precious intentions seem to slip away...

In part 3, let's move closer to Differential Apartheid's current incarnation. Until then...

Differential Apartheid: A New Strain

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 19:18:00 +0000

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost

Are we lost? Have we as a humanity hit a societal dissolve? Reason seems caught by a wind of anger; swirling, with no breath safe to take...

First of all: I'm no one. I have no claim to intellectual prowess of any kind. I'm known by many as a kind, honorable man, and with that I'll leave my human curriculum vitae off to the side while I consider my world, your world, and our world. Make no mistake, they are indeed three separate and distinct exsistances that act out in multiples a plays everyday, everywhere...

I find this as an interesting starting point, for me at least. Many will think me less evolved for such a lowly base point to begin, and here in lay the rub which keeps us in a continuous cycle of mistake after mistake.

“If you label me, you negate all the things I could possibly be.” Correctly or in error, this quote is attributed to Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard. Yes, the human tendency is to quickly identify and classify people; to assign them to a taxonomy chart. Determine where others “belong,” based on their opinions, the place of their birth, the religion to which they are an adherent, or some other pigeon-holing category. - Ronnie McBrayer

Mr. Brayer got the quote slightly wrong, but the intent is bang on. Labels seem to be devilish things. We have this great need to judge, decide, and place things just so they fit personal or current paradigms or needs. Maybe it makes it easier for us to move on, or formulate notions or actions? I have an idea of how labels effect myself and others, just as you do too. Yet, if we settle in here as a mean basis point to consider what's going on now in this world, it could be seen as slighting the very history thumping our collective brains at the moment?

The simple truth here, is we've moved on from the long ago historical compendium of gross mistakes with our all to very human ability to shut bad things away. We're modern, intelligent and aware, right? Not really, but if you think you are is what bakes your cookies, have at it.

This is the part where I explain the title of this short "Part 1" of my windy road pointed toward understanding things. It's also where the faint of soul could see clouds forever ahead for humanity, and I pity those who take this track. This world is a constantly evolving thing, and there will always be bad to go along with the good...

Inequality has been the bain of humanity FOREVER! Whether racial, financial, social... You get the idea? Labels are the ultimate sin of omission, and Differential Apartheid is the next phase of human indifference we have to address, and correct. Like a virus, it morphs and shapes itself to continue existence. It fights and claws to sustain itself, hiding in plain sight. It waits to rear up after society creates the environment it needs to flourish. It makes CoVid look like a sniffle, and has cost literally millions and millions of lives, both in actual deaths, and souls. It is the killer of hope, dreams, and us...

Where am I going with this? I'm not really. We are, or we all lose... See you in Part 2!

L.A. Rams: Sailing In Uncharted Waters...

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 17:01:00 +0000

In the southern hemisphere, you may want to look up at the nighttime sky. For centuries, travelers upon the sea have known well what you'll see. It's "The Southern Cross..."

Painting a seemingly simple four star cluster into an NFL team's 2017 canvas may be a reach, but I tend to be a star-eyed dreamer at any given moment. I've got the proverbial tee-shirt, and have the art of going from cheering to moaning down so pat, it's like a second language. As a Rams fan for decades, it's how I've sail through life in my little easy chair sloop. Years of dodging the behemoth NFL team tankers on each season's sea has been daunting. I've bailed and bailed after great NFL ships pass my team by, swamping me in waves of frustration. It doesn't do any good to shake your fist at them, nor does pelting a TV screen with Cheetos. You just have to re-set your sail, put the rudder hard over, and head for open sea... Or change the channel... Both seem to work?

Ocean going metaphors are oft times a hard sell, but I think it fits the 2017 Los Angeles Rams well. They've been plying the NFL waters in a hapless fashion for so long now, it takes time to believe their course could ever run true. Now, after a decade of confusing routes that had them zig-zagging all over the NFL map, they're headed toward new water... New destinations... New hope... They can see those four innocuous stars in the nighttime sky...

So, what happened? Well, as much as I liked Jeff Fisher as a person, he just didn't have what it takes to steer an NFL team. The Rams new head coach - Sean McVay - has it right. He built a coaching staff that re-set a basically talent roster. Wade Phillips - the team's defensive coordinator - installed a defense, then molded Aaron Donald, Conner Barwin, Robert Quinn, and - a vastly underrated - Michael Brockers into a core for a front seven that's clicking. He took a secondary - that no one thought much of prior to the start of the 2017 NFL season - and sewed tight passing seems left open in years past. The 2017 Rams secondary now has as many interceptions (10), as they did in the ENTIRE 2016 season.

Worthy of remark too, is the number of penalties for the Rams defense in 2017 when compared to 2016. Under Jeff Fisher, penalties were crazy high. I mean, they weren’t flat out bug-nuts high, but they seemed to constantly come at the worst times. In 2017, the Rams rank third lowest in penalty yardage (342), and the best in the NFL penalties called (48).

Flipping over to the offensive side of the ball, one of the most striking statistics is the Rams’ 3rd down conversion rate: 49.1%. In 2016, they were dead last in the NFL(32%) when it came to 3rd down efficiency.

While all the fan fluff has been going running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff’s way, to my mind, it’s left tackle Andrew Whitworth who deserves the team’s offensive MVP award. So far in 2017, the Rams have 17 running plays for 10+ yards on the left side of the offensive line. In the entire 2016 season, the Rams only had 8 plays of 10+ yard on the left side. Jared Goff has only been sacked 10 times this season, compared to the 49 time Jared Goff and Case Keenum bit the dust 2016. Oh, what a difference a great left tackle makes... Add in that the Rams offensive line has kept the same five starters all season, and it’s not hard to see why this current Rams team is sailing free and easy.

In an odd twist, the one statistic I thought I’d find was a Rams’ wide receiver making his way up the success lists? Not so, with only Robert Woods in the Top 50 wide receivers in the NFL(#28), with 451 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Digging deeper though, Rams fans can get excited about the number of different receiver Jared Goff utilizes. The Rams player with the highest yard per catch percentage? (Insert Jeopardy theme) If you said “Who is: rookie receiver Josh Reynolds”, you win! OK, he only has one catch for 28 yards, but Alex Trebeck is a picky guy, right? Sammy Watkins hasn’t made big headlines, but general manager Les Snead hit bigger than most people want to believe. Watkins has only 19 reception, but his 331 receiving yards - for a 17.4 yard average - tells me the Rams finally have the guy who can take the top off a defense, and hold safeties back a bit on every play...

OK, so what do all the statistics have to do with the Southern Cross I mentioned at the start of my wunder-babble? Maybe it’s the feeling I get that the Rams have open sea ahead, that’s of their own choosing? Then again, it could be the simple, notional feeling I get - when I think about the team I’ve loved all my life - that every game to be played will be in currents that are a challenge to opposing teams? All too possible, is that I’ve got this all wrong, and it’s not about stars at all? Maybe - just MAYBE - it’s the fact that the Los Angeles Rams have a harmony about them that makes a mark on a fan of the NFL...

Hmm...? Harmony... Southern Cross... I’ve got it!

L.A. Rams: Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 20:56:00 +0000

“After, therefore, because of it...” Known as a well worn fallacy by more educated people than I, those who mock this phrase can’t be NFL fans. Yet, I find it hard not to bend causality to my whim when the chance arises, and not just when it comes to the game we all love. For instance, it’s all but undeniable personal life tracks can be bent askew by “just one more beer...”, or in a certain Washington D.C. based Rams fan writer we all know: “Just ten more beers...” It’s the beer’s fault, right? Anyone out there silently nodding their head, and whispering: “Amen...”?

Say what you will, being an NFL fan allows a certain latitude with reality at times. Take the 2014 NFL Draft. No, really. Take it, because it makes me grind my teeth every time I summon the strength to think about it. Many may recall the then St. Louis Rams taking Auburn tackle Greg Robinson with the second overall pick in the draft, followed by Aaron Donald at #13 in the first round. The pick of Robinson - a Jason Smith-ian bust during his time with the Rams - made me cringe at the time. If you look back thru my rants for TST around the draft in 2014, you’ll see I pounded the table for someone else...

It’s at this point I’m going to drown you in Latin, with a new phrase NFL fans should thoroughly embrace: “Pro eo quod”, which translates roughly into “Instead this, therefore that...” You see, there was this one player I wanted Jeff Fisher and Les Snead to take, and I have little doubt it would have changed the future of the franchise. Khalil Mack was taken at #5 overall. Now, just think about it for a second and look back at the other players taken in the top 15 picks. Donald would’ve been there at #13 if the Rams had taken Mack at #2. How do I know? I just do, and I’m a bit of a brat, so get over it!

Looking back, Jeff Fisher had been slamming draft capital at building a defense since his arrival in 2012. Fans were screaming for offensive help, and a battered Sam Bradford needed someone to guard his blindside. Yielding to convention, Fisher and Snead missed the chance to build a defense for the ages... Pro eo quod..

In fact - if you’ll allow my dizzy little dreamland to spin further out of control a bit more - glance at the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Assuming just the players above the Rams selection position at #41 remained constant, way down at #63 was a player who would’ve satiated calls for wide receiver help: Jarvis Landry. The fates being what they will, the Rams selected safety, Lamarcus Joyner.

The odd thing about being an NFL fan, is how we try to discern where our favorite teams went off the proverbial rails when they fail to live up to our dreams. For me, the 2014 NFL Draft was where the Fisher era missed its chance for greatness. I’m in no way blind to the fact anyone can page back through time to other instances where cause and effect changes could’ve shifted the Rams fortunes. They’re there, spattered across time for all to see, and tearfully lament...

I guess the whole point of this has to do with looking forward, which is oddly counter to this article’s bend. L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay now swims in the unknown waters of what can be. Twist and turns, fates and fortunes, all lie ahead. A missed chance, an ill timed ego burst, or not staying true to a determined course happens so very easily in the broad scheme. Just ask Jeff Fisher...

The Cost of a Millennial Life...

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:44:00 +0000

How I hate those moments, when life - the course of a life lived - hurls itself at me... Yesterday, a young man - I've known since he was 6 or 7 years old - took his own life. How I'll grapple with the event itself isn't why I'm writing this though, because there's something else nagging at me. I think young men (and women) like the one I mentioned are at risk from something that's going to be parsed and defined more often as time goes on. Some use the term "Millennials" to describe the current crop of young people between the ages of 16 to 30-ish...

Often labeled as a generation of concern by people labeled "Baby-Boomers," and the offspring of the late 1970's to 1990's parental tree, Millennials are the cultural shift off shoot of an America transitioning through a myriad of social changes at the family level. The family unit changed drastically, with both parents working more and more, while child rearing began to shift toward an arm's length approach out of necessity. The family unit itself became even more nondescript as marital divorce became more acceptable - and in many instances, rightly so. Technology has lent an odd hand in all this, but more on that at another time...

The Millennial child gets a bad rap. Many in my age sphere lament how ill-focused and prepared young people are today. Yet, I can't help but think we don't take into consideration just how we've set Millennials up for failure? We somehow allowed the thinking that Millennials - like other generations before them - should be able to find their way as we have, and it's just idiotic...

This current world is so infinitely more complex than the one I, and those of my own generation, had to handle growing up that it borders on the absurd. It's overwhelming to take a glimpse at yourself, and try to fit how a child of the "Cold War" era would handle everything being thrown at today's young people. "WE" had both parent - divorce being a social "no-no" - and far less of what's going on in the world pounded on us ever second of the day. Information technology was in its infancy, so there was kind of a layer of forgiveness built in. Today, a small criminal misstep can literally end a young person's future prospects in the blink of an eye. When I was young, you were more likely to get a ride home by a law enforcement officer for youthful indiscretions. No paperwork, just a stern talking to, and that uncomfortable - and unforgettable - time as the officer told your parents what you'd done... Today, everything a child does is documented and stored. It's available for anyone to see, with stale facts precluding any hint of becoming a better person later in life being left left out.

Yes, I'm more than a little alarmed at just how thinly prepared "Millennials" appear to be to take on life in an infinitely complex world. But all the problems aren't of their making, and the solution set has somehow alluded falling at the feet of those who've put them in this position...

If I could speak to the masses of Millennials, I'd tell them to set aside thoughts of trying to push through life on their own. The old line "It takes a village..." applies more now, than ever. The African proverb holds true through time. The Bible embraces this wisdom too:

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken..." - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

It's simple enough, but how thinly Millennials consider history - and what can be learned from mankind's thousands of years of successes and failures - could very well be a tipping point for this generation. While current educational focus has been squarely set toward math and science to compete in the global marketplace, the lack of emphasis on history and reading - especially beyond 140 characters in length - leaves a vast pool of pool of untapped knowledge laid to waste in libraries and search engines. Millennial disdain for expanding their minds to broaden their base understanding of the world, drastically effects their ability to cohesively interact and excel with the community as a whole. They bring less to the table when wisdom is called for, and it limits their available solutions sets.

This world swallowed a young man I cherished. Overwhelmed by his circumstance, he didn't reach out to family and friends. But let's be clear, his life's end falls on my, and everyone else's shoulders who knew him. As I look back, the space between myself and this young man was far too broad. The sad thing is, as I look around me, the single point I can readily tie to him is a phone number, in a cell phone list hundreds of names long. The numbers in everyone's phone represent an instant epitaph of how minuscule and shrinking human interaction has become. I know I'm not the only one who's seen families sitting next to each other, and no one is speaking. They're all texting someone, or living their lives on some social media stream. There may be some who are satisfied that 140 characters on a small screen is interaction, and if you're one of them I feel sorry for you. If you are, you will remain outside the village we all so desperately need to survive...

So what's the cost of a Millennial's life? How much does it cost to reach out and help, because it's a price I, and everyone else fail to think worthy...

NFL Weekend: Free Agent Shop 'Til You Drop

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 15:50:00 +0000

...The 2016 NFL free agency scene had some teams throwing cash around like sailors on leave. The New York Giants spent a whopping $204.5 million to rebuild a sagging defense. Miami hit the "gotta wonder what they're thinking" button when they signed Mario Williams, C.J. Anderson, Jermon Bushrod, Isa Abdul-Quddus, and swapped first round pick in the 2016 NFL draft with Philadelphia to acquire Bryon Maxwell and Kiko Alonzo. The evil schadenfreude in me wants to be the fly on the wall when Ndamukong Suh knocks heads with the mercurial Mario Williams...

**
Speaking of "Butts", the Denver Broncos sent a conditional 7th round draft pick to Philadelphia for quarterback Mark Sanchez...

Yes, this monkey is going to be on Sanchez's back forever. If he should somehow blossom into the greatest quarterback in NFL history - and make into the Hall of Fame - at his induction ceremony they'll play this infamous moment over and over again. No doubt Baby Got Back - "I like Big Butts" - will be playing in the background... Denver fans have to be reeling, as they transition from Peyton Manning to having one of the biggest "fill in the blank" questions ever at quarterback for 2016. They'll be going cold turkey after riding the high of having one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, to one who gave us a Thanksgiving Day football game that'll be etched into our minds forever...

***
Quite a few NFL teams have stayed quiet during the free agent maelstrom so far. Baltimore, Green Bay, New England, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis have concentrated on re-signing some of their players. The Rams took a hit in their secondary, losing Janoris Jenkins and Rodney McLeod - the latter being the more damaging loss for Los Angeles. The secondary for the Rams was just starting to peek out from behind a dismal decade of terrible pass coverage; especially at the safety position.
New England did add a wide receiver. Buffalo's Paul Hogan will join the Patriots after impressing head coach Bill Belichick with his football savvy.

Barring a late snag, #Bills RFA WR Chris Hogan will sign a 3-year, $12M, heavily-guaranteed deal to join #Patriots. BUF has 5 days to match
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2016

Chris Hogan will be a #Patriot. The #Bills declined their right of first refusal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2016

So now a quarterback/wide receiver "Barbershop Quartet" will see if they can sing for Bill Belichick in 2016. Sunscreen dependent, I think this may become a very interesting group to watch this season...

Green Bay needs to re-sign James Jones, who was one of the best stories to follow in 2015. His 890 receiving yards, 8 touchdown on 50 receptions came after his being ignored by teams during free agency. After Jordy Nelson went down, it still took the Packers weeks to bring back one of Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets. He's sitting in the unemployment line right now, but only teams with an elite quarterback need come calling. Jones won't wow anyone with his speed, but he seems to find a way to make the best quarterbacks better...

****
The best free agent signing by a team thus far? My vote goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers inking tight end Ladarius Green. With the retirement of Heath Miller, Green was a flat out bargain: 4 years/$20 million. An example of pre-determined and focused free agent shopping, the Steelers never wavered in who they wanted. Green played in the shadow of future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, who re-signed with San Diego after an injury marred 2015 season. Now he'll join one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL. I give this signing a solid gold: A+
The worst free agent so far? I know this is just my opinion, but the money paid by the New York Giants for the Rams' Janoris Jenkins is down right absurd. I'll eat my words if he somehow avoids getting regularly burned long in 2016, but I really think that won't happen. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needs shutdown corner backs. Jenkins has the ability to do just that, but it's his tendency to sprinkle in ill-timed gambles that'll have Giants fans cringing. His own comments at a Giants presser should set off warning flags, when he said he needed to "stop being lazy at the end of games..." Now that's what you want to hear after signing away $62.5 million, right...? I give this signing a: C-

*****
Have a great weekend! Follow me on Twitter: @thenovelroad

Narrative Distance: A Place To Start

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:56:00 +0000

Narrative Distance...

While some think less about this key piece in the writing puzzle, it's where the tipping point exists between great works, and the rest. In an e-mail to a young writer, I tossed him a basic starting point for grappling with Narrative Distance. Right or wrong in my direction, I think it's a good enough reminder for any writer to occasionally peruse...

***

Don't confuse "Narrative Distance" with objectivity, or editorial distance. This aspect of writing is usually explained in two parts: Narrative Voice and Narrative Distance. The "Voice" is the easy one. It's the character POV (Point of View), meshed with the innate tenor each writer brings to a piece. "Distance", is something I like to explain as "the fly on the wall" narrator. How far away the "fly" is from the action dictates how much scope the reader is provided. It's tricky, because some writers fall into a "wordy" trap, thinking "Distance-set" means prolonged setting details. While you can use setting (lighting, geography, time of day, ect...) to frame your character's or subject's tenor, too much will draw the reader too far away; minimizing focal points.

In every story or article, there is - without exception - an inherent Narrator. News stories written are offered from close POV, but the "Distance" the writer has to take is dependent on the facts at hand. If the facts in evidence are indisputable - not needing observation to glean what is, or isn't true - the writer can write unequivocally. If the facts aren't absolute, or are vague, a good writer creates distance by stating sourced observations of the subject, or event. In each case, the writer is the narrator.

Opinion based pieces need to have "Opinion Dependent Distance". How much of what the writer says is based on facts - set off against judgement inspired by personal thoughts, passions or morays - will actually set the POV, and even the overall tenor of a piece.

Let's look at Narrative Distance in a "beginner" way... Think of a zoom camera lens for a minute. Now, think about Narrative Distance in these three aspects: (1) Close, (2) Near, (3) Far

"Close" - This is either the writer acting as narrator, or one of his characters. The camera lens zooms in close, framing faces, and not the outside world around them. There is no sound, or exterior noise other than the strictly narrated facts or dialogue.

"Near" - Observed action effected by immediate surroundings is key here. If the writer has two people talking in a crowded room, the people around them, the purpose of the room itself, and even the time of day (among a myriad of other reasons) can set the narrative distance. But let's say the room has a window? What's "outside" this room defined world is sliced out, narrowing the focus of the lens...

"Far" - The key here is to know "far" isn't about "physical" distance. The same two people mentioned earlier in the room are talking, but the thoughts going through their heads as they speak now comes into play. The narrator draws out the "How-s" and Why-s" of what's being said, then adds in observational aspects to set tone, tenor and intent...

The pieces I write - and you're able to read, since most of what I write you don't have access to - feature a variety of Narrative Distance-s. In the Front Office Fiction pieces, the Distance used is "Close" and "Near". I've written features like my "The NFL and CTE" interview in "Close" and "Far", with zero "Near", which is VERY tricky to do. My novel - Devin Briar - is a character-driven story, so it's written in "Close", Near" and "Far".

A good writer uses the zoom lens to shift in and out across a broad set of circumstances posed. How you slide between these three aspects of Narrative Distance will determine the flow of what - and how - you write...

The Tao of Chip Kelly

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 15:29:00 +0000

...The sudden purge of talented veteran players by the Philadelphia Eagles caught every NFL fan by surprise. Then came the curious additions to offset the subtractions: LeSean McCoy is traded to Buffalo, and DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews are added thru free agency. Quarterback Nick Foles bops his way via trade to St. Louis for oft injured Sam Bradford. I could go on listing the moves by Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly, but you've see it all as its streamed in headlines across sports-pages. A life long NFL fan, I've never seen anything close to what's been going on in Philadelphia...

So is Chip Kelly a genius, or mad man?

What intrigues me most, is trying to glean just what he saw - or didn't see - in players most fans thought were pretty damn good? LeSean "Shady" McCoy is one of the elite running backs in the NFL. Why did Chip Kelly opt for Dallas' Murray and San Diego's Matthews; both of whom have had checkered injury histories? Linebacker Trent Cole - now with Indianapolis, and is going into his 11th NFL season - was a key component for a middle of the road defense in Philadelphia. While they added Kiko Alonzo from Buffalo in the McCoy trade, and the competition for linebacker spots looks decent, Alonzo is coming back from injury. So Kelly shifted from a solid veteran "maybe", to a second year linebacker with potential/injury "maybe"?

"...Kelly gave a contract extension in between raving about the veteran’s leadership qualities. Kiko Alonso is the only return Kelly managed to acquire while parting with LeSean McCoy,Trent Cole, Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis and Cary Williams. Meanwhile, Kelly has commented on how much time Mychal Kendricks missed last year with a calf injury." - ESPN.com

While the 49ers have lost loads of players this off season, it's nothing close to Philly. Players left San Francisco of their own accord. Not so in Philly, where Chip Kelly has made sweeping changes based on his view of what kind of team he wants to coach... He signed a 5 year/$32 million contract in 2013 with the Eagles after flirting with Cleveland. In his first year, his offense piled up big numbers. Averaging 417.2 yards per game put the Eagles just behind Denver and Peyton Manning for the most prolific offense in the NFL. Nick Foles finished with 27 TD passes, only 2 interception, and a league best 119.2 QB rating. A more balanced attack than most thought would happen, Kelly's offense generated 2,566 yards on the ground, and 4,110 in the air. That's 6,676 yards combined, folks!

Then, it happened... Kelly wanted more. After a front office shake up left Kelly with more overall control of team direction, players began to to be shipped out, in what came to look like a wholesale house cleaning. In 2013, wide receiver DeSean Jackson had a career best 1,332 receiving yards. He was quickly shuttled out of town after the season. The most interesting - and for me, down right puzzling move - was the trade of LeSean Mcoy to Buffalo. Over the last two seasons, McCoy's production was fantastic: 2,926 rushing yards/694 receiving, and 16 touchdowns. The stat that may be hardest to replace though, is his 179 first downs over the last two seasons... Lots of moves have happened for the Eagles, but these two kind of set an interesting stage for what followed.

I'm actually enjoying watching what Chip Kelly does. He's kicking over the conventional wisdom table. He's in one of the toughest NFL fan towns though. So many would think the Philadelphia fans would be on the verge of rioting in the streets, right? Not so fast. SBNation's Eagles blog - Bleeding Green Nation - has run a month to month job approval poll regarding Chip Kelly. Take a look at the numbers:

So, do you approve of the job Chip Kelly has done as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles?

Chip Kelly Approval Polls:

Interesting? Add in Kelly's signing Tim Tebow to the quarterback mix, and at times it seems he's going to great lengths to keep the Eagles' fan base guessing? The Philadelphia media - long known for being one of the toughest crowds around - has been held in check by Kelly... For now, anyway. I can't help but think the media hounds in Philly won't allow Kelly much leeway going into the 2015 season. If his great experiment falters even the slightest bit, they're going to pounce on him...

I like the idea of a head coach attacking his job in his own way. Kelly's gone at this with his hair on fire, and foot mashing the gas pedal to the floor. "Great experiments" in the NFL are fairly rare. Conventional wisdom, and conservative moves are the standard for the most part. I'm rooting for Kelly to succeed, simply because he's created an air of unknown possibilities. Will he? I don't know, but it's going to be the biggest story line in the NFL for 2015. Now, let's sit back and watch...

*** A big thank you to Pete Dunbar for the great pictures!***

NFL 2015: What's Going On With The 49ers?

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 13:09:00 +0000

When San Francisco's linebacker Chris Borland announced his retirement after only a single NFL season, it seemed well reasoned, but odd at the same time. What no one saw at the time is how it cracked open a floodgate...

Patrick Willis, the perennial All-Pro middle linebacker - followed Borland into AARP-land. Losses in free agency added to woes being felt by first year head coach Jim Tomsula. Justin Smith called it a career after 14 NFL seasons. Frank Gore hit the road to Indianapolis, and Michael Crabtree headed across the Bay to Oakland, while guard Mike Iupati wandered off to Arizona. Now, starting right tackle Anthony Davis announced his retirement, though he left the door open for a return...

I'll be back in a year or so.. I'll be 26 or 27 years old. Im taking this time to allow my Brain and Body time to heal and recoup.
— Anthony Davis (@BamDavis_) June 5, 2015

If you want to look at all this honestly, drawing the line back to last season - when rumbling of player/front office dissatisfaction began to bubble up around then-head coach Jim Harbaugh - makes some sense? From a distance, I can almost see the 49ers players were split into two camps: Pro-Harbaugh, and Con-Harbaugh... Then again, is it reasonable to look even further to a dysfunction in the front office and ownership?

One thing seems to have an underlying truth to it though: Players are leaving in droves regardless of money concerns. In an age where players seem overly craven where $$$dollars are concerned, the 49ers have people simply walking away...

Health concerns - when it comes to playing the game of football - are very real, and I respect anyone who makes the tough choice to stop playing a game that's been something they've loved. Willis' decision to retire is understandable. He's been struggling with foot issues for a number of years, and pain takes a toll on anyone. Davis' sudden decision is tougher to understand, especially when you consider his hint at a return in the future. Players who are injured get put on Injured Reserve; they don't have to retire to heal. It makes me wonder if Davis' is really injured, or simply trying to gain his release from the 49ers? He did suffer a substantial concussion last season that caused him to miss four games. Is this a response by Davis to resist efforts by the 49ers to force him to play when he thinks he needs more healing time? Could be, but it's just speculation...

Yet, what's going on with the 49ers right now has stepped beyond an aberration. No other NFL team is going through anything close to this. Add in how young the 49ers players who are retiring, and it has to make you wonder what's going on in San Francisco? Not to stir the pot even further, but is anyone else thinking some of this represents a broad showing of a "lack of confidence" in Tomsula/Baalke/owner Ted York?

One of the most storied NFL franchises is in deep trouble. The San Francisco 49ers are still a formidable team, but how much more disarray can they handle?

Jeff Somers on Book Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 03:30:00 +0000

The Jeff Somers 10 do's and don’ts when it comes to book promotion:

(FYI - Remember to read the footnotes)

1. ... get a haircut. Whatever that means to you. Shave your head, dye your hair, buy a new wig, *make* a new wig from the shedded fur of your cat -- whatever. Just do some hair maintenance. Nothing makes you look crazier when standing up in front of a room of people than Crazy Hair [a].

2. ... remember that most promotion has no immediate return. Readings, interviews, web sites, videos, podcasts, advertising - it will all seem to disappear into the endless void without a ripple, and you will despair. All you can do is try everything and hope it has an effect down the line.

3. ... readings, but temper your expectations. I have read to packed houses with standing-room-only crowds, I have *literally* read to my wife and two bookstore employees, neither of whom seemed impressed. Readings are hard to predict, so be prepared for despair.

4. ... couple Readings with something else. Even a packed reading will only move a few copies of your book - if you can get some local news coverage you've hit PR gold!

5. ... make a web site. Incredibly cheap, permanent promotion with potential to reach everyone in the universe. Don't go crazy - it's better to have a simple site with boring design that works than some crazy, animated-GIF hellhole of a site.

6. ... have a few drinks. Before appearances, during readings, afterwards if someone is footing the bill. While you don't want to be disastrously drunk when doing a reading or other appearance, you don't want to be sober either. Sobriety is terrifying.

7. ... learn to dance. Nothing will save a bombing public appearance like sudden and inexplicably entertaining with break-dancing. Watch old episodes of "What's Happening?!" and learn moves from ReRun. Trust me on this.

8. ... prepare for readings. When doing a reading, select the portion of your book you're going to read. Time it so it's around 5 minutes of reading time. Try to end on a strong beat. Try not to choose a section that has a lot of dialog. DO NOT EVER DO VOICES FOR YOUR CHARACTERS. Print it out on letter-sized paper in a big font. Practice a few times. Even reading it once will save you from stumbling over your own words like English is your third or possibly fourth language.

9. ... be prepared for people to laugh at the wrong times. Just go with it, and pretend you meant your dramatic moment to be hilarious.

10. ... prepare for interviews, both in-person and via email. Have *interesting* answers to the standard questions. Trust me when I say that telling us you started writing as a kid and would write for free, because it is your passion, is NOT interesting. In the least. [b]

Available June 28th

DON'T

1. ... spend money. Well, not much. Some bookmarks and business cards, a web site registration and hosting -- fine. But self-funding an ambitious book tour or advertising campaign will only end in tears.

2. ... use every communication you have with any other human being on the planet to plug your book. People are pretty understanding that you want to get the word out, but there is a line. Find it, fix it's location in your head, and never cross it.

3. ... attempt black magic or deals with the devil to make your book a bestseller. This does not seem to work, no matter how often I, er, people try [c].

4. ... respond to bad reviews. Ever. No matter how insulting, puerile, or obviously personally motivated they are. You will come off looking like a prick, and the bad reviewer will simply post your arguments as proof of your immaturity. Take it lying down and don't worry about it.

5. ... obsess over your Amazon sales rank. Amazon is still a small portion of the book market overall, and their sales rank algorithm is Fancy Math that no one understands. It may actually be witchcraft, or completely random. No one knows.

6. ... spam. Mass emails are only acceptable if you have a list of people who have volunteered for such atrocities, and even then should be used sparingly, to announce things that are coming up too quickly for people to discover for themselves.

7. ... assault people physically or scream at them, demanding they buy your book in bulk. This results in more arrests than sales, believe it or not.

8. ... make it all about selling your book. Sure, that's the goal and you shouldn't be shy/ashamed about it, but you have to offer people more than a sales pitch. Entertain them. When you're reading or signing books, be fun and interesting. If you're making a video or web site, give away some content and have fun.

9. ... take yourself too seriously. The only people who like serious writers are no one ever. No one likes serious writers. People like their writers humble, inebriated, and jolly. And, if my own experience means anything, pantsless.

10. ... buy a trained monkey. You might think he'll dance and jig and amuse the crowd, and then be trained to fetch you whiskeys when you're home. But in reality he will soil every surface of your house, steal things from your wallet/purse, and then run away at the first opportunity, breaking your heart [d].

[a] I myself had Crazy Hair continuously from 2004-2009. No power on Earth could tame it. My career suffered accordingly.

[b] It is okay to make stuff up when applying #10. Create your own backstory. You're a writer, after all.

[c] Plus, all those dead sacrificial chickens. Yuck.

[d] COME HOME, BONGO! All is forgiven, I promise.

NFL Fines List: Where You Pay To Play...

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 14:02:00 +0000

During my Saturday morning Interwebs cruise, I happened upon a Tweet by the Boston Globe's Ben Volin. He posted the NFL's fine list for those slap-happy moments when emotions and lacking self control sneak into the game of football...
Some of the fines I can easily understand. But the thing which kind of jumps out at me is the "down to the last dollar" amounts? Make contact with a game official: $27,562... What's the last $62, a way of making a player reeeealy think about what he's done as he fills out the check? Paying that last $37 for having a foreign substance on your uniform is for the cleaning bill, right?
Fighting and touching the men who throw penalty flags are the biggies at $55,125 for a second offense. The real bargain on the list is standing too close to a fight: $2,756. Ringside seats don't come cheap, but if a player must mill around a brawl - and many of them MUST - it will only cost them a few grand.

"Gang Signing"? My mind - being a titchy thing anyway - veered away from what this really means to an absurd image of a player being fined after being drafted by the "Eastside Whatevers", ect. He gathers with the gang at a tattoo parlor and has his new affiliation inked next to his barbed wire "tat", just below the picture of his Mom. Then he gets fined, and throws a party...
I can't help but wonder where all this fine money goes, not to mention just how much is gathered each year? Maybe it's a part of Rodger Goodell's bonus package, or donated to charity? Then again, is it a tax deduction for the fined player? Is his insurance carrier notified? Every time I get fined my insurance seems to go up, so it's only fair, right? When a player tries to get his child into a nice private school, will the principle whip out a fine sheet and read off his many violations? "I see here you "leg-whipped" a player in Philadelphia, and failed to attach your chin strap 17 times! Can we expect the same thing from young Buford, because that's not going to be tolerated here at the Wellington Academy preschool..."
What fines catch your eye? Let me hear about your thoughts on the NFL's "cash for bash" penalty system...

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:25:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Field Gull's columnist Kenneth Arthur. If you aren't familiar with "FG" - and you happen to be a Seattle Seahawks fan - you're missing the boat. It's packed with "12th man" crazy people. I talked with Ken about a few topics heading into the 2014 NFL season...

While sorting through all the off season moves and losses via free agency, then adding in the recent NFL Draft, most teams have new questions in 2014? How did Seattle do overall on each side of the ball? Give me a 1 to 10 grade, with 10 being best.

Ken : Defense - 9 and Offense - 8

It’s tough for me to “grade” the offseason moves because the Seahawks didn’t make a lot of them. At least, not externally. They didn’t go out in free agency and get much, though they made a serious effort to sign Jared Allen. Even though the defense lost three “starters” with Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, and Clint McDonald (And Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond, but both were on their way out), the front office did what it most wanted to do: Sign Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Pete Carroll to long extensions, plus re-signing Michael Bennett.

That’s really the main reason that the other NFC West teams should be saying “Damn it!” when it comes to Seattle’s offseason. They didn’t really replace Clem, Bryant, or McDonald either, but they’ve been stashing players on the depth chart and practice squad. Players like Jordan Hill, Jesse Williams, Benson Mayowa, and the re-signed O’Brien Schofield will compete for spots, plus rookies like Cassius Marsh and Jimmy Staten. The crux of the defense — the secondary — is going to be as good as ever. That’s huge.

On offense they lost Golden Tate and Breno Giacomini, while not yet extending Doug Baldwin (if they even do) but also re-negotiating Zach Miller’s deal down without having to release him. Instead, they drafted Paul Richardson and tackle Justin Britt to compete for starting roles. The loss of Giacomini on the right side of the line is more than survivable, though Tate’s loss is certainly not to be overlooked. That being said, Percy Harvin can come in and play 16 games (technically he could do that!) and it’ll be like upgrading over what Tate did in 2013 in a major way. They also released and re-signed Sidney Rice to a more reasonable deal and will be hoping for a big sophomore season from Christine Michael at running back.

Seattle’s offseason won’t seem like much if you just compare the 2013 roster to the 2014 roster, but in reality, they were busy and got almost everything they wanted.

After studying the NFC West teams, I think they all - particularly the St. Louis Rams - have offensive line needs. In fact, it looks like the position of need they all have in common is Guard (Right or Left)? How did your team address it's offensive line needs this off season?

The Seahawks lost Giacomini as the starting right tackle, but he may have been close to losing his job last season anyway. 7th round pick Michael Bowie looked just as good, if not better, in place of Giacomini last season, while undrafted free agent Alvin Bailey was one of the breakout stars for the team in the 2013 preseason. So if those two competed for the starting RT job, the team would probably be okay, but they also drafted Justin Britt at the end of the second round. The team did not pick up the fifth year option on James Carpenter, which likely means that unless he has a great preseason and season, he’s done with Seattle. In fact, if he loses his job in the preseason, he will probably just be released.

He was the starting left guard last season and JR Sweezy was the starting right guard. Sweezy also struggled and so the team might be looking for other players to step up and force the issue. It’s possible that Bowie wins RT, pushing Bailey into the RG competition, and Sweezy into a battle for LG. I’m keeping an eye on Stephen Schilling, a local kid that ended up getting released by the Chargers. It’s not weird to think he can compete for a starting job; after al, Giacomini was just a guy that Seattle picked up off of the Packers practice squad a few years ago.

Overall, the line is probably the weak link on the team. That being said, it was good enough to win a Super Bowl and can only get better. People often forget that left tackle Russell Okung was placed on IR last season, only to return before the playoffs. There were injuries all over the line, including Pro Bowl center Max Unger, so it’s fair to think it’ll be getting better.

The NFC West appears to be sliding ever farther into a "run first" division. The Seahawks have the best running back (Marshawn Lynch) who fits this bill, with San Francisco's Frank Gore not far behind. The Rams have a promising second year RB in Zac Stacy, and Arizona's Andre Ellington showed flashes in 2013.

Arizona may be the last holdout to "the run", since they really haven't added any running back depth via the draft or free agency? San Francisco is so deep at RB, that it's hard to see how they can keep all of them on the roster. Seattle has proven depth at the position, after hitting prior drafts for quality running backs to groom behind "Beast Mode". The Rams have Stacy, and a marginally proven Benny Cunningham to go with recent draftee Tre Mason, but the signs are there that Sam Bradford will be edging more toward handing the ball off more often than passing this season.

How do you evaluate the Seahawks' run game for 2014?

The Seahawks run game was surprisingly inefficient at times last season, and overall, the passing game actually had a higher DVOA than the running game. (8th in run DVOA, 7th in pass DVOA.) Marshawn Lynch really did beast mode the offense into points in 2011 and 2012, but in 2013, Seattle was all about their ridiculously great defense and big plays on offense. By adding Richardson in the second round and getting Harvin back to full health, they expect to stretch the field out, open up the box, keep safeties deep, keep linebackers honest, and then punch Lynch down a defense’s throat. The play of second-year back Michael will be huge however, because he’ll add a different element of explosion from the backfield. However, it’s concerning that he played almost never as a rookie. Even if they didn’t need him, there were certainly times where they COULD have played him and opted not to anyway. His blocking may be a concern, but if it’s an attitude problem, that’s much worse. Overall, if the line stays healthy, and if the receivers can stretch the field, then Seattle will probably be an improved running team in 2014.

Yep, improved!

Defense is literally the watch-word for the NFC West. How did Seattle improve on defense this off season? What were the biggest additions or subtractions in the off season? What's the weakness on defense for your team?

A weakness? Not bloody likely. The Seahawks had arguably the best defense EVER last season. I know that people are going to hate that buzz phrase, and they’ll point out teams in history that did things that may have been more impressive (I love certain defenses of past eras, like the 2002 Bucs) and I’m not saying that Seattle definitely did have the best defense of all time, but I’m saying they have an argument. Why?

43-8 against the “best offense ever.”

The biggest problem is that the Leo position is a critical one for this defense and we don’t know yet if they replaced Clemons with someone great. That being said, Clemons may have lost a step for part of last season due to ACL recovery, and the Seahawks still won the Super Bowl. Seattle likes to add young players and mold them into greatness. That’s what they did by adding Clemons when no one had heard of him in a trade with the Eagles. That’s what they did when they moved Bryant from DT to DE. That’s what they did by trading Kelly Jennings for McDonald. They signed Bennett to a one year contract for FIVE million dollars. They drafted Sherman and Chancellor in the fifth round. They added KJ Wright in the fourth and Byron Maxwell in the sixth and signed Browner from the CFL. So the “low key” draft picks and signings of 2014 may turn out to be the reason that the Seahawks continue to dominate under Carroll and Schneider. We don’t know that yet for sure, but I feel very confident. Why?

43-8.

The NFC West will be playing outside of division games against the AFC West and NFC East. Which opponents in these division look like the biggest problem for your team?

If anyone answers anything other than “Broncos” for the AFC West, I am worried for their health.

In the NFC East, I actually have the Giants winning the division. I think the East is a crappy division and I think that’s why teams rise up and down so quickly year to year. The Giants get a slightly easier schedule than Philly and Dallas. I think the Eagles are fun to watch, but I think the Giants might be better.

Give me your win/loss forecast for each team in the NFC West, and more importantly, the team to watch in the division other than your own?

1. Seahawks 13-3

2. 49ers 11-5

3. Rams 9-7

4. Cardinals 7-9

I don’t know if that math checks out but it seem fair to me. I don’t know if the Seahawks are six games better than the Cardinals though. Again, I’m not sure if the math checks out. But I think that’s how I’d rank the teams in order. I’m fine with Arizona, they might actually finish in second, I guess I just think the Rams schedule sets up nicer and their first round additions were much better than anyone else in the division. The division is good enough that I don’t know what’s going to happen but I would say this:

Seattle can finish in first or second, but not third or fourth.

49ers can finish in first, second, or third.

Rams can finish in second, third, or fourth.

Cardinals can finish in second, third, or fourth.

I think only SEA and SF can win it, and only STL and AZ can finish in last, but all teams have a good shot at the playoffs. I still think the Seahawks are the team to beat in the whole NFL. Why?

43-8.

The Solution to Head Injuries In Sports Has Been Long Sought

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:42:00 +0000

Head trauma seems to be all the rage today. I did a little research: the wall, floor - the tree in my front yard - and I even tried to headbutt my friend Titus Fielding. That didn't work out well, since he's six inches taller than I am, though I can categorically say his chin is rock hard, and may have a cleft impression on my forehead...

My findings mirror those who have spent millions of dollars researching the subject: If hit your head on a hard object or surface, it hurts.

Mankind on the whole has studied what happens when the head gets a whack or two for thousands of years. It probably started with cavemen, and has continued on without respite as civilization have risen and fell. The general consensus seems to be, if you wear something that covers the head that's harder than the object you may strike - or be struck by - you have the problem solved?

Ah, the helmet. The oldest known evidence of wearing some kind of head gear to protect the human head dates back to 900 BC, when the Assyrian soldiers donned them for battle. The majority of all helmet advancement throughout history has been by the military in a variety of countries. It may have been the result of the advent of the shield on the battlefield? A soldier runs up to another soldier on the battle field to stab him with his sword and finds a shield in his way. Out of frustration, he reaches over it and bonks his adversary on the head. Generals began to scratch their scare covered heads, and came up with the helmet.

Here are a few examples of military helmets I found both curious and amusing:

I never understood the hair at the top of the helmut? Did they have marching bands in ancient Rome? It could be that Roman soldiers were short and instead of wear lifts in their shoes, they went the other way.

The Mohawk festooned head gear makes be think of modern day "Punk Rock" and "Head Banger" music fans. They obviously missed history class on the day when the teacher explained there was a helmet between the Mohawk and the skull?

This helmet from the Hellenistic period proves the Greeks were cone heads. The wings at the side also hints at early peyote use, or that Red Bull was their drink of choice.

I am trying to imagine what a early Greek soldier, dressed in a toga and this conical head piece... Not all that shocking they fell for the Trojan Horse? In a time filled with Sirens, Zeus and chasing sheep when the bars close, this helmet fits right in.

The ancient Persians liked a sloped sided helmet. I'm guessing there were quite a few Persian soldiers missing their ears, as an enemy's sword glance off the triple diamond slope and continued downward?

Made of leather or bronze, these helmets also contributed to Sassanians beating the Parthians in overtime. While goat kicking never really caught on, the two ancient rivals took it seriously.

The knight that wore this helmet had a honking big nose. Either that or he tried to stab a foe with his face? I like the way the designer didn't overstate the need for vision, while including a cheese grater/colander for those after battle feasts.

After the medieval period, helmets began to become less of a concern for quite a while. They returned to more of a "metal hat" styling with the advent of gun powder and guns.

The need to see on the battle field became paramount. Padding inside helmets became a preferred innovation. The idea finally sank in that when you are whacked on the head - even a head covered by metal - the jar from the blow itself was enough to addle a soldier's mind.

Let's fast forward to helmets used in the 20th century for something other than military use. While helmets have been used in a variety of industries, I'm going to take a look at the evolution of football head gear.

One of the first known uses of head gear of any kind in a football game came in 1893. Joseph M. Reeves, a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy, was told by by a doctor he could die if he were kicked in the head again. He commissioned a local shoe maker/blacksmith to fashion a crude leather helmet. Basically a leather cap made out of straps.

In 1917, a strap-cradle for inside a helmet was created by University of Illinois coach Robert Zuppke. Designed to spread helmet to helmet impact, it also added ventilation. Rawlings and Spalding were early manufacturers. The face mask was added in the 1930s by a Terre Haute, Indiana sporting goods store owner by the name of Vern McMillian.

The football helmet began to swiftly change in 1939. The first plastic helmet was invented by John T. Riddell Jr; one of the selling points being it wouldn't rot away like its earlier leather brethren. The first plastic helmets had a flat-ish top before morphing into a teardrop shape.

Otto Graham liked the "see-through" look

In each generation of helmet design, problems were found, and the designers went back to the drawing board. Advanced energy absorbing technology didn't appear until the early 1970s. Until them, canvas straps and vinyl cushions were attached by metal snaps inside the helmet. Air and fluid cushions were other advancements added during the 1970s. Poly-carbonate came into use in the 1980s and 90s.

In the modern era, money drives research and advancement. The National Sporting Goods Association list football equipment purchases at #20 out of 23 categories. The Archery market is five times larger than than football equipment spending. Protective equipment like helmets, pads and so on is a combined figure with all other contact sports (Hockey, Lacrosse, ect..). The two categories combined, NOT excluding the other sports, amounts to $298 million, ranking 14th on the list. Snowboarding is a larger market than football as far as equipment.

Advancements in football technology are being driven and funded by the NFL and NCAA. If not for them, head injuries in football would be far higher than they are now. Yet, even with their financial investment into player safety, it just doesn't appear to keep up with the physical evolution of the game. Players are bigger, stronger and faster than they were in the early 1900s. When you have 6' 8", 350 lbs behemoths that runs faster than running backs did in the early days of football, the physics of the game don't change. Inertia is a cruel mistress, and when bodies collide, something has to give. Technology can, and should, make a difference. Rule changes could help, but the old adage that "anything made by man - can be overcome by man" still applies. I have to wonder what it was like in 1888. That was the year the football rules committee began to allow tackling below the waist for the first time.

Football isn't going away. Anyone who plays the game knows it's a physical game. When you are handed a helmet and assorted pads, it's to protect you, not provide a fashion statement. Coaches put you through exhaustive physical training, while teaching technique to play the game. There have been 1006 deaths in football since 1931, so no coach takes what they teach lightly. Bones break, muscles and tendons tear in football, like virtually every other sport. It's the tendered cost we who play sports all agree to possibly pay.

I'm at a loss to understand why professional football players seem shocked that head injuries happen. More to the point, I'm amazed they contend the NFL didn't tell them about what could possibly happen. I tend to think this is more about the National Football League Players Association making a risky play to increase retired player benefits? The lawsuits being filed against the NFL are paper thin at their base. The damage to be done will be by scaring away future football players from the sport itself.

I don't blame Kurt Warner for his recent comments regarding his own children playing football. Parents worry. It comes with the parental job description. Yet, I'm rational enough to know that pretty much everything in this world can kill you, one way or another. The idea of limiting a child's exposure to peril is valid, but at what cost to the child when they are adults?

Football helmets are going to change. They will be adapted to the changing game. Rules will continue to change, taking away parts of the game fans and players love "for the good of the game". When all is said and done, it may be football morphs back to it's primordial ooze to mirror Rugby? Whatever happens, the game of football will be there in one form or another. We'll all adapt and cheer our teams each Fall Saturday or Sunday. Why? It's because it's what we do, what we love, and how we live...

Michael Sam: Barriers, Labels, and "Firsts"...

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Wed, 21 May 2014 11:43:00 +0000

On September 16th, 1906, Charles Follis became the first black professional football player - EVER. There
have been loads of sporting world "firsts", and in the 2014 NFL Draft, another barrier was sundered for all time. I don't mean to equate Michael Sam - the first openly gay football player to earn his way into the NFL - to that of the racial mountains African Americans have to climb. But some of you will think I am, and more than likely take exception to it. If so, please accept my apologies in advance. My aim is to extol a moment - any moment - when a barrier to equal opportunity for everyone is crossed off the long list of biases that still exist...

The NFL crossed the racial barrier in 1920, when Fritz Pollard signed with the short lived Akron Pros as a player, then first black head coach. In the NBA, the first "non-white" player was Wataru Matsaka (1947, the same year Jackie Robinson broke another barrier in baseball), predating the first black player - Chuck Cooper - who didn't enter the league until 1950.

You see, there is something absolutely awesome about "firsts". At times, they confound prejudgments, and smash outdated mindsets. I've been know to quote Soren Kierkegaard's: "Once you label me, you negate me..." This statement is more than true, and it faces each of us on an almost daily basis. Someone says this about another, it transposes itself into a mark that's hard to wash off. We impose penalties of time to heal on the suspect, and unsuspecting, alike; with little regard to effect.

One of the best observations I've read, was quoted by Harald Høffding, who kind of mauled the translation of Kierkegaard's thoughts, but it fits my current mind: "We live forward, but we understand backward..." For all the thundering footsteps mankind takes forward, there's this undeniable tendency to run back to opinion pre-sets passed down from generation to generation.

In a way, "firsts" are the dawn of a new "Yin" to go with the offshoot of a new Yang - formed by the very human response to find equilibrium as change whirls around us. We take viewpoints which are easy at times, and hard the next. But shying away from a shift in what has been perceived before isn't always easy. Culture and ingrained societal norms are as different as grains of sand, but are often set in a stubbornness-stone. Chipping away takes time, but it takes willingness too.

Today, Michael Sam is a happy young man, but he's also relying on us to wish him well along his NFL way. This is right, and true, and it's what St. Louis Rams fans will do. They'll get to field the wanton idiocy slung their way by those living in their personal, shallow, self-absorbed predispositions and hatred. But the truly magical thing about an NFL team, is the way their fans rally around them. They protect their favorite team's players like a mother Bear protects her cubs. Michael Sam will be given every chance to succeed, because he's made it through the door of an NFL that prides itself on how a player can rise from no where to being a star. Just ask guys like New England's Tom Brady, or Houston's Arian Foster. Both of these current NFL stars were told who they were, wasn't enough to succeed in the NFL. But they proved everyone wrong, simply because the game of football is about the right pieces coming together to form a winning team. Black, white, Hispanic, Samoan, it doesn't matter, and neither will Michael Sam being gay.

It's my greatest hope the only label I see being applied to Michael Sam is "great player". Make no mistake, he'll have to earn his way onto a St. Louis Rams roster already packed with defensive stars. There's going to be pressure on this young man from outside, and in a way it's both sad, and fair. You see, to be a "First", you have to step forward. You have to take the unseen stares of those who'll doubt you, and rise above every challenge. Only then, can you make a mark on history, and in this case, open a road for others to follow. To me, this isn't about Michael Sam being gay. It's about someone stepping up to inspire others to do amazing things. It's for the young girl, who dreams of throwing a fastball in Major League Baseball, or the wounded soldier overcoming his injuries to climb Mount Everest. It's about life, and it being your's to live as you choose...

A Little Short Story: The Candlestick Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Walking into Brian Schottenheimer's office, he glanced at the myriad of warning signs posted near the door. Jeff Fisher wondered why "Hard Hats" were necessary, and the hand rails running between desks looked odd. He jumped back when a Rams staffer - standing just inside the doorway in a hazardous materials suit - held out a small waste basket. He shook his head as he tried to read the young man's lips behind the heavy Plexiglas face mask. He directed Fisher's attention to the colored lines painted on the plush carpeting, then the color code sign on the wall next to him.

"Coach, if you're looking for the OC, follow the blue line."

Slowly nodding his head, he walked off toward Schottenheimer's office, occasionally glancing down at the floor. He passed through the office space, noticing everything seemed to be padded. Desk corners had foam rubber duct taped to them, while every chair appeared to be bolted to the floor? The few people he saw working on desk top computers wore thick rubber gloves. He touched one of them on the shoulder, then pointed at the gloves she was wearing. The staffer shrugged, then pointed a rubberized finger at the "High Voltage" signs plastered all over her desk.

"Oh, for the love of..." He looked up at the ceiling, blew out a long breath, and continued on to his offensive coordinator's office. When he entered, Brian turned from the huge flat screen monitor he'd been studying - from twenty-plus feet away. Wearing goggles, and what appeared to be a Radiologist's protective vest, he smiled at the St. Louis Rams' head coach.

"I'll just be a second, coach. I'm going over some game film of the 49ers, and I think I found a weakness on their defense we can exploit." Using a laser pointer, he pointed at an area two yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Fisher walked closer to the monitor, and shrugged. "Careful coach! Those monitors give off radiation, and this laser pointer has been shown to blind rats in laboratory tests." Brian turned off the pointer, placing it back in it's lead lined lock box on the table next to him. "Whew! That was close!"

Fisher felt a nervous laughter rising within him. "Yeah... Brian, you may be taking the whole safety thing a little far?" He'd come to talk with Schottenheimer about opening up the Rams offense, but decided on taking another tack.

"You can't be too safe, Coach. Look, I know you think the playbook is short on exciting things like scoring touchdowns, first down or winning. But let's look at the BIG picture." He hit a button on his laptop, and the screen showed what looked like an actuarial table from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. "If we can maintain this level of play for two more years, we'll save $34.82 on medical insurance premiums." Brian smiled and nodded at the screen.

Fisher's mouth dropped open as he looked back and forth from the screen to Brian. He pulled out his wallet, and removed two twenty dollar bills. Placing them on Brian's desk, he said "Keep the change. Look, let's put aside the offense for a moment. I have a job for you that'll show whether you're ready to be a NFL head coach. It's BIG, Brian, and I think you're the guy who can handle it."

Brian stared at the money. hH was about to tell Jeff how many bacteria and diseases the greenbacks were saturated with, when Jeff's assignment cut through his thoughts. "I'm your guy, coach. Whatever it is, consider it DONE!" He reached for a box of surgical gloves, putting them under his arm like a football.
"Um, OK... Meet me in my office in an hour, and leave the gloves here." Fisher backed away slowly toward the door.

*****

"Really? You want her to come to your office?" Jeff's executive assistant stared at him. "Can I take lunch early?"

"Yes I want her here, and no, you can't leave. Just don't make any sudden moves or make eye contact." Jeff continued into his office, closing the door. he stared out the window for a few moments, considering the drastic course he was about to take. It has to be done, he told himself. A knock on the door brought him back to the moment at hand. He ran to his desk, sliding into the big comfortable chair. He gripped the armrests, blew out a long breath and said, "Come in". Nothing happened. He stared at the door. Then a voice, that made him cringe, emanated through the thick oak door...

"I'm a lady, dammit! You expect me to open the door?" Derinda Platt leaned against the door frame, and winked at the assistant who occasionally glance up from her work. Counting to five, she grabbed the knob and opened the door hard. It met with resistance, and she heard a head bouncing off wood sound, followed by a "Ouch!" The door swung open, and Derinda watched as Jeff Fisher staggered back to his desk, holding a hand to his nose. "You, Kevin and Lester fall for that every damn time!"

Fisher rubbed his nose as he faced the wall behind his desk. "Yeah, it's funny every time too. Take a seat..." He turned to see Derinda sitting in his chair. "I meant..." He lamely pointed at the chair on the other side of his desk, then gave up. Jeff walked around and sat in the visitor's seat, facing her across HIS desk. "I have a favor to ask..."

"Sure thing, Coach. What do I get in return?" Derinda smiled at him.

"You get a paycheck..." He groused, then seeing it hadn't registered, his shoulders slumped. "OK, what do you want?" Jeff hating asking Derinda for anything, because it always came with a cost. He actually liked this tall, blonde, nutcase of a woman. It had taken time to get used to her, but he'd finally seen why St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke kept her around. You could never be complacent with Derinda around. She loved the team, and everyone in the organization. In fact, he knew her to be one of the nicest, big-hearted people he'd ever met. You just had to be able to handle her "crazy", which wasn't an easy thing to do. Every player on the team was scared to death of her, but they also universally loved her. If the players ever had a problem they didn't want to bring to him, they went to Derinda and no one else.

"First, I need to know just how big this favor is so I can make sure you're giving as much as you're askin' for? And it better not be anything to do with dating one of your old, fat coaching buddies." Derinda leaned over his desk and wagged a finger at him.

Fisher held his hands out in front of him, "It's not, but I do want you to accompany Brian Schottenheimer to a news event. You'll be part of a panel for a Bay Area TV show discussing the Rams - 49ers game."

Derinda looked at him with squinted eyes. "Let me get this straight: YOU want me on TV, representing the Rams?" Suspicious motives began to bounce around inside her skull. "YOU, want me to talk about the 49ers... In public? Who else is on this little panel?"

"Well, there's 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and a guy from a big fan site called Niner Nation. His name is Dave Fucillo. He's supposed to be an expert on the 49ers, and he hates the Rams with a white hot passion. He's been making fun of the team all week, and saying bad things about our rookies." He watched Derinda for a few seconds. She had both of her hands pressed hard to his desk top, and her back went rigid when he said someone was saying bad things about the rookies. He knew she had a thing about protecting the younger players, and would pitch a flat out nutty on this unsuspecting Niner Nation guy. It would be a GREAT show, and he, Kevin and Les were already making plans to watch it with the entire team.

Derinda tried to control herself. Fucillo, huh? His name sounded like some sick, twisted pasta. She bolted up from behind the desk. "I'll beat that spaghetti man to a pulp!"

Jeff had no idea what she was talking about, but fought back the urge to laugh. "You don't have to beat up anyone, even though he called Tavon Austin a midget who hates..." He let it build for a second, " Puppies!"

Derinda exploded. In a single motion, she tipped over Fisher's desk, sending papers and a computer flying. "PUPPIES!"

Jeff nodded, "Yes, puppies! I'm not sure if Tavon will ever stop crying. Stedman Bailey is sitting with him now..."

Standing at full attention, back straight as a rail, she asked "When do I leave?" Without waiting to hear his answer, she marched out of the room. He heard a crash and scream from the front office. Walking slowly to the door, he peered out. Papers were still floating slowly to the floor, as his executive assistant crawled out from under her desk mumbling something about "hating that woman..." At that moment, Brian appeared in the doorway.

"Come in Brian," Jeff smiled. Now he had to break the news to his offensive coordinator.

*****

"We're LIVE in ten seconds," the show's producer said to the gathered panel. Some fidgeted in their seats, adjusting the small microphones clipped to their cloths. The show's host looked at each of his guests. While the two coaches chatted amiably between themselves, Dave Fucillo sat nervously beside a strikingly beautiful Rams front office representative. Every time he tried to say something to her, it came out sounding like "Gurgle... phitt, gurb, San Francisco? He was blushing so badly, the make up people were having trouble with his ever changing facial hues. The tall, blonde woman just glared at him, though he did think she said something about "puppies"?

"Good Morning San Francisco! We have a great show for you today. With the last game between the 49ers and Rams coming up this Sunday in Candlestick Park - before the move next season to Levi Stadium in Santa Clara - we thought it would be interesting to get an insider view on one of the most storied NFL rivalries in league history." He smiled into the camera, and the shot widened to show the assembled panel. "Joining us today are the offensive coordinators for both teams - Greg Roman from the 49ers, and Brian Schottenheimer from the Rams. The camera zoomed in on Roman, then Schottenheimer, who was dabbing on what looked like sunscreen from a small tube.

Brian looked at the camera, as a small hand from his right appeared in frame, swatting the tube from his hand. He looked at Derinda, who whispered for him to "man up!" He looked up at the bright studio lights, then longingly at the tube of sunscreen sliding across the floor, before turning back up at the camera. "Thank you for having me here today."

The camera bounced back and forth between Derinda and Brian for a few seconds, then over to the host. "Also joining us, is Derinda Platt from the Rams' front office. She has one of the longest job titles I've ever seen?" He was reading from a tele-prompter. "It says here you're the Executive Director of Player Personnel, Quality Control, Community Out-Reach, and Puppy Welfare?"

Derinda had added the last part to her title just before the show began. She smacked Dave Fucillo in the chest with the back of her hand. "Did you hear that pasta boy? Puppies! I'd like to start off by saying Tavon Austin loves puppies and isn't a midget... er, uh, I mean, a little person of a height challenged nature who needs a ladder." She smacked Fucillo in the chest again.

Roman and Brian stared at her, as Dave rubbed his chest and responded, "Gleasle lady!, Gurp flug ack!"
"So you're a foreigner? I knew it! You probably eat puppies... and kittens! Probably bake 'em up in a pie and serve them a la mode you sick, twisted, son of a bit..." Derinda flew out of her chair onto Fucillo, both toppling over backward as he sat looking stunned.

The stage crew ran onto the set as the host announced they'd be right back after a short commercial break. Across town the Rams' hotel, the roar from behind a conference hall door hit high volume. Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Kevin Demoff had front row seats before a 100 inch TV screen. The entire Rams team was there, most high-five-ing and laughing as they watched Derinda.

"So as much as I'm enjoying this, why did you assign Brian?" Demoff smiled as he asked. Les couldn't stop laughing as he turned to hear Fisher's reasons.

Jeff shook his head, "Just wait and see..." He pointed at the show returning from commercial break. Order had been restored, though Fucillo had been relocated to the far end of the stage away from Derinda. Her hair was tousled, and one of her shoes was missing.

"We're back. It seems like emotions are running high? Ms. Platt, why did you attack Mr. Fucillo?"

Derinda rolled her eyes, "You call that an attack? Ha!" She made a small wave of her hand.

The host and the rest of the panel stared at her. "Didn't you burn down the Today Show set a few years ago?"

"The damn turkey did it, not me. We aren't cooking anything today, are we?" The host shook his head. "Whew, That's a load off my mind." She relaxed a bit.

"Let's get back to the little altercation you had before the break. You said something about puppies, then flew at Dave here. Why?"

"Well, Dave here..." She took off her remaining shoe and threw it at Fucillo. "He likes to make stuff up about innocent young kids tryin' to make their way in the world."

"I did no such thing!" Dave adamantly interjected."... And quit throwing things at me."

"What did he say?" The host couldn't resist.

"Well, he's been making fun of one of our players. He called him, er, uh... Well, let's just say he used a bad word to describe Tavon Austin. Where's the damn ACLU when you need 'em?"

"I just said he's short for a NFL wide receiver, and..." Dave ducked as a glass of water flew toward him. "Stop that! I'm here to talk about the game this Sunday..."

"You're one of those Blogger guys, so you don't talk. You type. I have a friend in New Mexico who blogs for the Rams, and he told me you're a terrorist bent on world domination and eats puppy sandwiches covered in tofu. He also says you run a place called "Niner Nation" and are trying to supseed from America!"

"That's "secede" you wack-a-doodle!" Dave rolled his eye, then noticed Schottenheimer and Roman - who'd heard about Derinda before now - both shaking their heads.

"See! He admits to eating puppy sandwiches!" Derinda stood up and pointed at him.

"I did no such thing... Did I?" He glanced at the host, who nodded as he edged away from Dave. Greg and Brian moved their chairs back a little.

Derinda jumped up on the host's small desk off to their right. Her hair hanging in front of her face, legs spaced in attack mode. "That's why the Rams have to win this Sunday! If we don't this guy will destroy Christmas. It will be another one of those "four sore and eleventy jillion years ago" things as he tries to tear the world apart because of his puppy fetish."

That's "four SCORE and seventy years ago" from the Gettysburg address..." He looked plaintively around the set, but everyone was eyeing him suspiciously.

"So you have a secret address in Gettysburg, eh? The FBI is going to kick your ass!" She made a giant leap toward Dave as the cameras cut away once again...

*****

Why he was in handcuff too, he had no idea. The show had devolved into a riot, as Derinda tried to claw her way toward Dave Fucillo. Not knowing what else to do, he'd tried to pull people away from Derinda. Crazy or not, she was part of his Rams' family. He and Roman had exchanged words about the coming game, and Brian now had a growing black eye. As he and Derinda were slid into the back seat of a police car, Brian looked at her. Dress torn at the sleeve, she sported a black eye too. Her hair was stick out at odd angles, and her make up was smeared.

"Guess we showed them, eh Brian?" She said with a smile. "...And looked at you! All messed up in back of a smelly old police car..."

Brian nodded as he smiled. He hadn't even noticed his surrounds, which only yesterday would've sent him screaming for a anti-bacterial shower. "I'm not really sure what we showed them, but it was something they'll remember." Me too, he thought. "Why'd you go so crazy on that blog guy?"

She looked at him with mild shock on her face, then shook her head slowly. "You don't get it, do you Brian? The Rams are about to play their last game EVER, in one of the most famous stadiums in NFL history. This is the greatest NFL rivalry around, and all everyone wants to do is talk about the same things they say every week. Hell, I know that Dave guy didn't say anything bad about Tavon Austin, and Jeff thought he had me believin' he did." She smiled, "But all I know is, it was a great reason to come to San Francisco and say my goodbyes to that beautiful, hell hole of a stadium. I don't suppose you could come up with a way for the Rams to shock the hell out of the 49ers this Sunday?"

"You tell me? Anything you want me to do, I'll do." Brian began thinking of bizarre plays just as Derinda said:

"Go frickin' crazy! That's all I ask..."

*****

*** If you'd like to read more of my short story scribbles, Go Here! ***

The Unending Miscue: The Middle East and the West

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 18:52:00 +0000

I'm not sure if it's a rumble, or simply a high pitched un-hearable sound. It's there though, and it must emanate from somewhere...

In a socio-geographic kind of vicariance, this world is split along many line, and even more points. Like mountains rising to form unique barriers, so does circumstance. Driven by wants, needs, greed, or simply a lack of empathy for one another, humanity just can't seem to resist trying to change humanity. Philosophies, religions, politics and customs, drive our world crazy at times. People do horrible things to one another, and in a quest to show some are better, they do horrible things in reply.

Nations are man-made; lines drawn in an ever changing map, shouting to all this is where you are, until you are not. One step this way or that, defines where you are, but not who you'll be. In increasing instances, a pattern to define what should and shouldn't be believed or allowed is pressed forward by the more dominant. It's a part of our world's history, and as each civilization rises and falls, all are marked forever for failing to acknowledge the rights of others to exist.

The lines scratched on a map in 1916 may have been one of the worst things mankind has ever done to itself. Written in ink, in hues inspired by arrogance and greed, the Sykes-Picot Agreement divided the Ottoman Empire. Two men - one from France and the other from England - unknowingly set the stage for what would become known as the volatile Middle East of today. In a rush to capture post-World War I power and influence, portions of Europe and the Caucasus region were divided up as spoils. Lesser areas to the south - known for inhospitable deserts and new found oil beneath the endless sands - were given little consideration in terms of the people who called this area their home. No one knew, as the ink dried on this new map - which carved up what was once part of the Persian Empire - that the spark of hatred and war had its first flash, leading to a century of blood spilling on the sand.

The politically drawn maps of this time were a disaster, and would directly impact the advent of World War II. War reparations crippled Germany, allowing a Austrian corporal with a funny mustache to rise to power, and set the world ablaze in the 1930s and 1940s. All the while, desert tribes screamed to be heard, only to be met by troops from empires destined to dissolve. It's tough not to wonder what the Middle east would've been like if oil had never found its way to its substrata. While it's true the areas inhabitants had a long history of battling one another - just as Native American had for thousands of years - the unwanted intercession of societies without frame, context or sentience in both cases, caused the near annihilation their cultures.

The Middle East is a concurrent and unending calamity. Western societies made Kings, and even created new countries. Kuwait didn't exist before Sykes-Picot, and in what can be found as morbidly humorous, anyone can see by looking at a modern map how little thought went into its creation. Straight lines on a map are rare, but have a look at the lines drawn in 1916. In a complete disregard for the people in the region, Sykes-Picot announced to the world this is what would be. France and England propped up rulers, and sent troops when the people cried foul. Somewhere in this mess, a growing economic world power - The United States of America - decided to step into the fray. As the Cold War became more real, the U.S. decided oil resources in the region needed to be protected from the Soviet Union. France and England two-stepped their way out, handing off the Middle East to an unprepared America.

We Americans were naive to think the Middle East was something easily handled. But the money being made - and industries which continued to flourish by an unending pipeline of oil - was just too much to pass up. Turning a blind eye to the people of the region, slowly but surely distinct groups began to form, with Islam as its load stone. Not unlike the Christian Inquisitions in history, the first Islamic Inquisition began to form. Orthodoxy became a central rallying point for cultures known in the past for their disparate natures. Clerical rule tracked with the Roman Catholic Inquisitional doctrines of the past. Made worse by a Western history of crusades in the region, and the hundreds of thousands killed, Orthodox clerics had a fertile ground to create what we have today.

It's 2013, and the Western nations still haven't learned. So too, the people of the region are being blindly led down a path of violence and revenge for past ills. The simplest of minds can see this Middle East - the one of Western making - is a bottomless pit. After a decade of war in the region, the U.S. and United Nations are still making the same mistakes the British and French did almost a century ago. As all out war has died down, and troops begin to return home, Syria has stepped over a line with the use of chemical weapons. No one denies if found to be true - really true - that action of some kind must be taken to prevent the Syrian government from believing it's OK to use weapons of mass destruction. The problem here is in how the world's reaction should manifest itself.

In the light of history, one glaring fact is irrefutably true. If the West kills someone in this region, it irrevocably continues the trend of violence and fuels radical Islamic extremists. They can point at our ships, missiles and troops, saying they will never leave. They can point at the innocent who die at the hands of "smart weapons," and say this will never end. Suicide bomber become manifest out of ignorance, easily swayed by the carnage wrought, and evidenced before them. Allowing an individual to make war as revenge for lost family members and friends is something Islamic extremist clerics covet and encourage. It's cheap war, and promises of martyrdom for killing the innocent cloud the minds of the desperate.

For a chance at ending the cycle of carnage, Syria must be called to answer by their fellow Arab nations alone. They have the weapons procured over the decades to achieve justice for those killed by the Syrian government with chemical weapons. Yet, for some unknown reason, the Kings and countries created and encouraged from the time of Sikes-Picot want the Western nations to continue their headlong dash into the Middle East? This may be craven, but it's hard to discount the $$billions Western countries contribute to select Middle Eastern countries, many of whom rely on this foreign aid to fuel their economies. But they also need this aid to hold their countrymen at bey. Saudi Arabian's royal family is huge, and have lived the life of the rich while their regional fellows have existed in doubt and poverty. Israel came into existence and survives due to the largess of the U.S. and rightly so. The assorted Emirates - Westernized to the point they caused the Islamic Extremists' counter-life style choices to be attractive for those they wish to rule - rely on the threat of U.S. military might to defend their borders and leadership.

The more than sad fact is, if Western nations leave the Middle East, it will almost guarantee a region civil war. While oil will have an important place in world economies for decades to come, the prospect of alternative energy research supplanting petroleum as a primary means of powering cars and industry looms on the horizon. If held to be true, the oil kingdoms are destined to lose their power on the world stage. If they are to survive, they must set forward their own ability to exist with reduced or removed foreign influence, aid, and protection.

If there has ever been a better time for the League of Arab nations to establish themselves as capable of minding their own human rights, it's now. The U.S. or its allies intervening in Syria will add to the problems faced in the Middle East. Enforcing outside beliefs or philosophies - however right or intended - is just a further step down the road of refusing to learn and correct historical miscues. The idea a country as powerful as the U.S. could lose respect in the eyes of the world is close to laughable. While many countries hold America with scorn, - for whatever reason - but none can possibly doubt the will or means of the mightiest military in the history of the world. If anything, leaving some doubt in where and when the U.S. may strike, would increase second thoughts of a potential transgressor. Currently, every country in the region factors in a U.S. response, and banks on the time they'll need to move key assets away from areas the U.S. would deem acceptable targets. In a dance no country can maintain, Islamic Extremists bank on the U.S and their allies reaching a point of futility, and they will. If history has taught us anything, it's that Middle East peace can only be had if the people of the region truly want it, and have the open avenue to achieve it...

Charlie Sheen, Gilbert Gottfried, and Amanda Bynes to be NFL announcing crew?

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Mon, 27 May 2013 20:04:00 +0000

The NFL off season is a time of change for its 32 teams. Players are flung through a revolving door; arriving and leaving at a fever pitch. Front offices add and dump player scouts. General managers try to dial in every aspect of their organizations. It's pure carnage at times, and it would make Darwin smile...

Into this hiring and firing frenzy, is added the different sports networks jumbling up their game announcing crews. Former players audition for that "life after football" career, hoping to move from the locker room to the broadcast booth. I remember the times when Monday Night Football tried to experiment with Dennis Miller as a color analyst. Disaster followed, with Miller making obsequious comments, tinged with A.C.T. binge words and references:

"(Kurt)Warner had more hands in his face than an OB-GYN delivering Vishnu's triplets!"

"I haven't seen anyone rely on the ground game this much since the battle of Verdun."

"That field goal attempt was so far to the left it nearly decapitated Lyndon LaRouche."

"The Cowboy's defense has more holes in it than Ronny Milsapp and Jose Feliciano after a game of lawn darts."

It could happen again... Not Miller, since he's had his chance, but there are others who could add something to game days...

How about Gilbert Gottfried? We need an annoying voice? Can you imagine the voice of the Aflac Duck doing commentary next to Jon Gruden?

Ah, the whimsical, dulcet tones of Gottfried would have the MNF audience longing for commercial breaks. They may not want him as a spokesman when there's a natural disaster. He's the only person I've ever known who to have the entire country Japan hate him. His post-tsunami Tweets have become infamous, so he's a perfect fit for MNF:

I think Charlie Sheen would be an interesting choice by the NFL. Who doesn't love rants about drugs, hookers, and... Hookers? The former "2 1/2 Men" star found new and different ways to make people revile him. But he's so eloquent...

A little controversy to build rating for the NFL would work, wouldn't it? They may have to set Sheen/Esteves up in a booth separated from the regular crew though. But think about how great he'd be interviewing NFL players? What a great role model for guys like Tyrann Mathieu? If they could get Amanda Bynes as a sidelines reporter, I'd tune in to want this train wreck in the making. The TV camera running on cables over the field would be permanently stationed to watch these two. Bynes running the wrong way down the sidelines after a touchdown, and Sheen up in the booth screaming directions at her like a drug rehab version of Marco Polo...

Lately, SBNation's Matt Ufford and Dan Rubenstein might make interesting choices. I think "Dan on Fire" would make a great audition video. He's proven he can make things up on the fly, and 98% of his audience believes he's serious, even when he isn't? "Kobe Bryant faked his injury? They believed it. Manziel transferring to Minnesota? They put it in the bank? Charles Barkley a secret member of the KKK? Oops! Sorry Dan! You never should've told me, so it's your bad.

With Dan in the booth would be "Mr. Positive-I went to Northwestern-My soul is filled with puppies" - Matt Ufford. Some people think Matt's a bit negative, but if you look closely he actually winks after he says anything. So when he says things like the women on a certain college campus are ugly, he doesn't really mean it. Matt is Dean Martin to Dan's Jerry Lewis. If we add in Spencer Hall and Ryan Van Bibber, they'd be the Marx Brothers? (Ryan is Zeppo)

What a foursome for NFL game day! Ryan doing the play-by-play, Ufford throwing in the odd "I hate him", Hall sitting on a sidelines bench drinking beer, and Dan commenting on how Jim Harbaugh just signed a 20 year contract to coach in Canada...

Personally, I think DC and I could do a great job as NFL announcers. But that's just me...

St. Louis Rams Free Agent Report Card - A Guest Article for SBNation

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 06:18:00 +0000

The St. Louis Rams hit the free agent market harder than I would have thought, given their small-ish salary cap situation. But with some free agents testing the market for their services, and strategic players being released, they gained the money needed to have a wild - for the Rams - shopping spree.
In the lead up to the first day of free agency, not many fans really know what their teams have on their needs lists. The same held true for Rams fans, and it turned out a tight end was at the top of head coach Jeff Fisher's wish list. They've taken a stab at the safety position too, but I'm not sure they've found the right guy yet. Let's assume for the sake of this article that Miami offensive tackle Jake Long is signed by the Rams. taking this into account, I'm going to rate St. Louis' 2013 free agent class so far;

Jake Long, OT - This is one of those signings that will be incredibly great, or cause for lynching parties to form by mid-season. Jake Long came into the NFL as a #1 overall draft pick in 2008 by the Miami Dolphins. He's had a terrific career, but in the last few seasons he's begun to show the wear. I've been reminded by a few that his record for missed games due to injury is impressively small. Great, but let's not forget however well he's played through pain in the first few years of his career, he's an NFL offensive lineman. They get beat up by huge defensive ends, tackles and linebackers. It take a toll. Early last season I had the chance to read some of the Dolphin fans' thoughts in a few comment threads at "the Phinsider". What I remember most is how they ganged up on Long for being injured? Really? here's a look at his games played stats. What do you think?

courtesy of NFL.com

OFFENSIVE LINE
Year	Team	G	GS
2012	Miami Dolphins	12	12

2011	Miami Dolphins	14	14

2010	Miami Dolphins	16	16

2009	Miami Dolphins	16	16

2008	Miami Dolphins	16	16

TOTAL		74	74

For three straight years he played every game, but in 2011 and '12 he missed a total of 6 games. While this isn't evidence of a possible decline in his ability or durability, I'm sure this small trend is why his medical check with the St. Louis Rams took the entire day on Wednesday. Twitter mentions said he was put through his paces by the Rams' training staff, and this may have to do with testing his strength after tearing his Triceps muscle last season. The bottom line here is the only red flag I can find on his signing is his health, or possible lack of it. The Rams have been cursed by offensive line injuries, so I'm a bit shocked Jeff Fisher and Les Snead opted for a veteran linemen, and not staying with the evident trend of building through the NFL Draft. All in all, there's risked inherent with any free agent signing. The Rams' needs on the offensive line aren't a secret. Kudos to the Rams' front office for their aggressive approach to solving the problem. I give this acquisition a solid: B+

Jared Cook, TE - This one kind of puzzled me. Don't get me wrong, I think the rams can use as many offensive weapons as they can afford. But the amount of money thrown at Cook - $35.1 million, for 5 years/$16 million guaranteed - seemed really, well... HUGE? This isn't a guy who ranked at the top of tight end ranking last season, and has been known to drop a pass on occasion. I love his skill set, with his ability to to compete as a wide receiver as well as Tight end. He's shown a talent for highlight reel catches too. The third round pick out of South Carolina in 2009 doesn't have one of those "Wow!" stat lines either. Let's take a look courtesy of NFL.com.

RECEIVING
Year	Team	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	Yds/G	Lng	TD	20+	40+	1st	FUM
2012	Tennessee Titans	13	44	523	11.9	40.2	61T	4	8	1	24	1

2011	Tennessee Titans	16	49	759	15.5	47.4	80T	3	11	2	34	2

2010	Tennessee Titans	16	29	361	12.4	22.6	36	1	6	0	18	0

2009	Tennessee Titans	14	9	74	8.2	5.3	17	0	0	0	5	0

TOTAL		59	131	1,717	13.1	29.1	80	8	25	3	81	3

The most impressive statistic for Cook is his yards after catch. Combines with his size - 6'5", 348 lbs. - as well a 4.4-ish speed, he offers a unique skills package the rams' offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, could really take advantage on in the NFC West. This is a guy who matches up well against the hyper-sized defensive backs their division rivals now employ. I give this acquisition a solid: B+

William Hayes, DT/DE - Is re-signing a player, who took a flyer at free agency, worth acknowledgement as a signing? I think it is. Hayes was an enormous part of the Rams defensive success in 2012. He register 7 sacks, but more importantly became a key player who could move among the defensive line positions and excel as he did so.

Courtesy of NFL.com

CAREER STATSMORE
Season	Team			Tackles					Interceptions						Fumbles
		G	GS	Comb	Total	Ast	Sck	SFTY	PDef	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TDs	FF
2012	St. Louis Rams	16	0	35	29	6	7.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

2011	Tennessee Titans	10	1	16	11	5	1.5	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

2010	Tennessee Titans	14	0	32	25	7	1.5	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	1

2009	Tennessee Titans	16	11	51	31	20	4.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	2

2008	Tennessee Titans	8	0	13	10	3	1.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	1

TOTAL				147	106	41	15.0	0	2	0	0	--	0	0	4

His new contract seems down right affordable by NFL standards - 3 years, $10.5 million, $3.75 million of it in a signing bonus. "Cap friendly" is a term that comes to mind. The 4th round pick in 2008 out of Winston-Salem State is small by most NFL defensive end standards. At 6'3", 273 lbs, he's shown an ability only Jeff Fisher - who drafted him for the Tennessee Titans - would know is there. To me, these are the guys who take a defense from being an also-ran, to greatness. These are the kind of guys the Pittsburgh Steelers have made their stock in trade for years - small school, huge ceiling players with zero fear on the football field. I give this re-acquisition a big time: A

Norb Vonnegut Strikes Again! 146 Pages of Pure Adrenaline

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:49:00 +0000

My only question for my friend Norb Vonnegut is "Why do you have to be so damn good at everything?" I still haven't forgiven him for the "Money Porn Beach read" line from his last novel. Actually, I have forgiven him but don't tell . Having the ability to show him The Novel Road now comes up when anyone "researches" beach porn because of my site's high traffic still cracks me up, and makes him feel more than a little guilty.

Geesh! Three bestselling financial thrillers later, my East Coast buddy decides it isn't not enough. So he decided to keep tempting us with a short yarn that's available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon as a $1.99 download.

Here's few excerpts from "The President" :

"If anybody can sell 715,000 units of a product with no redeemable value, it’s a marketing professor from Harvard Business School. In all fairness Keith had started with a formidable asset, the name recognition of Marshall Draper. But give me a break. "Got Excellence" sucked."

"Most of the time, Drayton and I drank Jim Beam on his Boston Whaler. I don’t particularly care for bourbon, but it seemed the right choice as we explored the marshy creeks snaking through his 300-acre estate. There’s nothing like the smell of oyster banks at low tide to make me forget the trading floors, nothing like the stiff-legged egrets and the occasional alligator or two to erase all my thoughts of New York City."

"The morning research call had ended. The floor was buzzing with the sound and fury of 148 idiots in action. And I was thinking, Hat tip to Shakespeare. He understood stockbrokers and the whole business of “signifying nothing” long before we were invented."

So if your looking for a short, 146 page, fast paced read, Norb Vonnegut has what you need. Hell, when this hits the top of the e-book charts, it's quite possible The Novel Road will be the top search site for both "Beach Porn" and "The President"...

America's Next Author - Social Writing Contest

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:59:00 +0000

America's Next Author - Social Writing Contest Have a story swirling around in your head? I just entered this contest, so pop on over and give my piece a quick read. Throwing in a great review will guarantee you at least one moment of happiness! Enjoy!

An Interview with Me? No Frickin' Way! OK, it happened...

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Every now and then I do Blog interviews for people I like. I met a nice young lady over a Bookblogs.com who had recently launched her site. While I'm normally the one interviewing people, it's kind of fun to be on the other side of the questions every now and then. Here are a few excerpts from the interview by Catalina:

You are very diverse. Your blog “The Novel Road” has great interviews and views, and your new novel - Devin Briar is getting fabulous reviews. You have great short stories like Front Office Fiction that have a good following too. What do you as a writer enjoy writing the most?

First, I’d like to thank you for having me as your guest. As a long time, and moderately successful blogger, I see great things in store for your site.

All writing is fun to me. Short stories are a great way to purge my writer’s imagination. Some of the best writing experiences I’ve had writing were on dares. I wrote a Front Office Fiction (The Lighter Side of Seeing “Red”) once when a reader dared me to include “Red” from “The 70s Show” and a line from South Park. I suddenly felt the need to “Kill Kenny” and knew I could somehow fit in the words “dumb ass”... Read the full answer here

You’re quick to respond to comments by your readers. I think that’s important and it creates more of a following. Which social media tools have served you best?

The single most powerful tool anyone using social media has right now is “Tagging”. Get great at tagging your articles or Tweets. Search engines are driven by “tags” now more than ever. Get great at defining words for your articles or books. For instance, tags for my answer to this question could be: wordy, Twitter-hater, blah-blah, and Ding-Dong… Ding-Dong always gets hits! lol... Read the full answer here

Things you’ve written that make you smile?

I love to write humor. Yet, in my novel Devin Briar, I found the scenes where Devin and Robin sitting on the couch in their house the best writing moments. There’s something about how the two interact that makes me smile every time I read a segment of my book. They are also the most asked for segments at book readings, which really makes me smile... Read the full answer here

St. Louis Rams: The Game Day Gambit

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:13:00 +0000

This is a guest post I wrote for my friend Will Horton at RamsHerd.com

Try! I’m known for trying to do almost anything when it comes to the St. Louis Rams. In doing so, I’ve learned a great deal. For instance, Photoshop doesn’t really capture the majesty of a Rams game ticket, or at least that’s what the guys at the stadium entrance have told me on more than one occasion… Call it Kismet or Karma, I’m left with tailgating in the parking lot of the Edward Jones Dome most Sundays, though the quick chats with law enforcement before I’m politely escorted away after presenting my current ticket “masterpiece” have become kind of a ritual…

“So you actually paid a guy for this?” The nice St. Louis policeman waved the ticket I’d tried to use in my face.

“Yup! I paid a guy named Will Horton…He’s over there somewhere,” I pointed vaguely off in several directions. The policeman’s rookie partner followed the wavering line of my pointing hand. “You should go find him. When I left he was selling tickets to a bus load of Nuns… Can I get a refund for my ticket?”

The veteran cop elbowed his newbie partner who was still scanning the crowd for the now infamous “Will”. “You want a refund for this?” He rolled his eye, “This ticket is worse than the last time you tried this…” He pointed at a few minor glitches in the ticket’s appearance. “…For instance, most tickets have the name of the opposing team printed on them?”

I took a quick look at the ticket he held two inches in front of my face. It said, “St. Louis Rams vs. THEM. I don’t see a problem,“ I replied. All opposing teams are “THEM”, aren’t they?

“Then there’s the ticket price,” He forced himself not to smile. The stadium officials had caught this nut case at every home game for the last ten years. It had become a minor tradition at the Dome, and his picture was posted at every entrance. Over the years, even the police department had started a small betting pool on what this whack job from New Mexico would come up with next. They’d stopped arresting him a few years ago. His forged tickets were now part of a commemorative mural somewhere inside the Dome.

I studied the ticket price, which seemed fair since I’d planned on prime seating. “Yeah, who do I talk to about ticket prices? They’re getting a little steep, don’t you think?” I fixed my face with a “concerned consumer” look.

The rookie glanced at the ticket and gasped, “$11-dee jillion?” He looked at me, then wistfully at the front doors to the Dome. This earned him another elbow in the ribs from his partner.

“Yup! It’s gettin’ a little steep if you ask me… and that doesn’t include parking. But I’m a fan, so… Aboutthat refund?” I felt sweat begin to trickle down my back.

“Well, according to you, you get a lot for your eleven-dee jillion bucks. Your ticket says you’re seated in Stan Kroenke’s suite with ten cheerleaders? It also has something about calling plays?” The struggle not to laugh was made worse by the arrival of more officers. They’d heard the call go out that their fellow officer had won the pool by catching the guy who’d become known as “Ticket Dummy”.

“Call me crazy,” I said. I wondered why the growing numbers of officers were all nodding their heads. “But when I attend games, I want the full experience.” I pointed at the ticket’s addition information on the back of the ticket. “You forgot to mention the sideline Jacuzzi and unlimited beer.” I nodded with satisfaction, “Game stress management like that is worth every penny, don’t you think? Plus, the play calling thing just makes the game special, am I right?” My nodding head was on a swivel now as I searched for an ally in the group of officers. I counted twenty now, and I could see a few police cars, with their lights flashing, screaming toward my little group.

The officer tapped the ticket on his other hand as he considered what to do next. “Where are you parked? He asked, though he’d heard an officer on his chest mounted mike say, “I found it! It’s in the same spot as last year…”

Damn! They’d found my Yugo! “I’d be glad to show you gentlemen. If you’ll follow me…” He grabbed my shirt collar as I tried to make a half step dash to freedom.

He couldn’t keep the smile of his face any longer. He knew this guy was harmless enough, plus if he’d brought with him what he had in the past… “OK, let’s go. Did you bring the shredded green chili chicken or the Carne Asada this time?”

“Both, plus I have a new low calorie option for those straining against the pistol belts…” I gave his stomach a light back hand slap, then broke through the now laughing crowd of policemen as they teased their friend. I began the long walk to my car, half the St. Louis Police Department in my wake. I glance over my shoulder at the Edward Jones Dome. I could hear the announcer introducing the Rams’ players. “We need to hurry guys!” I yelled at my law enforcement entourage. “It’ll take me a few minutes to set up the TV dish.” I broke into a run toward my trusty Yugo.

The rookie looked at his partner, “Isn’t the game blacked out here?”

His partner nodded, along with the rest of the officers who were all smiling now. “Why do you think we don’t arrest him every year?” The rookie shrugged. This earned him a light slap to the back of his head by the senior cop. “It’s because as bad as he is at forging a game ticket, he’s a freakin’ wizard at pirating a game signal. He has a 50” plasma screen TV in his car. Plus, the guy knows how to cook great Mexican food.” All the other officers in the group started nodding their heads at the mention of food. Then one by one, they all began to sprint toward the rusty Yugo in the far corner of the Edward Jones parking lot…

I'd like to thank Will Horton for allowing me to pop in at RamsHerd. I'm assuming you all know I'm the author of - Devin Briar. It's available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle, Barnes & Noble Apple iBookstore and iTunes, Smashword.com, and any other site where great books can be found. To all who've bought my book, know how much I appreciate your support!

In a World Gone Mad! - Great Reader Reviews for Devin Briar

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:33:00 +0000

It's not like I'm fearing for the world's literacy and taste, but people have been reading my book, and actually like it... Hmm? Maybe it has to do with the whole Mayan Calendar thing, or melting polar ice caps? Then again, maybe there are people out there who just want to laugh when they read... I have to admit, when I'm reading a book and come across a funny passage, I always remember the moments where I laughed out loud, then glanced around the room to see if anyone noticed.

Plus, this is an election year. Who can't use a laugh when it comes to Washington D.C... Am I right? Don't fear the presence of political thought in Devin Briar, because there simple isn't one. My story is about two people who do all they can to survive in our pithy little Nation's capital.

Humorous books are great for airline flights too, but when you read Devin Briar on a plane you need to keep the chuckling to a minimum. The flight attendants will stop serving you those little bottles of booze if you don't, not to mention there may be a grumpy Air Marshal too.

Review by: Jesse Kaellis on Aug. 19, 2012 : Mr Morrison has written a fine book with engaging and unforgettable characters. He opened my eyes to new worlds. Ordinarily I don't read fiction but his characters were so finely drawn and nuanced as to seem real. I really felt that I was inside the hearts and minds of the protagonists in this fast paced read. This book is a page turner that you will find hard to put down. I'm looking forward to Mr Morrison's next novel, perhaps a sequel to Devin Briar.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly interesting August 13, 2012By ArmandoDouglas really shows his ability's in this novel. I bought this for my kindle fire and was hooked since the first chapter. The characters seem to connect with each other well. I definitely will be recommending this title to family and friends.

Hilarious Read! August 14, 2012By Miss Bailey 5.0 out of 5 stars Getting into this book was so easy due to the characters chemistry and the attention grasping plot line! This book is beyond clever and I would highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates humor and excitement!

Need a copy of Devin Briar for your iPad or iPhone?

The Best Way to Promote Your Book Has Little to Do with Twitter or Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Surprise! Devin Briar is doing some serious sales numbers, though not from the sites you may think. Amazon is trailing Smashword by a wide margin. Barnes & Noble is a distant 5th place. So how does a new author get the word out in today's publishing world? Let's face it, debut authors aren't exactly at the top of publisher's spending lists when it come to promotion these days...

One of the things I've done was purely by accident. I have been writing articles for SBNation/Vox Media for the last couple years. Hard as it is to believe, there are actually people who read my articles and don't necessarily feel like I've stolen moments of their lives they'll never get back. If you haven't heard of SBNation, you will very soon. They are quite literally the fastest growing sports information site in the WORLD! 320 plus sites, and the number grows almost daily. Funds being rather small-ish for a debut author such as myself, SBNation created a huge - and I do mean HUGE - advertising campaign for my book - Devin Briar. I had over 20 million page-views of my Ads in just under two weeks BEFORE my book hit the marketplace, and that was just from the NFL and NCAA sites. BOOM!

I've received e-mails from around the world based on the Ads alone, plus I sold more than enough books to make a few genre specific best sellers lists. What's that you say? The Novel Road may have helped? Well, that's true to a point. But what I REALLY found interesting is that not only did my book's sale links get pounded to the point of giving me a toothy smile, but SBNation also linked everything to The Novel Road too. Traffic here hit all time highs to view my book's short description.

This is all to say the way to get the word out shouldn't be limited to things like Twitter and Facebook. Doing a bit of writing for sites like SBNation can be an unbelievable way to build a successful reader foundation too. Think about it for a second: Don't you want to have a ready made clientele who's familiar with your writing style across a broad spectrum of subjects BEFORE you launch your book?

While it's true SBNation is sports oriented, there are other sites looking for front page copy. My current writing resume features links to over 300 front page articles I've written for SBNation, and they contain some decent comment totals. I've posted articles on virtually every NFL teams' site. Check out the cities that have NFL teams. When you think about markets for your book, the NFL covers virtually every market, and not in just the U.S. "But they don't cover L.A. you say?" Wrong! They cover the L.A. Lakers, Dodgers, Kings, Angels; plus they cover college sports, so some extremely nice folks hammered the USC and UCLA sites for me. They have every NCAA division I school covered too, so reaching a broad demographic is so easy it should be outlawed. You want to know the best part? My book isn't about sports. Everything I've done for SBNation has sold people that I can write, and they want to see more...

Why am I telling you all this? The point I'm trying to make is you need to create a viable marketplace for your book. The only way you can do it effectively is to write. Write articles outside your comfort zone if you must, but you gain potential readers with every word you type. Relying on the hope you'll separate yourself from others in the cloud on Twitter is a pipe dream. Tweet a thousand times a day, and you still will not have proven to anyone you can write more than 140 characters. Facebook is nothing without the ability to back up your neat little page that looks like a thousand others.

Going to writer's conferences is fantastic, but don't you think the publishers and agents you may meet would be thrilled to talk to someone who has a broad writing resume? They want people who have proven ability to produce, so isn't the fact you write front page articles on a daily basis the easiest way to prove it? While it's true a great many writers for publications never write a book, you'll be able to prove the inverse is true. A novelist can write articles in massive amounts, and it speaks volumes about what you're capable of down the road after signing.

For those that say they don't have the time it takes to write articles, I say you're fooling yourself. I wrote an article just yesterday for the St. Louis Rams in 45 minutes, and these articles can be written at any time of day and scheduled to post later. It received around 1500 reads in an hour before it past on from the front page, and that was a low read number for my articles on average. Just for the sake of argument, multiply that number by 300. Now this is on the low side for me, but it still adds up to 450,000 people reading the articles. The great part is, that same article is still being read, so the 1500 number is probably 5 times that high today, and it will grow each day since my articles are linked to Sports Illustrated, USA Today, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and every other sports news outlet because of SBNation's growing power.

You can't write sports stories? Remember, I mentioned that you may need to write outside your comfort zone? I've actually written fiction based article for sports sites. These sites love getting different kinds of articles to show diversity of content. Have a look at this, this and this, then tell me you can't write something similar for another site? The kind of writing I'm talking about shows your character, your humor, and your imagination. The only way you can show the world you are in fact a writer - and not just a dreamer of Rowling-esk success - is to prove it.

For those of you who'd like to write about sports, drop me an e-mail and I'll find a site for you. Whatever you do, don't lock your dream of being a novelist to only social media. Yes, Twitter and Facebook are powerful players in the broad scheme, but they can't compare with a following you've created, and own, due to the articles you've written.

P.S. - A big thank you to J. Pearsall for creating all the pictures for this post from his fertile imagination!

Devin Briar Book Launch! Today's the Day!

noreply@blogger.com (The Novel Road) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Hello from the land of the lost author!

August 14th is a huge day for me and my novel Devin Briar. SBNation has been absolutely the best, and has plastering Ads all over the place. Why I'm writing you is to ask a favor, well three favors actually. The first is that I hope you'll take the gamble and buy my book. It's available in paperback and e-book in any format you can imagine.

If you would like a Amazon paperback copy, go here!

If Amazon Kindle is your thing, this link will take care of you: Go Here!

Barnes & Noble you say? Well have a look here!

Apple iBookstore? Well here you go!

Every other possible format you can think of? Go here!

Being a writer and editor at TST is something I truly love doing. While the other authors on the site have regular day jobs, I make my living off of writing. If Devin Briar is successful, I will not only be able to give the Yugo the paint job it longs for, but I'll actually be able to eat too. Not to mention the whole "roof over my head" thing.

So favor two is I'd really appreciate you taking the time to hit the "review" box when you buy the book. Just in case you didn't know, the five star rating will guarantee you long life, health, happiness, wealth and beer...Lots of beer! The 1 star rating is actually God's test to see who goes to hell. If you click on it, you're destined to spend an eternity in a fiery place with people like Hitler, The Son of Sam, Leona Helmsley, and DCRamFan (special ring of hell, where beer is just out of reach). So please throw a rating on my book. It means more than you know to my future as an author.

The third favor - I hope this isn't a favor too far - I need you to get the word out on my book any way you can. Whether using Twitter, Facebook or yelling out the window, this kind of first person "word of mouth" advertising is the most highly prized of all. This is the make or break kind of advertising I'm desperately in need of finding and have happen. Tell your softball team, bowling team, parole officer or wife... Tell anyone you can think of that'll let you within the 100 foot restraining order limits. If you do, I'll turn you on to a website that offers Lottery Insurance... No really...

So there they are - the three things I'd ask as a favor. I know you'll enjoy my novel, simply because it's funny and won't take up all that much gray matter when you read it. It's currently been nominated for the New Mexico Book Award, and my Mom says it's great. Just so you know, my Mom hates pretty much everything, and after she read Devin Briar, she actually remembered my name. Can't put a price on that, eh?

So buy like the wind. If you buy multiple copies, I'm told the story turns into a 3D movie with YOU as the primary character opposite ______ (insert hot co-star name here)

All the very best to you and yours,

DouglasM