I haven't really followed the NFL season this year, so I'm not going to give a comprehensive breakdown of the two championship games this weekend. But if beatific karma has any say in the matter, then I'm putting all of my coins on the Colts. It has nothing to do with Peyton Manning rising to the occasion and finally getting over the "can't win the big game" hump that has followed him since his days at Tennessee. Nor does it have anything to do with Tony Dungy getting proper retribution after his former team--and many say the team that he built--won the Super Bowl last season. No, this will be the karma of the Kerouac scroll. Jim Irsay, the owner of the Colts, happens to own the 120-foot scroll of the On the Road manuscript which he bought at an auction in 2001, and is now sending the scroll on a 13 city tour. I remember when the scroll was placed on the block. My fear, at the time, was that it would end up in the hands of Madonna or one of the Backstreet Boys. Irsay seems to be a man who can be trusted. He sees the historical significance of the artifact, not just the dollar signs. In an interview with AP, Irsay says, "My goal all along was to have it and share it with all those who want to see it, whether it's in this country or other countries." I haven't seen a list of cities that will be included on the tour, but I'm already making plans to see it (if only in the palm pilot in my mind).
Update: After much blood, sweat, and google searching, I've managed to find some tentative tour dates for the scroll. Interesting choice of cities.
Kerouac Manuscript Tour
2004 Orange County History Center, Orlando, FL, Jan. 10 – March 21
Naropa University, Boulder, CO, May 10 – June 25
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, Sept. 15 – Nov. 30
2005
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA, Jan. 19 – March 31
Las Vegas Public Library, Las Vegas, NV, March 24 – May 15
Natl. Museum of American History, Washington D.C., June – August
University of Texas Austin, TX, Sept. 1 – Nov. 30
2006
San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, Jan. 14 – March 19
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, Indianapolis, IN, May 1 – July 31
Columbia College, Chicago, IL, TBD
2007
Denver Public Library, Denver, CO, TBD
Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, NM, TBD
New York Public Library, New York City, Sept. 1 – Dec. 31
