War of the Roses: Redux Edition

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Caesar
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 12 Nov 2021, 07:28

Where It All Started

Every story, every legacy, has a beginning. The start of a series of chain events that would lead a person to one destiny or another.

The story of Devin King, Jr. may have been birthed on the banks of the Mississippi River in Hahnville, Louisiana, but the legacy that had followed the King family for the last 50 years and over three generations was born at the University of Cincinnati.

And now another Devin King was stepping onto the field at Nippert Stadium.



“Reyes hands it off to Frazier who bounces it outside for a quick pick-up of five yards before being taken down at the Cincy 47. There is a bit of extras after the play, but the referees are on hand to get everyone back to their huddles without the need for any penalties.”

“It’s been chippy all game and the crowd is definitely feeding into it. I don’t think I’ve heard this stadium this loud in a long time.”



Devin squatted over his helmet on the sideline, taking in the offense’s latest drive. The boos that rained down on the field each time they moved the ball forward seemed to only intensify each time. But that didn’t shock him. Everyone had seen the stuff Caesar had been putting online and knew they’d get some hate rolling into Cincinnati.

What shocked him were the chants that the crowd broke into whenever he took the field.



“I apologize to those of you at home for any vulgar language you hear coming over the broadcast. College students sometimes get a little excited. But I think they’re chanting ‘Let’s go, Brandon.’”

“If that’s ‘Let’s go, Brandon’ then it was ‘Let’s go, Brandon’ when they were chanting it in 2021. A little history lesson for everyone. Tulane cornerback Devin King’s grandfather, also named Devin King, played quarterback here at Cincinnati for three years before a pay-for-play scandal scuppered his career and saw the Bearcats hit with a two-year bowl ban and a lengthy probation spell. They say time heals all wounds but it doesn’t seem like forty-two years is long enough for Cincinnati.”



Devin blocked out the “fuck you, Devin” chants as he unstrapped and re-strapped his gloves tighter onto his wrists. He bit down on his mouthpiece and settled into his stance opposite a bulky wide receiver that would probably be more at home at the end of the offensive line.

He hadn’t allowed a reception yet in the game and the chanting only made him more determined to make sure he got through it with that zero still intact in that column on his stat sheet.

The quarterback called for the snap. Devin jammed the receiver at the line, forcing him to the outside and almost over the boundary before turning to run with him. He was practically glued to his opponent’s hip as they ran down the field, matching each other stride for stride.

The pass rush got into the backfield and flushed the quarterback out of the pocket. He flung a prayer downfield in hopes that one of his guys could win a jump ball.

Devin found the ball as it was arcing down toward the big wideout beside him. Fading toward the sideline, Devin tried to use his body to give the receiver less space between him and the white of the boundary.

It was Devin who jumped first, getting one hand up to bat the ball away.

He felt it hit the tips of his fingers just as he felt the contact of falling into the receiver behind him. The two of them collapsed into a heap on the turf and Devin immediately turned his head and let out a sigh of relief as he saw he’d done just enough to tip the ball over the receiver’s hands and force it to fall harmlessly to the turf.



“The Bearcats are trying to hang with Tulane here in the second half, but we know that this Green Wave offense has big play ability between Jenkins, Frazier, Conrad and Dallas.”

“Don’t forget Darren Reyes’ ability to make plays with both his arm or his feet.”

“He has 43 rushing yards in this one. And he’s dropping back on this second and five play. He flicks it outside to Jenkins who makes the one-handed grab on the sideline – and they say he got his foot down and are giving him the first down!”

“Oh, c’mon. That’s just unnecessary!”

“This one’s going to be coming back folks. Death, taxes and one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for Caesar Jenkins are the only guarantees in life. It seems that grabbing one’s crotch is still frowned upon as a celebration and considered taunting.”

“Denver Shuman’s going to have to get a hold on that sooner or later. You can’t keep shooting yourself in the foot with bone-headed penalties. And you don’t need to disrespect your opponents. At the end of the day, there are kids at home who are watching this and these guys, even if they are kids themselves, need to be positive role models.”

“So, we’re going to be running that play back but now it’s second and twenty. You have to think that Tulane’s going to consider this drive a wash and try again the next time their offense comes out on the field.”



Caesar held his hands up as an apology as Coach Shuman shouted at him on the sidelines before sending him back out for the repeated down. Caesar waved at Darren to get his attention before spinning his hands over one another to signal that the quarterback should call the same play. He felt that if Darren would’ve put the ball more toward the numbers, he would’ve had huge gain instead of a tight-rope catch on the sideline.

And he was confident that he could get the better of the corner again.

Darren shook his head and held his hands out at his sides before settling into his cadence.

The defense crept toward the line of scrimmage, likely bringing the pressure in a must-pass situation if the Green Wave wanted to get the first down.

Darren stood up straight and signaled a change to the play, sending Caesar on a go route with the middle of the field closed. He then got back into his stance and called for the ball.

Caesar released to the inside of the corner and immediately stacked him, running down the numbers. He turned his head and watched as the ball fell over his shoulder and into his hands, hitting him in stride.

It was a foot race to the endzone as the safety tried to get over to make the play, but he ended up behind Caesar and gave up on the play.

Caesar ran into the endzone and let the ball roll from his hand to fall to the turf before jogging toward the Tulane sideline. Darren, Tyrone, Nigel and Kendall were the first to get to him to celebrate but he held out his hand to stop them.

Until he got to the benches. Then, he shouted and jumped on Nigel’s back before being dog-piled by his teammates.

Once he got back to his feet, he jumped up on the bench and turned to the crowd with his arms outstretched as if he were a conquering hero.

The boos rained down as they had all game.



“Reyes is going to take a knee and that’s all she wrote for this game. Tulane makes it a perfect three-from-three with a 37-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. That’s two wins against Power Five opposition in away games. Are we at a point that we can consider this Green Wave team a contender for the SEC, if not more?”

“I think we’re going to learn a lot about this team next week. They’ll likely be ranked and that comes with added pressure but Auburn has been one of those elite programs for all of living memory and Tulane has only beaten them a couple of times since they returned to the SEC. Cincy and San Diego State are good programs, don’t get me wrong, but Tulane’s about to start conference play and that’s when the rubber is going to meet the road. And let’s not forget that they finish the season with Alabama and LSU in two of their final three games. They’ve not beaten Alabama on the field for almost 100 years and haven’t won against LSU since 1982.”

“Well, they can’t get caught looking ahead with Auburn next week. That’s all we have for you from Cincinnati, folks. Again, the final score. Tulane 37, Cincinnati 12.”



Walking off the field with his helmet dangling from his fingertips, Devin took one last look around Nippert Stadium wondering what it looked like when his grandfather had taken the field there in the early 2000s. The man was never a beloved part of the community, but football was a fickle mistress and as long as he won a few games for them, the reception would’ve been positive.

He fell into step with Darius and Rahim who both dapped him up and made mention of him having another solid outing. Devin only nodded in return.

A little boy sat at the edge of the bleachers near the tunnel for the team to leave the playing surface. He wore a black Cincinnati jersey, but he stared at the Tulane players with awe in his eyes all the same. They were all giants to him regardless of what colors they wore. Devin could recognize the look even if it hadn’t been one he experienced himself.

Devin jogged over and took off his gloves, holding them out to the kid. His eyes lighting up, the boy took them and immediately showed them to his parents.

With thanks from the parents, Devin nodded to them then headed down the tunnel ready to get back to more friendly confines.
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 13 Nov 2021, 19:06

Rumblings

In a studio at the country’s most watched sports program, two anchors stood on a set with the words “Pay for Play” superimposed over the NCAA’s logo on a screen behind them.

“Welcome back, folks. Dexter Fowler here with Martin Figueroa. We’re starting you off today with some news that was just reported by our Blanca Lowe out in Los Angeles. And it’s news that could shake the very foundations of the NCAA.”

“Very true, Dex. You’re hearing it here first. The NCAA is set to launch an investigation into a wide-ranging pay for play scheme that is believed to involve dozens of football and basketball players at the top of the collegiate ranks. Blanca’s sources tell her that third-party agents used loopholes in the NIL laws of the 2020s to steer players to specific universities to leverage certain marketing opportunities.”

“Traditionalists feared that this would be the result of the NCAA easing its rules on image deals thirty years ago, but if this is as broad as it is believed to be, this is more of a coordinated effort than anything we’ve seen over the years of players’ parents getting kickbacks for leading their sons and daughters to this university or that one.”

“Blanca just shared that sources close to the investigation estimated that tens of millions of dollars in what would essentially be payments for playing at a certain university have been driven through this scheme. Some believe that you can follow the purported value of NIL deals for top athletes over the last few years to find players that may now be under investigation.”

“Image deal values have accelerated over the last decade as players became savvier in leveraging their own likeness, but it was over the last handful of years that we began to see freshmen signing contracts for six figures, or the rare seven figures in some cases for basketball players. It was concerning enough that Congress convened a special committee to review the matter in 2050.”

“And we know that you are all thinking of a certain freshman who recently signed an image rights contract worth over $10 million, but our lawyers would prefer if we didn’t use that person’s name when talking about a possible NCAA investigation.”

“Good point, Martin. We’ll keep our eye on this as things develop, but if this is what we think it is, this will rank with the 2017-18 scandal as the biggest scandals to rock collegiate sports.”

-*****-
Caesar scrolled through his phone as a pair of tailors took his measurements. He’d decided that he should probably invest in some new suits. The start to the season had been what he’d expected and that meant that he’d be at some awards shows come the end of the season.

And he wasn’t going to be caught dead in some of the shit that college athletes wore to those things.

One of the tailors grabbed a tablet from a nearby table and held it up for Caesar to look at. “Which fabric?”

“Guanashina,” he said, never looking at the tablet. “I need three of them.”

“Very well.”

Caesar began ringing so he shooed the tailors away as he stepped down from the small platform that he was standing on to take the call. The two of them quickly gathered their things and left the room, not wanting to piss off a client that was willing to spend most people in Louisiana’s yearly salary a couple times over.

“What’s up?”

“Did you make a decision to be more of a dickhead when you got to Tulane or was I always too drunk to notice that you’ve always been like that?” Ron asked from the other end.

Caesar laughed. “I never got bonus checks for driving impressions before I got to college. People always want to talk about how much they hate someone, you know? That’s why no one talks about you anymore.”

“I’m fine with that. Besides, plenty of folks are talking about Devin giving kids his gloves and shit.”

“I give bitches my kids all the time.”

Now, it was Ron’s turn to laugh. “This coming from a guy who went from ladies’ man in high school to lovey-dovey boyfriend in college. I do follow you on social media, bro. You probably get as much attention for being an asshole as you do for having Kaley around you.”

“Did you call me just to bust my chops or you got something important to discuss? I’m trying to get fitted for some suits.”

“As if you need that shit. And you need someone to bust your chops. You’re going to be pissed off when NFL scouts start talking about you having attitude issues in two years and you end up sitting in the green room for a few hours longer than you thought you would.”

“Blah, blah, blah. I’m a receiver, bro. No one is expecting me to be a leader in the locker room. I’m supposed to catch the ball and get to the endzone. There are other motherfuckers who can go be the face of the franchise. That’s why people like you exist. They’re probably lining up for next year already.”

“Won’t be me.”

“What do you mean it won’t be you? Don’t tell me that you’re going to waste a fourth year in college ‘trying to get a degree.’ Wait, wait. You knocked up that Congressman’s daughter and now you have to run for office? But I guess being pro-life begins and ends at his doorstep.”

“No, because I’m joining the Marines at the end of the season.”

“Shut the fuck up with that dumb shit,” Caesar said, laughing. “What the fuck would you do that for?”

“Because I’ve decided that it’s what I want to do, Caesar. You know things have gotten out of control in Korea and I feel like I need to go and serve my country.”

“Korea? Which one of them is your country? Kim Jong Ron? Let some other motherfuckers bring their asses over there and get shot up fighting for some shit that’s been going on for a hundred years over some land that doesn’t have anything to do with us. Fuck it. Just bomb all those motherfuckers to dust and call it a day. Stop fucking thinking about that dumb shit. TCU’s fucking number one. You could have three nattys in a couple years.”

“Some things are bigger than football. I didn’t call for a conversation on it. I called to let you know because you’re the closest thing I have to a brother.”

“And as family I feel that it’s my job to tell you that you’re being fucking stupid right now. Those motherfuckers over there don’t care about you and the motherfuckers over here won’t when you come back either. Stay at TCU, get that stock up, declare in two years, get paid and live the good life. What’s wrong with that?”

“I’ve made my decision, Caesar.”

“That bitch must have some good pussy to have you going all in on this political future shit.” Caesar paused for a moment before shaking his head and sighing. “Fine, if you want to go do that dumb ass fucking shit then go do that dumb ass fucking shit. That shit overseas will be over before you get there anyway. So much for serving.”

“You’ll understand one day. I’ll talk to you later, bro. Good luck against Auburn. That defense is brutal.”

“Yep.”

Caesar hung up the phone and tossed it on the floor next to his shoes. He ran his hand down his face and exhaled heavily. Standing, he stepped back up on the platform and looked at himself in the mirrors surrounding him.

“Hey!” he shouted to the tailors. “Get back in here. These pants are too loose.”

He briefly debated going with pashmina instead of guanashina while he waited for them.

-*****-
Devin leaned on the counter of a small photography studio in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, scrolling through a document on a tablet. An older gentlemen who gave off grandfatherly vibes stood on the opposite side of the counter with his arms folded over his chest as he waited for Devin to finish reading the document.

After holding out on signing any image deals for months, Devin asked the people in the know in the athletics department for some suggestions and they had pointed him to the business he now stood in – a photography studio that specialized in shoots for newborns of low-income mothers.

It wouldn’t be a big windfall for him. A lot of the business’s clients were people who couldn’t afford to pay and they did the shoots for free, but all they were asking for from Devin was for him to tag them in a social media post here or there to give them some additional exposure and maybe court some paying customers to allow them to do more work with the less fortunate in the city.

More importantly, they did work that Devin felt he could support and that he agreed was good for New Orleans.

Tapping the necessary space, Devin scribbled his signature on the screen then handed the tablet to the man.

“There you go, Mr. Faubourg.”

“I’m really not going to get you to stop calling me that, am I?” Mr. Faubourg said as he fiddled with the tablet to send the documents to the appropriate parties.

“Not until I’m older than you.”

Mrs. Faubourg came out of the back of the building struggling to carry a box. Devin rushed over to take it from her before she dropped it.

“Oh, honey. I had that,” the woman said.

Devin shook his head. “It’s no problem. Just point to where you want me to bring it.”

“Outside to the young lady waiting by her car if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

He hefted the box up higher with his knee before heading outside where only three cars were parked. His, one he assumed belonged to the Faubourgs and one more.

Ella stood at the trunk of the car in question, struggling to fit the boxes as if they were a jigsaw puzzle that required a little bit of magic to make work. She looked up at the sound of the crunching gravel beneath Devin’s feet and stepped back, brushing her hair off her face and wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead.

“Fancy running into you here,” she said.

Devin held up the box. “I was just here handling some business, too. What’s in the boxes?”

“Just some lights and stuff.”

She stepped forward to take the box from him, but he nodded to the trunk in a gesture that she had nowhere to put it.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just order this from Amazon or something instead of trying to get it from here back to – well, back to wherever you’re taking it?” he asked.

“You’re asking a lot of questions for something that isn’t your business. Don’t you think?”

“Right.”

Ella laughed and took the box from him, gesturing to the trunk. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and try to figure that out? And if you have to know, I got it from here because I need it tonight and their price was better than any big box stores’ so here I am.”

He walked over to the trunk and fiddled with the boxes until he created just enough space to force them deeper into the trunk and make space for the last box. Taking from her, he tested the gap before pressing the last box into place and shutting the trunk.

“Just jam it in, huh? No lube or anything,” Ella said with a teasing lilt to her voice. “What happens if I get back to campus and can’t get that out of there? Didn’t think that far, did ya?”

“I guess you’ll just have to bust the boxes open in the parking lot and carry it up piece by piece. You should’ve rented a UHaul if you needed an entire studio’s worth of lights. What the fuck are you doing with all that anyway? Filming a movie?”

“That’s one way to put it.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time. “I have to get going. Thanks for the help. We have an exam next week, so I’ll be texting the group chat to set something up.”

Devin nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

He stepped out of the way and watched as she pulled out of the spot to make sure the trunk didn’t go flying open when she sped down the street before heading to his own car for the trip back to campus.
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djp73
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by djp73 » 14 Nov 2021, 07:26

They still got cam girls in 2050?
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Caesar
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 14 Nov 2021, 07:44

djp73 wrote:
14 Nov 2021, 07:26
They still got cam girls in 2050?
I make a lot of assumptions about the world in 30 years for this and tend to err on the conservative side of change, but one thing I feel pretty confident won't change and would wager a significant amount of money on is that there will still be women showing that poon poon for money on livestreams on the internet considering people have been frequenting text-based sex chats for the last 30-40 years. The pandemic forcing OnlyFans into the mainstream will create an entire generation of people who see that as something a lot of 18-24 year old women just do for at least a few months.
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chosenone58
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by chosenone58 » 16 Nov 2021, 22:48

Man, I have a lot to catch up on. Saving it for the weekend.
Creator of Derek Baldwin da Gawd
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Agent
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Agent » 17 Nov 2021, 07:48

Homie going to join the USMC?! Caesar can try to talk him out of it but that military propaganda is something else. Promise you you'll be master chief in this bitch. Besides he's about to miss out on all that NFL money to live in a fox hole & listen to gun fire all night?

Spin off chise imo with Battlefield 2042. Literal war.
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 21 Nov 2021, 19:31

A Tiger By Another Stripe

“Neal Cooper boots it downfield and we’re underway here in Yulman Stadium. Auburn’s Cornel Upshaw fields it in the endzone and takes a knee. The Tigers will start the game from the 25-yard line. What can we expect from this Auburn offense?”

“They have a freshman at quarterback in the form of Austin Houser, but where the Tigers excel is in their stables of running backs. junior Tramain Fields, senior Delvon Byrd and senior Aubrey Jennings form a three-headed monster that looks more 1905 than it does 2052. They pound the rock early, often and until it batters opposing defenses into submission.”



“The Green Wave are sending the house! And Houser’s going down in the backfield for a huge loss on third down! Jowayne Hatcher and Tyler Smith will be credited with the sack on that play. Auburn will have to punt here.”

“And that’s the other side of the coin for the Tigers. Tulane’s corners are good enough to man up and cover receivers one-on-one. When you’ve got three guys out there in the backfield who aren’t good catching the ball, you see these seven- and eight-man blitzes.”



Caesar planted his foot in the turf and turned back to the line of scrimmage, just as the ball was there to meet his hands. He pulled it in and made a move to turn upfield but felt weight on his back as Auburn’s Tevin Horton jumped on him to make the tackle.

Unbalanced, Caesar used one hand to try to stay on his feet and move forward as he was wrestled back by the corner. Not wanting to get the ball stripped when the next man came to finish the tackle, he tucked the ball and stopped fighting for extra yardage, immediately being pushed to the turf for a short gain.

As he was getting to his feet, Horton pushed the back of Caesar’s helmet down to force him back to the turf.

Caesar sprung up, shouting, “Keep that same energy! Keep that same energy!”



“Reyes pump fakes and pull its down to take it himself. 35, 40, 45, brought down at the Tulane 49 yardline with that quick scamper from the Green Wave’s signal caller!”



“Frazier straight up the gut for a hard fought three yard gain on the play.”



“Conrad on the other end of that for another Tulane first down. They’re threatening to score already!”



“Reyes drops back, the protection is holding up at the line of scrimmage and he has time. He pump fakes toward Jenkins, turns to his left and has Greer wide open at the back of the endzone! And he’s hit him for six! Touchdown Tulane!”

“Both safeties bit on that pump fake to Caesar Jenkins. He only made one reception on that drive but that’s one of those small things that go unnoticed when watching at home. Auburn’s defense was so focused on what he was doing that they were leaving other players open.”

“Cooper lines up and hits the extra point and it’s 7-0 Green Wave.”



“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Olive helmets are there to stack up Byrd at the line of scrimmage and the Tigers will be forced to punt again!”



“Reyes flips the ball to Frazier on the option and he’s got room to run and he can fly! 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. He’s only got one man to beat! Cuts inside and is somehow brought down by Jacody Griffin with a shoestring tackle to save the touchdown! But it’s still first down Green Wave at the Auburn 26.”



“Jenkins comes in motion from the left side of the field. The ball is stepped and Reyes hands it off to Jenkins! And he tosses it to Frazier going the other direction! Tulane getting fancy! There’s no one to stop him and he’s going to walk into the endzone! Touchdown Tulane!”



Devin turned and ran with the receiver for a rare passing play for the Auburn offense so far. It was man coverage across the board so no help would be coming if he made a mistake in tracking the route of the man in front of him.

The quarterback was flushed out of the pocket to the opposite side of the field and the receivers started to work their way back to give him somewhere to throw the ball. Devin slipped to the inside of the receiver he was covering when he reversed field.

Throwing the ball just as he was getting hit, the quarterback threw the ball up toward an area where all his receivers were headed.

The ball was tipped by Omari before an Auburn receiver tried to make a play on it only to tip it back into the air. Keeping his eye glued to the ball flipping through the air, Devin batted it forward away from a second receiver and the scrum and gave himself the space to let the ball fall into his hands.

He glanced back over his shoulder before turning toward the endzone. A wall of bodies formed in front of him as linebackers and defensive linemen turned blockers. They sealed off just enough space along the sideline for Devin to hit it without being touched.

The roar of the crowd gradually increased as he got closer to the endzone and broke into sheer pandemonium as he jogged the final few yards across the line.

Devin only had a few moments to take it in before he was dogpiled by his teammates running into the endzone behind him.



“Houser drops back and fires it out to – PICKED OFF AGAIN! Christian Vaughn almost looked like he was the intended target for that one as the Auburn quarterback completely misread the coverage. Tulane has it up 21-0 and could put this game away early!”

“Auburn’s defense has to come up big on this next drive or they’ll be in trouble. The Tigers’ offense isn’t built to comeback from 21 points down, let alone 28. They need a turnover or a punt here something serious.”



“Cooper easily hits that chip shot field goal to add to the Green Wave’s lead.”



“The half ends with Auburn finally getting on the scoreboard thanks to a Matt Ogel field goal to make it 24-3 at the break. It’s been a game driven by a strong defensive performance from Tulane so far, but Auburn’s defense is still hanging tough. The Green Wave have only gained 127 yards through the air in the first two quarters and have mostly benefitted from short fields.”



“Tulane opens the second half with a fifteen yard strike to Jenkins, only his second catch of the game.”

“Tevin Horton has shut him down for the most part, especially with the attention that Auburn’s putting on keeping him out of the game.”



“Circus grab by Jenkins on the sideline to move the chains again.”



“Reyes lines up at receiver with Thibodeaux and Frazier in the backfield. It looks like Tulane’s going to break out the tricks again after that reverse touchdown in the first half. Thibodeaux gets the snap and flicks it out to Reyes. Reyes steps up and throws it aaaaaaaaalll the way across the field! Jenkins is there! And he’s bumbling, stumbling, rumbling into the endzone!”

“Caesar Jenkins should change his name to Thanos because he’s inevitable! It was only a few minutes ago that we were saying he’d been kept quiet all night and then he flips a switch and decides to start playing for real.”



“Auburn’s longest drive of the day sputters to an early end in the redzone and they’re forced to settle for another field goal after King’s second tackle for loss of the day.”



Turning his body, Caesar waved for the pass despite being covered by two players. Darren glanced in his direction but continued to go through his reads as the pocket started to collapse around him. Caesar cut back toward the line of scrimmage and waved for the pass again.

Darren was flushed out of the pocket and started to take it himself, but a linebacker had that covered with a spy assignment. He stepped back and threw a laser to Caesar, but the linebacker tipped the ball up.

Fading backward as he watched the ball, Caesar backed into the defenders covering him and ended up between them. He leapt, rising the highest and plucking the ball down before either of the Auburn players had a chance to make a play on it. He was immediately taken down.

It was a short gain on a tipped ball, but Caesar jumped up and pounded his chest. Tevin Horton shoved him from behind. Spinning to face the corner, Caesar tossed the ball at Horton’s face and some other players ran into a scrum before the referees broke it up with Horton and Caesar both getting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

But the fracas brought life back to a quietening Yulman Stadium watching the blowout.



“Reyes fires it into the endzone and that’s another Jenkins touchdown! This time from only 5 yards out!”

“I think this game is over. No way Auburn gets back into it now.”



Devin fought his way through the receiver’s effort to block him on the edge as the ball was tossed to one of the Tigers’ bruising backs on an outside run. As the game had worn on, Auburn abandoned the run but keeping three big, speedy backs contained for an entire 60 minutes was always going to be a challenge.

And now, Tulane found themselves trying to keep Auburn out of the endzone one last time to get out of the game without surrendering a touchdown.

Devin broke down to make the tackle just as the back lowered his shoulder to bowl through. Devin was nearly trucked as he wrapped up the runningback. He scrambled to keep his feet under him and wrestled his opponent backward.

Digging his feet into the turf, Devin finally managed to bring him down in the backfield.

Breathing heavily, he made his way to the sideline and was quietly happy after being told the backups were being sent in to finish the game.



“And we’re all done here in New Orleans. Tulane defeats Auburn, 38-9, to continue their undefeated start to the season. Are they a contender in the SEC?”

“Short answer, yes. Long answer, yes.”

-*****-
An hour to the northwest of the Crescent City, a packed Tiger Stadium sat in disbelief with some mustering the courage to try to cheer for the players on the field. It had been a long night and it was about to culminate in the longest five seconds of the past few months. Some were stuck between wanting to leave to beat the traffic and wanting to stay to watch the final play of the game as if their presence would ensure an LSU victory.

Vanderbilt’s kicker jogged back out onto the field and the stadium roared back to life as LSU’s defense stood with their heels on their own 27-yard-line.

“Felix Aguayo lines up for the Commodores for what will be the final play of this thrilling game – one that everyone expected to be a blowout until LSU’s offense was hobbled by not one, but two, injuries at the quarterback position.”

“Even Cinderella needed a little bit of luck.”

“Here it is ladies and gentlemen, for all the marbles. Fourth-in-the-country and undefeated LSU 23, oh-and-four Vandy 21. Aguayo nods to Timmy Harrelson, the holder and the ball is snapped...”

Erik knelt on the sideline, his hands buried in the Bermuda grass of Tiger Stadium’s field. He watched as the Vanderbilt kicker started his run-up toward the ball. Over the din of the crowd, he could hear the sound of the kicker‘s foot striking the ball.

He watched as the ball tumbled end over end through the Baton Rouge night sky.

It sliced through the air, hooking only a slight bit to the right. There was a collective inhale around the stadium as 102,000 fixated on the ball as it made its journey toward the iconic H-shaped goalposts.



Silence surrounded him as Erik trudged to the locker room with the rest of the team. His fingers throbbed from the grip on the facemask of his helmet.

He ignored his teammates as he became so angry that tears actually pricked the back of his eyes.

Rearing his hand back, he launched his helmet into one of the TVs that covered the panels at the ends of the rows of lockers. The sound of the impact drew some attention to him, but he ignored that too as he walked to his own locker.

Sitting down, he buried his head in his hands.
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Captain Canada
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Captain Canada » 21 Nov 2021, 20:47

Down goes LSU :obama:

They got Tulane on that schedule??
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Caesar
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 21 Nov 2021, 22:28

Captain Canada wrote:
21 Nov 2021, 20:47
Down goes LSU :obama:

They got Tulane on that schedule??
Yes, sir. Last week of the season. Battle for the Rag/Flag on deck.
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Caesar
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War of the Roses: Redux Edition

Post by Caesar » 23 Nov 2021, 21:31

Bump
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