A Fortnight Before

Friday, November 13th, 2009. Two weeks.

Two weeks before the biggest athletic event the world has never seen. Two weeks before ordinary men... blue collar men... free men... take the field of battle. Not for a paycheck. Not for a chance at the bigtime. Not even to impress the ladies. No, these men step upon a field of soot and patchy grass for no other reason than pride and competition. Friends try to upstage each other on an athletic platform that only comes as often as Christmas. It's been 341 days (I think...it may have been a leap year I don't know) but just 14 more await until the ultimate Bowl of Turkey.

With still two weeks to go, there's not too much to blog about. Come to think of it, there will never be too much to blog about in anticipation of the game. But we will make something out of this blog space. I don't know what, but we will. Let's start with some early storylines for TB '09.

• Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

The initial response to the event invitation was fast and furious. Before you could even say "Wolf Hill Park," double-digit people signed their return contracts for '09. The staples of Turkey Bowls past are all scheduled to attend, including the potential revival of Jeff Marrone. Four groups of brothers are confirmed (Farrelly, McShane, Reilly, White.) There is potential for one more brother tandem, pending whether Patrick Regan thinks he will have fun or not. As per the guest list, Kayla Dooley is the only human without a Y chromosome scheduled to be there. Her effect on the usually-emotionless play of Ryan Reilly will be a storyline to monitor closely.

• Oh Captian, My Captain?

The debate has raged over who should bear the honor and burden of team captains. In past years, some have declined the offer for a variety of reasons (not feeling qualified, hurting feelings, too lazy, etc.) Chris Roberts opened discussions with the suggestion of Dan Canders and Chris Dooley, met with mixed reviews. Past Turkey Bowls have dictated that each team should have a decent thrower, so team captain may go the quarterbacks by default.

• A Diminishing Middle Class

When the Turkey Bowl first started, each participant was a young buck; everyone teenagers. The tagline for TB '09 reads '5 years older, 5 years wiser, 500 collective pounds heavier.' Though a humorous gag, it may be a focal point to the game. As participants get older, the performances by those keeping themselves athletic and those eating Domino's pasta bowls as their main hobby will inevitably grow wider apart. In elite competitions such as the Turkey Bowl, just a half-step can be the difference between making the tackle and hopelessly watching your opponent scamper to the endzone. Fourteen days left. Will you be the tackler, or the watcher?


Those are some things to look for as the Turkey Bowl approaches. Check this blog for breaking storylines and updates surrounding the game. But don't expect too many.