Pumpkin Patch

It's all about football this week and Stephen is making the most of it with his Superb Owl coverage. Last night he compared being a Quarterback to attending his daily staff meetings. So, it's definitely something he would be able to do, with just a little bit of training. To prepare for Quarterbacking, Stephen interviewed famous football coach of the Washington team, Joe Gibbs. The interview went so well that Joe Gibbs actually "gave" Stephen one of his Super Bowl rings! Although Joe Gibbs said it takes a lot of work to get a Super Bowl ring, Stephen contradicted him by saying you just have to ask for one. Good point, Stephen.

If you did not actually watch the show last night, you should check it out at Colbert Nation if only to watch Stephen's Raw Athleticism as he walks down a flight of stairs.

Stephen was trained by Steve Clarkson in the finer points of quarterbacking. He gave Stephen several good pointers, including, "Your balance is off." Other training tips included:

* Own the Room
* Hold the Ball
* Feel the Rush
* Quarterback Walk

Stephen also had to endure a training exercise where he was blindfolded while be pummeled mercilessly and he came out of that with all the dignity that you would expect from him. For safety purposes, Stephen used the popular safe word Pumpkin Patch.

In the Owl portion of the show, or the Superb Owl portion, Stephen had David Yarnold, President of National Audubon Society on to talk about a Superb Owl. Also on was Erin with her friend Sophia the Barred Owl. The Barred Owl is taking over the habitat of the Spotted Owl, which naturally made Stephen think that therefore the Barred Owl is the Superb Owl. David Yarnold explained that it could be more of a problem with habitat degeneration. He also talked about owls in general. They have amazing wings which allow them to fly nearly silently to catch their prey. They can see quite well at night. And they can turn their head 270 degrees. I tried to do that and I'm going to have a stiff neck for a while. Ouch.

Owls and football were the themes on the show last night and Stephen brought it all together in a touching moment when he attempted to have Sophia the Owl predict the outcome of the upcoming Big Game by predicting the winner by choosing a rabbit. Sadly, there were technical difficulties.

Stephen's guest last night was Justin Tuck. Stephen was cordial and pleasant which was a good idea. Stephen learned quite a bit about the sport of football and Justin Tuck. Although Justin Tuck won't be playing in the Big Game, the Big Game will be played on his home field. Stephen presented a scenario where the new York Giants could win this year's Big Game. That would be a first.