Fuuuuu…
Guess what I just did? I wrote, like a fool, a full post of the wrong frigging letter. It’s after 2 a.m., and I’ve been distracted by Rockies’ implosion on their home field.
I wrote the post with Gs, not Fs.
And for that, I deserve an F. So, I’m going to do this one on the fly, friends. For those who don’t know, you’ll find questions my daughters have helped me fill a spreadsheet with. I choose a handful at random, and because this is an A to Z Challenge post, I needed them all to start with the letter F.
NOT G. (Although I managed to get a fabulous 10 F words in this lead, and, amazingly, not the supreme F word. Because I’m effing tired right now.
1. Has anyone ever had a triple-digit jersey number in football?
Only three have, that I could find.
One played at West Virginia. Punter and kicker Chuck Kinder wore it in 1963. That season, Mountaineers players all wore a 100 sticker on their helmets. The state turned 100 that year, that’s why.
Only one dude could make it into a jersey, and Kinder was that dude. Lucky guy.
College football itself turned 100 in 1969. Kansas had planned to wear 100 stickers on their helmets, but then petitioned to have one player wear 100. That was another kicker: Bill Bell.
There’s a mystery man at Louisville who also wore 100 that year. There’s a picture making the rounds on Twitter of him. But as far as I know … no one knows who he is. His identity is the 100-dollar question, it turns out.
2. What do they do in college football if the game is tied at the end?
They have a plan 100 times better than the pros do. The teams play overtime, which begins with a coin toss. The winner gets to decide if they play offense or defense first.
The loser chooses which end of the field will host possessions for both teams.
Each team gets at least one possession. If the first team scores a touchdown, the other team must score at least a touchdown to continue overtime. If they kick a field goal on the first possession, the second team has a chance to score a touchdown and win. Or, they could kick a field goal to force another overtime.
If a team scores a safety somehow, they win on the spot. That would take some doing. Teams start their possession on their opponents’ 25-yard line.
Starting with the third overtime, if you score a touchdown, you must go for a two-point conversion. I’ve never seen this, but if you get to five overtimes? Teams take turns attempting two-point conversions until someone wins.
3. Can you get negative points in fantasy football?
Yes. Usually, it’s because your defense protects like a sieve. But a horrible day at quarterback or running back could leave you in the negative for points.
A sack takes away a point from a player; an interception, two, in most leagues. It’s such a minimal risk. A running back, for instance, would have to carry the ball once, get hit for a loss, fumble, and get injured and not return. It kind of sums up my middle school football career and that was no fantasy.
They don’t keep records on this, but I heard of the Minnesota Vikings defense turning in a -14 day once. That would suck for a fantasy owner, but imagine what it’s like to be a Vikings fan on a day like that. That’s worse than getting the letter wrong in the A to Z Challenge, if you ask me.
-30-
A to Z Challenge
A is for A new name for this blog
B is for B is for Bibster, baseball, and a spot by the birdbath #Gratitudeandshit
C is for Cassie Klein, actress and model; an interview for #GirlsRock
D is for Dusting off and writing again
Just a dad ... 
Not into football so a lot of that escapes me but the idea of negative points make me grin. That would probably be me! Not too shabby for a last minute post. Kudos to your kids for some good questions!
I wish there were negative points in a game, like, a final score of like Dallas 13, Washington -2. Lord knows negative points are a real thing in real life!
I’m sure it would change the dynamics of the game a bit. “Coach, we can’t afford to go into negative points again.” “You’re right. Okay, let’s try a more conservative play.” It might make me want to watch it more, actually, real stakes and all that. Interesting!
Nice save, Eli. And interesting, as always. 😉
Thanks, Carrie. I was so sleepy I hope it made sense!
This does mean you’re ahead of the game on G, though, right?
Great questions. I no nothing about football. 🙂
I do enjoy watching overtime in college football much more than in the NFL. But then, in my opinion, everything’s better in college football.
Fun questions.
No more ties in football. Bear Bryant would have loved that, he said a tie was like kissing your sister. Lou Holtz came back with it’s better than kissing your brother.
I love the idea of negative points
The good old “Go ask Daddy” Database did not disappoint!
Can you believe it, I’m following a Football Player on YouTube. He’s an American Import who plays for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in Germany and vlogs about everyday life in a strange country.
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-z-2021-dont-look-to-floor-for-pennies.html
There’s some good ones in there still, Tamara! What football player is it? I never knew there was a team called Unicorns – I coached a team called the muleicorns once, and they went undefeated. Imagine the humiliation when they’d put one finger stuck up from their forehead and kick back with one foot while braying like a donkey after they scored!
His name is Nick Alfieri. I understand he signed with the Unicorns after graduating from college?
I need to see the Unicorns’ sweaters!
My husband has had season tickets to Boston College since he graduated. It was so strange to not go to any games this past year with COVID. Hoping he and his buddies can start going again this coming fall. Weekends In Maine
I missed baseball so much last summer. I covered two Charlotte Hornets games this year without fans, and it was strange to hear every word said on the court and sideline. Here’s hoping your husband can get out this fall to root on those Eagles.