Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/28/2007

11/28/1998:
Fifteenth-ranked Cincinnati upsets top-ranked Duke, 77-75, in the finals of the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. With only four seconds remaining, Ryan Fletcher puts the winning sequence in motion with a baseball pass to All-American Kenyon Martin, whose touch pass to Melvin Levett is perfect for the winning hoop. In almost identical fashion, Duke runs the same play the other way with just one second left, but a potentially game-tying basket by tournament MVP William Avery off a quick touch pass from Elton Brand is disallowed for being scored after time expired.

Birthdays:
Paul Warfield b. 1942
Walt Weiss b. 1963
John Burkett b. 1964
Matt Williams b. 1965
Robb Nen b. 1969

WEIRD SCIENCE

Every reader with an interest in science or math should read this ingenious book. Mazur, a math professor, explains the three kinds of logic in the world: the logic of the classical world, the logic of infinity, and the reasoning that guides everyday science and life. His eccentric tour takes us from the rain forest to the islands of Greece to the local restaurant. And tells us, among many other things, how we determine what is real and how feelings affect math. A singular, fascinating book.

EUCLID IN THE RAINFOREST, by Joseph Mazur (Pi Press, 2005)

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 13

Thursday, November 29:
Green Bay @ Dallas - GB

Sunday, December 2:
Detroit @ Minnesota - MIN
San Francisco @ Carolina - CAR
Buffalo @ Washington - WAS
Houston @ Tennessee - TEN
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - IND
Seattle @ Philadelphia - PHI
San Diego @ Kansas City - SD
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - NO
New York Jets @ Miami - NYJ
Atlanta @ St. Louis - ATL
Cleveland @ Arizona - CLE
Denver @ Oakland - DEN
New York Giants @ Chicago - CHI
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - PIT

Monday, December 3:
New England @ Baltimore - NE

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apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 12: Results

I was 11-5 this week, bringing my season to 114-60:

Week 12:
Thursday, November 22:
Green Bay @ Detroit - GB - Green Bay 37-26
New York Jets @ Dallas - DAL - Dallas 3-34
Indianapolis @ Atlanta - IND - Indianapolis 31-13

Sunday, November 25:
Denver @ Chicago - DEN - Chicago 34-37
Buffalo @ Jacksonville - JAC - Jacksonville 14-36
New Orleans @ Carolina - NO - New Orleans 31-6
Oakland @ Kansas City - KC - Oakland 20-17
Minnesota @ New York Giants - NYG - Minnesota 41-17
Houston @ Cleveland - CLE - Cleveland 17-27
Seattle @ St. Louis - SEA - Seattle 24-19
Tennessee @ Cincinnati - TEN - Cincinnat 6-35
Washington @ Tampa Bay - TB - Tampa Bay 13-19
San Francisco @ Arizona - ARI - San Francisco 37-31
Baltimore @ San Diego - SD - San Diego 14-32
Philadelphia @ New England - NE - New England 28-31

Monday, November 26:
Miami @ Pittsburgh - PIT - Pittsburgh 0-3


And now for my weekly Favre/McNabb comparison:
McNabb: Oh my gosh, he didn't play the game. Yet another season he won't play all 16 games. I sure am glad he doesn't throw as many interceptions as Favre! Yikes!

Favre: 31/41, 75.61%, 381 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, Win

Totals thru 11 games:
McNabb: 195/326, 59.82%, 2,329 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT, 5 W, 5 L, 1 Missed Game
Favre: 291/425, 68.47%, 3,346 yards, 22 TD, 8 INT, 10 W, 1 L, 0 Missed Game (for 15 years!)

And, oh, look at this, with almost 2 games played more than McNabb Favre only has 2 more INT's than McNabb.

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/27/2007

Recalling the epic "Ice Bowl" NFL title game played in 1967 with a wind chill of minus 15° at Lambeau Field, Jerry Kramer described the mind-set of his cold-weather Green Bay Packers contrasted with the warm-weather Dallas Cowboys: "We were freezing, they were dying."

Birthdays:
Chick Hearn b. 1916
Mike Scioscia b. 1958
Ivan Rodriguez b. 1971
Nick Van Exel b. 1971
Jimmy Rollins b. 1978

MEMOIRS

Ann Leary’s memoir of giving birth to a premature baby is unsparing in its honesty and humor. Her son, Jack, was born at 28 weeks while she and her husband, then-struggling comedian Denis Leary, were on holiday in London. Ann spent five months with Jack in a British hospital while Denis went home to try to keep the family finances afloat. Her experience ends up being resonant for anyone who has ever felt really—no, really—far away from home, and of course, for preemie parents the turf will be very familiar and comforting.

AN INNOCENT, A BROAD, by Ann Leary (Harper Paperbacks, 2005)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/26/2007

11/26/1999:
Detroit center iceman Steve Yzerman delights the home crowd at Joe Louis Arena by becoming the 11th player in NHL history to score 600 goals as the Red Wings beat Edmonton, 4-2. Yzerman, in his 17th year with the Wings, scores on a power play in the first period. A premier setup man who recorded his 900th assist just last week, he joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne and Mark Messier as the only players in history with 600 goals and 900 assists.

Birthdays:
Lefty Gomez b. 1909
Harry Carson b. 1953
Chuck Finley b. 1962
Mario Elie b. 1963
Shawn Kemp b. 1969


Cunningham’s debut novel comes with lavish praise from the likes of writers such as Robert Olen Butler. No wonder. The coming-of-age story set in a northern California mining town in the 19th century boasts beautiful writing, memorable imagery, an intriguing philosophical thread, and a strong story. It’s gritty and intense at the same time as it soars. A fine novel by a promising writer.

THE GREEN AGE OF ASHER WITHEROW, by M. Allen Cunningham (Unbridled Books, 2004)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/25/2007

11/25/1975:
Building their revamped team around 7'2" center Tom Burleson, the Seattle SuperSonics enjoy a measure of satisfaction when they beat the Knicks, 128-127, in overtime in their first game against former teammate Spencer Haywood. Seattle gladly shed Haywood along with his enormous salary and one-on-one offensive proclivities to create more of a team concept under the tutelage of head coach Bill Russell. They'll reach the NBA finals twice this decade and win the world title in 1979.

Birthdays:
Joe DiMaggio b. 1914
Bernie Kosar b. 1963
Cris Carter b. 1965
Anthony Peeler b. 1969
Donovan McNabb b. 1976

BIOGRAPHIES

Everyone is reading the biography of Lev Nussimbaum. “Who!?” Nussimbaum was a relative nobody (though an interesting one), but Reiss manages to make his story essential. Born a Russian Jew, Nussimbaum passed himself off as a Muslim prince and became a celebrated author in Nazi Germany. Reiss’s reconstruction of the life of Nussimbaum, aka Kurban Said, is at once a character study to rival those found in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and a lively history of the Middle East and Balkans. Critics said, “spellbinding” (The Los Angeles Times), “thrilling” (Entertainment Weekly), and “wondrous” (The New York Times).

THE ORIENTALIST: SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF A STRANGE AND DANGEROUS LIFE, by Tom Reiss (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006)

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Sunday, November 25, 2007

Mike Woods column: Favre's off-field numbers the real hit

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/APC02/711250600/1892

Posted November 25, 2007

Mike Woods column: Favre's off-field numbers the real hit

Got a question for you to ponder today. Tell me, what do you think is Brett Favre's greatest record? It's hard, I know. These numbers, they're coming at us in a dizzying fashion now.

Consecutive games played, wins, touchdowns, completions, attempts, 300-yard passing games, three-touchdown passing games, most Wrangler jeans sold by an athlete.

All these numbers, each cementing the notion that Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL.

So which is it for you? Which is the one you believe really sets Favre apart?

For me, it's none of the above. For me, it's the number … well … ah, don't know the exact number. Have no idea. But neither does anybody else. But what I do know is it's far more impressive than any of the ones above.

OK, I can tell you need some explaining. So here we go.

I attended this Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley fundraiser a couple of weeks back. During the auction portion of the evening, a framed jersey signed by Favre went for $3,400. A short time later, a framed and signed photo of Favre and Bart Starr collected $3,500.

(Now I'm not sure what this says exactly, but a signed and framed jersey of baseball Hall of Famer and former Brewer Robin Yount was also available that night with a required minimum bid of $500. It received no bids.)

So, I paused for a bit and began to think about how many like events go on throughout our state, and in different parts of the country, each year. Then I thought about how many years Favre has been around, and the amount of money that has been raised for charity by not only simply putting his name on something, but through the charitable works of his Favre Fourward Foundation, and that of his wife Deanna's Hope Foundation.

Then you try and figure out all the people the Favres have touched and helped over the years, the majority of which were aided unknowingly.

I think it's safe to say only God knows what those numbers are, but after 17 years in the NFL, 16 of which have been spent in the spotlight, it's reliable to believe it's in the millions when it comes to money raised, people touched and lives affected for the better.

There are reasons for this, of course. We've all bared witness to his transformation from wild child to responsible adult. His failures as a human being, his triumphs as an athlete, the tragedies and hardships endured by his family have all been shared in a very public way.

It's not what he's undergone, but how he's handled each instance that has struck a chord.

"If Brett Favre had not worked on being a better person, if he'd been obnoxious or arrogant (re: see Bonds, Barry) we would get excited for the records but not as fanatic as we are and certainly not as fanatic about the person,'' said Greg Lemke-Rochon, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley. "There's something instructive in that.

"You cheer not just for the incredibly talented athlete, but there is a strength of character there that is all too rare, at least in terms of what we see in the public eye.''

Therein lies the hook. It's why it works so well for all involved, and it's why Favre's name can fetch the kind of dollars that are so meaningful, and vital, to charities.

According to the Favre Fourward Foundation Web site, it has donated over $3 million since it was established in 1996 to provide aid to disadvantaged or disabled children who reside in Wisconsin and Mississippi.

But that's just part of the power of his name.

Jeff's Sports, Inc., out of Milwaukee, an authorized national distributor for Favre memorabilia, has worked with Favre since 1992 and supplied items for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley fundraiser.

"I wouldn't even know where to start,'' said Bill Raffel, vice president of distribution of Jeff's Sports, Inc., of the dollars Favre's items have raised for their charitable clients over the years. "I couldn't even hazard a guess, not in dollars and cents.''

But Raffel says Jeff's Sports takes part in approximately 180 charitable auctions a year – on a consignment basis -- and, as a rule, one-third of all items requested are Favre related.

That's lots and lots of money that go to good causes, such as some of Jeff's Sports clients like the muscular dystrophy association, special Olympics and the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Talk to those who've been around Favre and he's flummoxed why his signature means so much to people. He just doesn't get it. And it's doubtful he has a clear idea of how his popularity, and that of his wife Deanna, have help so many people in need.

"I'm not sure he does,'' said Bob Harlan, the Packers chairman and chief executive officer. "It's wonderful, but I don't know if he realizes how popular he is, and not just in this city and state. But people call me all the time and just want to talk about him, or send me letters about him. It's phenomenal.''

Taking time to raise money to help others is one thing, spending time for people in need is another. Favre has excelled at both which is why, perhaps more than any other reason, he's hall of fame material.

"This kind of stuff hits home with him,'' said Aaron Popkey, manager of corporate communications for the Packers and also a member of the board of directors for the Favre Fourward Foundation.

"Make-a-Wish kids, he takes it seriously. The little time he's able to devote to it, he's able to clear his mind and focus on the kid and his family. All the stuff he has to go through and all the B.S. you see from being in the league 17 years, it's still a big deal for him to do that.

"It's hard to put a money value on a smile from a sick child's face or family members who have lost some one.''

There was a letter Favre received recently from a 10-year-old boy from Iowa. His 12-year-old brother was killed in an auto accident and wrote Favre to tell him about his brother while also saying how he looked up to him for strength, citing Favre's ability to carry on after the death of his father.

Arrangements were made and Favre showed up and surprised the boy and his younger brother.

"What do you say to a 10-year-old who just lost his brother?'' said Popkey. "But he just has an easy way about him. He may crack a joke or just ask him what he's up to and let him just enjoy the moment and ease their pain a little bit, without ever mentioning his brother.

"He has an amazing ability to do that and to see it happen is fun too. And later on he'll ask about them, 'Say, whatever happened to …' It stays with him; he's affected by them.''

We all understand what he's accomplishing as a football player at age 38 is remarkable. We all get the numbers he's achieving on the field put him in a special category.

But it can't possibly compare to the numbers he's put up in money raised and time spent to make this community and this world a better place for those less fortunate.

It's easy to argue those numbers, whatever they may be, are far more impressive and certainly far more important.

Mike Woods can be reached at 920-993-1000, ext. 232, or mwoods@postcrescent.com

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Saturday, November 24, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/24/2007

11/24/1991:
All six NFL divisional leaders get beaten today. The most stunning reversal occurs at RFK Stadium, where the 11-0 Redskins are upset by arch-rival Dallas, 24-21. First place Buffalo, Houston, Denver, Chicago and New Orleans also lose. Three of the victims lose at home and three lose on the road. Five of the games are decided by a mere three points, and two of them end in overtime. Washington's defeat is just a momentary blip on the radar - they'll advance to the Super Bowl and beat Buffalo, 37-24, for their third world title in a 10-season span under head Coach Joe Gibbs.

Birthdays:
Ducky Medwick b. 1911
Yale Lary b. 1930
Oscar Robertson b. 1938
Dave Bing b. 1943
Keith Primeau b. 1971

“Reminds us of the values of family and home, love and loyalty.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

The best kind of literary novel. Deft writing, memorable characters, and a moving plot. Set in the South—in the hills of Appalachia—and filled with characters overcoming hard times, and making do, both physically and emotionally, it seems like a book Oprah would have chosen for her club. Consider it for yours. It will give you much to talk about.

CLAY’S QUILT, by Silas House (Ballantine Books, 2002)

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/23/2007

11/23/1935:
Unbeaten Princeton surmounts a game-long blizzard to defeat Dartmouth, 26-6, at Palmer Stadium before over 56,000 chilled fans. After spotting the visitors an early lead, Fritz Crisler's Tigers roar back with four long touchdown drives despite the snow-swept conditions. Gary LeVan, Chick Kaufman, Paul Pauk and Jack White each score TDs for the winners, who will complete an unbeaten season next week when they punish Yale, 38-7.

Birthdays:
Lew Hoad b. 1934
Luis Tiant b. 1940
Andrew Toney b. 1957
Vin Baker b. 1971
Saku Koivu b. 1974

“Snappy, pleasant.”—New York Observer

“Well-turned and winning.”—Time

“Exceedingly charming.”—W

“A dictionary of delights.”—O, The Oprah Magazine

Sally Farber is writing a book on happiness, but the deeper into it she gets, the less she realizes she knows. Charming and witty. If you like happy endings, meet Lisa Grunwald.

WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY, by Lisa Grunwald (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006)

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Friday, November 23, 2007

Compared to Favre, Romo is ... well, he’s 10-1

http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/317577.html

Posted on Thu, Nov. 22, 2007

Compared to Favre, Romo is ... well, he’s 10-1

By RANDY GALLOWAY

rgalloway@star-telegram.com

Quarterback Tony Romo checks his wrapped finger on the sideline after hitting his hand on a helmet in the first half.

STAR-TELEGRAM/RON T. ENNIS

Quarterback Tony Romo checks his wrapped finger on the sideline after hitting his hand on a helmet in the first half.

IRVING — Head-to-head competition is a week away, but don’t think the comparisons didn’t start Thursday afternoon.

Romo vs. his hero, Favre. Cowboys vs. Packers in a 10-and-1 NFC collision.

But for a Thanksgiving Day national TV audience that waded though turkey, dressing, sweet potato pie and two football games in seven hours, there was a clear-cut winner in the early polls. Brett Favre, come on down.

After watching some of Favre’s surgical excellence against the Lions (381 yards passing, three touchdowns, and a club-record 20 consecutive completions), a smiling Tony Romo had the right observation:

"Hopefully he had his best game of the year [Thursday]."

Romo, obviously, wasn’t close to his best against the Jets, nor did he have to be as the Cowboys totally dominated, 34-3, putting to rest for now those nagging doubts about the "little things," meaning the defensive secondary, running game and special teams.

But Romo is billed as "Favre Lite," and Tony had a tough act to follow Thursday when it comes to the comparisons, as premature as they are, between the two.

After a less than impressive first half, Romo underthrew a wide-open Jason Witten in the third quarter — Touchdown Tony doesn’t miss those — and that’s when the "what’s wrong with him" questions started to swirl at Texas Stadium. Normally, that throw to Witten would have been a quick six

"Nothing was wrong," answered Romo.

But others in the Cowboys’ locker room, who wanted to remain nameless, disagreed with the quarterback. Reportedly, Romo hurt the pinkie finger on his throwing hand in the first quarter. That ailment, combined with the mixture of snow and rain that fell in the first half, resulted in a traction problem. Romo, according to those who should know, couldn’t get a proper grip on the slippery ball due to the minor injury.

At one point in the second quarter, backup QB Brad Johnson was warming up in the bench area, but didn’t appear until fourth-quarter mop-up time.

"[Romo] hurt his finger a little bit, but it’s no problem," coach Wade Phillips said.

Romo also offered no excuses, and he was 21-of-28 while throwing two TD passes, one to Witten in the first half, and then added some scoreboard icing on a perfect toss to Eldorado Owens in the fourth quarter.

"I recognized pretty early today that our defense was going to do a good job," Romo said. "And from that point, you just kind of took what they give you and try not to hurt your team."

Nothing wrong with that answer, by the way. But it didn’t keep Witten from giving Romo some grief for the underthrow. "I let him hear it after he missed me," Witten said, laughing. "I told him I was faster than other tight ends, so throw it out there for me."

Whatever the reason, it wasn’t exactly a Favre-like performance for Romo, but he has the head-to-head duel next week to correct that. Witten, however, was also involved in a Tony mishap in the first half, one that resulted in Tony’s lone interception of the afternoon.

Trying to force an end-zone throw to Owens looked awful, but it was compounded because Romo didn’t see a wide-open Witten.

"He didn’t seem like he was in sync enough," Phillips said of Romo. "But we scored a lot of points and moved the ball."

(Wade could also have added, "when Romo is so-so, and we win by 31 points, what the hell is the question?" But Phillips stayed cool.)

Since the Packers played first on the Thanksgiving schedule, it made sense to think the Cowboys might be looking ahead to next week even before kicking off to the Jets as a 14-point favorite. The defense, however, made sure this wasn’t a factor. The Jets dipped far below the NFL’s Mendoza Line for total offense (200 yards) with a mere 180.

"It’s been the next team every game," added Phillips, meaning the Cowboys have made a habit of not looking ahead.

But once a boring afternoon, entertainment-wise, was over, Green Bay dominated the locker room conversation, starting with Favre, yet including owner Jerry Jones talking up the cable vs. dish debate since this is a game that will be shown nationally on the NFL Network, which reaches about two dozen homes, or something like that, across the country.

"I’d like to be a spectator for that one," Witten said of the matchup between Romo and his hero. "I expect we will get the best Brett has to offer next week," said Romo, who admits he hasn’t totally shed his Packers’ love from the old days growing up in Wisconsin.

"I still root them on," said Tony, who added with a smile, "but lately I’ve started to root against them."

Next week will definitely be one of those "rooting against them" moments.

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Packers, Cowboys set up Texas showdown

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/football/story/373088.html

Posted on Thu, Nov. 22, 2007 10:15 PM

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Packers, Cowboys set up Texas showdown

Star News Services

How about a little turkey with that cheese?

The Green Bay Packers made a Motown sound of their own Thursday in Detroit, feasting on the Lions 37-26.

Say cheese. The Pack is back.

Brett Favre set a Green Bay record with 20 consecutive completions and threw for a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ convincing win against the slumping Lions.

Now, after winning the showdown in Motown, the Packers helped set up a huge NFC game next Thursday in Dallas against the Cowboys, who jettisoned the New York Jets 34-3 in Irving, Texas.

Both the Packers and Cowboys are 10-1. The winner gains the edge for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

The Packers matched their best 11-game record since 1929 and took a four-game lead in the NFC North with five games left in the regular season.

The Cowboys have their best record through 11 games in their 48-year history. Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes, including a late one to Terrell Owens.

The Cowboys needed only eight plays to go ahead 7-0 and were up 21-0 before the Jets, 2-9, even scored, getting a field goal in the final minute of the first half. Dallas did not allow a touchdown for the first time all season and the 31-point margin was a season high.

Favre, 38 and a three-time MVP, carved up the Lions with another sensational performance that made him look as if he’s back in his prime. Favre’s seventh 300-yard game of the season matched a team mark he set in 1995.

Detroit, 6-5, lost its third straight game, making its playoff picture bleak because it would lose wild-card tie breakers against the Giants, Washington, Philadelphia and Arizona.

COLTS CRUISE: Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes, Anthony Gonzalez had 105 yards receiving and the defending Super Bowl champions, after getting stunned with 10 quick points by the Falcons, rebounded for a 31-13 victory in Atlanta.

The only highlight for the Falcons was Warrick Dunn becoming the 22nd rusher in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards.

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Cute story? Not anymore. Packers are deadly serious

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3123660

Cute story? Not anymore. Packers are deadly serious

Chadiha

By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: November 22, 2007

DETROIT -- There was a brief moment in Green Bay's 37-26 win over Detroit when it seemed like the Packers might be in trouble. It came on their first possession of the game, actually on their first play, when quarterback Brett Favre stumbled and fumbled while attempting a handoff to Ryan Grant. The scent of an upset wafted through Ford Field when Lions defensive end Jared DeVries recovered the ball.

In retrospect, that was the only time all game that Favre looked human.

What's becoming quite clear is that Favre isn't just enjoying a renaissance for a Packers team that has surprised everybody with its current 10-1 record. He's actually engineering something that has the potential to be far more magical, and for Green Bay fans, far more memorable.

Brett Favre

Leon Halip/US Presswire

Brett Favre posted a passer rating of 128.2 against Detroit -- his fifth straight game with a passer rating above 100.

No longer are the Packers simply a charming story of how far faith, dedication and ambition can take a young team trying to make it in the NFL. They're starting to look very much like a team that could beat anybody in this league -- including the team they will face next week, the Cowboys, in what will be a heavily hyped NFC showdown on Thursday.

After all, Favre didn't just torch the Lions. He abused them in front of 63,257 fans who had postponed their Thanksgiving meals and a national television audience that should be quite accustomed to his weekly brilliance. Along with completing 31 of 41 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns, Favre set a team record with 20 consecutive completions.

"I wasn't even aware of the record," Favre said. "I just knew that we were passing the ball efficiently. It's what was working today so we just went with the flow."

Favre's play on Thursday was just another example of how remarkable he has been all season. The beauty of his play is that he's no longer the reckless gunslinger who threw 38 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions the previous two seasons. He's managing the game now with his deft decision-making. He's controlling the tempo with his masterful touch and he's still dangerous enough to burn unsuspecting defensive backs downfield.

Instead of trying to carry the Packers on his 38-year-old shoulders, Favre has been willing to just do his part while his younger teammates do theirs.

Of course, the irony here is that Favre didn't really believe this team could be this good when the season started. He spent the offseason fuming about the Packers' decision to not trade for Randy Moss. He wondered why running back Ahman Green wasn't re-signed when the backfield lacked another proven runner. Even when Favre talked about skipping a May mini-camp that he later attended, he gave the impression he was miffed at management for not surrounding him with better players.

It's clear now that Favre sees the vision that general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy had for a team that won 12 games the previous two years. He also is glad that his teammates understood his frustrations.

"Brett Favre has been playing in this league for 17 years," Packers wide receiver Donald Driver said. "When you've been around that long, all you care about is winning. And that's what Brett was concerned with [during the offseason]. He just wanted to know we were doing everything possible to win."

Favre's impression of this team has changed so much that he doesn't even think the Cowboys game will be the ultimate test of their ability.

"I think I've learned a lot already," Favre said. "One game won't decide how good or bad we are because we've overcome a lot this season. There have been different scenarios all season that make you say, 'Maybe we are pretty good.' And there have been situations in the past where we might have lost some of the games we've won."

There's little question that a fair share of that success results from the trust Favre has with his receivers, which was evident on Thursday. He connected on slant passes to Greg Jennings. He exploited the Lions' coverage with crossing routes to Driver -- who caught 10 passes for 147 yards -- and James Jones.

Frankly, it really didn't matter who was catching the balls and who was trying to defend them after a certain point. Favre was displaying the kind of rhythm that would make Justin Timberlake envious.

It's that efficiency that has made the Packers offense, a unit that has averaged 33.8 points in its last four games, even more potent as the season has progressed. Favre currently has seven 300-yard passing games this season, which ties his career high. He's also had a passer rating of at least 100 in his last five games, which also matches the best run of his career.

Even more important, he's helped give the Packers a four-game lead over the Lions in the NFC North, which means Green Bay could wrap up the division title as early as next week.

Favre clearly was happiest about that kind of opportunity following the game. He's already had a historical season -- one that has included his setting NFL records for wins, touchdown passes and interceptions -- but this year has been made even more rewarding because of Green Bay's playoff potential. Not bad considering that a year ago, the Packers were in the midst of a three-game losing streak that would see them fall to 4-8 before a four-game winning streak in December salvaged a .500 season.

"Things weren't looking so good at this point last year but now we've put ourselves in position to have some options at the end," Favre said. "Only one team can win it all and hopefully we can be that team."

That thought seemed laughable when this year began. But now, after yet another great performance by a future Hall of Famer, anything appears possible for Favre's Packers.

Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

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Brett Favre Completes 20 Straight Passes in Thanksgiving Day Feasting of Lions

http://beta.bleacherreport.com/articles/3985-NFL-Green_Bay_Packers-Detroit_Lions-Brett_Favre_Completes_20_Straight_Passes_in_Thanksgiving_Day_Feasting_of_Lions

Brett Favre Completes 20 Straight Passes in Thanksgiving Day Feasting of Lions

by Zander Freund (Columnist) 1 comments Filed Under: NFL, NFC North, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Brett Favre

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a172/dkopek/packers_favre_fallout_rumb.jpgDid anyone catch that postgame interview with Brett Favre today?

The contrast between the boys in the studio and the player on the field was so interesting, both physically and attitude wise.

James Brown wants to talk Brett Favre—Brett Favre wants to talk Donald Driver.

"Well I'll tell you one thing that worked well for us was Donald Driver. I tell ya, he makes me look great—I threw him a couple of three yard passes, and he's almost impossible to tackle on the first go around."

Donald Driver.

Not Marvin Harrison, not Randy Moss, not Terrell Owens—but Donald Driver. A two time pro bowler, but surely not a Hall of Famer.

Favre completed 20 straight passes today. He went 31 for 41 for 381 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no picks.

He's solidfying his legacy as one the very best of all time. The spotlight is on him. But first things first: he's gotta give props to his teammate.

A bright eyed, Hollywood Hank Dan Marino with gelled hair then enters the conversation, looking 35 years old, and asks the grizzled Favre, looking like he's pushing 55, whether he's having one of his best seasons ever.

Favre looks like he has tears in his eyes—maybe it's because of the cold whether in Detroit, or maybe because talking about the game he loves brings out so much emotion in him.

He looks up and says that he feels he's better than he's ever been. That his decision making skills are more mature now, but he's still being aggresive and making plays. That he is playing as good as he can play thus far this season.

James Brown asks about Brett's thanksgiving plans. "We'll be home shortly. It's a short trip for us, but DeAnne stayed up till midnight last night cooking." Favre then elaborates on all the details of his upcoming feast.

Tom Brady is out impregnating models, and Brett Favre can't wait to get home for a hearty thanksgiving meal courtesy of his beloved wife.

It's been such a pleasure to watch Favre this season. The man is a class act, both on and off the field.

He represents everything that is good about the game of football—he has the heart of a lion and is all team all the time. He plays through injuries and pain with regularity.

And he won't quit playing football until he is physically unable to throw the ball any longer.

These are great times for the NFL fans of America. We have two outstanding teams in each league that play consistently quality ball week in and week out. We are witnessing one of the greatest individual team performances in the history of the game. A rookie runningback with Barry Sanders-like juke moves is leading the league in rushing.

And to top it all off, we have the privelege of watching Brett Favre, at 38 years old, working his magic once again.

It's the season we've all been waiting for, and it's finally here. Bring on the playoffs.

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/22/2007

THANKSGIVING
Putting a Wild West spin on the number of jobs held by basketball coach Larry Brown over three decades in the industry, NBA assistant coach Alvin Gentry theorized: "Look at it like the Lone Ranger. He comes in, does what needs to be done and moves on for another challenge. I don't think there's anything real bad about that."

Birthdays:
Lew Burdette b. 1926
Yvan Cournoyer b. 1943
Billie Jean King b. 1943
Greg Luzinski b. 1950
Boris Becker b. 1967

The marvelous short stories of Harriet Prescott Spofford, written in the mid-1800s, are nearly forgotten today, and that’s a shame. They are luxurious, often suspenseful flights of fantasy that still titillate and unsettle the reader. This collection includes two of her best, “In a Cellar,” a detective story set in Paris about a diamond theft, and the title story, about two rivals for the love of the same man. Spofford was an American virtuoso. She’s ripe for rediscovery.

THE AMBER GODS AND OTHER STORIES, by Harriet Prescott Spofford (Rutgers University Press, 1989)

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/21/2007

11/21/1968:
Top-heavy with starting pitchers but needing a shortstop in the worst way, the Minnesota Twins deal left-hander Jim Merritt to the Cincinnati Reds for veteran Leo Cardenas. Each club benefits from the exchange. Merritt will go 17-9 and 20-12 in his first two years with the Reds, helping them reach the World Series in 1970 before a sore arm shortens his career. Cardenas will solidify the Minnesota infield, helping them win divisional titles in 1969 and '70. Ironically, both players end their careers as teammates on the 1974-75 Texas Rangers.

Birthdays:
Stan Musial b. 1920
Earl Monroe b. 1944
Troy Aikman b. 1966
Ken Griffey Jr. b. 1969
Michael Strahan b. 1971

“You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade.”

Submit to Calvino, and you’ll find that you are in the hands of a master. A favorite of book lovers throughout the world, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler is about two characters who meet in a bookstore, both there to exchange flawed books for different ones. But each subsequent book is flawed. No matter: The characters fall in love, and the reader does too—with the author’s dazzling structural feats, the many layered stories within the one book, and his gorgeous, lyrical prose. Irresistible.

IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER, by Italo Calvino (1979; Harvest, 1982)

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Favre has plenty left in the tank

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7471296

Favre has plenty left in the tank

Alex Marvez / FOXSports.com
Posted: 12 hours ago

Sorry, Packers fans. Brett Favre isn't ready to announce his plans for 2008 quite yet.

But judging by the quarterback's comments and energetic tone during a Tuesday conference call with Detroit Lions media, Favre is clearly open to returning for an 18th NFL season.

"If the season was over today, I could look in the mirror and say, 'You know what? You can play,'" Favre said. "You don't have to say, 'I think I can' You know you can.

"Physically for the most part, I feel fine. I don't do some of the things I used to do quite as well. I have to envision next year that would be a little worse. There are a lot of factors, but I'm enjoying the ride. I don't want to stop here."

How long that ride lasts could heavily contribute to whether the 38-year-old Favre comes back. Green Bay (9-1) can take a commanding NFC North lead and another step toward securing a first-round playoff bye with a road victory Thursday against Detroit (6-4).

If the Packers keep winning, Favre appears more inclined to stay.

"Where we go from here defines a lot of things," said Favre, who isn't expected to make an official decision until after the season ends.

One of the reasons Favre announced plans to continue playing in 2007 so much quicker than in 2006 was the hope he received from last year's 8-8 finish. Favre admits he was still somewhat skeptical about Green Bay's prospects, but a supporting cast quickly developing under second-year head coach Mike McCarthy helped alleviate those concerns.

Favre no longer has to depend so heavily on wide receiver Donald Driver. He is still Favre's favorite target, but Driver has 20.2 percent of Green Bay's overall receptions compared to 26.3 last season.

Favre is turning more to young wideouts James Jones (35 catches) and Greg Jennings, who has four touchdown catches of 40-plus yards. The tight end also is a factor once again. Donald Lee and Bubba Franks have combined for 52 catches and six scores through 10 games; Green Bay's tight ends caught 56 passes and two touchdowns all of last season.

"They're good, but Brett is making those guys so much better," Lions safety Kenoy Kennedy said after Tuesday's practice. "If it's his last year or he's convincing himself he wants to play 20 more years, I don't know. He's on fire right now."

Favre also has greatly reduced the mistakes that generated 47 interceptions the previous two seasons. He has only eight this year with 16 touchdown passes, a 67.6 completion percentage and his highest quarterback rating (96.2) since 1995.

"Favre is managing the game better and playing within the offense more," one NFC personnel director said. "He takes what the defense gives him and is much more patient. He will still take chances but has cut down on his negative plays. (McCarthy) has done a great job reigning him in and it has paid huge dividends."

Said Favre: "One of the first things I write in my notes every week is, 'I don't have to win it myself. Don't put yourself or your team in a bind. Your defense and special teams can bail you out. Play it on a cautious, guarded basis. When you have a realistic shot, take a chance.'"

As the Packers have gotten off to their best start since 1962, Favre has continued his assault on the NFL's record book. Favre's most heralded accomplishment this season was breaking Dan Marino's mark of 420 touchdown passes, which he seems almost apologetic for doing.

"I told Marino this earlier in the year: 'I never considered myself in the same league as you and I never will,'" Favre allowed.

But those statistical achievements — combined with his return to form — have given Favre piece of mind even if this is his final go-around.

"I'm well aware of what people were saying the last couple of years," Favre said of criticism about his play in recent seasons. "I gave them every reason to say things (like) maybe he should retire or whatever.

"But I'm one of the few guys who can say individually I far exceeded every goal I ever set out ... I don't feel I have to come back to prove anything. I'm here because I love to play. I still think I can play at a high level and help this team win.

"If it doesn't work out and I walk away, hey, it's been a pretty good ride."

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Chicago-based Lobster Gram makes waves

I remember when this guy was small potatoes, advertising on Johnny B’s radio showgram (I’m assuming it’s the unnamed radio show mentioned in the article). It’s neat to see how popular this has become because I thought it was a great idea and have ordered a few myself when I lived in the area. ~Susan

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=70597

Chicago-based Lobster Gram makes waves

by Mallika Rao
Nov 20, 2007

It’s been a good year for Chicago-based Lobster Gram Inc., a company nourished in an Arlington Heights garage and which now bills itself as the country’s leading live lobster mail-order service. Its inclusion in this month’s issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine comes after gaining a spot earlier this year on Oprah Winfrey’s influential “O-list” of the talk diva’s “favorite things.”

“She received one as a gift for Christmas and by March she decided to put it in her magazine,” explained Lobster Gram founder Dan “the Lobster Man” Zawacki. Winfrey’s famed golden touch didn’t fail, he says. “We sold like 500 packages that week.”

Zawacki, who counts Macy Gray, Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman among Lobster Gram’s other famous clientele, says the company took its time getting to this “unbelievable” level of success.

Lobster Gram’s revenue in the past year rose more than 50 percent, nearly double what he expected, to $12 million in the past year from $7.8 million. Zawacki attributes the jump to increased radio and TV advertising.

“The first three years were very difficult,” he said. Indeed the story of his transformation – from an unemployed entrepreneur living in his parents’ Arlington Heights house to the owner of a boutique company able to inspire big-name customers and hopeful competitors alike – shifts from despair to success with the ease of a Horatio Alger novel.

“I had to move back home because I didn’t have any money,” said Zawacki. Formerly a successful computer salesman at Honeywell in Peoria, he was fired after the “big boss” heard him plugging his part-time lobster business on a popular Chicago morning radio show.

The idea to use mid-continent Chicago as a base from which to sell an ocean product was in fact inspired by Zawacki’s work as a salesman. “My clients were tired of getting liquor and they were tired of getting fruit baskets,” he said. “So I got a bunch of lobsters and put them in baskets in the trunk of my car, added a stick of butter and lemon and, you know, happy holidays!”

When a client called asking if he could turn the idea into a business himself, Zawacki knew he had to act quickly. “I went home and started writing a business plan.”

Though he never intended the quirky side business to act as his sole source of revenue, when he lost his day job, he was left with little choice.

“It wasn’t really that easy, but like with any business you just have to do it and not quit. So many people I know who start a company, they quit too early.”

But Zawacki didn’t. With little money to promote his nascent company, he bought radio advertising by “trading gift certificates for air time.”

Extensive airplay was necessary, he says, because the concept of ordering live lobsters through the mail was so novel. “I had to spend most of my time convincing people that you could even do this.”

Those early years of soliciting advertisers paid off, says Zawacki’s brother-in-law and Lobster Gram board member Jim Lillig. “He was one of Glen Beck’s first advertisers,” recalls Lillig. “When Beck got his CNN show, that was huge. But Dan still got to keep the same advertising rates.”

The company has increased its profits each year, due largely to Zawacki’s knack for advertising. “Dan has always been gifted at getting his company out there,” declared Lillig, an Internet marketing guru brought on last year to manage Lobster Gram’s online advertising.

“There was a time there when the Internet made it easier for competition,” said Zawacki. “Then in the last couple years there are so many competitors for anything – pens, steak, fruit – that now consumers are going, okay, who do I trust?” That means endorsements from household names like Rachel Ray and Oprah Winfrey now trump online ubiquity, he says.

The word spreads naturally, Lillig says, largely because Lobster Gram is a gift-based operation. “It’s viral. One person sends it to another and that person goes, ‘What a great gift! I’ll send it to somebody.’” Eighty percent of the company’s sales come from gifting, Lillig said, a system of “buyers turned evangelists.”

At North Shore Community Bank in Wilmette, every customer who opened a home equity loan last December received a free Lobster Gram certificate. “It was one of the more successful promotions we had,” said President Cathy Pratt, who was already versed in sending the unusual gifts to her family members before she initiated the loan promotion. “We were doing it around the holidays and people thought it was a unique gift.”

The bank is considering using similar Lobster Gram promotions in the coming year, she said.

But despite its increasing popularity, Lillig says a company like Lobster Gram faces more obstacles toward high profitability than other luxury gift services like Omaha Steaks International Inc. and The HoneyBaked Ham Co., who get to “kill the pig before they send it.” At 99 percent, Lobster Gram’s success rate for live lobster delivery is no small accomplishment, Lillig said, one he attributes to the company's attention to detail. “You try sending a live lobster and have it arrive live. It’s not easy.”

And lobster is a far riskier inventory than cows or pigs.

“Lobster isn’t a crop,” Lillig explained. “You can’t forecast your prices. HoneyBaked Hams can look out back and see how many pigs they’ve got so they know their prices. Unfortunately for Lobster Gram, they publish a catalog in which the price has to stay constant.”

Harvested from unseen depths, lobster crops are “as predictable as nature will allow,” said Dane Somers, executive director at the Maine Lobster Promotion Council in Augusta, Maine. “Fishing is in a lot of cases quite seasonal. You can generally say that October and November will be high harvest months and January through February low.” But, he says, the potential for sudden shifts in the crop is enough that any “prudent” lobster-reliant business should protect itself with padded prices. “What to some people is just a normal fluctuation,” he said, could be “a disaster” for a company like Lobster Gram.

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FAVRE FLUNG: Star quarterback on the upswing in his 17th season

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071121/SPORTS0101/711210352/1126

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Packers at Lions: 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field

FAVRE FLUNG: Star quarterback on the upswing in his 17th season

Mike O'Hara | The Detroit News

The initial view of Brett Favre's future has changed in one year. Last season, he was a candidate for football's version of AARP. This year, Favre is being mentioned for MVP.

Retirement isn't being mentioned for the Green Bay Packers' icon. Favre is playing quarterback like a man who is 28, not 38. He is piling up records in his 17th season, but nothing has been more rewarding than the Packers' return to dominance.

The Packers are 9-1 going into Thursday's game with the Lions at Ford Field, and Favre is on pace that statistically will rank as one of his best seasons.

Advertisement

Favre laughed when asked how the MVP talk has replaced retirement speculation.

"Funny how things change," Favre said in a conference call Tuesday.

The previous two seasons were not good ones for Favre -- 20 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions in 2005 and an 18-18 split last year.

Favre has stopped the slide, with 19 TD passes and eight interceptions. He ranks second in the NFC with a 98.6 passer rating.

Favre's pride in staving off any erosion in his skill oozes out of him when he talks about how he continues to excel.

"The " Favre said. "My chest isobvious answer would be, 'I told you so,' stuck out, and I told you I could do it -- redemption, whatever.

"That's not even close. I knew I could play or I wouldn't have come back. Obviously, the Packers felt like I could play or they wouldn't have asked me to come back.

"With that said, you still have to play."

Old-school cool

If football has any throwbacks remaining in an era of indoor stadiums, artificial surfaces and homogenized offenses and defenses, Favre is one of them.

He could be a Norman Rockwell American original -- a stubble of beard, a smear of dirt, a stain of grass and the boyish zeal in his eyes. He plays with a timeless joy, unafraid to succeed or fail.

The exuberance Favre displays on the playing field has never waned.

"He looks like he can still play five more years," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

At the end of last season, McCarthy could not have said for sure if Favre would play one more game, let alone five more years. The Packers' last game was in Chicago on national television.

After the game, a Packers victory, Favre had his picture taken with his teammates, and he broke down in tears when asked if it was his last game.

It looked like a farewell. However, there were elements that compelled Favre to continue. The Packers ended the season with a four-game win streak.

On Feb. 2, Favre called Packers management to say he was coming back.

He won a Super Bowl with the 1996 Packers, and the '97 team lost to Denver in the Super Bowl. He wants another championship.

"There was a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel," Favre said. "I felt like I could still play, especially at the end of that Chicago game. This team has a chance, and why not?"

Sharp as ever

Favre is legendary for his resilience and ability to create plays out of nothing. The Lions haven't seen any decline in his skills. He has become more comfortable in his second season in McCarthy's offensive scheme.

The Packers haven't had much of a running game this year, but Lions safety Kenoy Kennedy said they don't need one with Favre.

"The way Brett's playing right now, why should they run the ball?" Kennedy said. "The way he's playing is unbelievable. He's doing great things. If I was the GM, I'd trade all my running backs and tight ends, and go get some more wide receivers."

By the end of the season, Favre will hold almost every career record for quarterbacks.

Mr. History

Favre ranks first in touchdown passes (433), consecutive regular-season games played (249) and started (247) by a quarterback. He is the only player to win the MVP award three times. Favre needs 887 passing yards to surpass Dan Marino's career mark of 61,361.

Records and history haven't driven him to succeed.

"I hope that what I've left behind up to this point doesn't need to be in the record books to be remembered," Favre said. "I hope I played this "game in a way that people say, 'He sure was fun to watch.'

You can reach Mike O'Hara at (313) 982-3810 or mike.ohara@detnews.com.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

apckrfan's NFL picks: Week 12

Week 12:
Thursday, November 22:
Green Bay @ Detroit - GB
New York Jets @ Dallas - DAL
Indianapolis @ Atlanta - IND

Sunday, November 25:
Denver @ Chicago - DEN
Buffalo @ Jacksonville - JAC
New Orleans @ Carolina - NO
Oakland @ Kansas City - KC
Minnesota @ New York Giants - NYG
Houston @ Cleveland - CLE
Seattle @ St. Louis - SEA
Tennessee @ Cincinnati - TEN
Washington @ Tampa Bay - TB
San Francisco @ Arizona - ARI
Baltimore @ San Diego - SD
Philadelphia @ New England - NE

Monday, November 26:
Miami @ Pittsburgh - PIT

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Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 11/20/2007

11/20/1983:
Billy "White Shoes" Johnson catches a deflected pass on a Hail Mary play and literally squirms into the end zone as time expires to give the Atlanta Falcons a 28-25 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Fulton County Stadium. The dramatic pass from quarterback Steve Bartkowski officially covers 47 yards, but the Niners protest that Johnson never crossed the goal line. TV footage seems to support their argument, but instant replay to review calls is still on the distant horizon. The call stands and the Falcons win.

Birthdays:
Don January b. 1929
Louis Dampier b. 1944
Joey Galloway b. 1971
J.D. Drew b. 1975
Carlos Boozer b. 1981

HISTORICAL FICTION

“Rarely are today’s hungry readers invited to such a feast of a book.”—Annie Proulx, Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“Big, satisfying...juicy, tough, gruesome.”—Entertainment Weekly

“The writing achieves unforced grace and power.”—The New Yorker

Vanderhaeghe, a Canadian writer based in Saskatchewan, is an international bestseller but not so well known in the States. You’ll wonder why when you read this magisterial tale, set in the 19th-century American West, of two men on a quest for their lost brother.

THE LAST CROSSING, by Guy Vanderhaeghe (Grove Press, 2005)

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Dramatically Different: A second-generation writer offers a new kind of ghost story

http://www.richmond.com/ae/output.aspx?Article_ID=4911372&Vertical_ID=127&tier=1&position=3

Dramatically Different

A second-generation writer offers a new kind of ghost story

Katherine TomlinsonRichmond.com

Joe Hill is not yet a household name, but that's going to change. You may have read Hill's debut novel, "Heart-Shaped Box," a character-driven story about an aging rock star, a vengeful ghost and a girl called Georgia. Beautifully written, terrifically self-assured, and dramatically satisfying from the first to the last page, the book signaled the arrival of a major new talent.

This anthology of Hill's short stories in "20th Century Ghosts" was published in England two years ago, but is just now finding a U.S. publisher. That's good news for fans of character-driven writing of many genres. In this collection of more than 15 tales, you can actually track Hill's progress as a writer as he experiments with a variety of voices, moods and narrative structures. Some of the entries are barely stories at all, but just poetic reveries on a single thought ("Dead Wood"). Other stories are surreal snapshots of character ("My Father's Mask") that are unsettling and strange.

Fathers and sons figure prominently in a number of the stories, and one, "Better Than Home," may bring you to tears. Hill's own father is writer Stephen King, and King's spirit haunts some of the tales like a benign ghost. King's fans may remember a scene in "The Dead Zone" in which the protagonist and his old girlfriend have an afternoon together with her child and Johnny thinks about what might have been.

There's a similar scene in Hill's "Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead," a story of lost love and lost chances that is also an affectionate tribute to movie director George Romero. (The depiction of the chaos of a low-budget zombie movie set is often hilarious.) Hill is being marketed as a horror writer, but "Bobby Conroy" is as straightforward a story as you'll ever read in the New Yorker. In the UK, this anthology won several prizes for fantasy fiction. So much for labels.

The most fantastic story in the collection is an odd little tale called "Pop Art," chronicling the friendship of a boy and his inflatable best friend. It's a parable about racism and a tale about being different, but mostly it reads like a story that just popped out of the writer's unconscious like a helium balloon that refused to be kept inside.

Hill has told interviewers that this is one of his favorite stories, but readers may find the premise so unlikely that they never get past it to enjoy the sheer exuberance of the way in which the author works out his gimmick. If you do get into it, though, it is surprisingly effective and affecting.

As with any anthology, some stories are stronger than others. There's a definite progression in the stories here, a definite focusing of technique. Some stories exist solely to set up the twisted ending. The difference between the title story and "The Cape" is that you never see the twist in "The Cape" coming. Other stories feel like modern-day "Twilight Zone" episodes, spooky enough to make your hackles rise, but involving little or no horror. "Last Breath" falls into this category and the conceit of the tale is worked out with logic and quiet craft.

There are stories in this collection that will haunt you. "You Will Hear the Locust Sing," combines atomic anxiety with Columbine paranoia and a dash of Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis." Some stories will make you catch your breath, like "In the Rundown," with its depiction of petty workplace politics juxtaposed against inexplicable violence. Some of these stories are trifles, but none is bad.

The two best stories in the book, "The Black Phone" and "Voluntary Committal" are almost cinematic in the way they work their storylines out, but in each case, the central characters engage us in their dilemma.

What the stories all share is a depth of character that's rarely seen, even in novels. Every single character — including the inflatable Art (from "Pop Art") have a multi-dimensional humanity that makes them instantly accessible, even if they're not particularly likable. The characters here are memorable, even when the stories are not.

This book is perfect for holiday reading. You can pick it up and enjoy a story or two at a time in between baking cookies and running errands. Be sure to read the afterword, where Hill has buried a last story for his readers' amusement.
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