NEWS ITEM: Friday, Aug. 16, was the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death in 1977. Thousands mourned at Graceland, his home. Some, however, believe Presley is alive. . . . "I met Elvis at the supermarket. He was coming down the frozen foods aisle and I was coming up. His black hair was long now and pushed under a baseball cap. He wore oversized sunglasses. But I knew it was him. I have every album, I've seen every movie -- even "Clambake." I knew it was him.
Hear ye! Hear ye! The nation's first Sports Court is now in session. Step forward, and ye shall be heard. Ye shall be judged. Ye shall be sentenced.And I don't wanna hear any complaints.CASE 1: The people vs. U.S. basketball team.CASE SUMMARY: Tired of no air-conditioning, of spicy food, and of all thatSpanish, the U.S. men's basketball team at the Pan Am Games left the athletes' village in Havana and flew to Miami between games, staying at the exclusive Mayfair House hotel, where rooms cost up to $600 a night and feature
Let's talk about terrorism. Not the kind that puts bombs under car hoods; that is terrorism we associate with foreign countries. No. Let's talk about a terrorism that is taking place right here, right now, in the heartland of America.Kansas.Wichita, to be exact. In the past four weeks, Wichita has become a battleground. The jails are stuffed. A judge requires 24-hour police protection. And workers inside an abortion clinic stay days at a time, sleeping on cots, afraid if they leave they will not be allowed back in.
TORONTO -- There are certain lessons you learn as a kid that, try as you might, you can never forget: 1) An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 2) Don't go out with wet hair. 3) Upon smashing your mother's favorite antique vase while playing Masters Of Destruction with your kid brother, always blame the dog. 4) Good pitching beats good hitting.
TORONTO -- Before we talk about the game, which the Tigers lost, or the ill-fated starting pitcher, John Cerutti, who used to hang out with the Prince of Monaco -- I am not making this up -- I must tell you about the GRAND OPENING.Of the roof.I have seen many things as a sports writer, having done this job since the Captain and Tennille were actually allowed out in public. But there is one thing I have never seen in all my years: I have never seen a retractable roof open.
I return from vacation. My arms are full. I can barely see over the things I carry. Brochures. Scuba fins. An elephant gun. Ideas. I have ideas."Look, boss," I say, dumping the mess on his desk. "Great stuff here. Mountain climbing in Ecuador. A kayak race in Siberia. Tractor pulls in Idaho. Great stuff."He glares at me."OK," I say. "Maybe the tractor thing isn't great. But we can work with it.""What are you talking about?" he says."Ideas. Story ideas. How we can get through August on the sports pages."
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.
