Offsides—Excerpt

Chapter One, The Fake Out

One football season, after she had a bad miscarriage, the head coach, Donny Mac, caught up with her outside the locker room, jawing, "Hell Sally, heard you lost that baby. I know what loss is like, honey. Game today was so important, and we had it and blew the sumbitch. Fumbled on the one yard-line. Talk about grief. Whooo Doggie. But you gotta look ahead now, sugarpie.Gnew game plan. Hell, you can be pregnant by the time we play Bama if you get to work, little gal."

After Mother told me that story when I was old enough to understand, I could never look Coach Donny Mac in the eye again. When I tried to explain why, she said, "Liz, he meant well. Now I didn't care for his comparison either, but sweetie, most men are under way too much pressure to be sensitive. They got ball games to win."