A couple shout outs

One in a great while I step away from my usual sports nonsense to write something personal. First, here's to my dear friend and lifelong (well, not exactly, but it seems like eons) pal CC. The times we've had, the miles we've travelled, and the stuff we've seen and done along the way. It's been a helluva ride. Plus the occasional idea he's given your truly to run with and rant about in this forum. So basically, I can't be held totally at fault for the insanity you read here. Some of them were CC's idea. Blame HIM.

And here's to new acquaintances Jack and Laura. Jack's a rider too, and Laura sort of is. But yours truly thinks it would be a great improvement in her riding career if she'd quit falling off the motorcycle -- especially as a passenger. A tip to Laura -- before you're allowed to upgrade to the actual riding seat, where you have to use both hands and both feet, and eyes and ears, and brains, and you know -- a lot of stuff -- it's a real good idea to outgrow that falling off for no reason bit. Trust me. Besides, the other riders have enough going on out on the road to be concerned with. We don't need to be dodging your butt as it's rolling down the highway. For God's sake -- get a grip, girl.

Yet there's another shout-out that is even more relevant. Mine. You see, as I write this, I do so under great duress. Usually I'm on my own, but this time I have the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Or at least a ferocious critic sitting next to me waiting to pounce any second. Scary stuff. So the shout-out is indeed mine --- as in HELP. You think it's easy churning out this tripe 5-6 times a week? Try doing it with a 125 pound piranha sitting next to you.

But things could be worse. I haven't yet got to the stage where I've fallen and can't get up. That's Laura's thing, as I mentioned earlier.

At any rate, CC, though now a Floridian, but a Brooklyn native and life-long Jets fan, reminded me it was Joe Namath's 70th birthday. Wow, how the time flies. It seems like just a few years ago that Joe Willie guaranteed a Super Bowl victory over the mighty (and heavily favored) Baltimore Colts -- and delivered. And we old-timers can remember when Joe Namath actually not only wore panty hose in a game played in frigid weather to keep his legs warm, but went on to advertise it. Back in those days -- when men were men and all that crap -- it took a lot of guts to do such a thing. Namath grew a Fu Manchu moustache, invested in a bachelors club, and once said he'd rather go to Viet Nam than get married. Such behavior raised a lot of eyebrows, certainly wasn't the norm in the NFL, and Joe caught some serious heat for being so brash back then.

But you know what? He always found a way to back it up. The career numbers for Namath aren't really impressive. He actually lost more games than he won, compiling a 68-71-4 record, and was exactly .500 as a starter, going 64-64-4. He threw far more interceptions (220) than he did touchdowns (173).

Nevertheless, few would doubt Joe Namath certainly left his mark on the NFL. To this day, he's ranked amongst the top 100 players to ever play the game. If nothing else, Joe Willie was a difference maker. Happy 70th to him, wherever he is.

Thanks for the idea, CC.

Personally, the sword of Damocles has so far mercifully spared me, so perhaps I'll live to write more boring nonsense.

But somehow, for no logical reason whatsoever, I'm getting some very strong inner-type vibes that somewhere out there, Laura just fell down again. Not sure why that is. Just a hunch. Good luck, Jack.