Richard Costly

Three rows of panels.  The first row is three panels of equal size.  The second row is two panels (4 and 5), and panel 4 is two-thirds of the page's width.  The third row is a single panel.

1 - Two football teams line up against each other for the next down.  The offensive team is lined up in the shotgun formation, with their quarterback standing a few steps back from the centre.  He has his hands out to receive the ball, which has been snapped.

CAPTION (RICHARD): There was no time left on the clock.

QB: Hike!

2 - The quarterback is throwing the ball just as he is getting tackled by two opposing players.  The ball is released, but the throw is not clean.

CAPTION (RICHARD): In a game where we'd been trying to catch up from the start.

3 - A shot from the end zone looking up field.  Richard Costly, a receiver, stands in the end zone looking towards the ball.  He sees that the ball is headed towards the opposite side of the field and is running in that direction at full speed.  The defense is trying to keep pace with him, but while they are providing good coverage, it really is the distance between him and the ball that represents his biggest obstacle at this point.

CAPTION (RICHARD): Our frenzied efforts came down to one last play.

4 - Richard is diving, and while he's heavily covered, he manages to make the catch - just barely.  It's pretty much all fingertips, and he is completely splayed out.

CAPTION (RICHARD): An impossible catch to cap an impossible comeback.

5 - Richard celebrates with all of his teammates.  The home crowd is going wild.  The scoreboard shows that the score is now 58 - 57 for the home team.

CAPTION (RICHARD): No one expected us to win.

6 - Richard sits alone in the locker room.  He is still in full gear, with only his helmet removed.  The room is dark.  Richard holds his head with both hands, a look of fear in his eyes.  Caption at the bottom of the panel.

CAPTION (RICHARD): Least of all the people who told me to throw the game.

So yeah.  Mr. Costly has apparently made some poor decisions, something that doesn't appear to be changing.  At least not yet.  I really built this script and the character from that last visual, but I feel like it doesn't have quite the resonance I was hoping for.  Especially that last line.  But it'll do for the nonce.