Detroit Free Press

PASADENA, Calif. -- Well, it sure was nice of USC to invite Michigan out for a game of pitch and catch. But when ...

Last in a series on the challenges of state athletes and their families.Gary Miller is not a famous athlete. But like a lot of us, he can chart his life by the sports he played and the uniforms he wore.He grew up in Detroit, during World War II, and played American Legion baseball on a sandlot behind a bowling alley. He wore a gray-and-red pinstripe jersey. His position was catcher.

First in a series on the challenges of state athletes and their families.There's something wrong with Thomas! It is the only sentence the coach really remembers. There's something wrong with Thomas! After that, things began to blur, kids and adults, doctors and nurses, belief and disbelief, life and death.

A2-year-old was running on the playground last month, as 2-year-olds do.He banged into a railing, as 2-year-olds do.And he got a cut on his head, as 2-year-olds do.His mother sued the city, as parents do. The accident, she claimed, hurt "his modeling and acting career."No, I am not making this up. In a letter to city officials, the mother claimed the railing was painted the wrong color. It was too green, she said, making it blend in with the landscaping. It should have been painted a brighter color, she insisted.

"Who is he?" said the T."What does he want?" said the E."What's that in his hand?" said the A."What's that by his ...

Being president has its drawbacks. You could ask George W. Bush. But you could also ask Matt Millen, Joe Dumars or Dave Dombrowski. For the first time in memory, three of our team presidents are being hounded at the same time: Millen for losing his cool, Dumars for showing too much, and Dombrowski for not acquiring any.

Let's begin with the brussels sprouts. There was an attempt at a world record: Who could eat the most in one minute?"You won't want to miss this!" the host said.Now, I had no idea they kept records on brussels sprouts. But I am behind on all things British and Irish. This became clear during a book tour last week in Dublin and London.

In the end, it doesn't really matter if it was a bribe, a strong-arm or a good old-fashioned threat. What happened recently to a Michigan congressman was enough to make you give up on politics -- if you haven't already.Nick Smith, from south-central Michigan, is not a majordomo in Congress. He isn't a media lightning rod like Tom DeLay or Nancy Pelosi. But he counts. One district, one vote.