Ida’s journal, Oct. 22, 1961.
I met Y.A. Tittle AND Charlie Conerly today!!! Was so swell of Uncle Bartek to get me a ticket to see the Giants! This was my first time to Yankee Stadium and I sure hate the Los Angeles Rams — I was plenty sore when our boys let ol’ Dick Bass run half the field for a touchdown. It’s OK though — Conerly came right back at ’em and we won! Mama wouldn’t let me get a hot dog at the game, so I was mad at first until I saw that she packed me a cream soda and the BEST roast beef sandwich ever. Said it was from a new place on Nostrand. Have to check it out but am really busy reading up on next week’s game against the Cowboys … I’m really worried about them!
The Giants, it turns out, would lose that game to the Cowboys by a point — just as our sapling soothsayer Ida Eisenstein had feared. Football historians now point to this particular passage as the genesis of Ida’s storied career — immortalized in perpetuity in Canton, and, of course, the pages of this newspaper. Last week was no exception: Ida posted a jaw-dropping 8-4 record to improve her overall standing to 52-44-5, prompting her to recall her early season stumble, and summon Greek poet Aeschylus for her inspiration of the week: “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship.”
Ida’s picks
Texans (-10), Panthers (-3.5), Titans (-7), Ravens (-12.5), Bills (-4.5), Steelers (+2.5), Seahawks (+2.5), Eagles (-3.5), Chargers (-4).
Ida’s breakouts
Giants (-10) over Dolphins:
“The Dolphins aren’t doing too well.”
Lions (-3.5) over Broncos
“I’m going to give the Lions one more try.”
Saints (-10) over Rams
“They’re on a roll.”
Ida’s Kryptonite Lock of the Week:
49ers (-9) over Browns: “They’re a good team and the Browns are not.”
Season record: 52-44-5; 5-2 on Kryptonite Lock of the Week.
