With our large family moving to different parts of the country it becomes more and more difficult to do things collectively that we all can enjoy. One thing's for sure, many of us in the family love NFL football. Realizing that some are not as football literate as others, Dad decided to create a game that wouldn't matter if you knew it all or or not at all. He called his game, "The Picks".

How the game works is not the point of this spry so I won't take time here to describe it. While everyone was trying to figure out how the first season would end we were all taking wild guesses. To my surprise, I was the first year winner. My brother Jim even made a little trophy and sent it to me and has done so for the winner every year since.

We've moved to two different homes since the games began and at a recent family reunion my younger brother Johnny found this award on a back shelf in my office. It provoked a lot of funny stories and made me aware of what a special keepsake it really is. Not only is it a tribute to Dad's creativity but also to his foresight to bring the family together each fall in an enjoyable way. Now, every year, we can't wait to begin the game. 

Here's a picture of my special trophy