As much as the Big Game is a sporting event, it's a cultural phenomenon during which advertisers clamor for an audience that transcends any particular market.
Here's a quick taste of what's going on the ad & marketing end of the Super Bowl with some recognizable names.
Troy Polamalu Stars in Coke Zero Ad as Mean Joe Greene
Pepsi Max - Diet Cola for Men
Follow Tommy Margules – the winner of Macanudo 1968’s $10,000 Superbowl trip - real-time Twitter updates@Macanudo1968.
Pundits and analysts will make their calculated guesses this week that will stick within the hedges. To escape you from this mediocre dribble, I will tell you now how the big plays will make the big game unfold. In true roulette fashion, I'm going big or going home.
As I know millions are wagered on the coin toss, Arizona will win and defer, and Hines Ward in true Matt Hasselbeck fashion will boldly exclaim, "we'll receive and we will play well!"
In the first quarter, Steelers will dig deep in the playbook and run the Immaculate Reception to keep Arizona off guard. Unfortunately, near the end zone Willie Parker will fumble to get one out of the way.
The Cardinals will jump to an early 7 point lead by installing Urban Meyer's spread offense, running Warner off three option fakes four consecutive times. Then running Hightower on a short leap off of Warner's back into the end zone.
In the second quarter, the Steelers will revert to their old trick plays. The flea flicker will be under thrown, otherwise good for a TD. The double reverse will be botched just outside the redzone with Watson breaking up the play and crushing Hines Ward's moisturized head in the process.
Arizona will suffer a major injury in their own right. Polamalu launches like a torpedo and crashes crown to face, knocking Warner unconscious.
Strikingly nervous, Leinart comes into the game. They run the ball a few times able to manage a couple first downs. Noticing the Steelers have 8 and a half players in the box, Leinart calls a fly pattern for Fitzgerald. The ball is grossly under thrown, but Fitzgerald leads his defender as if the ball is deep only to throw both hands behind his back at the last second to catch the ball at the small of his back and sashay into the endzone.
Cardinals go into halftime with a 14-3 lead and the Springsteen halftime show begins. Springsteen will sign a few bars of a classic then try some new stuff. Knowing this will bore the crowd, Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana will come up from the stage to sing Mary's Place, which leads to an awkward butt grind with Springsteen resulting in the FCC to pull the plug on the halftime show. Springsteen spends the rest of the night in questioning.
During halftime, Wisenhunt invites buxom groupies situated in front row (player tickets) into the locker room for halftime. He will conduct the halftime in the showers with them running on the blonds to place Matt Leinart in an understandable situation to ease his nerves.
In the 3rd quarter, Steelers are unable to stop a highly stimulated Cardinals offense. Boldin breaks a 30 yard touchdown after a drag pattern across the middle. In celebration, he does a superman punch in the air and pulls his hamstring, groin, quad, lat, bicep and tricep.
The Steelers manage to point a few points on the board with time consuming drives that involve Tight End screen passes. Santonio Holmes manages to break a few punt returns, but is stopped by Punter Ben Graham multiple times with running soccer style trips and one Old School-esque tackle on the sideline.
By the 4th quarter, the Cardinals have a 31-13 lead. Leinart does what he does best and hands the ball off. The game slowly trickles to an end with Cardinals winning 34-16.
At the trophy presentation, Ben Graham is named MVP with a total of 4 tackles, 2 coffin corners and a tackle that will be the highlight of the game. When Wisenhunt accepts the trophy he stands next to Russ Grimm, shouts into the mike "suck it!, Rooney family" while he and Grimm do the Degeneration Suck It sign.
This is how it shall be. All gamblers bet accordingly.
Earlier this month, I wrote about NFL Hall of Famer and former Michigan Wolverine captain Benny Friedman and his struggle for recognition as one of football's early pioneers and as the game's first true innovator of the forward pass.
I was fortunate to be able to catch up with Greenberg to help elaborate on some of these unanswered questions.
HuggingHaroldReynolds: You cite the 1998 Brandeis tribute to Benny Friedman as sparking your interest in writing this book. Prior to that, how familiar with the quarterback were you? Was it as a football/sports fan that you felt it was time this story was told or did you feel that culturally it was long-overdue?
Murray Greenberg: As an intercollegiate athlete at Brandeis years after Friedman had left there, I had heard of him, but really knew no details of his life and career until that 1998 tribute. Friedman was a genuine American innovator and American Jewish hero, a major celebrity who had fallen through the cracks over time, so his story was long overdue on several levels.
HHR: The book makes a very strong case regarding Benny's role in pioneering the modern game - not just his influence in establishing the pass as a common element of the offense, but to the point where defenses were forced to account for it and as a result new defensive formations were created, namely the advent of the modern linebacker position.
MG: When the great Sammy Baugh passed away last month, many in the media widely hailed him as the man who transformed football as the game's first great passer. With all due respect to the immortal Baugh, the man who transformed football as the game's first great passer was Benny Friedman. In 1929 Friedman, playing for the New York Giants and throwing the roundish "melon" ball then in use, passed for an unheard-of 20 touchdowns (breaking his own record). Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers was second that year with six TD passes. Friedman's record lasted thirteen years, finally falling to Cecil Isbell in 1942. Benny's pioneering passing inspired the league to slim down the ball and eliminate rules that discouraged passing, paving the way for such passers as Isbell, Arnie Herber, Sid Luckman, and Baugh (who still didn't pass for as many as 20 touchdowns in a season until his seventh year in the league)."Friedman revolutionized football," George Halas said. And yet he is overlooked, as illustrated in the wake of Baugh's death.
There may not be any one reason for this. Though I did not encounter hard evidence that would establish anti-Semitism as an explanation for Friedman having been overlooked, anti-Semitism can be subtle. Given that, and given Friedman's extraordinary accomplishments in and singular contributions to the game of football, it is not unreasonable to consider anti-Semitism as a possible factor. His perceived cockiness when it came to his football skills, his lobbying for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his bitterness at the Players Union for denying pension benefits to pre-1958 players, and the mere passage of time since his playing days are also possible factors. And sometimes, for no apparent reason, people who have made significant contributions in their field, even those who attain celebrity at some point, become lost over time.
HHR: Benny can be in many ways pointed at as the first Jewish sports hero. Yet, his popularity transcended just the Jewish community. His religion is an underlying theme throughout the book, especially given the rise in anti-Semitic attitudes during his height of popularity. Yet, it was a large part of his marketability, and didn't seem to directly negatively impact him in many ways (though it can be argued there was a good amount of latent bias). How much was being Jewish help Benny compared to hinder him?
MG: Rising anti-Semitism in America in Friedman's time was a factor to be dealt with by every Jewish athlete of the day, and Friedman was the most famous and best Jewish footballer of all. Mistreatment from Friedman's first Michigan coach -- mistreatment that Benny attributed to anti-Semitism -- nearly suffocated Friedman's playing career before it got started. On the other hand, Friedman was a hero to the American Jewish community, a fact that played a part in the two college head coaching jobs Friedman would get -- both at schools with heavy Jewish influence. But Benny's Jewishness was also a fact that may have played a part in the several major college coaching jobs he sought but didn't get.
HHR: Football at the time was rather one dimensional, as were the mindsets of the coaches and players regarding how the game "should be played." How much a factor would you attribute the novelty of the forward pass upon unsuspecting defenses/teams compared with Benny's talent as a reason for his success? Was the style of play as much a "secret weapon" as much as Benny was? Was it the fact that Yost was forward-thinking enough to utilize the athlete's talents?
MG: Before Friedman, defenses generally were not prepared to defend the pass, but that is because no passer as talented as Friedman had ever appeared. As no less an authority than Red Grange said, "Benny Friedman was responsible for changing the entire concept of defense." Yost certainly was aware of the talent his quarterback had and was smart enough not to let football's anti-passing traditions stop him from letting Friedman use that talent. Friedman's unique passing ability may have been a secret at first, but teams quickly realized what they could expect and began drawing up defenses just to stop him -- usually without success.
HHR: How big an influence was the outcome of the Notre Dame/NY Giants game on the perception of pro football?
MG: While the 1920s saw college football experience perhaps its most glorious era, that decade saw the National Football League in a struggle for survival. Professional players were widely viewed as rough, relatively unskilled mercenaries lacking in spirit and discipline. Neither the fans nor the media were willing to divert their passion for the glamorous college game to the hardscrabble pro league. Even the NFL's flagship franchises -- the Packers, the Bears, the Giants -- struggled mightily at the gate. The Notre Dame/Giants game in 1930, which I detail in the book and in which Friedman played a major role, provided a critical boost for the NFL's credibility.
HHR: In many ways, Benny resembles an early Joe Namath. Both were given "astronomical" contracts for the not only their transformational styles of play, but for the fanfare and gate receipts that accompanied it, their self confidence, their similar collegiate paths and leadership reputations while playing for legendary coaches, and, of course, their use of the forward pass and the way they/it ushered in two very transformational eras of the pro game - Benny's to the modernization, Namath's to the AFL-NFL merger/Super Bowl/television era. Is there a better modern player with whom to compare Benny?
MG: As you point out, there are some interesting parallels between Namath and Friedman (though Benny, a big believer that players could play tough while protecting themselves from injury,believed that Namath did not properly protect himself). Peyton Manning and Tom Brady at first blush might not appear too similar to Friedman given the disparity in size between them and Benny, but when it comes to the qualities that make for a great quarterback -- outstanding passing ability, field generalship, leadership, and physical toughness -- there is a good deal of similarity.
HHR: The decision to cut the football program at Brandeis was described as hastened by both a sense of jealousy over Benny's popularity and subsequent fund raising ability, as well as the disdain by academics at the university who sought to disassociate itself with the "brutish" sport with the school's blooming scholastic reputation. That said, what is the current perception at Brandeis of Benny's contributions and reputation as a part of its establishment and success?
MG: I believe there is some awareness and appreciation within the athletic department and within the university administration at Brandeis of Friedman's indispensable contributions to Brandeis athletics and to the university generally. I hope my book will help to broaden and deepen that awareness and appreciation.
HHR: Given his contributions to Michigan in the 1920's, and the fact that college football was drawing tens of thousands of spectators weekly in college stadiums across the country, pro football aside, how hasn't his college success and recognition alone propelled Benny's legacy?
MG: I would reiterate my response to question 2.
HHR: While a handful of early stars are synonymous with the sport - Grange, Nagurski, Rockne, and most recently with his death, Sammy Baugh's multifaceted on-field exploits are remembered again heralded, in general, do you feel the post-1960's modernization and commercialization of pro football has come about at the expense of the history of the sport?
MG: I think there is a tendency for the history of a sport to become somewhat forgotten as time marches on and the sport evolves and takes hold of its current generations. Modern-day sports are an important part of America's social fabric. The way the games are played today and the players of today should be appreciated and celebrated. But it is important also to celebrate and appreciate the pioneers who laid the foundation for the sporting spectacles we now enjoy-- pioneers such as Bobby Orr, whose rink-long rushes popularized hockey's "offensive defensmen"; Babe Ruth, whose astonishing home runs revolutionized baseball; and Benny Friedman, football's first great passer, whose unique ability to pass the football launched the game toward its passing-dominated modern era and its status as an American sporting obsession.
Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen is an accomplished singer, writer and activist. This Sunday, keeping with their post-wardrobe malfunction tradition of reverting to elderly musicians as their main attraction during the Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL will wheel out the Boss as its featured act. Despite the immediate previous entertainers being legends Sir Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince and Tom Petty, Springsteen's appearance is being hyped as one of the most anticipated ever.
Yet, Springsteen's career has been littered with big moments that often go unnoticed, and deserve recognition in their own right.
Here are XLIII moments in Bruce's career that the HHR staff has deemed bigger or as big as the Super Bowl halftime show.
I. Thrice daily bowel movements.
II. Made the red bandanna-around-the-head acceptable for men to sport.
III. Made the V-neck an 'anytime of the year' shirt.
IV. Made the tux vest an 'anytime of the year' accessory.
V. Clarence's ass.
VI. Made it believable that it's normal for a guy from Freehold, NJ to have a southern twang.
VII. Helped mumbling become an accepted art form.
VIII. Took Mickey Rourke's phone call. Oh, wait. Rourke wrote him a letter. He answered his LETTER. Bruce supports snail mail!
IX. Gave Jon Bon Jovi someone to impersonate for the last 3 decades.
X. Tricked people into thinking that, despite not working a real job in 40 years, living in a gated mansion and rubbing elbows with the leader of the free world, he is the voice of the common man.
XI. Dug Asbury Park deeper into despair.
XII. Gave Jakob Dylan a successful father-figure to look up to.
XIII. Single-handedly kept Levis in business during tough economic times.
XIV. Brought the acting world Mr. Little Steven Van Zandt.
XV. Made it acceptable to cheat on a supermodel and marry a Jersey Girl who if she weren't a backup singer on the Jersey Shore would be a diner waitress.
XVI. Tricked the world into thinking Patti can sing and play.
XVII. Gave a whiny John Cusack sound advice in High Fidelity.
XVIII. Brought back the soul patch.
XIX. Undermined USA For Africa's plot to rid world hunger by ruining We Are the World (2:14 mark) and blaming his worse-than-usual vocals on "agida and indigestion."
XX. Testifies for the Church of Rock-n-Roll, thereby supplanting Jesus Christ as savior of the world for the likes of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Mott the Hoople.
XXI. Defied fashionistas everywhere when he posed for his long-anticipated Born in the USA follow-up, Tunnel of Love, in a bolo tie.
XXII. Bet Southside Johnny Lyon a bottle of Ron Rico Rum that he could revitalize Manfred Man's career with a single lyric: "Revved up light a douche." Won.
XXIII. Showing no qualms about squashing competition whoever they may be, beat out puppies (Beathoven's 2nd), and thugs (Poetic Justice) alike to capture the 1993 Oscar for Best Song (Streets of Philadelphia).
XXIV. Speaking of squashing competition, successfully was enshrined in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame without the E Street Band, despite his wall-of-sound/Spector-esq styling being among his most prominent musical traits.
XXV. Created a more successful album called Nebraska than anyone actually from Nebraska.
XXVI. Became a folk legend and heir to Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan's mantle, which so infuriated John Mellencamp that the Indiana native has since sustained numerous well-publicized health conditions that still persist today.
XXVII. Tricked fans into thinking "Wild Billy's Circus Story" was about the carnival and not one big, gay freak fest:
"Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade"
"And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget little Tiny Tim way up on his shoulders, way up; And carries him on down the midway past the kids, past the sailors; To his dimly lit trailer."
"And the circus boss leans over, whispers into the little boy's ear "Hey son, you want to try the big top?"
XXVIII. Was so infatuated with C. Thomas Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy Curtis in 1983's The Outsiders, that he wrote a terrible song about it to include on a terrible album.
XXIX. Credited with "revitalizing" a Jersey Shore rock scene that proceeded to pump out rock "legends" John Eddie and Skid Row.
XXX. Influenced John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, without whom Eddie and the Cruisers would just be some low-budget cult classic and not the biggest hit of Tom Beringer's career. And, of course, without Eddie and the Cruisers, there would be no Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives.
XXXI. Reduces Chris "Mad Dog" Russo to a sniveling fanboy for someone other than Roger Federer, prompting callers to preface their remarks with a mocking, "IS THERE ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?!"
XXXII. Only American singer to have a spaceship named in his homage. The "Thunder Road" was piloted by a young Ethan Hawke, an alive River Phoenix and a no-name Jason Presson in 1985's Explorers.
XXXIII. Stars in a video documentary that is handed out to prepubescent pitchers by Little League Baseball titled "How Not to Pitch."
XXXIV. Stars in a video documentary that is handed out to prepubescent students at grade school dances titled "How Not to Dance."
XXXV. Has a United States secular holiday named in his honor which is celebrated on October 16.
XXXVI. Got these guys (among others) laid:
XXXVII. Lends his name to several worthwhile charities, most notably "Crime Aid."
XXXVIII. Campaigning in 2004, asked Sen. John Kerry, "Why the long face?"
XXXIX. Has a banner commemorating his 45 Philadelphia sellouts hanging from the rafters at the Wachovia Center. Making that one more banner than the Sixers have had in the last 25 years.
The chief happened to stumble upon this on Reddit: If you are not into the Steelers, the people of Pittsburgh have few options.
If you go to the street view for this Google map link you'll see some very peculiar activity. Or for all we know, this could be totally normal in the Steel City.
On December 7, 1963, 8 days after the assassination of President Kennedy and on the 22nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, CBS aired the annual Army-Navy Game live from Philadelphia.
In a game in which Navy quarterback Roger Staubach led the Midshipmen to a 21-15 victory, CBS made history of its own. After a forth quarter 1-yard touchdown run by Army's Rollie Stichweh, CBS immediately re-aired the score, prompting announcer Lindsey Nelson to clarify for home viewers, "This is not live! Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!"
Instant Replay, a feature that has become a staple in all major televised sports, was born.
When I told a handful of HHR readers that I would be interviewing Instant Replay's inventor, I was met with confusion: "Inventor of Instant Replay? So he was the first to use the rewind button on his VCR? I guess my question would be how you could claim creative license of instant replay."
And sarcasm: "Ask him 'If he could, would he do it all over again?'"
The problem is, we have become so accustomed to instant gratification and access to images and technology, that it is hard to fathom a world without something seemingly so simple.
In his new book "Instant Replay: The Day that Changed Sports Forever," the game's director, Tony Verna, outlines the difficulty of getting the "invention" implemented, from both logistical and ideological roadblocks. Live game broadcasts were not equipped with the machinery necessary to instantly replay plays during broadcasts at the time. Announcers were unaccustomed to relaying to viewers something that had never been done before. And executives were none-to-eager to give directors leeway to take creative license with forward-thinking, and by many accounts, radical ideas.
Yet, Verna found a way to get it done, and he details the process from conceptualization to implementation.
Today, at 75, after directing some of the largest events in television history, including 5 Super Bowls, 12 Kentucky Derbies, 2 Olympic Games, Bob Geldoff's Live Aid, Pope John Paul's "A Prayer for World Peace" TV Special, NBA Championships and Stanley Cups, Verna isn't satisfied that he is given the credit he is due for the one distinction he is most proud of, the invention of Instant Replay.
"Instant Replay" aims to set the record straight. While laden with technical boadcast jargon that left me bewildered, and unapologetic name-dropping on the hundreds of celebrity friends he's encountered throughout his distinguished career, Verna's life, as outlined in the book's chapters broken out over his 6 decades in the business, tells fascinating stories and retells his life the way he wants it to be remembered.
The book is, at times, difficult to follow. Verna's aim to cram 50 years of experience and anecdotes in a little over 200 pages results in him jumping around from story to story, time period to time period. The focus is scattered, but beneath it, is a little-seen look at historical sporting events to those not in the biz and unfamiliar with what goes into producing televised events.
While the late Roone Arledge stakes claim in every single breakthrough that ever transpired in sports broadcasting, including Instant Replay, Verna, a "dago kid" from South Philly, takes exemption and has no qualms justifying his role in the evolution of sports television.
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HuggingHaroldReynolds: In the opening chapter, it seems as though you are looking for vindication and recognition for the invention of Instant Replay. All these years after its invention and after a notable career in which you directed some of the biggest events in televised history, why did you decide to (and deem it necessary) to write the book now?
Tony Verna: The book was written to cover my life and my thinking. This is my fifth book. In three of the five, PLAYBACK, LIVE TV, and GLOBAL TELEVISION (all of which have been used as college texts, by the way), I covered the Instant Replay in pieces. In INSTANT REPLAY, I’ve put all those pieces together.
HHR: In a few sentences, let's set the record straight for readers: A) Why unequivocally can you say you invented Instant Replay? B) Why do you feel this distinction has evaded you?
TV: A) At the time, nobody else had even thought about it. The machines we used were not equipped to do it. B) CBS has televised 45 Army-Navy games since then and not once have I been mentioned or credited.
HHR: Unlike many of your contemporaries throughout your career, you embraced technology and forward/innovative-thinking. You are quite blunt about the importance of blogs. Can you elaborate?
TV: Blogs intrigue me since they are an “always on” communications tool, especially when applied to Instant Messaging. And for me…nothing is better than INSTANT!
HHR: Tell us about the nature of your departure from CBS after 30 years.
TV: New management did not want anyone diverting attention from them. They wanted their day in the spotlight and the best way to do that was to pressure me out.
HHR: Can you give us a brief comparison on the main contrasts in working on NFL games under Commissioners Bell and Rozelle?
TV: When working games during the Rozelle years, there was no interference. I did what I thought best. I’d be in constant contact with Pete, sometimes for lunch or dinner, but most times over drinks and card playing. As far as Bert Bell was concerned – he wasn’t fond of TV, thinking it to be eventually the end of gate revenue. Bell didn’t like me shooting the game too close. He thought the best seat should be in the stadium. All in all, Pete was a nice guy and Bell was a royal pain.
HHR: You've worked with numerous legendary, as well as colorful, announcers throughout your career. If you had to pick a handful from any generation to be a part of your team, who would they be and why?
TV: I presume you mean just sports announcers, so I’ll answer in that field alone. As noted in my book, Vin Scully was (and is) my favorite announcer. Vin has the “Eric Sevareid (CBS News journalist from 1939 to 1977) touch” in telling us what we have just learned. Vin was – and is – a solo act. He doesn’t like to share the booth.
HHR: Which station broadcasting sports would you most like to work with today given the quality of their product and creativity?
TV: Working for and with Ted Turner was most enjoyable since there was no middle management between him and me. By the way, we just exchanged nice words about our respective bios.
HHR: With the increased number of channels available to viewers, has quality declined or has competition led to better production and innovation?
TV: Most broadcasters now think that they have “all the angles covered,” but as I wrote to USA Today: "I’m all for a better seat at home while watching the game on television---- but only after I am ensured the basics are going to be covered --- like a better riding of the analyst’s microphone over the expected crowd noise even if what was being said was not worth hearing.”
HHR: Despite the title, "Instant Replay" comes off as much as a venue to relive old stories, friendships and acquaintances, as a reflection on the invention itself. Is the title more a metaphor for your life than the book's intended subject?
TV: Yes, for the most part, Instant Replay to me is “Instant Verna”--- the reason being that I thought and still think in terms of ‘Live TV.” Through the years, a columnist noted that “TV, it turns out, has never been far from Tony Verna’s mind, and today, it doesn’t take much to get the 75 year old to reminisce about the decades he spent covering major events around the world.”
So my answer is that---the metaphor is appropriate since the comparisons of what I did in life show how two things that are not alike in most ways were similar in one important way, that being…“surviving the pressures of live TV.”
The book’s intended subject, Instant Replay, has to be taken into account --what kind of guy could think up something like that?
HHR: Tell us about some of your current projects.
TV: Currently, I am working on two of my inventions: “Instant Footballer,” a screen widget that places the football during a live contest on the exact yard line…and the “Talking Replay,” which is an Instant Replay carrying the pre-recorded audio of the athlete involved so that we may know his or her thinking in that situation.
HHR: Did you really work with a man named "Jack Dolph" and how did you type, nonetheless say, that name without snickering?
TV: Jack Dolph, commissioner of the American Basketball Association, 1969. After he left the A.B.A., Dolph became an independent sports producer. If you knew Jack ---snickering was the last thing that came to mind. He was a great guy---one of my favorites.
HHR: One last thing regarding blogs "setting the record straight…" As a "dago-kid" from Jersey, I have to call you out. You referred to the "Philadelphia" nightclub the Latin Casino. Don't you mean the "South Jersey" nightclub?
TV: The original Latin Casino was in South Philadelphia. It opened there in the forties and was popular with soldiers and sailors in town during WWII. The club originally resided on Walnut St. and Juniper in Philadelphia and later moved to Rt. 70 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Sure, there were some great scenes in sports this weekend. But can they match the enjoyment of these few snapshots I grabbed when I was out-and-about?
Swedish Seaman's Church Mobile
Interesting choice of name and logo.
Swedish Seaman's Church HQ?
Nope. Their Asian competition.
Shitsburgh
The terrible towel makes an appearance during the Wes Malott/Mike Scroggins match up at the H&R Block Tournament of Champions. Maybe to wipe Scroggins' tush as it looks like he just shat himself.
I Attended.
I Felt Entirely Out of Place.
The Day Wasn't Lost
A Mariachi band on the subway is always good times.
While we were confident that we were dead-on in our analysis that it was the Redskins TE's tally on the bizarre antics of teammate Clinton Portis, Cooley corrected us:
"Sorry guys, the tally marks are for a running eucher poker game between Todd Yoder and myself. Funny stuff though."
