OUR FIRST FRIDAY QBF CONTEST

In the days preceding last month’s hamster strike, we dusted off my eight-year-old novel, Quarterback of the Future. Discussion regarding the book, along with repeated pleas from yours truly to not buy it, resulted in a dramatic spike in the Amazon.com rating from something below 2 million to the top 2,500. (It’s now back in the 500,000 range.) I’ve still got a box full of copies of QBF. So starting this Friday, and continuing every Friday until the box is empty, we’ll hold a Pepsi Prize Pack-style “best comment of the day” contest. The winner gets a signed copy of the book, complete with a personalized message like, “Nothing’s finer than being in your diner.” I’ve decided to do this because maybe, just maybe, the book isn’t as bad as the passage of time (and that chronic lack of sales) has caused me to conclude that it was/is. But here’s an unsolicited (and unpaid) observation from a fellow lawyer who started reading the book while sweating out jury deliberations, which as any lawyer who ever tried a case will tell you is the most excruciating aspect of the profession. “I found myself sitting outside the courthouse reading your book for hours on end,” the lawyer said. “Burned through most of it in just two days and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a chapter of a book as much as I thoroughly enjoyed Chapter 22 -- the first preseason game: Steelers vs Giants. “The story has been great. Truly. My trial is over but I’m not putting this book down.” So there you have it. Don’t buy it. Because maybe you’ll win one.