At long last, the 2010 College Football Season kicked off Thursday night. In a tune-up for their big game against Ohio State, the Miami Hurricanes hosted the Football Championship Division (formerly Division 1-AA) Florida A&M Rattlers. Despite some early lapses on defense that allowed the Rattlers to keep drives alive, the Canes were solid in all phases of the game and posted a 45-0 shutout. J12, Miami’s Heisman candidate, Jacory Harris, was sharp, completing 12 of 15 passes for 3 touchdowns and, more importantly, no interceptions.

Two of Harris’s touchdowns went to senior wideout Leonard Hankerson, who scored on receptions of 19 and 40 yards in the first quarter. Hankerson looks poised to have a big year as offensive coordinator Mark Whipple’s offense is off to a great start.

The Canes looked more focused than in years past where they might not have dominated the game so thoroughly. Hopefully this will translate into exceptional performances against more formidable opponents. Miami runs an early season gauntlet against Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Clemson, and their bitter rivals, the Florida State Seminoles. If they come out of that slate unscathed, they could be in a position to challenge for their 6th National Championship.

Click on the drawing for a larger version.

Jack Tatum passed away on July 27, 2010 at the age of 61. His reputation as the hardest hitting player of his era was well deserved as several of his hits on opposing receivers and running backs are still talked about today. About what other player, with the possible exception of Lawrence Taylor, can this be said?

The hit on Sammy White in the Superbowl sent White’s helmet flying upfield in such a manner that a woman sitting next to Al Davis exclaimed, “He’s lost his head!” The oft-rerun hit on Earl Campbell at the goal line when both players were basically knocked out on the play. The hit on Riley Odom in which witnesses swore Odom’s eyes rolled back into his head. And finally, the infamous Darryl Stingley hit that broke two of Stingley’s vertebrae and paralyzed him for life.

Tatum wrote one of the first football memoirs I ever read, They Call Me Assassin.
I was fascinated by the inside look at pro football and, even today, Tatum’s no-holds-barred evaluations of his fellow NFL players stands alone for his willingness to be blunt and honest. He reserves a great deal of scorn for the Raiders’ bitter rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Franco Harris is characterized as a big wimp, Jack Lambert overrated, and Lynn Swann a faker of head injuries. You won’t see any recent football books making these kinds of observations as players today are far too afraid of offending others in the “fraternity”.

Stingley never forgave Tatum for not coming to see him in the hospital and wrote about his bitterness at length in his book Happy To Be Alive. Tatum expresses regret over what happened to Stingley, but attributes much of the blame to the rules of the game that encourage the kinds of hits that caused Stingley’s injury. Tatum goes over many of the rules of the time (1978) and suggests changes such as outlawing pump faking and the quick slant. Much has been done since that fateful play to protect NFL players, so much that some people complain that the game is no longer violent enough. Due to these changes and the changes in the attitude of today’s players, we will never again see the like of Jack “The Assassin” Tatum.

Click on the drawing for a larger version.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated their bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics, in a heart stopping game 7 of the NBA Finals to win their 16th title. Despite a poor game from series MVP Kobe Bryant (6 for 24 from the field), the rest of the Lakers picked up the slack, most notably Ron Artest. Artest, who is flaky at the best of times, played effective defense on Paul Pierce and with one minute to go, unleashed a perfect 3 point shot that put the game on ice. After the game, Ron Ron gave the best post game interview in sports history, thanking his psychiatrist and talking about how he heard Phil’s voice in his head telling him not to shoot. He also found time to plug his new single, “Champion”.

Gasol hit a key shot down the stretch and Derek Fisher nailed a 3 that tied the game at 64 as the Lakers came back from being down 13 points at the 8 minute mark of the third quarter. The game ended in a flurry of 3’s as Wallace, Pierce, and Rondo all hit big shots to keep it close. In the end, two free throws by much maligned Sasha Vujacic provided the winning margin. While Kobe couldn’t score, he played tough D on Rondo and hauled in 15 rebounds. After averaging 28.6 points per game for the series, Bryant was awarded the Finals MVP award to go with his fifth NBA Championship.

Depending in the health and whim of head coach Phil Jackson (now the proud owner of 11 rings as coach), the Lakers may be a contender next year and for some time to come. Kobe, Gasol, Artest, and Lamar Odom are all signed for the next few years. The key will be the Zen Master — if Phil decides to tough out another year upon his courtside throne, he could end up with 4 threepeats, a feat almost certainly not to be duplicated.

Click on the image for a larger version.

The Ringside For Youth Event, held every year in Ottawa to benefit the Boys and Girls Club, had heavyweight champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier as their special guest this year. While the years have been hard on the champ, he was nothing short of gracious when interacting with his fans. As usual, the event organizers put on a fantastic event with great food, entertainment, and amateur boxing.

Smokin’ Joe took a few minutes to sit with me and sign a few things, including this watercolor:

Former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney was also in attendance. He was especially friendly, working the room and going out of his way to accomodate pictures and autographs. He is a great supporter of the Ringside For Youth event.

The Fight of the Century was one of the rare sports events to actually live up to the hype as Frazier and Ali battled for 15 brutal rounds. Frazier knocked Ali down and became the first man to defeat Ali when he was awarded a unanimous decision.

Click on the images and photos for larger versions. More photos from the event can be seen here.

Pencil on Strathmore 300 bristol, 11×17.

“The Smart Money” is a fascinating voyage through the world of big time sports betting. This is not the average fan betting $10 or even a $100 or a $1000 dollars on a football game, but a little-known subculture where $10,000, $20,000 and even $100,000 is wagered on the outcome of a sporting event and where gains and losses of half a million dollars over a weekend is commonplace. The author was drawn in to an exclusive club, the “Brain Trust”, who used inside knowledge of the teams, highly paid handicappers, and computers to determine what contests to bet on and how to beat the bookies at their own game.

Though it does not go into too much technical detail of the wagering process (i.e. the actual algorithms that the Brain Trust used to beat the system), this is a well written account of the author’s years working as an agent for a large betting cabal. His main responsibility was to find a way to place enough bets of high enough value to make it worthwhile which involved weekly trips to Las Vegas, hidden identities, and large bags containing bricks of cash. Once someone starts winning in Las Vegas, however, the casinos are no longer interested in taking your business. Yet, the Brain Trust was not to be denied, moving their action to offshore organizations where the seediness factor increases significantly.

Truly an inside look at a level of sports betting that the average fan never sees, “The Smart Money” weaves its way through the largely hidden labyrinth of how point spreads for football games are set and, more importantly, the mysterious forces that change these critical values during the week before the game and sometimes only minutes before kickoff.

After reading the first third of this book, which covered his first foray to Vegas to make bets, I doubted that the author could fill the rest of book with similar stories and keep the reader riveted. While the following seasons of betting and the move to using offshore accounts pretty much mirrors the action early in the book, it is told in such a style that it kept my interest right to the end. The author manages to realistically convey the tension and anxiety of large sums of money riding on a meaningless touchdown by a team that is hopelessly behind or the shock of watching an interception being returned for a score knowing that $50,000 was lost in that instant. I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in learning more about how sports betting actually works.

Click on the cover to go to Amazon.ca.

Having followed the NBA fairly closely and having read many sports books, I found “Seven Seconds or Less” to one of the best sports books I have ever read. A true insider’s view of the Phoenix Suns 2005-2006 season that covers the entire campaign but focuses on their playoff run to the Western Conference Finals. This book contains so many candid stories and analysis, I am surprised it was written in this day and age of sensitive superstars and cautious-to-a-fault coaches and management. Entertainingly penned and a thoroughly engaging read, McCallum shows he can do a long form book as well as he can handle articles for Sports Illustrated.

As a Laker fan, it was fascinating to read the inside story of the Suns comeback from being down 3-1 in their first round playoff series against Los Angeles. Many of my opinions regarding NBA players (Shawn Marion, especially) were confirmed. Even if you are not a fan of the Suns, if you enjoy the NBA, you must read this book.

In this autobiography, Dan Rooney, the president of the Pittsburgh Steelers (and son of the founder), reflects on his 75 years in the National Football League. A lot of ground is covered and the stories about the “olden” days, the days of Earl “Greasy” Neal, Walt Kiesling, and Johnny “Blood” McNally are particularly vivid. There is a detailed passage dealing with the high school, college, and early pro career of Johnny Unitas, who was spurned by the Steelers in training camp but went on to become one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game.

Perhaps due to the scope, however, there is not a lot of detail about any particular era after this. Even the Superbowl teams of the seventies get a bit of a short shrift (less than a third of the book is devoted to this great team). Most of the stories, though, are less about the history of the team and more about personal anecdotes dealing with particular players and coaches. While this is mainly what I am interested in as a reader, I found that Mr. Rooney was fairly reluctant to say anything negative or controversial about his dear acquaintances. The book might have been better if there had been some more frank discussion about, say, the contentious relationship between Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw, for instance.

The book ends with several bland interviews with people associated with the Steelers and then a brief analysis of each NFL franchise by Rooney, punctuated by his (once again non-controversial) opinion of the current owner.

Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, written in an engaging style with a good natural flow. The account provides a certain unique insight into the early days of the NFL. If you are a hard core Steeler or NFL fan, you will enjoy this retrospective.

Click on the book cover to see the book at Amazon.ca. Click on the drawing for a larger version.

In a game far more exciting than the final score would indicate, the New Orleans Saints defeated the mighty Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to claim Superbowl XLIV.

The underdog Saints looked the part in the first quarter as the Colts marched up and down the field to take a 10-0 lead. However, Saints QB Drew Brees found his rhythm in the second quarter and incredibly ended up completing 29 of his next 32 throws (he finished 32 of 39 for the game). The Saints held the ball for all but 6 plays in the second quarter and scored 2 field goals to make the halftime score 10-6.

Coming out of the half, Saints’ coach Sean Payton made possibly the gutsiest call in Superbowl history as he went for the onsides kick. After careening off Hank Baskett, the ball nestled into the hands of a Saints player and Brees led them to a touchdown (on a weaving catch and run by Pierre Thomas) and a 13-10 lead. The Colts responded with a 76 yard touchdown drive of their own to retake the lead 17-13. Brees led another drive and the Saints kicked a field goal to draw within 17-16 at the end of the third quarter.

Manning led a drive that ended in a missed 51-yard field goal and the Saints responded with a short 59 yard drive for the go ahead TD (on a pass to former Miami Hurricane Jeremy Shockey) followed by a two-pointer conversion to lead 24-17. And this is where it got interesting. With 5:42 left in the game, Manning had the ball and a chance to tie. He negotiated the ball down to the New Orleans 31 and it looked like the first overtime in Superbowl history was imminent. For Manning and Colts, it was not to be as his next pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter of the Saints and returned 74 yards for the insurance TD that put Superbowl XLIV in the history books.

After this win and his spectacular performance, Superbowl MVP Drew Brees must now be mentioned with the “elite” quarterbacks in the NFL. As for Manning, how does this devastating loss affect his legacy? He is certainly one of the great quarterbacks to ever play the game, but he has only a single title to show for it (of course, Dan Marino and Dan Fouts have zero). To some extent he should probably be considered a modern day parallel to John Elway. Elway led what were clearly subpar teams to the Superbowl largely on the basis of his tremendous talent alone. The Broncos of the 80’s had an slightly above average defense, but no running game or spectacular receivers. The latter Colts fall into this category (especially as Reggie Wayne’s skills diminish). What would the Colts’ record be if Manning were not under center? Would they have even made the playoffs, let alone appeared in the Superbowl? Are players like Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, and Austin Collie great players or does Manning make them look great? Look how easily they plugged Garcon and Collie in this year and how productive they were. The Colts finished last in the NFL in rushing. As always, given two weeks to prepare, an NFL coaching staff will find a way to take a one dimensional team and neutralize that dimension (see Marino, Dan, Superbowl XIX and Brady, Tom, Superbowl XLI). After getting a taste of the Colts’ offense in the first quarter, the Saints’ defense allowed only 7 more points the rest of the way.

So the New Orleans Saints are the NFL champions for 2009. Hopefully, they will have recovered from what is sure to be an epic celebration in time for the start of the 2010 season.

Click on the image for a larger version. Pencil on Strathmore sketch paper.

Superbowl XLIV is almost upon us. The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints are nearly ready to do battle on the grass turf of what is now called Sun Life Stadium in South Florida, just outside of Miami. Both teams got out to great starts this year, 14-0 for the Colts and 13-0 for the Saints. Both teams, surprisingly, failed to win another regular season game having clinched home field advantage in the playoffs.

A multitude of factors play into this contest.

the Saints lost against the Dallas Cowboys in a game they tried to win

I found it interesting that the Colts opened as 5 point favorites, with the line quickly moving to 5 and a half. Today, the line moved back to 5 as betting action on the Saints has come in.

The Saints are going to need to generate turnovers, get a lead, and hope they can outscore the Colts the rest of the way. If it comes down to Manning having the ball and enough time on the clock to drive for the winning score, I think the Saints will have to drown their sorrows on Bourbon Street.

I think the Saints can run and pass on the Colts. Equally, I think the Colts can move the ball on the Saints defense. The key will be which team is able to generate turnovers.

The Saints also possess an X-Factor in Reggie Bush. He has shown flashes of brilliance in the playoffs and a long play on a punt return, reception or rush attempt could tilt the game in New Orleans’ favor.

Considering the matchups, I think this game is likely to be pretty high scoring, say, 31-27. Who will win? Barring early turnovers by the Saints, I think it is a toss-up. Let’s go with the New Orleans Saints to outscore the Indianapolis Colts and take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Click on the images for a larger version.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=172 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=171 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=171#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:08:22 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=171

With the New York Jets putting pressure on the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback non-pareil Peyton Manning, Darelle Revis shutting down Reggie Wayne, and double coverage on Dallas Clark, the Colts were looking for answers as the Jets took a 17-6 lead in the first half of the AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday. Manning turned to rookie Austin Collie and second year man Pierre Garcon and they responded. Garcon caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown in helping the Colts score 24 unanswered points to defeat the Jets and secure their spot in Superbowl XLIV.

Garcon, who only recently found out that his family is Haiti was still alive, turned in a superlative effort. With Manning’s increased confidence in his young receivers, the Colts’ offense is going to be a huge factor as they face the New Orleans Saints in the Superbowl.

Click in the image for a larger version.

Here is the original pencil sketch (on Strathmore watercolor paper):

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=171 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=170 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=170#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:22:04 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=170

The New Orleans Saints put the “rust or rest” debate to bed Saturday as they routed the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs aided by a spectacular performance from Reggie Bush. Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner from USC, lived up to his considerable hype by rushing 5 times for 84 yards (including a twisting 46 yard touchdown), catching 4 passes for 24 yards and finishing off the highlight reel with a fantastic 83 yard punt return for a touchdown to ice the game.

The Saints now face the Minnesota Vikings in the first ever NFC Championship Game to be played at the Superdome.

Reggie Bush was also the POTW on December 24, 2006. You can see other Reggie Bush drawings here.

Pencils on Strathmore 300 smooth bristol:

Colors “painted” in PS. Click on the images for a larger version.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=170 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=169 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=169#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:35:40 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=169

The Baltimore Ravens stunned the New England Patriots in Foxboro with a 33-14 Wildcard Playoff win Sunday behind a great performance from Ray Rice, who rushed 22 times for 159 yards and 2 TD’s. The Patriots, who haven’t lost a home playoff game since 1978, watched in awe as Rice took the opening carry of the game and dashed 83 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. The Baltimore defense set the WABAC Machine to 2000 and stifled the once unstoppable Patriot offense by planting Tom Brady on the turf and creating numerous turnovers.

The Baltimore running game and defense was so dominant that Joe Flacco was only 4 of 10 passing. Up next are the mighty Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round, where the Ravens hope to channel the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers and knock off the AFC’s best team in a big upset.

Ray Rice was also the POTW on October 18, 2007.

Pencils on Strathmore 300 smooth bristol:

Inks on Strathmore 300 smooth bristol with some digital fixups:

Click on the images for larger versions.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=169 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=168 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=168#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:08:22 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=168

The Alabama Crimson Tide became National Champions Thursday night by defeating the Texas Longhorns 37-21 behind 116 yards rushing on 22 carries from their Heisman Trophy winning tailback, Mark Ingram. Ingram (only a sophmore) bested the “Heisman Curse” to become just the second winner (along with Matt Leinart) in the BCS era to also win the title. In the first half, his 92 yards rushing helped propel the Tide to what turned out to be an insurmountable 24-6 lead. Unable to play most of the second half due to cramps, Ingram came back in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.

Texas lost its best player, Colt McCoy, after only 5 plays and freshman Garrett Gilbert was clearly overwhelmed in the first half. He settled down in the second half and Texas made a game of it as Gilbert threw two touchdowns to Jordan Shipley to close the gap to 24-21. The ‘Bama defense, however, ruined Cinderella’s evening by sacking Gilbert and recovering his fumble deep in Longhorn territory. From there, it was all Tide as they scored two touchdowns late to win going away.

Pencils on Strathmore 300 Smooth bristol:

Inks on Strathmore 300 Smooth bristol (with PS fixup):

Colors done in Photoshop.

Click on the images for larger versions.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=168 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=167 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=167#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:44:40 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=167

The Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson finished up his fantastic season with 134 yards on 36 carries against the Seattle Seahawks giving him the coveted total of 2006 yards rushing for the season. He joins the exclusive 2000 yard club with O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Jamal Lewis. During the season, it seemed that Johnson would rip off a long touchdown run in the first half and follow it up with another 60+ yard TD in the second half. He finished the season with a 5.6 yard average per carry and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also led the league with 7 runs of 40 yards or more.

Click on the image for a larger version.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=167 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=166 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=166#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:17:01 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=166

Legendary coach Bobby Bowden called it a career today as his Florida State Seminoles sent him out a winner, besting the West Virginia Mountaineers 33-21.

Bowden won 389 games as a college head coach (second only to Joe Paterno) and forged a football dynasty in Tallahassee, where he went 14 straight years finishing in the top 5 in the nation, a streak that is unlikely to be equaled. The ‘Noles also won two National Championships under his watch and might have won three more if field goals against the rival Miami Hurricanes had split the uprights. Two of his players, Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, won the Heisman Trophy.

As a Canes fan, you want to hate your rivals, but Bowden is impossible to hate. His homespun charm and innumerable “dadgummit’s” cement him in the hearts of every college football fan. His wide open offense and love of trick plays made his teams entertaining to watch.

We’ll miss you, Bobby Bowden.

Click on the image for a larger version.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=166 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=165 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=165#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:42:43 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=165 Pictured clockwise, Eric “Les Mains” Nadeau, Louis “Plus Vite” Aubin,
John “Are You Sarah” O’Connor, Josh “Tank” Lucas, Gerry “Rice” Chartrand,
Peter “The Rabbit” Arseneau, James “Smooth” Muir, Bevan “Hominid” Watkiss, Larisa “Jerry Jones” Christensen, Paul “The Mad Bomber” McRae, Kirk “Flash” Ireland.

Kanata, ON — The OFL wrapped up the 2009 season with a gala luncheon held at the Local Heroes attended by most of the active OFL players. The league crowned the undefeated 10-0 Irish Stout as champions for the fourth straight year with the French Foreign Legion finishing second. In addition, individual accomplishments were acknowledged as the league’s awards were issued by assistant commissioner Larisa Christensen.

Foreigner of the Year

John O’Connor brought home the Foreigner of the Year award for the second straight time. “Playing a few games with the Stout didn’t hurt,” he noted.

Rookie of the Year

It was no contest for Rookie of the Year as Gerry Chartrand won in a unanimous vote. The dynamic receiver even cracked a wide smile as he was handed his award saying, “Hey, is this beer really free?”

Defensive Player of the Year

The Defensive Player of the Year award went to Louis Aubin, who proudly showed it to the waitress. “I ran back an interception for a safety!” he exclaimed. “That’s very nice,” she replied, “Here are your wings.”

Offensive Player of the Year

The normally stoic James Muir accepted the Offensive Player of the Year award with a big thumbs up. The league’s leading scorer composed himself however, saying “Oooh, I’m feeling tipsy after this glass of ale. I wouldn’t want to lose my inhibitions!”

Most Valuable Player

For the fourth consecutive year, the league’s leading passer, Paul McRae, was the recipient of the MVP award, this time by a narrow margin. The ever-humble McRae gave all the credit to his teammates. “They executed the plays I designed and caught the passes I threw, for the most part,” he said, “Hey, even Brett Favre never threw 42 TD’s after turning 40!” The entire room was moved.

The OFL looks forward to the 2010 season as the Irish Stout go for their fifth consecutive league title.

Rookie of the Year, Gerry Chartrand


Defensive Player of the Year, Louis Aubin


Offensive Player of the Year, James Muir


Most Valuable Player, Paul McRae

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=165 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=164 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=164#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:15:10 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=164

It is rare that the Player of the Week comes from the losing team, but the performance the Denver Broncos’ Brandon Marshall put on against the Indianapolis Colts cannot be ignored. He caught an NFL record 21 passes for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite the fact that the Colts knew it was coming (Kyle Orton only had 29 completions total), they could not stop Marshall. Unfortunately, the Broncos couldn’t stop the Colts either and lost, 28-16.

A great turnaround for Marshall, who was a hot topic in training camp for his bad behavior and apparent desire to be traded. Instead, he now owns the NFL record for receptions in a single game, breaking Terrell Owens’ mark set in 2000 against the Chicago Bears.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=164 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=162 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=162#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:16:47 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=162

Drew Brees put on quite a show on Monday night with his explosive performance against the highly touted New England Patriots. In what would be one of the tougher tests for the undefeated New Orleans Saints, Brees threw for five touchdowns as the Saints routed the Pats 38-17. Apparently Belichick was unable to steal either the offensive or defensive signals as Brees completed 18 of 23 for a whopping 371 yards while Tom Brady was pulled from the game with 5 minutes to go.

The Saints now join the Colts at 11-0 as the NFL’s only remaining undefeated teams. The 1972 Miami Dolphins will continue to chill their champagne for at least another week.

Click on the image for a larger version. Pencil on Strathmore sketch paper.

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=162 0 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=161 http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=161#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:17:46 +0000 Paul http://paulmcrae.ca/?p=161 Kanata, ON — An unseasonably warm day turned positively hot for the Irish Stout as they exploded for 6 touchdowns in their 40-19 victory over the French Foreign Legion. Things started out poorly for the Legion when star receiver Ron “Randy Moss” Burman was unable to play due to what is being reported as a bizarre grooming accident. He has been holed up in his gated community since the weekend, issuing only a terse press release that ended with “Don’t look at me! I’m hideous!” Offensive coordinator and tight end Carlos “The Jackal” Nahas was also unavailable, but Interpol would not divulge any details as to why he has been detained in Paris. Legion regulars Peter “The Rabbit” Arseneau, Gerry “Rice” Chartrand, John “Guinness” O’Connor, and Eric “Les Mains” Nadeau took the field to face a powerful Stout lineup consisting of Paul “The Mad Bomber” McRae, Bevan “No Wobbly Balls, Please” Watkiss, James “I’ll Take That Ball, If You Don’t Mind” Muir, and Louis “All World Picker” Aubin. Noticeably absent from the Stout was superstar Kirk “Twinkletoes” Ireland, who continued to recover from his ballroom dancing accident. “No one puts Kirk in the corner,” he intoned sternly, “But I had the time of my life!”

After taking the opening kickoff, the Legion drove down the field but failed to score. Rookie Eric Nadeau then proceeded to intercept McRae’s long, but not long enough, throw to Watkiss and ran it back into scoring territory. “I’m in the stats!” Nadeau cried with glee. The Stout held, however, and McRae marched them down the field to paydirt with a TD to Watkiss. The Legion responded with a TD of their own from Arseneau to Chartrand and went ahead on an Arseneau to O’Connor conversion. “Burman? Burman? Who needs Burman?” yelled Arseneau in a rare display of bravado. “Actually, we could really use him,” replied Chartrand, “It’s not like I can score all the touchdowns by myself!”

Trailing 7-6, the Stout struck quickly with two McRae to Muir TD’s sandwiched around an Aubin conversion to make the score 19-7. Arseneau again connected with Chartrand to draw within 6, but the Stout unleashed a flurry of touchdowns to put the Legion away. First, McRae hit Watkiss for 6, and followed up with a PAT to Aubin. Aubin intercepted Arseneau on the next possession and the Stout went to work with Muir literally taking the ball away from the defender and running in for a score. After the Watkiss conversion, the score stood at 33-19. “When the ball is in the air, it’s mine,” said Muir, “Well, technically, the ball belongs to Paul, but you get the idea.”

The Legion responded with yet another Chartrand TD from Arseneau, but Muir again aggressively went after the ball and evaded a defender to score his fourth touchdown of the day. “Four touchdowns, let’s see…” Muir observed, “That’s 12 plus 6 plus 6, carry the 1….24 points!” A short yellow bus full of young fans cheered Muir’s arithmetic prowess.

An Aubin PAT made the final score 40-19. The Stout scored the second highest number of points in the league’s recent history, second, ironically, to the Legion, which owns the record, set in their 41-12 victory over the Stout in 2006. However, it has been 28 straight wins since for the powerful Stout, who are now gunning for their 4th straight OFL title with a 10-0 record. “Tabernac, I want a title,” exclaimed Aubin, who due to the OFL’s lax roster rules has played on both sides of this bitter rivalry this season, “I am going to celebrate with a big moose tourtiere, calice!”

The 2009 OFL Season statistics can be seen here.

BOX SCORE
December 2, 2009
Irish Stout 40, French Foreign Legion 19

Passing
-------
McRae       6 TD, 4 PAT, 1 INT
Arseneau    3 TD, 1 INT

Receiving
---------
Muir        4 TD
Chartrand   3 TD
Watkiss     2 TD, 1 PAT
Aubin       3 PAT
O'Connor    1 PAT

Defense
--------
Aubin       1 INT
Nadeau      1 INT

]]> http://paulmcrae.ca/?feed=rss2&p=161 0