i would've stood there all day to sink one. just to see that smile.
to pop, sports were a religion. to me, it was about purity, a place where all wrongs could be made right, or at least temporarily forgotten. i was going to fill the whole house with trophies for him. there was no doubt in my mind, i was going to make him happy.
i'd been a quarterback since pee-wee football. set high school records. won state championships. i wasn't driven by joy, it wasn't winning as much as terror, pure and simple -- fear of losing.
 my first thought was i can tape it and play next week. then i puked.
it doesn't rain much in the desert. maybe it was that, or maybe the look on my mother's face, or how fast coach left after getting me up the steps, but i swore then and there -- no matter what, i'd get back -- i would play again.
doc told me it would take years to heal. one bad hit and it'd be over. but the team needed me and i had to play to get drafted. i figured i'd take a chance.
every minute of recovery i'd dreamt about this moment. there were nfl scouts in the stands. i knew what happened next.
it was over. i could've gone out with class, a gritty smile and a little wave to the crowd from a stretcher, instead i opted to go psycho on national tv.
it made all the highlight films. people wrote editorials. overnight i became the poster boy for the "dark side of sports."
football wasn't a sport, it was my life. maybe i couldn't play anymore but i couldn't leave. so i went with it,
900 numbers, audio text, the racket had a lot of names.
this guy's gig was sports handicapping. predicting winners for people who bet. i was supposed to just record his picks.
my picks went 9-and-1 that weekend. by football season, the job was mine.
game one of my three-team parlay is michigan hosting indiana; the big boys at michigan are just 2-7 against the spread as a double-digit home favorite and with arch rival wisconsin on deck next week, indiana will catch them looking ahead! take indiana plus the 16 points! it's a lock!
you want more? john anthony's the man with a plan to make you money! game two goes to florida and north carolina! i don't care how many points you gotta lay with florida, lay it! they'll win by 50!
that's me.
alex, it's brandon. hey, it's been awhile but i never got your number that night. i was in the neighborhood so i thought i'd take a chance and stop by.