I'm enjoying the story a lot. I'm not quite as intolerant of sports as I think I am. I may not be able to follow all of what you're describing, but it sounds like it would be interesting if I could visualize it. The images that 'The Flying Doormat' conjures... I think I prefer not knowing, because then I can fill in the blanks myself.
Kansas winters aren't all that cold, at least the few that I've experienced. Clark may be playing it up, though.
