From the Editor
Greetings, staredown fans. It's time to head into the last stretch of the season, which is sure to be action-packed. The excitement is at an all-time high as Tony Patterson closes in on his sixth consecutive NASP championship.

The question on everyone's mind is whether the dark horse Rockhammer can take his game to the next level and give Patterson a real run for his money. Rockhammer hit his stride in the summer and appears to be on a roll. We'll all be there in Bakersfield for the Western Super-Regional to see if Rockhammer's the real deal or another pretender.

I've gotten a lot of emails with suggestions for this site. Keep em' coming, feedback is always appreciated.

Sincerely,
Mark Chipwood
Staredown Analyst/ NASP Quarterly Editor-In-Chief

Staredown Trivia (find the answer the next NASP Quarterly)
What is the name of Tony Patterson's fan club?

Upcoming Events
The Sooner Stare (Tulsa, OK) - October 29, 2005
The Sioux City Stare-a-thon (Sioux City, IA) - November 5, 2005
The Western Super-Regional (Bakersfield, CA) - November 19, 2005

Staredown History 101
By Alex Everett, author of Staredown to Heaven

Anthropologists have uncovered evidence of a primitive form of Staredown practiced by prehistoric man.

While it was by no means the organized, highly-developed incarnation with which modern NASP fans are familiar, eye contact between one Neanderthal and another determined social hierarchy and provided an alternative to physical violence. According to Desmond Morris in his book The Naked Ape, "A direct stare is typical of the most out-and-out aggression. It is part of the fiercest facial expressions and accompanies all of the most belligerent gestures. This is why the children's game of 'stare you out' is so difficult to perform."

Indeed, this game has moved far from the playground in recent years, and thanks to legendary athletes such as Tony Patterson the game has evolved into a highly intricate test of physical and mental prowess.

It's fair to say the sport of staredown has advanced more in the last 5 years than in the 5 million years preceding it.

As documented in my book Staredown to Heaven, the sport clearly has a universal and timeless appeal. From the cavemen to the Mayans to the Greeks to the Puritans, every culture in human history has practiced some form of the ritual.

Staredown is a common thread that ties together diverse peoples and civilizations. Exploring the roots of this sport is my life's pursuit and a worthy one at that.

Yours truly,

Alex Everett
Staredown Historian/ Author

The Smart Money (For entertainment purposes only)
Odds of winning the The Sooner Stare
Tony Patterson - 3 to 2
"The Bishop" Al Harris - 4 to 1
Erika Watson - 500 to 1