Ready For My Close-Up

Sorry for the two-week hiatus, but things got a bit hairy. Good news on the publicity front. Looks like I'll be appearing on Weekend Today this Sunday, June 3. Don't know the time yet, but I'll update that when I get it. Also good news in that Barnes & Noble and Borders will both be stocking the book in front-of-store displays and on special Father's Day tables between this weekend and pappy's day. That's it for now although tomorrow I'll link to a few new reviews and articles that have popped up on the web.

The Force Returns

Here's one reason why I've been away from the blog for the last week and a half. A little assignment, I took on for Parade.com Should have some other book news soon.

Derby Days

SI.com has posted a nice chunck of the Kentucky Derby chapter. Click here to give it a read.

Senior Moment

Big news. Fanatic earned a mention as a "Hot Read" on the book review page of AARP magazine. Hate to suggest it, but perhaps the subtitle added an extra bit of urgency for this audience. Just a thought.

Doesn't look like I'll have a chance to post more before the Derby, although Curlin at 7-2 has got my attention. However, I do love a long shot, which means Any Given Saturday is attractive too. Mind you, these are just my random musings about my own preferences for the race and don't in any way constitute advice (that's called covering your ass).

At any rate, I'll have a full report from Churchill Downs next week.

The Ultimate Draft Strategy

Just received this from a good friend regarding the NFL Draft. Too funny not to post.

"The thing I liked doing most while I tuned in on a perfectly nice spring day when I should have been outside was this: while my lovely wife recuperated from a minor medical procedure, she was a captive audience late Saturday afternoon and I flipped to ESPN whenever I could to get an update and to torment her ever so slightly. But just to show that I'm not too much of a sadist, my ulterior motive was to attempt to improve standing as her spouse: every time the camera panned over the audience and gave some tongue-wagging green-, blue-, or red-painted fan some fleeting air time, I turned to her and said "You know, you could have married that guy."

Ross, Boss, Whoever

So the draft happened. The Giants picked a bunch of guys--including Aaron Ross and Kevin Boss--who I don't know enough about to say anything intelligent. What was far more interesting was my draft experience. Since we were working on our special preview issue of the upcoming Players Championship I had to work on Saturday, when the draft was taking place right across the street from our building. I got in about 10:00 a.m. and the streets were filled with guys in groups of three or four wearing jerseys, helmets, big foam fingers, and, honestly, often a little bit of ketchup that had dripped off something fried. They yelled at each other from across the street and offered high fives to fellas in similar colors. The NFL had blocked off part of 51st street, where they had set up a bunch of interactive displays, including something with tackling dummies and big speaker towers from which they played music, announced the selections and called out the winners of various giveaways. All of which meant that as I sat in my office watching and listening to the draft, I could also look out the window and watch and listen to the draft. Spooky.

On a more exciting note, I'm fortunate enough to be attending the Kentucky Derby again this year, so I'll have a few Derby thoughts and maybe even a few photos to share later in the week. I know, the anticipation is almost too much to bear, but hang in there...

True Loserdom or How I Learned to Love the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft takes place this weekend, and it's the rare sports events that divides sports fans. For some, it's as if not more exciting than a game. Others join the general public in thinking, "Could anything possibly be more boring?" It's sort of like sushi, either you love it or you don't get it—at all.

Sad to admit. I love it. I watch it all day long in small doses, and that's only because I don't want to get caught watching it non-stop. If I could, I have it on from start to finish. True, I like to do other things while I'm watching but I love to watch. Can't say I know exactly what the appeal it, but it's something about hope. It's a day that's filled with nothing but possibility, and that's very encouraging.

Still, I don't know that I would ever want to go watch it live. Those people who sit in the stands all day and cheer are a degree of sick beyond me. I'll admit, as much as I enjoy the draft, it didn't even come close to making my list of 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do. Maybe if there's sequel??

What am hoping for my Giants this year? I'd like to see them take a left tackle if there's a good one available, maybe Staley from Central Michigan or Ugoh from Arkansas. They need linebackers too, but those guys are more plentiful and they tend to come and go. You can keep a good left tackle for 10 or 15 years and build a team around him. My boys at SI have them going another way in their mock draft but I'm holding out hope.

No matter who the Giants pick, for at least one day, everything about the team will be filled with possibility.