Chapter 20
In a mid-winter that was already one of the coldest and snowiest on record, the Temps found themselves in the unenviable position of having to win three games on the road to go to the Super Bowl.
“We are road warriors,” the ever-optimistic Lleyton said as he set up a makeshift shrine to Dave Donaldson in an empty stall of the Omaha Steers visitors’ clubhouse.
It was no small irony, Quinn thought, that Lleyton, who never knew Dave, should take it upon himself to become the keeper of his flame. At Templars Stadium, Dave’s former stall was like a Buddhist temple, teeming with tribute. There was Dave’s uniform, photographs, fan letters, teddy bears, candles and, always, fresh flowers. This drove Smalley nuts.
“Starling, you ship all this crap to the Widow Donaldson as fast as yo
