We've gotten about a dozen and a half expressions of interest for another year of our charity pro football underdog game, and so it's a definite go. We'll get the official rules posted over the next few days. If you've already written us to say you're in, stand by for further instructions, which you'll get by e-mail; if you're interested and haven't written in yet, please shoot us an e-mail message at underdog@bojack.org so that we can reach you.

The idea of our game is simple: Each week, you pick one NFL underdog team whom you predict will win its game outright. If you're right, you get the number of points that your 'dog was favored to lose by; the players with the most points at season's end win. The prizes are the rights to designate one of the charities that will receive the entry fees our players pungle up (a Jackson apiece) at the start of the season. All proceeds go to charity; our winners get only glory. Last year a reader subsidized the kitty with an additional contribution, and our players' charities got $900.

If you think you know pro football, here's your chance to show off. And if you don't, you can still do well -- there's more than a little luck involved. You're cordially invited to watch the Big Daddies in a whole new light. The season kicks off two weeks from tomorrow.