Jack’s 2023 Helmet Competition – Rules

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The few.  The proud.  The 25 brave souls who have decided to enter Jack’s 2023 Football Helmet Competition.  Welcome and thank you. 

Maybe it was the cuteness factor.  Maybe you are a supporting relative.  Or maybe you’re a degenerate gambler.  Whatever bucket – or buckets – you fall into, you’re here and Jack is excited to kick off another football season together. 

A quick story before taking a deep dive into the official rules.

In 2021 I was working for Wendy’s Procurement, and I visited our cheese supplier in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  As part of our welcome bag of goodies, I received a complete set of mini-NFL helmets especially designed for my four-year-old son.  He was ecstatic upon receiving and played with them non-stop.  Learned all the team names within days and wanted to make “videos” picking each week’s winners. 

If the story ended there, we wouldn’t be here. 

The first question he asked was, “can I get college football helmets too?”  Soon, Jack used every birthday, Christmas and special event to request college football helmets.  As he combed through his recent version of Phil Steele’s College Football magazine, Jack would make a list of all the college football helmets he didn’t possess.  Last Christmas, Jack’s number one gift request for Santa was a “James Madison helmet.” 

Despite having to obtain a second job to finance the project, Jack finally has obtained every single FBS helmet (133 for those keeping track).  He has spent several hours placing them in imaginary tournaments, re-creating team schedules, and displaying entire week matchups.  Now – with a little help from his old man – he’s incorporating gambling into his repertoire. 

And the 2023 Father of the Year goes to ……

Okay, with the backdrop out of the way let’s get to the basics.

THE BASICS

  1. Entry fee is $20 and is due by Sept 4th.  Payment can be hand delivered, sent via Venmo (@Luke-Florence-4), or via the United States Postal Service (please text me for home address details). 
  2. $20 will be split evenly into two separate pots (NCAA and NFL). 
  3. Contest will run for 18 weeks (Sept 5 – Jan 8).
  4. Each week, Jack will blindly pull six helmets for each contestant (3 each of NCAA/NFL).
  5. Once chosen, the NCAA – and special helmets – will not be put back into the bag (meaning no special/NCAA helmets will be shared by multiple contestants each week).  Previously chosen NFL helmets go back into the bag (meaning multiple contestants could have shared NFL helmets each week).
  6. If your helmet wins straight up – or has a bye week – you win.  If your helmet loses straight up – or ties – you lose.  Best record at end of season wins 100% of each pot.
    1. In the event of a season-ending tie for a specific pot, each contestant will pick a representative helmet to be thrown into the bag.  Whichever helmet Jack pulls will win the tiebreaker.
  7. Videos will be sent directly to each contestant by Thursday PM and only contain your selections.  All competitor videos will be available – per request – until the following Thursday.  There may come a time where I will combine videos, but with 25 contestants I don’t currently have the bandwidth to edit these all together into one video.
  8. A listing of the group’s weekly selections will be posted on this website – LukeFlorence.com – by Friday evening, and weekly results/standings by the following Tuesday evening.  Feel free to follow so you get automatically notified. 

SPECIAL HELMETS (only to be drawn during College Football picks)

  1. Golden Helmet of Life – you will automatically win all picks in both pots (3-0 in NCAA and 3-0 in NFL).
  2. The Sword of Death Helmet – you will automatically lose all picks in both pots (0-3 in NCAA and 0-3 in NFL).
  3. Underdog Helmet – you will get the underdog in each matchup involving your helmets.
    1. For example – Notre Dame is favored to beat Navy in Week One.  If you draw the Underdog helmet and draw Notre Dame, you’ll select Navy.
  4. Favorites Helmet – you will get the favorite in each matchup involving your helmets.
    1. For example – Notre Dame is favored to beat Navy in Week One.  If you draw the Favorite helmet and draw Navy, you’ll select Notre Dame.

DOUBLE – and TRIPLE – WEEKS

  1. Periodically throughout the season, certain weeks will count 2X or 3X.
    1. For example, if you go 2-1 in a double week, it’ll count as 4-2 (2X).
    1. For example, if you go 0-3 in a triple week, it’ll count as 0-9 (3X).
  2. Special helmets will not be in play during double or triple weeks.
  3. Double week schedule
    1. Week Three (Sept 19 – Sept 25)
    1. Week Nine (Oct 30 – Nov 6)
    1. Week Twelve (Nov 21 – Nov 27)
  4. Triple week schedule
    1. Week Six (Oct 10 – Oct 16)
    1. Week Seventeen (Dec 26 – Jan 1)

Feel free to send Jack any “trash-talking” videos during the year and he’ll try his best to reciprocate.  Appreciate everyone joining – we were both completely overwhelmed with the response and did not think 25 people would join – but here we are.  Look at us.  Who would have thought?  Not me. 

Peace Be The Journey. 

Stephen King: Fairy Tale

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

Fairy Tale

Plot

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football … a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad.

When Charlie is seventeen he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape.

When Mr. Bowditch dies he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Review

There have been several Stephen King books that I’ve been excited to read.  It, Needful Things and Mr. Mercedes to name a few.  Fairy Tale brought about an equal share of enthusiasm, but for a completely different reason.  This was the very first King book I read after finally finishing his entire bibliography (to-date). 

So of course, Amazon delivered it a couple of days late even though I had pre-ordered it months prior.  Lesson learned Constant Readers: head to your local bookstore!

Fairy Tale was a combination of The Eyes of the Dragon and The Talisman.  Set in a parallel universe, it takes reader on a journey of good vs evil and more importantly, of bravery vs cowardice.     

It was that last concept that I found incredibly unique and unquestionably interesting.  The main protagonist in this novel is a 17-year-old kid (Charlie) who has always felt like he owed the world one favor for a promise he made as a younger child.  As a result, Charlie feels obligated to help those who cannot help themselves in this Upside-Down universe he discovers.  

Charlie runs into a whole bevy of characters on his journey, although I would point out that none of them are really truly developed.  This is a singular person story and one that utilizes the setting and surrounding cast of characters to help build Charlie into the hero he feels he has to become. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this new Stephen King book.  It was fun, had climatic sequences throughout and had me fully engaged.  While not one of King’s best, it still was good enough to earn a five-star rating from me on Goodreads.  Seeing that it currently averages a 4.23 rating, it appears a lot of my fellow Constant Readers thought the same.

Details

Pages: 608

Dates Read: September 8, 2022 – October 20, 2022

Quote: “A brave man helps.  A coward just gives presents.”

Best Part: I’m a sucker for tournaments and although the bracketing/seeding was certainly debatable, I loved reading about the 32-man competition … to the death.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #1 – The Stand

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#1 – The Stand

Plot

When a man escapes from a biological testing facility, he sets in motion a deadly domino effect, spreading a mutated strain of the flu that will wipe out 99 percent of humanity within a few weeks. The survivors who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge–Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them–and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity. 

Review

Here we are.  At the end, and yet at the beginning – which happens quite often on epic journeys.  The very first Stephen King book I’ve ever read is the last book to be ranked.  It stands alone as not only my favorite Stephen King novel but my favorite book I’ve ever read.  It’s perfect.  

This is an epic book in every definition of the word.  It’s the longest novel King has ever written, clocking in at nearly 500,000 words.  The plot is centered around a civilization on the verge of destruction and one giant battle of good vs evil for the fate of the human race.  It involves a Super Flu that wipes out nearly the entire planet in a manner that drew a ton of comparisons during the onset of Covid.  If there’s a more epic book grounded in reality with sprinkles of the supernatural, I’m all ears.  

I’ve never read the normal version of The Stand, only the uncut edition.  I can’t imagine cutting some of this material.  It was all important to either character building, plot development or just pure entertainment.  King appears to take special delight in finding different ways folks died (both with and without the Flu).  

The characters here are incredibly rich.  Stu, Randall Flagg, Mother Abagail and The Trashcan Man (to name a few) are all rich, fulfilling personas that add unbelievable depth and detail to this sprawling piece of literature.  They are all different ages, different backgrounds, different sexes, different races and King is able to perfectly capture them all.  It’s absolutely amazing to think this was one of King’s first novels, published when he was merely 31.  

Thank you.  Thank you to the Constant Readers who went on this journey with me.  I’ve been exposed to an entire community of Stephen King fans and to some spectacular blogs.  None of which doesn’t happen if you didn’t read, like, comment, etc.  I’m entirely grateful for all of it. 

I’m also grateful for my Aunt JoAnn for not only getting me started on this journey but for the continual discussion throughout it all.  Here’s to hoping you have someone in your life that encourages you to experience art in all its beautiful mediums.

Details

Pages: 1,141

Dates Read: Pre-2012

Quote: “That wasn’t any act of God. That was an act of pure human fuckery.”

Best Part: King shows his creativity in spades while crafting all the different scenarios folks die early in this one.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #2 – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

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#2 – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Plot

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have.

King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 — and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.

Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it — fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Review

That favorite quote is inscribed on my bookmark – one that I’ve used for nearly every book I’ve read on this list.  Or at least every book I’ve read since reading On Writing.  Very few books have made a physical impact on my life, but On Writing is one of them.  Maybe THE one.  Yes, I know it may be considered cheating the list to have a non-fiction entry, but I don’t care.  It’s my list and On Writing deserves to be here right near the top.

My Creative Writing teacher in high school wrote on one of my papers that she hoped I was considering a career in writing.  To which the answer was a resounding yes.  I’ve always been considering it but never following through on it.  Too risky.  No security.  But to my amazement, people like Stephen King had had similar thoughts – and to hear King write about those insecurities in this memoir was incredibly inspiring.  

On Writing is a must-read for anyone who loves reading, enjoys writing, or is fascinated by the writing process.  It involves tips of the trade, how to go about getting published, which books King recommends reading.  It’s a one-stop shop for any aspiring writer/bookworm.  

King also talks about his own trials and tribulations.  Drug abuse.  Nearly getting killed by a van.  Alcoholism.  It’s a completely open look into how much King has struggled and yet persevered despite it all.  

I’ve re-read very few novels in my life, but I constantly find myself reading sections of On Writing from time to time.  I also tell anyone who is listening to read this book – even if they aren’t a fan of Stephen King novels.

And while I haven’t published any novels/transcripts/etc., On Writing gives me hope and as I learned in Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.  And no good thing ever dies.”

Details

Pages: 320

Dates Read: Pre-2012

Quote: “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

Best Part: Honestly, all of it. Although, I really enjoyed the thought of Stephen King washing dishes before his career took off.

Hint for #1: The one that started all of this.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #3 – The Shining

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#3 – The Shining

Plot

Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Review

Having watched The Shining and understanding it as one of the better horror movies of all-time, I was not entirely excited to begin reading the novel.  I already knew the plot; I already knew the twists and I already had a mental image of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance.  Or so I thought.  

I was always a little confused as to why Stephen King hated the movie based after this book so much because I generally thought the film was well done.  However, immediately after reading The Shining I completely understood King’s disdain.  The movie – while certainly scary – does not honor the true bones and feelings of the novel.  In fact, it completely ignores them.  

The book is about family.  It’s about struggling to overcome addictions.  It’s about a little boy surviving a troubled family and marriage.  It’s about how Jack Torrance becomes susceptible to the supernatural forces of the hotel.  Jack is a victim, not a lunatic as portrayed in the film.

Staying focused on the book, The Shining has everything you could ask for in a novel.  It has well developed characters with interesting and complex story arcs.  It has just enough paranormal horror to be classified as a scary tale.  It also has shifting perspectives throughout, with the most compelling coming from the five-year-old Danny.  

Details

Pages: 674

Dates Read: March – April 2019

Quote: “Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.”

Best Part: Ever hit yourself upside the head for forgetting something or for doing something stupid? The Shining has a great self-mutilation scene.

Hint for #2: The only non-fiction book to appear on this list.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.