Next Day: The Boys Win Again
This Year's Photo: Turkey Bowl 2002
Standing: The Victors: The Boys: Joe, Gary Welsh, John Farrell, Todd Aferiat, Rick Umans, G.D. Peters, Larry Malament, Jay Katz, Al Sapienza, Darren DeMarch, George Armston, Bob DeMarch, Brett & Michael Smith, Shadey, Ron Jacaruso.
Kneeling: The Vanquished, The Generals: Big Dude, Elbows, Rick Sarter, Pete, Noel, Son of Pete, Corey, Joe Ruback, Ralph, Son of Ralph.
Another Turkey Bowl, people, with some chilly weather and a hard, near-frozen field, warmed considerably by the surprise cameo appearance of Donald "Mr." Banchik, Vice-Principle at S.V.H.S. when The Boys will be boys were in attendance, and victim and owner of the storied Volkswagon in the hallway illusion, among others. The following members of The Boys were present and accounted for: yours truly G.D. Peters, Ronnie Jacaruso, Rick "Takedown" Umans, Bob "The Iron Jaw" DeMarch, his son and perrenial M.V.P. Darren DeMarch, Michael Smith, and his son and soon-to-be Q.B. and perrenial M.V.P. Brett Smith, Q.B. Larry "I'll-give-you-a-hundred-dollars-for-this-car-if-there's-a-full-tank-of-gas-and-fifty-bucks-in-the-glove-box" Malament, and Q.B. Gary Welsh (although he arrived unfashionably late), John Farrell, Joe Video, Todd Aferiat, Film and Television star Al Sapienza in a welcome cameo appearance between appearances on The Sopranos, "24", and his many feature films, and George Armston in a rare and unsupervised pre-probationary parole hearing house-arrest sabatical, the usual suspects. Notably absent from the lineup this year were Peter "Rasputin" Ciszewski, his first miss in a millenium, and Robert Garbus, his second miss in a row and we are beginning to smell a pattern here, should we call it the Paul Herdemian syndrome?
All the Generals were there, Q.B. Ricky Sarter, Ralph, Pete, Perrenial M.V.P. Joey Ruback, Corey, et al, and it's a good thing they show up every year since no one else would play us. We are further giving thanks to Joey Ruback for his Turkey Bowl spirit, as he brought stolen pylons and yard markers to line the field this year, and had a Turkey Bowl M.V.P. trophy made, which he brought for presentation to our perennial M.V.P., Q.B. Gary Welsh, and he said something about the winner bring is supposed to bring the trophy back the next year for the next guy, but I'm pretty sure that trophy's going up on the mantle and it ain't coming down. Kudos, Joey, thanks from all for the extra Turkey Bowl spirit.
We warmed up and began the game, and the Generals took first possession, going two plays before Darren picked off a long ball and returned it to the 20, going in, and The Boys were in business again--business as usual. Larry took the helm at Q.B., and called an option pitch to G.D., roll right, for a pass to Darren across the field on a deep out. G. took the pitch-out, rolled right, and threw, and Darren out-fought Ricky at the goal line for a nice reception, first and goal for The Boys, going in. Two plays later Larry hit Ronnie all alone on a flag to the left corner: The Boys 1, The Generals 0, and since we need a name for our challengers, we may as well call them the Generals, as through the years they have won the Turkey Bowl as often as the Washington Generals defeated the Harlem Globetrotters, which is to say, "Never Have, Never Will," and this has been our motto lo these many years, in spite of the occasional hiccup here and there, which have been very few and very far between.
After trading possessions, The Boys on the 20 and we moved the ball down the field. On third and long Gary launched a deep post down the middle of the field, where he had G.D. in the endzone and Darren DeMarch on the two yard line. Darren went up amidst a sea of defensive backs while G.D. set up camp in the end zone, hoping for a tipped ball and guess what, folks, Darren got a hand on it and sent a tipped ball in a perfect arc, end over end, special delivery--score. Boys 2, Generals 0. We traded downs again, and then Q.B. Gary Welsh drove us to mid-field and pulled out the Nutcracker: option right. Ronnie goes in motion, the ends crack back, and Gary heads for the sideline, turning upfield for a fifteen yard gain until the safety comes up and then...the pitch, a perfect lateral to Ronnie, trailing him along the sideline, and Ronnie goes fifty yards untouched to the endzone: The Boys 3, Generals 0.
More highlights: A big 1st Down reception by Rick "Takedown" Umans, always reliable when the big catch is needed; a HUGE diving deflection by Bob DeMarch, saving a first down that would have positioned the Generals for a comeback touchdown but was instead thwarted the The Iron Jaw; and Michael Smith on a great, diving interception that sucked the life out of a surging Generals drive and set up our final touchdown drive.
After that the wheels fell off the wagon for the hapless Generals; name-calling and internal dissention that ripped the gut and stripped the shine from what had been a very mediocre team, pitching them further into mediocrity. Now was the time for the final humiliation, as the Boys played their trump card, tapping Q.B. Bret Smith on the helmet and sending him into the fray, a future star: the Left-Handed Gun. Keep an eye on this kid, folks, he looks like Chris Simms at the helm, and I can only hope we get him to sign a letter of intent before the major programs get a look at him at the scouting combines. He called a play, broke the huddle, and strode to the line, calmly reading the coverage. He rolled left and hit Papa Michael with a perfect touchdown pass on a play marred by an ugly interference call in the endzone. We took the play over, and Brett called another play. He strolled to the line, once again reading the defense and barking out signals, stood calmly in the pocket and hit G. with one of the prettiest out-and-ups in the storied history of the Turkey Bowl, a play that will mark with distinction the ascension of an up and coming Quarterback to lead the Boys into the next decade, and beyond. (Of course, by then we may be men, but nobody's sure.)
After that we brought in some nine year-olds to play defense, and the Generals finally scored, but it was too little, too late, and all that was left was the taking of the team picture (above) accomplished with much ado and questionable results by yours truly who, in the absence of our photographic guru Monsieur Suzuki, was pressed into service and happy to oblige.) In all seriousness, it was another great Turkey Bowl, with outstanding performances by Q.B. Ricky Sarter and perennial M.V.P. Joey Ruback in a losing effort, Joey all over the field, catching balls and wreaking havok for The Boys, as usual. The Boys keep winning, but Ricky and Joey keep making it hard, giving us a great game year in and year out, and helping to make The Turkey Bowl the great Thanksgiving Day tradition it has always been and continues to be, 33 years and running, with no end in sight.
'Round Midnite: Veteran's Day
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
America The Beautiful
by
G.D. Peters
I died, my love, on Veteran's Day
in Nineteen Hundred Sixty-Eight
when purple mountains majesty
above me, towering, called me home
a land mine was my killing mate
it slept as I approached the field
until my step awoke my fate
uniting us in flesh and steel
in unison our parts embraced
our broken fragments glued by blood
the war waged on while I went down
but no one fought where once I stood
how long my flickering flame burned down
each dying breath filled less of me
I saw the field in my home town
where once I climbed the highest tree
and looked below, the streets and homes
stretched o'er the land, both far and wide
I could not see the oceans, though
regardless of how high I climbed
how calm the battleground became
as I lay ripped from limb to lung
no more aligned with one brigade
no longer knowing which side won
amidst a field of flames I lay
guns' spitfire serenading me
I looked, my love, on Veteran's Day
and saw from sea to shining sea
© 2001 G.D. Peters
4:18am: The Stranger
Albert Camus
November 7, 1913: French novelist Albert Camus is born in Algiers
On this day, Albert Camus, future Nobel Prize winner, is born in Algiers to a working-class family.
Camus was a good student and a dedicated athlete who won a scholarship to a prestigious French high school in Algiers. His sporting endeavors were ended at age 17 by an attack of tuberculosis. Instead of pursuing an athletic career, he took a degree at the University of Algiers. He intended to become a philosophy teacher, but another bout of tuberculosis prevented him from taking a position. He became involved with a theater group in Algiers, writing and producing plays, while he also worked as a journalist. At age 25, he moved to France. During World War II, he joined the French Resistance and wrote for a liberal newspaper. He continued political journalism until 1947, while also writing plays, novels, and philosophical essays.
In 1942, his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus" set out the philosophical questions that he would also address in his novels. He analyzed nihilism and the absurdity and futility of human labor given the inevitability of death. Camus argued that man must make his own meaning by enjoying his efforts and struggles, despite their ultimate lack of significance. He continued to explore these themes in his first novel, The Stranger (1942). In his 1947 novel, The Plague, his characters maintain dignity and loyalty in the face of an epidemic in an Algerian town. In his later novels, essays, and plays, he explored the search for moral order. Camus won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1957. In 1960, after accepting a ride from strangers while hitchhiking, Camus was killed in a car wreck at age 46. (From The History Channel)