I was all excited at breakfast today. Today I was finally going to get around to sending in my entries to the raffle for Super Bowl tickets. So I went to the FAQ section of NFL.com to get the address. A few years back I gathered a list of addresses of family and friends to send as many entries as possible with the idea that if, for example, my cousin won the option to purchase 2 tix I would get the one and have the option to purchase the other if he chose not to go. Unfortunately I missed last years entry date. I thought I had it in hand this year but my heart sank as I read the following.
How can I buy Super Bowl tickets?
The only method the NFL has to distribute tickets to the public is through a random drawing. There is no other way for the general public to purchase tickets. The NFL does not sell tickets to travel or ticket agents.
Entries for the random drawing are accepted between Feb. 1 and June 1 of the year preceding the game in question. All ticket requests must be sent via certified or registered mail. Those selected in the random drawing will have the opportunity to purchase two tickets.
Requests for Super Bowl XLIV, to be played Feb. 7, 2010 in South Florida, will be accepted beginning Feb. 1, 2009. They should be sent to:
Super Bowl Random Drawing
P.O. Box 49140
Strongsville, OH 44149-0140
Please note that only one request per address is accepted. All duplicate requests will be disregarded.
I looked at the calendar which told me it was June 23. I was 3 weeks too late. For some reason I thought the cutoff was the beginning or end of July. God damn it ! It was on my "to do" list since february and now another season will come and go without even a chance to go to the big game. Balls. Guess I have to set an alarm for February next year. Perhaps I should make a habit of doing it before the Super Bowl every year... hmmm.
Next item, my ignorance.
Referring to the picture of the Colts helmet above. Some weeks back I was throwing the fashion violation flag on helmets being sold on ebay that had the what I thought was a neck bumper decal above the neck bumper. I thought this was a mistake. I thought it was an amatuer attempt to use an optional decal in a place unintended.
Shame on me. As is evidenced by the Colts helmet from SB 41 this is not unusual. Where have I been? Who started this? Who's responsible?
I don't like it one bit, I tell ya.
It actually looks ok on the Colts helmet mainly because it's a white decal on a white helmet but on the examples below I think it looks like crap. And in the Colts example, the Colts word mark would actually fit on the neck bumper even though its... for lack of a better word, serrated. This is not true of the Jets helmet below but sizing the logo down would seem to make more sense to me than the abortion pictured. So while I must, on behalf of the organization, acknowledge the inaccuracy in order to maintain our treasured, storied and legendary integrity, I cannot apologize for such a heinous trend. Whoever started this should be marched out, lined up against a wall and shot... right alongside whoever decided to start putting stickers on fruit.
Moving right along. As the previous item illustrates, rust never sleeps in the football fashion knowledge arena. As such our ongoing institutional education efforts march forward as well. To this end we purchased a book titled Colors; Pro Football Uniforms of the Past and Present.
I haven't read it in it's entirety yet but when I have I will do a proper review. But having read a few chapters I can say a few things. I love it. It's nowhere near comprehensive but a comprehensive book on the subject would weigh 48 pounds and have print so small that you'd need the eyes of a hawk to read it. This book is a much better fit for myself and our crack staff of researchers and fact checkers here at FFF HQ. Number 1 it has lots of big glossy pictures. 2, it has just a handful of pages for each team... you don't get bogged down but always pick up a few interesting tidbits, perfect for short spans of attention. 3, It's coffee table size. 4, did I mention the pictures were big and glossy?, and that there's lots of unusual ones from every era. 5, it's chock full of anecdotes related to the people and circumstances that lead to the choice of uniform colors and design for each team. Throw in a chapter on the referees and you know we're talkin' good stuff.
A comprehensive book is needed. That would be the proper Roast beef dinner with salad and vegetables. This baby is a chili dog and an ice cream cone. Even without having finished it, I can say with confidence that this book belongs in the library of every football fashion fan. Yeah baby! It's available online at Amazon.com.
The Good news
With an assist from the fashion commissioner, I received my 3 bladder and lace repair kits and so the dead balls from my collection will soon rise off Frankenstein football table and take their rightful place back in the rotation for my display.
As if that weren't enough, my Jet helmet decals also arrived this week and so all the components are in place. Muwahh ha ha,. (think Dr. Evil) Muwah ha ha, Muwah ha ha ha!
Yeah it's been an action packed week here at HQ. Soon I'll be starting my helmet renovation and, while I may not have a Super Bowl to look forward to, I will be Helmet Drunkin' in style this year. Feel the mojo.
Ken
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