The first stumble is really expensive. If you already have a low score and there's a delinquency, your score won't drop by as far.

The historical low delinquency rate was 3.9 percent in the late 1970s, while the historical high for delinquencies was 6.07 percent [in 1985]. Right now it's right in the middle between the all-time low and the all-time high, and we're just coming out of a recession.

Before you can score you must first have a goal.

Angry contradiction of the patriarch is not creativity; it's delinquency calling for attention. Difference for the sake of difference is as empty an achievement as slavishly following the commercial imperative.

That bumps the double points in the relays up more. You can score 18 points in a relay to what used to be 14.

Us? We don't know how to do that. Are you kidding me? There's no way. We did score three runs today, so that's a good thing. It's a big step in the right direction.