THE CRIMSON PIGSKIN e-LETTER
TWO FLAMES
On an entirely unexpected day, in an entirely unexpected way, lunch rush at an Asian Diner made its way onto the agenda. The place began to fill up with those fast-moving, important looking, tense lunchtime people. They lined up to order and seat themselves. Ninety percent of the customers present needed a table fast so they can make it back to work digging fortune cookie paste out of their teeth, occasionally catching the faint taste of peanut or wasabi, gentle reminders of the midday meal, lasting all afternoon.
Thai fare is notorious for its spicy heat. Today's bowl o' paradise had a healthy dose of peppery liquid throughout the dish. Steam was rising above the bowl making it seem hotter than usual. Feeling the burn as sweat pooled on the scalp more and more people could be seen lining up for a turn on the burning-go-round it became evident savoring the tasty fork melting chicken and tofu concoction was not going to be part of the plan.
Abandoning the chopsticks for speed's sake, the Jethro Bodine-sized serving spoon was employed to gulp everything down quickly and free up the table for the straight-faced movers and shakers who were coiled and ready to pounce on a table at the first sign of departing diners. "Do you need a refill on your drink, sir?" "Yes, please" half coughing from the smoldering noodle sauce. Didn't take too long and the bottom of the bowl was in sight. Relinquishing the table, it was time to move on to the second set of flames.
The crab-stuffed mushroom caps were delicious. A second helping was in order. They were placed directly on a thick granite heating tray with Sterno cans glowing underneath. The stainless serving tongs had been sitting on top of the granite for some time but the beckoning delicacies needed immediate attention.
Upon lifting the tongs, a reflex arc was ignited when it became painfully evident the utensil was hot enough to cook on. Quickly dropping the tongs they spun onto the top of the granite surface. Then like a pinball flipper, one branch of the tongs smacked one of the mushroom caps across the granite. It ran out of granite runway and went airborne, sailing rapidly towards a pair of trousers which acted as a backboard.
After the initial ricochet, gravity pulled the flying stuffed fungus earthward where the fall was broken by a shoe. The footwear was angled just such that the morsel banked off the shoe and was propelled underneath the table. There it was cloaked by the long black tablecloth. Whew! "Don't look around. Maybe no one noticed." Food lore is born. "Diet Coke, please."
PROSPECTING
pros-pect: noun. Something expected; a possibility. Prospects=Chances as in take one. ABBA would be proud.
National NCAA signing day was Wednesday, February 4th. That's the day university sports programs hang their futures on high school recruits replenishing their rosters. A combination of many things makes a great sports team. It requires good athletes which are conditioned, disciplined teachable and coached by very good coaching staffs to be the best they can be. Signing day provides the good athlete part.
Old time prospectors would spend weeks, months, years and entire adult lives looking for sweet yeller gold in the caves, streams and mines of the western
Coaches all over the nation will spend careers looking for the next player who can play the game as well as the legends did. That is what national signing day is all about. Well, that and it's a nice bridge for sportscasters to cross between bowl season and spring drills which begin next month. Here's hoping all the local universities find some diamonds in the rough that shine like superstars or at least some good costume jewelry.
THE SUPER DUPER BOWL
In a much closer game than many predicted, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27-23. The game was almost as exciting as the Dorito's ads. The Steel men were in control of the game from the time they made a 100-yard TD (no, not Tom Dirato) run on a defensive play which set records for the most re-run play in NFL history, the longest Super Duper Bowl touchdown, the longest defensive play on a turnover and the longest distance number 92 has traveled on foot since his last holiday shopping trip to the mall.
The NFL had a play-off and found a "World Champion" yet again last Sunday. One has to think though, what exactly was a team which lost 7 regular season games doing in the Super Duper Bowl? Was that enough to reduce it to a mildly Super Bowl? The mass media 3-D blitz for a few seconds of commercials was enough to do that.
Would a play-off do the same favor of devaluing the regular season in college football? Probably. It would be second fiddle to the NFL play-offs. A mythical national champ adds some mystery and charm to the game. It also indicates that there may be something more important to academia than just winning ballgames, although, winning ballgames is a good way to go.
Why don't the teams which lost wildcard games back in December protest and say they deserve a shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy? Because that would be too much like college football and no one wants to confuse the two leagues. In any event, that's another Super Bowl in the books and it's back to speculation about college prospects. Don't worry NFL fans, the draft is on April 25th & 26th. Then fans can see how the four year old college prospects "pan out".
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Carlos
THE CRIMSON PIGSKIN e-LETTER
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