Football Game

Name of the book: The Football Game
          Author: M.W. Bell
    Type of book: FANTASY

Football This belongs in the 2006 or 2007 novel called "The Day The Earth Stood Still" . On the football field:

The early morning football game between the "Dodge City Demons" and the Gray County Gladiators may have started out well but that didn’t last...

The Demons were in their huddle when the Quarterback John Martin was horrified to realize a player for Gladiators was in the circle of his players.

"What the Hell? You get your ass back to your line!"

The grinning "enemy player" ran back to his side ad one of the Refs, who had been obvious to the rule violations made by the Gladiators trundled over.

"What is the meaning of your outburst, young man?"

"One of their players snuck into our huddle, I yelled at him to chase him off."

“Well, I don't see any players from the other team."

"He ran off when I yelled."

"Are you saying that I was not watching?"

"No, Sir", John Martin replied while thinking exactly that.

"You'd better not or I would call the game on the grounds of bad sportsmanship on your part quarterback ", he sneered. "Ten yards for bad sportsmanship!"

The ref measured off a ten yards that was closer to twelve yards.

The refs turned to look at the suddenly cheering glee squad of the Gladiators. The girls were among the most attractive in their High School and fully on board with their roles as Ref Distractors.

The girls enthralled, the Refs were spellbound and one of the "enemy players" ran across the line before the ball was hiked and John Martin was sacked as his hands were closing on the football.

"It wasn't that the sack that really bothered him", he later told his parents, "it was the knee to the nuts."

"We're you hurt my Son," his Mother asked?

" No, Mom, not too bad. They had to practically carry him off the field. I guess he wasn’t planning on that heavy cup I was wearing.

They charged us with 'Delay of Game' for his moaning and squirming too much. That was another ten yards. On the happy side, two of our cheer leaders were very concerned about me and have informed me that they are going to take me on a date Saturday night. "

John Martin was clearly happy and his parents saw no reason to tell him the girls wanted to practice dating with a "safe boy". Both the girl's Mothers had told his Mother this. He was quite the gentleman and his parents wondered if he was a natural for the Priesthood. His future marriage put these fears to rest…

Back to the narrative of a most unusual game...

"I got lucky", John Martin continued...

Instead of his usual countdown, his players abruptly moved around and were barely settled into their different positions when John Martin spit out a French obscenity (Merde), the ball was hiked and one of his blockers ran like a rabbit through the enemy line, turned and watched John Martin make the best throw of his life. It seemed like the receiver must have had glue on his hands!

It was a beautiful catch followed by the finest punt the spectators had seen. There were no flags and their kicker was at the top of his game as the ball slid evenly between the goal posts!

Then, it was half time. The Marching Band played for the spectators and the Demons walked to their dressing room and the Gladiators strutted to theirs...

In the Halls of the Mountain Kings...

"Shit", John Martin bellowed. "Kneeing me in the balls was the least of what they did! That damn language of theirs!"

"What language", their coach asked in a mild tone of voice.

"Calling Henry a faggot, and two called Anthony a 'nigger' and some said things I could not hear but they was laughing and Anthony looked ready to punch them little shits!'

"I was called 'Camel Jockey' and something I don't want to repeat".

" I'll get them someday", Henry said.

"Henry, Anthony, Bobbie (a lad with a weight problem), remember, we don't walk alone. We walk together! "

The Coach sighed.

"I was somewhat afraid of this," the Coach said. "They want to win so badly they will do anything needful to win with high scores. Their supposedly impartial referees have agreed to get along with this program. Can you think of something to hurt them?"

A number of impracticable suggestions were made when John Martin had his epiphany.

"Let's let them win with a big big score but make it a win they can never brag about. Let's fuck with their heads!"

9The time was 9 15 am

Contact Having Been Broken...

Contact having been broken (their departure for the dressing room), they had to resume contact with their foes. Their desire for revenge allowed the Demons to actually strut onto the field.

The refs tossed the quarter (this being the custom in this league) and the Demons won the "right" to receive the ball.

Tomas, a blocker, caught the ball and did a very nice run until he was tackled. The refs were watching and there was no untoward violence.

In the huddle, John Martin said "I'm going to pass to that tackler who racked me."

"Get a good return on investment," the son of a stock broker said and all laughed. Those outside the huddle wondered what the joke was. They would never be told.

Both sides lined up and John Martin fixed the position his target was at. The ball hiked, John Martin dodged left and passed the ball as hard as he could to his intended target, This bully took the football in his lower belly and nuts, gasped, and began staggering toward the goal.

John Martin let him get part way there and sacked "the little bastard".

The referee charged over and said "what the fuck did you just do?"

"I tried passing but my balls still hurt and it was a bad pass."

"It was unsportsman conduct and that is ten yards.*

John Martin rolled his eyes as the line was oved 10 yards toward his goal line.

The ball was now in the "enemy hands.

The Gladiators’ Quarterback received he ball and passed to one of his wide receivers who ran unopposed to the goal line scoring an easy touch down. To some of the spectators, it looked like one of the Demon's players could have made an easy tackle but had politely moved out of the way. This was denied later...

Before half time, the score had been a hard won Gladiators 20 to Demos 13. The score was now 26 to 13.

Their kicker managed to get his kick over the goal post and John Martin shook his head in dismay. Had that boy been one of his, he would have lost his kicker job or would have gotten what the Navy Base Commander called "EI" or "extra instruction".

The score was now 27 to 13.

The Gladiators kicked off, John Martin received the ball and made a fine run until he tripped and dropped the ball. He made a fine landing using the forward fall technique his Father had taught to his introductory Judo class. It was an impressive move!

The ball was hiked and the refs noticed that one of the Demon's had been off side. Actually, the boy was two fee.tl on the wrong side of the scrimmage line when the ball had been hiked.

The most corrupt of the refs gave the Demons 10 yards. The Demon players just shrugged or smirked.

The next hike was received, and John Martin was sacked. Spectators later said they never forget the look of surprise on his face when this happened. He had lost situational awareness, and this was something he would never repeat; somehow this did not get reported to his family...

On the next hike, two of the Demon players were over the scrimmage line when the ball was hiked.

Then, John Martin slammed the football into the gut of the foe boy who had called a Demon who had an unfortunate stutter “faggot”. Despite pain, this young lout made an unopposed run to a lovely touchdown.

The Demons applauded.

The applause was clearly meant to be ironic, and it was!

The Demons received the ball and John Martin bellowed "hey" to get the attention of a Gladiator tackle before handing off the ball to him.

This "receiver" didn't run to the goal but simply trotted.

The next three times the Gladiators had the ball they were simply allowed to run to the goal line. On the third time, the "enemy" Quarterback had simply walked!

All three times, the Demons had handed off the football to a foe man.

Then, the Gladiators were up again and this time the Demons fought hard; it was among the best football of their game.

Three receivers went out; the Gladiators did not bother trying to run after them; the Demon wide receiver made the catch of his young life and his run to the goal post was later the stuff of legion!

The Demons' kicker made a spectacular kick.

By now, it waw obvious the Demons were playing "give away".

Five times in a row, the Gladiators were allowed to run all the way to the gal line, accept their touch down and most of the time ran through the end post. The Gladiators' kicker later said it was like a great live fire practice.

During each of their time with the ball, John Martin handed off the ball to the same boy who had racked him. He later say that running "that damn football" was too much like a practice session.

By now, the Gladiators were well ahead of the Demons.

Then, the demons started playing for the amusement value. The next time their foe men kicked, one of the Demon players lined up alongside the end of the Gladiator’s right end and charged back across.

John Martin thought "the refs will have shit fits when they see this".

The refs had not been watching and the Gladiators were too happy to get another touchdown and didn't report this.

John Martin simply sighed and handed off the football to someone on the foe man team.

Then there was a period of exchange which featured the Gladiators’ Quarterback running unopposed and John Martin handing off the football to someone from the Gladiators. He didn't care who it was...

The ref actually noticed when two of the Demon lined up with "their foemen" and this got the Demons a nasty "ass chewing".

Finally, and before the refs called the game for "bad sportsmanship” on the part of the Demons, the ball had been hiked to John Martin. He stood, actually bemused, when he realized no one on either team was moving.

Finally, one of the "foemen" walked up to John Martin and said "How are you today, John?"

"Pretty good, Denis and you?"

"Finest kind and if you would the hand off the ball I shall 'fight my to the goal post’."

John Martin handed the football to the Gladiator's Dennis who didn't want to make the event look too bad and ran to the goal post.

The final score was reported as Gladiators 144 to Demons 20.

That evening, the TV news in Dodge City and Wichita reported on this game.

"Was it a clean game", Dave the TV Weather Man asked.

"Sure was", the Sports reporter said.

Later, many viewers had called the station asking why the Sports Man had rolled his eyes!

To their vast annoyance, this "glorious win" kept being brought up every so often as the years rolled by. Eventually, the manner in which the game had been such a fiasco was forgotten and the knowledge of the Truth had morphed into a wonderful Legend.

The Coach was right. The Gladiators had never bragged about the game and changed the subject when it was brought up. They gained an undeserved reputation as being modest and "fine young gentlemen" (They were no such thing!)

ending

`This is the last segment to my 2016 novel. It might be the first U show to Kathie. Maybe I can get it printed at Key Print?

 

 

In 1980 AD (Year of the City 7940), Veiled Wolf, Fifth Son and their huge dog were drinking lagers (the dog didn't drink alcohol)  and eating their dinners in a sleepy dinner in a rundown neighborhood in Chicago. No one much cared that an immortal, a Big Foot and a very old and very huge dog were there. These three were simply family. The occasional outsider were told "don't bother them; they're Canadian Big Feet. To the reply "he doesn't look like a big foot came the recitals "old ones lose their hair" and "some Big Feet are actually small". Some children thought Veiled Wolf a Troll"...

 

 

 

A news bulletin came on the TV, interrupting what some called ShITCOMs. Veiled Wolf turned to watch...

 

 

 

Earlier in 1980, a polar orbiting US recon satellite was moving northward across extreme Eastern Turkey with radars got and multiple spectrum cameras observing the ground below. Normally, they would not be painting Turkey with the active radars but the Overhead Reconnaissance Office has been goosed by both the Heads of the VIA and the Vice President. There was a flicker of high intensity return in the ground clutter to the west but nothing unusual on the camera imagery. On the next overhead pass, what appeared to be two bright arrows appeared on the high resolution radars. Camera imagery showed breaks in foliage and what appeared to be stone structures. The photo analysts were puzzled; their catalogs showed dense foliage to the west of tall spires. Historical records showed the spires as having been occupied been occupied some years prior. The third pass was over extreme western Turkey. Nothing showed on the radars and the oblique angle obscured the revealed buildings.

 

 

 

The next day, the cameras were obscured by clouds and the radars have no hints of highly reflective arrows. The third day brought one of the arrows on radar. and tantalizing hints of rock structures beneath vines and tree canopy. The day following stunned the analysts! The radars revealed high definition imagery of two arrows and well defined imagery of a small walled city. This was quite a surprise given explorers had long been puzzled by the spires with many rooms built in them and yet no other signs of habitation.

 

 

 

The next day, USAF aircraft made a mapping run over the region and used ground penetrating radars. Their analysts were stunned by the high quality and intensity is the returned signals from the arrows.

 

After studying the imagery, Navy SEALs inserted from Blackhawk helps the next dawn. They took photographs of incredible quality of the revealed city. The SEALs took samples of various trees and sent them to the CIA. The "Company" farmed them out to associated botany experts who said these plants were either "unknown to science" or "extinct".

 

 

 

These stories were reported on the evening news that Veiled Wolf and many others were watching. As he watched with mixed feelings, a very familiar voice spoke only to him. "You knew this day was coming".

 

Various "Indiana Jones" were contacted who then rounded up teams of Explorers, and archeologists and their "slave labour" (graduate students and selected undergrads). Officials from the Turkish Antiquities and from the University of Moscow (really KGB from Moscow Central). Veiled Wolf and a number of his family members joined the explorers. The "outsiders" in their expectations were puzzled by the deference they were shown.

 

Ground penetrating radar from UCLA Burkley, mounted on little carts, was run over The arrows. The various experts were surprised by the returns. The two arrows were carefully uncovered. A later of fine river sand protected the arrows from the soil above the sand. When uncovered, both arrows showed they had been very carefully shaped and polished. The work would have stood out in modern factory productions. Surveyors took careful sights and the group moved towards the spires.

 

Again, the ground penetrating radar proved their worth by showing a clearly worked and buried ditch that ended at a large spire. The tunnel was carefully dug down to reveal a metal door. The door was held shut with metal latches.

 

The lead archeologist nodded to Veiled Wolf and said in Latin "yours in the honour". Veiled Wolf nodded in reply and began to move latches. "We should find ancient fired clay tablets. If there are wood shelves, they will be useful for fourteen carbon dating. " (They knew he meant carbon 14 dating.)

 

Inside were shelves of baked clay with hard wood shelving above the baked clay shelves. On these were stack after stack of baked clay tablets. It was obvious to all the contents would need to be photographed in situ and every tablet would have to be taken down individually and photographed. It would take a long time.

 

Several tablets were taken down and photographed quickly and looked at. There were several different types of writing on each.

 

Someone commented "this is impossible!" .

 

Someone else made the rebuttal that libraries with translations of this ancient language into more modern tongues has been found. These ancient languages - there were several different styles of writings on each tablet examined - had apparently been carried forward.

 

A professor from Oregon State University noticed something.

 

"There is a progression here. First is a hole. Then there appears to a branch in a hole and next to it appears to be a burned branch. Finally, is a blog of dried clay over what has got to be a hole. Are they telling us there are burnt branches under clays caps? "

 

"Let's find out! "

 

"We found a curious structure near here. It looks like something was deliberately buried", one explorer said. Veiled Wolf smiled and got puzzled notice.

 

"Why do you smile", a French archeologist asked.

 

"These are a people who want to preserve their history. "

 

The Frenchman decided that this apparent "American" could not have been speaking in the present tense so he had to have misspoken. Otherwise, that would suggest some very old people's still lives among them...

 

This would be the last cache of plates. They would see the tech involved and used...

 

This is literally my first nice novel after my 2004 novel. I can thank Larr4y Ruthi for stressing me out to the point where I wrote angry or depressed novels, I can also thank him for the stress which undoubtedly lead to my heart problems which resulted in me needing 2 heart stents on 4 March 2015!

 

My Boat!