Just a few weeks ago, at-home dad Jamie Martin was playing football with his two kids at home. Having been retired for a few years he got a phone call out of the blue from his previous boss, The St Louis Rams. They were offering his old quarterback job back. With star quarterback Marc Bulger recovering from a bruised shoulder, and backup Chris Chandler playing as if he had one, Martin got the nod to take the field last Saturday after Chandler's poor 1st quarter play offered no choice. He ended up completing 16 for 31 passes and gaining 188 yards but did lose the game to Arizona Cardinals 31-7. The St Louis Dispatch reported that Martin hadn't thrown a pass in an NFL game in two years, which, "is a lot different than just tossing the ball around in the back yard." Looks like Bulger will back next week and if he holds up, Martin ought to playing football with the kids on a regular basis again after the season's over.

New playgroup: I'd like to welcome Tom Irwin of Baltimore County, MD to the playgroup mix he's at www.badsoup.com