PASSIONS

The difference between College Football and the NFL is that opposing NFL players help each other up off the turf and pat each other's butts. It's a job, a career, a paycheck. It's not personal, it's professional. that's not to say they don't play as hard as they can. In college, it's a game of Passion.

Speaking of Passions. Brandi Burkhardt, Soap Opera's first recurring mermaid has been fired, due to budget cuts. Bye, bye Brandi!

Well i t's World Series time, boys. I remember in the fourth grade, our teacher held up an 8x10 inch glossy team photo of the NY Yankees. We were all fans of the Yankees in those days--the whole roster was superstars. Anyway, you know how when you raise your hand in school and if you REALLY want to be called on, you raise it quick, first and wave it wildly, and grunt and groan louder than your mates, "ooh-ooh-ooh!!." Well it works. When she asked who wanted it, I out hand raised the rest of hte guys. I still got it, it's a treasured memento.

I was in my thirties before I ever saw a regular season major league ball game, the Braves, in Atlanta. but, growing up in Clearwater, spring training home of the Phillies, I saw all the great teams and players in the Grapefruit League. In fact, one of the Philies' players rented a house on our block, and he had the same last name as us, so the mailman delivered his mail to our house. I got his autograph, but that's been lost over the years, surprisingly, since I've never, ever thrown anything away, other than edible garbage. ANd now Patrick takes care of that for me.

Junior and I took in an early spring Cubs Game at Wrigley once, and froze our asses off. So it goes.

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