Think about 19. Think about where you were, what you were doing. Maybe getting drunk at a frat party, maybe starting a job you knew would never last, maybe flopping on the couch, watching TV, trying to decide what to do with your life. It's an in-between age, 19, and most likely you felt torn at some point by the childhood behind you and the adulthood that lay ahead. Like a wishbone.
THE LIVE ALBOM:* For all the hoopla over Sunday's game, the fact is, if the Lions lose, everyone will say, "Never mind. The last two games are the important ones."
DATELINE UNKNOWN -- The crack of the bat was sweet and true -- a solid hit, extra bases for sure -- and as spectators rose in a collective "oooh," Barry Bonds began to run.
I pass a man who is stark naked, except for his boxer shorts. Half his body is painted blue. Half is painted yellow. He is sitting in the parking lot, tossing a football, making a "Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!" sound, like a train, coming 'round the bend."Excuse me," I say, nonchalantly."Pardon me," I say.
* BUCCANEERS 26, LIONS 21: And you know how much it hurts me to pick Tampa Bay to win anything.* CHICAGO 17, GREEN BAY 16: Have you noticed that Mike Ditka's press conferences are a lot more interesting than his team?* CLEVELAND 15, NEW ENGLAND 7: Oooh. Here's one you won't want to miss. * DALLAS 20, LA RAIDERS 12: Sorry, I still think Todd Marinovich is a cross between Alfred E. Neuman and Archie.
ATLANTA -- Bruce Smith, the symbol of Buffalo power, was on his knees in the end zone, the posture of surrender. All around him, Cowboys were dancing, doing high steps, mugging for the crowd. Half of them had their helmets off so the TV cameras could catch their faces. They mobbed Emmitt Smith, who had just scored a touchdown on fourth-and-one, a muscle test, yours versus ours, late in the game, the championship on the line; Smith had gone in standing up. Touchdown. Now flashbulbs exploded and rolls of toilet paper came flying from the stands.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- That sound you heard Sunday afternoon was two legends falling off the rainbow. The difference is, one landed in clover, the other flat on his back.I am talking Jack Morris. I am talking Dennis Eckersley. Once upon a time, they would have made a complete pitching staff by themselves. Let Morris go eight innings, drag him off the mound with the smoke coming from his nostrils,
Maybe the Godfather had it right. In his regime, the rules were clear. If you were family, you were safe. If you were family, there was an obligation. Family meant loyalty. You knew where you stood.
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
