The Bulletin

Unlucky Thirteen: Truth or Fiction? 

Decent Debate – Warner vs. Marino in NFL “13” Battle:

Is the Number 13 lucky, or is it unlucky. It has been set aside by society as unlucky. Skyscrapers and other buildings skip “13” on their elevators, and do not have a 13th floor. That’s right, most go from the 12th to 14th floor. Also, Friday the 13th is feared, and this stuff goes back a long way, the old, proverbial fear of the Number 13. However, in sports… there are a number of top-notch athletes that embrace the Number 13. They scoff at the notion of an unlucky number. The two best in NFL hist’ry are Dan Marino and Kurt Warner. Both are in the Hall of Fame. Marino played at a large college (Pitt) and then played his whole career for the Miami Dolphins. Warner, on the other hand, played at a tiny school (Northern Iowa), worked at a supermarket, then played in the Arena League and the World League of American Football, before getting to the NFL. Then, he won a Super Bowl, was a Super Bowl MVP, and played great in a couple of Super Bowl losses. He played for multiple NFL teams, and had a movie made about his life story. The Bulletin is creating the debate, not settling it, so you make up your own mind who was the best “Number 13” in NFL hist’ry.  

Mukes Notches A.W. in Week 13:

The Bulletin kicks off Week 13 in the Big Daddy Football League with a look at one of two A.W.’s this past weekend. The Silver Lakes Sloth Monsters destroyed the Benton Bullets, 38-12. Mukes had no mercy on the Bentonites. It was ugly from Thanksgiving Day until the end of the action on Monday Night. The Three Toed Tree Dwellers were on their game and took the Bullets to the woodshed. In addition to getting an A.W., the Sloth Monsters also received the “Top Gun” honor for the week in the BDFL, and one of Muke’s players (PK/McPherson-Cin) picked up the “Big Daddy of the Week” award. The win was also big for the Sloths, who are high in the latest Pucker Factor Poll, and need some wins to avoid elimination from the Big Daddy Championship Series (BDCS) under the Bullet Rule. As for the Bullets, they are above .500, but need points to break into the top eight in the overall standings before the gun sounds on the 2025 regular season in the BDFL. [Note: Bullet and one of Alabama’s famous #13’s crossed paths a lot in the late 1980s and early 90s. That’s George Teague, who played high school football at Jeff Davis in Montgomery. While Bullet was at WSFA-TV, Teague and his family let the Channel 12 folks in for signing day, and the day Teague pulled out of the driveway with his mom and sisters crying. Then, while at Bama, Bullet interviewed Teague almost weekly. Of course, Teague led the 1992 team to the National Championship with two of the most memorable plays of the game. Prior to that, Teague hosted 20-30 Bama players for dinner and invited Bullet and Jeff Shearer. So, when the Bama 34, Miami 13 game ended at the Super Dome, Teague found Bullet, and uttered those famous words, “National Champs… taking it home!”  

Grenadiers Administer A.W. to daBlitz:

In the other A.W. of Week 13, the Mineral Springs Grenadiers hammered the Druid City Blitz by the final score of 29-6. The Commissioner was pleased to get the win after discussing strategy during the week with Cory Reamer of the Crimson Tide Sports Network. Reamer was an outside linebacker on the 2009 Alabama National Championship team. He wore #13. Reamer allegedly told Iron Hand to “go for it,” against daBlitz, even though Jerry Fritz’s team is based in T-Town’s neighboring area of Druid City. The Gritz Blitz took the beating in stride, loaded up the “Toilet Seat Team of the Weak” award, and headed back across the Black Warrior River to regroup for the remainder of the season.  

Monday Night Magic – Part 1 – Mayor Overcome vs. Dogs:

The Magic City Mayors trudged into the last game of the weekend with a “slim to none” chance to pull out a comeback vict’ry over the Brookside Dogs. But, the Cronies got an early 94-yard return for a TD by the New England Patriots special teams, and that bit of “magic” pushed the Magic City Mayors past Mark’s Mutts, 32-25. The Dogs have had a good season, but they are starting to lose a little of their momentum. The Super Banker turned Rubber Tycoon plans to exact some strict disciplinary measures to get his team back on the right track – the tracks that run past Brookside Ballpark and past the local VFW. Residents of west Jefferson County – consider yourselves warned. Note: Last year’s #13 for the Crimson Tide, 4th Round draft pick, Malachi Moore, is currently playing for the New York Jets. He looks be be a goot representative for teams from Brookside, Birmingham, and Trussville.  

Monday Night Magic – Part 2 – BioCats Upend Bellcows:

The Western Hills Wildcats pulled off a caper that would have made the writers, journalists, pundits, and prognosticators re-check their notes, and re-think their coverage strategies. The “James Gang” were all but dead following the last of the NFL action on Sunday Night. It looked like the Fieldstown Bellcows were going to escape Fair Park with a win. All the BioCats had going on Monday Night was a little known wide receiver. But, lo and behold, the receiver in question caught a TD pass, and those 3-points made winners outta the bunch from Western Hills. The final tally: Wildcats 34, Bell Heads 32. (Note: a former #13 QB at Alabama once pulled a game out with a TD pass in OT to beat UGa, and give the Crimson Tide a National Championship. That quarterback’s name was Tua Tagovailoa.)  

‘Nauts Emerge with OT Win Against the ‘Dillos:

An arbitrator was needed to decide this one, and to review the OT rules in the BDFL. Enter another former Alabama quarterback, turned SEC referee, David Smith, who wore #13 for the Crimson Tide in the 1980s. The former QB ruled that the Jugtown Juggernauts had emerged with a 33-33 overtime vict’ry against the Duncanville Armadillos. It was a sweet win for the ‘Nauts, and K.P. & Company couldn’t do anything but shake their heads at their narrow, heart-breaking, overtime, gut-wrenching loss to a “bunch of girls.”  

Freebirds Gut Gamblers in Fultondale:

The Fultondale Freebirds also scored 33-points and they didn’t even have to play an extra period to get a convincing win over the Gulf Coast Gamblers. “Jammin’ Jaimie Hand” was pleased with his BDFL win and by the vict’ry of the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl. The Dixie Mafia was at a loss for comment after the loss, which sent them to 6-7, and a game under .500, and up the list on the “Pucker Factor” poll, and maybe an Internet sensation with the online references to 6-7 on tik-tok, FanDuel, and Instagram. {NOTE: the #13 reference on this one goes to former Alabama quarterback Spencer Pennington for no apparent reason. Other than the fact he played QB in the Music City Bowl, where Hime “double-birded” – not Freebird – the Minnesota Golden Gophers when they ran on the field, sitting just two rows in front of his parents… the legendary Donald and Mary Ann Hand.  

Sleds Embarrassed by Vulcans:

It’s been a rough year for the North Birmingham Vulcans in 2025. The Defending Champs have watched the losses pile up along the foothills of Red Mountain. But, in Week 13 this season, the “young, but naïve” Vulcans put it all together and upset the Fairfield PowerSleds, 29-20. Mad Jack Barnes was mad at his team. His “Mean Machine” played tentative and were plagued by mistakes, penalties, and bonehead plays. (Note: The only NFL starting QB currently wearing #13 is Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.)  

Sin Wagon Rolls Over Bandits:

The Southside Cheetahs had an off week, but luckily were playing the 1-12 Altadena Bandits. All of those factors in Week 13 in the BDFL added up to a 21-16 vict’ry for the Sin Wagon that out-raced the Black Trans Am’s. It was actually a pretty good week for the Bandits – scoring 16-points – but they still lost by five to the Cheetahs.  

“It’s all about the kids.” - Week 13 in the JrBDFL:

The Birmingham Barn Burners have secured a playoff spot in the JrBDFL, and have clinched the East Division with a 10-3 record. Jackson Barnes is on a baseball scholarship at Brewton Parker College in South Georgia, where he recently won the campus Whiffle Ball championship, or, Blitz Ball. His team in both instances uses the same logo, and the “Son of Jack,” was also named the MVP of the intramural-type competition.