Bayou Bruises: Colts vs. Saints

Changing 'shoes: The Horseshoe turns three

Football Haiku

Be kind, ligaments
anterior and cruciate.
Colts need you Sundays. 

- originally appeared in issue # 22

Crack-jawed quarterback,
remember your retainer.
Touchdowns make you smile.

Milkshakes for Manning.
Come Sunday he'll be hungry.
Football is good food.

Sideline M*A*S*H unit
pulls seven Colts from the game.
Only four return.

Horseflies are pesky,
but they can't cripple a Colt.
Injury bugs can.

ESPN says
Edge is out for the season.
Colts say wait and see.

Colt offense makes them,
Colt defense gives them away:
Big plays, Big Easy.

Clueless Colt corners,
Will Saint receivers roam free?
Just make a tackle.

Play on, hobbled Colts,
Don't give up. Dig deep, you few,
you walking wounded.

Two dreaded letters?
I and R. Injured reserve.
Only L is worse.

Changing 'shoes

This marks year three for the Horseshoe. The 'shoe has a new look and a new attitude. The changes can be summed up in two words: football haiku. The two were made for each other. Both use speed, grace, and force. Both capture moments from the ridiculous to the sublime. Most importantly, both are just plain fun. So, this year, instead of lengthy analysis, each week you will find 5-10 haiku, each dealing with some aspect of the upcoming game. Silly? Well, yes.  But hopefully the new Horseshoe will give fans a different perspective on each game.

I welcome your submissions. They are loads of fun to write. I am using the 5-7-5 form, meaning the haiku should consist of three lines, the first line being five syllables long, the second being seven syllables, and the third five.  Submit haiku here

In addition to the haiku, every week, I'll pick winners for the full slate of NFL games. I finished last season picking 72% of the winners. Jim Conway, my Dad, is returning this year to try and put me back in my place. See our predictions